The Vanished Child of the World Tree

"That's actually a great idea, though?"

Oboni shot to his feet and stumbled backward, his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠face flooded with shock. So he'd only just now figured out who I was, had he?

Oboni had lost his memories. I had seen him in that state myself — the Oboni of back then hadn't recognized me at all and had trembled like a leaf in my presence. The reason was simple.

The demonfolk.

The demonfolk had burned the World Tree to ash and erased it from the world. The World Tree was a will in its own right, a Concept Race, a being whose presence alone was enough to overwhelm most of the ancient monsters — and yet, in the end, this was a world that turned on the wheels of demons and celestials alike. Even that magnificent World Tree hadn't endured the aftershocks of their war.

So why had the demonfolk burned it down? The reason was as obvious as it was simple.

It was simply too big.

Exactly as it sounds — being that enormous made it that much easier to be swept away in the fallout. Those two lunatic races were the kind who, if a mountain offended their eyes on a stroll, would simply flatten the mountain and keep walking. And it made no difference whether what stood in their path was a mountain, a kingdom, or another race's village.

The only reason the World Tree had managed to hold its ground in one place for so long was that low-ranked demons and celestials couldn't touch it. It took at least intermediates swarming it just to fell its branches — and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠even intermediates couldn't 'casually' bulldoze it. The World Tree was less a living creature than a phenomenon that had rooted itself into this land over eons.

'What even is this thing?'

And that phenomenon had turned to cinders at a single wave of a high-ranked demon's hand.

Low and intermediate ranks, at least, were within reach — an ancient monster with a few thousand years of life and training pushed to its very limit could, one way or another, claw its way up to that level. Pharaoh, the Dragon Lord, or a Kraken were prime examples. But not the high ranks. From high rank upward, one transcended the very grade of one's species entirely. Monsters capable of turning an entire continent upside down.

And if such a being was born with a unique authority and earned an epithet on top of that…

'Insanely strong.'

From that point on, even facing one at the height of my prime with everything I had was no easy feat. I, too, would have to wager it all on the fight — and even in victory, I could hardly count on my 'body' surviving.

Anyway — back to the present.

The burning of the World Tree had dealt Oboni a devastating psychological wound. To the elves, the World Tree was, quite literally, the 'world' itself. Elves opened their eyes beneath it from the moment of birth; it was deeply entwined with everything they did — what they wore, what they ate, how they bathed, how they slept. It even bestowed blessings upon the living things within its domain. To elves, the World Tree was mother and 'god' both.

And that World Tree had gone up in flames.

"Is something the matter?"

What must the Oboni of that young age have thought, watching it burn?

"…Hah."

Hahaha.

At Oboni's sudden outburst, the three people eating at the table widened their eyes. The only calm one in this situation was me. Oboni stared at me for a long moment, then smoothly slid back into his seat.

"It's… nothing. Please, continue your meal."

"Ah, yes!"

"Got it!"

"……"

At the great elder's word, the three of them took up their utensils again. He, too, picked his back up, all the while stealing glances at me.

'You were alive.'

A transmission only I could hear. I gave a small nod and moved my utensils along.

'You remembered me?'

'Not entirely. My memories from before that day grew hazy — all I knew was that someone called "Teacher" had once existed.'

Clatter.

'Until just now, that is.'

'Hmm…'

Clatter. Clatter.

"This is delicious."

"Is it? I'm glad to hear it."

Oboni put on his benevolent smile once more, though his face betrayed a trace of unease. I sent him one more transmission.

'Don't worry yourself too much. I have no intention of doing anything here.'

'You may do as you please. The price for that was collected long ago, after all.'

The payment for teaching Oboni had been taken from his parents long ago. It had been quite substantial at the time, and even if more were owed, I had no intention of demanding it. Just as today's Oboni was different from the Oboni of the past, today's me was quite different from the me of back then, too.

Oboni looked at me and nodded, as if he'd expected exactly that answer.

"By the way — you really won't eat the eggplant?"

"…I'll eat it when I feel like it."

'Doesn't look like it.'

'…Please don't.'

Once the meal was over, we moved on to a proper conversation. The curious tidbit was that Yul and Myul were counted among the World Tree's races.

"Hercason?"

"That's right, Elder. We are guardians of the Hercason Tribe."

Yul bowed her head to Oboni, and Myul, held in Yul's hand, ducked its head as well. Oboni seemed to have roughly pieced together the relationship between me and the two guardians, and smiled with interest.

"The Hercason Tribe… I believe I've heard that name mentioned before."

"Oh! You know of us?"

"I do. Hmm… I'll be sending some people to the Hercason before long, as a gesture of exchange. As it happens, I was just looking for a tribe worth opening relations with."

"…!"

At Oboni's words, vigor bloomed across both guardians' faces. Word had it that users belonging to a collective like that one gained more special abilities and privileges the larger the collective grew. The foremost ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the World Tree's races at present was, without question, the elves — and allying with them meant a far better shot at stepping into the 'center' of things.

"That aside… I believe we should have a word in private…"

Oboni said this with a sidelong glance at the two guardians. Yul, catching the meaning of that look, immediately scooped up Myul, who was still sitting there blankly, and marched straight out into the garden.

"Elisa. You as well — out."

"…Yes."

Scrape.

Elisa carefully rose from her seat, bowed her head to me and Oboni, and withdrew. Now only I and the aged elf remained in the garden.

Oboni took a few sips of the tea that had been served for dessert, then set the cup back down on the table.

"Lady Li—"

'There are people listening. Speak as if you're together with all of them.'

'…? Who? Nothing registers to my senses at all…'

'There are such things.'

With that, I took a sip of my tea. Delicious.

"……you drew the Holy Sword, my lady."

"That's right."

"The Holy Sword is a blade that, generation after generation, only the Child of the World Tree may wield. You were able to draw it thanks to a unique ability ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of yours, Lady Lily… but regrettably, it is something we need."

"Why is that?"

"……"

He lifted his teacup again, looking distinctly troubled. Clearly a headache of a problem. He let out a long breath and forced the words out.

"Are you familiar with the Child of the World Tree?"

"I've heard it mentioned in passing."

In my day, there had been no such thing as a 'Child of the World Tree.' If you were simply born with a constitution that received the World Tree's blessings well, then you were the Child of the World Tree. Similar roles may have existed, but never a title that someone was formally appointed to and blessed by all.

"The World Tree names a Child at fixed intervals. The child who inherits the World Tree's will guards it, and when that child dies or is judged no longer capable of holding the position, it passes to the next generation."

Simply put, think of it as a 'saint' created by the World Tree. Granted, the Child of the World Tree wasn't necessarily a woman, but the meaning was much the same.

"The sacred sword you drew, Lady Lily, is the blade granted to the Child of the World Tree. Sword and Child are one body. Separating the two is impossible."

"…?"

"Moreover, when the Child of the World Tree dies, the sword naturally returns to the World Tree, so—"

"Then why is it here? You just said they can't be separated."

Thud.

As the sword with its blade of wood was laid out on the table, Oboni's sigh deepened further.

"That's the problem. The very reason that sword exists."

"?"

"The current Child of the World Tree is missing."

Ding!

"The Child of the World Tree who vanished three hundred years ago has shown no sign of themselves to this very day. Leaving the sword behind."

No one knew where they had gone.

The World Tree's sword belongs to the Child of the World Tree. The two are one and the same, and the Child always carries the blade at their side. And that Child of the World Tree… was not here right now. Only the sword remained, abandoned and alone.

"The fact that the sword has been left like this means the Child of the World Tree is still alive. And in perfectly fine condition, at that."

When the World Tree judged that its Child could no longer exercise their power, it reclaimed that power outright. But seeing the sword left standing intact like this meant the Child wasn't in suspended animation, nor laid up somewhere unable to act.

…Come to think of it, Leo had once been the savior of the World Tree. A year or two ago, that was. I'd heard that after her race change into a nymph, she fended off a threat against the World Tree and walked away with the title and rewards for it. If the Child of the World Tree had existed then, the whole situation would have been settled before Leo ever stepped in. The Child of the World Tree is the guardian deity that protects the World Tree, after all.

"…Where in the world could they be?"

"…That's actually a great idea, though?"

Good. Let's go ask the World Tree.