episode_0050

It was a night where the full moon had not yet vanished, and small stars shone brightly.

Was a certain god displeased that what they calmly stated they wanted was not achieved?

After gazing at the sky for a while, a goddess, receiving no answer, lifted her feet from the ground.

“…!”

Thump-thump, as she took one step after another towards us, I hugged the brownie in my arms tighter. So much so that it made a hacking sound in its sleep.

What would she demand in return? My life, all my magical power, the tools brought from the guild’s basement. These were things the goddess could demand if she could see through everything.

As those lips, which could only be described as noble, parted, my mind raced.

[You seemed to know who I was from the beginning. Are you a colleague of the people who researched me?]

What if I wasn’t a colleague? And what if I was?

Hel’s expression was as serene as greeting a neighbor in the morning.

I took a breath and replied. “It’s true that I knew from the beginning. However, I am not a colleague of the people who researched you.”

[I understand. The promise with my friend ends here, so do not expect our help anymore.]

Thump-thump, her footsteps slowly began to move away from Ellicia and me.

That’s a relief. It seemed she had no intention of killing me.

However, a single desire blossomed in my heart. A god. And one that could be called among the highest ranks. Was it right to let a god who controlled the immense concept of death just leave without gaining anything?

At one o’clock, Demeter, one of the Twelve Olympian Gods, appeared. There was no guarantee that gods wouldn’t descend directly at two o’clock either.

So, I took a gamble. A gamble with my life.

“Still, aren’t you curious, Hel-nim?”

I called out a god’s name, in front of the god themself. Coldness. At that moment, the cold blade of a sword. The very blade that had pierced Demeter’s neck and sliced her back now touched my throat.

[There’s no way someone who knows our faces would exist in the human realm.]

The sword wriggled, as if slowly preparing to gnaw at my flesh. Each Yggdrasil sprout emerging from the blade seemed to caress my neck, studying where to cut to kill me instantly.

In this urgent situation, I thought of him. A being whom the god before me knew very well, and who could provide a convincing reason.

“Perhaps… do you know why my eyes became like this…?”

[I know you perceive your surroundings with magical power because you cannot see, but what does that have to do with you knowing my identity?]

“It is the price of the Philosopher’s Spring… I know there will be 11 more trials, and that this is the first one…” Perhaps it was because my neck was before a cold blade. My voice trembled extremely.

…

Silence. For a moment, I thought this silence was from hell.

[Did that spring not show you the past, perhaps?]

The past, she says. I knew the rough past from the game’s settings, but I didn’t know it in detail like future events. If I said I knew and then couldn’t answer her questions later, my head could be severed instantly, so…

“As a human, I received my two eyes as the price, and it only showed me the future. Since then, I’ve been preparing alone, but I never thought such a sudden situation would occur…”

At that moment, I saw a faint smile bloom on her face.

[Even Mimir makes mistakes, it seems. To think the future he showed was wrong. Well, since you seem to know of the twelve trials, I will not doubt you. If you were in a human body, you couldn’t have contained all of Mimir’s prophecies, could you?]

Smiling, she looked at the sky for a moment before turning her face back to me.

[But how did you know where Mimir was? Most humans wouldn’t even notice if they went near the place.]

“The blue text showed me the way.”

Only then did the goddess nod with an understanding expression.

[Take it. It will become a strong support when you can use it someday.]

Her hand reached for a sword made of wood. As Hel touched the sword, a small vine sprouted from the blade, and she snapped the vine with a snap.

“….”

Before I knew it, the vine of that tree was in my hand.

[Did you learn such audacity, speaking before a god, from her?] She asked, looking at me, who was stunned after receiving the vine.

“Ah… yes….”

[Tell her I liked it.]

She then turned her back to me. However, did she have one last piece of advice for me? Her lips, which seemed about to leave, slowly parted.

[Aren’t the people who fought at dawn and morning truly great? They are diligent too. Life truly becomes comfortable when such people help.]

“Yes…? Yes… that’s right…”

[Watch the clock carefully.]

In a matter of seconds. My magical power, which until just now had shown me the goddess’s form, detected nothing.

“Hel-nim?”

No answer came. Had she returned to where a god originally belonged, like Demeter? Only dust, as finely ground as powder, remained on my hand as I touched the ground. Only the small tree in my hand testified that what had just happened was not a dream.

It was over. I had finally overcome the first trial. It wasn’t my power. But overcome was overcome.

I momentarily withdrew the magical power I had spread around. Finding a tree nearby that was still somewhat intact, I leaned my back against it.

What had I actually done in this fight? No matter how well I had prepared beforehand, everything collapsed the moment a god descended.

“Even if I can’t… at least expel gods from the human realm… like before…” I shook my head, recalling the Heart Sword that had shattered spectacularly before me. Because I didn’t even want to think of that dreadful memory.

I needed a weapon to hold gods in place. The spear in my inventory probably couldn’t even pierce a god’s skin right now. I had only just managed to pierce the skin of an ancient species; was this the stage to discuss gods?

“….Yggdrasil’s root…”

What would my blue spear think of this tree? I put the tree into my inventory.

[Fragment of the Tree that Supports the World] [The tree that supports the world falls into endless abyss with its abundant flowers, and perhaps that is the only way to make the flowers fall into the abyss.]

What on earth did that mean? My head felt complicated, so I pushed the blue spear aside.

“Rapier…?”

A weak voice. At the sound, I turned my head and soon saw Ellicia opening her eyes.

“Are you alright?”

“Ah… sorry… I think I fainted for a moment… but who was that woman…?”

“Everything has been resolved. It would be best to rest for now.”

“No… wait…” Grabbing my leg and trying to stand, she continued speaking.

“Mother is calling for us both… telling us to come here immediately…”

At her words, I put one of her arms over my shoulder and walked slowly, ever so slowly.

When we arrived at the World Tree’s entrance after walking, a massive hole, only its shape remaining, stood before us. Was it still regaining its senses and recovering? Each small vine wove itself with others, sealing the entrance.

Thump-thump, only the sound of our footsteps echoed within the empty World Tree.

Perhaps the World Tree also wanted to hide the monstrous things it had created? The chimeras, made of wood and mixed with various animals, were now impaled by vines emerging from the World Tree’s body, unable to move.

The throne. On that throne, where Faust once sat, a woman was now seated.

“Mother…? Why didn’t you send an avatar, but instead….” At Ellicia’s stammering words, the World Tree raised a hand, stopping her.

[It wouldn’t save my reputation if I didn’t come down myself to fix something I almost killed you over due to a misunderstanding, would it?]

She then bowed her head towards me. [I am truly sorry. I thought that fire was one of the objects created by the Demonic Cult. I never dreamed it was removing the restraints that bound me.]

“Haha… it’s nothing.”

To me, who awkwardly accepted those words, the World Tree spoke with firm eyes. [As the owner of [The Garden], I tell you this. As long as my hand can reach, I will grant you two wishes. If it is something I can grant immediately, I will do so.]

I smiled slightly at her words and said. “Well, it’s nothing big. I just wish for [The Garden] to help when I ask for assistance.”

[Very well, consider that the first. And the second?]

I pondered for a moment before opening my mouth. “I hope you can restore everything in [The Garden] as quickly as possible. The people in front of [The Garden] are awaiting your grace, Mother.”

[Ah, that is something I can resolve within today. I shall immediately restore it to its original state.]

I was about to close my mouth, but one problem arose in my mind. Eventually, I opened my mouth and made a final request to the World Tree.

“Um… this is a rather personal request, but…”

[Ah, speak if there is something you desire. The raw materials for a top-grade potion, an ancient elven tome. What do you wish for?]

“Just one good quality mandragora, please…”