Chapter 36: The Green Forest , The Deepest Part(4)

“How’s the food?”
“Delicious. It is, but…”

Avalli’s stomach, chilled from the cold, was warmed by the rich tonkotsu ramen. She briefly wondered if elves, known for their vegetarian diets, should be eating this, but fictional worlds had their own rules. And besides, the ramen was…

‘…Delicious. That’s all that matters.’

After finishing her meal in the guest room, she was served dango and tea for dessert. She didn’t usually care for dango, but it tasted heavenly now. Asha Village wasn’t exactly known for its sweets, except for the occasional peach honey preserve from Bern.

“Could I… have some more?”
“Certainly. As much as you’d like, Avalli.”
“Thank you, Makiera.”

The elven priestess, honored to be addressed by name, bowed and left the room. The guest room resembled the luxurious ryokans she had only seen in YouTube travel vlogs. The main difference being the marble floor and bed instead of tatami mats.

Why would the game developers choose this aesthetic?

“…Whatever.”

Avalli muttered, glancing at the high ceiling, then quickly looked away, slightly dizzy from the glittering chandelier.

‘Time for some self-reflection.’

She began reviewing the earlier events.

First, she had been too complacent.

‘Sylvain seemed really strong.’

While Sylvain had eventually warmed up to her and treated her as a guest… her initial reaction had been wary, bordering on hostile. Avalli had confidently approached the World Tree, certain she could defeat any demonic beast in the Eastern Great Forest. But Sylvain was far more powerful than she had anticipated.

Avalli had prioritized communication, and thankfully, Sylvain was rational, so a fight had been avoided. But what if a similar situation arose in the future?

What if the being she encountered wasn’t as reasonable as Sylvain? What if they attacked immediately? Would she have survived?

‘…I don’t think I would lose to Sylvain, though.’

The answer was yes. She couldn’t explain it, but… she couldn’t imagine losing. She didn’t feel threatened by Sylvain.

So, it was a minor point for reflection. The second issue was more serious.

Second, her improvisational skills were lacking.

‘I almost drowned.’

Avalli had always been a terrible swimmer, both in her past and present bodies. She always stuck to the shallows when playing with the children in the river. So, when she fell into the spring, she had genuinely panicked… but looking back, it was ridiculous.

‘Drowning’ was not a fitting end for a being like Avalli. Yet, she had almost died. The fact that she had been in real danger was the problem. Her old, human common sense was still holding her back.

‘…I need to find a solution.’

The most effective method would be to change her entire thought process. Her ‘magic’ could probably rewrite her subconscious easily.

But she was hesitant. Would a rewritten mind still be her?

And then, a strange thought surfaced. ‘Is that really necessary?’ As if the threat of death was no longer something she needed to concern herself with.

“Excuse me, Avalli. I’ve brought more sweets.”

Just as she resolved to address the issue later, Makiera returned with more dango. But unlike before, she wasn’t alone.

“You have a sweet tooth, I see.”
“Oh, Sylvain.”

Behind Makiera stood Sylvain, the white-haired elf, dressed in a kimono that reached her ankles.

“You may leave us, Makiera. I’ll call you back when I’m finished talking with Avalli.”
“Yes, Lady Sylvain.”

Makiera bowed respectfully and retreated silently. Avalli spoke first.

“You’re back earlier than I expected.”
“The enemy retreated as soon as I appeared. So I’m free to entertain our guest.”
“Enemy…?”
“Those who seek to destroy the World Tree and enter the inner sanctum.”

Sylvain sat opposite Avalli and sighed.

“Just to be sure, you have no connection to them, do you, Avalli?”
“I don’t even know who they are.”
“…I see. This complicates matters.”

Sylvain said, putting a pipe to her lips.

‘…In front of a child?’

Despite the thought, Sylvain exhaled a puff of pungent smoke. Avalli frowned and used her ‘magic’ to dissipate the smoke.

“My apologies. You don’t smoke, I presume?”
“…I’m twelve.”
“Hahaha, what a funny joke.”

Sylvain laughed heartily, but Avalli’s expression remained serious.

“…Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“Well, twelve is a bit young to start smoking. I’ll give you some as a gift if you like.”

Avalli was about to refuse when she paused. Someone in Asha Village would probably smoke it. Tobacco was a luxury item, so even if no one smoked it, they could sell it.

“I’ll take it, then. Although I probably won’t smoke it myself.”
“A gift is a gift. It’s up to the recipient how they use it.”

Sylvain smiled faintly. She took a few more puffs and then tucked the pipe back into her obi.

“So, Avalli, why have you come to my domain?”
“Well, it’s a bit of a long story.”

Avalli explained how she had ended up at the World Tree. She had been searching for demonic beasts to obtain magic stones. When she couldn’t find any, she had used detection magic. And the Detect spell had led her to the traces of Spatial magic, which she had followed here.

“…I’m the one who brought the demonic beasts here. I needed every bit of strength I could muster to defend the front lines.”
“I see.”
“But… is all of this truly a coincidence?”
“…It’s a coincidence.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt you, Avalli. But coincidences between Transcendent Beings are often… destiny. There must be a reason you’ve come to meet me.”

Sylvain, after her roundabout preamble, finally got to the point.

“Could you help me?”
“What do you need help with?”
“I’d like you to help me defend the World Tree. With your power, we could strike directly at the enemy’s base.”
“…That’s…”

It sounded like some kind of war was going on, but Avalli didn’t want to get involved in a fight she knew nothing about.

“I understand. It’s a big ask. Not all Transcendent Beings share the same goals—”
“Excuse me, Sylvain. Wait a moment.”

Avalli interrupted, scratching her cheek.

“What exactly is a Transcendent Being?”
“…I see. That explains a few things.”

Sylvain nodded to herself, as if something had finally clicked into place, and then began to explain.

“A Transcendent Being is exactly what the name suggests—a being who has transcended. They are the most powerful beings on this continent. You’re twelve years old, correct?”
“Yes, twelve.”

Sylvain accepted Avalli’s blatant lie and continued.

“Then you must be the most recently ascended Transcendent Being. It’s understandable that you haven’t fully grasped your own power yet. But you’ve already shed the shackles of ‘ordinary’. You’re beyond the realm of ‘genius’. You have ‘transcended’, possessing power enough to influence the fate of the world.”
“…Hmm.”

That was… a lot to take in. So, she wasn’t just some powerful mage, but a being on the level of a monster? Or perhaps even a god.

“You’ll come to understand it eventually, Avalli. I won’t force my views upon you. Why don’t you finish your dango? I have a craving for sweets after all that exertion.”
“Alright.”

Avalli opted for the sweet treat rather than dwelling on the complicated explanation. As she enjoyed the dango with fragrant tea, Sylvain spoke again.

“I won’t ask you to fight with me again. But could I ask you for another, smaller favor?”
“…A smaller favor?”
“In exchange, I’ll provide you with as many magic stones as you want. And anything else you desire from the Great Forest.”

It was a tempting offer, but something felt off. However, she couldn’t refuse without hearing her out, so Avalli remained silent.

“Could you deliver a letter for me to the three secluded sisters? There’s no rush. We have about ten years. Just deliver it within five.”
“Three sisters…?”

Avalli tilted her head, and Sylvain replied casually,

“The three Goddesses of the Holy Kingdom.”
“…What?”

Goddesses? Out of nowhere?