I noticed that something was wrong with the world tre, but the situation7s far worse than expected. A unicorn is needed to resolve the anomaly, but the personnel sent to capture are more likely to die than survive.
It may be a dangerous mission, but it’s natural that the Kiryu and others would lend the hand, and they’ll sacrifice their lives to fix the anomaly of the world tree, that’s the attitude of Elf Queen’s command. Everyone, including the Grand Lord martin and those below him feel uncomfortable.
「Why is nobody stepping forward? You can offer your life to the Great Mother tree!」
But, Lilith found the attitude of the Kiryu uncomprehensible. A large gap between the Elves and the Kiryu.
For elves, who were born from the World Tree, sustained by the bounty of the great forest, dying to save the Great forest is a foregone conclusion. And the Kiryu, who similarly enjoyed the blessings of the great forest, recognized that sacrificing their lives to save the world tree should be natural.
The mana of life, overflowing from the world tree is also flowing to the south of the kingdom, which lies outside the great forest. The large amounts of food that sustain the people of te kingdom, the numerous delicacies, and the medicinal herb that saves lives, everything’s possible to cultivate thanks to the mana they receive from the world tree.
Since you’ve developed receiving the blessing of the world tree all this time, you should pay the favor back. That’s what Lilith is ultimately saying.
「We need a moment to talk about this, could you step out of the room?」
Having felt the difference in values and views on life and death firsthand, Martin interrupted the discussion and tried to talk with everyone else.
After Lilith was led to a separate room and left the conference room, the leader of the Kingdom Knights speaks up, as if he can no longer tollerate it.
「Your Lordship. Even if we do as she says, that doesn’t guarantee that this will end. Why don’t we use this opportunity to wipe out the elves, clear the forest, and burn the world tree? If the only surviving member of the elves is tha tfoolish woman, then the forest monsters must’ve been significantly reduced in numbers too. Now’s the perfect time to expand the kingdom! A one in a thousand year chance!」
The Kingdom Knights. To these people based on the royal capital, the elves existing in the far south and the World tree is nothing to them. They only came to the south because of the command of their master, the Dragon Queen.
Despite that, being ordered by the Elf Queen and told to offer their life to the forest must be unacceptable to them.
「That’s also an option」
「Then!」
「But that woman is also a troublesome fighting force If you act rashly, this will cause unnecessary damage. We need to devise a strategy to secure the outcome without causing further damage」
It’s the perfect opportunity to kill the elves, the leader of the knights chants. Martin asks the leader to think of a plan and had him leave the conference room.
「Martin-sama. Are you really planning on clearing the entire great forest, including the World Tree?」
As the leader of the Kingdom knights had left, the Southern Knights timidly inquired his true intentions.
「That’s the last resort. But, with the elves gone, it would be the dark elves instead. Then, if we cleared the forest, the poison still remains. Who do you think will purify that poison? Are we going to burn everything down or are we going to deal with the poison?」
「No, no, no, that’s impossible. Is the option only to purify the poison using Ceres-sama’s mana or burn it away with Martin-sama’s magic? That’s impossible for us」
Martin answered with an attitude more complacent than before, but the leader of the Southern knights quickly denied it with a scream-like voice.
The extremely troublesome thing is that the poison eroding the great forest won’t disappear even if you destroy the trees or gouge the earth. It had the nature of diffusing into the surroundings and remain there. The only confirmed way to move it is through Ceres’ purification, or inceneration by Martin’s magic. If these two try to remove the poison from the entire great forest area, who knows how much time it would take.
Unlike the Kingdom knights, who will return to the capital, it is Martin and the knights of the South who will suffer the next hardships. They can’t make any tough measure so easily.
「Dammit! The elf Queen and the Kingdom Knights say whatever they want! No matter which one we choose, the consequences are too terrible!」
Should we sacrifice the knights to enter the great forest and capture a unicorn, or should we burn down the great forest knowing the poison will remain. Neither choice will lead to anything good. But if you don’t choose, the situation will only get worse with every passing moment.
As the Great Lord Responsible for the Entire Southern region, Martin was forced to make a decision in hell.
「Uhm」
A ray of light shines upon Martin. Or perhaps, a single strand of spider silk dangling from the bottom of hell.
The new Northern lord who visited the fortress with the Queen of the Elves was permitted to attend the meeting. Alec, the Zatsuryu, hesitantly raised his hand as he listened in silence.
「I think we can purify the poison mana, do you want to give it a try?」
The necklace on Alec’s head. One of those rings shine with a white light