The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 95

12. Submersion: Ooya the Scoundrel

Since being transported into this game-like world, I’ve been steadily working towards continental peace and finding a way back home.

To achieve this, I needed specific skills, so I analyzed Henon’s character and focused on developing swordsmanship and Druid abilities.

For swordsmanship, I sought out the Myriad Demon Sword, a legendary blade, and the powerful master sealed within it. This solved the problem, at least partially.

The Myriad Demon is a master swordsman virtually unmatched on the Arnia continent, and by following his guidance, I can improve rapidly.

Especially since Henon also possesses the blood of Marquis Lloyd, one of the Seven Stars and a renowned genius swordsman.

However, progressing as a Druid was proving difficult.

Henon’s biological mother was a pure-blooded elf, but not a Druid, and the only potential mentor was a Druid from a thousand years ago, leaving me with no one to turn to for guidance.

With swordsmanship, you can at least practice swinging a sword, but with Druidism, it’s hard to gauge progress. I couldn’t feel any increase or decrease in empathy, even after talking to nature all day long.

Therefore, the Golden Branch, which guarantees a significant power boost upon acquisition, was a treasure I desperately needed.

Currently, I’ve acquired a total of three Golden Branches.

One was found in a crevasse in the north, and another was obtained from a pilgrim named Tom I met in Liang.

Each time I came into contact with a Golden Branch, it recognized me as a Druid and offered power, but not without a test to ensure I was worthy.

The qualification test involved replaying memories of Merlin, the first Druid, sealed within the Golden Branch, and resolving specific situations within those memories.

So far, I’ve successfully passed these tests, gaining insight into Merlin’s experiences.

I expected to face a similar test with this World Tree branch.

However, a different system window appeared compared to the previous two branches.

[You have discovered the Golden Branch.]

[You must take a test to acquire it.]

[ERROR]

[The test is omitted due to the absence of a supervisor.]

Skipping the test.

Could anything be better than this?

The reason: the absence of a supervisor.

I had a hunch.

‘The fragment of Merlin’s soul within the Golden Branch must have gone to Elder Richard, leaving no one to administer the test.’

Considering the grueling battle I had against Merlin’s incarnation possessing Elder Richard, and my narrow victory, I felt justified in considering this a passed test.

[There are saved memories.]

[Would you like to recall the memories?]

[Y/N]

Even though the test was skipped, Merlin’s memories, which would have been part of the test, were still available.

There was no harm in exploring Merlin’s memories, so I decided to recall them.

I was also curious about what he had experienced to develop such an extreme worldview.

[You have selected YES.]

[Starting memory recall.]

[There are a total of two memories.]

[Memory 1 — Merlin]

The film rolls, and a movie begins.

In the flashback, Merlin’s memory starts from the moment he lost his mother to the Elder.

“Oh, my.”

A sigh escaped involuntarily.

Merlin’s experience was truly horrific.

Sold into slavery by the Elf Elder, he endured unspeakable acts at the hands of corrupt merchants and degenerate human nobles.

The memory played for a while and then abruptly stopped.

‘I can understand, to some extent, why Merlin wanted to exterminate both humans and elves.’

I unintentionally witnessed the dark underbelly of intelligent beings.

However, sympathy doesn’t justify the evil he committed.

First, there was one more memory left, so I decided to continue.

[Memory 2 — Elder Richard]

The owner of the second memory was, surprisingly, Elder Richard, the instigator of this whole mess.

He couldn’t have sealed the Myriad Demon with Merlin a thousand years ago, so why does the Golden Branch contain his memories?

My guess is that during Merlin’s soul possession of Richard, a fragment of Richard’s soul also flowed into the Golden Branch.

‘He who looks into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you. Is that the feeling?’

Anyway, there’s no harm in seeing the memories, so I chose to accept.

Then, my eyes brightened, and the film rolled again.

The first place I saw was familiar.

It was the Elf Sanctuary where I had fought fiercely just a short while ago.

I don’t know how many years ago it was, but because it was a sanctuary, the scenery was identical to what I saw before the battle.

Two people, a man and a woman, were facing each other in the sanctuary, feeling the wind. Surprisingly, I knew both of them.

The man was Elder Richard, as expected.

His beard was much darker, and the wrinkles on his face were lighter, making him look younger.

The unexpected one was the woman.

A face I couldn’t forget.

The person who helped me awaken as a Druid.

A high elf with mysterious light green eyes and a slender figure.

Henon’s biological mother, the high elf Hena.

As people I knew appeared, I naturally became immersed and watched the memory recall.

After a moment of silence, Elder Richard broke the heavy atmosphere by speaking first.

“Why? Why won’t you grant me the Spring of Life?”

Hena’s answer.

“It’s because of the fragment of the World Tree that you cherish so much. It’s too much power for you to wield.”

“I don’t understand why you’re overreacting to a mere branch.”

“It may seem ordinary, but the power within is immense. If someone unqualified tries to take it by force, they will be dominated instead.”

“Shaman, aren’t you underestimating me? Not just anyone can hold the position of Elf Elder. I am confident in my mental strength.”

“The very fact that the Elder has come to the sanctuary to demand the Spring of Life from me suggests that possession has already begun.”

Silence returns.

This time, Hena spoke first.

“If you truly need the Spring of Life, I’ll ask. What are you planning to do with the spring water?”

“Anything that is necessary for the prosperity and glory of the Elves.”

“Could that be war?”

“War is also part of the plan. But I don’t intend to start it right away. The number of humans has already far exceeded the number of elves. I intend to wait until a sure opportunity arises.”

Wrinkles formed on Hena’s beautiful face.

“Then I can’t allow the Spring of Life, even more so.”

“Is it simply because you hate war?”

“No. It’s because I believe that the war is not for the sake of the race, but for the sake of the Elder himself.”

Elder Richard shrugs his shoulders.

“It doesn’t matter if you object. I didn’t come here to get permission.”

“What do you mean?”

“Hena, as of today, you are removed from the position of shaman. To be exact, you will be treated as having died from an unknown disease.”

Fear settled in Hena’s eyes as she grasped the situation.

“Are you going to kill me?”

“Surely not. I’m not so heartless as to kill a shaman who has dedicated herself to the Elves. If you cooperate, I’ll end it with banishment.”

“Elder Richard, this is truly madness. If I’m not here, who will take on the role of shaman?”

“You remember. A high elf girl was born a while ago. I personally named her Sasha. When she grows up, she will be appointed as the new shaman to succeed you.”

Elder Richard took a step towards Hena.

Hena, flustered, tried to resist, but as an ordinary woman with no special abilities other than spiritual powers, she could not withstand Richard’s brute force.

In the end, Hena was dragged down from the sanctuary by Richard, who grabbed her by the hair.

“Elder! Please reconsider! This is truly not right. That branch is ruining you and the entire race!”

Three or four sturdy elves were already waiting below the forest.

Whether they had been told in advance, they grabbed Hena’s arms without saying a word, even though her hair was disheveled, and forcibly dragged her away.

Hena was banished from the forest.

Richard’s warning followed her.

“Live quietly. If you ever return to the forest, or if news of you reaches my ears, then I will give you death, not banishment.”

Hena struggled until the moment she was dragged away.

But it was impossible.

Soon her voice disappeared beyond the forest.

[Memory recall has ended.]

It was a memory that left a lot of lingering feelings.

Above all, I never knew that Henon’s mother had such a history before meeting his father, Marquis Lloyd.

It was also chilling that the recent war caused by the Elves was not impulsive, but the result of Elder Richard’s steady preparation over the past decade.

Anyway, the memory recall is over.

Now it’s time to taste the sweet fruit.

As the power of the Golden Branch was absorbed, my inner self was filled with the energy of new greenery.

At the same time, a system message popped up.

———————-

[Congratulations.]

[You have become an Upper-Intermediate Druid.]

[Buffs existing skills.]

[Acquire new skills.]

———————-

——————–

1. Wood Control

-Bind(★★★)

-Wood Golem(★★★)

-Wood Spear(★)

-Giant Wood(★)

2. Stone Control

-Stone Lance(★★★)

-Stone Shield(★★★)

-Stone Golem(★★★)

-Stone Spear(★)

-Giant Stone(★)

3. Wind Control

-Shunpo(★)

-Haste(★)

4. Life Control

– Shared Vision(★)

– Taming(★)

——————–

As expected, I achieved significant progress through acquiring the Golden Branch.

The most noticeable change is becoming an Upper-Intermediate Druid. I was promoted from Intermediate Druid to Upper-Intermediate Druid.

In addition, Wood and Stone skills were upgraded by one level each.

I decided to test the extent of these skill enhancements during training later.

New skills were also visible.

Spear and Giant skills have been added to the Wood and Stone elements.

I guessed that these were skills Merlin used, and I had a rough idea of what they entailed.

Finally, a Taming skill was added to the Life element.

As the name suggests, I believe this skill allows me to manipulate animals and plants.

I experienced firsthand how useful the Life element was during the war with the Elves, so I had high expectations for this new skill.

I completed the promotion process.

All I have to do is open my eyes…

My body feels incredibly heavy.

I couldn’t lift my eyelids at all.

Thinking about it, I suffered serious injuries in the battle with Merlin.

If I were a normal human, I would have died a hundred times over, but even with my tenacious vitality and bizarre recovery abilities, I needed rest.

‘Let’s get up in a bit.’

As soon as I released the tension I had been holding since the war with the Elves began, a wave of sleepiness washed over me.

Consciousness slowly sank into the deep sea.

* * *

I was swimming in the dark.

I became a whale and moved through the pitch-black sea.

Every time I moved my fins and cut through the water, round air bubbles floated to the surface.

It was peaceful.

I wondered if this is what it’s like in my mother’s womb.

Just when I thought I wanted to stay here forever, a faint echo rang from above.

‘Uncle!’

It was a distant sound.

The volume was faint, and the pitch was unstable.

Just as I was about to dismiss it as a hallucination and continue drifting through my consciousness, I heard a louder and clearer voice.

‘Uncle!!!!’

Whose voice was it?

It sounded familiar.

I engaged my thought process and slowly tried to trace it back.

There was no need to rush.

Someday I would find out who the owner of that voice was…

‘Uncle!! How long are you going to sleep!!!’

Kwaaaang!!!

An enormous volume.

The world turned upside down.

Waves split in half from the surface to the deep sea, and the blue sky became visible.

As the clear air of the earth poured in, the face of a girl suddenly came to mind.

The silver-haired girl I met at the Full Moon Market in Liang.

She was closer to nature than anyone else on the Arnia continent and ventured into the spiritual world.

The spiritual pillar of the Elves who saved me from the Illusion Eye during the battle against Gluttony.

A cute kid who always followed me, saying that I smelled good.

Sasha.

As soon as her face came to mind, a waterspout rising like a fountain from below pulled me to the surface.

Before I knew it, the surface was far below, and I was close enough to touch the sky.

Since I came up to the sky, I expected the scorching sun.

But there was something that exuded more presence than the sun.

That something was a huge tree.

An unrealistic size that stretched from the depths of the sea to the sky.

Could there be a bigger tree than that in the world?

The ecstatic golden light emanating from my whole body illuminated and embraced both the sky and the sea.

It was the first time I felt reverence when I saw a tree.

Without realizing it, I reached out and tried to touch the tree.

The closer I got, the clearer my mind became with the refreshing scent, and a warm sense of stability, as if I had returned home, enveloped my body.

The outstretched hand touched the tree.

At that very moment.

I clearly heard it.

-Welcome.

My eyes snapped open.

I abruptly raised my upper body.

I shook my head from side to side to grasp the situation.

A cute tree house.

A kettle with steam rising.

I was lying on a fluffy bed, and Sasha was looking at me with tearful eyes.

Sasha, who made eye contact with me, quickly climbed onto the bed and hugged me.

“Uncle! Why don’t you wake up! I was worried.”

As I felt Sasha’s warmth in my arms, I came to my senses and returned to reality.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“You slept for four days!”

Last time, I was tired and lay in the same bed with Sion for four days, but this time I slept one more day and set a new record.

Well, it was worth it.

This time, it was not just fatigue recovery, but also healing from a near-death injury.

Even now, when I looked around, my whole body was wrapped in bandages, and the whole house was filled with the savory scent of medicinal herbs.

“Sasha, did you heal me?”

“Yes!!”

Sasha nods brightly.

I stroked her head.

“Thank you.”

“Eung…”

Sasha’s cheeks flushed slightly just from stroking her head.

“From the skill of applying bandages to the simple first aid level, it’s not simple. It seems like you learned it professionally somewhere.”

“That’s right. Elf shamans treat a lot of sick elves on a regular basis. People praised me a lot, calling me a healing hand.”

Sasha puts her hands on her hips and raises her nose.

That appearance was quite cute.

Anyway, I expressed my gratitude to Sasha, so next it’s my turn to hear what happened while I was asleep.

“What happened was…”

After I went up to the sanctuary, Sasha gathered all the elves and revealed Elder Richard’s conspiracy to the world.

Naturally, the pro-Elder elves and his bodyguards fiercely resisted and tried to overturn public opinion.

In response, Sasha released the possessed enhanced warriors in a place where all the crowds gathered, and their regretful and resentful actions, who had regained their full minds, became clearer evidence than anything else.

Even when the enhanced warriors who had found spiritual freedom bled and died as a side effect of excessive growth, the shocked elves completely turned to Sasha’s side.

“I see. I offer my sincere condolences. Everyone found out the unwanted truth because of me.”

“No. Uncle is our tribe’s hero and great benefactor. In the first place, if it wasn’t for Uncle, the Elves would have received a group baptism [a euphemism for being wiped out] and been wiped out.”

Sasha’s eyes were filled with sincere gratitude.

“Uncle, I have a question.”

“Ask me.”

“What happened in the sanctuary?”

“I guess you’re curious.”

“Honestly, aren’t you? Even when I went up to the sanctuary, I thought it would be over soon. That’s how strong Uncle has always been…”

“The fight got a lot longer.”

“That’s right. I thought the whole mountain was collapsing. I thought the end of the world had come.”

Sasha was right to think so.

Golems and tree trunks were at war below, and Merlin and I were throwing guns and stones above.

I explained in detail to Sasha what happened at the top of the mountain.

She listened to my story with a serious attitude.

“I see. The person who possessed the Elder was a Druid.”

“Do you know what a Druid is?”

“I know the word and the meaning. I only knew if it actually existed after seeing Uncle.”

Sasha also mentioned Hena, who was a shaman before her.

“I heard that there was a shaman before me. I heard that she died of an illness, but in reality, she was kicked out of the forest, and even Uncle’s mother. This can only be seen as an arrangement of the Mother Tree.”

“Does Mother Tree mean the World Tree?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Your Elf tribe seems to worship the Mother Tree.”

“Of course. All the races living in the forest worship the World Tree as their mother. It’s the biggest tree in the world, and its mysteriousness is beyond words.”

Suddenly, I became curious about the appearance of the World Tree, so I asked Sasha about this.

Then Sasha’s answer came.

“I’ve never seen it either, so I don’t know. According to what is passed down by word of mouth, it takes root to the depths of the sea below and soars high into the sky above to block the scorching sunlight.”

It’s a tree I’ve seen somewhere.

“Sometimes, old men with severe exaggeration even say that the Mother Tree penetrates the world, but even I think that’s an exaggeration… Anyway, that’s it!”

Sasha’s explanation exactly matched the appearance of the huge tree I had just met floating in my consciousness.

Was that tree that greeted me simply an imaginary illusion I created in my dream?

Or am I unknowingly getting closer to the real World Tree as I collect the branches of the World Tree?

I don’t know for now, and if I continue to collect the Golden Branches, I think it will become a little clearer.

“Uncle.”

I woke up from my thoughts at Sasha’s voice.

“What’s wrong?”

“This time, our tribe has received a great favor from Uncle.”

“I only participated for my own benefit, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

“No. I can’t just let it go like this, it makes me uncomfortable.”

Sasha, who turned around, walked to the wardrobe in the room and rummaged through it for a while.

What she took out was a jade ring that exuded an unusual energy.

She carefully stroked the ring, put her hands together politely, and handed it to me.

“It’s a ring that has been passed down from generation to generation to the Elf shamans. I don’t know what effect it has. But it looks precious, so I want Uncle to take it.”

A ring passed down from generation to generation to shamans.

Honestly, I felt burdened to receive it.

I was about to wave my hand and refuse.

Just in time, a system window pops up in front of my eyes.

[Ancient Relic – Absolute Barrier]

[Activates a barrier that nullifies all attacks once. Can only be used once a day.]

[Exception – Attacks that transcend space-time and causality cannot be defended.]

Such a sound came out of my mouth as I read the system window.

“Ooya… Thank you. I’ll use it well.”