After hearing the captain's explanation, Suho finally gets to see the true nature of this city.
Last Paradise.
A refuge for villains, but also the last stronghold for their survival.
And in this city, there are 'enhanced humans' who survived by eating the fruits of Elvenwood and replacing their injured bodi
es with parts of demons.
And the bank is the entity that keeps entrusting them with risky and difficult tasks by putting them under the shackles of d
ebt.
Suho muttered.
"After all, that tree is the lifeline of this city."
"That's right. If there were no Alfheim, we would have all died long ago. Even if we get hurt or sick from attacks by demons
or weather abnormalities, we can survive as long as we have the fruit from that tree."
The captain nodded and chuckled.
"Well, everyone is gradually becoming a debtor and an enhanced human."
"Fruit… … ."
Suho slowly raised his head and looked up at Alfheim.
The height is so high that it makes the back of my neck hurt.
The circumference seemed too small for dozens of men holding hands.
Compared to any other elvenwood I had seen so far, the 'fat' elven sacred tree was overwhelmingly beautiful and exuded vi
vid energy.
But ironically, the city's Elvenwood pillars were surrounded by shabby, old concrete buildings built by humans...
The gorgeous yet dark, somewhat shabby and slum-like scenery reminded me of Kowloon City in Hong Kong.
But if you look at it from a slightly different perspective, this place looks like… … .
'This whole city is like one giant flower pot.'
Yes, a flower pot.
The structure of this city was like a giant flower pot that existed solely to grow one tree and bear fruit.
The only thing that has changed is that those who tend the flower pots have changed from high elves to humans.
In the end, the villains here were also raised and raised for Elvenwood just like the elves.
No, if you look at the results, it seems that the humans were raising Elvenwood better.
The proof is in the fruit.
'Because there was no such thing as fruit in the Elvenwoods until now.'
In fact, besides its size, there was one more thing that was different about Elvenwood here.
The color of the leaves.
The branches of the Elvenwoods where the high elves lived were always green and fragrant.
But here in Elvenwood, red leaves were mixed in among the green leaves.
Like a leaf about to fall.
"… …Autumn has begun."
At that moment, Sirka, who was watching the same scenery as Suho, muttered softly.
Silad also agreed.
[The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, says that the harvest season has already arrived in this land.]
Suho nodded at those words.
The words of Silad, who had endured the bitter cold and become a monarch, contained a greater meaning.
The seasons of the elves are a completely different concept from those of Earth.
Regardless of the flow of time, it flows solely in accordance with the growth of Elvenwood.
It is not because autumn has arrived that fruit is produced.
On the contrary, it is called autumn because the Elvenwood has grown enough to bear fruit.
So then what comes next is… … .
[The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, declares that this city will soon be destroyed.]
Sirka had already smelled a familiar scent when she first set foot in the city.
For Sirka, who was born in the bitter cold, the elven winter was as familiar as home.
"Winter will come soon."
So, it was possible to guess when that winter would come.
"When all those leaves have turned red. When all the fallen leaves have fallen… … ."
And that day will be the day when this city is destroyed.
Suho nodded to Sirka's words.
And then I looked up and saw the berries hanging from the tips of the red leaves high up in the sky.
Before Suho could ask anything, the captain of the guard quickly answered.
"Yes, those are the 'fruits'. The blood of Alfheim, shall we say?"
Suho nodded at the captain's words.
As he put it, the appearance of the fruits, even from a distance, looked like round clusters of red blood hanging from the bra
nches.
"But you know."
The captain of the guard suddenly lowered his voice and spoke quietly.
"Actually, picking those fruits is not easy. It's extremely dangerous."
"It's dangerous?"
"Yes. Alfheim is a tree and a living organism at the same time. How could it like having its blood drained?"
Well, wasn't Elvenwood originally a dangerous tree that people would eat elves from?
"That's why banks often ask you to bring them Alfheim fruit. Usually, it's the debt collectors. The ones wearing chokers aro
und their necks."
"I guess the commission is high."
"Of course. It's a job where you have to risk your life and climb up that tree yourself. If you fall during the process, your bac
k will break, and the branches and spirits will even get in the way."
The captain of the guard explained with a grin.
And he also revealed his intentions for explaining this to Soo-ho so kindly without hiding anything.
"But these days, it has become more difficult to pick fruit."
"Why is that?"
"Alfheim is growing stronger. More than half of those who go to pick the fruit don't return. Or they come back injured and e
nd up eating the fruit they worked so hard to pick."
The captain spoke to Suho in a quiet voice.
"So, by the way, would you be interested in taking on the task of picking berries?"
"Me?"
"Yeah. You're a summoner. Why don't you just summon that lizard summoner and have it climb the tree? You don't have to
take any risks."
'Aha. So this was it.'
Looking into the captain's eyes full of anticipation, Suho finally realized why the captain had been so friendly to him the whol
e time.
"Even if the summoning skill is ambiguous in battle, it seems like it would be perfect for picking berries, right? And what ar
e you going to do starting tonight? Not only is food a problem, but you won't have money to find a place to stay, so you'll have
to sleep on the streets."
The captain had no doubt that Suho would accept his offer.
Originally, people who came to this city for the first time, like Suho, were reluctant to take out a bank loan at first.
But that only lasted a day or two.
"Don't forget. This city is a dangerous place full of villains. In a town where anyone could suddenly turn into a robber at any
moment, it's a good idea to keep a few berries with you in case you get hurt."
"So, what they're saying is to pick the fruit in advance."
"Yeah. If you try to buy fruit at the market after getting hurt, they'll suddenly charge you a high price. This place is so lawles
s that the prices vary from time to time."
"Hmm. Let me think about it."
"Hey. Don't be so negative and think positively. If anything goes wrong while you're summoning your beast under the tree,
I'll be there to protect you. I'm a tanker who deserves to be the captain of the guards."
What the captain of the guards wanted from Suho was ultimately partnership.
But the captain of the guard had no idea.
The fact that Ber was giggling in Suho's shadow while listening to his own nonsense.
[Foolish human. Our little lord has potions anyway, so why would he need such an ominous fruit?]
"Anyway, think about it carefully and let's talk again tomorrow. If you sleep out on the streets tonight, you'll probably chang
e your mind."
With those words, the captain of the guard returned to his jurisdiction.
"Oh, and when you're homeless, watch out for debt collectors! Especially the ones with high choker numbers, they're ruthle
ss."
Even as he was leaving, the captain of the guard still couldn't give up on Suho, and told him about an alley where it was saf
e to sleep.
"He is a kind person until the end."
[You talk too much. You sound like an explanatory bug.]
"… … ?"
Suho's gaze lingered on Ber for a moment.
And then he looked back at Sirka with a smirk and asked.
"Well, anyway, should we start looking for a place to sleep now?"
"Where to sleep?"
Sirka, who had been following Suho without saying a word because she didn't know Korean, tilted her head.
[Your Majesty, why are you sleeping outside? Why don't you just go to Korea as a shadow exchange and sleep comfortabl
y?]
"Of course that would be okay."
Ber's advice was indeed wise.
With just one skill, you can have a fluffy Korean bed waiting for you, so why bother buying one and going through the troubl
e?
[And on your way back, bring Harmakan with you.]
"That's true too."
[… … ?]
Ber tilted his head.
It seemed as if Suho had no intention of following his words at all.
And his footsteps were already entering the alleyway that the captain of the guard had shown him, a good place to sleep.
[Are you really planning to sleep out on the streets?]
"No, isn't it stranger than that?"
A mischievous smile appeared on Suho's lips as he entered the alley.
"That captain of the guard just now, that kind old man, he must have been a villain who ran away from Korea, but he was so
kind."
[Keeec?]
suddenly.
The moment I entered a dark alley.
Suho's gaze turned eerie.
"… … Yes, this is normal."
Shh.
Looking around at those surrounding him, Suho smiled coldly.
In the alleyway that the captain of the guard had pointed out, the guests who had arrived earlier were already lined up and
waiting for protection.
A choker around the neck.
A group of grotesque looking beasts with grafted arms from demons.
The most dangerous alley in the city, filled with street hyenas who prey on newbies who don't know anything about the cit
y.
And at the very back of them, the captain of the guard who had been kind to Suho until the end had returned and was sittin
g happily.
"See you again?"
"Oh, don't think too much of it. There's one more request from the bank. Guide the newbie around the city. And get him to
borrow money from the bank."
At Suho's greeting, the captain of the guard waved his hand with a bitter smile behind the debt collectors.
"I honestly think your skills are optimized for picking berries. So I think you'll listen better if you tear off at least one arm bef
ore you need the berries."
Somehow, the bank employee gave the security captain a hint earlier.
Suho chuckled as he realized what those eyes meant.
"They say they won't force you to take out a loan, but I guess starting out as a debtor is the rule?"
"That's right. That's just how it is in this neighborhood. What are you all doing? Come at us all at once!"
… … !
As soon as he finished speaking, the city's debt collectors all rushed toward Suho.
Swinging the giant demon arm transplanted into his body.
[My lord, if you are going to kill these guys, do it while Harmakan is here… … .]
Even in this midst, Ber's advice, which was concerned about experience points, was tearful.
At those words, Suho chuckled and waved his hand lightly.
"I know. There's still some things to find out here."
Pfft!
"… … ?!"
The villain's huge fist, which had come right up to Soo-ho's nose with a light gesture, burst like a balloon.
Beyond the shocked expressions on the debt collectors' faces, the captain of the guard's wide-open eyes showed a hint tha
t something was wrong.
"aha?"
On the other hand, Sirka had a refreshing expression.
"I don't know what you mean, but I get this."
Whioo-
The Ice Tree Spear appeared in Sirka's hand, who had been staring blankly because she didn't know Korean the whole time.
and.
Damn it!
… … ?!
One night in Alfheim, when autumn had just begun.
The winter wind that came a little early froze the entire dark alley.