Chapter 265
lHkVZbHe was gaining popularity.zPMLZ
SZb9iWooden could clearly feel it.gVT5cVL
VBfRt“Anyway, you’re no longer a secret. You’re always connected, so there’s no risk of losing you. And inside the academy, you can move freely.”2zn
2Lg1XAfter insisting and begging for so long because he was bored of hanging from Fernan’s neck, he finally got permission.l0c
QNkhtBIt was his first day walking alone through the academy’s hallways, and many people noticed.qb8
qUWZ“A golem walking by itself?”zPQxVOi
9KHBK9H“Wait, could it be—?”y3K
sORFirst came confusion.2cPwl
7Y6W1jX“Wooden! It’s Wooden!”CxgUiF
s1UVg“It’s the real Wooden!”eFQWXM
M2ZRpeThen, certainty.SkPbYY5
E4MBoD“He’s so cute!”OIEW
DwNf“He looked at me! At me!”VjNflvs
ohePT“No, at me! I love you, Wooden!”QOF
LNsMVq5And finally, ovation.p9w
Z4BvWooden naturally enjoyed the attention. It was obvious.W3VTLk1
DsUAfter all, any being with sense had to admire and marvel at this magnificent body.M2oQMLN
6Vhzc7cWooden increased his size. His body, which normally measured only 3 cm, grew until it reached 2 meters.U28nHi
p0q“He grew! Amazing!”y0klQI
LkkcA“Wow, incredible…!”76uTxsw
YPsrm“He’s awesome! I want to build one like that!”gkFv
S2Ro7The gazes became more and more enthusiastic. Wooden hummed in satisfaction even though he had no nose.GDKZsvx
4v1azaV“Wooden? What are you doing here? Why are you alone?”Ijsev1
NAFSomeone approached. It was Aria.rWGKR
corN— Kyu.QXaX
Hbb2“Did they give you permission to move freely inside the academy? And where were you going?”xUYI
3hoi— Kyu.Vvti
83qb“Just walking?”laxgI
9td7k— Kyu, kyu.i0i9Jb
oLHo9O“And walking already entertains you?”6E6q
qzBAria looked at the crowd that had formed around the golem and nodded slightly.bsuKwfb
sz6I“Well, you’ve always been like that.”4q8gsM3
GklXThat was why he had given up his body to enter that of a golem and was always proud of his new form.mtS
WOUU7uTo be honest, lately Aria also thought that the 10-meter Wooden was quite impressive, so she didn’t consider it strange.xxEBExS
E5a21Nw“If you’ve got nothing to do, want to come with me?”N1WBHPj
c4rUq— Kyu?07kQuW
T8N1“To the forest. Well, to the place where the forest and the lake used to be, southeast of the island.”zFrAnUi
2alf870— Kyuu?N62CO
rNw“With elves hanging from your ears? Who taught you to talk like that?!”c31B
t0i76QAria wasn’t alone. Dozens of elves escorted her, forming a solid guard around her.y1VrJHo
ahm— Kyu.5IFB
LhTpTX“Aha, it must have been Senior Fernan. Anyway, we’re going to plant this.”aDM5
WNtFhgYShe pointed to the large box she was carrying in her hands.ZtQ
a6bfWooden focused for a moment and immediately understood what it contained; his instinct as a spirit reacted with joy.igmL
EFb— Kyu?QmEmvy0
Vxlu“Yes, a branch of the Mother Tree.”3EuAl
K5cCAlso called a branch of the World Tree, though in reality it wasn’t just a simple branch but a living fragment of it.z5bpA3
yA5ChIt couldn’t compare to the true World Tree, but its value was incalculable.
(Of course, Fernan would deny that.)paLw0i
L8zdoAIn any case, that branch contained immense mana, so much that even demons could use something like that as a catalyst for their summons.Ea8SfX
Sr3uSZD— Kyu?JmE9WM6
exBy“When Andrealphus was summoned, the entire academy was blown to pieces, remember? The forest too. So we decided to use the branch of the Mother Tree to restore it.”hj5pI
bmEKjhThe World Tree contained the power of nature, a pure life force.k1CEu
jwNJust by planting a branch, trees would grow around it, and in no time a new forest would form.4zmtuzN
wfkYTnDIt was a much more economical solution than launching a massive reforestation program.JySO60s
jsgG1tAccording to Pellenberg logic, of course.zrco
cn7Tk“I don’t like treating something as sacred as the Mother Tree with economic reasoning, but well we elves are the ones who must donate it.”5nfRphq
7KpwIn fact, the one who had most enthusiastically supported the donation of the Mother Tree was Count Fridian.pRc
iHyv8“I don’t understand how Fernan managed to convince him again.”6sjXDOQ
2vYXIn any case, he was good at that.V5jBaG
P2ZFNPAria smiled. In any case, she was in a good mood thanks to that decision—everything was going well.LvyprPD
bLT87Hx“So, are you coming?”ibXXN
zauuJ— Kyuu.3rGKiE
E8ecA branch of the World Tree spread a soft energy around it when planted.ytfjUAx
8DZi03For a forest spirit like Wooden, that was something pleasant.83jtw
54C7y6lHe nodded eagerly, wishing to feel the energy of the Mother Tree again.ZPYJ
Kgmg— Kyuu!tiM
OTRDU3Wooden shrank back down to 3 cm and perched on Aria’s shoulder.31Uga
2FoNul“No matter how many times I see it, it’s still incredible. Not only do you reduce your size, but also your weight. You’re so light.”BZ68Mn
NF3TY8— Kyu.A5RFP
vFW“Yes, it’s amazing. And I hope you know you should thank me too. I’m the one who helped you communicate with Senior Fernan.”RuGKLU
D18oQw— Kyu!9ohy4KD
Kte4“What? That I dissuaded you? I don’t remember doing that!”mtrzS8I
hPwKQArguing with Wooden, Aria arrived at the place.rzqOZD
PGUShUTThe center of the devastated land, where the forest once stood.4MG
0FYy0bkThere they would plant the branch of the World Tree to restore it.u3S
UMoCIe“…Do you need something from me?”R5J4
vMm9xHAria turned after setting the box down on the ground.3YU
t5T7wt5“You’ve been following us from the dormitory, haven’t you?”vf2
fpyBehind her stood a young man with a somewhat childish appearance.upAr9
AHTX6The elves immediately surrounded Aria and pointed their swords at him.wFIFosS
DWEP“You knew he was following you and still let him get this far? Was that on purpose?”dZOqP4L
BpY“I haven’t seen you before—a new student?”Wc910hf
nBMF7SAria gripped her staff.Swyx
rXl1“Or a corrupt one?”rELa
RsWHer eyes hardened. The guards completely surrounded the boy.WOMgfkS
K2O“Did you come for the branch of the World Tree? Or are you here to attack me again?”6WKr
HxzAria, like Verian, was sick of mind-control attempts.wVo8S78
oYmaThe spirits began to manifest.XfF
deiGBut even surrounded, the young man remained calm.z1ZstQ
uLSlRX“Correct, Senior.”1fgye
yYL3BRYHe clapped. Clap, clap.ku3hbo
OeQ“I’m a new student.”Al5Hi
WGmo“But no, I didn’t come for the branch of the World Tree or with bad intentions.”KgYbSKo
lVePB3“Ah, though if you gave it to me willingly, I wouldn’t complain.”oYw
6aYx1PzDozens of swords pressed against his skin at once.KI0
DczThe cold contact, the hostile gazes. Finally, the boy fell silent.8Y9387
DwsU“Be careful. My skin’s quite sensitive.”p5YWE
tlNNGzFA small cut mark appeared on his neck.rmq9g
Vplf0“A corrupt one, spouting nonsense…”YqASWL
xZLAnd then—L045
fXnW— Kyuu!gMQwI7
3kCDorX“Wooden?”jAx
jQfWooden, who had been sitting on Aria’s shoulder, suddenly stood up.inkXF
w0IjsHe leapt and took on his two-meter form.JEc
7jXvHis eyes shone with a light more intense than before.yBFOtAT
JG3P— It’s been a long time, Professor Dominic.Y2R
713NoR2The voice that came from Wooden’s mouth wasn’t his own.6Qu
RwPLP“I never thought you’d recognize me instantly, Fernan. Does that mean I left that strong an impression as a professor?”9ksH1
JFe— You left an impression, yes, but not because of your false identity as a professor—because of your true nature.sBpqut
rhO“Oh, really? Then you can call me Dantalion, can’t you?”6ncW1MF
f5i4Gw“I knew you’d find me out, but hearing it directly is a pity. It’s much more effective when they don’t know.”lA1m4vV
4dB— You’ve infiltrated yourself well again, I see.BCh2yH
8Bdx“When one thinks everything’s over, that’s when it’s easiest to let their guard down.”QM78duK
2yzL— Just one question. When did you descend? And what did you offer as sacrifice?JOt
9fsi“Do you really think I’d answer that?”5ctj
aImwe1Dantalion’s crooked smile widened.JuLiR
G1RLe“Ah, I actually came here because I wanted to have a little chat with you.”7yHi
e8mTHThe clone stared straight into Wooden’s eyes—or rather, through them—toward Fernan.FDswYVa
wRJ— And you needed to use such a complicated method for that?x1E5eUL
HK8“You see, meeting you directly would be troublesome. Even if this is a copy, if I die, I still take the damage.”yML8
NRMfEspecially since it’s already known that you’re the successor of the Adversaries.LerPqi
qs98Z‘Adversaries…?’JKr
OBM9gI8Fernan frowned, but said nothing.ZHWLNX
EQqzX5At that moment, he was in a carriage on his way to the place.zqWdvg
oIQdT“I suppose you’re already on your way here, but don’t come. My message is simple.”NHTo
GOkI14The clone pulled a letter from his chest and threw it to Aria.eW5
GRMWe“An invit—”klc
jKjTQ───────!yFw
ao5RjA white flash blazed.hezcU
u7NOThe clone was split in two before he could even finish speaking.QTyqpg5
rd2n“I didn’t expect this… Don’t tell me you can also transmit… the power of the Adversary… to the golem… remotely…? If you don’t come… you’ll regret…”xd0gh
MORi0G0The dragon’s power completely disintegrated him. The clone turned to dust and vanished.mAPaH
9JsJH“What a persistent guy. How far has he spread within the Empire?”27X0nn
AVnAria picked up the fallen letter.LYA
bFak“Senior, can I read it first?”EgN3
kct— Kyuu?LIH
ZAZ8FfvWooden tilted his head. The link had been severed.oQOM1
rmjKoMoments later, a luxurious carriage drawn by eight horses stopped in front of her.FCC8Muf
goYAjIt was Fernan.cRvXB
vEu“Give it to me.”zsPmpu
VMIrRjQ“Can I read it with you?”RCjOjQ
WaZY2sT“Do whatever you want.”20B
og4OHe unfolded the letter.JDaoSms
UX5tbThere was only one word written.A4I
yliQ[Frazia Kingdom.]wptG4
65O“An invitation.”GH7
vsr“It’s a trap. And a blatant one.”nha38Rf
vienoAria frowned.tBM
x5eh“Are you going?”5m1Fme
BY6Ij3“I’m not stupid enough to walk into a trap knowing it’s a trap.”cX2bxNV
dOnsk“So, does that mean you might go if it wasn’t ‘just’ a trap?”plclSzW
KMJx3PY“I’ll decide depending on the situation.”ANVLvJ
PGOLThe demons already knew all his power.rVZM9a
CfwjThey knew how strong Aint and Luina were, and also that Fernan possessed the power of the dragon.VZx0Zq
uWOAnd yet, they had laid a trap and sent an invitation.2goH
0s2DIt definitely wasn’t something ordinary.u8BFdNS
So4EAnd if he didn’t go?WanJ
CQMXPThe answer was obvious.NXI1x
aobS0“They’ll destroy Frazia.”XlMgXSe
wGcjfThere was already a precedent that the corrupt had infiltrated that kingdom.k9xC92X
oOGHfAlthough Aint and Fernan had eliminated most of them, it was likely that whoever was guiding them was also corrupt, hiding the real ones.clEV
xNS9j“I’ll go first. You finish planting the branch of the Mother Tree.”J3bT
Ett“You’re not even going to wait for us?”Xu6y8Ec
zvUH3q“And why should I?”eNg
jfb7D“Well… it’s not that you have to, but if you at least dug the hole, we’d finish much faster!”7YJHQ
bXN0902“Ask your guards. Some of them look like druids.”97K0ar
CrL98—Kyuuu!eLGoNtP
Q0ksjWooden settled on Fernan’s shoulder.7L9J
yiuKLeaving the elves behind, the carriage departed.W5P
ao3q“…Let’s finish quickly and follow them.”HnT
II9IUSm“Yes, Lady Aria.”sAqz2
WmnSlU9The earth spirits began digging.TPE8K4b
5YF***CCk
IRb0How useful it would be if a prophecy appeared right now.OPQ
HD2tiThen he could know exactly what Dantalion was planning in Frazia, how many corrupt were infiltrated, and to what extent the kingdom was involved.Cb13oe
8QWBut there was no help.iiG
KPbmWithout the book of prophecies, he had to rely on traditional methods.QeNOiK
dXPApvyFernan sent all the available members of the Golden Pillar toward Frazia.5Jx08P
BsjjAsking for help from the Golden Turtle Guild would be safer, but that wasn’t possible at the moment.AqoEW0l
LESZ‘After everything that’s happened, this isn’t a simple coincidence. I have a hunch demons are behind this.’k0y1G1
Xr0UgOIt wasn’t just a suspicion—in some way, a certainty.f1mR0
eMoTh28If demons were involved, the Guild wouldn’t have the freedom to help.uzvHe
40fIIOne week later—6DJYP
8xOY“Aint Armian, Luina Bercheff, Aria Fridian, Verian Kalburden, Gismond Ert, Ahgrot, Adolf Fridian, and me.”bPMOQmN
5Sp“This already sounds like trouble.”tx8dQ
Sg0sU0“We want permission for a one-month off-campus training.”RQe
XE4bCsF“A semester only lasts three months, and you want to miss a whole one? With professors included?”09Ze
0mS5Chhhh—V3ThoB
bNaHRRosalia crushed her cigarette hard into the ashtray.JV5PTY
aRAcQX“Fernan Pellenberg, you’ve definitely lost your mind.”N2dIj5C
qbsx8Ch“Professor Dominique sent an invitation.”zfp1
w8o“I’ll go.”RWG74
4KyKl“The rector, in the middle of the semester?”tWd5GFJ
14t2FR“And why not? If it’s to kill the bastard who destroyed the academy, I have every right.”yVQoA
KM3VLRector Rosalia stood up, ready to leave right then and there.lXvP
O0pM7“Please calm down. You’ve just taken office. What’ll happen if you’re absent during the semester?”NvVf8
kJJiE5“If I say I’m going to hunt a demon, anyone will understand.”7PW5p
RTWq01O“Not if you can’t even catch him.”1VzjDe
KXVRvLe“Then you deal with the consequences. You’re his sponsor, aren’t you?”aKul
34Kpu“Is that how you treat your sponsor?”LJxI
xiC3g“And aren’t you trying to use the rector the same way?”HGz
Gh62They stared each other down.EmiH3
iGL1AdOIt was Rosalia who spoke first.Au7RuRe
eTsum9N“…Fine. But make sure you bring that trash back.”leVj
BaFjcRosalia was aware of her position.g8s2T
Jw6CJust as Fernan said, without solid evidence, she couldn’t leave her post.Daz
MbGF4“I’ll do my best.”ytX1wsV
pczvr“I’ll send Adolf Fridian as the supervisor for the training.”OFP2I3
UhaFiHRemember this.kajmC
Qfet72aYou must catch him.gYfSR9W
5oVWWith those words, the rector dismissed them.w5QQ8j
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