“Alright, lead the way!”
“Hmm.”
The elf guard captain, a white-haired elf, walked beside me with a displeased expression.
I was sticking close to him, Astaroth in hand, just to keep an eye on him.
The remaining elf guards returned to their duties, just as I told them to.
The only one guiding us deeper into the forest was a white-haired man who looked like the leader of the elves.
“Grrrr!”
A beast’s roar echoed from somewhere.
I glanced back over my shoulder.
Hummmm!
“Huff, huff!”
Chris was snorting air from her nose and puffing out her cheeks, growling.
With the ominous black orbs swirling around her, it felt like my elf companion might put a hole in that guy’s belly if he tried anything funny.
“Sis…. I think you can relax. You know I’m strong, right?”
“He’s a handsome young man, after all!”
“Hmm…?”
What does that even mean?
Does being handsome warrant caution?
The white-haired man also seemed uncomfortable with Chris. He was sweating bullets as he appealed to me.
“Hmm, I’m sorry about the first attack; please tell her to calm down a bit.”
“She says to calm down.”
“Grrrr, tell her to say it directly!”
“Uh, he says to tell you directly.”
I puffed out my cheeks in annoyance.
It’s definitely close enough for him to just say it himself. Why do I have to relay their conversation?
I slapped my palm and decided to ask him something; introductions were important.
“What’s your name?”
“….Palman.”
Palman, that sounds sturdy.
Unlike the other delicate-looking elf guards, he had a well-built physique.
“Oh. So you’re Palman. I’m Rain, and the lady behind me is Chris.”
“Do I have to remove the ‘sir’ part?”
I shook my head.
“Sir is sir.”
[Elf Kingdom Affinity: 0]
After battling the elf guards, the affinity with the Elf Kingdom had released from the negative state because I didn’t kill a single elf.
Thanks to that, Palman easily shared his name.
“Thank you for not harming the elves. The current situation in the Elf Kingdom isn’t good, so I hope you understand. Our principle is to neutralize visitors who break through the magical mist on the outskirts.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
I pondered.
At the Dwarf Village, it was easy to pass through thanks to my companion, Ain, but it seems I’m not getting any advantages in the Elf Kingdom.
I had many curiosities, but our conversation couldn’t continue further.
That was because something overwhelming began to appear before us, blocking our view with large trees, thick branches, and teal leaves.
“What… what is that?”
Chris stared blankly at ‘it’.
Her gaze swept from left to right, then soon shot upwards. Her neck seemed like it might snap.
I chuckled.
“Sis, your neck is gonna get stuck.”
“Uh, huh? Rain, aren’t you surprised? …This is the world of ‘Astria Online.’ It’s really amazing.”
“Yes. I’m amazed too.”
Although I hadn’t seen it before, I knew of the existence of ‘that.’
It vaguely reminded me of some gigantic building that seemed to reach the skies.
No, it wasn’t artificial. It was natural.
What filled our eyes was a humongous “tree” of overwhelming size.
I whispered softly.
“World Tree.”
Palman nodded.
It was something I had never seen before.
I stood still, gazing at the World Tree.
The World Tree surged into the sky, as though it were reaching the heavens.
Its peak pierced the clouds, sailing ever higher, resembling a colossal pillar connecting sky and earth.
The endlessly sprawling branches of the World Tree stretched across the entire sky. Whether looking up from here or there, it was all branches.
Circling around the World Tree didn’t seem easy either. The thickness was more than that of a vast circular arena.
Before this sight, I felt as if time itself had stopped.
This was the source of the world.
The foundation of the Continent of Astria.
How deep did the unseen roots of the World Tree spread? Surely, it reached far beyond the scale of an imperial capital.
The roots stretched deep into the earth but also soared grandly above the ground.
Nestled between those roots were the intricately built homes of the elves. The elf houses mingled naturally among the roots, as if part of nature itself.
This was the “Elf Kingdom.”
An elf society centered around the giant World Tree.
Given the surprisingly small population of elves, it could indeed be called a kingdom.
Perhaps trusting in the patrols of the elf guards, the boundary between where the elves lived and the forest was faint. It seemed more like a blend of nature than mere residences.
For a moment, I marveled at the dreamlike and overwhelming nature of this world, but then I tilted my head in confusion.
“There’s something strange about this World Tree.”
I noticed that the state of the World Tree didn’t seem right.
For some reason, it felt like its life force was faint.
Of course, I had never seen the World Tree before.
But when it comes to a World Tree in a fantasy setting, wouldn’t it be more glittery and green, with leaves that are like panacea? That’s the usual description, after all.
Palman, who was walking ahead, turned slightly surprised at my words.
“Did you notice? You have good instincts. As you said, the current World Tree is not in a normal state. It seems its limit is just protecting this environment from the harsh cold.”
“Hmm….”
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
Chris approached and chirped at me.
“I’m not sure, but I think we should listen to the story first.”
Pondering, I walked between the roots, heading towards the giant pillar connecting the ground to the sky — the center of the Elf Kingdom.
While we walked, other elves also appeared among the World Tree’s roots.
They looked at us with a mix of curiosity and fear. Judging from their reactions, it seemed this elf society had lived in isolation for a long time.
Is it rare for them to see outsiders?
Or is this the first time in their lives?
Before I knew it, we were climbing up the giant root of the World Tree.
Soon we entered a space that could be called a hollow, intertwined with the twining stems of the World Tree.
In the center of this hollow, there were arrangements of stems that resembled tables and chairs. They looked very natural, as if they hadn’t been cut at all.
It was as if the World Tree itself had made a space for the elves.
“Oh.”
It felt just like a meeting room.
Sitting on one of the stems, Palman soon began to speak.
“Today marks the first time we welcome outsiders to the Elf Kingdom. Lost travelers cannot break through the magical mist. Even if non-hostile beings come through the mist, they’ll be subdued by the elf guards and chased out.”
“Hmm…? So would we have been chased out if we had been subdued?”
“Until now, yes. But recently, things have changed.”
Palman’s eyes glinted sharply.
“We’ve been receiving news from elves who’ve gone beyond our borders about adventurers from the stars. Those who are subduing the monsters from another realm have started moving. You must be one of them, right?”
I nodded.
Chris also nodded in agreement.
Palman straightened his posture and bowed his head.
“I have a favor to ask. Please save the World Tree.”
That came out of nowhere.
Thud thud.
I followed Palman further into the inside of the World Tree. Chris had stuck close to me and was walking alongside.
Chris looked very excited.
“It’s like a fairy-tale world! After all the fighting, this kind of adventure is one of the joys of a fantasy world!”
Hee hee, “You’re acting like a kid, sis.”
“Really? Aren’t you enjoying it too, Rain?”
I smiled slightly and lowered my head.
I couldn’t enjoy it without worries.
Why is that?
Thump thump.
As we approached the depths of the World Tree, my heart began to race.
“But Palman sir, are you like an elf elder? I thought you were the captain of the elf guards.”
“There’s no hierarchy among elves. They are all equal. I’m just the strongest among the elf guards. In the past, the World Tree provided wisdom to the elves, but now we discuss everything amongst ourselves.”
Democracy? Though, they don’t elect representatives, so maybe it’s different?
Anyway, it’s a fascinating society.
Palman stopped in front of a pile of stems.
The tree trunks were intertwined, blocking the way.
It resembled a gigantic door.
Palman turned towards us, facing the door.
“It’s been a thousand years since the communication between the World Tree and the elves was cut off. Over time, the elves have gradually weakened. So we deemed it difficult to fend off external threats by our own power.”
“And so, to us, adventurers from the stars…”
He nodded and swept his hand across the massive wooden door.
“For generations, only one elf has been able to enter the depths of the World Tree. The only existence that could communicate with the World Tree, whose lineage was broken a thousand years ago. Their will has even made their names forgotten.”
“The Priestess of the World Tree.”
Palman’s eyes widened.
His excitement was unmistakably conveyed.
Palman hesitated as he spoke, trembling.
“How…?”
I let go of Chris’s hand and stepped forward.
Thump thump.
Gripping my pounding heart.
“Rain…?”
Chris’s voice came from a distance.
Step step.
Dwarves, humans, and elves—they had all lost their histories.
Even the names of my companions were unspoken.
Could this be the will of the absolute entity that formed this world into a game? No. That being is friendly.
This is clearly a sign of evil.
Little by little, fragments of what I needed to defeat began to surface.
Step step.
Once upon a time, one of my party members’ elves had said to me.
“Rain, the Priestess of the World Tree becomes the spirit of the World Tree after death.”
“The meaning of the Priestess of the World Tree telling you her name.”
“It means she wants to invite you to our realm someday.”
“After everything is over, would you come with me to that place?”
Standing at the door, I gently caressed its surface and spoke her name.
“Igrim.”
The World Tree opened the way.
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