The sky had turned red before I knew it, and the once bustling surroundings gradually regained their calm.
The sound of leaves rustling against each other in the cool breeze echoed in the quiet.
In the distance, the faint cawing of crows added tension to this awkward tranquility.
“…”
It felt entirely different from the moment I dealt with the Demons.
To the children, I must look like a messenger of justice, but to myself, everything felt empty.
Perhaps because of that, my desire to return to the church has grown urgent.
I am just a mere vampire playing the role of a nun.
I have no qualifications worthy of the title ‘Guardian,’ nor do I have the heart to pursue such ideals.
“Lady Levynia, what did it feel like when you received the divine power? Did it feel great?”
“…I think all I felt was discomfort.”
“Discomfort? Why?”
“I don’t know. If you ask if it felt good, I would have to say no.”
“Is it because you’re different from us?”
“That might be. I am not at all a vessel worthy of receiving the divine power of the World Tree.”
Unlike the children who were passionately discussing the event I had just caused, Rune, who seemed very interested in the divine power, was sticking close to me without participating in the discussion.
Although she asked quite a few things, they were all ambiguous questions that I couldn’t answer clearly, so the conversation did not progress much.
Yet, despite that, Rune did not show any signs of disappointment; on the contrary, she began to look up at me with even brighter eyes.
“Honestly, I’m a bit envious and slightly jealous of you, Lady Levynia, for having received the divine power of the World Tree.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t come to seek the World Tree with such thoughts…”
“But if someone were to ask if you were worthy of such a fate, I would definitely nod my head.”
“Really?”
“Although you stand in a different position from us, you are kinder than anyone else.”
At first, I thought it was just empty words meant to comfort me.
However, as I observed Rune’s increasingly sparkling eyes, I faintly sensed her genuine respect and trust.
“Even if most people do not acknowledge it, I will continue to acknowledge you, Lady Levynia, until the end.”
Moreover, she quoted what I had said in the early morning to convey her pure feelings.
Seeing that beside her made me unconsciously smile.
“Really, this should have gone to Rune, not me.”
“Ah, no! I’m still young and lack talent…”
“Not every hero is born with talent from the start.”
“…Hero?”
“Yes, it’s common for one to develop their abilities later on.”
Of course, this does not mean that Rune inherently possesses the qualities of a hero.
It was merely a plausible example I provided for metaphorical purposes.
Everyone harbors potential, so there is no need to feel gloomy about lacking talent at this very moment.
“What is a hero?”
However, contrary to my expectations, Rune blinked rapidly, looking puzzled by the term ‘hero.’
For some reason, she seemed to have no knowledge of what a hero was.
“Ah… I guess you are still too young to know.”
“Yes, it’s the first time I’ve heard of it.”
“So, a hero is…”
Just as I took a deep breath to explain the concept of a hero to Rune, a faint presence of someone unfamiliar reached my ears.
“Ah?! It’s the Grand Elder!”
As I quickly turned my head in the direction of the voice, Rune, with a bright smile, opened her mouth wide.
I also turned my head, and there stood an elderly man, who looked quite frail, leaning on a cane.
“Grand Elder…?”
“He is the most remarkable person in the Loen Forest! I heard that he received the divine power of the World Tree in the past and ascended to the position of Grand Elder!”
“There was an elf higher than the Elder…?”
“Yes! There are four villages centered around the World Tree, and the Grand Elder oversees all of them.”
Contrary to Rune’s explanation, the old man seemed too thin and bent, struggling even to stand still, making him appear quite feeble.
His frail appearance made it hard to tell if he was shaking out of fear or lack of strength.
“Y-you’ve really… stirred things up… Levand…”
The faint words leaking from the Grand Elder’s mouth were filled with exhaustion.
He began to shake his head slowly, casting a sorrowful glance at the bodies strewn around.
“I’m glad!! The Grand Elder has nothing to do with this incident!”
“……”
It certainly seemed that the Grand Elder was not significantly involved in this incident.
The fact that he was alive was evidence of that.
However, I couldn’t help but feel slightly suspicious about how someone in the position of Grand Elder would be completely unrelated to this event.
That couldn’t be plausible…
“Sorry for the late introduction… I am the elf appointed as the Grand Elder of the Loen Forest…”
“…I don’t quite understand why you only introduce yourself as an elf.”
“Because I believe I have no worth… The fact that I only revealed myself after everything has ended merely reflects my own disgrace as an elf…”
With that statement, the Grand Elder fell silent for a moment.
Perhaps he was concerned about Rune standing beside me, for he began glancing at her with his dry lips slightly moistening.
“Rune, I’m sorry, but could you please play with the children for a moment?”
“Ah, yes─.”
Without any further explanation, Rune promptly left to join the children.
Her situational judgment is so perfect that it would leave even adults in the dust.
“Thank you for your consideration…”
“I suppose your revealing yourself now indicates that you wish to explain this situation to me?”
“Yes…”
With those words, the Grand Elder took a long breath.
“First of all, I sincerely apologize for dragging someone unrelated like you into this…”
“I don’t intend to pursue this matter any further. The elf who committed the wrongdoing has already paid the price.”
“I have no words even if I had ten mouths…”
The Grand Elder’s late appearance and explanation were all woven together, creating the current situation; however, it wouldn’t solve anything to pursue it now.
On the contrary, it would only exacerbate the Grand Elder’s unease.
“The Loen Forest has been constantly attacked by various races since ancient times… Monsters, as well as Demons, often visited, leaving us restless every single day…”
“……”
“The only place we could trust and rely on was the World Tree… Its divine power perfectly shielded us from outside threats…”
Thus, I naturally fell silent as the Grand Elder’s tale began.
“There was a time when we derived powers from the World Tree, comparable to both humans and Demons, exerting a certain influence… However, as our power grew, the elves began to become arrogant, ultimately losing the trust of the World Tree.”
“……”
“The World Tree no longer granted us its powers. It began to withdraw even the strength it previously bestowed and turned its back on us.”
“……”
“As a result, our influence rapidly diminished, and we found ourselves unable to protect ourselves from the ongoing assaults from all sides.”
The Grand Elder’s long and elaborate explanation sounded like nothing more than an excuse to anyone who listened.
Nonetheless, I kept silent and listened to the Grand Elder until the very end.
“However, as if the World Tree was showing us one last kindness, it radiated its divine energy and protected us.”
“I heard from Rune that it only radiates divine energy during the day?”
“…Yes. Thanks to the World Tree, we could walk safely during the day, but during the night, we always lived in fear.”
“I see…”
I wondered just how arrogant the past elves had been for the mighty World Tree to tremble and turn away from them.
“That was the biggest reason we sought a powerful ally, but the Elder of this village, Levand, thought differently.”
“…?”
“Just for your information, I was the first to propose making Lady Levynia our ally.”
“What? Why?”
“Because the vampire, thought to be completely extinct, suddenly reappeared, took control of the forest, and exerted unprecedented influence in a short period of time.”
“Was I that impactful…?”
“The Demons who originally managed that forest were nothing but disasters to us. They would come to torment our forest for days on end, taking the lives of our villagers as if they were mere toys.”
It seems the Demon the Grand Elder is referring to is the tentacled woman I faced for the first time.
I had been told that the place I live used to be managed by that tentacled woman.
“To have continued searching for allies even after that Demon had vanished means there were other issues as well…”
“That’s right. Our enemies were not just Demons, but also Monsters and even humans.”
The atmosphere grew heavier as the Grand Elder spoke feebly, bowing his head.
“Humans?”
With each passing moment, the Grand Elder’s expression began to grow more troubled.
“The forest was nothing more than a mere plaything for the Demons, while humans kept scheming, eyeing the divine power of the World Tree.”
“……”
“They even offered money, asking to sell the World Tree…”
Seeing the Grand Elder struggle to suppress his rising anger as he painfully opened his mouth, I found myself at a loss for words.
“To escape from these evil hands, I thought a powerful ally was essential. One that even humans wouldn’t dare to treat carelessly…”
In summary, it appears that I am the powerful being who could threaten the Demons, Monsters, and humans in various ways.
Originally, an utterly terrifying and malevolent Demon, but one day I suddenly appeared, exercising extraordinary influence in a short time and carefully caring for human children, which piqued their interest greatly.
Through scouts, they felt an ordinary difference in my daily life compared to regular Demons.
And the Grand Elder, convinced that it would become a ray of hope for the elves, called for the village elders to present this opinion.
“Levand seemed to want to elevate his status and power through you, Lady Levynia.”
He was a rotten root, an internal enemy.
Even when the tentacled woman came to take lives from the villagers like toys daily, he displayed cruelty by personally selecting sacrifices for her.
Moreover, he even coveted the position of Grand Elder and waited for an opportunity.
“When he heard that Lady Levynia was caring for the children, he likely thought it was similar to the previous Demons.”
“It means he tried to win me over as a living sacrifice.”
“I was unable to stop him. While I still hold authority as the Grand Elder, my own power as an elf has long been at its lowest.”
“……”
The Grand Elder had already aged considerably.
It seemed he felt the intense pressure from the new generation rising against him and the helplessness of his own strength.
Deep regret and sorrow were evident in his eyes.
“Levand was younger and stronger than I. Among the elders, he wielded the greatest influence.”
“……”
“He exercised that influence over the villagers, steadily building his own faction, and I could not intervene, even knowing it.”
“……”
The Grand Elder sighed heavily.
“In the end, I, who merely stood by and watched all of this…”
“Indeed. No matter how I think about it, you should be lying on the ground alongside them. I wonder why you’re still alive.”
The Grand Elder’s explanation was much longer than expected.
The conclusion is that he knew all about this since the beginning but had no choice but to stand aside.
“Well, if that’s the World Tree’s choice, I have nothing to say.”
In any case, thanks to the Grand Elder, I began to gradually understand the situation.
I could vaguely decipher their ulterior motives, which turned out to be rather informative for me…
“As you can see, I have received divine power thanks to the World Tree.”
“Yes, I am aware.”
“Whether you tried to use me to elevate your position and power or whether you stood idly by knowing it, that no longer concerns me.”
“…What?”
I am not inclined to care about the affairs on the other side of the river.
The only things I care about are the children and myself, and the church where I live.
“I’ve grasped the situation enough; the rest is up to you all.”
“Y-yes…? What do you mean….”
“I’m not a judge. Just an ordinary nun living across the river.”
“…A nun?”
“I don’t want to meddle in troublesome matters. So please handle the rest among you elves.”
At my resolute statement, the Grand Elder immediately stiffened, looking bewildered.
However, I did not flinch in the slightest.
“Oh, and I want to ask just one thing about this incident.”
“W-what is it…?”
I stared intently at the Grand Elder, who flinched slightly, and I calmly opened my mouth.
“I want to hear more about Rune.”
