Chapter 282 – Aintrier (1)
A presence like rain after a long drought.
Sharbadin’s visit to the Ordor Forest was just that for us.
Especially, the reinforcents she brought breathed life into the forest.
“A small village? It'll be done in a few days.”
“Let’s look for a good spot first.”
About fifty dwarves had arrived with Sharbadin, all of them specialists in construction.
True to their curious nature, the dwarves let out awed exclamations as soon as they saw the World Tree, then began surveying the surrounding environnt. Fenry trailed after them, and soon after, a loud shout stirred the atmosphere.
“Ooooh!”
“Here! There’s a rich flow of energy in this area! It’s perfect!”
“A good place to build houses?”
At Fenry’s question, the dwarves looked around and nodded enthusiastically.
“I’d want to live here myself after retirent.”
“Great. Then let’s start construction here.”
At Fenry’s signal with his pipe, new faces appeared and began helping the dwarves. These were newly arrived elves, seemingly working for the sake of the place they would now call ho.
“You lot, co help out too!”
Fenry called over the witches who had been resting.
“You’re going to live here too, right? This is your village.”
After a mont of hesitation, the witches nodded and joined the dwarves as Fenry directed.
Beneath the World Tree, the area designated for the village grew lively with many people.
“The forest hasn’t felt this alive in a long ti.”
It felt like the gloom that had settled after the war was finally lifting.
Watching the scene, I turned to look at a group of humans.
People who hadn’t been able to join the labor teams and were huddled in a corner.
They were reinforcents from Tobaron who had co with the dwarves—more than a hundred of them.
To Fenry, they must have seed like ideal workers.
“Hey, if you’re not going to use those guys right now, send them over.”
“They’re a vital force, so I can’t.”
“What? Who here isn’t important?”
“They’re part of the anti-Kal coalition forces. They’ll be sent to Demtor.”
At that, Fenry muttered, “Ahh, those guys,” then waved his pipe and turned his head. It was a signal to do as I pleased.
I approached the group of humans.
Visitors to the Ordor Forest, where entry was forbidden.
Their first ti in the infamous Witch’s Forest, and now they were blocked by an enormous tree and surrounded by witches and other races who wouldn’t even look at them—it was only natural they’d be tense.
“Greetings.”
As I stepped forward, their subdued expressions began to ease.
One man who seed to be their leader stepped forward. Judging by his attire, he was a knight.
“Is Sir Heinz doing well?”
“Y-Yes! It’s an honor to et you. I am Knight Ravitán.”
“You know who I am?”
He looked at for a mont, then nodded slightly.
“You’re soone we’re ant to serve moving forward…”
“You’re Sir Heinz’s knight?”
“Yes.”
It seed Heinz had told him about .
These were people not from Tobaron, but who would now be working in other regions, so he was likely transferring command authority to .
‘I really hate trouble.’
There was no reason for to take responsibility for everyone.
“You don’t need to follow . Just keep following Lord Lochter, the commander of the coalition forces.”
“Ah, but the coalition was disbanded a few days ago.”
“…Disbanded? The coalition?”
“Yes. Sir Heinz determined the anti-Kal coalition was no longer necessary and rged us into Hunt’s organization.”
Has Heinz finally lost it?
He rged the coalition into Hunt without even asking .
‘So this is his way of forcing to stay involved.’
Since Lochter, the de facto commander of the coalition, was already part of Hunt, it wouldn’t be a major issue.
But now that we were all under one organization, there were more things I had to pay attention to.
“Is Sir Heinz at Elletor Fortress?”
I’d heard a general overview of Tobaron’s situation from Sharbadin, but she was an elf.
So I didn’t know the details of those within Tobaron, and now I was hearing it from Ravitán.
But sothing about Ravitán’s expression was strange.
He placed his hand respectfully over his left chest and paid homage to soone before speaking.
“Sir Heinz is currently traveling with Priestess Nella to purify all of Tobaron.”
“…Purify? Priestess Nella is?”
The knight firmly nodded.
“Wherever she sets foot, peace follows. Conflicts are resolved, and tis of suffering co to an end.”
“The Priestess is God’s ssenger, destined to bring peace to Tobaron. May the beauty of the Blue Rose be eternal.”
Seeing not only the knight but others behind him respectfully placing their hands together, it was clear that Nella’s influence within Tobaron had beco overwhelming.
‘It must be because of her ability awakened through divine inspiration.’
[Comradeship That Breaks Down Walls]
This ability becos easier to use the harsher the world is.
According to Sharbadin, Tobaron’s public order was deteriorating rapidly.
“It’s a lawless land without rulers!”
Even Blyer and Etor, once counted among Tobaron’s Three Great Houses, were now without lords due to the nobles’ deaths.
All the lords Kal had brought to the battle against Beneta were wiped out, leaving most of Tobaron’s territories leaderless.
Among the survivors, the greedy began to stir, and Tobaron had now turned into a lawless zone overrun with bandits and rcenaries.
What the knight referred to as “purification” ant subjugating these bandits.
‘Since Dorneth is personally involved, things will be stabilized soon.’
The “Shield of Tobaron” had begun to move.
And Heinz was helping at his side.
Heinz, the seasoned old noble, was both Lochter’s representative and the one who laid the foundation for the anti-Kal coalition.
With him assisting Dorneth, Tobaron’s chaos should be resolved within a month.
‘And the stabilized territories will unite under Nella’s ability.’
Seeing the humans here worshipping Nella only deepened my conviction.
If Nella were to connect the World Tree Alliance and Tobaron, both forces could rge without major conflict.
“Then I just need to focus on the outside now.”
I guided the forr coalition mbers to one area of the forest.
But first, I needed to assess their combat abilities.
“They’re composed of mana users from 1-Star to 3-Star. I selected only those with sharp perception.”
I had asked Heinz to send elite candidates to serve as informants for Hell Gri.
Since I told him they’d play a central role in future plans, it seed he’d carefully selected the team.
I could tell just by looking at their representative, Ravitán.
He was Heinz’s most treasured knight—an impressive 4-Star.
Perhaps because of that, Ravitán spoke with confidence.
“I handpicked only the most hardened individuals who survived as rebels. As you know, surviving as a rebel begins with erasing your presence. Send us anywhere.”
“I have high expectations. But before that…”
As I parted the underbrush to open a path, the others followed behind .
And then—a clearing appeared.
Waiting inside were twenty robed figures.
The elite of the Black Rose, carefully selected by Fenry.
Seeing them, Ravitán looked back at .
“…Why are Dark Elves here?”
“They’ll teach you the knowledge you need and basic stealth techniques. You’ve got excellent teachers, so learn as much as you can.”
“Um, but our skills should be enough already…”
“At this rate, half of you will be dead in three months.”
“And that’s with the knowledge you’ll gain from them.”
Hell Gri is a world that defies common sense.
Trying to get by with the knowledge from Tobaron is a death sentence.
They were like frogs in a well.
To teach them the danger of the outside world, they needed to gain indirect experience through the Dark Elves, masters of spirits and magic.
Not how to fight—but how to escape or survive that kind of power.
“If we add the external information Elton brought…”
Elton had compiled his experiences in Hell Gri into reports, following Samuel.
We would use that to build their knowledge and help them adapt in a safe location.
If thrown into Hell Gri with only knowledge, more than half would die within three months.
But starting from a secure nest built around the Ghosts would drastically reduce that risk.
‘Securing a safe nest inside Hell Gri is most important.’
Luckily, I knew a good place to establish that.
As the Dark Elves silently approached, the coalition mbers grew visibly tense.
I shook my head.
I knew this was the best thod, but people who had no knowledge of Hell Gri wouldn’t understand.
These were rough types, hardened by rebellion. Without , they’d surely clash.
But I couldn’t stay with them forever.
So I called for the one who would take my place.
“Chu, Chung!”
As one man stepped out from among the Dark Elves, Knight Ravitán dropped to his knees and saluted in a rush.
The others did the sa.
Seeing Lochter reveal himself confidently, everyone bowed their heads.
The anti-Kal coalition might be disbanded, but Lochter was still Tobaron’s hero.
Even Heinz treated him as a lord, so his words carried more weight than any explanation I could give.
When Lochter looked at and nodded slightly, I smiled and said,
“I leave them in your hands.”
“When will we depart?”
“Once the Ghosts have completed their growth, we’ll head for the city.”
“By ‘city,’ you an the one you ntioned yesterday—Aintrier?”
I nodded.
Aintrier.
The largest free trade city in Hell Gri and the only neutral city where no major faction had taken root.
It wasn’t far from the Ordor Forest, making it the best place to establish a nest and set roots.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Perhaps because he had heard about the powerful figures outside, Lochter smiled and disappeared into the forest with the group.
He would handle them well.
‘Now, all that’s left are the Ghosts.’
I repeatedly clenched and opened my fists.
Each ti I focused, a faint light faded and returned over my body.
Attribute infusion now occurred as naturally as breathing.
It was the change brought by absorbing the World Tree seed shell and awakening to 5-Star.
Enchant flowed naturally, like breathing.
Just like you never forget how to ride a bicycle, the instinctive sensation remained in my body.
“This must be what they call ‘divine power’ granted to the chosen.”
This body was originally a half-baked divine power awakener.
Due to terrible mana sensitivity, I couldn’t express that power.
But upon reaching 5-Star, that ability had fully blood.
“It really was brutal…”
From 1-Star to 2, then 3, 4, and finally 5-Star.
Not a single part of the journey had been easy.
I placed my hand over my heart.
“Without you, it would’ve been impossible.”
I had reached 5-Star largely thanks to Reto.
Without him, I wouldn’t have died at 5-Star—I’d have died long before.
Obtaining Retonicalus’s heart was a divine stroke of fate.
[I only acted according to my purpose. No need to thank .]
“Whatever your intent, I’m grateful all the sa.”
[Have you considered the additional attribute?]
“Of course.”
Last night, after much thought, one attribute had co to mind.
That was why I had chosen the free trade city of Aintrier.
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