Episode 102 – Code of Conduct (2)
“Really now. Can I just take care of this like a regular tree? Still, it’s a World Tree, shouldn’t there be some proper procedure or something?”
“Well, according to old tales, there should be. But since the High Elf who experienced that era directly told us to do it this way, what can we do? We just need to follow orders.”
The Elf city after Iriliana left. As important as interacting with outside forces, the most important task given to the Elves remaining here was to take care of the planted World Tree.
The World Tree, which had not been able to reveal itself to the world until now, grew by absorbing nutrients as if it had been waiting for this moment. The Elves, caring for the World Tree that grew stronger by the day, watched its growth with a mix of anxiety and anticipation.
“Just give it some water. Make sure the ground doesn’t dry out.”
As Iriliana departed the Elf city, she simply instructed them to water the growing World Tree. The order was so succinct that even the Elves, who had thought complex processes and rituals were necessary from legends, were taken aback.
However, there was no way for them to know whether this was true or not. The World Tree could not communicate unless it possessed a High Elf’s level of responsiveness. Ultimately, the Elves faithfully followed Iriliana’s words and watered the World Tree.
“…”
Even now, it was the same. The World Tree, now with a stronger sense of self than when it was just a sapling, was currently in a state of great dissatisfaction.
Temperature, humidity, air quality, surrounding scenery—nothing met its expectations.
It was a High Elf’s duty to care for such things, yet the High Elf had abandoned the World Tree and gone elsewhere.
There was nothing the World Tree could do. It could only vow to make Iriliana realize this issue when she returned and to have her serve it. No matter how great the High Elf was, it was the only World Tree that had appeared in this world in thousands of years.
“—?!”
However, something more urgent than Iriliana’s return occurred.
With all the tribes uniting around a conference, an incursion began in the Elf tribe that held territory a distance away. While in the past they might have ignored such matters as the problems of other tribes, the Elves could no longer do so. Everyone had to act with one heart.
Some Elves, including Elnar, were dealing with it calmly as if they had experienced it once before, but for the World Tree, it was the first crisis it faced.
“Everyone, calm down. The scale of the incursion is still not that large. Declare the area a dangerous zone and evacuate residents to a safe location while preparing defenses.”
Elnar, the chair of the conference, calmly gathered the Elves and decided to send support troops to the affected area.
Fortunately, thanks to the rapid response emphasized by Iriliana, the actual damage was minimal; however, the residual incursion was still a problem.
The Elves could not purify the incursion with their own strength, and ultimately, the best they could do was to seal off the surrounding area and wait.
“—…”
The World Tree could not tolerate this. The Elves’ territory was effectively its own territory. In such a place, some unknown, horrifying contaminants were destroying nature to the point where even spirits complained to it.
Though still a young World Tree, it instinctively understood what its duty was.
To purify this world from such contamination. That was the World Tree’s responsibility.
“Elder! Th-the World Tree has bloomed! It has flowers that look a bit different from the records!”
“W-what?!”
This was the result.
The World Tree, the pillar of the world reappeared in this world, bloomed somewhat early to confront the corruption that sought to bring about the world’s end.
A pure white flower that no Elf had ever seen.
“The World Tree has given us strength. It knows the crisis we face right now.”
“Is that really true? With no High Elf around, how would it know…”
“The World Tree is a divine pillar. As long as it has its roots in this land, it knows everything that happens here.”
Elnar, who recognized the mystical power embedded in the flower, instinctively realized that the World Tree was showing them its will.
Some Elves were skeptical, but the elder ones, including Elnar, had blind faith in the World Tree, and this time it proved accurate.
“Though it wasn’t the High Elf who told us, I guarantee this. These flowers will aid us when we fight against that evil force.”
Elnar instructed some elite warriors present at the scene to distribute these flowers imbued with mystical power.
And the warriors opened their eyes wide when they saw the power flowing from the flowers embed into their weapons.
“I believe we can do this now.”
One of the warriors bravely drew his sword. Though he was just an ordinary Elf warrior and not a High Elf, he believed that with the World Tree’s flower lending him strength, he could strike a blow against the evil pit.
“Charge!”
They broke the blockade and charged first toward the incursion point. The black gate, which had been polluting the surrounding land in real time, spat out monsters and resisted, but the gathered Elf warriors were much stronger.
When the monsters fell to arrows and blades, filled with confidence, they charged toward the incursion site, and amidst the black toxic vapors spewing out, they finally succeeded in delivering the power granted by the World Tree.
“Lo-look! The contamination is being purified. We did it!”
“Long live the World Tree!”
The power given by the World Tree indeed purified the incursion and revived the contaminated land. The Elves proved this with their own hands and cheered at what they deemed a miracle.
Without Iriliana’s assistance, they became the first to withstand the threat of annihilation on their own.
“Great World Tree!”
The Elves could not contain their joy and rushed to the World Tree to express their gratitude, and the World Tree’s nonexistent shoulders and nose began to rise proudly.
With this, it thought that even if that impudent High Elf, who had resurrected it from a seed and made it sprout, returned, she would not dare to look down on it.
“Looks like it’s time to install a teleportation point in the Elf village too.”
Then, a few days later, the World Tree sensed the presence of Iriliana, who had arrived from another continent via a teleportation point in a nearby human village.
*
“I told the conference clearly, you know. They should install at least one teleportation point internally during negotiations with other countries.”
“We’re still negotiating, so there should be good results.”
While crossing the Pacific in one second, I grumbled as I wasted time just getting to the next village over.
At least the roads were well maintained. The Elves’ city, which had chosen to abandon isolation and opt for interaction, was no longer the mysterious city that existed only in rumors. This road was used by diplomats and merchants alike, so we could head toward the Elves without much difficulty.
“—, –?”
“Hoh…”
However, when I arrived near the Elves’ city while walking with Arisa, the earth spirit conveyed a peculiar message.
The World Tree sent me a message through the earth spirit.
The moment I heard that, my thought was, does this brat not know its place?
“W-what did it say?”
“It told me to come right over and kneel before it and faithfully convey its demands to the Elves?”
“That can’t be…”
Arisa looked surprised when she heard my words and simultaneously started glancing at me. The fact that the World Tree could possess such a level of consciousness was something I had not anticipated.
Was the true communion and communication with the World Tree from the tales not just words? But perhaps that self-awareness was merely a childish tantrum, growing along with its development level.
“The World Tree seems to have had many inconveniences so far. Since other Elves, aside from Iriliana, cannot hear it…”
“No, no. The World Tree has lacked nothing in its growth. It’s just grown a little smarter and is rebelling against its position.”
I was briefly surprised but then let out a snicker.
It seemed that this young tree thought it was the boss now… seemingly forgetting who woke it up, planted it, and helped it take root.
“Let’s go. It’s normal for kids around this age to rebel. They learn by getting hit without mercy.”
This was perfect.
With the proof that the World Tree’s power was effective in purifying the incursion, that strength would be needed a lot in the future, and I could train it beforehand.
“…I’ll follow Iriliana’s words.”
Arisa hesitated but then bowed her head to me. Considering whom the Elves would listen to, the World Tree’s arrogant rebellion was a futile resistance from the start.
