CH 339.1

The Empire, the most powerful human nation that dominates the western part of the Ost continent. The imperial capital, located almost in the center of the territory, was now full of the liveliness of the night.

「This feels great as always!」

The one who shouted was a hairy, overweight man who looked like a manual laborer.

He was on a bed in the playroom of a low-class brothel. The old man grabbed the woman’s butt who was on all fours with both hands and slammed his hips into her with such force that her feet floated off the bed.

「Phew… I came out a lot. My sack down there is as empty as my wallet now.」

The old man, seemingly finished, threw his body backward, lying on his back. He stretches his arms and legs out in a wide arc and exhales from the depths of his lungs.

Of the two hours of playtime, only a third had passed. But it’s not surprising, since he had continued for three straight rounds without pulling out.

「Hey, it’s alright if I turn on the lights now, right?」

With his head buried in the pillow, he continued in a satisfied tone of voice. In fact, the room was so dark that no matter how long he waited, his eyes could not get used to it.

「You can’t. I told you many times, didn’t I?」

The adamant fat man was about to open his mouth when the woman replied instantly. But what leaked out was a sweet moan.

Because the woman turned her body around in the darkness, took up a position between the old man’s legs, and began to gently stimulate the sack below with one hand.

「I wonder if it’s really empty?」

She questioned him in suspicion while shaking the purse which instead of silver and copper coins, was filled with life energy as if she was trying to change the subject.

Ignoring the old man who replied with 『I can’t anymore』, she opened her mouth and brought her face closer to it.

「Oho!」

Then she performed an exceptional tongue and finger technique that is rarely seen in low-class brothels.

Her mouth is gradually squeezing the purse as the old man’s roar increases in sugar content.

「Uuu….」

Then, while not fully hardened, the old man came for the fourth time.

「Oi, wait wait wait.」

He let out a panicked voice because the woman did not move her face away from the base of his leg. Even after she swallowed his fluid down, her lips were still tightening, her tongue was still moving, and her throat was still sucking on his rod.

He grabbed her head to pull it away from his crotch, but his weak point was in her mouth. Unable to exert any more strength, the old man can’t do anything but stroke her hair.

The play for the fifth time started soon after.

「Thanks for the food.」

The woman clears her throat and sits herself up.

Then she gets out of bed to take a shower. The room was still dark, but she had somewhat better night vision than humans, so she had no trouble getting washed and dressed up.

(My my.)

Around the time she put on her dress, she heard loud snoring coming from the bed. The fat man must have been so tired he fell straight to sleep.

(I don’t even need to use magic.)

She brushes one hand across the cheek of the regular customer, who is sleeping with a satisfied look on his face, turns on the room light, and sits down in front of the mirror.

She has a beautiful, doll-like face, but only the area above her nose matches the rest of her face. Below that, the thick makeup had peeled off, revealing the skin of a mummy.

(I might have overdone myself.)

She tilts her head and starts kneading the ingredients for her makeup.

It was probably because she moved her mouth too much. She is experienced and has solid skills, but exercising them comes at a cost.

『Elder Lich』

A living corpse that curses the living. It is no wonder that Tauro once described her as such, given her appearance.

However, she is not an undead, but a very old woman of the elven race. She has lived an exceptionally long life, even for the elves, a long-living race.

『The only survivor of the elven royal blood.』

Even among the elves with high magical power, the royal bloodline has more outstanding magic power. This is probably one of the reasons.

(But it was soo delicious, I feel like I’ve gained a lifetime from that.)

The other, perhaps, is the environment.

The life energy that she sucked out of men on a daily basis was transformed by her unique ability to manipulate magic, which was unique to the royal blood, and probably had a positive effect on her body.

(For to be able to get this job, I will have to be thankful for my race.)

She is an elf, but she hates elves. Still, she thinks so because her own appearance is favored by the human race.

Without this appearance, she would not have been able to work in a brothel.

『The capability to soothe other people, respected by all, and earn a high income.』

Hence, it is a highly desired profession and, naturally, highly competitive.

Hundreds of years ago, people did not have any skills, so their only weapons are their looks.

(I guess this will do.)

She looked at the mirror and saw her face, which had been repaired. While staring at it, she thinks.

The technique of applying and smoothing with a splendid trowel is more like plastering than makeup. The beauty of her face, which she built up over more than a century, has been glued back together after age has taken its toll.

Incidentally, she does not apply any makeup below the neck. Instead, she compensates for it with good clothing and corrective undergarments.

(Hmmm….)

With a final touch of crimson to her lips, Elder, as Tauro calls her, silently opens the curtains and looks up at the night sky.

(That was quite anti-climatic.)

It’s not about the old man, who is lying on his bed, with his belly moving up and down. It is about her hometown, the elven village.

Although they entered into a full-scale battle with the Empire, they were crushed without putting harm to the imperial capital, and even the World Tree, not to mention the village, was burned down.

『The elves destroyed a city on the northern border of the Empire, but instead they are the ones who lost everything in the end.』

If we only look at the results, it was like this.

(How ungraceful.)

The Spirit Forest, which is a home ground with a high concentration of magic power. Compared to the human race, the inhabitants are all excellent practitioners of magic.

The secretive Elven Knights, although low in numbers are of high caliber. A-class, B-class, and C-class. All are half a grade higher than the humans Knights.

And on top of that, they have the spirit cannon, a long-range weapon that can burn down even cities.

(And even with all of that, they still lost. I guess it’s just a matter of who uses the tool.)

As she had vaguely guessed, that would be the difference between the elven royal family and the revolutionary leaders who came after them.

The royal family was one of the creators of the Magi Carta, and they were the ones who used it. But apparently, the High Elves have become believers of the Magi Carta.

(A system that has great power and is incomprehensible. Well, I guess they had no choice but to believe in it.)

Elda made a mocking smile with the corners of her mouth, which she quickly erases because it almost made a crack in her face.

She cast a glance at herself in the mirror and moved on to the next subject.

(In the end, what happened to the World Enemy who devoured the world tree of the next generation I wonder?)

She got this information from a fat high elf who was a customer in a city in the northern part of the Empire’s territory.

But even now, the world is still yet to be destroyed, and the next generation of World Tree is not a single tree, but several candidates are growing in various parts of the continent.

From this fact, she draws her own conclusions.

(I guess this means the Magi Carta is malfunctioning.)

Then it wouldn’t be a problem.

『The World Enemy is a magic beast that eats the World Tree because there is only one World Tree in the world.』

If there are several of them, it’s just vermin that prefer the World Tree.

And in any one of them is the turtle that was the guardian of the Spirit Lake. The Great Spirit Beast Zaratan should be there to protect it.

(Well, I don’t mind if all of them are eaten, and the world is destroyed. After my lifespan is up that is.)

Her own life and a black snake which is her familiar. It would be a lie if she said she’s not interested in anything else, but she doesn’t believe it will become a reality.

She is sure that spirit beasts will gather in each of the World Trees, and from among them will grow those with the strength to protect them.

(….Ah)

After thinking up to that point, a thin vertical crease appeared between her eyebrows.

(They say the World Tree burned down, but I wonder what happened to it.)

The tree is a thousand meters high and can even be seen from a considerable distance away.

For this reason, when it asked about the World Tree, many people would only think of the part of the tree above ground. However, from Elder’s perspective, who has a certain amount of knowledge, it is the part buried underground that is important.

(I don’t care about the magic circle that is the main body of the Spirit Cannon. Without the branches and leaves, it would not be able to absorb magic power. What I’m more concerned about is the main body of the Magi Carta.)

She doesn’t know it, but it is the hollow part of the tree where her undead brother rides and sits on a Knight. Further down from there is the true innermost area.

Installed there is a large, complex, and bizarre stack of magic circles. The problem is the many pillars embedded in it.

(It’ll be nice if it’s completely destroyed in the process.)

But if it’s left untouched and left in a situation where the supply of magical power had been cut off.

(That would be problematic. If something bad happens, it might happen while I’m still alive.)

It was long before she was born, even before the Magi Carta exist, an event that caused damage to the entire continent of Ost.

Much knowledge and technology were lost, and civilization stagnated. It was also the cause of the 『Dark Age』 that lasted for hundreds of years.

(It’s just a little bit more, so let me live comfortably.)

The old elven woman, with her appearance, mended perfectly from the outside, sighs as she slumps her shoulders.

She thinks of her life partner, a black snake spirit beast, and decides to discuss the matter with him when she gets home.