Chapter 126

"It's over," Seojin muttered to himself, surveying the empty space.

The two elves and the spirit had disappeared.

Flappy flew over and perched on his shoulder. "They went off with a smile. Yggdrasil, is it for real? Is there really such a thing?"

"It does exist. Does it seem like a lie?"

"It seems so much like a lie that I thought it must be true. You're always like that. What seems real is false, and what seems false is real," Flappy muttered almost grudgingly. But there was a smile on the corner of her lips.

"Are you satisfied?"

"He was a spirit like me, and there are the elves too. But honestly, it wouldn't have mattered if it was all a lie. At least they left with peace of mind."

"It would have been more comforting if it were a lie."

Traveling through Yggdrasil's branches was by no means an easy task. However, they were determined, and if they overcame it, they would achieve what they desired.

"They will do it. They were sincere."

"We can only hope they don't change their minds. But more importantly…."

Seojin looked around. Soon, he spotted something black, like an unrefined lump of metal.

"This must be it."

Acquired: Trace of Sin

[Trace of Sin]

* It is a terrible trace of sin. Perhaps the original owner of this object was a demon.

* Can be used to greatly enhance the abilities of an elemental spirit.

* Can be used to greatly enhance the capabilities of equipment.

* +1,000 Karma score for player in possession.

* +10,000 Karma score if used.

'Karma score…'

Even Seojin was slightly taken aback.

He knew what the [Trace of Sin] was, but even so, the Karma score was rather high.

'At this score, even demons would come running to join forces with me.'

Anyone would be uneasy even putting it in their inventory.

"What is that?"

"Something left by Legia. Do you know what it is?"

"…I can guess. I feel utterly filthy just looking at it."

Flappy gazed at the object with disgust, then suddenly looked up at Seojin.

"You're not planning to use it on me, are you?"

"Of course not."

"What about you? Will you use it?"

"Definitely not. I know what it is. Enough of the weird talk, can you see what state it's in?"

"Of course I know. It's an elemental spirit. You should know that much too."

Flappy ruffled her head in agitation.

"But it's not a complete elemental spirit. It's in the stage of being a 'Will' of nature, the stage before becoming a spirit. Those trapped in that stage never even get a name."

"A name, you say, and being trapped, that means…"

"It's complicated, but they can be released. To put it in human terms, it's like busting out a prisoner from a prison in the middle of the sea."

The explanation made immediate sense. It meant the task was intricate, complex, and one slight mistake could cause significant repercussions.

Flappy bit down on her lip hard.

"…Now I get it. Yes, now I understand. Damn elf. I should have picked on her more, but I was caught up in feeling sorry for her…"

"Elf?"

"The one called Legia. Ah, what an awful day!"

Flappy huffed angrily. She punched the air a few times,then flew right up to Seojin's nose.

"When I first came to Shahav. Do you remember what I called the elves?"

"You called them leaves."

"And their reaction?"

"…They said it had been a long time, right? Three hundred years."

"Yes, that's it! That was it."

Flappy soared in wide circles, her slow, deliberate movements mirroring a human pacing in deep contemplation.

"How far back did I say I could remember?"

"Three hundred years."

"Before that, I was one of those 'Wills,' not yet an elemental spirit. I remember suddenly being frightened and fleeing."

"…Fleeing?"

"I was here." Flappy sighed, her face troubled. "I almost ended up like that, but luckily I was able to escape. That's why when I first came here, I felt something terrible in the cave."

It was a fear engraved in instinct. Though Flappy didn't remember it, it seemed to have remained in her subconscious.

"Either they fled like me, or they got caught and ended up like those guys. Ultimately, three hundred years ago, the elemental spirits of this place almost went extinct."

Flappy shook her head. Seojin understood the situation, recalling what Legia said when she left this behind.

"They can be saved, right?"

"We can't save them. But we can bring them out. The ones who are still alive at least."

That was the correct answer. There were no impossible quests in this world.

* * *

Everyone held their breath.

A hundred elves kept formation, and all eyes fixed on the entrance of the cave.

The three users, Kiri, Bigfoot, and Merhen, stood behind them. This moment was not for them to share. Though they had accompanied them on this journey, here, they were merely observers.

"…He's coming out."

Someone's voice rang out, an elf with exceptional hearing picking up the sound of footsteps.

The elves tensed up, with Jin at the forefront.

Seojin emerged from the cave, the troubled spirit perched on his shoulder.

Seojin was unfazed by the formation of elves.

'As expected, he knew everything.'

Jin was relieved that his prediction turned out to be correct. Seojin waited leisurely, as if inviting them to proceed.

"Seojin!" Jin shouted.

The spear-wielding elves struck their spears against the ground, the sound resonating through the earth.

"Friend of Salevania!"

All the elves then shouted in unison. Their resounding cry carried sincere admiration.

"The leaves shall remember your name! Your footsteps will be etched in our forests! All lands of the forest will welcome you!"

Their spears hit the ground again.

Various weapons pointed skyward, the elves' firm resolve directed solely at Seojin.

"The winds of the forest will sing only for you!"

The leaves symbolized the elves. The forest represented the elves' domain. The winds of the forest signified their willingness to fight for Seojin.

Seojin knew the meaning behind all their words, and knew what he had to say in response. "Thank you, my friends. I too will make a promise! The forest is your domain! Your high honor shall remain unshaken!"

The elves watched Seojin in silence. The adventurer even knew of their rituals.

This realization sent a thrilling shiver through the elves. Seojin offered them a fitting conclusion.

"I gladly accept the honor of being a part of the forest!"

It was the perfect conclusion.

Seojin delivered astonishingly accurate, almost scripted lines.

The tension broke and laughter spread across the forest like waves. Cheers erupted as if greeting a victorious general.

"Wow!"

"Seojin! Adventurer of the forest!"

"Friend of the forest!"

Everyone erupted into cheers..

Amidst this, Jin, as the leader, took initiative.

"Let us prepare a festival! For our friend!"

"A festival… then we should go to Shahav!"

"To the land of the kind humans!"

The elves turned, almost bursting into laughter, heading for Shahav.

Seojin approached Jin smirking.

"Shahav? I thought we'd do it in the forest."

"Much of ours is still there. Besides, you're a human, aren't you?"

"Worried the food might not suit your taste?"

"That is a big part, but…" Jin smiled meaningfully. "As I said, much of ours is still there. Can we not entreat you to end your journey with an elvish meal? It's the least we can do for the adventurer who helped us so much."

"Jin."

"Yes, adventurer."

"I don't seek rewards when I help someone."

"Yes, that's the kind of person you are."

Jin answered as if it was obvious, and Seojin chuckled.

"But I won't refuse if someone insists on giving me something. I'll gratefully accept, Jin."

"Of course, adventurer."

Jin smiled back. He was confident the adventurer would be pleased with what they had in store in Shahav.

"We'll go ahead and begin our preparations. Maya will escort you there. She volunteered."

"Is there really that much to prepare?"

"Well, Shahav isn't a small city anymore. It grew considerably, thanks to your efforts in finding water."

"Aha."

The three-day long "construction" seems to have been finished.

"I'll be there in time then."

After Jin left, the only elf that remained was Maya. She looked up with a start as Seojin approached.

"Can you wait a bit? I need to send off my friends first."

"Y-yes, of course…"

"Why, what's wrong?"

"I-I'm just grateful for your help… Sorry for doubting you at first."

It seemed she was troubled by her initial attitude towards Seojin. He just grinned.

"If you feel uncomfortable, let's be friends. How about that?"

"…Friends?"

"Yeah, friends. If we're really friends, there's no need for formality, right?"

"That-that's true."

"So, just wait a moment. I'll be back after sorting things out."

"…Okay!"

Maya's face brightened. Friends, we're friends, she murmured to herself.

Now to take care of the users.

First was the three who participated together (though they had essentially hitched a ride).

As Seojin approached, they all reacted in the same way.

Clatter. Clatter. Clatter.

They all held out something. It was three money pouches.

"What's this for?"

"This is the 1,000 gold we received as a reward for the quest."

"Yeah, I know it's gold. But why are you giving it to me?"

"We decided that we don't deserve it. It's insignificant compared to the other rewards, but…"

As their levels were around late one-hundreds, they would naturally choose to level up over obtaining one thousand gold if they had to choose.

Seojin nodded. "I'll accept it gratefully."

After taking the pouches from Kiri and Bigfoot, Seojin turned to Merhen.

"And you? Why?"

"Same reason. What did I do besides use the blessing?"

"What's our relationship?"

"We're companions. But…"

"Keep it. Let's not waste time unnecessarily. I hate pointless bickering."

"…I really appreciate it."

Merhen put the pouch in his inventory. Seojin didn't miss the look in Bigfoot and Kiri's eyes.

'It's not negative emotions, but closer to an I-knew-it kind of deal, huh.'

For a brief moment, a silent exchange of confirmation and understanding passed between them. Seojin again addressed the two guild leaders.

"Still, both of you were helpful. Thanks to you, we found Belial quickly. Anyway, you've worked hard…"

Seojin casually asked.

"What other rewards did you get besides gold?"