Chapter 129 – Spirit of the Divine Tree I

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“Here. I brought your belongings.”

About two days later, I was surprised to see Mezerir appear at the inn.

“I thought it would be Mr. Finze who brought them.”

“But then you would need someone to guide you when leaving the forest. In any case, I think there is something you wanted to say to me?”

“Oh, right. Thanks for coming all of the way here. I’m very grateful.”

“That’s not it! Do you have any idea how much we worried about you? You should be sorry about that first!”

…Really? It seemed more like a ‘thank you’ moment than a ‘sorry’ one. However, Mezerir did not look like she would allow any argument.

“My bad. Sorry for making you worry.”

“No, you should say thank me for worrying about you!”

Wait, but she just said…

“Tha-thank you for worrying. I’m glad.”

“You are welcome!!”

While it still felt questionable, it was true that I did make them worry. And since she was satisfied, I decided not to provoke her anymore.

“So, are you injured?”

“Ah, just broke my false leg, that’s all. I healed the rest with magic.”

“You are so reckless. There are injuries that can’t be healed with magic. You know that more than most.”

Damn it.

“I had no idea there would be a dragon there.”

I retorted. But even if I could extend my age with Reverse Age, there was no point if I died. Of course, being an Adventurer was a dangerous job. And I had to stay alert at all times. Indeed, this was probably a good opportunity for me to go back to the basics, and be as cautious as I used to be.

Hidden in my belongings was the platinum that I had been saving. It was always in my travel bag, to be used in an emergency. And while this wasn’t the kind of emergency I had in mind, I was glad that it found a use.

As for Mezerir, she had family to visit, and so we separated. I went to the magic workshop and armorer and made the payments. It was times like these that I was thankful that they used the same currency across the world. One of Lord Memrikia’s blessings, I suppose.
After finishing up with the final details for the shape of the prosthetic leg, and measurements for the armor, the day was done. And it was decided that Mezerir would show me around the next day.

“So, if you show me something interesting…”

“Don’t treat me like a tour guide. But…fine. There is one tree that you must see if you come to Amernisus. I will take you there.”

“One of those divine trees?”

“Oh, you know? It is the oldest tree that has existed here, even before the elves made it their home.”

If it was the oldest tree in the elf forest, then there was no way that I would not see it. And so as Mezerir led the way, we walked through the city, seeing some of the sights and eating and shopping.

While I was sure that the divine tree was large, all of the surrounding trees were also big, so you could not see very far ahead. They were already larger than any trees that existed on earth. And it was impossible for me to imagine something that surpassed them.

“Ah, you can see it from here.”

Mezerir pointed ahead. There were several buildings lined up. And in the center, there was something so large that I could not even tell that it was a tree. It just seemed like some kind of colossal wall. And extended up far above our heads.

“You’re telling me…that is a tree?”

The surface did look like bark. However, it was just so wide and tall. It almost felt like a man made structure.

I had once heard that there was a limit to how big an earth tree could grow. But it seemed like there was no limit here. There were several small structures near the base of the tree, and I saw elves at work, even from this distance.

“What do you think? Is it not amazing?”

As I stared, mouth open, Mezerir asked with a proud expression. I could not blame her for feeling like that.

“Aye. It’s…unbelievable.”

“In the divine tree is the great tree spirit, Nananakihi.”

Nent the hunter had told me about that. I had never seen a spirit, but I could believe that they existed after seeing this tree. That was how awe-inspiring it was.

“I wonder if I can meet them.”

“Of course, not. Only the caretakers of the tree and the high elves can even go close to the tree. Others can only go as far as the chapel.”

“I’d like to go to the chapel then. Since I came all of the way here.”

“Yes, that was the plan. But they are the guardians of us elves, so do be careful that you do nothing insolent.”

“I would never. Who do you think I am?”

“You can be rather unpredictable, after all.”

The closer we got, the larger the divine tree looked. We then entered the chapel, which had been built in a section surrounded by a fence. Inside, there was an altar, and the back was open so that you could see the giant roots of the tree. Each root was larger than the surrounding buildings.

“I wonder how many years it took for it to reach this size.”

“According to the Amernisus records, it was already tall enough to reach the heavens when the elves arrived.”

There was no one else in the chapel. As no sunlight reached here due to the roof of leaves, the place had a tranquil atmosphere, even during the day.
Mezerir put a hand to her chest and closed her eyes. She was praying. And so I decided to follow her example. Both offering a prayer and gratitude.

With a hand on my chest, I closed my eyes. Just then, a chill ran down my spine. I opened my eyes and looked around. But there was nothing different.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know, but…”

I started to say, and then a small green light appeared in front of me. It was so sudden that I could not react. More lights started to appear around me, and then they all gathered to a single point.

“Great Nananakihi!?”

Mezerir said in surprise, and then she fell to her knees and lowered her head. So this light was the spirit of the divine tree?

Not knowing what to do, I stood there, frozen. And then the light became blindingly bright. A moment later, it changed into a humanoid silhouette. Floating in the air, I saw what appeared to be a female elf who was no larger than a child.

“You have traveled a long way, human.”

The words rang in my mind, but I was not sure how. They were waves of something that were not sounds like the ones humans made. Still, appeared to be talking to me.

“Nananakihi? It is an honor to be in your presence.”

Judging by Mezerir’s attitude, I should be as polite as possible. And so I frantically kneeled and lowered my head.

“Indeed, it is I, Nananakihi. You called yourself Ajifu. Now, why have you visited?”

Oh? I didn’t introduce myself yet. As for why…that was a difficult question.

“Uhhh… Since I was in Amernisus, I felt I must come to honor the divine tree.”

“Is that all?”

Her gaze seemed to sharpen. Even if she was a spirit, she had existed for a long time. I felt a cold sweat run down my back.

“Ac-actually, to sightsee…”

“You came all of the way here to amuse yourself?”

“Uh, well… It was sort of an accident, really…”

“…”
“…”

An awkward silence followed. But what was I supposed to say?

“Hey! Ajifu! You ill-mannered…!”

While Mezerir was frantic, I thought it was better than lying.

“…Cough. Well, I will change the question then.”

So spirits cough too… I thought. But the following question turned me cold.

“I have lived long in this world, but have never heard of this ‘ability god.’ As it exists with the blessing of the creator, it must not be bad. Still, what kind of being is this Lord Ibitrayme?”

Ability God. Blessing of the creator… I knew what she was talking about. It was my status.

“Why-why are you asking me?”

“There is no need to hide it. After all, I have seen everything through Appraisal.”

Lord Nananakihi’s reply was the one I had been dreading the most.

Next Chapter

Ossan Boukensha no Jimichi na Isekai Tabi