Chapter 200

After recovering to some extent, Carriel proudly headed toward the sanctuary despite everything.

And this fact eventually reached not just the council members but also the elders.

Actually, they’d known about it for a while now. Still, domestic and international affairs were responsibilities of the active members.

However, matters concerning the World Tree—their faith, their father and mother, their teacher, companion, and partner—were something even they couldn’t easily overlook.

Ultimately, an elder’s meeting was convened, with the High Elder himself making an appearance.

“…….”

The queen, who had been tormented for a full day, returned to her private retreat. She sat on a specially prepared white chair amidst an indoor garden in full bloom and let out a deep sigh.

“To what extent will this situation escalate?”

“Your Majesty, your complexion is dark.”

“Of course it is; there’s a reason for it.”

When Remira asked with a worried gaze, the queen lightly waved her hand.

“The Tribe of the Forest drove the Tribe of Light out of this region long ago and made a solemn vow to all cooperative races across the continent.”

“…Is this something I should hear?”

“Knowing it won’t hurt.”

With a sigh, the queen continued.

“We promised under oath that we would never engage in acts of aggression, establish colonies, or interfere in other nations’ politics.”

There was an exception.

If they tried to assassinate or exterminate us, we would respond with full force.

“For thousands of years, many empires have come and gone, but we’ve always maintained an unattainable stature—a cliff too high for them to climb over.”

Among them were Great Kings, mighty emperors, and even overlords. But no matter how great any one individual was, surpassing the Sacred Tree was impossible.

“…Yeah. Bella was the problem.”

It was a nation turned beast, a tyrant. It was also the first era where humans declared themselves gods and masters of the world.

Around the same time, though far away from here, an entirely opposite phenomenon was occurring.

“A thousand years ago, huh.”

“That’s right. In imperial terms… we might call it hegemony.”

Hegemony (ἡγεμονία).

The leading power among nations, the holder of dominance. A state recognized as the victor and the strongest in its era, dictating the cultural and historical direction of the times… Wasn’t that what it meant?

“At our peak, many of our kind spread across the continent. Knowledge overflowed like a flooding river, and we struggled just to keep up with it.”

“That bad?”

“It was during our prime.”

But as a nation built by humans, chaos and confusion were always inherent. The turnover of power was rapid, and sometimes the legacies of previous rulers were outright rejected.

“They weren’t great because they were skilled leaders. It was because of the gods they worshipped.”

And they promoted polytheism, venerating all the great ones, the victorious, and the strong. They absorbed the weak and used them as stepping stones.

Included in this were the deities worshipped by the weaker ones.

“Remira, do you know why we’ve relied solely on the Sacred Tree?”

“Our unique creator. Our father and mother, the one who arranged our bodies and souls. Isn’t that it?”

“That’s correct. But if that were all… it would be meaningless.”

Children eventually grow independent of their parents. Plants fulfill their parental role simply by spreading seeds.

Beasts send their young off once they’re grown. Everything follows this pattern.

So if the elves, who claim to follow nature, didn’t merely pay lip service to it… wouldn’t it make sense that they could have also become independent of the Sacred Tree?

This question has actually been debated among the elves for nearly eternity.

“The Sacred Tree, or the World Tree, is precisely the only anchor that can root itself into its own distinct world.”

“What do you mean by ‘anchor’?”

“In the past, countless races, including humans, would look up at the sky to divine the fate and future of the world.”

“…”

“But even glimpsing a fraction of that was extremely difficult and exhausting work.”

Even those who spent their entire lives studying constellations and celestial phenomena could only understand a tiny part. And even when these insights were practically applied, they were often limited to weather predictions.

For humans, observing the heavens and tracking movements initially stemmed from agrarian societies needing stable settlements.

Elves, however, didn’t need agriculture. If they wanted to, they could always manage without it.

“Remira. Putting aside the duties of the queen for a moment, you must know that the queen is the head of a certain group, right?”

“Yes. According to the records, you are the leader of the Deepseers.”

“Originally, that role was about listening to the language of the Sacred Tree. Nowadays, it has shifted to being more of a judge, but that was the original purpose.”

Remira hesitated before carefully asking.

“So, wasn’t that the role of the Farseers?”

“The roles have changed. Listening alone has its limits.”

That’s why we stopped passively listening and started actively questioning. And the catalyst for this change was the Empire of Bella.

“Living beings that stagnate die. Accumulated death leads to extinction, which means losing the noble heritage we’ve cherished.”

“…”

“The Sacred Tree has always guided us on the path we should take.”

And this was clearly proven during the invasion of the Demon King. Even the Golden Beast was content with drawing the line there.

Had it been a war of annihilation, an irreversible destruction would have befallen this land.

“But now, I’m starting to feel a bit skeptical about this.”

“I apologize… I don’t know much about it.”

“I’m not blaming you. It’s just that the facts I’ve learned recently are giving me quite a headache.”

“Does this have anything to do with Carriel?”

The queen calmly nodded slightly.

“The humiliation and disgrace we suffered at the hands of Bella made us stronger. But if that experience and foundation were all leading up to this moment… truly, I don’t think I could bear it.”

“Your Majesty…”

Remira couldn’t comprehend the intent or emotion behind the queen’s sigh. Knowing her well, seeing the queen ramble like this was incredibly strange. It didn’t feel like mere worry or philosophical musings—it felt heavier, darker.

All Remira could sense was the oppressive anxiety radiating from the queen’s heart, filling her with unease.

===

“Prohibited spells, huh. You’ve been hiding something dangerous.”

Carriel muttered to himself, facing the wall, as he delved into knowledge and information through the World Tree.

For example:

The arcane theories and magical symbols secretly developed during the time of the Tribe of Light combined with contemporary magical knowledge to create new taboos.

And those who had prepared for such contingencies were none other than the Tribe of the Forest—the current greatest and strongest fae nation—and its people, the elves.

“Fits perfectly.”

The faith in the Sacred Tree could easily transform into fanaticism depending on the messages conveyed by the World Tree.

What if these beings were used as tools to crush the world? And if I could control them directly?

…In another world, there was another Carriel who once wiped the world clean. Those memories are fully intact within me now.

Though I fear my original personality might completely shift due to those memories, they’re still just memories.

Confusing them with reality would surely lead to losing control.

“Someone who can foresee the future and choose the best possible outcome. Is that what the World Tree is?”

Though the World Tree didn’t explicitly tell me this, conclusions drawn from the information gathered so far pointed to this.

Additionally:

The reason the older version of me in another world could burn down the World Tree and destroy the elves’ sanctuary was because…

…the World Tree wanted it.

The World Tree could have avoided such a future if it had wished.

By the will of the World Tree.

If it had truly desired otherwise.

“…”

But for any existence, choosing to end its own life and suppress its will is highly unnatural.

“A simple problem with a complicated solution.”

Talking to myself isn’t just for show; it’s to avoid getting lost in my inner thoughts. Immersing too deeply risks losing oneself.

Absurd information can pollute and damage the mind like potent poison. Like eating endlessly until you choke or vomit reflexively, someone unaware of this might keep cramming their mind with useless data.

Just as the stomach has limits, so does the brain. Who said invisible things lack volume or mass?

“If I resolve to become the vanguard leading the elves and their alliance to conquer the world… Yeah, maybe then you’d retract your order to kill me.”

But what comes after doesn’t seem pleasant.

And realistically, this isn’t easy.

My ability to lead the empire’s army and dominate the world came from the fact that I was originally part of the empire.

Father couldn’t stop me because I convinced him, albeit forcefully, that I had justification and legitimacy.

I’m talking about the tyrannical me from another world.

“…Haa.”

Who am I even talking to?

Truthfully, what I saw wasn’t just that. The memory of that tyrant, even called a war god, is so vivid that it overshadows all other possibilities. His hatred, dissatisfaction, and irritation constantly gnawed at his psyche.

A sharp smile unknowingly forms on my lips while my eyes remain motionless, dry and irritated from staring too long without blinking.

This is that Carriel’s habit—an obsession with comprehending every detail without ever looking away, stemming from unparalleled selfishness.

“I didn’t care this much about El.”

But you’re completely different from me. Maybe the guilt of sending El, Ellie, away transformed into longing for her?

“She was worth it.”

…Even as I say it, I flinch. This feels wrong.

“So, wiping out the world that made her suffer is the right answer. Should I just stand by and watch injustice and absurdity? I’d have exploded long ago if I hadn’t.”

Taking a deep breath.

“Did you really have to do it yourself back then?”

This time, the reply comes without pause.

“Because no one else could. The emperor, her father, probably thought about it a hundred, a thousand times, but in the end, he chose the people over his daughter—a foolish man. The empress was no exception. Or what? Should I have asked my father to wipe everything out? That’s ridiculous. Look at the mess you’ve made.”

“Uh… Is that so?”

Self-questioning.

But it wasn’t truly self-reflection. After all, I’ve harbored snakes and monsters within, nurturing and coexisting with them.

Only this monstrous presence stands out immensely. Perhaps this creature was preparing to metamorphose into its true form all along.

“You must have guessed it already. You were born to be this way. So why… have you been doing these futile things until now? What went wrong?”

“I don’t know.”

“You didn’t sacrifice yourself purely to save El. If that were the case, I wouldn’t be so annoyed.”

“Really?”

“Why are you imitating a father and mother? Have you gone mad? Neither I nor you were ever like that. So why?”

“…”

Hmm.

You’re tricky.

“Curious? Then I’ll give you an answer similar to yours.”

Because:

“I, and only I, could do it.”

At least we both understood that our answers to ‘why’ were identical.

But the interpretation and execution were polar opposites.

“Well, observe for now. If things go the way you hope, I’ll gladly offer up this body to you.”

Until then:

“This is my world, so sit quietly and watch. If you’re bored, take a nap.”

……

Silence fell.

Since I intentionally drew this out.

An imitation of sorts, a kind of personality mimicry caused by excessive immersion.

But this applies only to me and my object of imitation.

I haven’t projected or reflected personalities onto the snake or the monster because:

Doing so would increase the likelihood of them replacing me.

Anyway, it’s all the same in the end.

Because it’s me—myself.

“If I’d been born into a poor family, I might’ve clung to ghosts or demons for support.”

Thank goodness I was born into a hero’s household!

Let’s pat ourselves on the back for that.

Finding small satisfaction and happiness.

Isn’t that the lifeline and positive virtue of a wretched believer?

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