Chapter 114

Perhaps it was shocking to realize she had been defeated by a tree that didn’t even care about elves.

Freyja muttered while recoiling from the World Tree as if looking at a disgusting insect:

“To think I was beaten by such a loveless weed…?”

“The term ‘weed’ is a bit much. Strictly speaking, the World Tree’s abilities are real, aren’t they?”

The World Tree had indeed helped the elves tremendously, excluding personality issues.

In fact, it was a bit ridiculous to judge its personality.

It would be different if the World Tree had forced them to worship it from the beginning. The World Tree had never wanted such a thing from them.

Doing something unbidden and then complaining ‘Why don’t you love us!’ isn’t a normal relationship.

Above all…

“It’s not like you particularly loved the elves either, right?”

“I love all beautiful beings in the world! It’s hard to find a spirit as full of love as me!”

When Wendigo chided her, Freyja turned her head like a coy maiden and answered.

Dario stared at Freyja in disbelief and muttered:

“Just because someone has a pretty face…”

“Hey! Honestly, as a man, shouldn’t you understand me?! Don’t tell me the reason you weren’t attracted to me is…”

“Do you think all men in the world are as shallow as you? Besides, you’re in a female form!”

As Freyja slowly increased the distance as if she had encountered an incomprehensible being, Dario pointed at her and shouted in a loud voice, feeling wronged.

To be honest, Freyja targeting pretty women while in a woman’s form was stranger.

However, Freyja straightened her back as if she had nothing to be ashamed of and shouted:

“I don’t just like pretty women! I love all beautiful things in the world, but the most common among them are beautiful women, that’s all.”

“Damn, that’s why you lost to the World Tree…”

“What did you just say!”

“Ah~ I can’t hear you. I can’t hear the voice of a spirit less charming than a tree…”

When Dario covered his eyes and ears and averted his gaze, Freyja ran towards him, panting.

She jumped with the momentum of her run and landed on Dario’s shoulders, then removed his hands from his ears and unleashed a voice like a nightingale:

“Hey!!!!!!”

“Kyaaaagh!? Has this spirit really gone mad! Your Highness, don’t just watch, please help me!”

“Sigh…”

Wendigo, who had been watching Dario and Freyja bickering, sighed.

Should he admire them for not being tense even while uncovering the unknown truth about the World Tree, or should he look down on the two for squabbling even in this situation…

Wendigo approached the two and hooked his claw into Freyja’s collar. As he pulled, Freyja glared at Wendigo with a short scream.

“Wendigo. This is a precious outfit Syr gave me as a gift! What if it gets ruined from rough handling!”

“… If you vomit on my body, know that I’ll leave you behind.”

Dario, who had turned pale, covered his mouth and held back his nausea. Being abandoned in an unknown forest was absolutely out of the question.

Shortly after, the World Tree, who had been looking around, found a suitable place and pointed with its finger.

[ That place looks good. ]

“In-indeed, even if the World Tree grows into a giant tree, it won’t harm the surroundings… Kyaaaagh!!!”

Wendigo changed direction and dashed through the forest before hearing the full answer.

The place the World Tree pointed to was a clearing rarely found in the forest, and judging by the faint traces of life remaining, it was clearly once a village where people lived.

Upon reaching the clearing, Wendigo let Elhemina and Dario down. As soon as they were let down, the two ran into the forest.

The sound of something pouring out echoed through the forest, and they returned with sunken cheeks.

Dario glared at Wendigo while panting:

“The experience of my insides flying around is enough once… If there’s something like this next time, please leave me behind.”

“I’m sorry. But you know this is the fastest way to get things done, don’t you?”

[ Here. I’d like you to dig here. ]

After apologizing to Dario, Wendigo followed the World Tree. The World Tree looked around with small steps and pointed to a suitable spot, asking Wendigo.

Wendigo created an ice shovel and thrust it into the ground. Watching this, Dario approached Wendigo while rolling up his clothes.

“This doesn’t seem like a task for Your Highness. I’ll do it instead.”

“What are you saying with a face that looks like it’s about to collapse… Rest. Considering the size, it’ll be faster if I do it anyway.”

Since Wendigo’s words were correct, Dario stepped back sheepishly.

Wendigo chuckled. It seemed he had somewhat reformed compared to the old days, sincerely stepping up as a subject.

As Wendigo dug with the shovel, a deep hole was created in less than five strokes.

Elhemina gauged the depth and nodded.

“This should be deep enough that the World Tree’s roots won’t be exposed above ground even when it grows.”

“It seems strange to plant a sapling underground…”

[ Don’t worry too much. There are various forms of life in the world. ]

The World Tree jumped into the hole. Landing at the bottom, the World Tree raised both hands towards Wendigo and shouted:

[ Now cover me with soil. ]

“… Wait, are you saying to bury you in that form?”

“Wouldn’t it return to sapling form when the soil comes in?”

No matter how you look at it, burying something in the form of a young child with soil…

[ If I return to sapling form, the mystery used to maintain this current form would be wasted. If buried in this state, I can grow without any waste, so isn’t it natural to be buried in this form? ]

When Wendigo hesitated, the World Tree urged him as if he was saying something strange.

Wendigo looked at Elhemina as a last hope, but she avoided his gaze.

To begin with, the World Tree manifesting itself was something hard to find even in history books, so Elhemina wouldn’t have any good ideas either.

‘Let’s just bury it quickly.’

Wendigo buried the World Tree with soil, thinking of it as burying a wooden doll.

After burying, no, planting the World Tree like that, Wendigo cleared away the ice shovel and slumped down in a suitable clearing.

“Elhemina. How long does it take for the World Tree to grow?”

“I know that usually, the World Tree starts to show itself after about three months. If the land is full of energy, that speed can increase.”

Elhemina answered with a bright smile when asked about her area of expertise.

If nothing else, she had thoroughly memorized everything about nurturing the World Tree as a priest.

Elhemina picked up a handful of soil from the surroundings to check its condition, then confidently assured Wendigo:

“Judging by the quality of the surrounding soil, I expect it will show itself in two months.”

“Is there no way to make it grow faster? It takes longer than I thought.”

It was troublesome to wait here for 2 months for the World Tree to show itself, but it was also uncomfortable to leave it to people who didn’t know about the World Tree.

At Wendigo’s question, Elhemina recalled the most common method.

“The best way is to give it plenty of mystery…!?”

Rumble!!!

As soon as an earthquake occurred, Wendigo grabbed Elhemina and Dario and retreated from the clearing.

The ground where they had been talking just moments ago split open, and a pure white tree began to emerge explosively.

The tree continued to grow in size, devouring the space.

Elhemina watched blankly with her mouth wide open.

“Uh… it shouldn’t grow this fast?”

“We can ask directly about that.”

Convinced that this was not normal, at least, Wendigo drew his ice sword and walked towards the World Tree.

The World Tree boasted a large and majestic appearance as if it had spent thousands of years in this land, and began to cover the sky with its brilliant golden leaves.

Wendigo stepped on the roots exposed above ground, raised his ice sword, and warned the World Tree:

“If you don’t explain what’s going on right now, I’ll cut you down.”

The World Tree didn’t answer, and Wendigo had no intention of retracting his words.

Frost formed around the ice sword as cold energy condensed, and the World Tree’s roots, which had been flowing with warm energy, froze instantly.

The ice sword began to emit a dark blue-green haze and let out a chilling wail.

Wendigo steeled himself to cut down the World Tree.

‘Even if it dies here, it’ll still be alive in Elvenhome anyway.’

In fact, no great resolve was needed.

It had only been a few hours since they formed a connection, so why hesitate?

Moreover, it wasn’t in the form of a young child now, but a huge tree, which made it even easier.

However, fortunately, Wendigo didn’t end up cutting down the World Tree.

Just as he was about to swing the ice sword, a crack formed in the World Tree’s trunk, and a woman walked out, breaking through the crack.

“Is that… the World Tree?”

Except for her adult figure, the woman bore a very similar appearance to the World Tree in its child form.

But there was one strange point. The World Tree, which always maintained an expressionless face, was now wearing a nauseated expression.

The World Tree staggered towards Wendigo.

Wendigo withdrew the mystery contained in the ice sword and asked her:

“Is there some problem?”

“Urgh!”

Upon reaching Wendigo, the World Tree covered her mouth and collapsed. Wendigo supported her in bewilderment.

What on earth could this land have done to the World Tree to cause this?

The World Tree answered the question with difficulty, gasping for breath:

“How much mystery was stored up for it to be this full… I feel like my body might burst at any moment.”

“……”

Wendigo seriously considered whether the World Tree had gone mad from absorbing Gikas’s mystery.