Chapter 125
“Akion, you’re back? You returned earlier than I thought. Nothing happened during patrol?”
“Nothing happened… no, that’s not right. Something did happen. I brought unexpected guests.”
“Guests?”
When we entered the communal living area, a dwarf approached us.
“Guests came here? Is that even possible?”
“Did you not hear? A white-haired human appeared in this area a few hours ago.”
“A white-haired human? I didn’t hear about that. Wait—hold on. If it’s a white-haired human… then could it be… the one Sakiel spoke of in the prophecy……”
“That’s right. It’s exactly what you’re thinking. Now then, Gideon.”
“Yes?”
“Step forward.”
When I stepped out from behind Akion, the dwarf’s eyes widened dramatically.
No—he wasn’t the only one.
As soon as I appeared, every other race nearby turned their eyes toward me.
“A human? A white-haired human?”
“That human… could he be his…….”
“Is the time Sakiel foretold finally approaching?”
With all kinds of reactions, the races began to gather around me.
And it wasn’t only the ones nearby.
After some time passed, it felt as though every race living in this large settlement—this communal living zone—was gathering toward me.
Feeling overwhelmed by the countless gazes, Akion spoke up at just the right moment.
“I understand how everyone feels. But do not overwhelm him too much. Make sure he can stay comfortably.”
“Hey, Akion. Aren’t we going to hold a welcoming party?”
“A welcoming party… you say?”
“Yes, a welcoming party. Back then, whenever that friend returned, we always threw a grand welcoming party. This situation is quite similar, so wouldn’t it be fine to hold one again after a long time?”
“A welcoming party……”
Akion hesitated for a moment, then looked toward me.
“Gideon, are you hungry?”
“I haven’t had lunch yet.”
“Then we shall prepare a meal for you. Now, everyone, listen!”
Akion raised his voice toward the crowd of races that had gathered.
“Our leader and our only friend—his bloodline has reached our land after many long years. This is certainly a matter worth celebrating, so welcome him—Gideon Kyrgram—as we used to long ago. Varon, I leave the arrangements to you.”
“If it’s making a festive atmosphere, I’m the expert. Leave it to me. But Akion, where are you going?”
“I’ll go fetch Sakiel. He’s the one who would have wanted to meet Gideon the most.”
“Well, true. He’s the one who made the prophecy in the first place.”
Varon smirked and nodded.
But in that smile… I felt like there were several meanings layered within it.
“You know where Sakiel is, right?”
“He’s in the elves’ area—your forest. The exact location… probably inside that tree.”
“You know well. Ever since the invasion back then, that guy hasn’t stepped outside the tree at all.”
“I hope he comes out today, at least.”
After saying that, Akion started running toward the west side of the Protected Zone.
Varon stared at the centaur for a moment, then grinned and soared high into the air.
“Alright, everyone, get ready! It’s been ages since we had a welcoming party! It’s a festival! A festival! Let’s get excited! Ah, but make sure Gideon is comfortable. He just arrived, so don’t scare him! Same goes for the other human next to him!”
At the same time, on the west side of the Protected Zone.
That place was a lush forest filled with trees far larger than those found anywhere else.
The elves and fairies had built their homes atop those massive trees.
And within the largest tree of this area—no.
Within the largest tree in the entire Protected Zone for Other Races.
A tree the other races called the World Tree.
Inside it, one elf lay down.
“…Has he finally arrived?”
The elf muttered with his eyes closed.
This was the first time he had spoken in a very long time.
No—this was the first time he had moved his muscles in centuries.
“So the time to take revenge has finally come.”
Sakiel, the leader of the elves.
The one who hadn’t moved even an inch for hundreds of years slowly raised his body.
He loosened his stiffened muscles and brushed off the dust that had accumulated on his body.
“Akion is coming to get me… and everyone is preparing a welcoming party after so long.”
It was a dark interior where not even a single ray of light entered.
Normally nothing would have been visible, but Sakiel’s eyes were special.
He could see far into the distance… and vaguely into the future as well.
His eyes were the eyes of a prophet.
“Hmm? Ah… my body’s completely stiff. Well, it’s been hundreds of years.”
Sakiel looked at his body, which had withered down to skin and bone and hardened like stone, and let out a faint laugh.
For centuries he had remained here, motionless, like a corpse.
“A guy like me deserves to stay trapped here forever… but right now, I have to move. For my friend’s sake… I have to.”
A past event.
Because of that event, Sakiel had drowned in deep regret, guilt, and self-loathing.
Thus, he had sealed himself inside this tree.
But now he felt it was time to leave.
“I must have my revenge… and I must meet his descendant. I won’t be able to tell him about the past, but… I still have to meet him.”
Sakiel slowly headed toward the outside of the tree.
Bright sunlight poured in.
It was the first sunlight he had faced in hundreds of years.
As he walked slowly, he once again looked far ahead.
Toward the communal living area—toward a white-haired human visible even from here.
“…His hair color is exactly the same as that guy’s. And his face… he resembles her a lot. Yes, she… she also…… went through so much. Giving birth to a son all alone.”
Muttering to himself, Sakiel stepped out of the World Tree.
He looked around at the outside world he had not seen in ages and waited for Akion to arrive.
“Move the food to the center of the village once it’s ready! Oh—are we short on tables? Then… hey, Harpy noonas! Don’t prepare any bugs! Humans don’t like eating those!”
Under Varon’s direction, the welcoming party for me was being set up quickly.
“Everyone… seems happy.”
So many races.
All of them were harmonizing together regardless of race.
“Gideon? What are you looking at like that?”
“Ah, it’s just… everyone gets along so well. Even though they’re all different races, they blend together like this……”
“Strange, isn’t it? It should be strange. Honestly, I also found this sight truly strange.”
Varon nodded as he looked at the other races.
His expression looked as though he was recalling the past.
“Things weren’t always like this. About 500 years ago… this kind of scene was unimaginable.”
“If it was 500 years ago… the war between humans and the other races……”
“That’s right. In that war, every race lost and was forced into this cramped land together. The chaos back then was indescribable.”
As if remembering that time, Varon shuddered like he was sick of it.
“There were races who held old grudges and hated each other, but since they were all locked into the same land… they fought like they wanted to kill each other whenever they met. Even though it was the humans who trapped us here, back then we were too busy fighting among ourselves. Honestly, I thought we were going to self-destruct here. We almost did. But then… he appeared.”
Varon faintly smiled as though picturing someone indescribable.
“‘He’… is he the person I’m thinking of?”
“Yes. A human with strikingly beautiful white hair, just like you.”
Varon sat on top of my head, playing lightly with my white hair as he continued.
“One day, he suddenly appeared here. I mean literally suddenly, out of nowhere. And he became friends with everyone who could communicate. Those who only understood force, he subdued with force.”
“Right, right. And the legends about him are still passed down to this day.”
Another voice suddenly came from beside me.
When I turned my head—no.
When I lifted my head—there was a giant who was at least twice my height.
“Laboc! When did you get here? You weren’t around earlier, right?”
“I just arrived. I ran here as soon as I heard his descendant had returned. More importantly……”
The giant looked down at me.
His eyes looked as though he was lost in old memories.
“You resemble him. That white hair is exactly the same. Looks like you inherited his blood properly.”
“Yes, everyone keeps telling me that.”
“Hahaha! Everyone thinks the same! Oh, right. My name is Laboc. And you?”
“I’m Gideon Kyrgram.”
“Haha! Nice to meet you, Gideon! Seeing you reminds me of the first time I met that guy. I was the first one who charged at him.”
Laboc said it casually, but his words made me tilt my head.
“You met him personally, then… could it be your age……”
“Oh, my age? Hmm… my age is… sorry, I don’t know. I stopped counting at some point and forgot. I think I’ve lived roughly 600 years?”
“I did hear that many races have long lifespans, but seeing it myself is surprising.”
“Hey, don’t be shocked by me. Our giant race actually has one of the shorter lifespans among the long-living races. Just look at me—I look old, right? Those elves over there consider 600 years to be just the beginning of their youth.”
Just like Laboc said, his body showed clear signs of aging.
The wrinkles, the long beard—he stood out among the many youthful-looking races.
“Our lifespan is somewhere between 600 and 700 years… so I’ll be going soon.”
“But you’re not planning on going yet, right? You at least need to see Sakiel’s prophecy come true.”
“You’re right. I need to see my friend’s wish fulfilled before I die.”
Laboc looked at me again.
It was a face that seemed full of things he wanted to say.
But just like Varon, he seemed unable to speak them.
“Wow, giant race? A real giant?”
While we were talking, Kara approached us.
“The giant race… wow. They really are different. How is this body so huge……”
“Oh? Another human? What’s your name?”
“I’m Kara Barha. Um, giant sir, may I…….”
“Call me Laboc.”
“Ah, then Laboc-nim. If it’s not rude… may I ask you a few things about the giant race?”
“Oh ho, a human interested in us? It’s been a long time since I met one like you.”
“W-wah?”
Laboc lifted Kara up and placed her on his shoulder.
“Alright, Kara. What do you want to know about the giant race?”
“F-First, about the ecological traits of the giant race……”
Kara was startled at first, but soon her eyes sparkled as she excitedly asked Laboc question after question.
I chuckled lightly and stepped aside.
After that, without anything special happening, I wandered around the communal living area.
‘It’s really peaceful… everyone looks happy… and on the surface, nothing seems strange.’
Elves, dwarves, fairies, centaurs, beastkin…
All of them were peacefully preparing my welcoming party.
They treated me warmly, greeting me happily whenever I approached.
But no matter how much I thought about it, something felt wrong.
‘I can’t find any clues about the past. I understand that they can’t speak directly about it, but for there to not be even a single trace left behind… what is this…….’
I walked around the massive communal area from one end to the other.
But I didn’t find a single useful clue.
‘I guess I won’t find anything here. Looks like I need to look somewhere else… but where…….’
The welcoming party was far from ready.
So I thought about checking the nearby areas in the meantime—when suddenly…
‘Hm? Is that… a lake?’
I was standing at the northern edge of the communal area when I looked further north and saw a lake far in the distance.
‘Oh right. There was a huge lake at the center of this Protected Zone.’
A lake…
There wasn’t any particular reason, but I somehow felt I needed to go there.
So I headed straight for it.
“Huh? Gideon? Where are you going…….”
“I want to take a look at that lake.”
“T-the lake? W-wait! You can’t go… well, it’s not that you can’t go but… uh… I-I can’t let you go alone… wait! Hold on! I’m coming with you!”
Ignoring Varon, I started walking, and the king of the fairies reluctantly followed.
After walking through the forest for about fifteen minutes, the massive lake revealed itself before me.
“This lake is huge. And it looks incredibly deep.”
“Huge, right? Humans don’t know this, but this lake is one of the biggest in the entire Empire.”
“I see. But……”
I narrowed my eyes, staring closely at the lake.
As I said, the lake was extremely large and seemed very deep.
Especially the exact center—it was so deep that I couldn’t see inside properly.
But in that extremely deep center… I faintly saw something.
It was too deep to see clearly but……
“Varon. I think there’s some kind of building inside that lake. What’s that?”
“Ah… uh…… that’s… well… can I even say this? If I say it, I feel like I’ll get cursed again, and if I get cursed again today I’ll seriously die… Sorry, Gideon. I want to tell you, but right now it’s a bit…….”
“It’s a manor. A manor once owned by a human who stayed here long ago.”
A completely new voice spoke from behind us.
When I turned around, Akion was standing there—and getting off his back was an elf.
“Sakiel! You finally came out of that tree! But how did you know we were here……”
“Varon, did you forget? These eyes can see everything. I saw you and Gideon move, so I asked Akion to bring me here.”
The elf called Sakiel replied with a smile as he walked toward me.
I quickly examined him.
Pointed ears—the most distinct trait of elves. Eyes that shone with intelligence.
And… a thin, starving-looking body, like he hadn’t eaten for ages.
He was literally skin and bone.
His long, messy hair and beard looked untouched for centuries.
Unlike the healthy elves in the communal area, Sakiel looked nothing close to healthy.
‘But I can feel a mysterious aura from him. Much stronger than the other elves.’
Filled with curiosity, I continued observing Sakiel.
But he simply approached beside me and pointed toward the lake’s center.
“That manor belonged to the white-haired man who looked just like you. After he was acknowledged as our leader, we built him a massive mansion at the center of the lake. But after that incident… it sank. That bastard sank it.”
Oh?
It finally felt like I was getting a real clue.