I Picked up the Demon King - Chapter 49

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 49

 

-You said yourself that you’re not a knight. Yes, that’s the correct answer. To think you could make me laugh this much. I’d say your qualifications as a jester are exceptional!

 

The Demon Lord’s laughter rang in my head.

 

As always, it wasn’t exactly a pleasant sound to hear, but paradoxically, it seemed to help me calm down.

 

The fact that he was laughing so comfortably meant the situation wasn’t completely hopeless. At least I wouldn’t be dissected by the Elves who wanted to extract the World Tree Branch right away.

 

…Though I couldn’t guarantee even that after some time passed.

 

Counting the fruits in the basket, there were clearly over thirty at a glance.

 

I couldn’t find a gap to escape or see outside, but air seemed to circulate somewhat, so if I ate one per day, that would be a month. Even eating three a day, I could spend ten days in here.

 

These Elves had lived too long and lost their humanity. Was it overthinking to assume there was meaning in the number of fruits placed there?

 

‘There’s no point thinking about it right now.’

 

I sighed and organized the situation.

 

I was trapped in the middle of the Great Forest, on top of the tallest tree no less.

 

I couldn’t just rampage around trying to escape. If I tried to break the wooden walls with Explosion, I’d hardly survive either, and I’d tried Ice Spirit attacks but they weren’t very effective.

 

It wasn’t that I couldn’t make any scratches, but it would take considerable time to break through the wall. And the Elves were unlikely to just leave a breached wall alone during that time.

 

Even if I somehow managed to break through the wall while avoiding the Elves’ notice, that would still be a problem.

 

It had been comfortable being led up by the Elves, but jumping down recklessly would be fatal even with my enhanced physical abilities.

 

“Something like Flight Magic…”

-It wouldn’t be hard to teach you, but with your mana level, the magic would dispel before you reached the ground.

 

Having acquired some magical theory by now, I could understand that the Demon Lord’s words made sense considering how Flight Magic worked.

 

There were broadly two types of spells commonly called Flight Magic: one manipulated gravity’s direction to lift the body, while the other used continuous, powerful winds to raise the body.

 

Naturally, they were the epitome of inefficiency.

 

Master’s perception of Flight Magic was that it was ‘something old mages with mana to spare used pointlessly to create atmosphere.’

 

Even though I had passed through two trials, I’d only been seriously learning Dark Magic for a few months at most.

 

Naturally, my mana was woefully insufficient to use such inefficient magic. Moreover, I hadn’t even grasped the changes that came as a result of the Second Trial.

 

“Hah…”

 

Since I’d been forcibly given free time, I should do the things I’d been putting off.

 

How to use the Six Arms I’d finally learned, what I needed to do to further develop my Ice Spirit power… After checking my abilities and starting to gather mana, several hours later.

 

“…?”

 

Suddenly, a gap opened in the tree.

 

It was such a small gap that I wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t been looking in that direction.

 

Looking outside through the gap with bewilderment and joy, it was dark. Since we’d arrived at the Great Forest around lunchtime, it was about time for night.

 

“What a killer view…”

 

It was spectacular.

 

The Great Forest with endless green trees stretching out. A river visible in the distance and stars twinkling in the sky. Most of all, the breeze flowing through the gap was refreshing.

 

The beautiful scenery seemed to inspire by itself, as if drawing out magical achievement…

 

“…!”

 

Something suddenly appeared, blocking my view. What looked like a white background with a yellow dot moved for a moment, then turned toward me.

 

I instinctively stepped back.

 

I realized it was someone’s eyeball after the gap in the tree widened a bit more.

 

“Shh.”

 

It was Birutta.

 

She looked around as if wary of someone not present, then walked through the gap that had somehow widened enough for a person to pass through.

 

“What, what is this?”

 

It was bewildering.

 

She had suddenly imprisoned me, and now came to find me after just a few hours. And that bewilderment grew even greater.

 

Birutta, who had entered, knelt down right there.

 

“…”

“…”

 

Elves are taciturn.

 

That was something I’d fully realized through our past journey together. But shouldn’t she say something in a situation like this?

 

“Hey. Say something.”

“…My rudeness.”

“…?”

“Please forgive my rudeness.”

“Right. You were being quite rude.”

“…!”

“That’s enough, just explain the current situation.”

 

Birutta slowly but briefly summarized the key points and conveyed them to me.

 

Since a clue to fulfill their long-cherished wish had rolled right to their feet, it was perhaps natural. It seems opinions among the elves are quite divided regarding me.

 

There are those who aim for forced cooperation by manipulating my mind, and as I had worried, there are also those who want to dissect me to separate the World Tree branch.

 

It seems there are quite many who doubt the Tree Searchers’ claims, questioning whether it’s even possible for a human to absorb a branch in the first place.

 

And among them, a very small number…

 

Centered around the Tree Searchers including Birutta, there were also those who wanted to regard me as the World Tree’s representative and support me.

 

“Please, for our sake, return to your complete form once more…”

“…”

 

Though each had different directions for their actions, the impression I gained about the elves through Birutta’s words was singular.

 

‘Fanatics.’

 

Fanatics who, regardless of their methods, dreamed of the World Tree’s resurrection by somehow using me. The elves’ obsession with the World Tree seemed to be on a level that was in no way inferior compared to the Holy Knight Order’s obsession with the Religious Order.

 

Birutta, who was kneeling before me, would surely change her attitude completely if she knew I had not even the slightest interest in the World Tree’s resurrection.

 

‘Just asking in case, but reviving the World Tree…’

-It’s impossible.

 

The Demon Lord declared firmly.

 

-The World Tree is a tree that connects worlds, extending its roots to the Demon Realm and supporting the Heavenly Realm with its branches. That’s not just words showing how amazing the World Tree is. The World Tree can only take root in the Demon Realm. And now the Demon Realm is…

‘Ruined.’

 

Not even a year had passed since the Hero’s subjugation of the Demon Realm ended.

 

The only living things left in the Demon Realm were maggots and swarms of flies that fed on corpses, and even the Demon Lord, the master of the world, had died and his soul was shattered.

 

So according to the Demon Lord’s words… it meant that for the elves to fulfill their wish, they would first need to rebuild the Demon Realm before the World Tree’s resurrection.

 

That was truly an absurd notion.

 

I didn’t know how the current Hero’s companions were composed, but among the First Hero’s companions recorded in history, it was the Elf Queen who was known to hate demons the most.

 

-Of course, even if the Demon Realm were intact, that wouldn’t be enough.

 

If it were, the World Tree would have been resurrected before the Current Hero appeared.

 

‘Then?’

-If they could use a part of the World Tree as a catalyst, perhaps they might have succeeded. And the only trace of the World Tree left in the world is…

 

The branch I absorbed, is that it?

 

‘Just asking in case, when did you obtain the World Tree branch?’

-Well. I don’t remember clearly.

 

Though the Demon Lord spoke while feigning ignorance, it seemed that this guy stealing the World Tree branch had become the reason the elves had been desperately pursuing the World Tree’s resurrection for thousands of years.

 

“Haah…”

 

A sigh escaped me naturally.

 

It wasn’t that I felt sorry or anything. Regardless of the help I had received before, they had imprisoned me and were threatening my life.

 

I was just newly realizing that this guy clinging to me truly wasn’t helpful to the world in any way, and I was only troubled about what to do going forward.

 

-What’s there to worry about? I’m getting bored just watching. With such appetizing prey right before our eyes, do you intend to hold back?

“What?”

 

The Demon Lord paused as if contemplating for a moment, then spoke.

 

-Though the elves can’t compare to the people of the Demon Realm, they’re among the outstanding ones in the Middle Realm. For you who has no foundation, they look quite decent.

 

Could it be, the Demon Lord’s words right now…

 

-Since we’ve come this far anyway, wouldn’t it be good to take the elves under your wing?

 

Elves are a long-lived species that live for extended periods. Though their numbers are few, considering the level of individual martial prowess they possess, they would be a force comparable to almost an entire nation.

 

Taking such beings under my wing? If I could manage it, it would be quite reassuring.

 

“From now on, come find me at this time every day.”

 

If Birutta disappeared right now, it would be like being left alone in this place where I had no connections.

 

Even if their ideology was questionable, the Tree Searchers were the ones who could be most helpful to me. I had no intention of transforming into the World Tree and remaining in the Great Forest forever, and though I didn’t know if it was even possible, I needed to show an attitude of trying to meet their expectations.

 

Birutta’s head, which had been slightly raised, turned toward the ground again.

 

The Demon Lord was just giggling and watching me speak. Unlike with Simone, he didn’t tell me what to say.

 

Still, having that experience, there probably wouldn’t be any problems with my acting. Probably.

 

“I will watch how you reach a conclusion about me. My conclusion about you will also come at that time.”

“…Yes.”

 

Birutta slipped out through the widening gap. The gap closed again, but like before, a narrow space remained through which I could look outside.

 

The scenery remained as beautiful as ever. But my feelings as I gazed upon it were incredibly complicated.

 

“Well, I did make that declaration…”

 

As the tension released, I slumped down onto the floor.

 

“You must have some method in mind to say something like that, right?”

-That’s simple. Just resurrect the World Tree.

“….”

 

I see.

 

If I resurrected the World Tree, the Elves who achieved their lifelong wish would express immense gratitude to me. Whether that would be enough to earn their loyalty, I wasn’t sure.

 

The important thing was.

 

“You said it’s impossible, you crazy bastard.”

-Kahahaha!

 

The night passed as I bickered with the laughing Demon Lord.

 

Day passed, and night came again.

 

Birutta did not return.

 

* * *

 

Somewhere in the Great Forest. Beside a lake where moonlight had settled, a densely grown tree swayed.

 

“Mmph, mmph…!”

 

About ten Elves hung from the tree, gagged and bound hand and foot, writhing helplessly.

 

It was completely unbelievable that such a thing was happening in the Great Forest, the Elves’ own territory. However, the other Elves watching seemed accustomed to it, paying no attention as they concentrated on chanting spells.

 

The magic circle drawn on the ground flickered and glowed in response to the chanting. The hanging Elves writhed in agony.

 

“…Tree Searchers.”

“We thank you for your efforts.”

 

Above the chanting voices, voices echoed from all directions.

 

Someone slowly walked forward.

 

“Thanks to you, we have drawn closer to our wish.”

 

As he approached the magic circle, the voices echoing from the surroundings gradually subsided.

 

“However.”

 

Finally, the one standing in the center of the magic circle raised his head to look at the hanging Elves.

 

“You have been contaminated by living alongside humans. Your very existence must be agony with every breath.”

“Mmph, mmph…!”

“Do not fear. Our death is not annihilation.”

 

The chanting voices completely disappeared, but the light emanating from the magic circle grew increasingly intense. When the light finally became so bright it was difficult to keep one’s eyes open.

 

“Wait.”

 

He frowned.

 

“One is missing.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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