After the fall of the Jighar, Leo remained standing silently amidst the depths of the forest, while fragments of blood and scattered mana slowly dissolved between the dense grass and ancient roots.
Before him stood his illusionary copies.
Perfect replicas.
So identical that the sight itself felt unsettling.
The same face. The same height. Even the subtle expressions on their features seemed like reflections cast from a distorted magical mirror.
Leo observed them quietly, his golden eyes examining every minute detail with frightening focus.
Then his thoughts began to race.
How long could these copies remain active?
Did their existence depend solely on mana consumption, or was there another hidden condition sustaining them?
And the mana required to create each individual clone…
Would the consumption increase as the number of copies multiplied?
More importantly…
Was this ability classified as mental magic?
Or were these merely advanced visual illusions capable of deceiving reality itself?
And then came the question that interested him the most.
Could he alter their appearance?
Change their faces?
Imitate entirely different individuals?
Every possibility caused the value of the Eye of Fate to rise higher and higher within his mind.
The eye no longer resembled a simple combat ability.
It felt more like an authority capable of manipulating perception itself.
And while he was still immersed in thought…
He suddenly sensed something.
Eyes.
Watching him from deep within the shadows.
Leo did not move.
Nor did he reveal any obvious reaction.
But he had already detected the intruder the moment he stepped within range.
One of the members of the secret opposition faction had been sent specifically to monitor him and gather information.
The man concealed himself between the trees, desperately trying to suppress his breathing, but what he had just witnessed made his blood run cold.
A Jighar-class magical beast… killed instantly in a single strike.
A Fourth Circle spell cast without chant or delay.
And an unknown ability that completely erased the Jighar's illusions as if they had never existed.
It was enough to plant genuine terror inside his heart.
"What if he realizes I'm spying on him…?"
The mere thought sent chills crawling through his body.
As a result, the spy never even considered fighting.
He slowly retreated into the darkness, but before long, that retreat turned into outright escape, as though remaining near Leo for even one more second might cost him his life.
---
Later that day…
After the uproar surrounding the appearance of the "Messenger of the World Tree" had calmed slightly within elven society…
The atmosphere inside the royal palace was entirely different.
Quiet.
Heavy.
A silence burdened by years of exhaustion and worry.
Inside one of the royal chambers, the King and Queen sat together with Eliaria in what appeared, at least on the surface, to be a warm family gathering.
Yet beneath that warmth lingered countless complicated emotions.
The Queen was the first to speak.
She looked directly at her daughter before asking calmly:
"What exactly is your relationship with that human?"
Eliaria slowly lifted her head and answered with steady composure:
"He is my teacher… and my savior."
Silence followed briefly.
Then the Queen asked again:
"And what do you think of him?"
This time…
Eliaria hesitated.
Because the truth was that she herself did not fully understand what she felt toward Leo.
At times, she remembered the warmth of the hand he extended toward her within that dark prison when she had been alone and broken.
At other times, she saw the cold and merciless mentor guiding her through the path of magic without hesitation or comfort.
He was difficult to understand.
Strange.
Mysterious.
Yet…
After a moment, Eliaria took a quiet breath and finally spoke.
"He's a mysterious person… and sometimes cold."
"Different from ordinary humans."
Then her voice softened slightly.
"To many people, his actions may appear cruel… but beneath that cruelty, there's genuine kindness."
She raised her eyes and looked directly at her mother.
"And the one thing I can say with certainty…"
"He's a good person."
The Queen narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Can you prove that?"
Eliaria fell silent.
For several long seconds.
Then she answered with faint hesitation:
"I don't have clear proof right now…"
"But… please trust me."
"He isn't a bad person."
The Queen released a quiet sigh.
From the very beginning, she had felt an instinctive caution toward Leo.
Not because of any particular reason.
Simply an uncomfortable feeling she could not explain.
The King, however, appeared calmer and more rational, though caution still lingered beneath his expression.
He stared at his daughter for a long moment before asking in a firm voice touched by fatherly concern:
"Can you truly say with complete confidence… that he is a good human?"
For the first time since the conversation began…
Eliaria answered without the slightest hesitation.
"Yes."
Silence filled the chamber once more.
Then the King slowly nodded.
"Very well."
"I believe you."
The Queen's eyes widened instantly.
"My dear?!"
But the King calmly replied:
"I trust my daughter."
Afterward, he changed the subject.
"Let us set aside the matter of that human for now."
Then his gaze softened with genuine concern.
"Tell us everything that happened during your disappearance."
Eliaria lowered her eyes slightly.
"…Alright."
And so she began recounting everything.
From beginning…
To end.
The prison.
The fear.
The escape.
Her journey with Leo.
Everything she had endured during that period.
And with every word she spoke…
The expressions of the King and Queen gradually filled with pain.
Until eventually, both of them were quietly crying as they listened to the suffering their daughter had endured.
Their conversation continued deep into the night…
Like a broken family desperately trying to mend what time and suffering had shattered.
---
Meanwhile…
Inside a hidden underground chamber concealed far from prying eyes…
The opposition faction quietly prepared its schemes.
They were not foolish enough to choose direct confrontation.
Not now.
The divine revelation was still fresh, and elven society remained trapped within an overwhelming wave of religious fervor after the appearance of the World Tree's Messenger.
Any direct attack against Leo at this stage could easily become a disaster for them.
And so…
They chose a different weapon.
Rumors.
A slow poison capable of devouring faith from within.
"The Church fabricated the revelation."
"Leo used magic to manipulate the Saintess."
"Humans can never be trusted."
They spread those whispers quietly through hidden circles, believing that repetition over time would eventually transform doubt into accepted truth.
In their eyes…
Destroying the Messenger socially and religiously was far more effective than attempting to kill him outright.
---
As for Leo…
He listened to all of it in complete silence.
After discovering the spy who had been observing him earlier, he had secretly placed a listening spell on the man out of simple curiosity, wishing to learn who stood behind him.
Because of that, every detail of their plans now reached his ears clearly.
Yet strangely enough…
He did not particularly care.
From the very beginning, the title of "Messenger of the World Tree" had never truly meant anything to him.
Not authority.
Not status.
Not holiness.
To him, it was nothing more than a title.
And so, rather than anger…
What he felt was curiosity.
Curiosity about how far this entire game would go.
Would politics manage to overcome faith?
Or would religion crush everyone who dared oppose it?
At that thought…
A faint, mysterious smile appeared upon his lips, carrying a trace of cold amusement.
Then he murmured quietly to himself:
"I truly wonder…"
"Can politics overcome religion… or not?"