WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Arsène
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Romance Fantasy’s Pushover Crown Prince Is No More ◈
Chapter 63: World Tree (3)
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“The Great Forest may look like a collection of forests, but it is actually part of the World Tree.”
“The entire Great Forest?”
“Yes.”
At the entrance to the Great Forest, I traveled with Pavan and listened to what Pavan had to say.
“The trees and grass of the Great Forest do not burn easily, nor can they be cut down. That is because they are all part of the World Tree.”
“That’s fascinating. So it’ll keep growing like this? Expanding in size?”
“Yes. The Elves want their territory to keep expanding.”
“Even if it encroaches on other races’ land?”
“That is correct.”
I had not heard much about the Elves’ character.
Still, their desire to expand the Great Forest without limit told me enough.
‘They really are knife-ears.’
Was it the arrogance unique to long-lived races?
The mindset that nothing mattered as long as their own land expanded was laughable.
“Then the Verdantia Kingdom will be in danger someday too. The Great Forest will eventually swallow it up.”
“Based on my predictions, it will begin swallowing it in earnest in around a hundred years.”
“A hundred years, huh.”
At least it would fall later than the Empire.
As I looked around with that thought in mind, I felt something strange.
“This is the entrance to the Great Forest, yet I don’t sense any people. There seem to be animals, though.”
No matter how dangerous the Great Forest was, I thought the entrance should be safe enough.
Even I, someone who knew nothing about herbs, could immediately spot plants that looked valuable.
It was hard to understand why there was not even a single herbalist in a place like this.
“From what I investigated, it appears they charge a fee.”
“They charge a fee?”
“Yes. They allow people to enter the Great Forest only during a designated period... and it seems they made an agreement to kill anyone who trespasses outside that period on sight.”
“Can that really be called an agreement?”
“Elves are cowardly, so they must have investigated military strength more thoroughly than anyone else. I assume that once they calculated they could defeat the Verdantia Kingdom without fail, they began making unreasonable demands.”
“Ha.”
So they were picking on a weak human kingdom just because they were stronger.
Yet they were so scared that if anyone looked like they might kill them, they would immediately run away.
‘What a ridiculous race.’
Cowardly thugs who treasured their own lives.
It felt realistic, yet absurd at the same time.
Whoosh, whoosh.
Even as we spoke, the scenery around us changed rapidly.
We could not move at the same high speed as before, but it was still a pace ordinary knights would not even dare try to follow.
“It will take at least three days.”
“Because of the barriers?”
“Yes. Elves are deeply versed in magic and Spirits... and when it comes to nature magic, they show unbelievable talent.”
Still, I could not hide my disappointment at hearing that it would take at least three days even at this speed.
Every day mattered now, yet we were wasting time like this.
‘That tendency to grab the World Tree and run is really irritating.’
It reminded me of treasure-carrying goblins from games.
Monsters that would cackle and run away if you failed to catch them within the time limit.
Games usually made them easy enough for players to catch.
This monster showed no sign of being so considerate.
‘There’s no guarantee it’ll even give me the treasure, but it sure knows how to run away.’
The World Tree.
Honestly, if I could have it, I should take it.
But if I could not take it and it ended up in Macelin’s hands...
‘Then I should burn it.’
At the very least, I had to destroy it.
The more prosperous the Macelin Kingdom became, the more likely the Empire was to fall.
I did not know exactly how the two were connected.
Still, I knew for certain that was how it worked.
As I was lost in those thoughts, Pavan continued.
“Your Highness, the reason it takes three days is because of the subtle ripples created when we break through the barriers.”
“Subtle ripples?”
“Yes. Naturally, we are not detected when we break through the barriers leading to the World Tree. But when we pass through them, extremely faint ripples spread out.”
“One ripple is fine, but if we break through several barriers in quick succession, those ripples grow stronger and put the Elves on guard?”
“That is correct. That is why it takes three days to proceed in three stages.”
Pavan stopped after saying that.
“Therefore, it would be difficult to break through any further today. It would be best to rest here.”
“Fine. We’ll follow that suggestion.”
The Great Forest was absurdly huge and vast.
It did not feel like the Amazon jungle. It was more like enormous mountains and forests packed together.
Everywhere I looked, there was nothing but greenery, trees, and grass.
Pavan seemed familiar with this place and skillfully removed the armor, letting out a long breath.
“Phew. If the medicine I made had worked better, we would not have had to do this. I apologize.”
“You don’t need to apologize.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
Tall.
My first impression of Pavan came back to me.
A body nearly three meters tall.
And rough-looking armor that covered that entire body.
Pavan had kept pace with me while wearing all that.
When Pavan set down the breastplate, the ground had even caved in beneath it.
‘Is that the Giant race’s absurd physical strength?’
Come to think of it, this was my first time seeing Pavan without armor.
“Is there a reason you normally wear full-body armor like that?”
“So I do not forget.”
Rustle.
Pavan said that and removed the helmet.
A pale face was revealed, and pale mint-colored hair briefly floated upward before settling down.
Pavan had strong, deep-set features.
There was a striking beauty to Pavan, with bold, defined lines.
“Starting with my name, various details about me are written here.”
Pavan showed me the writing inside the helmet.
It truly contained Pavan’s personal information, from the name and birthday to body measurements, preferences, and hobbies.
You could practically call it a complete profile written inside the helmet.
“...Is it because you lost your memories?”
“That is correct. More precisely, I am continuing to lose them.”
“You’re continuing to lose them?”
“Giants... were originally a wise race. I would like to say more, but I cannot remember any further... because of the Covenant... I apologize.”
I understood Pavan’s situation to some extent after hearing that.
‘Was that why Pavan forgot how to make medicine?’
When I turned my gaze toward the inside of the breastplate, it too was covered in all kinds of writing.
“If it is not written on the armor like this, I forget it quickly. Even things that suddenly come back to me are quickly forgotten once I come to my senses.”
“A curse of forgetfulness?”
“If it were a curse, I could resolve it just as Lumynix’s was resolved. But this is different.”
Did the Executioners all have circumstances of their own?
‘But how did the Great Prophet form a Covenant with people like them?’
The moment I muttered that to myself.
- The quickest way was simply to burn down the Great Forest.
- The synergy became unbelievable the moment the World Tree took root in Macelin.
- The possibility that every citizen could form a contract with a Spirit as soon as the World Tree was planted?
- Not everyone could become a Spiritist, but the fact that it was even possible was ridiculous.
- Was that why? Was that why she did not take us in?
- I wanted to ask Mirne again why she had not accepted the immigration of our Imperial citizens.
- I wanted to ask her whether it would not have been fine before it became the Demon Realm.
The Imperial Crown Prince’s memories suddenly rose to the surface.
They showed just how overpowered the World Tree’s effects were.
I had guessed as much to some degree, but now that I knew, it felt even more absurd.
‘So the Imperial Crown Prince kept begging Mirne to at least save the Imperial citizens?’
For an Empire to have to beg a mere kingdom.
Knowing the future, he must have used every means possible to save even one more person.
‘But Mirne did not listen.’
How many times had he tried?
At the same time, I wondered why the Imperial Crown Prince of this iteration had never made an attempt like that.
‘The Imperial Crown Prince in I’m Full Because Everyone Keeps Giving Me Things could return to the past too, so why was he so powerless?’
Was it some kind of coercive force created by the System beside Mirne?
Just as all kinds of questions came to mind.
“Is tomorrow the day those filthy humans are coming to take some herbs?”
“Yeah, tomorrow.”
“What does it matter if they don’t have a few herbs? They live such short lives anyway. Shouldn’t they just endure being sick, or die?”
“I agree with you, but we made an agreement, so there’s nothing we can do.”
“Tch.”
I heard Elves’ voices nearby.
“...!”
Pavan hurriedly put the armor back on.
I also placed a hand on my sword hilt and slowly turned toward the sound.
There were two Elves.
The pair, who appeared to be a man and a woman, came into view right where we were.
“By the way, did you hear? About the World Tree.”
“Oh, the thing Ailoren is trying so hard to make a sapling from?”
“Yeah. I think Ailoren said something about talking to the humans and giving it to them? Something like that.”
“What? Come on, no matter how much of an oddball Ailoren is, he wouldn’t go that far. He’s still a High Elf. He hates other races more than anyone!”
“Right?”
They could not see us even though we were right in front of them.
It showed just how absurd Pavan’s medicine was.
‘A sapling?’
Was Ailoren planning to separate a World Tree Sapling and give it to Macelin?
‘It doesn’t even seem like Ailoren has met Mirne properly yet... and already feels that favorably toward her?’
That might have been too much of a leap, so I put it aside.
The moment I heard the word sapling, I revised my goal.
‘Take the World Tree, and take the sapling too.’
I needed to eliminate every factor that could create a variable if it ended up in Macelin’s hands.
I decided to take both, and at that moment.
[ The Villainess remains where she is. ]
“...?”
The Villainess Ring suddenly displayed a strange message.
‘What does it mean, remains where she is?’
I only had that question for a moment.
“Rather than going straight to the entrance, I should go touch the World Tree first. Talking to humans will make me dirty... shouldn’t I purify myself beforehand?”
The female Elf said that.
“Hmm, now that you mention it, you’re not wrong.”
The male Elf agreed and turned around.
They seemed to be heading straight for the World Tree.
‘Should we take them hostage? What do you think?’
I asked Pavan whether we should secretly follow these Elves or capture them.
Pavan had said their race was cowardly, so I thought they might abandon their companions and flee if things went wrong.
But.
Bang!
“Move, and I’ll kill you both.”
“....”
Before I had even finished thinking it through, Pavan already had a sword at both Elves’ throats.
“Your Highness, we have found a shortcut.”
The moment I heard that, I realized.
No matter how cowardly they were, they cherished their own kind dearly.
If that was the case.
“Well done. We now have two bargaining chips. We will get to see the World Tree right away.”
All that remained was a friendly conversation.
Footnotes:
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