Chapter 321

Chapter 321
## Chapter 321

With a face that had grown remarkably gaunt, the Great Elder and his fellow council members dropped to one knee in a silent display of profound devotion.

“Our humblest congratulations, O Primordial Druid.”

The title hung in the air: The Primordial Druid.

Great Elder Albino was well-versed in the lore of the Druids who commanded the World Tree and governed the Golden Rule. He had recognized instantly that my current state mirrored the legends of those ancient figures.

I offered a slight, acknowledging nod.

“My thanks. However, Great Elder.”

“Yes, Primordial Druid. We are listening.”

Observing Great Elder Albino’s face, which was still clouded with intense reverence, I flashed him a broad, knowing smirk.

“It is time for your own verification, is it not?”

In an instant, as if it had been wiped away by a cold wind, Albino’s expression froze. He had been biding his time for Lyca to come back, but he understood now that there was no more running away. Eventually, with the heavy air of someone resigning themselves to fate, the Great Elder spoke with a sense of defeat.

“…Indeed. It is a mandatory rite for those who wish to follow the Great One. I shall submit to the testing of my worthiness. Not just myself, but all the Elders. Every member of the Eight Houses, including the Sixteen Pavilion Lords.”

“…I beg your pardon?”

“…What?”

“…Truly?”

For a second, the Elders blinked rapidly, certain their ears had played a trick on them.

‘I’ll ensure you repay every bit of this, and the interest will be steep.’

Cheeks began to tremble and eyebrows twitched with nervous energy. Breaths became shallow and frantic. Their eyes were wide, dilated with the shock of a reality they couldn’t quite grasp. Despite their inner turmoil, the Great Elder and the rest of the council stood before the World Tree with forced, rigid expressions.

‘How did I end up…’

‘We are not the ones meant to be judged!’

It was a collective, silent scream of indignation. These were the guardians who had looked after the World Tree of Honor for generations. They were the ones who usually measured the worth of others; never had they been subjected to a trial themselves. Furthermore, this ‘evaluation’ was happening in front of a massive audience. Their anxiety was palpable. If they failed to even cross the threshold of the second stage, the humiliation would be unbearable.

“Hmm.”

Great Elder Albino fought back a groan of his own. He had dragged everyone down with him, fueled by the spiteful thought that he wouldn’t face this trial alone, but there was no turning back. Every soul within the Eight Houses, himself included, was now bound to seek the certification of honor. No one would be spared.

‘I have dodged this for far too long.’

Deep down, he knew this day was inevitable. He had simply pushed it further and further into the future, but the future had finally arrived. He tried to convince himself this was for the best, but his legs felt like lead. What if his worth was found wanting? What if his very essence as a Druid—his soul—was discovered to be tainted or decayed? The possibility haunted him.

More than the public shame, he was terrified of rejection by the World Tree itself. It was a visceral fear. What Druid could endure being cast out and disowned by the very entity they had dedicated their life to protecting?

‘Is this how it felt for him?’

In this moment, he finally grasped the weight Lyca had carried. Every previous leader of the Eight Houses who had stood on this spot must have felt this crushing pressure. And Lyca had stepped up to face it again, even after a public failure. To return to the trial after being broken—that was a feat of will far greater than it seemed, especially under the judgmental gaze of the world.

Great Elder Albino shifted his eyes toward Lyca.

‘…That brat. He’s actually taking pleasure in this.’

A smirk tugged at Lyca’s mouth. He seemed to find the sight of the Great Elder and the council being judged by the World Tree highly entertaining. Then again, he had managed something no previous head of the Eight Houses ever had.

Turning his thoughts, Albino considered Hyun.

‘The High Druid is enjoying this as well.’

By consuming the seed of the World Tree, Hyun had become the master of the Golden Rule. He was the living embodiment of the Primordial High Druid—the legendary figure described in the ancient texts as the apex of their order and the steward of nature. To think that such a transcendent being, the very source of their holy lineage, was Lyca’s own student.

‘Everything has become incredibly complicated.’

Albino gave a weary internal sigh. To fix this tangled mess, everyone had to be validated by the World Tree. Now that Hyun had stepped into his role as the Druid of the Golden Rule, the leadership had no choice but to follow him. He might truly be the final spark of hope for the nearly extinct Druid race.

“From this moment, every member of the Eight Houses will have their worthiness tested by the World Tree. We shall begin… with the Elders.”

Even now, he couldn’t bring himself to be the first. If the Great Elder was rejected right out of the gate, it would be a catastrophe beyond repair.

“G-Great Elder?”

“You want us to go first?”

“Gah…”

The Elders were thrown into a panic. One of them even gripped the back of his neck as if he might faint. They hadn’t anticipated being thrown to the wolves first. A public failure would be the ultimate disgrace.

“Should the Great Elder not lead by example?”

“Precisely.”

“I agree completely.”

The pushback from the council was immediate and sharp. However, Albino remained immovable.

“By my authority as the Great Chief of the Blue Druids, I issue this command. From the First Elder down to the Tenth, you will face the World Tree’s judgment in sequence.”

“…”

“…”

The Elders were stunned into silence. For him to invoke his supreme authority only to save his own skin at a time like this was a level of shamelessness that defied belief. But they were bound by their rank. They had to obey. Swallowing their protests, the Elders formed a grim line before the World Tree.

And so, the hour of judgment began.

“N-No…!”

“O, Great World Tree!”

One by one, the Elders were forcibly expelled from the World Tree’s sacred aura. Some were so lacking they couldn’t even breach the second stage of the trial. It was a predictable, if tragic, result. A Druid’s honor is built on the act of planting life and nurturing the wild. Having spent years sequestered in the Sanctuary, neglecting their fundamental duties, their spiritual honor had withered away. The shock was just how hollow they had truly become.

“…That I should live to witness such a disgrace.”

Great Elder Albino closed his eyes tightly. The sight was too painful to watch. His skin burned with reflected shame. Was this really all they were? He had convinced himself they were protecting the World Tree in their own way, but the truth was devastating.

Once the tenth Elder had completed his failure.

“…It is my turn.”

With one last heavy breath, Albino walked toward the World Tree.

—

The Great Elder, the council, the Sixteen Pavilion Lords, and every subordinate of the Eight Houses were tested one by one. Watching the chaos, Lyca’s grin never wavered.

‘My master should have been here to see this.’

Dantalion, the former head of the Eight Houses. If he were alive, he would have roared with laughter until he was breathless. He would have been rolling on the ground in hysterics. That was the kind of man he was—unfiltered and bold.

“…Thank you.”

Lyca turned his head toward Hyun and spoke with genuine, heartfelt emotion. He was truly moved. He decided then to stop masking his feelings. To have a student who possessed the spirit of a War God and the mantle of a High Druid was a blessing beyond measure. It felt like a destiny woven by Dantalion himself. He vowed not to hide anymore and to strive to be a mentor worthy of such a disciple. He couldn’t allow himself to be a master who was completely left in the dust, could he?

“Think nothing of it. This was a necessary step.”

On top of everything, the boy was modest. Lyca’s smile widened. How could every single gesture from this youth be so impressive? He couldn’t remember ever being this inspired by another person. Origins and bloodlines no longer mattered. Even if the boy had simply materialized out of thin air, it changed nothing. He was the one who had inherited the seed and the will of Dantalion. To Lyca, Hyun was no longer just a student; they were bound by a spirit thicker than any blood relation.

“These are heights I could never have reached on my own,” Lyca admitted, shaking his head. Without Hyun, he wouldn’t be the head of the Eight Houses; he would likely be a rotting corpse.

“You would have found a way, even alone.”

“Excessive modesty can be its own kind of failing. If there is ever anything you require of me, speak it. I will see it done, no matter the cost.”

Anything at all. Even if the request exceeded Lyca’s own power, he would move heaven and earth for his disciple. But what would such a powerful youth ask of him?

After studying him for a long beat, Hyun finally spoke.

“Please accompany me into the World Tree’s dungeon.”

“…I cannot enter there.”

Lyca was confused by the request. It was common knowledge; he lacked the necessary honor. The World Tree had rejected him. Entrance was impossible.

“You can seek a new verification of your worth.”

“…Are you asking me to be humiliated for a third time?”

Lyca’s face darkened slightly. It wasn’t that he lacked the courage to try, but a third public rejection? He had already tasted the bitterness of failure twice.

“Did you not just say you would do whatever I asked?”

“I did, but…”

Lyca started to argue but quickly silenced himself. He had given his word. But how could he change the outcome? Honor wasn’t something one could simply conjure up. Yet, he couldn’t retreat from his promise. As Lyca’s brow furrowed in deep thought, Hyun reached into his garments.

“Take this.”

He produced a stack of papers that looked unremarkable at first glance.

“What is this…?”

“It is an Indulgence.”

“…?”

Lyca blinked in confusion. An Indulgence? Those were legendary items that only a high priest of the Goddess Church could manifest, and even then, only three times in a lifetime. In the current era, the Goddess Church had faded so much that no priest held the power to create them. Lyca and the Empire knew well that the Church had long ago lost the divine authority required for such things.

And yet…

‘This entire stack is an Indulgence?’

There were at least fifty pages there. The idea that this many Indulgences could exist in one place was preposterous. Even if they were real, it defied logic. Who could possibly grant such a bounty? Not even the Pope could manage it. Could it be Saintess Sea? No, even her vast power wouldn’t account for fifty of them. But he knew his disciple wasn’t one for falsehoods.

“I… I cannot possibly take these.”

“Are you feeling cowardly?”

“…Cowardly?”

“Are you afraid to discover that you truly have no honor left to save?”

“…”

“If you refuse them, I will burn the entire lot right here.”

“Why go to such lengths for me?”

Looking into the fierce determination in Hyun’s eyes, Lyca tightened his grip. He realized he had done so little for Hyun, while Hyun had given him everything. He was already drowning in a debt of gratitude he could never fully settle.

“Just pay me back later, with a little interest.”

“…That is no way to speak to your mentor.”

“Don’t worry, I plan to collect every single cent.”

“So, you’ve been a ruthless creditor all along.”

“Are you worried you won’t be able to afford the debt?”

Lyca let out a short, genuine laugh. The boy was incredibly bold. Where had such a person been hiding? He had a magnetic, strange power over people. In the end, it didn’t matter. Lyca reached out and took the Indulgences.

“Very well. I shall ensure you are repaid in full, with heavy interest.”

He had accepted the challenge. He didn’t truly believe his honor could be magically restored, but he wanted to show his student that he was willing to try for him.

*Rip!*

Lyca slowly tore the first Indulgence.

In that instant…

“…”

Lyca’s eyes drifted upward. He looked at Hyun, his gaze trembling with shock. It was beyond belief, and yet…