The Unfortunate Girl Wants an Easy Mode in Her Second Life – Chapter 173

Chapter 173: Vision of the Future of Catastrophe
ㅤThe elves were taking refuge in a vast forest.
ㅤIt was an artificial forest created inside the colony.
ㅤInside the colony, gravity acts towards the outer circumference of the donut shape. Therefore, the “ground” is the inside of the outer circumference. When you stand inside, the “ground” slowly curves upwards and disappears, hidden by the ceiling on the inner side of the donut. If you walk straight along the ground, you can make a complete loop around the inner side of the donut’s outer circumference, like a roller coaster loop.
ㅤ
ㅤAfter leaving the elf girl we helped along the way with the elf medics, Arne-san and I were led by the High Priest to the foot of a giant tree.
ㅤThe tree must be several hundred meters wide. Its trunk stretched straight up, piercing the ceiling on the inner side of the donut. Beyond that was the central axis of the rotating colony.
ㅤ
ㅤ”The shaft,”
ㅤ
ㅤArne-san said.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Shaft?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes. You saw it from the outside, right? Several shafts extend from the outer ring towards the central axis. Through the shaft, you can reach the central axis ━━ the Spirit Tree. Here, we also call them 『branches』.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Marianne-sama, don’t go blabbing about this place to outsiders.”
ㅤ
ㅤAlthough he used honorifics, the High Priest’s tone was quite hostile.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Don’t be silly. You’re still as stiff as ever.”
ㅤ
ㅤArne-san puffed up her cheeks.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Knowing the secrets of this village would naturally make one stiff. You wouldn’t understand, having run away.”
ㅤ
ㅤArne-san called it a “branch,” but what stood before us was undeniably a massive tree.
ㅤIt was large enough to be called a World Tree.
ㅤ
ㅤWe entered a hollow at the base of the “branch.”
ㅤInside the cool, damp hollow, a thick, transparent tube ran vertically.
ㅤ
ㅤ”An elevator?”
ㅤ
ㅤI muttered, and
ㅤ
ㅤ”Oh, you’re quite knowledgeable for a human.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe High Priest said, operating a nearby panel.
ㅤSomething like a capsule descended inside the transparent tube.
ㅤIt was large enough to carry several people.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Minato is not just any human. Do you know what’s happening on the ground right now?”
ㅤ
ㅤArne-san said, challenging the High Priest.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I don’t know anything about what’s happening on the ground.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe High Priest said, but he ushered us onto the escalator and boarded himself.
ㅤ
ㅤThe escalator ascended smoothly.
ㅤThe transparent tube ran through the inside of the “branch.”
ㅤPartway through, the walls of the “branch” became transparent, and we could see how it was connected from the donut part of the colony to the central axis.
ㅤ
ㅤIn the distance, we could also see the shuttle that Escavelm and Sharion were on.
ㅤI had informed them of the situation via the communicator.
ㅤThe High Priest wouldn’t allow me to bring them here.
ㅤBut, for now, that might have been for the best.
ㅤThe shuttle was on autopilot, but I was hesitant to leave it unmanned.
ㅤSince we couldn’t say for sure that the colony was safe, it would be dangerous to bring Sharion, who was just a novice thief, here, let alone Escavelm, who was a dragon.
ㅤ
ㅤThe escalator passed through space and entered the axis of the colony ━━ the Spirit Tree.
ㅤFrom the outside, the Spirit Tree looked like a giant silver cylinder, but the inside was indeed a tree.
ㅤUnlike the donut section, there was no gravity here. Of course, there was air.
ㅤ
ㅤ”We’ve arrived. Get off.”
ㅤ
ㅤPrompted by the High Priest’s disgruntled voice, Arne-san and I got off the elevator.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Is it true that Okaa-sama has entered slumber?”
ㅤ
ㅤArne-san asked.
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s true. She is awake now. If it weren’t for Flone-sama’s orders, why would I let you in here?”
ㅤ
ㅤThe High Priest said and started walking.
ㅤ
ㅤThe place where we got off the elevator was like a working platform.
ㅤBare metal scaffolding was assembled around the elevator landing, and from there, a spiral corridor made of intertwined trees led upwards.
ㅤ@Since there was no gravity, we just held onto the guide rails and moved automatically.
ㅤThe corridor went up two floors and entered the ceiling.
ㅤ
ㅤBeyond the ceiling was a wide, circular space covered in plants.
ㅤ
ㅤIn the middle of it was a canopied bed covered in something that looked like twisted tree roots.
ㅤ
ㅤ（It looked more like a hibernation capsule than a bed.）
ㅤ
ㅤIn that capsule was an elf girl with cherry blossom-colored hair, who looked younger than Arne-san.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Okaa-sama!”
ㅤ
ㅤArne-san rushed to the girl.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ah, Marianne. My dear daughter. You’ve returned.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe girl said with a faint smile.
ㅤ
ㅤI asked as I approached Arne-san.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Is she Arne-san’s Okaa-san?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes. I told you, the more compatible an elf is with Ether, the younger their body remains when their growth stops.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”So that’s why she looks younger than Arne-san.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Could you at least say youthful?”
ㅤ
ㅤArne-san glared at me.
ㅤ
ㅤArne-san’s Okaa-san was watching our exchange with amusement.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Fufu. I’m glad Arne seems to have made a friend.”
ㅤ
ㅤOkaa-san said, a motherly smile on her youthful face.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I am Milflone. Just call me Flone. You are the Demon King Jourange・Minato, correct?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Eh, how do you know?”
ㅤ
ㅤThe High Priest hadn’t shown any interest in my identity.
ㅤBecause of that, I hadn’t even introduced myself yet.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Okaa-sama, you were indeed slumbering within the Spirit Tree. How is your health?”
ㅤ
ㅤArne-san asked with concern.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I can’t say I’m alright.”
ㅤ
ㅤFlone-san picked up a strand of her hair.
ㅤIt was hard to tell because it was originally cherry blossom-colored, but there were white hairs mixed in.
ㅤ
ㅤ”No way…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Don’t look so sad, Arne. It was necessary.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”What did you see, Okaa-sama?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”The Spirit Tree showed me the future.
ㅤElvansrow will be destroyed, the Spear Against G*d will be lost, the surface will be covered in that ash once more, and people will be turned into tools to curse the world while still alive.
ㅤThe Twin Demon Kings, Jourange・Minato and Almirash, fought against this threat until the very end.
ㅤ@But, at the very last moment, they learned that a destroyed Elvansrow was necessary to overcome this situation.”
ㅤ
ㅤFlone-san’s words sent a chill down my spine.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Is that… a prophecy?”
ㅤ
ㅤIt was Arne-san who answered my question.
ㅤ
ㅤ”It is said that the Spirit Tree shows the priestess a 『possible future』.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”To be precise, it shows the future with the highest probability of occurring at that point in time.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”So, as things stand now, we can’t defeat G*d?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”It just means the probability is high. Besides, there’s no point in seeing the future if it’s truly unchangeable. The future is not yet set in stone.”
ㅤ
ㅤFlone-san said forcefully.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I also saw you returning, Arne.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”So that’s why you instructed the High Priest beforehand to bring me here.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes. That’s why, before Elvansrow was destroyed, I needed to see as much of the future as possible. To entrust the aftermath to you.
ㅤ…Cough, cough!”
ㅤ
ㅤFlone-san lowered her head, covered her mouth with her hand, and coughed.
ㅤSeeing the fresh blood on her hand, Arne-san and I gasped.
ㅤ
ㅤ”O, Okaa-sama!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”…I’m still alright. There’s no time. Please listen carefully to what I’m about to say. However, all I can give you is fragmented information about the possibilities of the future. Don’t forget that it’s up to you to seize the future.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”But, the way you’re talking, it’s like this is the last time…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Arne, there must be a reason why you, who left the village, have returned. I don’t believe in G*d, but I sometimes wonder if there is something like fate that transcends human understanding.
ㅤIt’s surely no coincidence that Minato-san is beside you. Ah, my dear daughter. I hate to burden you with this, but I entrust the future of the world to you.”
ㅤ
ㅤSaying that, Flone-san began to speak.
ㅤ
ㅤAbout the destruction of the world that the Spirit Tree showed her.
ㅤ
ㅤBy the time I heard everything, my body was trembling.