Chapter 91
People, Run
Translator : PolterGlast
"No, it's not a
'just a bit' level of request!!!!!"
He said it with such a
casual air, like asking me to run a simple errand, that I shouted twice. I even
wondered if I had imagined it. I didn't understand the meaning or the purpose
at all, and besides, "Why me!?" I threw away all pretense of
politeness. This guy was just a muscle-bound bear. That was a lie. He was
supposed to be the highest authority in Kasei.
"Think about it.
Why is the land breaking apart?"
"That's...
because Kasei is the oldest of the leaves, and the roots don't have the
strength to support the land..."
"That's
right."
What else could it be?
Feeling clueless, I slowly sat down in front of Kuuga. In seiza. I decided this
was a story I needed to hear while sitting properly. Lotus also sat
cross-legged next to me after a slight pause. He apparently couldn't do seiza.
"Then, why is it
collapsing little by little from the edges, instead of all at once?"
"Why... because
it's collapsing from the places where it can no longer support itself,
right?"
"The roots have a
limit to what they can support. The countries are like leaves growing on the
World Tree, but the heavy leaves fall first. We don't know which leaves will
fall. That's the scariest part. --So, we'll choose which leaves to drop
first."
I vaguely understood
what he was trying to say. Kuuga's story was perhaps closer to pruning than
just leaves. If there was a limit to the amount the roots could support, we
should lighten the load first. That way, we could choose which land to drop.
"No, um,
but..."
"I'll give you a
map of the locations later. I've also scouted various places. There are no
humans, no animals, and we've already secured personnel to evacuate in case of
emergency. They're hard workers."
He was grinning
broadly, but that wasn't the point.
"...Neither El
nor I know how to cut the World Tree."
That was it. Besides,
I still hadn't heard the reason why he was asking me. "Is that so?"
Kuuga tilted his head. Then, he pointed to the bracelet that was still in my
hand. "Veda gave it to you, right? That's the whole reason." I still
didn't understand.
Kuuga opened his large
hand and gestured for me to hand it over. It was the original purpose. Still
clueless, I just handed it over. Then, strangely, the patterns on the bracelet
disappeared, and it turned into just a wooden ring.
"Eh...?"
"This magic tool
changes its appearance only for those who can use it. Didn't you notice?"
"B-but..."
Veda had handed it to
me while enclosing my hand, so I hadn't noticed.
"I also thought
that only Veda could handle this. This bracelet is a magic tool for managing
the World Tree. Usually, he just uses it here for pruning."
『Pruning in progress. Branches that have no chance of
growing are being cut off.』
--I had seen that
before. I remembered.
Indeed, Veda had
previously been tending to the World Tree in this place, the one now above our
heads. At that time, every time he moved his staff, the design of one of his
bracelets would change. I had thought it was a strange bracelet.
"...Why me?"
Veda was a genius at
handling magic tools. But I had only touched magic tools a handful of times
since coming to this country. During the sand scorpion incident, I could barely
use the megaphone with Socius's help. I was dumbfounded. It was then.
"Hey, El. You
don't have the skill to see the future, do you?"
He said it so matter-of-factly
that my reaction was quite delayed. "And Lotus. It's also a lie that you
have the skill to conceal your presence, right?" I stared at Kuuga in
surprise, then quickly shifted my gaze to Lotus. Lotus himself had a cool
expression, while I was like this. It was already too late when I realized it
was like giving away the answer.
"...Just as I
thought. I told you I have good eyesight. I can tell even if others have unique
skills. Lotus, you don't have any special skills unique to you as an individual.
Which means, El, it was your power that was concealing the slimes' presence.
But it's too strange to just call it presence concealment. You can also change
your own appearance, or rather, it's probably something with a wider range of
uses."
Of course, he didn't
seem to grasp that I had an illusion skill, but he seemed to have reached
something close to it. "But now, why you know the future is becoming quite
unclear..." I flinched. "Well, about that, never mind." I
breathed a sigh of relief for the time being.
"Veda's got a
sharper mind than me. Watching you guys, he must have sensed something strange.
And then, he gave you the bracelet. That's just like him. He probably went to
those Hail Land guys with complete confidence. But even he wouldn't give them
the magic tool for managing the World Tree branches, not even as a remote
possibility."
His words, telling me
to give the bracelet to the Lord of the Main Tower, were the whole answer. Even
if I could use this bracelet, I probably wasn't meant to wish for anything with
it. It was just a very important magic tool, so he entrusted it to someone who
could use it.
"For me, his
thoroughness is a blessing. He's my right-hand man, after all. Maybe my left
hand. Or should I say both legs?"
Well, that didn't matter.
When Kuuga returned the bracelet to me, strange patterns slowly floated back
into it.
"...I'll
definitely transform the water sphere membrane. If I do that, those guys won't
be able to lay a hand on Kasei. That's the end of the story. But, I also want
to follow Veda's example and prepare for the worst. Those Hail Land guys
probably have some kind of spell or skill to destroy Veda's wall of wind. If
their ability is beyond my expectations, we'll have no choice but to fight.
But, fighting and dying together with the enemy as the land collapses is no
joke."
In other words, I was
just a precaution. We would transform the water sphere membrane and prune the
World Tree at the same time, preparing for the worst-case scenario of a battle.
"...Veda said
there were no requests or anything he wanted us to do."
Because Lotus and I
weren't residents of this country. That's what he had said. "That's
right," Kuuga also nodded.
"I won't force
you. I don't even know if it's possible. To drop the land ourselves before it
falls on its own. No one has ever done such a thing. There's no guarantee of
safety anywhere."
In the first place,
the word "World Tree" was something that made the people of this
world shrink back. To cut it at that. Me.
My arm was pulled. It
was Lotus.
His blackish-purple
eyes were fixed on me. Looking into those eyes, I suddenly remembered.
"Hey, Lotus," I said. Instead of a reply, his eyebrows twitched
slightly.
"I asked before,
right? What did I think at first?"
When I was alone,
realizing this world was the game, knowing I was Eldorado. Just three years.
Already three years. I didn't even know how to put it into words, but I think
there were many feelings. Fear, loneliness, surprise, and so on. I probably
pretended to be strong. Because even if I was scared, I had to live, so I
remembered my former adult self and desperately stood on my own two feet.
"I don't know
anything about Saint. I just wanted to live peacefully. To grow up. That's what
I thought."
I didn't care about
the game, and as long as I could live, nothing else mattered. That's why I
tried to discard the name Eldorado and just become "El." The plan
succeeded. Thanks to Lotus, I met people I could love, I could hide the fact
that I was a demon, I could eat delicious food, and I wanted to continue
growing up like this. Because I knew best that I was still a child.
Because I was a child,
I foolishly charged forward, failed, and repeated only regrets. Couldn't I have
done better? If I had, the town of Cloudy wouldn't have been destroyed. The
desire to become an adult had somehow shifted to having to become an adult. I
wanted to stand next to Lotus. The adult Eldorado was probably what I desired
most. But even so.
--I want to see El
again.
That was the memory
Veda had shown me.
The words I heard when
he showed me the memory of the World Tree that he had been constantly peering
into. What they had felt in the town where I had irresponsibly disappeared.
"...I always feel
like I'm just rushing forward, messing everything up, being so stupid."
There were countless
times I thought that. Lotus had even scolded me for being reckless. "But
about that," I was too embarrassed to say that it had meaning. Still, I
had touched a sparkling feeling, like spilled stars. --I was probably happy.
I hated my
thoughtless, reckless self. But perhaps my recklessness could save someone,
even just a little.
"I'm sorry, I'll
go."
The first part was to
Lotus and Ichi and the others. They were probably worried about me. The latter
part was to Kuuga, having made up my mind.
The force pulling my
arm from Lotus disappeared, so I stood up. Then, Lotus did the same. Wondering
what was going on, he said it as if it were obvious, "Of course I'm going
too," which somehow made me feel embarrassed. Of course, Ichi and the
others were bouncing around.
"...Thank
you."
"No, um, but I
still don't really get how to use this. Huh? Can I really use this? Am I just
imagining things?"
The bracelet would
probably be troubled if I asked it. I even felt like the patterns had changed
for a moment. I was terribly sorry. Kuuga, who had looked so confident, was now
looking at me with worried eyes as I repeatedly held the bracelet up, lowered
it, and danced around. It was quite painful to receive such a look of "Is
this person really okay?" from someone so confident.
"...Don't you
have any skills you can use?"
In such a situation,
Lotus was still reliable. "Um, skills? Skills? Diving, wall climbing,
forced smiles..." "...Haven't some of those increased?" My
subtly, too subtly, growing list of skills was expanding.
I pictured each one in
my mind. Among them, something clicked. I was scared of what would happen if I
was wrong, but there was no point in just saying that. "Oh, to use it, you
wear it on your hand," I nodded at Kuuga's additional explanation and,
following Veda's example, put it on my right hand. The size that should have
been loose moved and fit my arm perfectly. "Hiee." I was startled.
But there was no time to be startled. I raised my right hand.
"Skill,
Mimicry!!"
It was a skill I had
acquired in Leyshan when I made a lovely, red-haired friend named Elma. A skill
to imitate others. I had imitated Lotus a few times, but this was my first time
with someone else.
In my memory, I
recalled Veda's figure. His skill was being able to use magic tools better than
anyone else. I pictured in my mind not him, but his skill, trying to imitate
it.
The patterns on my
right hand moved as if letters were being pulled out. It glowed slightly. The
way to use magic tools flowed into my mind.
"...I can use
it."
"See?" Kuuga
grinned as if to say, "I knew it." "Let's get the preparations
done quickly. A map, some emergency food, and a weapon while we're at it—"
"Wait a minute!" Kuuga snapped his fingers, and luggage rained down
from mid-air. Was it a dimensional pocket-type magic tool? It was too
convenient.
"Could it be,
right now!?"
"Of course."
"B-before that,
I, I'd like to prepare on this side too...!"
"...Ah, things
you're used to using are probably easier to handle."
"That's right,
sorry, sorry," Kuuga bent his large body down. That was part of it, but
having come this far, I wanted to be fully prepared myself. I really hated the
thought of anything happening to the city.
I "prepared"
at lightning speed. I didn't want to leave any worries behind.
"Alright, let's
go!"
At Kuuga's words,
Lotus and I nodded. "Leave it to us!" Ichi and the others split up
and went into our bags, Lotus's and mine.
"Normally, you
shouldn't do it without performing a ritual, or you'll incur the wrath of the
gods. However, cutting down branches of the World Tree is already something
that's bound to incur their wrath, so what's the difference now?"
Unlike the necessary
pruning of the World Tree that Veda did, what we were about to do was an act to
save our own lives.
"--Approved! In
the name of the Lord of the Main Tower, I bestow my blessing!"
Kuuga clapped his
large hands together. Startled, Nii, who was usually so calm, jumped up with a
fugyaa inside my bag. I was also surprised, but I held down the lid of my bag,
saying, "It's okay."
The surrounding air
had changed.
It was as if someone
was looking down on us, as if another, larger presence was nearby, enveloping
us.
"Send them to the
World Tree!"
Light drew an arc
around our feet, Lotus's and mine. "Ah," I gasped. My vision blurred
slightly. Melting, softening, mixing together. For a moment, I felt a little
scared. But then Lotus hugged me from behind, so I felt relieved. Kuuga's
figure was already receding into the distance.
--I'm counting on you.
Was it just my
imagination? I felt like his lips were saying that. Probably just a feeling.
***
The starlight
glittered, rising into the sky and disappearing.
(Decomposition...
reconstruction, further decomposition, reconstruction. Is this the limit?)
Even while speaking to
El and the others, calculations were constantly running through Kuuga's mind.
The lifespan of the water sphere membrane was also the lifespan of this
capital. He wanted to avoid it if possible, but he had no choice. Considering
the current situation, not a single second could be wasted. He hurried towards
the workshop. No, the central part of this tower, which was also called the
workshop. It was the very lifeblood of the water sphere membrane.
(To go any further,
I'll have to tamper with the real thing.)
The calculations were
complete. What should he do from now on? He sent instructions to the confused
students and soldiers. However, he himself couldn't give direct orders. The
sealed room wouldn't allow any interference. That's how he had made it.
Honestly, it was tough
not having Veda, who was so reliable in times like these. Had he relied on him
too much? Along the way, he snatched the communication device left in Veda's
room. Only this magic tool had a counterpart, so he could at least send his
voice from inside the room. The other counterpart had been lost during his
travels. That was why communication with Kuuga had been severed. Of course, he
had told Veda about this.
"--It's me. Can
you hear me?"
When he put it to his
ear, he heard the sound of something falling over on the other side. He had
told him to keep it on at all times, but the fact that he responded was good
enough.
"Out of the blue,
we're starting! You guys hurry up too, don't miss the snake's tail!"
***
Why did it have to be
like this...? Socius's consciousness faded for a moment. If he just rolled his
bright blue eyes back and collapsed, how much easier would that be?
According to El, he
was apparently one of the "preparations." He had been dragged along
by an incredibly hurried and strangely excited El, accompanied by a scream of 『I found you!! I really found you!!!』 and had been dumbfounded to find himself facing the Lord
of the Main Tower, a being far too big for Socius to comprehend.
『Hiee! He's even more of a macho bear up close than I
imagined!!』
『We already did that!』
"Macho bear"
was apparently an abbreviation of "bear" and "macho." What
was "we already did that"? Amidst his confusion, he was told
everything. The wall of wind would disappear. If, by any chance, the soldiers
of Hail Land and Kasei fought, the land would shatter. El was going to cut down
branches of the World Tree right now.
No, he didn't want to
know such a thing. He just wanted to be a normal guy.
『No, but, why me...?』
『Kuuga-san can't leave his room right now because he's
transforming the water sphere membrane! Of course, he'll tell everyone not to
fight, and I think there are many capable people in the Magic Tower. But, I
don't know those people.』
So, Socius, please
help!
El had said she didn't
want to leave any uncertainties. She was just being extra careful, preparing
for the worst. Anyway, she wanted to do everything she could.
『Because... you're the one person in this city that I
know and trust the most...!』
After replying,
"Okay," he surprised himself. But he immediately asked what he should
do. First, find people. Socius was nearby, so Ichi and the others' search
skills quickly located him. But they didn't know where that person was. He
heard the name, grasped the features, and was prepared to run all over the
capital of Kasei. But he was found surprisingly quickly.
An old man wearing a
straw hat—his name was Seirou.
"If it's a
request from little El, I'll strip down as much as you want, even stark
naked!"
Amidst the voices
laughing heartily, Socius was nowhere to be found. However, in the center of it
all, his mouth was turned down in a frown, and his body was slightly tilted. He
wanted to go home. This Seirou person was just an old man, yet the pressure from
the muscles of the other party was incredibly frightening.
(Just what in the
world am I doing...?)
He had certainly
thought about whether there was anything he could do. But somehow, the
direction was different from what he had imagined.
Clutching his black
robe with both hands, feeling utterly lost, he had to pull his mouth into a
determined line to keep himself from crying right then and there.
"Hey, bro! The
capital of Kasei, no, all of Soleil is in grave danger! We, the Soleil Merchant
Guild, will lend you all the help we can!"
"Ugh!"
The moment he was
slapped hard on the back, he fell forward.
And a few tears even
spilled out.
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