Names in the Register of the Dead
Lick, lick.
Something kept brushing against my cheek like it was licking it.
I shuddered, my eyelids fluttering as I opened my eyes—and locked gazes with Cheori, who was flicking her tongue right in front of my face.
"Kkung kkung kkung."
"……Good morning."
"Kkung!"
She let out a cheerful cry, sounding delighted.
Soon after, Cheori started crawling off somewhere with a plop plop plop.
I relaxed at the familiar sight of my home shining through behind her and started to drift back to sleep……
"Huh?"
I bolted upright, staring blankly around me.
No matter how I looked at it, this was my house.
Not Elcid. My house on Earth.
"No way."
Sleep vanished in an instant. I jumped out of bed and glanced to the side.
Sure enough, my vision was filled with a long, receipt-like stream of system messages.
After scanning them all, I gave a short, blunt assessment.
"Talk about unfriendly."
At least let me leave on my own terms.
Getting booted out without so much as a goodbye felt off.
She probably took care of all the remaining mutants, right?
My head was spinning.
But they were elves. They'd handle it fine on their own.
I smacked my lips and forcibly shoved the thoughts aside, turning my attention to the Black Dragon's message.
"Success."
Just once.
The Black Dragon's offer to save my life when it was in danger.
The condition had been clearing the Evergreen Tower, and I'd finally done it.
Now I wouldn't have to worry about it taking over my body for a while.
A satisfied smile tugged at my lips as I checked the reward from clearing the tower next.
Illusion Tower
Permitted only to you, acknowledged by the Evergreen Tower. Enter the Illusion Tower by using the skill.
Illusion Tower.
The description blatantly mentioned "Evergreen Tower," and the skill name itself was awfully similar.
"Basically the same as the Evergreen Tower."
This skill was undoubtedly in the same category as the Evergreen Tower.
Towers weren't the end of it, huh.
I wanted to dive in right now and see what it looked like inside.
Wonder what I could get from this one.
But……
Time until Illusion Tower opens: 734.9 hours
The Illusion Tower wasn't open yet, apparently.
No matter how much I tried to activate the skill, nothing happened.
"734 hours is about a month, right."
Tsk.
I smacked my lips and checked the final message about the new Black Dragon power unlocked.
"Didn't expect the Black Dragon's power to unlock."
At 2.0%, nothing had happened.
But hitting 3.0% suddenly released a power.
What were the conditions for unlocking them, anyway?
"Register of the Dead……"
What the hell did this even do?
I tilted my head and spoke into the air.
"Status window."
It had gotten a lot busier compared to the start.
I narrowed my eyes at how the Evergreen Tower, which should have been under unique skills, had moved to "Names in Register."
"Met the recording condition, huh……"
Probably from clearing the tower.
Stroking my chin, I muttered softly.
"Said it comes when called."
Time to test it, then.
I stood up and activated the skill toward the empty air.
Register of the Dead
Please call the name to summon.
Call a name?
I opened my mouth immediately.
"Evergreen Tower."
Now what?
Heart pounding, I stared ahead.
Your power is insufficient to summon the entity "Evergreen Tower."
Huh?
I blinked dumbly at the air.
So……
"Can't summon it anyway?"
Then why give it to me?
I let out a hollow laugh and shook my head.
I'd thought it'd be useful like Smoke, but it was just dead weight.
"And since the skill's gone, can't go back to the Evergreen Tower either."
I'd already tried entering a few times, but no dice.
Probably couldn't anymore.
"Same for Elspier and Elpinire."
Kinda disappointing.
As I smacked my lips at the thought—
Your power is insufficient to summon the entity "Elspier."
The entity "Elpinire" responds to your call.
Mist suddenly billowed up in front of me.
Eyes wide, I watched a woman emerge from the rising pillar of fog, her eyes closed.
Her ears were pointed like an elf's.
Her hair shimmered a brilliant pale green.
The woman, eyes still shut, slowly opened them to reveal deep green irises to the world.
"……Where is this?"
Elpinire whipped around, taking in the changed scenery.
Spotting me, her eyes widened.
"Human! Where did you disappear to? And where is this?!"
"……This is my house?"
"Your house? This hovel is really your home?"
"……."
Sorry for living in a hovel.
I sighed at Elpinire, who was scanning the room nonstop.
"You were in the Evergreen Forest until just now, right?"
"Yes. Restoring the forest destroyed by the mutants."
Hm.
Stroking my chin at her words, I realized the Evergreen Tower was still functioning fine—I just couldn't access it.
"I was helping with the restoration thanks to the World Tree's blessing. Then suddenly, writing appeared saying my master was calling."
Writing appeared.
I instantly knew she meant the system.
"I told it not to spout nonsense and go away……"
She trailed off and looked at me.
I scratched my cheek awkwardly under her gaze.
"No way, human. You're the master?"
"……Probably?"
Elpinire's face fell like she'd lost her world.
Well, yeah.
What was I supposed to do about it?
The system called me master.
Suddenly, she frowned, clutching her forehead.
"Ngh……."
"What? You okay?"
"Wait. Just wait a second."
Elpinire staggered.
She dropped to one knee, breathing raggedly.
"What……is this memory……?"
Her voice trembled faintly.
Her shrunken green eyes quivered as she muttered.
"That I was fated to become a calamity slaughtering humans……?"
Ah.
From her reaction, I realized.
She knew now.
The truth I'd learned overwriting the Evergreen Tower—now she knew it too.
After a long moment of turmoil, she turned to me.
"……No way, human. Did you save me from that fate?"
"……."
"I see. That's why the window called you my master."
Elpinire chuckled softly and bowed her head slowly.
"It felt off from the start. Surviving the World Tree's elixir, then my mother granting a fruit directly……"
And.
"Accomplishing the impossible—housing the World Tree's blessing in a human body. You were special from the beginning."
Murmuring with a laugh like she was amused, Elpinire knelt on one knee before me.
"Human. No, Master."
She slowly bowed her head toward me.
"The last High Elf and final guardian, Elpinire, offers her thanks to the savior of the elves and World Tree."
Her voice brimmed with sincerity as she expressed her gratitude.
Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing her.
It felt almost divine.
"……."
If the background wasn't a dingy basement room, it might've actually been divine.
"Uh, get up first?"
"Understood, Master."
God.
"Master" coming from her mouth felt so weird.
Face twisting, I spoke to Elpinire as she rose.
"Elpinire. Don't call me master."
"No. This is my choice."
"……."
Hey.
You just called me master yourself.
Why ignore what your master says?
I let out a long sigh, shook my head, and waved her off.
"……Do whatever."
"Yeah, planned to."
Elpinire glanced around with curious eyes.
"Anyway, this is where Master lives. It's so shabby and dirty."
"……Sorry it's shabby and dirty."
"Speaking of…… Is that furniture made of wood?"
I flinched.
Her words made me turn creakily.
A wooden wardrobe stood there.
"That……"
"I see. Wood can be shaped like this too."
"……?"
I stared blankly at Elpinire nodding to herself.
Why wasn't she reacting to dead wood?
The answer was surprisingly simple.
"Awakening the World Tree's blessing let me hear plants' stories more clearly."
Until now, she'd only heard screams.
That was their loudest voice.
But now, she heard more.
"Joy of survival. Gratitude to those who nurtured them."
She'd learned plants' voices held more joy than screams.
So it didn't matter anymore.
Not all dead plants died unjustly.
"So where is this? The Empire? Holy Kingdom?"
"Well……"
"Totally different from our forest. What's that black square box?"
Elpinire's eyes sparkled at the TV.
Guess the info dump skipped towers and Earth.
I slowly opened my mouth to her.
"First off……"
After all the explanations.
Elpinire sat dazed on the floor.
"So this isn't Orision, our world……?"
"Yeah. This is Earth."
"You came to our world via the Evergreen Tower skill……"
Still blank-faced, she looked around.
Then.
"Master."
"Yeah?"
"Show me around this world."
Her eyes sparkled as she pleaded earnestly.
"Another world! I never imagined places beyond the forest empires and kingdoms!"
"Uh, sure?"
"Show me! Please!"
Hm……
I quickly scanned her up and down.
Her clothes were definitely not Earth-style.
But otherwise, she just looked like a stunning model.
So……
"I'll lend you some clothes. Change."
"You mean……"
"Let's go out."
Should be fine.
Elpinire's face lit up obviously.
I grabbed a loose T-shirt and pants from the closet, tossed them to her, and told her to change in the bathroom.
Once she was in, I quickly swapped into a hoodie and approached Cheori, who was head-butting the corner.
"Cheori. Let's go."
"Kkung."
She turned her head like she understood.
I reached down to pick her up……
"……."
Something grainy was stuck to Cheori's mouth.
Face hardening, I checked where she'd been head-butting.
"N-no way."
I creaked over and inspected the floor.
Tiny grains scattered there.
Glancing sideways, I noticed the shelf was empty.
"You didn't eat the mana stones I had at home……?"
Mana stones.
My emergency stash.
They'd been on the shelf—now gone without a trace.
Cheori's response was simple and clear.
"Kkung!"
So innocent.
Fine…… whatever……
"Master! I changed—it's super comfy…… What? Why the face?"
"……Nothing."
It's nothing.
Just……
"Feels empty."
A few months' rent just vanished……