“So, you’re saying that the Mother of the Earth is sick, not just a big tree?”
It was a strange request to heal a sick tree, but racial sensitivity is important.
First, I decided to empathize with them. A tree that had supported the land for thousands of years was rotting away. That must be unsettling.
“Indeed, it must be quite distressing. Health is a serious matter for everyone, isn’t it?”
Pamhelm tilted his head at my expression.
“Mother of the Earth? That’s a new term for me. The World Tree is just a big tree located in the city center.”
Oh, that wasn’t it.
“Wasn’t the World Tree important to you elves? The source of land and mana, perhaps?”
“We did treat it that way. About five hundred years ago, after losing a war, we signed an agreement with humans to let go of our pride.”
“Then what does it mean if the World Tree is sick?”
“You’ll understand when you see it. The roots are rotting, and the branches…”
“Enough!”
Someone jumped in, cutting off Pamhelm’s words. An elven woman who had leaped down from the tree landed crouched right in front of me.
“What nonsense are you rambling about to an outsider? Whether he’s the sage’s son or not, there’s no benefit in revealing our circumstances!”
This was the same voice that had said not to accept me earlier.
And someone I wanted to recruit.
With a defiant attitude, she stood up, glaring at me with a fierce expression.
“You have to reveal your circumstances to ask for treatment, Valen.”
“Look at this human’s face; he doesn’t even look like he’ll live a hundred years. What’s there to fix?”
The elven archer, Valen, spat on the ground and slung her long bow over her shoulder. Perhaps to intimidate me, she flicked her tongue while bobbing her head.
“Archer, humans typically don’t live a hundred years.”
“Really? That’s a bit…sad.”
Valen frowned at this unexpected fact.
Surprisingly rich in racial sensitivity.
“Well, anyway, we don’t even know if he’s really the sage’s son. How can we trust him?”
“Will this prove it?”
I pulled out the Arc Staff from my belongings.
Pamhelm recognized Seymour’s relic and lowered her bow, nodding.
“Then he must be a person of significance. Valen, is it alright to share your story now?”
“Is it? Is it…?”
Valen kept tilting her head this way and that. She seemed to be not the brightest bulb.
“Eh, whatever. Hey, if you’re trying to pull a fast one, I’ll put a hole in your head, so watch out.”
Valen swiped her hand toward my chest.
“Ouch.”
I stumbled under her strength, and Tanya supported me from behind. At the same time, she half-drew her sword and glared.
“Elves, out of gratitude for the teacher, I’ll overlook your rudeness this time. But if you dare to act carelessly again, I won’t forgive you. This is your last warning.”
“Wait, no, I didn’t mean to…”
Valen stuttered, flustered.
“I forgot that your lifespan is short. Sorry…”
Valen scratched her head apologetically. I brushed off my white coat.
“Haha, I may live less time than you, but my body isn’t weak. Perhaps that’s why I developed Healing Arts out of a greater attachment to life. Thanks to that, I possess skills you lack.”
I lightly ignited divine power at my fingertips.
Valen’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
For someone who lived longer than most, this was the first time she saw divine power. It was a clear indicator of how closed off they lived.
“You must be Night Elves, right?”
“Oh, you know well. It’s rare for a human to have knowledge about us.”
Unlike the pure white adventurer elves, they had a slight bronze tint to their skin. Pamhelm seemed pleased that I recognized the difference.
“We occasionally interact with outsiders, so we have some information. They were High Elves, right?”
“Ugh, don’t even mention those traitors.”
“My apologies. I knew that unlike some High Elves who left our home, you were supposed to protect the World Tree.”
“Indeed, thanks to the World Tree, this land initially became rich in mana. Now it only serves as a symbol; the World Tree doesn’t have any special function anymore.”
“Then what’s the reason for the need for treatment?”
Pamhelm nodded.
“Follow me. I will show you our city. Oh, only Gothberg can enter.”
“I also have the qualifications to enter that place.”
A sharp voice came from behind.
Acella was walking towards us, stomping on the grass.
“That doctor is my attending physician. If you want to borrow him, you must get permission from me, the Empire’s third princess.”
“Princess?”
For an ordinary person, that word would demand instant kneeling and bowing, but it didn’t affect elves.
Pamhelm and Valen reacted as if they had just seen a snail in the grass.
“Is the princess similar to a royal lady?”
“Ah, yeah. About a hundred of them come out every hundred years.”
“Sounds similar to academy graduates.”
Seeing her authority was useless here, Acella crossed her arms, displeased, and introduced herself again.
“I’m Seymour’s daughter.”
“Very well. Please come in.”
After getting permission for Tanya to come along as protection, the three of us were allowed into the elf city.
After setting the Knights on standby, we followed them down the forest path.
*
“I am Elder Tristan. It’s been a while since we’ve had an outsider.”
We met the elven elder and were introduced to the city. The population wasn’t large, so it felt more like a mayor than a king.
“I apologize for the guards’ aggressiveness. They can be a bit rigid. I’ve heard much about you from Princess Acella and Teacher Gothberg.”
The elder was friendly towards us. While Acella spoke with him, I took a look around the streets.
“The buildings are all quite mysterious.”
Tanya commented. True to her words, the elven homes were very eco-friendly, being built under large tree roots or in hollows in the trees.
Little wisps floated around, so even with all the trees, the area was bright, and the humidity was kept to a minimum. They strived to live in harmony with nature while still maintaining convenience.
The streets were bustling with energy. Every house had vendors selling fruits they had grown or freshly hunted meat and combat gear.
The equipment was quite modern, rivaling the Empire, but all the food seemed to be raw. The barbarians at least cooked their food, while these folks only consumed it raw.
“Is it true you’re preparing for another war against the Demon Realm?”
Acella, as expected, displayed her political skills, steering the conversation with the elder without him noticing.
“Do you not have a part in the fate of the continent?”
“Such matters will flow as they will. The hero and the demon king appear often, and responding to them leaves no resources left.”
With the elves’ sense of time, even a hundred-year cycle felt frequent to them. They maintained their stance of only protecting their home.
They probably didn’t know that this time would be impossible. But what could be done?
“Where is the World Tree?”
At my question, the elder smiled lightly.
“You’ve been seeing it all along.”
“Aha.”
I looked up and confirmed the thick greenery covering the sky. The roofs of houses formed from massive logs and roots protruding from the ground.
The entire city was built around the World Tree, an ancient giant.
It was enormous.
“Then what is the source of the sickness afflicting the World Tree?”
“This way.”
The elder led us to an area.
A desolate atmosphere surrounded the place, perhaps because the residents had evacuated ahead of time.
The roots of the tree were rotting, and the houses built on those branches were collapsing.
“It started as a small crack, but it keeps spreading.”
“Indeed. If the World Tree dies, that would be a catastrophe for you too, since you’d lose your accumulated mana and foundations.”
“No. The huge compensation for land rights on all the homes would lead to lawsuits against the elder council, resulting in massive reparations.”
I was taken aback by the elder’s nonchalant explanation.
They had unwittingly introduced a fairly modern system.
“Is there a chance for recovery?”
While dragons could be managed, I had no idea about trees.
I decided to use diagnosis, thinking I had nothing to lose.
―――――――――――
· Name: World Tree
· Health: 8186 / 9374
· Status: Eh…
· Injury: Parasite Infection
· Location: Root 72
· Mood: Wanting to Photosynthesize
―――――――――――
Well, this works.
The poor health depicted in a few words was understandable, and the cause was simple.
“I can treat it.”
“Ohh, is that really true?”
The elder’s face brightened up.
“Elder, I would like to ask a few questions.”
“Yes, please go ahead.”
“Before that, I would like to pre-set the reward we should receive in return for fixing the World Tree.”
Acella stepped forward, cutting off a response.
It was comforting to have her leading the negotiations.
We circled around behind the ruins, inspecting the roots while everything overhead rustled.
With a grin, Acella looked down at me, a smug smile on her face.
“You seem to be in a good mood.”
“Those who are blind to reality are easy to deal with. I like this trade.”
“What else have you brought besides the archer?”
“Various things. Given it’s been hiding for so long, there are plenty of interesting resources here.”
Acella had a keen eye for opportunities, treating a prepared table as a feast to devour without hesitation.
“Is treatment possible? Even so, fixing a tree isn’t your area, is it, Lars?”
“I’ve identified the cause. I have a possible solution as well.”
Acella nodded in satisfaction.
“You really figured out the method. Since you’re my attending physician, this much is to be expected… AAAH!”
As Acella was about to step closer to me, she slipped on the tree root.
She fell on her bottom, frowning in discomfort.
“Ow…”
“Are you okay?”
I immediately checked on Acella.
Under her dress, a long scrape on her calf was bleeding slightly.
“I’ll heal you.”
I quickly cleaned the wound, applied alcohol swabs, and put on medication. It wasn’t a deep wound, so she would heal quickly.
“That stings.”
“Just bear with it a bit longer. From now on, you also receive healing spells, Your Highness.”
I activated divine power lightly at my fingertips, gently casting the spell on Acella’s white leg.
Thanks to the emergency treatment, the wound healed almost instantly, and after about ten minutes, the mark vanished completely.
“All done. Can you stand?”
“Yes. Ah… no.”
Acella, who was about to respond, shook her head as a good thought came to her.
“I think I sprained my ankle when I fell.”
“Is that so?”
―――――――――――
· Name: Acella von Württemberg
· Health: 21 / 22
· Status: Healthy
· Injury: None
· Mood: Anticipation
―――――――――――
From the diagnosis, she looked fine.
“This is a big problem. I can’t walk now. Lars, come here and carry me.”
Acella outstretched her arms toward me.
So that was her plan.
I had to obey her command. I squatted down and offered my back to Acella.
She gently leaned against me, wrapping her arms around my neck.
Standing up with her on my back caused my head to spin slightly. She was heavier than I expected.
“Hey, walk properly. You’re carrying a noble person.”
You’re barely pretending to be injured, but you sure have high demands.
I pretended to adjust my stance and gave her bottom a playful slap.
“Eek!”
Acella squeaked like a cat touching a hot plate and tightened her grip around my neck even more.
“Lars!”
“My apologies. I’m just weak.”
“…Be careful, really.”
I chuckled and escorted Acella, carrying her down the wide path.
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