While Joshua was having his conversation with Krevas, the situation of the continent was, as the dragon said, developing faster and more complex than what was initially expected.
It started in the southernmost part of the continent.
A blonde man of middling age looked over endless greenlands, lands that even the people currently on the continent didn’t know existed.
“Hidden like this, no wonder no one has found it for so long now.”
“It’s really incredible. I thought it was just illusion magic at first, but now that I'm seeing it, I can’t believe that mana could be used in this way.”
“If it were a kind of illusion magic, any powerful mage would’ve noticed it right away. The mana itself is twisted. They’ve made it so that even the light that is reflected off a human's retina is included in this.”
“They don't call elves the gods' favored race for nothing, but Mr. Evergrant, how did you know the forest was tucked away here in the first place?” the other mage asked.
At the mage’s question, Evergrant recalled a face. It was the face of the person he held in the highest regard.
However, that person was no longer with him; he had returned to mana's side.
Evergrant’s hands curled into fists.
‘For you, I will continue. So—’
“Umm... Mr. Evergrant.”
Evergrant’s head swiveled around to face a voice behind him. It was a different speaker from before—it was a big man who was constantly wiping sweat off his entire face. It was Yovik. With a line of carts behind him, he seemed to be screaming, “I’m an immoral merchant.”
“Is it really true that there are elves here?”
Evergrant slightly frowned.
“You don’t believe me?”
“No... that’s not it. It’s just that... from here, it looks like there’s only trees.”
Instead of responding, Evergrant just raised one hand. The silver staff, which even at a glance seemed unusual, shone in his hand.
“Anyways... I was thinking of starting now.”
Yovik gave Evergrant a blank look until an enormous boom shook the air and made him recoil in shock.
The unbelievable scene that emerged before his eyes astounded him.
“This—?”
Crack. Craaaack.
An odd sound filled the air. A fissure began appearing in the very space before their eyes; not long after that, they noticed their surroundings gradually warping.
“...!”
Their ears were assaulted by the deafening sound of what seemed like glass shattering—but that was impossible since they were in the middle of thick forestland.
After rubbing their eyes, the scenery before them was not the same as what they saw before. A new road emerged and at the end of that road...
“Oh my God, the legend of the World Tree is real...” Yovik said in awe.
The towering tree reached into the clouds such that it was visible even from afar. That tree had existed since the dawn of recorded history. The legendary tree’s name was...
“Yggdrasil!” the mage from the Magic Tower standing next to Evergrant yelled.
Yovik, also known as the Slave Trader, gulped. A million different calculations were running through his head; now that he’d seen the truth with his own eyes, it was time to get down to business.
Clap!
He suddenly loudly clapped his hands together.
“I knew it!”
“...?” Evergrant looked at him in bewilderment.
“I had no doubts that the Elven Forest was here!” Yovik proclaimed. “After all, wasn’t it you, the great Class 8 mage and the youngest Tower Master in history, who said it? Of course, I would trust your words! To think that you found it with just one gesture when so many talented people have searched for it for hundreds of years and failed.”
“....” Yovik's shameless demeanor left even Evergrant speechless.
“I am jealous of the mages in the Magic Tower. With a great man like yourself at its head, the future of the Magic Tower will only get brighter...”
“That’s enough pleasantries,” Evergrant interrupted as soon as Yovik paused. “More importantly...”
“Of course! Honorable Tower Master, please tell me what you want.”
Evergrant sighed as Yovik excessively came to attention.
“You haven’t forgotten your promise, have you?”
“Ah, so that’s what you mean.” Yovik rubbed his hands. His next move was very important. He proceeded rapidly with a glint in his eyes.
“As promised, twenty percent of the total profit will go to the development of Magic Tower. As long as Mr. Evergrant helps, this will basically be a monopoly and will generate a lot of profit. We’re going to be sitting on piles of money! Just thinking about it makes me want to dance around in joy.”
Evergrant frowned as he watched Yovik shimmy.
“I have something I’d like to point out. I clearly remember it was 20% of the total revenue and not 20% of the profit?”
Yovik stopped, and then he stiffened.
‘This fucking petty mage.’
Yovik might have been swearing mentally, but he pasted a smile on his face as he spoke to Evergrant.
“You see, with work like this, this is always the case since the risk is quite high, no?” he responded with a smile. “Since the prey is pretty great, there could be many powerful people eyeing it as well.”
“....”
“And that’s not all. In the process of transporting the elves, I would also have to pay to make sure people keep their mouths shut, not to mention the black market fee. Plus, I would also have to entertain the officials. You know, this may all cost more than what I get back,” Yovik cautiously continued. “So...if you understand the risks, and consider that as the money put aside for emergencies...”
Among those present, only Evergrant could sense the faint presence. It wasn’t just one—there must have been hundreds of them.
A hint of a grin began to develop on Evergrant's lips.
“So it’s true...I have heard that the rangers who protect the Elven Forest are made up of elves...”
“You mean—”
“Leave this place already, human,” a terrifying voice boomed loud enough to make their eardrums hurt.
Evergrant’s eyes widened.
“M-Mr. Evergrant.”
“It’s for the best that you came here on your own.”
Evergrant left the shivering merchant behind and approached the forest. It was now completely evident what had to be done, and there was no reason to hesitate.
“Mages of the Magic Tower, I command you,” Evergrant gravely intoned.
From behind him, the five hundred mages all yelled at once, “Yes, Tower Master!”
Evergrant looked over the woods. The place was entirely silent except for his voice.
“Raze that forest. Don’t let a single blade of grass remain.”
***
A beautiful woman with greenish blonde hair stood on the highest branch of Yggdrasil, the World Tree.
“The Forest’s protective shield...?”
“Miss Freya!
Another elf landed in front of her with lightning speed.
“An unknown person has entered the woods!” the new elf grimly informed her.
“I also just felt—”
A massive, deafening boom swept the land before the green-blonde beauty could react.
“Kyaaak!”
At the same time, the World Tree began shaking.
“H-How can this be...?”
The blonde beauty trembled, then froze for a moment.
She had the highest level of mana sensitivity in her whole race because she possessed the rare talent of “mana clairvoyance.” Not far from the forest, she picked up the vibe of something massive and unsettling.
She narrowed her eyes.
“That energy didn’t come from the entrance... It came from a little further than that...”
The woman's eyes widened.
“...The sky?!”
She looked up. The energy Freya felt came from beyond the canopy of Yggdrasil’s massive leaves.
“What is going on—”
She suddenly flinched.
“M-Miss Freya?”
“Wa-Wait a second. What is this energy—?”
The energy... she realized where it came from, and it made her entire being shake as though she'd been hit by lightning.
“No way,” she eked out through gritted teeth.
The lady’s legs gave out.
“Mister Elenburs!?”
***
“Master?”
Icarus and Cain were equally shocked. They had been waiting for their master, who had left them behind hours ago.
But then the person they’d been looking for materialized in front of them with a flash of light.
“Let’s go.”
“Wh-where?”
“We don’t have time, so hurry up.” Joshua extended his hand.
After a brief exchange of glances, Cain and Icarus nodded and grabbed his hand.
“We’ll go wherever you go.”
“Hold on tight.”
“But master...?” Cain ventured. “Can I ask what you are planning to do?”
Joshua was silent for a while before he answered Cain’s question.
“I’m going to clean up a mess.”
“Yes?”
“It’s something that I’ve been putting off for a while now. I have to throw the rest of the garbage away now.”