-Mashi-ta! Mashi-ta!
“….That’s… ‘that,’ right…?”
“It should be… The description matches exactly with the original.”
“Wow, it’s cute.”
The three of them, who had been staring blankly at the small creature that suddenly appeared and was devouring their lunch (from the food called Prumtr), exchanged glances before speaking.
Spirit.
In a world where magic and elves exist, it was no surprise that spirits existed as well.
Spirits, born from natural mana and shaped by their elemental properties, typically lived in harmony with nature. However, sometimes they formed contracts with those who had a talent for spirit magic, lending their power. This was explained in the original work.
The spirit before them was a Sylph, a wind spirit. Its body was slightly translucent, its surface shimmering, and its lower half resembled a small whirlwind, creating a skirt-like effect.
“The Elf’s Great Forest is said to have many spirits. Seems like that’s true.”
“Yeah, elves are often depicted as dealing with spirits, right?”
Though startled by the sudden appearance of the spirit, the two of them quickly realized it wasn’t so strange after all.
In the original, it was mentioned that spirits lived in the Great Forest, and spirit mages, who could control them, appeared as main or supporting characters.
“…But do spirits usually eat food?”
“Hmm… I don’t know. The original never mentioned anything about that.”
“Why did it suddenly appear before us, though?”
“…Could it be? Am I… a great being, not only skilled in magic but also gifted in spirit magic?”
“Talk about arrogance—you’re really getting carried away.”
While the two were having an intense discussion about the identity of the suddenly appearing spirit…
“Do you think it would get mad if I touch its ball?”
Chuckle-chuckle
“Hehe! It tickles…”
“Hah…! Isn’t it too cute?! It really looks like a doll!!”
Entranced by the cute appearance of the Sylph, Tene carefully extended a finger and touched its fluffy cheek, which was puffed up from devouring Prumtr.
Despite the unhesitating touch, the Sylph just giggled and rubbed its cheek against Tene’s finger, leaving Tene with a strange feeling as if her great dragon heart had momentarily stopped.
“Hey, hey! What are you doing touching it so recklessly when we don’t even know what it is?!”
“But it’s cute!”
“Wait, hold on. But Tene, you’re a dragon, right? Is it normal for a spirit to be this friendly with a dragon?”
“…Now that you mention it, you’re right.”
“Why? Do dragons and spirits have a bad relationship?”
While Tene was being scolded for her actions, Felix, who had been pondering quietly behind Rosaria, muttered as if puzzled.
“Normally, the mana of dragons and spirits are from completely different dimensions, like the N and S poles of a magnet. And Tene is a ferocious black dragon. But the spirit seems to be getting so close, almost without hesitation.”
“I vaguely remember reading something like that before.”
“…Really? I just skimmed past that part, so I might have missed it.”
Felix, who had read in the original that spirits, who lived in harmony with nature, didn’t typically mesh well with dragons, saw the spirit before them as an unfamiliar and somewhat alien being.
“Still, it’s cute.”
Hoo-hee! Hehehe!
Ignoring the fact that she didn’t really know much about the original, Rosaria extended her finger to the spirit. This time, the Sylph didn’t reject Rosaria’s touch and smiled happily as its head was petted.
Except for the size, it looked like an amiable, cute golden retriever of a spirit.
-”Feels good! Good human!”
“Ah? Huh?”
As Rosaria continued to pet it, the Sylph floated up into the air, then landed on Rosaria’s shoulder, opening its mouth as if in excitement.
“It seems like it likes you, huh?”
“Now that you mention it, it was also on your shoulder when it first appeared, right?”
“Was it?”
At the mention of it, both Tene and Felix recalled that the Sylph had first appeared on Rosaria’s shoulder and tilted their heads slightly in confusion.
-Wung?
And seeing the same gesture from the Sylph, it tilted its head as well.
“Well… it’s cute, so I guess it’s fine?”
Though Rosaria wasn’t sure if it was something from the original, she figured it was probably okay because it was so cute.
And that was Rosaria’s first meeting with the spirit.
Later…
“Everyone’s here.”
After a while, the family members, who had been scattered, gathered at Estel’s call.
Initially, they had been using the elders’ meeting room as a temporary office, but now Estel had confidently taken over the royal office, previously used by the Elf King, and sat in the king’s chair, looking at them with a triumphant expression.
Even though it seemed inappropriate for a princess to sit in the king’s seat without permission, no one dared to object, especially since the king was asleep and Estel’s influence was immense.
“Let’s take a look at this.”
“Wait a second… this is… this is that, right!?”
Estel, who spoke up first, placed a small bag containing something in front of them. After untying the string and opening it, she pulled out the contents, causing Felix to shout in alarm.
“…A leaf? What’s this?”
“What… is she suggesting we make some tea with it?”
However, to Rosaria and Dariann, it just seemed like an ordinary green leaf, so they tilted their heads in confusion.
“It’s not that simple! This is a World Tree leaf!!”
“World… Tree?”
“The World Tree, the massive tree standing there, the one that is home to the five remaining gods of the races and the creator of the elves!”
The World Tree.
In the mythology of the elves, it was said that its roots spread through barren lands, and the first fruit it bore transformed into elves.
“Is this really that amazing?”
“Of course! Just one leaf in water can recover tremendous fatigue, and if you turn it into medicine or potion, it can restore health, mana, increase mana sensitivity, and even boost magical power! It’s basically an elixir!”
And the World Tree’s leaf was a product of such remarkable efficacy.
“Getting one of these is harder than picking stars from the sky. Just having one leaf would be worth a mansion!”
“Wow… Is it really that valuable?”
“Each of these leaves is worth the price of a mansion!”
Felix explained, and Dariann, who had absentmindedly touched the leaf, quickly retracted his hand in panic, fearing he might have ruined it.
“What’s amazing is that elves casually chew on this rare item like gum.”
“…They chew it like gum, even though it’s worth a mansion?”
Despite its extraordinary value, to the elves, the World Tree’s leaves were a commonplace item. Having grown and lived in the World Tree’s domain, their bodies were already infused with the tree’s energy. Eating the leaves didn’t cause a significant change for them.
They simply chewed on it when they were bored or fatigued because it helped clear their minds a little.
Also, since the World Tree was enormous, its leaves were abundant and large, meaning the elves chewed on them once a day year-round.
“Everyone’s here.”
A little time passed.
At Estel’s call, the scattered family members gathered together.
At first, they had used the elders’ meeting place as a temporary office, but now, Estel had boldly taken over the royal office once used by the Elf King. With confidence, she sat in the throne that the king once used, looking at them.
Although it felt strange that the princess was using the king’s seat without permission, the king was asleep, and Estel’s influence was so immense that no one dared challenge her.
“I’ll let you see this for a moment.”
“Wait, hold on… this… this…! Isn’t this…!?”
Estel was the first to speak, placing a small bag with something inside on the table. She untied the string that closed the entrance and pulled out the contents. Felix gasped and shouted in shock.
“…Leaves? What is this?”
“What… are you suggesting we brew some tea or something?”
However, Rosaria and Dariann, seeing only simple green leaves, tilted their heads in confusion, wondering what this could be.
“It’s not something trivial! These are the leaves of the World Tree!!”
“World… Tree?”
“The World Tree… isn’t that the enormous tree standing over there in the distant land?”
The World Tree.
The World Tree is the last remaining tree from the five godly species and the creator of the Elves.
In the Elf mythology, it is said that its roots were planted in a barren land, and as it grew, the first fruits that blossomed turned into Elves.
“Is this really that extraordinary?”
“Of course! Just putting a single leaf in plain water can help with recovery, and if it’s processed into medicine or a potion, it can restore stamina, magic, increase mana sensitivity, boost magical power, and more. In short, you can make an elixir!”
And since these were leaves of the World Tree, they weren’t just simple items that could be explained away as good for tea. Their effects were truly remarkable.
“Getting one is so difficult it’s like picking stars from the sky! Just carrying a single leaf can be worth a fortune!”
“Wow… it’s really that valuable?”
“Literally, each leaf is worth a mansion…”
“Crazy… Wait, when I touched it earlier… it didn’t tear or anything, did it?”
At Felix’s explanation, Dariann, who had been absentmindedly fiddling with a World Tree leaf, quickly jerked his hand away in alarm, afraid he might have damaged it.
“What’s amazing is that here, the Elves just chew these rare items like ordinary chewing gum.”
“…They chew a mansion’s worth of leaves like gum?”
Despite the extraordinary value of the World Tree leaves, to the Elves, they were just an ordinary item.
Having been born and raised within the domain of the World Tree, they already had the tree’s energy thoroughly embedded in their bodies. For them, eating the leaves didn’t change much. It only made them feel a bit clearer mentally, so they used them when bored or tired.
Moreover, since the World Tree was enormous, its leaves were plentiful and large. Even if the Elves chewed one leaf every day, the amount of new leaves growing back surpassed the amount taken, so the Elves never saw the leaves as something rare.
“That’s why I keep saying there’s no hope here… These fools are just throwing their money away into the ground!!”
And because they didn’t understand the value of such a rare item and were carelessly discarding it, Estel’s frustration was about to burst.
One of the main problems with the Elves, who lived in their own insular world without developing, was this.
“So, I plan to process this and slowly supply it to your territory.”
“Yes. Although our territory is no longer in immediate crisis, we still lack something special to help us develop. I think this product could become a new specialty for our territory.”
While Estel and Freya were talking, the biggest issue that came up was Evergarden Territory.
Estel wanted to expand into the human world, and while they had barely escaped the greatest crisis, they still had mountains of problems to overcome in Evergarden.
So, Estel and Freya came up with a clever idea.
They decided to make the leaves of the World Tree the specialty of Evergarden Territory.
Evergarden Territory was geographically isolated from other territories, and its roads were not well-maintained. With no real specialty, it had remained quite poor.
On the other hand, the Great Forest wanted to extend its influence into the human world but had yet to find a suitable settlement.
Thus, this strategy was a win-win for both groups.
Evergarden would get a specialty and generate profits from it, and the Great Forest would have a smoother first step into the human world.
“It’s a win-win deal, isn’t it?”
“Yes, although the commission discussion is not yet finished, I think we can proceed with it gradually.”
“…Dad and Grandpa never lose their business instincts, even in a situation like this.”
“Let them be, it’s family tradition.”
“Uh… Family, right…? That’s right?”
The two of them, smiling as they spoke, were truly business-minded to the core. Despite being reunited in such a complex situation, they were calculating the money and profits thoroughly, which gave the others, including Tené, a bit of a chill.
“Before we make the official deal, I plan to go to the territory and stay there for a while to observe the situation.”
“Grandpa’s coming to our territory?”
“Grandpa’s the princess! But, can she leave her position like that?”
At Estel’s words about staying in Evergarden to observe the situation, the two siblings were shocked.
It was only natural.
The only member of the royal family in the Elf Kingdom was Estel (since the King was in a deep sleep, the first prince abdicated the throne, and the second princess had left the Great Forest).
If she left, there would be no royal family member left in the kingdom.
“It’s fine. These guys have managed without royalty until now, and although the distance is far, with Tené, I can get there in less than an hour.”
“That’s true…”
“So, it should be fine, right?”
“Now, we’re treating Tené like a taxi…”
Still, since Tené could cut down the travel time between Evergarden and the Great Forest, Estel reassured them. Meanwhile, Tené felt a little bitter, realizing she had become little more than a convenient tool.
“So, it’s decided. I’ll take one or two Elves with me.”
“Are you taking Elves with you?”
“…Yes. In the end, we’ll be making a specialty in Evergarden, and it would be helpful if we had an Elf who’s somewhat familiar with human society to help out.”
“I see… So, when are you leaving? Tomorrow?”
“Probably. But…”
While continuing the conversation, Estel suddenly noticed something and spoke up.
“Where did this come from? Isn’t that a Sylph?”
“Ah, right.”
“Hehe. I’m eating this!”
On the table, a Sylph had appeared, happily munching on a World Tree leaf with its fern-like hands, grinning widely.