Chapter 215
Chapter 215: May I Give You a Name?
"My… surname?"
Leon was utterly bewildered. She had never given this question any thought.
Because she had been born without a surname.
Ever since she had been driven out by those so-called 'clanmates,' she had wandered aimlessly through the human world with no destination in mind.
A Elf possessed of a strong sense of justice, she had been like a lone Ranger roaming the world, making her home wherever the road led.
She dedicated herself to punishing evil and righting wrongs, taking from the rich to give to the poor.
Yet the very humans she had saved would sometimes turn against her in the end, offering hatred and resentment as their final thanks.
But upon seeing her long, pointed ears, they would reverse course at once—suddenly full of reverence, all because she was an Elf.
And so she had put on a mask and pulled up her hood.
Concealing the race that made her feel such contempt for herself.
Doing what was right required neither a race nor a name.
That was how she had spent the next several decades drifting through the human world.
She had witnessed every emotion a human could feel—joy, fear, happiness, loathing…
Like an enormous interwoven net, trapping everyone inside.
And she was the outsider watching this net from without.
Until one day, she had come to the Empire with her face concealed.
Just as she was about to rescue a group of Demi-humans being kept in captivity by humans at a port—
She saw a small girl.
That small girl was standing on the Bear-man's broad, sturdy shoulders, waving her arms, filled with excitement, her eyes sparkling.
The Bear-man moved like a beast—charging headlong into the slave traders' midst, sending them flying and scattering in all directions, the sound of bones cracking ringing clearly in her ears.
That small girl rescued those Demi-humans and, with genuine kindness, distributed food among them.
To humans, those Demi-humans were nothing more than animals you couldn't communicate with—yet she treated them as her equals.
As though she had simply ignored the contempt that existed between races.
Leon could sense it herself: that small girl truly regarded those Demi-humans as people she could talk to.
But then what about me?
In that moment, Leon thought of herself.
An Elf without a surname—without even a name.
And so, she had been driven out by the Elves, by her own kin.
And the irony of it was that even Elves had not treated her as one of their own—yet humans would bow and scrape with utmost respect the moment they saw her pointed ears.
As she stood there, lowering her head with a bitter smile, she felt something tug at the hem of her trousers.
The sweet little girl was standing before her, tilting her head back, stretching out her small hand, offering her a piece of bread.
"Are you hungry? Mr. Helnersen said you've been watching us for a long time."
Leon's heart gave a faint tremor.
As though moved by some inexplicable impulse, she removed her hood and took off her mask.
She wanted to see—what sort of expression this little girl in front of her would have once she saw who she truly was.
But the other party remained perfectly calm, apparently not the least bit surprised that she was an Elf.
She simply strained to raise her arm higher, the piece of bread in her hand still extended toward her.
"You're an Elf? But Elves need to eat too."
Leon accepted the bread in a daze. Only then did she see the little girl break into a happy smile.
Sunlight fell across her face, and a soft halo of light glowed behind her.
"My name is Leah. What's your name?"
"……"
I don't have a name.
"You're very pretty, but not as pretty as my brother."
"I like the way you hold your head up like that—that way everyone can see your eyes. They're as beautiful as emeralds."
"May I give you a name?"
"Chin up, face forward—from now on, I'll call you Leon!"
With a start, Leon abruptly snapped back to herself.
She took a few steps back, on guard.
An illusion—when?
The instant she looked up, Leon's gaze met the Crow's.
That Crow's solitary eye still flickered with its eerie, bewitching light.
"I see."
Viktor gave a nod, as though he understood everything, hands in his pockets.
"Because you had no surname, you were driven out by the Elves."
"No wonder—being an Elf yourself, and yet having such contempt for other Elves."
But at the same time, Viktor found himself puzzled.
Both produced by the Divine Tree Yadh—so why had Leon come out without a surname or a name?
Could it be that, in the eyes of the Divine Tree Yadh, she was a defective product?
He studied Leon quietly.
Leon stood with a slight bow of her body, gazing at Viktor with those clear eyes that shone like emeralds.
In the moonlight, they glittered brilliantly.
"Well, they are indeed a beautiful pair of eyes."
"I've never doubted Leah's taste."
Leon looked at him and spoke plainly:
"So then—now that you know all of this."
"What do you intend to do with me?"
Viktor did not respond. He didn't so much as move.
He stood calmly in place, as though waiting for something.
Then all at once, Leon froze.
She felt a warm embrace wrap around her from behind.
A gentle breeze drifted past, sweeping Leon's hood off her head, revealing her golden hair and her pointed ears.
The flowing golden hair swayed in the air, and Leon stood there, dazed, nestled within that warm embrace, with no idea how she ought to respond.
Until a gentle voice sounded close to her ear:
"Child, you have suffered." (Elvish)
Elves were supposed to be a race of equals. With no material needs, they naturally had no class hierarchy among them.
Not even the Elven Queen could use her standing to casually oppress other Elves.
And those Elves should not have used any excuse whatsoever to drive another clanmate out of the Elven Forest.
Not even an Elf who had no surname.
Cocotte stood behind Leon, looking at her with gentle eyes.
"I will, in the name of Yadh, grant you the respect that is yours."
Before this moment, Cocotte had harbored no thought of returning to the Elven Forest whatsoever.
But now, for Leon's sake—for a clanmate who had been forced to endure such rejection—Cocotte was willing to go back and seek justice for her.
She released her hands from Leon's shoulders, stepped down from her cloud, and stood barefoot on the grass.
Leon was in something of a daze, staring blankly at Cocotte before her.
She watched her walk barefoot across the grass, a dense natural energy swirling around the soles of her feet.
Wherever she stepped, the soil would rise gently, and before long, countless flowers would push through and burst into bloom, growing vigorously.
With each step forward, another flower bloomed—opening up in a vibrant, refreshing fragrance.
Like a spirit dancing in the moonlight, moving freely across this vast grassland without ceasing.
The flowers likewise answered her call, gradually spreading outward in all directions, pushing up through the grass.
【Will of nature, let your form emerge from the earth.】 (Elvish)
As the words fell, a gleam of emerald-green light burst forth from the ground and began to spiral around Cocotte.
【The void that connects the world—gaze upon us as the bright moon stands in the sky.】 (Elvish)
The green energy began to gather together. A massive gateway grew increasingly distinct within the radiance, until at last it stirred up countless petals, forming several clusters of flowers that surrounded Cocotte entirely.
Upon that gateway, it seemed as though a benevolent woman had been carved—hands cradling a bouquet of flowers, eyes gently lowered, a smile gracing her face.
Cocotte was completely encircled by the blooming flowers. She turned and looked at Viktor.
"Viktor, lend me a hand."
Barely had the words left her mouth than a shade of azure-blue flashed through Weija's eyes.
Viktor and Weija's Magic Power, long since linked together, flickered blue in unison.
【Connection established—】
In an instant, a staggering surge of Magic Power erupted from Viktor—like an ocean heaving up waves dozens of meters high.
The petals across the grassland were swept aloft as well, as an azure torrent and swirling wind came crashing toward Viktor from all directions.
Where it made contact with the flower clusters around Cocotte, every plant nearby grew even more powerfully, erupting into frenzied growth.
Across the entire grassland, beneath that surging tide of iridescent blooms, towering trees suddenly burst up from the earth as though trying to pierce through the thin night sky above.
Leon gazed at those massive trees rising from the ground—something about them felt faintly, vaguely familiar—and her heart swelled with awe.
"Is this… the Divine Tree Yadh?"
【Souls adrift beneath the heavens—the forest will bring you home.】 (Elvish)
Cocotte had slowly opened her eyes by now, her hands folded before her chest as though in prayer.
【Natural Bounty】
Boom—
A surging tide of dense natural energy rolled outward. Countless Runes around the gateway began to twist and warp, and dozens of patterns coiled around one another.
The woman at the center lifted her head and likewise opened her eyes, raising the bouquet of flowers in her hands.
She herself then gradually dissolved away alongside the petals.
The most immense azure tree of all surged upward amid the bloom of countless flower clusters, breaking through the dense tide of flowers and shooting straight toward the sky.
Its canopy was lush and vast—extending hundreds of thick, powerful branches that covered the surrounding expanse entirely.
From the Divine Tree's branches hung 6 lanterns of different colors.
Among them, the red, green, and white lanterns were already alight.
Along the trunk, innumerable Runes and Magic Patterns were etched everywhere. A sweeping flow of Magic Power gradually moved through them, and layer upon layer of faint blue light covered the surface of the trunk—breathtakingly beautiful.
Azure-blue leaves slowly grew in, translucent as crystal amber, touched by moonlight and faintly mysterious.
The deep, far-reaching roots burrowed into the earth, as though embedded at the very center of the world.
A blue passage seemed to stretch upward toward the brilliant white moon—impossibly dreamlike and hazy.
When it was all done, Cocotte wiped nonexistent sweat from her brow.
"Phew, I'm exhausted. I really put myself through it this time."
Her body promptly tipped backward and toppled off the canopy, plummeting toward the ground below.
Her cloud darted forward with a whoosh, and caught the falling Cocotte steadily.
"This right here is the reflection of the Divine Tree Yadh's connection to reality. We can travel directly to the Divine Tree Yadh from here."
Cocotte, sprawled across her cloud, finally said with a touch of pride:
"Heh heh—this is something only a Queen can do, you know."
Viktor's eyes gradually returned to normal. The Crow flapped its wings, and the blue faded from its depths as well.
He walked over to Leon's side and patted her on the shoulder.
Leon was already too stunned to move, mouth hanging open, her pupils wide with disbelief.
"Let's go."
"We'll go beat up every last one who ever bullied you, who ever humiliated you."
Viktor's eyes shone with a self-assured light, his tone carrying just the faintest trace of bravado.
As though he were declaring it to the entire world.
"Tell them—you are a member of the Clavena Family."
"Your surname is—Clavena."