#230. The Labyrinth and the Records (4)
—
The winding passage within the great tree.
Grine, carrying a wooden tray stacked with fruits and vegetables, was walking quickly.
‘Lord Ray must have recovered a fair amount of stamina by now.’
After escaping the labyrinth, Ray had been utterly exhausted and returned to his room to rest.
「Our Ray needs to rest for now! Look at him, soaked in sweat!」
「Well, he *was* running just a moment ago.」
「My goodness! His body’s so hot too!」
「That’s normal. People get hot when they run.」
「He needs to rest!」
No one could oppose Veronica’s fiery will.
Not even Ray, who held the greatest influence among them.
It was naturally decided that the events within the labyrinth would be shared after he had rested.
Tap— Tap— Tap—
However, Grine was an elf with an immense passion for history, second to none.
Unable to suppress her curiosity, she was now heading to Ray’s room under the pretext of checking on him.
‘Knowing Lord Ray, he must have succeeded in exploring a new area. He must have even discovered the archives we couldn’t reach before…’
Just then, Grine’s long ears twitched.
─Can I really touch it?
─Go ahead. It’s very soft.
“……?”
Faint voices of Veronica and Ray drifted from the room at the end of the corridor.
─B-but it’s scary.
─There’s nothing to be afraid of. It’s only hard the first time; it gets easier after that.
The conversation sounded extremely suspicious.
Images of what might be happening in the room naturally formed in Grine’s mind, and her face flushed bright red.
She knew that the boy and girl shared a special bond, and that it would be a blessing if their love bore fruit.
‘But they’re still so young…! Humans are a species that burns their short lives like a flame, so maybe their pace is just faster? No, even so…’
Grine, age 224.
Still considered quite young by elven standards, but by human standards, a full-fledged adult.
Feeling a heavy sense of responsibility, Grine strode forward and flung open the door.
Bang!
“What on earth are you two doing…!”
“Ah! Grine! You’re here!”
“Perfect timing.”
Grine’s face turned blank with disbelief at the scene before her.
Ray and Veronica were gently stroking the soft fur of the *gray pouch shrews* on the table and feeding them pieces of jerky.
“You look seriously disappointed. What were you expecting?”
“…No, it just feels like being around Lord Ray stirs up so many emotions. I’m not usually such a temperamental elf.”
Sitting beside them, Grine casually snatched a piece of jerky from Veronica’s hand and popped it into her mouth.
While Veronica’s pupils quivered in shock, the conversation continued.
“Mother’s worried because the little ones are rejecting her touch.”
“I tried sending them back, but they won’t go. Are they spirits you’ve made contracts with?”
“No, they’re not. They’re just children she’s been caring for over a long time, so she’s feeling a bit hurt.”
Gwendel had his own contracted spirits, separate from these.
“Spirits?”
“If you can supply enough mana, you can contract with multiple spirits. But it’s not easy. Spirits are usually very possessive of their contractor’s mana.”
Grine’s hand, reaching for another piece of jerky, was blocked by Veronica.
Unbothered, Grine turned to Ray.
“How are you feeling?”
“I was a little dizzy earlier from overthinking, but I’m fine now.”
Ray waved his hand, and a sketchbook flew through the air into his grasp.
“You brought the sketchbook into the labyrinth. You must have drawn what you saw there?”
“Exactly.”
Seeing Grine’s eager expression, Ray immediately flipped open the cover.
“This… is a mural. I can tell right away what you’ve drawn.”
“Wow, it’s like a photograph, not a drawing.”
“I can perfectly replicate what I see. I’m still not great at drawing from imagination, though.”
Flip— Flip—
Each time he turned a page, Grine and Veronica’s emotions visibly rippled.
After closing the cover, Ray spoke about the vision he had seen.
“In summary… the vision was likely a memory of the past shown by the World Tree. The Last Forest was invaded by the Red Citadel led by someone named Redran. It became the ‘Last Forest’ because it was the only one left unburnt. Also, the woman carrying the purple gem, who is presumed to be the Guardian, entered the labyrinth’s depths and carved letters and pictures onto the walls and slabs.”
At that, Veronica cried out in realization.
“Could it be that the murals underground at the ruins were carved by her too? Maybe she scattered them on purpose, afraid the Red Guardian would destroy them!”
All eyes turned to Veronica.
The silence that followed made her flustered.
“Uh, am I wrong?”
“That’s plausible.”
“It’s a solid theory.”
Ray and Grine said simultaneously.
*
*
*
Ray and Veronica stayed a few more days in the Last Forest.
The labyrinth had completely reverted to its original structure and no longer moved. Ray, guided by Grine, explored the outer archives of the labyrinth.
“I expected the records to be written on something like paper.”
Ray spoke as he looked at the vines forming letters in midair.
He tried touching them, but they were rigid, like dried specimens.
“Elves don’t use paper. It would harm the trees. When we need to record something, we ask the World Tree or other long-lived plants instead.”
“You ask them to form letters like this?”
“That’s right.”
“Sounds like abuse.”
“Excuse me?”
“Forcing a plant to hold a specific posture forever is like forcing a human or an elf to stay frozen in one position for life.”
Grine smiled gently.
“That’s not quite right. Animals and plants perceive things very differently. For plants, which naturally stay rooted in place, holding a posture isn’t difficult. The downside is that external factors can distort the records.”
“If it’s somewhere safe like the labyrinth, I guess it’s fine.”
Ray began reading the ancient letters shaped by the vines.
They mostly contained information about ancient races’ cultures and landscapes.
“…Humans were the most emotionally expressive of all races.”
“You read it perfectly. Even though you never learned ancient script… I still don’t know how you can read it.”
“This part sounds like a lie.”
“Which part?”
“Humans aren’t honest at all. They’re always trying to hide things.”
“Hmm, is that so? The Ray and Veronica I’ve seen are very honest about their feelings. Well, everyone’s standards differ.”
“Spirits are the ones who are truly honest.”
Looking dissatisfied, Ray changed the subject.
“You said there were stone tablets in the archives too?”
“There are.”
Grine bent down, removed a stone slab that was being used to level a table leg, and struggled to lift it into her arms.
…It was a stone tablet.
“I thought elves valued history.”
“Of course we do. Please don’t misunderstand — the slab is sturdy, so it made a good prop.”
Ray brushed off the dust and began reading the ancient script carved into it.
It had been carved by the woman, presumed to be the Purple Guardian, who had rushed to the labyrinth’s depths where purple mana pooled.
[This letter was first started in the 13th Purple City and has traveled across the continent for 21 years, bringing luck to those who received it. If you receive this letter, you must send a copy of it to seven people who need luck within four days, or else you will suffer ten years of misfortune…]
What the hell am I reading?
Ray rubbed his eyes.
At first, he thought it might be a cipher, but no matter how he looked at it, it was just a superstitious message.
“It’s a prank, isn’t it? Probably a fake tablet made to fool the Red Guardian if they ever found it.”
“That’s very likely.”
Ray memorized the entire letter in case he needed it later.
Afterward, he toured the rest of the archives, but found no significantly useful information.
He couldn’t help but think—
Truly important information was likely hidden in secret places like the labyrinth’s depths or beneath the ruins.
“This is the last archive. Feel free to look around a bit more before you leave.”
After Grine left, Ray wandered the archive, deep in thought.
Eventually, he found himself before a wall.
Tap.
He pressed his palm against it.
‘What do you think?’
The elves, including Grine, still didn’t know the World Tree had chosen to remain silent on purpose to invite resentment.
If he told them the truth, they might develop strong negative feelings toward the World Tree.
It might even push the elves to abandon their stubbornness and relocate to a new settlement.
‘It would definitely help Grine, who wants to leave the Last Forest with everyone.’
From a purely efficient standpoint, telling the truth was the right choice—but thinking of the World Tree, Ray didn’t want to do it.
Just as he was leaning toward keeping the truth hidden—
[Tell them the truth. So that the children of the forest can leave me behind without regret.]
The World Tree’s will conveyed the message.
‘You want me to tell them?’
Ray asked again, but no further reply came.
It felt like the World Tree’s final plea, squeezing out the last of its strength.
Ray stood there for a long time, then finally left the archive.
*
*
*
—
After hearing the truth from Ray, the elves fell into confusion.
“…So, I hope you can make a decision about whether to leave the Last Forest as soon as possible. Veronica and I can’t just stay here indefinitely.”
“It’s a very unsettling story, but… we’ll take it into consideration. We’ve been discussing this for a while already, so we’ll finalize our decision by the morning after tomorrow at the latest.”
Many emotions were etched onto Gant’s wrinkled face.
He looked angry.
He looked sad.
He looked relieved.
It was a complex expression that a boy with few years of life could not fully comprehend.
That day, as they walked through the village, they could feel the confused and restless atmosphere.
Veronica whispered.
“Seems like opinions are pretty divided. Between those who want to stay and those who want to leave for a new home.”
“…For now, it seems like more of them want to stay.”
The emotions of the elves shifted moment by moment, making it impossible to predict how the conclusion would unfold.
And it wasn’t just the village.
It was the entire forest.
The animals let out restless cries, and the plants rustled their leaves.
It was as if the whole forest had erupted into a festival of sounds.
And then came the morning of the decision day.
────.
The once tumultuous forest had become eerily silent.
Ray and Veronica, stepping out from the great tree, could see the village square crowded with countless elves and animals.
Gant approached, and Ray asked,
“Have you made your decision?”
“We have decided to leave.”
So that’s how it turned out.
As Ray accepted the decision, he noticed that there wasn’t a shred of resentment toward the World Tree in Gant’s heart.
Nor in the hearts of the elves and animals gathered in the square.
“You’re not leaving out of resentment toward the World Tree?”
“Resentment? No, not at all. We’ve had many thoughts… but what child could truly hate their parent from the heart? The decision to relocate was purely a matter of necessity.”
Gant continued in a low voice.
Considering the possibility that an invader like Obsess might return, it was right to move to a new home.
Besides, the World Tree’s life was nearing its end; if they stayed, they would only wither away, stagnant in this place.
“I understand. Then, are all the elves and animals gathered here going to relocate? With so many, the teleportation magic circle’s design needs to be─.”
“Not all of us are moving. Only the young ones, those who have many days of life left, will leave the Last Forest.”
“…What do you mean?”
“It means that the old ones like me, whose days are numbered, have decided to stay behind. That way, when the World Tree breathes its last in the near future, it won’t be left alone — we’ll stay by its side.”
The young, carrying possibilities, would depart for a new land.
The old, whose possibilities had been spent, would remain in the old land.
For a boy who had always lived making clear and decisive choices, this was a completely unexpected development.
Though he could not fully understand it, he respected their decision.
The installation of the teleportation magic circle was completed in the blink of an eye.
“Set the arrival coordinates to 412, 1, 31.”
Thanks to the relatively short distance to be traveled, the participation of nearly three hundred elves in the construction, and the abundant mana in the forest, the work progressed swiftly.
The younger elves entered the completed magic circle.
About 150 in total.
The forest animals, too, entered in pairs by species.
All of them were young, about 500 in number.
Just before departure, Gwendel approached the edge of the magic circle, handed Grine a large bag filled with thousands of seeds, and kissed her forehead.
“Live well, my beloved child, so dear to me that even if I put you in my eye, it wouldn’t hurt.”
“Phew, you make it sound like we’re parting forever.”
At that moment, Ray and Gant were having their final conversation nearby.
“If you don’t leave, just as you said, you’ll stagnate here and wither away.”
“It’s fine. The children who look like us will take root in the new land and sprout new life. In the end, we die, but it’s as if we do not die.”
To die, yet not die.
Ray recalled the feeling he had realized in the Last Forest.
‘…A sense of belonging, or perhaps a sense of bond.’
Whoooom!
The green mana distributed throughout the area surged into Ray’s hand in a spiraling vortex.
The mana gathered more easily and abundantly than ever before.
Then Gant handed Ray a green jewel.
“The Life Stone is a treasure passed down among the elves. I believe it would be best if you were to take it, Ray.”
The green jewel emitted an even brighter radiance the moment it touched Ray’s hand.
“If it’s a treasure of the elves, wouldn’t it be better for Grine to keep it?”
“If I were to explain the reason─.”
That was when the magic circle beneath their feet began to activate.
Whooom!
Light scattered in all directions.
Their vision was dyed white.
Ray sensed his entire body’s sensations growing faint, as though being sucked into somewhere.
A voice, unable to fully reach him, brushed faintly against his ears.
According to… the story you were told… you are… probably… the sam……
Flash!
In that moment, the boy’s body vanished completely from the village square.
