Mmm… ah, I am back…
That is right, I was sleeping beside the Superior Yggdrasil, the Spirit Tree rooted in the world.
Still, that was an unbelievable dream…
No, was it truly a dream? It happened while I was asleep, after all.
I think only my spirit traveled to that world, yet the sense of touch and the textures felt so real. What could it have been?
…Wait! My lower half!
Oh… I think it is alright.
Considering how many times we went at it, if it feels like this, I should be fine.
But still, that sensation and everything else felt so vivid…
Well, at least I did not have an accidental discharge… truly, thank goodness for that…
However, why do I feel a certain weight? Or rather, it is as if I can hardly breathe, and my face is pressed against something blissfully soft?
Fairies, are you all sleeping on top of me?
「Mmu?」
Hmm? I definitely cannot breathe—
「Hmm, are you awake? If you are, I would like you to let go of me first.」
Eh, is that Cyan-san’s voice…?
And she said let go… wait. My hands are also touching something that feels wonderful. What is this?
As soon as I pulled my hands away, my vision cleared, and I saw Cyan-san’s face as she propped herself up on her arms.
「Good morning, Master-sama.」
「Good morning…?」
「You are confused, aren’t you? Well, to put it simply, the spirits were acting quite restless. So, when I came to check on the Superior Yggdrasil, I was shocked to find you sleeping here, Master-sama.」
Yes. Well, if you found someone sleeping in a place like this, of course you would be surprised.
It wouldn’t be strange to think I was suffering from some kind of illness.
That said, there are many things I do not understand. I assume you knew what might happen if you approached me while I was sleeping after what happened at noon…?
I mean, of course, I had no intention of doing anything untoward.
「I thought that sleeping in a place like this was probably bad, but remembering what happened earlier, I tried to wake you up while staying on guard. However, a root moved and tripped me. I fell right on top of you and then you hugged me so tight I couldn’t move, and from there… um… you really shouldn’t have.」
What exactly did I do after that!?
Her tone was so calm as if nothing had happened, yet at the very end, she became extremely embarrassed. Just what did I do!?
I mean, a lot of things happened in that dream world, but did that have some kind of influence on my actions here!?
And the roots moved?
Wait, can this tree truly move fast enough to trip someone…?
Come to think of it, I feel as though a root had risen beneath my head like a pillow without me even noticing.
「Um, you could have just sent me flying to wake me up…」
「I could not bring myself to do that, though I did try to pull away. But you did something to make me lose my strength at the perfect moment… that was quite troublesome.」
What exactly did I do to make her lose her strength!?
Following what happened yesterday, what on earth have I done to the kind and pure Cyan-san?
Eh, I suspect it was something shameful; how can I ever atone for this…!?
「I am truly sorry, even if I was asleep…」
「It is fine now. It was an accident caused by my own carelessness. I could hear your steady breathing, so I know you had no conscious intent or ulterior motives. Setting that aside, why were you sleeping in a place like this, Master-sama?」
She climbed down from on top of me and sat by my side, so I sat up next to her.
Ah… this must be what it means to have a beautiful soul.
But I wonder, will she believe what I am about to tell her…?
「Well… I do not know if you will believe me, but the spirits brought me here and instructed me to sleep…」
「The spirits…? Ah, perhaps because yesterday was the Day of the Moon Spirit?」
「No, if that were the case, they would have just let me watch. There would be no reason to go through the trouble of bringing a blanket and making me sleep here, right?」
「I suppose that is true. Then, did they have another reason?」
Yes. Well, I believe they did.
The spirits are currently nodding their heads in agreement, after all.
Which means…
「Now, this is the part where I really do not know if you will believe me, but… I was meeting with Atros-sama.」
「Atros… you mean… the former Chief? Emily-sama’s onee-sama?」
「Yes. The former Chief and Emily’s sister.」
「The Atros-sama who became a Goddess?」
「The Atros-sama who became a Goddess.」
「Eh, and where did you meet her?」
「Mmm… in the realm of the Gods?」
「…」
「…」
I thought so. No one would believe such a thing so suddenly.
Yes, it sounds like the ramblings of a madman. But it is the truth.
I do not understand the reason or the means myself, but since I have received titles and skills from her, among other things, it cannot be a mere dream or delusion.
「I see… You are quite amazing to be able to meet Atros-sama, Master-sama.」
「Eh? You believe me? Even I think it sounds incredibly far-fetched…」
Now that I think about it, Ielo did say that Cyan-san is prone to believing others, but it makes me worry when she accepts something so suspicious without a second thought.
「I believe you. After all, your eyes tell me you are not lying. That is why I choose to believe. So, why were you meeting with Atros-sama?」
「I do not quite know why. I simply found myself there when I came to…?」
I cannot exactly say I went there to provide a service! It was not as if I headed there of my own volition. Though, in the end, it did turn out that way.
「Now, here is the main point. According to Atros-sama, the lifespan of this tree is nearing its end.」
「Eh… the Superior Yggdrasil? That cannot be. It should still have a long life ahead of it, should it not?」
「I only heard it from Atros-sama, so I do not know the details, but I suspect it is the truth…」
「Hmm… If Atros-sama said so…」
Well, that is a natural reaction.
To be told such a thing so suddenly…
Furthermore, if someone told you that the tree you have protected so dearly was dying, of course you would be troubled.
「Yes… I understand. Then, I suppose we should have it properly investigated.」
「…You believe this as well. I mean, it is truly what she told me.」
「Yes. I wish it were a lie, but I believe you. The fact that the spirits are nodding at your words likely means it is true… Now that we have decided, let us go to my father’s place together!」
And so, we hurried together to find Ielo in the early morning. I heard that its lifespan had accelerated, but I was not told how much time remained, so we moved quickly just in case.
「Father! I would like you to listen to something!」
「Wh-what is it, my beloved daughter, so early in the morning! Eh? Together with Master-sama…? Could it be that you were together all through the night? Ha! Do you mean to say a child has been conceived!? Waa! What shall I do! Your father is happy, but this is so sudden that my feelings are quite complicated!」
「We were together all night, but it is not like that!」
「Ah, so you ‘were’ together all night… Eh, and yet it is not like that? Master-sama, what is the meaning of this? Are you suggesting my daughter has no charm!?」
That is not the case at all…. She is so pure that, like Ielo, it makes me worry for her, but she is certainly not without charm….
「Father? We have a serious matter to discuss. Could you please stop letting your imagination run wild?」
「Ah, yes. My apologies…. So, um, what is it? You seem quite flustered….」
「Yes. You see, I want you to investigate the lifespan of the Superior Yggdrasil.」
「The lifespan of the Spirit Tree? That tree should be fine for at least another hundred years….」
「Yes. It might be complicated to explain, but apparently, the former Chief Atros-sama said so.」
「Atros did…? Eh, what do you mean? Atros should be a Goddess now…. Atros, as a Goddess… Pffft!」
Eh, he suddenly burst out laughing. What happened?
Ielo, clutching his stomach with one hand and slapping his knee with the other, started laughing so hard it was actually a bit terrifying.
「Ha—ah. Haaa… ah, that is hilarious. Atros becoming a Goddess is the joke of the century! That violent, warmongering Atros… a Goddess… Pfufufu!」
Wow… he is either fearless or just reckless. He is casually doing something I would find far too intimidating to even attempt.
I mean, Atros-sama is a beauty, and being bellicose seems rather appropriate for a God of War, doesn’t it?
Besides, isn’t it an honor for one’s own kin to become a Goddess…?
Perhaps Ielo and Atros-sama were classmates or from the same generation?
Maybe it is because he has known her since they were children that he finds it so funny….
I suspect that “joke of the century” is a sentiment shared only among those of her own generation….
「Father?」
「Ah… sorry! I will listen! I will listen properly, so please put down the weapon! Also, not the face. This seems like it will be a serious conversation, and it would be ruined if my face were caved in, so let us not do that!」
「No excuses?」
「Wait, my daughter’s love hur—!」
…After that, he finally listened to the story properly. Ielo’s handsome face was quite dented, which was very distracting, but I felt no sympathy for him.
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