Chapter 83

As I headed towards His Majesty Sylvius, I found that he and Yuri were seated as they had been earlier.

"…You were quick."

His Majesty was using a knee blanket he hadn’t had on before, so it seemed a maid had been taking care of him. I felt apologetic for taking so much of the king’s time, but this was necessary. I had asked Aisha and the others to wait in the room, as the conversation from here on would be between His Majesty and me.

"Your Majesty, please tell me about the magic song."

"…Given that you’ve seen through Aisha’s unique constitution, I thought you might say that."

"Indeed, there must be some secret."

His Majesty shook his head.

"Yuri. Take Raze to the World Tree."

"…Is it alright? This is a secret even those outside our clan do not know…"

"It’s fine."

"……"

Yuri stood up with a stern face.

"…If it’s by His Majesty’s command."

"I’m sorry. I wanted to go myself, but my legs are not good."

Before following Yuri, who had already walked quite far ahead, I bowed to His Majesty.

"Raze."

His Majesty spoke in a gentle voice, the gentlest I had heard today.

"Meeting Aisha was your destiny. A great destiny led you to the High Elves."

I couldn’t understand the meaning behind those words.

"…I don’t think this will lessen my sins or faults…"

"Your Majesty?"

At that moment,

"Raze, what are you doing?"

"Ah… Then, I shall go, Your Majesty."

I turned around and chased after Yuri, who had already gone quite far.

Yuri’s method of movement was simple: jumping from tree to tree and accelerating with [Wind Magic]. Normally, I would use [Fire Magic] to keep up, but using fire here would likely get me scolded, so I used [Wind Magic], [Jumping Technique], and other strength-enhancing talents to catch up.

(…This feels strange.)

When I used magic, I realized that my mana didn’t seem to decrease. It felt like a hot spring that continuously gushed.

"…Hmph, for a human, you’re quite adept at using magic."

We passed through the area where the elves lived, and the surroundings became a vast forest. Yuri, who was jumping through the trees, turned back and said,

"Um, Yuri… Do you perhaps have the [Mana Increase] talent?"

"…Why must I tell you that?"

I got a question in return.

"Well, just a hunch."

"Stop chattering and follow."

You were the one who started the conversation…

Anyway, based on her reaction, it wouldn’t be strange if she had it. It’s a very rare talent, at least three stars or more. I can’t absorb mana from the air in the elf forest, and [All Things] denies that possibility, so the only plausible explanation is that I acquired a new talent. Among the High Elves, only Yuri and Matvey used magic, so I thought I might have learned [Mana Increase] from one of them. Since I’ve already learned [Mana Increase★★] from the Silver Rank adventurer Christa La Christa, it means I’ve learned a talent of at least three stars or more. Anyway, it was lucky that my mana increased, even if not as much as Yuri’s. I think I’m closer to Aisha’s mana level now.

(…The words of His Majesty earlier are bothering me.)

As Yuri fell silent, I thought about His Majesty’s words during our journey.

(Sin and fault. What could they be… I feel like I’ve heard them somewhere before…)

Thanks to [All Things], I can remember everything, but while I can pinpoint and recall things, I have to think about how to connect related items. With so much information, it feels like I’m buried in it. As I hummed in thought, Yuri said, "You’re noisy." Well, it’s not that bad.

"We’re almost there."

"Ah, yes."

As the trees became sparse, a massive "wall" of trees appeared in front of us. I knew it was the "trunk" of a living tree, but it looked like a "wall," and my brain felt like it glitched.

"Amazing…"

The surroundings were vast, and the ground was covered in moss. Looking up at the World Tree, I saw moss extending from the roots to the upper part. At the top, branches spread out, and many birds gathered. [All Things] told me that it wasn’t a single tree but multiple trees growing together.

"…The Tree of Life?"

The leaves were familiar. They were divided into five parts like a maple leaf, and each part further split into five. I had named them "Double Maple" and learned from Duke Ahrenbach’s capital, Yvelmain, that they were called "Leaves of the Tree of Life." The leaves remained fresh for a long time and were used to cure Dante’s petrification poison.

"Humans call it that. This leaf is very precious to us, but humans can’t handle it."

"Indeed, I’ve heard that only High Elves can mix the herbs."

I could handle them, but I’m not stupid enough to say that in front of Yuri. Yes.

"This way."

Yuri led the way, approaching the World Tree. The ground was soft, and it was clear that almost no one visited here. Bird songs rained down from the sky, and dappled sunlight fell on the moss. Upon closer inspection, there were gaps between the trees that grew together, and it seemed possible to enter. Sliding my body into the narrow gap, which a fat adult couldn’t fit through, I found it was slightly bright inside. There was a hollow space, large enough to fit a small house, with branches growing from the top and bottom to form a single lump in the center. In the center, there was a red-black light.

"This is…"

Thump………………Thump……………… A slow but steady heartbeat.

"…This is why we sing the magic song. We give mana to the Life Dragon Kurtusvita, which sleeps beneath the World Tree, to sustain its life."

We are finally getting to the heart of the story of the elf forest.

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