Chapter 173: Ah, You're Saying You Couldn't Eat It Because It Wasn't There (9) "But what truly matters right now isn't whether we eat meat or not. Isn't that so?"
Keras, an elder of the Alras Tribe, spoke as he finished his dolsot bibimbap and scraped the scorched rice stuck to the bottom of the stone bowl with his spoon.
"Even at this very moment, while we enjoy the outsiders' cuisine, the World Tree continues to bestow mana upon this continent. As long as it lives, it will keep granting us its grace… but if the day comes when the life of the World Tree runs out, then any discussion about what we should eat will become meaningless."
At Keras's pointed words, the elders of other tribes who had gathered to meet the allied delegation all fell silent at once.
The only elf among them who had lived for over a thousand years, he lifted his spoon while gazing toward the east, where the World Tree stood.
He tilted the spoon slightly, and the scorched rice he had scraped together fell back into the bowl in a soft cascade.
"Compared to when I was a hundred years old, the power of the World Tree has weakened to about two-thirds. Lord Beryllus predicted that it would lose its light in ten thousand years, but I suspect it may be sooner."
For most elves, that event lay the equivalent of a thousand human years in the future, so they did not worry much about the World Tree.
However, after meeting other races—whose lifespans were far shorter than those of elves—an atmosphere of concern about the future began to spread among them.
Having tasted cuisine from other races that had changed dramatically in merely a few hundred years, they realized that time flowed far faster than elves had believed.
"For us elves, who have depended upon the grace of the World Tree, the disappearance of the mana that fills the land would be a profound despair. If only we could prevent its power from being exhausted, or at least delay the end of its lifespan…"
Regretting how leisurely he had treated the foreseen end of the World Tree, Keras put a spoonful of scorched rice into his mouth.
The crisp texture lifted his mood briefly, but the image of the World Tree gradually withering darkened his expression once more.
"So from now on, let us change our habits and spend our time more diligently. We elves, with our long lives, tend to take time too lightly. Humans live less than a hundred years, yet in that short span they achieve so much—just look at the dishes we are eating now, and you can see—"
"Father, when do you plan to hold the meeting with the allied delegation? Everyone is only eating, and no one has mentioned the meeting at all. That concerns me."
At Reus's remark, Keras and the other elders widened their eyes and lifted their heads.
"Ah… I had completely forgotten. How long has it been since the allied delegation arrived?"
"About three hours."
"Not very long, then. Let us finish our meal first and speak afterward."
Contrary to his earlier words about making better use of time, Keras calmly resumed eating, placing bracken namul atop his white rice.
Though he had spoken of worrying about the future of the elves, their deeply ingrained sense of time did not change easily.
For a long time, the elves had been forced into vegetarianism against their will. Eventually, many of them abandoned any lingering attachment to meat.
But the younger elves could not let go of their fantasies about the meat their ancestors once enjoyed. They had tried repeatedly to taste delicious meat, only to fail.
Then, after hundreds of years, other races appeared before them, bringing fresh meat expertly prepared through the food truck driven by Lee Jinseo.
Having finally tasted the meat they had long yearned for, the young elves' barbecue party continued until midnight.
The meeting between the elves and the allied delegation was postponed until the next day.
Lee Jinseo, who had done nothing but cook aside from brief moments of rest, dragged his exhausted body to the bed in the Additional Trailer and lay down.
"..."
True to someone with outstanding physical stats, his bodily fatigue vanished quickly.
The problem was that his mind remained completely alert. Even with his eyes tightly shut, sleep would not come.
The excitement he always felt on the first day of arriving on a new continent once again kept him awake.
Rumble.
Jason, who had spent the entire day grilling meat and tending to numerous spirits, began snoring the moment he lay down on the lower bunk.
Careful not to wake him, Lee Jinseo quietly climbed down and stepped outside the Additional Trailer.
Instead of torches or lanterns like those commonly seen in Dwarf Town, spirits imbued with the attribute of light floated at regular intervals in the air, illuminating the streets.
At the same time, to prevent the light from disturbing those sleeping, spirits of darkness stood before the elves' wooden homes, blocking the light that might otherwise shine inside.
Feeling as though he were strolling through an amusement park open at night, Lee Jinseo leisurely walked along the street.
"Oh? It's Mr. Jinseo!"
"You're not asleep yet? This is really delicious!"
The elves on night watch waved as soon as they recognized him.
They were eating the late-night snacks he had given them, making their otherwise dull guard duty far more enjoyable.
The elves, who had long craved meat, were not satisfied with just one dinner featuring meat.
When Lee Jinseo told them that it was too late and he would present other dishes tomorrow, disappointed reactions poured out immediately.
To those elves, he distributed various snacks, instant foods, and carbonated drinks.
The diverse flavors and textures of the snacks delivered yet another cultural shock, and the sharp fizz of carbonation combined with sweet liquid was enough to make their eyes widen.
Among the various instant foods he introduced, the one that captured the elves' hearts most was cup ramen, which required only boiling water to prepare.
Slurp.
Watching them noisily slurp the noodles, Lee Jinseo's stomach growled.
I can't sleep anyway… should I boil ramen in a small pot and eat before turning in?
He knew his face would likely swell by morning, but the aroma of cup ramen drifting everywhere made it impossible to resist.
I can't hold back. Since I'm eating, maybe I should cook MuMani for the first time in a while.
He decided on MuMani ramen—expensive but worth the price—as his late-night menu and turned to head back to the food truck.
Just then, someone tapped his shoulder from behind.
"You're not sleeping? Why are you outside?"
Beryllus was eating sundae from a plastic bag, spearing pieces with a toothpick.
The sundae Lee Jinseo had packed for him—so he could eat it whenever the urge to drink blood became too strong—had not lasted even an hour in Interspatial Storage before disappearing into his stomach.
"Lord Beryllus, why are you awake so late yourself?"
"Well, I'm a vampire."
"Ah, right."
Vampires were a race more suited to night than day.
Strictly speaking, during daylight, when sunlight poured down upon the earth, they should not be able to roam at all.
Yet Beryllus, who deviated greatly from the common vampire lore Lee Jinseo knew, moved about freely whether day or night.
"You're not going to sleep yet, are you? Then shall I show you the World Tree? If you've come to the elves' continent, you should at least see the World Tree before leaving. And it's much more impressive at night than during the day."
"Can't we see it from here?"
Lee Jinseo pointed toward the towering World Tree behind the village.
"Come on, you have to see it up close to really feel its grandeur. Stop talking and follow me. By the way, can I ride in the food truck?"
"Can we drive it there?"
"Why not?"
Beryllus asked casually and stuffed the empty plastic bag into Interspatial Storage.
"All right. Please follow me."
Lee Jinseo retraced his steps, and the elves who recognized Beryllus greeted them along the way.
"Thanks to you, the elves are all smiling. It's been a long time since we've seen them that happy."
"Is that so?"
"Honestly, life here is terribly monotonous. I felt it was time for some change, and right on cue, you other races showed up. Oh, and this is sweet and delicious. Food without blood isn't bad either."
Beryllus chewed on the chocolate bar Lee Jinseo handed him as they walked.
"Lord Beryllus, you can sit here."
After about ten minutes, they returned to the food truck. Lee Jinseo started the engine as soon as he took the driver's seat.
"We just follow the road east from here, correct?"
"Yes. That's right. So you wear this like this—ah, it works."
Watching Lee Jinseo fasten his seatbelt, Beryllus imitated him in the passenger seat.
"It's nighttime, so I won't drive fast."
Vroom.
Concerned about waking sleeping elves, Lee Jinseo drove slowly.
"Oh… this is definitely more comfortable than a carriage. Just as Painfolt Artran said, the ride is excellent."
"You were speaking with Painfolt Artran?"
"Yes, I was talking with him just a short while ago. He's very curious about his younger brother. I told him everything I knew. It wasn't of much help."
"So the two of you stepped aside to talk."
"The more I hear, the more pitiful it seems. I truly want to help somehow, but the more we talk… well…"
As they conversed, Lee Jinseo drove the food truck.
The moment they left the village, passed through the undergrowth, and entered the entrance leading to the World Tree, guards lowered their spears and blocked the way.
"Who goes there! No one may enter here without permission—!"
"It's me."
Beryllus rolled down the window and leaned his face slightly outside.
Recognizing him, the guard stepped back in surprise.
"L-Lord Beryllus? What brings you here at such a late hour…?"
"I want to show Jinseo the World Tree. I'm going in."
"Understood. Please proceed."
Lee Jinseo reduced his speed even further. They encountered a few more elves on guard duty along the way, but each allowed them to pass immediately upon seeing Beryllus.
This feels like escorting a senior officer past a checkpoint without giving the password…
Remembering his military days, Lee Jinseo reflected on the elves' rather lax security posture.
"We're here. Stop here."
Screech.
Parking before the World Tree, Lee Jinseo tilted his head back.
"Wow…"
The enormous tree glowing softly in the darkness possessed a beauty that, just as Beryllus had said, revealed its true grandeur only up close.
From afar, it merely seemed vaguely large. But standing before it now, his mouth fell open naturally.
"At this height… it's almost comparable to the 63 Building."
"63 Building? Is that what the World Tree on your continent is called?"
"It's the name of a building, not a tree. I visited it once as a child. But it didn't shine with such beauty. Just as you said… its true beauty is revealed at night."
Lee Jinseo gazed at the World Tree—no computer graphics involved, the real thing—and could not stop admiring it.
"This light will disappear completely in ten thousand years. A shame. Well, I'll be dead before then."
In contrast, Beryllus looked up at the tree with a complicated expression.
"For a tree of this size, the amount of fertilizer it needs must be considerable."
"Hm? Does it need that? I don't think anyone gives the World Tree anything like that. It's not an ordinary tree, after all. But what is fertilizer?"
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