Certified Lunatics
After having Muriel gather the artifact I had dubbed the World Tree Bracelet alongside all the World Tree’s Seeds, I turned to face her.
"...?"
"......"
The moment I took in her composed, elegant, and bewitchingly alluring beauty, I came within a hair’s breadth of crashing my lips right into hers. It was an emotional impulse so fierce it caught even me off guard.
Inhale... exhale...
I drew in a deep breath and forcibly reined that urge back in. Having danced along the razor's edge of lines I shouldn't cross, only to suddenly receive the means from the World Tree to cross them without consequence, it felt as though my brakes had completely vanished. Still, I couldn't just lose control.
"...Is something the matter, Lord Aljen?"
"No, uh..."
Besides, even for a scoundrel like me, blurting out, 'Now that we don't have to worry about pregnancy anymore, we can screw around as much as we want,' was a bit much.
"......"
Yeah, there was no reason to bring that up right this second. It might actually be more amusing to spring it on her later and watch the shock on her face.
"Lord Aljen?"
"Hold still."
Instead of answering, I tapped the center of her brow with my index finger and focused my consciousness. I channeled the World Tree’s authority—or whatever unique ability it had bestowed upon me—that had taken root in my ears and mouth.
"...?"
Rustle, rustle.
Though entirely invisible and devoid of physical substance, the spiritual energy took the ethereal shape of fluttering foliage and twisting vines, as if proudly bearing the signature of its origin. As it traveled down my arm and seeped past her brow, Muriel flinched for a fraction of a second before staring back at me with her usual impassive expression. The clear, unwavering trust gleaming in those eyes brought a satisfied grin to my face.
"Hmm. Did that do it? Let's see..."
—Can you hear me, Muriel?
"...! Lord Aljen. What is this?" Muriel's eyes widened in genuine astonishment as her hand shot up to touch her temple.
—It's an ability I got from the World Tree. You should be able to do it too, so try forming the words you want to say in your head.
—...Like this, my lord?
Hearing her voice resonate cleanly inside my skull, I touched my own head and let out a soft murmur of admiration.
—Oh, so this is how it feels. Pretty nifty.
—Is this... magic? Or an authority granted by the World Tree?
—I don't know the exact mechanics either. What matters is that we've gained a means of long-distance communication. It even seems like we can converse far faster than moving our lips.
—Indeed. This will prove exceptionally useful.
I smirked at Muriel, and she gave a firm, solemn nod in return.
"Um... Lord Aljen? Muriel?"
Just then, Nemeth looked around between us with a worried look on her face, clearly unnerved by how we were standing in total silence and just staring intensely into each other's eyes.
"Hmm... Nemeth. Come over here for a second."
"Pardon? Ah, yes."
After linking Nemeth to the telepathic network as well, we exchanged a quick round of silent thoughts.
"...This is truly miraculous. And it will be immensely practical."
"Right? Since it comes straight from the World Tree, there's practically zero risk of wiretapping or interception. On top of that, it seems I can split the channels."
"Channels, my lord?"
"Simply put, I can set up a group chat where everyone hears, or switch to a private one-on-one frequency."
"Oh... That is remarkable. Truly, extraordinarily useful."
Nemeth's eyes sparkled as she instantly grasped the strategic weight of such an ability.
"Aren't you reacting a bit too strongly? Didn't you know the World Tree could hand out tricks like this?"
"Ahem. Lord Aljen, I believe you are laboring under a misunderstanding." Looking slightly abashed, she cleared her throat and gazed at me with dead seriousness. "The World Tree does not grant such blessings to just anyone."
"Not even to elves?"
"Yes. Even if one is of elven blood, it makes no difference. Great power comes with great responsibility. The World Tree bestows its divine favor solely upon those capable of bearing that weight."
"...Is that so?"
I craned my neck to look back up at the World Tree. It was so impossibly colossal that it resembled a living curtain splitting the world in half, quietly swaying its verdant boughs as it looked down upon creation.
"......"
I briefly considered asking it what hidden agenda lay behind everything it had shoveled into my hands, but swallowed the impulse. What good would asking do anyway? It wasn't as if I was going to hand any of it back.
"...Well, whatever. I'm sure you have your reasons."
And those reasons were almost certainly tied to the Goddess, or some cosmic headache involving causality. If that was the case, it wouldn't give me a straight answer even if I begged. With a lazy wave of my hand, I turned on my heel.
"I'm taking my leave."
"...Shouldn't not seeing you often be considered the better outcome?"
A sigh slipped past my lips at the ancient entity's dead silence. What was with that refusal to reply? Staying quiet like that made it sound like I was destined to die and regress back here in the near future.
...I'm not, right?
Feeling an ominous prickle run up my spine, I cast a wary glance over my shoulder at the towering canopy, breathed out another ragged sigh, and picked up the pace. Muriel, Nemeth, and Latipi followed quietly in my wake.
A few days had passed since I distributed the World Tree Bracelets to the party and registered everyone onto the telepathic line.
"Haaah!"
"Nice! Vivian! You're doing great!"
Reclining comfortably across a thick, sturdy tree root, I sipped my booze while watching Vivian and Lampon Pashtra spar. Seeing the colossal, Amazonian Pashtra clash blade and battle-ax with the petite Vivian—both wearing intensely serious expressions—was such an absurd visual contrast that it was downright mesmerizing.
"Pashtra, your center of gravity wobbled."
"Lady Vivian, your aura is unstable. Maintain your focus."
"Never lose track of your footwork."
Their duel was supervised by Wendy, Lira, and Nemeth. Every time real-time feedback came flying their way, both Pashtra and Vivian grunted and strained as they desperately corrected their form. Teeth grit, swinging sword and ax with unrelenting ferocity, the two looked like the very embodiment of pure, unadulterated ambition. They had complained bitterly about feeling useless during the battle against the Demon King, but it seemed they had taken that frustration far more to heart than I realized.
"Hmm..."
The duel itself was tilted entirely in Pashtra's favor from start to finish. That was only natural, considering their realms were two entire tiers apart—Aura Top-tier versus Intermediate. But the thing worth noting wasn't who held the upper hand; it was the sheer rate of growth.
"Watching this from the sidelines... she's my sister, but it's getting kind of terrifying."
"Just as you say, my lord. Her talent is monstrous to a frightening degree."
Muriel nodded in agreement, her eyes fixed on Vivian with a profound, contemplative light.
"...She is evolving in real time before our eyes. Before long, she will break past the threshold of Intermediate and ascend to Aura Upper-Tier."
"Does that even make any damn sense? From a common sense standpoint?"
Armed with comprehensive lore and knowledge of Origin World, I could only shake my head in disbelief. Even in the game, where dedicated optimization builds existed solely to accelerate progression, there was never a single timeline where Vivian reached Aura Upper-Tier prior to enrolling in the Academy. Well, considering the player couldn't directly intervene before the Academy arc began, maybe that was to be expected. But still, the discrepancy here was getting absurdly wide.
Was it the Permanent Flesh? The World Tree's Fruit? Sure, those legendary elixirs undoubtedly played a role. But Pashtra, who was currently trading blows with her, had consumed those exact same treasures. Pashtra had sparred countless times not just with Vivian, but with other Master-rank combatants as well, yet she showed nowhere near this level of explosive advancement.
"...Ha, unbelievable."
In other words, the terrifying growth unfolding right now was purely the result of Vivian's raw, unadulterated genius.
"......"
Slow... slower...
At a certain point, the lively sparkle in Vivian's eyes faded, her gaze turning distant and glassy as her movements morphed into something remarkably languid and fluid. Slow, progressively slower, decelerating to the absolute extreme, Vivian's blade suddenly froze completely in midair.
She had entered a state of enlightenment.
"...She's a damn monster."
"Lord Aljen, calling your sister that is a bit..." Muriel let out a dry, helpless laugh in an attempt to scold me, yet her own eyes were tinged with unmistakable awe as she watched the girl.
The sentiment was shared by everyone present.
"Could it be... does Vivian actually possess more talent for the sword than magic...?"
Naturally, the one offering the most entertaining reaction was Weller. Wearing an expression of utter existential shock, she stared blankly at Vivian's awakened trance.
"Hey, big sis. Looks to me like Vivian doesn't even need magic anymore. What do you think?"
"Urk...! D-Don't be ridiculous...! Vivian's magical aptitude is in no way inferior to her swordsmanship! You don't know what you're talking about! She is going to reach the 6th Class any day now!"
"...6th Class? For real?"
"Yes!"
"......"
Aura Upper-Tier and a 6th Class mage... before she even set foot inside the Academy. Wasn't that just a complete and utter balance breaker?
A breathy chuckle slipped from my mouth, and I shook my head in pure absurdity. What a terrifyingly promising little sister.
"...Haha!"
Yeah, that's it. Keep growing like a weed, and go cut down the Evil God for me as soon as possible.
Our respite in the Elf Village had been delightfully tranquil and sweet, but unfortunately, all good things had to come to an end.
"I see. So you intend to depart soon."
Latipi and Benoite, whom I had just finished registering onto the telepathic line, nodded at my words.
"Yeah. If it were up to me, I'd lounge around here forever, but I've got obligations that won't allow it."
"Understood... In that case, we must make our preparations as well."
"...Hm? Preparations for what?"
When I voiced my confusion, Latipi looked at me with an earnest, matter-of-fact gaze, as if the answer should have been glaringly obvious.
"Preparations for migration, of course. Rest assured, we elves take pride in nurturing nature above all else. We will require no separate resources or construction efforts on your part."
"...Hold on. What are you talking about? Migration?"
At my bewildered question, both Latipi and Benoite, who had been listening intently from the side, tilted their heads in unison. They looked at me as though I were the one failing to grasp basic logic.
"Yes. Is there an issue?"
"No, no, no... Where the hell is this coming from out of nowhere? Why would you migrate? Did something happen?"
"If you ask if something has happened, then indeed it has. You are leaving, Lord Aljen."
"What...?"
My brain stalled for a second, and I instinctively brought a hand to my throbbing temple.
"Uh... so let me get this straight. You're saying that because I'm leaving, you're packing up the entire damn Elf Village and moving it along with me?"
"Precisely."
"...Is there any... need to do that?"
"It is not a matter of need; it is a matter of natural course. You are the vicar of the World Tree and the living Avatar of Nature. If we were not to remain by your side, we would have no right to call ourselves elves."
"......"
Rendered completely speechless, I stared blankly at the two of them.
These women weren't just devout. They were completely, irrevocably insane.