Episode 456 New Alliance (2)
The night has come.
The cloudless night sky was full of brilliant stars.
Unlike Lederbelk, it was thanks to the air that was even cleaner than there was no pollution at all.
Looking up at the stars, Ambella Burke lit a cigar.
Ambella asked without looking back at the sound of stepping on the grass coming from behind.
“Are you here? You’re a little late.”
“To call me separately without an escort. What are you going to do if I kill you?”
At Ludger’s low-pitched voice, Ambella chuckled while biting on her cigar.
“Stop the provocation. It’s not like I’ve gotten old in vain.”
“So just tell me what’s going on.”
“Just burn this for a while.”
Ambella said as she finished lighting a cigar.
Rudger, who was watching the scene, couldn’t help but ask.
“Can I smoke in a forest like this?”
“why. Do you think there will be fire? Humans are worried about everything.”
Ambella chuckled and continued to smoke a cigar.
“If there was a fire like this, this forest would have been nothing but ashes. Don’t underestimate the forest of life where the elves live. Because he was fine even under the gunpowder bombardment.”
From using the thumb and forefinger without using the index and middle fingers to biting the fire until it goes out on its own.
What is often referred to as poetry etiquette was ingrained in the body.
That, too, was probably something I learned while interacting with humans.
“Humans are so strange. To make something like this with plants that are common in our forests.”
Ambella, who had smoked all her cigars, muttered as she gazed at some of the remaining cigars.
“Cultivating something no one cared about and changing it like this to make it. It’s something we would never have done.”
“I believe you didn’t call me at this hour to denounce humanity.”
“Anyway, he’s a man without romance.”
Ambella shook her head and looked back.
Even in the dark, one of her eyes shone clearly.
“The Burke family will advance to Serendel Castle tomorrow.”
“For someone who has just decided on treason, he moves quickly. Did all the vassals agree?”
“Because they also had a vague idea that something like this would happen someday. Rather, it may have been what I was longing for. That’s also true, isn’t there a lot of things accumulated in our family for a long time?”
“I don’t think I called you to brag. I think you have something to say to me.”
“It is no exaggeration to say that this is a war. In effect, the kingdom will descend into civil war. don’t know how long that will take It could end overnight, or it could go on for a long, sluggish time.”
This is why Ambella called Rudger.
“After all, you are the key to this matter.”
“…..”
The two families, who had maintained their neutrality, were moving hand in hand.
In a way, it could be seen as a three-way war between moderates, radicals, and neutrals.
A situation in which one kingdom splits into three and fights.
Even so, the victory or defeat in this battle is in the hands of a human, not an elf.
“Other guys don’t know, but I can see it. Even if you are dressed so neatly, I can clearly feel your extraordinary wriggling inside.”
“He looks good on me as a human being.”
“Because I am not an ordinary human being. Besides, the black clothes wrapped around her body. Aren’t these ordinary clothes in the first place?”
Ambella was also aware of the existence of Ather Nocturnus.
Perhaps not realizing it, Ather Nocturnus flinched and trembled.
Ambella looked at it curiously.
“Is that the guy called a magician in terms of human magic? That’s unusual. If you deal with a guy like that, he must be very strong.”
“Even then, you wouldn’t have any reason to rate me highly.”
“Why is there no reason? Right now, the spirits are so afraid of you.”
Ambella was feeling it right from the reception room.
When she called the fire spirit to light her cigar, the spirit’s reaction was strange.
Surprisingly, the spirit was afraid.
That person sitting facing you.
Ambella was curious.
Who the heck is that human? What on earth do you do that makes even the spirits afraid?
“Besides, I vaguely feel the spirit’s power from you. It’s not your own, but you’re holding something in your arms.”
“…..”
Rudger was surprised inside.
Now he was carrying Quasimodo’s Spirit Stone in his bosom.
Could it be that he saw through it all at once?
‘I’m not an elf who has lived for a long time for no reason.’
Contrary to her warlike and pompous appearance, Ambella had excellent insight and was able to see the essence.
“….okay. It’s an unexpected power.”
“I don’t mean to blame you for that. It’s just… I wonder if it would be okay for a human being of that level to entrust the fate of this case.”
Ambella laughed as if it was funny even after saying it herself.
“I’m a little embarrassed to say that. To leave the fate of our hometown in human hands.”
“I can concede if you want.”
“haha. You mean you don’t need a ball? Sorry but I know my subject too. Every being has a role assigned to it. And I’m in charge of the role of the commander and the head of the forces. It’s a position where you can’t move recklessly and recklessly.”
“On the contrary, I am in a free position to sneak.”
“okay. In terms of your human story, would you say it’s a joker hand in a card game? Anyway, that’s how it feels.”
Ambella said with a cool smile.
“So please do me a favor. A fight that will happen soon anyway. I want it to end quickly so that there are no sacrifices as much as possible.”
“Do you know what I am about to do?”
“Rescuing Plante’s child and catching and killing that poisonous bitch in Leafre. Anything more than that?”
It wasn’t particularly wrong, so Ludger nodded.
“Even if it’s not a win or a loss, the situation this time will change depending on how fast you move. The sooner the sacrifice, the less likely it will be.”
“Does that mean the lives of our enemies?”
“If you want to brag about it, yes, but there will be sacrifices on our side as well. Even if the forces on this side are strong, they are fully protected by the castle and the surrounding forest. If we go on a defensive offensive, it will be difficult for us to break through. In the end, it will only become a battle of attrition by sluggishly wasting time.”
“That’s why my role is important.”
“okay. we’ll take the time Most of the elves’ attention will be focused here. It’s your job to stab instead.”
Ambella stared at Ludger with eyes like fireworks.
“I will match the rhythm you want. I will gladly dance on this well-organized stage.”
but.
“I do not tolerate failure. know?”
The words were full of threats and warnings.
Of course, if it failed, Ludger would also die. In the first place, when considering the seriousness of the work, Ludger was also by no means light.
There’s no way Ambella didn’t know that.
Still, to say this was to whine a little in her own way.
At least he should have saved Sedina.
But I couldn’t. She didn’t even know that child existed until yesterday.
In terms of qualifications, Sedina’s closest acquaintance, Rudger Celisi, was the best fit.
“of course.”
Rudger knows how dangerous this is.
He said he had a support force, but what he had to do was to secretly sneak into the capital of Serendel.
Move in small numbers and hit the head of the enemy leader.
Even if it seems simple, is there anything more dangerous than this?
Nonetheless, he promised to do it willingly.
“I didn’t come all this way in the first place out of complacency.”
“On words alone, I can’t be sure.”
At Ambella’s words, Ludger stared at her with a gaze asking what that meant.
I wanted to tell the story well, but you pointed out here.
“I’ll add one more person to move with you.”
“Was that the real purpose?”
Ambella laughed in a low voice.
“hey. I can’t fully trust the person I saw for the first time today. Wouldn’t it be better to minimize the risk as much as possible, especially on a very important event like this one?”
“So, who are you going to assign me as a watcher?”
“A watcher is such a pity to say that. I mean, I’m just trying to help him. It moves in decimals anyway, so it doesn’t matter if the number increases by one, right?”
“If that one interferes with my instructions, then things will get serious.”
“That won’t happen. It’s not a naive guy, but rather a guy from the outside. The words will work very well.”
“outside? What kind of guy is he?”
The outside of Ambella refers to the outside of the forest.
So the person she called was not an elf, but someone else outside.
In this situation, calling in outside personnel to join us?
Rather than questioning how he did it, he first became interested in who he was.
Seeing Ambella say that, she must not be an ordinary person.
“I was just calling you because of that.”
As soon as the words were finished, a new guest appeared.
Rudger looked at the man Ambella had brought with him and widened his eyes.
“You…”
Ambella, who saw that reaction, was delighted.
“oh. Did you know each other? Then the story will be easier.”
* * *
The Throne of Roots nestled in the depths of Serendel Castle.
Commonly known as the Cradle of the World Tree.
Directly facing the World Tree, it was a large space where light did not come in well.
Where the floor, walls and ceiling are all covered with tree roots.
At the center was a small pond created by tangled roots.
The pond, through which soft light flowed, was clear and transparent like a mirror.
A spray of water rose from inside and a person came out.
Chow.
The water running down his body spilled onto the floor, but his roots immediately absorbed it.
Bentmin.
Wearing only pure white ceremonial clothes, she drew all the moisture from her body through the water spirit.
At that time, the elf waiting in the room approached Bentmin and handed over his coat.
It was the gray-haired male elf who escorted Sedina to the restaurant.
Bentmin accepted the coat without saying anything.
The movements of the two were so natural, as if this had not happened once or twice.
Normally, the two would not have had any further conversations.
But not today.
“How was it?”
“Why are you wondering?”
“The situation is dire. The movement of the moderates has become more outspoken than before.”
“joy. I even gave them a chance to devour the Dentis family, but it seems the worms didn’t even do that properly. Are you trying to change direction and use Plante’s survivors as an excuse to pressure us?”
Bentmin sneered at such a disrespectful action.
However, there was no emotion like concern on that haughty face.
“These are stupid things. It would be impossible to plot things in secret in front of me who can contemplate the interior of the forest through the world tree.”
“I wouldn’t do it without knowing. It’s probably because you know it’s moving. A kind of protest…”
“Or they try to threaten our position by getting Plante’s child.”
The gray-haired elf didn’t answer.
However, that action did not mean that he disapproved of the opinion.
“Who is that child?”
“I’ve been quietly locked up in the spire for now.”
“There is no danger of running away, right?”
“You know best that you can’t do that, don’t you?”
“that’s right. It was just what I said.”
The subtle emotion in Bentmin’s voice.
The gray-haired elf caught it at once.
“Are you uncomfortable?”
“Inconvenience? joy. That’s annoying. But it’s not wrong either. not uncomfortable The child of that lineage is still alive like that.”
Bentmin has long held hostility towards the Plante family.
It became stronger after she went to the pond where she could connect with the World Tree a little while ago.
“I still haven’t been able to access the depths of the World Tree. Awakening the sleeping World Tree will never be possible.”
A pond in the center of this cradle.
That is no ordinary water.
It was the sap of the World Tree.
If you enter the sap and concentrate your mind, you can access the World Tree in the safest and fastest way.
It was because of that that Leafre was able to wield stronger authority than other families.
Even Bentmin, the owner of the house, found it quite difficult to access through the skin of the World Tree.
“That’s why you need that bloodline.”
But there were those who did not.
One of them was the Plante family.
The lineage of the Plante family showed deep sympathy with the World Tree for generations.
Even though they did not come into direct contact with the World Tree, they heard its voice and drew its mysterious power.
It was unfair.
This side, even if you use all the possibilities, all you can do is scan the surface consciousness.
Of course, with that alone, he was able to show off his abilities like an absolute.
However, the unfulfilled desire clamored that it was not enough.
There was still too much power locked up. There was no way I could be satisfied here.
If you use a little more power here, you can influence the entire kingdom, not the royal castle.
If you go further from there, you can dominate the entire forest.
And if it was more than that, then it could affect not only this forest, but also the outer realm.
What was even more surprising was that even that was not the power of the World Tree.
What if the world tree was completely awakened?
And what if you could fully use that power as your own?
It would be possible to turn this entire continent into a sea of trees.
“I need to start the ritual quickly. Get ready.”
Fluttering the coat over his shoulders, Bentmin strode forward.
“Because it’s a war from now on.”
