295 292. World Tree.txt (2/2)

'No, ...... it's not. That's just never going to happen.

I'm not-- I'm not making a mistake anymore. I won't lie to myself.

I won't pretend to be something I'm not, like Ayde and Titi.

I am convinced that I am me.

That's the only place where I'm sure it's 'Aikawa Uzumi'.

That's why we've been able to come this far.

I'm very close to the end of saving Aikawa Yotaki.

...... Oh, really?　I thought it was the same kind of thing, so I blurted a lot of things out: ....... If I'm wrong, that's a bit of a thing.

Ragne blushed and scratched the back of her head.

She thought she was one of them and blurted out her innermost thoughts, but was embarrassed that it was self-serving. But he was strangely resigned to the idea, and he kept repeating the confirmation and biting down.

'Really, really, that's the real Kanami-san, isn't it?　It's like someone else's ideal of it (...)?　It's not like he's just showing off?　If so, it's a bad way to put it, but it's too good to be true and smells too much like the opposite: ......?　Too sincere or something: ......

...... As a person, I try to be as honest as possible. I also try to be the right person. I'm not trying to make ...... myself.

I will explain to Lagune-chan how to live her own life, which is impossible to mistake.

The way of life of wanting to be right may be rare in another world, but it is common in peaceful modern Japan.

But when Lagune-chan heard that, she still didn't understand.

''Then I guess it's 'the other way around': ......

Reverse ......?

No, I think I've made a mistake. I'm sorry for the weirdness of it.

Suddenly, he admitted his disapproval and said no more. I was tempted to talk a little more in-depth, but it was difficult to talk to Ragne, who was walking silently.

The two of us scramble side by side through the hustle and bustle of the Great Sacred City and make our way to the center of the city.

We talked oddly, and it felt a little awkward. Ragne sensed that the casualness from before was gone between us, and she tried to resume the conversation with care.

'...... Um, Kanami's brother. I've already gotten this far, so can I tell you one more in-depth story as well?　If I don't, I'm the one who's going to be a real stinker. ......

Of course you can.

I should have called out to her from me, but Ragne moved first. I nodded back, feeling unworthy.

''Well, can I talk to Kanami's brother about my life for a moment?　It's about my life goals.

I suppose they intend to get to know the person they are in order to get rid of the scent. Indeed, if you know the person's dreams, you can understand who they are - like the Guardian's (Guardian) 'unconsciousness'.

'My life goals are simple. My goal in life is simple: I want to become a famous person in the world like Kanami's brother. I want to be the best in the world, and I'm working hard every day. I just want to go from a dark place to a very bright place.

'Heh ......, Ragne, you want to be famous.'

Yes. I want to be famous and be recognized by everyone. I'm a country boy, but I'm going to stand out in the city, be praised, and rebel at the top of the world. --I want to be the best in the world. That's my ambition!

In contrast to my 'save my sister', Lagune seems to have a life goal of 'becoming the best in the world'.

She had a very nice smile on her face as she declared that. And the skill 'Sensation' also says that it is not wrong. She doesn't seem to be trapped like the guardians (guardians) who ”misunderstood the 'unconsciousness' from the beginning”. She is probably hoping with pure ambition. It's a common dream that many knights often see - if you put it that way, it's a common dream.

And it's a bit like Rowen Alais's 'unrequited love' that she fought in the 'Dancing Tournament'. Is it because of the similarity of this dream that I once fell in love with the 'Treasured Sword of the Aleiss Family, Rowen'?

When I'm comparing the differences with Rowen, Ragne-chan asks me to make a low profile request.

''It's just that this goal isn't something that can be done by competence alone. ...... No, it would be possible for Rowen-san or Kanami-san's level, but for an ordinary person like me, the cooperation of many people is essential .......

'I'll help Ragne with her goals as much as I can. You've helped me a lot, so you can say whatever you want.

Lately, it seems that the reason he wants my backing is because of this dream.

For Ragnae, even the president of the Celestial Knights is just a passing phase. She aims for something much higher.

When I told her that I would support her dream, Lagune-chan jumped up and down lightly, looking happy.

''Nah, whatever?''

Within reason.

Well, I guess I'll tell you right now.

Ragne was about to utter her request with joy - and she quickly cooled down and took a step back.

''Oh, no, I'll still make ...... another one. Let's see, ...... then, I'd like to ask you not to participate in the 'Dance Tournament' anymore. This year's one will be held in a few minutes, but if Kanami-san and the others leave, we won't be able to aim for the win.

Sure, last year's tournament table was terrible: ......

If Kanami-san and the others don't show up, I'll have a shot at winning.　And this year, it's not a team game, it's an individual game!　If it's me who specializes in the dueling format, there's a chance (one chance)!

'Well, I'll be in the audience at the next 'ball' cheering for you, Ragne. I'll tell everyone else.

Thank you!　...... I've perfected my fighting style this year, so you can count on it!　I'm going to give it my all this time.

Ragne placed her hand on the over-decorated sword at her waist and proudly deflected her small body.

It seems that the surprise tactic of using that 'magic materialization' has evolved. Looking at his status, he doesn't have any new skills, but he seems to be confident.

''Heh, has it changed a bit since then?''

I don't think I've changed, but I feel like I've grown and perfected it. I'm going to be the winner of the 'Dancing Competition' for sure, so please look forward to it. I'll definitely, definitely (・・・・・・) show you (・・・・・・・).

Yeah, I'm looking forward to it.

I don't ask for the details of that technique. I'm sure he's been warming it up for a long time so that he can show it off in the best place possible, the ”Dance Competition”. It would be less fun to hear it here.

Above all, I don't want to pour water on this already lightened air. Ragnet-chan, who is in a good mood, walks in front of me at a speed that looks like she's going to skip.

I can't wait for the 'dancing competition' to come. I want to move up the ladder even faster, become richer, become a great person that everyone knows about - and finally, become the most famous person in the world. Then, for example, I will be able to eat all the spit-roasted food I want at that restaurant.

Before we knew it, we had come to what seemed to be the main street of the Great Holy City.

It was a weekday, not an anniversary of any kind, but there was a huge market unfolding on that street. Whether you look to your right or left, there are shops lining the street; if you look up, there is a bridge that forms the three-dimensional structure of the city; if you look down, there are beautiful cobblestones and ”magic stone lines” shining.

In the middle of the city, Ragne found an open-air skewer shop. If you look closely, you'll see it's something you once saw at the Allied Fuzzy Yards' pre-Sanctuary Festival. When she saw the food, she knew that every day was a festival in this great holy city.

''Let's just go eat. This won't take too long.

We're going to be home.

It was just about time for us to get hungry, so we stopped at an open-air restaurant to order some food.

We buy some pre-made ones for passersby to smell, and soon we're walking back.

'Oh, yum!'

By the way, I have one in my hand and Ragne has about ten in hers.

It's a skewer of about four pieces of meat, so it's quite a mouth-watering piece of meat. I walk next to her, smiling at Lagune-chan, who doesn't hesitate to say it's someone else's money.

''I'm really going to have a drink. ......

I've been told that a lot. But I don't care if you call me a rube, I'm not going to fix it.

I chuckle as I look at Lagne-chan, who is chewing on a skewer of delicious food.

Thanks to that age-appropriate innocence, the scent of scandal has faded. At least on the surface--.

It's a good thing I've arrived in the meantime. I'm going to do my best to appeal to you as the knight who brought the hero of the United Kingdom to you. My career path begins here!

Looking around, the number of citizens had dwindled to the point where we could count them. We had just finished eating our spit-roast and we were climbing up the hill on the main street.

And we were standing in front of Hoozeyer's Castle on a hill in the center of the Great Holy City.

I looked up and took in the full scope of the building.

'So this is Hoozeyer's Castle ....... This is quite a ......

I let out an exclamation of admiration at its bizarre construction.

I didn't notice it from a distance, but this Hoosiers Castle is not decent.

First of all, the number of towers is uncommon.

Furthermore, there are too many gaps between them.

It must be normal for a castle to have a huge structure. If there was a tower, it was only around the tower. However, this Hooziyaz castle is different.

Everywhere you look, there are only towers - towers of towers.

Its countless towers come together like a bundle to form one huge building. There are countless arched bridges between the towers, which fill in the gaps and make it look like a large castle from a distance.

A high iron fence and a river surrounded that bunch of towers. Just like the Allied cathedrals, a gate awaited them across the bridge over the river.

'You two over there, stop!

When I tried to cross the bridge, I was immediately surrounded by guards and stopped in a harsh tone.

Unlike the cathedral, the castle does not seem to be open to the public. Just getting close to the bridge was painful for the soldiers to look at, so I guess civilians are not supposed to come in here.

''Thank you for your work. I'm Lagne Kaikwola, the president of the 'Celestial Knights', a knight of the Allied Fuzzyards, and--'

In order to facilitate the conversation, Ragne steps forward before me.

It's best to leave it to her here, so I wait quietly. In the middle of it all, I don't intend to listen in, but I hear a light conversation.

''--Then what about Rastiara-sama and Snow-sama?　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for when you go to work. I can't even predict where the three of you will be.

After all, it seems that the return of Rustyala and the others was waiting for them. If the girls were here, there was a strong possibility that they would have been detained for a suitable reason. The words 'party' and 'audience' could be heard from every corner of the conversation, so Rastiara's expectation that it was going to be a hassle appeared to be correct.

After a long conversation between Ragné and the soldiers, several knights who are differently dressed from the others come out of the castle gate. And then the knight who seems to be a representative of them, along with Lagune-chan, comes up to my side, gets down on his knees and bows.

''Kanami-sama. Please, come in. We have been notified by the Senate that you are to be personally received by the Senate. We are prepared to meet all of your requests, Master Aikawakanami Christ Eurasian Waldhusiers von Walker.

After a lean greeting, the knight immediately stood up. While I was wondering if I wanted to omit his name, he mentioned our destination.

'Your objective is the castle's 'World Tree', right?'

'Oh, yes ......'

Right this way, then. Let me show you around.

As the representative knights turned themselves around, the surrounding knights surrounded us to protect us. From the looks of it, it's a siege not to keep us from escaping, but to protect us. There seems to be no falsehood in the words of the previous ”hospitality”.

Thus, me and Ragne-chan are led by the fine knights through the bridge and gates and into the grounds of Fuzzyards Castle.

''What a fast story, isn't it?''

Yeah. It seems they already knew we were coming to the World Tree. Maybe they're from the guild: ......?

We walked through a garden that could be mistaken for a prairie while sneaking around and talking to Lagune.

Anyway, the large grounds were lined with stunning trees that showed the skill of the gardeners. On the way, I pass a few people who seem to be nobles and knights, and they stare at me. Perhaps the news of my arrival had been conveyed throughout the castle for quite some time.

After walking through such an overly large garden, we finally arrive at the building.

We arrive at the door of the thickest tower, which is the core of Foozier's Castle, where countless towers are gathered. We can't catch the edge of the tower even if we turn our eyes to the side. Perhaps it would be more accurate to describe it not as a 'thick tower', but as a 'massive structure towering above all else'.

A carved door with carvings that accentuate its majesty is opened by the knights and we are invited to enter the castle.

'So this is the inside: ......'

The fantastic interior of Fuzzy Yards Castle made my voice leak out again.

The luxurious furnishings and the ”magic stone line” on the floor were within my expectations, but I was surprised by the construction of the castle.

The first thing you see is a vault that is more than a kilometer in diameter from the top of the castle to the basement.

The walkable floor was only about a hundred meters wide near the walls, and in the center, the partitions between the floors had been completely removed. A quick glance at the building revealed that there were about fifty floors to the top, which could be counted by the eye.

Perhaps it was because the holes in the vaulted ceilings served as air passageways, but they were constantly spiraling eerie wind-cutting sounds.

I thought it was a complete disregard for the theory of the castle.

It may have been intended to be a relay tower to connect the surrounding towers, but even so, the architectural drawing was too bizarre.

''Aikawa Kanami-sama, the World Tree is the lowest level.

As I look around the castle like a country bumpkin, the knight flies to my attention.

Then I am immediately taken to a spiral staircase attached to the end of the atrium. That staircase has a fence attached to it, but if you're not good at it, you're headlong into the abyss. I follow behind the knight, doubting the mind of whoever designed this castle.

Gradually, the natural sunlight is lost, leaving only the light of the magic tools attached to the stairs.

The sounds of life in the castle that we heard on the ground become diminished, and the sound of our shoes as we walk becomes more and more noticeable.

Along the way, there was a path that veered off to the side, but the knights leading the way headed for the lowest level without hesitation.

It's not so dark that it's dark.

However, there was an uneasy feeling of being swallowed by the darkness.

We walked down the cobblestone stairs, which had become ridiculous to count when we crossed a hundred, and descended all the way down to the bottom.

And then I see it.

It stands completely inside the hole in the atrium - a huge, red-tinted tree.

Countless red leaves fill my vision.

It's a dull, stagnant red, quite different from the autumn foliage in Japan. It's a far cry from nature's stunning, vibrant red.

If I hadn't known beforehand, I might have let out one small scream.

But I already know.

There is 'the one who steals the reason for blood' here.

Then the true color of that red leaf can't be anything other than 'blood'.

I descend a staircase with blood-stained leaves swaying nearby, and finally the lowest level of the castle comes into view.

That means you can see the base of the red tree, and at the same time you can see the face of the man there.

The man was surrounded by a group of fully armed knights in the distance.

But he didn't seem to mind at all, sitting with his back resting against a tree, gracefully reading an ancient-looking book.

His wispy, black, frizzy hair grew long enough to cover his ears and hide his bright red eyes like a lace curtain. His skin looks pale and lifeless, but a few old scars etched into his cheeks convince me that he is a warrior.

However, the man wasn't wearing a knight's sword or even a single skirmish. Dressed in a plain white top and bottom outfit, he looks exactly like one of the soldiers who enjoys reading while on vacation.

I had heard that he was the most active knight a thousand years ago, but he was not as strong as I imagined. His age is probably more than he looks due to 'The One Who Steals Reason', but he looks about the same as I do in appearance.

Of course, there's no way he's the harmless soldier he appears to be.

The magic that leaks from his body is mischievous and truly powerful. An average person would probably feel nauseated just by going near him. He is clothed in an abnormality worthy of a guardian (guardian).

And his biggest abnormality was in his 'legs'.

Both feet that he sat down and threw out on the ground - thin (...).

He was not wearing shoes. He was barefoot, as if he didn't need them. And the shape is as vague as a goofy ghost in a movie.

Once I had taken in all of his features, I made my way down to the lowest level of the castle. The nicely polished cobblestones up to this point are cut off, and from here it's dirt ground.

On the dirt ground, red trees are rooted and towering close to the ground.

The man who had been resting his back against the tree seemed to notice that we had come down. He places the book in his hand on the ground and stands there.

I was anxious to see if his thin legs would support his body, but he stood firmly on the ground.

The man stands and turns his eyes to me.

There's a whole bunch of other people. There's a knight who came down with me, and Ragne, too. But he looks only at me, pacing slowly and speaking his name.

'Uzura Wave ......?'

...... Yeah. Is that one 'the one that steals the reason for the blood'?

I wasn't sure how to answer, but I returned it in a friendly manner without using honorific language.

There is no doubt that the two of us were close friends a thousand years ago. I chose my words so that we could build a friendly relationship, if at all.

The man was slightly confused by my answer, but he soon understood.

”...... Yeah. ...... I thought you forgot about us because of the legacy?　So, I guess that means I'll have to introduce myself again. ...... It's a bit of a pain in the ass.

Scratching his head messily in rags, but with a heartfelt flush of joy, the man repeats himself as he would have done a thousand years ago.

'My name is Fafner. I am Fafner Helvilshain, the agent of the ”Blood Stealer” (...) Fafner Helvilshain. I am also the one who once served as your knight in shining armor. ...... Let's be friends and fools again, Uzura Wave.

The man's name is Fafner Helvirshain.

This is how Fafner and I met in the World Tree, underneath Fuzzyards Castle in the Great Holy City.