How much time has passed?
In this place, where there are no clocks or visible sky, determining the current time was impossible.
Still, one good thing was that as more elves awakened, the time to restore the broken elves gradually decreased.
I couldn’t tell if it was thousands or tens of thousands, but seeing so many elves using holy power at once felt truly divine, making it hard to remember that this was the grave of the broken elves I had just seen moments ago.
By the way, this place was much larger than I had expected.
At first, I thought it would be similar to its appearance. Although I couldn’t estimate the height, I thought I could gauge the width with my eyes.
The tree rings spread endlessly, and I could see elves lighting up the darkness with holy power from afar.
Perhaps this consciousness was not the transplanted Arlil, but rather the original Arlil. That tree had devoured countless elves’ holy power for not just 500 years, but tens of thousands.
Was the consciousness of Arlil connected to the world over there? Or was the branch brought over mistakenly believing itself to be that tree? Was it originally different, but the consciousness moved here when the tree over there disappeared?
If it was the Arlil of the legends, it might still be connected. If you ask me how, I have no answer… Well, it’s a tree thriving in a fantastical world within a fantasy world. It may possess mechanisms beyond my imagination.
The elves far away probably didn’t know I was here.
Well, I don’t care personally. Even if they thanked me, I wonder if I’d have the time to count all those elves, numbers that would become meaningless.
No, would I? Considering I hadn’t been thrown out, it seemed like nothing serious had happened.
Yeah, nothing serious was bound to happen.
Arlil was a tree that grew with holy power. No matter how severe the situation was, it wouldn’t grow much more than that. In fact, the elder elves would probably appreciate it the longer I stayed inside.
Though what I was told last night about doing it moderately was on my mind, it was probably out of concern that I might die. The last saintess wouldn’t just be left alone if she died.
Seeing this place, I could understand why they were worried.
Even the witch’s consciousness, whether partially or wholly, had come in and spoken to me.
It was indeed far more dangerous than I had expected.
I found it quite appalling that none of this was communicated to me.
As a virtuous character, I decided to deal with it by giving them a little smack as soon as I got out.
“……”
By the way.
After restoring all the elves around me, I met the gaze of the elves staring at me from a distance. They probably didn’t even know what a human was. The elves were looking at me with such curiosity… their awareness confirmed that.
Especially, their eyes were on my ears and chest.
I heard sounds like singing from the elves somewhere, but there were so many of them that I couldn’t figure out who was saying what. No, I just couldn’t understand what they were saying, even if I saw their mouths moving.
“Uh….”
Language wouldn’t be possible, but I tried to communicate anyway.
“It’s over now.”
Of course, my body moved too.
I pointed to the ground with my index finger and crossed my hands to form an X. Your duties are over.
“You can go back to a comfortable place now.”
I raised my finger, pointing to the sky… well, not exactly sky, but above Arlil. The elves’ gazes followed my pointing finger upward, then back to me.
“……”
Hmm, it seemed I had no talent for linguistics. Or perhaps I lacked talent for performing arts.
Did this body have no use at all in the realm of arts?
Ah, well, I was like that in my original world too.
An elf who had been staring at me opened their mouth and spoke in a sing-song manner.
Of course, I didn’t understand what they were saying, but at least that elf had far more talent in body language than I did.
The elf approached and gently hugged me.
So— it was probably a word of gratitude. That elf’s words.
One by one, the elves surrounding me came close and hugged me. I was soon surrounded by elves and unable to move.
“No, I mean, I understand what you’re saying.”
Of course, whatever I said, they wouldn’t understand.
“……”
Honestly, it was a bit touching.
But given the situation, I had no time to savor that emotion.
Rather, I was more concerned about how to cleanly resolve the current predicament.
The holy power I had used, along with a bit of miracle, was mostly absorbed by Arlil. The holy power used by the elves probably wasn’t true holy power. Their bodies had already collapsed long ago. They merely believed they could use it themselves.
The fact that the elves were broken, yet revived by holy power and miracles, was all the same principle.
So, frankly speaking, I had done all that I needed to do. Having consumed quite a bit of holy power, Arlil would be fine for a while. Fruits would keep bearing, and purified holy power would continue to nourish the elves.
But what about these kids?
If I just leave like this, they would probably remain trapped here.
Knowing that, it felt a little too much to just walk away.
I gathered holy power in both hands again.
Alright, let’s be a little more generous.
The reason their consciousness was bound here is not so much due to the strength of Arlil, but because they remembered the sacrifice they made here and the reason for it.
They must stay here.
It was because of the obligation born out of that era that their feet were stuck.
They thought they had to remain here for Arlil not to wither.
So, if I could just break that mindset, the kids could free themselves and go outside.
After that, well, Ariel would take care of everything.
[You have a lot to do.]
It was Ariel’s voice, laced with a bitter smile.
But she wouldn’t oppose me.
My plan was quite simple.
Making these kids think they didn’t need to be here.
Yeah, while I was at it, let’s wipe out whatever remains of the witch’s consciousness.
As the elves surrounding me saw my body beginning to shine, they stepped back in surprise. I stretched my arms high, gathering a massive orb of light, and shot holy power straight up.
A thick pillar of light shot up, illuminating the endless trunk of Arlil.
The elves’ eyes went wide.
Yeah, let’s make sure even the ones far away can know. Let them all feel it.
This wasn’t just imagined; it was my true holy power—
And, where the goddess’s sacred light passed, no darkness remained.
*
At some moment.
My consciousness was bounced back from the world of that ceremony.
It was probably after witnessing the elves smiling and disappearing one by one.
Or was it after seeing no elves left around me?
In any case, it was certain that I had witnessed the elves, who had trapped their consciousness within Arlil, attaining their holy liberation.
“……Ugh.”
I had done some work now, but no sound came out.
My lips were dry, and my throat felt so parched it hurt.
Ah, this sensation, it had been forever since I felt this way.
It felt like waking up in the dorm after a night watch when no water had been served overnight. My mouth was so dry I could hardly speak.
“Meh.”
I tried to say water, but a strange sound came out instead.
“Clara!”
Someone called my name with vigor.
Turning my head, I saw Aurora’s eyes glistening with tears. It looked like she had just left the hospital room for a moment, standing at the door with a face that seemed on the verge of tears, staring at me.
“Clara.”
Ah, this time I spoke correctly. Though my throat still felt as if it had completely dried out.
Aurora rushed over and quickly poured water into a cup on the bedside table.
Then, she supported my back with one hand and helped me lift my upper body.
…Hmm, to be honest, I didn’t think it was all that necessary.
While my body felt quite heavy, it was not to the point of being unable to exert any force. If I had to describe it, it felt like I finally fell into deep sleep after not sleeping properly for a few days, but woke up too soon, without enough rest.
Or maybe I just hadn’t eaten anything the day before.
Looking at my stomach growling loudly, it seemed more like the latter.
*
Upon hearing the growling from my belly, Aurora swiftly pressed the call bell.
Just like Aurora, nurses and doctors swarmed in. Each holding a notepad or something similar in one hand, they poked and prodded various parts of me, folded and unfolded things, checked the IV needle stuck in my left wrist, and even monitored my blood pressure and blood sugar before finally suggesting, “It would be best for the saintess to have a simple meal of soft, easily digestible food.”
Come on, if you have time for that, just bring me a bowl.
I’m ridiculously hungry.
To be honest, this Clara Anderson body seems to have poor energy efficiency. I never really ate less, but I got hungry in no time and my stomach kept growling. Thinking back, the members around me also ate a lot, relative to what I had been used to in my original world. Considering they were in their teenage years and eating a lot.
Or maybe it was because we all moved around a lot. We practiced sparring during classes and did physical training, and we even stayed after school for intense sparring and training.
Well, that’s that.
Ultimately, I received a big bowl of wholesome porridge filled with various ingredients that seemed incredibly good for my body, but I couldn’t scarf it down right away because Aurora was watching intensely. So, I tried my best to eat quickly while preserving at least a bit of dignity as a saintess, listening to Aurora’s story.
Apparently, everything had gone well after I entered.
Arlil began to absorb holy power, and after a while, they managed to complete Remihar successfully as soon as I came out.
However, no matter how much time passed, I still hadn’t emerged.
Aurora, not knowing how long the original Remihar would take, didn’t really think anything was wrong, but—
After about 30 minutes post my entrance, she heard the Creeeak, crack, sound of something breaking in Arlil and finally realized that something was terribly off.
“…Creeeak?”
“Yes, Creeeak, followed by the sound of the tree breaking. And the aftermath—”
It was amazing, she said, having witnessed the scene from a prime seat.
Fortunately, it wasn’t the sound of Arlil breaking.
Rather, it was the sound of that enormous tree growing at a rapid pace.
“How… much?”
“Hmmm….”
Aurora looked up thoughtfully as if trying to gauge how much Arlil had grown.
“Enough to destroy half the elven village.”
What a catastrophe.
*
In fact, it was closer to complete destruction than just half.
Krah thought that way.
Considering the size of the village, the term “half” was technically correct, as a sizeable portion of the original village was swiftly occupied by the rapidly growing Arlil.
Of course, the area that had originally been the sanctuary, along with the barrier-like buildings surrounding it, and the village structures nearby were all pushed away. The speed at which Arlil grew was astonishing.
And, as might be expected, all facilities that played essential roles in the village were built near Arlil. They all crumbled in an instant. The sturdy tree that housed the elder council’s meeting room, the large room meant for important visitors, the banquet hall— all gone.
Those trees still had their seeds. However, if they intended to regrow them from scratch, it would take decades.
Perhaps, in the years to come, the reconstructed village would have to be built in a way where humans would establish homes in the lowest areas.
Naturally, during reconstruction, the village’s major operations would also function poorly.
Important records may have been buried underground or blown away. The stored fruits must also be sought after. Most of the lighting was out, so it would be immensely inconvenient for a while. Human assistance might be desperately needed.
Visualizing and calculating all of that in his head, Krah felt darkness creeping over his vision.
Arlil hadn’t grown any during the last saintess’s visit fifty years ago. However, back then, it had only been a brief period of less than five minutes, and the elder council had accepted that. Since one of the elves meant to sacrifice had betrayed them, the consciousness of the witch— that elven saintess— had inhabited Arlil.
It was no wonder that she hadn’t lasted long or had to emerge.
So, he thought it would be the same this time around.
Krah looked up to where the roots were probably buried below the ground.
At about the middle of the tree, a white stone tablet was hanging.
…The stone tablet that was in the sanctuary.
If the elves, including the elder, had not quickly rescued the saintess, she would have surely sustained severe injuries.
Yet, fortunately, the rescued saintess was not badly harmed—
“The saintess has awakened.”
From behind, a woman’s stiff voice was heard.
Turning back, there stood a woman with shiny, beautiful blonde hair that even elves would admire.
Her hair was artfully curled, and she wore shining golden armor.
No, was it silver-white? The amount of light flowing from the massively grown Arlil was far more than before. While some elves had gotten injured fleeing, they recovered so fast they almost forgot they had been hurt.
Normally, they would have had to consume fruits to heal that quickly.
Perhaps the Arlil visible now might be comparable in size to the Arlil growing at the heart of the elven empire. Of course, that was 500 years ago, and no one remained who directly remembered that sight.
“Perhaps we can dismiss the suspicions of trying to assassinate the saintess. That’s a relief.”
As she said so, she took a few steps closer to Krah. The patterns drawn on her golden shining armor became visible. A black eagle tearing a snake in half.
The Inquisition Knights.
The decisive cause of Krah’s growing hatred towards humans in his youth.
Those detestable figures were now in this place, which should be classified as a new sanctuary.
The reason was simple.
‘There may be a group trying to assassinate the saintess in the elf territory,’ based on the church’s request.
Twelve hours ago, the unconscious saintess was immediately taken to the hospital at the airport. There were hardly any human facilities inside elven territory, but perhaps for contingency and also to research the holy power of Arlil and the church, a human hospital had been built here.
It was closer to a research facility than a hospital.
Immediately after the saintess was taken there, the hospital immediately reported to the government and the church. That the saintess returned with a critical condition after visiting elven territory.
The follow-up, as you can see.
It was probably fortunate or unfortunate that the church moved faster than the government, which could only act after receiving approvals.
“Then, how about letting this one speak freely?”
Krah extended his hand. His wrists were bound with handcuffs.
Of course, since they were strong elves, these weren’t ordinary handcuffs. These handcuffs were imbued with magical energy.
Originally intended to restrain criminals with extraordinary and special powers— like psychics or magicians— it was especially effective for elves, who were vulnerable to magic. Just wearing these handcuffs rendered the elves’ inherent strength unusable.
“No, that’s not right. I said, ‘I might be able to,’ not ‘I’m freed.’”
“……”
Krah glared at the Inquisition officer who said that.
“You sent the saintess.”
“Your people requested it first.”
The blonde knight looked up at Arlil while resting one hand on her hip. Her fair skin shone with the golden light. If someone saw this, they might have called her a paladin.
Of course, to Krah’s eyes, she was just a detestable knight belonging to the church.
“But you were aware of the risk, weren’t you? The previous saintess surely warned you. Inside Arlil—”
“Is the consciousness of a witch, yes.”
The knight turned her gaze back to Krah and smiled sweetly.
“But that’s why we sent the saintess, no, ‘Sister Clara.’”
“……I don’t get it.”
“Sister Clara has already made great contributions to capturing two witches.”
“What?”
At the completely unexpected information, Krah widened his eyes.
“In fact, one she personally executed with her own hands. Or perhaps with the hands of the goddess. The being we witnessed that day was undoubtedly a divine entity we cannot afford to treat carelessly,” the knight added.
“Whatever that being may be, it’s certainly a divine presence,” she added.
“But then! Wasn’t it you who sent a completely unaware girl? Didn’t you know there might be situations like this when sending her!?”
As Krah felt deceived, he was only met with the knight shaking her head.
“No, we didn’t know.”
“Don’t give me that nonsense.”
“Seriously, we didn’t know.”
The knight’s voice became somewhat stern as she spoke.
“The saintess is precious to us too. Especially since she is a saintess who has emerged after half a century. We would never intentionally sacrifice her.”
“Then why.”
“Why, you ask.”
The knight chuckled for a moment, then slowly walked toward Krah.
“Why? Because we believe.”
“Just that?”
“Just that.”
She stopped in front of Krah, fixing her gaze on his face. Though she looked significantly younger than Krah, it was Krah who stepped back.
“We believe in the saintess. We believe in the divine saintess following the goddess. If she said, ‘I won’t go,’ we would happily abide. But she said she would go.”
Krah felt as if he had seen those eyes somewhere before.
“I, I, the head of the Inquisition and captain of the knights, Andrea Bernard, saw her there that day. Those who haven’t witnessed it may doubt, but I did not. That day, I saw the divine goddess descending before the witch. The glorious one appearing through Sister Clara’s body, a being we dare not comprehend, nor stand beside.”
The faith that had followed her throughout her life was rewarded that day. The moment she witnessed her miracle, she knew the path she had to take. Furthermore, she understood the path that believers must walk.
Her eyes shone bizarrely under the light of Arlil.
“We are those who believe and follow. If the goddess presents a path, we will merely follow. Whatever happens along the way, we work and move for Her, believing unflinchingly. We wouldn’t dare think of paving a path first. We could never follow the thoughts of the honored one.
If Sister Clara needs to go somewhere, we will follow. If there is something to be done, we will follow. That must be the path laid out by the goddess.”
So— we believe.
Everything falls under the will of the goddess, so Sister Clara will certainly be safe.
There was not a shred of doubt; she simply followed.
Finally, Krah realized.
Those eyes, those eyes resembled the ones Rechmir sometimes showed.
Eyes that don’t care about the opinions of others, simply believing in what they want to believe and acting without doubt. An eye that no logic or evidence would penetrate.
The eyes of a fanatic.
“But don’t think you’ll understand. Even if you witness a miracle right in front of you, you’ll regard it no more than fertilizer. You savages.”
“……”
Krah gritted his teeth.
“But, don’t worry. Even in the church, not everyone thinks like me. Though it’s a minuscule number, there are elves who have left you. They will come forward to defend you. There are those who seek to defend you, who expelled them long ago. Be grateful to them. Every benefit you gain is born from their kindness.
Do not attempt to sully that noble act called forgiveness, which I could never permit. If that time comes, I’ll have no choice but to condemn you as heretics.”
Humiliation, it was humiliation.
No, it was shame.
Even though Arlil had grown to the grandest state since I came to this realm.
“And, we are not the only ones starting to move. The government has begun to stir as well. Rumors are circulating that the roots of Arlil have encroached upon the elven borders. Some pipelines have burst, and underground wiring has been severed.
They will likely use that as an excuse to apply government intervention. I don’t know if you’ll be able to cope with it.”
“Hahaha…”
As Krah listened, he laughed as if he had lost his mind.
This, really,
In the end, it turned out as Rechmir had shouted.
It likely was not how he had wished it to be.
Surely, Arlil was now larger and grander than it had ever been before.
Yet, the fate of the elves that would unfold in the future would be torn and shrunk in stark contrast to the grandeur of that Arlil.
At least, that was the only future Krah could envision.
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