Chapter 220: Goodbye, Village of the Spirit Tree

After defeating the Mother Yggdrasil Eater, the Yggdrasil Eaters that had been surrounding the World Tree scattered in all directions like baby spiders.

It’s a natural reaction since the boss giving them orders was defeated.

But thanks to that, we were able to go on the pursuit without worrying about defending the World Tree.

Just in case, we asked the slow-footed Dwarves to defend the World Tree, and we formed a team with the Elves to carry out an annihilation battle against the Yggdrasil Eaters.

After all, Yggdrasil Eaters are creatures from the Demon World.

They’re what you call an invasive alien species. If we don’t thoroughly exterminate them, they might multiply again in a few hundred years and target the World Tree.

The Forest of Straying was vast, but with search magic, tracking them was easy.

“Kyu kyuu!”

Mofu-mofu also cooperated with the tracking by sniffing out the Yggdrasil Eaters’ scent.

In this way, thanks to a forest hunt—rather than a mountain hunt—that took several days, we successfully exterminated all the Yggdrasil Eaters.

---

“Good work, everyone!”

” ” ” ” ” “Good work!!” ” ” ” ” ” “

Having finished the extermination of the Yggdrasil Eaters, we returned to the World Tree and were holding a celebratory banquet.

“Hahahaha! I can’t believe it! We finally defended the World Tree to the end!”

“Yeah! We defeated those monsters with our own hands!”

The Elves and Dwarves proudly praised each other with tears in their eyes for being able to defeat the monsters with their own hands.

“Amazing! Even walking through the forest, those monsters weren’t there at all!”

“With this, even we who can’t fight can walk through the forest!”

Over there, races unsuited for combat were raising voices of joy that they could safely walk through the forest.

“This is all thanks to Lord Rex and your party. You have my truest gratitude.”

As I was watching such scenes, Sharaza-san came over with a radiant smile, carrying plates of food in both hands.

“Lord Rex, please eat this plate too. This is a dish made with ingredients obtainable in the forest. We became unable to gather ingredients because monsters started roaming around, but thanks to you all, we are able to make this dish for the first time in hundreds of years.”

It seems this dish is a local cuisine of Sharaza-san and the others’ village.

Looking at it, it appears to be a dish mainly consisting of mushrooms and wild vegetables.

“Thank you for the meal.”

As urged, I took a bite of the dish, and a tingling sensation spread through my mouth.

This seems to be a dish mixed with several spices.

The flavor has soaked firmly into the mushrooms, and they have excellent chewiness.

Not just the stimulation of the spices, but the taste of the wild vegetables themselves is also interesting.

“It’s delicious. It’s a dish you can’t taste in human towns.”

“I suppose so. If you don’t eat these wild vegetables immediately after harvesting, their flavor deteriorates and they become something entirely different.”

Heh, that means they aren’t suited for transport, so it’s a local specialty that can only be eaten on-site.

Ah, but if I use my magic bag, maybe there’s no need to worry about that.

While we were talking about such things, the Dwarves came over carrying food on a large platter.

“His Majesty Honorary King Rex! Please eat this dish too! It’s a dish of wild vegetables and boar meat! The uniquely bitter wild vegetables and the juicy steak go perfectly with booze!”

“Rex-san! Eat our food too!”

“Eat our food too!”

Furthermore, the other races also flooded in carrying food.

“Uwawa!?”

“Come on, eat up!”

“It’s super delicious.”

“This one is so delicious your cheeks will fall off too!”

Flooded by people holding food like that, I ended up getting jostled around.

But being able to have the village people smile and eat lots of food like this is all thanks to working hard with everyone to defeat the Yggdrasil Eaters.

While feeling very proud of that sight, we enjoyed the banquet.

---

And having been acknowledged by the village chiefs that we safely completed the request, we decided to return to the Royal Capital the next day.

“It is a shame that you are already returning.”

“Even though I wanted to learn more from Master Rex.”

“We also wanted to learn blacksmithing arts from His Majesty Honorary King Rex…”

…I really wished the Dwarves would stop calling me that.

“We are rootless wandering adventurers, after all. We can’t stay in one place.”

“I have heard that the human race moves around restlessly, but Lord Rex and your party are the ultimate examples of that.”

As we were laughing together, the village elders appeared.

“Thanks to all of you, the village’s crisis was saved this time. You have my thanks.”

“No, please don’t worry about it. This is our job, too.”

“No, your work this time is far too great an achievement for mere bodyguards. The inheritance of lost techniques to the village’s Dwarves, the training of the warriors, furthermore the fertilizer that brings about an astonishingly abundant harvest, the imparting of the Elixir production method, and on top of that, the explosive growth of the World Tree which hadn’t grown for a long time… To be honest, the reward we prepared is completely disproportionate to your work.”

Hmm, I didn’t really do anything that big, though.

“I mean, it’s pretty much entirely Rex-san’s achievement, though.”

” ” ” “Yeah, yeah.” ” ” “

As Liliera-san and the others raised humble voices from behind me, Sharaza-san raised his voice in denial.

“No, thanks to all of you, the damage to the village was drastically reduced. Without a doubt, we were saved thanks to you all.”

Not just Sharaza-san, but the village warriors also raised their voices in agreement.

“It’s exactly because you guys fought alongside us that we were all able to survive!”

“That’s right, when we were surrounded by that monster swarm, I thought we were done for. But you guys faced the monsters without flinching. You’re young, but you are splendid warriors!”

Praised by everyone, Liliera-san and the others scratched their cheeks looking embarrassed.

Yeah, there are definitely people who properly acknowledge the active roles of everyone who fought earnestly to protect the village!

“His Majesty Honorary King Rex. This is an additional reward from us Dwarves. Utilizing the ancient refining techniques imparted by Your Majesty, we have prepared the best items we can currently make. Please accept them.”

Saying that, what the Dwarf chief offered were several metal ingots.

Various metals like copper, iron, steel, and mithril, likely refined from the World Tree’s bark, had become items of far higher quality compared to when I first saw the weapons and armor they made.

“Magnificent purity. To raise the quality this much in just a few days is truly unique to Dwarves. I’m glad I was able to return the arts taught by my master to everyone.”

“Ooh, your words are wasted on us! Next time we meet, we will prepare items even better than these!”

” ” ” “Please look forward to it!!” ” ” ” “

The Dwarves declared to me with eyes brimming with motivation.

With them so motivated, it won’t be a distant future for them to surpass the reclaimed techniques and climb to even greater heights.

“Lord Rex, this is but a trifle, but please accept the ingredients and herbs gathered from the forest as an additional portion of the reward.”

What Sharaza-san and the others offered was a mountain of the forest’s bounty and herbs.

“I was worried they might have been ravaged by those monsters, but fortunately it seems they were too small to be a filling meal for them, so they were barely touched.”

“That’s great to hear!”

I thought it would take a considerable amount of time for the forest to return to normal if it had been ravaged by monsters, but fortunately it seems there’s no need to worry about that, which is a relief.

It seems the Yggdrasil Eaters had no interest in normal ingredients.

“We helped gather herbs too!”

“Yeah, yeah, gathering in the forest is our specialty! We can take as many fruits high up in the trees as we want too!”

Saying that, the ones who came carrying bundles of herbs were the Halflings and Beastmen.

Refusing to flee the forest and daring to remain in the village, it seems they too thoroughly enjoyed harvesting in the forest for the first time in a while.

“There are also expensive items that are difficult to obtain in the outside forest. Please accept this as an additional reward. You may sell it, or use it yourselves.”

Sharaza-san explained about the herbs.

Come to think of it, I haven’t seen the herbs from around here since I reincarnated.

Maybe I’ll build a greenhouse at the mansion in the Royal Capital and try cultivating them.

“Hey, hey, take this too!”

“Please accept this one too!”

While I was thinking about such things, the village people brought souvenirs one after another, and a small mountain ended up forming.

“Well then, we’ll be going now.”

Storing the received souvenirs in my magic bag, we turned our backs to the World Tree to leave the village.

It was then.

The World Tree rustled and shook greatly.

And something fell from above.

“Hm?”

Catching the thing that fell right above my head, I checked what it was.

“Is this… a tree nut?”

Yes, what I caught was a tree nut.

However, its size was a large tree nut about the size of a human head.

“This is…”

Huh? I feel like I’ve seen this somewhere before…

“Th-That is…!?”

Seeing the tree nut, Sharaza-san suddenly raised a loud voice.

“I-Isn’t that the fruit of the World Tree!?”

” ” ” ” ” “Eeeehhhhh!?” ” ” ” ” ” “

At Sharaza-san’s words, everyone in the village raised voices of surprise.

Ah, that’s right. This is the fruit of the World Tree (World Tree Seed).

Even in my previous life, after cutting down World Trees that had multiplied too much, we used to search around for any fallen fruits and collect them.

We collected and incinerated them so they wouldn’t multiply again.

But around here in this current era, it seems the number of World Trees has dwindled, so I can’t exactly do that.

“Here you go, Sharaza-san, I’ll return it.”

“A-Ah.”

While surprised, Sharaza-san tried to receive the World Tree fruit.

However, the Elf elder stopped him.

“Wait. This is likely the will of the World Tree.”

” ” ” ” ” “The will of the World Tree?” ” ” ” ” ” “

“Umu, the World Tree probably gifted its fruit as a token of gratitude to you who protected it. Won’t you please accept it?”

“Elder!? Are you serious!?”

“You Elf!?”

The chiefs of the other races and the village residents were also surprised by the Elf elder’s statement.

“What is there to be surprised about. The monsters threatening the World Tree were safely exterminated by them. And the World Tree, whose fruits had long failed to ripen, grew thanks to his fertilizer, and the fruit ripened without issue. In that case, the World Tree will likely continue to bear fruit from now on. If so, shouldn’t the very first fruit be gifted to him in accordance with the World Tree’s will?”

” ” ” ” ” “…” ” ” ” ” ” “

At the Elf elder’s words, everyone quieted down and fell deep in thought.

No, honestly speaking, I’d be troubled even if I received the World Tree’s fruit…

After all, it’s the world’s largest weed.

By chance, the soil in this forest might not have suited it so its growth didn’t go well, but if planted in another land, there’s no doubt it would suck up the nutrients in the blink of an eye and grow gigantic.

I’d like everyone in the village to do their best here and let me return it peacefully, though…

“Indeed, the Elf elder’s words make sense too.”

They make sense!?

“If the World Tree desires it so, then it cannot be helped.”

It cannot be helped!?

“That’s right. They did that much for us, after all. Let’s wait for the next fruit of the World Tree!”

“Yeah, let’s do that!”

“As the World Tree desires!”

What is this. Contrary to my wishes, the atmosphere became one where I couldn’t return the World Tree’s fruit.

“Lord Rex, please take good care of the new World Tree!”

“…Yes.”

Overwhelmed by Sharaza-san’s sparkling gaze, I had no choice but to pull back my extended hand.

“As expected of Bro! To think you’d end up getting a World Tree!”

“The fruit of the World Tree, huh… Even just the surface is fine, so I wonder if you could share a piece with me. I think it would make an amazing medicine ingredient.”

“The fruit of the World Tree. You obtained an incredible treasure…!”

“The fruit of the tree that becomes an ingredient for Elixir. You’ve received something amazing, Rex-san!”

No, guys, this isn’t such a good thing, you know!?

“Fufu, as expected of Rex-san. To receive the fruit of the World Tree you were supposed to protect as a reward. It’s an exploit just like a hero who ends up keeping the princess he rescued.”

No, no, no! What are you saying, Liliera-san!? If anything, this is a Demon King that sucks all the nutrients from the neighboring lands!

However, unable to say such things in front of the overjoyed village people, I obediently ended up accepting the fruit of the World Tree.

---

“Haa, we’re finally back.”

Having returned to the Royal Capital from the Village of the Spirit Tree, we relaxed our shoulders in our home for the first time in a while.

As expected, everyone seems to feel at ease in our home; even Norb-san, who is usually upright and proper, is leaning back on the sofa.

As for Jairo-kun, he has occupied the other sofa, using Mofu-mofu as a pillow and sleeping soundly.

“Gyugyuu!”

Ah, he got kicked by an angry Mofu-mofu.

“Well, setting that aside, what should I do with this?”

I hold my head in front of the World Tree’s fruit placed on the table.

If I plant it in a bad spot, it’ll be a nuisance to the neighbors.

But keeping something I received locked away in the back of a storehouse is also a problem.

Isn’t there any good idea…

“Someone in this country who understands the troublesomeness of the World Tree’s fruit and will properly take care of it… Ah!”

At that moment, the face of a certain person comes to mind.

That’s right, if it’s that person, he should be able to put the World Tree’s fruit to good use!

“Alright! Let’s leave the World Tree’s fruit to Ganei-san!”

Yes, I decided to entrust the World Tree’s fruit to Ganei-san, who is diligently researching edible chimeras in my home village.

Man, I’m glad I had just the right person among my acquaintances!