“What did you say?”
Early that morning, the elf elder who had just received Erwin’s visit gasped in surprise.
“E-Erwin? Did I hear you right? Are you sure I didn’t mishear?”
The elder’s face was creased with disbelief. After a brief silence, Erwin spoke quietly.
“Yes. I have confirmed Lady Nimue’s whereabouts.”
“Really?”
The elder shouted in shock, forgetting all decorum.
“That can’t be! Nimue disappeared back then, right before inheriting the Thornwood Coffin… No, she vanished, but to say she’s alive…”
Muttering to himself for a moment, the elder glanced at Erwin. The news of Nimue’s survival was undoubtedly good, but given the nature of elves and the elder’s position, it was only natural to weigh the full circumstances before celebrating.
“But how did you find out, Erwin? Last I heard, you’ve been holed up in your room lately. And you don’t have prophetic dreams like Nimue, do you?”
There was no hint of suspicion or reproach in his tone. Erwin, seeing the question as reasonable, calmly slipped his hand into his cloak. The elder’s eyes flickered with curiosity.
“That’s…”
“Through a communication orb. It’s a device widely used in the outside world.”
“I’ve seen one or two before. Quite a fascinating thing. So, what happened?”
“Last night, I received a message from Melinus through the orb.”
Erwin gently began to explain, starting with the news that the four continents were engulfed in war, and that Nimue had been spotted on the northern continent’s battlefield. It was true that Nimue had briefly appeared on the front lines, but beyond that, anyone could spin the story as they wished.
When he finished, including the news that the southern continent had been defeated, the elder’s expression grew grave. The war itself was no surprise, but Nimue’s presence on the battlefield was troubling. While the elder pondered, Erwin spoke again.
“With Nimue involved, the southern continent is counting on our elven support.”
At last, the request for aid was made. The elder’s face twisted in a mixture of joy and despair. If true, it was a relief to know the whereabouts of the High Elf, but the idea of aiding humans was unsettling. More precisely, being drawn into a continental war was something he was reluctant to accept.
“I’m not sure…”
After a long pause, the elder clicked his tongue and spoke.
“I don’t understand why Nimue, who disappeared, would be there… Anyway, leave the orb here. I’ll investigate myself.”
Erwin handed over the orb without hesitation. There was no real cause for concern; if Melinus—or better yet, Belial—was clever, they’d handle the communication smoothly. Still, a little more probing was necessary.
With that in mind, Erwin continued quietly.
“Elder, the situation is urgent. We must seriously consider the southern continent’s official request for alliance. And though it failed, I heard Eldora even launched a rescue operation after spotting Lady Nimue.”
“Erwin, I understand your position as a Knight of the Round Table. And I’m not saying the southern continent’s request is wrong.”
“If I overstep, I apologize. I’m just worried about what might happen if we refuse.”
“What might happen?”
The elder’s eyes narrowed. Though Erwin was vague, the elder guessed what he meant.
In truth, the southern continent’s users had avoided touching the elven forest so far for two reasons: first, because of the alliance Eldora had forged; second, to avoid creating enemies in their rear while attacking the orc fortress.
But now that the orc fortress had fallen, all they had left was that old alliance. If we reject their request, the southern continent—defeated in war—might question the need for the alliance once they return. If we’re no help, why would they leave us be? There’s no guarantee the blades that once aimed for the orc fortress won’t turn toward the elven forest.
Humans—especially users—are more than capable of such treachery. Erwin was pointing this out.
The elder sighed deeply, closing his eyes. Erwin pressed on.
“Regardless of how things turn out, Lady Nimue was the one we intended to crown as our queen.”
“And the Thornwood Coffin disappeared with her.”
“Elder, are you willing to abandon Lady Nimue, who has worked so hard as our High Elf, and the one and only sacred relic?”
“If things continue like this, the future of the elves…”
Those words struck like a hammer. Above all, the Thornwood Coffin was a relic worth any price to reclaim. A fairy with the queen’s qualities could be born again, but without the Coffin, the birth of a queen was fundamentally impossible. To say this was to say giving up on the future of the entire race.
“I never said that. Do you think I would refuse their request, Erwin?”
The elder gripped the communication orb tightly, and a soft blue light began to glow.
“I will convene a council. While I contact others and gather information, Erwin, please summon the leaders of each faction. Immediately.”
At last, the words Erwin had been waiting for. He turned on his heel to leave, but just as he was about to step out—
“Erwin?”
The elder’s voice caught the edge of his cloak.
“You’ve been on my mind… Are you feeling alright?”
“Hm?”
“Your eyes look a bit red… Have you not been sleeping?”
Erwin said nothing. He simply smiled gently and walked out.
The elder watched him go, eyes lingering awkwardly for a long moment.
Five Years In.
I opened my user info and noticed the number next to my name had changed from four to five. Another year had passed while waiting for my turn in the expedition.
It’s something everyone goes through, but for me, it felt special.
I vaguely remembered making a promise on the office terrace to return home within five years—and around that time, the central continent campaign began.
A strange coincidence, perhaps. Though I only thought it was interesting, nothing more.
More than a month had passed since the first campaign started, and nearly six weeks had slipped by. There had been significant progress in the central continent campaign.
Well, maybe not “progress” exactly—unless you count reaching the area with the Temple of Promise. Because the difference between before and after entering the domain was like night and day.
Both involved fighting monsters and clearing paths, but the difficulty was on a whole other level.
This campaign had assembled an unprecedented force of nearly twenty thousand from the northern continent, yet it was still far from safe. Do I even need to explain? We just hoped to minimize casualties as we passed through the terrain.
Anyway, as the sixth week of the central continent campaign began, our turn was slowly approaching.
Each expedition was allotted one week to clear their assigned area.
The first expedition from the former Northern Union completed their week, successfully building a supply fortress and activating the warp gate.
The second, the Istantel Low expedition, resumed immediately and finished their week without incident.
The third, the Hamil expedition, was the same.
I communicated with my brother at least once a day. Aside from occasional monster appearances, there were no signs of enemy ambushes.
After over forty days of quiet, I grew more confident.
Honestly, if I were Satan, I’d make the same choice. With me around, Thanatos was useless, so a full-scale war was unwinnable.
They were probably hoping our forces would be severely weakened by the time we reached the Temple of Promise. And on the way back, they’d launch a final attack.
Well, I could just grab the zero code and enter the warp gate, but it was still an annoying ploy. There was no guarantee they wouldn’t attack before the campaign ended, so we had to stay vigilant.
Keeping all that in mind, preparations were complete. The Hamil expedition had paused to build a supply fortress and activate the warp gate.
If nothing unexpected happened, in two days we’d rotate with the New Koran Union, the Tower of Magic, Reverse, Han, and our mercenary expedition.
Our first goal was to reach the domain’s boundary. Once found, we’d call in the main forces of each expedition and form a new elite team to begin the assault. Depending on the situation, plans might change, but this was the general strategy.
While waiting for orders and my brother’s message, I received an unexpected visitor.
Nimue came to say goodbye.
“You’re leaving?”
“Yes. I think it’s time to return to the elven forest.”
“Hm… The journey alone won’t be easy. You could just stay here.”
“No, thank you for your concern. I’m confident in my abilities, and the path isn’t a problem. Besides, I can’t be the only one by the queen’s side.”
Well, since she can summon spirits, it’s hard to say she’s truly alone, and as the chief fairy, her skills aren’t in question. Besides, her reason for leaving is valid. After all, the fairy race lives and dies by the queen, so there’s probably chaos erupting right now.
Still, it’s a bit disappointing. Someone like Nymue could have made a significant impact on the expedition.
“Ah, and… I’m sorry to bother you when you’re busy, but could I ask a difficult favor?”
However—
“It would be ideal if Mar could come along… but it seems she doesn’t really want to leave here. And I doubt she’d let us go.”
“That’s only natural.”
“So, I’m thinking of proposing a migration. If the queen insists on staying here, then it’s only right that we come to her.”
“…Excuse me? Are you saying you want to abandon the Fairy Forest?”
“I can’t guarantee it will work. We’ll need to receive a new seed from Yggdrasil and consult the entire race… But if Suhyun could actively support our migration plan—”
“Consider it done.”
The moment I heard Nymue’s request, any lingering disappointment vanished.
“I’ll push for it at the meeting… What?”
“I’ll do everything I can, no, more than that, to help.”
Nymue looked apologetic, but for me, it was a welcome opportunity.
I already know how strong fairies are from the first round. If Nymue’s plan succeeds, we’ll gain another powerful ally.
When I promised to help wholeheartedly, Nymue was overjoyed. That very day, she packed her things and set off toward the Fairy Forest.
Of course, Nymue couldn’t guarantee success, and even if it worked, it would take considerable time to reach the outcome I hoped for.
But with enemies all around, I was already uneasy about the southern continent dragging the fairies into this conflict.
So, at this moment, Nymue’s request was definitely good news for the northern continent.
---------------------------= Author’s Afterword =---------------------------
[Memorize Chat Room]
Satan: Yeah! This is exactly how it should be.
Royujin: ?
Satan: Honestly, you’ve been a bit harsh so far. But hey, you’re a demon, right? I thought you’d at least make it so the protagonist struggles instead of just being helpless.
Royujin: Well… that’s kind of the concept—this round is the opposite of the first.
Satan: No, you idiot. This novel’s setting is this round, not the first.
Royujin: ……
Satan: Still, you did well this time. Yeah, with the fairies joining in, it’s getting interesting. But come on, it’s a novel—if the protagonist never faces a crisis, how’s that fun?
Royujin: ;
Satan: Huh? Why are you sweating all of a sudden?
Royujin: Well… I guess… maybe just once…
Satan: Anyway, now we’re finally getting somewhere! Woohoo!
Royujin: Ah, um;;;;;;;
(Royujin has left the chat.)