Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 197

197.

I woke up early and meditated using the Breath of the Wind technique. I reflected on how lazy I’d become with my training since achieving the Supreme Spirit Master rank.

‘This isn’t the end.’

I had only just become a Supreme Spirit Master, and there were strong individuals all over the world. I resolved to train hard again, starting today.

Because I still needed to improve.

I took a deep breath. Hooo. Was it because this was a village near the World Tree? The mana [magical energy] felt more abundant than in other places.

“Your Highness.”

Olivia stirred at the voice from outside. I stroked her hair and got out of bed.

I carefully went outside, where Ken was waiting.

“You’re up already?”

Ken nodded.

“I apologize for bothering you so early. It’s rather urgent.”

“No, it’s alright. Let’s step outside first.”

Ken and I walked away from the lodging.

The fairies had provided accommodations with about eight rooms, each a short walk from a large central space.

This space served as a kind of living room.

In the living room, a very large round table stood. It had an antique feel, as if its base was made of intertwined tree roots.

The fairies had prepared plenty of fruit and berries on the table.

I drank a glass of water, cut some fruit, and asked, “What’s the urgent matter?”

Ken spoke quickly, “Lilian is missing.”

I was taken aback.

Lilian? There’s no reason for Lilian to disappear from the fairy village right now. Lilian wants to obtain the Wrath of Magma [a powerful magic book] more than anyone else.

“Lilian? Didn’t she just step out for a bit?”

Ken shook his head.

“No. She went out last night and hasn’t returned.”

“I need to speak with the fairies.”

Ken seemed convinced that Lilian hadn’t simply gone out.

“Yes. I have a bad feeling about this. It must be related to the fairies.”

“There’s no need to rashly suspect the fairies. Nothing has been revealed yet.”

“Yes.”

As Ken finished speaking, Olivia and Gail appeared from separate hallways.

“Your Highness.”

I turned to Olivia.

“You’re awake?”

“Yes. I heard. Lilian is missing?”

“She went out last night and hasn’t returned.”

Gail’s expression turned serious.

“Your Highness, I think we should look for her immediately.”

Ken added, “There was a… not quite a conflict, but a disagreement with the fairies yesterday. I don’t suspect them outright, but this is a fairy village, so they would know where Lilian is.”

I headed straight out of the tree.

Fairies were outside, greeting the rising sun.

“Please refrain from going out unless it’s a scheduled time. Today, you will be with the managers…”

I cut off the fairy blocking my path.

“Where is Lilian?”

“Yes?”

“You monitor our actions so closely, I can’t imagine you wouldn’t know that one of our party members went out last night.”

The fairy’s eyes narrowed.

“Are you talking about the human magician, Lilian?”

“Yes.”

The fairy nodded.

“The magician met with the manager last night. The manager probably knows her whereabouts.”

The fairy continued before I could speak.

“Go inside and wait. You were invited, but you weren’t given the authority to wander around as you please.”

The fairy turned away as Olivia started to speak.

I couldn’t hide my annoyance, and Ken said, “I don’t know why we were invited.”

Gail also expressed his frustration after a long silence.

“The level of rudeness is severe.”

I suppressed my anger.

“Nothing might have happened to Lilian. Let’s just wait. We’re not going to fight the fairies with swords right now.”

At my words, everyone reluctantly went back inside the tree.

“The fairies, except for the manager Ren, feel very hostile towards us,” Olivia observed.

Ken analyzed the situation, “Perhaps the fairy Ren’s desire to bring us to the village is very strong. It was also Ren who created the justification for inviting Your Highness to the fairy village, calling you the master of the oath.”

I nodded.

“That’s right. The fairies Ren and Phil… thanks to their influence, we were able to come to the fairy village.”

“Even during the festival, the fairies mostly enjoyed themselves and didn’t pay much attention to us. The justification for the festival itself was that humans entered the village for the first time in fairy history.”

Ken’s eyes narrowed.

“They are displeased with our existence itself. Well, I can understand that much. Fairies hate humans in the first place.”

Ken quickly continued, “It’s a very big deal for humans to enter the fairy village. The fairies Ren and Phil are very powerful in fairy society. It’s natural to manage the internal atmosphere while bringing in outsiders.”

Ken paused, then expressed his doubts. “It feels like they didn’t manage the internal atmosphere at all, almost as if to show us, and just brought us into the village.”

Knock knock-!

A knock came from the door.

Before I could respond to Ken, I greeted the visitor.

“Come in.”

Ren appeared.

“I heard what happened.”

I asked directly, “Did you meet Lilian last night?”

“Yes.”

* * *

“The World Tree’s test.”

Lilian licked her lips.

She recalled meeting and talking with Ren last night.

-I heard you are looking for a magic book.

She was curious how Ren knew, but she didn’t think there was a need to hide it, so she answered honestly.

-That’s right.

-The Wrath of Magma was written by the last dragon of the Middle Realm. The dragon gave it to the Reinhart family head, and the Reinhart family head gave it to the fairy as a gift.

-And the fairy couldn’t learn the magic in the Wrath of Magma. It’s difficult and complex, but we thought we could solve it slowly since we live forever. Time continued to flow, and research is still ongoing.

-I know that you are a very high-ranking magician. In that sense, take the World Tree’s test.

-It is an adventure to reveal the Wrath of Magma to an outside human, but… we can’t just keep researching the dragon’s magic book forever.

-Fairies have been good at spiritism and swordsmanship for generations, but it is true that they lack magical abilities. I’ll trust you once. If you pass the World Tree’s test, there will be no opposition from other fairies.

Lilian listened to Ren’s explanation and readily agreed.

She fully felt that fairies other than Ren and Phil despised humans.

Above all, the purpose of coming to the western forest was because of the Wrath of Magma, so she thought Ren’s proposal was a good opportunity.

She was going to tell Arun and then come out, but she was stopped by Ren’s one word.

-Let’s go. The World Tree’s test is not something you can see at any time. Coincidentally, today is the day when the moon is the brightest, and the test can only be taken when the World Tree of Moonlight opens its body.

Inside the World Tree, which she entered around sunset last night.

World Tree, Lilian was feeling with her whole body why this tree’s name was World Tree.

‘There is a world inside the tree.’

And the unpleasant energy she felt.

Lilian’s face hardened.

* * *

“I recommended the World Tree’s test.”

“Let’s sit down and talk first.”

I offered Ren a seat and then sat down myself.

Ken and Gail looked at Ren with stiff expressions.

Olivia’s eyes were sharp.

“The World Tree’s test?”

Ren nodded.

“Wasn’t the reason you came to the forest because of the Wrath of Magma?”

I narrowed my eyes and asked, “I don’t think I’ve mentioned the magic book yet.”

Ren smiled.

“All life in the forest tells me. Wind, trees, soil… The forest is a place full of life, and I am the child of the World Tree who manages the life of the forest.”

Was that a roundabout way of saying she overheard us? Regardless, Ren knew our purpose.

“The Wrath of Magma is a magic book written by the last dragon of the Middle Realm. The fairies are keeping it.”

“So what is the World Tree’s test?”

I didn’t want to beat around the bush. Even with my somewhat annoyed tone, Ren answered calmly.

“The Wrath of Magma is a magic book that cannot be disclosed to just anyone. But since I decided to cooperate with humans, and the magician Lilian is a better magician than the best fairy magician, I decided to show her the magic book.”

“Is it the fairies’ decision or your decision?”

Ren understood my question.

“It is true that the fairies have doubts about my recent decisions. But my decision is the decision of the entire fairy.”

“Your power…”

Ren interrupted Ken.

“It’s not power, it’s authority. The authority that only one of the World Tree’s children receives. I am the representative of the entire fairy and the manager who protects the forest.”

“Okay. So you decided to show Lilian the magic book, and you recommended the World Tree’s test because you can’t show the magic book to just anyone. Is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes.”

“What is that test anyway?”

Ren answered, “The test is determined by the World Tree. The manager only opens the door of the World Tree so that the test can be taken.”

Ren continued, “The test has begun, and your purpose was to obtain the Wrath of Magma, so I hope you will wait.”

Ren’s voice changed subtly.

“Please stay here for the time being. When the test is over, let’s discuss how to deal with the forces that are corrupting the Middle Realm with evil through the cooperation of humans and fairies.”

Ken said to Ren, who was trying to leave, “It’s hard to believe that Lilian tried to take the test without reporting to Your Highness.”

“I know very well that there is a deep emotion called doubt at the root of humans.”

“It’s not doubt, it’s a reasonable question. We witnessed the fairies’ hostility yesterday, and Lilian disappeared without reporting to Your Highness.”

Ken’s words were sharp.

“And as if you were waiting, you are saying that she is taking the World Tree’s test. You also brought up the story of the Wrath of Magma.”

“Now…”

“Did you say that doubt is rooted in the root of humans? You seem to know humans very well, but was there a need to raise doubts? I think it wouldn’t have been too late to proceed with the World Tree’s test after telling Your Highness.”

Ren sighed.

“Cooperation with humans is not easy after all.”

I asked Ren, “Are you certain that Lilian went to take the World Tree’s test?”

“I’ll tell you with the honor of the manager fairy. It’s certain.”

“Okay.”

I met Ren’s eyes.

I couldn’t detect any lies in Ren’s clear eyes.

If Ren’s words are true, it’s a very good thing.

So I thanked her first.

“Thank you for giving Lilian a chance.”

“I only gave her a chance because she is an excellent magician. It would be very good for the fairy if she could decipher the Wrath of Magma magic book.”

“I’ll wait until Lilian comes back.”

Ren listened and got up.

Ken started to say something, but I stopped him, waited for Ren to leave, and then called Sylphid.

‘Prevent sound from escaping.’

The reason I called Sylphid instead of Sylph is because I am wary of Ren.

Sylph is not enough.

I said to Ken, Olivia, and Gail, “We need to investigate the fairies.”