Chapter 44
jbh1PThe plan of the corrupted beings ultimately succeeded.YSpQGQS
T8T3mMassive amounts of resources were lost, and the branch of the World Tree—the key element—ended up contaminated.DVB3n
aNnBuS“…Hahaha.”Izay
p1asHFernan looked helplessly at the branch, now blackened across a quarter of its length.UfQ1IzC
KLwPsWas it over? Had they failed just like that?278h8d
mpQlO0Then Aria approached decisively, tore away the remains of the box, and pulled out the branch of the World Tree.w1aV7
JC9Next, she summoned a blade of wind.5OWKda
yq1bT0nShhhk!OfH
Lturq0The branch trembled. A faint nick appeared where the blade passed.JCE3
tQXIx“WHAT the hell are you doing?!”eX5i1K4
yk2Shhhk!H1gN0V
5HU“I asked you what you’re doing!”SiI
G8C“Senior, this is Hyde, right? Tell him to cut this, please.”17TqA0Q
R86AEm“You want to cut the branch of the World Tree?”Hxc
ubW“The contaminated part must be removed. It’s the only way to save what’s left.”j2nZ7
3aknoR1“Save it… you say?”5OQWW
6JmMUfe“Don’t underestimate the vitality of the Mother Tree. Even if this is just one of her extensions.”SM0RUw6
upnDvqAt Aria’s assertion, Fernan signaled Hyde.lGsynO
Xa5RbYQHyde unsheathed his sword. A sharp red aura descended directly on the fragment of the Tree.pMU53u
arET8hcClang!OkC0f
Qo1U“This… is harder than it looks.”lRKund
2LIwr“But cut it! You must! Every second counts!”pD4
gbFFernan shouted as the black stain slowly spread. If they stood idle, they’d lose the healthy part too.NjFNf
uoRLm8Once, twice, three, four times.f42v
qqEAfter dozens of cuts, they finally managed to sever the contaminated portion.mbvntp
dnMTXbCrackle!VXLpzH
adoThe severed branch on the ground began to emit thick, foul-smelling smoke.X09
FhC6fFernan looked at the mutilated branch, which now seemed overly pruned, and asked:zkSS
YHgj1j“Is it okay like this?”OpdlZJ
yCg“A moment ago, the extension of the Mother Tree screamed.”UffDz
Sa5T“That means it’s still alive.”bY58k
sN4He sighed in relief.V04
7Y4“…That just took ten years off my life.”M6u
t9iwBIf the branch had been completely contaminated and the request failed, he didn’t even want to imagine the consequences or losses.Eyq
OWe“Hyde, are you okay?”k61vXMl
OqUNt“I’m fine. And you, young master?”al7p
l6Gc“I’m whole.”KB0
tOZCHe had used up a lot of mana controlling the golems to the limit, but it wasn’t serious.wf7
1Upxp1kNormally, controlling a golem consumes as much mana as mental stamina, but for some reason this time he felt fine.bVTZhq8
AxW‘Maybe I’ve already gotten used to the headaches?’REN13
b4BmWAfter all, the pain after controlling a golem didn’t compare to the pain left by the visions of the future.S9B6YQ9
lYG“Can’t that be fixed?”3CCm
90Qjth“What? How would you fix it?”Q8M
QcFm8“That clearly cut part. It’s like admitting there was a problem.”lVx
3XOv“It could recover slowly if we planted it… but I doubt that’s what you want. There’s a way, but I know you won’t like it.”VPApU
gBU7“Is it very expensive?”n5fV
RTqUboAria nodded.KFs
cAXR“If we give it an elixir, it’ll regenerate faster.”x7KKyRx
LTJ“…What a devilishly expensive thing.”7XZsVb
ybBter“Saying that to an extension of the Mother Tree is disrespectful.”oMv
PCyO“She’s your Mother Tree. Not mine.”FH0q0
mRT44uO“Well, that’s true too.”Qof2
E8SkrShe accepted it without arguing.oQOoUUd
iAJRAC“So how do you plan to store it now? The box is in pieces.”CnCQ
CT6U7“Don’t worry. I had spare boxes prepared just in case.”065kQL
80LICCpHe didn’t know how dirty the corrupted beings might play, so he prepared as best he could. He hadn’t expected things to explode like this, but at least he had an extra box.NHmOEpH
WQEWMmx“Well, thank goodness.”yz0
ifQMe“Yes… thank goodness.”otuW
IrYOymtFirst, everything had to be sorted out.75fN
Ci752fp“Let’s go up. We need to assess the damage and organize everything.”r4GH
hyNyZEP“Yes. I’ll fly it up.”pMkPGuc
hQgQ3GH“Wait.”2UI
FtZsjJust before ascending with the spirit wind, Fernan looked at one of the fallen branches.zNJ
qu8“Why are you picking it up suddenly?”7Ud
nkR“After all, it’s still part of the World Tree.”4tAH
7w2hAs contaminated as it was, its essence hadn’t disappeared.Y6hr7j
bKLH‘Who knows. Maybe the Dragon Cult can purify it.’avN
M3iRThe losses were enormous, so he had to salvage what he could.h6qVq
yBgMN4“And what about those lumps of flesh that were the monsters?”jmsCgv
XdqMr9“They might be worth something.”Z8xG
e4sZj“Those horrible, disgusting things?”uhU81r4
xtjho0“The value of a thing depends on who sees it.”B8vz
aosrkHe took a container from the subspace and stored both the severed branch and the monster remains.KBo4xhL
j8fhJwSThen, finally, he returned to the surface.WGBpCY
WjTkRNM***DvjJ
ig7Above was a complete disaster.wTB
p1jThe sudden collapse of the ground swallowed half the camp.bqECCq
uzViFernan had created platforms immediately afterward to minimize the damage, but there were still many injuries and material losses.pvmEZ
QZZoTqThe only stroke of luck was that no one died. A true miracle.j3IlZ
4fBT5V“Gather the injured and supplies and move the camp.”Kk0UR
bBe“Yes, sir!”71690a
AZf4oFortunately, the rain had stopped, though night was already falling.0BXnzAe
UqT7NAt least some members of the trade group had come to their senses before Fernan emerged and had started organizing things.dQquacl
JYdkEHm“Glad to see you’re okay.”uCBE
lgw“What about the injured?”onR
m7KD“Of the 100 guards, 21 with minor injuries and 12 serious. Of the 100 workers, 53 with minor injuries and 27 serious. And of the 50 elves, 18 minor injuries. Thanks to your intervention, no one died.”0PflPB
jp4X1“And the carriages?”uQXF
JHSpZbf“Out of 10, 8 fell. 5 were completely destroyed along with their cargo. The other 3 are in better condition, but we need to check for losses.”7qxM
lHnVfbgFernan let out a bitter laugh. He knew how much everything cost. He had a bad feeling, but for it to actually happen…eW0
8toiDMy money… my dear and precious money. It hurt his soul.iC6
RLVeiM“Hyde, send a message. You know what to say.”y5TVD3
QnGB“Yes, of course.”35Cn
6F1y“Tell them to come as soon as possible. We can’t alter the schedule.”uothc
djarr9r“They’ve been following from nearby in secret, they won’t be long.”Inkpl41
o8uSince they had split into many small groups to remain undetected, gathering them would take time, but not much.Gffnx
HlCq“What does that mean?”0jpKV3
N8dQCsUAria, who had been quietly listening nearby, tilted her head.ydFR
X4E“Did you already know something like this would happen? That they’d be monsters?”k94ye
K8hK“I’d already run into those corrupted bastards before. Just in case, I prepared for all this.”OSvQb
KQiF5And that preparation wasn’t limited to reinforcing the number of guards and escorts.Mmf
2WxjigHe had duplicated the resources. It was a measure in case the carriages were destroyed and supplies lost.4CI3sc
454dw“So… that means…”jcWoB
7Tmf2cB“Reinforcements will arrive with exactly the same resources, the same number of guards and workers, as soon as possible. We’ll just swap everything and continue the expedition like nothing happened.”dQes97o
0faU3sLuckily, the elves only had minor injuries.SSRtD
mXI“How long ago did you plan all this? If nothing happened, it’d be a waste, right?”RT52mLw
ycMMhtv“All of this has value. It can be sold anywhere. So it’s not a loss.”Pyu
q2muThe clue had come from the book of prophecies.ss4v
hPCZYKHe didn’t know if this was what was destined to happen or if he had altered the future with his intervention.ZgJUuz
Yt17TBut for his family, at least, it was the right move.jTFe7
kBdY“So listen well, Aria.”TmGV
TMVNWgFernan looked her in the eyes.R5Sq
kCc882“Today, for us…”hVL
MxUXN3cNothing happened.TNShSMZ
jeVah“Absolutely nothing happened.”t3Xm
jk8D4wIt had to be that way. That was the only correct answer.0CMJC
bHzFzAria didn’t respond immediately. She only looked at her reflection in Fernan’s eyes.SrMZE9W
42QOThen, she smiled.mpI4
0NTomaA“And why should I do that? The World Tree’s branch was damaged, the resources compromised, and the shipment too. That’s all the Pellenbergs’ fault, isn’t it?”vFo2ABX
EKLCl“And?”2xu
FvgS“We, on the other hand, if we claim compensation for the failure, come out ahead.”n8fz
A2Y8Exactly. That’s why the incident had to be buried. To minimize losses and protect the honor and reputation of the guild.2kYtYiV
2po3R“With you, it’s never the easy way.”3nbyr
TbGZuwHe thought that, because of the bond they forged fighting together, maybe he could convince her. But no.fk5ZpGR
S3nRD9Fernan sighed.c5Ps
bG4c“The Yacht Club invitation.”8Jg
m1QC“That’s a bit small, but for now I’ll take it!”svv3A
0JOfeAs she said, they had fought together. That counted.CNYg
6mte8“Nothing happened during the expedition. Right?”XdLTWV
DQCv“Exactly. That’s right.”2Vo3Im0
ON5ogIFernan nodded.qAX9
kxrz6TU***eZoLK8
2NTxy7The wounded were replaced by new members, the resources replenished, and the expedition set out again as if nothing had happened, exactly four days later.gsN6
reHb6There were no problems. Just a small delay due to the rain.PsMM
0Z1b5c“Just as the young master predicted.”Iipv6P
nnw8K“Those corrupted bastards weren’t going to pass up an opportunity like this.”4gHlZ
vMIt“We’ll make sure everyone keeps their mouths shut.”zwXE
5Hzk1“Same here. I was paid, so I’ll do my part.”NwKGYD
Q8oufsfThere was no need to rush the pace. They had built plenty of leeway into the schedule.dHRd
aIJq0“Don’t let your guard down. This might not be over.”7cW9N
IjD47TfEspecially at sea.vXu
wILOdCAThey had already faced a disaster at sea before, so they couldn’t afford to be complacent.QTL2
TteN“Did you record everything properly with the recording orb?”ioFQiyr
b1H“It was hanging from my neck, so it moved a lot, but you can make out the monsters.”ZAZ
gmEb8h“Perfect. Make copies and send one to my father.”ghfJC
AQZ2“Understood.”abXhz
b6rxThe evidence kept piling up. But it still wasn’t enough. When he had more—and it was conclusive—he planned to reveal everything at the right moment.nk5FF
1mirnwh“What is it?”dsclUc
NK6eQj“It’s not about the expedition, so stay out of it.”Ow2s
OX683BD“But it has to do with the corrupted. And we fought together.”PLWg
zKL“And just when that bond could be useful, it disappears. Only shows up when it’s not needed.”JansD
uboW7uAfter that day, the expedition reached Kaid without further issues.Duvj
rwUiKBut Fernan didn’t set sail immediately. Even though everything was ready, he paused because of the World Tree branch.b7A1
J2R“Now it’ll grow properly.”sGgA96B
xJnHe dug a hole, placed several elixirs inside, and planted the branch.2QA
4UzBy absorbing the elixirs and receiving Aria’s direct care, the branch began to recover its original form day by day.HzTiQEa
CbL“…How much the hell does this tree cost?”JMHEM9
5XzVQdf“The Mother Tree is priceless. It’s beyond the value of money.”Q5o
6rLZERc“But the elixirs do cost.”NhCXxhK
1cETEven so, it was cheaper than paying a penalty for failing the delivery. He just had to swallow his tears.o9DCYrI
RNOAGwy“And just with the elixirs it grows like this?”7DaPaP
HIVb2J“Of course not. This isn’t growth. It’s recovery. Not the same thing.”wbaI
1PyTrue. If all it took was pouring elixirs on it to make it grow, it wouldn’t be the World Tree. It would be a monster.ii7uN
2n5Once the branch fully regained its form, they boarded three ships with people and cargo. The escort was excessive—ten warships.YtCmqyA
BWP“I don’t like the sea. It’s truly horrible and disgusting. Ever since I saw how blue it was, I knew it was a bad sign.”zCS
SIbzHhnBut despite her fears, there were no major problems.aSlrI
TcfhoExcept the elves ended up wrecked, vomiting their souls out like dried squid.Y841jTS
q9yfy“Is that why elves hardly ever go to sea?”fq3
NUw“Elves… don’t get along with the sea… Ueeegghk… Too long…!”WPht
7ggna“And you still wanted an invitation to the Yacht Club?”LDwRtYh
lH6“That’s different!”UiSOs
ndTgCWfFernan stepped back. The drops of vomit splattered against a barrier.LrXW
8hQ“You’re splashing, that’s disgusting.”tkFK
7HSnxY“Who’s disgusting… Uuueeghk!?”kwmtH
BbBdZ“What a pity. When we get to the academy, you’ll have to go back right away.”0KH3
y78“I’m not going back… Ueeghk… I’d rather go to hell than get on another boat.”Bx8kkA
iLRjvXUThe faces of the 50 elves were pale as death.vNq
h3nJ1NY“Oh, by the way, Aria. I want to ask you something.”4vov
moQ0I“A… request?”jPE
kXeAria responded with dead fish eyes. Fernan frowned at the vomit on the corner of her mouth.FCH
2SW25C“No, forget it. I’ll tell you when we get off the ship.”TDvC
Xh5zUPAnd so, a few days later, the expedition arrived at the academy’s port.Oxkz
ihbhjYV‘So far, everything’s going well.’OPDAk
Yap5BnHWas this the original course of the prophecy? Or had Fernan managed to change the future?E8HTv
KgrPaGNOnly time would tell.YXlcCIC
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