Driad Ariadd (6)
“Sorrryyy, I'm sooo sorrryyy... Forgive meee? Pleeease? Liliiiith...”
I could see Lilith huff and turn her head away at Ariadd's words, her head the only part sticking out of the ground where she was buried.
“Liliiiith...”
Ariadd, peeking out with just her head, eyes brimming with tears as she gazed at Lilith.
Even I, who had nearly suffocated to death buried in those massive tits of hers just moments ago, felt sorry for her—she looked that pitiful.
No matter what Ariadd said to coax her, Lilith ignored her completely, leaving Ariadd with a tearful frown as she finally spoke up.
“Th-this time it was my faaaault... sooo, no need to pay any compensation or anything this time, right? Pleeease?”
At those words, Lilith smoothly turned her head back and eyed Ariadd.
Ariadd's face lit up—whoosh, finally looking at her!—only to darken again at Lilith's follow-up.
“And?”
“Anddd...?”
“That's just basic decency if you have a conscience. What about what you did to him? From the start, you fucking bitch, shouldn't you be apologizing to him more than me? I had a shitty time, sure, but he had it even worse.”
“B-but... he seemed to like it...?”
“What?”
“N-nothinggg...”
Seeing Lilith like that, this slipped out in my mind unbidden.
Mom...
I held it back since saying it out loud would just piss Lilith off.
Anyway, while I was touched that she was thinking of me before herself, Lilith continued.
“So, separate from that, you gotta cough up something extra. Right?”
Nah, it felt more like she was just trying to squeeze more out of Ariadd.
Should I keep being moved, or give her a cold side-eye? I wasn't sure.
Ariadd groaned, making a pained face before speaking.
“S-sap... I'll give you sap...”
“We were already getting that. What else?”
I knew from experience—the pressure of Lilith's “what else?” was no joke.
If she specified what she wanted, fine, but predicting what would satisfy her was impossible...
She had a way of making you blurt out whatever without thinking.
Not knowing what to offer, she forced you to hand over your most valuable possession—like a queen receiving tribute from her subjects.
That arrogance unique to someone who'd ruled from on high for ages seeped into her expression, gestures, and tone.
Wonder where she learned it—or had she always lived that kind of life?
I knew nothing of Lilith's past, but it sure as hell wasn't ordinary.
No way someone as strong as her had a normal life.
“So, what else you got? Ariadd?”
After agonizing forever, Ariadd finally spoke.
“H-how 'bout thiiiis? It just ripened...”
As she said it, a tree branch extended toward Lilith, bearing a pink fruit.
It looked tasty enough, but what could a mere fruit do? Then Lilith nodded at the sight.
“Yeah, that's the least you could do for a real apology.”
She snatched it right off the branch and thrust it at me without warning.
“Here, eat this.”
“Huh?”
“It's good for you. Eat it.”
After all the hell from Ariadd's sap, I felt a bit wary...
But with Lilith here, I took it anyway.
I knew full well how terrifying a pissed-off Lilith could be.
She'd unilaterally beaten Ariadd's ass and planted her in the ground—with her around, what was there to fear?
Honestly, it wasn't the sap itself; it was Ariadd going berserk out of nowhere.
Still uneasy, I glanced at Lilith.
“You sure it's safe to eat?”
“I said eat it, so eat it. Why so many questions? It's not weird or anything—go on.”
At her words, I took a big bite.
Crunch, crunch.
Sweet juice flooded my mouth, as sugary as Ariadd's sap.
But unlike then, no surge of vitality or heat coursed through me.
Slow-acting type, maybe?
“......?”
Nothing happened even after finishing the fruit.
“So, what's this do? Tastes great, though.”
Holding the husk with just the seed left, I asked. Lilith replied.
“What else? Fruit from that bitch's main body.”
“Main body?”
Main body.
Like, her real one?
My eyes flicked to Ariadd.
Those fucking enormous tits came into view.
Yeah, no way those were real.
How could tits that big exist? Turns out they were fake.
Resignation and a stinging sense of betrayal washed over me as Lilith continued, eyeing me.
“Well, 'main body' might be a stretch. She was just born from it—not her actual origin. Though if that dies, Ariadd goes down too.”
Come to think of it, I'd heard something like that.
Fairies are born from nature.
From trees, tree fairies; from stones, stone fairies.
Lives born from nature infused with mana—fairies.
So, the fruit I'd eaten was from the tree Ariadd was born from?
And those tits were real, not fake?
“What tree was Ariadd born from?”
“The one you're looking at.”
Looking at?
What?
Trees everywhere, obviously—this was a botanical garden.
Surrounded by them. They all looked like the same type now that I noticed—kinda weird, but whatever, special garden.
So which one birthed Ariadd?
As I opened my mouth to ask, she spoke.
“Allll these trees... no, thiiiis one tree is where we were bornnn. In the world I lived in... it was called the World Treeee.”
World Tree...?
World Tree?
The one I knew?
“Not that mythic nine-worlds-branching bullshit. Just a tree that keeps growing from one root, eventually forming a massive forest. Given time, it could blanket the world... but usually not.”
Just a tree, in the end.
“Practically immortal unless uprooted, with such a long lifespan. Over centuries, accumulated mana births fairies like Ariadd sometimes.”
Lilith's explanation left my head spinning a bit.
Staring at the seed husk, I said to her.
“Anyway, I ate World Tree fruit?”
“Not the kind you're thinking.”
“Anyway.”
“Yeah... name's all that's left. Most got wrecked crossing worlds—barely this garden-sized now.”
World Tree fruit.
Sounded like some OP elixir already.
“So, effects? Can I shoot sword aura now or something?”
“...I get what you're imagining—no such thing. If it did, I'd have eaten it myself.”
“You're already strong—why get stronger?”
“Doesn't hurt.”
True.
But disappointing.
Then Lilith's next words made me retract that.
“Still, from a World Tree thousands of years old. Not ordinary, or it wouldn't have that grand name. Weak now, but once covered half the world. Tree that birthed an Ariadd-level fairy? Must've been insane originally.”
Covered half the world.
Couldn't imagine it.
Earth was huge—half by one tree?
What else to call it but World Tree?
In Ariadd's world, it lived up to the name—maybe even divine.
No, definitely was.
But Lilith calling it “just a tree” wasn't mortal casualness.
“Anyway, Ariadd's sap is valuable, but less than that fruit. Absorb it right, and yeah—you might pull sword aura like you dreamed.”
What?
I pulling sword aura...!
Eyes full of hope on Lilith, she grinned mischievously.
“But you don't know shit about meditation techniques or whatever, right?”
Ah.
She dangled it then yanked it back. Staring hard, she smirked.
“Still... might extend your lifespan a bit.”
“Lifespan?”
My lifespan extended?
“How much? How long?”
“...Dunno exactly. Hey, Ariadd—how much?”
“Prooobly like 10 years? It's this year's fruit—roots ain't spread much yet.”
“Yeah, about that.”
Lilith shrugged at Ariadd's answer. I popped the seed in my mouth.
“...What're you doing?”
“It's good for you—gotta eat it all.”
Crunch, munch, gulp. Lilith stared like I was insane.
“That's way less effective than the flesh. Could sell it as potion material for hundreds too.”
Fuck.
Should've said that first...!
My money!
No, don't get down.
Less effective, not zero.
Net 10 years gained. Seed maybe 1 year.
I rubbed my belly, content—no sudden death for this guy. Lilith eyed Ariadd.
“One's too few, though? Got more, Ariadd? Hand over a few.”
“Whaaat...? This year's fruits are scarce...”
“They keep ripening anyway? Or no forgiveness?”
“D-don't say thaaat... Eeeek...”
In the end, Lilith strong-armed two more World Tree fruits out of her as “friendship fees.”
Lilith holding them, I stared.
“...What? These are for something else—don't get greedy.”
“Just one? Half?”
“Fuck off. No stacking effects.”
“Oh, fine then.”
No extra lifespan? No need.
“Wait, living too long might just mean more suffering anyway.”
Never been sick, chugged three elixirs for longevity already—did I need more?
Long life good, but shitting on walls in old age? Nah.
Lilith replied.
“Not just lifespan—slows aging too. No worries.”
Less 10 years old age, basically?
No dementia then.
Cool.
“Gave the fruit, so forgive me nooow? Pleeease? Liliiiith, Hanjooo...”
Ariadd pleaded desperately with us.
I'd already forgiven—my bad for trash-talking non-humans despite knowing better, forgetting in the moment.
Lilith was the issue.
Betrayed by a trusted friend, put through hell.
I didn't know their bond, but she'd introduced her as a friend—fair to feel stabbed in the back.
Lilith's circle was tiny: just Hoaran and Ariadd, from what I'd seen.
One betrayed her.
If my friend pulled that? I'd rage.
Not that I had friends.
“...Do this shit again, and you're dead to me.”
But Lilith forgave her in the end.
Too soft? Or fruits that valuable?
Dunno, but Ariadd beamed and burst from the ground.
“Thaaank youuu, Liliiiith!”
She hugged Lilith tight.
Wasn't stuck—just wouldn't come out.
Lilith, buried like me, shoved her away irritably.
“F-fuck... get these tits off!”
“So meeean... I'm saaaad... Hug meee, Liliiiith...”
“You... fucking bitch...”
I watched Ariadd cling and Lilith fend her off.
Jiggle, jiggle.
Shake, shake.
Yeah, a hell of a sight.
Ariadd's beyond busty—bomb tits—and Lilith's overflowing rack tussling? Heartwarming view from the sidelines.