[But Olga, why does it smell like rotten ants coming from you?]
Shia’s bombshell left the elves gathered in the Great Hall speechless.
Instead of a response, silence and stillness filled the empty space. The elves weren’t fools; they understood the weight of Shia’s words.
The implications were clear.
Impurities, Chaos Ant, mimicry.
And it was pointed out that Olga, known as the last child of the World Tree, was at the center of this.
“H-Ha… Shia? What do you mean? That’s too far for a joke! Hahaha!”
Olgania responded as if she had just heard something abhorrent.
This couldn’t be real.
[Do you think it’s a joke? The Seongnyeo cannot lie, Olga.]
“Do you think I’m joking?! You’re calling me an ant right now!”
Olga’s face twisted in betrayal.
Well, maybe not betrayal…
After all, it was Olga who had been watching Shia’s broadcasts all along and had formed her own judgments about Shia’s humanity and character.
She believed Shia could be trusted, that it was okay for her to reveal the secrets of the elves and herself to Shia. That’s why she invited her to the Daesanrim.
In short, it meant that Olga was the only one who had believed in Shia from the very beginning.
Shia had never directly told Olga that she trusted her.
In truth, Shia had never once lied in the way a Seongnyeo does.
Still smiling kindly as a Seongnyeo should, Shia gently embraced Olga with her tentacles and hands.
[Don’t worry, Olga. I’m just here to confirm something.]
“…Hii…!”
“How dare you, outsider!!!”
At that moment, a white-haired old elf seated at the top of the council shouted.
Elder Gallard.
He was the oldest among all the elders in the council, the one who had previously sought to exclude Olga from the meeting.
“How dare you drag the last child of the World Tree, Olganiya, into this filthy vermin category!”
Shia turned in surprise to look at Elder Gallard.
It seemed he had absolutely wanted to drive Olganiya away from the council, but never expected him to show up in this situation.
[I’m just stating facts, and already you’re lashing out at me before I can even finish what I want to say?]
“All you want to say is slander, filthy accusations, and disgusting defamation! No one can deny that Olganiya is not a pest but is indeed a child of the World Tree! Yes, it was nonsense that a little brat like you could be called a Seongnyeo from the start! Get out of here now!”
[Yeah, I expected there would be backlash when I said that.]
“Hah! You think I’m still here leading the elders for no reason? To protect Olganiya from every threat! Especially from filth like you! What’s the Lotus Lake Knight Order doing? Take that filthy girl away this instant!”
“””Yes!”””
Receiving Elder Gallard’s command, the elves of the Lotus Lake Knight Order leaped down from the high trees to the ground of the Great Hall where Shia was.
While the treatment of Olganiya may seem like a princess who had fallen out of favor, she was ultimately the last trace of their mother, the World Tree—an existence they must prioritize in protecting.
Of course, even though the elves had been won over in the past week by Isia, who traveled through Daesanrim, healing their sick with her antics, they could not tolerate an outsider slandering and defaming Olganiya.
“Knight Order, halt!”
“What?”
However, the knights attempting to detain Shia paused at Elanar’s low voice.
They had questions about why Elanar was giving such orders but given that they were knights and Elanar was the commander who had led them for centuries, they believed they had to follow his command, even if it seemed unreasonable.
“Eldanir! What are you doing?”
“I just gave a simple order to my knights.”
“Are you in cahoots with that wicked outsider?!”
“Absolutely not. But as the commander of the Lotus Lake Knight Order, I believe it’s an infringement for an Elder to give commands to my knights while I’m here.”
“This…!”
“Commander Elanar! Have you finally fallen?!”
“I didn’t expect this!”
“To conspire with an outsider…!”
“Then command them, Commander! Tell them to expel that outsider immediately!”
“I refuse.”
“What…!”
Elder Gallard, clutching his neck in fury, along with other elders, began chiming in with their own remarks.
“Despite how it looks, I recently passed my authority as an Elder to the late Saint Isia. For you to revoke it again and restrain me is digging my face into the mud.”
“Elanar!! Are you messing with me?!”
Even elves perched on the trees began to murmur in confusion, anger, and embarrassment, shouting madly that Shia was a madwoman, and they had been too lenient with her.
And amidst the commotion in the Great Hall, Elder Antamia placed her soft hand on Gallard’s shoulder.
“Calm down, Elder Gallard.”
“Do I look calm?”
“Still, the fact that Olganiya is an impurity or that this outsider is lying has yet to be proven.”
“Elder Antamia! Do you really believe that outsider’s nonsense?”
“It’s not a matter of belief or disbelief. It’s about first hearing what they have to say and clarifying the truth before passing judgment. There’s no need to immediately take them out if we’re going to do that.”
[Ah, is it over? Can I say something now?]
The still calm expression on Shia’s face caused Gallard and the other elders to grind their teeth as they glared at her.
Even as she sat there, Shia gently caressed Olga’s head, holding her securely as if she were a hostage.
Olga’s eyes were filled with tears of betrayal and anger.
It seemed she was desperately trying to hold back her tears, but for the young Olga, the current trial and feeling of betrayal were overwhelming.
[Let’s ask a question then. Olga, you have no biological parents, right?]
“…….!”
Exactly.
Children of the World Tree are born from the fruit of the World Tree.
There can be no parents.
No one to prove her birth.
[So, was there an elf who witnessed the moment Olga was born?]
“…”
“……”
“….none, huh?”
“Now that you mention it, there aren’t any elves…”
Indeed, none.
Even if there had been an elf present at the moment Olga was born, they had likely perished during the burning of the World Tree in the previous world.
[As some may know, the Chaos Ant mimic can not only don the perfect outer shell of an elf but also alter perceptions around them and blend in. Thinking about that…]
Swish
Shia stroked Olga gently with her soft hand.
“….Huh, uh….”
[With no birth, no moment of birth, no family, and no connection, it’s only natural that Olga, who is elevated by all elves… would be suspect.]
Whether it’s hallucination, pheromones, or hypnosis,
The situation raised suspicion.
After all, how had so many impurities infiltrated among the elves in the first place?
What if someone had acted as a double agent to mix them smoothly into elf society from the inside? And what if that someone had been a figure of considerable authority like Olga?
[If there were an Elder or a Chaos Ant mimic like Olga, wouldn’t that explain how so many impurities have come to infiltrate Daesanrim?]
“Th-That’s true…”
“You’re insane!?”
“But it makes sense! If someone like Elder or Olganiya were really a mimic…”
“That’s impossible…”
“No way, that can’t be…”
[It’s normal not to believe me. It would be strange to trust my words without proof, right?]
[Miracle – The Sigh of the Ascetics]
At that moment, Shia snapped her fingers, performing a miracle.
Even Olga, who had watched Shia’s broadcasts all this time, was seeing this miracle for the first time.
Since it wasn’t an aggressive or threatening miracle, Elanar briefly grabbed his sword before letting go.
[This miracle allows me to share my senses with others. Originally, it was meant for the hero, but since the hero is not here, I’ll share it with you all.]
And the elves realized.
The “rotten smell” that Shia mentioned began to reach their noses.
Sniff, sniff…?
“What is that smell…”
“It smells rotten.”
“It’s a rotten smell…”
The smell of rotting leaves, decaying crops, the scent of unharvested grapes mixing with mud and rotting…
This did not feel like a hallucination, misperception, or manipulation.
The miracle of the Seongnyeo, and the holy power that does not lie, was the same as it had been in the previous world.
“…It really smells.”
“There’s a smell coming from Olganiya.”
“…Are you serious?”
As the elves whispered among themselves, Olga trembled.
Is it really true?
Is it really?
Really?
Even the other elves, the commander Elanar, and the Elders Antamia and Gallard,
All their faces stiffened.
“There’s… no way…”
“Olga…”
The smell was truly there.
Even Olga herself could smell the unidentified rotten scent coming from her body.
“Hah, hah….hahaha….”
So, that’s what it was.
I… didn’t even realize I was an ant…?
It was the impurity within me all along…? Really, it was me?
A single tear leaked from Olga’s eye.
It was more absurd than sad.
She wasn’t even angry; rather, Olga simply trembled with confusion, staring blankly at the dark ceiling of the Great Hall.
“Olga.”
“…Hah, haha…..”
Even though she couldn’t explain why she had called Shia here or share her true self…
Before that, the truth about herself was that she was this existence…
Shia wiped the tears streaming down Olga’s cheek gently, smiling.
Her smile, reminiscent of the compassionate gaze she bestowed upon a death row prisoner, still radiated innocence.
“Don’t worry, Olga. I’m just giving you a chance.”
In a whisper, Shia said,
“Elder Gallard?”
“…..”
At Shia’s words, Elder Gallard seemed completely at a loss for words.
It seemed he didn’t want to believe it.
Shia then turned to Antamia, who was beside her.
“Elder Antamia, what should we do in this situation?”
“…In this case, yes. If the identity of the impurity has been revealed and no one here opposes it…”
Antamia gazed at Olga with a look of pity.
“We must kill… her.”
“……!”
Kill her.
At those words, Olganiya bit her lip.
“Hah, I see.”
“…Shia… Shia….”
Sighing, Shia summoned something into her right hand.
As a white divine power erupted from her palm, a long, enormous shape emerged that was as tall as Shia.
[Miracle – The King’s Scepter of the Dead]
It was a pitch-black mace.
One could tell at a glance it had soaked up countless blood and gathered numerous souls.
Just looking at it brought forth a wave of dread. Olga bit her lip and relaxed her shoulders.
Ah, this is where it ends, isn’t it?
Ah, is this truly something that cannot be taken back?
“….This is something I also didn’t see on the broadcast.”
“Indeed.”
Shia calmly replied, stroking Olga’s head once more.
A gesture meant to reassure her.
Just like before, still, the same.
“Um, Shia?”
At that moment, Antamia approached Shia.
“Is there really any need to kill Olganiya… or that impurity so hastily?”
“…..Really?”
“Yes. We still haven’t clarified the truth behind the identity of the impurity. First, let’s restrain them and investigate gradually…”
“Shit, that’s disgusting as hell.”
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted dramatically with Shia’s voice.
With eyes full of chill, Shia gazed at Antamia.
And with her other hand, she gently covered Olga’s eyes.
Then one step forward…
“Touch them and…”
“Huh?”
“…the child.”
Two steps forward.
brrrip!
“Shouldn’t have said anything!!!”
Then, with a full power swing.
THWACK!!!
“Khuh, boo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
In a flash, the mace held aloft by Shia struck Antamia’s head with overwhelming divine power.
“Damn it, you remind me of the Demon King, you piece of shit!!!”
Shia’s truly enraged voice echoed through the Great Hall in an instant.
The other elves couldn’t even begin to comprehend the situation, and even the chilling, unsettling aura radiating from Shia made it difficult for them to move.
What on earth is going on?
It’s not Olganiya, but why did she attack Elder Antamia?
Look over there!
That’s not Elder Antamia!
What was that?!
As the dust settled, the elves finally laid eyes on Antamia’s battered form.
And the mask shattered to the ground.
[Wh-What, the hell, is going on?]
The hidden horrible smell, the rotten odor, began to seep out through the cracks of the ruined shell.
[You were supposedly, perfectly, prepared, weren’t you?]
“Right, you certainly had everything prepped perfectly.”
[Since when did you know?]
“Since the very beginning.”
Finally removing her hand that had been covering Olga’s eyes, Shia smiled at her.
The soft tentacles gently stroked Olga’s cheeks, wiping away the traces of her tears.
And directed murderous intent towards the filthy wretched ant.
“I was giving you a chance. I ignored how you poured ant pheromones all over Olga like you were flipping a teacup. You played your cards right and kept your head down. You’re even clever enough to stir dissent within the Elder Council to avoid a collusion. It was you who spread ant poison into the elves’ lakes and resources, unleashing an unidentified sickness. But you know what?”
Shia approached Antamia slowly.
“Do you know what the very first thing you said to me was when you mentioned the ‘last child of the World Tree’?”
[The first, word?]
‘I’m sorry, Olganiya. On behalf of the other elders, I apologize.’ Remembering what Antamia had said in the council, she tilted her broken head.
What was wrong with that?
“You were lying from the start, weren’t you?”
[…Really? So that’s why you attacked me? I don’t get it.]
Chirp crunch chirp
Antamia rose from the wreckage with a twisted body.
Of course, if it had only been that, one might assume she was just a disagreeable person.
However, even after that, all of Antamia’s words were falsehoods.
Her seemingly serene smile about discussing alternatives, the comments claiming to act in service to the elves, even how she addressed Olganiya as “miss” was all a lie.
Lies, lies, lies—the entirety was lies.
Filthy, vile lies.
‘Is there really any need to kill Olganiya… or that impurity so hastily?’
Moreover, even the insidious instigation wafted with deception.
Deep down, it was likely urging, ‘Kill her now. Kill her now. Kill her now. Kill her now. Kill her now.’
“And do you know, Antamia? Other Chaos Ant mimics believe they are actually elves?”
[….!]
“Those who mimicked elves believed they were truly elves. Despite the rotten smell, none spoke of deception. They genuinely considered themselves part of the Daesanrim. Even if it was all impositional and dependent on altered perceptions, everyone thought they had friends or family. And that was all truth without a hint of a lie.”
No matter that they were ants.
They lived genuinely as members of Daesanrim.
Except for one.
Only that mastermind ant, Antamia, carried malice and evil.
“And the only one who held on to lies and evil was you, Antamia, you filthy bitch.”
[Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, you’re getting tangled up. Totally.]
“Or should I put it differently? Ant Queen, you filthy whore.”
Antamia’s cracked body began to rise unnaturally.
Sharp ant mandibles and legs protruded from her body like quills, writhing in agony.
[It doesn’t matter.]
“What?”
At that moment, Antamia raised her hand.
Crack!
Crunch, crack!
Crunch!
Clatter!
“AHHHHHHHH?!”
“Ugh, uggh…”
“What, what’s going on?!”
“Commander! My mother!”
“Ahhh!”
“Run!”
As if controlling a marionette, a hand gesture summoned panicked screams that filled the Great Hall.
Crackle, crackle, crackle, crack!
[The Queen commands it.]
Smash!
[All, true, forms, should show… their despicable, ugly essence without a speck of shame!]
1928 of them—the number of Chaos Ant mimics that had infiltrated the elf society of Daesanrim as Shia had discovered.
And all of them were beginning to break free from their shells at the Queen’s gesture and command.
“I’m not an ant! I’m not an ant! I’m an elf! Huh… Kya… kuh–uh!”
“Mirena!!”
“It’s dangerous! It’s already too late!”
“No, no! I’m not an ant! I’m not an ant! Nooooo…!”
“Commander, protect our folks!”
“””Yes!”””
In the blink of an eye, chaos ensued.
Friends, loved ones, and companions suddenly metamorphosing into horrific shapes of mixed ants and elves.
Elanar, seeing the situation unravel, led the knight order to separate the mimics from their compatriots.
Antamia, with a wide grin, observed Shia without hiding her amusement.
[Hee hee hee! You were wrong, though, about one thing.]
Antamia assumed a grin that looked a lot like a smile.
[Me, ant queen? The queen of Chaos Ants? That doesn’t apply to me.]
And Antamia’s battered body began to glow a purplish hue.
Shia, knowing exactly what that light represented, glared at Antamia with fierce intent.
[I’m going to become the Demon King…!]
[The sacrificial lives are running out!]
[You’re already late!!]
Conditions for descending demon fragments.
Lifespan.
Malice.
Satisfy the sufficient number of lives and malice to make the fragments descend.
Then you will be granted the qualifications to be a host.
The qualifications to become the King of Malice.
The qualifications to become the Demon King!
“Hah. What nonsense are you spouting?”
Yet despite hearing her words, Shia looked at Antamia with contempt.
“I’m declaring here as a Saint.”
[What?]
“At this moment, none shall die here.”
[Hee hee hee!]
Antamia laughed.
Yes, some things must be acknowledged.
You, Saint Isia, are indeed very strong.
So strong it’s almost frightening!
But it’s too late.
If it had been a year ago, no… six months… perhaps even a month ago, your arrival might have thwarted my plans!
But Antamia had long ago been feeding the corpses and lives of many elves to the fragments.
Gathering malice and lives until she had slowly met the standards to become the Demon King!
How many lives do you think you can save here?
1928 of the mimics began to break out of their shells while twisting in their true forms. Outside, my troops of Chaos Ants will soon be pushing through this domain in droves.
[Ha, ha! What the hell can you do alone?! As long as the portions are satisfied, killing me won’t mean a thing!]
“Who said I was going to do this alone?”
[What?]
Ignoring Antamia’s question, Shia gently pulled Olga into her arms.
“Olga, I’m truly sorry. You must have been so scared?”
“…………”
“I know that simply apologizing isn’t enough after causing this much trouble, but I promise to explain everything later and hope you’ll understand. So please, will you trust me one more time?”
Amidst the chaos, it felt as if Shia and herself were the only two beings in this world.
“I… will believe you.”
“Thank you.”
In that instant, Shia clasped her hands together once more.
“Now, time to work. Oh mighty Hero.”
In a manner that was both sacred and reverent, she took the position of a Saint praying to the divine.
“This land has become tainted. I need your hand.”
[However, I do not dwell there.]
Suddenly, a voice echoed, causing both Olga and Antamia to look up.
‘That voice… why does it sound so familiar…?’
Olga felt a strange sense of recognition from the voice.
[As a Hero, I shall ask you, O Saint, is it true that I do not dwell there?]
The voice questioned the saint.
“You, filthy liar. You, who have been pitifully cast away as a loner… I, with the name of the Saint of the departed, Isia, will answer. All of your words are lies of desolation.”
The saint responded to the voice.
[Then that lie shall become truth!]
“You, the cowardly Hero who ran away. It is time for everything to revert to its rightful place, for I, the Saint, shall guarantee that!”
Boom!
[Grand Rite – Hero Summoning]
[Great Reincarnation – Lies Will Soon Become Truth]
At that moment, space began to shatter.
The hero called forth by the Saint traversed the boundaries of reality, the Daesanrim, the dungeons, and beyond, suddenly descending here.
Shia was a Saint.
A Saint who supported the Hero and caused miracles to occur…
Of course, Shia’s original hero was ‘Menelapie Helum’ from the previous world.
But since Menelapie didn’t exist in this world, someone else answered that call.
The False Hero, Yujin.
Once, a failure in the task of protecting the world.
The failed hero. Though he may not admit it, even if Yujin wallowed in self-reproach, the fact remained that he was still a hero.
Made up of lies and hypocrisy,
Yujin was not a false hero but a hero of falsehood.
He had the power to transform falsehoods into truth, to turn deception into reality, to change illusions into actualities.
He heeded the Saint’s call and appeared here.
[No way.]
“….Yujin?”
And Olga witnessed someone emerging from the distorted space, almost like a mirage.
Antamia regarded that figure with disbelief.
He had black hair, a graceful silhouette, and a stature that was somewhat comparable to Olga.
But the figure shimmered as if it were a mere illusion, swirling again as the shattered space twitched, and the figure transformed into a man—the very same black-haired man who had first met Shia.
“When did you figure it out, Isia?”
In the form of a man, Yujin turned his gaze to Shia.
Shia contemptuously regarded Yujin, whose illusion now was almost laughable, and slowly got to her feet.
“From the very beginning.”
“Hah, how annoying as always.”
“If the saint cannot notice her hero, then she would be disqualified.”
Shia knew.
That everything about Yujin was a lie, and that it was her ability that turned falsehoods into truth.
“Yujin… is it really you?”
“……………Olga.”
As though they were already acquainted, Yujin momentarily gazed at Olga but closed his eyes as if trying to shake off sentimental feelings.
“I’ll defer our conversation until after this fight concludes.”
Once called the hero of falsehood and deception, Yujin stood by Shia’s side.
The hero of falsehood with the departed saint.
Standing opposite the fragments of the Demon King were a mismatched hero and saint.
Ah, it feels like an old school reunion, meeting a dear friend again.
I’m so happy I could almost laugh. Right?
Shut up. Looking at that damned bastard doesn’t even crack a smile.
[You goddamned bastards.]
“Die.”
“Suffer.”
