A Taste of Respite
Honestly speaking, the elves' festival was nothing special.
All they did was chant blessings in a makeshift temple, praise the World Tree, present tributes of food, and then quietly converse while partaking in the feast. The flavors and aromas of their delicacies and spirits were exceptional, no doubt, but for a celebration marking the end of a catastrophic ordeal, it felt rather subdued.
"Sniff, uuuugh...!"
"I... I'm eating food with my own two hands...!"
"Ah, O World Tree..."
Because of that, watching the dark elves bawl their eyes out as they shoveled food into their mouths became quite the spectacle. Having gone years without a single proper meal due to the curse, every last one of them was skin and bones. Though they had scraped by on food fed to them by others, the provisions must have begun to rot the second they touched their flesh, meaning by the time they managed to swallow, it had degraded into vile filth. If I had been forced to eat garbage like that for years before tasting real food again, I would've wept like a baby too.
"It's really a shame I was knocked out cold and missed the World Tree lifting the curse. Must've been quite the sight."
"Indeed. It truly was. Everyone was crying so hard they practically lost their minds."
"...By the way, how much longer do I have to sit up here? This is ridiculously uncomfortable."
"Ahaha... Who knows? Wouldn't it be faster to ask the elves?"
"......"
Taking a swig of liquor, I cast my gaze downward and caught Rebecca's wry smile looking up at me from far below.
That was right.
At that very moment, I was perched atop an absurdly high dais inside the temporary temple built for the festival. Just how high was it? Anyone with even a mild fear of heights would have been trembling down to their boots. It was so elevated that all I could really see were the tops of the elves' heads as they ate.
"......"
Well, to be precise, it wasn't just the tops of their heads. Every few moments, an elf would look up toward me and beam with a radiant smile. The sheer reverence and loyalty burning in those expressions were suffocating enough on their own. But setting that aside, watching them take a bite of food, look up at my face, and murmur a prayer over and over again was giving me an intensely weird feeling.
Is this what the dried fish felt like in that old miser fable? What, is my face a side dish to go with their rice?
"Haaah..."
"Does something cause you discomfort, O Avatar of Nature?"
Just then, Latipi climbed onto the platform carrying an enormous platter, examining every inch of my body with eyes brimming with concern. Watching her petite frame carry a dish nearly the size of her own torso while fretting over someone gave off a bizarre impression.
"...How long am I supposed to sit here?"
"Mmm, until the festival concludes."
"And what's the point of this, exactly?"
Since this role had never been mentioned in the game's lore, I asked, only for her to gaze back at me with absolute solemnity.
"It carries profound significance, Lord Alzen. Originally, our revered World Tree is a divinity that watches over creation while rooted in a single place. Yet it has altered its providence and descended to the earth upon two feet. Is this not a monumental upheaval, a grand wind of change? We elves rejoice and make merry, looking forward to the wealth and glory that shall follow."
"...Wait, what? Hold on a second."
A throbbing headache struck as I realized these elves were nursing a colossal misunderstanding.
"First of all, I'm not the World Tree."
"I am aware. And yet, simultaneously, you *are* the World Tree."
"What kind of nonsense is that? Speak in words that actually make sense."
"Mmm... First, Lord Alzen, please eat some food."
Having meticulously deboned a piece of some nameless fish, she brought the tender morsel toward my lips.
"......"
For the record, elves rarely used cutlery, meaning she was feeding me with her bare fingers.
"...Well, fine."
Being fed by hand by a beauty who made the celebrities of modern Earth look plain... honestly, that wasn't something a man could turn down. I took the steaming fish in one bite, sucking her fingers clean along with it.
"Fufu. How adorable..."
Far from offended, she let out a delighted, fond chuckle, licked her own fingers clean, and reached back toward the platter. The glare boring into me from Rebecca down below was hot enough to scorch leather.
...Wait, looking closer, Muriel and Cacciola were standing beside her too? When the hell did they show up?
"*Ahem*. Enough with the food. More importantly, I want that explanation."
"That will not do. You must eat plenty, Lord Alzen. You are far too emaciated."
"I'm pretty sure I'm not *that* bad."
"You are. You may appear whole on the outside, but you spent eleven days overcoming that dreadful Demon King's avatar without food or sleep, only to lie unconscious for three whole days afterward. Even if the World Tree's power revitalized you, you must not drop your guard. You need nourishment."
"...On that point, I find myself in agreement."
Muriel, having materialized atop the dais without making a sound, smoothly cut into the conversation. Latipi's expression darkened in an instant.
"Step down at once. Only those who have been granted permission may ascend this dais."
"Hmm, then would it not suffice if Lord Alzen grants permission?"
"You...!"
At Muriel's brazen retort, you could practically see Latipi's patience evaporating in real time.
"Hey, why are you two at each other's throats...? Enough. I give permission. That settle it?"
"...Yes. That is acceptable."
Erasing her fury as if it had never existed, Latipi once again moved to feed me.
"Lord Alzen. Is attending to your needs not my duty?"
"...Then feed me from the other side or something."
"Hmph."
Muriel stared at me, her eyes clearly signaling that something displeased her.
"What? If you've got something to say, spit it out."
"Haaah... No. It is nothing."
Letting out a soft sigh, she shook her head and held a morsel of food to my lips. Under an uncanny aura of quiet pressure, I had no choice but to sit there stuffing my face as Muriel and Latipi took turns feeding me.
"Whew... I'm getting full. When are you going to explain? Why on earth are you calling me the World Tree?"
"Because you were granted a portion of the World Tree itself."
"Hm?"
Come to think of it, didn't the World Tree say something along those lines back then?
"I can sense it vividly. The fragment of the World Tree dwelling within you. Its soul, its divine status, its authority... Though devoid of raw power, it is an unmistakable hallmark of its presence. Therefore, you are the World Tree."
"...Pretty sure that logic doesn't hold up."
After brooding on it for a moment, I decided to let it slide.
"Whatever. So you feel that way because of what the tree planted in me, right?"
"Yes."
"Alright, fine, but... I have zero intention of bringing you elves wealth and glory. Using you for my own convenience, sure, plenty of that."
"That *is* our wealth and glory."
"What?"
"The very fact that your presence graces our side brings us bliss. To be with you, to stand upon the same soil, to converse and commune—that alone is our wealth, our glory."
"......"
Ah, got it.
This was just another brand of religious fanaticism, wasn't it?
Then again, that's how elves had always been. Every single one of them lived passive lives entirely dependent on the World Tree... Thinking about it that way, it made a twisted kind of... No, let's not try to understand it. Not like I ever could anyway.
"...Aren't you worried at all? I could impose completely absurd demands and make your lives miserable, you know."
"Even that would be the World Tree's will. It matters not. If one were to feel misery beneath your design, they would be unfit to be called an elf. Please, use us however you see fit."
"......"
Yeah, I really don't think I'll ever come to like elves.
Creepy bastards, the lot of them.
For a few days after the festival wrapped up, a leisurely, peaceful stretch of downtime set in.
I might not have cared for the elves, but their village checked every single box as a vacation resort. Surrounded by lush greenery, blessed with food that could easily pass for gourmet delicacies, and graced year-round with warm sunlight and refreshing, fragrant breezes.
"Lord Alzen. I'm ready. Anytime is fine. Even right this second."
"......"
While soaking in the tranquil wonders of nature, I was currently being solicited for anal sex by Rebecca.
"Rebe-Rebecca, my dear girl. What on earth are you talking about? What could you possibly be 'ready' for?"
"Well, naturally... I've emptied out everything inside my belly. And I haven't eaten a single bite since yesterday."
When I stared at her with unconcealed disgust, a crimson blush spread across her cheeks in embarrassment, but she didn't back down, clinging tightly to my arm.
"I wanted to receive you, Lord Alzen, even if it has to be like this... Is that not permitted?"
"Haaah... Rebecca. Even if I don't go all the way, using *that* as a substitute is a bit... No, wait, do you really want it that badly? It's not like doing it back there feels good anyway."
"Huh? But it *does* feel good?"
"What? How would you even know th—wait a minute."
I narrowed my eyes and glared at her suspiciously.
"In that hallucination of yours... did you get taken through the back door too?"
"......"
She didn't answer, subtly averting her gaze, but that silence was as good as a confession.
"You mental slut..."
"Hmph. No matter how much you insult me, I am a bona fide maiden, through and through! Front and back, completely pure!"
I looked at her with utter pity as she puffed out her chest with absolute pride.
"Good grief... Sorry to disappoint, but I have zero interest in back doors."
"Then do it from the front! Teasing me with only your hands and mouth without ever using the real thing is nothing short of torture! Do you have any idea how unfulfilled I feel?!"
"How am I supposed to know? And you're the only one who thinks of it as torture."
"What? Not at all! The other women felt unfulfilled too! Ah, though Pashtra seemed satisfied, probably because she still doesn't understand what actual intercourse is."
"...What kind of conversations do you girls have when you're gathered together? Are you talking behind my back?"
"Who knows~? Fufu. Are you curious? Hmm? I could tell you... provided you meet my condition, of course."
Slithering close like a serpent, she casually stroked the inside of my thigh.
"...You really have no reverse gear, do you? In a way, it's almost admirable."
"What is a reverse gear?"
"...Never mind. It's a thing."
"That's a compliment, right?"
"Sure, sure. A compliment. Anyway, I'm not in the mood right now, so shoo."
"*Whimper*..."
As I shooed her away with a flick of my wrist, she wore a dejected pout and dragged her feet as she slunk off into the distance.
"Phew..."
Lying across a tree branch curved into an ergonomically perfect resting spot, I basked in the pleasant sunlight and gentle breeze while sipping my liquor, snacking on confectioneries and treats crafted with secret elven recipes.
Enjoying some quiet downtime alone like this every once in a while wasn't bad at all.
"Lord Alzen. Here is where you were."
"Hm?"
Just as I was about to drift into a light slumber amid the peaceful quiet, Nemeth's voice stirred me awake.
"Mmm, what's up?"
"The World Tree summons you."
"...Ah, right. It did mention I should come visit."
Did it say something about giving me a reward?
"......"
Still, I really didn't want to get up.
"Can't I go later?"
"Pardon? Um... Shall I go and ask the World Tree?"
"...No, forget it. I'll go. But give me a piggyback ride. I don't feel like moving."
"Excuse me?"
After staring at me in utter bewilderment, she eventually shook her head in quiet resignation and crouched before me, offering her back.
"...Oho."
She wore skin-tight attire with quite a bit of skin showing, putting her graceful curves on full display.
"Up we go."
As I wrapped my arms around those curves and climbed onto her back, a fresh, invigorating scent tickled my nose. Out of pure reflex, my hands drifted toward her chest, but aside from a slight flinch, she made no protest.
"...We are departing."
"Lead the way~"
Springing up lightly, Nemeth leaped straight down from the branch.
All the way toward the Sanctuary of the World Tree, I thoroughly enjoyed the sensation of those firm, supple peaks resting in my palms.