It had been a while since seeing Anders, and nothing about him seemed to have changed.
Certainly, being one of the Long-lived ones, his aging process must be slow, huh?
“Much… you’ve grown.”
“Haha, well, that’s obvious. A lot of time has passed after all.”
“I almost didn’t recognize you.”
Anders sighed and sheathed his sword.
“To cause such a commotion in the forest… Didn’t you think this might become a problem later?”
“I tried to hold back, but first, could you let those guys go? My companion is enduring quite a bit right now.”
Already surrounded by elves, they were aiming their bows at us.
Anders narrowed his eyes as he looked at Black Wolf who kept fidgeting with a dagger, clearly agitated.
He seemed to have instantly gauged Black Wolf’s level.
“Master, huh.”
“That’s right. So, let’s settle this with words. It’s not too late.”
There were two Masters present.
Even alone, Black Wolf could handle the surrounding elves like it was nothing.
Of course, there was no intention to do so.
“‘Still’… Despite your appearance changing, your personality remains the same.”
With a chuckle, Anders raised his hand, causing the elves to silently lower their bows.
As the threat disappeared, Black Wolf put away the dagger but stepped in front of me, seemingly protecting me from Anders.
“It’s fine. He’s an old comrade.”
Though my words seemed to ease Black Wolf’s guard slightly, they didn’t move from in front of me.
I shrugged and looked at Anders.
The guy spoke while putting his sword away.
“The growth of humans truly is astonishing. To become a Master in such a short span…”
“Yeah, short if you think about it that way, but also long. I never imagined I’d become a Master either.”
“Nevertheless, congratulations. Now, would you mind explaining what happened? You didn’t just knock these guys out for no reason, did you?”
“To summarize…”
After giving a rough explanation—that these guys insulted us, so we got mad and subdued them—Anders let out a deep sigh.
“…They’re still inexperienced. Could you forgive them just this once?”
“I figured. If I hadn’t intended to forgive them, it would’ve already been over.”
“Haha, that’s true.”
Jokingly drawing my finger across my neck, Anders chuckled nervously.
“This isn’t a place for conversation. I’ll guide you to the village; please follow.”
It was exactly what I wanted, so I nodded lightly.
“Move! Take care of your comrades and return!”
As soon as the words ended, the elves started appearing, taking care of the subdued ones.
At the signal that things were settled, Opheucus, who had restrained them, returned to bracelet form.
– Wooh!
“A soul-infused item? Not an elemental spirit though…”
“I don’t know either. We just work together as partners.”
“Got it. Let’s go then.”
Anders nodded and moved forward.
Black Wolf and I followed quietly behind him.
At least, I hoped there wouldn’t be any more drawn swords.
***
The deeper we moved, the fresher energy grew stronger.
A sign we were getting closer to the World Tree, which the elves called Mother Tree.
“So, Rangers have changed a lot, huh? The patrol group used to speak Empire language. It was tough communicating before.”
Asking with a slight hint of complaint, Anders gave a wry smile.
“Understand. They’re newly minted Rangers. Normally, a senior should accompany them, but these guys acted independently due to youthful arrogance.”
“Isn’t being a Ranger supposed to be harder than that?”
Among other things, the Elf Rangers were stricter in following orders than even the Empire Army.
Yet, newly appointed Rangers acted on their own?
Something unimaginable during the Southern War.
Curious about my question, Anders chuckled bitterly again.
“…Since you’re asking, I can tell you. ‘Camelad.'”
“What’s Camelad?”
“That’s irrelevant right now, isn’t it…”
Unable to contain his curiosity, Black Wolf asked.
Why now?
I would’ve told you eventually.
“It’s fine. It’s not hard to explain.”
Usually, Anders would have brushed it off lightly, but surprisingly, he decided to explain.
Were they that embarrassed by their mistake?
It seemed like he was trying not to upset us.
“In Empire language, it would mean something like ‘Benefactor’ or ‘Comrade.’ Just knowing it’s a highly honorable title among our forest kin should suffice.”
“Back during the Southern War, Anders and I risked our lives to capture the High Priest. Compared to now, we were ridiculously weak back then. We nearly died.”
“Why only Allen?”
That was something I wondered too.
Even when I was merely an Expert, there were many heroes who accomplished greater feats.
Yet, after the war, the Camelad title was given solely to me.
While it’s true I captured the Sloth High Priest, it was practically the finishing blow.
So why did I receive such an honor?
“Hmm, that… I don’t know either.”
Watching Anders shake his head quietly, I frowned.
“What are you saying? If you don’t want to tell me, just say so.”
“It’s true. The Camelad title is granted solely by the Mother Tree.”
“The World Tree…?”
This title seemed far more significant than I initially thought.
According to historians who study the past, the World Tree might be the only entity whose existence can be observed—a ‘god.’
If that’s true, then I am someone acknowledged by a god.
“Right. Anyway, moving on…”
Anders spoke with a serious expression.
“Corrupted beings have started appearing recently.”
“…What?”
Corrupted beings refer to entities tainted by Demon Energy.
Could it mean the Heretics are up to something again?
Biting my lip, Anders shook his head.
“It’s slightly different from before. In the past, it was an unnatural energy foreign to nature, but this time… it feels more like a natural corruption. As if corrupted beings are born from nature itself.”
“What the hell kind of…”
How original nonsense is this?
***
After walking for quite some time, we finally arrived at Alheim, the elves’ village hidden deep within the forest.
Using entire giant trees as houses always amazed me.
As we entered the village, an elf resembling a guard approached and bowed deeply.
“Have you come, Great Chief?”
“Yes. Has anything unusual occurred?”
“No, fortunately, everything has been peaceful.”
Indeed, being able to communicate makes things much easier.
By the way, these elves weren’t randomly speaking Empire language.
One of the elves Anders brought along could use Translation Magic.
An elf who participated in the Southern War cast the magic on me immediately after restoring the forest barrier.
“And what about that human?”
“Camelad. The rookies will be disciplined later, so inform them to remain confined.”
“Camelad…! Yes, understood.”
The guards reacted with surprise upon hearing the word Camelad and quickly moved aside.
Yeah, that was a common reaction back then.
As the other elves dispersed, Anders looked at me and asked.
“Is it true you’ve come to resolve the issue?”
“Even if I don’t like it, there’s nothing I can do. I’m just following orders from above.”
“That wasn’t what I meant.”
“Just showing me the corrupted beings will be enough. We agreed not to interfere with your lives through the treaty. I have no intention of breaking it.”
After the war, the Empire wanted to establish relations with the elves but had to settle for this treaty due to fierce resistance.
For someone like me, a commoner, it didn’t matter much.
After a brief contemplation, Anders quietly spoke.
“Hmm… First, let me guide you to my residence. Alheim isn’t suitable for humans to stay in, for various reasons.”
“We’re fine with that.”
Might as well stay at a friend’s place where it’s comfortable.
Anders’ house was located near the center of Alheim.
You could say it occupied prime real estate.
Upon arriving, Anders immediately served tea.
“Mm~ This aroma is great. What kind of tea is this?”
“It’s brewed from the leaves of the Mother Tree. There wasn’t much else appropriate to serve a human.”
“Isn’t that… incredibly valuable?”
Probably costs a fortune if consumed in the Empire.
Chuckling faintly, Anders replied,
“It’s fine. If not for a Camelad, who else would I serve it to?”
“Well, in that case, I’ll gladly accept it.”
Carefully sipping it, a luxurious sweetness hit my tongue, surpassing any dessert I’d ever tasted.
Just as I marveled at the sweetness, a refreshing sensation flowed down my throat into my stomach and gradually spread throughout my body.
“Oh… It feels like my mind is clearing.”
“It has the effect of purifying negative energies in the body.”
“Definitely feels like my lifespan increased.”
Nodding, I noticed another benefit: the Demon King’s curse slightly diminished.
Who knew purifying bad energies would affect the Demon King’s curse too…
In one gulp, I finished the tea and asked,
“Can I get more of this?”
“Unfortunately, it can only be enjoyed here in Alheim. It wilts and loses its power outside the influence of the Mother Tree.”
“Tch… That’s disappointing.”
The Demon King’s curse stopped fading further.
Guess even this has its limits.
Maybe the method Mimir taught me is still the best.
Putting aside my disappointment, I asked Anders,
“When can I see the corrupted beings? My schedule is tight, so I’d like to deal with this quickly.”
“That’s a difficult question. Though they’ve been appearing frequently lately, I don’t know exactly when they’ll show up.”
“Ugh, troublesome…”
Am I really going to wait indefinitely like this?
Just as my body heated up wanting to leave sooner, a loud voice came from outside the house.
“Great Chief! It’s appeared! The corrupted being!”
“…Not sure if I should call this good luck.”
To Anders’ comment, I grinned.
“Let’s hurry. Sounds urgent.”
I stood up, dragging along Black Wolf who had just finished the tea.
Whatever it is… Nobody stops my early departure.
Early retirement, baby!
