In the game’s storyline, the Tree of Vitality is the sacred tree passed down through generations of the Elven Clans.
According to ancient elven mythology, the entire Elf race was born because of the Tree of Vitality.
“It is the ancient mother, nurturing all life.”
This is the very first sentence recorded in the Book of Vitality, showing just how deeply the Elves revere the Tree of Vitality.
Veronie was born into nobility from an early age, a descendant of Her Majesty the Empress.
The Elves have never worshiped gods nor relied on cursed powers.
Contained within the Tree of Vitality is the Life Canon—not a musical score, but a law revealing the natural order of life, aging, sickness, and death that all Elves live by.
However, during Veronie’s childhood, an accident occurred.
A breach formed among the Nine Elven Clans stipulated by the Life Canon, disrupting the unity of the nine clans’ one-body principle.
This incident sparked the long-standing resentment of the Dark Elves towards the Green Elves, the orthodox line of the Elven race.
They launched an assault against the Green Elves and, in this battle, officially declared their complete separation from the Elven people.
After these events, the Elves were the first to begin doubting the Life Canon.
More and more Elves began attempting to overstep its boundaries.
To maintain order, the Empress personally ventured into the Tree of Vitality to inspect the Life Canon.
Veronie held a firm belief that her mother would be able to resolve the crisis.
Yet no one expected that when Her Majesty returned from within the Tree of Vitality, she had gone mad and even personally destroyed the Life Canon inside.
The Tree of Vitality suffered the greatest damage in recorded history.
The Empress, decreed by the Life Canon itself, had destroyed the canon—a profound denial of the Life Canon’s authority.
In a single night, the remaining seven major Elven Clans fractured and fell apart.
Amid countless curses and accusations, Veronie inherited her mother’s position and, to atone for the Green Elves’ sins, dedicated her entire life to saving the Tree of Vitality and restoring the Life Canon.
She journeyed from the Elven Clans to the ancient Giant Tribe, the Dragon Race… and finally to Aurora Academy.
She ceaselessly studied and read, even more determined than before. She vowed to save everything: her mother’s reputation, the Tree of Vitality, the fractured Elven Clans, and the harmony of the Life Canon.
“The Tree of Vitality is the very life tree of the Elves. What’s wrong? Don’t you Elves know more about it than us Humans?”
“……”
Veronie fell silent.
When the Life Canon was destroyed, she had doubted whether the Elven Clans throughout history ever truly understood the Tree of Vitality.
“But you know, I think you Elves are a bit too rigid. The Elven race has always been strong and thriving, yet you constantly restrict the development of individual clans. In the name of so-called balance, perhaps the future of your entire race is being limited?”
“You just don’t understand.”
Veronie shook her head.
Even though the Life Canon was destroyed and her mother’s actions were the ultimate negation of it, she still wished to restore the once-beautiful order.
She would never give up and would tirelessly prove the correctness of the Life Canon.
“Maybe so, after all, you are the Elf.”
Vellandelle neither confirmed nor denied.
She understood just how stubborn Veronie was and chose not to argue further.
Though she knew the entire truth, she could never reveal it.
Doing so now would shatter Veronie’s faith and make it impossible for her to believe.
After briefly touching on the topic, Vellandelle ended the conversation.
There was no point—she was not the kind to appease Veronie’s mistaken views just to win her favor.
She could only subtly hint at her own understanding of the truth, and whether Veronie listened was entirely her choice.
“A half-hearted answer… but I still believe that a united Elven race is the greatest of all.”
This time it was Vellandelle who fell silent. She truly didn’t know how to respond to Veronie.
“As long as you’re happy, and as long as your will remains firm, that’s enough.”
“Firm in myself?”
No matter what was said now, within the game’s plot Veronie had learned the truth about her mother and the Life Canon.
Yet she still could not accept it. In her pursuit of the right path, she only strayed further in her own way.
Though Veronie ultimately failed to succeed in finding the true path, it still proved her steadfastness—something no mere words from Vellandelle could sway.
***
“Look, look! That white-bearded old man must be the history teacher, right?”
“Yeah, seems normal enough. Isn’t that what a history teacher should look like?”
“……”
Amid the noisy chatter, Vellandelle spotted their history teacher.
The man appeared quite elderly, with hair and a long beard both turned white.
The old man walked heavily up onto the stage, clearing his throat a few times before starting the class.
“I am your history teacher, Myuen. Since you have chosen this sacred and solemn subject, I expect you all to pay attention.”
“Enough talk. I’ll begin from the origins of humanity.”
Unlike Vivilian, Myuen was not gentle.
Though aged, his voice carried great authority. Seeing the old man, the students found themselves oddly without any rebellious thoughts.
“That was the most chaotic era, when countless races vied for power. At the time, it was the age of Giants and Dragons. That terrifying era is known as the Golden Age. Amid endless battles for dominance, only the strongest races survived, while the weaker ones were wiped out. The Elven Clans were among the weaker ones, but through their Life Will and unity, they managed to maintain stability even in that time…”
The old man rambled on, and many students found themselves absorbed.
When he mentioned the Elven Clans, Veronie listened especially intently.
It was precisely because of their experiences during the Golden Age that the Elves became more determined in their unity and the power of the Life Canon.
Veronie thought the same. She had turned over the past many times, and everything clearly told her that only the Life Will could save the Elves.
Upholding the Life Canon was the Elven race’s only way forward. So why did others fail to understand?
The students, meanwhile, seemed to listen as if to mere stories, fully captivated by Myuen’s recounting of ancient epics.
Even after Myuen left, they remained entranced.
“Ah, how tragic.”
“What’s so tragic?”
“The ancients fought for supremacy in their time, but under the grinding wheels of history, they were suffocated. Giants and Dragons alike, none truly thrived in peace.”
Listening to Vellandelle’s words, Veronie thought for a moment.
“That’s because they relied only on their own natural advantages. Once those advantages faded and other races caught up, those once-great races showed signs of decline.”
“That’s right. Everything has its own developmental rhythm for a period. But when entering a new phase, change is required. Without change, all that awaits is being crushed under the great wheels of time.”
Vellandelle’s words echoed in the air as Veronie sat quietly in her seat, lost in deep thought.