Leo remained standing in silence for several long moments, his newly golden eyes reflecting the radiant glow of the World Tree. Yet beneath that calm exterior, countless thoughts crashed against one another within his mind like a storm-torn sea that refused to know peace.
Too many questions.
Far too many.
What did "Child of Destiny" truly mean?
Why had Ava deliberately avoided revealing the full truth to him?
And what exactly was this catastrophe she had spoken of with such gravity that even the World Tree itself seemed wary of it?
Everything about the situation was shrouded in an unsettling fog of mystery.
After a while, Leo slowly exhaled and closed his eyes for a brief moment.
There was no point drowning himself in questions that had no answers—at least not yet.
Whether the coming catastrophe was real or not…
Whether the title "Child of Destiny" held genuine meaning or was merely some obscure cosmic nonsense…
None of it mattered right now.
At this moment, only one thing deserved his focus.
Recovering his strength.
As quickly as possible.
Power alone stood above all uncertainty.
Power alone allowed one to stand over chaos instead of being crushed beneath it.
And while he was lost in thought—
His heart suddenly pulsed.
A single, heavy heartbeat.
Leo paused for a moment before a faint smile slowly formed on his lips. A rare smile—one carrying genuine satisfaction.
"Perhaps… this is why I used the Reincarnation Spell."
The words echoed quietly within his mind.
For the first time in a very long while, he felt as though he finally understood himself a little better.
The thrill of living.
Anxiety.
Challenges.
Preparing for the unknown.
The feeling that something unexpected could happen at any moment.
All of it was infinitely better than the eternal stagnation he had endured at the peak of his previous life.
Back then, when he had ascended to the level of an absolute existence, everything had become unbearably dull.
No rivals.
No surprises.
Nothing capable of stirring even the slightest interest within him.
But now…
He was truly living again.
Planning.
Risking.
Questioning.
Facing a world he could no longer predict completely.
And because of that…
Leo finally became convinced that choosing reincarnation had not been a mistake.
If anything, it might have been the greatest decision he had ever made in both lives.
---
A few moments later, the overwhelming radiance emitted by the World Tree gradually began to fade, and the mana within the church slowly returned to its natural calm.
A heavy silence descended.
Then—
The Saintess of the World Tree began to cry.
Yet those were not tears of sorrow.
They were tears born from reverence and overwhelming emotion.
She lifted her head and spoke with a majestic voice whose echo spread throughout the church and beyond, reaching even the forest itself.
"O people of the Elves… today, for the first time in thousands of years, we have received a direct revelation from our Sacred Mother."
At first, everyone froze.
Eyes widened.
Expressions shifted into pure disbelief.
And the moment they fully understood the meaning behind her words—
The entire place erupted.
Voices rose from every direction as the Elves burst into cheers and celebration, their joy resembling that of a people who had finally received a divine blessing after centuries of waiting.
Then the Saintess continued, her voice carrying even greater authority than before.
"The revelation says:
This mortal, who has set foot upon
my sacred domain and earned my recognition,
and upon whom the light of my welcome
has shone from the depths of my being,
is from this moment forth
my chosen emissary and the bearer of my will
among all creation.
His words shall be heard among my children,
and his status shall be honored.
Therefore, bow before him in respect,
grant him the reverence due to one
who has gained my favor,
and preserve his standing as you would
preserve the sanctity of my command.
And as the revelation came to an end—
Something happened that none of them could have imagined, not even in their strangest fantasies.
Every Elf bowed.
Every single one.
The nobles.
The soldiers.
The priests.
Even the King, the Queen, and the Saintess herself.
All of them lowered their heads before the chosen Messenger of the World Tree.
As for Leo—
He merely stood there silently observing the scene, one eyebrow raising ever so slightly in mild surprise.
"So this is how Zealots are…"
he thought coldly to himself.
"Their convictions sway like leaves in the wind… everything depends entirely on the words of whatever they worship."
And yet, he knew the truth was not that simple.
Even among the Elves themselves, there were undoubtedly many who opposed this decision deep within their hearts.
Many who could never accept the idea of a human becoming the messenger of the World Tree.
But none of them dared to voice such thoughts aloud.
To question the messenger chosen by the World Tree was not merely a crime—
It was akin to receiving a direct invitation to hell itself.
And so, even those nobles whose hearts burned with resentment and disgust could do nothing except lower their heads in silence.
---
Later, Leo met with the Elven King and Queen inside the royal palace.
They welcomed him with the courtesy and formality befitting his new position as the Messenger of the World Tree and the bearer of its will.
Yet despite their calm smiles and polite words, Lio could sense that none of it was entirely genuine.
After exchanging several formalities, he decided to ask directly:
"What exactly does the title 'Messenger' mean?"
The King remained silent for a moment before answering.
"There has not been a Messenger of the World Tree since the ancient ages… but such a being is regarded as the bearer of its will among all creation."
Leo sighed inwardly.
"Another vague answer…"
Then he asked about the title "Child of Destiny."
This time, however, both the King and Queen slowly shook their heads.
"We do not know."
Silence filled the room for a brief moment.
And at that instant, Lio realized something simple.
"I probably won't find the answers I seek here."
Once the conversation ended, he quietly left the palace.
---
But only moments after his departure—
The King turned toward the Queen and asked:
"What do you think of him?"
The Queen remained silent briefly before replying:
"He seems acceptable enough as a person…"
Then her eyes narrowed slightly.
"But I cannot understand why the World Tree chose him as its messenger instead of one of the Elves."
Her voice grew colder as she continued.
"For a human to become the Messenger of the World Tree… that alone is a catastrophe."
At that very moment—
Leo was calmly walking outside while a sound transmission spell carried their conversation directly into his ears with perfect clarity.
His footsteps paused for only a brief second.
Then a faint smile appeared on his face as he muttered inwardly:
"What hypocrites…"
"They smile to your face… while devouring you behind your back."