Ash Von Agnus's POV
He introduced himself and walked toward me slowly.
Then, the grass and trees rose from the ground, forming tables and chairs.
"... Sit down first. I believe you have much to say."
He sat naturally on a chair, prepared a cup of tea, poured it, and placed it in front of me.
"It's not real, but you need to match this setup to create the right atmosphere, so try it." I took a casual sip of the tea.
Then, an incomparable refreshing sensation filled my body, unlike any tea I had ever drunk before.
"Ha."
"We're drinking the leaves of the World Tree, not bad," he said.
Should I say that good energy emanates from the depths of the soul just by drinking it?
He also took a sip of the tea and looked at me calmly.
"You are the descendant of that child, what was his name, Julius? You have the same look."
"And you have the blood of another, the Lord of Dragons... This is no rumor; it's interesting."
The World Tree did not bother to deny my words. Instead, she asked, "Are you the one who saved the summoning rune?"
"Correct."
Upon my answer, she looked at me with surprised eyes and said, "Interesting. I didn't think anyone would know that in this era."
"I have foresight. I can't believe it."
"You're right."
"If there's a record of it... well, that means you're somewhat aware of the situation I'm in."
"It's just a guess."
After I got lucky, I said what I guessed. "Doesn't it have something to do with a demon or the like?"
At my words, her eyes widened as if disturbed for a moment.
Nothing else could disturb the World Tree to this extent. If it was a presence that could consume and sicken this level of existence, there wouldn't be many candidates.
A demon or the like.
Demons and demon lords do not belong to this world. They are invaders, unlike other races. Of course, the World Tree, which maintains and protects this world, or at least most of Arcadia, and manages the land, is a thorn in their side.
In fact, this is the record of Thoth. Yes, the remnants of... this dreadful being caused trouble.
I lost a lot. We couldn't end it even then, so we had no choice but to choose for future generations... the first and the last. As a result, I couldn't complete it.
The World Tree slowly raised her hand.
At that moment, the truth she had been hiding was revealed.
Crack.
The pure white skin cracked, and the limb soon collapsed.
The collapsed part burned black with black smoke.
"The skin of the demon is certainly tenacious. I don't know if the demon duke is completely gone, but unfortunately, it wasn't."
It's like a back-and-forth conversation, but I felt I knew what was happening with just that.
Why did that great tree of the world die?
"Are you trying to handle it by yourself?"
If left alone, it would consume the world.
"I had no choice. To be honest, I was a bit arrogant at that time, wondering if I could handle it alone."
The power of a demon of duke rank was stronger than she thought, and it grew stronger day by day.
No doubt, the vitality that fought against the remnants for a long time became harder to maintain as time passed.
"To put it in human terms, I voluntarily received a poison with a 100% fatality rate. I didn't think it was... that much at the time, so I just dealt with it."
"That means you can't handle it after all."
"What does that mean?"
"It wouldn't be strange if you died soon."
It wasn't good.
She smiled helplessly with a resigned look.
I asked cautiously, "How long can you hold out?"
"The decision will be made in four days. It would be nice to see it almost over, but there is still a little room until then. There is room."
In other words, the World Tree itself still had hope.
After the death of the World Tree, Amelia, one of the heroines of the novel, constantly blames herself for her incompetence.
"I have only one chance. If I seize the opportunity, I will be able to solve it."
"I understand. That means the demon hasn't reached your core yet."
"Then there is a chance. It's just that you can't solve the problem by yourself, but with the help of others, it becomes possible."
In the novel, it was destroyed along with the demon duke.
"There was no meaning."
The reality was too harsh.
At the moment of her death, the demon who had been watching the gap in the world intervened.
As a result, her choice was like a dog's death.
However, it's different now.
There is still a chance to change it.
There was no direct contact with the "World Tree" in the novel.
"She appeared in front of me because I knew there was hope."
At my words, the World Tree was silent for a moment, staring intently at the teacup in front of her, showing signs of distress.
"Should I call this hope? All you have to do is eliminate them before they reach your core."
"Four days."
I looked at her and said firmly, "I'll make sure to restore you within those four days."
"Can I trust you?..."
"Anyway, there was no one else who approached you until now. Pretend you're deceived and trust me."
It would be hard to trust since each opponent was different, but wasn't this a proposal with nothing to lose from her perspective?
If so.
"Oh, of course, before that."
I interrupted her midway and quickly got to the point.
"I want to get an advance payment."
"Advance payment?"
"...Hmm?"
"If I solve the problem, I'll get a reward, right? I just want to take a little bit in advance."
The World Tree opened her eyes wide.
"What do you want?"
"It's nothing. A little Water of Life will suffice."
It wasn't just about the Water of Life. It was necessary to solve her problem.
"I would like to receive it now."