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Chapter 49
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“This round is our victory.”
The queen’s words broke the silence.
The Dark Elves briefly glanced at the Elf Queen before turning their heads away and sighing.
“We definitely contributed more to defeating the Ender Dragon. Plus, we used one more Eye of Ender when opening the portal. And also…”
The queen continued to assert reasons for their victory.
However, none of them could be considered definitive proof of the Elves’ victory.
In the first place, this battle would have been lost if even one side was absent.
The Dark Elves did not respond and looked elsewhere.
It seemed like they were used to such behaviour.
“And also…”
“…Sure. Let’s go with that.”
Interrupting the queen, Kilia spoke.
It wasn’t out of anger or protest about the outcome.
Her voice was weak, as if she had given up.
“If it means you win, let’s just pretend it never happened. Do whatever you want.”
“Huh…?”
Kilia dusted herself off and stood up.
The other Dark Elves, one by one, followed her lead and rose as well.
The Elf Queen stared at them, clearly flustered by their sudden movement.
She wasn’t accustomed to settling disputes with the Dark Elves so easily.
“Let’s go, everyone. I think I enjoy building more than surviving.”
“Me too. Survival is fun, but it’s not like you can freely build things like in Creative Mode.”
“It’s nice to just focus on constructing for a change.”
The Dark Elves, casually chatting about trivial things, walked toward the portal.
The atmosphere didn’t feel like they had just participated in a historic battle.
Even the observing players watched in confusion.
The outcome that decided victory felt hollow, and the reaction of the Dark Elves was disheartening.
It was obvious to anyone that the contributions to defeating the Ender Dragon were about equal.
But for the Dark Elves themselves, it didn’t matter.
They were used to this.
Through long years, they had come to understand that Elves never truly change.
Now, the Dark Elves no longer bothered to fight or risk injury.
“-Wait a moment!”
Just as the Dark Elves were about to step through the portal,
An Elf stopped them.
It was Riana.
“Please wait for a moment.”
The Dark Elves turned around with indifferent expressions.
The Elves stared at Riana in shock.
“We couldn’t have defeated the Ender Dragon on our own.”
“Riana…!”
The Elf Queen’s expression turned to one of surprise.
Riana gently placed her hand on the queen’s shoulder.
Riana understood the queen’s stance.
As the Elf Queen and the Child of the World Tree, she couldn’t allow the World Tree’s honour to be tarnished.
Still, Riana felt she had to say this.
“Of course, you couldn’t have defeated the Ender Dragon on your own either. In the end, both sides contributed equally to its defeat.”
It was simply the truth.
The expressions of the Dark Elves remained unchanged.
“So… how about we call it a draw? I don’t think this match will ever be resolved otherwise…”
“…Fine.”
The Dark Elves turned back toward the portal.
But Riana spoke again.
Words she had held back since the Piglin Bastion.
Perhaps words she had never spoken to the Dark Elves before.
Maybe there was no need to say them.
After all, the Elves and Dark Elves would continue to live as enemies, just as they always had.
The rift created by centuries of conflict wouldn’t heal so easily.
However, Riana felt that she had received too much help to remain silent.
Even as an Elf, she couldn’t ignore the debt of gratitude she owed to those who had saved her life.
After much conflict, pain, and healing,
Her soft, unblemished Elven skin had grown a little tougher.
Everyone grows in their own way, and only after growth can some truths be seen.
“And also…!”
Riana, determined, raised her voice.
“K-Kilia…!”
Surprised, Kilia turned around.
Even as a Dark Elf, her avatar in the game revealed her identity through her speech and habits.
This meant Riana remembered her name from long ago,
When they had parted ways.
“From the Piglin Bastion until now… thank you for saving me. I owe you my life…”
“M-Me too!”
“And I’m also grateful for protecting us from the Ender Dragon’s breath earlier…”
As Riana shouted, several Elves followed suit.
Each of them had their own stories of being saved during the battle against the Ender Dragon.
They hadn’t spoken of it in the heat of the moment, and perhaps they never would have said anything to their lifelong enemies, the Dark Elves.
But thanks to Riana’s courage, they were able to express themselves.
“Well, I mean… I was helped too.”
“I didn’t save you on purpose or anything…”
The Dark Elves, averting their gaze, responded in kind.
The distance between the two races remained the same.
But for now, they looked at each other.
“Well, let’s go.”
The Dark Elves turned again and stepped toward the portal.
But then, someone stopped them again.
“Wait! You can’t leave like this.”
It was Rai, one of the observers.
“When you defeat the Ender Dragon, special portals open all over the End World. You can obtain unique items there.”
As Rai spoke, purple beams of light shot up across the End World.
Rai smiled at the Elves and Dark Elves.
***
“They really are like children, just as Galliard said.”
I said as I watched the Elves line up to equip their Elytra and try flying through the skies.
The Elytra is an item that can be obtained from the End Ship in the End City, accessible after defeating the Ender Dragon.
With it, you can glide through the air even in Survival Mode.
It genuinely feels like flying with real wings, making it incredibly enjoyable.
“Yeah. Those guys will live like that forever if left alone. Stubborn fools.”
“…It seems your hatred for Elves has grown even stronger.”
“I don’t understand why Elves always have something to say whenever I pick Master Yi.”
“How do you know if that player is an Elf?”
“Elves always blatantly include ‘Elf’ in their usernames. Names like <ElfSupreme> or <ElfQueenHere>. How could I not know?”
Galliard, who had been watching the battle with me, grumbled.
This old man seriously needs to cut back on playing COL.
“Still, didn’t they show some improvement today?”
“That’s like saying a five-year-old has turned six. Even saying ‘thank you’ embarrasses them that much.”
“That really did make them seem like little kids.”
“…They do seem slightly better now than before.”
As Galliard said, personalities grow through relationships.
Having lived in a closed-off society all their lives, the Elves were certainly lacking in that aspect.
Unable to express what’s inside, they ended up saying unnecessary things.
“They still have a long way to go. Watching them fight each other like that as kin seems ridiculous to me.”
“They’ll need time. That’s what family is, isn’t it?”
To be honest, I didn’t think the relationship between the Elves and Dark Elves would improve anytime soon after this incident.
They still seemed to hate each other, and the emotional rift between them was deep.
For now, they had taken just half a step forward.
But even that much was enough, since Elves live such long lives.
“Love is just about giving. Like how a father does.”
“Excuse me?”
“That’s what Aria said. She said faith eventually leads to love. Thinking about it now, it seems true.”
“Aria?”
“The name of the previous Saintess. She was someone who adventured with me.”
“Ah…”
“To the Elves, the World Tree is probably the same. The World Tree is their faith and also their mother.”
Love is simply about giving. Faith eventually becomes love.
Priests call their god Father.
Elves call the World Tree Mother.
A god simply grants divine power, and the World Tree bestows the grace of the forest.
Yet neither says anything nor asks for anything in return.
If that is love and faith, then it is understandable.
“The World Tree is not just a big tree, huh?”
“Well, of course not. But it’s those stubborn fools who gave it that name.”
“…That does make sense.”
Whatever the case, all of it was true.
It’s true that the Elves are stubborn fools.
It’s true that the nickname ‘just a big tree’ came from the Elves’ rigidity.
And it’s also true that the World Tree literally loves its children, continuing to grant its grace.
So, someday, even those Elves will find the right path.
The first step is always the hardest.
After all, peace and love are better than hatred and conflict.
“So, when will you buff Master Yi?”
“What buff? Master Yi’s balance is fine right now. If you want to win in higher tiers, play a different champion.”
“You’re telling me to climb solo queue with a weak champion like Amumu?”
“Then play something like Graves.”
“I’ve never even held a gun!”
I ignored Galliard’s nonsensical complaints and wrapped up my tasks in the world.
And so, the commotion caused by the release of ‘Minecraft’ and the Elves’ wager came to an end.
As a bonus, this incident brought renewed attention to the Dark Elves.
In a world dominated by uniform magi-tech architecture, many sought the designs of the Dark Elves.
Additionally, in ‘Minecraft,’ the Dark Elves became popular for sharing various tips and teaching building techniques.
Although the Elves were still called stubborn fools, that wasn’t something new.
Regardless, the incident concluded well.
***
“So, you’re Kilia—‘BigTree,’ right? This is my first time meeting you in person.”
A few weeks after the Elves’ wager.
<WorldTreeIsJustABigTree>, or BigTree, visited the Illusion Magic Tower.
It seemed that the Dark Elves were starting to receive work again thanks to the previous event.
BigTree wanted to express her gratitude to the Illusion Magic Tower for that.
“It does seem that Dark Elves are more polite than Elves~”
“But even the Elves seem to be changing a bit. Please stop hating them so much…”
“Hmm. They haven’t changed since I was a novice mage.”
Rina, the Water Tower Master, spoke in her characteristic tone as she happened to be visiting the Illusion Tower.
Since she was one of Hina’s few friends, she occasionally dropped by.
“Well, we don’t need anything in particular. Tower expansions can only be done with artifacts anyway.”
“Regardless, we want to repay the favor. The Dark Elves owe a great debt. We’ll repay it, even physically if necessary.”
“E-Excuse me?”
Kilia spoke with sincere eyes.
Given that Dark Elves excel in physical labor, it likely wasn’t meant in any strange way.
But it was easy to misinterpret.
“It’s truly fine. Instead, please continue playing ‘Minecraft.’ Share various ideas with people. You could even publish a book or teach building. Of course, as long as it doesn’t interfere with real-life commissions.”
In my previous life, many players shared ‘Minecraft’ content, and it became a trend.
Because the game allowed for such creative possibilities, just watching and following along was fun enough.
Considering the Dark Elves’ skills and intellect, they would undoubtedly accomplish remarkable things in ‘Minecraft.’
“Of course, I’ll continue playing ‘Minecraft’…”
“That’s all I need to hear. I’m busy, so not visiting is the best way you can help.”
After seeing off Kilia and the others, some time passed, and the Dark Elves became even more famous as ‘Minecraft’ experts.
“Did you know? When you’re surviving, the first thing you have to make is a boat!”
“A boat? Why would you need that?”
“Didn’t you see the Dark Elves’ ‘Minecraft Survival Handbook, Chapter 3, Section 2: The All-Purpose Boat’? With just a boat, you can do anything! You can survive falls from the highest places, and you can even move villagers around however you want by putting them in boats!”
“Whaaaaat?!”
It had now become common to hear kids chatting about ‘Minecraft’ on the streets.
Their knack for doing outrageous things hadn’t changed, but their childlike innocence remained intact.
True to the name ‘Minecraft,’ many people were creating and enjoying their own worlds.
Just that alone made this game a success.
With a satisfied smile, I headed to the top of the Magic Tower.
“Well then… let’s finally tackle the COL item update I’ve been putting off.”
Lately, Galliard had been whining about buffing Master Yi more times than I could count.
Although I didn’t have plans to buff Master Yi, I was preparing an update that might indirectly serve as a buff.
An item that had caused quite a stir in my past life.
Not releasing it was an option, but considering the current meta, having it in the game would certainly make things more fun.
On top of that, a new job was scheduled to be released for ‘Maple Leaf Story.’
Up until now, the Resistance jobs had been released.
Unlike the order in my past life, only one of the Hero jobs had been released so far.
With this update, two more Hero jobs and one job uniquely distinct from the rest of the ‘Maple Leaf Story’ classes were expected to launch.
This was also the point where ‘Maple Leaf Story’s’ storyline began to expand significantly.
The story of the third job to be released was still vividly etched in my memory.
It was that moving and heart-wrenching, immersing players even more deeply.
Recently, the popularity of ‘Maple Leaf Story’ had waned slightly.
But I felt confident this update would reignite everyone’s obsession.
That’s how compelling the story of this character was, even from my perspective.
Of course, the flashy skills and actions were a given.
And not long after, an event no one had anticipated shook the world.
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