At the moment when Hana’s goods were selling like hotcakes…
Not all Elves welcomed the appearance of the World Tree’s Avatar. It wasn’t that they disliked or hated it. For the Elves, the World Tree played the role of a mother. Unlike the gods of humans, who exist only as illusions, the World Tree had a direct form and a wide-ranging influence on the Elves. Without the World Tree, the Elves’ proud spirit magic and affinity would disappear. When they thought about it, the World Tree was an idol in itself for the Elves.
However, from the politicians’ perspective, the appearance of the Avatar brought some discomfort. Although the Avatar was said to be the soul of the World Tree, it had already been heavily influenced by another world. If it returned after finishing its play, there would be no problem, but that wasn’t the case now. It was the first time the Avatar had come.
If Hana were to enter politics, it was obvious she would receive an overwhelming number of votes and become the representative. And gaining an overwhelming number of supporters was a given.
This meant the current political landscape would change significantly. Hana wasn’t just a kingmaker; she was the king herself. If she wanted, she could do anything. And she was in a position where it was very easy to do so.
“Should we follow the words of the Avatar of the World Tree, not the World Tree itself?”
“No matter how much I think about it, we should carefully watch the actions of the Goddess…”
When seeds of anxiety were planted in the political sphere, they received a clear answer through contact with the World Tree Church.
“The Goddess will return to her original dimension in a month.”
This statement made all the worries they had until now seem pointless. If she was leaving in a month, all the anxieties they had could be washed away.
Not long after, a large statue of Hana was erected in the middle of the parliament building’s garden.
—
“Goddess, wake up!”
“Just one more hour…”
“Hey! You said to wake you up when it’s time to eat!”
I couldn’t open my eyes, but Linea’s shaking hands forced me to wake up. It had been a week since I met Linea, and now she did such things without hesitation. Originally, she would get all flustered just by touching my body, but now she seemed comfortable. It must be because I showed such a friendly demeanor. After all, my appearance was that of a child.
“When you’re ready, we’ll leave!”
I rubbed my eyes and said,
“Already? Isn’t it too early?”
“Already? The sun is high in the sky!”
Listening to Linea, it seemed lunchtime was approaching. I nodded and sent Linea out of the room. Her nagging was getting worse, and it felt like the dignity of the World Tree was fading. I missed Linea from the first day we met. Back then, she looked at me with reverence, but now it wasn’t the same.
After washing up and changing clothes, I got into the carriage parked in front of the church. During the month I stayed, Linea asked me what I wanted.
I vaguely said I wanted to see how the Elves lived, like a tourist. Hearing this, Linea smiled brightly and told me not to worry.
It felt like a senior in the military promising a full-course tour of Busan. But when I actually went to Busan, there wasn’t much. We just went to a bunch of stores that didn’t really fit the “full course” description. The only thing I remembered was that Busan’s pork soup was delicious.
After riding the carriage for a while, we arrived in front of a large building. I looked up at the building. It was overwhelming in size compared to most buildings, and I wondered what was inside.
“What kind of building is this?”
“You’ll know when you go in!”
Linea took my hand and led me inside. Now, physical contact felt natural. As I entered the building, I noticed a delicious smell. It seemed this large building was a restaurant. A very high-end one, like a hotel! I expected there to be many Elves inside, but there was no one.
“Why is there no one here, Linea?”
“I rented the whole place because the Goddess is visiting today.”
“Really…? That wasn’t necessary.”
Renting the whole place just for me. What a waste. I couldn’t eat much anyway. Of course, Linea would eat too, but that’s only two portions. And I couldn’t eat much. Reading my expression, Linea…
“Anyway, since you didn’t pay for the whole day, just enjoy it. All the expenses are God’s money anyway!”
Come to think of it, since I said the World Tree Church’s money is my money, isn’t this technically me spending my own money? I felt my shoulders, which had been hunched, relax a bit. I heard that after I arrived, the World Tree Church started making an insane amount of money.
All kinds of events and donations skyrocketed. There was even a rumor that one ridiculously wealthy elf donated half of their entire fortune to the foundation. And they still wanted to donate more.
In other words, the money I was spending was like scooping seawater with a bucket. Unless I was living some ridiculously extravagant lifestyle on a national level, the ocean wasn’t going to dry up just because I used a bucket. Even if I scooped for a thousand years, the ocean would still be there.
Finally, I let go of my burden and decided to enjoy myself following Linea’s guidance. After all, I’d be going back home in a month, and I’d already done everything I needed to do. Might as well enjoy it with that mindset. Even if I left, the World Tree Church would probably keep raking in cash with their goods.
——————————————–
“Hmm hmm~”
Maru was heading to work today with a cheerful heart. Everyone says work life is tough and hard, but Maru didn’t really feel that way. Sure, there were tough moments, but she’d faced similar challenges back in college.
And compared to the narrow social circles of college where she had to rely solely on herself, having seniors at work actually made things easier in some ways.
If she didn’t know something, she could just ask! And her superiors weren’t the type to nitpick or throw hysterical fits. They were reasonable and had great personalities, so Maru considered herself lucky.
*Beep*
Looking at the company, which had added so much more since her first day, Maru scanned her ID and entered the building.
The Starlight Research Institute building was always under construction. Rumor had it they were planning to build a theme park for Hana. Inside the building, there was already a buffet, a convenience store, and now they were even planning to add a roller coaster. Well, probably not an actual roller coaster.
Since most of the profits came from Hana, they didn’t hold back on investments. Hana’s desires didn’t cost much anyway. So, the Starlight Research Institute was slowly turning into something like a bank, rolling their overflowing funds into external investments.
Maru was the first to arrive at work again today. While others dreaded coming to work, Maru was the exception. She loved seeing Hana. Sure, Hana caused trouble sometimes, but to Maru, it was just harmless mischief.
There wasn’t much overtime, and when she thought about her salary and bonuses, Maru felt like she was getting paid way more than the work she was doing. It kind of reminded her of a kindergarten teacher.
When Maru arrived on the 10th floor, she headed straight to Hana’s room. But a sense of unease flashed through her mind. Normally, as soon as the elevator doors opened, she’d feel the refreshing air of a forest, but today, there was nothing.
Maru quickly moved to Hana’s room, but no one was there. The only sign that Hana had been there was a blanket lying on the floor.
To make matters worse, there was no one on duty. The person who was supposed to be on duty had gone to the emergency room due to sudden pain. They should’ve sent a replacement, but after months of nothing happening, they’d gotten lax, thinking a few hours without someone wouldn’t matter. As a result, there was no one guarding this floor.
For the first time, Maru felt a chill run down her spine. It felt like the beginning of some big incident in a movie.
