Chapter 70
The last High Elf.
The weight that name carried was far from light.
It was even heavier than a thousand gold pieces.
Even I, who barely knew anything about Elves, was shocked by the significance of that name—how much more so for Elves themselves?
Rei and I instantly understood why Elowen had acted so deferentially toward Leaf.
After all, here was a survivor of the royal family that truly embodied divine right to rule over an entire race.
Even I would be shocked if I learned there was a survivor of the human emperor's family that had supposedly been wiped out.
"So... is Leaf like, an Elf princess or something?"
Rei stumbled over the question.
After thinking for a moment, Leaf slowly shook her head.
"The era when High Elves were the ruling class is effectively over. And originally, High Elves were closer to a priestly caste than royalty."
In fact, those who actually governed Elves were the direct subordinate Elves below High Elves.
Think of it like the caste system.
Just as the first caste consisted of priests rather than royalty, Elves placed High Elves who served priestly roles at the top of their social hierarchy, with actual rulers in the second caste.
"The World Tree was a god on earth. However, it couldn't directly bestow its authority to all Elves. That's why High Elves were created."
Terminal of the World Tree.
Mediator of Authority.
Children of God.
High Elves had many such titles and epithets.
Because the power given to them was so immense.
They were priests, officiants who served the World Tree, and apostles who spoke its will.
Through High Elves, Elves could feel the World Tree and receive fragments of its authority.
"Then, when the World Tree died, the High Elf lineage was cut off too."
High Elves weren't born through simple reproduction.
Even with High Elf parents, without the World Tree's oracle, one couldn't become a High Elf.
Those who didn't receive this became the Elves' second caste, the social leadership handling practical politics and core military power.
Of course, they were still just half-children of High Elves, beings who hadn't received the absolute god World Tree's blessing, so they had to bow their heads at a single word from High Elves, but anyway.
"Is that possible? Leaf, you were born after the World Tree died."
"That's right. Can you become a High Elf without the World Tree? And, though it might be sensitive to mention, you're a Half-Elf."
Though I don't know much about High Elves, instinctively it doesn't seem like there could be a non-pure-blood High Elf.
Plus, there are many unexplained parts in Leaf's story.
Who was the mother who left Leaf in the Elf village?
If Leaf was truly a High Elf, why did Elowen recognize it when the Elves who raised her didn't?
Leaf revealed everything about that without hiding anything.
"My mother was human."
"Ah, that side."
Rei's habitual rudeness activated.
Even so, what do you mean by “that side”?
However, Leaf didn't seem to mind and continued calmly, "Both my parents were Explorers, I was told. They probably met in this city."
While trying to picture parents' faces she couldn't remember, Leaf sank into contemplation of their connection remaining only in flowing blood.
And that connection transcended mere conceptual bloodline.
"I can feel it. The traces Father left and Mother engraved."
"...Huh?"
Maybe they were words too difficult for a 16-year-old.
To the head-tilting Rei, I bestowed adult wisdom.
"Though memories of meeting them might be hazy, Leaf knows how deep the love her parents gave her through birth alone is."
"Oh, that's what it means. As expected of an Elf, having a talent for speaking difficultly."
"...That's not it."
Oh dear.
Avoiding Rei's glaring eyes, I cleared my throat and quickly shot Leaf a look asking her to continue.
"My father was a High Elf."
Leaf's explanation continued.
One of the High Elf epithets mentioned earlier.
Terminal of the World Tree.
That wasn't metaphorical, but a perfect description.
High Elves had the World Tree's authority planted within them.
Even after the World Tree withered, the authority planted in other bodies survived with the new life where it took root.
High Elves were, in a sense, seedlings.
True children of the World Tree who received transplanted World Tree seedling roots.
That was the essence of High Elves.
But even as High Elves died one by one, Elves couldn't find a way to pass it to the next generation.
Thus, High Elves went extinct.
Or at least were thought to be.
Except one.
Except for one who devoted their entire life to racial prosperity in the endless mysterious Abyss.
"My parents found a way. A way to transplant the World Tree's seedling root to a Half-Elf."
"Maybe it was possible because you were a Half-Elf. While other Elves failed due to their obsession with pure blood."
The Elves must have tried every possible means to preserve High Elves.
But they failed while Leaf's parents succeeded, perhaps because they were trapped in the narrow view that High Elves must be pure-blood Elves.
If god died and the world changed, surely the thinking of those living in the changed world must also change.
"Is that why you only mentioned your mother and not your father? If the seedling root was transplanted, he probably wasn't in a normal state."
"...Probably."
Leaf painfully affirmed Rei's words.
Leaf, carrying the seedling root, could probably guess roughly.
The future when it would be extracted.
This time even Rei caught the heavy meaning in that short answer.
After solemn silence continued, Rei, unable to bear the atmosphere, raised her voice, "Ahhh—! This makes me seem like the most ordinary one!"
"Ordinary? Who? You?"
"Yeah. Me."
As if claiming she was right, Rei pointed at me with wide eyes.
"User of lost spatial magic."
Rei's finger moved to Leaf.
"Last High Elf. Plus Half-Elf."
And finally pointing to herself.
"Just a Beast-folk."
So, who's ordinary now?
"...True, but aren't lion beast-folk considered beast-folk royalty?"
"Beast-folk don't have a country, Roman," Rei said with a face that said, “You don't even know that?”
You're really making a face that makes me want to smack you hard, Rei-Rei.
"But you're the rarest."
"Well, that's true. But compared to a Half High Elf or spatial magic user, I'm just ordinary, totally ordinary."
"B-but Rei inherited two amazing bloodline inheritances!"
Leaf coddling Rei, worried she might feel relative deprivation or inferiority.
But I knew.
Rei had no such thoughts.
Rather, in her own way, she was trying to lighten the solemn mood with a bit of self-deprecating humor.
At times like this, Rei showed she had some surprisingly mature aspects.
"Right~?"
...Seeing her face go completely slack, maybe I'm wrong.
She has this cool, chic lion beast-folk charm when she keeps her mouth shut, but really becomes a kid the moment she speaks.
Unable to stand listening to Leaf gilding Rei's lily, I interrupted, "So, is that all of Leaf's story?"
"Um... no. One last thing remains."
"One last thing?"
"Yes."
Come to think of it, there was one secret remaining with Leaf.
"The training."
"That's right."
Rei went to Frontier through Arthur's connections, I knocked on Telema School's door seeking common ground as a Devil Sorcerer.
But Leaf, who received private training, never said from whom.
"Before going back to the Abyss, I'd like us all to meet them."
Before the Second Floor extermination expedition in three days.
We had another place to visit.
§
Golden Intellect.
Alchemy started with the goal of synthesizing gold.
In this world transformed by the loss of gods followed by the appearance of the Abyss, it was the headquarters of current alchemy, which rebuilt the system of alchemy and constructed a vast tower of knowledge.
Founded by Cordelia Wollstonecraft of the first expedition team, it was one of the most influential organizations in Res Limen.
After separating alchemists, previously classified as a mage subclass, into their own distinct field, unlike mages divided into various schools, alchemists maintained Golden Intellect united under an absolute leader.
Of course, some left Golden Intellect to establish their own branches, or even betrayed them by allying with mages to return alchemy under magic's umbrella, but Golden Intellect's stronghold remained firm.
First of all, they had money.
Metals, leather, gems, and other materials used in Explorer equipment.
Golden Intellect's touch was on all materials.
And we weren’t talking about the cheap materials used in Novice or Regular grade items.
With massive budgets used almost entirely for research after minimal operating costs, no matter what schemes those who left Golden Intellect tried, they were mere mistletoes before the storm of stubborn budget supremacy.
In the upper levels of Golden Intellect, also called Golden Branch City for its tree-like shape, someone was divining.
Celestial observation was also important in alchemy.
Thus, alchemists tend to be quite versed in astrology.
The woman who saw the divination results let out an expectant snort.
"Visitors coming, perhaps."
Kiara Micnogna.
Head of one of Golden Intellect's eight branches.
And simultaneously, the woman who secretly oversaw Leaf Youthglint's training.