Le Petit Prince (1)

Nina left shortly after to check on the barrier’s maintenance and assess the forest’s condition.

She was never one with much free time to begin with.

After all, even before my regression, during the war that nearly brought the world to ruin, she was so restrained by political and physical shackles that she couldn’t even participate.

I don’t intend to criticize her for that.

“I hope that somehow worked……”

Regarding Titan, Nina had said she would ‘try to make time,’ so at the very least, she wouldn’t ignore him anymore.

And hopefully, she won’t torment him with those painful and indifferent words either.

Did she say Titan’s mother was Nina’s younger sister?

If that’s the case, shouldn’t there be some connection between them?

The pain they feel must be similar for both of them.

So, at the very least, shouldn’t they understand each other’s suffering?

Of course, this is just my idealistic thinking with fancy words.

I know that human emotions aren’t so easily sorted out.

Still, I need to do something—I can’t just sit back and do nothing.

-Well done, junior. I also think those two need to talk. Nina is typically quite brusque, so if you hadn’t said anything, she might have never spoken to him at all.

“Then I’m glad. By the way, Senior Hecate, will you be alright? Nidhogg didn’t look like an easy opponent.”

-Hohoho! What do you take me for! Young upstarts like the <Wind’s Tomb> are no match for me, even if they come at me all at once! Though it’s our dragon friend who’ll be fighting this time!

Leaving Hecate to her shadow boxing in mid-air, I started making my way back to our lodgings.

“Why are you following me?”

-Because it looks more fun.

“Is that so? I was planning to just recite scripture all day when I got back, so you’re welcome to join me.”

-In that case, I’ll head back to Nina! Take care!

She immediately flutters away at my mention of something she clearly dislikes.

Come to think of it, since she was also an apostle when she was alive, I wonder why she dislikes scripture recitation so much?

No, maybe it’s because she’s undead. I should try reciting some next time we meet to see her reaction.

But wait…

“Where am I now?”

It seems I’ve lost my way because I was distracted by Hecate.

*     *      *

They say elves are born with an innate ability to use spirit magic, and the places where they live are harmoniously intertwined with vegetation and nature.

It sounds like something out of a fairy tale, but it’s not wrong. Elves can indeed use spirit magic.

And apparently, these primitive and instinctive beings called spirits enjoy playing tricks.

Without the elves’ guidance, one might often lose their way while wandering through the forest.

That must be why.

For humans, an elven forest is inevitably unfamiliar territory.

This is my fault for getting distracted.

And it’s also Hecate’s fault for distracting me.

“I’ll think of it as gathering information……”

I was preoccupied with discussing Titan today, so I missed the chance to ask about Nina, though there were points I found questionable.

I decided to let it go for now since it might be impolite to even ask.

If Nina already knew about Hraesvelgr’s hidden intentions, what could that mean?

Whether I should consider it evil or as a necessary compromise with reality, no one can say.

“At the very least, it does seem like she knew……”

Even if she pretended otherwise, she gave me hints.

-……So calling me here was about dealing with the trials from the start.

-Perhaps. Or it might be about cutting away lingering regrets and stubbornness.

Lingering regrets and stubbornness.

Just from those words, it’s clear she’s hiding something.

By speaking that way, she’s practically admitted she’s concealing something.

And by revealing that much, she’s also indicating she won’t say more.

Not quite betrayal, but perhaps she holds some belief of her own?

Whatever it may be, she won’t hinder us. After all, she called us here because she wants to break free from those things too.

I need to believe this; otherwise, we can’t even begin this plan.

She must have gathered us together knowing this, confident that despite our suspicions, we would still help.

“Hmm?”

As I was organizing my thoughts and looking for the way, I found myself led to a familiar place, as if guided by someone.

A barrier within the barrier. A small circular area forbidden by the Saintess of Earth, Nina.

“You again?”

There was a squirrel with a ribbon looking up at the barrier.

It was the same one that had guided us here before and then scampered off as soon as Nina arrived.

“Cheep!”

The squirrel scratches at the barrier with its front paws, as if asking for it to be opened.

Naturally, a mere rodent can’t do anything to a barrier created by someone as powerful as the Saintess of Earth.

After all, it’s already blocking the monsters outside, isn’t it? Though, of course, that barrier and this one are qualitatively different.

“Hmm, even if you look at me like that, I was told not to remove it. I can’t fulfill your request when I don’t even know if you’re a troublemaker or what.”

I’m not sure if it understands my words, but I didn’t like this squirrel from the start. That’s because it didn’t look like an ordinary squirrel.

The worn and faded ribbon around its neck. It must be at least 20 years old, right?

Considering a squirrel’s lifespan, that’s quite unreasonable.

“Curious about what’s inside, Vicarious Saint?”

“Huh?”

Just as I was carefully examining the ribbon on the squirrel’s neck, Nina appeared again.

“I got lost and happened to end up here.”

“I see. Spirits enjoy playing tricks. It’s my fault for not explaining that beforehand. I apologize.”

“No need for apologies. This is just a minor happening. By the way… it ran away again.”

“Are you referring to the squirrel you mentioned yesterday?”

“Yes, it looked like it was asking me to open the barrier. I thought you might know something about it, given its apparent connection.”

Nina’s expression remains unchanged.

I can’t tell if she’s naturally unexpressive or deliberately maintaining a poker face.

We have Claire, a promising talent in expressionlessness, but she can’t compare to Nina.

“You mentioned you were busy and had to leave, but running into you here makes me wonder a bit.”

“I understand. It’s certainly a situation that warrants such thoughts.”

Why would the supposedly busy Nina be here?

Is she busy because of this place? Or did she make an excuse to avoid conversing with us?

Or if not that, then…

“Setting everything else aside, is this place more important?”

“…Very well. Instead of explaining, it might be faster to show you what’s inside.”

Nina extends her hand, and the barrier crumbles like wet paper.

Honestly, I was a bit surprised.

I was just fishing for information, but I didn’t expect her to so boldly open it.

Perhaps she was wary that I might secretly try to break the barrier myself?

“Vicarious Saint, how much do you know about the World Tree?”

Inside was a massive trunk that could hardly be considered a plant.

Even without her explanation, I could understand what it was.

“Despite its enormous size, no one can reach the World Tree. Unless the sacred tree acknowledges them, no one can approach it.”

“Is that why you’ve sealed this place?”

The root of the World Tree, Yggdrasil, infused with divinity. Right now, Nina and I are looking at it together.

Does that mean I’m qualified?

No, that can’t be. If that were the case, the squirrel would also need to be acknowledged by the World Tree.

There’s no reason to block something or someone the World Tree itself has recognized.

“This is a phenomenon born from hundreds of coincidences and thousands of years. A part of the root that should have been connected to the heart of the continent has been exposed to the outside due to a distortion in the earth.”

“So anyone could find this?”

“That’s right.”

“…I guess that squirrel really was a troublemaker.”

“Perhaps.”

A portion of the World Tree’s root protruding beyond the earth. Still, I couldn’t ignore the thousands of small teeth marks engraved on that massive tree.

If that squirrel had been gnawing on the World Tree’s root, it made sense to set up a barrier to prevent it.

But what I couldn’t understand was why Nina had pretended not to know.

“What is that squirrel’s true identity?”

“That’s not something for the Vicarious Saint to concern himself with. This is an elven matter. I don’t think I owe you an explanation about such political issues.”

“…Well, alright. If you say so, I’ll believe you.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

The problems I need to solve are already mountainous.

In such a situation, interfering in another country’s political matters would be too presumptuous.

If I’m not going to provide a solution, it’s better to leave it alone rather than meddling and making things more complicated.

“…However, I can tell you this much. Vicarious Saint, do you know about spiritual beasts?”

I do know about them.

After all, the <Wind’s Tomb> entities we’re facing are also referred to as spiritual beasts.

“I understand they’re magical beasts capable of using spirit power… that’s what I’ve been told.”

Given the flow of the conversation, that squirrel must be a spiritual beast.

To be honest, I don’t know much about spiritual beasts. Since they’re creatures related to spirits, most of them inhabit the Alfheim region.

The exceptions would be spiritual beasts born in Alfheim but who left. Most of them were violent and powerful beings.

A prime example is the trial known as the <One Who Burns Eternity>, Phoenix.

An immortal spiritual beast that cannot be killed.

“Spirits are both power and life. We utilize their power and also listen to their voices.”

“It’s quite moving to hear something that sounds like it’s from a fairy tale in person.”

Honestly, it sounds rather abstract to me. Since I can’t see their form or hear their voices, it’s like something from another world.

“What’s important is that they too can die. And the world is full of their invisible corpses.”

“That’s not really something I wanted to know. It feels like you’re revealing the truth about ghosts clinging to people who were unaware of their presence.”

“Hehe, perhaps that’s not far off.”

Nina smiled.

I think this is the first time I’ve seen her smile. I wonder what it means?

Is the upcoming conversation important? Or has she decided to open up to me a bit?

Whatever the case, it’s nice to see her smile.

“Spirits, like humans, each have their own personality. They handle different powers and have different preferences.”

“In terms of magic, you mean they have different elemental affinities?”

“Something like that.”

I already knew this much.

Even the spirit magic that Titan uses is limited to manipulating the earth. I recall hearing that to freely wield powers of other attributes, one needs to earn the favor of spirits corresponding to those attributes.

“Because of this, when spirits die, they often gravitate toward environments similar to their own nature.”

“Like an elephant graveyard.”

Well, that’s more of a hunter’s white lie, but still.

“What we call spiritual beasts are born from these graveyards of dead spirits.”

Nina suddenly extends her hand, and from within her loose sleeve, a pure white snake pokes out its head.

It’s not an ordinary snake. It seems that this snake is also a type of spiritual beast.

“That’s why spiritual beasts, unlike regular magical beasts, are friendly to elves.”

“I think I’ve heard something about that before. That wandering elves have companions.”

And that snake coiled around Nina’s wrist must be what could be called her companion.

I’m learning a lot today.

However…

“I’m not sure how this relates to our current situation.”

“No, you should understand.”

Here she goes again, overestimating me. It’s making me uncomfortable.

Couldn’t she just explain it? Do I really need to figure it all out by straining my brain?

Still, I decided to do as she asked. She’s my senior in life, after all. Yes, a senior’s words should be heeded.

“It sounds like that squirrel also had a companion.”

“……”

“Are you telling me not to blindly hate it, even if it is a troublemaker?”

Most likely, the elf companion of that squirrel is no longer in this world.

That’s why it still wears the worn ribbon. Even if it’s a troublemaker, it’s a being that has lost someone who was once family.

That’s why she only blocks it from seeking the World Tree’s root.

She doesn’t directly deal with it. That’s how I interpreted the situation.

*     *      *

Having experienced the annoyance once, I made sure not to get distracted and found my way back properly.

The small cabin Nina lent us. Although we’ve only been here for a day, it already feels like home—perhaps because it’s so comfortable?

“Welcome back, Lost.”

Just as I was about to open the door, it opened from inside, and Línea appeared.

Seeing her wearing an apron, she must have been preparing lunch.

That elegant appearance somehow seems calculated. A fox will always be a fox.

“Did the meeting go well?”

“Yeah, no major issues. Oh, and Old Man Geppetto was there.”

As I speak, Línea naturally takes my coat.

“Oh, you’re back. You must be pleased, having worked so hard since morning.”

“You still look like you’re lounging around, so you must be really pleased.”

“Indeed I am.”

In the living room, Claire was lying on the sofa, blankly staring at the ceiling.

Titan, as always, was silently meditating.

Hmm, watching this scene, I think I realized something.

The comfort of this cabin wasn’t due to Nina providing such a nice place, but because my companions are here.

For me, it seems home is not a place but the people.

“Ah! That’s right, Lost. What would you like to do first? Eat? Take a bath? Or maybe…”

Línea suddenly seemed to remember something and started to suggest something with a playful expression, but…

“Let’s have a meeting first. Everyone, sit down.”

“……”

I’m not leisurely enough right now to play along with such jokes.