episode_0174

Episode 174

The Gerrard family’s mansion is located quite far from Lurie. It can be easily seen from a distance. Because it is right next to the Magic Library, a steep tower rising high in the sky.

At the entrance to the mansion, von Gerrard greeted me.

“It’s been a while, princess.”

Contrary to the contents of the letter, which said that the situation was urgent, von Gerrard looked quite calm.

“I received your letter well. Is something going on in the Magic Library?”

“This may be presumptuous, but I don’t know much about it.”

“You don’t know? It was you who sent the letter, Von Gerrard.”

“Yes. However, the content was simply written exactly as it was conveyed by the Tree of Knowledge. I have no idea what the emergency is or why we need to urgently attend to the princess.”

A clan of guardians who serve the Tree of Knowledge and protect the Magic Library. The Gerard family is in an extremely heterogeneous position even among the nobles of Lustier.

Their attitude of indifference to worldly things can be considered close to that of a priest. They seemed to be much more faithful to the mission they believed in and followed than the greedy church.

Von Gerrard’s attitude may also be due to the Gerrard family’s special position. The fact that he can summon the princess without even knowing what is going on may be because he believes that the message of the Tree of Knowledge is absolute.

I said with a sigh.

“I understand. So what should I do? Is it possible to have a conversation with that tree of knowledge?”

“Follow me.”

There was a hint in his attitude that he would know everything if he followed me. I had no choice but to follow him.

I followed him into the mansion. The inside of the mansion was ordinary. Even if it was a mage family, it was not much different from any other nobleman’s mansion.

Von Gerrard led me down the stairs. Even though it was underground, it didn’t have a very gloomy atmosphere. It was a space that felt like a continuation of an ordinary mansion.

“This is the place.”

A plain wooden door. It’s a door where you wouldn’t expect anything great to be hidden. Von Gerrard opened the door.

It seemed like he had no intention of going inside. He’s just opening the door as if inviting me in. I quietly stepped into it.

There was a small tree growing inside the room. A tree, no more than the height of a child, was standing on the exposed dirt floor.

“This… the Tree of Knowledge…”

It is a tree that looks nothing special. But it was visible to my eyes. It contains a dazzling magical power that has never been seen before. It was a magic power that seemed to have concentrated Riellia’s divine power dozens of times.

– hello.

There was no sound. The tree just stood there without any movement. It was a letter. Letters that are engraved directly in your mind.

Can I just answer with my voice? Or should I also write in my head? With that in mind, I raised my voice and answered.

“Hello? Are you the tree of knowledge?”

– Yes, Sarah Lustier. No, should I call them guests from outside?

“You know me.”

– yes. I know a lot. Because of your presence, the fate of this world has been greatly changed.

It’s the fate of this world…

Originally, the Kingdom of Lustier should have been brought to the brink of destruction by Carmel. I didn’t see the story behind it because I died, but in the end, I guess I couldn’t avoid the ending of destruction.

If it knows that I am a possessed being, does that mean that this tree knows the original story? Or are we just aware that our fate has changed?

I have a lot of questions, but first I have to ask what I have business with.

“I heard from Von Gerard that you called me. It’s an emergency… What’s going on?”

– As you know, this world had a predetermined ending.

You’re probably talking about a novel. I nodded and said.

“Yes. The ending where Carmel wins as a villainess.”

– that’s right. But as of exactly yesterday, in this world where you and I exist, most of the possibilities leading to that ending have disappeared.

“Yesterday…”

Yesterday was an important day for me too. The day Carmel fell to me, the day he finally acknowledged his love for me.

The disappearance of the predetermined ending that the Tree of Knowledge talks about may have happened precisely because of that. Carmel and I are no longer in an antagonistic relationship, and it is safe to say that there is no longer any possibility of Carmel going on a rampage as a villainess.

– In this world that has deviated from the path to a predetermined ending, only numerous uncertainties lie ahead. That fact makes me very anxious, whose purpose of existence is to ‘know’.

“So what do you want to say? Surely this doesn’t mean we should return the world to the direction it should go?”

– I didn’t mean that. Because my anxiety is not related to the existence of the world. Moreover, as uncertainties are eliminated one by one, and the world builds its fate, one day I will also be able to determine my fate. That’s just my problem.

“Then?”

– In this world, there are conditions for existence set by the great One who created the world. Sarah Lustier, you have faithfully fulfilled those conditions on behalf of Carmel. I can’t reveal all of them in detail… but there is only one of them that has not been met as of yesterday.

“What is that?”

– The existence of witches. In the original fate, there was Carmel, who obtained the Book of Enekra and wielded powerful magic. However, in the changed fate, that role is not given to anyone.

“Are you saying that someone has to own the Book of Enekra? Then what happens?”

– We face inevitable destruction. The world’s fate moves toward destruction. One way or another.

We stopped talking there for a moment and thought carefully about what the Tree of Knowledge had said.

There was nothing particularly difficult to understand. To put it simply, there are several conditions to prevent a game over, and so far I have been able to meet them well. Although it didn’t say exactly what it was.

And one of them, the condition that leads to destruction if not satisfied, is now empty. Unless someone becomes the owner of the Book of Enekra.

The Book of Enekra is stored in the Magic Library. However, its owner is still undetermined. A grimoire is something you can’t have unless you choose the owner… Should I at least persuade you?

Wait, then a question arises.

The reason Carmel was unable to obtain the Book of Enekra was because the Tree of Knowledge did not allow her to enter the Magic Library.

If that was an important condition related to the destruction of the world, why did the Tree of Knowledge prevent the Book of Enekra from falling into Carmel’s hands?

“I have a question. Then why did you prevent Carmel from obtaining the Book of Enekra? If that were the case, the condition for the existence of a witch would have been met immediately.”

– That was my will. If the Book of Enekra falls into Carmel’s hands, your chances of defeating her will be completely gone.

“Yes? Does that mean… you helped me?”

– You can say that. Actually, it’s not just that. It was with my help that I was able to trick the Stone of Tests into allowing Carmel to pass the sacred ceremony. I guess I should say that I helped Carmel, not you.

Yes, Monaz said it too. You can’t fake a sacred ritual with ordinary magic. That statement has always remained a small question to me.

But instead of it being resolved, other questions resurface.

“Why?”

– As I said before, knowledge is the purpose of my existence. But to know, we need something new. The new story you will create really piqued my interest. Anxiety and interest in new things are like two sides of a coin.

“I see…”

There is nothing that cannot be understood. Because reading a new story is more enjoyable than reading a story you’ve already read or a story with a predetermined ending.

“First of all, I understand. However, I understand that the Book of Enekra has not chosen an owner yet… Could it be that you were deceiving the Gerard family?”

– As expected, you are quick-witted. that’s right. The Book of Enekra had already chosen its master from the beginning. From the moment the Gerrard family first contacted me.

The story goes that the Gerard family’s method of understanding the selection of grimoires was ultimately dependent on the Tree of Knowledge. Well, it must have been like a revelation to them.

– But please don’t think that I’m someone who always lies. I’ve hardly ever told a lie in eons. Until you came to this world.

For the Tree of Knowledge, it seems to have been a part of its pride. I don’t really care.

Rather than that, the question I need to worry about now is whether or not I should allow Carmel to receive the Book of Enekra.

Mana amplified by Mystilia and the Book of Enekra. Would it really be okay if Carmel gained all that power?

I cannot defeat Carmel, who has obtained the Book of Enekra. That is something that the Tree of Knowledge just now also guaranteed.

Can I fight against Carmel, who has been building up her strength as a princess, but has actually become a witch, and is even stronger than the original?

Of course, the Tree of Knowledge also said that the possibility of Carmel becoming the evil woman of destruction has disappeared. It is a guaranteed fact that Carmel loves me. However, I did not want to see an irreversible difference in power between me and Carmel. Of course, it’s not something worth weighing against the existence of the world, but…

-What are you worried about? You are now a resident of this world. The extinction of the world includes your extinction. There is no need to hesitate, right?

That is certainly true. Even if the relationship between Carmel and power is reversed, it cannot be compared to complete destruction. I nodded and said.

“I understand. So what should I do? Are you telling me to deliver the Book of Enekra to Carmel?”

…It’s strange when I think about it.

If you just needed a witch, there was no reason to call me here. All I had to do was call Carmel, not me, or simply tell the Gerard family that the owner of the Book of Enekra had been decided.

That means…

– What are you talking about? The owner decided by the Book of Enekra has changed. It’s none other than you, Sarah.