For Sale. Fallen Lady. Never Used.

Her green hair that reached down to the floor, eyes transparent and glowing like emeralds, long ears, and beautiful appearance reminiscent of an elf.

But her true identity was the Mother of the Elves and the Master of the World Tree.

In terms of the church’s influence, she ranked just below the Righteous Radiance, and her authority in healing was unmatched.

Those blessed by her possessed a lifespan that transcended the limits of their race, thus she was considered an ancient God God who governed life.

The Circulating Life had her face flushed a bright red, her head bowed low.

Wondering why she was like this, I stared blankly at her, and perhaps taking my gaze as encouragement, she spoke up with a stuttering voice.

“Th-that’s difficult.”

“…?”

“……”

Did I say something inappropriate?

Stunned by the unexpected comment, I was momentarily dazed. Just when I thought she might look up, she averted her gaze and fanned herself, continuing to speak.

“Oh… Even if I’ve been away from the world for a long time, I only have one husband… And you’re the partner of a friend, the son of a friend, yet not of my blood, like a child to me…”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

Unable to hold back, I finally asked, but she seemed too lost in her own world to hear me.

“How can I reject you without hurting you? You’ve probably never been rejected by a woman, so it must be quite a shock…”

“Excuse me? Circulating Life?”

“No, no. That feeling towards me can’t solely be about romantic love. When you think about it, when you gained your consciousness, Fafnir had already left this world. So, you, born in a test tube, never held by anyone, grew up into an adult… how pitiful!”

No use. She doesn’t seem to hear my words.

I looked around for help, but everyone else was in their own chaos.

Carla and Faye were tilting their heads in confusion like me.

Elisha and Iris were clutching their foreheads, letting out deep sighs.

Iona and Solaris were covering their mouths, laughing like mad.

For me, this was an utterly unjust situation. What’s the problem with just asking for some pieces of the World Tree?

In H&A, parts of the World Tree were given to those who followed the Apostle of the Circulating Life’s route or made significant contributions to Alfheim.

Admittedly, they were quite precious items to ask for directly. It wasn’t just giving away part of the World Tree; they were imbued with the Circulating Life’s power.

She might find it burdensome since she hadn’t fully recovered her strength yet.

But what’s with this reaction? It was almost like I’d made some incredibly bold confession.

Unintentionally making a sullen face, I poked Elisha in the side.

“Eek!”

Oops, did I poke too hard?

Still, she seemed to understand my intent, as she sighed again, rubbing her side before speaking.

“You. From your reaction, you really didn’t know what you were saying, huh? You know everything else, but not this basic thing…”

“What? Am I the only one who doesn’t know? Look, Carla and Faye are confused too.”

“Faye might not know. She grew up among dwarves who don’t get along with elves, and her path wasn’t smooth, and after entering the Academy, she had no friends and focused solely on research.”

“Eh? Me? I… uh… uh…”

Faye was taken aback by the sudden diss, but Elisha continued without paying her any mind.

“But Carla? Why are you pretending not to know? You’re someone who knows everything.”

“Eh? That’s because if it’s just the Master who doesn’t know, it would be very awkward for him. So I was going to step in and ask for an explanation on his behalf if needed.”

“…If you say it like that, it loses all meaning, doesn’t it?”

“Since Faye doesn’t know, there’s no reason for the Master to be embarrassed alone. So, I might as well show off how considerate I am as a slave and score some points!”

“Are you going that far, Carla…?”

Elisha opened her mouth wide, as if she had nothing more to say.

Well, it was ridiculous, but it did make me feel better. With a compliment in mind, I smiled at Carla. Then, in a deliberately grumpy voice, I asked Elisha.

“So? What don’t I know?”

“Sigh. Alright, I’ll tell you, so put away that pouty bottom lip of yours.”

“When did it stick out…?”

Relaxing my facial muscles, Elisha finally spoke.

“It’s a nearly vanished culture now, but in the past, when a baby was born, a tree was planted for that child. Just as the Circulating Life looks after the entire Great Forest through her counterpart, the World Tree, they hoped the tree would illuminate the child’s future. It’s a kind of superstition.”

“Oh…”

What an interesting custom.

“Usually, when they reach adulthood, they would make a bow or simple jewelry from the tree they planted. Naturally, they cherished these items like their own body.”

“Like their own body… wait. I think I know what you’re going to say next.”

Cherishing the tree planted at birth as part of oneself, following the example of the World Tree, and I asked for parts of the World Tree from its origin, the Circulating Life.

As various bits of information clicked together in my mind, they started leading to one answer.

Elisha’s following words confirmed my speculation.

“Wanting someone’s tree means wanting the person themselves. By Elven standards, it’s an old-fashioned but very passionate proposal.”

“Ah.”

“And you asked the Circulating Life for parts of the World Tree, specifying what you’d use them for.”

“Ahh…”

“Do you understand now? To put it simply, what Yandel just said translates to…”

Elisha paused for effect, then continued in a theatrical tone.

“I want to keep you by my side forever. If possible, I want you inside me. Let your breath be part of the breath I take in, let your blood flow in my heart. And if I were to leave descendants someday, I’d want them to be yours.”

“……”

“That’s what it means. Now do you get what you just said, Yandel?”

“Wait, wait! Sometimes the Circulating Life gives parts of the World Tree as rewards, doesn’t she? What’s this about?!”

“Huh? Giving away one’s own flesh is a noble sacrifice. It’s different from when someone else demands it, isn’t it?”

“There’s no such thing!”

“Think about it. Is offering someone a meal and asking someone to make a meal for you the same?”

“……”

That… makes sense!

“By the way, this is an analogy that appears even in children’s fairy tales, so unless you’re in a special case like Faye, it’s almost common sense.”

I didn’t know.

Actually, it would be strange if I did know. The information about this world I had was based on H&A.

Meaning, I knew nothing about stories that didn’t appear in the game.

And who would include fairy tales in a game?!

No, there might be somewhere, but definitely not in H&A! How many hours have I played? If it existed, I would have known by now!

But I couldn’t say this outright.

While I could say this body was made by Fafnir’s magic, I couldn’t reveal that my soul came from another world.

At least, not now.

With my senses sharpened as I reached the level of a high mage, I focused my mind, and it felt like time was slowing down.

A time granted only to those who have transcended personal limits. Within that time, I thought and thought again.

…How can I gloss over this situation?!

But no matter how much I thought, the only answer was to push through it head-on.

I have no choice. If there’s no other option, I must proceed like this…!

I shouted with a shameless face.

“I-I didn’t know!”

“Yes, you wouldn’t have known. But since you’ve already said it, and the Circulating Life is well-versed in ancient etiquette, she would have taken it seriously…”

“I didn’t have anyone to read me fairy tales!”

“…Eh?”

“When I came to, I was in a cold, empty lab! No one explained my situation to me! I… I was just thrown into this world!”

“Uh, th-then you?”

“All I had in my head were incomprehensible fragments of the future and a sense of duty to prepare for them! No one answered anything for me!”

“Calm down for a moment…”

“I knew what parents are supposed to be! But I didn’t have any! I… didn’t have any!”

I’m sorry, Mom and Dad on Earth. Whispering this apology to myself, I observed the reactions around me.

The sudden silence suggested that my approach was effective. Even if it felt like an abrupt outburst, this would erase the notion of me making a sudden proposal.

Moreover, if this worked, I might still get parts of the World Tree. They said it was different if the Circulating Life gave it willingly rather than me asking for it.

The Circulating Life still held her spouse in her heart, so even if it was a mistake, she wouldn’t accept my confession (which it wasn’t).

So, this is right. This is definitely right…

After acting on impulse, I was hit with a belated sense of reality.

Is this… right?

Even if I really wanted those amazing elixirs and top-tier crafting materials… is this really the right approach???

Feeling deflated, I hung my head low.

As I was just breathing heavily, lost in thought…

Poof.

A warm sensation from behind.

The Circulating Life hugged me from behind, patting my shoulder, and whispered.

“It’s okay. It will be okay. You’re not alone. I’m here. Even if we’re not connected by blood, the fact that I had a significant influence on your birth doesn’t change.”

“Ah…”

“You’ve had it tough, haven’t you? You’ve carried a heavy burden. Poor child… Don’t worry. I’ll help you now. Branches of the World Tree? Leaves? Fruits? I’ll give you anything. Because it’s my responsibility since I brought you into this world.”

“……”

Hmm.

Thinking about it again, this might be the right thing after all.