Chapter 303: Let's Protect Nature
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 303: Let's Protect Nature
I wasn't hurt. Instead of jabbing at me, the branches embraced me gently. The gesture was benevolent, yet so firm that the thought of resisting never even crossed my mind.
The rustle of leaves. The clatter of branches. A gust of wind played the tree like an instrument. The chaotic yet beautiful, disorderly melody of the wood filled my ears.
“Maximilien, this wager is your victory. I believed that our Lord would not appear until all of humanity cried out for him, yet you chose the opposite path and managed to find him nonetheless.”
Then, I heard the sound of wood splitting. I looked toward the source of the sound to see a knothole, one I hadn't noticed before, gradually widening. From within the tree, from the deep, dark abyss, a dry voice flowed out.
“Our Lord has graced us with his presence. This humble servant is so overwhelmed with emotion, I know not what to do.”
And then, a hand reached out from the knothole.
A long hand grabbed the edges of the knothole and pulled it open. The knothole split apart like a great gate, and from within, a person squeezed their way out.
They say tree spirits live inside knotholes. A simple idea, that if there's a hole, something must live in it, passed down as folklore. But now, that legend was reality.
If spirits existed in this world, they would look exactly like her. An androgynous appearance that made it difficult to guess their gender. Green hair, long enough to touch the ground, was lush with small leaves, like a vine. A silk robe was held in place by a belt of vines, yet it was so loose that I could see all the way to her elbows inside the sleeves.
While she was already peculiar enough, her most striking feature was the horns on her head. They resembled a deer's, but they weren't the horns of an animal. They were simply branches, sprouting from her temples.
I muttered, “…A druid?”
Even among the few druids that existed, this was the most famous and powerful of them all. The watcher of history, who had observed every event from ancient times to the present.
The Agent of Nature. The Most Beautiful Beast.
…And, as I had just learned, the leader of the Human Regime.
“I am Nevida. A beast that could not die greets the King of Humans.”
The Primordial Druid, Nevida.
She straightened her robes, then knelt before me and bowed her head to the ground. Thump. The soft sound of her head hitting the earth.
Uh, um.
I was simply bewildered. Anyone would feel the same if someone suddenly burst out of a tree and started bowing to them.
More importantly, the problem was that this person was a powerhouse who had transcended the level of a superhuman… an absolute force to be reckoned with. Befitting her station as leader, she was strong enough to treat someone like Maximilien as a mere trifle.
This is strange. I knew Maximilien had called for backup, but I didn't think they'd arrive from another country in just a few hours. What the hell, where are my people? Aren't they going to join me?
No, wait. Is it better if they don't?
We'd lose even if they did show up.
A chill ran down my spine. Nevida was an unstoppable force. A being who could destroy a nation on her own, with her personal power alone… even stronger than Tyr.
And the bigger problem was that she clearly had a purpose for me. I hid the skewer behind my back and spoke with a smile.
“Uh, a pleasure to meet you. I'm Hughes, the King of Humans for this generation. Please, raise your head.”
At my words, Nevida quickly lifted her head. Her oak-colored eyes were filled with a boundless mix of emotions directed at me. Awe, anticipation, longing, and… desire.
If she had no feelings for me at all, I could have built a relationship from scratch, just as I had with Tyr.
But if she had such clear business with the ‘King of Humans,’ persuasion would be impossible. I saw it in her eyes and was certain.
The only silver lining was that, among the members of the Human Regime searching for the King of Humans, this monster was of the faction that revered him the most. Hadn't she just banged her forehead on the ground to greet me? She probably wouldn't kill or harm me.
Hmm. Should I test the waters? I commanded with a composed air.
“I have business with Mr. Maximilien. Could you please step aside for a moment?”
In response, Nevida once again slammed her head to the ground. As I flinched, she spoke, her face still pressed to the floor, her voice resonating.
“I am deeply sorry. This foolish servant lost a wager to him, and thus I must pay the price. I beg for your understanding.”
Is she telling me not to kill him? But I'm the King of Humans, aren't I? Hoping to imbue my words with the authority of a king, I spoke sternly.
“No, I'm telling you, I'm the real King of Humans. You do believe me, right?”
“How could this humble servant dare to doubt you, my Lord, when you stand before me in your full glory?”
“The King of Humans is giving you an order. I said, step aside.”
“I am deeply sorry.”
Nevida only repeated her apology and banged her head again. It seemed she had no intention of listening to me.
What the hell? So she's going to praise me as her Lord and the King of Humans, but not listen to a word I say? If you're not going to obey, why bother with the formalities and treat me like a king?
I had no choice. While Nevida was busy bowing, I secretly gripped my skewer again. Maximilien's Gear of Thought had stopped, and he was dying, but his opponent was a primordial druid skilled in medicine and alchemy. If she took him away, there was no telling if she could save him.
Just one blow. He was on the verge of death anyway. All I needed was to land the final strike.
“I won't repeat myself. This is the last time. Move.”
“I am deeply sorry.”
I counted down silently and kicked off the ground the moment Nevida's head hit the dirt. Thud, thump. The sounds overlapped as I leaped over her head. I aimed my skewer and dashed toward Maximilien. I reached out for his seemingly dead, collapsed form….
But though I had jumped, I wasn't coming down.
Branches and vines were holding me fast. A tree had sprung up from nowhere. It had grown so silently that I didn't even realize it was happening until it was too late. By the time I noticed, my body was dangling in mid-air, caught like an insect in a spiderweb.
…I read her ‘thoughts,’ but I couldn't avoid it.
She hadn't controlled the tree. She had ‘protected’ Maximilien. And the tree, of its own accord, had honored her will and suspended me in the air to separate me from him.
This was completely different from Maximilien. He designed his contraptions with gears, controlling each one to make them move. Every action was conscious.
In contrast, Nevida only had her will. The trees simply followed it on their own. That's why even if I read her thoughts, I couldn't predict the outcome.
The trees just… make it happen? What is this…?!
Just then, Nevida spoke, her head still bowed.
“If my Lord were whole, he would not have permitted even this humble servant's minor transgression. But alas. The binding curse that wretched woman placed upon you is still potent. It is lamentable how long the road ahead remains.”
Nevida let out a deep sigh. She exhaled for so long I worried she might die from lack of oxygen, before she slowly pushed herself up.
As she did, the spot where her head had been striking the ground caught my eye. Instead of blood, a lush pillow of soft, green sprouts had sprung up.
…What a cheat. If she was going to do that, why bother banging her head at all? Was it just a political performance?
“This servant did not seek you out, my Lord. The King of Humans must not be sought, for he will only truly arrive when the people will it. However, Maximilien… he challenged that notion. He succeeded. He achieved it. I shall honor his will and aid him.”
My body moved along with Nevida. No, to be precise, the tree holding me began to shuffle sideways. The tree opened its knothole as if to devour me and pulled on the vines.
Wait. At this rate, I'm going to end up inside that thing. I struggled, but with every movement, I only became more entangled in the vines.
This was bad. Nevida hadn't originally intended to take me. But Maximilien would try all sorts of things with me, and now Nevida was going to help him!
I might die before I even become the King of Sins!
“Wait a minute! I won't kill Maximilien, so can't you let me go?”
“This servant shall attend to you. This way, my Lord.”
“Just listen to me!”
“I am deeply sorry.”
Dammit. What is with this psycho! I shouted desperately.
“Somebody save me!”
It was then that Nevida spotted something and gave a small smile. A meteor was reflected in her eyes. Something was falling from far away, wreathed in wind and glowing with unspent mana.
One second until impact. Nevida gripped a branch to counter it. A sharp blade, aimed at her, approached with a familiar voice.
“Chun-aeeeeeeeeeng!”
The sky split apart.
The hem of a robe fluttered before me, and a familiar back landed like a thunderbolt in front of me. In the fractured scenery, splintered branches and leaves fell a half-beat too late. With the branches and vines all severed, my body was free once more.
As I fell, I saw it clearly.
The sight of Chun-aeng, descending wreathed in wind, clashing with a small, rising branch.
The Sky Blade, Chun-aeng. A blade forged from compressed space, capable of splitting even boulders. It should have sliced through a plain old branch like that and the arm holding it. It should have been able to split Nevida's body like firewood.
But the branch was not cut.
Far from being split, new twigs and leaves were sprouting from the point of contact with Chun-aeng. It was as if the branch were feeding on the sword to grow.
Despite her attack being nullified, the Regressor just scoffed nonchalantly.
“Hmph! Not bad, blocking that! In that case, how about this!”
A confident expression. An overwhelming faith in her own power. And the strength to back it up.
The Regressor smiled challengingly and swung Chun-aeng. Fast, light sword strikes aimed for Nevida. But Nevida didn't even dodge. Twigs and leaves extending from her branch blocked the attacks on their own.
“Quite impressive!”
The Regressor shouted confidently and did a backflip. Nevida matched her by taking a step back and sweeping the ground with her foot. The fallen leaves on the forest floor rose in a whirlwind. It looked as if the leaves were protecting her with some mystical power.
Nevida spoke.
“…I was told there was a child running around, destroying the ‘roots’ with a relic of the Divine. So you are the one Maximilien spoke of.”
“Ha! That's me. What are you gonna do about it?”
Oh, as expected of the Regressor. Her unflinching demeanor even against the Primordial Druid was incredible. Was this the true face of the Regressor, one who did not cling to her own life…?
‘Ah, ahhhhhh! This is bad, this is so bad! Why, why is she here already? You're not supposed to show up for a long time! No way. I can't win!’
Nope. This was her true face.
I nodded to myself as I read her thoughts.