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Chapter 214
The spiritual energy, which constitutes the power forming a spirit sword, can be considered one of the fundamental elements of this world, much like mana or aura.
Think of it like carbon—something foundational.
A spirit sword is essentially a manifestation of spiritual energy that has been patterned in a specific way.
Crack... Crackle...
As life force began to overflow from the decayed and rotting roots of the World Tree, the eyes of Lord Ocelon widened as if they were about to tear apart.
“This… this is!”
Then, the purplish mucus that had covered the roots of the World Tree dissipated, scattering like powder into the air.
And from the tip of the root, now restored to its original form, new sprouts began to slowly emerge.
“Oh… Ooooooh… World Tree!”
Overcome with emotion, Ocelon knelt before the roots.
“What’s going on? Has it been healed?!”
“At the very least, the energy is working. However, the World Tree is so large, I’ll need to go up close to properly treat it.”
The problem was that the elves wouldn’t just let me near the contaminated roots of the World Tree.
“What… what on earth is that divine sword?!”
“Divine sword? Hardly. It’s a stubborn thing that doesn’t even listen to me.”
Falling Blossom grumbled in dissatisfaction, but I withdrew my power.
Still, it’s impressive how the World Tree began resisting the corruption once its strength was restored.
I sheathed my sword and tossed it into subspace before asking:
“Before we go into details… Lord Ocelon?”
“Ahem… Yes, go ahead.”
“First, before proceeding, may I deliver a message from my lord, the Count of Cascadia?”
I pulled a letter from inside my robes and handed it to him.
He took it without a word and opened it.
“The trade rights for Fairy Wood, I see…”
“Of course, the requested amount won’t be excessive. We only wish to open a trade route, nothing more.”
He, who had been overwhelmed by emotion at the sight of the partially healed World Tree, erased all traces of it and began reading the letter solemnly.
“Are you saying healing is truly possible?”
“We’ve confirmed that the treatment has some effect. There’s a high probability it will work… but we must also consider the possibility of failure.”
“Failure?”
“I haven’t seen it firsthand, but judging by the state of these roots, it’s likely the corruption has spread deeply throughout the World Tree. Am I correct?”
“You are.”
Hearing his response, I delivered a blunt truth.
“Someone whose cancer has just begun can be treated, but someone whose cancer has spread throughout the body cannot be saved.”
“Cancer?”
“Think of it as a kind of disease.”
“I see. If it’s too late, there’s nothing that can be done.”
“Yes… Unless I inspect it directly, I can’t say for certain. Also, the letter I gave you is a proposal that applies only if the healing is successful.”
I wasn’t going to demand trade rights if the treatment failed.
He closed his eyes, seemingly understanding my point.
“Very well. If you can improve the condition of the World Tree, the Council of Elders won’t object to this matter.”
The fact that he agreed so readily suggests either his authority is strong… or the situation with the World Tree is more dire than I realized.
“The issue now is your presence.”
“My presence?”
“There are extremists who claim that an outsider entering the forest endangered the World Tree.”
The elves were in a state of panic.
And understandably so—the World Tree had never deteriorated to this extent before.
If even the High Elves were panicking, there was no need to mention the common elves.
“So. While it’s fortunate that you’ve proven your method works… there may be interference if you attempt to enter the World Tree.”
What he meant was that the panicked elves wouldn’t let an outsider approach the World Tree.
“Father…”
“Moreover… though it’s shameful to admit, my daughter is currently being falsely accused, and the Trigard family’s standing isn’t very strong.”
In other words, the other elves might find excuses to block our approach.
“But that’s not your concern.”
“I will clear the path. You, please heal the World Tree. And… clear my daughter’s name. If you do that—”
“I’ll grant you exclusive trade rights for Fairy Wood.”
I shook my head at his offer.
Just because something is desirable doesn’t mean it’s worth the trouble.
* * *
The current state among the elves was pure chaos.
Because they had all sensed the sudden weakening of the World Tree’s vitality, they couldn’t hide their anxiety.
Though the elves gathered in the council chamber were all youthful and beautiful in appearance, those in the know were aware of the truth.
Most of them were actually quite old.
Elves, after all, aged very slowly.
“It’s not too late. We must apprehend Triana Bel Trigard—the root cause of all this—and interrogate her…”
“But she’s just a young elf, even if she is a candidate for succession. What could a child possibly have done to the World Tree in such a short time?”
“We don’t know—that’s exactly why we must investigate! Everything started happening after that girl did something!”
“And where is the head of the Trigard family?”
“He said he’d be away for a short time.”
“First, we must issue a warrant and secure her…”
Bang!!!
The elves, startled, turned their heads as the door suddenly burst open.
“The head of Trigard has arrived. Please come in and—hm?”
Those prepared to accuse him froze the moment they saw Leon and Triana enter behind him.
“Triana Bel Trigard!”
“And a human, no less?! At a time like this, all outsiders should have been expelled!”
Ignoring the chaotic murmuring, Ocelon Bel Trigard stood at the seat designated for the Trigard family and spoke.
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“I know everyone is in disarray.”
“You say that, and yet you brought those two here?!”
“Triana Bel Trigard. Wasn’t your daughter exiled from the forest?”
“She was. When she was falsely accused and public opinion turned harsh, I sent her away.”
“…”
At his words, some of the elves averted their gaze, while others met his eyes confidently.
"To be honest, anyone would have thought the same in that situation."
"Lord Romila."
"I'm sorry, but I still haven't dismissed the suspicion that Triana Bel Trigard harmed the World Tree."
"Do you really think that makes sense?"
"For now, there's no other explanation. Only a candidate for the Proxy can interfere with the roots of the World Tree. But all the other candidates have alibis and have proven their innocence—only your daughter has neither an alibi nor proof of innocence."
That was the reason the elves suspected Triana.
Of course, from Triana’s perspective, it might be an unfair accusation, but the circumstances pointed to her as the culprit.
"My daughter is not the culprit. Triana is still a young elf who has neither the motive nor the capability to harm the World Tree."
"You can't be sure of that."
"Lord Romila. From earlier, it seems like you want my daughter to be the culprit. Are you trying to cover up your own wrongdoing by pinning it on her?"
At Ocelon’s question, Lord Romila jumped up, furious.
"How dare you! Are you mocking the Romila family?!"
"The one doing the mocking here isn’t Trigard, but Romila."
"Enough! All of you!"
"This conversation isn’t getting anywhere!"
With the intervention of other family heads, Romila and Ocelon glared at each other and backed down.
"That human is Leon Cascadia. He is the son of Count Cascadia. My daughter brought him here when she went outside."
"Bringing a human in at a time like this? Are you out of your mind?"
Ignoring Lord Romila’s grumbling, Ocelon addressed everyone.
"With the power of Lord Leon, we might be able to heal the World Tree."
His words were nothing short of explosive.
The elves, who had spent their entire lives protecting the World Tree, were astounded that a human might accomplish what they could not.
But Ocelon had a plan of his own.
"Bring it here."
At his command, an elven maid brought a wooden root fragment placed on a tray covered with a white cloth.
"What is that?"
"Could it be a fragment of the World Tree's root?"
"Indeed."
Ocelon placed it on the round table.
"Use your eyes. Look closely. Do you see any trace of that loathsome, purple corruption on this root?"
"My goodness..."
"Such a clean and pure energy…"
Many of the elves widened their eyes at the absence of the corruption, though a few looked on with suspicion.
"What kind of trickery is this?"
"Before that, I propose the following. Though Lord Leon Cascadia is an outsider, he understands the World Tree’s condition and has come all this way to help. Regrettably, we currently have no method to improve the World Tree’s condition, so why not try using his power to heal it?"
At his proposal, the elves reacted in unison.
"Impossible!"
"We reject it!"
"An outsider healing the World Tree? Even if you are the head of the Trigard family, this cannot be allowed."
In a way, it was understandable.
It was as if the king of a kingdom had fallen seriously ill, and a noble suddenly showed up with a chimpanzee, claiming it had medical knowledge to treat the king.
Of course, it wasn’t that the elves were mindlessly arrogant or considered humans subhuman.
But when it came to managing the World Tree, their pride came close to such comparisons.
"Let me be clear—I saw it with my own eyes. Lord Leon purged the corruption from the World Tree’s root. Do any of you possess a groundbreaking way to improve the World Tree’s condition?"
"That is..."
"If not, then wouldn’t it be better to at least try grasping at this straw? If you don’t trust him, then why not observe while he attempts to heal the World Tree?"
The elves looked at one another nervously.
Then, the usually quiet Lord Romila spoke softly.
"Then let us follow tradition and hold a vote. Those in favor of the Trigard family’s proposal, raise your hand."
Some elves slowly raised their hands.
"Now, those opposed, raise your hand."
This time, a considerable number of elves raised theirs.
"That settles it."
Ocelon’s expression twisted with frustration, but the elves still refused to grant an outsider access to the heart of the World Tree.
"Are you all out of your minds?! Do you know what kind of pain the World Tree is in right now?! Because of your pride...!"
"It’s not pride, Ocelon."
"What?"
"It’s caution. Even if there is a method, do you think we have a second chance? What if it worsens after the attempt? To begin with, we lack a solid reason to trust him."
As he said, the other elves also couldn’t shake off the fear that the World Tree’s condition might deteriorate further.
At this rate, they wouldn’t even be able to attempt the healing, let alone allow anyone near it.
In that moment, Ocelon racked his brain to find another way.
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