Chapter 135 – New Forest Keeper
The voice of Aslandis, which escaped from dry lips, was cracked.
There is no evidence of torture or punishment.
Pain and suffering were not confined to the physical.
“Are you all right?”
Xian spit out the words and immediately regretted it.
Aslandis had to kill his wife and son with his own hands.
Even he himself became mad and tried to wipe out his daughter and everyone in the northern part of the empire.
How could that state, that sin be okay?
“Okay.”
Aslandis was fine, he said.
Xian stared at Aslandis.
In the haggard face, the two black eyes were shining exceptionally bright.
“······ thanks. If not for you, I would have committed an irreparable sin.”
Aslandis bowed his head toward Xian.
Sian slowly opened his mouth.
“I heard that you have lost all your strength.”
“It was cheap for the price.”
The 8th tier archmage.
The level of wizards and knights is classified differently, but the 8th level is comparable to the upper level of the master.
To put it simply, it is a stage to discuss the strongest position on the continent.
It is a state that cannot be reached easily even with a lifetime of effort.
Aslandis lost all of those powers.
“Rather, I think it’s fortunate.”
Even so, Aslandis remained calm.
“I don’t have to fight that madness… anymore.”
I just thought I had paid enough.
Of course, it wasn’t that I didn’t see regret and pity.
“But I can’t help but worry about the children of my own people.”
A forest keeper who protects the Dark Elves.
“I will have to endure it. Just like it always has been.”
Before long, Aslandis looked at Xian once again.
“For saving me. Thank you so much for allowing me to protect my people.”
Aslandis’ eyes were more sincere than ever.
Xian couldn’t say anything to Aslandis.
The silence that lasted for a while.
“Sera wants to see the Forest Keeper a lot.”
“Sarah…”
At Sera’s story, Aslandis’ expression suddenly darkened.
He had lost his wife and son, and now he had only one daughter left.
And now a family I will never see again.
“······ Sera will overcome it well. Even though she looks innocent, she is stronger than anyone else.”
“I am still young. From what I’ve heard, it’s not long before you’ve become an adult.”
Of course, the adult age of humans and elves is different.
However, the concept of adulthood was not significantly different.
It’s time to make choices and take responsibility for your life.
At the same time, it’s just now, the time to learn the world and qualify to move on.
That’s why I was still young and lacking.
“I need someone to lead Sera from the front and teach her.”
That role is mostly played by parents.
Even though Aslandis lost all the power he had.
Parents were not parents because they were strong.
“·······”
Aslandis had no answer.
I was aware of my sins.
That’s why he had a gut feeling about his own destiny.
Aslandis knew he couldn’t play the role.
Aslandis’s head slowly turned downward.
Xian looked at Aslandis and smiled involuntarily.
I don’t know why.
However, seeing Aslandis now, one memory came to mind.
That was Cecile’s look at him from a long time ago.
Xian’s mother, Cecil.
Cecil was found dead in the morning.
It was sudden.
And in Ellandur, it was just dismissed as a mysterious accident.
But Xian knew.
Young Xian did not know, but now Xian did.
that it was not a sudden accident.
perhaps···.
I wonder if Cecile had an intuition of her own fate at that time as well.
And before Cecil died too.
Would it have looked the same as the current Asrange?
Well, I’m not sure.
Xian was someone’s child, but he had never been a father.
Therefore, the feelings of Asrandis, the feelings of Cecil.
Xian couldn’t understand.
however.
“Sera needs a forest keeper.”
Sarah’s feelings were understandable.
I have to leave my mother and be left alone.
And in the process, he couldn’t do anything.
Xian could understand that loneliness and guilt more than anyone else.
and the past.
Xian couldn’t protect both.
Cecile, who died miserably.
The young Xian who had to remain lonely.
Xian of the past couldn’t protect both of them.
But now…
Xian put a hand in his chest with a small smile.
Then, I took out the key given to me by the warden earlier.
clap.
A dull sound was heard and the prison door was opened helplessly.
“…?”
Aslandis’ head tilted to the side.
As if he didn’t understand the current situation, only a blank expression turned towards Xi’an.
Xian entered the prison and also released the chains that bound Hohyeon.
clap. clap.
“Eh, what is this…?”
Aslandis looked at Xian with his eyes wide open.
Sian smiled slightly and opened his mouth.
“Currently, Forest Keeper is a servant to His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Servent.
A person who is hired by someone to do chores.
And servants were the only ones called slaves in the Charlotte Empire that denied slavery.
It was different from servants and maids who were employees.
Servants have a lower status than them.
He was literally a slave to work.
Of course, only basic lodging is provided.
No salary was ever provided.
Aslandis became a slave serving the Empire for the rest of his life.
“…?”
At Xian’s words, Aslandis’ expression became even more embarrassed.
It seemed as if he did not understand Xian’s story as well as the previous situation.
It is also true that Aslandis’ punishment was originally beheading.
This fact was not known to Aslandis, but he had already guessed.
Above all, in fact, the horse was only a servant and a slave.
A slave following Conrad’s orders.
Whatever Aslandis did, it was enough as long as Conrad gave permission.
To put it simply, it was a formal punishment.
I closed my eyes and was aghast.
In reality, it is no different from the forgiveness of sins.
‘It was a bit… I was surprised.’
Though I did, with the intention of avoiding the beheading, but…
To be honest, I was a little surprised.
I knew I would face a prison sentence.
After all, is it an emperor-like distribution?
‘Or maybe you have other ideas…’
well, anyway.
“So Aslandis-sama’s status is a slave, but you don’t have to worry about it. I have already obtained permission from Your Highness. And the words were made by my territories… If you wish, we will set you free to live where you live.”
Aslandis made no reply.
He just looked at Xian with trembling eyes.
“why···?”
A shallow tremor was heard in Aslandis’ cracked voice.
What does the situation mean now?
Why did this situation unfold?
Because Aslandis didn’t know.
“Just what…”
Xian just shyly scratched the back of his head.
“What would you like to do?”
Xian’s question followed.
However, Aslandis could not easily answer.
No, it was accurate that he couldn’t.
Due to this incident in the north, the existence of the dark elves was widely known throughout the empire.
Although it didn’t spread throughout the empire because the imperial family was still taking a break.
Still, those in the know knew.
Naturally, there will be humans who are interested in elves.
In the process, it is certain that countless oppression and persecution will rage.
However, the forest keeper who protects the Dark Elves has lost all power.
And the fact that the forest keeper lost all his power means that he lost the most powerful barrier to the Dark Elves.
They were thrown into a harsh wild world.
What awaited them in front of them was not a bright, bright hope.
“·······”
That’s why Aslandis couldn’t open his mouth easily.
“If you feel helpless… you can stay at my estate for a while.”
I didn’t know that it was Xian.
Aslandis suddenly raised his eyes at Xian’s sudden words.
“If it’s your territory…?”
“It’s a territory called Ruben. It’s a territory located in the Dark Forest… but it seems like it would fit really well with the Dark Elves.”
The blank gaze of Aslandis.
“Besides, there are not only humans in Ruben, but there are also dwarves, so there will be no objection to the different races.”
“·······”
Aslandis couldn’t say anything.
He just looked at Xian with trembling eyes.
By the emperor’s special order, Aslandis’ sins were forgiven.
But the hatred of the imperial people for the dark elves.
And the greed of humans toward the Dark Elves.
It didn’t mean that they would disappear.
That’s why he accepts himself and the Dark Elves as the people of the territory.
Aslandis didn’t know what that meant.
“You mean to protect us?”
At Aslandis’ trembling question, Xian calmly nodded.
“I am the lord of Leuven. It is the duty of a lord to protect the people of Ruben. Like the dark elves’ forest keepers.”
forest keeper.
At that word, Aslandis’ eyes trembled once more.
silence for a while.
“Forest Keeper… does not simply mean a guardian protecting the Dark Elves.”
Aslandis lowered his gaze slightly and spoke softly.
“Even though I lost all power, our people still use dark mana. And, as you can see… it can lead to madness at any moment.”
The reason the Dark Elves were rejected by the world.
The madness of those who use dark mana.
And it wasn’t just a misunderstanding.
The second and third Dysons could come out at any time.
“If that happens again…”
“I will stop you.”
At Xian’s words, Aslandis raised his gaze.
And a man who can be seen through the eyes of Aslandis.
“If other Dark Elves fall into madness like Asrandiz, I will stop them. Just like when I stopped Aslandis-sama.”
“·······”
Aslandis’ expression went blank for an instant.
His mouth clenched to say something, but no words came out.
Only blank eyes were directed towards Xian.
In that gaze, a memory from a while ago flashed through Aslandis’ head.
At the time when none other than Asrandis was captured by Instiz’s madness.
A time when everyone was frustrated and sat down in front of the strongest and worst evil.
“I will definitely stop it.”
The figure of a human being who had risen indiscriminately.
A Dark Elf who has been rejected by the world.
Aslandis has been through a lot of pain and suffering as the forest keeper of the Dark Elves.
So, in fact, Aslandis understood Dyson’s depravity to some extent.
Dark elves rejected by the world.
The oppression and persecution that he had to receive as a result.
Aslandis thought it was the fate of the Dark Elves.
However, at the same time, he harbored resentment for such a fate.
also because
Aslandis was actually thinking that he was not caught up in Instiz’s madness.
Perhaps the darkness deep inside Asrandis.
Maybe that awakened the power of Instiz.
Aslandis thought so too.
Dark elves were such a race.
dark race.
Destined to be swallowed up after a lifelong struggle with the inherent madness.
The reason why the personality of the Dark Elves is pure is also based on this.
People in the world often think that it must have been because the time of the world has not been asked.
However, in reality, it was only the Dark Elves’ way of survival that they chose to fight their inherent madness.
Even so, the Dark Elves went mad one by one.
Unable to resist fate, he eventually disappeared.
So there wasn’t even one.
There was no one.
Without prejudice, without any cost.
“Come with us.”
He was the first to accept the Dark Elves as they were.
“Why… why… why the hell…?”
Aslandis’ voice trembled.
I don’t even think about anything.
A dark elf who is guilty of many.
Dyson snared that it was retaliation for the mistakes made by humans.
However, on the other hand, the Dark Elves also gave humans irreparable wounds.
Isn’t that the case just by looking at the events in the North right now?
Dark elves are sinners.
Even if it’s not now, I’m destined to be a sinner sometime.
That’s why the fate that sinners have to face is rightly decided.
I thought it must be so.
“Just what…”
The man in front of me only smiled awkwardly.
An awkward silence fell.
Xian and Aslandis stood for a long time in that silence.
How much time had passed like that?
For an instant, Aslandis’ eyes twinkled.
He had no energy whatsoever, and it felt as if he would fly away if blown.
However, only the two black eyes looking at Xian were shining exceptionally bright.
Swoop.
Before long, Aslandis lifted his haggard body and knelt on one knee.
“The forest keeper of the Dark Elves…”
Next, Dabut bowed his head toward Xian.
“Young Ji-min of Ruben. Aslandis.”
And the voice of Aslandis, which was heard softly.
“Meet the new Forest Keeper.”
At the same time as Aslandis said.
Tring!
《Legendary Achievement, ‘Dark Elf Guardian, Forest Keeper’ achieved!》
Inside my arms, I heard the cheerful sound of a smartphone notification.
And again.
Tring! Tiriling!!
There was a series of beeps that sounded like there was a slight error.
《Wowaaagh A forest keeper?!”
《Forest Keeper!?!?!》
The dark mobile lord’s notification window floated above it.
#
‘······ huh?’
The sudden sound of a notification from a smartphone.
Xian took out his smartphone from his arms and checked the notification window that popped up.
“you! What! Forest Keeper! Forest Keeper!”
《How can I achieve Forest Keeper’s Achievement?》
《That’s an achievement that only the most outstanding and upright among elves can achieve!》
“What the hell are you! Are you human! Are you an elf!”
“Or is it a knight! Are you a wizard!”
《What is your true identity?
“Nonsense! I can’t believe it!!!
Tring!
《This must be a bug!》
.
.
‘······ What?’
Why are you making such a fuss all of a sudden?
And what’s the bug?
Xian really didn’t know what to say.
Tring!
《Additional special items will be unlocked by achieving legend-level achievements!》
A notification window pops up.
“Aslandis, wait a minute.”
Xian asked Aslandiz for a while, then checked the notification window that popped up.
【Arnaise’s Blessing】
④【＜The Quest of Elodie＞: The true truth is not the truth.】
[Effect 1] – Increases the research speed of the laboratory by +20,000%!
[Effect 2] – The growth speed of wizards belonging to the territory increases by +1,000%!
[Effect 3] – The effect of Magic Amplification is always applied!
[Unlock Condition: Achieving Legendary Achievements related to the Forest Keeper.]
.
.
The newly opened Arnaise Perk, ＜Elodie’s Quest＞.
With this, ＜Charlotte’s Pride＞, ＜Morcrew’s Flame＞, and ＜Muriel’s Prayer＞.
And even ＜Elodie’s Quest＞.
A total of 4 Arnaise privileges were obtained.
Xian confirmed the effect of the newly opened ＜Elodie’s Quest＞.
As expected, the Arnise perk was a perk, and the effect was considerable.
Then all of a sudden
‘Magic amplification?’
Xian tilted his head at the unfamiliar phrase in [Hyogye 3].
Doubt for a moment.
Xian touched the flickering letters of ‘Magic Amplification’.
Hold on.
『Magical Amplification』
▶Increases the magical efficiency of the achievement holder by +10%.』
.
.
Simple and clear explanation.
Contrary to description, however, the effect was not so simple.
‘Magic efficiency increased by 10%?’
In a word, it meant that the efficiency of magical power was increased by +10%.
And magic power mainly means the power that wizards handle.
However, to put it a little more accurately, it meant ‘the power contained in mana’.
In other words, it was the concept of ‘magic power’.
And the aura that the knights use is also a power based on mana after all.
Mana is the source of existence.
After all, demons were part of that kind of mana.
‘Does this mean that the efficiency of the hemp method also increases by 10%?’
To put it simply, it meant that Xian’s magic power would increase by 10%.
In addition, it was a ‘constant’ application, not a duration.
In a word, it was passive.
This is Muriel’s accessory that Xian gave to Arya as a gift the other day.
It could be said to be a passive that had similar effects to the accessory that doubled the divine power.
‘crazy!!!’
Indeed, the word “crazy” had no choice but to come out.
Of course, compared to Muriel’s accessories, the efficiency was not good.
but.
‘If I can even strengthen the achievement here…!’
Unlike Muriel’s accessories, Arnaise’s perk could be enhanced through achievement points.
Then the magic efficiency is 10%, 20%, 30%…
The more you do it, the higher the number constantly increases.
Of course, 10,000 achievement points at a time to enhance.
In terms of gold value, 1 million gold was consumed.
but.
‘Enhancement of confirmed status, not probability luck!’
What is this if not true hardening!
‘Ahh···!’
Xian couldn’t control his shaking body.
《Do you want to unlock the ＜Elodie’s Quest＞ privilege?》
‘It’s not about worrying and sleeping!’
Xian immediately activated ＜Elodie’s Quest＞.
Hold on.
《Error: The privilege cannot be unlocked due to an error.》
However, a warning window pops up on the screen.
‘huh?’
The moment I wanted something.
《Reason for error: Insufficient payment amount.》
A new notification popped up on the screen again.
‘Insufficient payment amount…?’
Xian immediately checked the gold coins in his inventory.
[Current gold coins] – 82.000G
82,000 gold.
The gold required to unlock the privilege was 500,000 gold.
but.
‘Wasn’t there 3 million gold…?’
Xian before coming to the North.
Durak ripped off 3 million gold… No, there was a time when he was supported.
‘Where is all that money…?
Oh right.
‘I used it all to strengthen Muriel’s blessings.’
Xian nodded.
I put all the money I had into strengthening ＜Muriel’s Blessing＞ to stop Aslandis who was caught in madness.
‘But even with that out of the way, I think there was about 100,000 gold left.’
I thought it must have been spent metallurgy metallurgy due to the maintenance of the manor facility.
that means that.
Tring!
《When you get stuck while proceeding, try the hyeonjil!》
“ha···.”
Sian sighed involuntarily.
What happened to this guy’s talent is endless.
‘Well, it’s not like the mobile lord did this once or twice.’
Sian shook his head and shook his head.
In any case, I had to earn some money.
And there is one corner where money will come out right now.
The Emperor’s promise to give gold on the condition that he meet Elena once.
‘I should have returned by now…’
Xian put the smartphone into his arms.
#
The center of the imperial capital, the Imperial Palace.
Xian sat on the terrace and stared at the things on the table.
Hot tea in a teacup with various refreshments.
Precious things were lined up on the table.
Tea time, refreshment time, etc.
This time called by various names.
It was a time that those proud aristocrats used for social purposes.
That’s why Xian was a time I didn’t experience or pay attention to.
Xian slowly turned his gaze and looked at the scenery outside the terrace.
I could see the royal knights standing guard inside the palace.
It was also visible that several ministers were busy moving.
Beyond that, the capital city, Darkan, was clearly visible.
From nob le mt l. co m
Just looking at it, I immediately realized that this place was not an ordinary place even in the imperial palace.
That’s why ordinary people can’t come.
“long time no see.”
From the other side of Xian, a clear, clear voice came.