Chapter 228 – 228. Sanctuary (2)
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Having heard all the information related to the World Tree ritual from El Cid, Ilayna hurriedly called Liana.
He was a warrior commander who was friendly with Yushin.
This is because, unlike his top warrior chiefs, Bariteon and Rosta, he did not stand out much even when he moved.
Riana, who was called from the academy to enter and exit Maherit’s palace at the call of her superiors, secretly received a secret message from the head priest’s office. The secret name had a fatal danger.
“Guide Yushin to the Sanctuary.”
“… Yes?”
Liana looked surprised at Ileina’s order and asked as she raised her head.
Did I hear wrong
Sanctuary?
Isn’t it the first-class area where the World Tree, Bria, is located?
A forbidden area that cannot be entered without the consent of both the priest and the Yechira Council. A hideous and terrible place where immediate punishment is given to the elven knights who protect the sanctuary the moment they trespass without permission.
Liana’s complexion turned blue as if she had been ordered to be imprisoned and killed by her superiors.
“Ha-ha-ona….”
Liana’s first
For the first time in her life, she objected to Director Shin.
Although he was prepared to faithfully follow the will of the priest, whatever the order, the order to guide Yushin to the sanctuary was utterly difficult to accept.
Not only can I not understand,
It was because he couldn’t even fathom why Yushin was heading to the sanctuary.
‘Yoo-shin is definitely a great person. He had defeated two demon lords, and he had also confronted the Demon’s Oath not too long ago. But even so… , I have no right to enter the Sanctuary without even the approval of the Yetzirah Council.’
The nobles of the Council of Yetzirah can never sit idly by.
As soon as it became known that Yushin had entered the sanctuary without permission, it was clear that they would wake up like bees, claiming that their rights and authority had been ignored.
How are you going to deal with the storm after that?
Liana put on an expression that made her shins tingle at the thought of her daring.
“I will take all responsibility.”
Ilayna made her position that she would accept full responsibility for herself, asking Liana for her assistance.
Whether you’re stuck on a pension,
Either sign a memorandum renouncing all political power.
Seeing the priest’s determination, Liana had no choice but to accept it as eating mustard while crying.
She never wanted to step into a risky job that might have a big impact on her stable salary and her wealthy retirement career, but she did not dare to disappoint the young Director Shin, who said that she would take all her responsibilities. I didn’t want to.
‘Bye bye, my pretty old age pension….’
Even if Ileina offered to take all her responsibilities,
There was no way that the warrior commander, who was deeply involved in the case, would be safe.
That’s why Liana accepted her dangerous mission with tears of blood in her heart.
* * *
Liana was able to hear the details of her story from Yushin, who was heading to her sanctuary together.
El and Ardena,
A problem that has become entangled in the teacher-teacher relationship.
She explained her position as Ardena, who was faced with the harsh fate of killing her beloved teacher for the cause, and explained that she was acting to break him.
“Nonsense… ! It is unbelievable that Ardena Dae-senpai had to go through such cruelty in the name of the peace of his compatriots! Dae sunbaenim has put in a lot of dedication and effort for her compatriots so far. Why would such a person have to make such a terrible sacrifice….”
I couldn’t understand.
Because it was terribly unreasonable.
Why should Ardena have to accept a terrible fate?
Having to kill Master, who was reunited after 300 years, was a story that even the cold-blooded would not easily accept. Not to mention, it couldn’t have been possible for a great senior who maintains a calm appearance on the outside but has a warm heart on the inside.
“Then you….”
“I don’t want to see Ardena sad with her broken heart any longer. So try to do something Well, of course, there’s no way I’ll be El Cid’s opponent.”
But still,
I couldn’t stay still.
I don’t like to see my loved one in pain or sad.
So she tries to stand up to El Cid.
To thoroughly ruin her proud consciousness of choosing for her countrymen.
“I thought he was just a pervert, but he’s surprisingly genuine? Saw it again Very little.”
Big.
Liana cleared her throat and said.
As she turned her flushed face away, she spoke words of praise for her resilience.
Her tone wasn’t too cocky, but she was a compliment in her own way. Yushin accepted those words and praised her. It was very rare for Liana to praise her.
“It’s too far. And complicated.”
Yushin said.
After moving to a city in the southwest using the warp gate located inside the palace of Maherit,
Using the foot, we continued heading southwest.
Once again, it seemed that the sanctuary existed in an area that could only be reached on foot, as it did not use the warp gate.
“Is there really a sanctuary here?”
Yushin asked with a question.
It was very natural for him to have doubts.
It was because the place Liana was guiding was the World Tree, an area that seemed to have nothing to do with trees.
A region with a desert climate.
A dry, hot windy place.
A land of thirst and starvation where the annual average precipitation is likely to be less than 200mm.
It was a barren land that wouldn’t be strange to call it a desert. The trees were sparse, but they didn’t look much different from the desert.
“You really talk a lot! Right, right! So stop asking!”
She vomited her annoyance at Yoo-shin, who whispered that Riana was also tired from the hot weather.
Beads of sweat ran down her cheeks.
Before long, her sweat dripped from her chin and dripped onto her voluptuous chest.
Oh, it’s really hot.
Liana murmured, fanning herself with her hand.
She hadn’t even reached Sanctuary, but she was already beginning to regret her own choices.
“How much do you like Ardena Daesun?”
Liana asked.
As she kept wiping the sweat from her forehead, she turned her head and looked at Yushin, as if she had a sudden thought.
Would you say it’s a very stupid question?
Yushin reacted as if he did not know that Riana would ask about the depth of her affection for Ardena. She hadn’t expected such a question to be asked on the way to the sanctuary while traversing the desert-like region.
“I like it a lot. Enough to risk her life. If she had intended to end it with a light game of fire, she would not have dared to fight an elven oath.”
“Huh.”
Did you like Yushin’s answer?
I’m happy to clear your doubts,
And on the other hand, she nodded her head with a sad expression on her face.
“But why do you ask? It’s embarrassing.”
“You and the senior… She just wanted it to go well. That’s why I’m helping you this far. Even if there was no order from the priest… , I think if there was anything I could do to help, I would have stepped in. Because I sincerely respect Ardena President.”
Yushin said, “Thank you.” Replied.
“Why are you thankful?”
“It’s only natural to show gratitude to someone who helps you.”
I guess I’ve gotten a little bit picky.
When Riana showed her thorny side, Yoo-shin was puzzled.
Maybe it’s because of the desert heat.
It seemed that if I was exposed to this hot climate for a long time, I would feel irritated.
It was an excruciatingly hot desert climate. Yushin sent a curse on the heat that made me sweat like rain. And he damned even sent ill will towards the sanctuary located beyond this desert.
‘I heard that the first priest planted the world tree to supply the whole area of the Liberia Peninsula with the exhausted intellectual power…. But why is the area around the sanctuary desert? No matter how you think about it, it’s strange to think that the area around the sanctuary is arid land that radiates intellectual power throughout the peninsula through leylines.’
As I moved my steps with doubts,
Liana’s legs stopped.
Suddenly, standing still, she raised her head as if looking at something.
It was a completely different behavior from the previous appearances where she shouted that she was hot while wiping away sweat.
Did you find anything? Liana raised her head along with Yushin, but he couldn’t see anything in his eyes. Only sparsely grown trees and sand were visible, but there were no unusual-looking objects anywhere.
“Why?”
When Liana suddenly started staring at her, Yushin asked.
The silver-haired elf opened his mouth.
“Can’t you see that?”
“What. I can’t see any.”
At Riana’s question, Yushin raised his head once more, but it was still the same scene.
Desert and desert.
Only the boringly identical landscapes are stretched out in front.
“Stop joking around because it’s no fun.”
“That’s what I’m going to say.”
Yushin replied to Riana’s continued words.
There are things that can only be seen by elves,
Or that this outrageous woman can’t stand it and is playing a boring prank.
Yushin hoped it would be the former. Because of the sweltering heat, he couldn’t afford to accept pranks. If it was her boring joke, she was about to throw it as hard as she could after forcibly removing her tank top that was covering her large breasts.
“No, what….”
As soon as Liana finished speaking, people in the form of people appeared in the empty space.
It was definitely a person.
Gradually, a silhouette began to emerge.
By the time the shapes began to appear clearly, Yushin could see that the race of the suddenly appeared people were elves. Long, pointed ears. It was clearly a physical characteristic that symbolized elves.
“How dare you invade the sanctuary.”
“The high priest’s servant, the Warrior Chief, and a black-haired human…. For what purpose did you approach the Sanctuary?”
The elves, who seemed to be the troops protecting the sanctuary, appeared out of thin air as if they were wizards with invisibility cloaks.
Is it some kind of witchcraft?
It may be a trick from a branch of magic.
What was surprising was that the stealth technique, whether it was witchcraft or magic, had enough stealth to deceive even the presence of the Demon King Slayer.
“Hey, hold on! I came after being called by the priest!”
Liana raised her hands.
It seemed that he felt embarrassed by the actions of the elves, who aimed their sharp swords at Yushin as well as at himself.
The tips of the elves’ swords stopped.
It’s because Liana found her warrior’s mark, a necklace-shaped mark she had.
The elves in the sanctuary who saw the sign indicating the status of the warrior commander did not launch a preemptive attack, probably thinking that the priest’s direct subordinate might have been on business in the sanctuary.
“Human. No, are you really human… ?”
“He has something uneasy about him. And strong.”
A strong existence that cannot be dared to describe.
The elves who looked at Yushin frowned and showed a heightened sense of vigilance.
The tip of the knife began to tremble slightly.
The elves, feeling that they had a power gap that could not be filled by any means, excluded Liana and surrounded her, focusing only on Yushin.
“Demon King Slayer!”
He shouted as if there was someone among the elves who besieged Yushin who knew about Yushin.
The elves murmured at that.
Demon King Slayer. There was no way I was unaware of its existence.
Black hair. Black eye. It definitely matched the appearance of the Demon King Slayer. It was difficult to prove that he was the Demon King Slayer based on his physical characteristics, but it was easy to prove because there was an elf who knew Yushin’s face.
“It’s the priest’s mark.”
Liana pulled something of hers out of her arms.
The elves, who were handed items that looked like ornaments decorated with jewels, confirmed that Yushin and Liana were outsiders who had come to the sanctuary with the priest’s permission.
“… Come in.”
Among the elves aiming at the tip of the sword, a man who seemed to be the leader said.
At the man’s words, the elves who surrounded Yushin stepped back. And guided outsiders to the sanctuary.
‘But why is everyone’s hair brown? Of course, it’s a common hair color, but…. Isn’t it a bit strange that all 30 members of staff have brown hair?’
The elves pointed their swords at him.
While checking the appearance of the elves, who were presumed to be guards protecting the sanctuary, Yushin felt something strange.
First of all, brown hair.
All personnel had brown hair.
And if there’s something special about it,
All of them were strong enough to rival Liana.
As befits a group that protects the World Tree, which stretches its intellect throughout the Liberia Peninsula, it seems that only the elite of the elven knights are organized.
‘It might have been easier if these combatants were mobilized for the war against the demon king’s army, but it must mean that the World Tree is as important to the elves.’
With that thought in mind, I followed the guidance of the elves and reached the interior of an area presumed to be a desert.
When reaching the core located in the inner region,
The disgusting desert area I had walked so far had become thick fog and began to disappear, as if it were a false dream.
He seemed possessed by something.
The scenery changed as the universe was twisted.
As if to ridicule the efforts of walking in the desert while sweating profusely, the heat that caused the irritating heat has also disappeared along with the scenery of only trees and sand.
And then unfolded
“Well!”
After following the elves who remained expressionless in the dizzyingly changing scenery, Yushin couldn’t help but shudder at the sight unfolding in front of him.
What appeared before my eyes was a tree.
It is also a tree whose dimensions cannot be counted.
I witnessed the shadow holding up the sky so wide that even Grid, who boasts a huge body, would not dare to knock it down.
“This is the sanctuary.”
Said the head of the elves.
A divine tree holding up the sky.
And to the forest area that is so wide that you can’t even guess the end of it.
The things built around the gigantic tree presumed to be the world tree were forests boasting a maze-like meandering shape, and again forests. Trees with vast life force stretched high and boasted their majesty.
“… It’s like a ghost crying, really.”
Liana spoke as if representing Yushin’s feelings. Yushin nodded in agreement with his words.
While walking forward again with the elves,
Yushin, who was looking at the invisible sky due to the branches of the world tree, witnessed something as incredible as the sudden change of scenery.
“That’s a full moon… !”
A full moon that emits strong moonlight.
The light source looming over the branches of the world tree that covered the sky like a roof was clearly the full moon in full shape.
Why did the full moon rise?
Obviously, the outer moon was an incomplete form that had entered the waning moon.
Yushin tried hard to deny the existence of the full moon, but the light source he could see must be the full moon emitting dazzling moonlight.
The day when the full moon rises on the World Tree.
El Cid’s voice seemed to be heard in my ears like an hallucination.
