The Time Stop Breeding Uncle Wants To Retire

74 – You must never provoke the canops (5)

Amelie proudly walked from the front. And after that, the chasing party marched in an orderly line. It feels like watching North Korea’s propaganda march.

I stuck close to Clara, afraid I might fall apart. If I were to be separated from Clara in this situation. At that time, you wouldn’t even be able to fight back against the real Amelie.

It looks like they’re going to make fun of it. Amelie placed Clara and me in front of her. Thanks to that, I feel like dying from acting. I’m glad Amelie didn’t pay attention to her.

If it wasn’t for that, she would have been caught long ago. Amelie and her tracking party entered the heart of the forest. The beautiful appearance I saw on the outside is gone. The entrance to the dirty forest was visible.

Stinking purple moss and sticky cobwebs were polluting the forest. Could it be that the demons intervened? I thought about that for a while. He soon rejected the idea.

The Elven Forest was one of the few areas that survived to the end in the original story. Although the forest has been polluted, its power has greatly weakened compared to its heyday.

If the demons had intervened, the Elven Forest would not have been as safe as the Dwarven Principality or the 12 tribes. However, the contamination of the forest has not yet been properly addressed.

So the community guessed that there was another reason. Could this be Amelie’s plot? But there isn’t too much information to be sure.

“It’s a very dirty place whenever I come.”

How long did it take? Arriving at the deepest depths, Amelie muttered as she whistled. But she doesn’t make any noise. Her voice rang out loudly.

I was looking at it in silence. It could be called a tree at first. However, it was different from ordinary trees. First of all, it was so huge that it was incomparable to a normal tree.

However, the condition was also not normal. Countless eyes were wriggling on the pillars of the tree. The roots protruding from the ground were chewing everything up and swallowing it inside.

It was more like a living creature than a tree. It’s also close to a monster. I swallowed the nausea that was about to come out at that terrible appearance. I felt the sour taste of gastric juice.

“Poor poor Cluna. You’re sacrificing hard today too.”

“Amelie?! How are you here…?!”

“I mean. I haven’t understood it since before. Why do we who have power have to sacrifice?”

And finally, I was able to meet Cluna again. Cluna’s wounds were covered with her blood. Could it be that he was fighting that tree? Even by yourself?

No, no. Let’s calm down

Amelie used the expression sacrifice. That means that Cluna alone will be sacrificed by that tree. That’s when her head gets complicated. Amelie laughed out loud.

“Isn’t it just a sacrifice of useless things? Then it’ll be quiet for at least 100 years, right?”

“I must have said many times. 100 Years is not enough time for future generations to grow…!!!”

“So what do you say? If it’s 100 years, you can go there and make a sacrifice. At that time, it might be about 200 years?”

“Amelie, you…!!!”

“Oops, could you please stop her? Unless you don’t want to see this kid get hurt.”

At that time, Clara, who was right next to me, moved. She walked forward Eventually, the moment Clara stands next to her. Cluna, who was watching the scene, was shocked.

“You don’t have to take off the mask to be able to recognize it, right?”

“Clara…?! Why! Didn’t you say you were back?!”

“I made a report like that. You know? The forest of the elves is already in my hands.”

“……What do you want, Amelie?”

“That you don’t die. That one is enough for me.”

Ah, now I understand. I infer from the experience of reading numerous anime and novels. The cause of forest pollution is that tree. Sacrifices to that goddamn tree reduce pollution.

But not just anyone can offer it. Depending on the quality of the sacrifice, the length of time the tree is silent increases. I don’t know the details, but it probably increases based on the amount of magic power.

In other words, Cluna was going to sacrifice herself. She intended to completely restore the forest by sacrificing herself to the tree. But she couldn’t tell Clara exactly that.

I went to the forest saying that I was going on vacation alone countless times. However, Clara was not standing still. Because mother and daughter She must have instinctively known that her mother was in danger.

“Rough understanding is over.”

“What?!”

I bumped my index and middle fingers. At the same time as the crashing sound resounded. The surrounding landscape turned gray. Then I was able to take off the mask. I turned my head.

I saw elves wearing masks.

Seeing that, I sighed.

When are you going to take off that mask? f*ck.

* * *

When did forest pollution begin?

It was a fact that only a few elves did not know about. Then, is it a blessing or a curse to be among the few elves? Cluna couldn’t answer her question.

If only it was a tree. You can also think of destroying it. But it’s not just a tree. The world tree that has been served since the beginning of time.

That was no different from religion for the elves. For this reason, elves tended to regard nature and, by extension, trees as sacred. Less now, though.

In the past, these values were enforced on other races. Thanks to this, the elves once had the experience of ruling over half of the continent. Although defeated by the allies.

[Isn’t it better to cut it off?]

[I can’t do that. Because our forest is maintained only when there is a world tree.]

[Then what about us?]

No adult answered that question. Cluna has had such thoughts since she was a child. Isn’t the abundance that only comes with someone’s sacrifice worse than not having it?

And that thought was reinforced when her mother was chosen as the sacrifice. Called the world tree, if it swallows sacrifices, it endures them as nourishment and enriches the forest.

The elves thoroughly hid this fact. Human sacrifice is to cause repulsion to other races. Even though I know that I am not proud of myself.

They, no, we couldn’t break away from the old ways. The choice of sacrifice rests with the elders. And, the next sacrifice chosen was none other than Clara and her daughter.

[Why was my daughter chosen as a sacrifice?!]

[Do not forget your duty as a watchman, Cluna.]

[Originally, you were the next sacrifice. Because of the many achievements you have accumulated so far, I have made concessions with your flesh and blood.]

[Sounds nonsense…… !!!]

It was a nauseous sound. In the end, to a subject that is nothing more than a bait to attract oneself. But I couldn’t turn away. What about the innocent elves out there?

If you just ignore it and run away. Someone else will be victimized. That was unacceptable to Cluna. It was because Cluna learned a lot from the first hero.

[In that case, I will be the sacrifice.]

It was natural to make such a choice in a way. But that’s what I said. I just didn’t mean to be taken lightly. Because she now has enough strength.

So I decided to treat the contaminated World Tree. If you fight and fail, you will be sacrificed. If you win, you’ll be able to go back. It was a good plan in its own right.

“Poor poor Cluna. You’re sacrificing hard today too.”

“Amelie?! How are you here…?!”

However, an unexpected hindrance intervened. Comrades who have fought together back to back until now. Amelie intervened on her own. Originally, she was excluded.

[Isn’t it better to bring elves and offer them instead of Cluna or Clara? The numbers are quite generous.]

Because I made such a ridiculous opinion in front of the elders and was rejected like a knife. But, I never thought she would come all the way here. Even with a group of elves.

Cluna tried to stop it. Because she knew what she was going to do. But she couldn’t. Because she recognized the elf that appeared behind Amelie.

“You don’t have to take off the mask to be able to recognize it, right?”

“Clara…?! Why! Didn’t you say you were back?!”

He’s wearing a mask. Although she covered herself with a robe. No matter how you look at it, such as movement and height, it was Clara. Could it be a lie? No, she’s not so stupid that she can’t tell a lie.

No one can deny that. It was the real Clara. At the same time, Cluna noticed Amelie’s intentions. The plan is to use Clara as a hostage to sacrifice the elves behind the scenes.

“……What do you want, Amelie?”

“That you don’t die. That one is enough for me.”

As expected, the answer that came back was the same. Amelie is the person she is if she really is. If she attacks Amelie, she might kill Amelie. But what’s left is the problem after that.

Looks like it’s engraved with a seal that controls the mind. He could have given an order just before his death to have him sacrificed to that tree. And that would include my daughter.

However, if she chooses her daughter, even the elves behind her may be sacrificed. I can’t guarantee that they are innocent, but I’m sure innocent elves who don’t know anything are also mixed in.

The moment of despair.

Ironically, it was only one human being that she came to mind.

“Rough understanding is over.”

And, like a lie. I heard the human voice.