CHAPTER 124

Below the World Tree, marked by the traces of a dreadful nightmare.

An old knight arrived at the busy scene to handle the remains of Nidhogg.

"May I take a moment to examine the corpse of this creature?"

"······Certainly."

The elves, who had been busy dissecting the dragon's corpse, abruptly made way for the unwelcome guest.

Auguste, a human knight.

While he was undoubtedly a benefactor who had protected the World Tree, from the elves' perspective, he was also a subtly challenging presence.

"Well, I appreciate this. Opportunities to observe a dragon's carcass are rare indeed."

A welcome presence, yet simultaneously feared.

The old investigator, who had spent his life investigating something, merely responded with a smile to the all too familiar reaction.

"······Let's see. Let's start with the left eye."

Auguste, who thought he had done all his work here, began to act like a retired knight.

Or rather, he was merely following what piqued his interest.

"······As I said, he has cut through to the inner layer of the skin."

Traces of the sword, starting from Nidhogg's eye, flowed like waves, reaching even the armpits inside the skin.

"This was a fatal blow."

And even to the heart hidden within.

Auguste perceived that this was the fatal blow that had ended Nidhogg's life.

'But he didn't stop here.'

Despite his victory being assured, Vlad's sword did not cease.

The persistent wounds extended so relentlessly that it even reached the tail, which Auguste had partially severed, seeming to cut through bone and flesh as if scraping off the bone and flesh.

'······Even though victory was assured, he did not stop.'

Even if the swordsmanship originates from the same root, each will have its own distinctiveness as it branches out.

And even in the blade of Vlad that is now visible, there was still a potent individuality yet to bloom.

The name of that individuality recognized by Auguste was none other than cruelty.

"This one's a tough nut to crack."

Auguste scratched his head and rose from his seat.

Among the many human figures he had encountered while carrying out numerous missions, there was none as difficult to judge as this one.

Noble in the beginning, yet brutal in the end.

The young knight from the north wielding the Imperial Sword was just as contradictory as the scars visible before him.

※※※※

The sunlight pouring in through the window was warm.

Feeling the unmistakable energy of spring now, Vlad hastily brushed his hand over his head.

"Shouldn't you all go back home now? Please."

A small tuft of fur fell to the table with a clink at Vlad's gesture.

A spirit that looked like a chick started to squeak angrily, but Vlad just took off his jacket, ignoring the young spirit's gesture.

"I feel refreshed now that it's quiet."

It's visible, yet unheard.

Vlad breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that deep world that had been like a storm had finally calmed down.

Though he had been fixated on delving into the deep world for a clearer aura, after experiencing this incident, he realized the importance of maintaining calmness.

"······This medicine is too good."

After shaking off all the young spirits that were clinging to him, Vlad unwrapped the bandages wrapped around his body and licked his lips.

The scars on his palms from gripping the blade had long disappeared without a trace, and the wounds acquired from the battle with Nidhogg were now at a stage where bandages were no longer needed.

'I should ask for some later.'

A great medicine is akin to having an extra life.

Vlad, who had lived with minor wounds his whole life, recognized at a glance the value of elven medicine.

"Oh, what if you remove them too soon?"

Despite the constant bustling of the little beings, the room was quiet, with no sound to be heard.

Interrupting the silence of the room, a girl entered.

"It seems like I am almost healed now."

"The wounds were deep. There were cracks in the bones."

The girl's words were not an exaggeration.

If Vlad's wounds had been treated in the usual manner, it would have taken at least over a month to heal injuries that were as severe as having cracks in the bones.

"Quick, lie back down. You need to stay here for another week at least."

Sometimes she looked excessively young despite her appearance, and at other times she possessed a keen gaze. 

The priestess of the World Tree, whose name was still unknown, was overly protective of Vlad, disregarding his status as a precious guest.

"By the way, the medicine is great. Can I get some later?"

Seeing the girl's unexpectedly stern expression, Vlad tried to change the subject.

"And, do you happen to have any medicine for coughs? Preferably without any side effects."

Seeing the clear green color of Absilon, the first person who came to mind was Josef.

His lord always suffered from the cold northern air, especially when it aggravated his cough.

Surely, if it were the elves, they would have the right medicine for Josef as well.

Such a valuable medicine would undoubtedly make an excellent gift on his way back.

"A cough...medicine?"

As Vlad asked for the medicine, the girl hesitated for a moment, tilting her head in thought.

The golden eyes of the girl who was facing Vlad sparkled for just a moment.

"······."

Vlad realized that the girl was momentarily looking elsewhere, not at him.

It felt as if she was looking at something farther away through his own eyes.

"....If you want, I'll give it to you, but it won't make much of a difference."

Suddenly, the girl turned her head to the medicine bottle and returned to the normal appearance that Vlad knew.

"The reason you were able to recover so quickly is because your innate vitality is strong."

The girl shook her head with an apologetic expression.

"So, even if you take the best medicine, it won't be of much use to that person. Our medicine works differently."

"....I see."

It was as if she knew who he would give it to.

As Vlad listened to the girl, he was struck by a strange feeling. Although he couldn't quite understand it, it felt like it made sense.

Knock, knock.

Vlad, who had been lost in inexplicable thoughts for a while due to the girl's mysterious energy, was finally able to come to his senses when he heard a knock on the door next to him.

The girl, whose name is still unknown, often led Vlad into an atmosphere akin to a fantasy with each passing moment.

"Who is it?"

Unlike the girl who bursts open the door, it is a polite sound that announces its arrival.

Waiting for Vlad, who had become the master of the room as the guest, was an elf with dark blue eyes.

"Have you been well? I've been busy lately and haven't had a chance to check on you, so I apologize."

The leader of the rangers, Baradis.

He was leaning on the door and smiling.

"Even if it's your room, you should at least wear some clothes. It's not nice to be seen like this with the priestess around."

Baradis's gaze moved past Vlad to the girl sitting on the bed.

The girl, waving her hands as if welcoming Bardis, seemed to acknowledge his presence, despite not being physically present there.

Baradis's gaze, upon confirming that only Vlad and the girl were in the room, began to sharpen in an instant.

"Well, I was applying some medicine..."

"Ah, I see. You might find it a bit difficult to move."

Even without an invitation, Baradis walked into the room and soon picked up the jacket from the bed, handing it to Vlad.

"I haven't finished applying it yet."

"It's alright. You're already much better."

Taking the jacket, Vlad looked at Baradis with a vacant expression.

"Why don't you put it on?"

Although he was smiling, there was a subtle stiffness in Baradis's expression.

And behind his shoulder, the girl returned to her normal gaze once again.

For some reason, Vlad felt like their faces were overlapping in a peculiar way.

※※※※

"The old knight requested a meeting before you did. So, I think the elders called you a little late because they were handling that matter."

"I see."

Vlad and Baradis leave the building given to the guests and head toward the World Tree.

The eyes of the elves rounded as they watched the two.

Or more precisely, they were smiling pleasantly, observing the young spirits trailing after Vlad.

"So I hope you don't feel too upset. The elders certainly haven't forgotten about you."

"They must have been busy. I understand."

Vlad remembered.

The old Geronimo, who had placed a magic circle on himself to fight off Nidhogg's claws.

Seeing the chief of elf elders collapse, bleeding, Vlad could fully understand the elves' dilemma.

"By the way, it's a shame your sword and armor were so badly damaged."

While the elves' loss was undoubtedly significant, Nidhogg's retaliation had also dealt a severe blow to Vlad personally.

He lost his sword and armor, which can be said to be the foundation of a knight.

Even setting aside their symbolic and protective value, just considering their worth alone, they were easily worth 20 gold pieces.

"······Indeed. It seems so."

Vlad looked at the silver sword he was holding, accompanied by Baradis's words.

The Swordmaster's sword that he couldn't bear to wear at his waist.

However, Vlad could feel that the weight of the sword had become much heavier than before.

The weight, which had changed considerably from when he stretched it towards Nidhogg, made Vlad ponder deeply.

"Let's go in."

The tallest building among those erected in front of the World Tree.

Baradis opened the door leading there and guided Vlad inside with his outstretched hand.

"······."

Inside the vast building, where sunlight streamed in from all directions, Vlad took a deep breath, feeling as if he had entered into the heart of a tree.

The scent of the forest lingered.

"Let's go up."

Grooves carved like stairs.

Stepping on each one, Vlad ascended until he reached a massive door.

"I'm Baradis. I've brought a guest from the World Tree."

"Please, come in."

With the voice of permission from inside, the door opened by itself without anyone pushing it.

"······."

As Vlad stepped inside, he squinted momentarily at the sunlight filtering through.

The space felt familiar, yet everything was overwhelmed by its size.

Throughout the grand hall, the elders' eyes quietly watched Vlad.

"Welcome. Vlad, human knight."

The elders' demeanor towards Vlad was gentle.

Despite being a citizen of the Empire, an enemy they never ceased to loathe, the fact that he had protected the World Tree was enough to change the stern attitudes of the elders.

"I hope you've been comfortable during your stay."

"It has been as comfortable as being at home."

The knight, lying wounded without weapons or armor, spoke not out of mere courtesy but from the genuine interest the elves had shown him during his time there.

"Well, then I'm glad."

However generous their treatment might have been, it wouldn't fully repay Vlad for his deeds. 

If he hadn't stood against Nidhogg to protect the World Tree that day, the echoes throughout Ausrina wouldn't be the sound of hammers, but rather the sorrowful cries of loss.

"We've heard that you lost both your sword and armor. Of course, we intend to compensate adequately for that."

The elder, who was presiding over the meeting on behalf of the Great Elder, stretched out his hand and pointed to the weapons hanging next to him.

"These are..."

"Armor. One is an outer layer, and the other is an underlayer for support."

Vlad's gaze followed the elder's gesture.

Armor shining under the morning sunlight.

Similar to the one he received from San Rogino, yet sleeker and seemingly lighter, reflecting the agility, the characteristic of the elves.

"Still, among the broken pieces, there was one intact part, which we attached to the new armor."

Vlad's eyes followed the elder's explanation.

The breastplate on the left side of the chest.

The inscription engraved there felt familiar.

"A knight who protected the children. I think this phrase suits you well."

From the misty village to the World Tree, the young knight's footsteps always led to the same destination.

"Now, about the sword..."

They gave him the armor, now it's time to give him the sword.

But the elder's words about the sword trailed off faintly, as if fading into the background.

The silver sword wielded by the young knight.

A sword that could never be replaced, no matter what else they offered.

The gazes of the elders upon the Swordmaster's sword were complex and conflicted.

"If you wish, you may take it. It's a sword we cannot wield ourselves, after all..."

The Swordmaster's sword had been here to protect the World Tree. 

And now, the young knight before them had drawn it to defend the World Tree. Surely, he was worthy of wielding it.

That much was an undeniable fact, so if Vlad said he wanted to take the sword, there was nothing they could do...

"I will return it."

An unpredictable presence.

A bundle of possibilities and surprises.

As he slowly lowered the silver sword, the elders watched Vlad in astonishment.

"No, why..."

The elders were left speechless as they watched Vlad slowly lowering the sword.

The Swordmaster's sword was an artifact coveted not only by humans but also by elves.

"This sword doesn't like it."

"······what?"

"It doesn't want to leave here."

As soon as it touched the ground, the silver sword seemed to stick to it as if glued.

Seeing the silver sword firmly attached to the ground, the elders and Baradis were at a loss for words.

"If you're going to give me a sword, then make a new one for me."

The best sword wasn't necessary.

He only needed a sword that was truly his own.

A sword that could contain his own will completely.

"I hope that sword listens to me well."

More than the countless stars in the night sky, the boy desired the faint star hanging in the blacksmith shop.

A sword that was truly his own.

Vlad still longed for the unadorned sword, made from an old man's dream and bought with a girl's tears.