Chapter 47. Time to Reap (2)
Opening a Cradle was a historic event capable of throwing the entire continent into an uproar.
Every nation would undoubtedly try to secure a share of the natural resources that emerged from the Cradle by any means possible.
But unlike the Cradles that had been opened throughout history, this one possessed clear owners.
Those owners were, naturally, the Elves.
As long as owners existed, even the Empire could not simply set foot inside as it pleased.
Of course, if the Elves attempted to completely block human access, humanity might even wage war against them.
One might argue that humans would have no justification for doing so.
But when enormous interests were involved, humans did not particularly require justification.
That was why Shane needed to prevent humanity from acting recklessly.
He needed to keep their Greed from developing into selfishness.
And he needed to prevent that selfishness from causing division among humans.
Humans were creatures perfectly willing to stab one another in the back the moment profit appeared before them.
Conversely, however, they were also rational enough to join hands with even their most bitter enemies when sufficient profit was at stake.
Shane needed to control that delicate balance.
Because of that, he spent several days discussing their future plans with Priscilla.
“Phew. Good. I think we’ve settled most of the problems now?”
“Indeed.”
“My, I’ve done far too much work for someone like me. I’ll finally be able to relax once the children wake up.”
Shane ignored Priscilla’s exaggerated complaint and continued.
“When the time comes, I will return for that item.”
“I’ll have it prepared. But you do understand that I’m only giving it to you under the assumption that everything we’ve discussed proceeds without any problems, right?”
Opening the Mezaia Great Forest would not benefit Shane alone.
The Elves would also be able to prepare in advance for the countless problems that would inevitably arise once their Cradle opened.
Furthermore, once humanity’s attention became focused on this place, Nameless would no longer be able to operate as freely as before.
Because of that, Priscilla had promised Shane one of the treasures sleeping deep within the Mezaia Great Forest.
A treasure that would never again appear in the world.
The last of its kind.
A Dragon’s Reverse Scale.
It was an object containing the accumulated Natural Essence of a being that had once stood at the pinnacle of all races.
And in the future, it would become one of Shane’s most important means of opposing Nameless.
“The Dragon Heart has returned to normal, but this is hardly the time to relax. We still have work to do.”
Priscilla immediately nodded at Shane’s words.
There were two matters that took priority over everything else before the Mezaia Great Forest could be opened.
Resolving the Mana Instability—
And awakening the Elves who had entered their Dormancy Period.
“Hmm~ That’s right. Unless we solve this problem, the plan you described will run into serious difficulties. But this isn’t something even I can simply fix. It seems something has gone wrong with the World Tree.”
“Then let us go immediately.”
“Hmm…… Normally, bringing another race all the way beneath the World Tree would be unthinkable……”
Priscilla looked at Shane.
“I know how much stronger your power becomes there. There should be no need for another oath.”
“My. You even know that? There really is nothing you don’t know.”
“I only know what I know.”
The two soon headed toward the heart of the World Tree.
They did not travel there on foot.
Instead, they used a Magic Circle installed within the Queen’s chamber.
And when they arrived before the World Tree—
The sight was both majestic and solemn.
The colossal tree stretched high into the heavens, every bit as enormous as people might imagine.
Although it had never once been visible from the outside, the massive tree stood perfectly upright, completely unaffected by whatever conditions existed beyond it.
The interior of the World Tree suited the name Cradle in the truest sense of the word.
Countless Elves slept deeply within fruits growing inside the World Tree.
Even that was a sight beyond ordinary human imagination.
Yet something even more extraordinary existed below.
Something rested beneath the World Tree with its eyes closed.
“One for All(One for all.). So it is a Green Dragon.”
“……Yes, that’s right.”
Beneath the sprawling roots of the World Tree lay a Green Dragon, its eyes closed as though trapped in an eternal sleep.
In the ancient language, the name of the Green Dragon meant ‘One for All.’
Just as the name suggested, Green Dragons transformed themselves into the colossal vegetation known as World Trees and created entire forests around them.
Neither humans nor even Elves would see them awaken for an incomprehensibly long time.
There was only one occasion when they opened their eyes.
After cultivating a forest for thousands of years, a Green Dragon eventually ended its long sleep and laid an egg.
Then, for the sake of the next generation, it released all the Mana it possessed, passed that power down to its offspring, and died.
That was when the Elves entered their Dormancy Period.
They needed to resonate their Mana with the Dragon of the next generation.
The dead Dragon would then return to the nature it had spent its entire life cultivating.
And when the next generation’s Green Dragon awakened—
The Elves’ Dormancy Period would end alongside it.
But Akasha’s Great Seal had denied the Hatchling the ability to ‘grow’ for an impossibly long time.
Unable to accept the Mana being passed down to it, that Mana had begun attempting to return to nature instead.
“What are we supposed to do about this?”
The Green Dragon was one of the most important beings to the Elves.
One could even call it the source of their race.
The greatest problem was that the Elves who were currently in deep communion with the Hatchling could not awaken.
Within that communion, the concept of time did not exist.
Unless the Hatchling awakened, the Elves would never realize that something had gone wrong.
They would remain asleep indefinitely.
Priscilla’s concern was only natural.
As Queen, Priscilla could not enter the Dormancy Period herself.
That also meant she lacked the authority to interfere directly with their Mental Bodies.
“This does not appear particularly difficult.”
“Really?”
“However, I will need your Natural Essence.”
“My!”
Priscilla’s face flushed like a ripe peach, and she twisted her body slightly.
“Aren’t you being a little too direct?”
“……Do not deliberately misunderstand me.”
“Hehe. I was only joking.”
As though she had never blushed at all, Priscilla smiled naturally and asked,
“May I ask why you need my Natural Essence?”
“I intend to interfere with their Mind Road.”
“Hmm. That is quite dangerous.”
The Mind Road was a virtual space where the Mental Bodies of the Green Dragon Hatchling and the Elves were currently gathered.
Shane intended to inject his consciousness into that place and awaken the Elves.
But doing so was nowhere near as simple as it sounded.
The Hatchling might still be young, but it was nevertheless a Dragon—a great existence.
And the Elves possessed average lifespans measured in centuries.
Maintaining one’s sanity within a current of thought formed from thousands of such Mental Bodies was nearly impossible.
Without extensive preparation, even Priscilla would be putting herself at risk.
But Shane was different.
It would certainly not be easy.
But when Shane had been trapped within himself because of Corruption—
He had existed inside a space where time held no ordinary meaning.
A single minute could feel like ten years.
At other times, a hundred years seemed to pass in an instant.
To preserve his own identity within such a place, Shane had replayed his memories thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of millions of times.
Through that repetition, he had kept the existence known as Shane perfectly distinct.
Even if he entered the Mind Road, he had no reason to fear losing himself.
The problem was different.
He could protect his own identity, but if he intruded recklessly into a place where countless currents of thought were intertwined, he could immediately be regarded as an enemy.
To prevent that—
He needed the Natural Essence of Priscilla, the Elf Queen whose presence was more familiar to them than anyone else’s.
“Hmm. If that’s the case, very well. I’ll share some of my Natural Essence with you.”
After hearing the entire explanation, Priscilla placed both hands upon Shane’s shoulders and slowly brought her face closer.
Was it the scent of grass?
They were already within the heart of the World Tree, so the air was fresher and more richly scented with greenery than ever before.
Yet the fragrance coming from Priscilla herself was somehow different.
Their noses touched.
Then, just before their lips met—
A faint grass-green Natural Essence began flowing from Priscilla’s lips and entered Shane through his mouth.
After some time—
Priscilla slowly drew her face away.
Shane felt the energy of nature fill his entire being.
‘The compatibility is rather poor.’
His physical body welcomed the energy.
The tremendous Life Force within it made his body practically rejoice.
His Origin, however, displayed the exact opposite reaction.
‘It hates it.’
Darkness was also part of nature.
But that did not mean all forms of energy were compatible.
The darkness Shane possessed could never have good compatibility with Life Force.
Regardless—
The preparations were complete.
“My. Your expression didn’t change even once. What a terribly stiff man.”
“That is probably the proper attitude when dealing with your kind.”
“I suppose you have a point.”
In any case, the preparations were finished.
Shane approached the egg nestled within the Green Dragon’s embrace—
The place where the Mental Bodies of the Elves had gathered.
—
“Wow…….”
“We probably won’t ever see something like this again.”
“Yeah.”
Several days later—
With Priscilla’s permission, the expedition reached the top of the World Tree.
Curiously, the Mana Instability responsible for the Great Forest’s unpredictable climate did not occur anywhere around the World Tree.
A dreamlike sensation filled the expedition members’ hearts.
It felt as though they alone remained untouched within a dying world.
Then—
The change began.
Sunlight slowly started breaking through the clouds that had perpetually covered the Mezaia Great Forest.
Mana filled with the scent of fresh grass flowed from every tree throughout the Great Forest.
It soothed and calmed the chaotic Mana surrounding them.
Astonishingly, that turbulent Mana began settling down and was slowly absorbed into the trees.
The sight resembled an enormous silk curtain rippling through the forest.
“Ah…….”
“Beautiful.”
Wherever the curtain passed, the cloud-filled sky cleared.
Warm sunlight fell upon the forest and restored Life Force to everything it touched.
[Ah─♫ Aah─♪]
Countless voices rose from below and blended into a harmony that brushed gently against the expedition members’ ears.
Thousands of Elves, finally awakened from their long sleep, were singing a lullaby to soothe the chaotic Mana of the Great Forest.
But their harmony did not calm only the Mana.
“Sniff…….”
“……You stupid bastard.”
“Why did you have to go first…… Warren?”
“I wish you could have seen this with us.”
It became a Requiem for the companions they had lost along the way.
Remembering the friends who were no longer there, the expedition members shed heavy tears.
A breeze passed by them as though gently wiping those tears away.
Their grief would undoubtedly not last forever.
By tomorrow, they would probably regain their usual expressions.
Rather than thinking only of the comrades they had lost, they would turn their eyes toward the radiant future before them.
Perhaps some would call that cold.
But both in the past and the present—
Death had always stood far too close to those who took up weapons and stepped onto the battlefield.
Grief was like a chain binding the living to the dead.
Learning to cast that grief aside was itself a method of survival.
Rather than remembering the moment their companions died, or dwelling upon the empty places they had left behind—
They remembered the time they had spent together.
Through those memories, they gradually pushed away the pain.
And perhaps that was something to be grateful for.
Because from now on—
Whenever they remembered their fallen companions alongside this beautiful scene—
Those memories, too, would forever remain beautiful.
