Volume 9, Chapter 12 – An Unexpected Twist

“Ah~ as expected of a Goddess, her skin smells as fragrant as her hair.”

“The texture of her clothes is so comfortable too; it’s much softer than ours.”

“There are no calluses on her hands either. They’re soft and white… How wonderful. I wish I had such beautiful hands.”

“How do you keep your chest in such a perfect shape? Lady Claire is so lucky. If I had a fiancée like the Goddess, I’d be happy even if she treated me like an ox or a horse and rode on my back.”

Only ten minutes into the reception, the situation had shifted from the Dark Elves entertaining Fia to Fia effectively entertaining the Dark Elves. Since the tribe was female-dominated, the Chieftain and elders were all adult women. Coupled with their standard of beauty—petite yet not skeletal—they felt quite approachable to Fia. Once the donuts and juice helped them lower their guard, they became intensely curious about how Fia had developed so “perfectly.”

As a result, Claire had been squeezed to the side. Fia was surrounded by the five elders and the Chieftain. Her ebony hair, the hem of her skirt, and even the backs of her hands were subject to their close scrutiny. Had Fia not used [Telekinesis] to create a barrier protecting her lower half, she suspected these “devout” Dark Elves would be hugging her shins, rubbing their cheeks against her calves while sniffing her black stockings and remarking on how “delicate the texture” was and how “stretchy the fabric” felt.

Fia knew most of these Dark Elves were likely straight and their praise was sincere, but hearing it was still strange—borderline perverted.

“Elves on the World Tree Continent are all so fair and delicate like the Goddess. And there’s that amazing tool, the branch of the Holy Tree… if I had one, even I couldn’t help but fall for the Goddess.”

“Magic that increases the number of children is the best!”

“We should probably let go of the Goddess now. We aren’t as clean as she is; it would be bad if we soiled her clothes.”

“Ah, true.”

After lifting Fia’s black hair like small animals for one final deep breath, the female elders reluctantly let go of her hands, hair, and clothes to return to their seats. Each Dark Elf wore a reddish look of envy and intoxication that made Fia feel as if they might eat her up—though, looking at their small statures, it was debatable who would be eating whom.

Even though they were all adults, there was a subtle sense of “criminality” to the scene.

Mizuki would probably get along great with them.

Neither the Chieftain nor the elders exceeded a height of one meter sixty. Standing with them, Fia felt no pressure, almost as if she were with her peers. Thus, when the Dark Elves asked to see the difference between themselves and the elves of the World Tree Continent, Fia had readily agreed. The conclusion they drew was that all elves on the continent were as perfectly developed as Fia, leaving them filled with longing for that distant land.

They’d be disappointed if they actually got there, Fia thought. For now, it was better not to shatter their beautiful fantasies.

As the topic settled, the three Dark Elf little girls Fia had given donuts to earlier entered the room carrying tea. To Fia’s surprise, only the tea for her and Claire had been supplemented with clear, bright honey. As the sweet-smelling, thick honey swirled into the golden liquid, the girls watched with such longing that Fia felt a surge of guilt. It was only after Claire proactively gave her and Fia’s portions to the girls and switched to plain tea that Fia felt more at ease.

“By the way, Goddess, why have you come to Dragonfall? Isn’t it inconvenient traveling with only Lady Claire as an attendant? People from the World Tree Continent used to come here in groups of three or five. They’d say they were taking us back to live a good life, leave some food, and then take away any women willing to leave.”

Reаԁ оn ΚαtReaԁіngСαfe

“No, Claire is not my servant. She is my fiancée,” Fia corrected. Because Claire wasn’t the “ideal” type according to Dark Elf standards, they kept assuming she was an attendant rather than a partner.

Fia continued her explanation.

“Claire’s home is here. In a short while, I will be having a wedding with her. We’ve come back to notify Claire’s friends.”

“A same-sex marriage… Why don’t we Dark Elves have something miraculous like a Holy Tree? Sigh. “

“Don’t be discouraged, Chieftain. There’s plenty of time. You’ll have a chance to visit the World Tree Continent eventually.”

“Wait, Goddess… did you just say Lady Claire’s home is in Dragonfall?”

As the Chieftain moped, a petite elder with a white headband looked up in surprise.

Fia tilted her head. “Yes, why?”

“The last time I went to the market, I heard the dragons in the city say they were looking for a woman who had returned to Dragonfall from the World Tree Continent. I don’t remember if the name was ‘Claire,’ but the conditions mentioned she had been here before. They even said that whoever found a match for the description would receive a thousand years of protection for their tribe from the dragons.”

“When was this?”

“The month before last. Supposedly, the banyan tree trapping Lady Mimiu sent word that if the right person was found, she would be willing to let Lady Mimiu go.”

Fia and Claire exchanged a look.

A woman, someone who had been to Dragonfall before, and a forgotten name—these three conditions fit Claire perfectly.

However, anyone who had met Claire should have long since forgotten her. Since Claire hadn’t appeared before these people wearing the Divinity amulet, those who knew her should theoretically be unable to recall her existence.

“It must be the will of the God. Even the dragons are helpless against that suddenly appearing tree; the tree must be an incarnation of the God, and it’s making the dragons find someone.”

“Dummy, the real God is right in front of us! Lady Dofilia is beautiful, kind, and helped us drive away the half-dragons. She’s much stronger than that tree—uh?!”

RUMBLE…

Rеaԁ oո KαtReаⅾіngCαfе

Without warning, the ground suddenly shook. The tea in the cups sloshed violently, and the empty chairs and tables in the room began to scrape and clatter. Everyone’s vision blurred with the vibration.

“An earthquake?”

“Again!”

“Everyone out!”

Though the intensity wasn’t enough to make it hard to stand, all the Dark Elves—including the three girls holding their wooden cups—ran for the exit without a second thought. The entire tribe erupted into a frenzy of cries. Leaving the hut, Fia and Claire saw some of the bolder Dark Elves on the slopes already trying to salvage their household belongings.

Tch.

Why at this specific time?

Fia clicked her tongue in annoyance, low enough that Claire wouldn’t hear. She stole a glance at Claire, whose brow was furrowed in a familiar look of worry.

“Another earthquake…”

“Don’t think too much about it. The Dark Elves reacted quickly; they might have been experiencing frequent quakes before we arrived.”

“I suppose.”

Though Claire agreed verbally, Fia felt she wasn’t as relieved as she claimed. If a few words from Fia could have dispelled her doubts, she wouldn’t have asked to return to Dragonfall in the first place.

Things hadn’t developed in the most relaxing direction. Simply “seeing how it goes” was too foolish; she needed to think about whether there was a way to stop the land from falling. Having learned from past mistakes, she knew she should always have enough trump cards ready for any eventuality.

Fia looked up at the massive banyan tree blotting out the sky. The earthquake hadn’t been strong enough to collapse buildings. She could find someone in the village to let them know she and Claire were leaving for a bit. If the person the dragons—or rather, the giant banyan tree—were looking for was indeed Claire, things might get a little tricky.

There was plenty of time. Before going to find the dragons, she would explore a bit on her own. Only by gathering enough information could she avoid being led around by the nose in an unfamiliar land.

“I want to fly around Dragonfall and observe for a bit. Will you stay in the village, Claire?”

Claire bit her lip, her right hand resting lightly on her chest covered by her snow-white shawl.

Rеαd оո KatRеαԁiոɡСαfе

“I want to go into the city. That tree seems to be calling to me.”

Not another trick like the elf god’s, is it?

Fia recalled the “affinity” she had felt back on the Holy Tree. But Claire gave a radiant smile, dispelling Fia’s concern.

“I won’t approach the tree recklessly. While you’re checking Dragonfall, Little Fia, I’ll go see if my old home still stands. If there’s an emergency, just channel mana into the pendant I gave you. Also, take this sword; it will let me feel your position more clearly. When I use this sword, you’ll be able to feel my aura too. Let’s regroup before sunset.”

Claire handed the more easily handled red one-handed sword to Fia.

The moment the hilt touched her palm, a moist, lustrous sensation enveloped Fia’s hand. Though the touch was cool, it wasn’t biting. Fia felt as if she had established a close link with Claire; with just a slight mental resonance, she could perceive Claire’s location. Furthermore, because the blade was slender, it was easier to handle than Laevateinn.

She nodded firmly. “I understand. We’ll split up.”

“Be careful.”

Spreading her brilliant butterfly wings, Fia turned into a shooting star and sped toward the edge of Dragonfall.

◇

Inside a rather luxurious stone palace, five dragons in half-dragon form were wearing troubled expressions. They sat around a circular table, letting out constant, muffled groans of distress. Even the mountain of gold coins and gems nearby, which constantly emitted brilliant glints of light, could not lift their spirits.

RUMBLE—

When the earthquake struck, shaking dust from the ceiling and making the table creak, the five burly half-dragons finally reacted. The one covered in icy-blue scales with elegant physical curves was the first to look up. He stared at the ceiling and spoke in a raspy yet pleasant-sounding voice.

“An earthquake?”

“Princess Mimiu can finally come out!”

“Quickly, find someone to invite that lady named Cla… whatever her name was!”

Almost simultaneously, the various-colored half-dragons stood up in excitement, kicking the piles of gold at their feet into a clattering mess, their joy evident.

Rеаⅾ оո ΚаtReαԁіnɡСafе

◇

“Looking at it this way, you really can’t call this an island.”

Fia, flying around the perimeter of Dragonfall, couldn’t help but marvel. The scene before her was almost identical to her previous flight around the Holy Tree. The entirety of Dragonfall was shielded by the magnificent canopy of the banyan tree, while the land and cliffs were held fast by massive roots. Every root extending underground was at least a kilometer thick. They grew downward relentlessly, piercing into the turbulent sea of clouds below.

Notably, Fia flew down toward the Origin Continent to check if these roots made contact with Chaos. The answer was no. Moreover, Fia discovered a surprising fact: despite Dragonfall lacking a World Tree barrier, Chaos did not try to climb up from below as it did with the World Tree Continent. At least at the boundary between the Origin Continent and Dragonfall, Fia saw very few signs of corrosion. It was as if Chaos viewed Dragonfall as nutrient-less dregs not worth its attention.

Furthermore, to test the strength of the giant tree, Fia tried to scratch a root with Laevateinn enhanced with [Enchanted Blade]. The reaction from the root was immense; it seemed to come alive, sprawling a mass of agile vines from the wound to try and entangle her. When Fia counterattacked with [Flame Storm], the roots seemed protected by a powerful divinity. Before the flames could even hit, the magic dissipated on its own, and the roots writhed even more violently, like an animal splashed with boiling water.

It was only when Fia used the blood-red sword given to her by Claire as a weapon to cut the root that the struggling mass stopped its attack and proactively retracted from the wound, which was puzzling.

The former showed the tree was protected by strong divinity, but its withdrawal of hostility toward Claire’s aura suggested it viewed Claire as an ally?

Feeling the flow of the wind at high altitude, Fia—having completed her circuit of the tree—hovered in the air to think.

Under normal circumstances, the investigation should have ended there. But having dealt with the elf god, if this tree was using bait to trap Claire, it could put her in grave danger. Fia didn’t think for a second that Claire would remain indifferent after feeling the tree calling her. Claire cherished her “self” too much to ignore the potential effects of the curse, hence the trip to Dragonfall.

She would use a more secure method for her own side, even if it was a bit crude.

If she could find the tree’s consciousness, she would ask for answers. Even if it had no consciousness, she had to understand its internal structure and the volcano beneath it. This was a world of nonsensical magic, yes, but for a tree to grow on a volcano and reach such a sky-blotting size in just a few months was definitely not simple.

Now then, let’s begin.

Fia took a light breath.

When dealing with things protected by divinity, the Moon Key—which shouldn’t exist in this world—was the most effective tool.

Storing Laevateinn and the red sword Claire had given her, Fia took up the Moon Key. She turned the side with the mechanical structure toward the banyan tree. First, she enhanced it with [Aegis of the Firmament], then rotated it at extreme speed. In just a few seconds, accompanied by a howl that could tear through steel, the Moon Key led Fia as she dove diagonally into the earth. The roots that had struggled so violently earlier were now defenseless; after a sound of splashing sap, Fia forcefully bored a deep hole just large enough for her to enter.

What Fia didn’t notice at that moment was that the entire banyan tree had turned from its previous emerald green to a hostile yellow-green. As if pumping nutrients to the main trunk, the canopy began to wither and shed its leaves at a rapid pace.