101 – Traitors
The atmosphere was extremely tense. The number of spirits summoned by the High Elves was not insignificant. It seemed like there were many times more spirits than those summoned by the nomadic spirit masters led by Tamir Khan on the Limnakal Plain.
The opponents would not be easy if a fight were to break out. However, the High Elves were not rushing into action either.
“I’m sorry, but we cannot simply overlook this matter.”
The Wood Elf delegation, although relatively fewer in numbers, had also summoned a considerable amount of spirits, and the Dark Elves had cloaked themselves in dark spirits.
Moreover, in a split second after realizing the situation and the abundance of machine gun units around them, many spirit shamans of Tamir Khan had transformed into wind spirits and ascended to the sacred pond.
There were too many entities to deal with. And they weren’t just these.
“Dare you defy me in my domain?”
The eyes of the young World Tree glowed with anger as she called forth a multitude of spirits enough to humble even the High Elf elders.
And then, Karia speaks leisurely.
“If a fight breaks out here, the dragons will also be involved.”
“D-Dragons? Why would dragons involve themselves with creatures like you!……”
“It’s a treaty. Whether it’s a long-term battle or a short-term one. You have no chance of winning. Still, if you want to cause a riot, go ahead.”
Despite that, the High Elf Council did not lose its determination.
“I cannot acknowledge a new World Tree that disregards the lineage of Elrode as a second mother tree. Not even the rebellious Wood Elves and Dark Elves! And I cannot acknowledge you disgusting short-lived creatures! I—-!”
Seven top-grade spirits are summoned by a single elder. Seeing Tamir Khan’s eyes widen as if about to burst, it was evident that the power was tremendous. However, the High Elf elders had to immediately clench their chests and fall to the ground.
It was an added bonus that many of the summoned spirits were counter-summoned and disappeared.
“Oh, Mother Tree! Why!……”
The young World Tree looks down at them with a mocking face, astonished.
“Ah. Mother interfered. She wants me to deliver a message to you. She’s very disappointed in you for trying to harm her rightful daughter to the extent of breaking the treaty, so she temporarily suspended the power of the treaty.”
“No! This can’t be! We can’t just discard the treaty so easily!”
Watching the High Elf Council almost losing control, the World Tree sighs deeply.
“Being so arrogant and proud, talking about lineage and all. Eventually, when it comes to conflicting interests, you turn selfish just like everyone else. You are no different from the humans, the short-lived creatures.”
Seeing the High Elves unable to summon the spirits, Karia smiles.
“Subdue them!”
Imperial soldiers armed with rifles rush in, aiming at the High Elves, while beings with Ora weapons start closing in. The faces of the High Elves pale.
“This can’t happen! This can’t be! It’s better to die than be captured by disgusting short-lived beings! Don’t come near! You filthy creatures!”
Drawing their swords in defiance, they were unfortunately outnumbered by machine guns, rifles, and Ora weapons. It was a moment of life and death for the High Elf Council.
“Stop.”
Raising her hand, the young World Tree halts the Imperial soldiers. Karia is surprised by the command and looks at the young World Tree.
“Mother asked not to harm them.”
“What do you mean? World Tree?”
The second World Tree gazes at the High Elf Council with an infinitely cold expression.
“Regardless of this and that, the subject of the treaty is my mother. Even if there’s punishment, it should be done by Her, not you.”
Even if a child causes all sorts of trouble, they are still a child. It’s a whole different story when a parent disciplines their own child than when someone else’s child is punished.
Adran gestures to Karia to sheathe her sword, and Karia skillfully puts the holy sword back into its scabbard, ordering the Imperial soldiers to step back.
Instead, it was the Dark Elves and Wood Elf Council who arrested the High Elf Council. The wind spirits firmly bound the hands and feet of the High Elf Council, rendering them completely helpless.
“This can’t happen. This can’t be!!!!”
Watching the furious High Elf elders, the young World Tree lets out a long sigh.
“For the sake of the Mother Tree, you have been hanging onto this so persistently, yet you haven’t read or shown any interest in the true intentions of the Mother Tree. Humans, the short-lived creatures, would understand the Mother’s intentions better than you.”
“Do not elevate the short-lived ones above our treaty tribe!”
“But that’s the truth. Do you still not know what the Mother Tree truly desires? Coexisting harmoniously. That is the Mother’s true wish. You High Elves, as a tribe directly connected to the Mother, must have heard this story in various ways throughout the long years. Yet, you oppressed and ignored the Wood Elves and Dark Elves.”
The Wood Elf and Dark Elf Councils look touched by the World Tree’s words.
“Are you truly speaking the truth, Mother Tree?”
“It is the truth. A truth without a single lie. Mother wanted to extend the treaty to you as well. However, the ancient treaty made with Elrode hindered its realization. In the first place, during the Elrode era, Lords themselves came forward and shared the treaty with the Dark Elves and High Elves. It was not a specific class demanding dictatorship through the grace of the treaty.”
The long-hidden truth unravels smoothly. The Wood Elf and Dark Elf Councils gaze down at the High Elf Council as if they were insects.
“Why have we not known this until now?”
“You, release them immediately! Can’t you release them!”
“We believed that we were not receiving the power of the treaty because of the absence of lineage. But Mother Tree desired something else. You misrepresented the intentions of the Mother Tree to us, and we had no choice but to believe it.”
The Wood Elf spoke with a face dripping with disgust, and the Dark Elves, taking it up a notch, shouted.
“Traitors! You’re like rotten leaves!!”
In Elven society, it must have been an outrageous insult, as the Wood Elf elders were stunned into silence, and the High Elves’ faces twisted from humiliation to near hatred.
“You! We will definitely!!!!……”
“Silence. The Mother Tree will judge you! Return to the Land of Fantasia and inform everything. Your tyranny ends now! There will be no more ignoring of the Root Class!”
The Dark Elf elders, with a satisfied look, subdued the High Elf elders and then respectfully bowed towards the young World Tree.
“We will take them back to the Land of Fantasia. We will submit to the judgment of the Mother Tree.”
“Do so. The Mother’s wrath has just crossed a threshold due to the actions of the High Elf elders. She will deal with it.”
“We will actively assist until all knowledge transmission is complete. Then… we will come over here.”
The Wood Elf continued the Dark Elf elders’ words. The young World Tree nodded approvingly.
“Do as they say. Adran?”
At the words of the young World Tree, the Emperor stepped forward. He extended his hand to the Wood Elves and Dark Elves.
“Don’t we all desire the Mother Tree’s wish for harmonious living? I believe there’s no reason to antagonize and ignore each other over trivial reasons like being different races. A great spirit always has demand. We welcome the presence of Dark Elves and Wood Elves in our lineage.”
The Wood Elf elders and Dark Elf elders silently gazed at Adran’s outstretched hand.
I worried they might say, “We don’t want to greet those disgusting different races,” and ruin the atmosphere, but that didn’t happen.
“If the Mother Tree wishes it, following it is reasonable. It’s our doctrine and belief. We Wood Elves will not follow the foolishness of the High Elves.”
The Wood Elf politely took Adran’s hand.
“I understand that giving up part of our territory to humans is very difficult. Thank you for your consideration. I will strive for peaceful coexistence.”
Adran’s expression brightened. After the handshake with the Wood Elf elders, this time the Dark Elves took his hand.
“There will be many conflicts here and there. But you have the right. We Dark Elves also obey the teachings of the Mother Tree. We will strive for peaceful coexistence.”
The Dark Elves and Wood Elves looked towards the young World Tree. The young World Tree nodded.
“Take the High Elves with you. Let them face the Mother’s stern judgment. And.”
As the young World Tree waved its hand, something appeared on the backs of the Wood Elf and Dark Elf elders. Seeing the pattern, the elders’ eyes widened in astonishment.
“T-this is!……”
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“For the harmonious coexistence of all life. This will be the new teaching that supports your Elven society from now on. The era of division is over. It’s a new era now. Embrace my teachings, tribe.”
The Dark Elf and Wood Elf elders bowed deeply towards the young World Tree.
“We will embrace it! Mother Tree be praised!”
“Go back. Return to your tribes and convey this truth.”
And so, the meeting ended successfully.
Adran watched the Elves riding on the large eagle back to the Land of Fantasia with a pleased face, while the young World Tree’s majestic appearance from moments ago disappeared into thin air.
“Randor, was it?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“You mentioned fertilizer, right? Bring a few more bags.”
She returned as a child and searched for the fertilizer. I generously provided it to her, and she happily ate the fertilizer like a snack, bursting into laughter.
And that’s how it ended.
On the back of a giant eagle.
The Dark Elf and Wood Elf elders, firmly bound, looked down at the High Elf elders lying on the ground.
“You will regret this. You will regret it!”
The relentless shouting of the High Elf elders was met with looks of disgust from the Wood Elf and Dark Elf elders.
“Shut your mouth. Rotten leaves, all of you. You distorted the teachings of the Mother Tree.”
“We only strived for the prosperity of Elven society!”
“Don’t speak of serving Elven society with those rotten mouths! You have no right to speak!”
The Dark Elf kicked the High Elf elder’s body, filled with resentment. The eyes of the fallen elder began to glint with venom.
The High Elf elders suddenly began to chuckle.
The madness tinged in their laughter was so intense that both Dark Elves and Wood Elves hesitated for a moment.
“What’s the meaning of this?”
“Not understanding the sacrifices of the High Elves and the grand intentions they had for Elven society, and ending up like this! In that case, we have no choice!”
With a clattering sound, the spirits that were holding the High Elf elders captive were released. More accurately, they were being forcibly summoned back.
“Why, why are the spirits… Wait, what is that?”
One of the High Elf elders pulled out a gem emitting a black light.
Upon seeing the gem, Wood Elves and Dark Elves froze.
“The soul of Lorumar?…”
“Weren’t all relics of Lorumar supposed to have disappeared!”
The spirits vanished from the eagle’s back. The High Elf elders drew their swords.
As a symbol of authority, only the High Elf elders possessed swords.
Although more for decoration than for actual combat, they had no intention of engaging with Wood Elves and Dark Elves who could manipulate spirit magic, so they simply left them alone.
Now that nobody could control the spirits, the presence or absence of swords was causing a sudden shift in power.
“The first rotten leaf. The first exile. It is indeed the wretched soul of the High Elf Lorumar. When this madman tried to eliminate the will of the Mother Tree and devised a plan for the Elves to artificially manipulate that will, I thought it was nonsense. But now, thinking back, it seems to make sense.”
The High Elf elder sneered.
“Within the sphere of influence of this gem, the influence of the Mother Tree is completely severed. The spirits disappear, and the desperate voice of the Mother Tree is no longer heard. It should have been destroyed centuries ago, but it was kept around annoyingly to impart teachings.”
The High Elf elder chuckled.
“I never knew it would have such a use.”
“You, you lot! You’re insane!”
“Yes. We are crazy. But you will understand.”
A menacing blade radiated a cold light.
“Everything is for the prosperity of Elven society.”
“These insane… insane individuals!!”
“Make good use of your deaths. After the filthy and vile humans, under the guise of a conference, lured us in and launched a sudden attack, both the Wood Elf and Dark Elf elders perished. This should be a sufficient pretext for uniting the Elven society.”
“The Mother Tree will not stay silent!”
The will of the Mother Tree will be bound by the soul of Lorumar to serve us as we desire. Knowledge transmission will also be cut off. The covenant of the Mother Tree is solely ours. It should only be used by the noble lineage.”
One High Elf elder thrust a blade into the heart of a Wood Elf.
The blood of the fairy race splattered on the bodies of other fairy kin.
“Oh, Mother Tree…”
The Wood Elf elder breathed his last, making it a testament.
Unfortunately, this was only the beginning.
Upon the eagle’s back, the Elves’ bodies began to be drenched in blood.
The High Elves were thorough. After occupying all directions, they made sure to exterminate the Wood Elf and Dark Elf elders without leaving a single escapee.
“They are all dead.”
“Cut off their heads and throw the bodies with intact swords into the sea. Humans are known to be repulsive and cruel; they won’t hesitate even with just a neck.”
“I understand, Grand Elder.”
“And make haste.”
The High Elf Grand Elder raised his head, revealing the land of the Elves beyond the horizon that was finally starting to show its shape. He gazed at the land of fantasy.
“The Mother Tree… No, the World Tree. We must strike first before she reveals this truth to everyone, in order to restrain her.”
With mad eyes, the Grand Elder firmly grasped the soul of Loruma.
“For the great prosperity of Elven society.”