Episode 396 – The Illusory Branch (3)
As Arthur looked around, he saw that everyone’s eyes were asking the sa question—why the city of vagrants?
Why was it so important?
Arthur recalled the other possible options and gave his answer.
“One place is too difficult to defend, and the other must never beco a battlefield.”
“You an Aintrier and the Ordor Forest?” Dorneth asked.
Arthur smiled in response—she had pinpointed exactly the two locations he had been considering.
However, Dorneth tilted her head slightly at his reply, particularly when it ca to Aintrier.
There was one thing about that location that bothered her.
“What you’re saying makes sense. But if you think about it from another angle, Aintrier is the best position to pressure both Demtor and Pri Root at once. Are you really going to give up that advantage?”
“If we could engage both forces at the sa ti, it would certainly be a huge advantage.”
Dorneth furrowed her brows. Sothing about Arthur’s assumption seed off.
“You’re saying the two factions might join hands?”
“Do you think that’s impossible?”
“If you know the background of Pri Root’s formation, you’d never say that. Demtor and Pri Root will never unite.”
“Logically speaking, yes.”
Arthur agreed and placed the Allied Army’s pieces on top of Aintrier on the map.
Aintrier, having managed distribution between Demtor and Pri Root for many years, sat squarely between the two factions, geographically close to both.
Stationing the Allied Army’s main forces there would allow for simultaneous deterrence—but…
“What do you think would happen if those two factions did join forces in this situation?”
Dorneth fell silent as she looked at the Allied pieces layered over both factions.
“And what if they launched a surprise attack?”
“…It’d be disastrous. Our core strength would be crushed right there. Just imagining it is horrifying.”
“If that scenario plays out, the Allied Army is essentially finished. Their next target would be the World Tree, and we wouldn’t be able to stop them.”
“That only happens if they ally.”
“I believe it’s possible.”
“…So there’s sothing I don’t know about, huh?”
At Arthur’s unwavering gaze, Dorneth sighed and leaned back in her chair.
Arthur’s predictions had rarely been wrong.
That alone gave his words weight.
“Since we’re all here, I’ll explain why I went to the World Tree.”
The World Tree’s secret.
Arthur looked at deia, and she gave him a solemn nod.
Arthur slowly began to speak.
“The gazes of the Forgotten Beings are now fixed on the World Tree.”
“Forgotten Beings?”
“Before I explain them, you need to first understand the Illusory Branches.”
Arthur glanced around at his companions and began explaining the secret the Shadow King had warned him about.
That the Illusory Branches were growing from certain parts of the World Tree, and that through them, contact could be made with the Forgotten Beings beyond the spirit realm.
For so, this truth could be deeply unsettling.
Because if the World Tree were real, such things should not be happening.
As expected, the one most shocked was Nella, the elf who revered the World Tree as sacred.
“Are you saying… Illusory Branches actually exist on the World Tree?”
“Arthur is telling the truth,” deia answered grimly. “If you can’t believe him, ask Fenry. She knows the truth.”
Hearing the Elder Witch confirm it, Nella let out a soft groan.
There was no way a statent from the Elder was a lie.
Once Arthur finished explaining, silence settled over the room.
Then, after a mont, Dorneth asked a question to confirm.
“I understand the World Tree’s secret. But what does that have to do with Demtor and Pri Root possibly joining forces?”
“Because the Forgotten Beings want the World Tree. If they begin to intervene, it’s entirely possible that those two factions will form an alliance.”
“You’re saying Demtor and Pri Root are harboring Forgotten Beings?”
“I’m not sure about Pri Root, but Demtor definitely is.”
Sharbadin suddenly gasped and shouted,
“C-Clarke!”
“Correct. Grand Duke Clarke.”
“If he reached six stars through the Illusory Branch, then a Forgotten Being must be by his side.”
“Fla Demon lkor. And…”
Arthur looked out the window at the towering World Tree and continued.
“He’s also the one behind the recent disturbance in the World Tree. He’s after the Illusory Branches.”
“……”
Everyone swallowed hard at Arthur’s words.
The truth was heavier and more threatening than expected.
“All the Forgotten Beings… are after the Illusory Branches?”
“There are so who want to protect them too. In fact, one such Forgotten Being is with us right now.”
The Shadow King, Shery von Haus.
At the very least, he had chosen to coexist with the Allied Army.
“Then what about us?”
“What do you an?”
Dorneth suddenly seed deep in thought before speaking.
“I an… what if we contact the branches ourselves and try to make contracts with the Forgotten Beings? If we’re the first to reach them and persuade them to coexist, like the Shadow King, wouldn’t that be to our advantage?”
Dorneth’s proposal had rit, and several Ortains nodded in agreent.
Arthur gave a bitter smile.
That was sothing only soone who didn’t understand the Forgotten Beings could suggest.
The Absolutes were not gods.
They were beings of desire and greed.
To them, coexistence was not an option.
Only conquest, control, and plunder.
In fact, in the original novel, the world had quickly crumbled following the arrival of the Absolutes.
“That must never happen.”
“Why not? Even if only a few of us reach six stars, it would change the balance.”
“And if those who awaken act against us?”
It would bring nothing but chaos.
“You’re saying we’d lose control?”
“Power always cos with a price. Whether it’s through persuasion, coercion, or force, they’ll use whatever ans necessary to control those they’ve contracted.”
“…The more I hear, the scarier it gets.”
“In the end, there’s only one answer.”
Nella, who had been silent since hearing the World Tree’s secret, finally spoke. Everyone turned their attention to her.
“We must protect the World Tree at all costs—for all of us.”
The mont the words “for all of us” ca from an elf’s mouth, Arthur smiled.
Despite facing the truth, she had quickly accepted it and sought a solution.
Seeing Dorneth surprised by Nella’s words, Nella gave a wry smile.
“Just a year ago, the elves were wanderers with no sanctuary. The fact that we can now dream of happiness and think about peace… it’s thanks to everyone’s efforts.”
The World Tree born from those efforts didn’t belong to the elves alone.
It truly belonged to everyone.
Today, Nella had co to fully understand that.
But despite her words, the others offered no imdiate response.
The threat of the Forgotten Beings was too great, and it had cast a gloom over the room.
Arthur, however, grinned and looked around.
Then—
Thud!
He slamd his hand down on the table.
Startled, everyone looked up at him with wide eyes.
“Nella is right. The World Tree is our lifeline.”
“…What do you an?”
“Why the long faces? The plan is already in place.”
Arthur pointed to the map and began placing the Allied Army’s pieces on the city of vagrants.
“We’re going to win. Has any of my plans failed so far?”
“No, they haven’t.”
Dorneth answered firmly and stood up.
The Ortains, the elves—they all followed suit.
Arthur’s plan.
They wanted to hear it in detail now more than ever.
Arthur nodded and gestured to the map pieces.
First: Tobaron’s forces.
“The large Tobaron force led by Heinz will be stationed in the city of vagrants. I hear it’s a mixed army of humans and dwarves. Correct?”
“Correct. Hundreds of knights equipped with dwarf-forged gear—true elites. Even if Demtor attacks with full strength, they’ll hold.”
Arthur smiled and pointed to another piece.
The mixed-race army ford from the elite of the Ordor Forest.
At its center was Black Rose, led by Fenry.
“They’ll also be stationed in the city. To lead them, we’ll send elite Hunts.”
“Hunt?”
“Myself, Lochter, and others will take command.”
“…That’s a hell of a lineup.”
Dorneth clicked her tongue.
With that much force, it might be enough to attack Demtor directly.
“What about the World Tree?”
“The World Tree will be completely sealed off. The witches will handle that.”
At Arthur’s glance, deia nodded with a firm expression.
She was the one most adept with barrier magic.
At that mont, Nella, who had been quietly listening, pointed at the city of vagrants.
“But can that city handle this many troops?”
It was just a city located near the lower docks on the path to Aintrier.
Surely, several thousand—maybe tens of thousands—of troops would be mobilized.
Could the city sustain them?
“It can. What it lacks isn’t supplies—it’s manpower to maintain order.”
“You’re saying there’s enough supply?”
“There’s so much it’s hard to protect. That’s how abundant it is.”
Arthur had relocated rchant groups favorable to the Allied Army, starting with the Lenon Workshop, to the city.
Currently, it was under the care of the elder Notura—once a vagrant himself and now a figure deeply trusted by the people.
Thanks to him, the rchant groups were quickly establishing themselves.
“The dwarves are ready to begin construction as soon as they’re deployed.”
“You’ve made a deal with the Lenon rchant lord?”
“He was happy with the terms—especially the work conditions. I have a feeling we’ll be working with him long-term. We’ve agreed to send 1,000 dwarves there.”
It seed Italus had invested properly through Dorneth.
The more dwarves in a city, the better—especially since they urgently needed to reinforce the walls.
Arthur drew a large circle around the city on the map.
“We’ll begin building the wall around the city of vagrants. I plan to invest two billion gold into it.”
“…What? Two billion gold?”
“Don’t worry about the money. Preparations are already underway.”
If Fenry had heard that, she would’ve grabbed her neck and collapsed.
After all, she was currently running herself ragged trying to secure that very fund.
Dorneth examined the circle Arthur had marked.
After a mont, he let out a quiet exclamation and looked at Arthur.
“I see now. That wall is to protect the Ordor Forest.”
“Correct.”
Arthur planned to build a massive wall to block all potential threats approaching the World Tree.
“The city and the forest aren’t far apart, now that I look at the map. It’s within a day’s march. If we use the Kenline River… we can support Aintrier easily too…”
It was a location from which support could be provided anywhere within the Allied territory—and it could pressure Demtor as well.
Now they understood why Arthur had chosen this city as the main base.
However—
“Why build such a massive wall? It won’t an much against holders of Divine Nas.”
To the strong, a wall was aningless.
Massive and solid, yes—but to those with Divine Nas, it was just another tall obstacle.
“This wall isn’t to stop them. It’s for the worst-case scenario.”
“Worst-case scenario?”
“I’ll explain once I’m certain.”
“If you say so, I’ll believe it. So… what do you plan to do after gathering all these troops in one city?”
Combining Tobaron’s and the Allied Army’s forces, they would have the largest army in all of Hell Gri.
What was Arthur planning to do with them?
Arthur smiled and gave his answer.
“First, I’m going to hold a festival. The biggest and grandest festival in all of Hell Gri.”
“…A festival?”
A completely unexpected answer.
Dorneth gave a dry laugh.
A festival, in this situation?
He was truly impossible to predict.
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