Chapter 84

The ancestors of the elves were a wandering people. The world was desolate, and their clan faced the threat of extinction.

It was the Life Dragon Kultusvita that saved them.

The dragon gave the elves a forest. The forest provided them with a home, food, and when outsiders tried to intrude, it would confuse and repel them.

Kultusvita maintained the forest, but as the elves grew in number and prospered, it weakened. As it weakened, the forest's ability to repel outsiders diminished, but by then the elves had become capable of defending themselves.

Now, it was time for the elves to help Kultusvita in return—so thought the High Elf king, who bestowed magic power upon Kultusvita through a magic song.

Kultusvita fell into a long sleep, and where it lay, trees grew and have now become such great trees.

So, Yuri said,

"Even though we no longer know what form Kultusvita took, if there is a tree connected to Kultusvita here, and if it can provide magic power to the dragon still sleeping in the earth, it is our duty to continue offering the magic song to the hero who saved our clan. Don't you think so?"

That is the duty of the High Elves... the royal family.

But.

(Still...)

I continued to stare at the pulsating red-black light, and confirmed it with the [All Things] ability.

(This is not a part of Kultusvita.)

It has a square shape and an unusual light and pulse, but there is no mistake.

It is a天赋珠玉 (Tianfu Pearl).

Moreover, it is a Tianfu Pearl that has been modified by someone.

"…Yuri, this is—"

"This is a part of Kultusvita's body… thinking that it protected our ancestors makes me feel warm. As High Elves, we must respond to Kultusvita's wishes, and it makes me feel more determined."

"……"

I couldn't say it.

The truth I saw.

We remained silent for a while, but while Yuri looked at me with a warm gaze, I felt extremely uncomfortable.

Why is a Tianfu Pearl there?

Is it even possible to modify a Tianfu Pearl?

What kind of Tianfu Pearl was it originally—[All Things] couldn't even analyze that.

My mind was in chaos, and I was almost silent when we returned to the High Elf mansion. King Silvys had already returned to his duties, so I was allowed to stay overnight.

Dinner was with Aisha, Matvey, and Yuri, but the other siblings were not there. It seems the relationship among the siblings is not good.

Matvey and Yuri immediately started arguing, so it seems they don't get along either.

"Phew…"

"You must be tired."

After dinner, Aisha and I were alone in the guest room. The tea she made with a wry smile had a strong herbal scent, but it was good for the body.

"I've never seen Lady Yuri talk so much."

"…Huh?"

"Even though Lady Yuri and Lord Matvey are twins, they always seemed distant. But something must have happened during the years I was away… or perhaps you, Raiji, changed them."

"Me? That's not true."

"No, it is. You move people with your passion… I am, too."

Looking up at me with a slight tilt of her head, Aisha was unreasonably cute.

"It makes me happy, and a bit embarrassed… I'm just doing my best to live."

When I was in Japan, no one ever said such things to me. Thanks to [All Things], I felt that my efforts were paying off, and I no longer hesitated to put in effort. I always enjoyed studying.

"…Raiji, what did you talk about with His Majesty? If it's something difficult to talk about, you don't have to say it…"

"……"

I hesitated about whether to tell Aisha. King Silvys and Yuri treated the World Tree and the Life Dragon Kultusvita as a "secret within a secret," and I didn't know how much Aisha knew.

This was a very delicate matter.

Something that could deeply affect many elves…

"Raiji-sama, are you there?"

As I was hesitating, there was a knock on the door, and a maid entered. She seemed a bit surprised to see Aisha but quickly regained her composure.

"His Majesty has summoned you, please come."

"…Understood."

I stood up.

"Aisha, I will tell you about this. But not now."

"…Yes, please go. I'll be waiting."

Seeing Aisha's understanding and sincere response, I thought,

"Do I always keep you waiting?"

"Yes, but waiting isn't hard. Considering the years it took for me to be able to speak… it's nothing at all."

The king's private room was not much different from Aisha's. The elves live with the forest, so they do not desire excessive decoration.

"Well… can you tell me what you saw?"

It was just the two of us in the room. There were about a dozen Secret Service agents in the hallway, but if we spoke in low voices, they wouldn't hear us.

"…A modified Tianfu Pearl."

That was enough for him to understand—His Majesty nodded and said, "I see."

"Your Majesty, you knew I would see through it and sent me there, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Why… Yuri didn't seem to know about it."

"It is only passed down to the kings. It is not just one Tianfu Pearl, but a combination of multiple Tianfu Pearls… the kings have been advancing this research over generations. There was no other way to keep Kultusvita alive underground, to convert magic power into life force."

"…I am not well-versed, but isn't modifying Tianfu Pearls taboo?"

The words "sin and guilt" that His Majesty mentioned seemed to indicate that modifying Tianfu Pearls is not a commendable act.

"Exactly. It is absolutely forbidden to tamper with the Tianfu Pearls that make up the world. Therefore, only I am involved in this… of course, I cannot conduct research alone, but the world is vast. There are those who experiment with modifying Tianfu Pearls, knowing it is taboo, or unknowingly."

A paper was placed on the table—when I saw it, I felt as if I couldn't breathe.

The author's name was "Hinga."

This might finally resolve the foreshadowing from the prologue of the book version and the first chapter of the comic.