Chapter 33

Full-Peel Elf: I did it all!

According to the Full-Peel Elf, the elves have made every effort to save the World Tree.

However, the state of the World Tree I observed for diagnosis looked anything but normal.

“What on earth is this… the World Tree?”

I saw withered branches.

It appeared very far removed from the image of lush greenery and life.

It looked like something that would come from a map called the black swamp or desolate land.

Head of the Gallery☆: What have you done for the World Tree?

But hasty judgments are to be avoided.

I knew nothing about the World Tree, so I cautiously asked about the measures taken, and the response was quite the sight.

Full-Peel Elf: First, we gather every day in front of the World Tree and dance for the spirits.

Head of the Gallery☆: ?

Full-Peel Elf: We climbed onto the World Tree to commune with it and share our inner bonds!

(Elves dancing on or climbing the World Tree meme)

Head of the Gallery☆: ??

“What is this?”

But one thing was clear: the elves were mishandling the tree.

Title: Updates on the World Tree…jpg

Author: Cute Elf Elder>_<

(Various animals and insects clinging to the tree meme)

(Elves praying to the World Tree while hanging various fabrics and clothes meme)

Sigh… I haven’t felt energetic lately…

I’m worried sick that the World Tree isn’t recovering…

Even with so many lives sharing their strength, it’s still languishing…

Cough cough…

– Head of the Gallery☆) What’s that moth-like creature stuck on there?

Cute Elf Elder>_[) Those are the fairies of Elard giving power to the World Tree!

– Head of the Gallery☆) They just look like pests to me.

– Cute Elf Elder]_[) How rude!

– Cute Elf Elder]_[) What would you know, Head of the Gallery?

– Cute Elf Elder]_<) Fairies are friends of the elves!

- Full-Peel Elf★) So, Head of the Gallery, do you think you understand the problem yet?

Look at how much effort the elves are putting in...

- How sad... ;o; It’s heartbreaking ㅠㅠ

- Head of the Gallery☆) Yeah, I get it.

- Full-Peel Elf★) !! What’s the problem?!

“The elves are the culprits.”

Dancing and tormenting the tree.

Hanging or draping clothes to obstruct growth.

Neglecting infestations, and so on...

The elves were wreaking havoc trying to kill the World Tree in every way conceivable.

By this point, it was an impressive feat that the World Tree was still alive.

“Of course, it wouldn’t bear fruit.”

Given the abnormal conditions, the fruits borne by the World Tree were also anything but normal.

Blackened, decayed apples.

Each one always had a worm inside.

Gross pests clinging everywhere.

Title: Cheer Up, World Tree!

(Elves applying natural dyes to the tree meme)

We’ve finally managed to obtain a natural dye infused with mana, so I really hope it helps! ㅠㅠ

– Oh, such beautiful effort!

– 22 I need to try harder too!

– Don’t you think the World Tree would be moved by our efforts this way~?

– The effortful Elard is truly beautiful~

And then there were even the most nefarious little elf punks.

It was then.

Title: The World Tree stirred!

Author: Full-Peel Elf★

(The World Tree looking at the system meme)

(The branches reaching out as if longing for something beyond the screen meme)

Could it finally be that our efforts as elves are bearing fruit?

The World Tree is starting to recover!

Shivering, its branches stretched toward me, almost as if the World Tree was pleading for help at the very last moment.

Seeing that, I posted a new message.

Title: It’s Me

Author: Head of the Gallery☆

I’ll help you if you promise to follow my instructions, okay?

– Of course! We’ll do whatever you say!

– We can gather everything you need~!

– Just give us the word!

– Should we find more natural dyes?

– Or should we perform an elf traditional dance instead?

The comments from the elves began flooding in within seconds.

For elves, the World Tree provides food, shelter, mana recovery, and everything else; perhaps that’s why.

Seeing the elves looking so desperate, I posted another reply.

– Head of the Gallery☆) Okay, it’s really important that you follow my instructions.

– Full-Peel Elf) Got it!

– Cute Elf Elder>_<) Are you really going to save us?

- Just tell us what you need us to do!

- What should we start with?!

- Head of the Gallery☆) First of all...

- Head of the Gallery☆) Everyone else needs to get lost except for the Deputy of the Gallery.

- ?!

- !

Starting from eliminating the biggest culprit.

*

Maintaining the Gallery is quite the challenge.

Gallums are necessary for my own survival, yet these crazy Gallums keep trying to self-destruct!

“Head of the Gallery? This isn’t going to be easy...”

Thus began the project to save the World Tree.

I gathered the Deputy of the Gallery, Full-Peel Elf, and 30 elf caretakers for the World Tree to be my hands and feet.

“First things first, we need to deal with those pests.”

I squinted as I looked beyond the screen.

I’m not talking about the elves.

I’m referring to the pests that were stuck all over the World Tree, and as the elder elf put it, the “fairies.”

Huge moths with grotesque patterns, two-headed caterpillars, flies with four pairs of wings, and so on.

They were pests visibly feasting on the World Tree’s life force.

Head of the Gallery☆: Why on earth haven’t we dealt with them sooner?

Full-Peel Elf: Well...

Please don’t tell me the elder elves are still going on about how fairies are friends.

I was thinking of tossing a flashbang I had for barter.

But unlike the elder elves, the younger elves (self-proclaimed) knew those fairies were pests.

Full-Peel Elf: We know they’re pests, but we can’t catch them.

Head of the Gallery☆: ?

Full-Peel Elf: It’s illegal, you see.

Head of the Gallery☆: What do you mean?

Full-Peel Elf: The elder council prohibited the killing of fairies by law.

It was all due to the Elf Law.

The elder elves who had lived for a long time utterly despised killing fairies.

Even as time passed and they learned that fairies were actually pests, even after realizing that those fairies were the source of the World Tree’s troubles, they still—

- Oh, come on you fools! Fairies are life, life!

- Oh, my goodness, what a time to be alive…! What kind of newborn would kill a fairy?

The elder elves’ stubbornness was unyielding.

And among all the major problems, there was this.

Full-Peel Elf: (Cute Elf Elder glaring from afar meme)

Full-Peel Elf: Though they seem like that, they are the most influential in the elder council… we can’t do anything…

Full-Peel Elf: I’m so annoyed with you entitled little elves!!!

I Will Not Die Even If I Am a Vampire: Elves, I don’t get it. You fools.

I Will Not Die Even If I Am a Vampire: Deputy of the Gallery, too. Same thing. Puny things.

Full-Peel Elf: Shut up!!!

I Will Not Die Even If I Am a Vampire: Name change. Puny Elf, how about that? LOL

Full-Peel Elf: AAAAH!!!

It was the Affectionate Konik, Cute Elf Elder>_[.

The distant baleful glare emanated a firm resolve to not allow any harm to come to the fairies.

“That’s the elf who threatened me with a ban on drinking last time.”

Plus, Cute Elf Elder had a history of giving me unsolicited advice long ago.

The problem was that I was one of the few to remember that.

“It’s time for the gentleman’s revenge…”

Not only would I save the World Tree, but I’d also maintain the Gallery.

And while I was at it, I’d get my revenge.

Before executing my plan, I asked Full-Peel Elf for assurance.

Head of the Gallery☆: Is there an elf among you who likes elder elves?

Full-Peel Elf: Is there? Totally not! We all hate them!

Head of the Gallery☆: Right. And didn’t you say that if I could save the World Tree, you’d do anything?

Full-Peel Elf: Isn’t that an obvious statement? There’s nothing more important to an elf than the World Tree!

Head of the Gallery☆: Okay, then let’s proceed.

Full-Peel Elf: ?

I began explaining the detailed plan to Full-Peel Elf.

Full-Peel Elf: !

Full-Peel Elf: Hehehe.

With the Deputy of the Gallery’s cooperation, the operation began.

*

Mersenne, the chair of the elf elder council.

Gallery nickname: Cute Elf Elder]_<.

She was glaring at the elves participating in Head of the Gallery’s project with scrutiny.

“Hey there! Be a bit more careful handling the World Tree!”

“Oh no! The fairies are getting hurt! Be a bit more delicate!”

With her arms crossed, she was supervising without contributing, and Mersenne couldn't help but frown.

“What are these young elves growing up to be, handling the World Tree like that...”

Shaking her head, Mersenne grew genuinely concerned about the future of elven society.

Of course, she recognized that the fairies were harmful to the World Tree.

But weren’t fairies friends of elves?

‘Can’t we save the World Tree without harming the fairies?’

Mersenne resolved to keep a close eye on how Head of the Gallery managed things.

At that moment, Elf Commander Eliana approached.

The most anticipated commander and close to a leader of the young elves.

Although it was a bit awkward to ask for her gallery nickname, she was a trustworthy elf.

“What’s going on?”

Mersenne's gaze softened a bit.

Then Eliana, with a warm smile, pointed to the shade under the tree branches.

“It’s hot and humid, so I came to offer you a soda.”

“Soda?”

“We have dew as well.”

“Hm. Since you’re being so thoughtful, I suppose I’ll drink it.”

I can’t resist soju.

Mersenne innocently followed Eliana to the shade beneath the tree branches.

But there, instead of soju, was a glass of soda waiting.

“Where’s the dew?”

“Oh, I’m preparing it now, but for the time being, you can drink the soda.”

“Hm... Okay, I understand.”

Mersenne, without suspicion, brought the soda to her lips.

Then suddenly, a question popped into her mind.

‘Now that I think about it, where did all the other elves go? They were here until a moment ago...’

It was strangely quiet.

Just as Mersenne began to feel confused and was about to take her lips away from the soda...

“Grab her!”

“?!”

As Eliana shouted, the elves hidden among the vines sprang out in a rush.

Within a flash, they grabbed Mersenne’s arms and snatched the soda from her hands.

“What... what is this?!”

“I’m sorry, but we have no choice!”

“What is that tone you’re using, Eliana?!”

Mersenne was baffled.

But not every young elf expected understanding.

If the words had reached their hearts, they wouldn’t have resorted to such tactics.

“Force it in!”

“Th-This...! You little kids all wet behind the ears! Ugh, mmm!”

One elf forced soda into Mersenne’s mouth.

The refreshing sensation of soda.

But instead of stopping, that sensation tortured Mersenne, as Eliana slowly pulled out something.

[Mentos]

“Mmm, ugh!”

“Everything is for the World Tree…”

Gush gush gush.

Without hesitation, Eliana poured dozens of Mentos into Mersenne’s mouth.

“Cough, cough! AAAAAAAAAAH! AAAAAAAH!”

With tears and snot streaming down her face, Mersenne’s last view was...

Head of the Gallery☆: Proceed.

The sight of the Head of the Gallery, visible through the system, and the young elves slowly pulling out pesticides and insecticides.