Chapter 325: Invitation (3)
Chapter 325: Invitation (3)
It goes without saying, but carriages are designed for well-paved roads, not for trekking through forest paths.
"Don't worry, though. The Great Forest is vast; did you really think we would travel all the way to the capital, Yggdrasil, on wheels?"
We were inside a carriage more spacious than most luxury accommodations. Iris, who was comfortably reading Fafnir’s grimoire while being attended to by Pamila, spoke up.
Good grief. Who would ever look at her and see a slave?
Well… even if she had technically become a slave, to Pamila, Iris was still a noble High Elf, a great Tower Lord, and a trusted superior.
Since she wasn't being forced into it, I just let it slide and asked a follow-up question.
"If we aren't going directly, how do we get there? Is there some special transportation method used only in the Great Forest?"
For the record, H&A never explained the specifics of travel. A loading screen would pop up, and then—boom—you were in Yggdrasil.
While Fafnir’s soul fragment provided the inspiration, H&A was ultimately made by an ordinary game company. No matter how strangely detailed the scenery in my head was, there were always parts that were skipped because they were tedious or boring.
The journey from the outskirts of the Great Forest to Yggdrasil was likely one of those parts.
Normally, traveling along a road meant encountering bandits or, on rare occasions, monsters. Sometimes it was a monster that had escaped a collapsing dungeon, a descendant of those that survived the Great War, or even a creature that had fled from some noble collector’s display case.
There were also encounters with special traveling merchants selling items you couldn't get anywhere else. You might meet a wandering bard singing praises of the protagonist’s deeds, or trigger special events with your party members at scenic spots.
In this world, the act of traveling itself was a complete piece of content, offering a variety of experiences.
But the Great Forest was an exception.
It was a rugged terrain where the World Tree’s influence was palpable, where elves roamed with eyes wide open, and where the places out of sight were filled with strangely powerful flora and fauna. The scenery was beautiful, but it was the kind of place where random events rarely happened no matter how much you wandered.
That was why the developers of H&A had boldly cut the travel content within the Great Forest.
That was also why I had no idea how people actually moved around inside it.
No matter how nimble elves were in the woods, or how many buffs they received from the World Tree’s blessing… they surely didn't run across this entire massive forest on foot!
There had to be something. But what? Honestly, it had been a while since I’d encountered a setting I didn't know, so I felt a bit of a thrill.
Perhaps my sparkling gaze was a bit much for her. Iris flinched for a moment, then cleared her throat lightly and continued.
"Ahem. It’s simple. We don't have to move; the forest moves for us."
"???"
After pondering that for a long moment, I spoke cautiously.
"Iris... trees can't move. I mean, they might move a little, but they aren't fast enough to transport us."
"...Stop looking at me like I'm a child obsessed with fairy tales. The forest truly will guide us."
Iris looked around for a moment, then waved her arm toward a village we were approaching—or rather, a place that looked more like a theme park for foreigners.
"We have to pass through there anyway. Go and show anyone there a Leaf of the World Tree and tell them you’ve been invited to Yggdrasil."
"Fine. But if it turns out to be nothing special, I’m going to have you sit on my shoulders while I talk to Chancellor Milone. Just so you know."
"Wh-what if I'm right, Master?!"
"Then I'll praise you."
"?"
"What, you need more than that?"
"......"
Iris pouted as if that wasn't enough... but what could she do?
If she didn't like it, she should have been the Master.
*
"Ah! You are guests of the World Tree! Please, come this way! You can reach Yggdrasil all at once through the Path of Roots!"
At first, the elven woman had greeted us with a plastic smile and a stereotypical fairy act, assuming we were just tourists. As we got closer and she realized I was dragging along a string of slave elves, her expression flickered with a hint of contempt...
But the moment I showed her the Leaf of the World Tree, her attitude did a complete 180.
With a genuine, welcoming smile and a nod as if realizing there must be a story behind our group, she led us to the very center of the village.
In the center stood a tree even more massive than the other treehouses. We didn't head up into the house, but rather toward a hidden path leading underground.
As the brush was cleared away, a wide path was revealed. It was large enough that we didn't even need to get out of the carriage; we could just drive it straight in.
After following the elven "folk village" employee down for a while, the space suddenly opened up.
It was a bizarre cavern completely covered in tree roots. Though it was underground, it wasn't dark, thanks to the glowing moss clinging to the roots everywhere.
And there, I saw it: a river of roots.
A massive, river-like path formed by hundreds, thousands... perhaps tens of thousands of roots intertwined with one another.
Floating upon it was a large ship, also made of roots.
"Wow... it's so sparkly, Master!"
"To think such a facility existed underground. ...Junior. This isn't a fake, right?"
"Here, here. It’s not my first time, but it’s impressive every time I see it."
"Ahem."
Exclamations of awe escaped our lips. Iris, meanwhile, began to act smug. She started poking me, her shoulders squared with pride... looking strangely like a penguin.
"Well, Master? Do you believe me now? All the major cities of Alfheim have these underground spaces."
"......"
"As you can see, once we board that ship, the roots beneath it will flow and carry us quickly to our destination. Oh, and don't worry about the path disappearing as we move; these are the upper parts of roots that wrap around the deeper underground like a belt. They circulate infinitely."
"......"
"Well? Do you believe me now? Isn't it true that the forest moves to take us where we need to go?"
"...Yeah. I guess you're right."
I never would have imagined it. An underground subway system in the Great Forest that operated like a moving walkway.
As I stared blankly at the massive root ship, Iris grabbed my hand and started shaking it gently.
"Now! Praise me! You promised! Since I was right, Master must sing my praises all day today! You have to 'there-there' me even for the little things!"
"What? We're settling for just that?"
"Didn't you decide that, Master?! If it were something else... hmm? I might not actually need anything else..."
I already provided her with more than enough food, clothing, and shelter, and I’d even lent her Fafnir’s compendium of magic. On top of that, I gave her unlimited research support and, recently, even shared my enlightenment to show her a glimpse of the next level.
Realizing she was being perfectly domesticated, Iris quietly offered her head.
"Just praise me."
"Sure."
Of course, I wasn't just going to pat her head and mutter some compliments.
"Up you go."
"Hiek?!"
I hoisted her light body up and sat her right on my shoulders. Iris flailed about, but she couldn't escape with that level of resistance.
"L-let me down! Wasn't this the penalty for if you were right, Master?!"
"Penalty? I'm giving you a shoulder ride as a form of praise."
"Who gives praise like this?!"
"I do."
Unable to bring herself to pull my hair or hit me, Iris made a tearful face. However, she settled down quickly once I soothed her, promising to let her down once we reached Yggdrasil.
...The elf guiding us seemed a bit taken aback by the sight of me with Iris on my shoulders.
But she still did her job faithfully.
Rumble—
She manipulated something in front of the massive ship, and a door slid open. That wasn't all. Roots grew out from where we were standing, forming a bridge between the platform and the ship.
Looking at the mechanism, it seemed they could open doors and create paths to match any size. That meant they could load anything smaller than the ship itself. To think such a transport system existed in this era.
While I was admiring the tech, the elven employee stepped back, signaling her job was done, and pointed toward the root ship.
"This is the Nidhogg. Normally, setting a destination is quite complicated, but since you possess a Leaf of the World Tree, it should be fine. The Great Will contained within it will handle everything."
"Aha? So we just get on?"
"That is correct. There are basic facilities inside, but if you need a more detailed explanation..."
"It's fine. I have plenty of elves in my party, so I'll just ask them."
"...Understood."
The employee nodded, looking at Elisha, who boasted a much more voluptuous figure than the other slender elves. Since she was clearly a High Elf, even if she was a slave, the employee likely assumed she would know more than herself.
Noticing this, Iris whispered softly.
"I... I am a High Elf too..."
Unfortunately, Iris's lament was buried by the sound of the carriage moving and vanished into nothingness.
...Hang in there!