Chapter 395
Episode 395 – The Illusory Branch (2)
“Modin? You mean Modin, the Lord of the Ivory Tower?”
“That’s correct.”
“When exactly did he take the branch?”
Medeia asked with a confused expression.
After Demtor was defeated in the Ordor Forest, the mages had been unable to even approach the World Tree.
And yet, someone as prominent as the Star of Demtor had managed to reach it without the Ortains noticing?
That was a serious issue. When Medeia asked with a grim look, Arthur gave her a bitter smile.
“He took it during the war.”
“...The war? You mean when he was captured?”
“At that time, Modin was isolated and captured within the World Tree. It seems he took the Illusory Branch then. It came from the Shadow King, so it’s likely true.”
“And you're only telling me this now…?”
“Because I just found out.”
“…If I had known, I wouldn’t have let him go. I should’ve taken him out right then.”
“It’s my fault.”
At Arthur’s response, she gave a hollow chuckle and sighed.
“No, I don’t think your judgment was wrong. In fact, Demtor is now in turmoil, isn’t it? At the center of it is the Ivory Tower Lord you let go.”
Until now, Modin had moved in the direction Arthur wanted, posing as Gram’s sniper.
The variable had been the existence of the Illusory Branch.
“The puzzle pieces are falling into place now.”
Why Clarke reached six stars, and how the Flame Demon Melkor found out about the spirit realm’s rift.
It seemed the Illusory Branch Modin possessed had somehow ended up in Grand Duke Clarke’s hands.
Melkor must have taken great interest in the branch, which acted as a medium for contracts, and had identified the presence of the “Great Gate” rooted in the World Tree.
With the broader picture forming, Arthur could now see Melkor’s true goal clearly.
Melkor’s objective had been the Illusory Branch all along.
A stroke of luck?
A chill ran down his spine.
What if Melkor had opened the Great Gate and taken all of the Illusory Branches?
“The arrival of forgotten beings…”
Right under their noses.
Had things gone just slightly differently, the allied forces might have collapsed in an instant.
“We’ll need to prepare.”
“I’ll speak with the witches once we return.”
As long as the Illusory Branch existed, this place could never be safe.
The reason the Shadow King revealed the World Tree’s secret and led Arthur here was a warning of sorts—To protect the World Tree.
Arthur and Medeia exchanged looks and nodded gravely.
Having learned the World Tree’s secret, the two quickly returned.
As they descended on Banri’s shadow, the outside world had already sunk into deep night.
While they were heading down, one side of the shadow rippled, and Banri popped out.
She tugged hard on Arthur’s collar.
Arthur chuckled gently at the sight.
“Fenry had an important task and couldn’t come.”
As Banri tugged again, Arthur continued.
“She’ll return soon. So in the meantime, guard this place well.”
Banri narrowed her brow slightly and gave a small nod.
Finding her expression adorable, Arthur patted her head. She seemed taller than before.
Since she was under the Shadow King’s blessing, it was no wonder she was growing quickly.
She’d probably surpassed intermediate level and might have even reached advanced.
“Fenry’s power must’ve skyrocketed too…”
Arthur hadn’t thought much of her skill due to her obsession with money, but seeing Banri’s growth, he realized how terrifying their strength could be if revealed.
Watching from the side, Medeia asked with interest,
“You can understand the spirit’s words?”
“After spending time with Keros, I’ve gotten a general sense through intuition.”
“Fascinating.”
Her expression hinted curiosity about Fenry, so Arthur gave her a brief explanation.
“By now, she’s probably got her hands tightly on the Black Market’s purse strings.”
Since it was money-related, Fenry was likely running full speed with eyes blazing.
Soon after, the two reached the ground.
“It’s chaotic.”
Ordor’s evening forest was usually calm, but today was different.
Countless torches brightly lit the surroundings.
As they walked, they observed everyone bustling about.
Due to the abnormal World Tree phenomenon causing buildings to collapse, dwarves, witches, elves, and other races were all out helping.
The atmosphere wasn’t as excited as before.
There were dark expressions on some faces, showing anxiety caused by the strange occurrences.
Arthur and Medeia remained silent as they made their way back to the residence.
Cordy had apparently delivered the message properly, as familiar faces were already gathered inside.
At the large round table sat Dorneth and Samuel, while Sharbadin busied herself in the kitchen.
As Dorneth fiddled with something in his seat, he noticed Arthur enter and furrowed his brow.
“Finally. I was starving to death.”
“You’re here?”
“From the looks of it, you’re not seriously hurt. How long has it been since you passed out, and you’re already off gallivanting again? With the Elder, no less.”
“We went to the World Tree.”
“The World Tree?”
“Well, it’s a long story. I’ll explain once everyone is here.”
“The others might be a bit late.”
Indeed, some were still missing.
“The whole forest is in turmoil. Nella took the lead to restore order quickly.”
Nella’s ability, [Companionship That Breaks Walls], was especially effective at calming people’s unrest. Cordy was supporting her, so neither had arrived yet.
Arthur nodded and took a seat at the table.
Once Medeia also sat, Sharbadin emerged from the kitchen with an armful of food.
“Eat while you wait.”
“What’s this?”
“Desserts Dorneth brought. I thought it’d be a waste to eat alone, so I set them out.”
Luxuriously packaged bread and cookies.
Expensive fruit wines came as part of the set.
It was enough to fill the entire table. Samuel tasted a cookie with a sip of wine and let out a sigh of delight, stroking his mustache.
Arthur’s eyes naturally turned toward Dorneth.
Most of the items she had brought were luxury goods sold exclusively to VIP women in Aintrier.
Sensing Arthur’s gaze, Dorneth cleared her throat and averted her eyes.
“These are all rare items. You managed to get them somehow.”
“Dorneth said she went all over the place thinking of me. Amazing, right?”
All over, huh.
Most likely, the head of the Lenon Workshop had prepared a bunch of things Sharbadin would like to win favor with her.
Still, Arthur laughed heartily while enjoying the desserts and praised Dorneth’s taste.
He had been the one to tip off the merchant on how to win her favor, so he had to play along.
With all the compliments, Dorneth beamed, and the mood in the room turned cheerful.
Thanks to that, some of Arthur’s earlier tension seemed to ease.
Lighthearted chatter followed.
Moments later—
“We’re late, aren’t we?”
Nella and Cordy arrived at the Elder’s residence.
They looked exhausted, likely from using a great deal of energy.
Nella bowed slightly upon seeing Arthur.
“Been a while, Arthur.”
“Thank you for your hard work. How is the situation outside?”
“It’s mostly under control. But if something like this happens again…”
“It won’t happen for a while. But we’ll need to prepare.”
“Prepare…?”
“For now, why don’t you eat something first? Sharbadin prepared this, and it’s quite good.”
“…All right.”
Thankfully, the desserts seemed to suit everyone’s taste, and their expressions brightened.
Arthur asked Sharbadin for some tea and organized his thoughts quietly as he drank.
A short tea time under the soft glow of lanterns.
Though the group chatted briefly, their attention was clearly on Arthur.
They waited for him to speak, watching as he leaned on his hand deep in thought.
It was a reaction that acknowledged him as the leader of the allied forces.
Eventually, Arthur emptied his cup and slowly opened his mouth.
“Let me start by updating you on the current situation. First, the allied forces have secured control over Aintrier.”
Beginning with the biggest change, Arthur started explaining the flow of events in Hell Grime to the members gathered from the World Tree.
The explanation went on for quite some time.
The division within Demtor.
The truce agreement with Prime Root.
The progress in absorbing the Black Market, and more.
Arthur first covered external developments.
Members who had only a rough understanding were surprised by the details.
The pace of change was overwhelming.
You could even say it was relentless.
The power of the allied forces was growing at a frightening rate.
Nella shook her head, seemingly overwhelmed.
“Just absorbing Aintrier is shocking enough, but even the Black Market… incredible.”
Nella herself had achieved great things after her awakening, uniting the scattered Tobaron.
While a remarkable feat, compared to Arthur’s achievements, it felt modest.
Tobaron was merely being reorganized after conquest.
But Hell Grime was different.
Demtor, Aintrier, Prime Root, and the Black Market.
They had pushed through pressure from those formidable factions and devoured two entire powers.
“This was only possible because the situation favored the allied forces.”
“Oh, please. You left to attend the Dark Sales and came back having swallowed Aintrier. Don’t be so humble.”
“It couldn’t have happened without everyone’s help.”
“Everyone knows you’re amazing. No need to deflect. Just say what you need to say.”
At that moment, Dorneth, who had been tinkering with something on the table, laid out her completed work.
They were detailed miniature figures, like chess pieces.
She spread out a map and began placing the figures one by one on the map of Hell Grime.
Most represented the allied forces’ power.
“While you were out, we’ve already made up our minds.”
At Dorneth’s words, the others around the table gave small nods.
Then she handed Arthur one of the pieces.
It was larger and more ornate than the others.
“It’s yours. The piece that symbolizes the ‘king.’”
Having finished her preparations, Dorneth looked at Arthur and grinned.
It looked fierce at a glance, but also carried a strong sense of determination.
“Now, tell us your plan. What must we do to claim Hell Grime for ourselves?”
“Claim Hell Grime, huh… What made you think that’s the goal?”
“Because for our survival, it’s the only option.”
She might appear like a lovestruck fiancée, but she was still a ruler of her territory—with the perspective to match.
This was the beginning of what would later be called the World Tree Conference.
And it all began with the single piece Dorneth handed over.
Arthur stared intently at the piece and sighed, then carefully studied the map Dorneth had prepared.
All the key forces and allied members were represented with their pieces.
A smile crept across his face.
His plan would surely bring a storm of blood.
Even so, before hearing it, they had already chosen to show their trust.
“No matter what, I’ll protect it.”
Having solidified his resolve, Arthur placed his piece with a firm tap on the map.
“This place will become the most vital location for the allied forces going forward.”
Everyone looked at the city where Arthur placed his piece.
Their reactions varied.
Most were expressions of confusion.
Because it was a place no one had expected.
Nella looked at Arthur and asked,
“Not Ordor Forest or Aintrier, but… here? Why?”
“Because it’s the heart of Hell Grime.”
Arthur pointed to the city with his fingertip.
The city of vagrants.
He was certain this would become the key battleground of the upcoming war.