Chapter 188 - Greinif (4)

"..."

Alon fell silent.

"..."

Queen Adrina fell silent as well. Unlike Alon, however, she wore a smile she made no effort to hide.

'What on earth does “something along those lines” mean?'

He could make no sense of either her words or her expression.

Perhaps she simply meant to let the matter pass amicably. But to Alon, her intent sounded more like, 'Ah, you want me to play along? Then that's what I'll go with.' In other words, she would pretend not to know.

"... What do you mean, something along those lines?"

"Exactly what I said. Something along those lines."

"What I mean is—"

Alon opened and closed his mouth several times. He had no idea where to begin setting things straight.

What on earth was he supposed to do about this...?

"Well, let me say this again. I am not the primordial elf."

"So you're not."

The elven queen Adrina nodded, her face showing not the slightest doubt or concern. That left Alon even more at a loss for words.

"... You don't seem to believe me at all."

"Of course I do. I believe you."

"It feels ridiculous to say this myself, but if I'm not the primordial elf, shouldn't you be treating me with hostility, even now?"

"If that's what you'd like, I'd be happy to."

"..."

"No, I... Even if you don't have to be hostile, surely there's no reason to welcome me so warmly?"

How had he ended up so passionately(?) explaining that he was not the primordial elf? He was utterly bewildered, yet the queen simply gazed steadily at his face.

"Well—couldn't we just say it's because I wanted to meet you in person, Marquis Pallatio?"

"...?"

"I hear you're rather famous, Marquis. Aren't you?"

"I suppose I am."

"Then let's go with that."

Only then did Alon realize that no matter how many more times he explained himself, their misunderstanding would never be cleared up. No—they had no intention of clearing it up.

'What is going on?'

Alon knew little about Greinif. He had never even had contact with it before. So what could have led the elves to such an enormous misconception?

'... They wouldn't put this much blind faith in me just because I'm wearing a glove.'

After considering it briefly, Alon decided to take advantage of their goodwill for now.

"... May I ask you something?"

"Anything."

The queen smiled brightly, seemingly delighted. Watching her, Alon organized his questions in his head.

'All Siyan really told me was to visit Greinif, so there's nothing specific to ask about that. That leaves the primordial elf, who used magic much like I do, and the Root.'

He considered which of the two to ask about first.

"Do you happen to know anything about the Root?"

He chose the Root. He had wanted to ask about the primordial elf first, but under the circumstances, it felt awkward to bring that up.

The queen nodded immediately.

"Yes, though I doubt I can explain it."

"... Why not?"

"Because you must see the Root for yourself."

"See it for myself?"

"Yes. No one can describe it as anything beyond 'the Root.'"

He had to see it for himself, did he?

"Could I visit this Root?"

"If you wish, I'll open the way for you."

"Thank you."

"However—"

Having readily agreed, the queen glanced behind Alon, at Evan, who had accompanied him.

"It's extremely dangerous, so I advise you not to take the knight behind you."

"He could die simply by going there."

"..."

Evan flinched. Alon, too, began to feel that perhaps he would rather not go.

"... It's that dangerous?"

"Yes."

Her answer was firm. His misgivings deepened. Judging by her words, the Root truly seemed to be a dangerous place.

Nevertheless...

"Then I'll ask you to do that."

Alon decided to descend to the Root. He had concluded that it was worth taking that degree of risk.

'... Learn how to wield stature, was it?'

Alon recalled the Pupil. At first, merely looking at it had made blood pour from every opening in his body. Even recently, seeing it for a mere few dozen seconds had made him weep blood.

It had certainly told him to descend to the Root and learn how to wield his "stature." Alon had no idea what the stature it mentioned actually was. It was a kind of power that had never been properly revealed even when he played Psychedelia.

Still...

'It will surely help.'

He had to face it.

"I'll leave it to you."

"Very well. Then let's have you enter tomorrow."

####

Immediately after the brief meeting with Alon, an elf stepped out behind Queen Magrina, who stood silently with a faint smile.

"Your Majesty."

"Rim."

The elf looked somewhat disgruntled. A member of the Pagade responsible for the Root, she furrowed her brow as though she could make no sense of this at all. The queen gave a light laugh at the sight.

"You seem to have a great deal to say, Rim."

"Forgive me, but may I speak my mind?"

"Go ahead."

With the queen's benevolent smile granting her permission, Rim cautiously began.

"Is that man truly the primordial elf?"

"Does he not look that way to you, Rim?"

"... Forgive me, but no. He himself says he isn't the primordial elf. Besides, according to Pilde, wasn't he supposed to stay away from the World Tree?"

"Hmm—yes, wasn't he?"

"And yet he's come to Greinif, hasn't he...? With something behind him that would give anyone chills."

Rim shuddered involuntarily as she spoke. Of course, to her eyes as a swordswoman rather than a mage, the thing in the world beyond, behind Marquis Pallatio, appeared only as an exceedingly faint shape. No, not even a shape. Just a barely discernible fragment. That was all.

But even that was enough for Rim to know that the thing behind him was an inscrutable being utterly beyond her understanding. Perhaps, like those things beneath the Root—

"Rim."

The queen's voice pulled her out of her thoughts before they could go any further.

"Yes."

"I'd like you to guard him when he goes to the Root tomorrow."

"... Guard him?"

"Yes."

"You truly intend to let that man into the Root?"

"He wishes to go."

"I—"

Rim tried to object, but she soon had no choice but to close her mouth.

"Understood?"

The queen was already smiling at her. It was an infinitely benevolent smile, yet a firm one that made clear she would entertain no further objections.

"... Under...stood."

Rim could only acquiesce. The queen's commands were absolute.

"Don't worry too much. Everyone else will be going as well. Isn't that right, Draim?"

At Magrina's quiet words, a man emerged from a shadow that had been empty only moments before.

"... I shall obey your command."

"Good. I'll leave it to you, then."

The queen nodded.

After a moment's consideration, Rim spoke again.

"Your Majesty."

"Yes?"

"... If, by any chance, that man tries to go beyond entering the Root and descend beneath it, what should I do?"

She posed another question.

Even if she conceded that entering the Root was acceptable, descending beneath it was another matter—because "that thing" was there.

Yet the queen continued to smile.

"Naturally, you should guide him."

Even though she knew full well that something lay down there—something whose awakening would cause tremendous trouble.

"Under...stood."

In the end, Rim bowed her head.

Meanwhile, at that same moment...

"... My lord."

"What is it?"

"I know you won't give me a straight answer anyway, but..."

"?"

"Just what are you, my lord?"

There was even a note of incredulity in Evan's voice. Alon stared into space for a moment.

"... Good question."

"?"

"I'm rather curious myself right now."

The night wore on, deepening his unexpected contemplation of his own identity.

####

The day after being bewilderedly ushered into Greinif, Alon had gained a rough understanding of how he was being treated there, despite having spent only about a day in the place.

'A few of the higher-ranking elves are mistaken about me and treating me kindly, while most of the others are hostile...'

Naturally, Alon bore no particular resentment. The queen's reaction was the strange one; it was only natural for elves to be hostile toward a human like him. He had even noticed some of those laboring under the "misunderstanding" subtly displaying hostility, but he could understand that well enough.

Having spent roughly a day gauging the atmosphere, Alon set off for the Root with the queen seeing him off.

"Have a safe trip, then. Rim will guide you."

He went with Rim, an elf whose disapproval of him was obvious to anyone.

"I am Rim. I will be your guide from here on."

"... I'll leave it to you."

A short while later...

"This is the place."

They reached the entrance sooner than expected, in about thirty minutes.

Alon asked in bewilderment,

"Here?"

"Would I disobey Her Majesty's command and bring you somewhere else under false pretenses?"

Her response was somewhat sharp, but Alon paid it little mind and looked around.

'I see. Did the Root mean the roots of the World Tree?'

The tree was so enormous that it looked like nothing more than a vast wall with a door set into it. Standing before it, he could not even see its branches unless he craned his neck straight upward. Its sheer size was overwhelming.

"Let's go in."

At Alon's words, Rim turned and stepped toward the Root first. Alon followed her.

'It's dark.'

That was Alon's first impression of the stairway leading into the Root.

There were certainly spheres placed at intervals along the stairs to provide visibility, apparently powered by magic. Even so, it was pitch-black, as though something were deliberately devouring the light.

How long had he been walking deeper into the Root with that strange feeling? Eventually, the darkness grew so thick that he could barely see anything around him except the back of Rim's head.

TAP!

"We've arrived."

Alon stepped onto the last stair, and Rim's voice announced their arrival.

'This is the Root...?'

He truly could see nothing at all. Just as he began to feel as though he were trapped in darkness like a black hole...

[You have come—star eater.]

"!"

A voice resounded in Alon's ears.