[Their Very Way of Thinking Is Different]
Giant trees that had suddenly grown up wrapped around the academy buildings.
But humans were the only ones panicking at the mess.
No. More precisely, it was the humans and one elf.
“Even if they are my people... are they really insane? Are they asking for a fight?”
“Elaine, use nice words.”
“I fought on a battlefield.”
“Put the axes down too.”
“Can I smash just one of them? It will set an example.”
I did not know what she wanted to smash as an example, but most living creatures died when an axe smashed part of their body.
“Calm down. Let us go out and see.”
Hans, Elaine, and I hurried out of the Research Building. At the corner of my vision, [S. Forest of Will] blinked.
‘It is definitely related to the forest, but do I need to view the contents this time?’
The title was not negative, and there were countless possible culprits at the academy. I would watch a little longer, then spend the SP only if necessary. SP was a valuable resource for the SP Shop; I could not waste it.
Outside, I was struck speechless.
“Wow.”
Seeing it through the windows and seeing it directly were entirely different things.
“I am sorry about my people...”
Elaine apologized without being able to look at us. I tapped the Thorn Oak that had grown by the Research Building entrance.
“If we cut down just one, we would not need to worry about firewood this winter.”
“Can you still make jokes in this situation?”
“Let us look at it positively. We cannot turn back time.”
The Thorn Oak had wound around the entire Research Building. Yet every tree around us shared one point: none had destroyed a building.
Branches had broken some windows, but not a single outer wall had been damaged, warped, or brought down. It looked like a scene from a fairy tale. Without the intervention of some transcendent power, this could not have happened.
“It has definitely gone soft and fluffy.”
“What does that mean?” Hans asked.
“Nothing.”
At least I did not need to worry about the Research Building or the nearby structures collapsing.
“Lewis!”
Familiar faces ran toward us. Kanibara arrived first, visibly flustered.
“Are you all right?”
Behind her, the Chancellor came running with a pale face.
“Huff... Lewis! W-What is this?”
“Do not worry. No buildings have collapsed or warped. The main Research Building has only a few broken windows,” Hans added.
“Haaa...”
The Chancellor raised his head with a sound like air escaping. He must have imagined every possible disaster while running here, especially with the World Tree problem having been resolved only days before.
His gaze shifted toward the dormitories behind the Research Building, where the elf students and staff lived. The growth there was worse, as though a forest had teleported into the center of a city and mixed up its coordinates.
But there would be no problem. Forests were an elf’s space.
“We should inspect that area, but there is no immediate danger.”
“The buildings are not the issue! Are the students safe?”
At the Chancellor’s question, Yureph, who had arrived behind them, smiled.
“Hoho. Please do not worry.”
His voice was too relaxed for an unprecedented situation in which the academy had merged with a forest.
“An elf will not be hurt by a forest.”
The Chancellor’s eyes went dead. I could see every curse he wanted to say in them.
The entire academy was about to be swallowed by elf-friendly madness, and the elves only cared that they were fine.
But by elf logic, a forest appearing where there had not been one was a blessing of the World Tree. What had been there before did not matter. Nothing was more important than a forest.
“Urgh...”
The Chancellor had much to say, but he closed his mouth.
His ordeal was not over.
“The spirit students will be fine as well.”
Sonya, a high-ranking wind spirit in the form of a beautiful woman, smiled sweetly.
“Trees are natural beings friendly to water, earth, wind, and fire alike. Spirits will not be harmed by growing trees either.”
That was true. But human history was a struggle against nature. The academy humans built was being swallowed by nature, and their allies were taking nature’s side.
From the Chancellor’s wig, strands of gray hair fluttered away on the wind.
Poor man. It was already too late.
“Anyway, there do not seem to be casualties. We should first find the cause.”
The Chancellor looked at Yureph and Sonya. Who besides elves and spirits could have caused this?
But neither seemed to have any idea.
“We are glad that a forest appeared, but I have never seen trees grow this fast.”
“Even elf-and-spirit cooperation should not create such abnormal growth.”
Hans stiffened. “So the combination of a seed blessed by elves and an environment infused with spirit power cannot cause this phenomenon on its own?”
“No. If it were normally possible, our two races would have turned the entire continent into a forest in ancient times.”
That was chilling because it was true.
“Then something external intervened...”
Hans and I looked at Elaine.
“I-It was not me!”
“Not you. Could it be the World Tree? Its life force or protection?”
“Plants around a World Tree Branch do grow better, but not enough to do this!”
Yureph nodded beside her. “That is correct. And the life force in these trees resembles a forest’s life force, yet feels a little different. Hoho. It is hard to say.”
“So there was life force in this academy capable of rapidly growing the seeds elves planted?”
Yureph and Sonya nodded.
That confirmed it again.
‘One of the original game’s incidents has manifested in a strange form.’
In the original work, a magical beast called a Nest suddenly rose at the academy, devoured life force around it, expanded its territory, and spawned lesser beasts. It caused enormous casualties.
Perhaps the mass of life force prepared to create that Nest had been buried beneath the academy. On our first tour, no Nest seed had been detected, which had reassured me. The mass must have been deeper underground.
I did not know why it erupted now or why trees grew like this.
But it was not a bad thing.
Without being noticed, I signaled Hans.
‘Let us solve this ourselves.’
He frowned but nodded.
“Chancellor, it would be best for you to return with these two.”
They all looked at Hans.
“The incident began near the elf district, but the entire academy will know by now. Please calm everyone and control the area. Mr. Yureph and Lady Sonya, please help the Chancellor prepare measures. We will inspect the site.”
Kanibara stepped forward. “I will help too.”
“Thank you.”
Yureph and Sonya wanted to inspect it as well, but Hans was firm. It involved student safety and security, and the part played by elves and spirits could not be denied.
“Elaine,” Yureph said.
“Yes, Elder.”
“Help them.”
“Yes!”
Elaine had already meant to do so.
After the Chancellor, Yureph, and Sonya left, Kanibara asked, “Do you have an idea? Why solve it ourselves?”
She had seen my hand signal.
“First, I am going to find the source of this situation.”
“The source?”
“A huge concentration of life force should be somewhere in the academy. We have to find it first.”
I did not know the exact location. In the game, we fought through stages and naturally reached the center of the Nest for a boss battle. Win, and the energy source was destroyed automatically. There was no boss now.
“I can help,” Elaine said, holding the World Tree Staff. “With the World Tree’s power, I can trace the life force flowing through the forest back to its source.”
The tangled roots and branches would make instant tracking hard, but together with Kanibara’s search, their strengths could cover each other’s weaknesses.
“Good. Let us go.”
We followed Elaine through the garden and into the area near the elf dormitories.
“This is not a forest. It is practically a jungle.”
The trees were so densely tangled that moving forward was difficult.
“Should I cut them all down?”
“How can a student say something so barbaric?”
I stopped Elaine from drawing her paired axes. Other elves were too elf-like, but she was the opposite. Cover her ears and anyone would believe she was human.
“We should at least cut some. It will take too long otherwise,” Kanibara said, touching her curved sword.
“No. Do not.”
“Why?”
“There are still elves and spirits nearby. If we cut down healthy trees carelessly, how sad will they be?”
“Oh? You have the leisure to care about that?”
“Even if it takes longer, I am not the one who will be scolded.”
The Chancellor and Hans would be.
Hans sighed deeply. “I am accustomed to writing incident reports.”
“Yes. Your report will bring the three races one step closer to harmony.”
It would be a great report. Perhaps it would make it into a textbook.
“Stop thinking foolish thoughts and follow us. The branches are too tough to push aside.”
“There is a way.”
I called toward a thick stand of brush.
“Kids! Could you come here for a moment?”
Rustle. Rustle.
Elves came when they heard my voice. I took a yellow-green bead from my pocket and showed it to them.
“...!”
Not only the elves, but even Elaine’s ears fluttered.
“World Tree Amber? How does Lewis have that?”
Amber was fossilized tree resin. The bead in my hand was a jewel made from the hardened resin of the World Tree.
“I happened to get some.”
It was really an Affinity Item from the event draw, but nobody would believe that drawing a card each morning made an item fall out.
“I will give you this. Could you open a path for us?”
The elves nodded vigorously, their eyes fixed on the amber.
Kanibara nudged me. “Their eyes look strange. Is that thing dangerous?”
“Of course not.”
It was not dangerous. It was more like waving an ultimate fusion of catnip and treat paste before a cat.
“I can do it too! Give me one!” Elaine said.
“You have to trace the energy. Only you can handle the World Tree Staff.”
Elaine stared at the staff, then at her axes. Was she thinking of breaking it? That would not accomplish anything.
“I will give you one after we finish. Hurry up.”
“Okay!”
Elaine regained her energy immediately and moved forward. The elf children followed. At their gestures, the dense branches bent naturally aside, opening a path.
“It feels like stepping into a fairy tale,” Kanibara said.
“Elves are elves,” Hans agreed.
Even they had never witnessed such a sight during the Yggdrasil War. Back then, they had been too busy cutting down the demonfolk in front of them.
“Compared to then, a forest growing in the academy seems minor,” Kanibara said.
“I cannot deny that.”
“It feels like traveling together again. It is nice.”
“I will have to write an incident report when this journey ends.”
“Bring it to my room after you finish. I will give you a drink.”
“Then I will send Lewis in my place.”
“Why are you selling me out when I was being quiet?!”
After searching through the forest for some time with the elves’ help, we stopped before a massive root that had pierced through paving stones.
“What should we do? From here, the flow of life force goes underground,” Elaine said.
“That makes sense. Trees gain energy from the earth through their roots.”
“But to trace it, we have to go inside.”
Even the elves said they could not open a path underground. I gave them World Tree Amber, told them it was fine, and sent them away.
“What now?” Hans asked.
“We could dig with magic,” Kanibara offered.
Digging ourselves was an option, but it would take time and effort.
“When something is troublesome, you entrust it to an expert.”
I took out a neatly wrapped cookie, unwrapped it, and—
Pop.
The ground near the roots stirred. A round, bright-eyed boy’s face popped out: a young earth spirit.
“Hello. The teaching assistant will give you this, so will you go somewhere with us?”
The young earth spirit nodded cheerfully.