The elder and oldest elf among the elves, Geronimo, spoke.
He said he should go west.
"······ I don't know why you're looking for his whereabouts."
The forest of elves, which he had reached by following traces of the voice, was where he encountered not the voice but traces of Sword Master.
The more he tried to resolve the doubt, the greater mysteries awaited Vlad.
"Still, if you want to find his traces, you must first understand."
"······ What should I understand?"
He used imperial swordsmanship.
Then why was the voice using the swordsmanship of the Imperial Family?
The actions of the voice were clearly protecting the spirits.
Then why was the voice protecting the spirits?
"Not Frausen, the founding king, but Quijano Frausen, who is just a human being."
"······."
The questions that followed one after another were clearly pointing to one thing.
King Frausen, the founding king.
The first Sword Master.
And Quijano, the human who gave up all glory.
"I hope you read the thoughts about why he did that."
As Geronimo grew older, he became wiser and could point out the direction for Vlad.
To know the end, one must see the beginning.
Perhaps to utter these words, he must have delved into countless old memories.
"Go west. He said he was going there."
"To the west?"
While everyone praised the glorious beginning of the man called Frausen, no one could speak about his end.
Traces of Frausen mysteriously vanished, like a story from legend.
Perhaps Vlad was now the person closest to those traces, even if it was not his intention.
"Yes. West. Where our mother of the World Tree once stood."
He had walked here without knowing whom he sought.
Yet faint traces surely remained, perhaps the struggling efforts of those who sought to protect.
"Go find the dwarves there."
The old man's marker pointed the young knight in the next direction.
Now, the west has become a wasteland.
Toward the dwarves lingering where the Mother of World Tree once stood.
"Dwarves..."
Once again, as he encountered a strange world, a gleam of silver lingered over Vlad's face.
From the silver sword lying quietly, rays of light emanated.
The light spread so subtly that Vlad, who was pondering, could not notice it, and was looking at Vlad for a long time as if examining him for a long time.
※※※※
Alicia was barely managing to calm her racing heart.
"······Do you want to compensate us for our heirloom?"
A trace of her beloved father and a long-standing family heirloom.
Giving Vlad the amber stone, which was so precious to Alicia, wasn't simply because she was personally drawn to him.
It was an investment of sorts.
An investment in Deomar's future.
A promising knight named Vlad was clearly a great piece that could make up for Deomar's weakest part, and Alicia really wanted that shining piece.
"Yes. Lady Alicia of Hainal."
The elf who introduced himself as Baradis was treating Alicia with genuine respect.
Contrary to the rumors of rejecting humans, the appearance of these elves was completely different.
The vassals of Hainal could only close their mouths in confusion at the sight of such elves.
"The precious family heirloom you graciously bestowed upon Sir Vlad has been a great help to Ausrina."
Although Vlad had brought letters from the elves, it was merely a greeting.
The elves decided to provide reasonable compensation to the human lord who had preserved the precious traces of the Mother of World Tree and had also lost them.
"Though it may not be much, we hope it pleases you."
A sophisticated wooden box began to be lifted from behind Baradis, who respectfully bowed his head. It seemed like the box alone could be worth its weight in gold.
Just having "elf" attached to its name made its value soar, so everyone held their breath as the box slowly began to open.
"What is this….?"
As the box finally opened, a subtle fragrance wafted out.
It was the kind of fragrance that could instantly brighten up this place, which was filled with a melancholy scent.
"It's saffron. A spice we particularly cherish."
Red stems that look like dried flower petals.
The fragrance wafting from within seemed to have a tangible presence, as if one could almost grasp it with their hands.
"Uh, well. This is, um."
Alicia's voice trailed off, unable to conclude despite starting.
After encountering the culture of the elves for the first time in her life, Alicia was able to immediately recognize that the saffron in front of her was an item of great value.
"Baroness Alicia, we wish to establish a close relationship with the Hainal family through this opportunity."
They didn't beat around the bush.
Unlike humans who hide intentions in their words for personal gain, the elves simply conveyed their sincerity.
"Although it is far away, if there are trustworthy individuals here, we have no reason to hesitate. Please consider our proposal carefully."
The fragrance was intoxicating, the words sweet.
Alicia's vassals were captivated by Baradis's words echoing in their ears.
Such an unbelievable opportunity.
During the most difficult times, the vassals, who faced the most unbelievable opportunity, naturally turned to Alicia, who sat in the lord's seat.
"...I've heard your words well."
And there sat Alicia Hainal, the only Hainal present.
Her shoulders, which had understood the value better than anyone, were now spread wide with confidence.
"I welcome you all. You have come from afar."
Alicia's smile toward the elves was illuminating the halls of Deomar warmly.
Before her stood Vlad's gift, a token of gratitude for the past years.
※※※※
The conversation with humans was successful.
Elves, inevitably weaker compared to the Empire, always lived in anxiety about them. But a great wind of change was already blowing in the big world they had just faced.
"The emergence of the Northern Alliance is undoubtedly beneficial for us."
"It may even provide an alternative to stand against the Empire."
The Northern Orthodox Church, advocated by the Northern Alliance, surely had tolerant standards towards other religions and beliefs.
Not just one standard, but the possibility for you and me.
This new sect that guarantees it would surely present another option for the elves.
"Here it is."
The Rangers, successful in grasping the trends of the world they had been ignorant of, sought permission from Alicia to inspect the tree on the hill in Hainal to fulfill their original purpose.
Their primary goal in dispatching Ausrina was precisely this.
"So this is what Vlad was talking about..."
It felt like they could tell without having to check.
An obviously old lemon tree.
The strong fragrance emanating from there was undoubtedly similar to that of a young World Tree.
"It was indeed a snake."
Though his left eye was not closed, the anticipation rising in Baradis's eyes revealed the truth.
The world of the elves, intertwined with the World Tree.
In the deeply colored areas visible through it, there was a white snake hissing at them.
"You survived."
"It feels like the mole in Dobrechti we saw before."
Following the traces of the spirits as Vlad had instructed, Baradis and the elves had journeyed from Ausrina to Dobrechti, encountering the mole there first, and finally reaching Deomar, where the essence of the World Tree's mother lingered.
"Did he keep them alive like this?"
Long ago, the elves had no choice but to run away, taking only the seeds of the World Tree with them in order to survive.
However, even when everything burned down, there were things that remained and traces that someone had secretly scattered out into the world for them.
One of those traces might be the white serpent they now beheld.
"Lord Baradis, look there."
"Hmm?"
Following the finger pointed by his subordinate, Baradis turned his head and soon found himself able to smile brightly.
Behind the white snake, little ones peeked out curiously.
They were undoubtedly the young spirits of the World Tree that Vlad had nested into his sword.
"They've taken root."
They came a long way, but it was worth it.
Because they saw something that was not just alive, but was firmly rooted.
Bright smiles began to appear on the elves' faces as they looked at the young spirits born in Ausrina.
"We will have to ask the lord of Hainal for her cooperation so that we can stay here for the time being. Maybe there are other traces left."
"Understood."
In the midst of a unified empire where small worlds were crushed without a trace, the elves who had finally ventured outside could now recognize the small worlds that still breathed.
And the traces were lined up along the path of the young knight they followed. It was eerily similar to the footsteps of the Swordmaster who had sought them out long ago.
※※※※
In front of the dock of the port, where dusk is slowly setting.
Vlad was standing there, quietly watching the ship disappear over the horizon.
On that ship that left Nassau with a creaking sound, countless dwarves still gazed back at the harbor where Vlad stood.
"Lord Rutger probably won't like it."
"...I know."
Vlad nodded quietly in response to Marcus's words coming from behind.
"Maybe so."
Rutger wouldn't likely approve of what Vlad has done.
This work was solely for Josef's benefit, and it was also connected to the brothers' fight to obtain the position of head of the family.
"You won't regret it, right?"
Marcus' question spread along with the sound of the waves, reaching Vlad's ears.
You won't regret it, right?
Rutger, who cherished you, will surely be disappointed.
"I think I will... regret it."
Rutger Bayezid.
The man who killed the dragon with Vlad.
Every moment spent with him was a thrilling experience, looking back, they were all enjoyable moments.
"But if I didn't do this, I might regret it even more."
Betraying Rutger's kindness was undoubtedly a painful decision.
But Godin had said it.
First, understand where you are standing now.
"I am a knight of Lord Josef."
"...I see."
The war with Gaidar was a variable that suffocated Josef and at the same time raised Rutger's value.
If this continues, Josef will undoubtedly fade away without even showing his true worth.
Therefore, Vlad did not hesitate to send the dwarves back to their homeland.
"I guess everything that needs to be done here is done now."
With Vlad's words, the ship that had come into view on the horizon became a small dot disappearing into the twilight.
Perhaps on the ship that had just disappeared, there were still dwarves looking back at the harbor where Vlad stood.
"Now, it's time to go back."
Vlad used a dwarf named Balkanu as a messenger to send a letter to a world he had never seen before.
He did so for Josef, who pulled him out of the mud, and for the voice.
[T/L: Read more chapters here: - https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]