◈ Episode 293 Unshared Secret (1)
The World Tree known to the public is said to be a tree worshiped by elves.
But it was a very old legend.
It has been a long time since the academic world concluded that the world tree is the surviving sapling of an ancient species that existed on this land from a very distant time.
Of course, even so, the existence of the World Tree was not lower than before.
For a single tree to grow so large as to cover an entire forest is a wonderful thing in itself.
Even more so, unlike normal trees, it consumes little intellect, rather, it gives vitality and, unlike ordinary trees, does not burn.
So the elves still considered these world trees sacred, and humans wanted to study them.
But even if the World Tree is dead, it still exists in the basement of the empire.
Everyone’s eyes naturally turned to Princess Eileen.
Eileen laughed happily at the reaction, as if she wanted him to tell me what had happened.
“Everyone seems to be looking for an answer from me, but unfortunately I don’t know that much. I also just heard the news a little while ago.”
“Even so, it is strange.”
The one who said that was the 6th tier magician Iron Mask Roteron, who was wearing an iron mask on his face.
“Originally, the world tree is not something that can easily exist. Even more so if it grows underground.”
“Even if it’s a world tree, it’s just a tree.”
“It is an ancient tree. The world tree does not grow by simply planting a seedling in the ground. There has to be a suitable environment and demanding conditions. However, it is absurd that there is a world tree underground.”
“Ha, but again, it’s not entirely impossible.”
It was Roina who received Roteron’s words.
Her complexion was even better than before, perhaps because she had recovered her magic.
“In other words, it means that cultivation is possible if conditions are met.”
“But it’s strange that it’s underground, right under the capital. Usually, when a tree grows, it pierces the ground and heads toward the sky. ….”
“So he is dead. isn’t it? Sir Pasius.”
Eileen turned to Pasius and asked.
Pasius nodded his head while bitterly lamenting inwardly, “Are you leaving it to me?”
Because he is here to take on this role in the first place.
“Yes, that’s right. At least as far as I know, the number of dead worlds was clear.”
Everyone exclaimed at Pasius’ words.
As a Royal Guard, there was no point in lying, so what he said must be true.
Indeed, what Pasius said was true.
They just didn’t know that there was a hidden inside story.
Observing the series of events, Rudger was satisfied in his heart.
‘I guess Hans conveyed the information properly.’
Before Rudger goes to rescue people.
He made a message before parting with Pasius.
– Sir Pasius.
-yes. Tell me, Mr. Ludgar.
-When the situation is over, a lot of people will gather to sort this situation out. And you want to find out what the liberators are doing inside the cisterns.
– I guess so?
– I sent my men underground. His words and actions are unreliable, but his skills are trustworthy, so he will probably bring news soon.
– Hoo. okay. Where can I meet who?
– 3rd avenue in the residential area near the central plaza. One male and one female.
– That doesn’t make it any special.
– It’s such an unusual combination that it will stand out. Especially the female side.
Rudger added an afterword while saying that.
-Besides, if it’s your skills, I’m sure you’ll figure it out without me having to tell you.
What Ludger said was indeed true.
As I waited near the living quarters, a man and a woman appeared.
The male side was a common impression that could be seen anywhere.
However, the keen senses of the master-level knight, Pasius, detected the strange beastly scent emanating from the man.
And on the contrary, women caught people’s attention.
A beauty is also a beauty, but it is because she was an elf with a unique atmosphere.
As Rudger boasted, it was true that you would know as soon as you saw it.
Pasius immediately contacted the two and talked about Ludger and received the information he knew from them instead.
It was all done under the premise of mutual agreement.
It was much easier for Ludgar to say that the Royal Guard, Pasius, found out the information rather than finding out the information himself.
After all, he was just a teacher.
In other words, Ludger ordered the information that Hans and Bellaluna found out, and Pasius received it instead, and Eileen explained it.
It was a way of conveying information that was so twisted that the genealogy was strangely twisted, but Ludger thought it wouldn’t matter as long as the results were good.
It actually worked out well.
“Sir Pasius. Is it really?”
“The dead world tree.”
Pasius laughed bitterly at the questioning gaze directed at him.
“yes. It was no ordinary world tree. It literally died, discolored to ivory, with no pillars, only roots and stumps. Of course, this is just speculation.”
However, the world tree protruding from the wall of the underground canal was definitely real.
Pasius explained the story he had heard in a realistic way as if he had seen it himself.
A knight who held honor and truth sublime, even though that was an act that could not be seen as a royal guard.
So people sincerely believed what Pasius said.
“The dead world tree. However, no matter how dead you are, if it is a World Tree, it will contain enormous life force inside it.”
“If there is a culture facility, it is not impossible to make such an enormous amount of chimera.”
“Then it is a big deal. I know what else they will do with that World Tree.”
It wasn’t that the Liberation Army couldn’t threaten us anymore, we had to worry about what else they might be up to.
“Pasius. Did you find out anything else?”
Captain Lutus, who had been silent, asked.
“Yes, Captain. Now that the canals are under their control, it’s literally a chimera’s field. All sorts of other traps and fortifications were going on.”
“Hmm. If you go in carelessly, you won’t even be able to find the bones.”
“yes. But if we leave it alone, they will restock the Chimera and do the same thing again. It is possible to replace it, but it is very tiring on this side as well.”
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.
Pasius nailed it.
“Aside from that, the presence of warlocks is also a threat. With a Chimera of that level, the number of warlocks is also a number, but their skills will be formidable.”
“Ugh. How strong is the Liberation Army?”
“There will be an officer.”
“Are you an officer of the Liberation Army?”
It might seem funny because he was only an officer in the Liberation Army, but it wasn’t like that again.
There was also a 6th tier magician among the officers of the Liberation Army.
“It must be Louis Fault. A man who used to be a war mage of the empire but deserted.”
Liberation Army officer Louis Fault.
As can be seen from the fact that he has no last name, he was a magician who was raised to the rank of Lexarer with outstanding talent despite being a commoner.
Usually, if you are in the 6th rank, you will be treated wherever you go, but Ruifault killed his superior and deserted.
And he committed himself to the Liberation Army and has been committing terrorism all over the world.
I thought the news had been cut off since sometime, but I can’t believe I was hiding in the basement of the capital.
So now was the moment to think of a plan that might be good.
“wait a minute.”
Casey Selmore stared to one side with those blue eyes, as if she hadn’t finished talking yet.
Not 1st Princess Eileen, who stood facing him, but Ludger Celish, who was standing still to one side.
“I have a question for Mr. Rudger Celish.”
Rudger opened his mouth as he could not respond with silence.
“Tell me.”
“When I was mentoring, Rudger Celish ran into me. Take the Royal Guard Sir Pasius by your side. Right?”
At Casey’s words, everyone’s eyes turned to Ludger.
Rudger clicked his tongue inwardly at the gaze asking if that statement was true.
‘This is what happened back then.’
In addition, he deliberately passed it on as nothing special.
Then the incident happened, so it was natural for Casey to argue.
“yes. That’s right.”
Rudger’s answer drove a wedge.
The people around them wondered why Ludger moved with Pasius.
The quick-witted people simply thought that Ludger had some sort of connection with the first princess, not just Pasius.
“Then the two of them would have moved together, but why did only Sir Fasius bring the information?”
That was Casey’s question.
Didn’t you do something while Pasius was digging up information?
But why do you stay still and only talk about Pasius?
At those words, the mentors near Casey were also puzzled.
Rudger sent them a Liberation Army terrorism warning.
I had figured out what they were up to and what gunpowder they were using.
That means that before the incident, Ludger was chasing the remnants of the liberation army with Pasius.
But now.
Rudgar is silent and all the talk is coming from Pasius’ mouth.
That was pretty unnatural.
Unless one side forcibly took the ball away, and the other side wasn’t deliberately trying to hide themselves.
“….”
Rudger stared at Casey in silence.
Unlike before, she was looking at him with a gaze full of resolute will.
It seemed like he really wanted to hear a proper answer.
The reason I dared to say this here is probably because I knew that Ludger would never open his mouth if I asked him personally.
‘I will borrow the power of the seat to open my mouth. Hmm how to answer.’
Rudger didn’t expect to get a lot of attention here, so he was a little embarrassed.
But there was plenty of room for excuses.
It wasn’t that I hadn’t imagined this situation at all.
It was when Rudger was immersed in trouble for a while in that part.
There was someone who spoke on her behalf, and it was Princess Eileen.
“I made it.”
“yes?”
When Eileen spoke instead, people were naturally surprised and had no choice but to ask back.
“I have already read the movements of suspicious people inside the capital. That’s why I called the knights and made them patrol the city.”
At that, Veronica and Terrina nodded.
“But that wasn’t enough. So I decided to send another person. One of them was Sir Pasius, my loyal knight, and the other was Mr. Ludgar Celisi.”
“Why?”
Casey asked in a sharp voice.
People were taken aback by the tone that seemed to be questioning something.
No matter how prestigious a mage is, isn’t it a bit rude to the imperial princess?
However, Eileen actually had a smile on her lips as if she was going to die because she was interested in this situation.
“Because he was the most suitable person.”
“He is just a teacher.”
“There are a lot of modifiers left out. I won’t attach it separately because it’s too long, but if you’re a ‘competent’ teacher, it’s enough for me to suggest. Most of all, it could be dangerous for the students, so shouldn’t it be necessary to at least spread the news to people related to Seorn?”
That target was Ludgar Celish.
And that is not a typical 12th grade teacher, but a man who has risen to the position of Director of Planning at Ceorn.
His salary was much higher than that of regular teachers, so it wouldn’t be strange if Eileen personally gave him orders.
However, Casey intuitively noticed that what Eileen said was not the whole reason.
‘There’s something. Something between the two of them.’
Casey’s keen intuition picked up the tenuous thread in the relationship between Rudger and Eileen.
Without doing that, there was no way they would have attached the Royal Guard next to them.
But the evidence was lacking.
There was nothing that could be called a decisive clue.
The two were completely ignorant of each other.
It is impossible to ask more questions here.
Casey, feeling unfair, glared at Ludger.
‘What am I?’
Rudger was embarrassed by the arrow that returned to him.
Eileen just laughed at that action.
Perhaps Aileen knew this but came out to play tricks on this side.
On the surface, he protected Rudger and said that he had ordered it, but it was only an act according to the contract.
Afterwards, Eileen’s sincere behavior was to face Casey and secretly scratch her insides.
Just as Casey doubts the relationship between Ludger and Eileen, Eileen also doubts the relationship between Casey and Ludger.
‘It really makes me not be alert for a moment.’
It felt like my bones were hurting when all the ties I had as a person in the past came together like this.
I’m glad it’s just the two of us.
‘Come to think of it, there must have been one more.’
Ludgar’s gaze turned to Terryna Lionhowl.
A knight who chased after him, threatening to kill him when he was active as a phantom thief.
At that time, he was neither a captain nor a master-level knight, but in a few years his skills had improved and became very strong.
Looking at it like this, I thought it was a very uncomfortable place.
‘for a moment.’
Rudgar suddenly thought of a possibility.
‘I know that Casey Selmore and Terina Ryanhowl are mutual friends.’
Even if Casey Selmore knew her identity, she hadn’t revealed it to the outside world yet.
Maybe it’s because of your stubbornness or some other reason.
But will he try to hide the secret even from his friend Terrina?
‘no way?’
Rudgar suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
