50. A Noble Soul (6)
Sayeran Orkan.
As the eldest daughter of House Orkan, one of the two great pillars of the Adolevit Kingdom, she had inherited from childhood the special magical combat doctrine of the ancient war hero Asran Orkan, known as the “Madohusul Spell Manual,” and had been raised as a master of magical warfare.
It had now already been three years since she entered Stella Academy as the successor destined to inherit House Orkan.
Having firmly risen to first place among the third years, she had completed her studies with the highest grade of A+ in practice, live combat, and theory alike, and was now waiting for the day she would graduate.
“My lady. Professor Magellan has contacted us about preparing your ‘graduation album.’”
Sayeran’s personal club room.
Even though she did not belong to any club, the professors had personally arranged this grand office for her, and there, while handling the affairs of House Orkan, Sayeran gave a small shake of her head at the student who had spoken to her, as if annoyed.
Most Stella students took their graduation album photos alone.
But in very rare cases, outstanding students were granted the honor of taking their graduation album with a professor. At that time, they would also be given opportunities such as co-authoring a paper or obtaining a research position at a Magic Tower, which was something many students hoped for.
Of course…
at Sayeran’s level, the reverse rather tended to happen.
An ironic situation in which it was not the professor acknowledging the student, but the professors clinging to the student in hopes of being acknowledged and getting to take the graduation album together.
“Refuse.”
Sayeran said it indifferently, then lowered her gaze again.
She had already finished studying university-level material at the beginning of the semester, and her graduation thesis had long since been completed.
At the moment, work for her family had piled up considerably, so she was handling it on their behalf while still going about school life.
A graduation album? Ridiculous.
She had no intention of doing something so troublesome.
The moment she graduated, she planned to sever everything connected to Stella Academy, return to House Orkan, and devote herself fully to her true duties.
“My lady. The ‘Purification Rite’ is scheduled soon. Shall I apply for leave on your behalf?”
The Purification Rite.
A rite conducted jointly once a year by House Orkan and the Adolevit royal family, it had been performed periodically ever since Morfran Forest was contaminated ten years ago by the dark mana of Grand Duke Isaac Morf.
Led by Princess Hong Si-hwa, with the purification arts of House Orkan being deployed, this rite allowed only an extremely small number of participants, and all information related to whatever happened inside it was kept under strict control.
How important a secret matter the “Purification Rite” was could be guessed from the fact that the participating mages were even placed under a “Geas,” one of the forbidden magics.
Everyone knew that Geas magic was used under the table, but the moment such a thing became publicly known, it would invite tremendous condemnation.
Naturally, none of the students assisting Sayeran in her club room had heard anything whatsoever about the details of the Purification Rite.
They only knew that such a thing existed, that it was something their lady did, and that they were meant to assist her.
‘The Purification Rite….’
Sayeran set down her pen for a moment and sank into thought.
This would be her first time participating in the rite now that she had come of age, but she had already heard from her father about its secrets.
‘The true inner details of what happened in Morfran Forest.’
To the world, it was known that ten years ago Morfran Forest had been wholly dyed in dark mana due to a dark-mana rampage by Grand Duke Isaac Morf.
But that was a lie.
The truth was that the Adolevit family had forcibly revived the “Baekyoho Flame Spirit,” and Grand Duke Isaac Morf had chosen the path of becoming a dark mage himself in order to stop it….
Sayeran had no personal feelings.
She had no sense of duty that dark mages must absolutely be eradicated to protect the magical world, nor any conviction that she absolutely had to become a grand mage.
Only one thing had ever been “injected” into her as the goal of her life:
placing Princess Hong Si-hwa on the throne.
That was why, all the way until now, she had run forward without ever once harboring a purpose of her own.
And yet, after hearing this story, Sayeran’s mind had somehow become faintly confused.
‘Why did Princess Hong Si-hwa have to do such a thing?’
She knew well enough that a hidden secret surrounded the princesses of the Adolevit family, but because she did not know the exact reason, the events of ten years ago made no sense to her at all.
What could possibly be gained from the Baekyoho Flame Spirit that would justify doing something like that?
And…
why had Grand Duke Morf sacrificed himself?
‘Nothing but questions.’
Sayeran was writing down each question one by one on a blank sheet of paper when, as a student approached, she raised her head.
“My lady. A guest has come to see you.”
“Send them away.”
“Well… it’s Princess Hong Biyeon.”
No wonder the student’s expression had not looked very good; it seemed an unwelcome visitor had arrived.
Still, Sayeran calmly nodded and rose from her seat.
No matter how hostile Hong Biyeon might be toward the princess Sayeran served, she was still a princess of the royal family, and openly disregarding her was forbidden.
Sayeran knew how to separate public matters from private ones, and in official situations she was especially skilled at concealing personal emotion.
Click.
As the attendants opened the door, Sayeran stood before it and received Princess Hong Biyeon.
Unlike usual, Hong Biyeon had come alone. She stepped straight into the club room and swept her gaze across the interior.
“It’s modest.”
“Thank you.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“I know.”
“Sit.”
Hong Biyeon said that, then perched herself on the upper seat that was obviously presumed to be Sayeran’s and crossed her legs.
Even folding her arms as she leaned back into the sofa, she made her displeasure plain.
Sayeran sat down silently before her.
Even at behavior so openly meant to offend, she gave no reaction.
“Shall I have black tea brought in?”
“No need. I’m only here to say what I came to say and leave. You’re participating in the Purification Rite this time too, right?”
“I am.”
“I’m going too. You should consider that settled.”
“…That is not a matter I can decide.”
She was troubled.
Her expression had not changed, but Hong Biyeon could tell.
“I know. But I’m going. There’s no reason I, a princess of Adolevit, can’t go there. Right?”
Sayeran quietly nodded.
The reason Princess Hong Biyeon was bringing this up to her in particular…
was probably because Sayeran’s father was the chief overseer of the Purification Rite.
By unfortunate timing, Princess Hong Si-hwa was not attending this year’s rite because of some supposed pressing matter, leaving the position vacant.
It would be difficult to block Hong Biyeon’s interference.
‘This is troublesome….’
Hong Biyeon was in an antagonistic relationship with Hong Si-hwa.
Morfran Forest was undoubtedly one of Hong Si-hwa’s weaknesses.
To expose it to Hong Biyeon…
was the same as laying bare a disgrace.
‘I have to stop this.’
But how?
Hong Biyeon twisted her red lips at an angle, as if daring her to try making excuses.
‘…She came here already knowing everything.’
The Queen would not intervene in this matter.
It was something that had to be resolved solely between Hong Biyeon and Hong Si-hwa.
No matter how Hong Si-hwa might try to obstruct her here, Hong Biyeon had absolutely no intention of backing down.
And—
there, she planned to use the “Compass of Memory.”
It was an artifact from ancient times, with only seven remaining in the entire world, an item that allowed one to glimpse events that had occurred in the past.
But because the cost of using it was extraordinarily high, even the royal family did not use it unless the matter was important.
However, Hong Biyeon had the right to use the Compass of Memory once each year,
and this time she intended to use that opportunity.
‘I’m going to find out what happened there, from beginning to end.’
Her red eyes sank coldly.
All throughout the world of Aiter, there stood World Trees that had grown from the seeds of the primordial World Tree, the “Cheonryeong Tree.”
They said that in the distant past there had been more than ten, but at present, only seven remained.
The cradle of the Cheonryeong Tree was the elves’ homeland and root, and it alone possessed a castle where the king could reside.
At the other World Trees, no king lived there, so the elders dwelled in simple houses woven from wood.
So honestly, I was surprised.
When I played the game, I had never once visited an elf elder’s home, so it had never even crossed my mind—
but I had not expected it to be this modest.
“Hoh hoh, I’m sorry to have invited you to such an unremarkable place….”
The elder’s name was Suhaksan.
As he ushered Kkotseorin into his humble home, barely more than a simple hut, he bowed his head apologetically, but Kkotseorin shook their head.
“No. As an elf, I rather envy a home this natural.”
Kkotseorin appeared to mean it sincerely.
Well, with that personality, they did not seem like the sort who would like unnecessarily flashy or excessive things.
“Would you like to sit here?”
I sat in a stiff-looking, uncomfortable wooden chair, but to my surprise, it felt comfortable.
What was this?
Some kind of luxury chair pretending to be cheap?
I turned my head slightly and looked out the window.
He had described it as an unremarkable hut, but this place was situated at the highest point of the World Tree, and roots spread densely all around the outside, making intrusion by anyone virtually impossible.
On top of that, magical warriors stood guard thoroughly, giving off a distinct impression that this really was the residence of someone very important.
“So then… could we hear the exact details?”
At Kkotseorin’s words, Elder Suhaksan let out a low groan and bowed his head deeply.
“It was first discovered ten days ago.”
True to its name, Namuhwaran’s orchard bore fruit from the World Tree itself.
Since the entire city was made of wood, one could pluck and eat every kind of fruit found anywhere in the world, any time, anywhere—
but from a certain day onward, those fruits had stopped ripening properly.
So, to discover the cause, they formed a group of several garden-management mages and went down to the roots of the World Tree.
And as a result, they saw something shocking.
“The roots of the World Tree… had been corroded by dark mana.”
“That can’t be….”
“We also mobilized every method we could to solve it somehow. However, it was all to no avail.”
Spirits and divine spirits were particularly weak against dark mana, so elves, in order to protect them, had developed purification arts especially well.
They had succeeded in removing the dark mana corrosion from the roots by using purification magic far superior to human techniques, but the problem was what came next.
“The next day, we went to check whether any residual dark mana remained… and somehow, in just one day, the roots had become corroded all over again.”
So they thought this:
that someone was coming here every night and injecting dark mana.
They assumed there was an intruder, so they stationed troops—
but it had been useless.
“There was no intruder.”
No matter how powerful a purification spell they cast to wipe the dark mana away cleanly, by the next day the World Tree would once again have become corroded by dark mana on its own.
If all the elders, including Namuhwaran’s own elder, had witnessed that situation directly, then those words were beyond doubt.
“And so ten days have passed already. Just when we had begun to think there was truly no solution, Your Majesty came to visit, and only then were we finally able to feel at ease.”
“Ah….”
At those words, Kkotseorin took on a flustered expression.
Apparently, because Kkotseorin was the only high elf able to communicate directly with the source World Tree, the Cheonryeong Tree, they had misunderstood and assumed Kkotseorin had noticed Namuhwaran’s contamination and come here to solve it.
But they had come knowing nothing at all.
To begin with, no matter how great Kkotseorin’s abilities were, communicating with a distant World Tree was impossible.
“I… will try speaking to Namuhwaran.”
“Hoh hoh, it is deeply reassuring that Your Majesty is willing to exert your strength for us.”
As I listened quietly to their conversation, I let out a sigh.
I had no intention of stopping Kkotseorin from communicating with Namuhwaran, since it was the most natural procedure possible,
but it would probably be useless.
Because the fundamental cause was not on that side to begin with.
‘At this point, it really has to be Iphanel, doesn’t it…?’
I had never imagined the episode would be brought forward to this extent, so the thought had not crossed my mind at all—
but now that things had reached this point, there was no choice but to realize it.
The episode that was supposed to occur roughly one to two years later:
[Black Divine Spirit].
That incident, which only came to extremely high-level players,
had now leapt over dozens of episodes and come crashing down upon me right here and now.
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