“You’re saying you’re going to go down?”

Robert laughed as if he had just heard a funny joke.

“The Elven Forest, no matter how far on the outskirts, isn’t a place you can recklessly approach. There are those who guard the outer edges relentlessly. You can’t land, and even if you stop midair, you’ll have to maintain an altitude of at least 300 meters.”

In truth, even 300 meters was extremely low. That figure was only possible if one made the maximum concession.

“And what about the equipment loaded in the cargo hold?”

Robert recalled the equipment that filled the cargo bay to the brim.

Not only was the sheer quantity impressive, but every single piece was an important artifact.

To move items of that caliber, specialized personnel were needed, and it would take a considerable amount of time.

But if they were to move those directly into the forest, they would have to be dropped straight down. What kind of madman would throw artifacts from high altitude? Do you know how much each one costs?

“You don’t need to worry about that. You just do your part.”

“...Ha. This is difficult to even comment on. The way you say it so confidently makes it sound like you really have a plan.”

Robert scratched the back of his head and shook it.

“Tch. I doubt persuasion will change anything. Fine, I’ll follow orders. But don’t regret it later.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if the job is done quickly?”

“Well, yes, but still.”

Hans, who had been listening nearby, asked nervously.

“Boss. Are you sure this is okay?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re saying instead of entering gradually from the outside, we’re going to head straight into the forest interior and jump down right there. Sure, that would drastically reduce the time, but it’s incredibly dangerous.”

It was said that elves, attuned to the forest, could immediately detect intruders.

Once the vegetation corps received information, they would relay it through their deep roots into the Wood Network in real time.

Even in places not directly within an elf’s line of sight, if it was the forest, one’s position and identity would be exposed right away.

“That’s fine. I can fool their eyes.”

Ludger said this while glancing at Bellaruna.

“A few seconds will be enough.”

“...Tch. All right.”

Convinced by Ludger’s firm attitude, Hans couldn’t say more.

He too inwardly felt the need to shorten the time.

Once the Lifret Family seized the World Tree’s authority fully by using Sedina, no one knew what might happen.

‘It’ll be the return of the racial war that ended at least a hundred years ago.’

That was something that had to be prevented at all costs.

Robert returned to the cockpit to take the controls again, while the rest of the group discussed the plan for after they reached the forest.

The important thing was to decide what to do once they arrived.

The first to speak was Vierno.

“We probably won’t be able to approach the kingdom directly. The Lifret Family is surely monitoring every movement in and out.”

“Even if you use the Dentis Family’s authority?”

“To be honest, yes. The Dentis Family is one of the Seven Roots, but among them, we are the weakest. And since we maintain neutrality, belonging to neither moderates nor radicals, we’re kept in check by both sides, making it difficult to act freely.”

“We need to understand the other Elven factions first.”

Vierno immediately summoned a water spirit.

Droplets formed in midair, long and thin, sketching a map.

In an instant, a three-dimensional map drawn in water appeared before them.

At the map’s center towered a massive tree that drew everyone’s gaze.

That was the World Tree.

“Renar Tyrone is a vast kingdom circling the World Tree as its center.”

The World Tree rose skyward, so tall it seemed to pierce the heavens.

Its breadth was beyond imagination.

The Serendel Royal Castle was a massive marble structure attached directly to the World Tree.

“The family that lives closest to the World Tree and effectively holds supreme authority is the Lifret Family. And the Shadewardens, their most loyal vassals, belong to them as well.”

“Where is the Dentis Family on this map?”

Vierno gave a bitter smile and pointed to one corner.

It was a very small section.

“The Dentis Family handles the forest outskirts. So within the forest, our territory is extremely small.”

And even that was on the far outer edge of the kingdom.

Compared to the other Seven Roots, the Dentis Family’s power was pitifully lacking.

The only family of somewhat similar position was another neutral one.

“And between the World Tree and the outside, what is often called the Wood Section, there are three families. All of them belong to the moderates.”

Radix, who oversaw the kingdom’s defense.

Crown, who supervised the forest’s network.

Flohim, who controlled the commerce spanning the entire forest.

Vierno ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) called them the Three Noble Families.

“And the last one is Burke, alongside us at the forest outskirts. They are guardians of the frontier who stop foreign invaders. Like us, they maintain neutrality.”

“The Elven Kingdom is more politically complicated than I thought.”

Alex gave his honest impression after hearing Vierno’s explanation.

Radicals: “Lifret” and “Shadewarden.”

Moderates: “Radix,” “Crown,” and “Flohim.”

Neutrals: “Dentis” and “Burke.”

Among them, Lifret held the most authority over the World Tree and was the strongest family in existence.

The three moderate families had united in order to check Lifret’s dominance.

But even tying up with the moderates wouldn’t end well.

It had been moderates who commissioned the assassination of Sedina’s mother.

If they discovered Sedina’s true identity, and if they learned that she had been kidnapped by the Shadewarden trackers—

They would stop at nothing to erase her.

In the end, the only ones they could rely on were the Dentis Family, managed by Vierno, and the neutral Burke Family.

“Elves are not the lofty race people think them to be. Perhaps in the distant past, they were. But over the long ages, they have degenerated.”

“Hmm. Then with things as they are, isn’t it practically impossible to get into the royal castle?”

“Indeed. If I tried to enter the kingdom, the Lifret Family would immediately become suspicious.”

“Can’t you use the excuse of coming home for the holidays?”

“During Seorn’s vacations, I did often return to the forest, but I always stayed on my family’s outer lands, never going to the royal castle. I knew too well I’d be poorly received there. Looking back, I should have at least made acquaintances.”

Vierno laughed self-mockingly.

Ludger spoke.

“Besides, the one who was kidnapped was a student of Seorn. Considering which faction you belong to, Professor Vierno, the Lifret Family will never agree to meet you.”

Ludger too decided Alex’s idea was impossible.

“So there’s no way into the royal castle?”

“Oh, I think there is.”

At that moment, the one who raised her hand and spoke was Bellaruna.

Everyone’s eyes turned to her.

In such a hopeless situation, expectations were low—but Bellaruna had a habit of occasionally blurting out outrageous things.

And, as if not to disappoint, this time was no exception.

“I know a secret underground passage into the castle.”

“Wha...?”

Vierno’s startled voice rang out, demanding clarification.

He was the only one to speak, because the others were too dumbfounded to even open their mouths.

“An underground passage? You’re saying Serendel Castle has such a hidden place? Or do you mean an underground aqueduct...?”

“Oh, no. Not in Renar Tyrone. I mean farther down.”

“Farther down?”

“In the underground caverns where the roots of the World Tree descend.”

Hans couldn’t hold back and asked.

“An underground cavern? Are you sure you’re not mistaken, confusing it with what was beneath the capital?”

“O-of course, there is such a thing under the capital as well, but there’s also a real one beneath the World Tree itself.”

“No, under a living World Tree, such a thing...”

“...might exist.”

It was Vierno who cut Hans off.

At first, he had been the most surprised at Bellaruna’s words, but something had flickered across his mind.

“The World Tree is a colossal tree. Think about how much water such an enormous tree would need to survive.”

“That’s...”

“People generally think trees absorb water and nutrients from soil. But in truth, trees draw the most water from the bedrock beneath. Their roots spread that deep and that wide. If even ordinary giant trees are like that, then what of the World Tree?”

Most likely, beneath the World Tree’s roots lay a vast natural underground cavern.

“So that’s why they tried to cultivate the World Tree beneath the capital.”

Ludger nodded, seeing the logic.

The great cavern beneath the capital had originally been created artificially to raise a World Tree.

He had first assumed it was to secretly nurture one underground—but no.

It was because the conditions were necessary for the growth of a World Tree.

“I recall reading something in old tomes. It said that beneath the World Tree’s roots was a forbidden place that none should ever enter. More than just untouchable—it was extremely dangerous. I dismissed it as baseless rumor or legend, but to think it was real...”

“I-It really does exist.”

“And how exactly did you learn of this, Miss Bellaruna?”

“Um... I found out while secretly hacking the World Tree. If you escape that way, no one can chase you.”

“...”

Bellaluna calmly admitted she knew because of a crime, leaving Vierno torn between scolding her or praising her.

Given the situation, he chose to take it as a fortunate fact.

“But through such an enormous underground cavern, is it even possible to reach the World Tree directly? Finding a path amid such tangled roots won’t be easy. And the scale must be staggering.”

“Th-that’s all right. I still remember the main route. I thought maybe someday I might need to sneak back in again, so I kept it. Hehe.”

“That...”

“Do you have something to say?”

“...No. Nothing.”

Vierno considered himself a just and upright person, one who would never hesitate to reprimand a student walking down the wrong path.

But when he looked at Bellaruna, he felt his breath catch.

This one—he could do nothing about her.

She was twisted like chaos itself from birth, incapable of normal reasoning. He had never met anyone of her kind before.

And instinct told him that no matter what he said, this elf could never be corrected.

He couldn’t help but cast a glance at Ludger.

—How in the world do you keep her with you?

—...

Ludger avoided his eyes.

Then Alex asked a question.

“But can you really climb all the way up to the World Tree’s trunk through its underground roots? Wouldn’t the earth block the way somewhere in between?”

“If it’s the World Tree, with roots that massive, there’ll be gaps wide enough for several people to pass. And if I access the World Tree in real time, I can easily confirm the routes.”

“Ohh. So that means we might have a chance to enter straight into the castle’s center.”

“But we can’t rely on that alone. Bellaruna has been away from the kingdom for years. It’s entirely possible the elves have noticed that weakness in the meantime and fortified it.”

Hans’s rebuttal was reasonable.

“For now, we should leave it open as one of our options.”

As Ludger murmured, an announcement rang through the airship cabin.

[Ah, this is the captain. We will soon arrive at our destination. Ladies and gentlemen, please remember to take your belongings with you. Anything left behind will not be delivered.]

Alex chuckled in amusement.

“He’s an entertaining fellow.”

“...It seems we’ll need to finish discussing the plan once we reach my family’s estate,” Vierno said.

Through the window, the sky appeared pitch-black, filled with countless gleaming stars.

Jewels scattered across the heavens—something impossible to see in soot-choked Rederbelk.

“It’s dark, but with so few clouds and so many stars, the guards on the forest’s outskirts might notice us.”

“There’s no need to worry about that,” Ludger reassured him.

And soon, the reason was revealed.

[Attention. The vessel will shake slightly. Please hold on tight to the handrails.]

The airship trembled faintly as the announcement ended.

One of the Chapellin airship’s special functions revealed itself.

Shhhhhh—

White vapor spread around the vessel.

It thickened into cloud, swallowing the airship whole.

“This is...”

“This Chapellin airship possesses a stealth camouflage function.”

Shrouded in clouds, the vessel crossed the boundary of the forest.

In daylight, it might have been noticeable, but in the dead of night, even elven eyes could be deceived.

Thus, the airship carried them much farther than their original planned drop-off.

Any farther would be too dangerous, so it halted at the optimal range.

Even at a glance, the forest interior was far denser and wilder than the outskirts.

To reach that deep without being noticed was impossible.

[This is as far as I can take you.]

“That’s more than enough.”

Ludger rose from his seat and walked to the hatch.

“Professor Ludger, what are you...”

Before Vierno could finish, Ludger swung the door wide open.

A cool night wind rushed inside.

One step forward would mean plunging hundreds of meters below.

Ludger turned his head slightly back.

“Let’s go.”

“Go? You can’t mean...”

“Didn’t I say? Once we reached the destination, we’d get off on our own.”

Ludger brushed his hair back with his fingers as the wind scattered it.

Vierno was speechless.

So that’s what he meant by ‘getting off on our own’?