Chapter 35: Leaving

The absorption of the Sunwell's water by the Ancient War Tree had been temporarily halted, and the anti-magic barrier was slowly recovering. However, this level of caution now seemed unnecessary—at least for the moment, there were no further threats. The only scare came when the teleportation magic circle lit up, startling the elves. But now, only the Tooth Tower had access to the teleportation scrolls of the Whispering Forest, so naturally, those arriving were also from the Tooth Tower.

Ayime never expected to receive news about her brother as soon as she arrived—let alone that the news would be of his death. Upon seeing Yabin's cold corpse, she fainted on the spot. When she regained consciousness, she broke down crying and passed out again several times.

Many elves had seen with their own eyes that Yabin and Talice had been following the gray-armored knight, the one who mercilessly slaughtered elves. Talice, even earlier in Turaleone, had appeared alongside Lancelote, whose identity as a Temple Knight was well known. Fortunately, Ruya remained conscious despite being encased in ice and had witnessed everything. With Asa's explanation, the elves refrained from tearing the female knight apart on the spot, allowing her to stay in the Whispering Forest.

"This is all my fault," Talice murmured as she watched Ayime, who was clutching Yabin's corpse and wailing in despair.

In the past, Talice's expressions were always full of life and emotion—whether joy, anger, frustration, or confusion, every subtle change in her mood was visible. But now, it was as if the sheer weight of her emotions had become so overwhelming that they fused into an invisible burden.

"I knew exactly what kind of person Tamik was. But I still couldn't stop myself from speaking out to stop him, and that led to everything that followed... I should have realized that it was completely meaningless. If only I had endured—"

"There is no 'if.' You couldn't have endured it back then," Asa interrupted flatly.

Talice's gaze wavered, and she fell silent. The treehouse was filled only with Ayime's hoarse cries. Asa and Talice stepped outside, realizing that giving her space to grieve was the only thing they could do. They had no idea how to console her.

After a long pause, Talice spoke again. "Yabin had no reason to die here. None of this had anything to do with him..."

"But he did die." Asa cut her off again, his tone calm. "What has happened can never be undone, and there is no excuse for it, is there?"

A strange mix of anger and frustration flickered in Talice's eyes, but she couldn't find a way to vent the tangled mess of grief and fury. She instinctively wanted to lash out at Asa, yet she also felt that he wasn't wrong. Finally, she exhaled a long sigh and nodded bitterly. "You're right. This is all my fault."

No one is immune to mistakes. But only those who acknowledge their mistakes can avoid repeating them, and only those who face their failures have the right to grow.

After a moment of silence, Asa sighed as well. "I'm sorry. I really was angry with you. Yabin's death isn't just painful for you."

Talice's expression grew calm—not the kind of emptiness that comes from suppressing emotions, but the steadiness of someone who had collected herself. After another long pause, she sighed again. "He was forced to try and kill me, yet in the end, he saved me… Now I finally understand what my teacher meant. Perhaps there is no absolute justice or evil for us to distinguish—everything comes down to our own choices and responsibilities."

Asa glanced at her. He could tell that she had truly matured. Though it had happened under unusual circumstances, the fact that she had managed to kill a knight like Tamik was undeniable proof of her growth.

"You're not staying to take care of Ayime?" Asa asked. "Yabin was her only family."

"I know. Before he died, he entrusted her to me. But how am I supposed to take care of her? Right now, I have nowhere to go myself..." Talice let out a bitter laugh. She had just killed a trusted agent sent on a secret mission by the Pope himself. Whether or not the Pope knew of it, she had no intention of returning to Celeste. "Until I figure out what's really going on, I won't return to the Glory Fortress. Besides, she'd be better off staying at the Tooth Tower, where she has classmates and teachers."

"Are you still going to follow me? I'm telling you now, the road ahead might be even harder. This time, you almost died. Next time, I don't know if it'll just be 'almost.' And I don't know if there'll be another Yabin to save you."

"I've already started walking this path—I don't want to stop. Besides, I've only just begun to understand. There's still so much I don't know, so I'll keep following you."

Her voice and expression no longer carried the overt determination they once did, but Asa could sense the unwavering resolve beneath her calm demeanor. He understood—she had truly decided that he was the guide on her path to truth.

A dull thud sounded from the treehouse. Ayime had cried herself unconscious again.

The next day, the Sunwell's water had fully recovered, and the Ancient War Tree had reached its full growth. Ayime, after immense grief, had finally regained some composure. Asa was ready to set out.

The Ancient War Tree, nourished by the Sunwell, stood like a towering mountain, even larger than when it had been in Turaleone. Its immense branches spread across nearly half of the Whispering Forest, leaving those beneath it feeling insignificant. Even Talice was awed by this magical miracle left behind by the ancient elves. The tree itself was nearly the size of the Glory Fortress, which the Church prided itself on.

The pure, potent waves of natural magic permeated the entire forest. The Ancient War Tree's full abilities were now available—Asa had already noticed multiple mounted weapons among its branches, resembling ballistae, though he was certain their firepower was far beyond simple bolts. The anti-magic barrier was fully active as well.

A new teleportation scroll had been sent to Orford, allowing General Grutt and his elite orcs to arrive if needed. Even if Celeste mustered its entire army, they would not be able to break through.

"Now we can finally rest assured—the last World Tree Leaf is safe. As long as you remain cautious, there shouldn't be any problems. Elder Lloyd should be returning from the capital soon." Asa had a pouch filled with Sunwell water, with a smaller backup pouch as well. He, Talice, and Ayime stood at the edge of the Whispering Forest, ready to depart.

Ayime still looked frail. She planned to take Yabin's ashes back to Alrasia for burial and would travel with Asa along the way.

"How long will you be gone this time?" Ruya asked, glancing at Asa, Talice, and Ayime with a somewhat awkward expression.

"Maybe soon, maybe a long time," Asa replied with a wry smile.

Ruya hesitated, wrinkled her nose slightly, then blurted out, "I… I've always wanted to travel and see the world too…"

Asa chuckled. "Don't be childish. You're an elder of the Whispering Forest—the World Tree Leaf still needs your protection."

Ruya pouted like a child, looking slightly disappointed. She nodded reluctantly. "Yeah… I was just joking… But if you ever finish your journey, you're always welcome back in the Whispering Forest."

"Just not the Church's lackeys. Next time I see them, I won't be able to stop myself from shooting an arrow at them," muttered a nearby elven warrior, gripping her black bow.

That night, the strongest warrior of the elves was knocked unconscious in her sleep—without a sound—by Talice. Though her wounds and exhaustion made her sleep deeply, the knight's stealth skills were masterful, and her holy warrior's Magic Eye guided her. The outcome was not surprising, but the blow to the elf's pride was immense. If not for Ruya's persuasion, she would have challenged Talice to a duel multiple times.

Talice merely cast her a brief glance. In the past, she would never have ignored such blatant provocation.

Having stepped beyond the anti-magic barrier of Whispering Forest, Asa took out a magic scroll he had obtained from the Tooth Tower and unrolled it. A small whirlwind leaped from the scroll onto the grass, rapidly drawing in the surrounding air. In an instant, the whirlwind expanded into a towering, mist-like giant.

The advanced Air Elemental Summoning scroll, a top-tier elemental scroll worth nearly a thousand gold coins, was now being used by Asa simply for travel. He, Talice, and Ayime sat on the shoulders of the misty giant, whose massive body of swirling air lifted into the sky and carried them westward. Within just a minute, the vast expanse of Whispering Forest and the towering Ancient War Tree behind them had already begun to shrink into the distance.

The high-altitude winds blew Talice's golden hair straight back, lashing against Asa's face. She tried to gather her hair, but no matter what she did, she couldn't tie it properly. In the end, it was Ayime who used a thin string to help her braid the long, thick strands and coil them atop her head, making her look even more valiant.