—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“A being like the World Tree… has business with me?”
The World Tree. Also known as the Sacred Tree, or Yggdrasil. The source of life, the center of the world, the birthplace of all living things. A colossal tree connecting the heavens, the earth, and the underworld.
A single dewdrop from its leaves was said to cure any ailment, a single fruit to grant immortality.
A guardian deity, protector of the forest, warding off evil.
Why would such a being reveal itself to me? I couldn’t even begin to guess.
Fortunately, the answer came quickly.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the answer I wanted.
“It’s a trial.”
“…A trial?”
I remembered hearing those words before, just before arriving here.
But that didn’t explain why the World Tree itself had appeared.
“…Surely, a simple trial wouldn’t require the presence of the World Tree—”
“It does.”
She interrupted me, her voice firm, unwavering. She wouldn’t be swayed.
Her resolve was unsettling. My surprise must have shown on my face because she sighed, a flicker of regret in her eyes.
“I apologize. But this… this is important to us.”
“…Us?”
“Yes, to me… and my children.”
I knew who she meant. They were flitting around her, giggling.
“Mama! Mama!”
“Human?”
“A human! A human!”
Bright green, deep blue, brilliant yellow, fiery red—a rainbow of colors danced around her, their numbers increasing, their light enveloping her.
“Yes, a human, children. Mirne, would you mind…?”
“Of course.”
She gestured to Mirne, who seemed a bit embarrassed by the spirits’ boisterous behavior. Mirne nodded and led the spirits away, and we were finally alone.
“My apologies. I didn’t mean to subject you to that.”
“…It’s fine.”
“I suppose an explanation is in order.”
“Please.”
A faint smile touched her lips as she began her story. A long story,
A heavy story.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Die, you bastard!”
“Fuck!”
“Help me!”
Pandemonium.
That was how Sylvia described the scene. And no other word could truly capture the horror.
“Aaargh!”
“Damn elves…!”
“My… my ear… sob…”
Knights’ swords pierced elven hearts, their hands stained crimson. Someone ripped an elf’s ear off, spitting it onto the ground.
“These humans…!”
“Die!”
Elven arrows found their mark, human eyes wide with terror. Knights fell, their bodies riddled with arrows. Elven magic shattered armor, their skills as hunters honed in the forests now turned against the humans.
The air reeked of blood, eyes gouged out, bodies piled high.
The once peaceful dining hall had become a slaughterhouse.
“Your Highness, we have to get you out of here!”
“We’ll hold them off!”
“Damn it! I knew we shouldn’t have trusted those humans…!”
The remaining elves tried to escort Sylvia to safety, but she refused to leave.
“No, I’m staying.”
“W-What?!”
“What are you saying, Your Highness?!”
“This isn’t the time for jokes…!”
“…Jokes?”
The elves protested, their voices filled with concern. They had to protect her.
She knew their intentions, and it irritated her. They treated her like a fragile doll, as if her life was more valuable than theirs. As if their duty was to protect her, even at the cost of their own lives.
She knew it was their duty, but she couldn’t accept it.
“Do my words sound like a joke to you? Do I seem so weak that I need your protection to survive? Or do you simply not value your own lives?”
“N-No, Your Highness! We never meant to imply—!”
“We just want to protect you…!”
Her expression remained stern, unwavering, as she walked towards them.
Her back was exposed, vulnerable.
And from the shadows, a figure emerged, a dagger glinting in their hand.
It was one of the serving maids from the dining hall.
“Lucky bitch… die! I’m so jealous!!”
“Y-Your Highness, look out…!”
“Damn it…!”
The elves, caught off guard by the maid’s speed, couldn’t react in time.
A sickening thud, the scent of blood—
They instinctively closed their eyes, unable to bear witness.
“Open your eyes.”
“H-Huh?”
“Your Highness?!”
A familiar voice, and they opened their eyes to an unexpected sight.
“Gurgle…”
“A clean shot through the stomach… what a resilient body…”
The maid, her dagger still raised, was impaled on a thick root that had erupted from the floor, her body suspended in mid-air.
“Wh-What…?”
“Where did that come from?”
Some stared in disbelief, while others recognized the power she wielded.
“Spirit magic…!”
“Her Highness can control the spirits…!”
They sighed in relief, their fear replaced by awe.
Sylvia, ignoring their praise, entered the fray, a whirlwind of color swirling around her as she unleashed her power.
She raised a finger, and the ground beneath their feet erupted, forming a wall of stone.
She waved her hand, and a powerful gust of wind sent several knights flying.
She thrust her palm forward, and sparks of electricity crackled in the air.
She stomped her foot, and the ground beneath her froze solid.
“Aaaaagh!!”
“S-So cold!”
“Wh-What is this?! Aaaaagh!!”
But it wasn’t easy. The knights, chosen as the empire’s elite guards, were skilled warriors.
They braced themselves against the wind, planting their swords firmly in the ground. They cut through the roots she conjured.
“Don’t retreat!”
“Her Highness is fighting for us!”
“It’s our duty to protect her!”
But even their combined strength couldn’t hold back the enraged elves, empowered by Sylvia’s magic.
“We have to stop the vice-captain!”
“Hey! Snap out of it!”
A few knights, their minds still clear, tried to stop the senseless violence. And with their intervention, the chaos began to subside.
“Let… go of me!”
“He… he said…!”
“Where’s that old man…?”
Sylvia, having subdued the remaining attackers, assessed the casualties.
“…How many?”
“The injured elves—”
“…I asked about the casualties.”
“Ah… yes! Twenty-six injured, thirteen dead.”
“That’s… more than I expected.”
‘…Was this the empire’s plan? Surely they wouldn’t do something so easily discovered…’
“Your Highness…?”
“…Give me a moment.”
She tried to identify the source of the chaos, but even her sharp mind couldn’t find a clear answer.
And then, a voice echoed in her mind.
“You’re quite strong.”
It was him.
She knew it.
She whipped her head around, searching for the source of the voice, but there was no one there.
“Ah, looking for me…? It’s alright… the work is done…”
As the voice faded, a ripple appeared in the air behind her.
“W-What is that?!”
“A… a tear in space?!”
“An attack?! Everyone, prepare—”
“Hello~”
A figure materialized, a young man with bright orange hair and black clothes, his demeanor casual, almost flippant. He looked like an ordinary boy, but—
Sylvia felt a sudden unease.
The spirits around her trembled, as if sensing something dangerous.
“Hmm… the trial version is too weak…”
“…?”
He muttered something about a “trial version,” but everyone present knew, instinctively, that he was responsible for the chaos.
“Die!”
“Huh?”
A knight, unable to contain his rage, charged towards the boy. His lover, a fellow knight, had been killed in the attack.
The enraged knight lunged—
And vanished.
“Mmph…!”
“What…?”
He’d been swallowed whole by a swirling vortex of dark energy. And then, he reappeared, his body twisted and broken.
The reason?
“Ugh… that was disappointing…”
“…!”
Disappointment.
That was all.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
