The Child of Yggdrasil

Saint Bellia was extremely devoted to and respectful of the World Tree.

If she were told that it was about to die, the shock she would receive would be immense.

So it kept secret that it would die in a few decades and that a new World Tree would be born.

If a new World Tree were to be born, it intended to entrust it to Bellia.

She would serve the new World Tree well.

That’s what the World Tree Yggdrasil thought.

But there was one thing Yggdrasil greatly misunderstood.

Bellia didn’t merely respect Yggdrasil.

“Ugh… ah…”

“Ah… World Tree…”

“Bellia… why…”

The World Tree Yggdrasil had bestowed a blessing on its child and intended to preserve its power until the next World Tree was born and grew.

Because of this, Yggdrasil was in a considerably defenseless state and easily fell victim to the betrayal of Saint Bellia, whom it trusted more than anyone.

“I love you. World Tree…”

“Ugh…”

Bellia loved the World Tree, Yggdrasil.

From before she remained as just a soul serving the World Tree, from when she received the World Tree’s blessing to annihilate the Demon King.

From that time, Bellia loved the World Tree more than anyone.

But the World Tree Yggdrasil did not feel the same.

No, it’s not that the World Tree didn’t love Bellia.

The World Tree loved and cherished everything in the world, including Bellia.

And Bellia knew this.

But this time, seeing the World Tree bear an enormous burden to bestow a massive blessing on a young baby, Bellia’s long-restrained dam finally burst.

After serving for hundreds of years, she wasn’t looked upon until the end, yet it would give love to such a trivial young baby…

To call it its child!

With her jealousy exploding, Bellia attacked the weakened World Tree.

And she stole its power, bound it so it couldn’t move, and imprisoned it.

“World Tree? Can you become my World Tree alone?”

“Ah… ugh…”

The World Tree Yggdrasil, whose lifespan was already gradually ending.

Betrayed by Bellia, robbed of its power, and imprisoned, the World Tree was growing weaker.

“No… my child… the world…”

“…Is that child so precious to you?”

Yggdrasil worried about its child, the World Tree that should be born anew through that child’s happiness.

But such an attitude only stimulated Bellia more.

“Even after losing everything, you worry about that child first?”

“Ah… Belli… no…”

It’s all a misunderstanding.

At this rate, the entire world would be in danger.

That’s what Yggdrasil wanted to say, but having already been robbed of all its power and weakened, it was difficult for proper words to come out of its mouth.

“Heh… heh heh heh…”

Bellia, letting out an eerie laugh.

She dragged Yggdrasil to the water’s edge where the young child was reflected, and abandoned it there.

“Heh heh… then… then watch well in that state where you can do nothing.”

“Bellia…”

“Watch your precious child wither and die without being able to do anything!”

Using the stolen power, Bellia withdrew the blessing that Yggdrasil had bestowed on the child.

And deceiving the fairies, she used every method to torment the child.

She took away its voice so it couldn’t say anything.

She bound its will so it couldn’t ask for help from those around.

She made the family distance themselves from her, and separated the children who could have been friends.

The child gradually became isolated and grew up without feeling happiness.

Yggdrasil had to die watching this scene forcibly for several years.

It no longer shed tears, and could only watch with empty eyes as the child it had chosen suffered.

When Bellia, who had been tormenting the child and causing pain to Yggdrasil, came to find Yggdrasil.

It was after Yggdrasil had already died.

“I died, but still some of my vestiges remained.”

“…My goodness.”

Alicia’s face was extremely pale after hearing the truth from Yggdrasil.

Then, the one who had been acting as Yggdrasil and issuing divine revelations was none other than Saint Bellia.

“Literally only remnants remained of me, but the reason I awakened like this, Alicia, is thanks to that jewel you possess.”

“This… this one?”

“That is a jewel containing my power that I gave to Prania Melrot who fought to protect me hundreds of years ago. Because you came here with it, I was able to regain my will, if only for a short time.”

Alicia unconsciously gripped the jewel she was holding tightly.

“Alicia. I entrust you with the seed of the World Tree. Please make sure to deliver it to that child.”

“Yes. I understand.”

Yggdrasil looked at its seed that Alicia had taken out.

Before dying, Yggdrasil died watching its child live in suffering.

But somehow, when it awakened here, it saw that a new seed had been created.

What could have happened to that child?

Yggdrasil, having lost its power and only vestiges remaining, had no way of knowing.

“World Tree…”

“Yes.”

“Thank you… truly… for everything until now.”

Though it was a vestige about to disappear, it was definitely the consciousness of Yggdrasil that she served.

Alicia offered a prayer of gratitude to that consciousness.

Yggdrasil looked at her, smiled, and vanished from that place.

“…I’ll entrust my child, Riel, to you.”

When Alicia emerged from the cave made of tree roots, the glowing being that had guided her here was waiting in front of the cave.

When it saw Alicia, it seemed to wriggle momentarily and then began to move.

Thinking it might be guiding her again, Alicia followed behind.

It was an entity that had guided her this far. She thought there was no need to doubt it.

After following for some time, Alicia noticed one thing.

The path she was following was heading toward a place she had never been before.

Was there an exit somewhere else, or…

She had very slight doubts, but still wanted to trust that being. That’s what she felt.

And at the place she followed it to, there was a scene that made Alicia doubt her eyes.

“This… what is this…!”

About a dozen or so.

People were trapped in wooden cages.

No, could they be said to be trapped? Most were already dead, not moving at all.

“Why are people imprisoned here…?”

Just as she had that question, suddenly a voice was heard from a place away from where Alicia was.

「Who’s there!」

Startled, Alicia held her breath and covered her mouth.

There was a fairy.

A different individual from the fairy she saw earlier.

However, just like the fairy she saw earlier, it should have clearly seen Alicia but didn’t recognize her at all.

「What is it? I felt a presence… Maybe I’m getting sensitive since this is a place with only human corpses?」

Alicia held her breath and waited for the fairy to disappear.

Alicia recalled Lilu’s words before entering this place.

Never separate the jewel from your body.

Alicia’s hand holding the jewel tightened.

Eventually the fairy disappeared elsewhere, and Alicia looked around.

There were too many corpses of dead people.

At that moment, she discovered the glowing being that had been guiding her was pointing to one place.

Hesitantly approaching and looking at that place, Alicia found a man.

A young-looking man, perhaps in his mid-twenties…

“…Huh?”

A faint breathing sound was heard.

He’s still alive.

With that thought, Alicia’s actions were swift.

Taking out a weapon from her luggage, Alicia immediately broke the wooden cage.

“Are you alright? Hey!!”

“Ugh… ugh…”

The severely weakened man groaned as if regaining consciousness.

“Uh…”

“Are you okay? Can you hear me?”

“Mother… my mother…”

Hearing the word “mother,” Alicia searched the surroundings.

Could the noblewoman collapsed right near the man be his mother?

Approaching her, Alicia confirmed that she too was still breathing and went to her.

The man’s mother was in a more serious condition than the man.

“First… first of all… first!”

Alicia carried the two of them and left that place.

Alicia returned to the tree cave where she had met the vestiges of Yggdrasil.

As much as she wanted to deliver this seed to the girl named Riel as soon as possible, she couldn’t ignore people who were dying.

She laid the two down and nursed them using the water and food she had prepared.

Fortunately, apart from severe malnutrition, the condition of the two wasn’t too bad.

“Ugh… where… where is this…”

And the man, whose condition was somewhat better than the noblewoman’s, woke up first.

“Are you awake?”

“Where is this? My mother…?”

The man, having regained consciousness, looked for his mother first.

Alicia smiled and pointed to the noblewoman who was sleeping with slightly easier breathing.

The man looked at the sleeping noblewoman, exhaled a sigh of relief, and then looked at Alicia.

“Thank you for saving us. Umm… so…”

“I am Alicia Melrot. I’m a priestess.”

“Ah, so you’re from the church.”

A slight wariness flashed in the man’s red eyes, but soon it seemed to dissolve as he gave an awkward smile.

“I am Andrew… Andrew Ignis.”

When the man introduced himself that way, Alicia felt surprised.

And for good reason—the World Tree’s child to whom she had to deliver this seed.

He was from the same family as Riel Ignis.

“An intruder?”

A woman with a whitish form received a report from a fairy that came to her.

「What should we do, Lady Bellia!!」

「The imprisoned humans have disappeared!」

「What should we do! What should we do!」

Fairies were flying around like they were playing around the woman with the whitish form, Saint Bellia.

Bellia looked at these fairies with a sinister smile.

They possessed considerable power, but were pure and… also stupid, making them easy to use.

“It’s for saving the World Tree. Catch them alive.”

「Yes! Got it!」

「If it’s for saving the World Tree!」