Only My Magic Levels Up - Chapter 234



Only Noblemtl

Episode 234 Star Tree (2)

As I went a little further, I saw a village. No, I should say it was a city.

The villages of the Sky Fairies I had seen on my way here were all so large that they had no more than a hundred residents. To be honest, they were more like campgrounds than villages.

It was different there. There was a high, long wall surrounding the area that formed a ring around the World Tree. Although the inside was filled with tents, they seemed to number in the thousands.

“We’ll go down from here. It’s not a very pretty sight to see guests flying straight into the city.”

Galen nodded at Shamita’s words. Procella gently slowed down and lowered Galen and Lilia to the ground, and Shamita followed them down.

Basically, the plateau itself was the northern part of the Northwestern Archdiocese, so it was definitely not a mild place, and even on that plateau, the northern end would be very cold.

The ground I landed on was so frozen hard that I thought it was stone. Physically, there wouldn’t be much of a difference. If I had fallen, it would have broken somewhere.

There was snow piled up here and there. It wasn’t piled high enough to block the road, but even if it was piled low, it was still a serious obstacle to traffic because it was all ice.

“Hmm.”

Shamita also realized that point belatedly and let out a shallow groan.

The fairy was born with a body that could easily tear apart bronze-level evil spirits with her bare hands, and was also resistant to cold and heat, so she was completely unaffected.

Humans are weak. I heard that warriors and priests are strong, but the bodies of wizards are no different from those of ordinary people.

“I was thinking too much about myself. I don’t know about Lilia, but it doesn’t seem like a very good environment for you, Galen, to walk around in.”

“are you okay!”

Lilia, who had been answering in Galen’s stead, naturally stretched out her left arm and crossed it around Galen’s right arm.

“If you do this, you will never fall!”

“That may be true, but.”

Galen shrugged slightly.

“Just because you’re on the ground doesn’t mean you have to walk, right?”

It’s true that if Lilia, who boasts a plump body, holds on, you won’t be able to fall even if you want to, but the picture is a bit… She’s not like a baby learning to walk while holding on to her mother. Honestly, the fluffy feeling in her arms was nice, though.

Anyway, Gleba received Galen’s request for help. The primordial spirit of the earth that had been sleeping wrapped around the ankle of his boot like an ornament jumped down.

Sssssss!

The yellow kitten slithered into the frozen ground as if it had fallen into a swamp.

Tsk tsk tsk!

Soon, the surrounding ground shook. The ground around the three people standing huddled together was torn away into a large area large enough to sit on a mat.

What’s so special about a moving walkway? If the platform I’m stepping on moves automatically, then it’s a moving walkway.

“Let’s go like this.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Ugh, if this happens… … .”

“You can keep holding on.”

“Oh, yes!”

Shamita, who had long since given up on measuring Galen’s talent, nodded with a composed expression. Lilia, who was about to become slightly gloomy, immediately brightened up upon hearing Galen’s whisper mixed with a smile.

The platform containing the gleba began to move slowly. It was headed towards the castle wall visible in the distance.

It was a bit bumpy because the ground wasn’t as flat as a pavement, nor was it as soft as sand, but Galen didn’t have to make any effort to keep his balance since Lilia still had her arms tightly crossed over him.

“You said you would guide me to the deepest part of the territory, so I guessed it would be a core area… … .”

When flying at high speeds, it was difficult to cut through the sound of the wind, but on the leisurely platform, conversation was easy. Galen began to speak.

“I didn’t know there was a city this big. Is it a capital city or something?”

“You must know that since you are friends with the Earth Elves, they are organized into a Federation and a General Assembly.”

“yes.”

“We also have a similar framework.”

The Fairy Alliance is a similar concept to the human clan. If you look at it in detail, there are quite a few differences, but they have one thing in common: they can be seen as small nations that have built up power and occupied territory.

And the League of Nations, which is a modern-day equivalent of the EU, is called the League of Nations General Assembly. Or, simply, the General Assembly.

“However, the land elves who settle along the mountain range and we who live a nomadic life on the plains cannot be the same. Especially the role of the General Assembly. The land elves have strong independence in each alliance, and the General Assembly is more of a coordinator, but our General Assembly has a bit more authority. Because there is clearly work to be done.”

“If there’s anything to do, maybe―”

“Yeah. I guess you guessed it.”

Shamita paused for a moment and turned her head. Galen and Lilia’s gaze naturally turned to where Shamita was looking.

The walls, when viewed closely, were much wider and taller than any large human city, but at first glance, they did not seem to be there.

Of course, the World Tree inside had such a strong presence that it made the existence of the castle walls seem insignificant. The artificial structures felt like nothing more than that.

“We call it the star tree.”

“A star tree?”

“According to legend, it was originally so huge that it could reach the stars in the night sky. The reason it is called the World Tree in human legends is because it is a huge tree that covers the world.”

I think there was something similar in Norse mythology. Was it Yggdrasil?

I had heard it in this world too. It wasn’t just a rumor like ‘Somewhere in the north there is something called the World Tree’, it was literally a story close to a myth.

Long ago, there wasn’t one sun in the sky, or there were no seas, only rivers. It was almost at that level.

“It may not be as big as the legend says, but that alone is unbelievably big. It’s the size of a mountain.”

Lilia stuck out her tongue.

“The General Assembly is called the World Tree, or rather, the Star Tree. Is it in charge of managing the Star Tree?”

“Yes. To be exact, the management of the Star Tree itself is accomplished through the combined efforts of all members of the clan, and the General Assembly coordinates the order of work, etc.”

Since there was no sky fairy who did not cherish the star tree, it was said that a minimum number of people were left to take care of the star tree.

The general assembly decides the order and assigns it to each federation, and the federation in charge of management does not go nomadic at all and stays near the star tree, and the other federations provide support for food and other things.

“It’s winter now, so the relatively warm south… the area bordering humans. Most of our kindred spirits, except those who are wandering there, have returned here.”

“okay.”

“Shamita, Shamita.”

While Galen was picturing the power structure of the sky elves in his head, Lilia put aside such complicated stories and focused her attention purely on the star tree.

“Do fairies really talk to star trees and stuff?”

“hmm?”

“It’s so incredibly clever and so, the tree isn’t a tree… … .”

“I think I know what you’re talking about. Are the stories in human legends true?”

“Yes! A tree that big can’t just be a tree!”

Shamita smiled faintly at Lilia, whose eyes were sparkling brightly.

“It is no ordinary tree. But legends are just legends.”

“ah?”

“Where in the world can you find a plant that talks?”

“Can’t you… speak?”

Like a child hearing for the first time that Santa Claus does not exist, Lilia was shocked. Shamita looked at her as if she was talking nonsense.

“Intelligence is something that blossoms from a higher mind, and the mind is ultimately the result of the brain’s thinking. That’s why a head injury makes one idiot, and why dumb animals don’t have intelligence like fairies or humans. Wouldn’t it be even scarier if a tree had a brain?”

“Well, that’s true, but… … .”

“Of course, just as beasts express their intentions in simple terms, so could the star tree send out some kind of signal. But whether we can understand it is a separate issue, isn’t it? It may be a comparison that offends you, Lilia, but isn’t it true that being a priest doesn’t mean you can speak directly to God?”

“Right… … .”

“It’s the same. We cherish and love the star tree very much, but its heart and ability to communicate are separate. Unfortunately.”

The Sky Fairy calmly uttered the horrible insult, “The World Tree is just a big tree.” They look like elves at first glance, but they are also cold-hearted.

Galen smiled bitterly and patted Lilia with the hand that was not crossed. Lilia’s shoulders slumped as her innocence was shattered.

Still, the platform moved. The platform, which was moving faster than the speed of a normal person walking, soon reached the wall.

There was a gate, but it was just open like an Arc de Triomphe, without any separate doors. There were no gate guards. Well, who would dare come here and guard it?

“Can I just go in?”

“Okay. I’ll guide you.”

Gleba returned, having broken the platform and scattered it far away. Galen and Lilia followed behind Shamita.

“Isn’t it Shamita?”

“Looks like you’re back already.”

“What about the people in the back?”

“Didn’t I tell you last time?”

“Oh, right. That’s right.”

The reaction was largely similar to when I visited the realm of the earth elves before.

Although they were curious about the human visit, they were not particularly surprised, as if they had already heard the warning. Half of them were curious, and the other half were closer to benevolence than hostility.

If the city of the earth fairy was made up of only single-story buildings, it would have had an overall cute feeling like a village in a fairy tale.

The city of the Sky Fairies, how should I put it… I should say that it gives a glimpse of the vastness and wildness of the prairies. Not in a negative sense, but in a positive sense.

The tents they use are not the kind of flimsy tents that human travelers pitch for a one-day stay. They are more like prefabricated structures with a solid wooden frame and an outer wall covered with fabric woven from animal hair.

When there were a dozen of them, it felt like a campsite, but when there are thousands of them, it feels like a grand campsite for a large army.

The military barracks were nothing fancy, but the Sky Fairy’s tent was decorated so colorfully that it caught my eye even more.

Shamita moved slowly, giving Galen and Lilia plenty of room to move. The two were busy looking left and right, taking in the sights of the street.

As I continued across the city, I came across a place where there were buildings made of wood, not tents.

“This is the General Assembly headquarters.”

Shamita said. It was a unique design that felt like it was made from natural wood rather than logs cut to exact specifications.

“Nice to meet you. It’s Padin.”

In the office of the headmaster, a handsome sky fairy man greeted them. His speech was stiff, but that was the way all sky fairies spoke, and his attitude and tone were both gentle.

“This is Galen.”

“It’s Lilia!”

After exchanging greetings, we had a cup of tea and chatted about various things. Since it was during work hours, we didn’t talk for long.

Galen’s guess that the gift was an excuse and the invitation itself was the purpose was wrong. Of course, Padin may not be the type to bring up the main topic right away, but at least there was no sign of it at this point.

The three of them left the office again after being told that they could stay as long as they wanted and that a banquet would be held later that evening.

“I’ll show you a place where the two of you can rest.”

“thank you.”

“You may move freely until the banquet. You may rest.”

“Shamita, would it be okay if I took a closer look at the star tree?”

“It doesn’t matter, but the people in charge may be sensitive.”

Shamita answered Lilia’s question coolly.

“Please refrain from going to see it alone. This time, I will go with you.”

“Oh, thank you!”

After dropping their bags in the guest house, the two followed Shamita with their bodies lightened.

It was somewhat ambiguous to call it the inside of the city. The city was formed in a ring-like shape surrounding the base of a star tree. Although it was geographically the center of the city, it was actually outside the city.

There were guards stationed here and there, unlike on the walls. Of course, thanks to Shamita, we were able to get through right away.

“Wow… … .”

When she finally saw the star tree in front of her eyes, Lilia’s mouth fell open.

Of course, it would be natural for a tree to grow as tall as a mountain, but the trunk was so huge that Galen couldn’t even estimate its circumference. Even if you just looked at the trunk, it wasn’t enough to take it all in at once.

“Mom, can I touch it?”

“As long as you don’t intend to damage it.”

Shamita nodded coolly. After receiving permission, Lilia and Galen cautiously approached the star tree.

To be honest, there’s nothing particularly special about the bark other than the fact that it’s incredibly huge.

Anyway, Lilia stroked the base of the star tree with curious eyes as if she was stroking a puppy.

Galen wasn’t completely uninterested either. He also tried his hand.

That was the moment.

“… … ?”

Galen’s brow furrowed.

Lilia, who had been absentmindedly looking at the star tree for a while, suddenly noticed Galen’s expression and tilted her head.

“What’s wrong, brother?”

“No, that’s… … .”

Galen, who had been moving his lips several times, trying to find the right words to say this, looked back at Shamita.

“Shamita?”

“But why?”

“You said he can’t speak?”

What are you doing?