14. Elves Are Pretty (2)
Ella ignored the main character and treated him coldly. That concept remained intact until he worked something out in Elonti and wasn’t mentioned after that. But now, she greeted Jin-woo with sincerity and the utmost politeness.
Jin-woo looked at Ella. As expected, the flower of fantasy was the elf. Being the Queen, she was, needless to say, more beautiful even than those he had already seen, with gorgeous blonde hair that seemed to shine, green eyes resembling the forest, and a well-drawn figure. Thanks to her gentle-looking eyes, he didn’t receive the impression that she was cold at all. Rather, she seemed warm.
She looked a little weak, but even that had its charm. The white dress she wore, which seemed to have been woven from plant stems, was impressive.
‘Umm…’
Wouldn’t there be a riot if she appeared on Earth? Jin-woo thought so.
Ella looked into Jin-woo’s eyes, and her followers stared at him as well. There was even an elf who looked up blankly at Jin-woo and bowed her head in surprise. Jin-woo found such a reaction very fresh.
It wasn’t a common development like it had been for the main character. He supported the dimensional gold coins and even saved them from the orcs. Besides, Jin-woo had the noble status of Elonti. Such an attitude could be seen as common.
‘Is it because they’ve been through a lot these days?’
He felt sad that he had doubts first.
Jin-woo nodded and spoke up.
“Yes, nice to meet you.”
“I am Ella De Elonti. It is an honor to meet you like this; your reputation is shaking all dimensions. When I saw you in person today, I realized that fame was rather a small part of the truth.”
“I’m flattered.”
Ella’s words were sincere. It didn’t feel pretentious at all as he met her clear eyes.
“Thank you very much. Thanks to you, Elonti can embrace hope. It must have been a difficult decision for you…I will take you to Elonti.”
Ella was very polite. Her personality didn’t match the description of the original novel at all.
“It’s a shabby place, but I’ll show you around.”
The Elf Queen personally guided him to Elonti. The guards were all women, and when he looked around, he noticed the proportion of women was overwhelmingly high. Their armor was quite revealing, a fact he sensed the original author’s dark heart within. Jin-woo cursed the original author, but this time it passed quietly. It was rare, but sometimes it worked for the best.
‘It’s a nice place.’
The scenery of Elonti was beautiful. The castle and the villages were formed around a huge tree in the distance. The trees grew into buildings without cutting them down, making it truly a village in nature. That huge tree was the World Tree. There weren’t many leaves, and it looked dry. The name of the World Tree was so grandiose that it was a pity to see it like this.
‘It is said the Emperor of Greed ate the roots.’
It probably ate the roots like a salad. When they met one-on-one, that dragon was a gentleman and good guy, but there was no worse nuisance. Ella was startled when Jin-woo frowned.
“Well…the gold coins you donated were used to plant fields and restore the World Tree and forests.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, that field.”
She showed him the fields in front of the castle. She said that the power of the World Tree had weakened, and the soil had been contaminated so that fruits and nutrient-rich leaves were no longer found. The animals had left too. After a lot of hard work, they managed to make a field and sprout seeds, and it was said that such considerable progress had only been made with the dimensional gold coins from Jin-woo.
Sprouts were pushing up through the field. Black-colored bugs that only come from contaminated soil crawled around, which the elves were manually removing.
‘Wait…’
Jin-woo recalled the original story.
‘Come to think of it…’
The protagonist, who received a warning shot, wanted to somehow find a clue about the Emperor of Vanity. While trying to enter Elonti, there was a brief description of burning grass in front of the castle. The elves were simply described as those who interfered with his attempts to remove the Emperor of Vanity.
“How long did it take to cultivate this field?”
“About sixty years. The land lacked mana and nutrients, and it was infested with insects, so we had to wait for a long time. Thanks to your support, we were able to maintain the field. Once again, thank you very much.”
“Ah…”
He now understood; it was the main character who blew up the achievements of sixty years overnight. It was fortunate that he hadn’t been executed right then and there. It made sense that Ella treated the main character like that. In the end, only Ella became a strange heroine without the context of that explanation.
She kept the protagonist locked up but later released him and even gave him advice. It was now understandable that Ella’s guards violently tried to kill the protagonist. If it were himself, wouldn’t he try to get rid of the protagonist on the spot?
Jin-woo suddenly felt a chill through his spine.
‘…I’m glad I sealed him inside JW.’
The main character’s trolling list has been updated to six cases. Sealing him inside JW was the best choice he had made in his life. Jin-woo felt a little uncomfortable since he was the main character, but all of those feelings disappeared.
Jin-woo decided to look around the field with Ella. She went into the field and scooped up a sprout to show him, careful not to hurt the roots.
“Isn’t it such a wonderful child? It’s growing strong.”
“I see.”
“Even this child will never forget the kindness you have bestowed upon us.”
Things were pretty bad, but they were trying to live somehow. She was truly a pitiful heroine.
Jin-woo arrived in the village under Ella’s guidance.
“Do you mind if I look around?”
“No, of course.”
The village was nice to see. He felt warm as it felt like he was entering a rural town. Some elves were producing furniture, and others were making paintings or small sculptures. There was even a brewery, though it was barely running. The forest itself was considerable in size, but the number of elves inside was comparatively small.
Thanks to the continued invasion of the orcs.
‘They are talented, though.’
Although it was said to be a statue, it felt as if the tree itself was fundamentally changed, not carved. The colors were also applied naturally, giving it a lively feel. The same was true of the paintings. They used few colors, but it felt like it was going to pop out. Jin-woo was an outsider in this field, but it was worthy of being called art.
“Do you like it?”
“They are great artisans.”
When Jin-woo praised them, the ears of the elves turned red and prickled.
“My Lord! I’ll give it to you as a gift!”
“This too…”
“Thank you very much. Please accept this.”
Jin-woo received gifts from the friendly elf artisans. His arms were filled with presents after touring around the village. The elves treated Jin-woo the same way they treated the Queen.
‘Hmm?’
He suddenly looked back while walking. The elves who were following him hid in surprise.
Rumbling!
The elves on the tree fell to the ground, tangled with each other. The guards ran quickly and pushed them aside.
“Ah! L-let’s go to the castle.”
“Yes. That’s right.”
Ella seemed very embarrassed.
The real story began inside the castle. The purpose of Jin-woo’s visit was because of the Emperor of Vanity, so he told her straight away without hiding anything. Ella nodded with a calm expression.
“Emperor of Vanity. Long ago, the previous Queen sealed it with the power of the World Tree. This is one of the reasons that the World Tree loses its power and cannot recover. I also want to actively help, but…”
Something seemed to be wrong.
“To get to the center of the World Tree where the Sealing Stone is, we must awaken the will of the World Tree. I once had the power to deal with the will of the World Tree as the Queen. But now…”
Love, interest, and support for the Queen were able to awaken and move the will of the World Tree. Yet it was said that the voice of the World Tree couldn’t be heard now. The number of elves decreased, and the size of the forest became smaller due to the devastation of the orcs, so it was far from sufficient for now.
The help of the World Tree was essential to get to the place where the Sealing Stone was. Otherwise, you had to destroy the heart of the World Tree. That way, the World Tree probably wouldn’t stand. It wasn’t mentioned in the original novel.
Jin-woo was lost in thought for a moment.
‘In the original story…’
After a long meeting of the elves and barely receiving permission, the protagonist proceeded to the heart of the World Tree without hesitation. As if entering a dungeon, the trunk of the World Tree attacked, and he just cut it down as he moved forward. Perhaps Ella knew that stopping the Emperor of Vanity was more important than the World Tree, so she made the necessary sacrifice.
As soon as the main character received the Sealing Stone, he immediately left Elonti. Soon after that, he broke the seal stone and started a three-volume adventure. To be honest, Jin-woo could understand the whole story only by reading the first and last parts. What happened to Elonti after obtaining the Sealing Stone wasn’t revealed. Ella also quickly walked out with Elonti, and she was dishonored as the shortest-lived heroine.
An impressive comment came to mind.
‘Wow, I think It’s going to get better.’
‘It should have gone better…’
‘It’s good that the cancer character is gone. The main character should be gone now, right? What? He just needs to kill and get rid of her? Right?’
It was a really bad ending. Jin-woo wrote a similar comment.
‘After knowing more, she’s nice.’
Just looking at her made his heart feel warm. It was the warmth and coziness you could feel only in nature.
Jin-woo turned his head and looked at the guards.
‘It’s heartwarming.’
A feeling of healing filled him. Jin-woo was exhausted after dealing with only crazy people, such as the General Manager and his high-ranking judges. Jin-woo looked at Ella’s information for a while.
Lv. 68
[B] Elonti De Ella.
Status: Queen of Elonti
Age: 201 years old
Favorability: 65%
Possessed Technique: [A] Heavenly Song, [A] Elf Dance, [C] Elf Prayer, [B] Spirit Technique, [C] Archery, [C] Farming
Special Technique
[A] Queen of the Forest
As her interest, popularity, and support grows, her connection to the World Tree grows stronger. The entire forest can be moved by awakening the will of the World Tree.
[A] Forest Song and Dance
The dance and song that even survive natural disasters can be called heavenly. It has the power to clear the mind and erase worries.
The level and overall rank were low, but the techniques were great. Every one of them was an Elf Queen-like technique.
‘I can’t just go out like the main character.’
If the World Tree died, it was obvious that Elonti would also perish. If the forest disappeared, they couldn’t survive the orcs. Ella was very sorry for not being helpful. Small tears began to form in her eyes at her helplessness. Seeing that, Jin-woo felt sorry for her.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of any help to you.”
“No. After all, there is a situation like this. We have plenty of time, so let’s think about a way together.”
“Yes, I will do anything I can to help.”
What a heartwarming sight this was. Jin-woo was filled with emotion as he conversed with her. It was truly amazing to consider a conversation with the elves but talking with the Queen felt surprisingly normal.
He didn’t think that just helping would be enough. Ella didn’t know what to do when he said he would support more because they still had dimensional gold coins. She said it was hard to repay his kindness for the last grant. Come to think of it, despite such poor conditions, they regularly sent Elf Liquor, Elf Tea, and furniture to him.
‘Ah….’
Jin-woo felt sorry again. If he gave more dimensional gold coins, she probably wouldn’t be able to stand it because of her personality. Besides, there seemed to be a limit to just pouring in money.
The answer about the will of the World Tree didn’t come up even after further consideration.
“I need help, so I will. Would this be okay for both of us?”
“Thank you very much.”
Ella shed tears as she looked at Jin-woo. She seemed to have suffered a lot in her heart. The guards also began to cry alongside her.
“I want to be thankful for our difficulties. Thanks to them, you have come to Elonti…”
She even spoke so beautifully! Ella looked at Jin-woo with clear green eyes.
“I’ll share the root stone with you. You can always come to the heart of Elonti.”
“Thank you.”
Ella closed her eyes and summoned the Root Stone of the Forest. Elonti was registered in the key that Jin-woo had.
[Elonti has been registered in the Golden Key.]
[Anything related to the Emperor of Gold cannot be affected by disintegration.]
[You can move directly to Elonti.]
It was now possible to move directly to Elonti without going through the Sanctuary. The two shared a smile.
“It’s a small gift. It’s a liquor that our artisans made to express their gratitude to you. Please accept it.”
Ella carefully handed over liquor in a wooden bottle. It was a high-quality Elf Liquor with a high rank. Due to Elonti’s circumstances, it couldn’t be made anymore.
Jin-woo received the gift and glanced at Ella.
“It’s not that good in return, but…”
The golden apples overflowed, even though he sent some periodically to Merlin. Ella’s eyes widened as he pulled out a box full of golden apples.
“It’s a gift.”
“T-thank you.”
Ella was at a loss at the unexpected gift, but Jin-woo was satisfied. To put it cheaply, it was the pleasant taste of giving. It wasn’t cider, but it felt like drinking hot cocoa. Things grew a little complicated, but it wasn’t annoying.
It was right to let each other achieve good results. If one side suffered a loss because of the Emperor of Vanity, it would be a defeat even before the battle.
‘I can’t come up with an answer even if I think alone…’
Jin-woo nodded. His subordinates weren’t there for nothing.
* * *
Yoo-na was wielding her sword with a piece of heavy rebar attached to the blade. She swung it until her hands trembled and she was drenched in sweat, but she didn’t stop practicing. As soon as she saw the theory Jin-woo wrote, she was shocked. It was the ideal type of swordsmanship she thought existed only in theory; it made her shortcomings crystal clear.
‘He was aware of my shortcomings.’
Yoo-na clenched her teeth. She couldn’t foresee what kind of ripple the theory would provoke. However, it was her duty to proceed without interfering with the plan. One last thing popped into her mind.
‘At the end, the solution was…’
It was the General Manager.
Yoo-na clenched her teeth. She wanted to have a similar level of trust, if not as much as the General Manager. To do that, she had to be as strong as the General Manager. Maybe because she hadn’t held a sword in a while, her skills had rusted slightly.
She felt frustrated.
“Take it easy. You’ll get sick.”
“Y-Young master?”
Yoo-na was startled and lowered her sword. She saw Jin-woo in a different outfit. She didn’t expect him to come at such a late hour, but she quickly lowered her sword and approached.
Jin-woo looked quite serious. Yoo-na was nervous when she saw his expression. She couldn’t predict what he was going to say. Then, when she heard his words, she had no choice but to blink. To be honest, she was a little underwhelmed.
“So the elves…they’re pretty and kind, but…are you saying that things aren’t going well in many ways?”
It seemed like he hadn’t played mobile games lately, but did he start again? In the past, he had occasionally asked for her opinion lightly. Most of them ended up in a takeover of the game company, though. Yoo-na couldn’t help but think that way. It was something she couldn’t understand, but it was also her job to answer with all her heart.
She had to figure out the situation first.
“If I do not know the details of the situation, I cannot come up with a solution. I guess I’ll have to see for myself.”
“Is that so? Get ready.”
“Yes?”
Yoo-na looked confused.
“You said you had to see it for yourself.”
“Yes, I am, but…”
“Then you need to go yourself. It’ll be nice and refreshing. It was pretty good when I went there. Well, think of it as a vacation.”
It seemed like he was saying to get ready to go somewhere.
“I understand. I’m sorry, but please wait.”
“You can take it slow.”
She was now covered in sweat. She took a quick shower and changed into her usual neat suit, then put the bodyguards on standby and took out the key of Young Master’s favorite car. The preparations were perfect.
The security system was strengthened to avoid making the same mistakes as before, so there was no problem. She checked the security team once more and approached Jin-woo, who was waiting nearby.
“I’m sorry, it took me a while to get ready. Let’s move.”
Yoo-na was about to go to the garage. However, Jin-woo remained still and stared at Yoo-na. When she looked at Jin-woo with puzzled eyes, he just smiled.
“This way.”
As Jin-woo stirred his hand, space was distorted, and a golden vortex was formed. Yoo-na’s expression went blank.
She followed Jin-woo inside.
“Ah…”
A new world opened up before her awe-filled eyes.
Yoo-na dropped the car key she held.
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