They say there are no graves without a story, but the Grand Witch's story was quite tragic as well. A brief act of kindness turning into poison and burning the World Tree. It's enough to make anyone break down.
"So that's what happened."
'A Druid burning the World Tree. I didn't even have the leisure to consider the Grand Witch's circumstances...'
The regressor was also nodding, ruminating on the words the Grand Witch had spoken.
"Everyone has their own background and circumstances, after all."
"...I know. But I can't affirm the Grand Witch's words like you do. If the goal was simply to burn the World Tree, they could have just left it to die."
"It's fine if the World Tree collapses?"
"So what? The World Tree dying is better than the world perishing. It's just a tree, it's fine if it's gone."
Saying it's fine for the World Tree to die. Well, should I call it simple or radical?
"But the Grand Witch won't end it there. They will definitely commit worse deeds. We must stop their attempt to bring down the World Tree."
"How? When you're still helplessly captured right now."
"Ugh..."
Realizing his own situation, the regressor tried hard to move his arms. His arms still didn't move, and just from that attempt, the regressor felt terrible pain.
"It might be hard for me to do anything... but this could still be an opportunity. This place is the Tree of Depravity. The king of dead trees that bears the fruit of sin. The clue will be here."
"That clue?"
"The Horseman of Pestilence and the Green Death. The Grand Witch must have created them here."
"What are those, geez. Tell me something I know."
Whether it's the Horseman of Pestilence or the Green Death, I'm hearing them for the first time. It's a historical event, what am I supposed to do if only you know about it?
"A terrible plague sweeps the Empire. A disease where people's skin rots black, oozing pus and foul odors until they die. It's a horrific plague with a 20% survival rate, and even if you survive, you suffer severe aftereffects. It was named the Horseman of Pestilence because it spread so terrifyingly fast."
Huh? He's telling me this? And wait, a plague? I asked in surprise.
"Is that the plague the Grand Witch created?"
"No."
"Huh?"
"The Grand Witch didn't create that plague. Well, she spread the plague to a few villages and fostered fear, so she is the culprit, but that plague was just particularly terrifying and horrific; the Horseman of Pestilence was a common plague."
Calling it a common plague sounds a bit weird, but in reality, all sorts of plagues roam the jungles of the Ten Thousand Nations. It's just not noticeable because the population density is so low. If the flu of the Ten Thousand Nations spreads to the middle of the Empire, that becomes a plague.
"What the Grand Witch created is something else."
"The Green Death?"
"Yeah. A disease that kills not people, but vegetation and insects. The moment it's infected, it rots from the inside out, an end of vegetation that inevitably brings death."
So it's a disease that kills the World Tree. The goal is clear. Since no one would have a grudge against a tree, the one who would create a disease to kill vegetation would be the Grand Witch.
"People who belatedly realized that insects spread the plague abused the Green Death without even knowing it was poison. To exterminate the insects."
It was meaningless that Walpurgis or the Grand Witch withheld their words. Their plans had already been realized, becoming a non-existent future through the regressor's regression.
"Is that Miss Shay's foresight?"
"Let's go with that. I'm tired of making excuses now."
"As expected, you have to strip a person down a bit to see their true intentions."
"W-what do you mean strip?"
"I mean their mask, their mask."
It's a good thing the regressor spoke first. I had also read Walpurgis's thoughts and caught on to some extent, but pretending not to know is really hard.
"Even if it's practically confirmed that Miss Shay is a saintess. Who's going to hear you say this?"
"This isn't the room we were originally in, and it's right after the Grand Witch left. It's the only timing where there's no surveillance. If they're still watching us even now... then it can't be helped."
"Not bad. Good job."
"Hearing a compliment from you doesn't make me happy at all."
"You finally know how to think a little. You've developed a lot. Keep up the good work."
"I didn't mean for you to criticize me!"
What does he want me to do? He's truly a hopeless person. I sighed and summarized what the regressor had said.
"To sum it up, somewhere in this tree, there must be a clue to what Miss Shay mentioned."
The regressor spoke with a solemn resolve.
"Yeah. We have to find it."
"..."
"Why?"
Why? Because you're in a state where you can't even support yourself right now, so I have to do everything for you.
"Sigh. Fine. I'll humor you. Where do you want to go?"
"Let's look over this tree as a whole first. We don't even know what is where."
"As a whole? Are you serious?"
"Yeah. I'm serious, why? Is there a problem?"
"...No. Let's go."
We'll only know that problem once we experience it.
The World Tree. Excluding its roots, it reaches a height of 870m, the largest tree in the world. The base supporting its size is closer to a hill than a tree, and its deeply spread roots firmly grasp a radius of 10km. It consumes a couple of flowing rivers as drinking water and covers the world with its leaves.
Within the World Tree's domain, neither earthquakes, floods, nor wildfires occur. It firmly holds the breaking earth, drinks the overflowing water, and extinguishes ordinary flames with its breath.
"...How do we get down?"
Therefore, the regressor's statement was truly incredibly arrogant. Having lost Cheoneung and Jizan and unable to use both arms, the regressor would die if he slipped even a little. Flying through the sky on the wind was a thing of the past.
"Since going down is easier than going up, let's slowly sweep down from the top first."
"When we climb back up?"
"Nebida will probably lift us up. If not, we'll just walk out, whatever."
"...Alright. Not a bad idea. Let's go."
The Tree of Origin had small mushroom footholds along the trunk where people could pass. The regressor stood up from the wheelchair, swinging his motionless arms.
"You're going to walk when you can't even move your arms?"
"Why? Do you think I'll fall from the tree just because my arms don't move?"
"Yes."
And in an instant, a gust of wind swept through. The regressor's body tilted, slipping past the mushroom foothold. Just as expected. I grabbed the regressor so he wouldn't fall.
"Hoo, uwaah."
"See. You can't."
They say tall trees have no windless days. The Tree of Origin, which was much like the World Tree, was practically wreathed in storms. An altitude of nearly 1km from the bare ground. The turbulent, twisting gales passing through the protruding branches were not something a person who couldn't move both arms could withstand.
"Ugh, wait. I can keep my balance with Gonigong."
"The Tree of Origin inherited the World Tree. Its trunk and leaves are full of vital energy. Pushing qi through the World Tree's vital energy would be difficult even for Miss Shay in her prime."
"What about you?"
"Well, I can use the power of the Demon God."
I casually lifted my foot. At the sole, goblin needles had grown, holding my shoes so they wouldn't slip. The Tree of Origin was the Demon God itself. It was very cooperative with the power of the Demon God I used.
The regressor's face brightened as he said,
"Huh? Then do that for my feet too."
"What? You want me to read every unconscious step Miss Shay takes, and grow grass to match that stride? While also paying attention to my own walking?"
"But there's no other way, right? It's not like we can fly."
"Phew."
"Huh?"
Letting out a short sigh, I immediately lifted the regressor. Since his arms were tied forward so they wouldn't move, I couldn't carry him on my back. If the somehow-attached arms were crushed and displaced, it would be a big problem, so I had no choice but to lift the regressor like a piece of luggage with both hands.
I couldn't drive the wheelchair, and I couldn't drop him either. This was the only way. The regressor also accepted the method itself and didn't say much.
"Uh, um, hmm."
"Ugh, you're heavy. It would have been a bit easier if your arms had fallen off."
"...What are you saying! I'm perfectly light right now!"
The regressor glared at me sullenly and said. Still, maybe because he couldn't move his arms, he was staying still, so moving him was a bit easier. I walked down the mushroom stairs, leaning against the World Tree's trunk.
"The Tree of Origin has a structure with countless branches extending from a massive trunk that leads to the layer of the Spirit Lord. Even if we have a lot of time, it would take more than a year to visit every single branch."
"There's no need for that. Let's roughly survey what's there from a distance first, and then go to the places that look important. I'll use the Seven-Colored Eyes."
The regressor's eyes were dyed purple. The seven colors of the Seven-Colored Eyes, the Eye of the Far-Seer. He surveyed the countless branches stretching far away. The regressor just turned his head and stared at the fruits in the distance.
"The closest branch has meat fruits hanging from it."
"Meat fruits? Can you see what kind of meat?"
"I can't see well... Turn my body a bit."
"It's in a visible spot."
"When looking far away, the field of vision narrows. Hurry up."
"You're bossing me around when you can't even move yourself."
I grumbled and adjusted the direction. After staring at the branch for about ten seconds, the regressor discovered the shadow of a beast formed in the fruit.
"Monkeys. From the closest place to the farthest. The details are different, but they all have the shape of monkeys."
"Are they all meat fruits?"
"Yeah. Everything extending from that branch seems to be meat fruits. This branch seems to bear monkeys."
"What about over there?"
I tilted the regressor toward the branch visible a little below the monkey-bearing branch. The regressor complained about the suddenly changing view.
"Don't turn me too fast. When the Eye is open, turning the view quickly makes me dizzy."
"Are you going to open and close your eyes every time? Close your eyes briefly when I turn you."
"Tell me before you turn!"
Grumbling, the regressor looked at the branch where relatively small fruits hung like grapes and said,
"Mice and rabbit types. There's a huge number. There are that many different kinds of mice. They're hanging between the leaves."
"There aren't any that are alive and moving, right?"
"No. But it wouldn't be strange if they woke up right away. It seems the form of the Tree of Origin is already complete."
"If it's mice and rabbits, I guess they're not really for eating."
"You never know. We might find a tasty rabbit."
Even just the closest branch was like this. Below that, on the much more countless split branches, fruits of various sizes were hanging. The small ones were so small that they were barely visible even with the Eye, and the large ones were enough to make the World Tree's branches stagger.
Even after walking down for a long time, all we saw was the sight of meat fruits hanging from the countless spreading branches.
"It seems like all of those are beasts, right?"
"Yeah. They're all beasts. What I see now are cows."
"Since we've come all the way to the cows, should we rest for a bit?"
"We haven't come down that much."
"I carried you all the way down here. My arms are going to fall off at this rate."
"Ah, yeah."
When I mentioned the fact that I was carrying him, the regressor immediately agreed. He's become quite docile, so it's a bit better. Is it because he's weakened?
I adjusted my hold on the regressor and said.
"Hold on tight. I'm going to jump straight from here to where the cow fruit is."
"Jump? How?"
"Like this?"
I supported the regressor with one hand for a moment, then took out a card with the other. Spade 9, the Tree of Origin. The Tree of Origin, Nebida's power and the compilation of its knowledge, reacted with my Demon God. When I struck the World Tree trunk with the palm holding the card, tough and long vines surged from beneath the bark.
A skilled magician can tie a rope with one hand. After tightly binding me and the regressor's bodies with the vines, I nodded reliably.
"Good. It's sturdy."
"...What's so good about it. One wrong move and we'll fall."
'Well, even if we fall, Hughes can handle it.'
Huh? No, trusting me like that puts a bit of pressure on me. I can handle it, but I can't handle a person with both arms paralyzed.
Feeling slightly anxious, I wrapped the regressor's body one more time, and then leaped from the mushroom foothold.
I was confident in this kind of technique, and the regressor had just an uncomfortable body right now but had experienced many dangerous things. The regressor and I drew a very smooth parabola, heading straight for the branch where the cow fruit grew. Landing on the relatively flat branch, I let out the breath I had been holding and set the regressor down.
"Argh. My arms, my arms feel like they're going to fall off."
"What. It wasn't that heavy."
"A beast's front legs aren't designed to carry heavy things. Why don't you try carrying me?"
"I'll do it when my arms are fully healed."
"Ughhh, muscle pain. I don't even have the strength to massage my arms."
"That too, I'll massage them when my arms are fully healed."
"How very grateful... Ah, it's all better now."
As expected of the Demon God. I told you it's convenient.
While resting for a bit, I used the Tree of Origin to summon plant-made furniture. A bamboo pipe spouting clear water rose up, and wooden chairs and tables appeared. The regressor naturally sat on the chair.
"I'm feeling a bit hungry, so I'll go catch a cow. Or rather, I suppose I should say pick one here."
I headed for the large cow fruit nearby. Unlike before, the fruit containing a whole cow was too big and heavy, resting heavily on a petal that looked like a giant nest. I approached to pick the cow fruit with my card.
At that moment, inside, a human shadow writhed along with the cow.