A tree that grew bit by bit, about 10 cm a year, suddenly grew more than 2 meters.
No matter how you looked at it, it was clearly an abnormal phenomenon, a matter worthy of an emergency meeting.
While everyone was wondering, "What on earth happened?"
Reed, unlike the others, could guess the cause of the incident.
'It must be their doing.'
The territory of Yggdrasil, where High Elves and Wood Elves coexisted.
Phoebe and Rosaria entered that place.
There was no doubt that the yellow rice cake and the white rice cake had caused a commotion in Yggdrasil's territory.
'I'm sure they didn't do it with bad intentions, and it must have been going in a good direction and ended up like that...'
As Reed was thinking that, the atmosphere among the Tower Masters became more and more serious.
It wasn't an atmosphere where you could speak hastily.
Then, the Master of the Greenwood Tower spoke with a serious face.
"If the world tree of the elves grew over 2m at once, there must have been an elf with exceptional magic skills involved."
"Then, wouldn't the balance maintained by the Greenwood Tower also collapse?"
"That seems to be the case for now."
The Master of the Greenwood Tower spoke with an expression of shame.
The collapse of the balance meant that the tower Master had not fulfilled their duty, so there was nothing to say even if they were blamed.
However, the tower Masters knew what their priority was.
Right now, resolving this situation was more important than blaming.
"So, are there any changes in those big-eared creatures? Did they pick up any relics or something?"
"It's difficult to say at the moment. We discovered the anomaly at the Greenwood Tower and immediately convened this emergency meeting, so we're still investigating the specific situation."
Although there was a problem, there were no concrete details yet.
So the tower Masters racked their brains and made guesses.
"If the World Tree suddenly grew 2 meters... could it be that a new magical formula was created?"
"The growth of the World Tree is more dependent on mana than spells. Even when all the elders combined their powers, it barely grew by 10 cm, but in just a few minutes, it grew by 2 meters.
There's no doubt that a talent with a completely different amount of mana from the other elders has appeared."
The emergence of talent and the invention of a new spell.
Either way, it was a tremendous event that could shake the balance of the Cloud Continent.
"What do you suggest we do?"
Freesia, with a bored expression, offered a solution.
"What's the point of whining like this? Nothing will fundamentally be resolved. Let's eliminate the problem before it becomes an issue."
Eliminate the problem in advance.
It was a solution, indeed.
Then, Dolores, who was sitting next to her, frowned and objected.
"Are you suggesting we slaughter the elves now? If that happens, not only the Black Sky but other towers will also become enemies of the continent."
"I agree with Wallin's statement. Don't say such things so easily, Black Sky."
As the Master of the Sky Chamber Tower, Helios also frowned and glared, Freesia's face turned sour.
"Really, you people are no fun. Don't you think so, Reed?"
She turned her head and passed the baton to Reed, who was sitting next to her.
"Anyone would think we're on the same team."
Taking the baton, Reed looked around and opened his mouth.
"In my opinion, the elves probably have nothing to do with this."
"What do you mean, Silence! It suddenly grew by 2 meters! You're saying this isn't a matter to be cautious about?"
To the other tower Masters, who were unaware of Phoebe and Rosaria's existence, it might have sounded overly optimistic.
'This must be related to Rosaria.'
But Reed didn't know the exact details, making it difficult to reveal at this moment.
'But to continue with this misunderstanding...'
Even if it was later revealed that the situation was part of the project, the worst-case scenario could arise where the misunderstanding would not be cleared up.
Reed continued to ponder and eventually made a decision.
Although the timing wasn't right since it wasn't a project to create an incredible weapon, he decided to disclose it first.
"That's the thing..."
"Ah! I've received a call!"
The Greenwood Tower Master, who was sitting on the opposite side, exclaimed.
Everyone's attention immediately shifted to the Greenwood Tower Master.
"What is it?"
"What's the situation?"
"Wait a moment. Yes... Yes... Yes?"
As her tone grew increasingly serious, she looked over at Reed.
"Yeah, I got it. Thank you."
The call ended, and silence ensued.
The Greenwood Tower Master mulled over what she had heard and remained still until the other Tower Masters, unable to bear the suspense, urged her to speak.
"Start by telling us what it is."
"Well, it's just that..."
"Did some problem occur?"
"Well... It seems that someone entered the Yggdrasil area a few hours before it suddenly grew...?"
At those words, some Tower Masters jumped up.
"An accomplice from the outside! As expected!"
"Let's go and investigate immediately!"
Including Freesia, some of the hardline tower Masters mentioned war and became agitated.
However, the Greenwood Tower Master continued her words while glancing at Reed.
"But it's confirmed that... a horned blonde woman in her twenties and a white-haired girl entered the area."
The atmosphere suddenly cooled.
"A horned woman in her twenties and a white-haired girl?"
"It seems specific..."
As they spoke, everyone's gaze focused on one place.
Someone who had a half-dragon assistant and a white-haired child.
That someone sighed, tucked their lips in, and resignedly said,
"…Anyway, it's not something the elves have done."
***
The emergency meeting ended anticlimactically.
Since they had gathered due to concerns that Yggdrasil's rapid growth might be related to the elves' ambitions, discovering that the cause lay elsewhere allowed the situation to be easily resolved for now.
Reed was talking to Phoebe through a call.
-I'm sorry...
"I told you to broaden your horizons, not create an incident that puts me in a difficult position."
-I have no excuse, Tower Master.
Her voice sounded tearful and damp with moisture.
Reed sighed.
-Were you interrogated?
"For now, I explained the project to everyone and also told them why you guys were there. They asked you to write a separate report on the events that occurred there to be sent to the Greenwood Tower Master.
-Yes, I will write and send the report separately.
"That's what you should do."
-Whimper...
The sound of whimpering, like a scared puppy, flowed in response to Reed's stern words.
"Has the contamination of the World Tree been resolved?"
-Yes, thanks to the lady's help, it was resolved quickly. And in the process, all the blood that was hindering growth was released, leading to rapid growth.
"Is that so?"
-Yes, even the elf elders were surprised, their mouths hanging open as they looked up at the tree.
It was indeed surprising.
When it was said that it had grown from about 10cm to 2m, the tower Masters, who are outsiders, were also surprised, let alone the parties involved.
While they were exchanging words, someone tapped Reed's shoulder.
"Uh, Master of the Silent Tower?"
"Hold on a moment, Phoebe. What is it, Master of the Greenwood Tower?"
The Greenwood Tower Master carefully spoke her request.
"I'm sorry, but there's someone who wants to call you, would that be possible?"
"It's possible, but who is it?"
"It's a high elf elder in Yggdrasil's territory, a person named Yustina."
"Phoebe, I'm sorry, but please end the call."
-Yes.
Reed received the call from the Greenwood Tower Master.
Shortly after, a clear female voice echoed in his ear.
-I am Yustina, one of the five elders.
"I'm Reed Adeleheights Roton, the Master of the Silent Tower. My daughter and secretary have been quite rude, Elder."
Reed first offered a polite apology.
-It's fine. I'm about to be quite rude myself.
"What do you mean?"
-I would like to invite you to Yggdrasil's territory on behalf of our race. What do you think?
"...You want to invite me?"
He asked again as if he couldn't believe it.
The Greenwood Tower Master, who had been quietly listening from behind, also looked at Reed with a shocked face.
It was unusual for an elf to invite someone into their territory.
-Is there a reason you cannot accept the invitation?
"No, no, it's not that. It's just unexpected. But why are you inviting me?"
-We asked if our benefactor wanted anything. And she said she would like her father to come here. So we are inviting you to our council of elders.
"The council of elders..."
The council of high elf elders, if compared to a tower, is like the office of the tower Masters.
Unlike other elves who build houses on the ground, this place was built at the very top of the World Tree Yggdrasil, and it is a sacred area that no one can enter without permission.
It was a place that even the Greenwood Tower Master, who is close with Yggdrasil's siblings, has never been to.
"I understand. I can't refuse an invitation."
-We will open a path for you to directly come to the council with your sky carriage.
The call with Yustina ended.
The Greenwood Tower Master, who had been waiting until Reed's call ended, started to speak.
"Uh, Master of the Silent Tower..."
"Yes, what is it, Master of the Greenwood Tower?"
"I'm sorry, but after you come back..."
"Don't worry, I'll ask you what to do as the Tower Master of Greenwood."
He interrupted her as if he was ready, but she hesitated and continued to speak as if there was more to say.
"Um, after visiting the council, if possible, could you share your impressions..."
"...I understand."
A sacred area that she herself has not seen.
She had no choice but to vicariously satisfy her curiosity through his impressions.
***
The World Tree Yggdrasil.
Although it did not boast a very high height like the Silent Tower, its wide branches and leaves spread out horizontally, presenting a grandeur that no palace could imitate.
Reed found a place that was artificially cleared and used it as a landing spot for his sky carriage.
As he stepped outside, the high elf elders were waiting for him.
"Daddy!"
Among them, Rosaria ran towards Reed with an innocent face.
Despite sweating profusely from explaining the situation caused by this little troublemaker, seeing her innocently smiling made all those resentful feelings disappear.
"Have you been behaving?"
"Yes!"
"Do you understand that lying can lead to big trouble?"
"Rosaria doesn't lie!"
"I see."
That statement meant the guardian had been neglectful in her duties.
Reed glanced at Phoebe, who was following him, with a reproachful look.
Seeing this, Phoebe was taken aback and broke out in a cold sweat.
A green-haired female elf stepped forward on behalf of the others and greeted them. It was the same scene as when she had greeted Phoebe.
"I am Yustina, the daughter of Yggdrasil and one of the five elders."
"I am Reed Adeleheights Roton, the Master of the Silent Tower."
"So you're the Master of the Silent Tower. You are indeed handsome, just like your daughter said."
"Oh, is that so..."
Reed, who had prepared for his meeting with the elders, was flustered within just a few minutes.
He hadn't expected her to catch him off guard with a compliment.
Reed quickly changed the subject.
"I heard that Yggdrasil, the spiritual pillar of the elves, has grown by 2 meters."
"For us, the siblings of Yggdrasil, it's the greatest joy."
"Congratulations, but this fact was not properly conveyed, so all the tower Masters gathered in a flurry."
"Apologize to the Master of the Greenwood Tower for me. At that time, all the elves were so surprised that they couldn't do anything for a few hours."
The elves share a mental link.
They share their thoughts and emotions silently, establishing their foothold in the Cloud Continent through this bond.
Considering that the event was shocking enough for the elf elders, it would have been even more so for the elves under them.
As Yustina looked at Reed, she glanced down at Rosaria and spoke.
"It seems our benefactor is not a blood relative of the Master of the Silent Tower."
"That's right. This child is one I took in."
"It's a pity. I was interested in her parents because she is a child with the potential to understand the profound intentions of Master Yggdrasil."
"Rosaria is not a child who understands such profound intentions."
"What this girl solved was a problem that could only be done by reaching its origin. Without understanding the intentions of Master Yggdrasil, she could not have reached the origin. Whether she was aware of it or not, this girl fully understood Master Yggdrasil's deep intentions."
In other words, Rosaria had instantly solved a problem that even the elf elders, who had lived for hundreds of years, could not unravel from Yggdrasil.
Reed looked down at Rosaria and asked,
"Do you understand what they're saying?"
"I don't know!"
Rosaria answered innocently.
How could he expect her to understand something she didn't know herself?
He just stroked her cheeks and praised her for doing well.
"Anyway, we, the siblings of Yggdrasil, owe a great debt to Rosaria Adeleheights Roton. We hope you'll accept our gratitude as you walk through Yggdrasil's domain."
"We will gratefully accept the honor given by the great siblings of Yggdrasil."
"Then follow me."
Yustina took the lead in guiding them, and Reed followed behind her, holding Rosaria's hand.
"Did you have fun? What have you been doing?"
"Yes! The elf sisters made me a bracelet with flowers."
"Miss, they are actually men."
"The elf brothers made it for me!"
Phoebe subtly hinting, and Rosaria correcting.
Reed stroked Rosaria's head as he spoke.
"You've been having fun."
"And, and I also touched the ears of the elf elder!"
"...Ears?"
Reed doubted his own ears.
Even after double-checking, Rosaria nodded her head and spoke.
"Yes! I asked if I could touch his ears, and the elf elders said it was okay!"
Elves are extremely reluctant to have physical contact with other races.
Especially touching the head is considered taboo, not to mention the ears.
If Reed had touched an elf elder's ear, it would have been a grave sin for which he could have been severely punished and expelled without a word.
Reed subtly lifted his head to look up at Yustina.
Yustina smiled gently and said with a face that implied there was no problem.
"There's no issue with such minor contact for our benefactor."
"...Thank you."