Chapter 110: Memory’s Betrayal [1]
The story that demon species were targeting a branch of Mother Tree.
Normally, it would have been an unbelievable tale—something from children’s fairy tales or the exaggerated rumors that occasionally circulated among first-year students—but because the one who said it was Gerhard Goldenheim, with his piercing golden eyes and reputation for unfailing accuracy, and because she had already encountered magic beasts with her own eyes during the spring expedition to the northern forests, Ariadne had no choice but to believe it. The memory of those beasts, with their twisted forms and eyes that gleamed with an unsettling intelligence, still haunted her dreams.
’Even if I hadn’t met magic beasts, I might have pretended to accept it? That would have been fun in its own way.’
Of course, since it was all to gain Gerhard Goldenheim’s favor—the third-year student whose magical prowess was legendary even beyond the academy walls—the feeling was entirely different. His acknowledgment would mean more than any academic achievement she could hope for this term.
Anyway, she intended to do her best to protect Mother Tree, carefully following the ancient protection rituals that had been passed down through generations of elven families, which was also why she remained at the academy when everyone else returned home for the mid-season break. While her classmates enjoyed family feasts and hometown celebrations, Ariadne spent her evenings studying protective enchantments and her mornings inspecting the sacred branch, her footsteps echoing through the empty corridors of the usually bustling academy.
After several weeks like that—weeks of solitude broken only by occasional letters from her sister Nania and brief encounters with the few professors who had stayed behind—an anomaly was discovered in the previously quiet fragment of Mother Tree. It was subtle at first, just a slight discoloration at the edge of one leaf, easily missed by anyone who wasn’t looking for it specifically. But to Ariadne’s trained eye, it was as alarming as a scream in the night.
"...Part of it is contaminated?"
When did this happen?
Though she wasn’t attached to it like providing 24-hour security, she had faithfully come to check its condition two or three times a day.
’This couldn’t have happened in just a few hours.’
It was more likely that it had been slowly seeping in, but only now became noticeable.
Even though it was a branch of Mother Tree, it wasn’t as if smooth communication was possible, so this seemed more plausible.