Under the vast branches of the world tree, the elves were gathered in small groups, engaging in light chatter or sipping liquor, their sweet fragrances wafting through the air.
"Hmm…"
Raon rubbed the back of his neck while watching the small banquet of the elves.
'The mood is so bright.'
He'd decided to participate because he'd heard it was a banquet to comfort the deceased, but the elves were drinking fruit wines with faint smiles on their faces.
Since Raon had thought it was going to be a funeral, he was a bit confused by the lighthearted atmosphere.
Stop minding those trivial details!
Wrath landed on his shoulder and looked around rapidly.
Getting rid of the food before it gets cold takes priority!
He pointed at the table with dishes, urging him to start eating already.
'Wait a moment.'
Why are you lacking in appetite so much? You need to eat a lot to grow taller!
'You aren't my mom…'
Raon shook his head, listening to Wrath's complaint.
The King of Essence is taking care of you in our mom's stead!
'Yeah, yeah.'
Since Wrath had helped during the previous incident, Raon picked up a well-baked pie and put it in his mouth.
It was a bit hard, but the nuttiness of the bread and the juiciness of the berry formed a delicious harmony, spreading throughout his mouth.
It was giving off a luxurious and comforting flavor, probably because of the high-quality ingredients used for it.
Wow! It's so sweet!
Wrath exclaimed, clenching his fist tightly.
This is it! This taste makes life worth living!
He started to dance with his shoulders, his expression filled with happiness that hadn't been there in a really long time.
That one next! That fruit brushed with honey looks tasty!
'Seriously.'
Raon chuckled and ate the food that Wrath wanted. Because he kept making so many requests, Raon was starting to get full even though he only tried out one of each food.
'Where is the fruit wine?'
He turned his head around, looking for a drink, and he could hear the voices of Rimmer and elven children from under a tree in the right corner.
'What is he doing with the children?'
Raon tilted his head and walked up to the area under the tree where Rimmer was located.
"When you have five cards with the same pattern like this, it's called a flush. If you get consecutive numbers on top, it's called straight flush instead."
Rimmer grinned while teaching the children about poker hands.
"The probability of getting a flush is less than 0.2%, and the straight flush is only 0.01%. However, it happens unexpectedly often when you are actually in a game. This is the fun part about poker."
"..."
Raon swallowed nervously as he watched Rimmer teach the children about poker.
'Seriously, that Shitty Ears…'
He unconsciously called him Shitty Ears because of his pathetic demeanor.
'At least he seems to be teaching them as a game.'
Raon would've kicked him already if he was teaching it about gambling, but Rimmer seemed to be teaching it as a simple game.
"Then let's take them out, everyone."
Rimmer taught them a few other hands and snapped his fingers.
"Yes."
The children nodded and took out some small golden accessories and gems from their inner pockets.
"Yes! We need those sparkling things to play this game. Let's try a few games with me and…"
"Stop it, you degenerate!"
Raon couldn't withstand it anymore and kicked Rimmer's back.
"Gweh…"
He couldn't resist the sudden impact, his face smashing into the ground.
"Who is it?!"
Rimmer briskly stood up, soil all over his face.
"Who dared to hit the master of the spirit king's summoner?!"
"The spirit king's summoner himself."
Raon was glaring with a frightening gaze, as if he was about to draw his sword.
"Ahahahaha."
Rimmer laughed awkwardly, walked up to him, and grabbed his shoulder.
"W-welcome."
"What are you doing right now?!"
Raon sighed while looking at Rimmer's pale face.
"It's boring for children with only the adults around. I was just playing with them…"
Rimmer shook his head, saying that it wasn't a big deal.
"Then what are those golden accessories?"
Raon furrowed his brow, pointing at the gold and gems that the children were holding.
"You should be aware, but gems and gold aren't that precious for elves. Since they aren't going to use them anyway, it's better for me to use them since I know how valuable they are…"
Haa! The King of Essence is so tired of that Shitty Ears!
Even Wrath was sighing at his ridiculous behavior. It was even more impactful because an exasperating guy was calling another person exasperating.
"He is a bad person, so you should never trust him."
Raon shook his hand, meeting the children's eyes.
"Return the gold and gems to their original locations."
"Yes!"
"I'll do it!"
Since the elven children believed that Raon was the spirit king's summoner, they nodded with sparkling eyes.
"Ugh…"
Rimmer groaned in pain as Raon watched the children return to their parents.
"The goal was right under my nose."
"You should be glad that I stopped you. If it was the protector who saw you, you would've been stabbed by an arrow by now."
"Hmm, that might be true."
Rimmer nodded, his shoulders trembling in fear.
"By the way, the funeral's atmosphere is rather bright."
Raon briefly licked his lips while looking at the funeral again.
"Ah, that's because…"
"It's because the elves become one with nature upon death."
The answer came from Leiran, who approached from the left side, instead of Rimmer. She stood next to Rimmer holding two round glasses in her hands.
"Become one with nature?"
"Death isn't considered the end for the elves, but a new start instead. They melt into nature and return to a new life."
Leiran explained that the banquet wasn't a funeral to comfort the deceased but a farewell ceremony to say goodbye to their precious ones.
"She's right."
Rimmer nodded, a faint smile on his face.
"Death of kin doesn't simply mean sadness for the elves."
Despite his words that death wasn't mourned by them, bitterness still lingered in his eyes.
"I see."
Raon nodded faintly, The difference between human and elf beliefs must've caused that lighthearted atmosphere at the funeral.
"You should also eat something and enjoy it. That's how we comfort the deceased here."
Rimmer advised and extended his hand towards Leiran.
"You brought that for me, right? Thank you—"
"I didn't."
Leiran walked past Rimmer and handed a glass to Raon.
"This is fruit wine made in the Cotton Clan. It should help your body with its recovery and exhaustion—not to mention the excellent taste."
Raon narrowed his eyes, looking at the transparent wine sloshing inside the glass. A pure fragrance was ticking his nose, whether it was coming from Leiran or the wine.
"Thank you."
Raon lowered his head and accepted the glass.
"Such a precious wine is wasted on him since he doesn't even know how to savor the liquor!"
Rimmer licked his lips in disappointment.
"Is it that precious?"
"Yes. The fruit wine from the Cotton branch is a precious treasure, so rare that even the elves in Seipia can't easily have it."
He shook his hand and urged him to try it out, saying that he would be impressed.
"Hmm…"
Raon licked his lips while looking at the fruit wine that was as transparent as water. Rimmer's description made it sound mouthwatering…
Raon slowly drank the fruit wine, savoring it as one would with a fine wine.
Wow! This flavor is insane!
'Oh…'
A sweet and refreshing taste and fragrance seeped into his tongue and nose. He felt like the wine had completely cleaned the lingering greasiness of the various dishes from his mouth.
The characteristic sharp and tangy taste of a fruit wine followed right after.
The tingling sensation even numbed his tongue slightly, and it had a fantastic taste. The sharp aftertaste was more satisfying than the sweetness of the fruit.
Gaaah!
However, Wrath faltered while holding the back of his neck. He didn't seem to enjoy the aftertaste.
No! No alcohol! The King of Essence doesn't like alcohol!
He was happily grinning at first from the sweet taste, but he started to wipe his tongue with his hand.
Wrath looked like he just didn't like alcohol at all, just like during the incident with the Gambling Monster. His taste was so childish.
"Sir Raon."
While Raon was sighing at Wrath, Leiran came in front of him and put her hands together.
"I'm sorry. And thank you."
She went on her knees and lowered her head as if she had become a human instead of an elf.
"What?"
Raon widened his eyes because the situation was too sudden.
"What's the issue…?"
"I'd like to apologize for what happened when you suggested scouting the surrounding area before Eden's attack. You said that you had a bad feeling about it, but I refused, brushing it off as nonsense."
Leiran lowered her head while apologizing.
"You don't need to feel sorry about that."
Raon smiled faintly and made Leiran stand up.
"Anyone would've done the same."
It was only natural that he didn't get a good reaction since he'd suggested they go out scouting just because of the bad feeling he had despite it being the first meal for the guardians after two days of sleepless watch.
Erian was the strange one for trusting him right off the bad. There was no reason for Leiran to beg for forgiveness. It would've been pathetic to blame her for that.
"..."
Leiran bit her lip tightly, gazing at Raon, who was holding her hand to make her stand.
'He's completely different from the humans I've seen so far.'
Humans have always tried to benefit from the situation by complaining about every single detail, but that wasn't the case for Raon at all.
He didn't try to exaggerate his achievements or brag about them even though he saved the World Tree and Seipia. She was confused because he felt like a whole different existence from the humans in her knowledge.
"The wine tasted great. Thank you for the offer."
Raon smiled at Leiran and returned the empty glass.
"Ah, come to me whenever you want more, since we have plenty."
Leiran nodded, saying that she could give him as much of it as he wanted.
Raon lowered his head towards Leiran and poked Rimmer's waist with his elbow.
"Division leader, we have somewhere to go together."
"Where?"
"Just come and you'll find out."
Raon dragged him towards Sterin, who was sitting under the world tree's trunk as if he were protecting it.
"You're here."
Sterin nodded his head, holding a small glass in his hand.
"How is the banquet? It should be boring, unlike a human event."
"It's fine since I don't usually enjoy banquets anyway."
"I see."
He smiled faintly, expressing his favor.
"By the way, why did you bring that loser with you?"
Sterin tilted his head at Rimmer, who was just standing there blankly.
"How could you call me a loser when I'm your grandson?! That's so mean!"
"You are a loser, though. Don't try to turn the children into degenerates just because you are one."
He smacked Rimmer's forehead. It looked like he'd been watching all along.
"Ack!"
Rimmer fell to the ground, his glass still in his hand.
"Haa…"
Raon sighed and took a step towards Sterin.
"I have a request."
Sterin smiled gently, contrasting with how he looked at Rimmer.
"Since you already received the fruit, giving you a branch isn't even a big deal."
As soon as Sterin made the declaration, one of the World Tree's branches descended, glowing with a transparent shimmer that illuminated the night, and seamlessly landed in Raon's hand.
"Is this…?"
Raon widened his eyes, looking at the world tree's branch that he was given.
"It looks like I didn't even need to answer."
He smiled, saying that the world tree didn't even give away so much to a high elf.
"Thank you. I'll use it for a good purpose."
Good purpose?
Wrath furrowed his brow, asking if he was sure about that.
'For a purpose that isn't bad…'
Raon changed it a little and patted the world tree.
Whir!
The world tree stretched its branches as if in joy. Its leaves shimmering in the moonlight danced through the air, creating a mesmerizing scene that resembled the Milky Way.
"I thought his character, personality, and skills have been ruined, but…"
Sterin shifted his gaze towards Rimmer after watching the world tree's reaction.
"You've brought up a disciple that can make up for all those losses."
"He took too much of my luck, making me lose money every single time I gamble."
Rimmer briefly clicked his tongue, shaking off the dirt from his hands.
"You said you came to return that sword, didn't you?"
Sterin licked his lips while looking at the sword still hanging around Rimmer's waist.
"Yes."
Rimmer nodded and was about to unequip the sword around his waist, but Sterin shook his hand.
"You don't have to give it back."
"What?"
"You also fought the Crimson Flame Demon alongside Raon, didn't you?"
"I did…"
"Since your determination to wield the sword remains unshaken, there's no reason to let it go. It seems the sword itself wishes to remain in your hand as well."
Sterin shook his head while looking at the faint vibration of the blade.
"Whether you wield your sword with your left hand, return with a prosthetic arm, or give up…"
Sterin held Rimmer's right shoulder with a faint smile on his face.
"You should decide after you properly examine yourself."
He turned around, saying that the sword would be entrusted to him until then.
"Haa…"
Rimmer sighed deeply and nodded.
"I understand."
"And…"
Sterin's eyes became gloomy as he gazed at the sword that had returned to Rimmer's waist.
"There's someone for you to take with you on your way back to Zieghart."
"Someone to take…?"
"We've decided to establish some exchanges with Zieghart. Even the elders have given their approval."
"That's a great decision!"
Rimmer hit his knees, smiling brightly.
"It will definitely be beneficial since Zieghart is returning to its prime!"
He raised his hand, saying that it was a great decision.
"The envoy is important. Who are you dispatching?"
"It's already decided."
Sterin smiled faintly once again while looking at Raon.
The next evening, Raon was summoned by Sterin and went towards the world tree again.
He was expecting Sterin to be the only person there, but the head elder, Rimmer, and Siyan were waiting with him under the world tree.
"You are on time."
Sterin nodded as a greeting.
"Unlike a certain someone."
The head elder glared sideways at Rimmer.
"Ah, stop nagging at me when I was only slightly late."
Rimmer averted his gaze while scratching the back of his head.
"S-Sir Raon, good evening…"
Siyan lowered her head, completely covering her face with her hair.
"Why are you all here…?"
Raon tilted his head at the four of them.
"It's because you are going to eat the world tree's fruit. The fruit can be absorbed the most efficiently under the world tree."
"Ah…"
"The four of us will be guarding you, so focus on your cultivation without worrying about anything."
"All four of you as guards…?"
"It's just in case."
Sterin nodded with a faint smile on his face.
"Isn't that excessive…?"
"It's not. Because you've done far more than that for us."
The head elder shook his hand, telling him to skip the formalities and go straight to the point.
"Yes. Let's get started right away."
Rimmer patted Raon's shoulder.
"I-I'll protect you at the cost of my life!"
Siyan's blue eyes sparkled between her blond hair. She looked like she really was about to sacrifice her life.
"I'll be counting on you."
Raon smiled faintly and sat under the world tree's trunk. He would've normally given a humble response, but he decided to accept their favor because of Wrath's advice.
F-finally!
Wrath was staring at the world tree's fruit, his eyes brimming in delight.
The King of Essence is finally getting a taste of the sweet juice of that fruit!
He sniffled, saying that he was glad he stayed with Raon despite the bad treatment he'd been getting.
Raon took out the world tree's fruit, and Rimmer's lips curled into a deep smile.
"It must be delicious for you."
"What?"
"Nothing."
He grinned, urging him to eat it.
'I have a bad feeling about this.'
Raon felt suspicious because of Rimmer.
There's no reason to be anxious!
Wrath shook his head.
Can't you sense that sweet fragrance of the fruit? It's definitely going to be tasty!
He shook his plump hand, urging him to eat it.
'Alright.'
Raon calmed himself and took a bite of the world tree's fruit. The fruit's taste was delivered to the tip of his tongue before he could feel a crunchiness similar to an apple.
Sweet… Huh?
Wrath widened his eyes, being the first one to notice the taste.
Gueeeh! Wh-what is this?! Why does the world tree's fruit taste like Nadine bread?!
'It's true…'
Raon blinked while taking another bite of the world tree's fruit. Despite the sweet fragrance, the taste was the exact same as Nadine bread, brimming with that rubbery flavor.
'No, it's even worse.'
The rubber taste was even more intense than the Nadine bread. He felt like his mouth was full of rubber.
Raon widened his eyes in bewilderment, and Rimmer pointed at Siyan while chuckling.
"The Nadine bread's taste is based on the world tree's fruit. The world tree is actually classified as a rubber tree."
"A-are you okay?"
Siyan blinked, worried about him.
"…I'm fine."
Raon nodded. It wasn't really an issue because he already got used to the Nadine bread's taste.
However, that wasn't the case for a certain demon king.
Ki-kill him…
Wrath faltered and collapsed to the ground on his face.
Just kill the King of Essence already! This is way too unreasonable! Why does the world tree's fruit taste like rubber?! Spit it out already…
He tried to yell at Raon to quickly spit it out, but he had already entered a trance after chewing and swallowing the fruit. Wrath was the only one who was still experiencing that rubber taste.
Gaaah!
Wrath extended his hand towards the world tree with trembling lips.
The King of Essence will definitely burn them up! He will incinerate them all!