Episode 389 – Beneath the World Tree (1)
From early morning, the banquet hall was buzzing with noise.
Attendants escorted the witches in one by one, and the witches widened their eyes at the feast laid out before them.
Dishes they had never seen in their lives were arranged all around the room.
At the entrance, Arthur greeted them with a smile.
“Please, co and enjoy yourselves.”
It was what one might call a farewell party.
A small event Arthur had prepared for the witches who would be leaving for the World Tree today.
He had gathered the chefs the previous day and firmly instructed them to prepare a nu the witches would like. But the mont he saw the food prepared that morning, he couldn’t help but let out a wry smile.
It was all sweets—sweet, soft, and overwhelmingly rich desserts.
An extravagant dessert buffet where one couldn’t tell if it was a al or a post-al treat.
It turned out the chefs had no clue about the witches’ tastes, so they’d grabbed a passing witch and asked her directly.
Arthur’s gaze shifted to one particular spot.
“Hehehehehe!”
Lily was grinning from ear to ear as she looked over the desserts covering the tables.
Of all people, it had to be her.
The mont he saw the nu, Lily had co to mind imdiately.
Arthur was 99%, no, 100% certain the witch the chefs had grabbed had been Lily.
“Eat! Eat up!”
“Woof! Woof! Woof!”
Like a child let loose in a playground, she ran around the banquet hall with Keros, scooping up food onto plates.
Thankfully, the other witches seed to have similar tastes to Lily. They too darted about excitedly, just like her.
Unlike the elegant music played by the ensemble, the banquet quickly devolved into chaos.
Plates broke, and the carpet was soiled in an instant.
Noble etiquette was unnecessary here.
Everyone enjoyed their al freely and spent a joyful ti together.
The farewell party continued until noon.
“Not yet… not yet…”
Lily was dozing off on a large sofa, nodding off.
Though her mind was being overco by sleep, her body still craved sweets—her tiny hands were still clutching a dainty fork.
Arthur chuckled softly and gently lifted her into his arms.
When he turned his head, he saw Revina, who always stuck close to Lily, looking up at him.
Arthur smiled and asked, “How was the al?”
“It was amazing. Most of the food was completely new to .”
“I’m glad everyone enjoyed it.”
“Um… thank you.”
Mid-conversation, Revina straightened her posture and gave Arthur a deep bow.
Arthur looked a bit troubled. Every ti he passed a table, the witches had greeted him in the sa way, just like Revina.
“Sotis, it feels like I’m dreaming. I get scared when I go to sleep… I think the other witches feel the sa.”
“This is reality, Revina.”
“That ans we’re truly happy.”
Revina smiled brightly.
The world was no longer a place of fear for the witches.
No matter where they went in the city, there were no humans who dared to mistreat them.
It was all thanks to the man standing before them.
“You’ll all be happy from now on.”
Arthur offered Revina a blessing and turned to head upstairs—he was going to put Lily to bed.
Seeing this, Revina carefully asked, “Um, is Lily…?”
“She’s not going to the World Tree. This place still needs her power.”
“I see…”
“If you wait a little, you’ll see her again. Very soon.”
“Soon…”
Revina trailed off while gazing at the sleeping Lily, then gave a small nod and returned to the table where the witches were chatting.
Arthur carried Lily toward the quarters where Lochter was staying.
In truth, Lily was a decoy—the real matter was what ca after.
As he climbed the stairs, he spotted Keros trotting after him.
“Did you eat a lot?”
“Woof…”
“Yeah, that nu wasn’t really your style. Missing at, huh?”
“Mrgh!?”
When they entered the room, Samuel was already waiting. He seed prepared to go out, having finished getting dressed.
Looking around, Arthur noticed that ghosts had taken up positions in the room.
Each ghost was backed up by five seasoned Leaf rebels from the Kal rebellion.
There were three ghosts, which ant fifteen Leaves were likely stationed throughout the area.
They were the guards who would protect Lochter’s quarters in Samuel’s absence.
Still, Arthur felt uneasy. They didn’t know when Lochter would awaken.
Even with more than enough preparations, it still feels risky, given the tis we’re in.
Arthur gently laid Lily on the soft couch and looked down at Keros.
“I’m going to the World Tree. Watch over our allies until I get back.”
Panting quietly, Keros looked up at Arthur.
When there was no real reaction, Arthur smacked his lips and held up two fingers in front of Keros.
“Alright. When I co back, I’ll give you double the at.”
“Pant pant…”
“Triple.”
“Woof! Woof! Woof!”
“Good.”
After striking a verbal deal with Keros, Arthur checked on Lily.
Even when he pinched her cheeks or ruffled her hair, she didn’t react. Her breathing was long and shallow—she was fully asleep.
Once she fell into this kind of slumber, there was no telling when she’d wake up.
It was a side effect of sleep ford from sloth, but since Keros was nearby, it was best to leave her as she was.
Arthur summoned the ghosts.
“If things get bad, don’t try to hold out. Carry the others and run as far as you can.”
“Understood.”
“Keros will buy you so ti.”
Having planned for the worst, Arthur walked over to Samuel, who had been waiting.
Samuel, smiling faintly as he adjusted his stylish suit, handed Arthur sothing.
It was a sword wrapped from hilt to blade in blue cloth—one Arthur had previously asked him to hold onto.
When Arthur unwrapped the cloth, nothing appeared to be in his hands, yet the ominous energy in the air was palpable.
It was Richard’s fifth sword—the Invisible Blade.
“What do you plan to do with that? I’ve kept it for now, but I couldn’t exactly walk around carrying it.”
“Hmm, just a mont.”
Arthur stared at the invisible sword briefly, then walked over to Lochter’s bed and laid it neatly beside Belin and Reyna, the twin swords.
Seeing this, Samuel asked, “Doesn’t seem like a sword Lochter would like.”
“That’ll be up to Lochter. He’s the one who hunted Richard. So the spoils go to him first.”
“Pity. If we’d recovered Richard’s other swords, I might’ve gotten one, too.”
“Indeed.”
The rest of Richard’s swords had been stolen during the chaos by Rengua.
Along with one of the corpse-like Cleaners, he had disappeared.
That worried Arthur.
Rengua was a master dollmaker—highly skilled and dangerously obsessive.
A normal doll won’t co from that.
He doubted Rengua would waste the Cleaner’s corpse on sothing like a simple Van Dyke puppet. What ca to mind instead was the Red Knight.
And what if that Red Knight were to wield the rest of Richard’s swords?
Then I’ll have to fight it myself.
The natural enemy of the Red Knight was sacred power—his own strength.
Which ant they needed a way to track Rengua’s movents.
They had to closely monitor Pri Root—a place full of unpredictable variables, unlike Demtor.
After entrusting the room to the ghosts, Arthur and Samuel left together.
As they walked through the corridor, Arthur asked, “How are you feeling?”
“Not bad. I can operate the portal just fine at this level.”
“That’s a relief.”
When they exited the castle, final preparations for departure had already been made.
A line of carriages waited at the gate, and the witches boarded them one by one.
Arthur boarded the lead carriage.
A short ti later—
Hiiiinng!
With a loud neigh, the procession began to move.
While they had used Lenon Workshop’s underground tunnels for moving the elves, the witches were headed to the portal openly by carriage.
When they arrived at the large warehouse, ghosts standing guard opened the doors and welcod Arthur.
He stepped down and took in the sight of the portal swirling at the center of the warehouse.
Samuel’s spatial portal.
The witches stood before it, gazing in wonder.
“Wait here a mont.”
Maintaining the portal and activating it were separate tasks.
Samuel stood before it, took a short breath, and looked ahead.
The longer the portal was sustained, the faster the Curse of Fracture would consu his body.
In the past, he wouldn’t have been able to endure it for long.
He glanced at Arthur briefly, then closed his eyes and activated the portal.
Vwoooom!
As if welcoming its master, the portal surged and turned red.
Arthur nodded with a smile and looked at the witches.
“It’s ti to return ho.”
Their trust in Arthur had already reached its peak, so none hesitated as they stood before the portal.
Starting with a very tense Revina, thirty witches began to cross over.
The witches vanished one after another.
Arthur watched them silently. When the last had gone, Samuel approached.
“We should close the portal.”
“Is sothing wrong?”
“Even if your power recovers from the curse, it doesn’t restore my ntal stamina. I’m nearly at my limit.”
“How long can you hold out?”
“At most, two more days.”
“That’ll be enough.”
“Heading to the World Tree?”
“Yes. Given the Union’s position, I’ll need to adjust the World Tree’s position as well. It has to be .”
“Alright. I’ll go with you.”
“Ah, wait a mont.”
Arthur stared at the portal for a mont, then stepped outside the wide-open warehouse doors.
He was waiting for soone.
The agreed-upon ti had passed slightly, but Arthur was willing to wait longer.
This was soone who had looked forward to this day more than anyone—he wouldn’t miss it.
And sure enough—
“Ah, Arthur!!!!!!!!!”
With a desperate cry, a dwarf riding a tiny donkey galloped toward him at full speed.
Dorneth Gader dismounted in front of Arthur, catching his breath as he began unloading his luggage.
The bundle he carried was twice his own size.
“...What on earth did you buy?”
“I was picking out gifts for my fiancée. Took a bit longer. Aintrier has a ton of stuff won love. I’ll have to co back with her soday.”
“You say ‘picked out,’ but it looks like you bought everything.”
“What are you waiting for? Let’s go.”
As Dorneth urged him on, Arthur shook his head and looked at Samuel.
At Samuel’s gesture, Dorneth jumped into the portal without hesitation.
Arthur called over the ghosts closing the warehouse doors.
“It won’t take long. Please take care of things here.”
“Yes. Ah, and…”
“What is it?”
The ghost hesitated for a mont, then smiled and shook its head.
“Never mind. If I say it now, I might get scolded… You’ll be surprised when you get there.”
“Whatever it is, I’m looking forward to it.”
Arthur chuckled and stepped into the portal.
Fwoooosh—
A wave of crimson light greeted him.
On the other side of the portal, beyond the World Tree, sothing awaited him.
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