For Sale. Fallen Lady. Never Used.-Chapter 332: Circulating Life

The path leading to the upper levels of the World Tree where the Circulating Life resided.

Perhaps because I had caught the assassin from the Boiling Silence, Milone and Nariell showed even more favor towards me.

…Though it might be a bit too much.

“I’ve heard a lot about you! You became an intermediate magician at such a young age and thwarted several evil plots of the cultists!”

“Thank you for thinking so highly of me. However, to add to that slightly outdated information, I’m now a high-level magician. I’ve also cleared numerous dungeons besides dealing with cultists.”

“Wow…! Isn’t it usually around 200 years old when someone becomes a high-level magician? How old are you now?”

“I’m 20 years old…”

“Ha! You’re just a baby! Are you okay? Don’t you miss your parents? To think the Empire would burden such a young child…”

“……”

This reaction was unexpected.

Milone, forcibly holding back her rising smile at the innocent Nariell, spoke up,

“Your Majesty. Humans are a fast-growing race. Their average lifespan is just under 100 years. At 20, one might be young, but they are an adult.”

“Ha! Right, I forgot about that. I apologize, Count Lindelheit. It seems I made a mistake since it’s my first time meeting someone from another race.”

“It’s fine. That can happen.”

Elves lived long lives, and High Elves even longer among them. As you could see with Iris, the concept of time and age for High Elves was quite unique.

Maybe they were born that way to prevent their souls from wearing out like Rebecca.

Normally, such gaps were filled by experience, but Nariell was severely lacking in that regard.

She remembered the time when the former king was still the power behind Alfheim, along with Milone, who was considered one of the best chancellors in history. Ꞧ𝔞ＮòᛒƐ𝙎

Ever since Milone took office, they clashed on every issue, and it was always the former king who lost.

In the end, tired of everything, the former king retired immediately after the Circulating Life designated Nariell as the next ruler.

Thus, Nariell ascended to the throne at a very young age.

She grew up almost entirely within the World Tree, with little contact with others.

Her knowledge of the outside world came only from stories by Milone, who had looked after her since childhood, and books.

So, it was understandable that she would sometimes say nonsensical things. Even if she were over 100, if she’d lived secluded, she might not know much.

…Wait, then Milone has been in love with Nariell since she was toddling around?

Good heavens. This isn’t just yuri; it’s age-gap yuri.

Did she sense my gaze, looking at her like she was a thief? Milone tilted her head, asking,

“Why are you looking at me like that? Ah, if it’s about catching the assassin targeting Her Majesty, I promise a proper reward for this as well.”

“I was thinking of that… May I clear one of the dungeons managed by Alfheim?”

“Hmm. Given the unusual activities of the cultists, we were planning to deal with them soon, so that should be fine. Which dungeon do you want?”

“The nameless dungeon at the southernmost part of the Great Forest.”

“There…”

Milone’s eyes widened with fatigue, as if she was somewhat surprised.

This dungeon, which was not even named and just referred to as the Southern Dungeon, was one of Alfheim’s highest secrets.

Given its characteristic of preserving ancient environments, it often contained resources that could no longer be obtained elsewhere.

In this dungeon, one could obtain spirit stones that were no longer manufacturable.

While the quantity wasn’t significant, the purity was high enough to slow down Alfheim’s energy depletion rate significantly.

But for me now, it was a place that must be cleared because…

It was where the first great alchemist Paracelsus’s tomb was, along with the sealed battlefield.

Since I’d come this far, I should clear it while I’m here.

Now, one might wonder why spirit stones would come from an alchemist’s tomb.

The reason was simple. Paracelsus, after successfully creating the Philosopher’s Stone, aimed to create a homunculus next.

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freewebnσvel.cøm.

And in the Eurelia Continent, where various races coexisted, there was no rule that a homunculus must be human.

He aimed to create an artificial spirit, not from the Spirit World but in the Eurelia Continent.

A truly grand plan. The problem was that he died before completing his research.

His abandoned lab turned into a tomb, remaining dormant for a long time until the War of the Gods began, and when the army of the Evil Gods passed by…

The automatic defense system activated, and golems and monsters, reactivated after ages, started fighting among themselves.

Even the Evil Gods recognized that the owner of the golems was the famous Paracelsus, so they concentrated monsters there to secure the workshop.

Thus, this remote area, not even a strategic point, became a battlefield for quite some time.

Of course, if the Evil Gods had gathered their full strength, it would’ve ended quickly. But it was the end of the War of the Gods.

With Evil Gods being sealed one by one, high-level forces couldn’t be rashly withdrawn.

Thanks to that, neither side could push the other back, and they fought endlessly until Rahim succeeded in sealing all the Evil Gods, ending the War of the Gods.

And the area around Paracelsus’s workshop, unable to decide a winner, turned into a dungeon and was thrown into the corner of the Great Forest.

Since many monsters gathered, it was deemed suitable for becoming a dungeon.

Anyway, because of that, there were quite a few spirit stones Paracelsus had collected for his research, which Alfheim mined and used. Especially since it was a looping dungeon.

It’s quite ironic, isn’t it? Paracelsus built his workshop in a remote part of the continent to avoid elves who disapproved of artificial spirit research, only for it to end up in the Great Forest, aiding the elves.

Upon hearing my request, Milone seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding with a bitter smile.

“Even if spirit stones are important, it’s foolish to keep a dangerous element within the Great Forest. Understood. I’ll arrange for you to clear it once the matter is settled.”

“Thank you. And don’t worry too much. What you’re concerned about probably won’t happen.”

“…How can you be so sure?”

Her tone was sharp, as if she had tried to manage but ultimately failed. It was almost as if I could hear her unspoken words, “How can you say that knowing how much Alfheim has struggled to avoid spirit energy depletion?”

She was right, but I had my assurances too.

Perhaps because the topic of Alfheim came up, she was subtly checking my reaction. I grabbed Elisha and Iris by the shoulders, showcasing them proudly on either side of me.

“These two will come up with the solution. Just because they were expelled from the Sylvan Magic Tower doesn’t mean their purpose or knowledge disappears, right?”

“You mean… they’re still researching the complete replacement of spirit magic with elemental magic? Even after our decree made them slaves?”

I grinned at the speechless Milone.

“Iris, who was the most outstanding Elven magician for nearly 500 years, and Elisha, whom Iris acknowledged as a candidate for an archmage. They will definitely find a way. From what I see, they might have already found a clue.”

I could assert this because I knew the future through H&A.

Elisha, once an archmage, would succeed in implementing nature itself and replacing spirit magic with elemental magic.

And… even if Iris’s approach was somewhat different, she shared the same ideology, so it would be possible for her too.

Milone just nodded, marveling at my unwavering response. However, it wasn’t just her who was shocked.

“You…”

“Master…”

Overwhelmed, Elisha and Iris looked like they wanted to rush at me right then. I gently patted their backs, asking,

“How about it? Can you do it?”

“Huh? When have I ever failed to meet your expectations?”

“Hmm. I’ve received quite a bit from Master. It might take some time, but it’s definitely possible.”

Elisha and Iris confidently puffed out their chests. Seeing this, Milone chuckled and nodded.

“If that time comes, I would gladly hand over the position of chancellor to both of you.”

“Eh? That’s a bit…”

“I-I have no interest in being chancellor!”

“……”

Milone’s eyes lost focus, as if hurt by the sincere rejection of what was half-meant as a jest.

Then, she started muttering to herself, staring at the ground,

“It’s not like I wanted to work without sleep for days… I thought I could change this country by becoming chancellor… but everyone else is an idiot without me…”

Seeing her troubled state, Nariell gasped and started comforting Milone by holding her hand, a reversal of roles from just moments before when Milone was consoling her.

They already looked good together, which was why I couldn’t let Nariell be assassinated.

Not only would there be chaos in Alfheim, but there would be serious issues for Milone.

If luck were on her side, she might give up in despair and disappear somewhere, paralyzing Alfheim. If luck wasn’t on her side, she’d burn with vengeance, ordering all forces to fight to the death and die in battle herself.

Since elves couldn’t possibly win against the army of the Grotesque Proliferation head-on, their doom would be certain.

Although I felt like I’d handled it somewhat haphazardly, I was truly glad I could deal with the assassin quickly.

How long did we walk, trying to suppress the laughter of satisfaction that kept rising?

Before we knew it, we had passed through the lower and middle levels of the World Tree and reached the entrance to the upper level, where the Circulating Life resided.

A gift, huh…? Should I say something about my friend’s (Fafnir) son or my friend’s (Solaris) husband to get something better?

With a fluttering heart, I looked up at the door in front of me.

Somehow, the door resembled a knot.