[195] At the Elven Forest; the Dilemma of the Archmage

Chapter 195: At the Elven Forest; the Dilemma of the Archmage

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The Elven Forest was huge. Although it was far from the largest forest in the world, it was larger than the Amazon forest by a few times. It spread across dozens of millions of square kilometers.

Walking to the Sylvanwood, the elven enclave nestled deep within this ancient forest will take a long time. Especially since there were strategically placed illusion traps to stop us from finding it.

We had to find a guide, who could also act as a ride for Ruby and me.

“It should be here.”

“Onii-chan, are you sure your 300-year-old out-of-date memory is going to help us?”

“Shut up, I'm sure this is the place…” I knocked Ruby in the head and stared at the old tree ahead.

“Yeah? We've been waiting for half an hour here and there's nothing,” she rubbed her head and said.

I couldn't really argue back since she was right. I can ascertain that this was the oak tree where the local Dryad stayed. Why's she not responding?

Dryad. A spirit residing in trees. Dryads are tree nymphs or tree spirits, specifically associated with oak trees, though the term can be extended to any tree spirit, really. Dryads were typically depicted as beautiful and elusive female figures who protect the forests and the trees in which they reside. Ah, and they seduce human males and suck their life force and kill them.

There was a little brat here who tried that with me back in the day. I let her go since she was cute and small, warning her to stop acting up.

“Vaelwyn!” I shouted another time, finally able to remember her name. “If you're not in there, I'm leaving! Ugh.” I'll need to find some other Dryad, but then I'm as lost as ever since it's not easy to find them.

I turned around, as did Ruby, giggling to herself as if she had won a bet.

Just as I showed my back to the tree, I felt a pair of eyes on me. As if something that's been hiding all along, and waiting till my eyes won't be on it anymore.

I snapped around, moving at a speed beyond my control since I used my strength to cause it, and my hand slapped into the tree, grabbing a throat.

“Come out,” I shouted, yanking something out of the tree, and it took the shape of a lady in green. The dryad struggled in my grasp while wild vines slapped around. “Calm down,” I loosened my grip on her neck, still holding her in the air.

It was hard to notice her since if a Dryad chooses to hide inside a tree, it's practically undetectable. But I was sure she was in there, that's why I wasted half an hour waiting

“W-who the fuck are you?!” she shouted from my grip, and this girl in green skin sounded like she was in her late teens. She didn’t look as I had remembered. She looked a bit older than when I last met her.

“Behave if you don't want to get beaten up,” with my tone sharp, I warned her. She struggled a bit more when she realized it was worthless, and that Ruby was spinning a Firestorm Spell behind me as a threat, she calmed down.

“Man, what do you want?” She grumbled, not at all in the seductive tone one would assume from a Dryad. “I'll do anything, just don't burn me.”

“Good,” I smiled. “That's what I wanted to hear.”

****

I was surprised that she was not dead yet. When I met her last time, she was in her Level 10s. It was surprising how such a weak Dryad managed to live this long in this dangerous forest. Even in our little journey coming to the oak tree, Ruby and I killed a dozen beasts.

“So you're just Level 43 now? I'm embarrassed.”

“Man stop talking as if you've met me before, it's fucking with me,” the dryad growled as she sat in front of us on top of the thick vine. I sat behind her and Ruby sat behind me, riding a vine that moved like a snake across the forest. It was fast, too.

“Tell me about the current situation in the forest. It seems pretty tame compared to the stuff in the outside world.” I ordered her.

“Is that part of the deal too? Ugh, anyways, this place is kinda safe. I heard about the Outer Gods and the war, but it didn't reach here. I guess they're scared or something since the World Tree is here and the entire population in this forest would give up their lives to keep it protected.”

“You too?” Ruby asked.

“Duh.” Surprisingly, the tree spirit had loyalty to its mother. Every plant here was connected to that big World Tree in the distance, one way or another, so they're like children to it.

We spent the travel time chit-chatting until hours later we neared the destination.

“I'm saying this again because you two seem like good kids,” she said, “but if you really don't have a permit to enter the forest, they'll jail you. Don't try to fight them, you can't ever win. There is still time if you wanna turn around.”

“Thanks, we’ll be fine,” I patted her abdomen as I said so, finding the spot soft and warm since I'd been holding her for hours.

“Weirdo humans,” Vaelwyn the Dryad shook her head and our green vehicle came to a stop.

“Huh, why did it stop?” Ruby asked stupidly and blinked. “Oh. Wow. Damn.” There was nothing but more forest ahead of us, but I guess her eyes could see. Her Kagemimic merging with her Gold sign, the Nine Colored Eyes, could see through stuff that even I couldn't.

“Get off,” Vaelwyn said. “I'll return now, or else I'll get in trouble for bringing in criminals.”

“I'll compensate you when I get the chance,” I got off the vine, followed by Ruby. “Ah, and if you see anything suspicious or feel any threat, come here and look for me.”

“Eh, I don't know, I'll be around here for a while instead of returning. I don't wanna go back so fast after taking my vine this far.” Vaelwyn the Dryad said, turning around hastily, and left the place.

I faced the direction Ruby was facing. If I had my Soulfire, I could focus it on my eyes and see what she was seeing, but I was blind.

“There is like a magic barrier shimmering right in front of us,” Ruby flatly placed a hand in the air, as if she were a mime.

“In that case,” I opened my mouth, taking a deep breath. I don't know if this still works, so let's test it out. “In the depths where shadows lie, whisper soft, the spirits fly… Reveal the path where truth abides, the secret kept where magic hides."

As I spoke the magical code, the air around us shimmered and warped. The forest dissolved and reformed, and in an instant, we found ourselves amid a breathtaking village that seemed to be pulled from a fairy tale.

The Elven enclave was a marvel of natural and architectural harmony, it was like the vision of a dream. Wooden buildings with intricate carvings blended seamlessly into the surrounding trees, their structures supported by intertwining branches and roots. There were houses on top of large trees, as well. Delicate bridges of woven vines spanned crystal-clear streams that sparkled under the sunlight. The air was filled with a soothing melody, the sound of leaves rustling in the gentle breeze, accompanied by the distant song of birds and the soft hum of magical energy.

There was a market right ahead, with Elven kids running around and playing nearby. Above us, the colossal World Tree reigned supreme. It towered over the hundreds of other large trees here, yet it was as tall as the atmosphere itself. Its massive trunk was a whisper of ancient power and wisdom, stretching skyward as if to touch the heavens. The tree's bark glowed with a faint golden light, and its leaves, shimmering like emeralds and gold, drifted down like ethereal confetti. It honestly looked like some high-graphic game.

Ruby and I looked up as leaves fell, and each of them seemed to carry a touch of magic, casting a gentle, warm glow upon the village below.

“Whoa, what the...”

"Here we are," I hummed, smiling. A moment later, I raised both my arms in the air as a sign of peace.

“Huh, what are you doing?” Ruby looked around, confused. “Some kind of salute or wh-” her words caught on her throat, her eyes wide with surprise.

Before she could speak, a stern voice shouted, "Stay where you are!"

“Hands on the air!”

Ruby turned to see dozens of elves, their bows drawn, shining arrows aimed directly at us. Their eyes were fierce and unyielding, their presence a stark reminder of the enclave's vigilance.

"Identify yourselves," one of the elves demanded, stepping forward with an air of authority. His dark brown armor, made of enchanted wood and leaves, glowed softly under the light of the World Tree.

I smiled, maintaining my calm. "Babylon. That is my name.” I lowered my hands, just as an arrow shot at me out of pure instinct. The mana-enhanced arrow hit me in the chest and fell on the floor, the arrowhead dent.

“You,” I ignored it and looked at the man leading the troops, who observed the little incident with wide eyes. “Call your Chief. I am not here to waste time.” I crossed my arms and waited.

****

The world was going to end, and she was the only one who knew it.

Sieran stood in the heart of the Elven Forest, her green eyes reflecting the sorrow that weighed heavily on her heart. The beauty of the forest around her was a stark contrast to the despair she felt. The trees stood tall and proud, their leaves a vibrant green, glistening in the sunlight that filtered through the dense canopy.

Her white hair danced in the air, while flowers of every color bloomed in abundance, their petals kissed by the morning dew. The air was filled with the sweet scent of blossoms and the gentle hum of nature's symphony, the birds singing their songs, and the leaves rustling in the soft breeze. It was a paradise, untouched by time and unspoiled by the outside world.

It looked so beautiful.

And all of this beauty hid the roots of destruction that was spreading underground.

Sieran was sad.

[Image Here]

Only she had seen past the illusion of serenity in her recent research. She knew the truth about the blood towers and the dark fate they brought. That's why she left her lab after so long to take a look at these flowers. Her heart ached due to her natural instinct as a nature-loving elf, as a living entity, as a denizen of Pangeal.

The world was going to end, and this lone mage could do nothing to stop it.

She looked around, knowing that all of this beauty was destined to fade, to be consumed by the impending doom that loomed over their world. She felt the weight of her knowledge pressing down on her, making the vibrant colors around her seem dull and lifeless.

Should I let the others know?

But what would that change? They already lost to the enemy once, and they lost their strong numbers in the process too. Another fight would only make the world die faster. Pangeal had no chance.

Would it have been different… if he was here?

Logically she knew it wouldn't have been, even if the Hero was alive. This Archmage brain of hers registered that truth. But when she recalled those old times, her adventures with him, how he would climb over any adversary, her soul felt that maybe it truly would have ended differently if he had been here.

She was more than thousands of years old, and her heart was cold even for an elf. She had participated in three hero parties in her life as their mage, and only once did a man manage to get through her cold heart and touch the depth of it.

And now that man is dead, as well. Leaving her alone, love-deprived, and all of her emotions in a mess.

At least he should have left her some children, yet her Elven nature made it very hard for her to get pregnant. Unlike Lilithra and Elara, a demoness and human respectively, both of whom could breed like rabbits, she couldn't get pregnant too easily. The Saintess couldn't even get pregnant at all, so Sieran never felt too self-conscious about it.

But really, how dare he just stir her old heart like that and die? Wasn't that too heartless of him?

Elves lived long.

All of them generally had damp emotions to compensate for that so that they weren't chronically depressed.

However, Sieran had an Eidetic Memory. It was hard to just… forget those precious memories of hers that stimulated her the most in her long life.

So what could she do, but spend her days with his face flashing by her eyes?

…Elves lived long.

Three hundred years were like thirty for her, and it felt like yesterday that he was promising her that he would make a family with her. Until the next day, she found his corpse in his bedroom, dead with a smile on his face.

Why the hell was he smiling when that demoness betrayed him?!

“....” Sieran let out a breath. Such emotions were pointless when the world was about to end.

As she stood there, lost in her thoughts, a soft knock echoed against the magical barrier of her secluded garden. The sound pulled her mind from the thoughts, and she turned to see an Elven man phasing through the barrier.

"My lady, there are visitors.” He was a servant, his posture respectful as he knelt before her. “They claim to be from the Babylon family. The Chief is tending to them, but… they want to meet you, the Grand Chief.”

The Babylon family…

They wanted to meet her?

That request wouldn't have been humored at all if they weren't from the Babylon family.

Sieran's heart skipped a beat. She did not care much about that family, but it was still the blood of her husband. Just when she was thinking about him, she received a visit. How coincidental.

“Which side are they from?”

“Um…”

If they were guests from the Babylon family. That meant they were the descendants of her husband and Elara; there was a small chance they were the descendants of that demoness Lilithra too, since they were considered Babylon family as well.

“I'm not sure, my lady, I apologize,” her servant said. “They said you'll know when you see them.”

She frowned. “Ruhian, are you certain about their blood?”

“Yes, my lady. They used the Babylon Family’s secret code to enter,” he said, and she hummed.

Sieran cared for her sister-wives’ children as her own, in fact, she had raised that demoness’ kids as her own after she left them. That's why, 80 years ago, it made her more mad when that demoness sacrificed those kids into the fire of a spell. But before they perished, those demons had conceived their own kids, so their bloodline remained. Oh, and they were cross-breeding with humans, so they lost their demonic appearance on the outside.

By human years, it has been twelve generations since his first children with the princess. They've all died. So Sieran didn't bother to keep in touch with the newer generations of his and the princess’ children, they grew and died too fast. But she kept in touch with the Babylon Family’s demon side’s kids; after all, after the demoness left, she played the role of mother for those demons, and now for their life, she was like their grandmother. So those demons were close to her, and they were allowed to visit her anyway.

Yet since these guests did not give their identity, that meant they were probably from the princess’ side. What could they possibly want from her?

"Babylon family, huh…" she repeated, her voice barely a whisper. With a sigh, she straightened her posture and nodded. "Very well, Ruhian. Bring me to them."

….

Her servant led her to the meeting space in the chief's abode. It had been a couple of months since she stepped into this place, and she hadn't missed the needlessly strict atmosphere there.

She was offered the Chief's position many times, but because she would rather focus on researching magic, she never accepted it. Yet over the centuries, her achievements kept piling up, which put the elves in quite a difficult spot to just leave her without a proper political seat. So she was granted the seat of Grand Chief, a seat above the Chief’s in effect, although the Chief still did all the mundane work.

“Here,” her servant held open the door for her. She stepped inside with a nod.

Many eyes turned to her the moment she stepped in. Many awaited her. For a brief moment, she couldn't even find the guests; they looked quite elf-like themselves, and if not for their human ears she would have found them even later.

“Welcome, Grand Chief, I-...” The Chief began to speak, but Sieran decided to zone out and ignore the sounds.

Her eyes met with the two guests, the girl, and the boy. Something… was odd.

[Skill: “Third Eye of the Divine Yakhsha” has failed to see through and collect the entity's information.]

…A skill so powerful that it worked even against the Demon Gods, failed to work on this human. What the hell?

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