I exchanged farewells with the elves seeing me off on the outskirts of Noirdel.
Elioren, to whom I owed a great deal in many ways, gestured to Iseria, Seiran, and Veilla standing behind him and said,
“Then... I’ll be going.”
“Though you came under unfortunate circumstances, I will make every effort to meet you more honorably next time. I’ll make sure these ones are thoroughly corrected as well.”
“Haha... If that’s the case, I’ll be counting on you.”
It’d be more than enough if he just did as I’d asked, so I hoped they’d all get along in moderation.
When I came in, I had nothing but the clothes on my back, but now that I was leaving, both my hands were full of luggage.
The World Tree leaves and sap I’d received in abundance earlier.
And five bottles of Eilenna’s special white wine.
Maybe because it was a gift I hadn’t expected at all, it made me even happier.
Or it might simply have been because the wine was so delicious.
“Jinwoo, could you come here for a moment?”
“Yes?”
I had been saying goodbye to the graduates of Els Kitchen I’d gotten acquainted with, as well as the other elves.
At Eilenna’s call, I stopped.
“Now, keep your eyes tightly shut.”
“Wh-what?”
What was she planning to do after suddenly making me close my eyes?
Though suspicious, I closed my eyes as she told me to.
Poof—
Suddenly, soft skin settled over my hand.
Eilenna clasped my hand tightly and chanted something.
Along with it, something... felt as if it was being infused into my body.
‘O-oh, oooh.’
I was greatly flustered, but as she had asked, I did not open my eyes.
She was doing something while raising mana; what if I interrupted and something went wrong?
When you didn’t know what was going on, staying still was the best course of action.
Soon, the strange sensation ended, and I quietly opened my eyes.
For some reason, Eilenna’s face looked flushed.
“A blessing... I cast a blessing on you.”
“A blessing?”
What she had given me was none other than a blessing.
It seemed roughly similar to getting a buff in a game, but could elves even do that sort of thing?
“It’s the blessing of our Liliendra family. It’ll help boost vitality and recover from fatigue.”
“Oh, Bacchus.”
It was an effect befitting a family skilled at handling the life force of the World Tree.
I didn’t know how long it would last, but I decided to just think of it as lifelong.
That way, even if I was a little tired, I could say, “It’s fine, I have the blessing of the Liliendra family!” and enjoy the placebo effect.
“The wine too—thank you very much, Lady Eilenna.”
“N-no! I should be the one thanking you, Jinwoo. I learned a lot thanks to you.”
“If you’re ever bored later, come visit my restaurant. I’ll prepare plenty of delicious snacks to go with drinks.”
“Hehe... okay!”
Eilenna acted shy, yet was purely delighted.
Right, even if she looked prickly on the outside, she was a soft-hearted older sister inside.
‘Sir Jinwoo. Be careful of one elf.’
‘What? One elf?’
‘Yes. The elf from the winery is dangerous.’
Three days ago, after the fight ended, Arthur had warned me... but there was no way Eilenna was dangerous.
Look. Even now, her ears were perking up like a puppy happy to be praised.
He’d said things like she was terribly obsessive, or that I might be locked up, but maybe Arthur had misjudged an elf.
“Ah, a blessing. I’ll cast one on you as well, Sir Jinwoo.”
“Oh, you can do it too, Lord Elioren. I’ll gratefully accept.”
I obediently closed my eyes and waited for Elioren’s touch.
But even after ten or so seconds passed, I felt nothing.
Just as doubt began to rise, Elioren said,
“Ah, Sir Jinwoo. There’s no need for that.”
“Yes? Don’t you have to hold my hand?”
“You can simply... do it like this.”
Srrrk—
Elioren reached a hand toward me and chanted a spell.
Then, just like the sensation Eilenna had given me, the blessing seeped into my body.
So there was no need to hold hands?
I reflexively turned to look at Eilenna.
“Ahem, ahem!”
Perhaps she had choked; Eilenna turned her head away, busy clearing her throat.
Mm... Well, I guess it differs from elf to elf.
For the Liliendra family, holding hands must be the standard rule.
“What is the effect of the Sildiel family’s blessing?”
“Ours increases affinity with spirits and mana efficiency. Not by a large margin, but it should be plenty helpful to you, Sir Jinwoo.”
“That certainly is helpful.”
For some reason, my total mana felt as if it had been stuck in place all this time.
I hadn’t particularly worked to increase it, nor had I checked it one by one.
But since I could feel it every day while using [Mana Market],
I knew that by the standards of this other world, I was a hopelessly weak person.
So this blessing was quite useful to me too.
Even if my total mana didn’t increase, if my efficiency increased, I’d be able to exchange for that much more food ingredients.
“Jinwoo, we should get going soon. The sun’s already high.”
“Ah, I’m sorry. Just one more person.”
Looks like there’s no time for leisurely goodbyes.
Still, I have to talk to her before I go.
I approached the elf who looked as if she had a lot to say, yet was hesitating while clutching the hem of her clothes.
I approached Iseria.
“Iseria.”
“Y-yeah?”
“I’m leaving now.”
The day I first met Iseria was still vivid in my mind.
Though her first impression had been an absolute mess, because Iseria was there, we were able to defeat the boar-type demonic beast that attacked my house.
And when we were isolated by the monster wave, I was able to give that corrupt quartermaster a proper beating too.
Aside from that, there were all sorts of memories we’d built up.
A bond of about one month—short if you called it short, long if you called it long.
I gave my farewell and waited for a moment in front of Iseria.
She fidgeted, repeatedly opening and closing her mouth.
Then, at last, she let out her voice.
“It’s the same thing again, but... I’m sorry. And... thank you.”
The fierce, prickly attitude she’d had when we first met, the way she’d snapped and acted pointlessly tsundere, was gone.
As if her throat was tightening, Iseria took in breath with little hiccuping sounds—hk, hff—then continued.
“Honestly, up until now, I lived however I wanted, doing only what I felt like. But after I met you... I had a lot of fun. So.”
Sss—
Hoo—
“So. Once I master all the cooking, can I come find you again? At your restaurant.”
Iseria had squeezed out her courage and thrown out her true feelings.
It would only be proper to accept them properly.
I conveyed my answer simply and clearly.
“When that time comes, you’ll have to work as an employee. You should be able to do your part well enough.”
“...!! Yeah!”
“Now I really have to go. Take care. And don’t forget what I taught you about cooking.”
“I won’t!”
If my last memory of her was of her looking dejected, it would bother me in all sorts of ways.
Seeing her face refreshed, as if the knot in her heart had been untied, was nice.
“Everyone, take care. I’ll be going!”
“May the World Tree watch over the path ahead of you.”
“Jinwoo! Enjoy the wine!”
“Come visit again later, Chef!”
Who knows. Would there be another chance to visit?
I turned away as I was and walked off.
With reliable escorts like Arthur and Kailan, there was nothing to be afraid of.
Without any lingering regret that would make me look back.
We reached the border of Noirdel and crossed the Verdant Curtain in one go.
Once we passed through the curtain, a pale fog filled the surroundings.
Since I had no memory of when I came here, I had no idea if this was normal.
“Wait... Is it supposed to be like this?”
“Yes. It was like this when we came to find you as well.”
“We just need to go straight. There’s nothing to worry about.”
They say if your head is bad, your body suffers.
But these people had such good bodies that their heads didn’t need to suffer at all.
Trusting Duke Kailan’s confident words, we began a forward march with no promised end.
As I listened to the pleasant, repeating sound of footsteps,
the World Tree suddenly came to mind.
‘An item that cannot yet be registered...’
If I took those words the other way, it meant it might be possible to register it later.
Without breaking my stride, I opened my status window.
=====
Name: Kang Jinwoo (35)
Race: Human
Traits: [Hand Flavor Lv.Max], [Cold Resistance Lv.3], [Flame Resistance Lv.7]
Skills: [Mana Market Lv.2], [Beginner Spirit Arts Lv.Max]
=====
Maybe because I’d lived in Noirdel practically rubbing shoulders with spirits, [Beginner Spirit Arts] had hit max level.
But that wasn’t what mattered right now.
I carefully read the description of [Mana Market].
=====
[Mana Market Lv.2]
Mana dwells within all matter in the world.
Food ingredients are no exception. Exchange your mana for food ingredients!
*Has a synergy effect with the trait [Hand Flavor]!
*The level has increased, broadening the category of food ingredients!
=====
The category of food ingredients had broadened.
Perhaps because [Mana Market] had leveled up, it was able to recognize the World Tree as a food ingredient.
If it had been the old me, maybe that message window wouldn’t have appeared at all.
▲
「World Tree Leaf」
「World Tree Sap」
「□orld■□□□ 」
「???」
「???」
▼
The World Tree leaves and sap I’d received from Trea were registered just fine.
I hadn’t used them in cooking yet, but they seemed like they’d be good as spices for removing gaminess.
The problem was the broken text beneath the sap.
Well... aside from the “orld” in the middle, I couldn’t read it at all.
Considering it was below World Tree Sap, there was a possibility that it was an item in the same category.
In other words, the World Tree itself, which I had failed to register.
The item made up of broken letters might be that.
A tingling shock had run up my body and rejected me, but perhaps traces of that rejection remained in the system.
Since coming to this other world, I had never felt the existence of a god.
In that sense, among all the beings I had encountered so far, the World Tree was the highest-ranking existence.
A colossal divine tree worshiped as a god by the elves.
And yet the system said even such a divine tree could be registered as an item.
When I recognized that incomprehensible power, an indescribable fear had surged over me back when I touched the World Tree.
Just who was the being that had granted me this ability?
For what purpose had it given me this power, and how high in rank was it that it could even devour the World Tree?
‘Somehow, my heart feels heavy.’
Until now, I’d only thought this ability made cooking convenient.
But the moment I became aware of what lay beyond the system, my mind kept growing uneasy.
“Sir Jinwoo. Are you all right? You don’t look well...”
“Ah, I’m fine. I was just lost in thought for a bit.”
“You were dragged away against your will, so it’s only natural you’d be tired. Still, we’re almost there now.”
“Oh, you’re right.”
As I walked endlessly while buried in worry, a familiar forest ecosystem welcomed us before I knew it.
Right. In the end, I hadn’t managed to register the World Tree.
Know yourself and your enemy, and you can win a hundred battles; I’d grasped just how far the system’s power could reach.
Using this information as a basis, I just needed to study the system carefully and use it appropriately.
I raised my head and looked around.
Calian Forest—clearly different from Noirdel, yet much more familiar.
After walking a bit more, finally...
Finally, it began to come into view.
“Home, it’s home. My house! My restaurant!”
“Haha, you’ve been through a lot.”
“You certainly have. To think you were kidnapped by an elf—now that’s a story that would shock even the capital.”
After spending a full ten days and a little more away,
I had returned. To my cozy, comfortable home.
To home sweet home...
“Arthur and I will return immediately. Normally, Jinwoo, you’d have to come with us and give a statement about the incident, but, well... since no report went up to the Imperial Court and the matter wasn’t blown out of proportion, it should be fine.”
“Ah, right. My lord. That letter! We have to hurry back and intercept the letter!”
“Oh, damn it!!”
Kailan, who had been telling me in the restaurant’s front yard how to respond going forward, turned pale at Arthur’s remark.
Then the two of them readjusted their equipment and hurriedly prepared to run.
“In any case, Jinwoo, regardless of the statement, come visit once you’ve recovered from the travel fatigue!”
“We’ll be strengthening patrols around the restaurant from now on, so don’t worry too much. We’ll put it into effect starting today. Then we’ll be going first!”
“Yes, yes. Thank you...”
Tadadak—!
And with that, Arthur and Kailan kicked off the ground and dashed away.
So they’d walked on the way here out of consideration for me.
Once they decided to run, what the— they were as fast as horses racing across a meadow.
Creeeak—
After seeing Arthur and Kailan off, I entered the restaurant.
The first-floor hall had been left exactly as it was when I’d grilled and eaten pajeon.
I gathered up all those plates, and instead of washing them—
Flop—!
I went straight up to my room on the second floor and threw myself onto the bed.
Even if one enjoyed an overseas trip, that did not mean there was no fatigue or longing for home.
Right now, I wanted to rest without thinking about anything.
I closed my eyes as I was and sank into the softness of the bed.
***
The night Kang Jinwoo left, at the Sildiel estate in Noirudel.
Despite the late hour, the lights in the conference room showed no sign of going out.
Grand Elder Trea leaned back in her chair in the conference room and let out a deep sigh.
“Haaah... This is the first time the World Tree has been so shaken.”
“Lady Trea. When you went to the World Tree with Jinwoo, what happened?”
Elioren asked with a grave expression.
The Sildiel family was responsible for the defense of Noirudel.
As the head of that family, Elioren had to know this information.
“When Jinwoo touched the World Tree, there was a great shock. It was conveyed to me as well.”
“By shock, you mean...?”
“The World Tree revealed fear.”
The divine tree that had always watched over and protected the elven race with lofty grace.
Even several hundred years ago, when wars raged across the continent, the World Tree had not shown fear; rather, it had protected Noirudel all the more steadfastly.
For that World Tree to have felt terror.
Elioren’s mouth fell open of its own accord, and he could not continue speaking.
“It is not that Jinwoo is evil, or that he is strong enough to harm the World Tree.”
“Yes. I felt that much clearly as well.”
“The World Tree saw something through Jinwoo as a medium, and feared it.”
“What on earth was it?”
Elioren, swept up in fear himself, asked in a trembling voice, but
Trea slowly shook her head.
“I cannot... know. Even the World Tree could not look deeply into it.”
“Then what are we supposed to do?”
Elioren had lived long enough to become the head of his family.
Yet even for him, this was an unprecedented situation he had never experienced before.
Like a lost lamb, he yearned for an answer.
“Fortunately... it seems we do not need to be overly concerned about ‘it’ for now. The World Tree said as much. More importantly, what matters immediately is strengthening our national defense.”
“Pardon? National defense, you say?”
Through this incident, doubts had indeed arisen regarding the combat strength of the Sildiel family.
Though they were beings who had reached the ranks of superhumans, they had been easily breached by two humans.
However, the national defense Trea spoke of did not seem to refer to the strength of individuals.
“At the same time the World Tree saw ‘it,’ the World Tree sensed an aura of chaos. An ominousness like that of the Great War. We must prepare for it.”
“...Understood.”
Though it was now the distant past, Elioren belonged to the generation that, in his childhood, had witnessed the end of the Great War.
Those who, rather than rejoicing at the end of the war, wept for the countless things they had lost.
No one on the continent wished for such a Great War to repeat itself.
Sssrk—
Though they had not coordinated it, Elioren and Trea looked out the window at the same time.
The moon hung high and bright.
That moon, which had always been nothing but beautiful.
Was it truly all right to dismiss the fact that today, it felt like the prelude to something, as a mere trick of the mind?
Worry deepened on the faces of the two elves.