Novel Full Chapter 199 : Chapter 199
Chapter 199. Isn’t This Enough? (1)
Jin Cheon, blocking his bloody nose with a cotton towel, scowled and said.
“Dammit, a wife punching her heaven-like husband in the face? Is this what a graceful lady raised as the daughter of a prestigious clan does? Hey, what do you think?”
To Jin Cheon’s question, his junior brothers nodded as if it were a matter of course and said.
“You should be able to endure a punch.”
“Just endure it even if you get stabbed.”
“Endure it even if you’re poisoned.”
“I don’t know the details, but I’m sure you did something deserving of a beating, Senior Brother…. Aaargh! Why are you hitting me?”
The warm violence of the Radiant Dragon Great Master Jin Cheon poured down on his praiseworthy junior brothers.
“Whose side are you on? You bastards!”
The ones who answered Patrick’s shout were not the junior brothers busy getting beaten.
“Hohoho. Of course, I’m on my daughter-in-law’s side.”
“Ah, Master, why are you…. uh….”
Turning his head to look where his Master was, Jin Cheon’s body froze for a moment.
An old man with white hair, appearing with a hearty laugh.
The twin swords tied to his waist and the worn-out clothes that revealed his frugality.
It was his Master’s usual appearance.
Yes. Just as usual….
“Huh? Is Senior Brother crying?”
“What? Are you kidding?”
“Did Senior Brother even have tear ducts?”
“That’s a lie. Demons don’t cry.”
The junior brothers were startled.
And Jin Cheon himself was also surprised.
The moment he saw his Master, he couldn’t stop the tears that were uncontrollably streaming from his eyes.
“Uh… this is… uh uh….”
“Ahem, how can the one who will soon become the master of the Twin Dragon Sect be so soft-hearted?”
“No, Master, it’s not that….”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, how can I entrust the Twin Dragon Sect to you like this? Your cultivation is still far from enough.”
I don’t know.
I don’t know why I’m crying, but….
“Th… that’s… th….”
I just couldn’t stop.
***
Smack!
Elione’s beautiful face whipped to the side.
The one who had done this to her was Isabella, who was fuming in front of her.
She gritted her teeth and said.
“Say that again.”
“Lord Patrick… has gone inside… the World Tree.”
“Grrr….”
Once again, Isabella’s hand moved.
But her palm, flying towards Elione’s face, did not achieve its goal this time.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
The one who grabbed Isabella’s wrist and protected Elione was her younger brother, Kirioth.
Kirioth spoke with fire in his eyes, but Isabella did not back down at all and said.
“Patrick went inside the World Tree? What does that mean?”
“……”
“Is he dead? Is he alive? It sounds like nothing is certain about what will happen to him. Am I wrong?”
“That is….”
Kirioth started to speak but then mumbled.
He had to make some excuse, but he couldn’t.
The World Tree absorbing a human?
This was an abnormal phenomenon that had never occurred even in the legends of the Elves.
Regarding the unknown, no predictions could be made.
Elione, with a reddened cheek, answered in a calm voice.
“As this is an unprecedented phenomenon, we cannot guarantee anything. However, I promise that we will do our best to ensure Lord Patrick returns safely.”
“You talk a good game.”
“……”
“Keep this in mind.”
“……”
“If my fiancé does not return and dies like this, I will use every means at my disposal to hold the entire Elven race responsible.”
At her words, Kirioth said with displeasure.
“Your words are harsh. In the first place, to you….”
Shing.
Kirioth, who was speaking, shut his mouth.
What had shut his mouth was the blade of April’s sword, imbued with a chillingly sharp killing intent.
Her sword had already reached Kirioth’s neck and made a small cut.
The blood flowing from his neck trickled down the blade and dripped to the floor.
In that state, April spoke.
“If the Young Master dies….”
“……”
“You will die too.”
Here, the scope of ‘you’ that April mentioned was by no means limited to just these two siblings.
Perhaps the reformist Elves who had entrusted the healing of the World Tree to Patrick, or maybe even the entire Elven race, could be included in the scope of ‘you’ that she mentioned.
Is that really possible? Impossible? That aside….
‘This woman. She is serious.’
He could be certain that April would do just that.
Compared to Isabella, who had confronted Elione most fiercely, she had been calm, so he thought she was level-headed, but that was not the case.
Right now, April was like a powder keg about to explode.
If Isabella had not gotten angry first, she would have already drawn her sword and shed blood.
Liman, who had witnessed the livid fury of the two women firsthand, clicked his tongue and said.
“This is no joke. That woman named April aside, I didn’t expect Princess Isabella to get so agitated.”
Hearing Liman’s words, Matthew said with an indifferent expression.
“They are engaged.”
“I’m saying this because they didn’t seem particularly affectionate usually. Logically speaking, it’s close to a political marriage…”
“That doesn’t matter.”
Matthew, unusually, cut Liman off and stepped forward to speak to Elione.
“Is your cheek alright?”
“…It’s fine.”
“I see. Please cool it down.”
He said so and handed her a handkerchief.
It was a gesture befitting chivalry, which dictates protecting the weak and ladies.
Up to this point, that is.
“I don’t know if you’re aware, but I am the heir to the Elbador Merchant Guild.”
“Yes. I see.”
To Elione, who seemed to be thinking, ‘What does that have to do with this situation?’, Matthew spoke calmly.
“Our merchant guild has a wide distribution network. So it’s easy to spread information. For example….”
“……”
“It would take less than a month to spread the information throughout the continent that the Elves of Evergreen cannot use spirit arts. That their military power is less than a third of its peak.”
Elione’s eyes widened.
And Kirioth, behind her, glared and shouted.
“Is that a threat?”
“Yes. It is a threat.”
“……”
Kirioth was at a loss for words at the calm affirmation.
Regardless, Matthew continued to speak one-sidedly.
“The Princess will only be angry. She probably won’t know what to do.”
“……”
“April will go on a rampage. A large number of Elves will die. But there is a limit to what an individual can do.”
“Hey. you….”
“But I….”
Matthew sent a cold gaze towards Kirioth and said.
“Am the one who can do what you all hate the most.”
“……”
Kirioth couldn’t say anything.
If the fact that the Elven race had lost its power spread throughout the world, slave traders from all over the continent would flock to Evergreen.
Perhaps even a nation-level military force might invade Evergreen.
And the current Elves did not have the power to stop it.
Kirioth shuddered anew.
He had always seemed like a man who just grumbled in the background with little presence, but he never knew he had such a side to him.
“It seems you understand the situation.”
Matthew said to Kirioth in a cold voice.
“Keep this in mind. If my friend dies……”
“……”
“You are finished too.”
And Matthew, as if he had nothing more to say, turned and left.
Kirioth, left behind, just stood there blankly with a vacant expression.
***
The Elven prison.
In the place where Patrick and his companions were originally imprisoned, the elders of the orthodox faction were now imprisoned.
With shackles on their wrists and ankles, and a rune seal that completely sealed their spirit power engraved on their foreheads.
It is a rune, though not common, developed to restrain a criminal when one appears among the Elven race.
If that rune is engraved, an Elf cannot use their spirit power.
Naturally, they can’t call spirits either.
In front of the completely restrained Kantaros, someone appeared stealthily.
“Serves you right. Kantaros.”
“……”
“Tsk, I trusted you with the job, and you messed it up like this. You are far more incompetent than I expected.”
To the words of the man completely covered in black clothes from head to toe, Kantaros answered in a weak voice.
“If I am so incompetent and useless….”
“……”
“Why have you appeared before this incompetent man?”
“……”
“Didn’t you come because I’m still useful?”
To Kantaros, who had a faint sneer on his lips, the other person smirked and said.
“You’re quick-witted.”
And he knelt down, approached the fallen Kantaros, and said.
“It’s time to use the final method. You know what I’m talking about, right?”
“……”
“It might have turned out well in the end. It just moves up what needed to be done.”
“Heh… hehehe….”
“So? Are you prepared?”
At the other’s words, Kantaros nodded and said.
“Let’s see it through to the end.”
The other nodded as if pleased and took something out from his bosom. It was a small, wriggling bug.
The moment he brought the bug to Kantaros’ forehead….
Crunch!
The bug bit Kantaros’ forehead with its pincer-like mouth. Then it began to burrow into his forehead, nibbling away at his flesh.
“Aaaaaaaaaaargh!”
Kantaros screamed in terrible pain.
The bug drilled through the bone of his forehead and into his head. The moment it settled inside his head, a foreign and ferocious power spread from it throughout his entire body. And….
Swoooosh.
Kantaros’ white skin began to turn a dark brown.
Watching his skin turn brown and his eyes turn red, the black-masked person said with glowing red eyes.
“Welcome to the kin.”
***
The Council of Elders.
No, the great hall where the Council of Elders used to meet was now filled with the young Elves of each clan.
In fact, it wasn’t even one participant per clan; participation was allowed freely, and as a result, over a thousand Elves were now crowded here.
There were even some who couldn’t fit inside and were waiting outside.
In this situation with so many Elves gathered, Elione first explained the situation.
She explained in as much detail as possible that Patrick had attempted to heal the World Tree and, as a result, had gone inside it. The result….
“Wait, the World Tree absorbed a human? Did something like that happen?”
“As far as I know, it has never happened.”
“Then what should we do?”
“Shouldn’t we first look for a way to rescue Lord Patrick?”
“No, before that, we need to establish a new system. Isn’t this too disorganized right now?”
“We also need to decide what to do with the existing elders.”
“Shouldn’t we treat the orthodox and reformist elders differently?”
“But if we do that, it won’t be much different from the previous Council of Elders.”
“No, we should rescue Lord Patrick first. Do you think we could be doing this here now if it weren’t for him?”
“But there’s no way, is there?”
“Let’s start with what we can do.”
It was chaotic and a mess.
Elione looked up at the ceiling and sighed.
‘Uniting the clan is not easy.’
The nature of the Elven race is passive.
They follow well if someone leads them and shows them the way, but they are clumsy at taking the lead and guiding others.
So when the World Tree led them, there were no problems.
Even during the World Tree’s absence, as long as the Council of Elders existed, there were no problems on the surface.
Although dissatisfaction and conflict were gradually accumulating and festering underneath.
But now that even the Council of Elders is gone.
The weakness of the Elven race was mercilessly exposed.
The reason why they could not take control of the continent despite each individual being far superior to humans.
They were inherently a people who could only unite when a leader existed.
Elves without a leader were nothing but a disorganized rabble.
“First of all….”
Just as Elione was about to organize the opinions.
She and all the other Elves shot up from their seats.
And everyone looked in one direction with a serious expression.
“That way is….”
“The direction of the prison.”
“No, more than that, this sinister energy…. Don’t tell me?”
Elione shouted urgently.
“Everyone, assume combat positions and head to the prison. Evacuate all the children who cannot fight!”
Having shouted that, she ran ahead faster than anyone else.
Towards the source of this sinister energy.
And as she ran, she prayed desperately.
‘Please, let it not be….’
That it was not the worst-case scenario she was thinking of.
***
“Magnificent. It’s almost ecstatic.”
“I agree.”
“If I had known it would be like this, I would have accepted it sooner….”
“Hehehe… Hahahahahaha.”
When Elione arrived at the scene, what she saw was the worst-case scenario.
The prison was destroyed, and on the floor were the bodies of the imprisoned orthodox Elves.
And above the bodies were corrupted beings, ecstatically looking at the blood of their own kin on their hands.
It was Kantaros and a few other orthodox elders and Elven Knights.
What was noteworthy was their appearance.
Pure white hair.
Dark brown skin.
Red eyes.
Above all, the demonic energy overflowing from their entire bodies.
She knew very well what this was.
“Dark Elf, how dare you show yourself here?”