When Luke, having received Kratos, returned to his lodgings, Erewine came to see him.
“What brings you here? You’ve been staying in your room ever since you arrived in the Imperial City.”
“……”
“I heard that High Elf Erenes isn’t well. Did you hear about that?”
Erewine was silent for a moment at Luke’s question, then seemed startled by the following question.
Erenes was revered as a great sage by all elves. So, Erewine thought Luke was also feeling down after hearing the bad news about him.
But the situation she later learned was different.
“It has nothing to do with my teacher.”
“What? Erenes was your teacher?”
“Didn’t you know? Ah, come to think of it, I never told you.”
Luke couldn’t help but feel dumbfounded. The elf mage who had been persistently following him was actually Erenes’ disciple.
‘Even though connections are so intertwined like this…’
Shaking his head, Luke looked at Erewine and asked,
“Do you know that your teacher is in our territory?”
“I heard about it during the last magic communication.”
“Then you’re going to see him, right?”
He naturally thought Erewine would say yes, but she gave an unexpected answer.
“No, I’ll go later. More importantly, I’m leaving.”
“Leaving?”
Luke’s eyes widened at her sudden words.
“I suddenly have an important matter to attend to.”
‘Why is this woman acting like this?’
She had been cooped up in her room ever since coming to the Imperial City, and now she was suddenly leaving? Without even seeing her teacher, who was unwell?
He couldn’t understand what could be so important that she would do that.
“Can’t you tell me the reason?”
“I can’t say.”
“Well, if that’s the case, I can’t help it.”
Perhaps Erenes had met Reina and no longer needed to find out about the Tears of the Earth.
Thinking so, Luke saw her off, wishing her well.
Erewine looked at Reina, who had come out to see her off with Luke.
Perhaps because she had already finished talking with Erenes, Reina simply nodded at her gaze without saying anything.
Erewine, who left the hotel, looked back with a regretful expression just before disappearing into the darkness.
“I’m sorry for not telling you the truth. But I will do my best to protect her.”
On the day she arrived in the Imperial City, she attempted magic communication with her teacher, Erenes.
And from him, she heard that he had met Princess Reina, and that Princess Reina had agreed to actively cooperate in opening the gate to the Spirit Realm.
The Tears of the Earth, the key to opening the gate to the Spirit Realm.
Using the Tears of the Earth would cause great problems for the user.
In the worst case, they could lose their life.
Knowing this fact well, she could never tell Luke the truth.
If Luke were to find out, he would vehemently oppose it to protect his beloved.
Erewine had been confined to her room for several days in the Imperial City to create the ritual implements for the ceremony to open the gate to the Spirit Realm.
The High Elf Erenes and his disciple Erewine were also priests representing all the fairies.
‘I’ve made the ritual implements, but I need to be fully prepared to go to the place where the ceremony will be held. First, I need to meet Sylvia and discuss it.’
With that thought in mind, Erewine deployed teleportation magic.
Her figure, which seemed to be enveloped in bright light, disappeared in an instant.
A week later,
Erewine, who had completed all preparations, appeared in Lamer City.
She immediately sent a letter to the lord’s manor, and Reina, who had returned from the Imperial City, went to the empty mansion on the outskirts of the city as written in the letter, and met Erewine to talk.
“Are you sure? Won’t you regret it?”
“It’s a promise. I was taught that once you make a promise, you must keep it.”
“Still, Marquis Luke might be sad if he finds out…”
Reina gave a wry smile at Erewine’s words.
Reina had not told anyone about the promise she had made with the High Elf Erenes.
If Luke and the people around her found out, they would jump up and down to stop her.
So, she decided to leave without saying anything.
“In my heart, I want to be with him and grow old together. But I can’t break my promise and trample on the wishes of the fairies who have suffered for so long because of my greed.”
‘As expected, the person chosen by the Tears of the Earth is different.’
Erewine was impressed by her resolute answer.
“One thing that bothers me is that I’m leaving after receiving so much help from Lord Luke, and instead of repaying him, I’m only leaving him with a wound. When the gate to the Spirit Realm opens and the fairies regain their power, please help Lord Luke a lot.”
“Yes, I will.”
“Princess Reina, aren’t you giving up too easily?”
Another person interrupted their conversation. Reina and Erewine turned their heads to where the voice came from.
There, they could see Erenes sitting in a wheelchair pushed by Highrune.
“Cough, cough! It’s true that the ceremony is dangerous, and it’s also true that something will happen to you. But if you think of the precious people, I hope you don’t give up too easily.”
After saying that to Reina, Erenes smiled at his disciple, who was looking at him with a pitiful gaze.
“Take care of the rest…”
Erenes wanted to preside over the historically significant ceremony himself.
But his body was not strong enough to endure long-distance teleportation.
Erewine, who was looking at her teacher with a pitiful gaze, said in her usual indifferent voice.
“Don’t worry and just take care of yourself.”
“Hahaha, I will.”
Erenes knew that his disciple was cold on the outside but had a deep heart.
‘Maybe this will be the last time…’
Erenes’ body was in a state where the vessel of life had been broken by Lich Arsen’s magic.
So, no matter how many potions and elixirs he took, he did not recover.
Erewine knew that unless there was a mythical elixir of immortality like Nectar or Ambrosia, she would not be able to save her teacher, and she gritted her teeth.
‘Lich Arsen! I will definitely avenge you for making my teacher like this!’
Fairies, who are purer than humans and rarely get angry, had a saying that frost would fall even in May if they held a grudge.
It meant that their anger was as great as their purity.
Burning with hostility towards Arsen, she began to draw a long-distance teleportation magic circle in the garden of the mansion.
Long-distance teleportation was a 7th circle magic, but it was known that it required an 8th circle to deploy due to complex and difficult coordinate calculations.
However, she was one of the most talented geniuses among the elves, who had brains superior to humans, so she managed to build a magic circle in two hours.
“Come here.”
She beckoned Reina, and after a while, she disappeared from the spot with a bright light.
2
Whoosh!
With a slight tremor, the scenery in front of her changed.
The mansion on the outskirts of Lamer City had turned into a valley covered in snow.
“Where is this place?”
“This is Sky Mountain, located much further north than the Volga Republic.”
Erewine said, handing Reina a thick coat she had prepared in advance.
North of the Volga Republic was a land of permafrost covered in ice. This vast land, hundreds of kilometers in all directions, was hit by ice storms and thunder and lightning all year round.
Therefore, not only humans but even fairies rarely lived there, and in the center of this land was a mountain that soared high into the sky.
Sky Mountain, which means ‘Sky Mountain’ in the language of the fairies.
“It’s where the sacred place where our fairies were born is located.”
“Sacred place?”
Even Reina, who was very interested in fairies, widened her eyes at the words she had never heard before.
“As far as I know, wasn’t the home of the fairies the World Tree?”
According to ancient mythology, fairies were born from the World Tree.
The World Tree, named Yggdrasil, was said to be so large and lush that it supported the continent, but at some point, it became ill and disappeared from the world.
“That’s right. That World Tree is located underground in Sky Mountain.”
Erewine guided Reina and explained various things about the World Tree.
But how far had they gone?
In front of a large cave, about a dozen fairies were standing.
There were various types, including elves, dark elves, lycan [werewolf-like] sloths, fairies, and dwarves. Almost all fairy races were gathered.
But Reina looked puzzled at what they were doing.
They were all heavily armed, as if they were going to fight a battle.
As if she knew her question, Erewine immediately explained.
“To get to the place where the World Tree is, we have to pass through a monster-inhabited area.”
“Ah, so that’s why…”
As the two approached, a dark elf woman with black eyes standing at the front approached and opened her mouth.
“Is this Princess Reina?”
“Yes.”
Erewine nodded and pointed to her, saying to Reina.
“Say hello. This is Sylvia, my friend.”
The moment she heard Sylvia’s name, Reina’s face turned pale.
“S, Sylvia, as in the Black Rose of the Volga Republic’s intelligence department… !”
“Hahaha, I’m just an ordinary dark elf now. I won’t harm you, so don’t be so afraid.”
At Sylvia’s words, Reina nodded in relief. Logically, she wouldn’t harm herself, who would be the medium for an important ceremony.
“Anyway, the preparations are complete, shall we enter?”
Sylvia had received a message from Erenes a month ago that he had secured the Tears of the Earth.
She immediately began preparing for the ceremony.
She scouted Sky Mountain to see what it was like, and selected warriors representing each race.
The final selection of 12 warriors was made a week after Erewine came. They were selected not only for their skills, but also for their willingness to fight selflessly for the future of the fairies.
“Let’s go in. There’s no reason to delay.”
Erewine immediately entered the cave with the warriors.
Krrraaang!
Kikikikiki!
The cave was large and wide.
From the moment they entered, various kinds of monsters bared their teeth and attacked the unfamiliar intruders.
However, the warriors representing each race were strong.
Each individual had almost the power of a Sword Master or an 8th circle Archmage, and they literally melted the monsters that rushed in like a pack of dogs.
‘A, amazing!’
Reina, who was watching the warriors fight from behind, exclaimed in admiration.
She felt that if the people here were combined, they could easily conquer any principality.
At first, the monsters were relatively weak, but as they went deeper, quite powerful monsters appeared.
Among them were giant spiders, yetis, and cockatrices, which were rarely seen or were known to be extinct and could only be seen in pictures in books.
“Why are there so many strong monsters?”
“They’re drawn by the residual spiritual power of the withered World Tree.”
They struggled for a bit, but as expected of warriors representing each race, they dealt with the large monsters and continued forward.
After about half a day, the path suddenly opened up, revealing a large underground cavern.
The size was immense; it was so vast that the end couldn’t be seen.
“Actually, this area was said to be so fertile that it flowed with honey and milk, even up until the mythical era. However, due to rapid climate change and natural disasters at the end of the mythical era, it turned into the barren land it is today.”
As a result, the elves who couldn’t endure here moved south and established the Avalon Empire.
Anyway, due to the natural disasters at the end of the mythical era, the World Tree disappeared from the world.
For a long time, the elves sent expeditions to various places to find the World Tree. But in the end, they couldn’t find it.
However, a few years ago, an earthquake occurred in the north.
Due to that earthquake, part of Sky Mountain collapsed, and a cave leading underground appeared.
A curious beastman went into the cave to explore and came out with surprising news.
They had found the World Tree inside, which they had been searching for thousands of years.
Naturally, the elven society was turned upside down.
Erewine and the leaders of each race came here to see the World Tree.
However, the path to the World Tree was a monster haven.
For the past few years, the warriors sent by each elven race had been dealing with them, but it seemed like they were only increasing, not decreasing.
“By the way, I’ve been wondering, why are we going to the World Tree when we’re supposed to open the gate to the spirit realm?”
“That’s because there’s a gate to the spirit realm inside the World Tree.”
In the end, the World Tree was the cradle of life and also the gate to the spirit realm, the home of the elves.
Anyway, right after the group entered the underground cavern, super-large monsters over 10 meters tall began to appear.
The most impressive of them was the Twin-Headed Ogre.
This monster, over 15 meters tall, had a huge body, cunning heads, and regeneration abilities surpassing even trolls, making it impossible to defeat no matter how much they attacked.
Rather, the elves who were hit by its attacks were sent flying, spraying blood.
“Damn it! If I had known, I would have brought the Gigant!” [A large, powerful war machine or creature]
“Who knew there would be such a monster in a place like this?”
A lycanthrope warrior, limping on his left leg, gritted his teeth, and a dwarf warrior next to him clicked his tongue.
Anyway, the elven warriors struggled quite a bit.
However, after Erewine joined in and they fought in shifts, they barely managed to defeat it.
3
“Is this the World Tree?”
After crossing the underground cavern for a long time, Reina could see a large tree.
It seemed that it used to have lush leaves and was so tall that it almost reached the ceiling, but now it was just a dead, gray, skeletal tree with only bare branches.
According to legend, it was said to be so large and beautiful that it covered the entire world, but looking at its current state, it was impossible to imagine.
“How did it die like this?”
Reina asked with a pitiful expression, and Erewine sighed and replied.
“It is said that there was a conflict between the gods at the end of the mythical era. It is said that it hid itself to avoid the fight.”
Due to the fight between the two gods symbolizing light and darkness, the aether [a mystical substance or energy] of the middle realm was twisted.
As a result, the World Tree hid underground to protect itself, and natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions swept across each continent.
“How did the fight between the gods happen?”
“It is said that a demon god born from darkness tried to destroy the existing world and create a world according to his will. But he was defeated by the main god Elkasel, and this world could be preserved.”
While the two were chatting, Sylvia, who had looked around, said.
“It’s safe around here. There are no more monsters.”
Erewine immediately prepared for the ritual.
She took out the ritual tools and various magical items she had painstakingly made over the week from her subspace and began to draw a magic circle around the World Tree.
When a huge magic circle with a diameter of 10 meters was completed, she pointed to the altar in the center and said.
“Go stand there. When I give the signal, activate the Tears of the Earth as my teacher instructed.”
“Okay.”
Reina swallowed hard and stepped onto the altar.
Her face was stiff with tension. Even though it was to keep a promise, she couldn’t help but be scared.
Wasn’t that what Erenes had said?
If the gate to the spirit realm was opened with the Tears of the Earth, no one knew what would happen.
In the worst case, she might not be able to handle the power of the spirits and go mad or die.
She wanted to back out of the promise now, but she clenched her fists and encouraged herself.
‘It’ll be okay, I can’t give up, even for Luke.’
Reina, remembering what Erenes had said before coming here, made up her mind.
As she seemed ready, Erewine began the ritual.
As she inserted the pre-made ritual tools into the core parts of the magic circle, the rune letters all over the magic circle began to glow faintly and hum.
“‘M Ylistaen kaunis saa. Elvytettiin uudelleen maailma oli katkaistuna siteet menneeseen~!'” [Ancient Elvish: ‘I praise the beautiful island. The world was revived, the ties to the past severed!’]
Erewine began to sing in the ancient elven language.
Her singing voice was very clear and beautiful. As her singing grew louder, the light emanating from the magic circle also intensified.
Then, in an instant, the body of the World Tree, which had been dead and gray, trembled and began to show a slight reaction.
“Start!”
At Erewine’s signal, Reina gritted her teeth and activated the Tears of the Earth.
Whoosh—!
Mysterious patterned tattoos appeared on Reina’s body, and a fierce wind began to blow.
The wind, imbued with pure spiritual power that could never be seen in the middle realm, engulfed her and swallowed the World Tree.
And the moment the last magic circle exploded with light, Reina disappeared from the sight of the people.
4
At the western end of the Rodisia continent.
Beyond the grasslands, known to be inaccessible to humans due to monsters, there was a desert.
In the middle of the desert, where there was nothing but the scorching sunlight and dry sand, there was a stone castle.
Inside the old, moss-covered castle, there were many bizarre-shaped stone statues, and a person was walking among them.
The person, wearing a brown robe with lily patterns embroidered in gold thread, passed through the desolate garden with statues and entered the building.
Creak!
He entered a room at the end of the hallway and knelt before the chair on the platform.
“Did you call for me, Ancestor?”
“Kekekeke, yes. Did. you. bring. what. I. told. you. to. prepare?”
A lich with white bones was sitting on the chair on the platform.
Surprisingly, it was Arsen, whose upper body had been half blown away by Erenes’s attack.
After escaping from the Dark Moon Magic Tower, he hid here and waited for his injuries to heal. And he was conducting some kind of ritual for revenge.
“Whose order would I neglect? Here it is.”
Alber, the current Meister [Master] of the Veritas Magic Tower, trembled and held out a bottle from his chest.
Swoosh.
The glass bottle left his hand and flew into Arsen’s hand.
Looking at the glass bottle, Arsen had a satisfied expression at the abundant life force he felt inside.
“Kkk, finally. I. have. completed. this.”
What Alber brought was a potion called ‘Blood of Resurrection,’ made by kidnapping hundreds of priests and thousands of elves.
It took a full 200 years to make this potion, which was made by extracting and concentrating the divine power of the priests and the life force of the elves.
It took a lot of time to avoid the eyes of the religious orders and capture the elves who had hidden deep in the continent, but in the end, the Veritas Magic Tower had succeeded.
“With. this. I. can. awaken. them.”
Arsen, with a triumphant expression, got up from his seat and went down to the basement of the castle.
There were two large coffins there.
In one coffin, a knight wearing golden armor was submerged in a deep blue-green liquid, and in the other, a middle-aged wizard in a robe with a stitched mark on his neck was submerged.
Trickle.
Approaching the coffins, he poured the Blood of Resurrection from the glass bottle into the coffins.
After watching the liquid mix for a while, Arsen began to chant a spell.
As the eerie yet sweet spell continued, the liquid began to bubble.
‘Will it really succeed?’
Alber, who was standing behind Arsen, had an expectant expression.
If the ancient cursed magic succeeded and could revive the two, the Veritas Magic Tower would be able to dominate the continent.
After chanting for a long time, Arsen stretched out his arms towards the sky and shouted loudly.
“O. you. who. have. risen. from. the. abyss. of. hell! O. you. specters. who. have. escaped. the. laws. of. death! I, Arsen, will. breathe. life. into. you. Open. your. eyes. and. rise!”
Whoosh!
In an instant, light exploded from the coffins.
After a while, it subsided as if nothing had happened, but an amazing thing happened.
The corpses in the two coffins were filled with life and opened their eyes wide.
Raising their upper bodies and moving their legs, the two corpses came out of the coffins and knelt on one knee when they found Arsen.
“We greet our master.”
“We pledge our loyalty to our master!”
At the sight of the two who had come back to life, Arsen burst into mad laughter.
“Finally. my. guardians. are. complete, kekekekeke!”
After laughing madly for a while, Arsen pointed to the ceiling and opened his mouth.
“Show. your. skills.”
Arsen gave the order, wondering if they were defective. He had failed once before when he performed the ritual.
Then, the knight in golden armor stood up and drew his sword.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang—!
Golden aura flashed, and half of the stone castle was blown away.
But that wasn’t the end.
The middle-aged wizard also stood up and swung a whip made of black energy, and the remaining half of the castle melted away.
Arsen was satisfied with the two’s unchanged skills, or rather, their even stronger appearance thanks to absorbing the energy of thousands of herbs and potions.
“Wait. for. me, Erenes. I. will. capture. all. of. you. elves. and. make. you. sacrifices. for. my. black. magic!”
Arsen, grinding his teeth, said to the guardians who were standing there blankly looking at him.
“You. go. first. For. my. world. You. two. will. sweep. away. the. obstacles. that. stand. in. my. way!”
“Yes, Master!”
Arsen and Alber left the ruined castle.
Alber looked at the two guardians who were striding forward and spoke to Arsen.
“Ancestor, I have a question.”
“You. want. to. know. what. their. original. identities. are, right?”
Alber nodded as if he was right. Then Arsen moved his jawbone as if he was smiling bitterly.
“The. hero. and. the. demon. king.”
“Yes?”
“Those. two. are. Rakan. and. Simon.”
Alber, surprised by Arsen’s words, fell on his butt.
Regardless, the two guardians, who had been resurrected after more than 500 years, hastened their steps towards the changed world.
Bringing a great disaster.
(To be continued in Steel Emperor Volume 5)
Golden Apple’s Creation Space
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