Chapter 483
On an empty stage (2)
Mirole gathered the forest fairies. The number of deaths could be counted with two hands, and the injured would someday be cured even if it took time to go back and rest by the World Tree’s side.
“Let’s sing a song for our brothers and sisters who went back to the World Tree before us.”
“Yes, my queen.”
The tribal coalition, which was busy with the singing forest fairies, also stopped moving and sang together to their rhyme. Considering that the Devil descended on this land, the scale of the victims was definitely small, but that only made them more noticeable and heartbreaking. After the forest fairies, the land fairies and humans joined them in singing.
The songs for the dead resonated for some time, even on the lands of the Eternal Glacier.
[I think it’s a good culture.]
[That’s great.]
[Cattleya…please sing a line…wait?]
Only then did they realize that Cattleya was nowhere to be seen on the battlefield.
[Where did Cattleya go?]
[We were protecting her.]
[Did she get absorbed by the Devil?]
[Don’t say such nonsense!]
Meanwhile, one of the succubi sighed and gave the correct answer.
[Cattleya took her cats and went after Zero.]
[Oh, in that short moment?]
[WTF…she’s a genius?]
[Hey, Cattleya is a woman, too]
[Why didn’t I think of that?]
[She should’ve left the cats behind.]
The story also went into Mirole’s ear. Preparing to withdraw, she bit her lip when she heard it.
‘Even the Demons chased after him, and I didn’t!’
‘Why should I stay here alone and wait for him?’
Of course, she was the daughter of the World Tree!
“Mi-Mirole, cheer up.”
“I’m sure he’ll be back before long.”
“Let’s wait for Zero together until then!”
“Cough…!”
The words of the elves were comforting but not rea.s.suring. Leo giggled and muttered at the sight of Mirole.
“At any rate, she’s making a scene.”
“Whatever you do, let’s get out of here and think. It’s freezing. Come on, everybody, gather here.”
When the battlefield was settled entirely, Aria brought all the men together and used her magic. The light glistened for a moment…when they came to their senses, they were all back in the ancient forest.
“Mother!”
Mirole ran out in tears. She seemed to be seeking comfort from the World Tree. But now, the World Tree was in a state of limbo for the first time in a while, free from the influence of the outside world. Furthermore, while they went outside to fight the Demon forces led by the Devil and the Demon King, there were monsters gathered from all over the continent. Of course, most of them were being repulsed by the spirit dragon, who was revived by the World Tree, but Mirole, who saw it, started crying again.
“Huhu…the battle is not over yet. The forest fairies, all raise their bows!”
“My mother is caring for the world, and I can’t believe she’s coming at me without knowing the grace!”
“We’ll help you, too.”
In the process of overcoming the Devil together (most, of course, only by watching Evan), the tribesmen, who had become closer to each other, raised their weapons, and the monsters who hadn’t been able to reach the heart of the forest were defeated within a short time.
“Whoa, now the forest is a little quiet.”
“Now that I’ve finished organizing, I’d better hurry up and start my research.”
Aria murmured with a hand on Miraseul’s necklace and suddenly met eyes with Eir, who looked blank. She had only stood still ever since Elizabeth was absorbed by the Devil. Evan had said bye to her before he left, but she didn’t even notice it.
“Rose, how’s the baby?”
“Dangerous,” Rose grumbled back.
“The Devil’s a genius if he intended this. If I weren’t next to you, the blood of the Demon Tribes would have been overflowing.”
“I need to rest in my comfort zone. Why don’t you let her in here first? My child will be able to talk to her.”
“Did you have a child? That animal that can’t tell right or wrong has given birth to a child?”
Rose, who once had extreme feelings about Bernard, who played a significant role in killing her, was still consistently disgusted with Leo. But Aria snorted back at the Queen’s hatred and anger.
“Oh, my, no wonder you’re so good at making children.”
“Huh! I hope that kid is not as loud as he is. Baby, shall we go in and rest?”
“Yes…”
Eir answered lifelessly and entered the door of the Necklace World, opened by Aria. Inside, Lian, who was left alone while everyone was fighting in the showdown, repeating the practice taught to him by Evan.
“Wow, pretty Noona!”
“Hmm…let’s go back, baby.”
“…”
As soon as they saw Lian, the cute little child wielding a sword, Aria and Rose grabbed Eir’s shoulder and babbled, but Eir’s reaction was a little different. When she came back from the battlefield, where there was only darkness, death, blood, and shadow, and faced with a fluffy child who seemed to have nothing to do with it, she had a minimal but positive vitality in her eyes.
“Hi, Noona. I’m Lian! What’s your name? Do you know Hyeong?”
“Eir.”
“You have a lovely name, too.”
“Baby, let’s go back. This guy smells too much of that annoying man!”
Rose was pushing Eir away in fear that she might end up in an irreversible position. But she ignored Rose’s words and approached the child carefully. Originally, Lian wasn’t much older than her. But she entered the Demon Realm, and in the process of conquering the tower, she had attained a fully grown-up body. Perhaps it was a yearning or longing for what she had lost. However, it was a considerable comfort for her to see the child smiling lively in front of her.
“Noona, are you sick?”
“Yes…”
“Then I’ll protect you!”
Lian, who approached with a firm will on his young face, had a weak smile on his lips. For those who didn’t know the situation, it would seem that they were siblings more than ten years apart in age, playing house, but it was a dangerous sight for Rose, who knew Eir’s actual age.
“That’s not going to work…my baby should be married to a man at least as old as Evan. But that kid has many women…”
Rose prayed earnestly in the hope that her anxiety wouldn’t materialize. Come to think of it, Evan had sealed off the object she was supposed to pray for earlier.
* * *
The continent had only just overcome the spell, and the aftermath of the Devil hadn’t gone away. Part of the world was twisted just by his appearance in Middle Earth, and there were still powerful monsters who embraced the spirit of the Devil. The tribal coalition believed it was Zero’s mission to deal with it and moved busily with the support of the World Tree.
It might seem a little cold-hearted, but Leo and Aria didn’t touch it at all. Instead, they devoted themselves to studying how to get back.
“So, how do you feel? When do you think you’ll be able to get back?”
“That’s tricky. Evan permitted me at the last minute, but it’s harder to a.n.a.lyze because it’s not mine.”
“But can’t you do it now?”
At Leo’s casually spilling words, Aria smiled softly.
“Of course, I got a fragment of G.o.d.”
“My wife is lucky. I wonder when I’ll get lucky.”
“Hmm!”
“Huh?”
Just as Leo grumbled, he heard a faint cough behind him. He turned around and saw a dwarf standing there.
“You’re Eihamo?”
“Right, you should get ready now.”
“For what?”
“Your unique armor.”
Leo said nothing for a moment, then leaped to his feet.
“So, you can make it!”
“Instead, you’ll have to collect the ingredients from all over the place. What do you say?”
“Aha.”
Aria was stunned while Leo was enlightened.
“You want me to be a mercenary, and you’ll make my unique armor?”
“I think it’s a good deal for you.”
“Of course, I’ll do it!”
“What a…there is nothing I can do. See you.”
“Unique Armor!”
Leo remembered how Evan had gained his armor. He strengthened his weapons and pushed himself as he ran away excitedly. In his head, he already imagined himself swinging a sword that had been stretched more than 500 meters long. Aria, who was left alone, sighed a little before laughing.
“He’s still a little kid at heart.”
* * *
And from there, they fought.
To seize the prosperity and peace Zero had promised. To grasp the future with their own hands. To find a better tomorrow, a hopeful tomorrow for mankind.
– Quaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
“Just a little more, Paul!”
“Yes! I can do it, George, I can do it!”
“Steve, don’t back down!”
“Trust me, Georgeeeee!”
And, after a desperate struggle, they finally succeeded in knocking down the boss of the dungeon.
“We got it…”
“We got it! We did it!”
The Great Mother Earth said that there would be treasures waiting to prosper mankind after attacking this dungeon. George, who led the self-proclaimed strongest warriors to conquer the dungeon, moved beyond the boss’s corpse with an excited heart.
Then, it was there. With a beautiful statue of a G.o.ddess carved with excellent craftsmanship at the center, incredible artifacts that humans dare not to make…food and seeds that don’t rot, complex and beautiful weapons like they were made of dragon scales!
“Oh, my.”
“Look at this statue. Are you the Great Mother Earth? Isn’t it as beautiful as the dwarves carved it!”
“Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh….these artifacts…how can these treasures be in this dungeon!”
“Wow…!”
George was very impressed. The beautiful face of the apostle, who conveyed the will of the Great Mother Earth to himself and promised the prosperity of mankind, seemed to be glaring in front of his eyes.
“Thank you, Fayna…! We will surely prosper on this earth! With the Great Mother Earth! And I’ll be there to greet you one day!”
Well, if you didn’t thrive after all that support, he should just go ahead and kill himself. Evan would have said that if he were there, but fortunately, he couldn’t see this magnificent skit because he was wandering the rest of the world now.