Chapter 225
Chapter 225: The Divine Tree Has Given Birth
The divine tree once again burst through the deep and darkened storm clouds.
Its branches spread wildly above the clouds, tender green shoots poking out one after another, unfurling their vibrant emerald leaves.
The massive trunk—thick and bronze-colored—was layered with a dense tangle of hardened branches.
Bathed in golden radiance, it shimmered with a brilliant, hope-filled glow.
The Elves stood frozen in place.
Shock and disbelief spread through the crowd like a plague, swift and unstoppable.
Their eyes went wide, lips parting in open-mouthed awe.
For a moment, none of them knew whether the divine tree's return was something to be grateful for—or something to fall to their knees and worship.
In their eyes, the newborn divine tree no longer carried the familiar, motherly warmth they had known.
The divine tree had been reborn, and yet these Elves felt as though it hadn't truly come back to life at all—utterly devoid of vitality.
Even the emerald surface and bronze trunk looked like something counterfeit.
At that moment, lava melted through the space, carving open an enormous red tunnel.
A terrifying, scorching heat swept instantly across the entire forest.
Countless pairs of Elven eyes were drawn toward it.
There, walking out from within that blazing tunnel, was the man in the Coat.
Cocotte followed behind Viktor, drifting slowly forward atop her cloud.
Vinia walked behind the 2 of them, eyes darting about nervously, biting her lip, the muscles of her face giving the faintest twitch.
That thing she had just passed through.
Could it really be called a portal?
She hadn't felt even the slightest trace of heat within it—and yet her heart was still pounding.
Vinia turned her head back and looked at the lava-flowing tunnel behind her.
The molten rock dripped sluggishly to the ground, colliding with the dew on the surface of the grass.
A thin puff of white mist burst upward in an instant, the lava solidifying into black stone, left bare upon the grass, forming a path leading straight to the base of the divine tree.
The Elves stared at the pitch-black stone path, none of them daring to breathe.
Afraid that even 1 piece of the cooled lava might crack apart.
Viktor looked at Vinia and spoke with calm composure:
"Now, do just as you did before."
"Offer the divine tree your Natural Energy."
Receiving Viktor's instruction, Vinia steadied her expression, placed one hand firmly over her chest.
With careful steps, she walked across the black stone path and came to stand before the divine tree.
She slowly laid her hand upon it, and the bronze trunk began to stir and shift.
Glowing green Natural Energy flowed from her palm, tracing along the grain of the great tree.
That streak of green quickly spread across the entire bronze trunk, extending outward through every branch and bough.
The illuminated veins gradually crept upward toward the canopy, passing through the clouds, converging swiftly at the very center of the topmost branches.
Nourished by the Natural Energy, the tender green shoots grew rapidly.
A single translucent, crystalline fruit appeared at the very peak of the canopy—as though being cradled by an unseen hand—slowly drawing in the green energy from the top of the trunk.
The divine tree began to shake violently. A brilliant surge of light erupted from it all at once, flooding the entire flourishing forest with radiance.
The Elves covered their eyes, peering through the gaps between their fingers as the powerful energy rippled outward in all directions, and the young shoots around them grew once more.
This was an energy pulse brimming with life—and that light, too, felt like hope itself.
None of them knew how many years had passed.
Since Cocotte's departure, they had never again seen the divine tree release such a dazzling glow.
At last, the teal-colored fruit at the summit gathered enough energy and slowly split open.
Brilliant light scattered down like a clear spring flowing from the sky, and a familiar presence spread in an instant through every member of the Elven race.
Vinia's face was filled with awe—but quickly, that awe transformed into astonishment.
Under the gaze of every Elf present, the first Elf was born.
The branches at the top of the divine tree began to open and close rhythmically, and an Elf crawled out from within the dense canopy.
Her body was covered by lush green leaves, revealing vast stretches of white skin as smooth and pale as lotus root.
Her small cherry-pink lips parted and closed steadily with each even breath.
And those unmistakable, pointed long ears...
For the Elves, this was an event as miraculous as a divine sign.
The Elves were left utterly stunned. Countless curious yet uncertain gazes swept up and down the newborn Elf's body, each one filled with warmth and closeness.
Even Vinia could not keep her expression in check, her mouth hanging open.
Because this Elf, strictly speaking...
Was born of her!?
Oh no, did I become a Queen??
Cocotte watched the scene unfold before her, deeply satisfied, nodding vigorously at her side.
At this rate, she wouldn't have to go on being the Elven Queen anymore.
Vinia stepped carefully forward and stood tentatively before the newborn Elf.
She could feel it—the Natural Energy radiating from this Elf shared the same source as her own.
Because this Elf had been born from the very Natural Energy she herself had offered.
Vinia's body trembled slightly as she reached out a quivering hand:
"Child, what... what is your surname?"
According to custom, a newborn Elf would be bestowed a surname by the divine tree.
Once the surname was known, the High Priestess would grant her a name and assign her a role corresponding to her surname.
Though Vinia hadn't done this in a very long time—not since Cocotte's departure.
In the decades following Cocotte's leaving, not a single newborn Elf had appeared.
And this one before her was the very first newborn Elf in all those decades.
The newborn Elf looked around in innocent bewilderment, her gaze drifting toward Vinia.
Seeing Vinia extend her hand toward her, she reached out and grabbed hold of Vinia's arm in one smooth motion, pressing herself against Vinia's body.
An expression of pure contentment and ease spread across her face.
Vinia's heart gave a sharp jolt. Her entire body stiffened in place, unable to move.
But the Elf continued to nuzzle against her arm, and the warmth of that contact reached straight to the very tip of her heart.
From the moment of Vinia's own birth, she had been responsible for receiving other newborn Elves.
Never once had she encountered an Elf who clung to her with such closeness.
Elves did all share a common origin and were naturally fond of one another.
But she had never seen one this fond—one who had pressed herself entirely against her body.
"Clearly, you have no understanding of the concept of family."
Without her noticing, Viktor had walked quietly to stand behind Vinia.
Both hands in his pockets, his voice unhurried.
Vinia spun around sharply:
"Eh—? Fam—family?"
Indeed, Elves had no understanding of what family meant.
Within the structure of Elven society, every Elf was born through the energy of the Queen.
Elven society was more like a pure collective.
Every single one of them carried the Elven Queen's "bloodline," and every one of them could be called family.
Strictly speaking, because the Elven Queen was always required to wait quietly within the divine tree—newborn Elves, from the very moment of their birth, had never once laid eyes on the "mother" who had given birth to them.
And so they would mistakenly come to regard the divine tree itself as the "mother" who had birthed them.
They would layer all that closeness and affection upon the Divine Tree Yadh.
They would begin to worship the divine tree the way other Elves did, praying ceaselessly to the Elven Queen, hoping she would create more Elves.
With no concept of a mother, it was only natural that Elves would never refer to one another as family.
Because they had only 1 shared mother—and that was the divine tree.
But now, with the arrival of this newborn Elf, things would change.
Every Elf's birth would now be received by the one who produced her—and the shared Natural Energy would serve as the "blood" binding them together, thicker than water.
And so the newborn Elf would develop an absolute closeness toward the one who gave birth to her.
"Congratulations. From now on, you are her mother."
As Viktor's words settled, Vinia stood frozen in place, turning around to stare with a blank expression at this newborn Elf who was hugging her forearm and showed no intention whatsoever of letting go.
"Wha—ah, ah!?"
Vinia's mind went completely blank, both eyes growing utterly vacant.
Her mouth fell open as an involuntary cry of shock escaped her.
But Viktor paid no mind to her shock and continued on:
"Also, it's time for you to give her a name."
Vinia stood there dazed:
"But... she doesn't have a surname yet..."
"Whatever surname she carries depends on what surname you carry."
Hearing this, Vinia grew even more dumbstruck, her pupils widening slightly, her expression edging toward disbelief.
Because her surname was one of a kind...
Wait a moment?
Something seemed to click for her, and she continued listening as Viktor spoke.
"I said it before—don't use the old way of thinking to look at the brand-new world you now inhabit. The Divine Tree Yadh is dead."
"You, and the other Elves."
"Your surnames no longer carry any binding restrictions. They will simply become your title, and a source of meaning that ties family together."
"Nothing more than that."
Vinia stood still, listening to Viktor's full explanation, then turned her head slowly with a dazed look:
"So, you and I share the same."
"Both surnamed... Jekdela..."
She gazed at the adorable Elf before her whose eyes held nothing but herself, eyes brimming with anticipation, a powerful and inexplicable urge stirring deep within her heart.
The moment she realized this child shared her surname.
All at once, Vinia felt an overwhelming impulse—to protect her.
Instinctively, she reached out and stroked the top of the newborn Elf's head. The Elf enjoyed it thoroughly, nuzzling against Vinia's palm.
"From now on, you shall be called..."
"Melina. That's it."
For the first time, Vinia felt something entirely different stir within her as she bestowed a name.
No longer treating it as a duty, as "work"—but genuinely and wholeheartedly wanting to give an Elf a true name. A name filled with soul and love.
In this moment, Vinia's heart was overflowing with joy.
The other Elves likewise fell into silence, not a word spoken among them, as though quietly celebrating the arrival of this newborn Elf.
Allowing this Elven Forest, long steeped in stillness, to once again brim with life.
Leon, too, lifted her head, watching the scene of pure happiness before her—and within her eyes, a trace of envy quietly took shape.
If her own birth, all those years ago, had looked anything like this scene... would things have...
Would her own experience have been any different?
"..."
What was she even thinking about?
Viktor hadn't even been born yet back then.
She quietly lowered her head, not wanting those Elves to see her expression.
But just then, a sharp voice reached her ears once more—
"What's the matter—jealous?"