Single Planet Life Tree (2)
"My lord constellation. I've brought the incarnation friend of the Whispering Star Cluster you mentioned last time."
"They're not incarnations—call them apostles. I call myself the High Templar, but other divinities originally call them apostles..."
"Got ittt~."
"Harrumph... Those damn imperial bastards, daring to drag a god down to the level of a mere constellation?"
The empire vanished ages ago and became the federation, or so I'd heard. Were they still calling it the empire?
Beira, who had been smiling awkwardly, retreated with a nod to Yuna.
"Greetings. Sky-Supporting Great Tree. I am Yuna, incarnation of the Whispering Star Cluster..."
"Tsk! Can't you call me the World Tree?"
"Wo-World Tree?!"
Yuna bowed carefully toward the tree, her face a picture of bewilderment. Even she hadn't expected a planetary world tree to have such a personality.
"Tsk tsk... The High Templars too—I really must have a word with the council soon. Did you say apostles of other divinities? Are they watching this very moment?"
The unnecessarily grandiose tone sounded like an ordinary old man reminiscing about past glories. He must be quite ancient, which probably explained it.
Whispering Star Cluster says they will descend to the ground.
"Yes! Yes! The constellation says they're descending right now."
"...Is that so?"
Fwaaah—
My temporary body reformed once more. A speck of my mind flowed in, cloaked in the form of a human male. The natural scowl on my face was surely due to the suffocating tightness of the body.
Seeing my expression, Beira bowed her head, and a majestic voice echoed from the world tree.
"Ahem. So you are the divinity from that other dimension? The one who wields that Cosmic Power."
Wasn't he supposed to have the personality of an authoritarian old man? He was showing respect, at least. Well, other-dimensional constellations were known to be beings beyond planetary spirits.
"That's right. So why did you want to see me?"
But even though the other party was being polite, no honorifics came from my mouth. No matter how long they'd lived, it felt like bowing to invisible specks of dust.
Come to think of it, it had always been that way. Even with galaxy spirits like Naiserria or Carnos.
"Ahem. First, if you would show me a bit of your power. I'd like to confirm it again."
Cosmic Power was like my skin, my living tissue. But with only my mind sent to this dimension, cloaked in a human shell, I couldn't use it. More precisely, trying to channel power through the connected pathway would make the temporary body explode.
So I looked at Yuna.
"You show them."
"Yes, my lord. Hmm..."
Fsssh—
Cosmic colors shimmered around Yuna's outstretched hand. That was a part of what made me—an Outer God's cell, fittingly named.
"Oho...! I wasn't mistaken. The energy I felt when I first realized my existence."
"From your days drifting through space?"
"I believe even a divinity visiting from another dimension has had a similar experience. And so..."
The great tree started to continue, then suddenly spoke sternly.
"For now, High Templar, please leave. Mortals have no place in the conversation of divinities."
"Got ittt~..."
Was he about to say something important? I glanced at Yuna too, and once all the mortals had left, he slowly began to speak.
The Sky-Supporting Great Tree, a constellation, was classified by the Super Galactic Empire Federation as a Single Planet Life Tree. A colossal divine tree born not as a mortal, but growing into a transcendent species. Not yet fully matured, yet even in this state, capable of controlling a single planet.
Naturally, even such a being had once been a tiny seed. Before settling on a suitable planet, rooting itself, and growing—the moment it began drifting through the cosmos after birth.
"The energy I felt back then was similar to my power?"
"Yes. But the reason I sought you out isn't just that..."
Though the memory from that time was faint, barely a vague sensation, one thing was certain. There had been another of his kind. Alongside the Cosmic Power's aura, undoubtedly another planetary world tree seed had existed.
* * *
I could guess why he'd taken an interest in my Cosmic Power. To find the kin he'd parted from at birth... It was like seeking advice from the owner of the abundant energy surrounding him then.
Was Cosmic Power related to the birth of a planetary world tree? If so, perhaps an Outer God from this dimension was involved.
"I get it. You want to borrow my power to find your kin."
"Even using the federation's influence, no other world tree like me exists. But the galaxy is vast—I eagerly await the day I reunite with my kin..."
"Even the AI information entity provided by Silent Starlight couldn't find them?"
"Yes. Definitely within this galaxy, yet that strange entity only appears to divinities in contact with the federation."
Let me sort my thoughts. The Sky-Supporting Great Tree's goal was to find a planetary world tree not in contact with the federation. He'd assumed its whereabouts were tied to my power.
I could understand the longing to find kin. After eons alone, such yearning was natural.
I nodded in moderate agreement, and a voice came from the tree trunk.
"Even as I settled on this planet, created apostles, and nurtured life, that brilliant..."
"Brilliant?"
"That brilliant seed kept coming to mind. Its shell shyly wrapped tight, yet the embryo inside subtly blushing with allure—it looked so plump and enticing. How wonderful it would be to bear fruit with such kin. Heh heh hum."
A crack formed in my expression.
Was the reason he wanted to find his kin... reproductive desire?
Shy shell and plump embryo—what the hell was that? A plant-type divinity beyond mortal animals, yet this? Bearing fruit...? Of course, the mortals had all left. He must think I was the same kind of divinity.
"...My apostles would've freaked out if they'd heard that."
"Ahem. That's why I sent them away. They're still like bloody infants."
Many mortals didn't see gods as solemn or absolute. Civilizations that couldn't escape their planets weren't the only ones—planetary destruction weapons existed too. But even degraded to 'constellations,' immortals were immortals. Ordinary mortals harbored some illusions about them.
"After all I've been through, I yearn for someone I can converse with as an equal."
Immortals without fixed lifespans had endured vast ages. Worldly desires? Either they'd grown bored of them or their power scale made them trivial—but divinities weren't free of desire.
"If you help me find my mate world tree, I will never forget that grace."
"...Sometime later, I'll look into whether there's a female world tree."
"Heh. No need. I have no specific gender."
Even asexual? Trees could reproduce that way, so not shocking, but with the tone of a lecherous old man chasing skirts...
"More importantly, one last question."
"...?"
"Though this body is pathetically aged, I'm not ignorant of the rumors."
The voice from the trunk pierced my temporary body's mind. Not vocal, but via mental will. This was like his inner sanctum. Mortals gone, security tight. What came next might be the real point.
"The power you granted your apostle... It's far too much for a mortal."
"Why?"
"Those who come from other dimensions to here are at least planetary rulers. And I pride myself on my own sacred lineage."
The world tree sent mental waves in a low, grave tone. The prior levity was gone.
"I was born amid the cosmic chaos of primordial space, around the time galaxies formed."
That level, huh. I fleetingly thought of making one in our dimension. A little tree in empty space full of dust wouldn't hurt.
"Unlike half-baked divinities who can't escape their planets and beg faith from mortals."
Was he referring to Single Planet Restricted Spirit Bodies? But even he seemed planet-bound. Sure, as a drifting seed maybe, but now rooted, right?
"Among planet-rooted divinities, none in this galaxy surpass me."
"More impressive than I thought."
"...Thus, I have some inkling about you. That the rumors among mortals might be true."
The rumor I was a galaxy spirit from another dimension? It had faded lately, though some still believed.
"Does my origin stem from a being like you?"
Was he spouting this knowingly?