Chapter 2: Migration (Part 1)

In the southwest of Alrasia, at the edge of the Turaleone Forest, a middle-aged man dressed as a farmer was resting under the shade of a large tree. Beside him was a basket of berries he had gathered. The midday sun wasn't too strong, and its scattered rays filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting light on his face, which seemed drained of vitality from a life of poverty and monotony. His expression was calm, marked by a quiet resignation that came from years of simple living. Perhaps this basket of berries would be enough to sustain his family for a week.

Turaleone Forest was the territory of the elves, and few people lived nearby. The farmer appeared to be passing through, taking a break. The only sounds were the calls of birds mixed with the rustling of the wind, creating a peaceful and natural atmosphere.

Suddenly, an odd sound from deep within the forest disrupted the tranquility. It wasn't very loud, but the ground trembled slightly, and numerous birds flew out in a flurry, followed by animals running from the forest.

The farmer immediately stood up, his face showing a hint of surprise as he watched the animals rush past. The peculiar tremor seemed to spread outward from the heart of the forest, an almost wind-like force that passed through every inch of the area.

His face, previously expressionless, was now filled with awe. He looked toward the depths of the forest, as if witnessing a divine miracle. In the next moment, his movements shifted entirely. He leapt up a nearby tree with the agility of a creature far beyond that of a simple farmer, climbing swiftly to its top. The tree was much taller than the others, and from this vantage point, he could see more of the forest's depths.

A huge blue light had gathered deep within the forest, casting an eerie glow that even made the clouds above take on a bluish tint. Strange waves radiated from the source, covering the entire area.

Another strange noise and ground tremor followed. This didn't seem to be caused by the sound but rather by the ground shaking as if a massive creature was moving through the forest.

At this moment, the farmer no longer resembled a simple farmer but rather a lizardman warrior who had honed his skills in the wilderness for decades. He darted swiftly through the trees, leaping and bounding with agility and speed that even monkeys could not match, rushing toward the depths of the forest. The heart of the forest was home to the largest elven settlement on the continent, and elves, with their aloof nature, were not particularly fond of humans. The area was also surrounded by strange magical barriers designed to keep humans at bay. However, this farmer—who didn't seem like a farmer at all—was charging forward in such a frantic and hurried manner as if tens of thousands of baskets of berries were waiting there for him to harvest.

The tremors and noises repeated in a fixed pattern, but after only a dozen occurrences, the sound stopped. The entire forest fell into a deep, unnatural silence, a silence so complete it was as if the very air had frozen.

Moving at the speed of a bird in flight, the farmer reached the edge of the elven settlement within moments. Yet, there was no sign of any protective barrier or obstacle. Without hesitation, he crossed into the elven territory.

The deepest part of the forest was home to the tallest and most massive trees, their branches adorned with countless exquisitely crafted treehouses and other structures unique to the elves. These seamlessly blended with the trees, creating a breathtaking spectacle that could not be found anywhere else. However, the strangest thing about this wondrous scene was its emptiness—there was no sign of any elves, nor even animals. The entire area was eerily silent, shrouded in an unsettling stillness.

The farmer's face no longer bore even a trace of dullness. Instead, it was replaced by the sharp, solitary expression of a lone wolf wandering the wilderness. He moved unhurriedly through the silent and surreal scene, pacing and observing. His gaze swept across the ground, the surrounding trees, and even the sky above. The farmer knew that the brilliant blue light that had erupted here earlier had now vanished. Though he hadn't been able to see the exact moment the light dissipated while running through the forest, he could distinctly feel the fading of its residual energy. Yet, despite sensing it, he wasn't entirely certain about what he had experienced.

When he finally reached a stone platform at the center of the elven city, he came to a halt, staring blankly at it. On the platform, there were remnants of a massive magical circle, spanning a diameter of ten meters. He could tell that it must have once been a teleportation circle. However, the magical gemstones that had powered the array were now completely gone. At its center, where the most precious Star Eye had once been embedded, there now lay a pile of blue dust.

Beside the stone platform, the ground bore a sizable depression, as if something massive had pressed down upon it. About twenty meters away was another identical depression, and another one roughly twenty meters further along. These impressions continued in a single direction, forming a trail that resembled the footprints of some colossal creature. The earlier tremors and sounds from the ground seemed to corroborate this unsettling conclusion.

Following the strange footprints, the farmer arrived at an open area devoid of trees. To be precise, it wasn't truly an open area but rather an enormous crater. The pit was nearly a mile in diameter and over a hundred meters deep. Judging by the color and texture of the soil within, it was clear that this massive crater had only recently formed.

A soft, rapid set of footsteps echoed behind him. The sound was faint but grew closer with alarming speed, and the farmer did not turn around. The footsteps stopped just behind him.

"My lord, I haven't found a single elf. Not just elves, even the unicorns and griffons are missing," said a man in his forties, dressed like a hunter. However, his stance behind the farmer was anything but typical of a hunter. The farmer didn't respond, instead focusing on the massive pit before him, as though lost in thought.

One by one, more individuals emerged from various corners of the elven city and converged at this location. Their attire was ordinary, resembling that of farmers or hunters. All of them were middle-aged, likely around forty years old, seemingly the type to lead unremarkable lives as unassuming merchants or laborers. Yet, the brilliance in their expressions far surpassed that of a thousand ordinary workers combined. Each of them carried the same composed and sharp demeanor as the earlier hunter and reported similar findings. Strangely, they had all arrived here simultaneously from different areas of the Turaleone Forest.

One of the hunters reported, "But we haven't found the ancient tree of war His Majesty spoke of. I'll go search for it..."

"You don't need to search. This is the location of the Ancient War Tree," the farmer said, pointing to the massive pit.

Everyone's faces displayed varying degrees of shock and fear. They could all tell that if this crater was created by the removal of a tree, the tree in question must have been unimaginably massive. The idea of such an enormous tree being moved away in such a short time—and seemingly out of thin air—was even more astonishing.

"This mission is complete. I'll return to report to His Majesty. You all may return to your posts," the farmer said, his eyes still fixed on the giant crater. From within his robes, he pulled out a teleportation scroll and unfurled it.

Celeste, Glory Fortress, Pope's study room.

The Pope sat at his desk, playing with a pile of blue shards. Despite being the most powerful man on the continent, he seemed like a child at that moment. Behind him stood not Lancelote, but a calm, almost wooden-faced knight. His shining Glory Armor revealed his status as a Temple Knight, but otherwise, he appeared unremarkable.

Standing a little distance from the desk were the newly arrived Marquis Inham Ernie and Bishop Adra.

"Marquis, can you tell what this is?" The Pope asked, flicking some of the dust between his fingers. Although he was smiling, there was an unmistakable coldness emanating from his voice, seeping into the air of the room.

"Your Majesty, please just call me by my name. In your presence, titles and noble ranks are nothing but dust. I am truly grateful to Your Majesty for allowing this humble person to stay in the Glory Fortress. I am ready to offer whatever small help I can," the Marquis said with a graceful bow. He stepped forward, took some of the powder, and examined it carefully, a hint of surprise on his face. "This... it seems... this should be stardust... but strangely, there is not a trace of magical energy in it."

"This was brought back by Knight Tamik from the Turaleone Forest. By the way, the entire forest is empty now. Sometime around noon today, all the elves who lived there disappeared," the Pope said calmly, though his words were laced with an unsettling chill that seemed to permeate the room.

The Marquis maintained his respectful demeanor, but Bishop Adra couldn't help but show surprise. What shocked him wasn't the disappearance of the elves, but how the Pope had learned of it so quickly. Turaleone Forest wasn't even near Celeste.

Knight Tamik, who stood behind the Pope, was a Temple Knight who didn't take orders from Lancelote but directly from the Pope. He almost never appeared in public, and few people in Celeste even knew of him.

The Knight Tamik, now standing silently behind His Holiness, though a paladin of the temple, was not under Lancelote's command. He reported directly to the Pope himself and almost never appeared in public. In fact, even within Celeste, very few people knew of his existence.