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Like a flower in full bloom, the cage opened with elegant precision. I wasn’t entirely sure if this elaborate mechanism had been triggered by the key I’d used. It hadn’t opened like this when I freed Lullus. Now, it felt strangely mechanical—almost ceremonial—but I kept my expectations in check.

(Whoa… What an incredible setup! This is exactly the kind of thing I wanted to see!)

Setting that aside, the Spirit of Wind appeared in the form of a glowing sphere of green light. This much was expected—or rather, had been promised. I imagined the Spirit of Fire would shine red, the Spirit of Water blue, and the Spirit of Earth… probably brown? As for the Spirit of Darkness, it would likely glow with black light—something that would certainly appeal to a Chūnibyō.

While I was still taking it in, the spirit drifted over to God. This made the second spirit I had released. I considered that a reasonable pace.

When I turned around, I saw the king standing in stunned silence. Up until now, he had shown little expression—not even when I mocked him in the audience chamber. But now, his face twisted into such a foolish look of disbelief that I could not help but question whether it was really appropriate for a monarch to look so pathetic.

He then began to tremble, shouting in a panicked voice that was far too emotional for someone of royal standing.

“What did you do?! Guards! Seize her!”

At his command, the A-Grade guards moved into action. Three of them—each strong enough to go toe-to-toe with the leader of the Beastmen tribe. Their speed and strength were considerable.

If the Beastman leader had focused entirely on defense, he might have been unable to retaliate, but he would not have lost either. Thinking about that only made me realize how remarkable he truly was. Of course, it was only natural. Anyone facing the elves needed at least that level of strength. Too bad for him, I had killed him instantly.

Now I was about to be attacked with magic from three different directions. The question was whether or not I should dodge.

(If I dodge, will it lead to friendly fire? Will the spells cancel each other out? Well, you probably cannot be the king’s personal guard without accounting for situations like this.)

With that in mind, I moved. I stepped toward the only open direction—the fourth angle.

The moment I did, the three spells collided midair and exploded. The elves caught in the blast were blown back. Then they looked at me with wide, astonished eyes.

“It’s honestly a problem if you get surprised by something like that…”

(I am the one who defeated the leader of the Beastmen tribe, you know? And yet you still underestimated me because of how I look. Even when I grow older, I never want to become like that. I will make sure to remember this—to never get ahead of myself just because of appearances.)

“What are you doing?! Seize her at once!”
“Your Majesty, I believe you should be more realistic.”

No matter how hard they tried, it was clear from that exchange alone that capturing me was impossible. And more than likely, they no longer had the luxury to deal with me anyway.

“I have recovered the spirit, so I will be leaving now. I heard the Tree of Spirits is supported by the spirit itself, so I recommend evacuating quickly. I sincerely hope we never meet again.”

With that, I gave a slight bow and leapt from the Tree of Spirits. The fall felt like jumping off a skyscraper. Perhaps this was what bungee jumping felt like—though I could not say for certain.

Surprisingly, the descent was short, and I landed without issue. A flawless ten out of ten.

But just as I touched the ground, a deep, ominous rumble echoed behind me¹. The air trembled with its intensity.

(Alright. Time to find a better vantage point.)

◇◇◇

The Tree of Spirits was swaying violently. I could not tell whether it was shaking or vibrating, but either way, it was on the verge of collapse.

The elves scattered in panic. Amid the chaos, I spotted one figure trying to rally the others. Upon closer inspection, I recognized him—it was the sixth prince. He was too far away for me to make out his expression, but it looked like he had taken my warning to heart.

His movements were not erratic or desperate. There was purpose in the way he acted.

“It seems that elf believed what you told him, Master Finis.”
“It looks that way. I suppose all the meddling paid off,” I replied.
“Did you want to help the elves, Master Finis?”

If I had to give an answer… I supposed I had tried to help, in a way. More specifically, I had focused on guiding the sixth prince. But I had not truly helped him. All I did was mutter a vague comment about surviving in an emergency.

If anything, I had probably done more to throw the elves into chaos than to help them.

Not that I ever intended to help in the first place. Whether I did or didn’t—it didn’t really matter to me. And yet… perhaps…

“Wouldn’t it be interesting if everything worked out in the end, with barely any effort on my part?”
“But that isn’t what you truly want, is it, Master Finis?”

Lullus tilted her head as she asked the question. I wasn’t sure where this feeling came from—was it something human, or was it something more divine? Maybe I had become a little twisted along the way.

All it would take was a single word. Just one simple instruction to the prince, and many elves could be saved. But even then, that would not guarantee their safety. Another conflict with the Beastmen tribe could easily cost them their lives. Still, the scene playing out before me was real, and strangely…

I found it amusing.

Yes, they might have to fight the Beastmen again. Yes, lives would be lost. But that was a separate matter. It was not my responsibility².

Explaining all of this to Lullus felt like a chore—but in the end, I decided to talk anyway. If nothing else, it would help pass the time while we figured out where to go next.

1. Robinxen: Wow that tree was really being supported by the spirit in its entirety? How much were they wasting just holding a tree up?
2. Robinxen: How very detached.

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