Episode 63. Vasel’s landmark (1)
Elvengarde’s conference room.
The elders sitting there were silent with serious expressions.
The roll of paper spins around in the hands of the elders.
Finally, after Mia, the priestess, opened it and checked it, one of the elders opened his mouth.
“What do you think?”
“First of all, one thing is certain… It doesn’t exist in our world.”
“I think the same thing.”
“I agree.”
The elders nodded and expressed the same meaning.
A dungeon located at the root of the World Tree.
Results of dissecting the corpse of the spider monster that appeared inside.
The forensics team presented evidence that this monster came from another world.
In a way, it was natural.
Dungeons were originally something that was summoned from another world.
It wasn’t a very surprising fact.
“Are you saying that intelligence is now coming from the other world…?”
Except for the fact that it is the only otherworldly intelligence observed so far.
The only things that pop out of the dungeon are low-level monsters with no intelligence.
The most intelligent one is a goblin.
But the spider monster that came out of this dungeon was different.
Speaks complex language and uses lethal tactics.
It seemed like the spider monster was the one who designed the dungeon.
This guy set traps and lured people in, and even gave the people he caught as food for the monster.
The more I listened to the survivors’ testimonies, the more I became appalled by the spider monster’s cruelty and high intelligence.
“There may have already been several. The spider monster may be just one of them, and he may have been unlucky enough to be discovered.”
“In the case of this spider monster, it was large and had a strange appearance, but if a monster that resembles a human or can disguise itself as a human appears, it would be a big problem.”
“It means there is a possibility of escaping the dungeon and mixing in with society…”
The expressions of the elders became even darker.
The more we dug into it, the more serious the situation became.
After large mercenary groups launched and joined hands.
I thought the dungeon had been reduced to a vending machine that only had a few monsters and gave out magic stones as rewards.
But the story changes when a spider monster-like entity appears.
Encroaching on the World Tree for some unknown purpose.
It is a monster so powerful that it actively hunts people.
“This is like…”
“Isn’t it like an invasion?”
Invasion.
At those words, the elders trembled.
Everyone was thinking the same thing.
Maybe the dungeon is not a blessing from God.
It is not an unexpected event that occurred by chance.
Could it be a stepping stone for an invasion from another world?
“I will keep this as top secret.”
“That’s right. If it’s revealed, it will definitely cause great confusion…”
Rumors become nonsense.
It is easy for a rumor to turn into a rumor and plunge citizens into chaos.
To prevent something like that from happening, the best thing to do was to not even spread rumors that could spark a fire in the first place.
“Do you keep it a secret from other countries as well?”
“Of course you should. It’s important information-“
“No. We will share it with other governments.”
“Mistress, what is that…?”
Attention was drawn to Mia, who broke the long silence and opened her mouth.
Top-secret information within Elvengarde is being shared with foreign countries.
It was something that couldn’t have happened.
Elf society is small.
Unlike the humans, beastmen, and dwarves spread across the entire continent, Elvengarde is the only large city made up of elves.
If you add up this 100,000 city and all the elves wandering around the world, the population might be 1 million.
1 Million is equivalent to the size of Cologne, the city of the Holy Kingdom, so I’ve said it all.
As it is such an elven society, it had no choice but to be closed from the beginning.
If even the smallest secret is leaked, it will have a fatal effect on the entire elf race.
To put it bluntly, Elvengarde is a country where it would not be surprising if it were destroyed by a single sabotage attack that pierced a loophole.
So it had no choice but to be very closed from ancient times.
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Naturally, there was strong opposition from the elders.
“That’s nonsense. You probably don’t know that information is a great weapon and shield for Elvengarde!”
“This case is different. The fate of not only Elvengarde but the entire world is at stake.”
“The world’s famous fortune…”
“Not only were there no signs of an invasion, but it was revealed that an invasion was already in progress. It ended with one spider monster and an attempted takeover of the World Tree, but the next attack will be even worse. We noticed that too. Now that they know this, they may launch an even more full-scale offensive. If humanity has no defenses at that time, it will inevitably collapse helplessly. If the entire world falls into the hands of otherworlders, what good is it for Elvengarde to remain alone?”
“······.”
The elders’ expressions softened at Mia’s words.
It made sense.
Mia’s warning was never a fuss.
The fate of the world is at stake.
It was not an exaggeration, but an objective fact.
“What the priestess said is correct. This is an issue that requires close cooperation between all countries. It would be great if this was all just our grandiose delusion… But if it was truly an invasion by otherworldly people, disaster would soon strike. It never hurts to be just in case.”
“Yes. There may be information about sightings of other intelligent monsters. In order to defend, we need to gather all the information in one place.”
The conclusion was slowly being drawn.
Sharing information has already been confirmed.
The only thing to discuss now is which countries to share with and which to leave out.
There was even an opinion to launch a joint coalition.
Of course, the decision could not be completed in one day.
However, since it is such an urgent matter, it has been confirmed that it will be shared immediately with the Magic Tower, the Holy Kingdom, and the four powerful countries.
We decided to gradually decide on sharing with other countries.
“What kind of fuss is this…?”
After the meeting was over.
Mia sighed as she walked alone down her darkened path.
Darkness is falling over the world.
At first, I thought it was a series of unfortunate accidents that only happened to Elvengarde. She got goosebumps all over her body as she thought that this could be the signal for an apocalypse.
“What should I do now?”
Mia slowly climbed the stairs at the base of the tree, one by one.
And into the tree cave that went beyond the curtain.
She walked a while inside and soon a large cavity appeared.
The newly discovered eyes of the World Tree.
It was a space where the World Tree could see, hear, and communicate directly with the priestess.
In the eyes of the World Tree this time, magic stones were embedded in various places and a solid barrier was created.
No one will be able to invade or control the eyes of the World Tree anymore.
It was like having to fix a barn after losing a cow, but I felt fortunate that it was fixed even after losing it.
“You look in good condition.”
Mia smiled and stroked her wall.
Previously, whenever she had the chance, her head-splitting headaches would be transmitted through the World Tree.
Ever since Eugene came and gone, that has completely disappeared from her.
It was so quiet that it felt unfamiliar, and my headache was completely gone.
“It wasn’t a big deal since I only suffer from time to time… But I’m really glad that the World Tree doesn’t suffer anymore.”
I have known about the cause of headaches for a long time.
I had been having headaches since the dungeon was created, so I knew it was because of the dungeon.
But after being defeated by the Great Wizard in the dungeon, I almost gave up on it.
I didn’t think Eugene would handle it so easily.
He probably doesn’t know how grateful I am.
You can’t even imagine.
He wonders what a great thing he has accomplished…
“Huh? Is this already a prophecy again?
At that time, a clear tone spread through Mia’s head.
It was a signal that he was ready to make a prophecy.
Although Mia was puzzled, she took a neat stance and prepared to accept the prophecy.
‘Why is it so frequent…?’
It was a strange thing.
The world tree’s prophecy came down once a year.
This is already the 2nd time this month alone.
I think the number of prophecies has increased due to the unusual situation in the world.
I even felt that kind of anxiety.
“What’s going on this time…?”
The moment Mia closed her eyes in concentration.
The will of the World Tree gathered at Mia’s fingertips and seeped into her body.
Soon the will began to assemble and take her shape.
The role of the priestess is to express that form in human language.
Mia read the meaning of the world tree and began to interpret Korean letters.
Now that we have entered a watershed moment where the fate of the world is at stake, what kind of prophecy does the World Tree…?
“The priestess’s spirit of marriage is full…?”
The analysis has been completed.
She tried to combine the three words she said.
Mia’s face turned red in an instant.
“World Tree?! What on earth are you talking about?”
As if ignoring Mia’s strong anger.
The world tree’s humming, light tone could only be heard in the cavity.
***
“It’s definitely only been a few days. It seems like it’s been a long time since I came to Basel.”
This 13th episode is a speed run.
Speedrun without a second coin.
So, I feel the need to manage my time more thoroughly.
Minimize the movement line.
Time wasted should be reduced to a minimum.
First of all, the schedule for the two days starting today is as follows.
Stop by Basel first and leave the black magic stone to Tei.
While the work is in progress, she stops by Cologne and meets Cornelia.
Then she returns to Basel and receives the processed magic stone.
The schedule is quite tight.
What’s next?
That’s the problem.
It is confirmed that we will regroup for two days in Basel and Cologne.
Where to go next is still undecided.
‘Even if there are too many places to go, it’s difficult. ‘You’ll have trouble making choices.’
Of course, I’m not like this because I can’t find a place to go.
There are so many places to go, it’s hard to know where to start.
Preventing the corruption of the World Tree was so urgent that I ran from Elvengarde without even looking at anything else…
What is the next most urgent thing after this?
Belfast Academy?
Holy Knights?
Clockwork city?
Or the St. Francis Marine Fortress?
I’m going crazy.
They are all so far away that I can’t stop by all at once.
I think I need to think about it for the past two days.
“······Eujin. Etc. Quick.”
“Well, why? It’s not time to come down yet.”
“······Still. I’m anxious. Do it. Quickly. Give me your back. I want to climb up.”
“Why am I anxious? I heard they will carry me on my back when the water comes down.”
“······I’m anxious, I’m anxious. I can’t help it.”
I tried to think about it quietly.
Unable to hold back, Mijeong pulls my sleeve tight and whines.
It feels like he’s become more vocal about his opinions these days.
“Ugh. It’s old. Get on your back.”
“······Yes.”
It’s a little annoying, but I don’t hate it.
It means that we can take care of Mijeong’s convenience.
This is much better than not saying anything and just keeping it to yourself and causing problems later.
‘Now that I think about it, I haven’t told Tay her real name yet.’
When I think about it, all of my helpers planted in various places know my name.
Mijeong, Cornelia, and even Mia.
But only Tay still knows my name as an alias.
Looking at it this way, I feel like I’m neglecting Tay.
Should I say that he seems a bit distant mentally?
‘Why? ‘I guess I’d like to.’
The moment I was taking a step while worrying over and over again.
I can hear the sound of Mijeong’s mouth opening right next to my ear.
Immediately my mouth opens.
“What is this…?”
There must have been Tei’s workshop around this time.
There are no workshops anywhere.
There is a tall building.