Chapter 47

Hasn't it Increased?
This is the final visit to the World Tree for the year.
Of course, as always, the team includes Captain Kyle and the usual members. In the plaza, I showcased the improvised tea bags and gave everyone five bags each as a gift.
Since I couldn't prepare a large quantity, I prioritized them for personal use first.
It seems the Knights Order will receive theirs separately, either in jars or wooden boxes.

Mornings and evenings are getting chilly, so a warm drink is always welcome. It looks like they were happy with it, which is great.
As usual, we headed to the World Tree with guards accompanying Ripka and Bianca's families.
I want to do something for Ripka and Bianca's families too. Maybe I should ask Atre if there's anything they want.

We arrived at the World Tree without any trouble.
Fiamma and Vendaval's protection really is incredible—no monsters approach us.
Compared to the first time I saw it, the World Tree now has a lot more vibrant green leaves, indicating it's in the process of recovering.

"I'm glad to see it's recovering well." Said Brother Gerald.

"But the mana-infused water in the pond seems to be completely gone. I thought there was still plenty left, though."

"You're right. We had given them spare magic stones. I wonder if something happened."

Now that I think about it, the Alraune isn't coming. Is she not here?
I went to the base of the World Tree and called for the Alraune, but she didn't show up. Looks like she's really not here.

The knights standing near the mana-infused water pond called out to me, Brother Gerald, and Captain Kyle.
When we went over, we saw that at the bottom of the now-empty mana-infused water pond, three Alraunes, about 10 cm in size, were sleeping.

Three of them? There's more now.
And they were smaller than the one I first met at the World Tree.

For now, we pulled them out of the pond and had Captain Kyle transfer mana to them.

You might be wondering, "Don't you have the Blessing of Plant Growth?"
I do, but I've only just started practicing magic, so I can't use it properly yet. Sorry, Captain Kyle.

As they received mana from Captain Kyle, the Alraunes slowly regained consciousness.

"Oh, Reinhardt. We were waiting for you. I'm so glad you came."

It seems one of them is the Alraune who originally lived with the World Tree.

All three were the same size, had green hair, and looked so similar that I can't tell them apart.
When I asked why she had shrunk and who the other two were, she told me that they were her younger sisters.
They had been living in a different part of the Great Forest, but due to the dragon's influence, the trees around them had withered, so they came seeking refuge with her and the World Tree.

At first, they had been drinking the mana-infused water while waiting for us to arrive.
However, since injured monsters and those affected by the dragon's aura were also drawn to the mana-infused water for healing, more and more creatures started coming, and eventually, the pond's mana-infused water was completely depleted.
To sustain her sisters, the Alraune had been sharing her own mana, but over the past week, her power had weakened.
They had been lying at the bottom of the empty pond, trying to absorb the last remnants of magic left there.

"That's why we need recovery potions—three of them, please." The three Alraunes said, bowing their heads.

When I looked at Captain Kyle, he revealed that he had already prepared three bottles of recovery potion (a plant vitality booster).
When he handed them over, the Alraunes quickly drank them down.
He also prepared another bottle separately for the World Tree.

"Ahh, I feel alive again! Thank you. Also, could we have some mana-infused water too?"

The Alraune, now restored to her original size of about 20 cm, asked.

"I put a Skeleton Flower magic stone in the pond, so the mana-infused water should be forming now."
"Oh, you're right! I'll go drink some with my sisters—see you later!"

With that, she took her sisters and left.

So, the dragon’s presence is causing the trees to wither?
How far does this extend?

When the Alraunes returned, satisfied from drinking the mana-infused water, I asked about the extent of the damage.
Apparently, within a one-kilometer radius around the dragon’s dwelling, all the trees had perished.
The surrounding area was gradually withering too, and they weren’t sure how much farther the damage would spread.

I'll need to report this to Father.
I hope it doesn't spread any further...

When I told them that we only had 26 magic stones left (13 water magic stones and 13 infused with Captain Kyle’s magic), the Alraunes said that since some animals hibernate in winter, they should be able to manage until spring.
However, they asked us to return as early as possible once spring arrived.

They also offered to guide us to some Skeleton Flowers over the next two days, as they had recently spotted more nearby.
Even though we hunted so many before, there are still some around, huh?

Ah, I completely forgot to think of a countermeasure for the Skeleton Flower’s stench.
I’ll need to figure something out before next spring.

With the Alraune leading the way, we hunted down Skeleton Flowers at three different locations and obtained 26 more magic stones.
It was a bit less than expected, but since there won’t be a six-month gap between visits anymore, this amount should be sufficient.

When we said our farewells, the Alraune gave us two bottles containing the powder from their wings.
It was the same rare ingredient as last time—the one used to make a potion that can regenerate missing body parts.

"My sisters’ wings were just shedding naturally. As for mine, I already gave all of it to you before."

When I asked if they were really okay with giving us something so valuable, they insisted that we had saved their lives, so they wanted us to have it.

Looks like Father and the others will have something new to worry about again...