“Here is…”
Ahh…
That familiar ceiling.
As I glanced at the familiar tree rings drawn on the ceiling, I realized I was inside an Elf’s building. It seemed I was moved here right after fainting. Instinctively, I moved my right arm to lift my body.
…Wait, didn’t I lose an arm?
Quietly checking my arm, I found it rather intact… well, it wasn’t completely okay; the skin of my newly grown arm had turned unnecessarily pale.
So my arm regenerated?
Indeed, the Phoenix’s Blessing.
I figured it would only grow back my fingers, but the whole arm regenerating feels strange.
Am I still… human?
With this, I’m at lizard level!
As I was admiring the regrown arm, a familiar voice shook my eardrums.
“Johann!”
“…Sif.”
Before I could say another word, Sif’s cat ears tickled my nose. I stared down blankly at her, wrapped in my arms, and gently stroked her back.
“I told you to be careful!”
“A lost arm is a small price to pay. Look, I’m fine, aren’t I?”
“Fine? How is losing an arm remotely fine?!”
“…I’m sorry, so stop crying.”
“You idiot.”
Sigh. I was at a loss for words. I patted Sif’s trembling back, and it seemed like ten minutes passed before she stopped shaking. Sif pulled away, her face flushed, avoiding my gaze.
“Um, well…”
“I don’t see the point of being shy now.”
“…Johann, you’re so oblivious.”
“What?”
“I’ll go get something to eat!”
What the heck?
I stared blankly at the door Sif slammed shut.
Where did Rue go?
I looked around, searching for Rue, but the tentacle-wielding magic book wasn’t in sight. Maybe it’s possessed by a host? Perhaps she’s wandering around exploring.
Well, Rue will manage on her own, so I shouldn’t worry about that right now.
What matters now is checking the situation of the incident.
“Did you wait long?!”
“Did you die?”
“I’m a patient, you know.”
“I never thought I’d be receiving care from you.”
“Don’t underestimate my cooking skills; I take care of my siblings! Here, open wide—”
I was about to say, ‘There’s no need to feed me!’ but I quietly took the spoon Sif was offering and put it in my mouth. Sometimes you just gotta let them do what they want.
I have no idea about women’s hearts, but I know it’s best to just go along with what they want in moments like this.
After experiencing being fed for the first time, I asked Sif about the outcome of the war.
“Sif, what happened to the World Tree?”
“Um… it’s been purified. The Queen personally intervened and said it was resolved well… she said she’d grant you a wish as a reward!”
…A wish, huh? Last time I threw it all into capturing Harpas.
This time, I should use it more meaningfully.
Considering the situation, though, I’m not sure how useful a wish could be.
“A wish, huh.”
“What will you wish for? Money?”
“Do I look like someone crazy about money like you?”
“When did I get obsessed with money… it’s just I have siblings to take care of!”
“Yeah, sure.”
“I’m serious!”
Seeing Sif glaring at me with her nails out, I pretended to be scared. Sif rolled her eyes at me, and then took away the empty bowl.
“Then take a break. I’ll go wash the dishes.”
“Ah, where are Sandulbaram and Rue?”
“If it’s Sandulbaram, she’s getting ready to go back, and Rue… I bet she’s frolicking around the Elf Village by now?”
She’s enjoying her newfound freedom. Just picturing Rue happily roaming around Yggdrasil made me chuckle.
Let’s hope she doesn’t cause any trouble.
I closed my eyes, lying on the bed with a bunch of useless thoughts.
I was still a bit tired.
Since I’m injured anyway, I guess I can sleep well.
Then…
—————
“Is your body okay?”
“Yes, I’m all healed.”
“Hm… that’s amazing.”
I felt the Queen’s gaze linger explicitly on my arm. It’s only natural to react like that after seeing a human arm regrow. I nonchalantly shifted my gaze and spoke up.
“I heard you said you would grant me a wish.”
“Indeed. So, what wish do you want to make? As the queen of a nation, I shall grant all that I can.”
“Please grant me a hundred wishes.”
“Ha! Such things are certainly not possible.”
Tch.
“I’m joking.”
“Make a realistic wish.”
“Can I have Rue’s body…?”
“Honestly, I was thinking of giving her away. It’s something we want to dispose of, anyway. Who made the law that High Elves can’t execute? Sigh…”
“Isn’t that an execution?”
“We didn’t put a knife to her neck, did we? We merely released that girl.”
So because we freed her soul, it’s not an execution, huh? It might be a stretch, but since the elders said nothing, they probably think it was handled well.
…Well, she did try to burn the World Tree, so there couldn’t be any crazy advocates for her.
“Make another wish.”
“…Well, can you promise me one thing?”
“Ooh, what promise?”
“Those outsiders known as invaders are not the only ones. They are slowly expanding their influence from the outside and waiting for a chance to eat up this land. So, can you provide assistance when I need help in the future?”
“Hoh…that’s a difficult request. But it’s not right to refuse the request of a benefactor, so I’ll gladly lend you my soldiers.”
“Thank you.”
So what I did wasn’t a small deed after all. I nodded satisfactorily at her agreeing to lend soldiers.
This way, I’m also prepared for unforeseen circumstances…
“Can I hear about the preceding events? I have no memory since I last burned those guys.”
“Hm… it was nothing much. You took them down, and other than that, they turned brown. The World Tree has regained its previous health.”
That’s good news.
…Now that I think about it, I should’ve kept some World Tree branches for myself. A World Tree branch is something of mithril level.
“The restoration of the World Tree’s health is a blessing for the Elves, so I would like to grant you the opportunity to receive the blessing of the World Tree as a personal gift.”
“Opportunity… you say?”
I slyly glanced at the elders to see if anyone would oppose. Despite the unprecedented situation of granting an outsider the chance to obtain the blessing of the World Tree, there was no dissent among the elders.
They might have already decided this in a meeting, or they think I’m worthy enough to receive the blessing of the World Tree.
…It was initially something only High Elves could receive.
“Then let’s go right away.”
“Right now?”
“You have someone to protect, so you should hurry back, shouldn’t you?”
The Queen smiled gently.
—————
“A healthy World Tree is truly beautiful.”
“That’s why we risk our lives to protect it.”
I stared up at the giant tree radiating a soft glow in awe. It seemed like a regular tree when it was infected, but now it looks like a World Tree.
“How do I receive the blessing?”
“Hm, sit before the World Tree and place your hands on it. Bestowing the blessing requires the World Tree’s heart to be touched… since you saved this being, that one should grant you a blessing.”
That means it’s not guaranteed.
No, nevertheless, receiving the chance to get the blessing of the World Tree itself is a tremendous honor. It’s a privilege usually afforded only to High Elves.
I quietly sat before the World Tree and placed my hands on its large, beautiful trunk. I could feel its unique rough texture and warmth.
That unmistakably warm energy from the World Tree was gradually flowing into me. How long passed like this? I instinctively opened my Status Window to check the blessing slot.
-Blessing-
!(@&(!#$!*(:?
Phoenix’s Blessing: S
World Tree’s Blessing: S
Wow, double S. In games, just getting one is an ultimate trait, but two? With this, I should be able to clean up the guys I met earlier without a problem.
…But I wanted to extract some information from those guys too.
Well, I can always rummage through my Status Window later to collect whatever I can.
I stood up from my spot without a second thought.
“Congratulations on receiving the blessing of the World Tree.”
“Thank you.”
“What’s there to thank for? Considering what you did, this is nothing special.”
Is that so?
…Then again, that was a pretty annoying guy.
While his fighting power was mediocre, he was tricky to deal with due to mental contamination and infection.
I still don’t get why that guy was causing such a ruckus here, but I’ll figure it out eventually as I deal with the outsiders.
I decided not to hurry. After all, there were plenty of pressing issues right now.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”
“Hm, right. You had a place to return to.”
The Queen looked at me with a somewhat regretful expression. It felt more like a leader who was reluctantly losing a talented individual rather than romantic feelings.
I quickly added to my words.
“Because I have somewhere to go.”
“If you don’t have anything else to do, come here. I can at least help you settle.”
“Thank you.”
I walked past the Queen towards Sandulbaram’s home.
It was time to head back.
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