The Hero’s Disciple Has Returned

“I’m… I’m sorry.”
“It’s… It’s okay. Hahaha.”

I laughed awkwardly. Fortunately, a tragedy didn’t occur. It was really dangerous, but I managed to suppress it somehow. I maintained my dignity as a human. To the extent that even I couldn’t help but think it was a truly fierce battle…

Does that mean there was no problem at all?

That wasn’t the case either.

‘Now she looks cute.’

The sight of her blushing and fixing her hair looked too cute. Until just now, she felt distant due to the sense of distance, but in an instant, she felt too close, making it impossible to control the sense of distance at all.

‘Get a grip. The other party is a being close to god. Nothing good will come from getting strangely involved.’

The most important thing for a mercenary is not to forget one’s place. When doing mercenary work, all kinds of tempting hands reach out. Foolish mercenaries who mistakenly think they’re something special grab those tempting hands and die just like that. Just like dying after losing all their vitality after falling for a succubus’s temptation.

‘Get a grip, Jade. Remember what happens when you forget your place. You must not become like that. You have a duty to wait for your disciple to return. If you can’t even do that, do you deserve to live? Get a grip!’

Fortunately, it was effective.

The dizziness finally calmed down.

Indeed, the lessons learned throughout life always help if you don’t forget them. If nothing else, the lessons accumulated through life didn’t betray me.

♧♧♧

The World Tree was amazed.

‘I made a mistake… Fortunately, it seems there’s no problem?’

A meeting in the dream world was ultimately a contact between souls. And naturally, the quality of the World Tree’s soul was on a different dimension from ordinary humans. No matter how brilliant a soul Jade possessed, as long as that soul was human, if it came into direct contact with the World Tree’s soul, it would be affected by that massive soul influence. And as a result, some side effects were bound to occur. Becoming dizzy like being drunk, or having desires hidden deep in the soul stimulated… There could even be an explosive outburst of desire towards the opposite sex.

Since the World Tree was in the form of an attractive elf woman, it wouldn’t have been strange at all if such desire towards the opposite sex had exploded. But Jade seemed completely fine (although he wasn’t fine at all). The World Tree nodded, thinking once again that a brilliant soul is indeed special.

‘Hmm? Why do I feel ‘a bit disappointed’?’

Isn’t it fortunate for her that Jade wasn’t harmed and is fine (although he wasn’t fine)? If Jade’s desire for the opposite sex had exploded here, she would have been troubled…

‘Huh? Is that a troublesome problem? Oh?’

It’s clearly a troublesome problem… but why doesn’t it feel troublesome?

The World Tree fell into confusion.

It’s clearly a problem that should be troublesome, and no matter how I think about it, it is a troublesome problem, right? But why am I…?

“World Tree?”
“Ah! Yes?! What is it?”
“I think we should get back to the main topic.”
“Ah. Yes. That’s right.”

She had prepared this conversation to bestow a blessing on Jade, but… Why did she end up crying in Jade’s arms? The World Tree blushed again. She hadn’t calmed down since earlier. Her heart kept racing, and this feeling was a first for her.

It was completely different from fear and terror. The World Tree is an omniscient being, naturally, there’s nothing she doesn’t know. Therefore, she knew the phenomenon happening to her as knowledge. She only knew it as knowledge, having never experienced it herself, so it was merely knowledge… But at this moment, the World Tree couldn’t help but realize that she was not just knowing it as knowledge but ‘experiencing’ it.

‘That… That can’t be, right? Eh? Huh? Isn’t this strange? No, it’s not strange for such a phenomenon to happen to me since I also have emotions… But… But I’ve lived for an incredibly long time? I’ve never experienced this even once until now, and suddenly now? This doesn’t make sense, does it?’

The World Tree, who had never experienced ‘wandering’ because she always knew everything due to her omniscience, was having her first experience of falling into panic because she didn’t know the answer. However, in this case, it wasn’t because she didn’t know the answer, but because she couldn’t accept the answer she knew.

“World Tree?”
“I’m… I’m fine. There’s nothing wrong with me.”

‘Usually, people who say they’re fine are never fine.’

Jade thought this, but he was well aware that he was in an inferior position in front of the World Tree, so he decided to just keep his mouth shut.

“Ahem. Anyway, it’s time to give Jade what he needs.”

‘Huh? Mr.? Did she decide to drop the honorific?’

Although the World Tree had clearly called him Mr. Jade earlier, she was now calling him just by name, which naturally piqued his interest, but Jade quietly let it pass, feeling that asking about this would make the conversation stray from the main topic again.

“How about a fruit of the World Tree?”
“…I’ve only heard stories, but isn’t that extremely precious?”
“It is precious indeed. In my long life, fruit has only formed about 5 times. That’s why in the old days when dragons existed, they even invaded out of curiosity about the taste and effects of my fruit. They failed in the end because they couldn’t break through my barrier.”
“……”

Should he be surprised at the World Tree’s barrier that even dragons couldn’t break? Or should he be surprised at the Demon King’s power that can break through such a barrier of the World Tree? Or should he be surprised at the World Tree’s immense generosity in offering such a precious thing that even dragons tried but failed to obtain to him, a human?

Jade couldn’t find the answer to that in the end. He realized midway that it was wisest to just stop thinking about it.

“Anyway, isn’t it very precious?”
“But it’s the most precious elixir in this world.”

Elixir

A very precious treasure that warriors and magicians alike would go crazy for. Naturally, there was a time when even Jade thought he would have no regrets if he could just see an elixir, that’s how precious a treasure an elixir was. During war, if an elixir was discovered, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that from that moment on, you couldn’t distinguish between friend and foe, that’s how precious the value of an elixir was. Even if its effect was evaluated as low-grade, selling it could earn you a heap of gold coins. Of course, that’s why the moment rumors spread that you obtained an elixir, you had to be careful with your neck…

Anyway, an elixir, and the ‘fruit of the World Tree’ said to be the most precious elixir in this world, was naturally extremely precious. To the extent that it wouldn’t be strange for an emperor to try to obtain it even if he had to use up all his hidden wealth. But…

“But in my current state, an elixir would be too wasteful.”
“……? There’s nothing wasteful about it going into Jade’s body. You can just eat it.”
“No, no. It’s fine. Really, it’s fine.”

It wasn’t that Jade disliked elixirs, of course. But eating an elixir now would be meaningless. To eat an elixir and fully make its efficacy your own, you need aura… Jade didn’t have the aura to do that. He could substitute with ‘natural mana’, but… Because the amount he could handle was very small, it was obvious that most of the power would end up wasted. Eating it would make his body a bit healthier, but the serious problem was that the gain was too little compared to the cost.

‘Moreover, if too much energy enters at once, it could cause a backflow phenomenon…’

There were countless cases of nouveau riche who didn’t properly master aura or magic power ruining their bodies after eating elixirs without knowing better, and it wouldn’t be strange for Jade to be added to that list.

If it were a low-grade elixir, even the current Jade could probably withstand it sufficiently, but if it’s said to be the world’s best elixir, he had no confidence in enduring it at all. In other words, he refused based on a realistic judgment.

“…Then it can’t be helped.”

Fortunately, the World Tree gave up.

Jade sighed in relief, thinking it was fortunate that she was someone he could reason with.

“Then how about my 1000-year-old branch?”
“…It looks extremely precious just by looking at it…”
“Hoho. It’s not that precious.”

Jade wasn’t fooled.

And it was actually extremely precious.

It was a treasure so precious that even Great Magicians would say they have no regrets if they could just see it once.

‘…She could just bestow a blessing…’

Jade couldn’t understand at all how it had come to this.

…In other words, that’s it.

He was a man full of sin. And men full of sin all don’t know that they’re full of sin. Jade was included in that.

♧♧♧

“……”
“…My lord, it will end soon, so you don’t need to worry so much.”
“……”

Great Magician William was in agony. His lord was emitting a chill colder than the northern wind, so he couldn’t help but be in agony. There could be no subordinate who could feel good while their superior was giving off a bad mood atmosphere, and that was a very equal rule that could not be an exception even for a Great Magician.

Crunch!

While the hero was emitting a chill and the Great Magician beside her was reading the mood and in agony, unlike the two, the elf Riel was munching diligently on some fruit she had obtained from somewhere.

“Munch munch.”
“…Elf, can that go down your throat?”
“It’s delicious though?”
“…I see.”

It was meant to be an attack of sorts, but when the other party didn’t realize it was an attack and sent a pure gaze, William had no choice but to decide to just ignore it.

“She’s just having a conversation with Mother, why is that one emitting such a chill?”
“……”

For the elf, the World Tree is like a parent she reveres, so her trust is sky-high and she probably has no worries at all, but…

‘Even I think ‘surely not’… How much must my lord be burning inside…’

Surely the World Tree wouldn’t fall for a human?

Such a thing that would only happen in old myths couldn’t possibly happen in reality, right? He wanted to think that and move on, but…

‘If it’s Master, though…’

Even his lord, who was clearly not someone who would give her heart to others, perhaps the one furthest from love and who seemed like she would never give such emotions to anyone, that very lord of his. Yet the person who made such a person feel the emotion of love and firmly stole her heart was none other than Jade. …Although he doesn’t know it himself… Anyway, William’s conclusion, based on his colorful past experiences, was that Jade had some kind of devilish charm that he himself was unaware of.

That devilish charm… Perhaps… Maybe… The possibility that it could affect even the World Tree… was not zero, which was scary.

It was then.

“It’s breaking.”

Sera said that, and

Soon the World Tree’s barrier broke.

Sera’s body disappeared in an instant and reached in front of Jade, busy laying him down and examining him.

‘No matter how urgent her heart is… She used tremendous aura to perform a technique close to spatial leap…’

William could only freeze for a moment, dumbfounded by the amazing act his lord performed in an instant.

And soon the World Tree appeared again in her soul form.

-It took a little time, didn’t it? I’m sorry. The conversation got a bit long.
“You didn’t do anything harmful to Master’s body, did you?”
-Of course not, I even gave a gift.

Sera could immediately see the wooden ring on Jade’s finger. She could easily read the energy emanating from that ring.

“You gave him your protection.”
-That will be more certainly helpful to Jade than a blessing.

The World Tree’s protection

It was something that always appeared in various legends and myths related to the World Tree. Like the World Tree giving protection to a hero setting out to save the world. Sera had received it a few times too. It was just right for the current Jade.

It was just right, but…

“You always gave it as a necklace, didn’t you?”

The World Tree had always given her protection as a necklace, she had never given it as a ring!

-I felt like giving it as a ring this time?
“And why are you calling someone else’s Master by name as you please?”
-He said it was okay to call him by name.
“And why is the ring on this finger…”

But Sera couldn’t continue speaking.

Smooch!

Because she saw a scene she shouldn’t have seen.

-Might as well give a blessing too, right? Hoho.
“…Why are you dirtying someone else’s Master’s forehead with your lips when it can be done just by holding hands?”
-Hmm. Secret♥

With those final words, the World Tree disappeared with a strange smile along with the wind.

Grind!

“……”

William heard something tremendous but pretended not to hear. He felt that if he acknowledged hearing it, it would be terribly bad for his mental health.

“…William”
“…Yes, my lord.”
“…Should I imprison him?”
“……”

There was no subject.

But William couldn’t bring himself to ask “Who?”

He could only look at Jade, whom Sera was tightly embracing, with a gaze filled with various complex meanings. And in that brief moment, Sera had already changed the ring that the World Tree had put on Jade’s finger to a different finger. She must have used so much aura that William couldn’t notice her movement at all.

…My lord was in quite a hurry.

William decided to think only that much.