“So I thanked them thinking it was meat, but it turned out to be bean meat!”
[How did the elf-made bean meat taste?]
“It was good! But it tasted like soup ham with no salt…….”
[Oh dear…]
While strolling between the gigantic trees of the Great Forest, which were larger than ordinary buildings, I chatted with Yeonhwa through my smartwatch.
Why did I suddenly call Yeonhwa, you ask?
Well, Shia’s actions usually have no particular reason.
It’s just the way things are.
Or just because I wanted to.
The reason I called Yeonhwa was simply that it had been over a week since we arrived in the Elf Great Forest, and I wanted to hear her voice.
[Oh! By the way. Yeonseo’s grandmother gave Vice Minister Lee a hard time for three days. Because she passed along the elf’s request without properly reviewing it, your sister ended up coming to the Great Forest as a guest instead of a proper request.]
“Vice Minister Lee, huh… Is that the same person Yeonseo refers to as Director Lee?”
[Yes. They said they went hiking in Jirisan together, commenting on how fresh the air was.]
“They’re not even an Awakened One, just an ordinary person, right?”
[As far as I know, yes.]
“But she went hiking with Yeonseo’s grandmother?”
At that level, it feels like a child innocently and harmlessly disassembling a bed while trying to hold on to it.
[Anyway, in conclusion, it’s a relief that there’s no problem with your sister, but there’s chaos going on up top. If your sister had actually faced an attack from the elves because the association didn’t fully understand the elf request, it would have been serious.]
“Well, it turned out fine in the end, so it’s okay.”
[Even so, sister, you can’t just always brush things off like that…]
“I’m not just a person; I’m a Seongnyeo.”
[………]
Being a Seongnyeo means accepting discomfort. Sometimes you have to endure unfairness.
Upon hearing Shia’s words, Yeonhwa was briefly rendered speechless.
[…Is there anything you want to eat when you come back? I’ll buy it for you.]
“Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Real meat, not bean meat! Expensive and delicious meat!”
[Got it. I’ll buy about 200 servings, so take care while you’re gone.]
“Hehe, uh, Yeonhwa… By the way…”
[Yes, go ahead.]
After a brief pause, Shia stopped walking and looked at Yeonhwa through the smartwatch.
“If I suddenly became a completely different person after living this life so far, do you think I could still call that person me?”
[What do you mean?]
“It’s a hypothetical. I thought I was the same as I was yesterday. I thought I hadn’t changed myself, but others have started to see me as someone completely different. Should I also consider myself a different person? Or should I just accept it? Ah, nevermind… Forget it. I’ve been babbling.”
[Sis, do you know the Ship of Theseus?]
“Hm, uh… What’s that?”
You wouldn’t guess, but Yeonhwa graduated top of her class from Hunter Academy!
For reference, Hunter Academy grades are based on 60% practical and 40% theoretical tests, and for the theoretical part, they have mandatory high school education just like regular schools, excluding the Hunter manual.
[In Greece, there’s the Ship of Theseus. The ship has thirty oars and is made from wooden planks. But as time passed, Athenians would tear down its planks and replace them with sturdier wood, leading some people to believe that the ship remained the same, while others argued that it had become completely different.]
“…I’m not sure I get it.”
[In conclusion, it’s both the Ship of Theseus and not the Ship of Theseus. It expands the question of what is the true original ‘ship’ into something else.]
“…Huh, that’s difficult.”
Having not studied for over sixty years, Shia groaned.
Difficult things were taken care of by Menelapie or Teresa, so she truly didn’t understand.
[Sis, you once said you were a 21-year-old man in 2024, right? So is today’s you completely unrelated to that Isia?]
“….Um… I don’t think so?”
[If the human you passed over with the Great Rift became the Seongnyeo Isia, doesn’t that mean you’re no longer a person?]
“That’s… Not true. Definitely. No way.”
[It’s the same. You’re the best example. You may not be human, but you are human. You’re the greatest person I know. Kind, strong, and more human than anyone else.]
“That makes me slightly embarrassed.”
[We’re always a different version of ourselves from yesterday. Today’s me gained weight equal to three eggs after eating three eggs. But does that mean I’m a different person just because my weight today differs from yesterday’s by that much? I don’t think so. The difference between yesterday’s me and today’s me isn’t an easy conclusion to reach.]
Hearing Yeonhwa’s words across the smartwatch, Shia nodded unconsciously.
[Until I want to be myself, we can be ourselves. At least, that’s what I think. Of course, my words might have many flaws and sufficient counterarguments, so just consider it, sister.]
“No, really, thank you, Yeonhwa. I was a bit troubled, and you’ve definitely helped.”
[Glad to hear that. Oh, is it time already? Hah… Alright.]
“What? Are you a Hunter now?”
[Yes, we’re about to start an Erosion Dungeon wave on our side.]
“Go quickly. They said clearing a few more waves, including this one, could lead to a promotion. Don’t get hurt and work hard.”
[You too, Shia sis!]
As the smartwatch disconnected, Shia silently thanked Yeonhwa for the good words.
When I want to be myself, and we want to be ourselves, we can be us.
The best example is the Seongnyeo herself; what kind of flawed thoughts could I possibly have?
If I’ve made a decision, I should act quickly.
Shia moved forward and arrived at a small opening in the trees, at least twenty meters above ground.
This was the home and office of Elanar, the leader of the Lotus Lake Knight Order.
Shia knocked, listening for the presence inside.
“Knock knock, is Captain Elanar there?”
“Don’t call me captain. I’m not even a real officer anyway.”
Shia’s signature bright smile suddenly appeared in front of Elanar, who flinched slightly as if she felt burdened.
In Elanar’s position, it wasn’t just a little uncomfortable; it was rather awkward.
This unease stemmed not from perceiving Shia as an enemy like the first day, but from a feeling of ‘sorry’ instead.
“Then what should I call you? Dear?”
“Hah… I have a husband. I became a widow before the first night.”
“Uh……….”
At Elanar’s unexpected response, Shia’s face stiffened like a mask, and Elanar smiled gently.
“Don’t worry about it. Just call me by my name like before.”
“Uh, okay. Sorry, Elanar.”
“So, what brings you here? You don’t look tired after running around the elves’ houses for a week.”
“Believe it or not, I can’t feel the fatigue.”
With a playful grin, Shia sat across from Elanar before she could say anything.
“Are you sure? It’s fine to take a break and talk.”
“I want to talk first and then take a short nap. It’s nothing much, I’ve confirmed all the elves now.”
“Are you talking about the impurities?”
Impurities.
Chaos Ants disguised as elves.
These were internal threats much more dangerous than the Chaos Ants pouring in from the outside, and their intentions were still unclear.
“So how many impurities did you find? Dozens? Hundreds?”
“Should I be honest?”
“Of course, be honest…”
“1928.”
“…..!”
At that revelation, Elanar’s face hardened.
“By the way, three impurities were among the members of the Lotus Lake Knight Order as well.”
“…..Looks like I’m not qualified to be a captain.”
Elanar bit her lip.
“No, the doppelganger has the ability to not only change appearance but also alter the perception of those around them.”
It could be hypnosis, enchantment, hallucination, or something else entirely.
“Whether it’s the ability of the doppelganger or the queen, it’s not strange if Elanar didn’t notice. If anything, I’m the odd one.”
“So how did you find out?”
“Because I’m a Seongnyeo. A dead one, nonetheless.”
“…..I see.”
Fundamentally, Elanar took great pride in being the last sword safeguarding the Great Forest and the commander of the Lotus Lake Knight Order.
Yet, not being able to properly identify the internal impurities, she ended up being heavily indebted to Shia, an outsider.
That’s why she was hostile toward Shia from the first meeting, and if it wasn’t for Shia being the last child of the World Tree, Olgania’s guest, she would have tried to kill her.
However, despite sensing Shia’s killing intent, this outsider always brushed off her hostility with a cheerful smile.
The fact that someone exuding such strong killing intent was familiar was rather shocking for Elanar.
The killing intent radiating from someone like Elanar is so potent that even an ordinary person would be prone to fainting. What had this outsider, Shia, experienced to respond so casually?
No, thinking back, Shia had always been like that.
Unlike herself, who had warned the outsiders with hostility, Shia had treated it as if it were naturally acceptable.
‘I wonder why I can sense the fragrance of Mother World Tree from that smile…’
Perhaps she harbored anger towards Shia, who hadn’t done anything wrong, as a way to deny seeing Mother World Tree through her.
Afterward, deciding to take a neutral stance instead of antagonizing Shia as Olgania’s guest, Elanar thought she was indebted to Shia.
Having hostile feelings toward an outsider for no reason.
Ignoring someone offering to help the Lotus Lake Knight Order and treating them dismissively.
Despite finding the doppelganger of Chaos Ants among the members of the Lotus Lake Knight Order, still not being able to say a single thank you.
Not being able to apologize for healing the elves weakened by an unknown disease while impersonating a clown over the past week, visiting house after house to uncover hidden doppelgangers.
‘Let’s deal with that broken self-esteem or pride later. There’s no time for excuses or gratitude right now. Right now, I just need to cooperate with Shia to get rid of the impurities…’
Steeling her heart, Elanar looked at Shia with resolute eyes.
“If you’ve come this far without informing the elders, there must be something you want from me.”
In the worst-case scenario, it could be that the elders of the elves, or the majority of the Elf Elders Council, had already been overtaken by the doppelganger of Chaos Ants, and Elanar feared that the situation might be more serious than expected.
The possibility of that was high.
Especially considering that Shia came to Elanar without informing the Elf Elders or Olgania, who personally invited her.
“So what can I do?”
“You’re quite perceptive.”
At Elanar’s words, Shia smiled.
“Please call all the elves together.”
“All the elves?”
“All of them, including the elders. Surely, someone like Commander Elanar could manage that, right? I’ve heard that you have the power equivalent to that of an elder, even if you don’t use it?”
“…It’s not impossible. Fine. The elders seem to be trying to ignore the existence of you and the impurities, but we elves are already deeply indebted to you.”
“Oh, and.”
“And?”
“Please trust me.”
“Trust you?”
What does that mean?
I could trust her right now, but no. To be honest, Elanar had already decided to trust Shia and side with her.
“No matter what happens, please trust me.”
“No matter what happens?”
“Yes.”
Noticing that the implications behind those words were more than just a simple request for trust, Elanar tilted her head slightly.
For someone like Elanar, who had followed the elders for centuries and defended the Great Forest of Elves, an outsider like Shia asking for her trust was undoubtedly not a mere proclamation.
“Alright then.”
●●●●●
The next day, under Elanar’s name, all elves, except for a few knights and watchmen who had been assigned to defend the outer boundaries, gathered in the Great Hall due to the grand congregation command.
The Great Hall was surrounded by gigantic, towering trees, larger than buildings, and with its vast variety, it was able to accommodate more than thirty thousand elves, including the elders.
“It feels nostalgic…”
“How long has it been since we gathered here?”
“Since Mother burned, this is my first time…”
“Let’s not talk about that. It makes me feel gloomy.”
“Yeah, it’s nice to see everyone’s faces again after a long time.”
“I heard you were sick, are you alright?”
“I was taken care of by an outsider.”
“Oh, that outsider? That’s good to know. Our mother also came here today thanks to that outsider.”
Originally, this place was where elves would periodically gather to hear the words of Mother World Tree, but since the prior world’s World Tree burned down, leaving behind this fake one, it has become an inconsequential place.
Having so many elves gather in such a place was truly a rare sight.
Of course, some who felt uncomfortable with this gathering did exist.
“Hey, Elanar, Commander. You called us together, but what exactly is the sudden deal?”
“Shouldn’t you be keeping an eye on the Chaos Ants?”
Elanar threw a side glance at the elders.
Not long ago, she regarded herself as the sword of the Great Forest and obeyed the orders from the Elder Council. But knowing that they were likely tainted with impurities made her sick.
It would mean that she inadvertently helped the council allow the Great Forest to become stained with impurities.
“Don’t worry, the boundaries of the Great Forest are being monitored by reliable individuals as watchmen.”
“Well, that’s a relief, but…”
“Are you uncomfortable in any way?”
At Elanar’s words, some elders flinched.
“Oh, no, that wouldn’t happen…”
“Yeah, yeah. There surely must be a reason behind Commander Elanar’s summons.”
“We’re just curious why someone who has never used their authority is calling us together…”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
“Can’t you tell us in advance?”
“You’ll find out soon enough, Elder.”
“Ahem, understood…”
Elanar subtly hinted for them to pipe down and stay quietly seated, and the elders couldn’t disguise their discomfort.
[First, I want to express my gratitude to all the compatriots gathered here!]
As Elanar, who had always lived as the commander, addressed the sudden grand congregation, the murmurs among the elves quieted.
As the spirits amplified Elanar’s voice to the Great Hall, all elves tuned in to listen.
[Some compatriots may have noticed that after coming to Earth, the Great Forest has fallen ill and lost its previous radiance.]
[We’ve been suffering from illnesses that even humans had, our Mother World Tree’s blessings have disappeared, and vile pests that appeared from somewhere continuously invaded our forest.]
[Of course, even though we’ve weakened and lost the grace of Mother World Tree, the owner of the forest is still us. Thanks to the efforts of myself, the knights, and the compatriots, we’ve been able to ward off the pests without much difficulty.]
The elves nodded in agreement with Elanar’s words.
Yes, no matter how much we’ve declined, elves are still elves.
No matter how many pests there are, we wouldn’t go down easily.
[But how long can we keep warding off those pestilence waves?]
Elves were shocked by Elanar’s sudden words.
Did their strong and resolute commander just say something like that?
[While we’ve been able to fend off the pest waves for now, the symptoms of our ailing brethren have worsened over time. Lately, some have fallen so ill they couldn’t even leave their beds, and even among the Lotus Lake Knight members, many have started to cough weakly.]
[And, we lost the grace of Mother World Tree, leaving us unable to heal this unidentified plague, much less mount a clear offensive against the pestilence. All we could do was defend.]
[If our condition worsens, dialogue breaks down, and the community of our compatriots falls into chaos, will we still be able to fend off these pests?]
At this, the elves began to stir.
The leader was saying such things…?
No, it could make sense.
Although an outsider healed us, without them, we could have faced real danger.
[A few invasions could be warded off. However, if the defense forces fall ill, and if Mother and the blessings of the Great Forest are not restored by then, we may end up becoming the breeding ground for those filthy pests.]
“Hey, Elanar Commander! That’s going too far!”
“That’s far-fetched and drastic, Commander! Have you really become so weak…?!”
[Silence.]
“…..!”
Suddenly, as Elanar released her killing intent, the elders shut their mouths, despite having shouted moments ago.
It was fortunate that Elanar had no ambition and only wanted to protect the Great Forest’s compatriots. If she had indulged in desire even a little, she would have completely disregarded the elders’ commands long ago.
[Compatriots! The reason I summoned you all today is to help weed out the impurities in our society!]
With Elanar’s proclamation, the Great Hall erupted in commotion.
“Impurities?”
“What’s that?”
“Haven’t you heard the rumors?”
“What rumors?”
“Apparently, some ants disguised as compatriots are infiltrating…”
“Yikes?! For real?!”
“In fact, it’s already spread quite a lot. There’s been quite a stir among the knight members…”
“How did we not know this?”
“They said it’s hypnosis, you know?”
“Yikes, hypnotic traits? That’s absurd!”
“….?”
“But how do we even find out about those who are disguised?”
“That’s the question…”
“It’s scary thinking there might be ants among us…”
[You may be curious about how to weed out the impurities. But surely you are aware—this past week, an outsider has been visiting each of you one by one.]
“Is it Shia?”
“Oh, that outsider…”
“The one who healed my mom?”
“That’s Isia, right?”
[From now on, I’m temporarily transferring all of my power as the commander of the Lotus Lake Knight Order to Shia, the outsider, the Dead Seongnyeo, who has obtained the permission of Olgania and Elder Antamia.]
At that declaration, some elves couldn’t hide their shock.
Especially the elders’ reactions were intense.
“What in the world are you doing, Commander Elanar?!”
“Are you really going to give up the title and authority you received from Mother World Tree to a mere outsider?!”
“Stop talking nonsense!”
“We cannot permit this!”
[My authority was given to me by Mother World Tree, not by you!]
“That’s a hollow argument…!”
[Did Mother World Tree ever say that I couldn’t transfer my authority to someone else?]
“..!”
[She would not, would she? Either way, Mother is not responding right now. You’re not hearing anything from the young and feeble fake World Tree, are you?]
Rotten fake World Tree.
Although the elves still had a bit of faith and reliance on it, it was nothing more than a juvenile construct they forced into growth, a far cry from the true World Tree.
[Regardless of what the Elder Council has to say, I have no intention of retracting my words. Now, with that said, come out Isia.]
“Thank you~.”
As Shia stepped forward with her characteristic bright smile, the murmurs among the elves ceased.
As Shia walked to Elanar in the center of the Great Hall, Olgania, who had been sitting on one side with the elders, waved her hand cheerfully.
“Shia~!”
Shia responded to Olgania with a bright smile and a wave of her hand.
Having healed their ailments.
Providing delicious meals.
And performing silly acts while visiting every household, there was no way anyone could have missed her.
Whether they liked it or not, the outsider Isia had already made quite a favorable impression on most of the elves gathered in the Great Hall.
[Ahem, can you hear me?]
As Elanar amplified her voice magically, so did Shia project her voice to resonate with all elves.
[To begin with, it might feel sudden, but Olgania, would you come over here?]
“?”
When Shia suddenly called for her, Olgania tilted her head in confusion but complied and stepped forward into the Great Hall.
Some elders attempted to stop her, saying, “Olgania, are you really listening to an outsider?!” but Olgania was clearly fond of Shia over the elders, who constantly belittled her and treated her like a child.
“What is it?”
[First of all, thank you for coming, Olgania.]
While speaking with a voice that could be heard by all elves, Shia gently ruffled Olgania’s hair.
Suddenly, Shia’s tentacle began emerging from her waist and wrapped around Olgania.
“Shia?”
As the tentacles seemed to surround her, Olgania cocked her head in confusion.
The other elves, having seen Shia’s tentacles frequently over the past week, hadn’t the slightest doubt that she would suddenly attack Olgania.
[A few elves might already know, but I possess the ability to discern between doppelganger impurities. The reason I visited each of you this past week was for that purpose.]
“Huh, really?”
“I had no idea…”
“I can’t believe the meat fairy was a fake…”
“Well, it always felt like she was a fake from the start.”
Some elves, not completely aware of the situation, began to grasp what Shia had been doing over the past week.
Those who suspected something nodded, while those who were unaware seemed to come to the realization behind Shia’s tireless wanderings through the Great Forest.
[In fact, I discovered several impurities. Although I originally planned to eliminate them right then and there, considering the number of impurities, I thought it prudent to gather everyone in case there are any high-ranking ones or those playing the role of queen hidden amongst them.]
“A queen?”
“We can’t dismiss the possibility that the queen of the Chaos Ants may be here…”
As the elves conversed among themselves about the seriousness of the situation, Shia smiled, thinking her message had been conveyed.
[So, here I intend to unmask the leader of the impurities.]
As she said this, Shia ruffled Olgania’s hair once more.
[But Olgania, why do I sense the smell of rotten ants coming from you?]
“…What?”
With that question, silence fell over the Great Hall.
