Poisoned roots

After Elie calmed her sister down again, we chatted a little more.

I noticed that Alie's growing concern for me seemed to be easing.

The exhaustion that came after worry must have overwhelmed her, because her eyes started to close.

"I'm glad to have met you, Kylin. But I still don't trust you, I'll be keeping an eye on you," she said and headed to her room.

She must have really been tired of dealing with me.

"Won't your mother or father be coming?" I asked, looking at Elie. She was sitting quietly across from me, staring at me.

She looked into my eyes and said, "My father won't be coming today either," and continued, "During the war, my parents were at the front lines, and it lasted for two years. We won the war, but the World Tree was heavily damaged."

"After the war, my mother stayed by the World Tree's side to heal it, and over time, she started coming home less and less. My father also stayed with her, so he stopped visiting as much," she said sadly.

It's understandable. The defenses of the World Tree are incredibly strong, but once breached, it's easy to destroy.

Especially when poisoning and burning a tree... I can imagine the things they've gone through.

Well, there was a time when I also did some mischief.

But the real question is: Did the tree suffer irreparable damage, and is her mother sacrificing herself to heal the World Tree?

When I first arrived, Elie had asked her sister, sitting on the throne, "What are you doing here?"

This means that her parents are burning their lives to heal the World Tree, and I'm not sure if her sister knows, but she must have a suspicion.

Now I understand why she's so tense. She must feel very responsible, especially with an innocent little sister like that...

Elie probably doesn't know about it. No, she's probably trying not to show it.

I leaned forward and started gently patting her head. "It's okay, Elie. I believe the World Tree will heal soon," I said softly.

She lifted her head and looked at me with her clear green eyes. I could feel her eyes filling with tears.

She must be trying to look strong for her mother, father, and especially her sister. I'm sure she's noticed something, but she's probably pretending she hasn't.

"I hope so too. But..." she said and started to cry. Well, I guess I opened up a wound.

No, she's probably been through a lot on her own until now. And when she trusted me, her emotions burst out like a dam breaking.

I gave her a bit of my shoulder and waited for her to calm down. Ten minutes later, she had fallen asleep on my shoulder.

I looked at Elie's sleeping face. She really looked innocent and sweet. I hope you keep this innocence, Elie, but also leave it behind when needed.

Because the world is very cruel for someone like you...

I picked her up and began walking toward the rooms, letting a bit of my senses leak out, and yes.

There are two rooms across from the large room. The one on the left is Elie's. I can tell the other one is Alie's, as it seems occupied.

I opened the door to Elie's room, laid her gently on the bed, and looked at her face for a moment before sending a small life energy through my finger.

"Sleep well, Elie. Wake up even more beautifully tomorrow..." I whispered inwardly.

After covering her with a blanket, I started walking out of the room.

I could sense Alie hiding behind the curtain in the corridor, holding a knife.

After closing the door, I walked as if I hadn't noticed anything.

"Hey," Alie said.

I turned to look.

"I thought you were going to eat my sister. Are you really a good person?" she said, staring at me with the knife in her hand.

How rude.

"It depends on how you see it, Alie. I'm good to many people, and bad to just as many," I said.

She was staring at me with her honey-colored eyes.

"Alie, you're a smart girl. You know that knife in your hand won't do you any good," I said with a sigh.

"Actually, I apologize, you're not smart. I can tell you haven't practiced martial arts, and your skills are in long-range attacks. Don't get so close to someone you have doubts about next time," I added, grinning.

"Hmph," she muttered, dropping the knife and sulking her way toward me.

"Why do you smell like an elf?" she asked again.

"I'm a perfect person."

"Idiot, if you're going to lie, come up with something better," she said with a pout.

"Don't you need sleep? You looked tired," I said, pretending not to hear her.

"I'm watching you. I still don't fully trust y—"

Before she could finish, I teleported her to the stratosphere.

"Ah, these spoiled girls. They need a little discipline." I looked up and saw her screaming in panic as she fell.

I walked slowly out of the palace, and after a few more steps, I raised my arms in front of me.

"Do you know princesses' laps? Princesses love them!"

"kyaaaa!" I could hear her scream getting louder.

Well, I hope Elie doesn't wake up.

To break the momentum, I teleported her back into my arms. I wasn't sure if her body could handle it.

I could see her out of breath. Panicking, she wrapped her arms around my neck. I could hear her heart thumping as her chest rose and fell.

"You're dead—"

I teleported to the mesosphere.

I started walking toward the damaged roots of the World Tree.

About a minute later, I raised my hands and teleported her back into my arms to stop the momentum.

Still out of breath, I saw her shivering this time.

She clung to my neck, calming down as I kept walking toward the roots.

"You despicable, shameless, bad—"

I teleported her to the thermosphere.

"I don't think she'll say anything this time. But she might cry..."

Anyway, I'll trick her with some sweets.

Can she freeze for a minute?

I teleported next to her and stopped her by compressing the spatial space.

"Hey, sorry. I forgot you might freeze," I said, taking a beautiful coat from my bag and wrapping it around Alie.

"I—"

"Alright then, safe travels," I said, and she began falling again.

I teleported back to the roots and inspected them.

Yes, there's poison; they've poisoned all the roots. A lot of it is rotten, but two out of eight roots have been cleared.

Still, I don't think they can save all of them. They've already sacrificed half of their lifespans for those two roots.

Taking their life energy and giving it to the World Tree... For an elf, the World Tree's lifespan is still too long...

If they manage to save two more roots before they die, that would be good...

Anyway, no need to worry about time. Life energy will be enough.

I extended my finger and touched the tree.

The tree began to revive, and I could hear cracking sounds as it broke its own roots to replace them, detoxifying itself.

I could feel that their bodies were tunneling from the trunk to the seed.

"Thanks to your daughters, you are free, my long-eared friends."

Ah, when the time came, I looked up.

I raised my hands again and teleported Alie back into my arms.

Her face was red from the cold, and I could see her taking deep breaths as she looked at me with tear-filled eyes.

If I speak first, she'll cry, and if I don't, she'll cry anyway.

"Got some champagne, care for it?" I asked, smiling.

hic-hic-

Tears started flowing from her eyes.

"I... I was going to apologize to you!" she sobbed.

Ah, right. She was saying something.

"Hey, okay, okay. I was a bit harsh, I'm sorry," I said, feeling her head rest on my shoulder as I could feel her soaking my shirt.

"Okay then, I've got a surprise for you. Look at the World Tree, it's fully healed," I said to Alie, still holding her in my arms.

She lifted her head and looked at the World Tree.

After a moment, she looked back at me.

Her face flushed, and with teary eyes, she stared at me with a silly expression.

"Hey, what happened, did you fall in love?" Sorry, my soulmate is already taken. Though it's not that important.

Polygamy is legal! An emperor should have a harem.

"waaaaa~~" This time, she started crying, shouting.

I could feel her squeezing my neck with all her strength. I sat down on the ground and allowed her to lean on me as I gently patted her back.

You two really are a pair of crybabies...

Ten minutes later.

As she slept in my arms, I moved toward the main root of the World Tree, where her family was.

Two elves appeared in front of me, both looking like skeletons, their backs against the root as they stared at me.

"Hello," I said.

I realized they were staring at me, or rather, at my arms.

Ah...

"One second," I said, teleporting to Alie's room. I laid her back in bed, sent her a small burst of life energy, and returned.

"Where were we? Yes, I healed the World Tree, no need to thank me. But you look terrible. If Elie sees you like this, she'll become a soft-hearted mess again..."

I sighed and waved my finger, sending them the concept of life.

In front of me, their bodies began to heal, filling with life once more.

The male elf first looked at his wife, then at his own body, and finally at me.

Ah, love. Women always win...

"Thank you for healing my wife and me, may I know your name, elder?" he said with a respectful tone.

"No need to thank me," I replied. "I didn't heal you out of pity, but because your children were upset. If you're going to thank me, you can do so by taking better care of them."

I looked at the World Tree.

"Hey, tree man, I know you're back to your senses, materialize in front of me," I said to the World Tree.

Its branches seemed to sprout, and it was trying to convey that it couldn't materialize by signaling to me.

"Really... Anyway, listen to me. I need your leaves. No, I'm not interested in your fruit, it's tasteless," I said aloud as it conveyed its intent.

"If you have poisonous leaves, I'll take all of them. Also, dried ones. Anyway, throw in a few different leaves with some aroma," I continued.

The elf's father had a look on his face as if he wanted to ask why I needed them, but couldn't bring himself to.

"Wait, I just thought of something. Elf girls need fruit. Give me two fruits. I'm talking about the ones at the top. Don't be stingy."

"Would you like some too?" I asked.

"Can we have some?" he asked back.

"Tree man, you heard the orders, give four. Especially, make two from the top."

The branch moved as if it had lost all hope, dragging itself slowly, almost sulking.

About a minute later...

I placed two dark red apples in my pocket and gave the open ones to the two elves.

I opened a large portal in the sky toward my bag, and I saw the tree man using its branches like hands, throwing its leaves into it.

Yes, after a long time, I quickly formed a wonderful cigarette once more.

It's black due to its poisonous nature, but that's okay, it looks more aesthetic. Also, it's quite a "full" cigarette.

Ding!

If the system had given a quest, it would have been like this.

You saved the World Tree and saved the elves from extinction. You also made the princesses happy.

Here's your reward.

A lot of cigarettes!

My dear system.