Successor (1)
A long time ago.
The first period of the empire that no one remembers anymore.
At that time, the eastern part of the empire was essentially a wasteland.
Unlike the fertile West, where the Mother World Tree was located, the barren wasteland of the East, where even a single blade of grass could not grow, was a land that even the surrounding lords paid no attention to.
“…It looks like a lot of children were starving.”
A dry and desolate land.
The man who was looking around smiled bitterly as he saw the children’s eyes looking at him.
Even though they were strangers, the eyes of the children following along were shining with anticipation of food.
“Because there isn’t much to eat.”
“Is this a land where not even elves can survive?”
Every time the man took a step, the children of the village were gradually approaching him.
However, the man felt a little sad that the children who were clinging to him now were not clinging to him out of innocent curiosity.
“…This is a land that cannot be saved even if someone other than our elves comes. your majesty.”
Young Geronimo looked at the man in deep robes and called him “Your Majesty.”
It was a title that could only be given to a man who was the most powerful man on the continent, but the man Geronimo was looking at right now looked too shabby to be given the glorious title of Majesty.
“What do you think when you see it for yourself? “Are you feeling relieved now?”
The sleeves that swept over her thin body were wide.
In Geronimo’s eyes, which had become very dry after giving away his own food, it seemed like there was only bitter poison left in his eyes.
“In the end, the king of humans only cared about humans. Indeed, what Elder Jeondae said was correct.”
“…….”
There was a knight whose intentions were as bright as a star.
He was also a person who gathered the potential of all races in the world into one sword to eliminate the most perfect dragon.
“…I’m sorry.”
However, the man taking off his robe now was not the knight who had been so bright back then.
The old man, who had only regrets covered in wrinkles on his face, was a liar who couldn’t even keep the promises he said he would make.
“I borrowed too much to kill the most perfect being. “As I was paying them back, I ended up not being able to care about you guys.”
“Please go back.”
Geronimo stopped walking and chanted in a quiet voice.
However, his quiet yet clear voice entered Frausen’s heart and sank heavily.
“We would be grateful if you would go back and send us some damn food.”
At his feet, where he stopped, stood a very small sapling.
The sapling, which was big enough to fit around the waist of an adult man, looked precarious as if it would dry out and die at any moment, perhaps because it was standing on dry ground.
“I hope that with your mercy we can get through this winter.”
“Geronimo.”
An elf begging for food and a world tree sapling that hasn’t even taken root properly.
Faced with their miserable appearance, Frausen deeply regretted the fact that he came here too late.
“…don’t f*cking do it. “Because you are the ones who deserve to stand tall.”
Elves who had to sacrifice their mother World Tree to destroy the most perfect dragon.
But now, their past glory is gone, and they are just living a life of begging with open hands to others.
Grumble-
“Your Majesty?”
Their misery will ultimately be my fault.
Although I completed my duties as a knight, it was my fault for failing to fulfill my duties as an emperor.
“I’m sorry I have to pay you back so late.”
Sigh-!
Frausen drew his sword and without any hesitation placed the silver knight in front of the World Tree sapling.
Even though its owner was old and shabby, the sword still retained its silver shine.
“…It is a sword obtained from the Lady of the Lake, blessed by God, and ruled by a flame that will never go out.”
“What are you doing now?”
Young Geronimo was startled by Frausen’s sudden action, but the old emperor’s face was only filled with a carefree smile as he looked at him.
“Don’t pull out this sword. Until the children here stop starving.”
Frausen sheathed his sword, looked around at the children’s eyes looking at him, and began to laugh.
“And until the young world tree takes root.”
As the bright blue grass slowly began to rise around the silver article that was inserted, children who were born in the wasteland and had never seen the color green began to open their eyes wide when they saw it.
Hum, hum, hum –
a man who has stepped down from his position of honor to take on the duties he could not fulfill.
The silver knight cried as he watched his owner slowly moving away, but his owner only patted him once and put his robe back on.
“But I’m glad it’s not too late.”
A wasteland with nothing, a land where children were starving.
And the land where the sword will one day be pulled out.
The name that would be called that place in the future was Aushurin, Forest of the Elves.
※※※※
The appearance of the tall wooden fence was majestic, but it could not block the ominous air coming from outside the forest.
The young elves of Aushurin could only roll their dangling eyes in anxiety as they watched the village becoming increasingly unfamiliar as the adults busily moved about.
[There are children gathered there.]
“…….”
And the children of the Luga family were like that too.
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Vlad walked forward without a word, looking at the children who had different appearances but the same look in their eyes.
“The human army is about a thousand strong.”
“I guess it’s worth it.”
According to Varadis, who was walking with him, the number of soldiers that Count Vitskaya gathered together was about a thousand.
There were about 700 Aussurin elves fighting against him, so there seemed to be no reason at all to be at a disadvantage if they fought behind a fence.
“…The problem is those who have come back to life.”
But Count Vitskaya was not alone.
Behind him, there were many warlocks who responded to Ramasht’s call, and they are probably still burning their desire for Aushurin.
“The number of them we checked three days ago is about 2,000. “If you combine it with the human army, the total number is 3,000.”
“…….”
“Maybe it’s still continuing to increase.”
At that moment, the wind suddenly blew, and the smell of oil started coming from the torch next to me.
The southeast wind that started from the city of Tanovo and headed toward Aushurin was also a sign that the battle ahead would not be easy.
“So we need a barrier to reverse the current situation.”
The barrier surrounding Aushurin was protected through the unchanging promise of the Sword Master’s sword.
However, since the revived Frausen took the sword, the barrier ceremony that the elves had built up over hundreds of years was in a state of failure, like a safe that had lost its key.
“I beg you.”
With those words, Varadis stopped as if this was the end of his guidance.
When he stopped, there were old elders waiting for Vlad in front of the young world tree.
Their eyes waiting for the new silver knight were as earnest as the eyes of the children they had just seen.
“…Hey, Baradis.”
“hmm?”
As I was walking along with those earnest eyes, I turned around and looked at Varadis, as if a thought occurred to me.
“I was grateful then.”
Vlad turned around and was smiling.
It wasn’t a bright enough laugh to laugh along with, but his somewhat light-hearted laugh lightened Varadis’ heart a little.
“I will try to repay you with this. “This is the price Varadis has given me for helping me so far.”
From the war-ravaged city of Deermar to the forgotten island of the dwarves, Lemnos.
Vlad continued to remember the elf who had been with him all this time.
“Because drivers only receive fair compensation.”
For the elf who silently stayed by my side when I needed it most.
Varadis was at a loss for words for a moment as he saw Vlad saying that he would use this opportunity to repay the help he had received.
“……okay.”
With those words, Varadis stood there for a long time, watching Vlad’s back moving further and further away.
Although he was walking to fulfill a great duty, Vlad did not show the slightest hesitation in his steps as he walked towards the young World Tree.
※※※※
“Listen! “My soldiers!”
Soldiers were lined up along the border of the deep green forest.
The soldiers, who were largely divided into two formations, had different appearances as well as where they stood according to their respective roles.
“You will remember too! “The elves who suddenly betrayed us!”
The dead were quiet, and the living were also holding their breath to match them.
Although the formation was filled with strange silence as if they were about to go into battle, only Count Vitskaya was shouting to everyone in a loud voice.
“We will also remember the pain it caused us! “Your family is probably starving in your house right now!”
As the Count said, the people of his territory were starving to no end.
The County of Vitskaya, where trade with the elves was cut off, was like a field without a waterway.
At a time when even the support of the Dragon Blood Duke was cut off, the only way to save the territory, which was suffering from burning hunger, was to steal from others.
“Look ahead! That green forest! “Even when your family is starving, those evil elves will be out there playing, eating, and taking a sweet rest!”
Anger that has nowhere to go wants something to burn, and accumulated discontent wants a hole to burst out.
For the residents of Vitskaya, who just needed something to pour out, regardless of whether it was right or wrong, the elves were just great firewood.
“That’s right! “If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t have ended up like this!”
“The elves brought all of this upon themselves! “They started it first!”
All you need to survive is the courage to ignore something and the smallest justification to bite someone else at any time.
Angry shouts towards the elves began pouring out from the Vitskaya army, which met all the conditions with just one speech.
“In the end, they too are trying to kill others to survive.”
“…….”
And there were people watching them from another camp.
They were standing in an army filled with all kinds of dead and ominous beings.
“How do you look? Josef. Do you think trampling on others in order to survive is justified?”
It looked like death.
The image of a woman looking at herself wearing black mourning clothes.
The woman, who rejected the world created by God and did not set even a toe on the ground, was looking at Josef with a truly mysterious expression.
“God is so cruel. “He is the one who created a chain where you have to kill someone in order to live.”
“…….”
When I saw her up close, I saw that she was a very benevolent woman.
The sight of her holding each dead child in her arms was similar to that of the Virgin Mary given by God.
However, Josef was able to catch a glimpse of the eerie madness hidden behind her warm smile.
“So we have to destroy everything. “Don’t let anyone die again.”
Some people have low desires, unfulfilled dreams, or terrible accidents.
Although all the warlocks who had been drawn here by the darkness had their own circumstances, Josef was confident that none of them were as crazy as Ramasut in front of him.
“And let’s make it again.”
Because she was rejecting the world created by God with a passion more pure than anyone else.
Josef could only remain frozen as Ramasut’s maniacal smile looked at him. Suddenly
, Vitskaya-
kun began to shake from the sudden shaking of the ground.
Not only the living but also those who were resurrected were shaken, unable to keep their balance, due to strong vibrations that could not normally be felt.
“earthquake?”
“no.”
Ramachut, slightly lifting his veil, raised a pale finger and started pointing towards the middle of the elf forest.
At the tip of the finger was a tree rising high into the sky.
“I guess the elves don’t just want to die like this either.”
The young world tree visible in the distance was shining.
It goes beyond its original blue color and comes in all kinds of shining colors.
“It’s a closing ceremony.”
The vivid colors of light, recognizable even to people outside the forest, were still blinking continuously, illuminating the forest of elves like a lighthouse.
