āYes, yes. Are you talking about the time when Miss Eve was the queen?ā
āā¦ā¦?ā
Eve, as if frozen by having her lead stolen, stiffened up completely.
Oh right. This was supposed to be a secret for now, wasnāt it?
Well, itās not like itās a top-secret that no one should know, but it does feel like itās high-level information that only certain people are aware of.
I havenāt set an exact number of years, so Iām not sure, but there is a setting that quite some time has passed since Eve retired, even by elf standards.
Wasnāt there a joke in the Labyrinth about how Lemon and Apple said a king who couldnāt make money was unnecessary, and that the Elven Forest has been a republic for 400 years since then?
So, it seems about right to say that itās been just over 400 years since Eve gave up her queenship.
By human standards, itās a long enough time for a kingdom to fall, but by elf standards, itās just a generation or two ago.
Pieces of memories fit together perfectly as I organize the information in my mind. Eve straightens her disheveled posture caused by her confusion.
She straightens her back, lifts her head, and neatly places her hands in front of her stomach.
Not only has her posture changed, the aura and atmosphere emanating from Eve feel completely different.
Indeed. Is this what it feels like to be born a queen, not merely made one?
Even I, who had not fully visualized a clear image, find the character I sketched out standing before me in such perfect form.
What an exhilarating moment this is.
Without realizing, my lips curl into a smile. Eve, receiving that smile, gazes back intently with her sparkling green eyes.
The Eye of Truth.
The legacy of the World Tree delving into, excavating, and drawing out everything from my deepest core, leaving nothing behind.
A sense of unease and helplessness as if someone is intruding into a domain that no one else can trespassā¦or perhaps a sense of awe.
Now, with the little bit of miracle from the Age of Godās left, Eve spoke, revealing it generously.
āSince when have you known?ā
I should have dealt with this sooner (X)
Even as an elf, I didnāt want to be caught being four digits old (O)
Giggling at the cute intentions, I too stood up from my seat.
Then, slowly, I headed towards Eve. With each step, tiny sprouts blossomed at my toes.
This was the last display made by squeezing out all the remaining divine power leftā¦ It turned out looking more impressive than I thought.
Arriving in front of Eve. I stopped just short of touching her queen-sized chest, casually clasped my hands behind my back, and looked up at her.
āWould you believe me if I said āfrom the beginningā?ā
āā¦ā¦ā
The difference in dignity perceived from Eveās eyes intensifies the pressure.
Not a fragment of power barely salvaged from the distorted space and time of the Labyrinth, but a true miracle of a god that remains intact on the earth.
When I briefly encountered it before, it was chilling to the spine for a momentā¦but now, itās not to that extent.
How should I put it? Perhaps that it feels a bit more familiar.
Maybe itās because Iāve become stronger in the meantime, or maybe itās the power of the Goddess of Love transmitted through the fully upgraded statue, orā¦maybe itās the attraction between those who harbor the same divine power.
Well. Anyway, to Eveās eyes, it must seem like I am speaking the truth.
Eve and her past are a scenario I devised, so itās only natural that I have known everything from the moment we first metā¦no, even before that.
āā¦Itās the truth. How on earth do you know? There are no perfect secrets in the world, and my past is no exceptionā¦but itās not something just anyone would know. Above all, I heard you, Sir Jonah, come from the streets, like Lemon and Apple?ā
Is this an agent sent by some organization? (X)
Ah! It must be fate! (O)
Even now, the millennia-old virginās moves are consistently the same.
Anyway, when asked such a question, I should show something reasonably convincing.
The Ash Tree Crown I acquired this time might lack persuasiveness. Then, it seems thereās only one thing left.
I didnāt expect to show this to Eve first.
I reached into the subspace of the bracelet.
Uung-
With a strange resonance, ripples spread through the air. I inserted my hand up to my wrist and then withdrew it.
The softunresistingwarmministatueoftheGoddessofLove.
Whoosh-!
Just by taking it out, the space dominated by Eve transforms in an instant.
The divine power of the Goddess of Love, pushing through and expelling the power of the World Tree.
Indeed, the entity that was emitting a soft divine power like a mood lamp reacted violently upon encountering the power of another god.
As if it was throwing a tantrum because it didnāt want me to be taken away.
ā¦No, right? Surely sheās not really sending more power to the relic for that reason, is it?
I tried to hide the cold sweat trickling inside me and smiled calmly.
āPerhaps itās because Iām the type who is loved by someone quite high up. Itās not a revelationā¦but I just come to know various things.ā
āO World Treeā¦ā
That a successor of the World Treeās power could be an apostle of another godā¦ I cannot accept it (X)
Does this mean the Great Plan of a Hundred Years is ruinedā¦? (O)
ā¦???
What are you talking about, Eeveeā¦
Whatās this ominous āGreat Plan of a Hundred Yearsā? And youāre telling me that those few words contain such meaning?
They say even a broken clock is right twice a dayā¦ Could it be that the translator was indeed really broken and happened to be correct earlier by chance?
For a moment, she denied reality in her mind. Then, Eve closed her wide-open eyes and returned to her usual narrow-eyed look. The sense of oppression that could be felt unconsciously also faded away.
āHooā¦ I understand now. The Goddess of Love must have had a plan too. Us elves cannot forget the World Tree, who is still in eternal slumber, and she has always bestowed unwavering love upon us.ā
If it werenāt for the favor of the Goddess of Loveā¦it would have been regrettable (X)
Even if it has been a thousand years since someone has received the power of the World Tree, being that itās a human, it was worrisomeā¦but if itās a saint, everyone would accept it (O)
Iām not sure why, but since a while ago, Eve has been counting her chickens before they hatch. Itās funny to watch, but if I keep watching like this, I feel like something bad is really going to happen.
Having lived as a virgin for the last thousand years, she might have become a bit oddā¦but even considering that, Eveās reaction is a bit too much.
Then, there are two possible explanations to consider.
Eve is a dangerous pervert who gets excited by little boys. freeweÉnovÄl.coɱ
There is a meaning to the World Treeās power that I am unaware of.
The first option canāt be right. It shouldnāt be. It isnāt, rightā¦?
To dispel the slowly rising anxiousness, I posed the most crucial question.
āSo? Could you continue what you were saying earlier? I mean, the significance of the World Treeās power to the elves.ā
āOh dear. I was so surprised that my words slipped away. If we go back to the story right after the War of the Fallen Godsā¦ā
The following words from Eve were as intriguing as they were pitiful.
The World Tree had died, but its traces remained intact on the first floor of the Labyrinth. And then, traces and fragments of power from other dead gods began to be discovered on the other floors.
The elves, still not over their loss, pondered there. What if someone who gained the power of the World Tree appeared?
And what if they, along with Eve, who was born with power, ruled the Elven Forestā¦ the elf kingdom that had lost its godā¦?
For the elves of that time, who wanted to feel even a trace of the World Tree, it was a desperate earthly task.
Of course, no matter what they tried, they couldnāt summon the first floorās Floor Guardian and the idea all but fizzled out.
āā¦Is that important now?ā
Eve shook her head in resignation to my question.
āThough itās still important, not all elves are as enthusiastic about it as they used to be. Except for me, that is.ā
āYes?ā
āTo rule the Elven Forest with me simply means to marry me and for us to become king and queen.ā
āThat makes sense, doesnāt it?ā
āIn other words, even though I am a woman, I must not carelessly mingle with other men.ā
āAhā¦.ā
In my setup, Eve is not the heroine. I thought she was, but for some reason, she turns evil and dies at the hands of the protagonist as a mid-boss.
Still, I decided to include that she was a virgin, because it seemed like it would be interestingā¦.
I never expected such a backstory to attach itself to a setting chosen simply because it seemed like it would be fun.
With compassion, I patted her shoulder, and Eve, with her long ears blushing red to the tips, stuttered.
āYe-yes, up to here itās still okay. If the situation changes, we can just retract it. ā¦However, back then, I was young and full of vigor.ā
āWhat? Youāre starting to make me feel a bit nervous.ā
āYou have a good intuition. Itās because at that time, I swore an oath to the World Tree in my name, saying I would not become deeply involved with a man who does not possess your divine power.ā
āMy goodness.ā
The World Tree is dead, but its power and authority have not completely disappeared.
It was a rather impulsive oath, but nonetheless, Eve is a natural-born queen, directly brought into being by the fruit of the World Tree.
If she breaks the oath made in the name of a god, her own powers might very well turn against her.
And if one is born with a power as strong as Eveās, just the surge of divine power can be life-threatening.
āTo die or to live as a virgin forever. That was the fate given to me. The price of folly. I thought soā¦until you, Sir Jonah, turned the impossible into possible.ā
Having said that, Eve stepped back half a step with a look full of sorrow.
āSir Jonah. I cannot marry anyone but you. Perhaps I have been waiting for you all this time.ā
āWhat? What do you meanā¦?ā
āI should have taken more time to get to know each other and explain my situation properly, butā¦now that it has come to this, I will try to be a bit braver.ā
Then she knelt down, took off one of the rings she was wearing on her fingers, and offered it with both hands.
āWill you marry me?ā
Be my political sacrifice (X)
Come on, give it to me! (O)
I chewed over the dizzying content of the translator that only becomes clear at times like this, and then I grinned broadly.
āBut I donāt want to.ā