Chapter 57 - Regeneration - 2

One week after they had harvested Aedrin’s fruit.

RUMBLE!

Feeling the thunderous noise reverberate through her entire body, Renée asked Bera a question.

“Bera, is everything going well?”

“Yes. Aedrin is being dismantled without any problems.”

“Has anyone been hurt...?”

“No one.”

A smile formed on Renée’s lips.

“That’s a relief.”

The noise came from the dismantling of Aedrin, whose essence had departed. They were clearing the site to plant Aedrin’s new seed.

According to Friede’s explanation, the remains they were dismantling would become materials for the elves’ homes, bows, and other things.

Renée smiled awkwardly, finding something rather strange about Friede’s words: [“We shape Mother’s remains into houses.”]

“... Elves really are fascinating.”

“In what way?”

“It’s just... doing things with Mother’s body.”

“A cultural difference, I imagine. They worship Aedrin’s soul, not the tree.”

At Bera’s nonchalant attitude, Renée nodded, wondering, ‘Am I just being overly sensitive?’

“How long will it take?”

“They should finish today. Elves certainly work quickly.”

Watching the elves dig up the roots of Aedrin’s remaining stump, Bera felt a quiet admiration for their skill.

Despite their scrawny appearance, they moved heavy objects with ease and used spells to lift the roots out of the ground. It was quite impressive.

One thing in particular caught his attention: Friede’s work.

‘The Mystery of Wind, was it?’

The most primordial supernatural power. The ability to commune with nature, said to be available only to the chosen.

Friede was using that mystery, normally employed to unleash blasts of wind, for this task.

Throughout the work, Friede had summoned wind to cut away all of Aedrin’s upper trunk and branches, trim them, and then chop the roots into pieces. The speed was astonishing.

“At that speed, I imagine they’d be welcomed as workers anywhere outside the Great Forest.”

Something finally made sense.

The elves had numbered only around three hundred, even counting the Noir, yet they had built such a prosperous society. Their ability to work like that must have been the reason.

While Bera and Renée were chatting about the work in progress, Mari’s shout rang out.

“Everyone, come eat before you carry on!”

“Oh!”

Renée exclaimed as well.

Bera watched her face light up at the mention of food with mixed feelings.

Of all the people he had ever seen, Renée enjoyed those bizarre, practically inedible meals the most. That, at least, he simply could not understand.

“Bera, let’s go too.”

“... Yes.”

Naturally, he could not voice his concern.

Bera could only hope they would leave the Great Forest soon, so he would no longer have to look at that strange soup.

* * *

“My, Saintess, even the way you eat is a delight!” Mari said.

Renée’s cheeks flushed.

“Hehe... Not at all.”

For some reason, Renée felt shy. She was simply enjoying the food because it was so delicious; being praised for it like that was embarrassing.

She lowered her head bashfully and resumed spooning up her meal, then suddenly remembered something she had meant to ask Mari.

“Oh, Lady Mari, will you be returning to the Holy Empire now? Your work here is finished, isn’t it?”

“Hm? No, once we plant the seed, I’ll stay here until it’s properly established. After that, I’ll go see my family for a bit.”

“Your family?”

Renée tilted her head, wondering whether Mari’s family was not in the Holy Empire.

Seeing the question on Renée’s face, Mari answered in her hearty way.

“My husband works as an inspector in the Empire.”

“Oh.”

“Goodness, I haven’t seen him in ten years! I’m worried sick that the man might’ve been cheating on me!”

Cheating.

Mari had said it jokingly, but for some reason the word set Renée’s nerves on edge.

“Ch-cheating is unacceptable!”

“Hm? Right, cheating is bad.”

“Yes! Cheating is absolutely! Absolutely, absolutely! Unacceptable!”

She shouted as though the remark had struck a nerve. All her attention was focused on Bera.

Mari laughed heartily at the sight, at Renée’s feelings so plainly on display, then added,

“Well, he can’t even get it up, so who’d have him anyway?”

Bera flinched. Narrowing his eyes, he admonished Mari.

“... Lady Mari.”

“Oops, there I go putting my foot in it.”

She covered her mouth and feigned surprise, but her expression was full of mischief.

“Can’t get what up?”

Unaccustomed to sexual jokes, Renée did not understand Mari’s meaning and continued questioning her. Bera groaned and offered an excuse.

“Lady Mari was joking. It isn’t something you need to know.”

Renée tilted her head.

Glaring at Mari for her needless remark, Bera reminded himself once again of the truth that not a single apostle was normal.

* * *

The day of their departure arrived.

Aedrin’s seed was buried in carefully leveled ground. Soil covered it, and Mari’s divine energy enveloped the earth, completing the entire process.

As Bera watched Friede approach after finishing the work, he suddenly remembered the moment Friede had severed Gilli’s head, and a flicker of irritation rose within him.

He had needed to learn about the dagger, only for Friede to abruptly cut Gilli’s head off. How could he not resent that?

His face tightened with irritation, but then he heaved a sigh and shook the thought away.

‘... No. Even if Friede hadn’t killed Gilli, I wouldn’t have learned anything.’

Half of Gilli’s body had been blown apart, leaving death imminent. Besides, Gilli had shown no sign of saying anything to the very end.

Bera knew that venting his irritation over the past would change nothing.

“Are you leaving now?”

Renée answered the voice.

“Yes. Thank you for everything you’ve done for us.”

“For you? We elves are the ones indebted to you. Thank you for saving us.”

“Not at all. I did it because I could.”

Feeling bashful, Renée lowered her head.

Receiving someone’s heartfelt thanks was an equally embarrassing experience, one that left her feeling strangely warm and ticklish inside.

“Where will you go now?”

“We’re planning to look around the alliance of kingdoms.”

“Ah, the lands of the beastfolk.”

Friede nodded slightly at Renée’s answer, considered it for a moment, then began giving instructions to the elves.

“Would you wait a moment? I’d like to repay you somehow.”

“Pardon?”

“As it happens, I have just the gift.”

Friede smiled gently.

* * *

A short while later, the elves who had left returned with several pieces of finely finished timber and a bundle that looked quite heavy.

Bera looked at Friede and asked,

“What is this?”

Friede chuckled softly at his question and explained the items they had brought.

“This is timber fashioned from Mother’s strongest branch. That bundle contains Proden.”

Bera’s eyes widened at the word “Proden.”

Commonly known as Proden, the flower of the snowfields.

It was one of the most valuable minerals on the continent, a single lump worth as much as a mansion. He was astonished that Friede would give it to him.

“A guest who visited several centuries ago left it as a gift... As you know, we elves cannot work minerals. Since your sword has broken, I thought it would make a fine gift and had it brought out.”

Looking at Bera’s astonished face, Friede added, with a slightly bitter expression,

“I’m sorry about Gilli. I know you wanted to learn something, but I acted too emotionally.”

Emotionally. Why did that word feel so strange?

Friede smiled faintly at the thought that occurred while speaking, then continued.

“When you reach the alliance of kingdoms, seek out Dovan in the Keloi Mountains. He should be able to work Proden.”

As Friede continued, Bera swallowed his lingering bewilderment and nodded.

“... I’ll put it to good use.”

“I would appreciate that. Oh, and...”

Was there more to say?

As Bera looked at Friede with that thought, Friede took a small parcel from inside a garment and held it out to Renée.

Renée, who had been listening to their conversation, felt its weight settle onto her hands and asked,

“What is this?”

“Mother’s fruit flesh. We needed the seed, so surely the flesh should go to the Saintess who brought the fruit into being.”

“Oh.”

“Please eat it. Aside from its flavor, Mother’s fruit flesh has outstanding medicinal properties. Only one fruit grows every thousand years, so it will not disappoint you.”

Renée flinched.

The thoughts she had entertained while waiting for Aedrin to be cut down returned.

Mother’s fruit flesh. In other words... For some reason, being told to eat Mother felt strange. Smiling awkwardly, Renée clutched the parcel to her chest with trembling hands and bowed her head.

“Th-thank you...”

As Renée reflected that no amount of thought would ever help her understand elven culture, Mari said her farewells.

“Take care of yourself, Saintess. All right?”

“Oh, yes. Please stay well too, Lady Mari... Will we see each other again in the Holy Empire?”

“Hm? Well...”

Mari made a thoughtful sound, then took out a notebook, wrote something down, and handed it to Renée, adding,

“That’s the plan, but if you happen to visit the Empire, why don’t you come to this address on First Avenue?”

Accepting Mari’s note, Renée recalled what she had heard the day before.

“Oh, is this your home?”

“That’s right. If I’m home then, I’ll treat you to a proper feast.”

“Thank you. I’ll be sure to visit.”

“Good. Safe travels.”

“Thank you.”

At last, all their farewells were done.

Renée turned toward the way out of the Great Forest, a broad smile forming at the elves’ calls of farewell behind her.

For the first time since she had lost the light of the world, she felt the overwhelming joy of having accomplished something through her own strength.

* * *

Inside the carriage bound for the alliance of kingdoms, Renée fidgeted with Aedrin’s fruit flesh, which she had been holding against her chest, then offered it to Bera.

“Bera, would you like to eat this?”

She had thought it over the whole time, but she simply could not eat it.

There was no other problem. It was what she had been told when receiving it that made it impossible.

Had she simply been told to eat it, she would have. But why did it have to be called “Mother’s fruit flesh”? Wouldn’t she be eating someone else’s mother?

It was purely a matter of how she felt! Even so, her revulsion kept her from finding the courage to eat it.

Looking at the fruit flesh Renée offered, Bera asked hesitantly,

“I would be grateful, but are you sure? If those elves are so confident in its medicinal properties, its effects must be extraordinary.”

“I’m sure.”

Her answer was firm.

Renée held the fruit flesh toward him again and urged him,

“Please eat it.”

‘Please.’

‘Holding it makes me feel strange.’

Swallowing the words she could not bring herself to add, Renée kept her hands outstretched until Bera accepted it.

Faced with her resolute attitude, Bera took the fruit flesh with a somewhat hesitant movement.

“... Thank you.”

Ordinarily, he truly would not have accepted it... but Bera was human too.

That meant he had desires.

He had long since cast aside his desire for wealth and power upon taking his place at Renée’s side, but his ambition for training and martial strength still remained.

How could he refuse an unparalleled medicinal treasure offered to him under those circumstances?

Doing his best to suppress the guilt rising within him, Bera examined the fruit flesh he had received.

Wrapped in cloth, it had been divided into exactly two halves.

“Go on. Eat it.”

“... Yes.”

After answering Renée’s urging, Bera pulled back the cloth, picked up the plump fruit flesh, and put it in his mouth.

‘... It tastes like an apple.’

Aedrin’s fruit flesh tasted like an apple.