93 – Ep. 93. The Priestess of the World Tree (1)
It’s been a while.
The branches of the World Tree filled up the sky.
The rich smell of earth filled the atmosphere.
I used to feel dragged when I came here feeling like I was visiting some rural village.
But now it feels light, like visiting a friend’s house.
“What is your relationship with him?”
“She’s my wife and my daughter.”
“Hmm… would you mind taking off your hood?”
“I’m sorry but I can’t, my wife has a skin disease and has to avoid too much sunlight.”
“I understand. Welcome to Elvengard.”
Of course, they passed through immigration with ease.
The daunting aura of Transylvania, which used to look fierce and daunting, softened with just a light touch of makeup.
“Damn it. I’m not doing this ever again.”
“But you’ll have to do it again when we leave, right?”
“I’d rather die! When we leave, I’m making a run for it!”
Of course, Transylvania immediately wiped off all her makeup.
It was quite beautiful.
A pity.
They say handsome folks look even more beautiful in drag. It actually seems to be true.
“This is where we are staying.”
“……”
However, the excitement instantly faded when they reached the hotel.
The last time they came, they were guided to a stylish room with a unique aesthetic
This time, all they got was a nest made of tree trunks with a single hammock hanging inside.
“Right. This is exactly what these people are like……”
I had forgotten.
Elves had an ingrained discriminatory attitude, they were introverted people.
The last visit was an exception.
We had averted the destruction of Elvengard upon our arrival, so it wouldn’t have been possible to be neglected like today.
We soon returned to feeling as gloomy as we felt before we came back to this country village.
“Ah, I wish the Water Spirit would flood us.”
“Why bring that up so suddenly?”
“I kind of want to upgrade our room.”
“……?”
What if another Spirit pushes Elvengard to the brink of destruction?
I tried to harbor vain hopes, but I guess that won’t be happening.
With that, he decides to give up and simply unpacks his luggage.
In any case, this is a place where he will continue to train all day and come just to sleep.
If your body is tired, you can lay on the stone floor and sleep will come easy.
Even having a hammock can be considered a luxury.
He decides to think of it in such a positive way.
“I must first go and meet the maiden.”
“How do you plan to contact the maiden when you’ve entered the country secretly? Foreigners can’t even see the hem of her clothes, let alone meet her.”
“But if I go directly using the eye of the world tree, it will be fine.”
“Sigh… The Elven Guard is also on the brink of destruction. A maiden who secretly lets men into the most important facility of the nation.”
When he put it like that, it did seem a bit concerning.
Of course, Mia isn’t a fool who would give away all the nation’s secrets to men because she’s blinded by love, so it should be fine.
Although, there is some concern about the security consciousness.
“…Come with.”
“You can’t follow. The World Tree will identify you as an intruder and block you.”
“…What.”
“hahahahaha! Let’s talk, vampire to vampire. Your weapon is a club, right? Let’s clash our weapons!”
“…What, what.”
Mijung, who naturally tried to follow, stiffens as I wave her off, her pupils shaking violently.
However, she’s soon grabbed by the scruff of the neck by Transilvania and dragged away.
Though their relationship doesn’t appear good, there should be no breach of trust since they’re both vampires.
Mijung can use this opportunity to improve her close combat ability, which would be very helpful.
Even as she is, Transilvania’s skills are certain.
“…Eugene. Eu, Eugene. Eugene.”
Leaving Mijung’s desperate call behind,
he leaves his shabby inn and heads towards the World Tree.
He’s been to Elven Guard many times, so he knows the way by heart.
Walking down the familiar path towards the Eye of the World Tree…
“Huh.”
A dead end has appeared.
The tunnel leading to the Eye of the World Tree is blocked by a collapsed pile of dirt.
Come to think of it, it was ruined last time when Cali caused a mess.
So how should I meet Mia?
In the midst of contemplating,
“Aha.”
A good idea occurred to me.
***
“This is not good… Not good at all…”
Tap tap tap tap.
From the eyes of the World Tree, the sound of continuously tapping a foot could be heard.
Although it may certainly be rude to the World Tree,
The fairy, Mia, was in such a state of anxiety that she didn’t notice.
“Why do these unusual events keep happening?”
Elvengard is especially a quiet city, even among the country towns.
Because it always maintained extreme seclusion, there were hardly any diplomatic disturbances.
However, just after Elvengard’s grand conversation.
To be precise, ever since Eugene left, strange incidents began to occur.
First, it was tolerable that the ex-fairy, Julia Fetenbuke revisited Elvengard.
Because it seemed she had a quite a deep relationship with Eugene.
Whether they parted on bad terms, insisting on throwing out Eugene upon coming…
Somehow they pushed her away.
I still recall the moment Julia turned around with a face like she had swallowed something bitter.
The unexpected visit of the Frost Lord was also sudden, but it was alright.
The climate turned chilly due to the elders pretending to know Elisha, who accompanied the Frost Lord.
But they somehow got through it.
Apparently, Elisha’s visit to Eugene and Elvengard with the Frost Lord was a secret dalliance.
The internal discord in Palance would be resolved among themselves.
There was nothing for Mia to worry about.
But the real problem started exactly after that.
The prophecy, which rarely ever came once a year, poured out three times in a row.
The first prophecy…
-“Darkness will fall upon Basel.”
There were countless speculations about this vague prophecy.
However, it became clear just yesterday.
A large barrier appeared in Basel, indicating the darkness the prophecy hinted at.
“This output is not made by human mages!”
“Are you suggesting it is a supernatural phenomenon?”
“It might be the work of something from the other dimension, the Underworld…..”
The entity that has made dungeons appear in our world.
Whoever it is, they are from a realm beyond the barriers of our dimension.
And they have begun an overt attack.
After failing to seize the Tree of the World, Basel became the next target.
There seems to be little damage in Basel.
However, the complete barrier that engulfs Basel is so enormous it can be seen from the Northern Continent.
An alien being has landed in our world.
From Noble mtl dot com
And it has enough power to wipe out an entire city with ease.
This fact is spreading openly.
It was impossible to hide what everyone had already seen with their own eyes.
And the second prophecy,
-“The High Priestess of the World Tree will be engulfed in sorrow and remorse.”
Chilling.
Perhaps, it was more like a curse than a prophecy.
Even after asking multiple times what it means, the World Tree remained silent.
Mia was getting so frustrated because of the silence, she was going insane.
“I will be engulfed in sorrow and remorse? What the hell is going to happen?”
She had no family.
So it was definitely not a prophecy about losing blood relatives.
Does it mean many of the elders and elves will die?
Or does it mean that Mia will get seriously injured?
If it’s not that, then will Eugene suffer some kind of transformation?
There was a lot to think about.
As time passed, Mia grew increasingly anxious.
She knew that what had been foreseen would inevitably come to pass.
But still, she had to try everything she could.
Because it was clear that some great disaster was approaching.
She had to make some effort to avoid it.
Even though she had no idea what it was…
When the second prophecy came,
Mia quickly sent a letter to Eugene, but there was still no reply.
Maybe he was the man she was looking for…
“You seem to be ready.”
And then, the long-awaited third.
As if ready, the fireflies filling the World Tree’s eyes blinked all together.
The Priestess gathered her wits and stopped beating her foot.
And then there’s Mia, putting her hand on the wooden wall.
She began reacting after aligning her emotions with the World Tree.
And then, an unfiltered pile of information poured into Mia.
She uttered the first words that were interpreted.
“The Priestess of the World Tree…”
Again. Yet again.
Another prophecy about the Priestess.
At this, Mia flinched and shivered.
But she had to interpret it all the way to the end.
“The Priestess of the World Tree… will bring Elvengard… to ruin?”
But as soon as the entire prophecy was interpreted,
Mia had to doubt her own ears, her own mind.
But after confirming this was a flawless interpretation,
Mia was horrified and couldn’t speak for a long time.
“Me… Is it me?”
I’m going to bring Elvengard to ruin and fall into despair and regret?
It was simply an incredulous claim.
Why on earth did I betray and destroy the World Tree that nurtured and cared for me?
Why did I do something I’ll regret?
It was hard to accept.
It was difficult to believe to the point that I wondered if the prophecy of the World Tree might be wrong just this once.
No. I didn’t want to believe it.
“Huh? Just a moment…”
It was just a moment while my mind was numbed and lost in a panic.
Mia quickly regained her composure and cleared her mind.
Feeling alert again.
Her thoughts raced in a direction she’d never imagined before.
“The maiden of the World Tree… you don’t mean…”
The possibility that the maiden of the World Tree, referred to in the prophecy, might not be Mia.
Someone harboring such a deep hatred they would wish for the destruction of Elvengard.
Everything was pointing in one direction.
“Are you referring to Lady Yulia?”
The former maiden.
Yulia Pottenburg.
Could it be that the maiden referred to in the relentless prophecies is her?
“What should I do, what should I do?”
The problem is, all of this is nothing more than speculation.
Even if it seems to be pointing at Yulia, it’s still premature to conclude.
Furthermore, if the elders who are on bad terms with Yulia hear about this, it is obvious they would condemn and ostracize her from the start.
“I need someone to consult…”
I’ll relay the prophecy itself to the elders.
But I’m not in a position to bring up this speculative gossip to them as the maiden.
I need someone I can confide in.
How wonderful it would be if Eugene was here at a time like this.
Empty thoughts, Mia thought, as she returned home, dragging her heavy feet.
“Oh, you’re home?”
“Eugene…?”
And the moment the door opened.
A familiar voice rang out, and Mia’s eyes widened.
It felt like dreaming.
To appear right in front of her the moment she thought of missing him.
Mia, who did not notice Eugene had trespassed into someone else’s house.
Yeah, it’s definitely yulia