85 – World Tree – 16

The white branches were thought to have desires if they were human beings.

The desire to dominate someone is an essential desire. I thought there was no way humans could throw it away.

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Just as elves are born beautiful, humans are born with that desire. I believed it couldn’t be changed.

However, the man’s words shocked the white branch.

The magician’s wit was amazing, but if he really thought the elf needed him, he could take the damage.

There is no negotiation with evil. If he had bent his back against each and every one who took the lives of the elves, the World Tree would not have remained.

The number of people who owned or captured elven slaves was not that small.

However, he went one step further and proudly pointed out the elf’s error.

Even so, if that was all, he would not have been able to avoid the opposition of the other elven elders.

Even if the elf’s hypothesis was wrong from the start, it doesn’t change the fact that he, a warrior, is the best test subject.

There was no reason to let him go after entering the World Tree and finding out the secrets of the elves, even if he would conduct research on ordinary humans or royal descendants later.

However, the fact that the white branch was interested in was not the trivial information that the elf’s experiment went wrong.

“…Are you really okay?”

Even while digging the grave, he could not hide his reluctance. Instead of the phoenix’s remains, valuable burial items were coming out.

“Okay.”

“A friend? Why are you doing this to me?”

He might have been blinded by the elf’s valuables that came with him, but he was fidgeting like a child doing bad things.

It was hard to believe that he was a man who had boldly and fearlessly stood up in front of countless elves in front of the world tree.

“I’d like to ask. What were you thinking? When you handed over your powers to her.”

“Do you want to fight?”

“I’m sorry to answer a question with a question, but I couldn’t help it because it was a story I needed to hear.”

White branches caressed the soil. Between the tingling touch of the curse, the traces of fierce resistance were felt.

“The emperor persuaded me. When I just came here… I still do, because I didn’t know if someone like me could be a hero.”

I couldn’t help but hear how strong the demon king was and how huge the corps commanders and monsters were.

“I didn’t think I could do it.”

If it was something only he could do in this world, Enerel would have tried to do it somehow.

But it was a different story if there was someone who was more suitable and prepared than that. Even trying and obsessing over one’s position as a warrior could have been wrong.

“And, in the end, did you join the journey without that power?”

“The warrior’s power didn’t come all at once. Gaining additional strength from the space prepared by the goddess? The Farseer expressed it as unlocking the seal… but there was such a procedure anyway.”

“I’ve heard of that.”

“At that time, it seems that I was needed. Besides that, there were things like curses and seals that only warriors could break… In the end, I also followed them.”

The white branches nodded slowly.

“My close friend was sacrificed. He was hit directly by the curse and died slowly instead of me. The reason he was buried here instead of the World Tree is because the curse couldn’t be passed on to the tree mother.”

“He is a great man.”

“All those left behind will live through such sacrifices.”

She neatly arranged the dug-up grave goods in one place and gazed at Enerel.

“Like you sacrificed.”

“To say that much…”

“I know very well how difficult it is for humans to give up their power.”

Only then did Enerel understand why the white bough had changed its attitude so suddenly.

To her, she was no longer a selfish being who campaigned with her life owed to the sacrifices of others.

It was just an existence that was sacrificed in a different way in a different situation.

“I gave up all my desire for power and power, and even after receiving it back, I chose to return rather than rule. It was a sacrifice that would not have been easy for humans.”

It was an awkward situation for Enerel to see elves who had been fighting each other to death until recently, treating themselves this way.

Even under such circumstances, a strange discrimination seemed to remain, but at least there was no hatred left there. Since my expectations were low, I just felt like I reacted greatly to even smaller good deeds.

“Surely, even if she were alive, she would have willingly given up her body and her close friend.”

“Does the Phoenix think so too?”

“He’s a spirit creature that understands her better than anyone else. He probably wouldn’t make a different decision than her.”

For a moment, the earth he was digging felt a gentle heat and a painful curse.

“Isn’t there such a thing as a coffin?”

“Originally, elves’ funerals are to be buried next to their tree mother and return to her arms. Even elves who couldn’t be buried in the world tree due to unavoidable circumstances will become one with the soil and return to the ground.”

“still…”

He could feel the creaking of the shovel he was digging. It was a strange feeling to be a simple stone.

“Even so, she is a cursed body. It is contained in a coffin that seals it. The remains of the phoenix you want will also be there.”

Before anyone knew it, the pit was dug deep enough to exceed the height of a person. The scooped-up soil made a small peak.

“This is it. I hope you don’t touch the bone.”

Enerel carefully cleared the soil with a shovel, revealing a cylindrical coffin made of wood.

“It should be there. Unfold your shield just in case. I’ll open this for you.”

“I don’t need it. It’s something I need.”

However, he still couldn’t fully trust her. I couldn’t make a shield-shaped sword the way I wanted, but I didn’t want to reveal that fact here.

Besides, this was his job. Enerel didn’t want to be helped by her anymore.

But after carefully digging out the coffin, he couldn’t help but groan.

“This… how do you open it?”

The perfectly closed cylindrical tree cocoon was not something that could be separated simply by force.

“Of course you can’t open it. This isn’t a coffin, it’s a seal, and when you weave a coffin, you don’t weave it in the hope that it will open.”

As if nothing had happened, she took out a dagger and carefully cut the tree cocoon.

Enerel, who endured the smell of the curse emanating from within, felt that the fire was sleeping inside.

No, on second thought, there was no reason to regard it as a ball. It wasn’t red and it didn’t burn.

There was a little bit of heat, but it was too weak to be called fire. It didn’t burn anything, and it didn’t look like it would get burned when I touched it.

“…is it gone?”

“Is it empty? I don’t think it’s a robbery…”

“It’s the first time I’ve seen it myself. To see what happens to elves who can’t return to the earth or the world tree, when time passes.”

The elf closed his eyes. Enerel held her breath for a moment, waiting for her to honor her friend.

“Is the curse okay? It must be hard to bear.”

“It hurts a little, but that’s enough.”

The white twig carefully lifted the ashes from it and placed it in his hand. Instinctively feeling that it was an important item, Enerel carefully put her hands together to receive the ashes.

“Floating or falling?”

“There’s no need to try to contain it all. Be careful with handling it. If even the tiniest ember is rekindled, this child will burn as if he had waited.”

“I was thinking of entrusting it to Farseer.”

“That’s enough.”

White Branch did not have expert knowledge in magic, but it did have knowledge that it had picked up over the years.

“During the journey back home, this will protect you.”

There were few cases where the remains of a phoenix were used for magic, but if they did, the purpose was clear.

No matter how you look at it, the symbolism of these burnt ash was clear.

“how?”

“Regeneration. Absolute, unconditional regeneration and restoration, as if it were part of the laws of the world.”

“…that’s what it meant.”

Farseer, who had been restlessly waiting on top of the pit, slowly took the remains of the phoenix with magic and put them in the barrel.

“It seems like it’s been out for quite some time, is it okay? Wasn’t it a big deal if we went outside the World Tree?”

“I can’t fight, but I don’t mind just sitting there. No, I have to stay here for the time being.”

“why?”

The white twig sat down in the soil, carefully stroking the wooden coffin.

An empty wooden coffin, now with nothing left but a curse.

“Because we have to suppress this curse until a new seal or coffin comes out.”

Enerel grimaced, then threw out a difficult comment.

“Is it because of me?”

“It’s what you wanted, but I allowed it. It’s fine if you feel comfortable through my friend’s sacrifice, through my pain.”

“How long should it be?”

“It won’t take long. It’s just an item that can bind evil energy. It should take about a week.”

It was not an answer that included the ‘elf’s notion of time’. While he was silent for a moment, the white twig spoke softly.

“Be sure to go back.”

Enerel nodded silently.