Chapter: 332
A guy who unveiled his serious wounds to the world is now getting dragged out by the fairies, clutching his hair. It’s enough to pique anyone’s interest, even those who have no connection to me.
Fortunately, the elder’s house is isolated even within the Elf Residential Area, so it didn’t attract too much attention from the other elves. Not sure if that’s something to be thankful for, but it is what it is.
“I’m out! I’m out!”
“Mom, can we see her? Can we?”
“I’m so happy! So happy!”
Once outside, the fairies let go of my hair and started flying around my head in a frenzy.
Hey kids, I get your excitement, but just because we’re outside doesn’t mean you can see her right away… I never promised to show her to you right this second!
“Guys!”
Just as I was about to tidy my tangled hair, the elder rushed out and shouted at the fairies.
“How can you torment someone who’s hurt!”
That made my hands, which were attempting to fix my hair, freeze. I didn’t expect to be treated like a patient!
Admittedly, I still had the traces of my injuries, but the pain had long since faded. If gripping my hair were to inflict any suffering, it would mean I’m as helpless as a flounder. And I’m no flounder.
“Carl, are you okay? Nothing weird, right?”
“W-What if your wounds open up…”
“I’m fine. It’s not like I bumped into the injury or anything.”
Before I could sip my bitterness, all eyes from my party turned to my wounds. I’m seriously not a flounder…
“Don’t get angry, don’t get angry…”
“Mom said we could see her…”
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”
Meanwhile, the fairies seemed to genuinely fear the elder after their scolding, showing signs of remorse. They even apologized to me! It’s quite touching how well the elder’s taught them.
“But what do you mean we can see Mom again?”
While watching the disheartened fairies flutter slowly, the elder softly asked.
I wasn’t sure if the fairies’ mother was the World Tree or Constantina, but either way, that being was likely very cherished in the elder’s eyes. It made sense that the elder couldn’t help but be interested, regardless of scolding the fairies.
“I think the World Tree could come back.”
That was the answer the elder desperately wanted to hear.
“…Come back?”
The elder mumbled in a dazed voice.
I’m also moving according to what the Eternal Blue Sky said, so I don’t know the details, but if things go well, the World Tree will revive after about 300 years…
The Eternal Blue Sky, who had lamented that she’d die if the fairies took her power away, had tentatively shared her words.
“If the fairies take my power away, my divine essence will get ripped apart and have nowhere to stay, but if you gather the divine energy in your body, it will hold. It’s not too great for you to have me stuck inside your body.”
It was a subtle way of asking for help while being considerate. From my point of view, if the force that prevents my recovery disappears and that stubborn squatter is gone, that’s a good deal. I wouldn’t want to be in a situation where I couldn’t even go to the bathroom if people knew there was a god in me.
The only hitch is that betraying the fairies, who were overjoyed at gaining the godly powers would be—
“I noticed a tree that resembles the World Tree while residing within you. If you place the divine essence in there, I’ll make sure it becomes the World Tree. The fairies would love it.”
“Is that possible?”
“I can’t just turn any tree into the World Tree. But this particular tree has sacred objects hanging from it. That’s enough for it to happen.”
It seems that the elder’s efforts to hope for the revival of the World Tree aren’t in vain.
After all, if the fairies rooted in the World Tree are still alive, that means the World Tree itself must’ve given them a semblance of life. Though the fairies are now bummed out that no new ones are being born, without the existence of the World Tree, things would’ve been dire for the other elves.
“If the World Tree revives, the spirits will use the door, the fairies will be reborn, and Constantina can communicate with the elves. Then, with the divine energy circulating around the World Tree, even if they take a little bit, living as a god wouldn’t be an issue.”
I might have casually mentioned that I’d take a cut, but reviving the World Tree is a big deal. It’s not monopoly, and a mere cut would likely be tolerated by Constantina and the elves. Heck, it might even lead them to see me as a guardian deity since I’ve become the savior of the World Tree.
So I touched the tree next to the elder’s house as per the Eternal Blue Sky’s request—
‘Luminous Tree?’
My wounds, which had been dormant, suddenly shimmered, and soon the entire tree began to sparkle. Even in broad daylight, the brightness was remarkable, making me think, ‘Wow, that’s really shining.’
“Uh? Uhhhh?”
“It’s shining! It’s shining!”
“This is the energy of Aunt Sky. Wait, it’s also Mom’s energy!”
“Mom, can we see her? Will our home return?”
“Wow! Wow!”
As the tree shined brightly, the fairies erupted in excitement. To me, just a glowing tree, but the fairies’ senses attuned to the divine energy picked up on the different vibes.
“Mother’s energy?”
“This is remarkable. The energy of even a single being is such a level.”
Even the elder, who likely had seen the World Tree, and the saint Tannian, showed unusual reactions. It didn’t feel like mere idle chatter or miscalculation; all signs pointed to the revival of the World Tree.
Honestly, I was quite surprised. I had believed the Eternal Blue Sky’s words somewhat, but with the deity reduced to a squatter, I felt a sense of unease. What if I was just grasping at straws for survival in the face of death? Thankfully, she still felt divine, even if in a diminished capacity.
“Kid, what’s happening here?”
Now that the artifacts hanging from the tree had started glowing as well, the Duke of Marcilio spoke with a bewildered expression.
I had my hand on the glowing tree, the fairies and elves were in a flurry, and we were conversing about the revival of the World Tree. If someone felt indifferent to it all, they’d have to be devoid of emotions.
If I, not even an elf, found it intriguing, how must Marcilio, who possessed elven blood, feel?
“Looks like the god’s attached itself.”
“Huh?”
But unfortunately, that’s the most I could say. I didn’t even understand how it worked.
“Thank you, human! Thank you!”
“Our savior, our savior!”
“I’ll tell Mom! I’ll tell the spirit uncle and aunties too!”
Even though the fairies rushed at me gratefully, I could only assume things were going well.
– I thank you too. Thanks to you, I can live more comfortably now.
Wow, even the deity is thankful to me—
‘What the hell.’
I flinched at the voice ringing in my head. Was there an eavesdropping device in my ear or something?
– Ahaha, you’re probably the first to curse right in front of a god.
Coming back to my senses, I quickly gathered my thoughts to decipher the message delivered in my mind.
– I’m indeed out. But after staying inside your body for three years, it seems some remnants remain.
After all that probing, the answer I received was nuanced. She had moved out, but friendly reminders of her existence still lingered? How was I even supposed to clean that up?
– Don’t worry. It’ll vanish in three days at the latest. I’m not so powerful that remnants like this stay long.
I was glad that she offered an explanation before I could pursue the matter further. A rather odd reason, saying she wasn’t so powerful, but I had no choice but to let it pass since she didn’t seem to have malicious intent.
– Also, this tree is in better shape than I expected. Within ten years, it will grow to become the World Tree. For elves and fairies, ten years is just a blink of an eye.
‘I’ll inform the elder about that.’
This piece of news was indeed fortunate. If I can let the elder know the estimated timeframe, both she and the fairies would be delighted.
– Thank you, really. For helping out despite me not being the god you believe in.
I couldn’t muster a proper response to that. What I did was merely for my convenience. Even if it didn’t benefit me directly, all I did was touch the tree—no effort required.
If what had taken root in me was Kagan instead of a god, I might have seriously considered self-destructive options instead of aiding him. But gods remain the same as ever in the end. They don’t have the right to command nor the obligation to be responsible, merely there to answer to prayers.
That’s why I didn’t feel remorse towards the god. I’m not sure if it’s because I didn’t actually fight directly against a deity, or due to my unique mindset.
– Once the remnants disappear, I can also recover! These wounds can truly be called the marks of a saint now.
Oh.
– Though unlike Enen’s marks, they won’t grant any abilities. You can’t expect much from a god who struggles to keep itself in check, right?
‘…No, I expect a little bit.’
In fact, I hoped for a bit more.
Not long after, the once-quiet elder’s house became a hubbub of excitement.
Elves captivated by the luminescent tree (soon to be promoted), and fairies playing with the human lord in light of the revival of the World Tree projected to happen within ten years.
“Please, make yourselves at home as if it’s your own house.”
“Uh, yes…”
“Do you like tea? We have tea leaves that have been cultivated since our ancestors!”
“If you can provide some, I’d be grateful!”
Thanks to the elder looking at me with adoring eyes, I suddenly found myself in a rather absurd position.
Just an hour prior, I was just a mere human and the prospective fiancé of her granddaughter, a qualifier that put me on the fringes of disdain. The elder had been unsure of how to act, treating me rather neutrally.
Yet now that I relayed the words regarding the revival of the World Tree, we had instantly become bonded at the hip.
I can’t help but think she’s too straightforward in believing just what a mere human says, but perhaps, as an elf who has truly witnessed the World Tree, she possesses more faith in my words than others.
“Hehe, indeed. After so long, I must put in some effort since we have so many guests now.”
Anyway, now that we’re thick as thieves, the elder treated even the entourage I brought along with great warmth.
A human being treated by an elven elder—who’d have ever experienced something like this? Just having this experience alone makes me feel like the trip was worth it.
It’s only the first day of the trip though.
‘…One day.’
My head feels dizzy. I swear it feels like so much has happened, but it’s still just the first day?
‘Sure feels like a few weeks went by.’
Let’s hope the agenda for tomorrow is at least somewhat normal!
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