Chapter 114 – World Tree"s Reward (3)
The mood got more relaxed after the first drinks. At first, the magicians had difficulty talking, but their mouths soon started opening under the power of alcohol, and the high elves showed interest in their words.
Alucard was showing interest in a Yellow Tower magician talking about mushroom growing, while Lumia ears p.r.i.c.ked curiously as she listened to the conversations between the humans. Naia was still dozing, but she occasionally asked about topics she was interested in.
Among them, Alisa was the most active high elf.
"Hey, why are you wearing a mask today? Were you expecting a masked ball or something? Or is it for another reason?"
"It is because of a personal matter."
"I see. Then can you show it to me? Or tell me why! My curious nature won"t let it go until I find out."
"It looks like it."
"Eek."
She seemed to be interested in Orta as the woodp.e.c.k.e.r-like conversation continued. In a sense, both of them were difficult to approach, so the area around them became quiet.
Moreover, there were many high elves for the magicians to talk to, and the main character of this banquet was sitting somewhere else. Theodore, the young man who led the mission against the legendary monster Laevateinn and created the opportunity for this mission to Elvenheim… he deserved to be at the center of this banquet.
"…By the way, what is this?" However, Theo was in an unexpectedly difficult situation.
On his left, there was Ellenoa…
"Theodore! This fruit called Zaoyan is delicious. It is a rare fruit from the northern forest, but this is a famous delicacy of Elvenheim, so you definitely can"t miss it."
"T-Thank you."
And on his right, there was Sylvia…
"Theo, take a bite of this. I sprinkled some spices on it, so it is much tastier."
"W-Wait a minute."
"What? Oh, it is because of the skin. I"ll take it off, so just wait a minute. If I place the blade along here…!"
There was no room for Theodore to stop this. He didn"t know who first started it, but the compet.i.tion became increasingly fierce as he couldn"t refuse and ate the piled up food. Unable to ignore the looks in those two pairs of eyes, Theodore kept on chewing.
There were empty bowls piled up in front of the three people, and the weight of his stomach was becoming increasingly dangerous.
"Uhh, how long do I have to eat…?" Theodore looked desperately for a way out. Was the heavens turning a blind eye to him…?
Fortunately, he spotted Vince sipping from a cup nearby. The moment that he felt Theodore"s gaze on him and was about to ask what Theo needed…
Vince heard someone"s voice from behind him, "Oh, my, is that wine in your mouth?"
The high elf, Lumia, who had been standing on the outskirts, approached Vince. She was a high elf, a survivor of a species from the myths, and an existence normally hard to meet. As a magician and one of the delegates, he had no choice but to respond to Lumia"s words instead of paying attention to his disciple.
"Ah, yes. It is a strange but delicious taste."
"That is a relief. The wine is made from the grapes that my tribe grows ourselves, and it is highly appreciated for its fragrance and flavour. Would you like to try another kind?"
"Oh, it would be an honour."
"Huhu, I should be the one saying it is an honour. Come this way."
Vince moved away without thinking, and Theo looked after him with a devastated expression. Simultaneously, Lumia turned back to look at Theo and gave him a strange smile.
"Why?" Theo thought.
Then a whisper entered his mind through Ratatoskr. It was Lumia"s voice.
–Well, try it yourself.
"Huh?"
She didn"t say anything beyond that as she led Vince away.
With that, Theo"s way out had disappeared. There were two bowls set before Theodore, filled with more food that he couldn"t eat. Perhaps he could endure if he used Battle Song to accelerate his metabolism?
Then a stupid idea emerged in his head. "…Alcohol."
He didn"t enjoy it very much, but his eyes caught an unopened wine bottle. Among the Elvenheim specialties, there was a wine which couldn"t be made anywhere else. Theo couldn"t understand why they made it since it wasn"t good for the bottle, but it was an elf specialty.
Ellenoa was the first one to notice his attention on the bottle.
"Oh, do you want a drink? I don"t know the taste of it, but this wine is well-known in the forest. Perhaps Theodore will enjoy it."
"Hrmm… If you say so."
"Yes, then have a drink." As she nodded, a fragrant liquid emerged from the mouth of the bottle.
Ellenoa poured a cup for Theodore and for herself before putting the bottle down. Indeed, there was no cup for Sylvia. The subtle action caused Sylvia to mutter in a low voice, "…Why aren"t you giving any to me?"
Ellenoa c.o.c.ked her head and replied, "Based on the standards of the human species, aren"t you not allowed to drink until you experience the coming of age ceremony?"
"I"ve had my coming of age ceremony already! It was this year!"
Maybe it implied that she looked young. Sylvia stared sharply at Ellenoa, took the bottle, and poured the wine into her cup. Her timing was a bit late, so the pouring wine barely came to a stop before it overflowed.
Then without waiting for a toast, she poured the contents into her mouth.
Gulp. Sylvia quickly finished the drink and turned triumphantly to the two people.
"…Hua."
She fell face down onto the table.
* * *
Typically, the body of a magician was stronger than that of ordinary people, so they were more resistant to harmful substances such as alcohol. There was no statistically a.n.a.lyzed data, but it was natural since high density mana circulated through their body.
Therefore, Theo couldn"t help feeling surprised when Sylvia became drunk on one gla.s.s.
He sighed slightly and muttered, "Ah, I"m glad I decided to drink water instead…"
"Ahaha." Ellenoa heard his words and laughed awkwardly.
She hadn"t expected this to happen either. Consequently, the two of them were now left alone. As Sylvia, the biggest obstacle, had self-destructed, Ellenoa could achieve her purpose without any interference. She immediately used a pretext of a walk to get alone with Theo.
Regardless of whether he knew the meaning of the walk, Theo looked at the ground spread under his feet and exclaimed, "By the way, it is amazing to see. I never expected the banquet to be in such a high place."
"Is that so? I had a similar reaction to Theodore when I was first brought up here. There was a large tree in my hometown, but it didn"t soar to the height of the clouds."
"I never thought I could touch the clouds like this…"
The clouds around his fingertips scattered like a torn spiderweb, leaving a damp feeling behind. He looked like an amazed child, causing Ellenoa to step toward him with warm eyes. The place they were going to now was impossible to reach without the ability of a high elf.
"Please follow within three steps of me." After saying that, Ellenoa moved slowly.
The closer they got to the world tree, the more the high elves could exercise a power which was close to that of their ancestors. It was possible for them to open a s.p.a.ce door or jump some distance without using a knot hole. The foundation of this phenomenon was different from magic, but the result was similar.
Shortly afterwards, Theo"s keen senses noticed the change. "Ah."
It was similar to the Shukuchiho method used by the White Tower Master. He took a few steps after Ellenoa, and their position suddenly changed.
Theo kept track of the changes. It wasn"t so difficult when looking at the height of the clouds, the perspective of the landscape, and the density of mana. The problem was that the changes didn"t happen just once or twice.
"The banquet hall is 350 meters below… No, it has just changed to 500 meters. Then we went down by 100 meters…"
It was at a pace much more than fast! Theo marveled at the rate of change as the map in his head was destroyed. They had gone up and down so many times that he didn"t know where he was now.
After five minutes of walking, Ellenoa was able to reach the desired destination. When Theodore saw the destination, he spoke carefully, "This is…?"
The two of them stopped in front of a shabby cabin. The cabin"s planks of wood were so rotten and the pillars were so old that it wouldn"t be strange if the cabin collapsed immediately. It was too shabby compared to the magnificence of the world tree.
However, Ellenoa seemed to be rather solemn in front of it as she looked at Theo.
"This is a place where you can"t enter or leave unless you have the consent of a high elf like me."
In such cases, the majority of high elves had to agree to let the person enter.
Ellenoa then started explaining about the cabin. It was different from its insignificant appearance. Her voice sank slightly when she said it contained the history and wisdom they had kept for thousands of years.
Then she gazed into Theodore"s eyes with a serious expression while her golden eyes shone brightly beside her pale green hair. "Theodore. For the second time in the history of the elves, you have been recognized as a visitor of the Fountain of Wisdom."
"Fountain of Wisdom… this cabin?"
"Yes. It was called a different name during the ancient times, but it is now a legacy of a forgotten era. In the history of the human race, there were a few records of when they dealt with it in the Age of Mythology.
Theo gulped as he understood the value of this rundown cabin.
The Age of Mythology was an era when humans hadn"t yet become masters of the continent. It had been thousands of years ago when G.o.ds, demons, dragons, and ancient species walked the world. Meltor was a kingdom which collected artifacts and relics more enthusiastically than anywhere else, but they hadn"t been able to find any traces from that period in time.
If there was only one book or scroll in that cabin, it might be worth dozens of libraries in this age. However, Theo"s surprise was only beginning.
"I brought Theodore to this cabin because a wise man foretold that you would come."
Theodore became blank at those words. Who would the elves refer to as "wise," and how could they have predicted this situation?
The appearance of the legend ranked grimoire, Laevateinn, as well as the powers of Andras and Meltor… This moment had occurred as a result of numerous causal relationships. Theo had no choice but to be astounded.
Then Ellenoa dealt the heaviest blow. "The wise man who predicted Theodore"s visit was the first of his kind in the world, the first human to make a contract with an elemental ruler."
"No way." The words entered Theodore"s ears as Theo stared at her.
"Myrdal Herseim, the great elementalist, said that he left something for you in the Fountain of Wisdom."
Current schedule: Next Patreon goal has been reached!! Thank you for the support. There will now be 14 chapters a week, meaning two chapters every day.
Chapter 115 – Mysterious (1)
"Myrdal Herseim!"
Theodore’s face stiffened at the unexpected name. Yet, in actuality, it wasn"t surprising that Myrdal was treated as a sage by the elves. In a world where the high elves couldn"t call the elemental rulers without borrowing the power of the world tree, Myrdal, however, had managed to call one with his own power.
This phenomenal feat was more than enough of a reason for him to be a valued guest of Elvenheim.
"Sage Myrdal said this." Ellenoa ignored Theo"s inner confusion and started to recite the prophecy in a calm voice, "After a long time, the sixth dancer will open their eyes, and forgotten beings will awaken from a deep sleep. Two countries will compete against each other and summon an indescribable disaster. But there is no need to be afraid. The guest who comes from a distant place will avert the disaster. Once that happens, please guide the guest here."
"…Is what you just spoke the prophecy?"
"Yes."
It was like a mysterious puzzle, but Theo was forced to feel a chill since it had all come to pa.s.s.
At least a hundred years ago, maybe more than that, Myrdal had visited this cabin and made a prophecy. He predicted the events which began with the birth of the sixth dancer, Ellenoa, and then the appearance of Laevateinn and the visitor who managed to stop it.
Theodore thought up to there and was struck with a crazy idea. "Impossible… Even if he is contracted to an elemental ruler, how long can a human live for?"
He had met a few existences who lived beyond the ordinary standards of life, such as a sword master who could collapse a mountain with a sword, while an 8th Circle magician who could resist even natural disasters. There were also the guardians of Elvenheim who could reverse a situation with one arrow.
Nevertheless, Theo hadn"t felt like this when he faced them. This was a feeling of an incomprehensible awe and fear. Myrdal Herseim was something entirely different from the masters of this age. At that moment, a piece of a puzzle floating around slotted into place.
[An original book has been consumed. Promoting a connection to Myrdal Herseim… Success. Myrdal Herseim has accepted the connection with the user.]
[Connect is starting.]
"Connect" was a phenomenon he had only experienced when he ingested Introduction to Elemental Magic.
"Ah…!" A sound emerged from Theo"s mouth. There was no evidence to support his speculation, but his intuition was convinced that he was right.
In the records of the Magic Society, Myrdal Herseim was a great mage who had understood elementals more than anyone else 300 years ago…
And he was still alive. Maybe it wasn"t a coincidence that Theo had made a contract with Mitra. In order to bring him to this cabin, Myrdal might have arranged something. However, as he was worrying alone, Ellenoa had continued her explanation.
Then it soon came to an end. "…That is all I can tell you."
Fortunately, Theodore had been half listening and could remember all her words. Only one person could enter at a time, so she explained how to use the Fountain of Wisdom. He inscribed her instructions into his mind.
After finishing the explanation, Ellenoa opened the door. Then the darkness welcomed him.
"It is another s.p.a.ce door."
The door led to another s.p.a.ce, so while the cabin might look shabby, the interior was completely different. Theo took one step before turning back toward Ellenoa and saying, "I"ll be right back. Wait a bit."
"Ah…" She blinked like a surprised squirrel as Theo completely disappeared into the darkness of the cabin.
Simultaneously, the shabby door closed, and Ellenoa was left alone. However, she didn"t feel bad despite being alone. Theo had told her to wait and that he would be back soon.
Ellenoa replied one beat too late, "…Yes, I"ll wait."
Her ears peeked through her hair like a rabbit as she lowered her red face.
* * *
After the familiar dizziness of s.p.a.ce travel, Theo reached a s.p.a.ce beyond the threshold of the cabin.
This was the Fountain of Wisdom. He had stepped into a mystery of the elves, whose true name had been forgotten.
When he saw the reality of it, an exclamation flowed from Theodore"s mouth, "…Indeed! This is why it is called the Fountain of Wisdom."
It was literally a fountain. The fountain was transparent enough for him to see the bottom, and there was a blue light shining from it. According to Ellenoa"s description, all the elves" recorded wisdom was contained in this spring water. It looked like spring water, but it wasn"t. Additionally, it wasn"t possible to make contact with it unless a gourd from the world tree was used.
Theo wanted to explore the principles of the magic here, but that would take more than a day or two. The time limit of this place was 30 minutes, so he had to prioritize what he wanted to know.
Dakak.
Theo first picked up a gourd hanging from the wall, as Ellenoa had described. It was made from a seed of the world tree, but there was no difference. When the thickness and sizes were compared, the gourd was slightly lighter.
"Just one time."
There was a sound as the blue spring water entered the gourd. He tried to soak his fingers as a test, but all he felt was air. The same would apply even if he jumped in the spring water; it would be like falling into a deep pit. This was a place which stimulated the intellectual curiosity of magicians.
Theodore placed his lips on the gourd.
–Drink from the spring water and think about the wisdom that you want. Then you will receive an answer to that question.
The blue spring water flowed down. It pa.s.sed from his lips into his mouth, and from his tongue down to his throat. However, Theo couldn"t feel any of that. Apart from the taste, there was no sensation of liquid being in his mouth. According to Ellenoa, drinking it was just a ritual to insert the spirit of the fountain into him.
"Myrdal Herseim." Then he started thinking hard about the existence which reminded him of a mountain range, the eyes which resembled the sea… the old man with flowing white hair and beard.
Theo recalled the memories of that day when he couldn"t even lift a finger. Then as the gourd emptied…
Wuuuuuu.
The blue water started fluctuating. The transparent and clear spring water shone with a white light before moving back and forth, like a wave raising his body.
No, it wasn"t a wave raising his body. It wasn"t even the spring water. In the middle of the fountain, an image resembling a human appeared. It broke and merged several times, but the final form was familiar to Theodore.
It was the old man with a magnificent presence, Myrdal.
[Hoh, the guest I"ve been waiting for has finally come.]
"…Myrdal Herseim."
Despite having already met once, Theo barely managed to speak. It was just a form reproduced by the Fountain of Wisdom, but Myrdal"s presence was remarkable. Theodore shook as it felt like a weight was crushing his shoulders.
However, Theo was different from that time. He had grown in circles and as a person. Therefore, Theo was able to stand firmly without being disturbed by Myrdal"s presence.
The old man smiled gently at the sight. [You"ve gotten better. You are still immature, but you are better. It might be incomplete, but you have gained the primordial flames. If you don"t mind, I, Myrdal, want to hear your name.]
"Theodore Miller."
[Theodore… No, Theodore. Haha, it is a funny name for a magician.]
(The first Theodore, author uses the spelling with the Korean p.r.o.nunciation. Second Theodore, author uses spelling for English p.r.o.nunciation)
Myrdal found it funny…? However, before Theo could ask what it meant, Myrdal shocked him with the next words.
[It has been a while, "Greed." No, should I call you Gluttony now?] The old man spoke directly to Theo"s left hand.
Theo didn"t know how, but it was evidence that Myrdal Herseim knew about Gluttony. So, Theodore couldn"t expression his surprise when the mouth appeared on his left hand and a voice flowed out.
-…Yes, it was you. Gluttony"s voice sounded nervous. –A fragment of memory calling out to me, how pretentious.
[Huhu, please forgive me. I foresaw your visit, but I"m not able to move at this time. So, I am forced to greet you and your contractor in this way.]
–Giving excuses… Perhaps it was because Gluttony felt uncomfortable that it changed the topic without any further complaints.
Indeed, Gluttony"s mild att.i.tude was different than usual. In other words, this person called Myrdal Herseim, was someone who made Gluttony nervous and unable to cope with. Theo listened to the conversation between them carefully.
Gluttony was the one who cut to the chase first. –I wonder how you are still alive. Explain why you waited for me, no, for my user. If the answer isn"t acceptable, I will consider you as an "enemy" from now on.
[You are still too stiff. I am the one who allowed your user to sign an elemental contract. Shouldn"t you have been more alert?]
However, Gluttony remained silent. This was a silent protest which meant it wouldn"t listen to any more nonsense. It was the first time Gluttony had acted wary toward someone, so Theo watched the confrontation with a strange mood.
In the end, Myrdal raise his hands and answered in a low voice, [It is because your thoughts are too different.]
–Me?
[That"s right, Gluttony. Unlike the other six, you don"t pay much attention to the fate of the world. Pride who wants to eat all species, the one who wants to stop the present world…]
Then Gluttony shouted in a sharp voice, –Stop!
Myrdal closed his mouth like he had been waiting for it. Theo didn"t know what was going on, but it was clear that Myrdal said something that stimulated Gluttony. It must be bad if the almost emotionless Gluttony was forced to shout. Theodore examined the few words that he picked up.
"Myrdal mentioned Pride. If so, the rest of the information that Myrdal was going to say…"
It was about the rest of the Seven Sins. As if affirming Theo"s idea, Gluttony spoke to Myrdal in a voice which didn"t hide its anger, –Are you trying to threaten me? A remnant of the myths.
[I am asking politely.]
-…You sure talk very well.
Theo couldn"t understand the conversation at all. He merely realized that the two had agreed on something. Myrdal wanted to expose something to Theo, but Gluttony had stopped him before taking a step back.
In the end, Gluttony waved the white flag and spoke in an annoyed voice, –I will tolerate it only once.
[Thank you for your generosity.]
Current schedule: Next Patreon goal has been reached!! Thank you for the support. There will now be 14 chapters a week, meaning two chapters every day.