Chapter 275: An opportunity!
"The power to end this war lies with your people, not with me. If you’re truly tired of the suffering, then work within your own political systems to advocate for peace. But asking a foreign merchant to somehow ’save’ your kingdom places responsibility in the wrong hands entirely."
Lola nodded in agreement, recognising the wisdom in Noah’s refusal to accept blame or responsibility for conflicts that preceded his arrival by centuries.
"You want change? Start by convincing people like your aunt to choose negotiation over annihilation," Noah concluded with honest directness. "That’s where real solutions begin."
Adrian sighed before saying, "You’ve misunderstood me, human shopkeeper. I’m not blaming you for the conflict, nor am I asking you to save our country out of pity. Rather, I’m requesting your help for a price."
"As for advocating for peace? I’ve done that plenty of times—my advocacy was only met with rejection. As for talking to the rulers, they would both chop my head off without restraint. I’ve tried everything already, and the only solution possibly lies in your hands."
"So I request that you end this war, and in exchange... I will lead you to the World Tree."
Lola’s eyes widened in shock before her expression shifted to anger. "How dare you! You’re trying to scam my boss into fighting for your cause by promising him something nobody knows the whereabouts of! It’s common knowledge that the elves lost contact with the World Tree centuries ago! Who are you trying to fool?"
Adrian nodded grimly. "Indeed, the elves lost touch with the World Tree for centuries. But... recently, some unexplainable phenomena have been occurring around both kingdoms, so I sent my loyal followers to investigate."
His voice had been a whisper throughout the mentioning of the world tree, deliberately concealing this information even from his fellow light elves. He had even made sure to conceal their conversation by using his mana to disrupt any eavesdropping. "The result was my discovery of the World Tree’s location."
Lola remained sceptical, shaking her head in disbelief. "I don’t believe it. If you had truly found it, you would have told your queen about the World Tree, and this war would have already ended in ways that would reshape this entire area."
"That was precisely the point," Adrian replied with grim determination. "I didn’t want the war to end the way my aunt intended. The queen wants the dark elves completely annihilated, and that approach is foolish beyond measure."
His voice carried passionate conviction as he continued. "The dark elves aren’t mentally ill or inherently evil—they simply possess different magical affinities and physical characteristics. I want to reestablish the old unified kingdom of the elves, where both dark and light elves coexisted in peace."
"Telling the queen about the World Tree’s location would seal the fate of the dark elves and anyone who opposes her vision of total dominance," Adrian explained with obvious frustration at his impossible position.
Noah looked between them with growing confusion, feeling completely lost in their exchange.
Lola turned to Noah to provide context. "The World Tree is legendary among elven societies—supposedly the source of all elven magical power and the original seat of their unified civilisation before the split occurred."
"If it truly exists and could be accessed, controlling it would grant whoever had the ability power that no elf would have. That level of power could indeed end the war, but through domination.
Adrian spoke with urgency. "The World Tree releases a single drop that contains pure mana essence. Once absorbed slowly by a user, it would allow them to reach levels of power they couldn’t even dream of achieving through normal means."
For the first time in a very long period, Noah’s system seemed compelled to interject with immediate commentary.
[Host, you must try to reach that World Tree. You cannot miss this opportunity.]
Noah’s eyes widened momentarily before he composed himself, maintaining a calm exterior while his mind raced with questions.
’What do you mean, system? Why do you seem so insistent about this? It’s not exactly easy to reach that location, especially with the current chaos. Grandmasters are dying like insects out there, let alone someone like me—a mere apprentice-rank practitioner.’
The system’s response carried unprecedented urgency in its tone.
[This drop from the World Tree will provide sufficient energy to upgrade my core systems and enable travel to Level 2 worlds. This advancement is essential if you want access to stronger dimensional destinations. Without it, the natural energy accumulation required would take several years before I can facilitate travel to more powerful realms.]
Noah’s internal excitement surged as the implications crystallised.
System upgrades? Level 2 worlds! This isn’t some minor enhancement of the system; this represents a fundamental expansion.
The World Tree had instantly transformed from an interesting elven legend into a critical component of his interdimensional business expansion plans.
"Prince Adrian, assuming I were interested in this arrangement, what exactly would ending this war entail?"
Adrian’s expression showed hope mixed with desperation. "You wouldn’t need to fight them directly. Your influence over both rulers through their enhancement dependencies could provide the leverage necessary for a negotiated settlement. If that doesn’t work, then I would need your help in building a force to fight these two rulers.
This would follow that no items would be sold to both factions, and the strengthening of our faction. Unfortunately, your items are expensive, and it would be really difficult for those fighting for the cause to buy them without the treasuries, so we would only be able to compensate you once the war is over. Of course, if you are able to fight them and deal with it, then there is no need for that."
Noah considered the risks versus the potential rewards, recognising that accessing Level 2 worlds could exponentially increase his business opportunities. Noah knew that soon enough, this world would no longer provide him with any more store items or strength. It was as clear as day that the strongest possible rank in this world was the peak of grandmaster rank.
The decision would determine whether his shop remained limited to relatively low-level magical worlds or expanded into realms where true power existed.