The Academy’s Ankle Reaper – Chapter 326

Well, it ended up like this, but honestly, I don’t have any bad feelings toward Siana.

The choice of the word “younger sibling” still conveyed some sense of recognition instead of completely disregarding her.

After all, I made the decision to meet the Grand Warrior Siana, but now I was facing a huge problem.

Where on earth should I go to meet Siana?

The Elf Forest is much larger than the combined five Kingdoms.

The last time I saw Siana was at the edge of the forest adjacent to the Empire; I had never ventured inside before.

It’s a vast and mysterious space, and since I hadn’t had any contact since then, there was no real need to figure it out.

All I had were bits of information I grasped from the original story or the basic knowledge I had gathered myself.

‘But since she’s a Grand Warrior, she won’t be wandering the entire forest. She must be near the World Tree.’

Thinking that, I set off, using space magic to get closer to the World Tree without much thought, and naturally ended up inside the Sanctuary.

“Is this the World Tree? It’s my first time seeing it up close.”

Being inside the Sanctuary, where I could see the World Tree right in front of me, felt incredibly peaceful.

It felt somewhat warm in a way. Is this the power of the World Tree?

In a 2km radius around the World Tree, there were no trees, just short wildflowers and grass, and in the middle of the Sanctuary, there was a peculiar structure that resembled a bridge connecting the World Tree and the Elf City.

In the center, there was a building suitable for one person, like a rest stop, which reminded me of a description I had read in the original story.

“Is that the dormitory allocated to the Grand Warrior?”

They say the agent of the World Tree, the Grand Warrior of the forest, enjoys the honor of residing closest to the World Tree, and it seemed like that place was indeed it.

As I tried to move inside, I felt a warm golden energy rising from within my chest.

[Hmm… I can sense a nostalgic presence.]

With the World Tree right before me, the wolf deity lying dormant inside me woke up.

‘Did you clear your throat?’

[How fascinating. I definitely felt you wake up in the heart of the Empire last time, and now I’m right by Yggdrasil… Have I been asleep for that long?]

Yggdrasil? That seems to be the name of the World Tree.

Since the wolf deity has a name of its own, it’s not surprising.

[It feels like I’m meeting you again after 4,000 years, but you’ve changed a lot. We may not be friends, but we shouldn’t act like strangers, so how about giving me an answer?]

The deity, now manifesting as a small wolf, approached the World Tree and tried to speak to it warmly, but received no answer in return.

[Can’t you respond? I see… Perhaps you’ve become so large that it’s difficult for you now.]

After confirming the lack of response, the elder sent golden energy scattering around, but the World Tree stood firm and unmoving.

In the end, the elder resigned to the situation.

[…Well, if so much time has passed, everything changes. You and I both change. Still, seeing that you’re alive, even if it’s hard for you to express yourself, is a relief.]

– Whoooooooom

Just as the wolf deity was about to retreat and return to its shining form, a flash of green light erupted from the World Tree.

For a brief moment, it seemed the World Tree, shining a bit more intensely, was greeting the wolf deity.

.

.

.

Elves are truly a fascinating race.

Siana is a young Elf who has only just become an adult by Elven standards.

Still, she has lived about ten times longer than a human like herself.

If everyone hadn’t holed up in the forest, they would have seen the Titans change hands more than three times.

With such a significant difference in lifespan, why do Elves feel so much younger than they actually are?

But since it had been a while since I last saw her, I hoped she had grown a lot compared to when I first met her, but that thought quickly faded as I looked at the state of the messy room.

“Wow… It’s a disaster. Looks like she built a fortress around her bed…”

It’s quite amazing to think about how one could accumulate so much clutter in the Elf City.

Upon a closer look, I saw several novels that Lucia had enjoyed reading.

With many items originating from the Empire, it was almost confusing whether this was the forest or the Empire.

“Haah…”

Siana, who entered the Sanctuary, looked just like before, but now appeared far more worn out.

Staggering through the mess, she fell onto the bed and lamented her situation for quite a while.

I’d heard she’d been tormented by the elders, but it seemed it was quite a headache for her.

‘Still, I can’t just let this slide.’

But Siana’s issues are one thing, and this is another matter.

We aren’t strangers, so I think it’s time for some scolding, an apology, and then I’ll head back.

However, Siana’s reaction was rather intense.

“You… How did you get in here?? No one is allowed inside!!”

It was understandable that she was surprised, considering I had unexpectedly popped up, but while I was having a little banter, suddenly a green aura erupted from her body.

“Don’t see me as the me from back then!”

Did I scare her too much?

The life-filled green aura swirled around Siana, exuding an overwhelming presence.

Even I, as her Master, couldn’t help but feel an oppressive force; she was about to wield the powers of the World Tree.

‘The powers of the World Tree are primarily defensive.’

Siana is an excellent hunter, but she ’s still way behind compared to a Master.

However, if she were to use the powers of the World Tree, the story would change.

A Grand Warrior, the agent of the World Tree, can shake the earth and tear the skies just with a wave of their hand.

Though, even so, I have space magic, so she could try to stick to me if she wanted, but… I really don’t wish to escalate things unnecessarily.

She seems a bit worked up, so I need to cool her head.

Other people might see her as a threat, but at least to me, it’s not the case.

There’s a structural weakness in the powers of the World Tree.

“This…!!”

Just as the green light filled Siana’s hands, I took a step forward, and suddenly the distance of five steps between us was closed in an instant.

“Uh… huh?”

Siana’s eyes widened in surprise as I locked closely with her.

At first, she was shocked to see the sudden closure of distance, but she was even more surprised for a different reason.

It makes sense; thanks to my rapid use of space magic, Siana was transported to another location in an instant—not the Sanctuary.

“What… Where is this??”

Siana, whose body was suddenly airborne, frantically glanced around in confusion.

However, the mana gravity pulled both our bodies down, initiating a free fall, and Siana hurriedly stretched out her arms to brace for the drop.

Or at least that was the idea.

“Wha-?!”

It seemed she tried to use her powers, but nothing happened, and Siana crashed into a mound of snow.

“Cold?? Eek!!”

Having lived in the warm forest, she screamed at the sensation of snow’s chill for the first time, jumping up as the harsh cold enveloped her body.

“Ugh… W-Where is this!!”

“Well, you don’t need to know that.”

Even though Siana’s chin was trembling from the unexpected cold, she quickly surrounded herself with an aura to withstand it.

Though she seemed a bit clumsy, it clearly showed she’s a strong hunter.

Having moved to a place far from the forest but familiar to me, it turned out to be Blade Mountain.

“Now that you can’t use your powers, let’s have that conversation we didn’t get to earlier.”

“…That’s a lie, right?”

Upon hearing that she wouldn’t be able to use her powers, Siana’s complexion drained of color.

She tried to thrust her hand at me a few times, but just waved through empty air or conjured up a flicker of mana that even an Elf could manage, making her movements increasingly frantic.

“Th-This!!”

When we reached the higher part of the mountain, where the eternal snow had yet to melt, Siana’s powers as an agent of the World Tree seemed to have severely diminished.

This is the inherent weakness of being a Grand Warrior.

The powers granted by the World Tree act like Bluetooth; the farther you are, the weaker the signal, and at this distance, she couldn’t use them at all.

Thus, while the interior of the forest allows the powers of the World Tree to thrive, providing many restrictions for space travel, my own teleportation won’t be hindered by any spells, allowing me to exploit that weakness.

“Why… Why isn’t it working?!”

Whether she knew it or not, Siana swung her hands in frustration several times, but after more than 20 minutes battling through the blizzard-covered mountains, she finally stopped.

“Ugh… snff.”

“Now do you believe me? If you behave, I’ll send you back…”

Seeing her seemingly give up, I figured it was time to get an apology and make sure this doesn’t happen again before sending her back.

However, as soon as I thought that, tears began to drip from Siana’s eyes.

“Ugh…. W-Why are you crying??”

The tears began to fall rapidly until she eventually broke down into sobs.

I hadn’t expected this at all!