62 The Treebound Champion

I look around. In the half-collapsed rooms of the upper floors of the palace, I see elves with bows in their hands and murder in their eyes. When did they get here? There's quite a few of them too. The only ones I saw during the battle with the [World Devourer Woods] were the ones fused with [Demonic Flowers] and the few guardians of the [Demonic Tree]. If there's still so many, where were they during the raid? They could have made out lives a whole lot more difficult if they were present in that battle.

"......"

A voice, wordless yet not unintelligible, comes echoing within my mind. It seems that these elves were within the [Demonic Flowers] we didn't get around to destroy. Apparently, the World Devourer separated them from the flowers just before it died completely from being uprooted and burned by Toto's [Meteors].

"Sure are rubbing it in, aren't you? It worked out in the end, didn't it? But enough of the past, right now, there's these two."

"I'll handle them. I was the one who said to bring the Champion here, after all."

Hearing that familiar voice, I turn my head to the side, finding the Bestial Champion standing there with a black shortsword stuck in her arm. Nonchalantly, she pulls the sword out before carefully laying the two on top of me onto the ground. There, she begins to cast healing magic upon them.

"Is that Corona? Who's the other one?"

"The other Champion of the Dragonbroods I believe."

"So it's Oro, Corona said that he's alive. Didn't think he'd come, given his condition."

"It's because they brought along a Shaman. It'll be good for us to get our hands on her. We need you awake for more than an hour a day."

"Quite a diagnosis you have of my condition, in spite of the fact that I've only been experiencing this since summoning the World Devourer. And that was what? About two, three days ago?"

Counting today, it should be three days since I went ahead and summoned the [World Devourer Woods] to ward off the Dragonbrood siege. Frankly, even now, I shocked about my current condition as a result of that summoning. However, I've little time to dwell on that as there are more things to worry about at the moment, there are always more things to worry about.

"I've seen this condition before. I know what is required to treat it."

"Or, perhaps you have something else in mind?"

"Who are you trying to summon into this body of mine?"

"You are presumptuous, Aurelius. You should know that body was never truly yours in the first place."

"Hmph, not even trying to deny it, are you? Well, I'll let it slide, for now, but try anything and you'll find that this tree here can be more animated than you think."

"It did not seem very active when the Dragonbrood Champion attacked you."

"I'm sure he was quick. But, I reckon whatever you're planning is going to take more than a single moment."

"Perhaps, perhaps not."

"Whatever, I have better things to do than play riddles with you. Now then, could someone get a trustworthy person over? General Gulford perhaps? I need a debriefing of our current situation while I'm still awake."

From above, a small humanoid creature with insect wings floats gently down towards me. It is a fairy, and while the elves must have arrived sometime after the summoning of the World Devourer, the fairies came into being the moment the summoning was complete. Since then, they've been acting as my caretakers, guardians, and errand-runner.

In this particular fairy's hands, there's a clay jug of what appears to be some kind of nectar. If I remember correctly, this should be the same thing they were feeding the elves fused with the [Demonic Flowers].

"You there, fairy, can you get me General Gulford?"

The fairy, upon hearing my words, tilts her head to the side with confusion.

"Who?"

"Hmm, let's see, how does he look like again? He had a head of green feathers and-"

"......"

Again, a wordless voice echoes through my mind, and in that very moment, I become aware of everything within the forest. The invading Beastkins from the outside, the Dragonbroods not part of Corona's army, the strange half-breed hiding within a cupboard, I am now aware of it all.

"I get it now, I'll go get him. Oh, but, um, can you hold onto this. Feel free to drink from it; it was for you to begin with."

Handing me the jug of nectar she was carrying, the fairy flies off into the halls leading to the throne room, and even after she has left my sight, I am still somehow aware of where she's heading.

"That was... neat."

As I await Gulford's arrival, my eyes lay idly on the healing process performed on Corona and Oro. Their wounds were grievous but they're still alive. I wonder if the Bestial Champion knew this would happen. If I hadn't woken up, would she just let them die? From the beginning it was clear that she had an agenda of her own, I can't afford to trust her, not one bit. To begin with, it was the defeat of the [World Devourer Woods] that led to the decline of the Great River, allowing the Dragonbrood army to cross that natural barrier with ease. Though in the end, I made the decision on my own accord, she was the one who advised the course of action, possibly knowing that this would be the result.

"Do not worry, I have no intention of letting them die. I need the Champions as much as you do."

"You mean you need their avatars, right?"

"Aurelius, you've been dreaming, haven't you? How much do you already know?"

"I wonder..."

"No intention of telling?"

"I'll tell if you do."

"So be it then."

As we spoke, the wounds on Corona and Oro slowly close. Bit by bit, I see their Hp bar rise as the [Bleeding] effect wears off. They'll be fine. Corona will probably wake up soon. Oro, on the other hand, may have a hard time without the Shaman. I'll have to get someone to retrieve her after all.

"You called, Sir Aurelius?"

Shortly after I've sent the fairy, Gulford arrives in a timely manner. Along with him is the fairy I sent out, and right behind them, are Six and Cecilia with Michaela and Timothy by their side respectively. I'd like to talk to them as well, but Gulford will have to come first. Seeing their arrival, I got the fairies to move Corona and Oro to the rooms in one of the palace wings that are still intact. In turn, the fairies got the elves to move the two Champions for them. Apparently, there is a hierarchy amongst the Faefolks and from the looks of it, the fairies ranked above the elves.

"Yes Gulford, I need to understand our current situation. Do make it quick, we both know I don't have much time. Even now my eyelids are heavy. I feel like I may fall back to sleep the moment I lose focus."

"I'll make it as brief and cohesive as possible then."

"I'm counting on it."

Gulford's report begins with the confirmation of the Holy Beast's demise. About two days ago, we were told this would happen, and it was by none other than the Bestial Champion herself. She appeared as I was regaining consciousness since first summoning the [World Devourer Woods], bringing along with her a girl with curved spiraling horns, a girl she claimed was under the Holy Beast's protection till recently. At the time, none believed her when she said that the Holy Beast was going to die, but as I was slipping back into unconsciousness, I decided to go with a wait-and-see approached and allowed her to stay.

Now that the Holy Beast has been confirmed to be dead by our scouts, we can assume that at least half of what the Bestial Champion said was true, part of which was the claim that the horned girl is the 'Purifier', the one with the capability to cleanse the [Corruption]. However, I am certain that there are things she's not saying, things she's hiding from us. After all, when she came to us, she said to protect 'it', to keep 'it' here, referring to the Purifier. However, in our situation, you'd think she'd tell us to make use of 'it', wouldn't take make more sense. With the Purifier in our hands, we can finally put an end to the [Corruption] after all. Isn't that the desire of the people who summoned us, the Champions, in the first place? That is unless of course, there is someone here does not desire such an outcome.

Speaking of the horned girl, Gulford also reported that the Purifier went missing the other night. Though the Bestial Champion has claimed that 'it' does not have a will of its own, apparently, 'it' also tends to wander here and there as if on a whim. Makes me wonder if the few times I've encountered her were also the results of such 'whims' as well. After all, if the Holy Beast sent her, you'd think she'd at least mention something. Then again, to have something such as the Purifier around and not even made a peep about it... It seems that the Holy Beast too was hiding something. Thinking back, her hiding the Purifier from us led to us having to go through that suicide mission of taking down the [World Devourer Woods], which resulted in the loss of a natural barrier that is the Great River, allowing for the Dragonbroods to invade. All of that leads to the present and my current condition. The [Holy Guardian Beast] and the Bestial Champion, if don't know any better, which I can't say I do, I'd say that they are both aiming for this very outcome.

"Hey Aurelius, you're kind of spacing out, you feeling alright?"

Having dwelled on my thoughts for a little too long, Six comes up to me in concern.

"I'm fine. Gulford, continue."

"Of course. At which point do you remember?"

'At which point do I remember,' huh. He's treating me like I'm senile. Though, I do have a problem focusing these days and certain details do escape me. It's like I'm an old man again. The mana drain must be taking a toll on me.

"The girl, the Purifier, she went missing, right?"

"Yes, and a search party was immediately formed once she was reported missing."

The search party looked high and low for the girl, eventually tracking her down at a hill some distance from the city. How she could have slipped past the guards watching the gate is a question no one has an answer to, but for the moment, at least they found her. And where they found her, they also discovered a camp set up by the Dragonbroods. The unit that found both the horned girl and camp was one commanded by Six and Cecilia, with Corona tagging along. Upon the discovery of the camp, they ordered the rest of the unit to restrain and capture the Dragonbroods as well as the Champion discovered there.

The capture was a simple task, as they were all fast asleep. According to Gulford, Corona mentioned that it is very odd for the Dragonbroods to slack in their vigilance, a sentiment Gulford shares, having some experiences in dealing with them in the northern borders. It makes me wonder if this so-called Purifier has anything to do with that. Think back on my encounters with her, I tend to fall unconscious more often than not.

Other than the disappearance of the Purifier, another occurrence of note the night before was the arrival of the Faefolks. Without any warning, they bypassed the Beastkin watchers and arrived before the World Devourer, surprising everyone when they returned with the Purifier. As they had shown no signs of hostility, Cecilia made the call to let them stay for the time being. What is even more alarming, however, is that they mentioned that the eastern frontline garrison has been wiped out, and from the looks of the footprints found around the area, the Dragonbroods had passed through. Now we know that it must be the doing of Oro's unit. They must have entered from the east and made their way to the Holy Beast's sanctuary through there. I suppose that means the garrison commander there as well is... No, there are more important things to be concerned with right now.

"Sounds like you've had an eventful night."

"Not the worst I've been through I'm afraid. Fortunately, the Faefolks' arrival was the last surprise of the night. The next occurrence of note happened only after the sun had risen."

Gulford then details the escape of the Dragonbroods captured the night prior. Their recapture was mostly successful, but their Champion was allowed to escape.

"By the Champion, you mean the one that was lying here just a moment ago."

"Yes, that is the one. If I may ask, what happened here?"

"You mean you're not aware?"

"I only know that was part of the plan to bring another Champion to our side. I've come to understand that the closer to the [Holy Tree] the easier it is to turn the other [Corrupted] under our control. That is why I followed the plan."

"Oh, did someone explain it to you already?"

"Only briefly, and to be honest, I do not truly understand it, this whole deal about the 'true nature' of the [Corruption]. However, by this point, what choice do I have but to believe in you, our Champions? Clearly, you'll do whatever you wish regardless of what I'll say."

Sounds like he's still mad about what happened during the siege. What could I say? The situation was difficult to explain. I mean, how does one explain to another person that the reality he's seeing isn't real?

"We will if it allows us to win."

"And I'll be counting on it. Lastly, I would report that those of our own kin, the ones on the outside, have sent scouts to the city. However, as Lady Cecilia was the one who went to meet them, perhaps she can give you a better summary of the events."

With that, Cecilia steps forward.

"In that case, I shall do the honors. Thank you, general."

Taking the reins of the debriefing, Cecilia describes the encounter she had with the Beastkin scouts. From what she observed, it seems that the scouts were here to check out the area, like in preparations for an upcoming operation. However, upon spotting Cecilia and Timothy, the scouts made an immediate retreat, not even putting up any sort of fight. From their behavior, it did not seem like Toto was not with them.

"Did you manage to capture any of them?"

"I would have liked to, but I might be wrong about Toto. She might be with them, in which case, their hasty retreat may actually be a way to lead me into a trap."

"I see. Pity."

It really is a pity. If we had captured at least one of them, we may get some information on the condition of the Beastkins outside of the forest. With the Holy Beast now gone, I'm getting worried about Toto, as well as the princess and Merida.

"And Six, he wasn't with you? I'd imagine if he was, he'd be able to capture them quite easily with his new skills."

I turn towards Six, taking note of the new bow he has on his person.

"I was going to go, but our new friend here mentioned that Oro was either going to head towards you or the Dragonbroods he came with, and if he freed them then we'd be in some big trouble. So, we decided that I should go watch over them just in case. Of course, I was going to need Michaela's [Holy Weapon] to deal with the Dragonbroods, so I took her along as well."

"What were you going to do if Oro came for me instead?"

"Corona said she'd deal with him. Those two got along, right? So I thought it'd be fine to leave it to her. Besides, I'm getting used to the new class and I don't think I can stop him without killing him, not to mention, Oro might use [Counter Blast] if I'm careless, so I didn't think fighting near you was a good idea either."

"Hmm, good point."

And though things didn't exactly go as planned, Corona did protect me, so I suppose the arrangement worked out as fine as it could have.

"Well, good work. Corona took a hit but she'll be fine. You guys put together a decent plan despite having to come up with it on the spot. Is that all?"

"I do believe so. That is everything of note that occurred today, aside for the one missing Half-Dragon from the Dragonbroods that is."

"Good, you may be excused."

"Thank you, Sir Aurelius. What do you want me to do with the Half-Dragon once she's captured? I believe her clan serves as the Holy Serpent's priests and priestesses, she may have some special power."

"Put her with the rest regardless. In time the forest's [Corruption] will take them all, and we'll all be on the same side."

"For the record, I'm still not comfortable with your nonchalant use of the [Corruption]."

"You do not trust me, Gulford?"

"May I be honest?"

"As brutal as you can be."

"I do trust you. However, for the longest time, we've been fighting against the [Corruption]. You Champions tell us that we're all [Corrupted], that we're all in truth [Demons], that it is a madness that turns us against those of the other lands and in time, our own kin. And I do believe you despite not understanding it fully, because I can now look at the Faefolks and the Dragonbroods and not see some horrid and twisted monsters. However, I do not like the idea of you toying with what has caused us so much harm and so much grief. It is dangerous and I am afraid for none other than you, afraid that you may succumb to it in time if you're not already."

"I understand your concerns, but I assure you, once you understand how it works, it can most definitely be used to our advantage."

"Is it so? I don't know, maybe you're right, but a part of me is afraid that you might be too confident for your own good. We have the Purifier now, why not just use 'it' and restore all of us, remove the influence of the [Corruption] permanently?"

"We will, in time, however, if we use 'it' now, if we purify them of the [Corruption], I'll lose control of them, the Dragonbroods especially. They are proud and their protectiveness over their kin is strong. I fear that I won't be able to convince them to fight against their own when the time comes."

Now that I have summoned the World Devourer, while it has not lost its ability to spread [Corruption] into everything within it, it is now in my control and that includes its [Corruption] and those possessed by it.

"And this control, do you exert it over us as well?"

"Only to the extent that you do not go mad from seeing those of a different faction."

"Are you sure?"

"Gulford, the fact that you're asking me this question is proof enough, no?"

For a moment, Gulford stares at the ground, thinking, before returning to meet my gaze.

"Very well, I'll accept that, for now."

"Anything you want to add?"

"No, and I thank you for your patience with me."

I wait till Gulford leaves the throne room and only when he turns the corner into the halls, do I breathe a sigh of relief. That was intense. However, now that's dealt with, time to move on to some other business while I'm still conscious.

"So, are you going to drink that?"

Cecilia points to the jug that has been sitting on my lap ever since the fairy let it with me.

"This? I've been meaning to, but I just can't lift it you see."

Hearing those words, the fairy I sent to Gulford quickly flies over, her wings fluttering about nervously.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't realize you were still weak. Come, let me help."

With a huff, the fairy lifts the jug with her tiny little hands. Though at first glance I thought fairies are just freakishly powerful, I noticed that there's an icon by her Hp bar that indicates a power buff being applied. Makes sense, since fairies are supposed to be strong in magic and not much else.

As the fairy helps me drink, I take note the effects the nectar has on me: [Hp Regeneration Boost] and [Mp Regeneration Boost]. Before, I thought that they didn't exist in this world, but here it is. This is something like a potion, isn't it? I wonder if I can't get the royal alchemist to make something of it, refine it maybe. If only the princess has left at least one around, I could easily find out. What I wouldn't do to get my hands on an [Mp Potion]. Regardless of its usefulness in combat, right now it is something I desperately need, seeing as my Mp is currently in the negative. That's right, it's in the minus. By all means, I should have been long dead. The only reason I'm alive, is this tree, this [Demonic Tree] that is the core of the [World Devourer Woods]. Even now, from the base of the tree, there are tender stem-like growths extending into my back, fused with it. They are responsible for maintaining my organs and bodily functions that this body of mine can no longer maintain due to the damage from the massive mana drain I've experienced, a mana drain that happened while I'm still recovering from the other one, I might add.

As of the moment I summoned this Keeper, my very life was bound to it, and I am not sure if I'll ever be able to leave, even if my Mp recovers.

***