Many Races, Many Faiths - 1
The revival of the World Tree, once burned to ash by the atrocities of Apels, and the re-descent of a god whose connection had been severed for hundreds of years.
It was a dazzling miracle that flipped the continent on its head overnight and drove the Dawn Church to convene an Ecumenical Council, yet the wedding guests who actually witnessed it reacted with surprising calm.
That did not mean they felt nothing and simply shrugged it off with a mild “Oh, is that so.” Elves of every age and gender poured passionate prayers before the World Tree; the older ones even wept. The other demi-humans who understood the elves’ long suffering never stopped clapping in reverence and celebration.
They simply felt moved. No one recoiled in shock or lost their minds declaring the impossible had happened.
Because it had already been foreshadowed more than once.
The World Tree’s revival was no sudden surprise. Ever since last year’s School Trip, signs that the Tree was about to return had appeared at irregular intervals. Among the elves and the other demi-humans the quiet consensus had already settled in: “It will happen soon.” That “soon” simply turned out to be today.
The only guests who might have been shaken were the handful of humans present, but every human here already knew the full picture. My lovers needed no explanation, of course, and both the Wise Duke—the true mistress of this domain—and the bishop of the demi-human diocese had long been aware that the World Tree’s revival was imminent.
“Good heavens…”
“Haaah.”
If anyone looked more stunned than the elves, it was my parents. The two of them had possessed neither interest in nor information about the World Tree.
Granted, I had explained on the way to the Elf Sanctuary that a tree was currently evolving into the World Tree, but what could possibly matter more—an uncertain revival date or their son’s wedding? As a result Mother now stood entranced, staring at the World Tree and the spirits drifting around it.
“Looks like I’ll be living at the Diet for a while.”
Father’s thoroughly civil-servant appraisal, delivered while he gazed at the scene, carried a distinctly bitter note.
I understood exactly how he felt, and it pained me. Once word of this reached the Emperor’s ears, both the administration and the Imperial Diet would erupt. From Father’s perspective he had come to enjoy his son’s wedding only to witness a miracle that multiplied his workload tenfold.
Looks like the honeymoon will have to wait a bit.
I, too, foresaw my own future and managed a wry smile. Having just married Trixie I could at least brandish a honeymoon as a shield, yet using that shield to dodge the World Tree crisis I myself had helped cause would prick my conscience too hard.
So what choice was left? Once we returned to the Imperial Capital I would simply work flat-out for a few days. Fortunately I had already drawn an advance on private time with Trixie during the School Trip; there was no real hurry.
—Gyaaaaaah! Don’t choke my neck!
“Neck? Neck?”
“Where’s the neck? Where’s the neck?”
Listening to the Earth Elemental King’s desperate screams, I made that quiet resolution.
…Hm.
“Shouldn’t someone stop that?”
—If it were a lower spirit it might be different, but once you’re a Spirit King physical force doesn’t work. They’re just playing with him on purpose.
“I see.”
Ah, so it wasn’t one-sided torment; he was overacting to entertain them.
It was a moving sight. An existence bearing the title of King willingly frolicking with tiny fairies—what a gentle, kindly temperament.
“Huh?”
“He’s gone! He’s gone!”
Then the realistic screams cut off and the Earth Elemental King vanished in a faint shimmer of light.
Oh, so now it’s hide-and-seek—
—…Forced recall?
Ah.
The Fire Elemental King’s words instantly sobered the atmosphere. I might not know spirit ecology, but I knew exactly when the term “forced recall” was used.
It was the classic phrase for when a summoned being took too much shock and was bounced back to its original world.
“Didn’t you just say physical force doesn’t work?”
—It’s been ages since we left the Spirit Realm. He must have crossed over in a somewhat weakened state.
I nodded silently at the Fire Elemental King’s sheepish mutter.
In other words, the Earth Elemental King who had just been forcibly recalled had been a king in name only, little stronger than a lower spirit. That was why the fairies’ neck-choking had bounced him.
—Gyaaaaaah! Don’t choke my neck!
Recalling the Earth Elemental King’s heartrending last words, I offered a silent prayer for his soul.
We had thought it was just vivid acting, when in truth it had been a genuine cry for help. And we never even realized…
The Earth Elemental King returned soon enough.
—I was worried without the World Tree, but these modern fairies are strong…
And he came back even larger than before.
Originally he had been about the length of a human arm; the Earth Elemental King who reappeared now stretched nearly two meters. His determination not to get choked and recalled a second time was on full display.
—Strong or not, a king getting bullied by fairies…
—It took you a while to come back. You weren’t crying, were you?
The Water Elemental King in turtle form and the Wind Elemental King in tiger form needled him; the Earth Elemental King trembled with pure indignation.
More importantly, he did not deny the crying remark. Had he actually cried?
…To be honest, I probably would have cried too. The first time in centuries you set foot in the human world, you get your neck wrung by fairies and forcibly recalled. Who could imagine a Spirit King suffering such humiliation?
—Don’t tease him too hard. Who could have guessed physical force would work on us?
—Hmm.
—That’s true enough.
At the Fire Elemental King’s mediation the Water and Wind Kings stepped back, looking convinced.
Fortunately the four of them did not seem to be on bad terms. They had simply found a legal excuse to rib their friend and could not resist.
—Anyway—
Once the roasting ended, the Water Elemental King turned his head toward my maternal grandmother.
—Rafaela, it’s been a long time. You’ve aged quite a bit.
“It has been more than three hundred years since we last met, after all.”
—Even accounting for that, you look like you’ve had a hard time. That’s why I say it.
Facing Grandmother’s faint smile, the Water Elemental King worked his mouth and spat something out.
A blue bead.
—Put it in a jug with water. Drink steadily and you’ll live free of every minor illness.
The method of delivery was rather peculiar, yet because it came from a Spirit King the effect was certain. Water that granted freedom from disease was nothing short of an elixir.
“You have my deepest thanks, Your Majesty.”
—We are the ones who should be grateful. We thought we had no further connection to this world, yet thanks to you we have returned.
The Water Elemental King gave a small shake of his head and toddled toward me with tiny steps.
I feel bad applying the word “toddled” to a king, but unlike the Earth Elemental King who had gritted his teeth and grown huge, the Water Elemental King remained pocket-sized.
—Strictly speaking, thanks to all of you.
“Without Grandmother it would never have even begun.”
—You know how to be modest in moderation. Shall I give you one as well?
He worked his mouth again and spat another bead with a soft ptoo.
Was that really something you just scattered around? Two artifacts of disease-free longevity tossed out within a single minute.
—Truly a curious world. In the short time we were gone Rafaela gained a granddaughter, and that granddaughter’s husband turned out to be our benefactor.
—Isn’t that curiosity exactly this world’s charm?
—True. That was the same quality that captivated us when we first came here.
Leaving the Spirit Kings lost in distant memories, I exchanged a glance with Grandmother.
For now we would officially conclude the wedding, then continue the family conversation at Grandmother’s house.
The wedding was over. The guests who had graced the occasion offered their blessings and scattered to their respective racial districts; the bishop who had officiated hurried off as well. The World Tree’s revival was no small matter for the other demi-humans or for the Dawn Church, so that was only natural.
As a result the only ones left in the wedding venue were our kinsfolk, still dancing with fairies and spirits in celebration of the World Tree’s return.
“Let us hold the reception a little later.”
“Yes, Grandmother.”
Faced with that passionate spectacle, I and the human guests decided to withdraw to Grandmother’s house. Holding a reception in this atmosphere would hardly have been a reception for my wedding; it would have become a feast for the World Tree’s revival.
I did not mind. As Karl had said, today’s miracle would be remembered forever as a beautiful episode that illuminated the wedding. Besides, I knew perfectly well that the dancing kinsfolk adored me; once the excitement settled they would celebrate my marriage with all their hearts.
The only ones who might feel slighted were my parents-in-law, whose son’s wedding had been unexpectedly pushed into second place.
“When in one’s life does one get to witness something like this? The revival of the World Tree is a blessing for every race and the entire continent. A brief delay of the reception is no flaw at all. Rather, to have held the wedding on such a joyous day is an honor, is it not?”
Father-in-law bowed respectfully to Grandmother as he spoke.
“Moreover we already enjoyed a reception five days ago. Complaining that a second one has been postponed would simply be shameless.”
“Heh heh, is that so? Thank you for your generous understanding.”
Grandmother smiled at Father-in-law’s little joke.
I, too, let out a quiet breath of relief. I had fretted that my parents-in-law’s feelings might be hurt, yet Father-in-law was the one comforting Grandmother instead.
—You say tigers are rare these days? We stay in this form because the children look so splendid.
“The last emperor of Apels was fond of tiger pelts, so the species was hunted nearly to extinction across the continent. Only the remaining zoo specimens barely keep the bloodline alive, I hear.”
—Those people again. Whenever something strange happens it is always Apels’ fault.
Even Mother-in-law had already struck up a conversation with the Spirit Kings who had fled the fairies’ hands.
Remarkable. Mother-in-law, who had never seen a spirit before, was chatting casually with beings as exalted as Spirit Kings. Could there have been a spirit mage among her ancestors?
The idea was sudden, yet worth researching. Nothing in this world happened without cause, and the Aras Count family—Mother-in-law’s house—had flourished even before the Empire’s founding. It was entirely possible they had held some bond with spirits before the World Tree burned.
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
While I was earnestly settling on a new research topic, Karl slipped an arm around my waist and spoke.
“Oh.”
Then he glanced at Mother-in-law conversing with the Spirit Kings and let out a short sound of admiration.
“I never knew Mother got along so well with spirits. Did our house used to have a World Tree too?”
I could only laugh. Of all the jokes he might make after seeing that scene…
“If our child inherits Grandmother’s blood, they’ll make a fine spirit mage.”
And with that he stroked my belly as naturally as breathing.
The gesture was so natural my ears burned.
“Ka-Karl. There isn’t even a child yet—it’s far too soon—”
“There will be one someday. Won’t there?”
His soft yet firm words left me with no reply.