Ch.114Chapter 114

The elf might have been shocked by the fact that she was defeated by a tree that had no interest in elves.

Freya grimaced at the World Tree as if looking at a disgusting worm and muttered, “I lost to this loveless plant…?”

“Calling it a ‘plant’ seems a bit harsh. After all, the World Tree’s powers are real.”

The World Tree had indeed provided remarkably helpful assistance to the elves, aside from its personality issues.

In fact, even questioning its personality was somewhat ridiculous.

If the World Tree had demanded worship from the beginning, that would be one thing. But it had never wanted such things from them.

Doing things without being asked and then complaining “Why don’t you love us!” wasn’t exactly a normal relationship.

Above all…

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

“I love all beautiful beings in the world! You’d be hard-pressed to find a Djin as full of love as me!”

When Wendigo chided her, Freya turned her head away primly as she answered.

Dario stared at Freya in disbelief and muttered, “If only a pretty face was all that mattered…”

“Hey! Honestly, as a man, shouldn’t you understand me?! Don’t tell me the reason you haven’t fallen for me is…”

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

As Freya began to inch away as if she’d encountered some incomprehensible being, Dario pointed at her and shouted in outrage.

To be fair, Freya targeting pretty women while in a female form herself was stranger.

However, Freya straightened her back as if she had nothing to be ashamed of and shouted, “I don’t just like pretty women! I love everything beautiful in the world, but beautiful women just happen to be the most common!”

“Damn, no wonder the World Tree beat you…”

“What did you just say?!”

“Ah~ I can’t hear you. I can’t hear the voice of a Djin with less charm than a tree…”

As Dario covered his eyes and ears, avoiding her gaze, Freya approached him with a huff.

She leaped onto Dario’s shoulders in one bound, pulled his hands away from his ears, and released a voice like a nightingale.

“Hey!!!!!!”

“Aaaaargh!? Has this Djin truly gone mad? Your Majesty, don’t just watch—help me!”

“Sigh…”

Wendigo sighed as he watched Dario and Freya bickering.

Should he be impressed that they weren’t tense despite uncovering the unknown truth about the World Tree, or should he find them pathetic for squabbling even in this situation…

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

“Wendigo. This is a precious outfit Shir gave me! What if you damage it by handling it roughly!”

“…You shouldn’t have worn such a precious outfit to a place like this in the first place. Get down before you ruin your clothes completely.”

Wendigo’s not-quite-threat seemed to work, as Freya climbed down from Dario’s shoulders with a sulky expression.

When Freya fell from his shoulders, Dario collapsed forward and gasped for breath.

“Damn Djin. So strong despite looking like that…”

“You should stop teasing Freya too. She’s been playing along, but if she hadn’t, your head would have rolled by now.”

“……”

Dario silently nodded at Wendigo’s warning. Indeed, if Freya had truly been angry, she had plenty of ways to kill him.

Not only could she physically remove his head, but she could also drain his soul with temptations no human could resist…

The World Tree, watching Wendigo mediate between the two, nodded slightly.

[Seeing you reconcile a Djin and a human makes me want to plant my roots even more.]

Dario, who had risen and dusted himself off, found a section in his notebook that seemed related to the World Tree’s statement.

“So the elves broke their promise by starting a civil war… Did the World Tree suffer damage from the civil war?”

“That’s strange. There would be no reason to harm the World Tree just because a civil war broke out.”

If such a thing had happened, it should have been included when the World Tree shared its long story earlier.

At Dario’s question, the World Tree frowned slightly and nodded.

[The elves didn’t harm me. They did come to me for help, but I didn’t help anyone. The leader of a group should be decided within the group.]

“Retaliation for that… would be difficult.”

Dario shook his head as he considered the possibility of retaliation.

Even assuming the elves had become violent due to the war’s aftermath, harming the World Tree would have been insane.

Everything about them was connected to elves, and they even religiously revered the World Tree.

If they tried to retaliate by taking an axe to the World Tree?

“The next axe would be aimed at the ruler’s neck.”

“Hmm. There’s nothing in my notes about elves cutting down or threatening the World Tree during the civil war… What evidence is there that the elves didn’t keep their promise?”

At Dario’s question, the World Tree tilted its head and spoke.

[Didn’t I explain sufficiently?]

“…Just answer the question, please.”

Dario’s veins popped out as the World Tree gave cryptic answers while looking at him with an expression that said, “Why don’t you understand?”

But Dario was a professional among professionals.

‘The opponent is a child. The opponent is thousands of years old but still a child. The opponent is a monster tree worshipped like a god…’

Dario swallowed his rising anger with superhuman patience and made his request.

Fortunately, the World Tree wasn’t particularly stubborn. She answered with an indifferent expression.

[The elves didn’t fulfill their promise to me while they were fighting among themselves. They didn’t plant saplings, and managing the World Tree became secondary.]

“Is that really enough to say the promise was broken?”

Wendigo asked the World Tree with puzzlement.

It was true that the elves’ civil war had delayed the fulfillment of their promise to the World Tree, but it surely hadn’t been abandoned completely.

However, the World Tree shook its head.

She could understand to some extent that planting saplings was delayed due to the elves’ civil war.

After all, symbiosis wasn’t about helping others just to extract something from them.

The problem was that the civil war itself was an act that ignored the promise made between the World Tree and the founder of Elvenheim.

[The elves’ civil war burned and devastated various parts of the island.]

While elves who worshipped the World Tree couldn’t cut it down, blessed trees were a different matter.

As the civil war intensified, elves tried to cut off their enemies’ supplies by burning forests…

From the World Tree’s perspective, the elves’ arson was seen as a kind of danger signal.

The threat that peace on this island might not be eternal was something the World Tree, growing naturally on the island, couldn’t ignore.

[One cannot guarantee that what has happened once won’t happen again. They failed to maintain the peace they promised me.]

“Isn’t that an overreaction? The elves wouldn’t harm you unless they collectively went insane.”

[I cannot accept even a slim possibility of my species being cut off. That was the premise of our symbiotic relationship from the beginning.]

Perhaps it was because she lacked desires like hunger, sleep, or honor.

The World Tree’s determination to preserve its species was surprisingly firm and fastidious.

Wendigo honestly thought the elves should be praised at this point.

It was practically saying that the elves had maintained peace for thousands of years to the satisfaction of a World Tree that worried about species extinction just because of forest fires, not even direct threats.

Dario gestured to Wendigo with a sour expression. When Wendigo bent down, Dario whispered to him.

“From what I’ve heard, it doesn’t seem like a dangerous being… but managing it wouldn’t be easy, would it?”

Wendigo agreed with his assessment. The World Tree certainly wasn’t a dangerous being.

Compared to troublemakers like Djin or gods who caused problems due to personal desires, the World Tree, interested only in spreading its seeds, was relatively decent.

The problem was that passing its incredibly strict standards would obviously be difficult.

‘…Has there ever been a peaceful period that lasted more than two years until now?’

Of course not. Whenever tensions eased, strange individuals would appear and cause trouble.

As Wendigo pondered briefly, a question crossed his mind.

If the World Tree took root in the north, what would happen to the World Trees in Elvenheim?

“What happens if the promise isn’t fulfilled? Do you consume the elves as nutrients?”

[…Then who would manage the World Tree on the island? It just means the development of the symbiotic relationship ends there. I can’t share more with someone I can’t trust.]

The World Tree looked at Wendigo with cold eyes, as if finding his question absurd.

She couldn’t abandon the World Trees in Elvenheim just because she was taking root in Wendigo’s land.

The World Tree was simply able to root herself in suitable land without being bound by existing promises.

Wendigo, surprised to see such an intense emotional expression, cleared his throat and changed the subject.

“Ahem. So… under what conditions do you plan to live in symbiosis with me? I can’t accept unreasonable conditions.”

[I was thinking of the same conditions as with the elves… is that not enough?]

“…I’m sorry, but the north doesn’t seem as safe as you think.”

Wendigo answered bitterly, recalling past events, to the World Tree’s question.

With incidents constantly occurring, he honestly couldn’t claim it was a peaceful place, even as a white lie.

The World Tree blinked and pointed at Wendigo.

[You can handle everything, so it doesn’t really matter? If you promise to protect me, I can accept some risk.]

“Huh?”

Wendigo pointed at himself in puzzlement.

What had she seen in him to say such a thing?

Before Wendigo could guess the reason, the World Tree stared at him intently and asked.

[Is that not acceptable?]

Though her face was expressionless, Wendigo had the illusion that the World Tree’s eyes were sparkling.

Even thinking rationally, it wasn’t a bad proposal.

The World Tree seemed to have no intention of being hostile once a symbiotic relationship was established, as long as it wasn’t harmed, even for the sake of preserving its species.

Wendigo avoided the World Tree’s intense gaze and warned her.

“…I’ll allow you to take root, but be aware that I might cut you down if you negatively affect the forest.”

[That’s obvious. Now let’s go plant me right away.]

“……”

How should one respond when told to plant someone without proper explanation?

Wendigo was so dumbfounded that he was at a loss for words.

* * *

Fortunately, finding an expert related to the World Tree was an easy task.

There happened to be an elf among those nearby who was responsible for attending to the World Tree…

…Naturally, that person was Elhemina.

Elhemina shed tears of joy when she met the incarnated World Tree. However, her joy didn’t last long.

“Hyaaaaaah!? Too, too fast!!!”

“Your Majesty! Please, please slow down a little!!!”

“I’ll let you down when I find a suitable place, so bear with it a little longer.”

Wendigo embraced Elhemina and Dario as he raced through the forest.

If he were to consider their circumstances and wander through the forest, it would take at least a few days—how could he wait that long?

Wendigo wanted to finish the task quickly and return to the palace to enjoy culinary delights.

Freya, sitting on Wendigo’s shoulder, arranged her wind-blown hair while chattering.

“Really~ My nicely styled hair is all messed up now.”

“Is that the problem right now?! I’m so dizzy I’m going to die… urgh!?”

“…If you vomit on me, I’ll leave you behind, just so you know.”

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 surveying the surroundings, spotted a suitable place and pointed.

[That place looks good.]

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

Wendigo changed direction and dashed through the forest before Dario could finish his response.

The place the World Tree had pointed to was a clearing rare to find in the forest. Judging by the faint traces of life remaining, it had clearly once been a village where people lived.

Upon reaching the clearing, Wendigo set down Elhemina and Dario. As soon as they were released, both ran into the forest.

The sound of something being emptied echoed through the forest, and they returned with hollow cheeks.

Dario glared at Wendigo while gasping for breath.

“One experience of my insides flying around is enough… next time something like this happens, please leave me behind.”

“I’m sorry. But you know this gets the job done faster.”

[Here. I’d like you to dig here.]

After apologizing to Dario, Wendigo followed the World Tree. She walked around, looking at the surroundings with small steps, and pointed to a suitable spot, asking Wendigo for help.

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

“This doesn’t seem like work for Your Majesty. Let me do it instead.”

“With a face that looks like you’ll collapse any moment? Rest. Considering my size, I’ll be faster anyway.”

Since Wendigo was right, Dario retreated awkwardly.

Wendigo chuckled. It seemed the servant had genuinely reformed somewhat from the past, stepping forward sincerely as a retainer.

As Wendigo dug with the shovel, a deep hole formed before he had made five strokes.

Elhemina assessed the depth and nodded.

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

“It seems strange to plant a sapling in the ground, though…”

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

The World Tree jumped into the hole. After landing at the bottom, she raised both hands toward Wendigo and shouted.

[Now cover me with soil.]

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

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

Even though she appeared as a child, being asked to bury her with soil…

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

As Wendigo hesitated, the World Tree urged him as if he were saying something strange.

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

Since the World Tree’s incarnation itself was rare even in historical records, Elhemina wouldn’t have a solution either.

‘Let’s just bury her quickly.’

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

After planting—or rather, burying alive—the World Tree, Wendigo put away the ice shovel and sat down heavily in the clearing.

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

“Usually, the World Tree begins to show itself after three months. The process can be faster if the land is full of vitality.”

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 priestess.

Elhemina picked up a handful of soil to check its condition and confidently assured Wendigo.

“Judging by the quality of the soil around here, I estimate she’ll appear in two months.”

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

It was impractical to wait here for two months for the World Tree to appear, but it also felt uneasy to leave it to people who knew nothing about the World Tree.

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

“The best way would be to provide plenty of mystical energy…!?”

RUMBLE!!!

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

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

The tree continued to grow, consuming the space around it.

Elhemina stared blankly with her mouth wide open.

“Uh… it shouldn’t grow this fast?”

“We can ask directly.”

Convinced that this wasn’t normal, Wendigo drew his ice sword and walked toward the World Tree.

The World Tree displayed a majestic form as if it had spent thousands of years in this land, with brilliant golden leaves beginning to block the sky.

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

“Explain what’s happening right now, or I’ll cut you down.”

The World Tree didn’t answer, and Wendigo had no intention of going back on his word.

Cold energy condensed around the ice sword, frost settled on the surroundings, and the World Tree’s roots, which had been flowing with warm energy, instantly froze.

The ice sword emitted a dark blue-green haze and began to release a spine-chilling wail.

Wendigo steeled himself to cut down the World Tree.

‘She’ll still be alive in Elvenheim even if she dies here.’

In fact, no great resolve was needed.

Why would he hesitate when their relationship had formed just hours ago?

Moreover, it was now in the form of a giant tree, not a child, which made it even easier.

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 emerged, breaking through the crack.

“Is that… the World Tree?”

Except for her adult figure, the woman looked very similar to the child-like World Tree.

But there was one strange thing. The World Tree, who always maintained an expressionless face, now wore a nauseated expression.

The World Tree staggered toward Wendigo.

Wendigo withdrew the mystical energy from his ice sword and asked her.

“Is there a problem?”

“Urgh!”

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

What effect could this land possibly have on the World Tree to cause this?

The World Tree gasped for breath and struggled to answer.

“H-how much mystical energy has been stored here… I feel like I’m about to burst.”

“……”

Wendigo seriously considered whether the World Tree might have gone insane from absorbing Gicas’s mystical energy.