"Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, there lived a father and a daughter."
"The father was a scholar of great learning. Many showed him deference and respect."
"The daughter was a hideous monster with a terrifying appearance. Many directed their loathing and contempt toward her."
"Acquaintances urged the father to abandon his daughter. They said there was no connection between that monster and him."
"The father shook his head. He insisted his daughter was not a monster, merely a little different."
"The people could not understand why the father clung so desperately to a monster that was not even his own flesh and blood."
"They thought the father had gone mad, or that the monster had bewitched him with some evil power."
"A few thought there was some truth to the fatherâs words, but they dared not speak it aloud."
"A monster was a monster. The heavens had decreed it so."
"No matter how wise the father was, no matter how virtuous his character, he was but a sinner for breaking a taboo set by the heavens."
"The father tried to use all he had to persuade the people, but they, fearing they would be treated the same, kept their distance."
"The fear and loathing for the daughter began to spread to the father."
"The pressure from those around him grew worse by the day. Looks of respect turned into scornful sneers."
"In the end, the father had to accept that his daughter could not live among humans."
"The father began to prepare many things so that his daughter could survive on her own."
"By the time his mountain of wealth had dwindled to nothing, the preparations were finally complete."
"The father and daughter fled together to a place untouched by human feet."
"Using tools commissioned from skilled witches, they created a new sanctuary."
"So that no one could approach. So that no one could harm them."
"The plan was a success."
"The father and daughter had won their peace."
"A peace with no telling how long it would last."
"â¦Finally, I can see the end."
Dorothea let out a deep breath.
The fissures were scattered all over the lakebed, each from a different point in time.
To use a book as an analogy, it was all jumbled up, like chapter 8 coming after chapter 1, and chapter 4 after chapter 8, so it took quite some time just to sort out the story.
The only thing left was a single, exceptionally large fissure in the center of the lake.
Dorothea slowly made her way toward it.
Step by step, she advanced.
Just as Dorotheaâs staff was about to touch the fissure.
"âWell, now."
With a strangely nonchalant voice, Sophia gave Dorothea a sharp push.
The moment Dorothea lost her balance and stumbled sideways.
Squelch.
A gruesome sound, like flesh and blood being pierced, echoed through the water.
A green, tentacle-like thing had shot up from the ground, punching a large hole right through the center of Sophiaâs chest.
Dorothea couldnât cry out Sophiaâs name.
The lake water, which had been held back by the air bubble, rushed in and engulfed Dorothea the instant the bubble was pierced and burst.
And as if exploiting that opening, a second tentacle strike surged toward Dorothea.
Dorothea, suddenly doused with water, couldnât react in time.
[The âTin Knightâ declares direct attacks are forbidden!]
So, instead of the witch, the Tin Knight reacted.
The two tentaclesâthe one that had just pierced Sophia and the one now trying to pierce Dorotheaâwere mercilessly severed by the Tin Knightâs sword.
As if that wasnât enough, he shrouded his steel sword in a fearsome aura and slammed it straight down into the ground.
Fwoosh!
A massive fissure opened on the lakebed.
From it seeped a green, sap-like fluid that mixed with the lake water, spreading like paint.
The Tin Knight looked poised to launch a follow-up attack, but he withdrew his sword upon seeing Sophia and Dorothea floating in the water.
Grabbing Dorothea with his right arm and Sophia with his left, holding them firmly by the waist, the Tin Knight shouted to Adel.
[The âTin Knightâ tells you to hold on tight!]
"â¦!"
Adel, her eyes wide, unable to process the sudden turn of events, followed the Tin Knightâs command almost instinctively.
She threw her arms around the Tin Knightâs neck and held on with all her might.
BOOM!
The Tin Knightâs legs stomped hard against the ground.
He dashed across the lakebed as if running on flat ground.
Mana surged from the Tin Knightâs entire body.
Careful not to blast away his companions, the Tin Knight unleashed a torrent of mana from his back, using the propulsion to race forward.
Tatatatatata!
[The âTin Knightâ requests additional mana!]
The speed was less like running and more like being launched; she could barely breathe, let alone open her eyes, but Dorothea did her part.
As Dorotheaâs mana flowed into the Tin Knight, his movements accelerated even more.
Reaching the edge of the lake from its center in the blink of an eye, the Tin Knight bounded up the steep slope leading to the surface on his two legs alone.
FWOOSH!
The party, now a single bundle, shot out of the lake and onto the land.
Landing with a heavy thud, the Tin Knight set his companions down on the ground.
âCough, cough!â
âPtooey.â
ââ¦Haaa.â
Dorothea coughed up water, Adel spat out the magic pebble in her mouth with a cute little sound, and Sophia lay on the ground, gasping for breath.
After confirming that everyone was safe, the Tin Knight was about to charge back toward the lake, but there was no need.
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!
The ground was shaking. No, the entire forest was. The Garden was screaming.
With a deafening roar, the very bottom of the lake began to rise, yet very little water overflowed.
The reason was simple. A newly revealed âsomethingâ was greedily sucking up all the water.
Adel rubbed her eyes as if she couldnât believe what she was seeing, then muttered blankly.
âA treeâ¦?â
Thatâs right. It was a giant tree.
But while a normal tree has a brown trunk with green leaves, nearly every part of the tree before them was green.
Furthermore, only some of its roots were buried in the ground. The rest writhed like snakes.
It seemed those were the tentacles that had pierced Sophia.
It was a bizarre sight.
A hideous sight.
A menacing sight.
And, andâ¦
âItâs beautifulâ¦.â
It was breathtakingly beautiful.
Adel stared blankly at the tree.
Her fear lasted only a moment. The more she looked, the harder it was to keep her senses, captivated by the treeâs beauty.
Just gazing at it brought a sense of ecstasy and put her mind at ease.
Her tense body relaxed on its own, and the grip on her sword loosened.
It seemed Adel wasnât the only one intoxicated by its beauty; various animals hiding in the forest rushed out one after another, charging toward the tree.
The tree swung its tentacles, impaling the animals rushing toward it and sucking their blood.
The animals died with looks of bliss on their faces.
At the top of the tree, several fruits began to form. They were deep red, like pomegranates.
Even those fruits were beautiful, Adel thought.
Enveloped in a soft, sweet feeling, Adel walked straight toward the tree.
And Dorothea mercilessly smacked her on the back of the head with her staff.
âWHACK!!
âAargh!â
Adel clutched her head and collapsed. The pain was so sharp it brought tears to her eyes.
Adel protested, âWhyâwhy did you hit me!?â
Dorothea replied, dumbfounded. âJust shut up and eat this.â
Dorothea held out a small pill to Adel.
Adel asked back, âW-well, you should at least tell me what it isâ No, Iâll take it!â
Seeing Dorothea and the Tin Knight exchange a look and the Tin Knight limbering up, Adel tossed the pill into her mouth, questions be damned.
It was far better to take it herself than to have it forcefully âadministeredâ by the Tin Knightâs rough hands.
Whatever it was made of, the pill began to dissolve the moment it touched her tongue.
It didnât taste as strange as sheâd expected. In fact, it was nearly tasteless, but thanks to a strangely refreshing scent, it seemed like the perfect thing to take when you were feeling drowsy.
Dorothea said, âStill want to go over there?â
Adel blinked a few times, then looked âover thereâ where Dorothea had indicatedâat the tree.
There stood the great monster tree, indiscriminately devouring all who approached and bearing horrific red fruit.
âKyaaah!â
Adel screamed for a completely different reason than when sheâd been hit with the staff.
âIâIâwhat was Iâ.â
Adel was confused. She couldnât believe the thoughts sheâd just been having.
Beautiful? Pretty? That thing?
âIt seems to be emitting a hallucinogenic fragrance. An incredibly potent one, at that, to take effect in just a few seconds.â
Sophia, who had gotten back up at some point, explained.
The piercing wound in her chest had already been neatly healed. Her clothes, however, still had a hole in them.
Sophia wondered aloud, âCould that tree be the green child? Or is it one of the devices the father prepared to protect his daughter?â
âWhat that thing is can be figured out later. Whatâs important is that it doesnât seem willing to let us go.â
Dorothea answered bluntly. Her gaze was fixed on the treeâs tentacles, which seemed to be moving as if watching her in particular.
When Dorothea took the Animal Compass from her pouch, their reaction grew even more intense.
Dorothea clicked her tongue softly. âSo it hates things from the Kingdom of Heaven. I donât know what kind of bad blood it has with the âheavensâ⦠but I have no intention of just taking this.â
Was it listening to Dorotheaâs words? Or was it just a matter of timing?
The deep red fruits began to fall to the ground, one by one.
A wet, squishing sound echoed.
Drenched in a fluid that could have been blood or juice, the creatures inside the fruits revealed themselves.
There was a deer with tentacles sprouting from its back. A wolf drooling a plant-like sap from its mouth. A snake whose entire body was like a translucent leaf, its insides clearly visible.
Monsters that looked like a chaotic mix of animal and plant appeared around the party, revealing their killing intent.
Ten, twenty, thirty.
As more animals willingly let themselves be eaten by the tree, the number of âfruitsâ growing on it also increased.
Facing an overwhelming number of enemies, Dorothea struck the ground with the tip of her staff.
Just as her black mana began to spread through the forest, about to summon her undead legion.
ãââââã
A wave, like a song that was difficult for human ears to perceive, neutralized Dorotheaâs mana.
Dorotheaâs eyebrow twitched.
[The âTin Knightâ asks if something went wrong!]
âMy necromancy was blocked. It might work if I pour my power in directly from up close, but remote control like before is impossible.â
[The âTin Knightâ says he doesnât mind more bodies for sacrifice, but he has to deal with the boss, so heâs leaving the mob cleanup to Adel!]
âHuh? Ah, yes! Iâll do my best!â
Adel looked a bit dazed, but once given a clear role, she steeled her resolve as if sheâd never been flustered.
âThen I suppose I should do some work as well.â
Sophia stepped forward. A corona of white, flame-like light enveloped her entire body.
When Sophia held out her hand, the white flames settled onto the swords of the Tin Knight and Adel.
[The âTin Knightâ is pleased with the holy attribute enchantment!]
âHehe. Iâm glad you like it.â
She was smiling, but her complexion was terribly pale.
Tssssss.
A smell of burning flesh even rose from various parts of her body, a clear sign of the immense backlash.
And unlike the piercing wound from before, which had healed quickly, this damage was regenerating much more slowly.
Dorothea frowned. ââ¦Honestly, a vampire using holy magic as her main skill.â
âMiss Dorothea, with your overflowing mana, wouldnât you have been much stronger in a different school of magic?â
âThis is what I learned, what do you want me to do about it?â
âItâs not as if I acquired this skill after becoming a vampire, you know.â
Even as they exchanged brief words, the two of them never let down their guard.
Adel, for her part, took several deep breaths and gripped her sword with both hands.
After confirming the three had formed a line, the Tin Knight took a combat stance and shouted.
[The âTin Knightâ declares a field boss hunt!]