Chapter 333: Cyclic Life (2)
Chapter 333: Cyclic Life (2)
A massive gate, formed by clusters of branches thicker than my own torso, loomed before us.
As I looked up at the structure, which strangely resembled a giant tree knot, Nariel—who had been leading the way—took a step back.
"Milone and I cannot go any further from here."
"Not even Your Majesty?"
"Nope! It’s not like we were invited!"
"I see."
So we had to leave them waiting in front of the gate until we finished our meeting with Cyclic Life. It felt a bit wrong to just leave the two of them standing there. They were the Queen and the Chancellor, after all.
As if sensing my thoughts, Milone spoke up with her usual stoic expression.
"It is fine. Time flows differently in the upper layers of the World Tree. From our perspective, we will only be waiting for a few seconds. More importantly… the energy leaking from the upper layer when the gate opens is saturated with immense vitality. For someone like me, who has received the blessing of Lord Cyclic Life, simply breathing it in provides the same recovery as several hours of rest."
"……."
Just go to sleep!
I wanted to say it, but I knew all too well that Milone’s workload was as heavy as it was critical.
Besides, hadn't Nariel just been attacked? Even if she was acting bright and cheerful now as if nothing had happened, Milone was likely still worried.
Guessing her true intentions, I nodded.
"Then we’ll take our time. Please, get some proper rest."
"Calling a few seconds of rest 'proper' is a bit of a stretch…."
"……."
Which way do you want it?
Leaving behind Milone, who wore a proud smile as if she’d just made a great joke, I stood before the gate with my party. A moment later, the World Tree reacted.
Rumble—
The intertwined branches unraveled smoothly, and the obstructing gate deconstructed and vanished.
It wasn't so much that the door opened, but rather that it ceased to exist entirely.
The interior revealed was utterly ethereal.
A waterfall of pale green light poured from the ceiling. A massive spiral staircase clung to the walls, catching the light. And, just as Milone had said, the air was thick with life force.
The combination of these elements gave me the eerie sensation that I had stepped into another world entirely, despite having only moved a few paces.
Helena, who had entered with me, whispered in a low voice.
"It is a kind of sanctuary. Since the World Tree is an avatar of Lord Cyclic Life, it’s not surprising to find such a place inside."
"Aha. So that’s why it feels so strange."
I nodded and looked around. However, the only thing visible was the spiral staircase winding around the walls.
Even when I craned my neck to look up, I couldn't see the end. Don't tell me we have to walk all the way up?
I stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment before turning around to ask Nariel something.
But the tree branches had long since re-entwined, sealing the door. I looked around with a troubled expression, but the others didn't seem to have any better ideas.
"Hmm. It’ll be tough to just walk up. Should we use magic to fly and then sit on the stairs to rest if we get tired?"
At my suggestion, the women looked at each other and nodded in silence. Just as I was about to draw out my mana—
"No! There's no need for that!"
Solari, who had popped out of Helena’s body at some point, spoke up.
"No need? What do you mean, Lady Solari?"
"Exactly what I said. This is the sanctuary of Cyclic Life. The rules here are a bit different from the outside. If you tried to fly up recklessly, you’d probably run out of mana in no time. And even if you tried to sit and rest, you wouldn't recover properly."
"Ah."
Now that she mentioned it, they did say time flowed differently here. In H&A, it was just a bit of lore, but hearing Solari explain it made it clear.
This was a type of defense system.
If an intruder entered, the flow of time would be distorted to their disadvantage.
Consumption rates would skyrocket, while recovery speeds would become infinitely slow.
In H&A, you could reach the upper layer of the World Tree if you followed the Apostle of Cyclic Life route. Back then, the loading screen was an image of this very spiral staircase.
I had thought they just used a unique loading screen because it was the World Tree, but it turns out it was because you actually had to pass through here.
"Then what should we do? If we can't just go up, there must be a way, right?"
"Huh? We just have to wait."
"?"
"??"
"???"
Solari and I tilted our heads at each other in confusion. Then, at some point, Solari let out a chuckle and suddenly lunged into my arms.
"My husband is so cute!"
"Ack."
If anything, Solari—with her lion ears and tail twitching—was the cute one.
While being bombarded by Solari’s affection, I asked, "So? Why do we just have to wait?"
"It’s simple. We’re guests, aren't we? Guests personally invited by Cyclic Life herself. Naturally, she’ll call for us when she’s ready. As for the delay… maybe she’s cleaning her room? Her place has been a mess since the old days. The last time I went to visit, there was barely enough space for one person to lie down, so I had to help her tidy up."
"Uh… is it okay to talk about that?"
Perhaps because they were fellow gods, Solari was exposing her private life as if it were nothing. While I was blinking in surprise, wondering if this was really okay—
I blinked once, and the scenery around us had completely changed.
The infinitely rising staircase was nowhere to be seen, replaced by the interior of an ordinary-looking home.
In the center, a woman sitting before a cozy fireplace replied as if she were exasperated.
"Of course it’s not okay. I am a god too, Light. Please let me maintain some dignity in front of mortals."
"Eeeh. I don't even bother with that. Besides, shouldn't you interact with your believers in your true form rather than a fabricated one to receive their faith?"
"This is my true form. I’m just a little bad at organizing."
"Isn't that just another way of saying you're messy?"
"…You doting cat."
"Wha—! That’s a secret! You can't say that in front of Yandel!"
"Hmph. Wasn't it you, Light, who said one should appear in their true form rather than a fabricated one?"
"I take it back! I’ll take it back! So be quiet!"
Solari waved her arms frantically while stealing glances at me, while Cyclic Life leisurely crossed her legs.
Looking at them like this, aside from their level of existence, gods weren't all that different from people.
Well, I suppose it’s natural since they are influenced by the personalities and mindsets of their followers as they accumulate power through faith.
The relationship between a god and their believers might seem one-sided, but in reality, they influence each other.
That’s why the followers of Good Gods are generally good people, and the followers of Evil Gods are all lunatics.
Seeing the two of them looking excited to see each other after so long, I shrugged and spoke up.
"Lady Solari. Actually, I’ve known for a while that you’ve been bragging about me here and there, so you don't have to try so hard to hide it."
"…H-How?! How did you know?!"
"You know as well as I do, Lady Solari. Who was it that bestowed all these various abilities upon me?"
"Fafnir…!"
Solari ground her teeth in frustration, calling out the name of the now-deceased dragon.
On the other hand, Cyclic Life didn't seem surprised by the sudden mention of Fafnir’s name; instead, she nodded calmly.
"I thought as much. You are indeed the final arrangement left by Fafnir, the successor who inherited everything…."
"I am Yandel Lindelheit. It is an honor to meet you, Master of the World Tree."
"Oh? You don't need to be so formal. Did you know? I provided quite a bit of help when Fafnir was creating you. Perhaps that’s why you don't feel like a stranger to me."
"Is that so?"
"It is. So please, make yourself comfortable."
"I understand. Then…."
This body was a chimera created through magic. Since Fafnir’s cells were used as the primary material and I had inherited so much from him, he could be considered something like a father.
If so, what should I call Cyclic Life, who provided crucial help in creating me?
If Fafnir was the father, there was only one thing left.
"…Maman?"
"…Isn't that a bit too comfortable?"
"Then I’ll just call you Lady Life."
When I shrugged and said that, Cyclic Life responded with a sigh. Solari smirked at her.
"See? Isn't my husband fun?"
"…Ah! I’ve kept my guests standing for too long. Everyone, please come and sit. I’ve prepared some snacks, so don't be shy."
Pretending not to hear Solari, Cyclic Life waved her hand in the air.
Instantly, cookies and cool water appeared on the previously empty table.
Since we were inside the World Tree, I suppose a miracle of this level was nothing.
The party members were hesitant at first, but once Solari sat down and I followed suit, they began to gather one by one.
I tried a cookie; it was delicious, but it was just a regular snack with no special effects. The water was just refreshing plain water, too.
…The World Tree has so many leaves; would it have killed her to brew just one for us?
I felt a slight pang of disappointment inwardly, but the cookies really were delicious, so I focused on eating quietly.
Watching us with a satisfied expression, Cyclic Life spoke.
"I’m glad they are to your liking. It’s always a pleasure when a hobby I’ve spent time mastering receives a good evaluation. …Now then, since everyone seems ready, shall we get to the main point? Even if it’s only for a short while, it is quite a burden for mortals to remain in a sanctuary for long."
"I would appreciate that."
As I gave a slight nod, everyone except Solari followed suit with tense expressions.
Elisha and Iris, in particular, were as stiff as robots, likely due to the fact that the god they worshipped was right in front of them.
Cyclic Life gave an even softer smile as she watched their reactions.
"Please, do not be so nervous. I called you all here today to celebrate your achievements. Of course, Yandel played the biggest role, but the rest of you have also defeated countless cultists and monsters, haven't you?"
"Ah."
"T-Thank you?"
"Now that I think about it, she did say she’d give us gifts…."
The women nodded, some dazed and others understanding. Only then did their expressions soften as the tension bled away.
Cyclic Life nodded satisfactorily and continued.
"Is there anything you want? Or perhaps something you need? If possible, I will try to match your requests. Even if you don't have anything in mind, don't worry, as I have prepared something myself."
"Ooh… but is it really okay for us to just receive things like this?"
"Of course not. There is one condition."
"And that condition is…?"
"Please continue to fight against the Evil God and his legions as you have been. That will be enough."
Cyclic Life looked at us with a bright smile. I stared at that smile for a moment before carefully speaking up.
"In that case, could you provide me with a generous amount of World Tree leaves to brew as tea?"
"…Eh?"
"If possible, please cut a sturdy branch for me to use as material for a staff. I think I’ll also need some fruit and flowers."
"……."
"It would also be great if you could provide some sap and dew, as they can be used for many things."
"……."
"Oh, and the roots or bark would be perfect for processing into accessories…… Lady Cyclic Life?"
"……."
I had been excitedly listing the World Tree goods I’d been eyeing for a long time, but I stopped when I noticed the sudden silence around me.
Cyclic Life was sitting there with her head bowed low, her face flushed bright red.
Wondering why she was acting like that, I stared at her. Perhaps taking my gaze as a prompt to hurry, she spoke in a stammering voice.
"T-That’s… problematic."
"……?"
"To think you’d grow up to be such an… aggressive child…."
"???"
Did I say something lewd?