Let’s Block the Ruined Route in Advance Chapter 104

“Now, here’s the secret we need to solve.”

 

Clearing her throat, Eileen stepped out of the carriage alone. In the distance, she could see the central shrine where the saint resided.

 

“Ah, the saint, that was actually an excuse, I didn’t want you to live as a saint. I don’t know exactly what the source of Star’s power is either, it’s like divine power at first glance, but with a different quality.”

 

Eileen’s expression grew heavy as she recalled what Aire had said to her as she petted the playful Star. ‘Star is not a god. But the power Star wields is different from that of a one-sided spirit.’

 

It was a new type of power, similar to that of a time elemental that exceeded the power of a god.

 

“The world does not want to end, so life will obey your will.”

 

The saint’s words flashed through Eileen’s mind. The world, the end, life.

 

They seemed even more meaningful now that she knew about the lost future.

 

“Clearly, Rosinia knows something.”

 

Having gained access to the temple through Aire without a long wait, she entered with determination. There was no hesitation in Eileen’s step, even though she didn’t know where the saint was. Somehow, she had a feeling she knew where Rosinia was.

 

“Oh, there you are.”

 

The hunch was spot on. There she stood in the hallway where she had seen her with Lucian before.

 

“We’ve just gotten a nice shipment of tea.”

 

As if she’d known Eileen would come, the saint smiled benevolently and led her into a room. Soon, when they were alone, Rosinia spoke slowly.

 

“Tell me. What do you want?”

 

Eileen cleared her throat. There was a mug of flowery tea on the table in front of her, but she was too nervous to even smell it.

 

“The truth. I want to know the truth about me, beyond the hero.”

 

Rosinia’s smile deepened. A brilliant golden glow filled her hazel eyes.

 

“Chew!!!”

 

“Star!!!”

 

Star burst into existence and leapt into Rosinia’s arms. Eileen’s eyes widened at the sight of Rosinia affectionately petting the frolicking spirit.

 

“I’m sure you didn’t see a spirit the other day. And this atmosphere…”

 

Eileen squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them slowly.

 

“…Who are you?”

 

Rosinia, who had been gazing benevolently at Star, turned her head to Eileen, a soft chuckle echoing through the room.

 

“So you finally know the whole truth. Are you ready to see the secrets of the world?”

 

Eileen nodded, mesmerized by the words.

 

“Ugh!”

 

A sudden gust of wind jerked Eileen’s head up from its resting place, and a vast meadow stretched out before her.

 

“…Theresia?”

 

Eileen’s eyes widened to the limit. On the vast expanse of land filled with wildflowers, Theresia was smiling.

 

 

***

 

 

“Do I appear to you as Theresia?”

 

A thin, yet powerful voice came out. It was unmistakably Theresia’s voice, but a subtly different inflection revealed that she was not Theresia.

 

“Who are you… and why are you in her form?”

 

The hostility in Eileen’s voice made her smile slightly and reach out into thin air, a tea table appearing between them in an instant. She sat down first, gesturing with her fingertips for them to sit.

 

“I don’t see myself as Theresia, Eileen, you see me as a projection of Theresia.”

 

A questioning look crossed Eileen’s face. A brief chuckle escaped her lips, and the being in Theresia’s form spoke again.

 

“I’ve been unkind, so let me introduce myself. I am the World Tree, the balancer in the deepest depths of the dimension, the source of the life force that sustains the world, the mother of all spirits.”

 

A breeze blew, carrying petals across the field. Eileen’s light brown hair whipped in all directions. Before she had a chance to clear her vision, Eileen spoke.

 

“World Tree…? You’re not a goddess?”

 

“Yes, that’s what humans often call me. Ah! Fyara and I are different beings. If Fyara is spirit, I am flesh. It can be a little difficult, but the world is not made of just one.”

 

Smiling fondly at Eileen with a face that was all too familiar to her, the World Tree gently tugged her back into her chair.

 

“And I’m the one who showed you the future you lost.”

 

Eileen raised a hand to shade her eyes. It was hard to be surprised anymore, and as if she understood, the World Tree gently explained.

 

“An otherworldly soul that fell into the void of the world. To make your soul an inhabitant of this world, I planted you in the erased time, guided you into the body of a fetus that would never have been born without a soul, and reincarnated you into this world.”

 

“And then you showed me the lost future, why?”

 

At those words, the World Tree pulled herself up and came a little closer to Eileen. Her emerald eyes shone with a clarity she’d only seen in her dreams, and Eileen found herself looking away.

 

“I don’t want the world to end,” she said, ”I want the life that is created when a little bird cries, a deer runs, a snake slithers, and a child grows up.”

 

Eileen’s mood slowly subsided as the sweet face spoke more firmly.

 

“That’s why I’ve shown it to you, though I’ve packaged it a bit so that you’ll accept it in the form you’re most familiar with.”

 

Eileen could now see why she had naturally recognized the future story as a novel whose name she couldn’t remember. The World Tree finished speaking and fell silent. She leisurely lifted her teacup and tilted it to the side of her mouth, as if to give the confused Eileen time to think.

 

“…So I was used for your purposes to prevent the destruction of the world?”

 

Her eyes narrowed in exasperation. It seemed unbearable to think that the whole process of saving someone, of agonizing over it, of moving on, had been arranged by the world tree. Setting down her glass and studying Eileen’s expression, the World Tree quickly shook her head.

 

“No. I may have shown you the future of the world, but it was all your choice, Eileen, your choice.”

 

An outstretched hand wrapped around the back of Eileen’s hand. Eileen’s shoulders stiffened at the unexpectedly warm touch.

 

“I was just showing you, really. There’s a lot of discipline here, surprisingly, and you can’t really take matters into your own hands, so I figured if you changed something with it, that’d be great, but if not, well, there’s nothing I can do.”

 

Fortunately, Eileen moved. She hesitated, but then she jumped into the abyssal lake to rescue Cordelia, and then she jumped into the lake to rescue Lucian.

 

The World Tree felt joy as she watched, for after valuing life, she couldn’t help but love it.

 

“It was your choice to save them, and the result is the result of your efforts.”

 

Eileen nodded, partially convinced. She was still bewildered, but strangely, she felt familiar and comfortable in the presence of the World Tree, rather than fearful and in awe. “So,” Eileen muttered softly, as if she were complaining to a familiar adult.

 

“Then why did you focus on Cordelia, when you could have shown us about Urzar and we could have stopped the disaster sooner?”

 

“Well, I’m sorry about that, but those are the rules, I can’t intervene directly, and the reason it was Cordelia is because she was the center point of the time rewind, and even though the slayer was Urzar, it was Cordelia who was on his mind the strongest at the moment he used his power.”

 

Eileen nodded her head slowly. The World Tree followed suit, clasping her hands together apologetically.

 

“Ah! But I wasn’t completely hands-off, because you have the qualities of an Elementalist, so I sent you my youngest child.”

 

“Your youngest child…? No way!”

 

“Yes, the one you named Star. A newborn elemental’s aura is similar to that of the world’s source, which makes it easy for him to defeat Magi. Hmm, he’s young and impulsive, but that’s okay, right?”

 

The source of Star’s strange power. The youngest child of the World Tree.

 

All the clues clicked together, filling Eileen’s mind. The World Tree smiled apologetically as she looked at Eileen, who remained stiff as if overloaded, and asked.

 

“Is there anything else you want to know? I’m sorry, but I have to hurry a bit, meeting with me is a great burden on your soul.”

 

Eileen, stiffening as she processed the overwhelming information, finally spoke.

 

“Can’t you give me information about Urzar directly?”

 

The World Tree laughed wordlessly and embarrassedly. The look alone gave Eileen the answer: she was unable to speak on matters directly related to the danger of the world.

 

“Okay. Ah, then just tell me this. You’ve seen the future from Felix’s point of view a few times, so why the sudden change in perspective?”

 

At that, the world tree seemed intrigued and stroked her teacup carefully.

 

“The future I showed you is over, but if you’ve seen things since then, it’s because the story within you has released itself. Did you connect with the boy?”

 

The World Tree smiled benevolently at Eileen, who remained silent. At the same time, the world of the Green Fields began to become a little more transparent.

 

“Well, that’s about it, it was nice to meet you.”

 

As she watched her slowly disappear, Eileen pursed her lips and made a complicated expression, then, as if she had made a decision, she stood up from her chair and turned to face her. Her puzzled gaze looked up at her.

 

“I’m asking because I’m looking like…, but if you don’t mind, could you tell me once that I’m doing a good job?”

 

Eileen scrutinized the face she could now only see in the portrait, as if trying to carve it out once more. As she watched her with slightly widened eyes, a smile grew on the world tree’s face.

 

Reaching out and cupping her cheeks, she looked up at her with an unwavering gaze.

 

“Eileen, you’re doing very well.”

 

Eileen’s eyes widened and she covered her face with her hands. Her heart sank. Partly because of her newfound truth, partly because of the echo of a voice she missed so much.

 

“If you win the upcoming final battle, I will grant you one wish, except that you may use my power to raise the dead.”

 

Eileen’s mouth dropped open as she looked up at the sound overhead, seeing before her a giant tree that was nowhere near Theresia, and whose size she couldn’t even begin to fathom.

 

A trunk thicker than a castle, countless branches and leaves filling the sky. The sun shone brilliantly through the leaves, which had a mysterious five-color glow.

 

It was an overwhelming sight that made the trunk of the old tree Star had been using look ridiculous.

 

‘It’s a whole world…’

 

“If you’re struggling, remember this. The world is with you.”

 

Another gust of wind blew. When Eileen opened her eyes again, all that remained before her was the saint, asleep in front of a cup of cold tea.