Chapter 71 – The Great Existence (1)
Great heroes. The ones I remember were literally heroes who leaped out of fictional creations, but as I got older, I began to see the more realistic aspects of them.
They, too, were beings who eventually had no choice but to be dragged up the tower to fight.
Of course, they proved themselves and shone even in such circumstances, so they were heroes worthy of the title.
The same could be said for the woman called the Saintess, a descendant who inherited that power.
“That’s amazing. All this time, the healing power known as the Saintess’s power was actually the power of purification.”
“The power of Parma is a transcendent power created specifically for the monsters of the tower. However, the tower has collapsed, and those monsters have scattered and diminished over the past ten thousand years, so that power would not have revealed itself properly.”
As Rina’s eyes widened in wonder at this intriguing fact, my nose involuntarily rose a bit.
This was not some mythology that had been twisted and misinterpreted; it was knowledge that I alone possessed, which I could explain properly.
“Healing powers are abundant, but the power of Parma was one granted only to her. If she is the ‘true’ Saintess, she was born not just with a simple healing power but with the power of Parma.”
Upon hearing the full story, I realized that many of those who had been elevated as Saintesses in the past had merely been gifted with healing powers.
Of course, the powerful purification abilities of Parma’s power could be classified as healing, but… the Parama I knew was not of a priest healing from the back but a powerful warrior smashing the heads of enemies at the front lines.
Like that ‘first Saintess’ whom the Church of Light holds so sacred.
‘So if I give them a tainted artifact, there’s bound to be a reaction.’
What I instructed Ethan to do was to give tainted artifacts to those suspected of being a Saintess. If a Saintess with the power of Parma that has been passed down for ten thousand years truly appears, she would certainly react to the artifact that can purify.
“I’ll leave that matter to you now.”
At the point where we had to part ways, I once again had Rina check the note I was sending to Ethan. I would go see the elves like this, and the rest would return to Su’an.
“Yes, I will be waiting.”
Rina nodded with a determined expression. The connection that started with her as a mere maid had come this far.
Although she was an ordinary maid, her loyalty was genuine. I thought it would be a waste to just carry around a loyal person like her.
“Let’s go now.”
Watching them disappear to take the leap forward, I turned to Arisa. She, carefully cradling the revived seed of the World Tree in her arms, nodded at my words.
“I’ve prepared another route. The official entrance that was revealed through the delegation has been exposed to the enemies, so a more discreet path was necessary.”
“That works perfectly.”
I had already known, but nonetheless, the terrorists had likely backtracked the information revealed by the delegation and ambushed the route used by the elves.
They managed to fend it off without significant damage, and even now, within the Narian Kingdom, various factions were interfering, leading to a tense investigation into the treason, but it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.
*
“Everyone, come out! The High Elf has returned!”
In the elf village, there was no need to hide my identity. I removed my hood and headband, looking lighter as I watched the elves come rushing out to greet me.
Among them were the elders, and Eluria, who had arrived earlier, looked especially excited.
“This is the seed of the revived World Tree! Look! It is no longer a dried-up seed. It is a seed waiting to awaken and come to life.”
It was only natural. We had already informed them about the World Tree. When Arisa pulled out the seed, which had regained its original shape and vitality from her embrace, the elves all gasped in unison.
Even several elders could not contain their excitement, jumping and shouting. The problem that had stumped the elders for thousands of years seemed to have been solved in the blink of an eye.
“Everyone, please calm down. It’s not over yet. Even if the World Tree begins to grow again, we must protect it, which is something we have to continue doing forever.”
Elnar finally stepped up to calm the elves. Nonetheless, even so, they did not avert their gazes from me.
“Oh, High Elf. Please help the World Tree to sprout again.”
“It has to happen anyway. The seed is speaking to me. It asks to be planted in the place it loves the most.”
I smiled bitterly at Elnar’s words and took the seed from Arisa’s hands. I could hear the will of the World Tree that the other elves could not.
That cocky little thing had a lot of demands. Spirits, step aside. After all, at its core, the World Tree was essentially a spirit too.
“Do you have any predetermined candidate locations?”
“Yes. While the High Elf was busy with external matters, we selected a site in advance during our assembly.”
Fortunately, the elves had fulfilled the task I had left them. The task was to have all clans coordinate their opinions and make decisions through the assembly.
There was a possibility the World Tree might reject it, but they had selected the best candidate sites based on ancient texts and traditions. The location was in the center of a great forest that could hardly be claimed as the territory of any single clan. It was a perfect spot for the forces gathered from each clan’s assembly to protect.
“Is it here?”
Upon arriving at the location, I surveyed the surroundings and considered the conditions. The spirits seemed happy, saying the energy of this place was good enough to make them want to soar, a perfect center of nature.
It was definitely a place where a divine tree symbolizing nature and life could grow.
“Dig into the ground.”
I instructed the earth spirit to overturn the ground and dig a hole. This clearing in the forest was only the size of a small playground, but as the World Tree continued to grow, the area would undoubtedly expand significantly.
The World Tree, merging with the life that thrived in that spot, would become a true divine tree only when the time comes.
“From now on, I will plant the World Tree. It seems it likes the site you have chosen, so it’s asking for it to be conveyed.”
“Ah…”
At my words, as I slowly lowered the seed into the hole, the awestruck elves collectively dropped to their knees.
In truth, the seed was something that, like spirits, was far less than a child, but it was a fact that the seed liked what they had done.
“Um, do you know when the sprout will grow?”
“This is up to the role of the seed, so I don’t know.”
I buried the seed and covered the ground again. The elves, unable to communicate with the seed, appeared anxious, but my words of uncertainty were the truth.
The seed was now focused on growing itself. Until the massive sprout broke through the soil, it would be obvious that even if I tried to speak, it wouldn’t be able to respond.
‘Looks like I’ll have to stay here for a while.’
Glancing around, I broke into a cold sweat. This was a place where countless elven clans had gathered, all eagerly waiting for the World Tree.
If I were to leave my post and it were to fail, the embarrassment would fall entirely on me. Since it was something I had to do, I had to stay here.
“Have your skills in cooking meat improved?”
I casually asked Arisa. I had denied the custom that I had to be vegetarian, but in truth, elves generally preferred vegetarian meals anyway.
“I brought a lot of different things from the outside world through the delegation, so I think I’ll be fine.”
“Now that you mention it, there were things brought back by the delegation as well.”
The goods brought by the delegation, a mix of trade items and gifts, had already been distributed among the elves. One notable difference from the past was that those who had previously harbored resentment towards human goods and civilization were now accepting it with familiarity.
It seemed everything had changed since my appearance, including the establishment of the assembly, and they had entirely let go of their reservations.
“Even if the World Tree only grows to the seedling level, it will gain enough strength to resist minor erosion. That area will become a safe zone. If it becomes stronger, it will grow faster.”
“The Great Iriliana has already given us so much. With the World Tree resurrected, do you really intend to leave?”
“Just hiding in a corner won’t solve anything. Arisa, you’ve grown accustomed to it, right? Wandering outside.”
“Ahem…”
Upon hearing my words, Arisa cleared her throat.
Clearly, the awkwardness and stiffness from when I first met her were gone.
When she had been wounded in her heart due to betrayal by a lowly human companion, she had not been much different from the other elves, but it seemed her experiences had changed her thinking. The elven warrior who had been forced to travel now wished to explore a wider world and see more.
