Chapter 787: The Last (20)
I had to be a little nervous. No, rather than nervous, I was curious. I wasn’t sure where Jihye would start or what she would do first.
Although I had some places in mind, I couldn’t guarantee anything.
‘It won’t be the State or Lindel, right?’
She wouldn’t do something stupid enough to throw a bomb right in the middle of the place where the human power was concentrated.
The continent was wide, and there was a lot she could do. It was clear that she wouldn’t begin with an attack against a highly dangerous location. That was what I meant by Jihye having the right to attack first.
She could slowly roll very small snowballs, or she could throw big bombs from the start. Although it might be a bit extreme, she could even start from places that hadn’t even been drawn on the map. There was a lot of emotion mixed in Elena’s face, who was running in a hurry. She looked like she couldn’t believe it.
Cho Hyejin gazed at her while holding the spear. Kim Hyunsung did the same.
‘Oh, come to think of it… I have to send that bastard somewhere faraway.’
I decided to exclude him from the current situation if possible. Elena stopped in front of Cho Hyejin Cho and Kim Hyunsung, catching her breath. It looked like she wanted to say something.
-Guild Master… Sigh… Sigh…
At that moment…
[Sunset Swordsman.]
When I said that, Kim Hyunsung looked surprised. Perhaps because it had been a long time since he had heard my voice, he was looking around.
-Do you… Do you have a minute? I have something to tell you…
[Can you hear my voice, Sunset Swordsman?]
Although I saw a face that seemed to be troubled for a moment…
‘I mean, do you even have to think?’
-Guild Master?
‘You don’t have time, do you? I called you, after all. Can you still talk to Elena over there? My voice may be cut off in a little while… I should be prioritized, shouldn’t I?’
[Sunset Swordsman?]
-I’m sorry, Elena. If you have anything to say, please tell Hyejin first. I’ll make sure to listen to it later. It’s just… I heard Kiyoung’s voice.
-Ah… okay.
-I’ll be back in a minute.
There was no sign of disappointment on Elena’s face. It seemed that she thought I was calling Kim Hyunsung because of what just happened.
As he ran towards the temple without looking back, a sigh came out of me, and it felt good.
I thought he would kick the door and walk into the temple, but he stopped at the main gate instead.
Kim Hyunsung, who was pacing back and forth, suddenly lowered his Durendal to the ground.
I didn’t know why he suddenly put his sword down, but… the mythic-grade sword that had been in Kim Hyunsung’s waist throughout most of his journey was abandoned with ease.
‘I can’t afford it, you bastard… I didn’t call you to become the Holy Sword.’
I wanted to please him, but I couldn’t afford to get another sword right now.
Even if I didn’t select Kim Hyunsung as my representative, we were connected due to the Regressor Instruction Manual… Even if I forced it a bit and sent a weapon, the limit would be one cheaper than even Juliana, much less Durendal.
-Kiyoung? Kiyoung?
[Sunset Swordsman, can you… Can you hear my voice?]
-Yes. I can hear you. I’m listening.
[We need…]
-Yes? Kiyoung?
[We need… help. Your… Your help… ]
-Kiyoung? Kiyoung!!
[From the Sunset Swordsman…]
I hadn’t yet decided where to send him, so I pretended that the connection was cut off from here. The light gradually faded from the shining statue.
Even with that much, he wouldn’t be able to leave the temple, so Jihye’s actions most likely wouldn’t reach his ears.
He looked full of anxiousness, but I couldn’t afford to focus on Kim Hyunsung right away. When I turned my focus back to the training ground, I saw Cho Hyejin and Elena once again.
I left him constantly shouting, but I had to focus on this now.
-I think the Guild Master is also listening to this news. There is no way that Lee Kiyoung, next to Elune, will not know this fact…
-Can you tell me what’s going on?
‘Yes, what’s going on? Fuck.’
-There’s a problem in Eberia.
-Yes?
‘Is it the elf kingdom?’
-The World Tree…
-Yes.
-I just heard the news… that the World Tree has fallen. The World Tree that maintains the kingdom of Eberia has been rendered unhealable that it’s virtually lost at this point…
I could hear tears of blood coming out of Elune’s eyes.
-I haven’t heard the exact details yet, but… there is no place other than the Blue Guild that I can tell about this… I don’t know what to do… Sniff… My brother told me not to tell anyone, but I…
‘I mean, why does the World Tree burst first whenever something happens?’
When the continent was in danger, the World Tree was always the first to suffer the consequences.
I wondered whether that was Jihye’s doing for a while, but I soon agreed that it was.
That woman liked clichés too. I also didn’t know if the World Tree was used to signal the beginning of the continent’s destruction. Actually…
‘It’s also a reasonable choice.’
Even in the first timeline, the kingdom of Eberia, which held the World Tree, was one of the most important fortresses. In the war with the Republic, a defense system was employed around the World Tree, making it possible to stockpile strength.
If Jihye was thinking for the long term, dealing with the World Tree was never a bad choice.
What I was curious about was how she could reach it.
‘I mean, fuck, how did you do it?’
The Kingdom of Eberia wasn’t just a wall. It was a natural fortress. Hadn’t it been firmly untouchable for an incalculable amount of time?
It couldn’t be magically influenced from the outside, and nobody could physically enter it with ease. If she openly dragged her troops over there, she might be able to drive out the kingdom’s troops, but Jihye didn’t have troops.
Unless they lived at the World Tree’s roots, like the demon monster Salit, it was almost impossible to influence Elune’s tree. Even though the war had ended and the world was at peace, I couldn’t think of a way to influence it either.
‘So how did you do it?’
There might have been some way, but it wasn’t what mattered now. The consequences that could come from this would be more of a problem.
-I think I should return to the kingdom as quickly as possible for now, Cho Hyejin.
-I think it would be better to go together. We need to prepare as fast as we can. No, this is not the time. I’ll call Hayan right now.
-I would be grateful if you could do that…
-It’s related to Elena. You don’t need to be grateful.
‘Hyejin, you’re so cool.’
Elena nodded in gratitude. It was then that a little unexpected situation unfolded.
Following Elena, manager Kim Mi-young had come too. She had always looked serious, but she seemed a bit more so at that moment.
-Captain.
-Yes, manager Kim Mi-young?
Naturally, my gaze focused on her. Elena’s face, quietly waiting for her to speak, looked nervous. It seemed that she read manager Kim Miyoung’s thoughts, realizing that the Kingdom of Eberia was inevitably involved.
-We have heard that visitors are currently being held in the Kingdom of Eberia.
“…”
-…
-Each country and guild are requesting the release of those detained in Eberia, but there is no response yet. The guilds within the State are urging the three major guilds to come out to resolve this situation, but…
‘Fuck… Jihye… Jihye…’
-All communication networks are completely blocked.
‘Ah…’
-Oscar wants to talk with Elios through Elena, but…
-I’ll talk to him. That can’t be. There must be some mistake. Detention… in the Kingdom of Eberia…
-Please, Elena.
‘That woman… really…’
-How did this happen…
Cho Hyejin began to mutter in the sudden situation. It was probably directed at me.
-Do you think…
“No. Jihye did not enter the Kingdom of Eberia and blocked communications. She didn’t build a defensive wall, either.”
-…
“Not Jihye, but the elves and Elios of Eberia are holding visitors. It happened after the kingdom was opened to humans, after all. It seems that there is a suspect among those who entered from the outside. They blocked the communication network because they probably didn’t want to announce that the World Tree has been lost. It makes sense that the kingdom is detaining humans. I don’t know how long this situation will last, but I think it’ll last for quite some time.”
Cho Hyejin nodded to convey she understood it.
Perhaps she was also thinking of a number of possibilities. She might be considering the various situations that could unfold after the loss of the World Tree.
It wasn’t just that the elves had lost their guardian deity.
Of course, that fact was the most important. Thinking that they had lost the means of defending themselves would be the beginning of more incidents.
However, there might be other aspects related to it. Wasn’t the World Tree a treasure trove that delivered infinite resources to the elves? Unlike before, when the elves were closely related to the lives of humans, there might be quite a lot of confusion this time.
As mentioned earlier, they already had a great influence on human life. Their resources circulated not only in Lindel but all around the continent. We could find their goods anywhere.
Their culture had taken root across the world and was used in large and small places. Lindel even had a place called Elf Town.
Many organizations were trading with the elves. What if their transactions were suddenly cut off?
People who already made a living with it would lose their jobs in no time, and many clans and guilds would also experience confusion.
They would gather their voices to ask the country to deal with it, making it difficult to ignore them.
No, in the first place, wouldn’t the State, the Republic, the Federation, as well as several small and medium-sized cities, raise their voices first?
They would be dissatisfied with what was happening and what could happen in the future. They would ask why they blocked trade and communication networks.
However, there was no way they could tell them the truth.
They couldn’t officially say that the World Tree had been completely destroyed.
Elves and humans were friends.
They had a mutually cooperative relationship and were eternal allies who protected the continent together.
But really, not all humans and elves were on the same page.
It could be surprisingly easy for eternal allies to turn their backs on each other if multiple interests conflicted.
Jihye’s purpose wouldn’t be the World Tree.
Of course, she would have judged that the World Tree itself was a threat, but her real purpose was to use the World Tree to pull the trigger.
Did I really need to explain what the trigger was?
The anxiety that the elves had, a lesson that history had taught them.
The humans.