The Author's Viewpoint-Chapter 80 - Her Name is Panpan

At first, Tave’s only goal had been simple. Survive.

Survive the coming war with the demons. Survive long enough to find his place in a world spiraling toward disaster.

But now.

Could he actually stop the fall of the Vensalor Kingdom?

His pace quickened. First a brisk walk, then a light jog, then a full run as the storm of thoughts raged inside his mind.

What would Theo do?

If Theo, the original protagonist, followed the story as it was written, would he let the floating kingdom burn? Would he watch it fall?

Or...

Would he aim even higher?

Tave stopped in his tracks, breathing hard. A chilling thought hit him.

What if Theo wanted to take the island for himself?

What if he planned to claim the World Tree. Not to save it, but to use it?

Tave clenched his jaw, walking again.

If everything played out like the original story, then yes. The demons would seize control of the World Tree.

And once they did. They’d twist its power to strengthen their foothold in Yunatea.

Because the World Tree wasn’t just a tree. It was a source, a nexus of pure life energy, ancient memory, and unyielding force.

Anyone who managed to tap into that. Would become something far beyond mortal.

And though the World Tree couldn’t be "used" easily, couldn’t be dominated without cost. Its power could be corrupted, could be siphoned, could be weaponized.

The blessing it granted wasn’t just divine favor. It was a form of Echo. A spiritual bond between the Tree and the one it chose:

The ruler of the Vensalor Kingdom.

And their legacy.

And then, as Tave’s thoughts circled around the idea of legacy. His mind snapped to a single name.

A figure hidden within the heart of the Vensalor Kingdom, tied to its very fate.

The one destined to inherit the throne after the fall of the current king.

The sole heir of the forest elves.

Princess Vanya Zylven.

Tave stopped again, staring blankly at the wind-swept plains in front of him as that name echoed through his thoughts.

Vanya.

She was the only successor. The last line of royal blood within the kingdom. The one chosen, by blood, by right, and by the World Tree itself.

But in this phase of the timeline... She wasn’t ready.

She was powerful, yes. Gifted. Touched by destiny. But still far from prepared to carry the weight of a kingdom teetering at the edge of annihilation.

And that was the heart of it.

The king’s death marked the beginning of the fall. But it was Vanya’s unpreparedness that sealed it.

Together, those two truths became the collapse of the Vensalor Kingdom.

Once the king, blessed by the World Tree’s Echo, was slain by the demons, and once Vanya, though bearing the same Echo, failed to rise in time...

The World Tree’s power faltered. Its blessing fragmented.

And with no one to wield its strength. The demons took everything.

Vensalor fell. And chaos reigned.

Damn it!

Tave ran a hand through his hair. The weight in his chest pressing harder with every passing second. His mind felt like it was spiraling, crammed with thoughts far too big for where he stood right now.

He was thinking about the floating island, a place so distant, so unreachable. What was he doing, trying to map out the fates of a King and a Princess he hadn’t even met yet?

He clenched his fists.

If the demons had already begun moving in this kingdom, then he might not even get the chance to make a difference. And that thought, that helplessness, itched like wildfire under his skin.

But no. He couldn’t break under it.

Not now.

"Let’s just... meet them first," he muttered to himself.

"Meet the forest elves. Start there. One step at a time."

He took a breath, then looked ahead with sharp, renewed focus.

First goal was to secure a spot in their Rift Expedition. The Tier 4 expedition. At any cost.

No more distractions. No more daydreaming about world-saving just yet.

He had a window.

And he was going to break it wide open.

***

Tave had spent the entire day standing at the dock, eyes fixed on the horizon, waiting. Just waiting. His excitement had pushed away hunger, and he’d barely eaten anything aside from a strip or two of dried meat.

But the forest elves never came.

Not today.

Maybe tomorrow. Maybe not.

And damn, how he hated the uncertainty of it.

He leaned against a weathered post, arms crossed, mind restless.

Should he really keep waiting here? Were they even still coming?

A small, ridiculous part of him wanted to jump on a ship himself. Sail straight into the open sea and find out why they were late.

"This is not how it’s supposed to go..."

Then... Night fell.

The sky turned dark, and the harbor lights began to flicker into life, one by one. Tave blinked.

"Damn it!"

He’d really spent the whole day here. Waiting like a lost soul.

What a waste of time!

Time he could’ve used to train. To hunt. To push another level, refine a technique, something. But no. He just sat here. Watching the waves.

If only he’d done something more productive.

Still, he waited. And waited.

Even when the night deepened and the wind turned cold. Nothing.

Not a single sign of the elves.

Finally, Tave sighed. The fire in his chest was starting to dim, replaced by plain, heavy exhaustion.

He turned his back to the sea.

"Better head home..." he mumbled. "I’m tired. Way too tired."

***

"Tave! Tave!"

His eyes snapped open, and he jolted upright in bed.

Lily’s voice.

"The forest elves! They’ve arrived!" she called from beyond the door.

Oh really?!

Tave didn’t waste a second. They were finally here! His pulse surged with excitement as he threw open the door, finding Lily standing just outside.

"Thanks, Lily. I’m heading out!"

"Wash your face first!"

"Yeah, sure!" he called back with a grin already spreading across his face.

He moved fast, splashing water over his face and running his fingers through his hair in a rushed attempt at presentability. Then, without another thought, he flew out of the room.

No hesitation. Just raw excitement. Bare feet hammering against the wooden floor, heartbeat racing in sync, as he dashed out to meet the ones they’d been waiting for.

He ran. Fast, focused, every step pulling him closer to the harbor.

And when he got there, he saw it.

A bustle of workers loading and unloading crates, voices calling out orders, the sharp clatter of metal and wood. And among them, standing apart from the rush and chaos, were the unmistakable forms of forest elves.

And right at the center, one figure stood perfectly still.

Tave slowed as he approached, his eyes locked on the figure.

A woman, tall, proud, and motionless like a statue carved in moonlight. Her armor gleamed with a deep, dark sheen, almost black, hugging her body with regal precision. Her hair fell to her shoulders in soft, loose waves, dyed in a subtle, shimmering faint pink, fluttering gently in the sea breeze.

She looked no older than her mid-twenties. But Tave knew better.

She was an elf. Ancient in soul, timeless in beauty.

And her face...

Sharp. Refined. Her cheekbones high, her lips carved with poise, and her eyes gleamed with a cold brilliance. She wasn’t just beautiful.

She was breathtaking.

Tave froze. His mouth slightly opened.

She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Stop daydreaming, you lazy idiot!"

Her voice slapped the fantasy away like a whip, and her finger jabbed right into his forehead with sharp precision.

"...Elincia," he muttered.

Her name was Elincia. The Imperial Knight of the Vensalor Kingdom.

So she’s the one they sent?

According to the story Tave had originally written. If he had to rank the beauty of the women from the Vensalor Kingdom.... Elincia would easily take second place.

No wonder he stood frozen, completely thrown off, facing a woman who looked like she could shatter empires with a single look.

"Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to be useful, idiot? Why does Logan always send you?" the woman snapped.

Tave blinked back into focus, finally realizing he was still just... staring.

He quickly bowed, respectful and composed. "Imperial Knight Elincia," he said with a soft, practiced smile. "It’s an honor to welcome you to Deadbay. I hope your journey was..."

"Shut up." She cut him off instantly. "I have a job for you."

Tave straightened up, still smiling. Though just a little tighter now. "Of course. Anything you need, I’m at your service."

This woman was going to be a handful. But if he wanted to earn a slot in the Rift expedition, and maybe more than that. Then he needed to learn how to play by her rules.

And play it well.

"One of my disciples," Elincia said flatly. "It’s her first time stepping onto human land. Take her around. Show her the city. And if you even think about doing anything stupid... your life’s forfeit."

"Disciple?"

Then, someone stepped forward from behind Elincia.

And Tave... His entire body locked up, his thoughts halted mid-stream, and for a heartbeat, it felt like his soul froze in place.

The girl who walked toward him looked like she was in her mid-teens, perhaps close to his age. Her long, flowing blonde hair shimmered softly in the morning light, cascading down her back. She wore a dark navy-blue robe, but underneath it, he could see the outline of archer’s outfit.

But it wasn’t just the way she moved. Or the way the robe danced slightly around her.

It was her.

She was...

Stunning wasn’t even the word. And "Beautiful" felt like an insult.

No. This girl was like something sacred, like the moonlight decided to take form and walk the earth.

Who is she?

"She is..." Elincia began to say.

"Pan," the girl said before she could finish. "Panpan," she added with a slight, cheerful smile.

Panpan?

"Ah yes... Panpan," Elincia echoed, before turning her gaze back to Tave and promptly thwacking his forehead again with her index finger. "Take her around this stupid city. Explain all the other stupid things humans do here."

And with that. The Imperial Knight turned and walked away without another word.

Leaving Tave standing there... In complete disbelief. In front of Panpan.

"Hi," the girl said again, her voice soft.

"Sorry. Yes. My name’s Tave," he said quickly, offering a polite, if slightly awkward, smile.

"Hi, Tave," she replied, bowing her head just slightly in a graceful way. "Please take care of me. This is my first journey outside Vensalor island. I want to learn as much as I can."

"Yes, of course," he nodded. "I’ll show you around the city and explain anything you’d like to know."

The girl, Panpan smiled, soft and sincere, and gave a small, grateful nod.

It seemed the beauty rankings Tave had carefully crafted for the characters in his original story were... starting to feel a little off.

Because clearly, the girl standing in front of him radiated something far beyond what he’d given credit for. Even compared to Elincia, who had held second place in his list without question. This girl had a kind of quiet brilliance that felt untouchable.

In the first place, it was supposed to belong to the princess of Vensalor Kingdom.

But... this girl?

Tave’s thoughts stumbled for a second.

Could she be...?

No. No way.

There was no chance the princess would be allowed to roam around human lands so casually, even with someone like Elincia as her escort. The princess was far too protected. Far too important. And not just politically.

She was the sole heir to the Vensalor Kingdom. Guarded, sheltered, watched at every moment. Her very existence was the last thread holding the kingdom’s legacy intact.

More than that, she was a magic caster, born with long, flowing green hair. A signature trait of those chosen by the Echo of the World Tree. That alone set her apart, a living symbol of Vensalor’s divine right. She carried an aura of elegance so profound, it was practically revered by her people.

And this girl?

This cheerful, curious archer in a navy-blue robe?

Her name was... Panpan.