I Regressed to My Ruined Family – 91

 #I returned, and my family was ruined (92)

The elves pricked up their ears at Ethan’s words. The group of humans who had recently infiltrated the Great Mountains was a major headache for them.

The elves recalled when humans wearing robes first appeared in the Great Mountains.

One year ago.

A man clad in a snow-white robe and a group of mages led by him set foot in the mountain range.

Even though elves were a closed race, they did not regard all humans who entered the mountain range as enemies.

Within the domain of the World Tree.

They only moved to chase them away because they had entered the space where they lived. It wasn’t long before the humans settled on the outskirts of the mountain range.

Since it was not an area within the realm of the World Tree, they didn’t think much of it at the time.

However.

After that, the landscape of the mountain range began to change little by little.

Starting from where the humans had settled, all the flora and fauna began to die.

The results of the investigation team’s report were shocking.

“The surrounding mountain ridges around the humans’ settlement have been completely sucked away.”

“That place is no longer a natural space. It has become a place filled with a strange energy.”

The answer was shocking.

What’s more, the bigger problem was that the area drying up was gradually expanding.

Finally, six months ago, they even attempted to invade the area controlled by the World Tree. Only then did the elves realize the seriousness of the situation.

Some argued that they should wage war to drive out the humans, while others argued that there was no immediate problem and that they should wait and see.

Every day, loud voices echoed through the meeting hall.

“…If only their level was lower.”

They would have tried to wage war.

However, the magicians stationed on the outskirts were extremely skilled.

If they had been within the World Tree’s domain, they would have been able to fight them.

However, they were located in a place where the protection of the World Tree did not reach. Instead, it was a place filled with a strange energy that seemed to favor their enemies.

Thirty years ago.

Iriana, who had been elected as the new leader following the previous High Elf, was struggling with this issue.

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Entering their territory was tantamount to suicide.

Not receiving the protection of the World Tree was a problem, and the strange energy that was draining the elves’ power was also a major issue.

Should she risk the fate of her tribe and wage war because of this?

Still, the World Tree’s domain was firmly in place, so perhaps it would be all right.

As each day passed, she agonized over the decision. The fate of her tribe depended on her judgment.

Iriana looked at the duke.

Ardan.

A family that had once been legendary.

“…As the leader of such a family.”

Perhaps he could resolve this situation.

“…Let’s go. I will show you to our tribe.”

Iriana led the two to the tribe.

*

A blue wind blew.

It was one of the five great elf tribes in the West Continent.

As befitting a great tribe, there were quite a number of elves living near the World Tree.

“If you add them all up, there could be close to ten thousand.”

Considering that a small tribe numbered in the tens or hundreds, it was a considerable number.

After guiding them for a while, Irina pointed ahead and said.

“This is Mshiron, the world tree that protects our village.”

“It looks fine on the outside.”

“…What?”

“But it’s too late.”

“What do you mean, too late?”

“This tree is already close to death.”

At those words, Irina and the other guards’ faces slowly turned red. The world tree was like a mother to them.

Now, the duke had insulted their mother.

“What are you talking about?”

Irina shouted in shock.

If the man in front of her wasn’t a descendant of Ardan, she would have drawn her sword immediately.

“That’s what happened. To those magicians.”

Finishing his words, Ethan swung his sword toward the ground.

The elves were terrified at the sight.

It was too fast to stop.

Moreover, he had swung at the spot where the roots of the World Tree were located.

“What is this…!”

“Look here.”

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The elves were furious.

Ignoring them, Ethan pointed at the deep hole in the ground.

The thick roots of the World Tree were visible beneath the ground.

The elves were terrified when they saw it.

“This… This can’t be!”

“What is this…?”

Something black and liquid-like was all over the thick roots.

The roots, which should have been brown, looked like black snakes.

“It’s been sucked dry.”

“Sucked dry? What do you mean?”

“The source. This tree is already beyond repair.”

From the roots to the trunk and branches, this tree was like a human being whose soul had been sucked out.

Ethan smiled grimly.

He had seen this phenomenon many times in his past life.

“What on earth is going on…?”

Irina collapsed to the ground as if her legs had given way.

High elves had the power to grow world trees.

Even among the large tribes, only a handful of elves were born with such power.

That was why they were chosen as leaders of their tribes.

“I’m sure I didn’t feel anything strange…”

How could the duke in front of her have known something she herself hadn’t even noticed?

She couldn’t understand.

That was when it happened.

“I can grant you a little more time.”

A white flame erupted from his sword. The moment he brought the sword to the roots.

Sizzle!

A acrid smoke rose.

The black liquid writhed as if in pain.

It resisted the white flames for a moment, but the liquid slowly disappeared and the roots returned to their original color.

“Did you heal Mshuron?”

“Hmm. How should I explain it?”

Ethan thought for a moment and said,

“The roots of this tree must have already been sucked out by the Yongrinmok.”

“…Yongrinmok? What is that?”

“It is one of the trees cultivated by the Yongin tribe. Unlike the World Tree, it is a greedy plant that sucks up all the energy around it.”

The World Tree.

Even a single tree could transform its surroundings into a lush forest, creating an environment where countless animals and plants could live.

On the other hand, the Yongrinmok.

‘It sucks up all the energy around it.’

It was a tree that gathered the energy it had stolen and formed it into something like an elixir.

It was a vicious tree that not only consumed its surroundings and emitted mana suited to the physique of the Yongin tribe, but also stole their lives.

In their previous lives, the Yongin tribe had conquered the human realm and planted Yongrin Trees everywhere.

They consumed the spirit pellets created by sucking up all the energy and used that power to conquer more regions and expand their territory.

The regions ruled by the Yongrin trees became places where only the Yongin tribe could live, and as time passed, the humans’ territory inevitably shrunk.

“A tree raised by the Yong tribe? But why would humans…?”

“It was the dragon tribe’s minions. There are quite a few humans who cooperate with them in human society. They’re the dragon tribe’s dogs. They’re ripe for slaughter.”

Iriana clenched her fists.

She still couldn’t forget the dragon tribe that had attacked her tribe fifteen years ago.

Not only that, but now they’re sending their minions to destroy the World Tree!

Iriana’s ears gradually turned red.

It was a sign that she was extremely angry. Soon, she asked,

“Do you dislike the dragon tribe, Your Highness?”

“How could I like them when my ancestors were killed by them?”

“…I see.”

“I have one question. Those humans. Who exactly are they?”

“…We don’t know the details. All we know is that they are human magicians wearing robes… One of them wore a white robe, and the rest wore black robes…”

“White robes?”

Ethan tilted his head.

It was a familiar outfit.

“Was it Eric?”

The man who introduced himself as the eighth bishop.

He was the first to come to mind.

Ethan also knew about the group of magicians connected to the church.

The Capital Magicians’ Guild.

It was the group that the chief priest who had cut his throat at the printing house had introduced as the ones who came and went as they pleased in the duke’s domain.

A group of that caliber would be able to employ a large number of high-level magicians that even elves would not easily dare to attack.

“Hm.”

Both were groups that Ethan wanted to kill with his own hands.

They were all rat-like bastards who did nothing but nonsense.

“Good.”

The branches of the World Tree.

This was an opportunity to achieve his desired goal while also giving his enemies a taste of their own medicine.

If he could take out the bishop-like man along with Yong-rin-mok, it would be a loss that the church could not ignore.

“How many are there?”

“About fifty in total.”

“What are they like?”

“There are two people in white robes who seem to be in charge of the magicians. They are about the same level as me.”

Iriina’s skill was at the level of a skilled magician in the 7th rank.

With two high-ranking magicians and a bishop, it seemed that the church had invested considerable forces.

In addition, there were ten 6th-rank magicians, and even the lowest-ranked among them were all 5th-rank.

“I see why they didn’t attack.”

Elves were a race that was strong within the realm of the World Tree but weakened rapidly once they left it.

In that situation, they entered the domain of Yongrinmok and waged war against the magicians?

It was a matter of life and death for an entire tribe, so it must have been a difficult decision to make.

“Where are they?”

The moment Irina reached out her hand,

the plants around her formed a cluster.

It looked like a map.

“We are here, and the magicians are roaming around this area.”

“Go take care of them.”

“We will help you. Even if we cannot receive the protection of the World Tree, we can still be of some help.”

Iriana looked at the duke.

His words revealed that the dragon clan was behind this.

The Ardan Duke’s family.

This family was the sworn enemy of the dragon clan.

It was a story so famous that even the elves knew that all the members of the family had died in the war against the dragon clan.

He was a figure who could be described as the polar opposite of the dragon clan.

Even though quite some time had passed since the war ended, the duke still regarded the dragon clan as his enemy.

As long as the dragon tribe was their enemy,

they had no choice but to trust the duke, even though he was human.

Ethan looked at Irina at those words. It wasn’t strange for them to take action to protect their land.

He nodded.

“Can you wait a moment? I will inform my people about this.”

“Yes.”

Irina gathered the elves together and explained the situation.

As she spoke, the elves slowly began to express their anger. The world tree, which had seemed so healthy, was actually dying, having lost its power?

And it was at the hands of the dragon tribe, their sworn enemies.

The atmosphere began to boil.

The atmosphere began to boil.

On top of that, the duke, the head of the family that had fought against the dragon tribe, had just offered to help them.

There was no reason to hesitate any longer.

“Let’s avenge Mshiron!”

“Yorimoku! We must kill that evil tree!”

“Waaah!”

The warriors gathered in an instant.

Ethan and Ilia.

Following them, the elf tribe’s warriors began to move.