As they were about to eat quietly in a partitioned area, passing through the crowded people, a woman who had occupied a table alone stood up.
"Senior. I’ve been waiting for you."
"For ?"
"Yes. Please sit here, here."
Gerhard frowned at her natural gesture pointing to the seat in front of her.
"Did I agree to et you?"
"I was just waiting here thinking you might co this way."
"You thought I would co here?"
"You like the food here, don’t you? You co here more often than other places."
That was true. It was a restaurant Gerhard particularly liked, run by a chef specially brought from across the continent.
"Did you investigate ?"
"No, I confird it personally."
She blinked with an innocent expression. Along with it, her pointed ears twitched.
How curious. Are all elves like that?
"If you have sothing to say, make a separate appointnt, Ariadne Florian. I’m a busy person."
Just as Gerhard was about to pass by her, a quiet murmur stopped his steps.
"That’s strange. Didn’t you receive a letter from your family?"
"...It was you."
He felt that the question that had been occupying a corner of his mind all morning was sowhat resolved.
"That’s right. You..."
"Follow ."
"Hmm, I just rembered an appointnt, so I’ll be going ahead."
Gert tactfully disappeared, and Ariadne followed Gerhard to a private room prepared on the third floor of the restaurant.
"Speak."
"Did you receive the letter well?"
"The Fridien family requested as the person in charge. Was that your doing?"
"That’s right. I had so influence."
Ariadne smiled.
"There are many excellent people in the company besides . Yet you specifically picked , and approaching first like this ans you have a good reason?"
"A reason that’s big if you consider it big, small if you consider it small."
She nodded firmly.
Gerhard couldn’t understand it. In a transaction, soone is bound to benefit.
But the current transaction seed strange.
No one seed to gain by Gerhard’s participation. At least, not from what he knew.
"What is it?"
But if sothing was hidden, the story would be different.
"What was written in the letter?"
"There wasn’t much particular content. There was so kind of agreent between the academy and your family, and various items were exchanged."
Items like spirit stones and World Tree leaves were expensive things that couldn’t be easily obtained without elves.
Whatever they received from the academy in return, it must have been quite extraordinary.
"That’s right. But that’s just the outer packaging."
"Outer packaging? You an there’s a real one apart from that?"
"That’s right."
Ariadne paused briefly.
"Don’t build suspense unnecessarily, just tell . Having grown up as a rchant, I’ve seen all sorts of precious things. Do you think I’d be surprised? Unless you’re moving the entire World Tree..."
But that was sothing that couldn’t possibly happen. The elves wouldn’t do such a thing unless they were insane.
"That’s right."
"Yes, that couldn’t possibly... What did you say?"
Did I hear wrong?
"It is the World Tree. To be precise, a branch of the World Tree."
"...You’re bringing a branch of the World Tree to the academy?"
It was certainly less important than the World Tree itself.
But that didn’t an the value of the branch could be underestimated. Though called a branch, it was obviously not an ordinary one.
It was a sapling that the World Tree could only produce one of every hundred years, a manifestation of the World Tree.
It alone contained the essence of the forest and deep mana, constantly influencing the surrounding environnt.
"You’re giving that away? What on earth did you promise from the academy’s side?"
"I wouldn’t tell you such things. I heard you were an outstanding rchant, but this isn’t like you, senior."
"...I admit I showed an unseemly reaction."
Gerhard quickly regained his composure.
The branch of the World Tree was certainly surprising, and though he didn’t know what the academy had offered in return, that wasn’t the pressing issue for him.
"I understand. The importance of this matter. Is that why you specifically requested as the person in charge?"
"Yes."
Ariadne, who had been pausing briefly, smiled.
"When the family heir becos the person in charge, the weight changes, doesn’t it?"
It ant this was an important matter for the elves.
"Plus, I have a desire to build a relationship with the future Duke through this opportunity. I told the teaching assistant last ti, didn’t I? That I want to maintain good relations with all Margrave families."
"Are you coming too?"
"The academy has been very accommodating. It seems I can substitute lectures with a field practice system."
Of course they would be accommodating. It’s not just anything, but a branch of the World Tree they’re being given.
"I’m not particularly curious about your second intention, and I understand your point entirely."
Gerhard adjusted his posture.
"After going around in circles, in the end, regardless of how, you want to be the company’s person in charge."
He leaned back in his chair, maintaining an expressionless face.
"What can you give in return?"
Since they approached first, I’m the one in control.
***
Early dawn, Gerhard opened his eyes.
["I heard the professor of Spirit Studies is changing."
There was so kind of transaction between the Fridien Viscounty and the academy, and the Viscounty donated items related to spirit arts.
The academy made thorough preparations to receive it, and Gerhard Goldenheim, becoming the person in charge, successfully transported it.]
[- They’re changing a perfectly fine professor just because they gave so spirit arts items?
"Yes."
"Actually, Ariadne told sothing I should absolutely not tell others."
"She said among those items, there’s a branch of the World Tree. That’s why she’s going directly."
]
["The branch isn’t growing well? Is it because it was moved?"
"No. Ariadne said nothing happened."
]
[A sky stained crimson.
People rampaging, contaminated by evil energy.
And the opening rift and descending demons.
At the center was the branch of the World Tree.
]
The anxiety that had been wondering why the imdiate next part wasn’t appearing, despite the prophecy book’s content having flowed by, disappeared imdiately.
But now a different anxiety surged.
"..."
It wasn’t the first ti, and by now he should be used to it, but he wasn’t at all.
Both the pain in his head and the content were truly dreadful.
"Nothing happened, they said, so why is it becoming a dium...! And when I’m the person in charge!"
Gerhard’s eyes were bloodshot, his clothes soaked in cold sweat.
A nightmare.
A truly terrible nightmare informing him of the process of taking one step closer to the path of downfall.
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