"Oh, you...... fu, don't be silly."

All I had to do was apologize.

In the running carriage, tears accumulated at the edge of her eyes and she bowed her head to Kriss, who was trembling.

"I'm sorry... I was called out at a strange time... but I was going to let you out right away..."

"Hmph, normally I forget!" Cut it out! So, I guess it made sense to let me in there! Hmm? Tell me what the solution is! "

"No, I got it, so I thought I'd brag about some treasure..."

"Taaaa..."

Tino, who had been eaten once, murmured in a dry voice.

No, really, I was going to let it out right away... it was all the culprit that delayed the conversation with the Lapis and the others.

...... I'm glad I noticed now.

"I thought it would stay that way for the rest of my life. How scary it is to be suddenly thrown into the darkness--"

"... are you crying?"

"No, you're not going to cry, are you! I also had good food....."

"Did you have any food..."

But Kurus was obviously not well. I was locked up for two days, so it was only natural.

There was a fluffy bed inside Mikkun, and if I explored it, I might find a lot of other things, but the mental burden of not knowing if I could escape would be huge.

The clothes are a little untidy, and the neighborhood is stuck underneath. I was in charge of the gurus who had been inside Mikun for decades.

"Niisan, come on, please apologize!"

"Well, well, it's your fault for being so alarmed, isn't it?" Come on, I'll give you a drink-- "

Liz clapped Chris's shoulder and pushed the bottle. I can see how terrible things have been for Liz-chan, who has always affirmed me completely, when she's around Chris's comfort instead of my support.

Now the Lapis following in another carriage were looking frozen. If it wasn't for the timing to go to Yggdra, I might have left the clan.

It's a disqualification scandal for a clan master.

”... don't stop,”

"...... I haven't said anything yet"

"If you're making so much fuss every time you vote for a clan master, you know it!"

The Clan Master in [Footsteps of the Beginning] is not fixed, but is decided by ballot on a regular basis. This is a system not seen by other clans who decided when they set up their clans.

So far, the clan masters had never changed, but--it was an idle conversation.

Remove the bag of nuts from the back of the carriage and give it to Krus.

"I'm sorry. Look, I'll give you a nut to apologize for......"

"...... what is this nut?"

Huh? It's the amusement nut I gave you when I was escorting the Emperor.

"...... Yowanningen, are you always carrying it with you?"

This is also Mikun's power.

This time, Mikun packed everything I could think of. From treasures to clothes and snacks, besides the goods that Citrie asked for. Perhaps this trip will prove Mikun useful.

In retrospect, it was the first time I had carried so much treasure. There are not many treasure items that don't have the ability to change, so this time I might be able to help. Collecting treasures is fun, but there's nothing like the joy of moments that are useful in practice.

I sighed with all my senses.

"Phew... it's finally time for my collection to be useful..."

"... my brother's collection is all that's missing!" I always buy strange treasure..... "

I don't want you to tell me that you don't have a lid. "It certainly didn't come in handy, but the treasures I gave to Citrix and Liz were part of my collection..."

Well, well, there's no sin on the tools.

"... that doesn't mean there's sin in Yowanningen, does it?"

Apparently, there was a disagreement. I'm not the one to blame, but the trouble that comes to me. [M] Totally, we all have strange incidents, so we can't afford to get involved every time.

In the meantime, Citrix, who was the ruler, shouted as he paralyzed Krus' gaze with a hard-boiled smile.

"Krai-san, you look like a bandit!" What should we do? "

"Bandits!? There's no way a bandit could be in this close proximity!" Come on, come on! "

Kurus said the most important thing, but Lucia and Liz were calm. In the meantime, bandits and monsters were like the basic set for traveling. His Majesty's escort was sporadic.

Liz asks Citrix while stretching.

New face?

Looks like a new face. At least there's no one around here who's making it their castle ─ ─

"Damn, there are bad guys everywhere..."

Kurus is looking at us with a reluctant look on his face. I shrugged and sighed. [M]

"Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be my scene." Lucia, Liz, Eliza, Krus, do it. "

Unfortunately, there is no treasure in my collection that can defeat thieves and monsters.

Escort is indispensable because of this.

"Rika!" Let's go, Tee! "

Ouch! I just left the Imperial City!

"Yowanningen, why do you look so great!"

Kurus screamed, followed by Liz and Lucia, who jumped out of the carriage.

This time, the [Holy Thunder of the Stars] was coming from behind, so it was easy to win. Bring me a spear or a cannon.

§ § §

Deep in the woods, it was a mysterious space with leaves falling from the sky.

The lush trees shine brightly in the sunlight. The cloudless water that gushed from the ground created a small fountain that flowed slowly through the ground.

There were two figures in a scene-like space depicted in a famous painting.

A loose wardrobe with a young leaf color and a slender length. A line of jaws that draws a beautiful streamline in the eyebrows that are perfectly arranged. Transparent eyes celebrate a delicate beauty unlike anyone else in the world, and wonder and its appearance are in harmony with the landscape.

Even those with less knowledge could immediately understand that they were called Spirits when they saw their beauty.

Spirit Man. An intermediate being that is closer to man than to nature itself, and a little closer to the Spirit than to pure creatures.

Known for its beauty and power, and especially noble among the mysterious people whose world was filled with artificial light even now with technological progress, "Spirit Princess" whispered to the information that had been received from the outside for the first time in a long time.

"Did you find Sherro..."

"One of the wandering people discovered and quenched his soul with the help of humans. The letter is steeped in Cheryl's magic power, I'm sure of it."

The man who gave the report to the Spirit Princess with a sad expression said with a serious expression.

The most known Spiritual Queen in the world. An actor who cursed and defeated a man who tried to oppress the Spirit Man by civilization, and made his power known. The Spirit Man, who was feared among humans, was a hero among the Spirit Man, and at the same time a contraindication.

The spell that had been impregnated with its power for a long time had to be recovered now that it had gained a certain position over humans.

The curse unleashed by Shelo, who was a superior being among the Spirits, in his grudge at the destruction of the ruling forest, is not beyond human control.

Wandering people - The people called Desert Spirits among the people were transformed by the Spirits who lived in the former Sherro Forest. Naturally, the nature of the spirits who grew up by absorbing the magical power of the forest changed as they traveled around the world for generations. Communication from the wandering people means that they have fulfilled their responsibilities.

"I want to come directly to 'here' to return." It was Yugudra who gave us this mission, and it makes sense. "

Silence reigned amidst the dazzling stream of rumble.

Eventually, the Spirit Princess raised her eyebrows and said:

"That's......... I'm embarrassed. Yugudra can't afford to accept outsiders right now.”

"I'm in trouble. I didn't expect to find Sherro at this time... no, I should say it was a good time." If it wasn't a little later, I couldn't afford to accept it. "

"That's right...... I can't refuse. Because Sherro is one of us."

With a sigh, the princess of spirits lifts her face lightly and looks up at the heavens.

There was a gigantic tree thrusting through the sky.

And the trunk thereof, and the branches thereof, and the clouds thereof; and the whole length thereof is not known.

The World Tree is one of the systems that sucks mana material from the veins of the earth and adjusts the power around the stars.

However, the Spirit Man's home - the tree that Yggdra had been managing for a long time - was now about to come out of control.

With the mana material already gathered near the root of the world tree, it has become a magical realm that even the people of Yggdra can't get close to. The people of Yggdra are trying to quell it, but so far they have not found an effective hand.

"I should be welcoming and thanking the other person as much as possible, but let's drive them back appropriately." If you're the same spirit, you can't involve humans anyway. "

"Understood. However, the forest is also affected by the world tree." I don't know if I can get this far... but it's a very unlucky human. "

The sooner, the less dangerous the forest was. If we were a little later, we would have detected the danger before we even got here.

This is the worst timing. Now, I can't refuse the visit itself. We can't let the anomaly of the world tree get out there.