Chapter 72: Core (2)
GMqx2DWhile exploring the gallery, you can come across interesting things very often.aZfc
6FEZR72From trash posts with absolutely no meaning, to texts that unexpectedly have quite a bit of depth.jyh
CE78And what does that mean?HreC
LrYdeY0That you can easily find the information you’re looking for, or on the contrary, something completely bizarre might appear.eE1KX
UhAOn top of that, the gallery isn’t divided into specific categories and everything is mixed together in one place, so the amount of content is absurd.Z6vX
EUg8‘And there are even homonyms too, how annoying.’3BN9d
FYSlQI had been searching for information related to cores.LOQ0yn
mjujzlJust in case, I typed “guardian core” into the search bar, but I didn’t find anything truly useful.ZvNC9
jXi7BAThe most valuable information was that cores were one of the rarest materials and possessed enormous magical value.3swfS
tz52YEspecially because the core itself was an enormous mass of mana, so it had countless uses.Snnh3
5dZvE‘So should I give it to AllFather or StarlightPrincess?’mqElkL
lEPyEither way, for me it was a troublesome object.xx1T
sT5nLZEOn top of that, it was huge.0V8QA
KeZhmzThey said a normal guardian’s core was about the size of a fist, but the one I obtained was almost the size of a basketball.2FhhFy
idFiXrJThe larger the core, the stronger the guardian, so I had been quite lucky.6b2
dUjHGvF‘If it hadn’t been an orichalcum guardian, would I have died?’LUsQ
RmYThe orichalcum guardian had the characteristic of being extremely sensitive to mana.LtVGOj
SwVqThat ended up working both as an advantage and a disadvantage, and thanks to that I barely managed to win.KWbsVqO
NgglCHI stared at the extinguished core before scratching my head.3d4l
pede‘First, I’ll ask.’1Tfdg
AE0deVkThe only thing certain was that it would hardly have any use for me.GGKWm
PGkarjpIt couldn’t be absorbed like an elixir, nor could it be carried around like the crystal sphere.DpxlxXD
ugNX1I couldn’t even use it to play ball. It was so hard that it felt like I’d break my bones if I kicked it.GrPvZE
FkrJ2oThough it was pretty round, so Wonmo could probably roll it around really well. But for that, I’d rather just get a soccer ball.DlAy
vauxTitle) I want to get rid of the core5zP2
ZbPv0WildGrillsNVe
6lk9kY(Photo of the core with a hole in the center)HVr
n0jT5It doesn’t seem useful to me at all. Does anyone want it?9Al
BlXQNㄴHeavenlyDemon) And what can be done with that?i9HDNc
qivQㄴWildGrills) I’m not really sure either. According to DwarfPassingBy, it’s like fuel or something.8LE0
nisbfEㄴHeavenlyDemon) I don’t think I would need it.VfSPJ
NKunㄴWildGrills) Understood.wVKk
h3pㄴSwordmaster) It’s easier to think of a core as the highest-quality battery possible.EF3h5mo
xOI0ZEㄴWildGrills) And how does that help me?gPF6VSI
JYPBGc7ㄴSwordmaster) Pretty trash?hJb
9iKanㄴWildGrills) ;;;uAL
wwDetkIㄴAllFather) I don’t really need it either. I’ve already mastered all research related to cores, so it has no meaning for me.asl
LoVgㄴWildGrills) Do you think it could be useful for me?ipZGN76
ik4KㄴAllFather) Not particularly. You don’t have machines and you also can’t use magic, so for you it would be little more than a burden.87gIF
2qx2ㄴWildGrills) What about carrying it around to absorb mana whenever I run low? That doesn’t sound too bad.jM9FwA7
FwJwCzㄴAllFather) If it were small, that would be different, but it’s far too large, so it would be difficult. Still, it’s not a bad option. Though it would need repairs.Odrzt
mpkQWJㄴWildGrills) If I have to repair it, then I’d rather just give it to someone else.icCw
IUqVㄴStarlightPrincess) I also recently changed the power source of my laboratory, so I don’t need it either. If I had known this, I would’ve waited a few days. What a shame.gQFbn7g
ORZch8ㄴWildGrills) That’s unfortunate. It seems cores really are pretty useful.qIf
9Vn7wlJㄴStarlightPrincess) They are portable masses of mana. Considering how much mana things like refrigerators consume, they’re quite practical.Nyv8Xu9
3MBThe general evaluation was this.4SyrQ7i
0c1yIt was a good item, but with very limited uses.0k2O
EIkThat it wasn’t worth spending money on just to use it as a battery and things like that.yAQ
d7zNIn short, it was an inconvenient object to handle.3up
yMEb‘Maybe the best thing is to put it up for auction…?’2n4Ix9x
IZ03uWbJust as I was thinking that.UyL
eWLQ54ㄴLetsPlantTrees) Excuse me! If you don’t need the core, would you trade with me?gBOayH
SX8tㄴAnd what are you doing here?2ThQXnN
EGkPRDㄴSometimes she just appears out of nowhere.IoYQeLa
fBVZtGㄴShe’s probably about to say something stupid again ;;BvmefYK
5AQOPLetsPlantTrees made a proposal in an energetic yet respectful tone.xSQ87d
iA8hBut why all of a sudden?RpIPoni
dB5Honestly, LetsPlantTrees’ proposal was completely unexpected.tRjL3fM
PwMX6‘Though she does comment from time to time.’8zZh
HeH2iLetsPlantTrees was a fairly famous user.aY4Dz
R3ZGmhHBut in a bad way.g2tXvs
VZPPVEven based on the information circulating around the gallery, she was an elf with an excessively imperialistic mindset.bGFT
oE9UMl6And she also justified territorial invasions, though you could never tell whether she was serious or joking.w2O1SMz
2pmE‘She feels like the complete opposite of the moderator?’rbvzNu
Tix1vSWBoth were active, but public opinion and each of their ways of thinking were completely different.erdM
XJT1vJmMaybe because of that, I felt like I was unconsciously treating her with prejudice, though I managed to restrain myself.d4Y7EKf
E2ZAfter all, she was still a user willing to trade for a core that, to me, was nothing more than a nuisance.dSR
PCbBcRㄴWildGrills) I can trade it, but what can you offer? If it’s trees or seeds, I reject it immediately.VKKz7P
nkGㄴLetsPlantTrees) How about some saplings from Alvenheim?IwgrZK
NNR0mWAㄴWildGrills) What I already have the most around me are trees ;;jFB
xupckㄴSeriously makes you want to punch her in the solar plexus hahahaJ70z
vUgexSㄴAt this point it’s not even that she has no shame, she literally has none.S6kHH
I230OㄴAverage elf hahahaTWGbC
45i1fI hoped she was joking.6NNC
wTYPlease let it just be a character.tpN
0IagThe gallery was full of people doing absurd roleplay.1a86b4
duDOIf it wasn’t acting, then that was a pretty serious problem.kBOeVVa
j85tcLㄴLetsPlantTrees) Then there’s no helping it. How about a bow?wrqlO
mbX5oSㄴWildGrills) I already have a crossbow. I don’t think I need one.vqDSw3m
GYTVaeㄴLetsPlantTrees) Didn’t you say before that you belonged to a race skilled with bows?c9k
6mqPJMㄴWildGrills) Not all elves are good with bows, right?6D8tFS
Gn6NhㄴLetsPlantTrees) Ah. Now I understand perfectly. Very well! Then what about cigarettes made from World Tree leaves?Eg9O
ygfSㄴWildGrills) Cigarettes? Are you talking about tobacco?4ls8mBn
x0xvggnㄴLetsPlantTrees) Yes!Yqwe2
kIvsShe was so calm while proposing to trade a core for cigarettes that it completely baffled me.epxw0ff
J7cAI wasn’t worried about the smell. After all, I had already smoked things before, so the smell of tobacco wasn’t an issue.ZoBClvd
c54sgvBut the fact that she said it with such confidence made me feel curiosity more than disbelief.zaHMt8J
rX8TM6QㄴWildGrills) You sound so confident that it almost seems like they’re good.m29
rlvYPzrㄴThey are. They’re one of Alvenheim’s most famous products.mlN
E0eㄴWhat if I told you it’s a cigarette that’s good for your health? They’re better than many medicinal herbs.fbNPq
6ZMdSㄴWildGrills) In what world does a healthy cigarette exist?tn67424
m5y5jtㄴLetsPlantTrees) In this one!zCww8J
HE81I wasn’t convinced at all.5utJsU
swYdThis world had a less developed civilization than Earth.2fKq2Dx
1RxzO6Although some fields could compare to or even surpass Earth, there were still many shortcomings.McI8YPf
TqcimAnd even so, it took an extremely long time on Earth to discover how harmful tobacco really was.zD2v6G8
AQE8Even if it were made from World Tree leaves, it didn’t seem trustworthy to me.quB1L
efZSO‘I think they just consider it luxury tobacco.’TTf
CDJUgI searched the gallery and, sure enough, they treated it almost like a premium cigar.jhfz
aeTVWESome people said it helped with mana circulation methods or internal techniques, while others said it could be used as incense and similar things.wnA
smCHYSince none of those posts seemed remotely trustworthy, I completely ignored them.WNu
ccE6Either way, for someone like me, whose priority was survival, a recreational product like tobacco was just another nuisance.WpytJvD
oINrhtAnd above all, if I were a smoker, I would’ve simply bought it from the auction house.tddF
jbyㄴWildGrills) I’d prefer items that actually help my survival.f3x
x3RloFpㄴLetsPlantTrees) Then how about some gloves?8hsVZ
Dub9SCYㄴWildGrills) What kind of gloves?N3kF
CVaWㄴLetsPlantTrees) World Tree gloves! They’re made with silk produced by worms raised on World Tree leaves.Op0
XegpㄴWildGrills) Are they good?CmHR
T31ㄴOf course they are ;; We’re talking about the World Tree!!!jrb6y
f4J6TYVㄴThis guy lives trapped in a forest and knows nothing about the outside world hahahaPgC
IdMSqTGㄴAnd the place he lives in is even more absurd lolKii3Ah
OyeTIt seemed they weren’t just good, but extremely rare.s8H
joMI listened to the explanation of their properties.LRK
OJHThat they were lighter than any other gloves, that they felt like wearing nothing at all, that they were durable and difficult to tear.d4tipLq
6jXtcVbAnd the most impressive ability was regeneration. As long as they were supplied with mana, they could repair themselves to a certain extent.F3xw1fc
HeQM‘Aren’t these amazing?’ZoD
TLZ3iFor someone like me, who constantly uses his hands, they seemed like an excellent item.j9n
PftRgWiUntil now I hadn’t mentioned it, but my hands were pretty wrecked.qvh
1FTJYJChopping trees, starting campfires, cleaning fish, organizing charcoal, sword training, and many other things.kXC
xkmdMy hands were practically never in good condition.N1Rua
9NOnLEven though I did have the gloves DwarfPassingBy gave me, they were more of a basic model.wCD1
BylI4oYOn top of that, they were designed for rough work like combat or construction, so they were uncomfortable for tasks that required precision.lz8YBW
H5T5fDi‘In a way, hands are even more important than feet.’8TLsH
gC4aI thought this was definitely worth it and accepted LetsPlantTrees’ proposal.SHV
oXceircAfter all, the core was practically a burden and I just wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible.sQJO0
wffphC[LetsPlantTrees has registered an item for the trade.]2cF
GD0c[LetsPlantTrees: Thank you very much for this excellent trade! Don’t you need anything else?]nl5HT
qQOv[WildGrills: Not for now. But these really are good, right?]qyvQMZ4
j0L0Ykf[LetsPlantTrees: I can guarantee it while betting the pride and dignity of the elves!]D79zWtm
wW1S[WildGrills: Thanks. By the way, what are you planning to do with the core?]yWnM1Xf
O41RS[LetsPlantTrees: I cannot explain it in detail, but I will be able to plant trees much more efficiently.]ZC1MkA
ID4jxtAA combination of imperialist and environmentalist mentality.j8lItt
tbiQVNot even caramelized dog meat skewers would be such a bizarre combination.4BJ
VkkrmStill, she helped me a lot, so I decided to go along with her a little.1wfv
fbrh7[WildGrills: Do you like planting trees?]dRRMzxW
2iY3q[LetsPlantTrees: Yes! My goal is to plant the beautiful trees of Alvenheim all over the world!]MGtF
hgHdU7[WildGrills: From what I heard, it sounds like there’s a lot of opposition are you sure that’s okay?]HSR5f
o6Q5[LetsPlantTrees: You have nothing to worry about!]nvJ8
DNZ70UrAnd that only made me more worried.zImxW
JbMEqVWhat kind of existence were the elves of this world?j8aLn9c
TovfNormally elves symbolized nobility, but this person was practically a walking calamity.qkhSY
I2hJ7wOf course, all that information came solely from the gallery, so I shouldn’t let prejudice guide me.ZgNJl
wJDUQqBut when the first elf you trade with turns out like this, it was inevitable to become suspicious.wVHz
ZV1x1[LetsPlantTrees: Thank you very much for accepting the trade! May the blessing of the World Tree be with you!]ewgn
RstRe[WildGrills: Thank you.]wT2NiE
KNbuzWell, she seemed like a good person, so I decided to let it slide.ADeIn
MC2I finished the trade with LetsPlantTrees and checked the items.OCof
BjKC49“Hmm?”JPh6
rDDSttHBut this person sent some pretty strange things.KDxcrYn
46YaxAnd not just a few.o9VX
wtG7The bow made with high-quality materials I could understand.iGWGsb4
aE0Even the tobacco, though I had no idea why she sent it.mpCK
zZm0JCBut the small tree with glowing bluish leaves was impossible to ignore.o1V3wSY
gpywA flowerpot with a sapling.TAfHqe
E2yG2EK‘No way.’f9beQ
eflDid she really give me this so I would plant it?MnaCUw
xgnpaI could strongly feel her obsessive will to plant trees.CgveTW
mtV0The bow and the tobacco were probably little more than bribes to make it happen.PeKdY
eNDaEThough, since she did give me some really good gloves, I had no reason to complain.w7d
QOXAic‘Well. I can plant it, but I’ll leave the rest to nature.’cgu0E3
fVxWdjNI checked the gloves LetsPlantTrees gave me.Uew6lxl
3vB88And honestly.3ivnQQ
Uwb‘…Don’t these look like work gloves?’AqT4
jpmThey looked like cotton gloves without the red rubber coating.M5kYek
KXFnThe difference was that they were whiter and had a much softer texture.5x2ZI6
JO9yvGxI stared at those strangely familiar gloves before quietly putting them on.5FZTR7B
xwf‘These aren’t bad at all.’A9EJrJh
lroThe feeling while wearing them was excellent.7vd2Ybx
9UUkQLjThey even had good ventilation, so much that I could feel even the softest breeze.u7wyAj
FKKyHIt felt like my hands would never sweat in them again.2HpDhE
tv3ZvUhI wanted to test their other abilities too, but I decided to leave that for later.YFbLSLp
eATAK3‘She even gave me three pairs.’qSJCqi5
JM0ZAccording to what they said, they were extremely expensive and rare, but she was pretty generous.thi
zHIc2iUThe next thing I checked was the tobacco made from World Tree leaves.sVai6
XS26hAt first glance, it looked more like a cigar than a normal cigarette.tNwgHXI
RXYn6F‘She gave me quite a lot.’lJZs
7UeAThere were a total of five cigarettes stored inside a small wooden box.DtcEEpQ
Nc9TzIt could even be opened and closed repeatedly, and it had a compartment that seemed to function as an ashtray.4Zw
LxNA9noFinally, I looked at the noble-looking, gleaming bow.OgzhNx
k1FNI tried pulling the string to see how much strength it required.Tgeq
lbnDjSF“Ugh!”gjx
ZTR3CLBut the tension was far stronger than expected and barely moved.N79b08t
o7qccFTIt reminded me of the first time I received the crossbow from the dwarf.g8cH
F9NT0k“Graaah!”vpAg3Ur
H2VKOnly after letting out a shout and exerting all my strength did I manage to pull it fully.e2W
ENFd8xI had definitely become stronger since then, but even so this was absurdly heavy.96hPtp
oTIyAWWhat kind of person was the elf who used this bow?vPSTr8
vwzYLiEspecially LetsPlantTrees.zmLup7D
5tDS7Nw‘Weren’t archers supposed to be agile characters?’Hhj
B31hOr was the monster actually the user of the bow?m0u
SWz3ZAll of this confused me quite a bit.tS2
16uIt seemed mastering this bow would take a very long time.EGLeI
tDqIqEcAnd by the day I could properly use it.5w34
Kx9How much would I already have adapted to this place?fVH1uq
UHqzUAWSincerely hoping that day would never come, I turned my head.SIWb9X
vP7Rm4GAnd there was the sapling carefully placed inside the flowerpot.S0V8
dKg0vL“……”tnOXWu
gTzYeah. Whatever. I’ll plant it.Yo2b
43RRIt wasn’t that hard to make a confirmation post.zg8o0
vDipr***SlxzO2E
2vUWAyCTitle) I got another pet.UWyH
QxezSWildGrills14RG
Av5s28(Photo of the strangely adorable sapling)h5O
MYgm2bLetsPlantTrees gave me this cute little sapling. Thank you very much.esA
dtJzTn9ㄴHeavenlyDemon) What kind of plant is it?JWy
jZ0606zㄴWildGrills) I don’t know. I just accepted what she gave me.F58
Zf4QyJㄴHeavenlyDemon) I have a bad feeling about it, but it really is pretty.ho3
Z1V4ㄴWildGrills) I guess it’ll take a really long time to grow.QMq
tytzㄴSwordmaster) If an elf gave it to you, it probably won’t be anything ordinary.29QKvwj
lE3hCUㄴWildGrills) Do strange plants exist too?rXL
X7WmㄴSwordmaster) Of course. There are even carnivorous plants.6iy8
27bㄴWildGrills) …..By3C
canCㄴDwarfPassingBy) This guy got something weird from a pointy-eared bastard hahahaNmb
pcavㄴWildGrills) What’s so weird about a sapling? She helped me a lot, so I wanted to return the favor at least with this.l87QHvQ
JExKNtㄴDwarfPassingBy) Well. The Forest of Four Seasons is neutral territory, so nobody will be able to touch it.suFu
RYdㄴBut that damn elf really is persistent hahaha. In the end she managed to plant it.7Zrqm
7zzf2JJㄴI don’t know whether to call it determination or pure obsession ;;tRjF5Gc
bQhDLㄴThose arrogant elves are pretty stubborn lol5Q5c
rF2kYgㄴAnd to think someone actually managed to break the stubbornness of those old elf geezers?c0Xv8
f6gc8YㄴLooking at it that way, the elf queen is completely crazy too hahahaOweryaA
iLTo“Heh. How pleasant.”Tz6dg9
TmKGolden hair shining as if woven from threads of gold.oAbmtm
LjyJYqDazzling beauty and pointed ears, traits characteristic of elves.PjhxA
TYdm2iSGreen eyes that seemed to directly represent the vegetation of the forest.7RNzcF
QSkA4T0And even though she wore an elegant dress, it was impossible to hide the curves of her body.cvfw
4ExY8“Now even in the Forest of Four Seasons, the trees of Alvenheim have taken root.”OLYo6
wNOoCB1An elf openly expressed her satisfaction.aMxlui
G9T43MHer mature appearance combined with a youthful aura gave her a dizzying charm.DLID
ueIKnock, knock.qHrRrsx
Ekrr[Your Majesty. I have answered your summons.]faEinr
tkBAt that moment, someone knocked on the door.VtGKR
vVcMThe elf closed the gallery window before responding softly.NN8
yNxMWv“Come in.”XdkC
YslnCGA calm and crystal-clear voice.VPM
qIp9oVwWith permission granted, the door slowly opened and another elf appeared.tJKN
6MPgH1“You have arrived.”Lh2W8
piiAFh“Yes, Your Majesty. But why did you summon me…?”iXP1hXi
b3eN“Let us say the time has come to prepare the foundation for a great cause.”pPjf
WKq“Huh?”W1qd3VL
afl8The elf widened his eyes at the incomprehensible words of the queen.U7L
MgifThen the queen lowered her gaze toward the round sphere resting on her lap.CMBz
qnkSdThe core she obtained through trading with Grills.GgI8Ig
ixFRIG8The very same core pierced by a sword.dHk937I
lCzULThe elf queen observed the core with a deep smile before speaking again.ECGC
aaqTE“Prepare the experiment immediately. We have already secured the power source.”vm2odR
S6s“B-but the elders…”s9K53Y
K88e“……”hkPF0mQ
Gbo“I-it’s nothing! I’ll prepare it immediately!”jSZW14
39HrQThe elf stopped talking and hurriedly left.n4I
IFy9auIt almost looked as though he was fleeing.DTw
xRdThe elf queen watched that with a satisfied smile before quietly murmuring.XYTta3
Ur1h“Let’s make Alvenheim great again!”d4jgy
wspyu xAlMbH
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Misanaria
Mortalheil ze QUEEN!!!!!