Chapter 578
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the blankly floating Wrath.
'That top-tier spirit. Is it because of you that it's so shriveled up?'
Hmm?
Wrath scratched his chubby belly and tilted his head. The guy stared at the terrified top-tier spirit and clapped his hands loudly.
That, that's right! That bird must have shriveled up because it was overwhelmed by the King of Essence.
'…….'
Judging by Wrath' reaction, it didn't seem like he had revealed his presence on purpose. It was clear that the top-tier spirit had sensed something about Wrath on its own.
Spirits are the closest beings to nature, so feeling the King of Essence's dignity isn't strange at all!
Wrath grinned, saying that he had finally found someone who recognized him.
'Have you ever been to the spirit world?'
It was quite a long time ago, but I have been there.
'Then, have you ever eaten a spirit?'
Why are you asking the obvious? They were quite chewy and delicious.
Wrath boasted about his unconventional taste.
The green spirits taste like green grapes, and the red ones taste like strawberries.
'I wasn't curious about the taste of spirits!'
Raon bit his lip and pressed his temples.
'It's because of that!'
It seemed that the top-tier spirit remembered Wrath, who had eaten spirits, and was scared because of that.
'This is hopeless….'
It's said that spirits and summoners can communicate to some extent, even without speaking.
If the top-grade spirit brings up anything about the Demon King, everyone here will be in danger.
That seems unlikely. That little guy wouldn't have had the opportunity to encounter the King of Essence while he was with the Fire Spirit King and the Water Spirit King in the Spirit World before their departure.
Wrath shook his head, saying that the top-tier spirit wouldn't have been able to see him.
That's just him submitting to the King of Essence’s presence!
He chuckled and praised himself.
‘It would be nice if that were true, but we should be prepared for the worst. The moment the conversation turns to the Demon King...’
I have to kill all the elves.
It was regrettable for Rimmer, but if the conversation turned to the Demon King, he would have no choice but to kill everyone.
Raon clenched the hilt of Heavenly Drive tightly and bowed his head. When he was ready to strike at any moment, he looked up at Erian.
“What?”
He looked at Raon with disbelief and widened his eyes.
‘Did I get caught?’
Biting his lip tightly, the moment he was about to unleash the Supreme Harmony Steps, Erian's mouth opened again.
"Gr-Great being?"
He trembled, muttering that he was a great being, not the Demon King.
‘Huh...?’
Raon, who was about to rush out in a hurry, stopped and widened his eyes.
‘What's going on?’
A great being?
He was even more confused because he thought he would say Demon King, but suddenly the word Great Being came out.
"Could the 'great being' be referring to the Spirit King?"
Kkiiieeeek….
The top-tier spirit lowered its head. It seemed that even it didn’t know for sure.
“Ugh….”
Erian lifted his trembling chin and shook the hand holding the sword.
“Human! Did you make a contract with the Spirit King?”
His eyes were wide as if he couldn’t believe what he was asking.
“…”
Raon stared at Erian and blinked blankly.
‘What the hell is he talking about….’
He couldn’t understand the situation, so his mouth opened on its own.
“The Spirit King?”
As if she couldn’t believe it either, Reyran, who was waiting behind him, asked the question instead.
“I don’t feel any spirit energy from that human at all.”
“That’s why it’s the Spirit King! The Spirit King is an existence that transcends the rank of spirits! It’s natural that we can’t feel its energy!”
“That’s impossible. The two remaining Spirit Kings are currently unable to leave the spirit world to maintain it.”
“Then it must be the newly born Spirit King! The fire or water spirit that will soon become king must have taken a liking to that human!”
“That’s also impossible….”
“Why is it impossible? Don’t try to judge the Great Ones with your small mind.”
Reyran shook her head in disbelief, but Erian firmly closed his lips as if he was already convinced of his own thoughts.
“When did you make a contract with the Spirit King? As expected of my disciple!”
Rimmer approached, blinking his eyes. He didn’t understand why this human kept getting fooled.
“The Spirit King! Is it fire? Or water?”
Dorian, excited, snorted and asked if it was the fire or water Spirit King.
"It doesn't seem like it..."
Only Yua tilted her head as if she found it strange.
These crazy bastards!
Wrath flew forward and shouted.
How dare you compare the King of Essence to a mere spirit! Do you want to die so badly that you’re hallucinating!
Kiiieeeeek….
As he went berserk, the top-tier spirit became even more terrified, closing its eyes and burying its head in the ground.
Raon took a deep breath as he watched the chaotic scene.
‘I’m starting to get the gist of it.’
That top-tier spirit didn’t remember Wrath from the time he caused a commotion in the Spirit World, but it must have felt the terrible coldness and the soul rank that was beyond comparison and thought of him as a great being.
It seemed like something that happened because spirits were the closest to nature.
‘It’s not the worst, but it’s not good either.’
The worst was avoided just because the fact that he was with the Demon King wasn’t revealed, but being known as the Spirit King’s contractor wasn’t a good thing either.
“Hoo….”
Raon exhaled briefly and shook his head.
“I am not the contractor of the Spirit King. This is my first time seeing a spirit, so there must be some kind of misunderstanding….”
“That’s it!”
Erian nodded his head quickly as if he had just figured it out.
“Originally, the Spirit King doesn’t make contracts with those who have already made contracts with other spirits. It’s clear that the being who is about to become the new king is watching over you!”
He bit his lip, saying that the Spirit King would soon speak to him. He was already lost in his own world and didn’t seem to be listening to anyone else.
“That guy has always been lost in his own world, so he doesn’t listen to other people.”
Rimmer waved his hand, saying that he had felt that way ever since he first met Erian.
“I think so too….”
Raon chewed on his lips.
‘This is crazy….’
He laughed out of disbelief, and then something Wrath had said a little while ago came to mind.
‘But what do you mean the fire and water Spirit Kings are gone?’
Don’t you know? It’s been a while since those two disappeared from the spirit world.
Wrath nodded nonchalantly.
‘Why?’
They say they fought to the death and both died, but I don’t know if that’s true.
The guy waved his hand, saying he wasn’t interested in those weaker than him.
‘Can the spirit world be maintained without the Spirit Kings?’
The Earth and Wind Spirit King are holding it together. Plus, there's another one in there.
‘Another one?’
Just as he was about to ask who that was, Erian’s mouth opened again.
“We can’t leave a human who is going to make a contract with the Spirit King like this.”
Erian put his sword back in its sheath and sent the top-tier wind spirit back to the spirit world.
“Follow me.”
He waved his hand, saying to go into Seipia.
“What are you talking about?”
Reyran blocked the way with the hand that was holding the bow.
“Even if that human is really the contractor of the Spirit King, he shouldn’t be allowed into Seipia right now.”
She shook her head, saying that it was impossible to let an outsider in during this important time.
“He’s the first contractor of the Spirit King to appear in hundreds of years. And….”
Erian frowned at Rimmer.
“It’s right to take him now, even to deal with that guy.”
“But….”
“I’ll take responsibility.”
He was really convinced that Raon was the contractor of the Spirit King and waved for him to follow.
“Hey, I told you I raised my disciple well.”
Rimmer grinned and patted him on the shoulder, as if he was glad they didn’t have to fight.
Raon facepalmed at Rimmer.
‘This is not the time to smile. You idiot!’
* * *
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“Hmm….”
The red-haired elf with a thin layer of age on his face stroked his chin.
“The one who left home is finally coming back.”
"Huh?"
The female elf who was hiding in the blanket and only sticking her head out peeked up her head. Her blonde hair, like melted platinum, flowed down smoothly like spring water.
“W-who is coming?”
Her red lips trembled, not with interest, but with worry.
“Your brother.”
“Ah!”
The blonde elf raised her ears like a rabbit. However, her upper body still did not come out of the blanket.
“R-really?”
“Yes. But his aura seems to have changed a bit.”
The red-haired elf smiled faintly and looked at the female elf.
“Siyan. Won’t you go see your brother?”
“Ah….”
The female elf called Siyan slowly moved her legs and went inside the blanket like a turtle.
“I-I’m embarrassed.”
“You're meeting family after a long time. What's there to be embarrassed about?"
“It’s been a long time….”
“Family is not something that can be measured by time.”
The red-haired elf shook his head while stroking Siyan’s hair.
“Hmm? Three humans are coming with him too.”
“H-humans?”
“They’re incredibly strong. They’re still young, one of them is a Grandmaster but it’s ridiculous to be a Grandmaster at that age.”
The red-haired elf exclaimed in genuine admiration.
“How about it? Would you like to come with me?”
“…”
Siyan did not answer the red-haired elf’s words, and only blinked her eyes from inside the blanket.
“I, I’ll stay here….”
“Hoo….”
The red-haired elf let out a short sigh and looked up. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes trembled slightly.
"Siyan. Time is running out."
“…”
"I might be able to handle it this time, but next time might not be possible. It's best to prepare yourself mentally."
"Ah, I understand."
Siyan's voice came out like a whisper from under the blanket.
“Alright. Then I’ll be going.”
The red-haired elf waved his hand lightly and left the room.
“…”
Siyan still didn’t make a sound, hiding inside the blanket. Only after she heard the footsteps of the red-haired elf leaving did she finally lift the blanket and jump out.
“I’m sorry. But I didn’t want to be born as a high elf either.”
Siyan sighed deeply and shook her head.
“And I’m even worse than a normal elf, because I can’t do anything….”
She slumped her shoulders and picked up the book lying on the bed.
Siyan muttered that she wanted to live an ordinary life and opened the book. The cover of the book, which looked new and clean, had the name Raon Zieghart engraved on it.
“I want to be Raon Zieghart too….”
* * *
Raon narrowed his eyes as he followed Erian.
‘He really seems like a true elf.’
Unlike Rimmer, Erian was simply walking and opening up a path through the forest.
Rimmer may be superior in terms of pure strength, but this guy seemed to have a higher affinity for nature.
When he turned his eyes to the sharp gaze coming from the side, Reyran was openly staring at him.
Her eyes were full of doubt, as if she was wondering if he could really be the contractor of the Spirit King.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Raon awkwardly waved his hand at Reyran.
“I apologize. It was rude of me to stare at a human so openly.”
Reyran bowed her head politely, saying that she had made a mistake.
“But the Spirit King’s contractor… it’s really…”
“I told you, it’s true.”
Erian frowned as he looked back at Reyran.
“Do you not believe me?”
“It's hard to believe, especially in this situation.”
As expected of an elf like Reyran, she bluntly expressed her difficulty in trusting her superior.
“Hmph. You’ll see later. Who’s right.”
That guy’s a prick.
Wrath glared at Erian and gritted his teeth.
‘A prick?’
The answer is already set. You just have to give the answer. He’s the epitome of a jerk!
The guy clenched his fists and trembled, saying that he found him more and more annoying the more he looked at him.
“Yes, I’ll see later.”
Reyran bowed her head to Raon as if she had made a mistake.
“It’s okay.”
Raon shook his head and frowned.
‘This is crazy. How am I going to clear up this misunderstanding?’
Make the King of Essence descend right now!
Wrath patted his chest, saying that he would take care of it.
If he freeze all the elves here alive, there won’t be anyone who will compare him to a spirit in the future!
The guy laughed menacingly, saying that he would turn all the elves in existence into ice statues.
‘My head is already complicated right now. Just stay still.’
No! Hand over your body!
‘Just go in!’
When Raon pushed Wrath into the bracelet, Erian’s footsteps stopped.
“This is Seipia.”
As he followed his words and looked up, a world filled with green vegetation filled his eyes.
The golden sunlight descending from the sky breathed life into the trees and grass, making it seem like a world not of reality but of dreams.
There were many trees and bushes, much like a dense forest, but the open paths made it feel neither complicated nor claustrophobic.
‘Do they live in the trees?’
The elves seemed to live in the trees like squirrels.
However, there were also buildings that seemed to have been touched by human hands, perhaps because humans also frequented this place.
‘There’s a reason why the mana purity is high.’
The elves seemed to live a life of coexisting with nature without damaging it, so the mana concentration here seemed to be much higher than outside.
‘I can’t see the World Tree.’
Perhaps because it was hidden by the barrier, the giant tree that was said to reach the sky was not visible.
“Ah….”
“Wow!”
Dorian blinked in surprise, and Yua burst into a wide smile at the thick scent of mana.
Raon surveyed the inside of Seipia.
‘There are no people here.’
Although he had heard that there were some people who visited Seipia, there were no humans in sight now.
Reyran said that there was an important matter inside Seipia, and it seemed to be because of that.
“It’s still the same here.”
Rimmer looked around the scenery of Seipia and showed a look of longing.
“You seem to have changed a lot.”
Erian frowned as he looked at Rimmer.
“The world changes constantly.”
Rimmer smiled as he met Erian’s fierce gaze.
“Please continue with the tour.”
“Lucky bastard.”
Erian twisted his lips and entered Seipia.
“Hmm?”
“…Rimmer?”
“That’s right. It’s Sir Rimmer.”
“Are you finally back?”
The elves inside Seipia widened their eyes in recognition of Rimmer. None of them were overly surprised, perhaps because of the elven trait, but they were clearly aware of Rimmer.
“Weren't you dead?”
“Your right arm was cut off….”
“They said you ran away because of the sword, so why are you back?”
“Hmm. Is it because of that incident?”
“But Sir Rimmer isn’t a high elf, is he?”
“What's with the humans? Why now….”
The elves stopped in their tracks, cautiously watching Rimmer and murmuring with hesitant lips.
“It's been a while! Are you all doing well?”
Rimmer waved his hand coolly at the elves.
“Why, why are you acting like that?”
“Like a human….”
“How can the dignified Sir Rimmer speak in such a tone….”
“His attire is strange too.”
“Did you get possessed by a human?”
The elves trembled their eyes in confusion.
The elves seemed perplexed by Rimmer's casual tone, more so than by the fact that his arm was missing.
Raon furrowed his brow as he looked at Rimmer's back.
'This elf. How the hell did he live?'
Judging from the elves' reactions, the previous Rimmer seemed genuinely calm. His personality was becoming increasingly unpredictable.
"We're going to see Lord Sterin. You'd better be prepared."
Erian glared at Rimmer with cold eyes and quickened his pace.
"What do you mean, prepared?"
Rimmer snorted and followed Erian.
'Sterin....'
He must be a high elf.
Sterin was the elf that Rimmer had said was the Protector (leader/head) of Seipia. He wondered how strong he was and what kind of spirits he could summon.
The path narrowed and the number of elves they encountered decreased as they followed Erian.
"This is it."
He stopped in front of a large oak tree with a weathered door. Although the tree was quite large, it was hard to believe that a leader of a race lived in such a place.
"Don't act frivolously and be respectful."
Erian swept down the hilt of his sword as if to say he would kill him if he talked nonsense.
"I told you. Don't worry."
Rimmer waved his hand, saying to hurry up and go in.
Knock knock.
Erian clicked his tongue and knocked on the door attached to the tree.
"Enter."
Before he could explain, a soft voice emanated from inside the tree. It was a clear, soothing voice that seemed to ease both body and mind.
"Yes."
Erian cautiously opened the door and entered. The interior was larger than it appeared from the outside but was unexpectedly simple, not resembling the home of a race's leader.
However, it made sense because the race was elves.
A red-haired elf was reclining on a swing chair that seemed to be made of vines. The elf, who had sunken eyes that were somewhat similar to Rimmer's, raised his upper body, making wrinkles around his eyes.
'Is this man the Protector of the elves?'
He stood in the same realm as Glenn and the Holy Sword Union leader, but his aura was completely different.
Unlike the two who revealed themselves to the world, this elf was assimilating himself into the world.
It seemed that he had reached a unique state that incorporated nature into his body and mind.
"Rimmer. You're quite late...."
Sterin smiled faintly and looked at Rimmer.
"Grandfather!"
Rimmer ran to Sterin and hugged him tightly.
"Huh? Rimmer?"
Sterin's jaw trembled as if he was taken aback by Rimmer's sudden hug.
Raon also opened his mouth in surprise.
"This crazy guy!"
Erian frowned as he forcibly pulled Rimmer away.
"Right now, his return isn't the important thing. The contract holder of the missing Spirit King has appeared!"
He pushed Rimmer back and pointed at Raon.
“You two….”
Sterin frowned as he looked at Rimmer and Erian in turn.
"So you weren't caught by Satan."
