Honkai Star Rail: I Became the World Tree — Chapter 45

Chapter 45: The Archons’ Roadtrip and the Holy City Sweep

“Besides the Elves, do you have news about any other races?” Samuel asked, his gaze fixed on Bradley.

Hearing the inquiry, the seasoned warrior let out a heavy, exhausted sigh. The weight of the past seemed to press down on his shoulders. “They have all submitted to Chaos. They had no choice, Samuel. They did it just to survive.”

Bradley listed them off, his voice grim. “The Humans, the Angels, the Demons, the Goblins… and so on. Now, except for the Elf Clan and the Treant Clan, every other race on this continent has either been entirely exterminated by the forces of Chaos or has bent the knee in surrender.”

A cold wave of disappointment washed over Samuel. He remained silent for a long moment, processing the grim reality of this world. Deep down, he could understand the desperation that drove those races to side with Chaos. When faced with absolute annihilation, survival instinct often trumped honor. He could forgive the Humans, the Angels, and the rest for breaking under the pressure.

But he would absolutely never forgive the Orcs.

Aside from the Orc race, every other faction had stood firmly by his side against the encroaching darkness back then. In that apocalyptic great war, countless members of their clans had bled and died on the battlefield, fighting until their lines broke. The Orcs were entirely different. From the very beginning, they had chosen betrayal, stabbing their allies in the back for a taste of power.

Samuel pushed the dark memories aside and let out a quiet breath. “I see. Go and get some rest, Bradley. You’ve earned it. Anviel, take him to find an empty Treehouse.”

Anviel nodded obediently, her delicate features softening as she guided the weary man away to rest.

Just outside the entrance of the General Store, Clara and Hook were sitting on the grass, happily molding colorful shapes out of playdough. They glanced up as Anviel walked past, eagerly waiting for the elf to return so they could include her in their game.

Far away from the Source Continent, the jagged, sun-baked rocks of Liyue’s The Chasm gradually gave way to the lush, humid canopy of Sumeru’s Gandharva Ville.

A merchant caravan rumbled along the dirt path, passing through a massive cavern that bridged the two nations. Sitting comfortably inside one of the wooden carriages were Zhongli and Venti, blending in perfectly as ordinary travelers.

Venti leaned back against the wooden slats, a playful smirk dancing on his lips as he looked at his stoic companion. “Old man, the Seven Archons signed a strict treaty stating that we must not enter other nations’ territories at will. Have you forgotten your own rules?”

Zhongli kept his arms crossed, his expression completely unbothered by the bard’s teasing. “The one who signed that contract was the God of Contracts, Morax. Not me. I am simply Zhongli, a humble consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.”

Venti burst into laughter, flashing a bright thumbs-up. “Impressive! Finding a loophole in your own divine law… it really has to be you, old man!”

As the two disguised gods enjoyed the rhythmic rattling of the carriage, the caravan suddenly ground to a halt. A tiny, white-haired girl wearing a green and white dress stood in the middle of the dirt road, entirely blocking the convoy’s path.

“Hello,” she called out, her voice bright and melodic. “May I catch a ride?”

The caravan leader leaned over the driver’s seat, offering a warm smile to the small child. “Little girl, we are heading all the way to Fontaine. Are you sure we’re going your way?”

Nahida nodded, a gentle smile blooming on her face. “Yes, it’s perfectly on the way. I happen to be going to Fontaine as well. I’ll have to trouble you for a seat.”

The caravan leader scratched his head, looking around the dense rainforest. “You’re going to Fontaine all by yourself? Where are your elders? Did they actually agree to let you travel alone?”

“I’m just going to Fontaine to find my relatives,” Nahida said obediently, tilting her head. “Can you give me a lift?”

Seeing her innocent expression, the caravan leader easily caved. She was just a little girl, after all; it wouldn’t hurt to bring her along and keep her safe from the jungle beasts.

A few moments later, Nahida climbed aboard. Out of all the available wagons, she specifically chose to sit in the exact carriage occupied by Venti and Zhongli.

The atmosphere instantly shifted. Zhongli and Venti stared at the tiny Dendro Archon sitting across from them, the air thick with an awkward, heavy silence. One moment they were casually joking about dodging the Treaty of the Seven, and the next, the ruler of the very nation they were trespassing in had literally knocked on their door.

Nahida’s adorable, wide green eyes scanned back and forth between the two men, brimming with innocent curiosity.

“Lord Geo Archon, Lord Anemo Archon,” she said softly, her tone perfectly polite. “Welcome to Sumeru. I am the Archon of Sumeru, Nahida. It is a pleasure to finally meet you both.”

She folded her hands in her lap. “May I ask what business brings you both to Sumeru territory? The Treaty of the Seven stipulates that one must not enter other nations unless there is a major matter at hand.”

Venti and Zhongli exchanged a long, silent glance. Without missing a beat, Venti decisively shifted all the pressure onto his older companion. “Old man, you tell her.”

Zhongli closed his eyes for a brief second, mentally sighing before offering a calm, measured response. “We have urgent business in Fontaine. Passing through Sumeru was the most direct route. I am afraid we simply forgot to send advance greetings.”

Nahida’s eyes lit up. “You’re going to Fontaine too? What a coincidence. Let’s go together, then. I also have business there.”

Both Zhongli and Venti blinked, genuinely puzzled.

“You’re going too?” Venti asked, leaning forward. “What exactly are you going all the way out there for?”

Nahida smiled, swinging her small legs. “I’m looking for a friend. Or, perhaps, you could call them a relative.”

The answer only deepened their curiosity. A relative of Nahida? A relative of the Dendro Archon, living in the Nation of Hydro? The concept was entirely unheard of.

“Then let’s go together,” Venti agreed, deciding it was better to keep her close.

Nahida nodded happily, then turned her full attention to Zhongli. “I have long heard that the Lord Geo Archon governs with unmatched wisdom, keeping Liyue in perfect, prosperous order for millennia. Since we have a long journey ahead, may I ask you a few questions?”

Zhongli offered a slight, respectful nod. “Please, ask away.”

For the next several hours, Nahida peppered Zhongli with highly specific, complex questions regarding the logistics of governing a nation, managing an economy, and balancing human ambition with divine law. Zhongli did not hold anything back, speaking with the measured cadence of a seasoned professor as he detailed everything he knew.

Nahida listened with absolute intensity. Halfway through the lecture, she even materialized a glowing green pen and a notebook, diligently taking notes on his administrative strategies.

Outside, the scenery shifted. The caravan rumbled steadily through the dense greenery of Gandharva Ville, passed the towering walls of Caravan Ribat, crossed the scorching, golden dunes of the desert, and finally arrived at the majestic, water-bound elevators of Fontaine’s Romaritime Harbor.

Meanwhile, back on the Source Continent, the Holy City Square was buzzing with mechanical precision.

Herta and her carefully organized Herta Legion were already assembled in perfect formation, their joints whirring quietly as they prepared to set out. After several days of relentless grinding and development, more than half of the combat puppets in the legion had successfully reached Level 5, with only a small straggling portion still sitting at Level 4.

The moment Herta heard there were shiny gold coin rewards for clearing out the surrounding zones, she immediately marched her army to the front lines. She placed immense importance on gold coins now, realizing they were the ultimate currency required to purchase rare, otherworldly items from Samuel’s General Store.

Nearby, Stelle leaned against her baseball bat and looked over at the Supreme Guardian of Belobog. “Bronya, how is the situation in your Underworld lately?”

Bronya offered a tired but genuine smile. “It’s much better than before, but it remains quite difficult to raise the standard of living to a comfortable level. The amount of currency Seele, Natasha, and I can obtain each day from hunting monsters is strictly limited.”

March 7th bounded over, patting Bronya on the shoulder to encourage her. “Don’t worry! As long as today is better than yesterday, and tomorrow is better than today, everything will turn out fine!”

Bronya nodded gratefully. Through the extensive work-for-relief programs she had applied over the past few days, any diligent resident in the Underworld was now guaranteed enough rations to survive. They still ate very little, but the constant, looming threat of starvation had finally been banished. Some of the more technically skilled workers were already living a life where they could afford two full meals a day—a luxury previously unimaginable in the depths of Belobog.

Herta twirled her massive hammer and looked up at Samuel. “Leave the eastern sector to me. I’ll take my Herta Legion and sweep the area clean.”

Samuel nodded in agreement, trusting the genius’s ruthless efficiency.

Seeing the eastern flank claimed, Stelle confidently spread her hands. “Then Furina and the rest of us will just have to take the west. It’s only 3:00 PM; let’s try to get this entire sweep done before it gets dark.”

She hoisted her bat over her shoulder and pointed forward. “Star Adventure Group! Follow me!”

With a dramatic wave of Stelle’s hand, March 7th, Dan Heng, Welt, Bronya, Natasha, and Seele fell into step behind her, marching toward the western ruins.

Not to be outdone, Furina struck a theatrical pose, her blue coat fluttering in the wind as she waved her scepter. “Justice Adventure Team! Move out!”

Behind the Hydro Archon, Neuvillette and Clorinde stepped forward, leading a highly disciplined detachment of ninety elite Gardes. These ninety soldiers had been personally selected by Neuvillette through multiple, rigorous rounds of screening back in Fontaine. They resolutely supported Furina, knew how to keep their mouths completely shut, and possessed rich, practical combat experience.

In all of Fontaine, aside from Vision holders and the elite operatives of the Marechaussee Phantom, these ninety men and women were the absolute strongest.

Despite their real-world skills, their system stats were abysmal. Most were still sitting at Level 1, with only a handful having scraped their way to Level 2. There was no helping it; they had arrived on the Source Continent far too late, and the surrounding Goblins had already been wiped out, leaving them with no easy targets to farm for EXP.

As the teams split up, Herta’s legion marched eastward. She had been leading her puppets to systematically sweep through the ruins of the Holy City for the past few days. However, combat wasn’t her only objective. During the sweep, she had also taken the time to harvest countless exotic plants and rare herbs from the edges of the Elven Forest.

These magical flora were entirely alien to the Honkai: Star Rail universe, making them perfect specimens for her to take back and study. Her obsession with the new ecosystem was so intense that she had already ordered Asta to construct a massive, climate-controlled Botanical Garden on the Herta Space Station just to house her findings.