Kays Translations

Chapter 47: World Tree

I explained my thoughts regarding the intentions of the "Maou."

"As expected of Takumi. To come up with this hypothesis based on just a conversation and a short amount of time, impressive," said Karla.

"Seriously, it's just astonishing," she added.

The heavy atmosphere from earlier had dissipated.

"You're amazing. If I were capable of doing something like that, I could have solved the 'Miasma' issue without creating monsters. That's all I've been thinking about."

Indeed, Mia hit the nail on the head.

In truth, I had been thinking the same thing.

Something must have happened around the time the 'Maou' changed his personality.

Maybe a deep disappointment in other races... or maybe revenge.

"Karla-san, thank you for the explanation. I'm relieved to know that the events have been accurately conveyed. Let me explain what happened afterward. I'll say it upfront. Everyone, this information must not be disclosed to others," the Dwarf King said, looking at us with an intimidating gaze.

I could feel the seriousness of what he was about to say.

"Takumi and Mia are undoubtedly individuals who will have an impact on this world. And the same goes for Karla-san and Gale. Whether it's appropriate to disclose this information to the royal family of the Demon race, I do not know. However, the two of you are Takumi's comrades. You must be informed," he continued.

Karla and Gale nodded in agreement.

"There is a possibility that what you’re about to tell us contains information that the Demon King, who is my father, has kept hidden from me the princess… But as a comrade of Takumi and the others, I want to hear the story. I swear I won't divulge it to anyone, so please rest assured," Karla understood the intention of the Dwarf King.

Karla seems to have understood the Dwarf King's intentions.

...However, the treatment Mia and I were receiving was quite extraordinary.

Mia chuckled wryly.

After hearing this story, there would probably be no going back to being ordinary civilians in this world, but it would be pretty rude to say, "Excuse me, I'll leave now," and leave the room.

We resigned ourselves and nodded in agreement.

◇

"What I'm about to tell you is the history that has been passed down among the Dwarf race. Therefore, our perception might differ from that of other races," the Dwarf King stated.

I nodded.

Legends and stories can be subject to manipulation and adaptation based on the position and values of those passing them down.

That was the intent behind his words.

“This is the continuation of Karla-san’s story.

After the door of the 'Crimson Gate of Atonement' was opened by the 'Maou,' the world was engulfed in fear and chaos. At that time, we Dwarves were also living on the surface and were attacked by monsters just like other races.”

"The Elves, Humans, and Dwarves cooperated with each other and selected heroes to send to the 'Maou.' After a long battle, we managed to defeat the 'Maou,'" I continued.

"What happened to the 'Crimson Gate of Atonement'?" Mia voiced her question.

"The legends say that the 'Crimson Gate of Atonement' couldn't be destroyed. So the heroes closed the door and sealed it somewhere to prevent misuse. The location of the seal was even kept secret from the kings of each race," he explained.

...So it still exists somewhere in this world.

"A new king of the Demon race was chosen. He was the 'Maou’s Son,' and was also a genius like his father. He fought alongside the heroes against the Demon King.

And then, the kings of each race demanded that the new king, the Son of the Demon King, take responsibility for creating the monsters in this world.

"So the 'Maou’s Son' created an artifact known as the 'Bloodline Curse' and incorporated it as a blessing for the entire Demon race. The 'Bloodline Curse' is a curse that significantly reduces the abilities of the Demon race. It continuously affects the entire clan, and when under its curse, the color of one's eyes turns red."

"The Demon race was forgiven for their achievements in defeating the 'Maou' and sealing their own powers with a curse to prevent the same mistake from happening again," I continued.

I unintentionally glanced at Karla and Gale.

Both of them seemed to be familiar with this story and nodded at me.

Was the curse placed on Karla and Gale a form of apology?

I'm glad I didn't tamper with it without permission.

Just imagining meeting the Dwarf King in a state where their eye color wasn't red... It's scary to think about.

"By closing and sealing the 'Crimson Gate of Atonement,' new 'sin' ceased to emerge. However, it was difficult to reduce the existing 'sin' already present throughout the world."

Even if the ‘Magic Stones' are destroyed, the accumulated 'sin' is released and new 'Magic Stones' are created.

And if the 'Magic Stones' are kept intact without being broken, they absorb 'Miasma' and turn into monsters.

"The one who solved this problem was the 'Maou's Son.' He invented a tool to eliminate 'sin', a device that consumes the energy of the 'sin' stored in the 'Magic Stones.' This device was called a 'Magic Tool.'"

"However, at that time, only the Demon race could use the magic tool. It was difficult to achieve any further results under the curse's influence."

"After some time, the Elves improved the magic tool so that anyone could use it. The universally usable magic tools were spread throughout the world and became widely used."

"The power derived from the energy converted from 'sin' was formidable, and the magic tools brought about significant changes in society. People began consuming 'sin' through the use of magic tools."

The monsters gradually weakened, and everyone thought that with this, the world would be at peace."

I see, it's true that you can consume 'sin' using magic tools. However, that's not a proper solution... It doesn't address the root of the problem.

"A hundred years after the creation of the magic tools, approximately 350 years ago from now, the world faced a crisis. Crops stopped growing, a deadly disease spread, and the number of monsters started to increase."

"The cause was the 'Miasma.'"

"At that time, the 'Magic Stones' obtained by defeating monsters were used in the magic tools. It was customary to destroy the 'Magic Stones' once their 'sin' was depleted to prevent them from turning back into monsters. It may seem like a foolish act to those who knew the truth, but for those who had no means to resist monsters, it was unthinkable to leave the 'Magic Stones' untouched."

"As the 'Magic Stones' gradually disappeared from the world, the 'Miasma' that had no place to go spread throughout the world."

"As a result, the Demon race lost its credibility. The other races believed that the 'Magic Tools' were a trap created by the Demon race to spread the 'Miasma' worldwide. At that time, only the Demon race lived safely, free from attacks by the ‘monsters’.

The envy towards this situation further fueled the persecution of the Demon race."

The Demons, having lost their credibility, withdrew to their territories and chose to live quietly, closing off any interaction with other races.

While there was anger towards the persecution, the realization that they were the ones who sowed the seeds of their own downfall prevailed."

"The Elves were the ones who solved the problem of the 'Miasma.' A giant tree that grew near the capital city of 'Titania' purified the 'Miasma' that had spread throughout the world. This giant tree is known as the 'World Tree.'"

"That's the tree Takumi and the others are searching for."

Finally, we found a clue about the 'World Tree'... I should be glad, but a cold sweat ran down my back.

...Where did the Elves obtain the 'World Tree'?

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