The time was the day of the founding festival of Pelledia, 200 years ago.
"Your Majesty."
"Resillia?"
Iris, who was busier than ever with the founding festival schedule, was approached by Chancellor Resillia.
"You look exceptionally beautiful today."
"Oh my, Resillia with such flattery. It seems the maids' efforts since early this morning were worth it."
Iris, dressed in traditional attire for the founding festival, smiled at Resillia's rare compliment.
"But what brings you here? I heard you were busy with the founding festival preparations."
"I left the preparations to the officials under me."
"Hmm?"
Iris was puzzled by her words that she had left the founding festival preparations to someone else.
She was so meticulous that she couldn't stand not managing every little detail herself. How could she leave such important founding festival preparations to someone else?
"I have something urgent to report to Your Majesty."
"To me?"
"Yes, it's something I must inform you of before the founding festival proceeds, so please forgive me for having to leave the preparations to others."
Iris dismissed the maids and headed to a nearby room, noticing her unusually serious demeanor.
"I put in two spoons of sugar as you usually have it."
"Hehe, thank you."
Iris took a sip of the black tea that Resillia had prepared and wore a satisfied expression.
However, the longer Resillia spoke, the more serious Iris's expression became.
"…The Northern Empire is preparing for war?"
"Yes, that's the information we received from a reliable source."
The word 'war' made Iris's head throb.
"It wouldn't be against us… Where is it?"
"The Santala Kingdom."
"The Santala Kingdom?"
It didn't make sense.
Even if the Northern Empire were to invade the Santala Kingdom at this time, they would lose more than they would gain.
"Recently, a mithril mine was discovered near the capital of the Santala Kingdom."
"Mithril…"
Mithril was a precious metal used in many ways, but it wasn't quite enough to warrant a war.
However, the discovery of a mithril mine also meant there was a high possibility that adamantium was buried alongside it.
Adamantium, an essential material for creating holy relics, was a sufficient reward for the warmongering Ironblood Emperor to risk a war.
"Did the Santala Kingdom request support?"
"Yes, they sent a message this morning via messenger."
That meant the Santala Kingdom was already convinced a war was inevitable.
If they were requesting support from the neutral Pelledia, the Northern Empire must be preparing for an all-out war.
Iris had to swallow a heavy sigh, as such a problem had arisen right before the founding festival.
"Refuse them."
"But Your Majesty, the Northern Empire is a military power that does not embrace the Goddess faith. If the Santala Kingdom falls into their grasp, the Northern Empire will share a border with us."
"Even so, we cannot. If we send support, our status as a neutral nation will become blurred. It is more appropriate to establish a peace treaty with the Northern Empire through future talks."
"…The Ironblood Emperor is not a man who will listen to reason."
Iris stood up from her seat with a firm expression.
"Resillia, this matter ends here."
After leaving the room, Iris felt that her head, already complex with the founding festival preparations, had become even more tangled.
The Northern Empire was one of the great powers vying for continental hegemony. If a war broke out between such an empire and the Santala Kingdom, countless people would die.
Rivers and fields would be stained with blood, and the refugees created by the war would be countless.
Iris had a way to prevent such a tragedy.
That was to send support to the Santala Kingdom.
If the Kingdom of Pelledia sent support, other nations embracing the Goddess faith would also send support to the Santala Kingdom or condemn the Northern Empire.
No matter how powerful the Northern Empire was, it would be burdensome to have so many nations as enemies, so the scale of the war would be reduced, or the war itself might not happen.
Even knowing that, Iris could not choose that option.
The status of a neutral nation is only maintained when it upholds neutrality for eternity.
Even though there are many human nations that revere elves and embrace the Goddess faith right now, the time of humans and the time of elves are different.
Iris was convinced that in the near future for elves, the influence of the Goddess faith would diminish, and an era would come when humans would no longer view elves as objects of faith.
She had to ignore the Santala Kingdom's request for support in preparation for such an era.
To avoid giving those who would one day bare their fangs at Pelledia a justification for participating in the war, she had to turn a blind eye to a war with a predetermined terrible end.
Because she was the queen of Pelledia, the leader of the elves chosen by the World Tree.
She had no choice but to choose to protect thousands of her own kind over the lives of tens of thousands of humans.
'My choice is not wrong.'
Iris's steps seemed heavy as she boarded the carriage.
As the carriage approached the sacred ground, the streets became more crowded with the people of Pelledia.
-Look over there! It's the Queen's carriage!
-Your Majesty!
-Squeal!
-Thank you always, Your Majesty!
Iris reaffirmed that she was not wrong to the bright voices of the people until the moment she stepped out of the carriage.
Iris cautiously proceeded towards the World Tree, the giant tree whose end could not be seen even when she raised her head, the mother of the elves, and their only god.
Iris quietly knelt before the altar of the World Tree.
Then, thin branches extending from the World Tree created a laurel wreath and placed it on her head.
The founding festival of Pelledia is an important event to pray for the next year's abundance and peace to their mother, their only god, the World Tree.
On Pelledia's most important day, which no one should disturb, an unforeseen event occurred.
-Wh, what is that…?!
-Huh? The World Tree…??
-No way… It's never done that before??
-Is something wrong??
-Your Majesty…
The crowd could not hide their bewilderment and murmured incessantly.
"Wo, World Tree…?"
It was as if the World Tree was rejecting Iris and retreating backward.
Iris had been on the throne, and the founding festival had been held three times so far, but this had never happened before.
Iris stretched out her trembling hand towards the World Tree like an abandoned child, but the World Tree only retreated its branches as if it still did not want contact with her.
The murmurs of the crowd grew even louder at that sight.
Just as the Knights were trying to calm the crowd, unable to stand the confusion any longer, a voice loud enough to echo throughout the sacred ground was heard.
"She is a sinner!"
Everyone's gaze turned to the owner of the voice, a blasphemous remark to utter towards the queen.
Quite a few people could not help but be shocked by the identity of the woman standing at the bottom of the stairs leading to the altar.
And that was the same for Iris.
"Re, Resillia…?"
Resillia, the kingdom's chancellor, was glaring at Iris with a sword drawn.
"People of Pelledia! The World Tree is enraged, facing a sinner so vile that it cannot associate with her!"
The people bowed their heads, sensing the sudden appearance of the noble.
And the knights, without exception, were emitting killing intent towards Resillia.
The killing intent emitted by a knight who had reached the realm was an invisible blade that could lead a person to death.
However, Resillia, who faced the knights' killing intent head-on, did not flinch.
The knights doubted their eyes. This was not the chancellor but a traitor. How could a mere civil official withstand the killing intent unleashed with the intent to kill?
"You've finally gone mad!"
"Chancellor! Even if you are the chancellor, what disrespect is that towards Her Majesty the Queen!"
"Do not try to distort the will of the World Tree!"
Several high-ranking nobles raised their voices, but Resillia did not care.
The sight of her calmly walking towards Iris was enough to make the knights' eyes roll back in their heads. The enraged knights drew their swords and blocked her path.
"Stop! This place is only permitted to Her Majesty the Queen!"
"How dare you set foot on the sacred ground!"
"Traitor!"
Blue auras formed on the swords of the leaders of the three knights order that guard the royal family.
Even in the face of overwhelming power that ordinary people could never match, Resillia did not bat an eye.
Rather, the smile that appeared on her lips was not the kind smile she usually showed to servants but mockery itself.
"Pfft, Queen my foot."
"Yo, You… You blasphemous being!!!"
A demon appeared on the face of the 1st Royal Knight Commander, who was famous for his gentleness.
The moment his sword, wielded like a flash of lightning, was about to reach Resillia's neck, a knight wearing a black cloak who appeared from somewhere blocked the Knight Commander's sword.
"Resillia! You've finally gone mad! How dare you bring outsiders into the sacred ground?!"
"Knight Commander is nothing special."
"You dare!!"
The enraged Knight Commander began to exchange blows with the unidentified knight in earnest.
Dozens more black-clad figures appeared again in front of the knights who stepped forward to join the battle.
The Knight Commanders were shocked by their appearance. Where did those things come from?
The Royal Knights are a small elite.
They were all skilled individuals who had reached the realm of awakening and emitting aura. But the enemies were also emitting the same momentum as the knights.
Moreover, about 3 people, including the man fighting the Knight Commander, were skilled individuals who had reached the same master level as the Knight Commanders.
"Stop them."
"Yes."
At Resillia's command, the mysterious group rushed towards the knights.
At first glance, their skills seemed similar, but the gap was revealed when they actually collided.
Even if they emitted expert-level momentum, they were not at the same level as the knights. At best, they were only capable of stalling for time.
Of course, that was Resillia's purpose.
While they were blocking the knights, Resillia quickly moved to where Iris was.
"Resillia!"
Iris cared for Resillia more than anyone else, but she had already crossed the line that could be forgiven.
Iris is gentle, but she is the monarch of a country.
One cannot rule a country by being benevolent alone. Sternly punishing subordinates who cross the line is also a virtue as a monarch.
She was confused by the World Tree's reaction, but she was not one to ignore Resillia's atrocities.
"Don't be too angry, Your Majesty."
Her mouth was smiling, but her eyes were not. Resillia, who had a chilling smile, suddenly committed an atrocity that no one could have predicted.
"Resillia!!"
An event occurred that shocked everyone, including Iris, the nobles, and the people of Pelledia who were packed into the square.
"So this is what it feels like. World Tree."
The unprecedented event of an elf, merely a creation of God, directly touching the divine body of the World Tree took place.
It was a great crime that was far from enough to wipe out the entire clan, but the situation did not end there. Even more surprising things happened one after another.
"Wo, World Tree?!"
"No way! How can a woman like that!!"
The crowd was speechless at the sight of the branches extending from the World Tree embracing her.
"Now you can be angry, Iris."
A sinister and ominous smile appeared on Resillia's face as she looked at Iris.