"A second sapling of the World Tree…?"
Kurose Akira's eyes widened in disbelief as Paslow's words sank in.
The World Tree—an existence beyond even a demigod—was something singular, irreplaceable. In all of existence, only the legendary World Tree itself could be compared to it.
And yet—
Paslow's statement struck like thunder, shattering everything he thought he knew.
A second sapling… growing here, in the Dark Forbidden Woods?
"Mm~"
Paslow nodded gently and began to explain, her voice calm and unhurried.
"When I left the elven kingdom, I took with me a fragment—a budding branch—from the World Tree. At the time, it was merely an experiment… a desperate attempt to find a new home for the dark elves."
She paused, her gaze softening.
"I never expected it would truly take root in this land."
"I nurtured it with my own blood… and in doing so, I successfully cultivated a second sapling of the World Tree. With its power, I created the Dark Forbidden Woods you see today."
Akira's brows drew together tightly.
So this entire forest…
was a miracle born from that sapling?
After a moment of thought, he looked up at her and asked,
"If I were to take that sapling away… what would happen to the dark elves?"
"No need to worry~"
Paslow waved her hand lightly, dismissing his concern.
"If you truly succeed in leading the dark elves back to the elven kingdom, then this sapling will lose its purpose."
"The World Tree is the origin of all elves. It granted us this fallen power… and it will surely be able to accept us as we are."
"I understand."
Akira nodded, committing her words to memory.
"But~"
A faint, helpless smile appeared on Paslow's lips.
"I know Tinath well. She would never agree to let the dark elves retain their fallen power. Convincing her… will not be easy."
"Perhaps her views have changed over the past thousand years?" Akira suggested.
"If people could change that easily…" Paslow gave a soft, bitter laugh, shaking her head. "Wouldn't that be nice~"
Akira lowered his gaze, falling into thought.
He didn't have absolute confidence he could change the Elf Queen's mind.
But he did believe one thing—
She had never stopped searching for the right answer. A way to ease the conflict between elves and dark elves.
"Um…"
Paslow suddenly broke the silence, her expression turning slightly awkward.
"Could you… let go now? It's starting to hurt…"
"…Huh?"
Akira snapped out of his thoughts—
Only to realize his hand was still firmly pressed against her chest.
He immediately pulled it back!
Ahem.
Granted, Paslow had been the one to grab his wrist and place it there in the first place.
But he'd gotten so lost in thought that his entire hand had practically sunk into—
Yeah.
Let's not go there.
"Now that the ritual is over… we can leave, right?" Akira asked after finishing wrapping her bandages.
"Mm~"
Paslow nodded slightly, her star-like eyes meeting his.
"There's something else. Are you aware of the message the Elf Queen asked Princess Alina to convey to me?"
"I don't," Akira replied, shaking his head. "Though I assumed… she wanted to meet you?"
"That's not it."
Paslow smiled faintly, her tone soft.
"She's not ready to face me yet. Instead… she's asking for a small favor."
"A favor?"
Akira blinked in surprise.
"She wants me to return the demigod artifact currently kept within the dark elf tribe," Paslow explained. "It will be used to stabilize the outer magical barrier of the elven kingdom—to defend against the undead legion."
"I see…"
Akira murmured quietly, gaining a clearer understanding of their relationship.
That artifact…
It must have originally been entrusted to Paslow by the Elf Queen.
Even after the dark elves left, the Queen had still wished to protect them.
So she had given Paslow a demigod-level artifact—to shield those who had lost their home.
But now…
The elven kingdom faced a crisis that could lead to its destruction.
And so—
The Queen had no choice but to ask for it back.
"But—"
Paslow suddenly continued, interrupting his thoughts.
"She probably didn't expect that I would personally deliver it back to the elven kingdom."
A playful smile curved her lips.
"I'm quite looking forward to the expression on her face when she sees me again~"
"…?"
Akira froze for a second—
Then immediately realized.
Alina.
This had to be her doing.
Only she would set up something like this just to enjoy the fallout.
"The time is about up. The ritual can be considered complete."
Paslow slowly rose to her feet.
Just as she was about to dispel the black veil surrounding the ritual area, a gentle smile appeared on her beautiful face.
"Oh, right~ Before we finish… you might want to take care of something…"
She pointed subtly at a certain spot on Akira, leaving behind an extremely unhelpful hint.
"…?"
Akira glanced down—
And his expression instantly stiffened.
So focused had he been on the ritual that he'd nearly forgotten—
The radiant holy light currently blazing brighter than ever.
Its intensity made even him question whether something was fundamentally wrong with his preferences.
"Do you need help?" Paslow asked softly.
Of course, she had noticed it long ago.
That radiant light, barely concealed even by the surrounding haze…
For a fleeting moment, she had even mistaken it for some kind of weapon meant to counter her.
After all, only someone of her size could possibly withstand such a dazzling "judgment."
…Though that had merely been a passing, rather absurd thought.
Like the Elf Queen, Paslow had never been with a man.
Which meant—
She might have been underestimating her own capacity. In fact, her potential might even surpass the Queen's.
"No!"
Akira shook his head vigorously, turning away at once.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
A few minutes later—
The holy light was finally suppressed.
"…Alright."
Turning back around, his expression had returned to normal.
"Then let's head out~"
With a light wave of her hand, Paslow dispelled the magic enveloping the ritual space.
As the black curtain fell away, the dark elves outside immediately rose to their feet, their gazes snapping toward the scene within.
The moment they saw Paslow standing there—safe and conscious beside Akira—
Relief washed over their faces.
"That's amazing! He actually did it!"
"Lady Paslow suppressed the corruption again! Incredible!"
"…Wait, that's strange. She usually collapses after the ritual—why is she still standing?"
"Could it be… this human's technique is even better than Jielan's? Not only did he suppress the corruption, he even spared her from the pain?"
"Th-that's impossible!?"
"How could a human surpass Jielan?! No way!"
"..."
The dark elves stared at Akira, disbelief written all over their faces.
Akira, meanwhile, felt slightly confused.
Had he… done something that impressive again?
Just as that thought crossed his mind—
A powerful hand suddenly grabbed the back of his collar—
And lifted him clean off the ground.
"…?"
Completely baffled, Akira turned his head—
Only to see a dark elf standing behind him, half a head taller than even Guren.
She wore high-heeled combat boots, her height nearly matching his own half-dragon form.
A dark purple suit of armor hugged her tall frame, leaving only a small portion of her chocolate-toned abdomen exposed—faint lines of muscle visible beneath, adding to her striking presence.
"Human?"
She leaned closer, her nose twitching slightly as if sniffing him.
Then—
A hint of disgust flashed through her eyes.
"You carry that woman's scent."
"Jielan, please put Kurose Akira down. He is our honored guest."
Paslow quickly intervened.
Akira blinked.
So this was Jielan—the one Alina had mentioned.
"…A guest?"
Jielan's gaze swept over him coldly, clearly unimpressed.
Still, at Paslow's urging, she set him down.
Then, narrowing her eyes, she asked:
"You're the one who sealed Paslow's corruption?"
Akira nodded calmly.
"Yes."
At the same time, his gaze swept over her, and a set of system data appeared before him:
[Jielan (Legendary)]Level: 92 ( ? / ? )Race: ElfStrength: ? / Agility: ? / Magic: ? / Constitution: ?Growth: 12 (Gain 12 points to all attributes per level)Skills: (Expand)Traits: [Dark Corruption][Elemental Overflow]
"…Level 92?"
Akira's eyes flickered in surprise.
A level above 90—
Far beyond his expectations.
The elven race truly deserved its reputation as one of the strongest in the magical continent.
"You helped seal Paslow's corruption. That earns you merit."
Jielan placed her hands on her hips, leaning down until her forehead nearly touched his, baring her white teeth in a sharp grin.
"But you are the Elf Queen's pawn. That is your sin."
"…???"
Akira frowned slightly.
The hostility in her tone toward the Elf Queen…
was even stronger than Paslow's.
Did she have her own grudge?
He said nothing, simply meeting her gaze.
They remained like that—foreheads nearly touching—for several seconds.
Then Jielan straightened, turned, and walked toward Paslow.
"Paslow. We need to talk."
"I have matters to discuss with you as well."
Paslow nodded, then turned to Akira with a gentle tone.
"Kurose Akira, would you mind waiting for a moment?"
"Of course."
Akira nodded, watching as the two of them entered the wooden house.
The door closed behind them.
Moments later, Jielan's voice—tinged with anger—could be heard from inside.
But it quickly vanished, likely silenced by magic.
"Kurose Akira, I apologize for Jielan's rudeness."
Nilu hurried over, bowing slightly.
"She holds deep resentment toward the Elf Queen… because of certain events."
"Can you tell me what happened?" Akira asked.
Nilu hesitated for a moment before speaking softly:
"It's just… Jielan's closest friend… completely succumbed to corruption. And in the end… the Elf Queen…"
Her voice trailed off.
Akira understood.
That was enough.
About half an hour later—
Paslow emerged from the house and walked toward him.
In her hands, she held a peculiar stone.
It glowed with a dark purple light, strange patterns swirling within.
"Kurose Akira, this is my token of gratitude—for helping me perfectly seal the corruption."
She handed him the stone.
The moment he took it, its information appeared before his eyes:
[Fallen Crystal (Epic): A crystal infused with the power of corruption. It can greatly boost the user's strength for a short period, but will leave them in a prolonged state of emptiness afterward. (Can be converted into a rare trait: 'Emptiness')]
"…?"
Akira raised an eyebrow.
Why did it convert into Emptiness instead of Corruption?
"Well then, I'll accept it."
Though puzzled, he stored the crystal away.
He still needed to prepare traits for his next recruit—
Even if he had no idea who that would be yet.
"Oh, right~"
Paslow suddenly turned to Jielan.
"Jielan, please escort Kurose Akira out of the Forbidden Forest."
Jielan's face instantly filled with disgust.
"…Huh? Why me!?"
Paslow didn't explain, merely nudging her forward.
Though visibly unwilling, Jielan relented with a huff.
"…Fine."
Crossing her arms, she walked up to Akira and said flatly,
"Let's go. I'll take you out."
"…Alright."
Akira nodded, though curiosity lingered.
Why her, specifically?
Just as he was about to follow—
Paslow spoke again.
"I should arrive at the elven kingdom by tomorrow evening. If possible… I would like you to be present, Guild Master."
"Of course."
Akira agreed without hesitation.
If he wanted to reconcile the elves and dark elves…
His presence would be essential.
But the moment he finished speaking—
Jielan suddenly moved.
In one swift motion, she scooped him up in a princess carry.
"…?!"
Akira froze, completely caught off guard.
Before he could react—
A pair of wings, woven from dark elemental energy, unfurled behind her.
"Hold on tight. Don't fall."
And in the next instant—
She shot into the sky like a streaking meteor, carrying him with her into the heavens.