Ch. 95.1 - Hospitalisation (1)
Once in a while...

Florin would receive some images in her mind, like vivid dreams, as if they were being transmitted.

But, those were not dreams.

They were messages sent by the Heavenly Spirit Tree.

The Heavenly Spirit Tree would convey fragmented scenes of turmoil occurring near its domain to Florin, requesting her assistance in resolving them.

However, due to her limited external activities, Florin mostly relied on the High Elf Corps to handle the majority of tasks...

"Euh!"

As Florin slumbered within the white castle, a powerful image briefly flashed through her mind.

It was... profoundly different and agonizing, unlike anything she had experienced before.

The Divine Realm.

The Third Layer... no, the Fourth Layer.

In the enigmatic Fourth Layer that even puzzled the elves themselves.

The familiars were howling in anguish. They were enduring great pain, and shedding tears while gazing at the heavens.

"This... this is...!"

Florin gritted her teeth, and bravely endured the overwhelming onslaught of countless swirling emotions in her mind.

The sheer multitude of despair, fear, anger, and sorrow weighed heavily on her heart.

A sensation that ordinary humans and elves could never withstand, yet...

She was the most revered queen among the High Elves.

Thud!

She bit her lip hard, causing blood to trickle, but she managed to endure it somehow.

"Dark magic..."

Florin gazed into the empty space with a bewildered expression.

It was a distress signal transmitted by someone from the Divine Realm. However, Florin was not aware of the identity of the sender.

"This is... What in the world..."

Though she didn't know who was sending the distress signal, what mattered was that dark magic had been detected within the Divine Realm.

"... I need to inform the Knights as soon as possible."

Regardless of how or by what means, even if it meant three Archmages breaking through the protective barrier and infiltrating the Divine Realm…

If the unknown information that entered her mind was true, it could lead to a major catastrophe.

Not only the lives of Stella's students were at risk, but even the familiars themselves could be completely corrupted.

Reopening the barrier that had been closed once would be extremely challenging, but she had to find a way to allow everyone to enter even if she had to exhaust all her remaining strength.

"How did this happen..."

Florin staggered through the royal chamber, beads of cold sweat rolling down her forehead. The melancholic moonlight seeped through the curtains, casting her silhouette as a final farewell.

The belief and sense of duty to protect all the sacred entities embraced by the Heavenly Spirit Tree burdened Florin’s shoulders heavily.

———-

Saaaahhh...

The wind blew harshly.

The wind in the Divine Realm was no natural occurrence. It was an artificial phenomenon, created to resemble a natural one.

The wind in this space was brought forth by Yeonhong Chunsamwol, the creator of this realm.

As she took a step forward, the dark magic that had blossomed all around gradually transformed into a gentle shade of pink, purifying itself.

It required an immense amount of energy to achieve this, but... it was worth it.

For the sake of her children, she was willing to expend any amount of energy, even if it meant slipping back into slumber.

Wherever her footprints were imprinted, plum blossoms bloomed, and darkness gave way to a vibrant pink hue.

Walking was not a challenge.

It was the journey back that might prove somewhat arduous... or so she thought.

Ooooohhh!

Ssshhrrr…

The familiars tainted by dark magic writhed in agony.

It was truly heart-wrenching... yet, in her current weakened state, she couldn't save them all.

She could only restrain them from descending into further chaos.

Yeonhong Chunsamwol lifted her head.

The Third Layer.

She reminisced about the human who had rushed to the place where the source of dark magic had emerged.

He was astonishingly feeble and fragile, a boy who she considered to be of no more value than a handful of dust.

However, despite being aware of his own vulnerability, as soon as he realized that darkness had invaded, he dashed toward it without hesitation.

Even though he knew he couldn't triumph, it was as if opposing the darkness was his unwavering resolve, and purpose to live.

… Perhaps it could have been possible.

How could he dash towards it without a moment's hesitation, knowing that his own life could be lost in an instant?

Uoong...!

Passing through the barrier, Yeonhong Chunsamwol reached the Third Layer and furrowed her brow.

Beyond the Fourth Layer, where the boundary of Fifth Layer began and her true self resided, she rarely ventured.

It caused a slight dizziness.

But she pressed on, undeterred.

The vicinity... had already fallen into extreme silence.

The dark magic had been shattered into pieces, and the young humans who had fought for their lives against it now lay unconscious on the ground.

In the midst of that gruesome sight, a boy named Baek Yu-Seol leaned against a tree with his eyes closed.

Having exhausted every ounce of his strength, he had fallen into a state of unconsciousness.

Yeonhong Chunsamwol approached him, cradled the boy in her arms, and infused him with her energy.

‘Prove that you are willing to stake your life for the familiars.’

She imposed those impossible words upon the boy.

Risk his life…

For anyone in the world, their own life would be treasured above all else.

That was why the boy was taken aback.

She believed that his surprise stemmed from the fact that she herself couldn't provide proof for what she asked of him.

However…

As soon as the opportunity presented itself, the boy promptly proved it. His astonishment didn't come from a lack of means to prove it... but rather, there was simply no way to prove it.

A human who would willingly sacrifice his own life for the familiars.

To Yeonhong Chunsamwol, who had lived for countless years, he was a type of human both unfamiliar and intriguing.

"How is it possible for a human to be like this?"

In her current state, with most of her knowledge and memories sealed away, she couldn't fathom Baek Yu-Seol.

It was truly disheartening.

After a long time, she believed she had encountered a truly trustworthy human.

To prove the fact, he had ultimately risked her own life.

But…

"... In the end, you've really done it."

The boy had successfully vanquished the dark magic, and as the host disappeared, the scattered dark energy naturally purified itself.

Baek Yu-Seol had proven his worth, becoming a guardian for her and the familiars.

"Though my current power is insignificant..."

Yeonhong Chunsamwol took out a small bead from her embrace and placed it in Baek Yu-Seol’s chest.

It was the heart of a familiar cherished by her. She had died in her embrace….

Now, the heart had lost its owner and would beat again for a spirit loved by Baek Yu-Seol.

Finally, she gently touched his forehead.

Woong!!

A pink aura permeated, causing Baek Yu-Seol’s body to tremble, but he remained unconscious.

Perhaps the recoil was too strong for him to regain immediate consciousness, but he would endure.

He received one of the Twelve God's rare blessings,
'Yeonhong Chunsamwol's Blessing.’

"With this, it should be enough as repayment..."

Did she overdo it?

Pouring her strength into purifying the dark magic, and then to bestow a 'blessing'...

But it was alright.

For a human like him, he deserved all the efforts.

"Hmm..."

While Yeonhong Chunsamwol bestowed her power, someone was the first to awaken.

It was Hong Bi-Yeon, a girl with silver hair and a shimmer of red aura.

She gazed at Yeonhong Chunsamwol with a bewildered expression before widening her eyes in astonishment.

Yeonhong Chunsamwol responded with a mischievous smile, and placed her index finger lightly against her lips.

"Keep this a secret.”

Unable to defy the might of the Twelve God, Hong Bi-Yeon nodded in a daze.

In an instant, Yeonhong Chunsamwol vanished like a gentle summer breeze.

"What in the world...?"

Hong Bi-Yeon remained standing there in a state of disbelief.

"Urgh..."

A sharp headache coursed through her.

Hong Bi-Yeon clutched her head, and exhaled deeply.

Even the simplest movements became excruciating, as if her very lungs were being torn apart. Every action, even as mundane as breathing, was accompanied by agonizing pain.

"How... how do I even breathe...?"

It felt as if her entire body was wrapped in the aftermath of a full-throttle marathon sprint.

But she couldn't afford to lose consciousness again.

A strong intuition urged her to stay alert, and she forcefully opened her eyes.

But there was no mana.

She couldn't sense any trace of it.

Could it be the aftermath of using a higher-level magic?

Her mana had yet to recover, leaving her completely depleted.

… Maizen Tyren, the dark mage.

Why was he still alive?

A chilling thought ran through her mind as she gritted her teeth, straining to lift her upper body.

Ch. 95.2
Before Edna stood a unwavering young girl, who struggled to stand despite her wavering legs.

It was Hong Bi-Yeon Adolveit.

She gazed somewhere in a daze before turning her head to meet Hong Bi-Yeon’s eyes.

"Are you awake?"

"What... How did this happen? Ugh..."

The moment she opened her mouth, a throbbing headache surged through her, as if she were about to spew blood.

It felt reminiscent of a hangover in her past life, but even after a night of indulging in whiskey and wine, she had never experienced such excruciating pain.

She fought to suppress the agony and shifted her gaze towards the spot where Hong Bi-Yeon had been looking.

There, Baek Yu-Seol leaned against a rock in deep slumber, while Mayuseong lay wounded on the ground.

And in front of them, there was a radiant core of dark magic.

That was... the energy that surged forth when a powerful dark mage perished—a substance akin to the remnants of a dark mage's body.

Instinctively, Hong Bi-Yeon met her gaze and nodded silently.

The dark mage, Maizen Tyren, was dead.

Most likely due to the efforts of Baek Yu-Seol and Mayuseong.

‘In this world... can something like this really happen?’

Mayuseong possessed extraordinary abilities as a blessed individual, and even though Edna knew Baek Yu-Seol was a regressor, it was still a profoundly shocking turn of events.

She never expected a Level 6 Danger dark mage to be defeated.

‘Well, that's... something.’

They were truly unpredictable individuals.

‘That man... always playing tricks, yet whenever a crisis arises, he jumps in and resolves it.’

Perhaps it was his strength.

No, it was his status as a reincarnator, his sense of duty that made it possible.

His relentless efforts to make the impossible possible allowed for such miracles to occur.

Miracles weren't things that simply happened; they were things you pursued and seized.

"Hmm..."

"What is it?"

"I... I'm not dead...?"

One by one, the students started to wake up.

Strangely, the dark magic in the vicinity had vanished completely, and even the corrupted familiars had been purified.

Not all of the dark magic had been purified, and there were still restless familiars in the distance, emanating a menacing darkness.

"Paahh!"

Green beams of light erupted from all directions, and the familiars began their transformation, returning to their natural forms.

This was the true nature magic wielded by the genuine fairies, a magic that surpassed anything Florin had ever witnessed.

It was pure, invigorating, and infused with an enchanting essence.

A rescue team was sent by the Heavenly Spirit Tree, their arrival a testament to Baek Yu-Seol’s triumph over Maizen Tyren’s malevolence.

With everyone now safe and the future preserved, a sense of relief washed over Edna, causing her legs to weaken as she sank to the ground.

"I'm alive..."

It was at that moment that the reality of her survival truly sank in.

At the pinnacle of the Heavenly Spirit Trees, amidst the enchanting realm of the Skyflower Haven, stood the Elven King's abode, known as the ‘White Castle.’

Every structure and furnishing within was composed entirely of living plants.

While other elven dwellings also embraced this natural aesthetic, the Elven King's castle boasted a spectacle of rare and extraordinary flora.

Tables crafted from apples and grapes, tapestries woven from the pinecone ornaments of a millennia-old oak tree, dreamcatchers adorned with the vibrant essence of life, self-illuminating elderwood lamps and chandeliers, and partitions crafted from the sturdy beechwood.

Despite the absence of precious gemstones or intricate artworks, the opulence and beauty of the castle were unparalleled.

However, Florin had no leisure to explore the grandeur surrounding her.

From the outset, even the simple act of traversing the palace's interior would be deemed an inconvenience to those in her presence.

“Your Majesty, the rescue team has successfully extracted the students of Stella Academy. Additionally, the First Celestial Knights have personally subdued the rampaging familiars, and the Purification Corps is restoring them to their original positions.”

"... It has been handled swiftly and effectively."

In her vacant office, Florin received the update through long-range communication.

“Yes, the students of Stella Academy voluntarily took down the dark mage. The body of the dark mage disappeared, making it impossible to ascertain his identity. We may need to interview the residents who engaged in combat with the dark mage for further investigation.

"I see."

Florin let out a sigh of relief.

It was fortunate that the situation had been resolved.

While the contamination of the familiars was a major concern, the secondary worry was the diplomatic repercussions.

If they had failed to protect Stella Academy’s students, the world's most prominent neutral institution, they would have undoubtedly faced global criticism.

The elders of the Skyflower Haven, known as the "Kings of Elfs," and other monarchs of different Heavenly Spirit Trees could have exploited this situation for political gain.

"... Did all the students come out unharmed?"

“Yes, not a single resident who participated in the battle suffered any casualties. Surprisingly, even after the skirmish, some students who hadn't formed contracts yet were voluntarily seeking out familiars. It's quite remarkable…”

"Hehe, Stella truly has a bunch of broad-minded students."

“Indeed. However, we refrained from intervening since they were the ones who protected our familiars.”

"Well done. I would like to have separate conversations with the students who actively took part in the battle... Have you made contact with the principal of Stella?"

“They expressed their desire to have a direct conversation with you soon.”

"Hmm... Very well."

What should I say to the headmaster?

As Eltwin had a fondness for the elves, he shouldn't unnecessarily interfere.

However, she still felt a sense of apology, so she contemplated preparing a gift as a gesture of remorse.

Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind.

Florin’s mind drifted back to the 'Memory' she saw before.

It depicted a being imbued with the essence of her long-time friend, the Spirit Celestia...

While she couldn't discern their face as it remained veiled, their unmistakable attire resembled that of Stella.

Most likely, they had participated in the recent Familiar Contract Ceremony.

If she could examine them closely, she might uncover their true identity, but...

There was a lingering concern that her curse could spread to over a thousand students if she revealed herself.

As her resentment deepened, she fought to suppress her emotions, reminding herself not to inflict harm on innocent victims.

"When the time comes, I will seize the opportunity.”

Florin thought. Her animosity towards the detestable culprit simmered beneath the surface, yet she suppressed it with her willpower.

She yearned for the day when she could confront them face-to-face.