There’s an internet meme that goes like this:
A young man walks into his living room after buying a pizza, only to find it on fire, a person shot being revived with CPR, and a guy swinging a burning curtain around. It’s a scene from a community drama in America, but since I’ve never actually seen the show, I’m not sure what the situation is.
All I know is that while I was watching it, it was clear something big had happened, and I’d be like, ‘What’s going on? What is happening?’ That’s about the only context in which that meme gets used. Honestly, there aren’t many scenes that fit the situation as perfectly.
That’s exactly how I felt when I left the hospital.
The hospital and the airport were almost right next to each other, and, of course, tall trees obscured my view. If I took the wide road leading to the Elven Village, I could barely see Arlil in the distance, but normally, unless you went up high at the airport, Arlil wouldn’t be visible.
Well, it’s no wonder, since even looking up, the dense trees completely blocked my line of sight.
But not now.
Having left the hospital, I could see Arlil right away.
Off in the distance, Arlil towered far above the treetops, quite literally reaching for the sky. It seemed to have thickened enormously, but it looked like it had grown way taller rather than just wider.
…Ah, at this rate, it’s bound to partially destroy the village.
How does a tree grow? It’s not just that it grows upwards or spreads sideways. As someone said, a tree grows as much downward as it does upward. Of course, every tree is different. Some spread their roots sideways, while others grow downwards.
However, at this size, the method of growth doesn’t really matter.
Normally, a tree takes a long time to grow, so the earth below it doesn’t change drastically. But what if a tree doubles in size overnight?
As the trunk thickens and grows taller, the roots will also spread.
If it grows sideways, the soil in the path of those roots will be affected.
If it grows downwards, the soil that was below it will be pushed sideways and affected as well.
— so explained Aurora. Apparently, she condensed the words of experts rushed in to investigate the ground.
Although it can’t be seen here, quite a few trees have been uprooted because of Arlil’s spreading roots. From the air, it looked like a complete mess.
…Moreover, some roots have grown so much that they breached the boundary between the Elven region and the area primarily inhabited by humans, even impacting the underground infrastructure. Just how ridiculous is this tree, Arlil? If it was an easily proliferating species, it would have already been targeted for eradication as an invasive species.
If it were a typical tree—of course, typical trees don’t grow like that—setting that aside, the growth speed might exceed the support power of the trunk or the grounding strength of the roots and cause it to topple sideways. Arlil must either be heavy enough or have just strong roots to overcome that.
…Now that I think about it, it’s a relief that didn’t happen. If that tree had fallen sideways, this airport and hospital wouldn’t have escaped unscathed.
Riding in a prepared minivan heading towards the Elven Village, I couldn’t help but marvel at how overwhelming Arlil looked.
The original silhouette of Arlil that could be seen far down the straight road was already magnificent, but the Arlil visible now was truly massive enough to be labeled as the ‘World Tree.’ It looked as if a mythological tree had grown right here in the world.
The trunk stretched endlessly, with countless branches extending upwards. And between those branches, Arlil’s leaves filled the space.
Most astonishing was the soft golden light that spread from the colossal Arlil. Just how much holy power was emanating from there? If I brought an injured human instead of an elf, wouldn’t they be healed in just a few minutes?
I couldn’t determine the exact height. The experts hadn’t measured it yet either. They were prioritizing the response to the various accidents occurring in the Elven Village. Even though elves had lacked interaction with the outside, they were still part of human society, citizens protected by the government.
I’m not sure whether the government intended to showcase its power to the elves through this incident, but it had already released a statement of condolence regarding this ‘incident’—it came from the TV hanging in the hospital room.
While elves rarely ventured outside their established society, that didn’t mean their existence was unknown.
Some, like Ramihi Kihmuhir, studied in foreign academies, and a very few exceptions, like Satsuki’s father, lived outside for personal reasons.
And these exceptionally few cases drew significant public attention, whether it be positive or negative.
Many who didn’t know much about elves still thought of them as fairies from fantasy. There were also quite a few who were portrayed as oppressed minorities alongside beastmen and gnomes due to the government’s ‘anti-discrimination campaign.’
On the other hand, those who had met elves directly… well, I’ve explained that before.
Anyway, due to that, elves rarely gained public recognition proportional to their presence.
But now, with such a significant incident happening, journalists couldn’t possibly sit still.
Moreover, it wasn’t just an accident they had suffered but one that emerged while trying to enhance their own situation, with repercussions felt even in the human regions. News reports had already shown multiple interviews with humans in those regions.
[It was so inconvenient without electricity all night.]
[When I tried to wash in the morning, the water wasn’t flowing.]
[The road became a parking lot because of a government vehicle heading towards the Elven area, which was very inconvenient in the morning…]
Those sorts of comments.
Arlil has grown immensely, and elves are likely the cause; aside from those two deductions, not much beneficial information has been released, so there isn’t really more to say.
For now, the government was controlling the situation, so there hadn’t been any news about me. But soon, it might slip out.
The thought made my stomach churn slightly.
If anyone asked for an interview, I’d just shut myself up in the convent and refuse. Unlike the cathedral, the convent isn’t a place anyone can just enter.
While I was thinking blankly like that, the vehicle I was in came to a stop.
When I stepped out of the car, it had become a level where only Arlil was visible.
I gaped with my mouth open, tilting my head as far back as I could to look at Arlil and still couldn’t see the end. No, it wasn’t just tall; there were branches thick enough to be comparable to an ancient tree sticking out in every direction, blocking my view above.
Pruning? Not a chance.
If even a single one of those fell, it would be a major disaster.
I imagined one of Arlil’s branches—essentially like a single tree on the ground—suddenly snapping off and falling, and swallowed hard.
*
Honestly, I wanted to run away.
It was an unconscious act, and even if the other party hadn’t clearly told me how carefully to handle things, the fact that Arlil grew to this extent was undeniably due to my actions. Of course, I had much to defend myself with, and due to that, I wouldn’t have to face any penalties, but—
Even so, facing people whose houses disappeared because of my power was incredibly awkward and undesirable.
As I walked closer to Arlil, countless gazes were thrust upon me. The elves, who had initially looked at me with curiosity and freshness when I first arrived, now seemed to be staring at me in fear.
The elves were bustling about. They were carrying broken tree pieces, digging out the displaced soil, setting up tents to create temporary living spaces. While the number of elves scattered both above and below might not have looked that many, seeing them all come down to the ground and work made them appear far more numerous than before.
But I heard there weren’t any fatalities.
There were injured people, though. While they weren’t critical, most had gotten hurt while suddenly evacuating, tripping, or bumping into someone else. As for the injured, most were children.
Recalling that, I thought of the kids who had chased after me and Aurora whenever I wandered around the Elven Village.
At least, it was fortunate that their injuries weren’t that serious and that they were from this area.
Elves are highly sensitive to Holy Power. Thanks to the extensive Holy Power emanating from the now double-sized Arlil, they’ve reportedly healed before I even woke up.
Still, the bitterness in my mouth couldn’t be ignored.
The statement that ‘the Elven Village was partially destroyed’ was entirely accurate. Indeed, about half of the village was in ruins—or rather, there weren’t even ruins left.
The stone slab I had been sitting on was precariously hanging on that tree trunk up there.
“…Huh?”
Come to think of it, how did I get out of there?
They said I had been unconscious for almost twelve hours. Naturally, I couldn’t move my body, so someone must have brought me out from there.
“Clara sister.”
Hearing someone call me, I turned to see Andrea standing there.
…This person appears wherever there are problems. If she managed to get here looking that prepared in just twelve hours, that’s quite a skill.
More importantly, why is an Inquisition member here?
“I have come in response to a report of a conspiracy to assassinate the saintess.”
Even though I hadn’t voiced my question, Andrea spoke as if she could read my mind.
“…Assassination of the saintess?”
I’m the saintess so it’s obvious why my name was involved in the incident, but I have no idea where that word ‘assassination’ came from.
“For that reason, I would like you, Clara sister, to personally answer and clarify the matter. Is that alright?”
Whether it’s fine or not, isn’t that exactly why you called me here?
“…Alright, I’ll do it.”
Actually, there wasn’t anything else to do. Honestly, I was a bit interested.
“This way.”
Following Andrea, I noticed her shining golden armor. Not just the armor but the entire vicinity was bathed in golden light.
It’s honestly ridiculous.
What kind of size did the original Arlil have for it to grow this much due to such a miracle?
Right after waking up I checked for my stigmata. I was dressed in patient clothes, and the gloves I usually wore were neatly placed aside.
My hands were fine. The stigmata didn’t seem to have grown either.
These gloves were not made for me; they were artifacts made long ago to protect saints in the church. The previous saintess probably used them as well.
Even considering the gloves, having no wounds on my hands indicates that I used Holy Power within a manageable range.
I have no way to know how much power the previous saintess could endure or whether she used miracles inside Arlil. However, if I had gloves, I’m sure I could use even very weak miracles.
If that was the case, Arlil must have grown back then as well. But blindly pushing me into becoming a priestess doesn’t make sense.
…Or was it that the elves significantly underestimated the power of miracles and human Holy Power…?
My head was a mess.
Andrea mentioned she had some questions for me, but I had plenty of questions in reverse.
Sorting out the questions I needed to ask one by one in my mind, I followed Andrea obediently.
*
I planned to first ask Andrea about the church, then find the elven elder to ask about various things, but there was no need to complicate matters that way.
Because the attempted assassin aiming to kill me was none other than the elven elder, Krah Kihmuhir.
Why?
No matter how much this elf is a traditionalist, I didn’t feel like he would want me dead. More likely, he seemed inclined to try and control me somehow.
Moreover, who would know what would happen if I died better than him? Kihmuhir has traveled all over, gathering wisdom and guiding the elves. He couldn’t possibly be unaware of the weapons humans possessed or the fanaticism of the church.
“I’ll express my regrets that the interview is taking place without a defense attorney. Most elven clergy are with the central church, you see. It takes a while to prepare and catch a flight here.”
I think that’s a lie. Sure, twelve hours is tight for preparation and travel, but if that’s the case, they could simply delay the meeting. They wouldn’t take a week to arrive. Given the seriousness of the matter, they shouldn’t come flying in leisurely.
So, it seemed Andrea wanted Krah and me to converse without anyone else’s interference.
“First, I want to confirm whether the elves were anticipating this incident.”
“Before my honor as an elf, I will answer definitively that there was no such thing,” he said. “I’ve stated that several times already.”
“If simply saying ‘yes’ could persuade, then we wouldn’t need arrest processes or trials in this world.”
Krah scoffed, “So, is this a trial? To call an innocent and make them sit as if they were a criminal, assigning all judgment to a child who has lived only for fifteen winters without anyone to support them?”
“I never said I would do that.”
Andrea raised an eyebrow.
“I merely wish to clarify our positions before a formal trial. Whatever Clara sister says here will not impact the trial. No matter how much you testify that you tried to kill the saintess, it would only be empty words unless evidence is found during the trial. I would be most displeased if you believed that the church’s trial lacks logic and reason.”
“Then—”
“Oh, of course, just because the saintess herself states ‘I had no such intentions’ doesn’t mean your charges will be dismissed. That would still be an empty statement unless ‘evidence has not yet been found.’”
Then why did you call me here?
But I had no complaints. Watching someone I thought had such nasty intentions being relentlessly challenged in front of someone decidedly on my side was surprisingly intriguing.
“If so, what happens if it’s proven during the trial that I’m innocent?”
“Then you will receive a heartfelt apology from the church and be compensated for the damages suffered. Fairness leads directly to legitimacy.”
Krah let out a deliberately exaggerated sigh.
“In that case, you’d be released in a few days.”
“A few days?”
Andrea tilted her head. That exaggerated gesture seemed intended for Krah. Did Krah’s show of frustration bother her?
“The trial is common sense to last several months to several years. Numerous lawyers will attend, presenting facts, comparing evidence, conducting scientific and logical analyses, explaining to jurors, the prosecutor will press charges, and defense attorneys will refute them. Until a final verdict is reached of not guilty, not proven guilty, or guilty, the case will likely be tried in total three times if neither prosecutor nor defense is satisfied with the results.”
“How can it end in ‘just a few days’?”
“What!?”
No matter how you look at it, reaching this point made Krah wide-eyed in shock, and I almost felt a pang of sympathy.
What should I say? This is reminiscent of tactics used by civil organizations against unscrupulous companies. But in this case, the roles of the entities seemed pretty ambiguous.
“Of course, the area around Arlil will be sealed off. I don’t know how much evidence will remain, but even a tiny bit would be valid in court.”
“If it takes years, then the damages we’ll suffer—”
“As I said earlier, everything will be compensated.”
“We don’t use human money.”
“Is that so? Well, that doesn’t matter. After all, you’ll need ‘plenty of’ money going forward. I assure you, I will compensate you ‘sufficiently.’”
“…Let me ask one thing.”
“What is it?”
Krah asked as if chewing on the question.
“Are those elf priests coming here really for the elves?”
“Oh, of course. During the trial period, they will invest a tremendous amount of their ‘time’ to participate correctly. They are naturally on the side of the elves.”
Krah glared at Andrea as if he wanted to kill her, but Andrea just laughed it off.
“One thing humans excel over elves is endurance, you know? If they run for a long time, humans can go further than elves. This applies equally to mental stamina. Let’s see how you enjoy the human being leisurely.”
While it seemed more like persistence than leisure, I kept my mouth shut.
If I had popcorn, I’d be munching on it.
“Well, at least the outcome will be fair. We won’t put unfounded charges on anyone.”
In that sense, it’s even more malicious.
“….”
Andrea noticed that Krah had nothing to say and turned to me.
“Therefore, Clara sister, I’d like you to answer a few questions here. Finding commonalities or discrepancies in both of your responses will likely aid the trial ahead. Recording would be acceptable, right?”
Even deciding to record things at this stage felt malicious.
Well, it’s no wonder it’s an Inquisition member.
While I sighed at how advanced the Inquisition’s methods were, I nodded obediently.
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