Episode 457 Battle of the Seven Roots (1)
The heads of the three noble families gathered in the conference room.
Leading the moderate faction, they are the heads of families known to rule half of this forest.
Normally, they would have laughed and said good things, but not today.
It would be correct to say that there is no room for that.
“I heard that the treason in the Dentis family failed.”
An old elf with a long white beard said while stroking his beard.
The head of the Crown, Melfin Crown, had wrinkles on his forehead as if to express the seriousness of this issue.
“All of our troops and elders have been taken. soldiers are killed. Still, the elders were merciful and sent them alive, but as you know, they are in poor condition.”
“Isn’t this an open declaration of all-out war!”
A stocky elf with short hair expressed his opinion in a warlike voice.
He didn’t even think to hide his displeasure with his arms crossed, as if he didn’t like what had happened in the first place.
“How funny we looked at the three nobles, how dare Dentis or the like do something like that!”
“Calm down. Lord Radix.”
Darish Radix sniffed and snorted at those words.
“Then do you mean let’s just leave it alone? Family head Flohim, please say something.”
At the end of Darish’s gaze was a thin, handsome man wearing glasses.
Flohim’s patriarch Fariya Flohim narrowed his eyes as he lifted his glasses with his fingers.
“Of course, if we stay still, our family’s prestige will go down. I will definitely pay for this.”
“So right now…!”
“Lord Radix. But don’t get emotional. First of all, Dentis has the upper hand. And the important thing now is not Dentis. Haven’t you heard about Radix yet?”
“News?”
It was Melphin Crown who answered Darish’s confused expression instead.
“The Burke family has moved.”
“Burke? All of a sudden, those guys who have been silent until now?”
“okay. I confirmed that the owner of the house, Ambella, personally visited Dentis’ territory. What do you think that means?”
Darish’s expression hardened.
Pariya Flohim also shook her head in embarrassment.
“An alliance of neutral factions. The two families, who had been quiet until now, joined hands.”
“Anyway, isn’t it a mess? Of course, Burke is dangerous, but something like Dentis…”
“Have you forgotten that Dentis and the like struck us this time. Dentis’ own forces are insignificant, but they have a tenacious loyalty that will never dissipate. They are very annoying when they turn into enemies.”
So he tried to use Biella to shake and take control of their insides.
It failed in the end though.
Darish Radix said.
“Anyway, isn’t the current head of the family a bastard who left everything to his nephew and wandered around the world of dirty people? Should we be concerned because such a person has returned? The only thing you care about is Burke.”
“It is not unreasonable to think so. The current head of the family, Vierano Dentis, must have neglected his responsibilities. But the fact that he made contact with the Burke family means that he made up his mind as well.”
“joy. If so, isn’t it the family head who has been withdrawn from his position for a long time? What are you going to do now?”
Melphin urged softly toward Darish, who was speaking cheerfully.
“Lord Radix. I bet you’ve never met Vierano in person. If not, is that all I saw of your face from a distance?”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“No problem. But it’s good to be self-respecting to look down on him like that. No matter how he looks, Vierano is the one who fought to protect the forest by standing at the forefront of the war 100 years ago.”
Melfin, the eldest in this position, knows about Vierano.
Especially since he was the head of the Crown, which handles information and records, he was definitely remembered.
Vierano Dentis.
How the seemingly kind-hearted elf turns terrifying once he gets angry.
Such Vierano joined hands with the Burke family.
The current head of Burke, Ambella Burke, is an older elf that even Melfin cannot treat carelessly.
Now, she was pushed out of the forest, but at the time, Ambella Burke was the one called the guardian of Serendel Castle.
Considering how venomous the Burke family had grown while dealing with outside enemies for nearly 500 years, the alliance between the two families was an issue that could never be left unattended.
“But there are things we need to be more concerned about than Burke and Dentis’ alliance.”
“You mean Plante.”
I never thought I would mention the name Plante at this moment.
The heads of all three families were unwilling.
Plante is now a taboo family name for elves.
They touched the World Tree, which should not be touched the most, and were destroyed in the aftermath.
Of course there were survivors.
I followed the trail for a long time and finally found it, and when it didn’t move as I wanted, I even got rid of it.
But that bloodline was still alive.
‘I wonder if that person was hiding it.’
Walter Rosshen.
A cold-hearted businessman who is known to be heartless enough to even sell his family for money.
Even when he let Ela Plante live in his mansion, there were even rumors that he had purchased an elf slave.
I didn’t doubt too much.
Human rulers and wealthy merchants have long bought young elves as slaves and welcomed them as companions.
Even if it was forbidden by law in the human world, those with high social prestige could ignore such laws.
So Melfin also thought of Walter as a man no different from any other filthy human being.
But I thought it was all deception.
He gave birth to a child with Ela Plante and has been hiding his existence since Ela Plante’s death.
He killed Ella Plante to put his mind at ease, but now, years later, he returned as a boomerang.
In the worst case scenario, the Leafre family came into possession of Plante’s flesh and blood.
If only I had been a little more careful.
Melphin was annoyed, but calmly controlled his feelings.
“The Leafre family has obtained Plante’s blood and blood. What that means is simple.”
“You’re trying to gain complete authority over the World Tree.”
“okay. It was thanks to the World Tree that Leafre was able to maintain its current power, but it was also because he could not fully handle the World Tree that he reached the current situation. That’s why we were able to keep them in check by uniting our three families.”
But the moment Leafre completely dominates the World Tree.
The union of other families is meaningless.
Literally, the only family with absolute authority will be born.
Only one family, not 7 families.
A ‘king’ worthy of the name of the elven kingdom was born.
“That’s something we have to stop at all costs.”
“What do you plan to do?”
“The key to this incident is, after all, Plante’s last blood relative. The final key to holding all of these situations. Without that key, Leafre’s head would not be able to do anything.”
There are only two ways.
Either this side gets the key.
or not.
“Break it so that no one can have it. It’s not the first time you’ve done it.”
“But I will never hand over Leafre.”
“I know. Right now, Leafre and the Shade Warden’s troops are guarding the castle, and even more rugged than before.”
“Seeing that you are openly on the defensive, you wouldn’t even think about listening to a request to convene a parliament.”
“A blatant waste of time. So this side has to move accordingly.”
The three family heads nodded at the same time and expressed a common opinion.
“Gather your troops. We are going to Serendel.”
Will everything you have be taken away without doing anything?
Will we wage a war based on the possibility?
In the first place, the only way left for them was the latter.
* * *
Things that shake the world always happen suddenly and without warning.
It was the forest that read the omens faster than anyone else.
The forest watched everything going on inside of it.
And the forest, as always, did not prevent or abet this situation, but went into the wait and see.
A dead forest.
I couldn’t hear the sounds of animals, the chirping of birds, or the cries of insects.
All I hear is the sound of the footsteps of the soldiers moving in sync.
The troops of each family gathered and moved quietly with each other.
Legions lined up beyond the outer walls of Serendel Castle.
The elves of the Leafre family, who guarded the outer wall, shed silence when they saw the enemy’s troops.
The commander in charge of defending the east gate muttered in a calm tone.
“Didn’t you come after all?”
I wasn’t particularly surprised that the three nobles rebelled.
Because I knew that one day something like this would happen.
Ever since the Tribal War 100 years ago, the elven kingdom has always been noisy with internal strife.
The situation, like a ticking time bomb that could explode, continued as if on a dangerous line.
The reason why the dangerous fuse was ignited was probably related to the actions of the head of the household who is currently living in the royal castle.
“…Now that we’ve come this far, we won’t be able to talk to each other with good words. All troops, we protect Serendel with all our might. Everyone should do their best in their role.”
What they had to do was very simple.
to protect this exterior.
But it wasn’t that simple.
The difference in troops was because they were overwhelming.
The most important troops were missing to protect the inner castle, and Radix, who was originally responsible for most of the defense of the outer castle, turned to the enemy.
Practically, only a part of House Leafre and House Shadewarden guarded this outer wall.
If there is one thing to be relieved of, it is that this solid and high marble exterior will block the difference in troops to some extent.
‘It is not a complete defense that is important. We just need to wait.’
The commander clenched his fists as he recalled the order from above.
At that time, a messenger hurriedly ran and shouted.
“Commander Ji! Big deal! Another force is now rushing through the western gate!”
“what?”
Another enemy in the foreword?
“Could it be that the other forces of the Three Nobles are trying to attack the other side?”
“Oh no. It was a family other than the Three Nobles.”
“If it’s a different family…no way.”
The commander desperately held back his sigh.
okay. In the end, did Burke and Dentis move in this situation?
Rather, it was strange to not move, so the commander calmly accepted that fact.
If this happens, you will have to send a defensive force to the west gate as well, making defense more difficult.
‘How many family soldiers will die once the fight begins.’
The only thing the commander could wish for was that Bentmin’s plan to succeed.
‘My lord. Please accomplish a great cause.’
* * *
It was the Three Noble Alliance that sent the largest number of troops.
Knowing the seriousness of this incident, they brought out all the troops they could recruit.
Upon hearing the news, Ambella Burke snorted.
“It seems that those cowards have become impatient. I never thought I would call out all the troops that I had been hiding until now.”
According to the report received from his subordinates, the three nobles seemed to be trying to attack the east gate’s wall.
It wasn’t that the alumni were particularly easy to attack.
The outer walls of Serendel block three directions: east, south and west.
Since the world tree was located in the northern direction, access to it was virtually impossible.
The reason why they stick to the east is probably because they can access the World Tree the fastest when they break through the barrier.
This side knew that too, so they attacked the western gate to avoid a pointless collision.
which.
“You must already know the family head of that Ankaljin Leafre in the back.”
Ambella laughed.
The other elves didn’t know, but she felt it.
Unknown gazes that keep a watchful eye on oneself.
It’s not something someone is looking at.
The grass she was stepping on was the petals of the trees growing nearby.
Everyone was following someone’s orders and staring at her.
The person who gave the order is now locked in the castle and trying to do something to the World Tree.
Plante’s attempt 500 years ago failed.
As a result, Leafre and Shade Warden gained power and Burke was pushed to the periphery.
What will happen this time?
“Let’s go to Leafre. Let’s put an end to the long, long bad relationship.”
Will you repeat the same mistakes of the day?
Or will you take a different path?
The outcome will be decided today.