Yggdrasil (2)

“……Huh?”

A stupefied voice escaped from Alicia’s lips.

Her knowledge insisted that the enormous tree before her eyes was the World Tree Yggdrasil.

But there was a part of her that couldn’t accept that this withered, dead tree was the World Tree Yggdrasil.

“What… what on earth is…”

Stammering words that couldn’t quite continue, Alicia was moving her feet forward.

I need to… see it from closer up.

With only this thought filling her head, Alicia moved forward, tightly gripping the jewel in her hand.

How long had she walked?

Alicia, who had crossed the meadow and entered the forest where the World Tree stood, looked up at the now closer World Tree.

The World Tree Yggdrasil—massive, but now blackened, rotted, withered, and unsightly.

Seeing its miserable condition, Alicia felt as if her heart was being torn apart.

‘Ah… this can’t be…’

She had come to the World Tree with a small hope, but now she had no choice but to accept it.

The World Tree Yggdrasil, which had circulated magical power throughout the world and supported the earth we live on, was dead.

Alicia was in despair at the truth before her eyes.

Then, a question arose in her mind.

Why had she sought out the World Tree in the first place?

Yes, she had come seeking to understand the true intention of the World Tree because of an incomprehensible divine revelation.

But the World Tree Yggdrasil was dead.

Then who on earth had given the divine revelation to Cardinal Gerald?

Cardinal Gerald hadn’t been lying.

There had been many witnesses when Cardinal Gerald received the divine revelation.

Of course, if all the witnesses were in cahoots, it wouldn’t be impossible, but they were also devout believers of the church.

Would they lie about a divine revelation?

Moreover, some of the witnesses were from the Papal faction, not the Cardinal faction, making it even less likely.

So what in the world was going on?

While lost in thought, Alicia heard a rustling sound.

Startled, she immediately held her breath and hid herself.

Then, something emerged from the undergrowth.

It was a fairy.

A small fairy with grass-green hair and red eyes was flying around.

Alicia held her breath even more.

Of course, she could have asked the fairy about the situation.

But Alicia didn’t think of making contact with the fairy, partly because she was from the Papal faction that didn’t serve fairies, but also because she felt uneasy.

‘The World Tree is in such a state, yet the fairies are wandering around as if nothing’s wrong. It’s strange.’

Alicia held her breath and remained hidden.

At that moment, the fairy seemed to look in her direction.

And the fairy approached.

‘…Did it notice me?’

Alicia’s face was tinged with anxiety.

But that worry turned out to be unfounded.

「Hmm? I thought something was there…?」

Despite clearly looking toward where Alicia was, the fairy tilted its head as if it couldn’t see her.

Alicia was inwardly very confused by this strange situation, but she didn’t let it show and continued to hold her breath.

「Am I tired…?」

Saying that, the fairy disappeared in another direction.

Alicia, who had been holding her breath until the fairy’s presence completely disappeared, emerged from her hiding place and exhaled.

‘Phew… what was that all about…?’

The dead World Tree.

Fairies acting as if nothing was wrong despite the World Tree’s death.

The identity of the divine revelation that came to Gerald.

Nothing was easy to understand.

At that moment, something caught Alicia’s eye.

“…Huh?”

A glowing figure.

This human-like form was moving as if waving its hand.

Perhaps it recognized that Alicia had seen it?

The figure stopped waving and began to move.

When Alicia remained still in a defensive posture, it paused its movement and waved again.

“…Is it telling me to follow?”

She had some slight doubts, but it didn’t seem to show any signs of wanting to harm her.

It seemed more trustworthy than the fairy at least, and there was nothing she could do by just staying here or going back.

With that thought, Alicia quietly followed it.

Following the glowing being that led the way while waiting for her to come, she walked for about an hour.

As Alicia approached close enough to see the base of the World Tree, she saw what looked like a cave.

No, looking more carefully, it wasn’t a cave.

It looked like a cave, but it seemed to be a space formed by some parts of what appeared to be the World Tree’s roots gathered together.

The glowing being stopped in front of it and pointed to the entrance.

“Are you telling me to go in?”

“……”

The glowing being disappeared without giving any answer.

Left alone, Alicia hesitated briefly, but not for long.

“I don’t know. Whatever happens, happens.”

Having made up her mind, Alicia stepped inside the entrance.

The inside was wider than she expected.

She had thought it would be dark, but light entered through the gaps between the tree trunks forming the space, so it wasn’t very dark.

After walking and walking until she reached a dead end, a small table-like wooden structure appeared before Alicia’s eyes.

On the table was something like a softly glowing orb.

As Alicia cautiously approached it, suddenly a dazzling light burst forth.

“I’ve been waiting.”

“…!!”

The form was not visible.

Alicia was simply enveloped in light.

But Alicia could clearly hear a voice that seemed to be female.

“W-who are you?”

The voice sounded like that of an ordinary woman at first, but somehow conveyed an indescribable dignity. Alicia calmly asked her question.

“I am the World Tree Yggdrasil. I have been waiting for you to come, descendant of Melrot.”

“World… World Tree…?! So you were safe!”

Normally, she might have been skeptical.

But the energy she felt from that voice told Alicia that this was indeed the real Yggdrasil.

As Alicia immediately knelt down in prayer, the voice of the World Tree continued.

“No, I am already dead. Please think of me here as something like a remaining vestige.”

“That… that can’t be…”

“Descendant of Prania Melrot, Alicia Melrot. I have a request for you.”

To Alicia, who once again recognized that the World Tree was dead, came the World Tree’s request.

“Would you deliver what is there to my child?”

“What?”

Was it referring to that softly glowing orb?

Alicia’s eyes turned to the orb.

Perhaps because she was close to it now, she felt a warm energy that she hadn’t noticed before.

“That is the seed of a new World Tree.”

“This… this is.”

“I have died, but recently I was able to create a new seed for the World Tree.”

Alicia slowly approached the orb and grasped it.

In appearance, it looked like just an ordinary orb.

But when Alicia held it, the powerful energy she felt from it added credibility to the World Tree’s words.

“Please deliver it to my child.”

“When you say the World Tree’s… Yggdrasil’s child, who exactly are you referring to…”

“That child’s name is…”

After hearing the World Tree’s answer, Alicia was surprised for a moment but then nodded as if understanding.

But Alicia still had one question.

“World Tree, how exactly did you come to pass away?”

“……”

“The World Tree has certainly died. But your blessings still function, and someone has even appeared claiming to have received your divine revelation.”

There was no answer from the World Tree.

But Alicia waited persistently.

After about several minutes had passed, a voice was heard.

“There is someone who killed me and stole my power.”

“!!”

Alicia was greatly shocked.

She had suspected that there was some major cause for the World Tree’s death.

But to hear that someone had intentionally killed it—who could have committed such an atrocious act?

“The power she stole from me still maintains the blessings coming down to the world, but since I am dead, that power will someday disappear.”

“If… if that happens…”

“Magical power will run wild, the earth will crumble, and a great catastrophe will befall.”

“Who on earth committed such a terrible act?!”

Alicia couldn’t forgive it.

What purpose could someone have had to commit such a terrible act?

What need was there to kill the World Tree, involving the entire world?

“Her name is Bellia.”

“Bellia… Bellia…? Could it be…”

“Yes. One of those who annihilated the Demon King long ago. Saint Bellia.”

About 400 years ago, there was an incident where the sealed Demon King was released.

Fortunately, the leaders of each country had predicted that the Demon King would soon be released, and accordingly they immediately took countermeasures to prevent the Demon King’s forces.

And they executed a plan for the complete annihilation of the Demon King.

There was one party that participated in that operation.

It was a small party consisting of a demi-human warrior, a human witch, a human fighter, a knight, and a saint.

They participated in the operation to eliminate the Demon King carried out by each country, stood at the forefront, and after a fierce battle, succeeded in completely annihilating the Demon King.

The demi-human and the witch quietly went into seclusion.

The fighter and the knight established a country.

And the saint departed to be by the World Tree’s side.

The saint served the World Tree that way, and even after death, remained as just a soul to assist the World Tree.

But as a long time passed, limits began to approach the World Tree.

Perhaps due to living for too long, the power the World Tree possessed began to decline.

The World Tree designated its “child.”

It bestowed a great blessing on the child, and just watching that child live happily.

That alone returned a small amount of power to the World Tree.

With that, it intended to create a new World Tree, a World Tree to succeed itself.

There was enough time for the new World Tree to grow and take root.

Yes. Certainly everything was supposed to go well.

“World Tree.”

“…Is that you, Bellia.”

The one kneeling before it.

Saint Bellia, who had assisted the World Tree from its side even as just a soul, appeared.

The World Tree answered weakly, as it didn’t have much energy left after having just bestowed a blessing on its child.

“I just felt the presence of an extremely large power.”

“……”

“What happened?”

Well, there was no intention to keep it secret.

Bellia was a child who had assisted it for a long time.

The World Tree told Bellia that it had designated a child and bestowed a blessing.

The World Tree Yggdrasil smiled fondly at the child it had blessed.

A baby with sparse red hair.

May you grow up healthy and live happily.

May you meet wonderful family and good friends and live happily.

That alone would be good.

And so, the World Tree Yggdrasil…

Failed to see that Saint Bellia’s face was distorted with jealousy and hatred.