Chapter 260

Chapter 260

***

What should one call a creature with the body of a deer and the upper body of a female elf attached? A legendary centaur? A dryad?

Rickart ran into it quietly while heading to Elohim with Hushike and the elves. With its breasts fully exposed, it turned its head from between the trees passing by far away and looked at Rickart.

Then it smiled *ssik* and instantly disappeared with agile movements. And from somewhere a giggling sound *kideuk-kideuk* echoed in the forest.

The laughing sound wasn't just one, and although it felt unpleasant it somehow sounded dreamlike.

"It's a dryad. The teacher of warriors and hunters and the guardian of the kingdom. Fortunately it's not wary of the Champion."

Edex said.

"......"

Rickart was a bit surprised inwardly but didn't reveal it outwardly. One certain thing was that it felt like he was finally crossing the boundary of the human world.

The feeling of the human world ending wasn't simply because of the existence of the dryad. Continuing to head to Elohim following the elves' guidance, at some point it began to get dark even though the sun hadn't set.

But even though it got dark it wasn't like the surroundings couldn't be seen, it was like a night when a very bright full moon had risen. Raising his head to look at the sky, the sun was clearly floating but it felt like a dark thin paper was blocking it in the middle.

The giggling laughs continued to be heard, and gradually multiple sounds were heard overlapping.

Then, tiny fairies like fireflies were seen flying around appearing and disappearing among the flowers, trees, and bushes.

Shyly hiding inside flowers or from behind leaves they peeked at Rickart.

A fairy fluttered *pallang* wings similar to a butterfly's and flew to Hushike. Hushike spoke with a gentle smile.

"Hash Raballa......"

For Rickart it was a language he heard for the first time in his life, and such a language where the form of the sounds seemed very uncomfortable.

Anyway as Hushike conversed with the fairy, the fairies that had been hiding flew over softly *sareureu* like hundreds of light grains and flew lingering around the group's vicinity.

At that even the indifferent and desolate Rickart felt like he would be drenched in sentiment. Because it was that fantastic.

"What did you say?"

Rickart holding the reins and walking asked.

"Everyone was interested in Ricky so I introduced you."

"How did you introduce me?"

"That you are a warm fire but must be handled carefully."

"I'm not that sensitive of a person though......"

"Hehehe."

"We have almost arrived."

Elline walking furthest ahead looked back and said. As Rickart walked to him, a valley was seen through the bushes and a widely situated city was seen at the edge beyond the valley.

It was a truly beautiful city. Although they were structures they were harmonized with nature so there was no heterogeneous part at all, and between the valleys there were thick wooden bridges tangled this way and that as if they had naturally grown like that.

Multiple thin waterfalls fell downwards between the cliffs creating multiple rainbows.

Constructing buildings with wood and stone was the same for humans, but elf architecture didn't seem like wood was carved or stone was trimmed, but as if nature had transformed itself.

At the elves' structures, or the bizarre harmony of nature, Rickart was spaced out for a moment, then the light-grain-like fairies flew away all together somewhere like a wave.

Reaching the bridge, the fairies seemed to be indicating as if saying crossing here was fine.

Rickart followed them and walked to the bridge, and unknowingly these words came out.

"Thanks."

Then the fairies flew around wildly stirring the air as if joyful.

Whether they thought there was something interesting, the fairies that were far away flew over falling *ureureu* and clumped together.

To the point of worrying if they would bump into each other the fairies clumped together and flew around like a school of sardines. As if blessing the entire city.

Perhaps such behavior by the fairies wasn't common, the elves of the city stopped working, raised their heads and looked at the fairies. And then, they realized an unfamiliar foreigner had come.

Rickart gripped the reins and crossed the bridge. A single sword was tied to his waist.

The city's elves gathered as if bewitched, and looked at the human with a somewhat surprised gaze that was neither curiosity nor hostility.

To Rickart's gaze the elves each and every one seemed like they had just come out of a bath. Their skin was clear and hair was fresh, just the jewel ornaments were unexpectedly roughly crafted and clunky.

On the other hand, compared to them Rickart's lines were intense and rough. If calculating facial features there wasn't a big difference, but even if the intense life journey was concealed inward, even that feeling couldn't all be hidden.

Above all his eyes. Those eyes that were somewhat dead-like and seemingly empty yet with a tiny bit of desperation for hope mixed in fascinated the elves.

"I heard from the forest. That you annihilated the orcs."

Pushing through the elves a high elf walked out. Alimantar was it? The high elf he saw before. The one who hired Rickart as a champion.

"I kept the promise. Now it's your turn to keep the promise."

The high elf named Alimantar glanced at Hushike riding the horse then turned his body and said.

"Of course. Follow me."

Rickart said to Hushike as if whispering.

"Get off the horse."

"Why?"

"Because you'd be vulnerable if a situation occurs by chance."

"Got it."

"But Champion, I can hear everything."

Edex standing far away said. As Rickart looked back he showed himself lightly pulling his elongated ear. The elves had very good hearing so they could hear almost everything even from a distance.

Rickart looked around. The city's elves should have also heard the words just now, but were merely staring blankly. Because hearing was good did a culture develop where one cannot lie?

It was a little embarrassing but anyway Rickart led the horse and followed Alimantar with Hushike. Showing off as if he heard nothing, Alimantar was merely walking silently.

He walked towards the inner part of the city. Then bizarrely a dense forest was seen inside the city. Reaching there the elves who were spectating Rickart, and the elves who guided them up to here didn't follow anymore.

Following Alimantar and walking into the forest inside the city, the more he walked the darker it kept getting while simultaneously he experienced a strange phenomenon of the surroundings becoming visibly clearer.

Later it was like entering very deep water, completely pitch-black but things with shapes were clearly visible.

And at some point translucent jellyfish looking like they were swimming in water were seen gently floating around in the air. They were emitting light themselves, and wondering what on earth these were Rickart widened his eyes.

It wasn't just jellyfish. There were also things like creepy long bugs or beetles. They were all commonly translucent, and were emitting a soft light themselves.

"They are creatures from the beginning."

Hushike said.

"What?"

"The World Tree is a single tube you see. Fairies, elves, dryads and orcs too, all came down through that tube. Only humans are the existences that originally lived here."

"What do you mean? Saying they came from where?"

"Dreams."

"?"

It was hard to understand what she meant at all. But unable to resolve that question, they reached the destination.

"We have arrived."

Alimantar who was only silently guiding looked back. Rickart approached him. Then, a large pond appeared.

The depth of the large pond was shallow, and in the center of the pond was a place like an island. There, the World Tree was.

It wasn't a tree as big as he thought. Should one say it's like a somewhat old oak tree. Just, the branches were very many and intricately entangled, and its width was covering the entire forest Rickart had just passed through.

There were exceptionally more of those emitting translucent creatures on the tree.

"It doesn't look like it's dying though?"

The elves definitely said the World Tree was dying so they must offer the Goddess as a sacrifice. But as Rickart saw it, the World Tree was fresh.

"In ancient times this pond was wide enough to cover the entire city. The height of the trunk also originally reached the sky, and the branches and leaves were enough to cover the entire Taiga Forest. But now it has become like this. It has gradually shrunk over thousands of years. At this level it's worse than a sapling."

"......It's hard to believe, but since you say so I will take it as such. But there must be a reason right?"

"Dragons."

"What?"

"The dragons settling in the Tungias Mountains have been absorbing the World Tree's essence for a long time. Among them 'The Black Veil' Eurilias is more active. If the Goddess is offered to him we can stop that action."

"......Who? Who put forth such a condition?"

"The Black Veil."

"Giving in to the enemy's demands won't yield the result you desire."

"Even so we cannot fight a dragon right?"

"......Isn't it rather better to fight and die?"

"How is such a mindset possible?"

"That's what I want to ask......"

"Anyway, the Prophet is over there. Go on."

Alimantar raised his hand and pointed somewhere. Someone was sleeping under the World Tree.

"He has already awakened. He is resting so go and try talking to him."

Rickart couldn't take his eyes off the person sleeping under the World Tree. Then, he looked back at Hushike. Hushike nodded and took the horse reins herself.

"Go on."

Rickart turned his head again, and looked at the person under the World Tree. Whether due to the unrealistic and fantastic atmosphere around the World Tree, it was like dreaming and that dream was like the Elsalam the elves spoke of.

He took a step forward. Two steps, three steps, four steps...... Then his foot touched the pond.

Continuing forward the pond reached almost to his knees, and sloshing *chulleong-chulleong* sounds occurred as Rickart walked. The mysterious creatures under the pond flinched in surprise and fled.

The depth became shallow again, and Rickart went up to the place that looked like an island. And sat kneeling beside the man who had his eyes closed as if asleep.

It was an old man. With wrinkled *jageul-jageul* skin. But he could recognize him. It was Caldebert. The first words that came out of Rickart's mouth were this.

"Sorry. For leaving you behind."

At that the old Caldebert smiled gently while keeping his eyes closed.

"No. I am the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone."

At those words a single teardrop fell from Rickart's eye. Emotions didn't swell up blocking his throat and his face didn't twist or anything. It was just a calm single teardrop.

"I think I can die now. Because I gained the courage to do so. I committed many wrongs too."

"No. That's not it, Ricky."

"Then?"

"There are many people waiting for you."

"Wouldn't something like that be impossible?"

"No. Confirm it with your own eyes. It's all what you achieved."

"Well......"

"Have courage, Ricky."

"But Caldebert, was there a need to go this far?"

Rickart said looking at the wrinkled face of Caldebert. Although he didn't know everything about what exactly happened, his aged face was conveying many things.

Caldebert slowly opened his eyes. Unlike the wrinkled face the blue eyes shone clearly without fading at all from that time back then.

"Just like how you sat in the field and looked at the stars, you were a star to me. That's all, Ricky."

Rickart couldn't say anything and lowered his head. Caldebert reached out his wrinkled hand and wiped Rickart's tears.

Volume 52 - A Sad Dream Because It Cannot Come True. End.