Volume 4: The End of the World Chapter 60: Romantic by Nature
"Although it may be a little too early to ask this question now, if you finally solve the curse that has been entangled with the forest elves for thousands of years as you wish, what do you plan to do with the tens of millions of tree-like forest elves that already exist?"
After arriving at the Treetop Temple where all remaining priests had been evacuated, Nezemal looked at the Chief Inquisitor who was engraving complex rune spells on the altar and suddenly asked.
"We'll deal with it when the time comes. People who imagine what they will do after they win before they win usually can't win. What's more, I'm not a god. I can only solve problems that are visible and tangible..."
After carving runes on the branch with a bronze ceremonial knife, William took out a small piece of source silver ingot from the storage space, used a transformation spell to stretch it into a thin silver wire, and then inlaid it into the rune groove he had carved earlier.
He continued while busying himself with the things at hand:
"However, if we really regard the forest elves that have turned into trees as soul boxes, after thousands of years of loss, the earliest batch of souls are estimated to have been worn down to only residues. The birth of the forest elves is closely related to Lady Hungry and Corrupted, and this method of trapping souls in trees and letting time wear them down like flowing water has, to some extent, become the source of Lady Hungry and Corrupted's power."
William felt that perhaps this was the reason why Camilla was not much different from other Void Kings in strength even though she had not transformed this land into a Moon Realm.
"So what you mean?"
Nezemar asked carefully.
"You must have guessed it. After the curse that Lady Hungry and Corrupted cast on the forest elves is broken, this race will also lose that deformed immortality and become a completely mortal race. And the souls of those tree-like forest elves will no longer suffer from Camilla's eternal torture. Naturally, those souls that are too old will completely dissipate into the wind and re-enter the cycle of reincarnation."
William said without even looking up.
In other words, regardless of victory or defeat, those 40 million souls will eventually dissipate, just like other mortal races in the world. At that time, he will no longer have to worry about how to deal with tens of millions of tree-like forest elves after the war.
Hearing this, the expression on Nezemal's face kept changing, as if he was struggling with whether or not to say the next words.
After a long and intense struggle in her heart, she couldn't help but say:
"If that's the case, then why did you choose this riskier option?"
Nezemar, who had a brief conversation with Sibyl from the past, had no idea why the Chief Inquisitor was willing to take such a big risk and choose a plan that would not make much difference in the outcome.
William laughed at himself and said:
"I am willing to take more risks of worsening the situation and not take the most reliable plan that my past partners planned for me hundreds of years ago. First of all, I have to admit that it is because I am stubborn. You can also understand that I am selfish and do not want to be the butcher who slaughtered more than 40 million people, especially when there are other options."
After a pause, he continued:
"Secondly, there are differences between one death and another. Being suddenly burned to ashes by a fire, or waiting for the death that was supposed to come to you after the curse is gone..."
"For them , they can't feel the difference..."
Nezemar said as if trying to persuade.
William sighed slightly and nodded imperceptibly to show his agreement.
Seeing that the Chief Judge did not reply, Nezemare turned her head to look at the setting sun outside the door. Feeling that her mood was as heavy as the setting sun, she added the second half of the sentence :
"It's all just death."
“It makes a difference for the living.”
William replied, and as he inserted the silver thread into the final groove, he stood up and looked at Nezemar.
"For me, for Floral, and for everyone else still alive on this land, there is a difference."
Nezemar bowed his head slightly.
"I'm sorry, Your Honor, I just feel that..."
"There is absolutely nothing to be sorry about. In fact, your idea is correct. If you encounter a similar situation in the future, please bring it up like you did today."
William said, trying to make his voice sound as gentle as possible.
After saying that, he turned to look at Flora, who had been listening to their conversation silently but had not said a word.
Seeing William's eyes on her, Flora trembled slightly and bowed. It was not fear, but excitement.
She said with a rare excitement in her voice:
"Mr. Judge, please accept my sincere thanks once again..."
Earlier, after William came back from reading the information and told her the truth about the forest elves turning into trees, even she could not find a reason to stop the chief judge from setting fire to Ravenwood.
Yes, Ravenwood was used as a soul box array, and as a harvesting ground used by Lady Hungry and Corrupted to embody the concept of "loss". Even now, it was continuously providing power to the ruthless King of Nothingness.
Moreover, whether they win or lose, the final result is the same. Their prosperity and suffering all come from that king. Even if she is lucky enough to defeat her in the end, she cannot save even one tree-like forest elf. Because the forest elves are destined to not be redeemed as forest elves, because Ravenwood Forest is destined to decline in the future.
For those ancestors who were supposed to die, what difference did it make whether they died in flames or died after withering and dissipating? Their tired souls would not care about these things. No matter what, it was just an eternal sleep.
But even so, she was unwilling to do so.
But she couldn't ask others to go crazy with her.
Therefore, when the presiding judge said that she was unwilling to do so, she seemed to see a ray of warm sunlight shining on her already cold and stiff body, causing her to tremble with some discomfort.
Then comes a question,
"Why?"
She asked solemnly.
William took out the largest soul storage crystal that anyone present had ever seen in their life from the storage space and placed it in the center of the magic circle he had made earlier. He happened to hear Flora's question.
Yeah, why?
Anyway, those 40 million tree-like forest elves will die sooner or later, so burning Ravenwood now will not only eliminate the possibility of Lady Hungry and Corrupted entering the world, but also greatly weaken the opponent's power.
Then why don’t you do it yourself?
Not wanting to dirty one's hands was one reason, but after understanding the ultimate fate of those forest elves, this reason became very insignificant.
The desire to personally confirm the existence of the timeline was another reason. However, the timeline could be confirmed by taking the little sister of the [Eye of God] to various places on the continent for pilgrimage, or by directly taking down the throne of the Eighth Holy Spirit. It was not worth taking such a big risk.
These thoughts only lasted for a moment in William's mind, because he soon learned the answer.
He hoped that the 40 million forest elves who had been locked up in the tree soul boxes by Ms. Hungry and Corrupted could see with their own eyes the bitch who had tortured their race for thousands of years die in front of them.
He didn't want to continue playing this game according to rules set by others.
He just wanted to do it, there was no other reason.
"Why?"
The echo of Flora's question was still lingering in William's ears. He raised his hand and pointed it at the center of the altar. The violent storm spread to his right hand.
"Because I am a romantic by nature."
After William finished speaking, he suddenly reached into the altar. The storm swept up the powerful soul hidden in it and fell into sleep. He directly pulled out the powerful tree spirit from the lit rune ritual.
William looked at the translucent shadow, and before the confusion in the other's eyes dissipated, he pointed at the soul storage crystal in the center of the ritual and said:
"Should you dissipate immediately or stay inside for a while? I'll only give you one minute to think it over."
…………
"He really did choose this... It's extremely foolish."
A voice echoed above the Lake of Entropy.
"Just like it was one thousand and eight years ago. "
