Chapter 293 – The Leaf of the World Tree
The VIP entrance to Aintrier was more grand and magnificent than any other castle gate.
It was wide enough to allow a hundred people to walk through in a single line.
Standing tall before the massive gate, I could feel the weight of every gaze from the crowd outside landing squarely on .
This is… a bit uncomfortable.
“World Tree Union?”
As expected of those guarding the VIP gate, all the guards wore eastern-style masks.
They looked over the unexpected visitors blocking the entrance.
A ridiculously young guy and a woman with her face hidden beneath a robe.
The guards glanced at each other and murmured,
“Ever heard of the World Tree Union?”
“Not once.”
“You?”
“Sa here.”
Of course, they hadn’t.
The World Tree Union was a na I had co up with on the fly during a conversation with Fenry.
Even the elves living in the World Tree didn’t know the na yet.
No way these guards would.
After a short silence, the guards scoffed and nodded to one another.
It looked like they thought we were just another pair of attention-seeking weirdos from so backwater region.
Such incidents weren’t rare, so they decided to handle it by the book.
“The World Tree Union is not listed on the VIP registry.”
“Then you’d better rember it from now on. Because I’ll be a regular guest of this gate.”
“There are two qualifications required to enter the Golden Road.”
The guard referred to the entrance itself as the Golden Road.
They clearly took great pride in guarding it, and their eyes were growing increasingly hostile.
“Either you’re a force recognized by the Lord, or you provide a great benefit to Aintrier.”
“Which of these do you fulfill?”
Normally, a gatekeeper would have pulled out their weapon and snarled by now.
But these ones were polite, asking about my qualifications with composure.
So this is why they're in charge of guarding the Golden Road...
…Or so I thought. Nope.
The guards drew their weapons and began stepping forward.
One, holding a sword gleaming with nace, spoke coldly.
“And if so ignorant nobody without the qualifications blocks the gate, we offer a lesson to remind them of their place.”
Apparently, you really couldn’t underestimate these gatekeepers.
Even wearing their masks, their skill level was impressive.
About 3-star strength, I’d say.
“A lesson?”
“We usually cut off the tongue or the ankles. It’s a warning—don’t overstep your place, and don’t speak carelessly.”
“That's… pretty harsh for a lesson.”
“But a life saved through a lesson is still a blessing, is it not?”
“Doesn’t sound like much of a blessing.”
“If you cannot provide proof, may we proceed with the lesson?”
Oh, may you?
I chuckled. The guards swiftly advanced.
I raised a hand to stop them and rummaged through my backpack.
Then, I pulled out a single, blue leaf and held it up.
The guards flinched, pausing mid-step as they stared at the leaf and then back at .
Their eyes clearly asked, What is that supposed to be?
“The one and only tree. A leaf of the World Tree. You’ve heard of the World Tree, right?”
I gently waved the leaf, but the guards simply shook their heads, unimpressed.
Their body language said it all—this was a waste of ti.
Well, I couldn’t bla them. On the surface, it did look like just a regular leaf.
As they raised their weapons again, I moved according to plan and released my hidden power.
FLASH!
The leaf lit up with radiant light, casting a soft, golden wave in all directions.
A gentle warmth filled the air, soothing and peaceful.
Sacred Power.
I had enchanted the World Tree’s leaf with Sacred Power.
Gasps rose from the crowd at the sudden display.
All eyes locked onto the glowing golden leaf in my hand.
Even the guards stood frozen, wary of this unexpected spectacle.
See? People only believe what looks impressive.
No room for them to deny it now—I had to make this convincing.
When I placed the leaf on my palm, the golden light grew stronger and spread even further.
Not just around , but the very area surrounding the gate began to glow.
Ever since reaching 5-star rank, my understanding and control over enchantnts had grown to a “dazzling” level.
Sacred Power's effect was Order, which opposed Chaos.
When the World Tree was enchanted with Sacred Power, it gained resistance to chaos for as long as the enchantnt lasted.
To turn sothing ordinary into sothing extraordinary—there was nothing better than enchantnt.
And the World Tree’s leaves had far longer enchantnt durations than most materials.
I’d discovered this while researching the leaves. If used well, they could be incredibly useful.
And then—
“Aaaaagh!!”
As the golden light swept over the crowd, cries of alarm began to erupt.
Not just one or two—quite a few people collapsed, screaming.
But shortly after, they got up and checked their bodies, wide-eyed and astonished.
“My... my curse... it’s gone?”
“The black mage’s curse is lifted! It’s real!”
“Could that light really…?”
People who appeared to be from the sa village clasped hands in joy.
Elsewhere, voices shouted that cursed items had been purified.
I blinked.
“…This wasn’t in the plan.”
Perhaps it was the small miracle wrought by the light—
But now all attention was focused on the golden leaf in my hand.
And the word “World Tree” began to spread quickly from the crowd’s lips.
Then ca—
“Could they be from the World Tree Union?”
“‘They’?”
“The ones who live in Ordor Forest.”
Even our identities were being speculated aloud.
The World Tree’s leaf was making the exact impression in Aintrier that I had hoped for.
That much was intentional, yes…
“I heard Demtor backed off after the World Tree was born.”
“Then that really is a World Tree leaf?”
“They say it’s the First Tree...”
“What’s sothing like that worth?”
A small miracle playing out before their eyes—
A mysterious tree even Demtor had withdrawn from.
So people’s eyes turned blatantly greedy as they stared at the glowing leaf.
That’s definitely worth money.
A lot of money.
“This could be bad.”
The unexpected blessing had turned into extre over-advertising.
It was starting to feel like a full-blown scam.
The response was so overwhelmingly positive that I was beginning to worry.
“Please, this way.”
A man stepped in to escort us sowhere.
A golden mask.
Soone wearing a golden mask appeared, then confidently led us through the VIP gate.
Didn’t expect soone with a golden mask to show up.
In Aintrier, anyone with a golden mask was essentially one of the real powerholders.
If they could open the VIP gate without the Lord’s permission, their influence was unquestionable.
Clearly, the impact of the leaf was bigger than expected.
Soon after, we were guided to an elegant dining table, where plush sofas awaited us.
The man in the golden mask asked politely,
“Is there anything you would like to eat or drink?”
“A very sweet drink and a set of cookies. One of each kind, please.”
“You have a distinct preference.”
“Not mine. Hers.”
Obviously not for .
Lily had been tugging at my sleeve for a while now, whining that she was hungry.
The man gestured, and the attendants quickly exited.
As food was being prepared, he looked at us and spoke again.
“Aintrier prides itself on having good intel, yet we’ve never heard of the World Tree Union.”
“Tobaron, Hunter, the Witch, and non-human races.”
“That’s the composition. Once launched, the Union intends to expand its influence in Hell Gri.”
“Thank you for sharing such valuable information. Then you are…?”
“Best to rember my face now. You’ll be seeing it often as the Union’s representative.”
“I will make sure everyone is inford.”
I sank deep into the sofa.
Seeing , Lily sprawled out and kicked her feet.
A bit of an arrogant posture, sure—but in Aintrier, attitude didn’t matter.
Whether you bowed or stomped around, they didn’t care.
Only profit mattered.
As long as there was sothing to gain, they were ready to be friends with anyone.
“I heard you plan to sell the leaves?”
“If the conditions are right.”
“Will they be listed in the Dark Sales?”
“Why? Not enough variety?”
“Hmm...”
The golden mask examined the leaf on the table.
Its soft golden glow gave off a gentle, comforting warmth.
He seed to evaluate the leaf’s market value, then asked a few questions.
“Is this glow part of the World Tree’s natural ability?”
Of course not.
But I nodded firmly.
“It’s like a blessing—sothing that only appears on a few select leaves.”
“How long does it last? I assu it’s not permanent.”
“About fifteen days.”
“What does the blessing do?”
“Well... it seems to counter curses, black magic, and chaotic spells. We don’t know everything—it was only recently born, after all.”
The golden mask quietly studied the leaf and then leaned back into the sofa.
His deanor had changed.
He must’ve decided it wasn’t impressive enough for the Dark Sales.
“Insufficient.”
“What’s the reason?”
“It’s special, but there’s too much of it. As long as the World Tree exists, you could produce hundreds, even thousands of leaves.”
“But blessed leaves like this aren’t common.”
“There’s no verified effect.”
“If brewed into tea, it alleviates mana imbalance.”
I knew this with certainty—I had treated Samuel Barber’s Curse of Fracture using this.
Drinking tea brewed from Sacred Power-infused leaves would definitely help.
Once I brought up mana imbalance, his deanor changed instantly.
Mana imbalance was a feared condition among powerful individuals.
If this truly worked...…things would get noisy.
This item would sell.
Demand would skyrocket, and with it, the price.
But the buyers would all be powerful people.
This wasn’t about money anymore.
“How much do you have?”
The golden mask glanced at my backpack and asked.
I gave a short chuckle and leaned forward.
“I’m not selling it. I need it for sothing.”
“Didn’t you co to list them in the Dark Sales?”
“No. What I’m offering isn’t so leaves.”
“Then...?”
I crossed my arms and said,
“Exclusive distribution rights.”
“I plan to sell exclusive distribution rights—A contract that allows soone to take a set number of leaves each year.”
The golden mask’s throat bobbed.
A leaf that alleviated mana imbalance could serve as a link to any figure of power.
If used well, its intangible value was enormous.
When the drinks and cookies arrived, the golden mask stood up, took the plates from his attendants, and personally placed them before Lily and .
“Aintrier would be honored to beco friends with the World Tree Union.”
“That depends on the friend I et.”
“…The friend, you say?”
“You’re rely soone who serves that friend. I’d like to et the friend in person.”
The golden mask, in the middle of pouring water into an empty glass, paused.
His gaze sharpened, but I responded with a smile.
The true master of Aintrier.
The Hand of Midas.
Azonne Vistas.
eting him would be the key mont for the World Tree Union.
At least for now, we’d have to play friends.
User Comments
0 comments from readers