Episode 346 – Arthur, Where Are You Right Now?
Nella tilted her head slightly as she looked at Fenry, who was standing blankly.
His expression was twisted as he looked at the note in his hand, and she grew curious about its contents.
"Ah."
But her curiosity was short-lived. She blinked a few tis and quickly started walking toward the portal.
She had to hurry if she was going to calm the elves and help them relocate to their new ho.
There had been a large number of newly arrived elves today, so Nella had taken matters into her own hands.
Monts later, she stood before hundreds of elves with a gentle smile on her face.
"Welco to the World Tree."
As her voice echoed out, the murmuring quieted. The eyes of the elves turned toward her.
"This is your new ho. The World Tree Union will protect you from now on."
With both hands clasped over her chest, Nella began to speak gently.
The elves quickly beca captivated by her voice, and enchanted by her gestures, expressions, and gaze.
In an instant, the atmosphere was filled with Nella’s presence.
“This way, please.”
As she began guiding them, everything quickly fell into order. The elves moved like well-behaved children and quickly disappeared into the newly built lodgings.
Fenry, who had been watching this the whole ti, clicked his tongue in disbelief.
“I guess I can’t even joke around freely anymore.”
She felt like just making her uncomfortable would draw harsh stares from everyone around.
Even among the Blue Rose, there were many elves who followed Nella.
In the past, she’d shown exceptional talent in understanding and persuading others.
And ever since awakening her divine power, her empathy had grown frighteningly strong.
[Comradeship That Breaks Down Walls]
The ability to share emotions and earn the trust of others.
Nella’s ability had already been proven in the Tobaron region.
She had worked alongside the dwarven king during the reorganization of the area, playing a major role in uniting Tobaron’s key territories like Blyer, Etor, and Beneta.
She stood between races and humans.
With her [Comradeship That Breaks Down Walls], she had shared conflicts that arose from racial differences and quickly stabilized Tobaron as a diator.
Now, the humans of Tobaron called Nella a saint. That was how much trust they placed in her.
“If I let my guard down, she might even take the master’s seat.”
“Huh??”
Hearing the voice from behind, Fenry turned around and clicked his tongue before biting down on his short smoking pipe.
His gaze slowly lowered.
Standing there with arms crossed, wearing a flashy crown, was a dwarf.
The Dwarven King—Dorneth Gader.
He was currently known as the “Ruler of Tobaron,” a man with growing fa.
Of course, to Fenry, he was nothing more or less than a dwarf.
“Shouldn’t you be out building houses with your hamr or sothing? What are you doing here?”
“Have you ever seen a king working?”
“Says the guy who was a blacksmith not too long ago.”
“And you, who used to earn pocket change running a tavern, don’t have much room to talk.”
“What do you think the Black Rose is? It’s not a tavern, it’s an information guild.”
“Tavern or information guild, sa thing.”
“What nonsense is that? Anyway, why are you here all of a sudden?”
“I heard Arthur sent a ssage.”
“Oh, so that’s why you ca?”
Dorneth nodded without hesitation, which ant he had also been waiting to hear from Arthur.
Fenry furrowed his brow and sighed softly.
“It’s not that big of a deal. Just ignore it.”
“What’s in the note?”
“He wants to co to Aintrier.”
“...What?”
Fenry threw the note toward Dorneth while biting his pipe.
“He’s calling the investor. What does he think I am, a bank?”
Dorneth silently stared at the note. His expression was a bit complicated, and Fenry couldn’t understand why.
“What’s with that look?”
“So, are you going?”
“Are you nuts? How could I just leave? I’m the one guarding the World Tree, you know.”
“But Arthur wants you to co.”
“It’s not like he begged to. He left it as a choice—as an investor.”
Dorneth nodded and handed the note back to Fenry. Then he spoke slowly.
“Elton told . There are still many other races imprisoned in Aintrier. They haven’t returned.”
“Arthur will take care of that later.”
Hearing that, Dorneth gave a bitter smile and looked silently at Fenry.
“What’s that look supposed to an?”
“You coward.”
“We’re not who we used to be. The elves gained the World Tree, the dwarves got Tobaron. Even witches and other races have lands where they can live safely now. All of us. Who do you think made that happen?”
“Arthur.”
Fenry said the na without hesitation. It was the truth, and no elf, dwarf, or witch would deny it.
Dorneth nodded.
“Thanks to him, we gained the strength to protect ourselves. So why are we doing nothing?”
“You think I’m just slacking off?”
“Even if you’re guarding the World Tree, the ones dragged away into slavery aren’t coming back. In fact, since the great migration started, even more slaves are being created. And this is all happening while you stand guard here.”
His words struck like a dagger. Fenry’s face hardened.
“That doesn’t an I can just abandon the World Tree. Like you said, this is our last sanctuary.”
“When I unified Tobaron, I learned sothing—just defending doesn’t change anything. Without Arthur’s fight, without Beneta or the Black Rose, we all would’ve fallen to Kal.”
“...So what’s your point?”
“Arthur and we—we’re bound by blood pact. He’s not the only leader in that bond. We can fight too.”
“I’m the king of the dwarves. Now that we have the power to protect ourselves, I can’t ignore the dwarves still living as slaves. The choice is yours. I’ve just made my will known.”
With that, Dorneth turned toward the portal. Fenry saw him adjusting the shield slung on his back.
‘The Shield of Vows...’
He’d heard the story of how Dorneth had given up being a Grand Artisan to protect his people.
He’d thrown away his hamr and taken up a shield to save his kind.
For a dwarf...
‘He’s turning into a proper monarch.’
Fenry clicked his tongue as he bit his pipe. Maybe his vessel had grown.
Having beco not just the ruler of Beneta, but of an entire region like Tobaron, Dorneth seed to have matured as a sovereign.
“And ...?”
Fenry furrowed his brow as he reflected on Dorneth’s words.
‘I really did rely on Arthur too much, huh?’
It wasn’t for nothing that he’d poured his entire fortune into one of Arthur’s requests.
It was because of trust.
But now, Dorneth was saying that this couldn’t remain Arthur’s fight alone. It had to be everyone’s fight.
“Hmm...”
Fenry reopened the note and read it again.
Scratching his back with his pipe and swearing under his breath, he summoned Banli.
A cute shadow spirit, waist-high, popped out of Fenry’s shadow.
Looking just like Fenry at age eight, Banli smiled brightly and leaned her head into his touch.
“Banli, I need to step away for a bit. Can I leave this place in your care?”
He was about to call for Dorneth when—
Boom—
A loud explosion and commotion ca from behind.
“What the—?”
He turned his head and saw the forest shaking violently.
Monts later, a witch wearing a wide-brimd hat erged from the trees.
As the brim tilted slightly and he locked eyes with her fierce gaze, Fenry furrowed his brow and took a step back.
Giant Natasha.
Known as Arthur’s ntor, but even more notorious for her explosive temper.
To Fenry, Natasha was a rough brute of a witch who’d throw a punch at the slightest annoyance.
She was currently infamous as the Witch of Blood, a nightmare to hunters.
She was supposed to be guarding the outer edges of the World Tree, so why had she co here?
Apparently annoyed, she threw off her wide hat and stood before Fenry, her red bobbed hair swaying.
In one hand, she held a severed human head.
“Why the hell are you carrying around sothing that grueso?”
“I cut off a hunter’s head. What about it?”
“Then stick to hunting. What brought you here?”
“I heard Arthur sent a ssage.”
Fenry clenched his jaw as he thought of Elton.
Apparently, Elton had been going around the World Tree spreading news of Arthur.
He thought the guy had a tight mouth—damn bastard.
“You want to know what it said?”
“No, what I want to know is—why only the elves ca back.”
Natasha pointed in the direction Nella had led the elves earlier.
She must have checked in on the ones rescued from Aintrier.
“Why did only the elves return? What about the witches?”
Fenry shook his head. There had been no ntion of that.
Seeing his reaction, Natasha’s expression hardened.
She had confird through the captured hunters that countless witches had been taken to Aintrier.
Yet only elves had returned. Not a single witch had made it back.
Vwoong—
Natasha’s fists began glowing with spirit energy. Fenry lowered his stance and asked,
“What the hell? What now?”
Clapping her glowing fists together, Natasha growled,
“Arthur. Where is he right now?”
Fenry blinked in surprise.
***
Ding-ding-ding—
In the quiet first floor of a four-story building, the sound of a bell rang.
Lily looked at the bell with a hint of sadness and gently shook it.
Arthur had told her this would be the last day she’d ring it.
“Yes?”
The bell roused a response from a middle-aged man.
He looked haggard and starved—anyone would feel sympathy seeing his condition.
It was clear he had suffered under Lily as her errand boy.
As the innkeeper staggered forward like a zombie and stood before her, Lily gave him a deep nod and handed him a pouch.
Shiiing—
The mont he opened it, his face lit up in golden brilliance.
Inside was a massive amount of gold.
As he stared blankly at her with wide eyes, she gave a slight nod and said,
“Thanks for everything.”
“A-Are you leaving?”
“Yeah. But you should leave too. Once we’re gone, you might die. That’s what he said.”
He knew exactly who she ant—Alex Marcia.
The true leader of this place, who had gone out to greet Lochter.
The innkeeper peeked into the pouch again. It even had precious gems scattered throughout. Enough money to afford a far better inn anywhere else.
“Don’t co to Aintrier for a while. He said it doesn’t feel right.”
“Is that so?”
If he said so, there was no reason to doubt it.
Thanks to one word from him, all the info guild agents that had been lingering around the inn disappeared.
With one gesture, hundreds of elves vanished overnight.
If such a man said it, you had to believe.
The inn was now completely empty.
Only the witch before him—and the dog by her feet, tongue hanging out and staring up at him—remained.
“Here.”
Lily held out a tree branch. The innkeeper took it without thinking.
“Hold onto this branch and head straight down the southern road. If you keep going for about half a day without stopping, you’ll be safe. The spell will protect you.”
He didn’t know what it was, but he clutched the branch like a lifeline, bowed deeply to her, and steeled himself before hurrying out the door and heading south.
Even the innkeeper had left. Lily looked around the now-empty inn. It had been a special place to her.
She’d played hide-and-seek with ghosts, laughed with elves, and made fun mories.
But now, no one remained. Just then, Arthur walked in through the door. Lochter and Karl stood beside him.
“Did you send everyone off?”
“Yup!”
“Well done.”
Lily smiled at the warmth in Arthur’s hand as he patted her head.
Monts later—
Pop!
A large firework exploded outside the window.
Hearing the sound, the group on the first floor stepped out.
More fireworks followed, filling the night sky with vibrant colors.
At midnight—
Pop-pop-pop-pop! Pop-pop-pop-pop-pop!
“So flashy.”
“It’s the end of Dark Sales.”
The festival marking the end of Dark Sales had begun.
While Lily was srized by the fireworks—
Clatter, clatter—
The sound of a carriage approaching the inn entrance echoed.
Soon after, a coachman stepped down.
“The Lord invites you to the party.”
A golden mask had arrived, holding an invitation from Azonne.
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