"Hooo..."

"Why the sigh? Something troubling you?"

"That's what being an adult is all about. A constant stream of worries."

"Hmph. Being an adult sounds tough."

Two days had passed since the events at the World Tree.

Karpe was feeling conflicted.

The moment he'd confirmed the contents of the stone coffin, Karpe had immediately grasped how the story was unfolding.

Not 100% perfect, perhaps, but probably 90% accurate.

It was the result of his diligent investigation over the past two days.

Beside Karpe, a young elf girl skipped along merrily.

She looked about six or seven years old, in human terms.

She was an elf girl he'd befriended while doing various quests in the village. Her name was Zenia.

At first, she'd approached him with a mixture of curiosity and fear, seeing him as a strange human. But now, she was comfortable enough to beam at Karpe when he patted her head.

"Zenia."

"Hm?"

"Did you know the Queen can control ice?"

"Yep! I know! That's why it's cool in the summer. Oh, Mom says that a loooong time ago, the Queen couldn't use ice magic either! She must have studied really hard to learn it."

"...I see."

She couldn't use it in the past, huh?

Karpe gave a wry smile. It seemed his suspicions were confirmed.

• Why the long face? Just follow the scenario as it is.

'Because I know how it ends. It won't be a happy ending for the elves.'

Not a bad ending either, but... it was a complicated situation.

Karpe gently stroked Zenia's hair and asked, "Do you like the Queen?"

"Yeah. I like her a lot. The Queen saved me when I got lost in the forest! But it turned out the Queen was lost too, so Sias ended up saving us both!"

"Really? When was that?"

"Umm... about 40 years ago?"

"...40 years?"

Karpe's hand, which had been stroking Zenia's hair, stopped.

"Zenia. How old are you, exactly?"

"Me? I'm 56."

"...You're my senior, then. I apologize."

He had dared to stroke the head of a woman more than twice his age. How disrespectful.

'Wait, but if elves live about 10 times longer than humans, then 56 in elf years is like 5 or 6 in human years...'

• What kind of Einstein-level epiphany is that? Does time flow relatively? 56 is 56. What's with the human age comparison?

'…Right? I was just saying.'

• And anyway, she's an NPC. Why does her age even matter? Stop getting so invested. Start getting ready.

'Right.'

He had been diligently playing the game.

Quests, grinding, collecting... He had leveled up as efficiently as possible, and now was the time to reap the rewards.

"Quest window."

Ding.

[1 hour and 37 seconds remain until the Rudram Fruit is fully ripe.]

And it was now exactly one hour until the fruit was fully ripe.

[Scenario Event - Fragment's Assault will begin!]

Dong! Dong!

"Emergency! Emergency! Monsters are attacking!"

"Hurry! Gather the children in one place and protect them thoroughly!"

"Rudram, grant us your blessing!"

Rumble...

He could feel it. A massive horde of monsters was rushing towards them.

It was the appearance of the monster army controlled by Seo Bingje.

"Everyone, load your weapons! Stand by!"

"Load! Stand by!"

At the command of Kroze, the defense captain, the elf archers nocked arrows to their bows.

There were about 200 of them. Considering that the population of the small village was less than 500, they had gathered all the available fighting force.

"Hoo."

But in contrast, the monster horde visible beyond the wooden fence seemed to number at least 1,000.

From small monsters like sap worms to goblins, orcs, and even the occasional troll.

Kroze clicked his tongue.

"More than I thought. They've been hiding well."

Despite diligently carrying out extermination efforts for so long, so many had remained.

It seemed that Seo Bingje's fragment had gathered all the wild monsters in the forest.

And at the center of the monster horde...

A blue mantis, as if carved from ice, glared menacingly.

Its gaze was fixed on the red fruit hanging at the end of the World Tree's branch.

"…That monster! How dare it!"

Enraged by the blatant gaze, Kroze wanted to rush out immediately, but he couldn't.

The World Tree's protection only extended to the wooden fence in front of them.

If they went outside, the elves would also be susceptible to Seo Bingje's mind control.

"Calm yourself, Kroze."

"…I apologize, Queen. I showed an unsightly display."

"Do not be impatient. This is a battle where we only need to defend. No matter what it does, we must not let it pass through here."

After saying that, Altere looked around.

Amidst the elves waiting with their bows drawn, she noticed the figures of two unusual individuals.

The descendant of the Magic King. And Tina.

They were watching the monsters' movements with serious expressions.

Altere smiled slightly at the sight and was about to approach them when...

"Kieeeek!!"

Seo Bingje's fragment shrieked with a piercing voice.

As Seo Bingje's signal fell, the eyes of the monsters, which had been standing blankly, began to gleam with ferocity.

"Groooo!"

"Krahrahrahrah!"

The monsters roared and charged towards the wooden fence.

Kroze reacted immediately.

"Defend it at all costs! For the village, for your families, for the sacred tree... Fire!"

"Defend!"

"Rudram, grant us your blessing!"

At her signal, the elves released their arrows.

And so, the battle began.

"Hold them back! Don't let a single one through!"

"Fire!"

The wooden fence was tall and sturdy, more like a wooden wall than a fence.

Therefore, the battle naturally took on the aspect of a siege.

The elves shot magic and arrows at the monsters climbing the fence, doing their best to stop them.

"Archers, prioritize the flying ones! Mages, cast Greek magic on the fence!"

Kroze shouted instructions.

Even as he did so, his eyes quickly scanned the battlefield.

'Why isn't it moving?'

The monsters continued to charge, but Seo Bingje's fragment, their most powerful force, remained standing in place.

It was simply staring at the World Tree's fruit with its triangular eyes.

"Tch!"

Enraged by the sight, Kroze imbued his arrow with wind magic.

It wouldn't work anyway, but at least he would feel better if he shot an arrow.

Ping!

The wind arrow tore through the air with terrifying speed.

"…Huh?!"

Kroze stared in disbelief.

The arrow he had shot in a fit of anger had pierced Seo Bingje's fragment.

Clang!

Seo Bingje, or rather, the ice statue in the shape of Seo Bingje, shattered into pieces and scattered in the wind.

"A trick?! Queen! …Huh?"

Kroze frantically looked for Altere, but he couldn't help but make another dumbfounded sound.

Altere was nowhere to be found on the battlefield.

Furthermore, the descendant of the Magic King and Tina were also missing.

"What in the world is going on?!"

Only Kroze's bewildered voice echoed across the battlefield.

"Hoo."

Altere, who had secretly left the battlefield, had arrived in front of the World Tree.

She stroked the World Tree with eyes filled with complex emotions and murmured.

"…Today will be the last day."

The reason she had come here alone, without the other elves knowing, was simple.

The battle that was about to take place could not be seen by the other elves.

Altere had recognized it at a glance.

The Seo Bingje fragment in the monster horde was a fake made of ice.

A feint.

Seo Bingje was using the mind-controlled monsters to draw attention, and then secretly approaching the World Tree. It was a rather shallow tactic.

She glared at the air and opened her mouth.

"Show yourself."

[Kekeke. You're different from the other fools, Elf Queen.]

At Altere's words, Seo Bingje's fragment, which had been blending in with the surrounding scenery, revealed itself.

Seo Bingje's fragment had been hiding in the scenery using the Ultimate Camouflage effect.

And Karpe and Tina, who had been hiding behind a rock, also revealed themselves.

"…Huh?"

"…Oh? Weren't you calling us? I thought you noticed us following you when you said 'Show yourself'."

"I thought so too, Master."

"Tch! Why are you here! Get behind me quickly…"

[How dare you!]

It was then.

[Eternal Frost!]

Seo Bingje, thinking that they were playing a prank on him, became enraged and unleashed his ultimate skill.

Kwaaaack!

The wave of ice was about to engulf the three of them.

"Hmph!"

Altere stretched out both hands. Then, a curtain of fire soared up, colliding violently with the Eternal Frost.

Kwaang!

Fire and ice collided, creating steam.

Surprisingly, she had blocked a 9-star skill on her own.

She seemed to have taken some damage, but it didn't seem to be a major issue.

She frowned and grumbled.

"Ugh. It's still a barbaric power. It's fortunate that it's weakened. Otherwise, I would have frozen solid. Karpe, are you alright?"

"Yes. I'm fine. No, more than that…"

Drawn by the blazing heat, Karpe's gaze turned to her arms.

Surprisingly, her arms had transformed into large wings with flames swirling around them, like a phoenix.

No matter how you looked at it, it wasn't an ability that an 'elf' should have.

"…You're not surprised, as expected. When did you realize?"

"I became certain two days ago. When you went inside the World Tree, I followed you."

"…I see. You must have seen me transform into that thing. Then you had no choice but to notice."

In fact, even after seeing that, he hadn't quite grasped it.

He had only realized it for sure when he checked inside the stone coffin.

Instead of the Magic King's relic that should have been inside the coffin, he had found the 'real' Altere, barely breathing and in a state of suspended animation.

What? Was Seo Bingje impersonating Altere after sealing her away?

At first, he had thought so, but he quickly shook his head.

The relic was missing.

The relic was designed to stop functioning if someone other than the Magic King's descendant tried to take it.

If Seo Bingje's fragment had done it, the relic would have been destroyed long ago.

But the Magic King's relic quest was still in progress. That meant the relic was intact.

Then why had the relic disappeared?

The conclusion was quickly reached.

The Magic King's relic itself was moving with its own will.

Just like the situation in front of him.

The Magic King's second relic.

A doppelganger-based homunculus.

The Mirage of Illusion.

That was the true identity of the Elf Queen Altere.

"Thinking about it, there were quite a few hints."

'I apologize, Master. The Elf Forest has the effect of disrupting magic power, making it difficult for homunculi, which are magical creatures, to find their way.'

That was what Tina had said when they first entered the Elf Forest, and it was the reason why Altere was directionally challenged.

Besides that, she had suddenly started using ice magic that she couldn't use before.

The lazy queen had suddenly become diligent after the incident 800 years ago.

She had been impersonating the Elf Queen for some reason since 800 years ago.

"But why did you transform into Seo Bingje on top of the stone coffin?"

"That's… I'll tell you later. Right now, let's deal with the enemy in front of us."

Although her skill had been blocked, Seo Bingje's fragment didn't care in the slightest.

[Hand over the fruit. Then I will retreat peacefully.]

"I can never give it to you."

[Then death it is!]

A sound like scraping metal struck his head.

Not liking that his attack had been blocked, he exuded a terrifying aura.

The aura was so terrifying that Karpe swallowed involuntarily.

'Can we really win this?'

It was a similar feeling to when he had faced the spirit possessing the fanatic priest after defeating him.

The overwhelming difference in power threatened to break his will.

But.

"Master. You don't need to worry too much."

"Huh?"

"Just like when I defeated the Weishin when I first met Master, the Mirage still holds power."

"Indeed, as Tina says. Descendant of the Magic King... no, Master. Watch from there."

Whoosh!

A fierce wind began to swirl around her.

"The power held by the Magic King's doll!"

The Mirage began to be enveloped in a bright light.

Doppelgangers are basically copying monsters.

They perfectly replicate the appearance and memories of their opponents, use the same skills, and create chaos within the party.

The Mirage also possessed the same abilities as a doppelganger.

However, as one of the seven dolls called the Magic King's masterpieces, it had a special ability that other doppelgangers did not.

It was the ability to transform into the being that the opponent feared the most.

Swish.

The beautiful appearance of the Elf Queen Altere gradually faded away, and a new form was created.

Taller, and wearing a thick robe instead of the Queen's flowing clothes, it was a human male.

A young man with short, blue hair that suited him well.

[You!!]

The Seo Bingje fragment, witnessing Altere's transformation, shouted in excitement.

It couldn't help it.

The being before him was the human who had first instilled the fear of death in him.

The Magic King.

Dretsch Akram.

The first emperor of the Akram Empire, who had driven Seo Bingje's fragment to the brink of death 800 years ago.

He grinned and said, "Now, let's put an end to this tiresome, ill-fated relationship, you monster."