Chapter 3 - The Role of the Guardian
Now then, what exactly does this World Tree want me to do by making me its Guardian? For starters, let’s make one thing clear: I’m still just seven years old, okay?
"Age is irrelevant. In a hundred years, no one will care."
“That’s way too long-term! Though I guess that’s fitting for a tree!”
"Um, Lord Ridil, would you mind explaining the current situation to me as well?"
Feroll asked timidly, his face full of anxiety. It seems he’s decided, at least for now, to accept my whimsical nature.
Feroll is such a generous guy. If our roles were reversed, I probably couldn’t have handled it as well as he is. In fact, Johan still looks completely bewildered.
"I was about to ask for more details, but it seems I’ve been chosen as the ‘Guardian of the World Tree.’”
“The Guardian of the World Tree, you say? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
"I-I’ve heard of it before!"
Whoa, Johan suddenly rebooted out of nowhere. It would’ve been nice if he’d made a startup sound or something—like a "whirr" or "clank"—to give us some warning.
Startled, Feroll and I both turned to look at Johan. He was nodding repeatedly like one of those bobblehead dolls. Is he okay?
“Johan, what have you heard?”
“Prince Ridil, this land was once home to a giant World Tree, or so it is said. Though it’s believed the tree was lost about a thousand years ago.”
“So, what exactly does the Guardian of the World Tree do?”
“Well, as for that part…”
Hmm, so what we’ve figured out so far is that there’s a legend about the World Tree in this region. On the other hand, that’s pretty much all we know. I was hoping Johan would have more to offer—am I being too demanding?
Anyway, World Tree, what exactly is going on here!?
"The Guardian is granted the right to establish a new nation in this land."
“Huh?”
Hold on, what did you just say? Can you really just grant someone the right to found a nation that easily!?
Oh, maybe it’s because I’m technically royalty—albeit the sixth prince?
No, no, no, no. That’s definitely impossible. I’m just a minor prince, after all. If I went ahead and did something like that, I’d be committing treason and end up guillotined!
"Of course, that's not all. Upon becoming the Guardian, you are also now able to use spirit magic."
“Spirit magic? What’s that? Feroll, Johan, it seems I can use spirit magic now. Do either of you know what that is?”
“I’ve never heard of it before. It appears to be a different system of magic from what we use.”
“It’s new to me as well. I don’t think it’s recorded in any of the legends either.”
I see. So it’s magic that no one knows about. Even if I can use it, it’s pointless if I don’t know how. What a shame. If only I’d had more time to study at the royal castle, I might’ve learned something about spirit magic.
“Well, in any case, even if I can use spirit magic, it doesn’t seem to affect me much. And I don’t intend to found a nation or become its king.”
"…I see. That’s unfortunate."
“F-Founding a nation!? You mustn’t, Lord Ridil! If you did something like that, even a prince would be executed as a traitor to the state!”
“That’s why I’m saying I’m not going to do it.”
Phew. Feroll wiped the sweat from his brow. Did he actually think I was serious about founding a nation? Even I know that would be dangerous.
And besides, if I were planning on doing something like that, I certainly wouldn’t be talking about it in front of my supervisor, Feroll.
“Johan, does the World Tree possess some kind of great power?”
For now, I decided to ask Johan about what I didn’t understand.
Of course, asking the World Tree directly would probably be faster, but its perspective seems a little out of sync with reality. If I took everything it said at face value, I might end up in a real mess.
What I need right now is common knowledge about the World Tree.
What I know about it comes from a fairy tale my mother read to me when I was little.
In the story, the World Tree’s crown reached above the clouds, and various races gathered to live near it. It was a complete fairy tale.
“There aren’t many details passed down, except that it was an extraordinarily large tree.”
“A huge tree, huh? Quite the mysterious one. I wonder if it bears any magical fruit?”
“I’ve never heard any stories of it bearing fruit.”
What a letdown. If the World Tree bore fruit, we could’ve sold it as a specialty product from the Northwest. It seems developing this town will be a bit, no, quite difficult.
Maybe that’s why Father, the king, sent me to this remote place. In a region this isolated, I wouldn’t be able to do much even if I wanted to, and there’s no risk either.
"The tree does bear fruit."
“What? It does bear fruit?”
"Yes. There are magical potions made from its fruit."
“I see. I didn’t know that. Maybe only alchemists are aware of it. Johan, it seems the World Tree bears fruit. When this sapling grows and starts producing fruit, we could turn it into a specialty of this town.”
“H-Huh…”
Johan gave me a rather unenthusiastic “huh.” It seems he doesn’t have much passion for developing the Northwest.
I get how he feels. After all, there’s nothing here but fields. Maybe there aren’t even any schools or exams, either.
I’ll have to check out the facilities in this town later. It’s possible that stores aren’t the only thing we’re lacking here.
“World Tree, for now, it seems like there’s not much I can do. Sorry. But I’ll come here every day, okay?”
"That’s more than enough. I’ll always be waiting for you, Ridil."
“Hehe, you finally called me by my name.”