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Chapter 226
"Am I… useful?"
"Even if you can't heal, you're more useful than anything else. So don’t say that."
“Pfft…”
Luna’s soft laughter, sounding quite pleased, echoed faintly.
The healing of external wounds was instantaneous.
Although Isna had clearly sustained injuries severe enough to be considered fatal, healing them posed no difficulty for Luna.
Her divine healing authority was such that, as long as the person wasn’t dead, she could bring them back.
While Leon carried Isna out of the cave, Luna silently glanced around the cave’s interior.
"It’ll be troubleso if Leon finds out the truth."
She had to keep it hidden—for Leon’s safety, if nothing else.
Just hearing its na, recognizing its existence, or perceiving its form could cause severe ntal erosion.
Such a phenonon had applied even to the two gods of Eden, Adam and Eve, long ago.
Truthfully, Luna didn’t know much about it.
Called a god of the outer dinsions, she wasn’t sure if it was truly divine or just a monstrous being of comparable power.
Nothing was certain.
But she had seen so of the angels who once served her weep blood and have their minds destroyed the mont they ca under its influence.
She didn’t even fully know its na yet, but if that god from another dinsion had begun to covet this land, this realm once again, the only thing she could do for now was buy ti.
At least until Leon was strong enough to truly resist it.
She still didn’t know how it knew about Leon, or how Leon had beco involved with it in the first place—but the power Leon possessed was already far beyond the limits of her understanding.
Wuuuuung...
Raising an aura of five-colored light, she purified and incinerated the remnants of the god’s energy left behind in the spot where Isna had been.
But sothing faint, lingering there, attempted to invade her mind.
What she was doing now went beyond simple contact—it was a dangerous act that touched the essence itself.
Yet perhaps it was due to the necklace Leon had given her, which had a calming effect on the mind.
Luna felt as serene as usual.
She longed to tell Leon the truth, but the only way to protect him for now was silence.
Until the day he beca stronger.
“Luna. Let’s go.”
“Understood.”
With the last trace of the outer-dinsional god erased, Luna silently withdrew the radiant wings of light spread behind her and began walking out of the cave.
* * *
The funeral procession of the elves proceeded in a solemn atmosphere.
The city still hadn’t fully recovered from the massive attack, and reconstruction efforts were underway everywhere.
Yet more important than that was the present situation.
I silently watched the procession from the terrace of the Trigard family’s estate.
Every street in the city was filled with elves in mourning clothes, silently carrying the coffins of their fallen.
“Elves are buried beneath the roots of the World Tree.”
It’s said that the bodies of those buried there beco one with the tree and continue to live within it.
A strange tale, but an elven tradition nonetheless.
“You don’t need to go there?”
“My turn will co later. The World Tree has chosen as a candidate for its next representative.”
She showed the emblem engraved on the back of her hand and smiled faintly.
It seed that was the mark the World Tree gave once a candidate beca the true successor.
In the Holy Kingdom, it would be akin to receiving a divine stigma.
Apparently, even before the false accusations, Triana was already considered the most fitting candidate for the role—a high elf most worthy of the title.
Now that I looked, Triana Bell Trigard’s outfit was different from usual.
Much more elegant and beautiful.
“My lady. You’re not fully ready yet. Please, co quickly.”
“Ugh… Well then, my lord. I’ll return to finish getting ready.”
With those words, she gracefully left the room.
As I stared at her departing figure, Luna approached .
“What?”
Cling!
She suddenly jumped on , wrapping her legs around my waist like a cicada clinging to an old tree.
She was still on the shorter side, so it felt a bit odd having her dangle from like this.
Her dull, murky eyes—tinged with faint dark circles—locked entirely onto .
“What now?”
“Were you looking at another girl? Am I just the fish you've already caught and forgotten about?”
More than her jealousy, this kind of physical ambush was extrely embarrassing.
“Are you going to stay latched on like that?”
“Can’t I?”
Apparently, Luna hadn’t been satisfied with the amount of ti we’d spent together lately—she didn’t bother hiding her displeasure.
“Leon, you looked even more handso today.”
“Thanks. You’re pretty too.”
“Not bad. That was a decent sweet talk.”
Having soone who expressed their affection so honestly was actually kind of nice.
I found myself smiling unconsciously.
She was mischievous at tis, but her presence was comforting and joyful.
Feeling a bit awkward, she slowly climbed down and cleared her throat, turning her gaze away.
“How’s Lady Isna?”
“She’s just exhausted. She’ll wake up after a good rest, though it’ll probably take a few days.”
That was a relief.
There were many things I needed to ask her, but if she wasn’t awake, there was nothing I could do.
About two hours later—
Luna and I were guided by an elven attendant of the Trigard family to the funeral.
Even as outsiders, the elves insisted on our attendance—thanks to our efforts, the damage was minimized, and the World Tree itself acknowledged us as benefactors.
I had no intention of refusing, so I followed the attendant to the procession and joined the crowd waiting for the ceremony to begin.
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All eyes were on the soon-to-arrive speaker of the ceremony—Triana.
Not long after, with the help of two elves, Triana appeared in a stunning ceremonial outfit.
All the elves respectfully bowed their heads in silence.
Triana took a short breath and slowly began to read the prepared speech.
“Today… we have endured much. An outside force invaded the sacred borders of the Mother Forest and extended its evil hands to corrupt our beloved World Tree.”
The elves listened silently with solemn expressions.
It wasn’t an especially grand or impassioned speech.
She rely acknowledged and articulated the reality of their situation.
When her speech ended, Triana raised both hands, and the entire assembly offered a mont of deep, silent prayer.
It was a wondrous sight.
In response to Triana’s gesture, beams of light began to fall slowly from the high branches of the World Tree, like snowflakes.
They gently enveloped everyone, as if offering comfort and praying for the souls of the dead.
In the presence of the World Tree’s mystery, the joint funeral ca to a solemn close.
Afterward, Triana t the eyes of the other clan heads and elders, then gave a small nod. Slowly, she opened her mouth to speak.
“Lord Leon Cascadia. Would you please co forward?”
At her request, I silently walked out from among the elves.
Though surrounded by countless elves, they stepped aside as I approached, parting like the sea to clear the path for .
Plop… plop…
And then, beautiful multicolored flowers were scattered along my path, forming a trail for to walk upon.
I’d seen scenes like this in my past life—in movies—but never imagined I’d experience one myself.
With the soft rustle of footsteps, I ascended the platform.
Triana spoke.
“We must not forget our gratitude.”
She continued speaking.
“Though he was an outsider with no duty to protect this place, he was the first to lend his aid in defending this land—our Mother Forest—and helped save countless kin, our Mother World Tree, and this city from the invading monsters…”
She paused, then lowered her head to .
“Our deepest respect.”
As she murmured quietly, the high elf clan heads and the elders were the first to bow their heads in reverence.
Then, all the elves gathered in the plaza followed, bowing to in unison.
I quietly took in the scene.
Watching so many elves, regardless of race or interests, expressing their gratitude to equally—it made feel a little awkward.
It was then.
With a strong gust of wind, the massive branches of the World Tree swayed, and the lingering particles of light began gathering in one spot.
As if the World Tree itself was trying to speak to .
Though no words were exchanged, I sensed the World Tree’s request and pulled the claymore from subspace.
Falling Blossom, which had earned the nickna “Divine Sword” among the elves.
Shiiing…
Even though I drew my sword, none of the elves were alard.
They simply watched in silence.
Then I firmly gripped the sword with both hands, holding it upright so that the guard lined up with my collarbone.
And I whispered:
“Bloom.”
The second awakening of Falling Blossom, powered by the World Tree.
As it activated, the entire blade dissolved into radiant particles, forming a giant flower bud in midair.
Then, as the luminous flower blood, petals of light scattered across the entire city.
With the World Tree’s power added, it was as if a blessing had descended upon the entire forest.
“Ah… the Divine Sword…”
“It must be…”
Very few humans know the true structure of a spirit blade.
Its special nature makes it hard to categorize as just a magic sword.
So, to the elves, this must have been an especially moving mont.
Soon, imnse life energy began to surge, and the floating petals of Falling Blossom started to fall and disintegrate one by one.
Then, a small cluster of light at the center of the flower condensed and slowly descended into my hand.
The radiant sphere dimd and revealed its true form.
A softly glowing fruit.
Oh.
What is this?
The structure is so unusual.
“Oh my…”
anwhile, the elves looked on in shock.
“The Millennial Fruit… To think we would witness the World Tree’s essence…”
From their reaction, it seed to be sothing truly extraordinary.
Watching all the elves kneel at once and offer their respects toward the World Tree, I couldn’t help feeling a bit overwheld.
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