The Sword Emperor Transmigrates-Chapter 224

Rumble—!

As Yggdrasil’s long life came to an end, her domain underwent a massive transformation.

The World Tree, once the source of corruption, absorbed all the poison spread across dozens of kilometers, perhaps more. The trees that had grown in abnormal shapes and forms reverted to their natural state; the once twisted branches, deformed by hostility and malice, sprouted fresh green leaves, while the roots that had burrowed deep into the groundwater and tainted it now turned soft and downy like delicate fibers. And that wasn’t all.

The buds that had been unable to bloom due to the trees being lifeless now bloomed into flowers all at once, covering the entire area in a brilliant display of color.

“How beautiful!”

“I can hardly believe this is the land of the Spriggans anymore.”

“The flow of mana is returning to normal, and the force that was trying to break the barrier has completely disappeared. Has Yggdrasil died?”

The knights who had been keeping a vigilant watch from the Mobile Fortress eventually realized what was going on, one after another.

The influence that distorted life and death had suddenly vanished, significantly reducing the amount of energy needed for the defense barrier to stay active. This allowed the expedition team, which had been on the verge of collapse, to finally relax.

Though the knights still gripped their swords firmly, they could already feel their last ounce of strength leave their exhausted bodies. But despite the overwhelming fatigue, one knight noticed a change in the domain and was the first to spot something shimmering in the forest.

“Hey! Look over there!” he shouted warily to his comrades.

“What is it?”

“Did an enemy appear?”

The knights, too tired to turn their heads, grumbled but eventually shifted their gaze in the indicated direction.

And then...

“...Spirits?”

They could see spirits, no longer in the corrupted form of Spriggans. These were low-rank spirits, but the mana that made up their forms was pure. Water spirits flowed down leaves like dew, while wind spirits soared through the air with a soft, almost melodic tune. Some spirits even peeked out from beneath the roots of trees.

Except for fire spirits, which typically dwelled deep in volcanoes or the earth’s core, spirits of the four elements now wandered through the forest.

“The domain is being restored? Even if Yggdrasil died, cleaning up the tainted land should take centuries, right?”

“Maybe the commanders did something?”

“Maybe, but one thing is for sure... We won! Yeah, there’s no doubt about that!”

Some questioned, some speculated, and others simply raised their weapons in celebration. It wasn’t long before the fortress, once filled with despair and grim determination, began to resonate with hope.

“...Ah.”

It was around this time that Leonard, who had been expelled from the World Tree’s heart, could once again see the outside world. The jet-black sword that had pierced the tree's heart had returned to his side without him realizing it.

As Leonard’s hand instinctively touched the sword’s hilt, he sensed something strange. It was only natural.

The authority of Pollux has dimmed slightly, but with Yggdrasil’s strength added, it has grown stronger.

The jet-black sword, which had slain an entity revered as a Great God in ancient times, now bore Yggdrasil’s direct blessing, which essentially made it a divine artifact. A smile crept onto Leonard’s face, feeling an overwhelming sense of satisfaction as a swordsman.

At that moment, the commanders approached him.

“You’re back. Yggdrasil... There’s no need to ask about her, right?” Wade said, gazing at the World Tree.

“It seems Yggdrasil has absorbed all of Nidhogg’s poison from the domain before disappearing,” Grace, who was particularly attuned to the Natural Realm, accurately pointed out the intention behind Yggdrasil’s final actions.

Leonard nodded in agreement. “Yes, I believe you’re right. Yggdrasil regained her sanity and acknowledged her mistake.”

“Regained her sanity?! Ah, is it the technique you used on Cybele?” Wade asked.

“Yes. Yggdrasil hadn’t completely succumbed to madness. If she had, it wouldn’t have worked.”

At that, Uluka, who had been lying on the ground, pale and exhausted, chuckled softly. “Mistake? Hah, a mistake, you say? Did the World Tree actually say that herself?”

“Yes.”

“Could you tell me exactly what she said? I’m not sure if I should let go of my grudge or hold onto it,” Uluka said with a bitter laugh.

“Understood.”

This was a man who had spent his life consumed by his duty as the Green Dragon Commander, fueled by personal resentment. As such, the word “mistake” was too light for the mountain of resentment he had accumulated.

And so, Leonard shared Yggdrasil’s final words with him.

“I’m sorry.”

“I was arrogant.”

“This is the end. Thank you for continuing to live well, even in a world without us...”

“Farewell...”

Uluka’s mocking smile faded as he heard Yggdrasil’s humble, self-deprecating words, so far beneath her status. His eyes closed, and his expression softened into a peaceful stillness.

The deep hatred that had once consumed even his soul was now greatly diminished.

“...If she had made even one excuse, I never would have forgiven her.”

But Yggdrasil’s final decision and sincerity had left no room for doubt. With her death, Uluka was able to cast away all the resentment from his heart in his final moments, appearing more serene than ever.

It was then that a new voice interrupted them.

—Greetings, humans.

—It feels rather strange to say hello after being at each other’s throats.

The Demigod Tier spirits, now restored to their forms as Spirit Kings and not Wraith Kings, appeared before the group.

The Earth Spirit King Cybele and the Storm Spirit King Boreas stood before the four knights. Unlike before, their eyes were clear and without malice, their forms enveloped in pure and serene energy. The commanders, who had instinctively braced themselves, lowered their guard at the sight.

Even with Uluka on the brink of death, their side would still have overwhelmingly won if the battle had resumed with a three-against-two advantage.

“What brings you here?” Wade asked, his voice sharp.

—I understand it is hard for you to see us in a favorable light.

Cybele replied with a bitter smile.

—If you cannot forgive us, then Boreas and I will follow our mother. Should we do that?

“Are you serious?”

—We are not like humans. We do not engage in deceit or falsehood.

Cybele, who had manifested in a female form, pouted as she spoke. Though it was rude to doubt the sincerity of a spirit, she hardly had the right to be indignant now, given what they had done earlier.

Unlike Cybele, Boreas, who had appeared in the form of a lively young man, nodded in agreement.

—By forgetting our duties as spirits, we have sinned, and we do not intend to avoid the punishment we deserve. Should you ever feel inclined to enforce that punishment, speak but a word, and we shall vanish into nothingness.

“Hmm...”

Wade stepped back, seeming to realize that there was little more he could say in response, and watched the scene unfold. As if coming to an understanding, the two Spirit Kings exchanged glances, and Boreas stepped forward.

—It seems that there are still descendants of the Alfs remaining in this world. Bringing them here would make it much easier to channel the revitalized life veins and spiritual energy of this forest. We will fully cooperate as well.

“Alfs, you say?”

“Perhaps they mean the High Elves? The ancestors of the Wickeline family.”

“I see.”

They had already intended for the Wickeline family to oversee the forest, but now, with the Spirit Kings’ words, the plan held even greater significance. Boreas and the commanders discussed matters related to territorial governance until they seemingly reached a conclusion.

Then, both Spirit Kings turned to Leonard. Both of them bowed almost ninety degrees, conveying deep gratitude.

—Thank you for granting rest to our Mother, human.

—You have prevented a fate of eternal suffering and blindness, something that we could not do. We are truly grateful.

Their sincere expressions of gratitude were a stark contrast to the hostility Leonard had once encountered in them. Moved by the innate purity and benevolence of the spirits, Leonard also came to understand the extent of Nidhogg’s poison, capable of corrupting even such noble beings.

After receiving the Spirit Kings’ gratitude, the four of them made their way back to the Mobile Fortress.

“Ah, Yggdrasil is...!”

The tree that had towered beyond the stratosphere was crumbling to a fine powder, its remains carried by the breeze all across the forest—nutrients for new life. The poison that had tainted the entire domain was nowhere to be found; it had vanished along with Yggdrasil’s heart, cleansed from this world.

—Next time, let us meet with smiles! Goodbye!

—If you ever need our power, do not hesitate to call upon us.

Leaving Cybele and Boreas behind, the four Demigod Tier knights returned to the Mobile Fortress. They landed where the rest of the expedition team had gathered, and they gently set Uluka down.

The atmosphere of victory and relief instantly fell silent.

“What’s with those faces...? It’s such a good day,” Uluka joked, though his voice came out hoarse and strained, which served to further deepen the somber mood.

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The Green Dragon Knights slowly approached him, kneeling on one knee and lowering their heads.

“So... I suppose I should leave a few parting words behind... isn’t that right?”

“...”

Silence filled the air as Uluka, unbothered by the heavy atmosphere, chuckled lightly, his eyes gleaming with a steady light, burning with the last of his energy.

“I held my sword for revenge, not honor or pride... and hoped to fall at the close of a victorious day... This mortal life of mine turned out to be... more remarkable than I ever imagined... It was an unexpectedly honorable life...”

His entire journey with the Order of the Green Dragon and the unique trait he had forged, the Soul-Breaker, had all stemmed from a fierce devotion. Driven by the need to avenge his parents—one of them the former Green Dragon Commander—whom he had lost to the Spriggans and Yggdrasil, the life of Uluka, a man who had broken even through the wall of talent, had finally come to an end.

The Arcadian Empire and the Cardenas family still had many battles ahead, but it seemed Uluka would not be there to see them through.

As he looked at the four Demigod Tier knights around him, including Audrey, who was now by his side, Uluka smiled.

“I’ll... go on ahead first, everyone. If there’s an afterlife... I’ll be there... waiting to hear the news of the Cardenas family and the Empire’s... victory.”

“You’re being so inconsiderate, leaving before us old folks,” Audrey chided, though she looked down at him with gentle eyes.

“Amber would have been proud of you. Go with peace of mind, for we shall all follow behind you someday.”

“...Thank you, Lady Audrey.”

Given Audrey’s long friendship with his mother, her words brought Uluka comfort, allowing him to let go of the last of his regrets.

Looking slowly at each person around him one final time, he closed his eyes, never to open them again. His heart ceased to beat, and the vast presence of his Demigod Tier aura dispersed.

This was the end of Uluka, the Green Dragon Commander.

“Commander!”

Finally breaking the silence, the Green Dragon Knights drew close to Uluka’s body, tears falling as some sobbed, while others wailed openly.

A simple man who picked up the sword not for honor or pride but for revenge and discarded his life for it?

Leonard couldn’t help but smile at the thought.

...You didn’t quite live up to your own words, did you?

Virtue often revealed itself more in death than in life. They say that when a statesman dies, no one mourns, but if his dog dies, people flock to his door. Seeing the Green Dragon Knights mourning around Uluka, that saying seemed utterly false.

Leonard hadn’t been close enough to Uluka to weep with them, but he nonetheless raised his fist in a respectful salute, honoring a warrior who had fulfilled his life duty.

* * *

[Reporting on the Casualties and Results of the Yggdrasil Subjugation Mission.]

Mission Objectives: Yggdrasil (Subjugation), Spriggans (Extermination), Tearing down the domain.

Outcome: Objectives 1 and 2 have been achieved; additional notes for Objective 3.

—Thanks to Yggdrasil’s sacrifice, the poison of Nidhogg, which had pervaded the forest, has been fully purified. The two Spirit Kings, Cybele and Boreas, along with their subordinate spirits, have returned. The Wickeline family, as descendants of the Alfs, has been recommended as the most suitable to oversee the area.

Participating Forces: Entire garrison of the Barricade Train, the entire Order of the Blue Dragon, the entire Order of the Green Dragon, the Black Dragon Commander, the Red Dragon Commander, Leonard.

Deployed Armaments: 1 Barricade Train, 36 Aeroships, 1,588 Titans

Casualties Report:

—Order of the Green Dragon: 132 killed, 151 critically injured

—Order of the Blue Dragon: 127 killed, 188 critically injured

—Black Dragon Commander Audrey: loss of left arm

—Barricade Train: declared immobile at its final operational location

—Aeroships: 15 destroyed, 8 severely damaged, 13 intact

—Titans: 1,072 destroyed, 413 damaged, 103 intact

...

...

—Green Dragon Commander Uluka: deceased

[Conclusion]

—The purification of Yggdrasil and her domain has been confirmed. The Spriggan Frontier is to be permanently dissolved, effective immediately.