The Red Lamp of Lacorinto
"I am not your father, and yet you still call me that."
Hearing Ulrich's voice, Roberta stared intently at the spirit body.
The spirit standing beneath the World Tree facing Ulrich… he was a fairy. And he called Ulrich "father."
It was not surprising that Ulrich had taken in fairies as adopted children. He was famous for taking in many. Under the name Selim, he had even freed slaves of other races. Taking in non-human races as adopted children would not be strange.
However, the one who appeared beneath the World Tree was a spirit body. He had appeared alongside the changes in the World Tree, in a place guarded by the Erelbur lineage. Under such circumstances, who was the fairy that called Ulrich father—and when had he lived?
A sudden chill ran through Roberta.
No way…
She shifted her gaze to Vermelani, who stood a few steps away from the spirit.
Vermelani was staring blankly at the spirit. Roberta looked back and forth between them.
Then she realized.
They resembled each other. At a glance, the two fairies looked alike.
A spirit body was the consciousness of the dead. Therefore, a spirit resembling Vermelani must be someone connected to her by blood—a relative. Among them, who would have had a close relationship with Ulrich?
Only one person came to mind.
A fairy who had not been his adopted child, yet had called him father.
"…Erelbur?"
The name slipped out unconsciously.
At that, the spirit turned to look at Roberta.
Though the moment was brief, the spirit looked at her as if someone had just called his name.
Roberta became certain.
The spirit was Erelbur.
Vermelani's ancestor, the last prince of the final fairy kingdom, and the fairy raised by Ulrich—Erelbur had appeared as a spirit.
"So you still recognize me. It seems not as much time has passed as I thought?"
At the spirit Erelbur's words, Ulrich shook his head.
"No. She must have guessed from looking at this child."
Ulrich turned his gaze toward Vermelani.
"She's your descendant. Even after many generations, your appearance remains."
Erelbur also looked at her, and the descendant flinched under her ancestor's gaze.
"Child, what is your name?"
"…Vermelani."
"From whom does your line descend?"
At the question about lineage, Vermelani hesitated briefly.
"From Luzier."
Erelbur rolled the name over in his mind and muttered,
"The third, then."
"Are you truly Lord Erelbur?"
"Yes. I am Erelbur. Born as the rightful heir of Lacorinto, offered as a hostage to the Empire, and a fairy who took a human as a master—you should know that, if you are my descendant."
She hesitated before asking,
"How did you appear here? Is it because of the World Tree?"
"You know as well, do you not? That there is a mausoleum beneath this place."
A mausoleum?
Vermelani flinched.
Erelbur tried to tap the ground with his heel, but his foot passed through it since he was a spirit, and he clicked his tongue.
"The resting place of past Fairy Kings. After the fall of the last fairy kingdom, it became the burial ground of our lineage's true blood. The seed of the World Tree was stored here, and as the rightful heir of Lacorinto, I inherited the duty to guard it."
Roberta recalled Ulrich's words.
He had said the Wandering Swamp was not special because it held the seed of the World Tree—rather, the seed had been placed there because it was a special place.
And earlier, he had said that the swamp held something worthless to humans, yet invaluable to fairies.
If what the Erelbur lineage had hidden there were the seed and the mausoleum, then that made sense.
To humans, both were worthless.
Humans could not control the World Tree. To them, it was nothing more than a tree capable of creating a dangerous demonic realm.
As for the mausoleum—who would care about the graves of another race? Among the Fairy Kings buried there would surely be those who persecuted beings humans worshipped as gods, who rejected the human age and resisted it. It was not merely worthless—it could even be a place of hatred.
But to fairies, the World Tree needed no explanation.
And the mausoleum was their history.
Though it was a past glory, it was proof that fairies had once opened their own era.
"Guarding the seed of the World Tree and the mausoleum of our ancestors—this duty continues not only in life, but even after death. When the body dies and is buried here, the mana within it becomes nourishment for the World Tree, and a portion of the consciousness is passed on as well."
"A remnant within the tree," Erelbur murmured.
"Originally, there should be many more like me. The larger the World Tree grows, the more consciousnesses it can hold. But this one remained only a seed until now, so at most it could appoint just one caretaker—me."
"Is there a reason you were chosen, Lord Erelbur?"
"Because of the one standing here."
Smiling, he looked at Ulrich.
"You won't burn it this time, will you?"
"If I intended to, I would have come alone."
"Like before?"
"Yes."
When Ulrich added, "like before," Erelbur burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.
Vermelani seemed to grasp the meaning and stiffened as she looked at Ulrich.
After laughing for a while, Erelbur turned to her.
"Looking at you, you really do resemble him. Ruel… the third."
"Naturally. He's closer to you than I am."
Erelbur smiled faintly.
"Do you remember that child?"
"The first among your children to be born a fairy. I recall he had a strong temperament."
"Yes… that's right. You remember."
"I named that child. How could I forget?"
For a moment, silence fell.
Then Erelbur spoke.
"Ruel… is gone now, isn't he?"
"He died in the previous era."
"…So the era has changed again."
Murmuring that, Ulrich looked up at the World Tree.
Erelbur quietly studied Ulrich's profile—from face to feet—before letting out a sigh.
"Even though the era has changed, you have not. Looking at you… it feels as if I've just woken from a short sleep. Surely an immeasurable amount of time has passed, and yet you remain exactly as you were."
Ulrich only smiled in response.
"Then in this era as well, you are human, I assume."
"Human—for now."
"Who are you?"
"Kormilius."
"…Kormilius?" Erelbur repeated.
"What a dreadful world. That madman has achieved his long-cherished wish."
Roberta glanced to the side.
Beside her stood Beatrice, the inquisitor. She had been listening in silence, her expression difficult to describe as she looked at the spirit.
"So it has become an age of those chanting 'Hestio, Hestio,'" Erelbur said. "What in the world happened? In my time, they were not nearly so powerful."
"Many things happened. That is always how it is when an era changes."
"Of course. And those who suffer each time are always the same. Even now, it is you who have stepped forward, is it not?"
"It cannot be helped."
Ulrich gave a bitter smile.
"I ask this of you."
Erelbur did not answer immediately. He simply looked at Ulrich, his expression carrying many emotions—one of them clearly pity.
After a moment, he sighed and turned toward his descendant.
"Vermelani."
He then extended his right hand.
Vermelani stared blankly for a moment, then cautiously extended her hand.
"As the guardian of the World Tree, I have been entrusted by the proxy of Ophilus to make a request."
The spirit's hand overlapped hers, as if a body were clasping another.
"This is to impose a duty upon you. The duty granted by Ophilus to our ancestors—recognized only through your bloodline."
"That means…?"
Vermelani tried to speak hurriedly, but Erelbur cut her off.
"I acknowledge it. Trusting the choice of my master and father, I entrust this duty to your blood. From this point on, no descendants before you may become guardians of the World Tree. Only you and your descendants shall carry it on."
With that, Erelbur lowered his hand.
Vermelani looked down at the hand that had touched the spirit. Outwardly, nothing had changed—but something stirred within her, and her body trembled.
"That is done."
Erelbur turned back toward Ulrich.
"I am sorry."
"For what?"
Ulrich placed a hand on the trunk of the World Tree.
"I would like to leave it as it is, but the world is still not kind to your kind. If people learn the World Tree has awakened, there are too many who would not leave it alone. Even I cannot protect you all."
Erelbur's spirit flickered like a candle in the wind.
Yet he showed no sign of panic. Instead, he smiled faintly and nodded.
"I already knew. From the moment the World Tree, in fear, awakened me, I knew it had awakened at the wrong time. And I knew what you intended to do."
His form began to fade rapidly.
The pale spirit lost its color, thinning like smoke as it dispersed.
"Father."
The drifting smoke spoke softly.
"Someday again…"
"Yes. Someday, when you awaken once more."
Then, just as they had entered the swamp following Ulrich, the group left it behind him.
As the smoke vanished, the leaves of the World Tree lost their light.
The white glow faded, the leaves turned yellow, and at the slightest touch of wind, they fell. The World Tree shed everything from its branches, leaving only its bare trunk behind.
At the same time, as if by promise, the monsters surrounding it scattered.
No one knew where they went. Though the swamp's water level remained unchanged, the creatures left the area, and distant splashing sounds echoed from afar.
"It won't awaken again for a while."
After the monsters disappeared, Ulrich spoke.
He rested his hand against the trunk, now like a dead tree.
"It awakened before its time. So it will return to dormancy. It cannot go back to being a seed, so it will simply cease activity and hide its existence, waiting. Someday, when the time is right, it will awaken again."
Roberta quietly looked at him, then turned her gaze toward the others.
Everyone remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts.
The boy from the north calmly examined the branches of the spirit tree.
The fairy from the south stared at the World Tree, lips tightly pressed.
The young fairy noble looked down at a fallen leaf in his palm, his face flushed red.
The Count of Luogallan and his retainers watched the area the monsters had left with wary expressions.
Lastly, the inquisitor Beatrice fixed her trembling gaze on Ulrich.
She seemed about to speak—
But Ulrich silently shook his head.
"..."
***
A day passed after leaving the Wandering Swamp.
On the road back to the city of Terbu, Ulrich's party made camp.
Early the next morning, as always, Roberta went to the stream to wash her face. Splashing cold water over herself, she shivered slightly, then let out a sigh as she stood.
As she gathered her long hair to tie it back, she paused.
A sense of déjà vu.
Feeling a strange familiarity, she turned while still holding her hair.
Someone was approaching through the trees.
It was Beatrice.
Ah… it was like this back then, too.
She realized the source of that familiarity.
It had been the morning after they began traveling with the inquisitors. Back then, Beatrice had come to find her at the stream just like this.
At that time, Beatrice had approached with a faint smile—she had suspicions, but they were not deep, so she still had composure.
But now, she approached without a trace of a smile.
Her suspicion had deepened—and reached a conclusion.
Roberta finished tying her hair and spoke first.
"Good morning, Lady Beatrice."
"…Yes. Good morning, Sister Roberta."
Beatrice stopped a few steps away.
Her lips trembled. She clearly had something to say, yet hesitated to speak.
Roberta smiled gently.
"Is there something you wish to ask?"
At that, the trembling stopped.
"You already know what I am going to ask, don't you, Sister?"
"You wish to ask about Ulrich."
Beatrice slowly nodded.
"Will you answer me?"
"Well… is there any need to ask me?"
"…I need your answer."
She closed her eyes briefly, took a breath, then looked straight at Roberta.
"What is your relationship with Hestio?"
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