Reunion (1)
The gazes around me are sharp.
Zayar, who was passing the liquor in a leather canteen alone, closed the lid as he felt the gaze of the headless people right next to him.
“Why would you like me to give you a drink each?”
It was a warm spring day, but it still felt like frost was falling here where the Headless Ones were standing.
However, Xayar paid no heed to the atmosphere and just frowned at the cold gaze.
“ah. He had no mouths to drink. “I didn’t know that.”
The only warm one standing among the dead.
The sight was so foreign to the surrounding scene that it looked like a painting with different textures, but Xayar was just standing among the dead without being pushed back even a single step.
“Zayar.”
As the atmosphere became increasingly hostile, there was a hand gesture carefully calling out to Zayar.
It was a gesture called by Josef, who had just finished talking with Count Vitskaya.
“How did it go?”
“I decided to cooperate. “It seems that the Count considers Aussurin to be his final breakthrough.”
Count Vitskaya’s obsession with Aushurin was already burning brightly with anger and desire.
Josef, who had come after confirming the Count’s obsession under the orders of LaMashut, looked at the scene in front of him and continued speaking cautiously.
“We move with the Count’s soldiers. “I guess it’s right for the living to move with the living.”
The area that Josef was currently looking at was filled with all kinds of ominous things.
There were headless people who were raised from the dead.
Even cursed beings with all their limbs twisted.
Cursed spirits floating around like shadows and even large bodies of corpses with limbs everywhere.
All of these beings were evil creatures created by black magicians who were led by the great darkness called Ramasht.
“…Seeing it like this, it’s truly spectacular. “How could so many people have been hiding for so long?”
Even Josef, who had maintained his cool, frowned at the sight of the hell-like campsite recreated in royalties.
Usually, they were beings that you couldn’t find no matter how much you looked for them, but now they were everywhere you could look, so it was difficult for even Josef to keep his cool.
“Who on earth can clean these things up?”
There was too much darkness to capture with just one eye.
The darkness was so deep that even I, who was prepared for it, found it difficult to open my eyes and see.
However, all of these evil beings that we see now were ultimately remnants that had been ignored by those who had to do their duty, so in the end, someone had to deal with the poison they created.
“egg plant. “If I stay here any longer, I will suffocate to death.”
“All right.”
Josef, who made an effort to turn his head, began to cross the camp full of death and head toward the Vitskaya garrison.
In the end, all of this will be karma that has been accumulated over time.
Nobles should have duties instead of having power, and people should have responsibility instead of having faith, but those in power today did not do that.
Therefore, Josef had no choice but to be convinced that the boils they had created would eventually burst in their own generation.
※※※※
It was a lush forest.
If you look up from above, the forest is so dense with trees that it looks like a sea painted green.
In the middle of the forest, a young world tree was still standing tall, looking down at the green sea.
“…What are the current trends in Vitskaya-kun?”
However, even in this peaceful scene, Varadis’ face was completely frozen.
As it was the season of spring, the scenery outside was quite realistic, but it seemed difficult to find any sign of relaxation on Varadis’ face.
“At best estimate, there are about a thousand soldiers. “It looks like Count Vitskaya is putting his life on the line this time.”
“It looks like everything is already ready. According to the scouts’ reports, we can advance right now.”
After the heavy questions asked, urgent answers were heard.
The current situation was so urgent that even experienced rangers were nervous, and they could be sure that the beginning was not far away.
“Right.”
After hearing the report, Varadis sighed softly inwardly.
In addition to the army of nearly a thousand humans, the reanimated ones who continue to join even now.
Even if it was a human army, the existence of the resurrected people who had invaded right in front of the World Tree was slowly gnawing away at Varadis’ nerves.
“When do they say the barrier will be restored?”
“They say it will take another month even if we catch it quickly.”
After hearing the report, Varadis slightly turned his head and looked out the window.
“one month.”
Under the young world tree visible beyond the window, it was still full of old people scribbling something while bending over with difficulty.
As elves are long-lived, the elders of the Council of Elders have lived longer lives than the trees standing in the forest.
But now, regardless of their aging bodies, they were trying to reconnect the previously broken protective barrier of the forest.
‘The situation is not easy.’
The current situation requires all capable people to move quickly, regardless of age or position.
The situation was perhaps even more serious than when Nidhogg, the sharpest dragon, attacked, but the reality the elves faced now was that there was no place to seek help.
Knock knock.
“hmm?”
At that moment, a knock was heard in the office where Varadis and the Rangers were.
Varadis, who knew that no one would come to visit him at this time, looked at the elf who opened the door and came in with puzzled eyes.
“What’s going on?”
“……That is.”
The elf coming through the door now was someone who shouldn’t be here.
Because he was an elf who had to watch the World Tree at all times.
But now he was standing here with a pale complexion, looking at Varadis.
“sorry. Mr. Varadis.”
“what?”
He was an elf who guarded the World Tree.
To be exact, an elf who protected Varadis’ younger sister, a priestess, along with the World Tree.
The elf was now standing in front of Varadis, shaking his head and talking as if he had no shame.
“The priestess has gone outside.”
“…….”
Now was a time when safety had to be considered more important than ever.
However, upon hearing that the priestess who was to be cherished along with the World Tree had gone out, the complexions of the elves in the office began to change drastically.
“Why did you do that? “There must be a reason, right?”
“I do not know. “He said he had to meet a guest and left without any hesitation.”
“customer?”
The priestess of the World Tree who, no matter how much they tried to block her way, eventually came out.
Varadis felt a strange sense of déjà vu as she dangerously went outside with the mysterious words that a guest had arrived.
“I’m a guest…”
Although she was a priestess who had never been outside in her life, there were times when she was stubborn and tried to go out of the forest, like today.
With the word that an important guest is coming who must be greeted in person.
Varadis remembered that it was probably the first time he met a human knight named Vlad.
“Send the rangers right now. “Escort the priestess.”
With those words, Varadis stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the young world tree outside.
The green leaves seem to be shaking even more today.
Even though there was no wind, the moving leaves were full of young spirits running wild as if they were happy.
※※※※
It was an elf forest filled with trees, but sometimes there were clearings like this that were filled with sunlight.
A clearing in the forest full of green clover.
Bwa-!
In a place where only butterflies were fluttering in search of flowers, there was a guy who suddenly stuck his head out.
The guy who had been wandering under the ground just a moment ago was squinting his little eyes and waving his short hands as if the sunlight shining above his head was dazzling.
“Are you done? “Can I leave now?”
Kkyukkyun-!
“If you’re all here, get out of the way now. “It’s going to be on my head forever.”
It was the voice of a man who seemed to be holding back a lot of anger.
The butterflies circling the flower petals were startled by the eerie voice coming from beneath the ground and began to float up into the sky.
“…….”
A human head carefully rose from underneath the mole that was sticking its head out.
Although he was stained by a pile of dirt, he was an impressive man with blond hair shining in the sunlight.
“what. Where is here?”
Vlad, who looked out of the dark cave, began to get nervous at the sudden sight of green.
Just a few days ago, Vlad was in the middle of the wasteland, so he couldn’t get used to the sight he was seeing now.
Kkyukkyun-!
“Where on earth did you bring me? men and horses.”
Despite Vlad’s question, the mole just hangs down and shines as if he has done his job.
The mole, who had led the group to this place by continuously digging a hole, laid down his exhausted body and began to stick out his tongue.
“…Okay, take a break. “Anywhere would be better than there.”
Vlad, who was staring at the exhausted mole, carefully placed it on the ground and began to climb out.
The sight of Vlad, with his ears perked up in a very tense posture, was reminiscent of a wolf that had just come out of a den.
“It’s a forest.”
Vlad, who used his five sensitive senses to determine that there was no one around, could tell that he was now standing in the middle of the forest.
It was in the middle of a flower field full of bright colors.
“Was there a forest this size within a few days’ distance?”
Vlad muttered to himself, puzzled by the scenery around him.
It’s been a few days since we walked through the tunnel dug by the glowing mole, leading the refugees from the Luga tribe.
However, no matter how dark the central geography of Vlad was, I knew that there was no forest like this within a few days distance.
“That’s because I followed the path led by the spirits.”
“…!”
A voice suddenly came from next to Vlad, who was confused.
Vlad, who had confirmed that there was no sign of anything just a moment ago, was startled by a voice coming from right next to him.
“……you?”
“long time no see.”
However, the person who surprised Vlad was just waving his hand happily as if nothing had happened.
“Have the pictures I sent you been helpful?”
There was a girl looking at Vlad in front of a flower field swaying in the wind.
A girl standing in front of a flower field wearing a wide, long-brimmed hat.
The sight of the girl standing so naturally, like swaying flowers, seemed completely out of place, as if it was natural for her to be there.
“Why are you here?”
With Vlad’s surprised question, refugees from the Luga tribe began to emerge one by one from the caves beneath the ground.
Everyone, from children to the elderly, were frightened by the bright light and covered their eyes with their palms. They soon opened their mouths wide in amazement at the sight before their eyes.
“……here is.”
A forest of elves filled with green waves, not a dirty alley or a desolate wasteland.
The children of the Luga family, who had finally regained their sight, let out a loud scream without realizing it when they saw the large tree in the distance.
“It’s a tree!”
“what! “The tree is huge!”
A forest at the eastern end that could be reached because there was a path guided by a spirit. Aussurin.
The young world tree that was looking down at the forest was shaking its leaves as if it was happy to see the young beastmen who were surprised to see them.
