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“I’ll gladly accept Edelin’s favor.”

“Sounds good. This way, please.”

Edelin, smiling brightly, turned with a lively step.

She slowly opened the firmly closed door of the shrine. As the old wooden door creaked, the inside came into view. The landscape within the shrine looked no different from a small chapel.

“Here, I’ve prepared everything. It should be enough for a brief conversation.”

“I appreciate the hospitality.”

Shione and I walked toward the small altar located in the center of the chapel. A small table and chairs were set up there.

As I glanced around to take in the inside, I thought, ‘Nothing too special here.’

The central altar, surrounded by chairs made of wood, looked well-maintained by Edelin, showing no signs of neglect despite their age as there was no dust settled on them.

‘The only thing that concerns me is that.’

Naturally, my attention was drawn to the centrally located statue, which had an unusually antique appearance even in this quaint chapel. The small stone structure depicted a tree, its roots forming the base of a small well that stood there forlornly.

I wondered if it had always been built like that or if it had fallen into disrepair over time, with the roof of the building having holes here and there, allowing warm sunlight to pour in.

In such a space, the largest beam of light illuminated the structure, creating a warm atmosphere, and I could sense an aura there that as a Spirit Mage, I couldn’t overlook.

‘…It feels like the spirit’s energy is intoxicating.’

Of course, if it were just common Spirit Mages, they wouldn’t be able to comprehend such a thick concentration of spirit power emanating from that structure, particularly from the well beneath the statue.

Tilting my chin up and standing on tiptoe to have a better look into the well, I saw clear water collected inside.

‘With that amount of energy in the water, it must be—’

For Spirit Mages, that water would undoubtedly be called a holy water of the highest value.

Honestly, if I didn’t have to maintain composure, I’d want to rush over and gulp it down right away.

Despite my attempts to act indifferent, I found it hard to tear my eyes away from the well. The High Elf, having noticed my distraction, was already seated, looking at me.

“It seems you’ve caught on?”

“…….”

“Well, you’re a Spirit Mage, so you couldn’t have missed it. Normally, we would offer this holy water lightly to guests who enter the shrine, but… right now, we have a situation, so I apologize, but we will serve you the holy water next time.”

I smiled awkwardly and nodded, taking my seat beside Shione.

Even though it was tempting, I had no ties to that water in the first place. Compared to the ears of the elves, I, with my pure and simple soul, promptly set aside my desire.

As we settled into our seats, a suitable conversation atmosphere began to form, and it was none other than Edelin, the ruler of this place, who spoke first.

“I’ve heard the general situation from the Elders. You successfully defeated two of the three half-demons that were hiding in the Eastern Forest, along with the merits you have accumulated.”

“Young Lady Shianella became a beacon of light for everyone during the dark night… and I also heard that your hero even harvested the corrupted soul of the half-demon all on his own.”

“I should start by expressing deep gratitude for your efforts, heroes, before we begin the discussion.”

As Edelin’s gray eyes enveloped us, she bowed her head slightly.

“Let us pay tribute to the heroes who did not retreat for the Great Forest amidst fierce battles.”

A little bit of formalities.

These high-ranking people can be quite problematic. After pouring a considerable amount of time into endless formalities and expressions of gratitude, this High Elf was no different. With plenty of such formalities already from Friel and Fletta, I waited for Shione to negotiate opinions with her appropriately.

My role was not to lead in these matters of gratitude and negotiation.

‘If the Great Forest falls, it inevitably affects the kingdom as well.’

In any case, having stepped into the forest, it would be better to strive for a more favorable outcome.

And just as I held that thought, Edelin spoke the words I had long wished to hear.

“Now… along with this, considering the failure to subdue the half-demon, I would like to hear from the esteemed heroes what path our Great Forest should take. Could you share your thoughts?”

“I think it would be best for Ray over here to respond to that matter, if that’s okay with you?”

“Of course. After all, Ray is the hero who also fought together with Princess Shione to eradicate the marauders. Please feel free to share your thoughts freely.”

Edelin might have already been prepared for this. From the vision she had seen, the Great Forest had turned into a sea of flames and destruction. Even though our intervention altered its fate, I didn’t expect she hoped to halt that massive flow of destiny from the very beginning.

But if her thoughts had the support of others, it would lead her to proceed with an unwavering faith.

I began to speak about the countermeasures that the Great Forest needed to undertake.

“It’s too late to form additional troops to take down the cultists.”

We couldn’t afford to lose our main force in the Eastern Forest that was now nearing its transformation into the Demonic Realm, all just so we could stop a ritual we probably wouldn’t be able to prevent properly.

Since the day when crows blackened the blue sky, the Eastern Forest was doomed to become a complete Demonic Realm. We could no longer have hope to initiate a pre-emptive strike against the demons hidden in that forest.

“The cultists are vile, and they will again initiate a ritual to summon another catastrophe, centered around the surviving half-demons and demons.”

“Then can’t we just stop that ritual again?”

I shook my head.

“Moreover, the ritual will probably conclude in the near future, thus it would not be feasible to send troops.”

“The hero also surveyed the battlefield known as the Eastern Forest with the limitations of a confined scope and vision, but you seem to have a confidence that differs from the other Elders.”

“…….”

“Perhaps you’re letting your emotions lead, but it seems like your arguments have little foundation, almost none at all. Yet in your eyes, I see a conviction that does not reflect the gaze of someone who is lying.”

Edelin’s gray eyes lacked sufficient justification.

She was likely somewhat skeptical of my words.

To lend more credibility to my statements, I decided to call on Elvis at this juncture—

“Could it be that your certainty stems from the spirit you summoned without my help?”

…But it appeared she had already picked up on the connection with Elvis before I could say anything.

I quietly nodded in agreement with her observation.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“The spirits you summoned must have been of the highest caliber… last I summoned it was fire, so this time, it must have been wind. A skilled spirit at the top would be capable of gathering information more broadly than anyone else.”

“…….”

“However, such information requires verification. I will summon my spirit for a moment, and may I let it mingle with your spirit?”

Having the spirits mingle, I figured she meant to discern whether the information Elvis brought back was accurate through her own trustworthy spirit.

Without hesitation, I nodded.

“Of course.”

“That’s great. Then I suppose the idea you wish to convey as a hero is… beginning to take shape.”

As she spoke, our voices overlapped.

“Complete defensive measures for the Great Forest.”

“…The Great Forest must give up on the offensive and now focus solely on defense.”

Edelin smiled faintly.

I kept speaking without being swayed by her expression.

“The demons have shown troubling signs.”

There was something even more dangerous than the demon that she’d spoken of in her vision, something that might pose an even greater threat. No matter how the Elders described it, it was more deadly than one could imagine.

“Through this operation, we have suffered greater losses than expected.”

Their demons remained intact, while our elite forest guardians had suffered catastrophic losses. We could not afford another incident that would further deplete our already strained forces.

“And this is the main reason I assert that the Great Forest should relinquish its ambitions for an offensive and instead focus on solidifying its inner strength.”

The most crucial point.

“Currently, there is a traitor hiding among us in the Great Forest suspected of colluding with the demons.”

It was about Ianette.

“Not from another family but from one of the three major clans of the Great Forest, Ianette.”

The moment I mentioned this, the faint smile on Edelin’s face, who had been listening to my argument, vanished.

At this point, Shione jumped in as if she had been waiting.

“The more imminent threat than external enemies is clearly the discord from dangerous internal adversaries.”

Shione rummaged in her pocket and pulled out an amulet imbued with mysterious energy.

She promptly laid the amulet on the table.

“As the spokesperson for the Arielte Family, and endowed with the authority of an individual Elder, alongside being among those who participated in the expedition to hunt down demons and beheaded the marauders, I implore the Grand Elder of the Great Forest.”

A tension began to permeate the previously relaxed atmosphere.

“I strongly urge a trial regarding the transgressions committed by Ianette during the operation and the hidden secrets linked to them.”

 

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