True Illusion

Albert said, glancing at Iver's collar.

Hanging there is the token of love that Isabel gave to Iver —the "Isolde's Tears," which can withstand a fatal wound.

"It's called ' Isolde's Tears,' a necklace that Ini left me. She told me it was something her mother left her. Her mother eventually died in amber, and the necklace couldn't save her; if Ini had been wearing the necklace when she was attacked, she might not have died either; but after we got married, she gave it to me."

"... Isn't it ironic? A consumable necklace that could grant one reprieve from death, yet it sent several owners to their deaths and ultimately protected nothing. It didn't even have the chance to be used up."

"I feel I am not worthy of using it. At least compared to its previous owners, my life is not worthy of wasting this precious chance to escape death."

Albert stared at the necklace on Iver's chest and said softly, "So before I left, I gave it to Isabel. Therefore, the moment I saw you... I recognized you."

"So what is your opinion of me now?"

Iver raised his empty glass and clinked it against Albert's. "Father."

Among Iver's "digital fathers," Albert is undoubtedly the one closest to being an "ordinary person."

"... You've left me speechless."

Albert remained silent for a long time before answering seriously, "But this feeling... isn't so bad."

"Nature."

Iver chuckled, twirling the glass between his fingers. "Because you've been waiting for someone to be able to curse you like this, Father."

"...Be good to Isabel."

Prince Albert said almost weakly, "I will go back on little Isa's birthday. I will go back no matter what."

"You don't need to say that. You don't need to assure me either. Whatever Isabel decides to do, I will respect her opinion."

"No matter what danger she encounters, I will stand with her and protect her. In fact, I just recently rescued her from a Fifth Level Demon Avatar. And now, she is surrounded by a large group of Pope Guard... so you don't need to worry."

"That timid child has grown up—through her own strong will and with the help of us, her friends. She is now Her Majesty the Queen of Avalon."

"And His Highness the Prince? The poor His Highness the Prince died long ago in a battle with bandits."

Iver slowly put down his glass and extended a finger to press against the side of the glass.

He gently turned his fingers, and the air trembled and hummed.

Their positions were completely reversed from when they first entered.

Iver declared the conversation over, "Now, I'd like to speak with Mr. Yunus —about Miss Anastasia."

"... Oh dear, oh dear!"

In just a moment, Prince Albert, who had been hanging his head and looking dejected, had somehow transformed back into Yunus.

He clapped his hands happily, then patted his belly like a joyful seal. "What a show! I'm so happy! Seeing that stubborn man finally fall silent is as rare as a star falling from the sky!"

There wasn't a trace of disappointment on the bald, fat man's face.

It was as if he and Prince Albert were completely different people.

He even offered a sharp critique from an outsider's perspective. "That man never confronts problems directly, but your identity makes it impossible for him to escape—because you have indeed taken over his duties, the esteemed Minister of Everything, Prince Moriarty!"

This conversation gave Iver a strange feeling.

He suddenly thought of God of Wine and the host of the feast.

Iver suppressed his distracting thoughts and said gently, "Let's put those aside for now and talk about Anastasia. Did you really see her in Avalon?"

"I did see her, and I even touched her hand! Her skin was a little cool, but it still had the warmth of a living being—I think it was perhaps the cool evening breeze of Avalon."

Yunus plucked a few strings, his expression turning serious. "I got her hairband. According to Mr. Maxim, it was a gift from her friend when she came to visit."

... Treeification Disease? "Since it's a gift," Iver, "Does that mean there's another one in the Theocracy?"

"Those things have long been lost—that's Mr. Maxim's opinion, but I have a different view."

Yunus said seriously, his cheerful and lively tone suddenly becoming more serious. "This is also my first time in the Elf Kingdom, but I have been here for several months. Many elves do not consider 'treeification' a disease, but rather a kind of honor. Because it means that treeified elves will inevitably be reborn from the Dream Realm in a more sublime manner... but ordinary elves may not be able to gain the recognition of the Celestial Masters and Pillar God."

Iver nodded.

Indeed, the ability of an elf to become a tree is tantamount to a guaranteed promotion to a phantom realm. Although it means the premature death of the physical body in the Material Realm, if we consider the Material Realm merely as the "beginner's period" and "selection period" of the Dream Realm, then becoming a tree is almost equivalent to "graduating early from life."

Especially for elves who revere the giant tree, ascending to heaven as a derivative of the giant tree is certainly an honor.

"After an elf has completely turned into a tree, their relatives and friends will burn the items they cherished in life—piling them up in front of the tree they became, and then burning them both to ashes!"

"... burnt out?"

Iver, somewhat surprised, "Why?"

"Because it's meaningless."

Yunus immediately replied, "Unlike the Grimm—the Grimm spirits are not actually completely dead; their souls are still locked within their bodies. Theoretically, they may even be able to recover."

"But treeification means the decay of the body and the sublimation of the soul. Even if it descends back into the Material Realm, it will be impossible to return to its original body. It will just be a tree, just as the 'giant tree' of the past left behind its divine body. Perhaps some people will want to keep the bark or branches as a memento, but those will only be souvenirs. Just like the Stibnite Person's custom of turning corpses into gems or into undead."

"The elves worship light and fire. The tree trunk turning into flames is a blessing to them—just as elves do not practice burial but prefer cremation. According to what I have heard, many elves believe that the soul is purified and will ascend to a higher realm once its bonds are burned away."

"—No, no, no, that's actually superstition. It's actually a story that old elves tell to children."

Iver shook his head and began to dispel the rumors. "Any priest would know that regardless of whether a body is burned or not, buried or cremated, the soul of a body that has undergone a proper funeral will inevitably be sent to the Dream Realm River. A body left in the Material Realm has no meaning whatsoever; it's just a piece of flesh... In the case of Miss Anastasia, it would be just a pile of wood."

"The main reason the elves practice cremation is that the giant tree lacks the space needed for burial, and it also doesn't need fertilizer..."

"... Whatever, Mr. Iver! What I mean is, that hairband should have been burned by now!" But I saw Anastasia in her girl form, and even took the hairband from her—even Mr. Maxim was certain it belonged to Anastasia. That's why, unable to explain it, he changed his story and said these things were lost. Just like the tree that Anastasia transformed into should have been burned by now. After all, I've been here for so many days, and I still haven't seen the tree that ' Anastasia ' transformed into."

Yunus said seriously, "But his attitude is wrong."

"If his own daughter died as a tree, whether he felt happy, sad, or lonely for her, he should not have this attitude!"

"He treated me warmly and allowed me to write to Mr. Sherlock. He did not drive me away, but let us investigate here and provided for our lodging and food during this time... But when I asked him questions, he said nothing... He did not deny that the girl I saw was Anastasia, but was certain that Anastasia had been tree-turned and died."

The original rhythm and humor in Yunus's voice are long gone.

Iver sensed a hint of helplessness and resentment in his voice.

In that instant, Iver suddenly understood... why he was so obsessed with this matter. And why, in the original timeline, he went back to Isabel to apologize and admit his mistake after completing this event.

He saw a reflection of himself in Mr. Maxim. He didn't know what Maxim was doing, but he just felt that something was wrong.

He keenly sensed that something was wrong—and this keenness stemmed from his guilt towards Isabel.

Yunus realized that if he continued to investigate, it would be tantamount to torturing his past self. Every question he posed to the civil engineering mage would bounce back and hit him in the face like a boomerang.

But he couldn't escape from here... This event was like a black hole, sucking him in.

From another perspective, he yearned for self-destruction. And Prince Albert instinctively realized that this event might be his guillotine.

"... May I see that hairband?"

After a moment 'Iver asked.

Yunus nodded and took a red cloth bag from his pocket. He carefully took out the hairband and handed it to Iver.

Upon acquiring it, nothing popped up before Iver's eyes—indicating that it was at least not a supernatural item. It was just an ordinary hairband.

"What about Sherlock? What did he say?"

Iver asked again.

"He seemed to understand something from the very beginning, but he didn't tell me anything."

Yunus was somewhat annoyed. "He just said things like, 'Maybe that's why you can see ghosts,' but he didn't explain—when I pressed him for details, he said, 'I'll try to catch a ghost tonight.'"

"I don't know exactly what he did last night, but he said... he didn't plan to say anything before you arrived. He said, 'There are some things that are safe as long as they are not said.'"

"It's like Sherlock ' style."

Iver nodded happily.

—That idiot, he finally knows to wait for his teammates to arrive before engaging the enemy!

In the original history, Yunus's chaotic actions ultimately solidified the truth into a romantic but ultimately illogical story that "the maiden manifested her spirit out of Snake Tail."

"Without a doubt, the Anastasia you saw could not be a ghost."

Iver answered with absolute certainty, "A ghost would never entrust its belongings to you. And if it were a cursed item, it would be even less likely that you would have kept it intact for so long."

"So what you saw must have been a living person."

"... A living person?"

"Or rather, it's a ' True Illusion ' that you're all too familiar with."

Iver said calmly, "Have you noticed... that something in this room has been less noisy since you turned back to your original form?"

Yunus looked at Iver with some confusion.

He quickly opened his eyes wide and recalled:

"That... fairy lady?"

Iver nodded.