I Reincarnated as a Villainous Noble and Want to Enjoy a Laid-Back Harem Life – I Have No Intention of Getting Involved in the Main Story, Just Want to Live Comfortably with My Female Slaves, but Everyone Around Me Keeps Treating Me Like a Hero - Chapter 2.6

After my audience with the Elven Queen, I was granted the right to freely explore the Elven Kingdom.

It seemed they believed that without understanding the situation firsthand, I wouldn’t be able to formulate a plan to resolve the World Tree’s crisis.

Thanks to that, I now had the freedom to roam and observe as I pleased.

“Hmm. As expected of a nature-centric kingdom—every street vendor is only selling fruit.”

“As someone in my growth phase, I’d really like some solid meat. This is kind of disappointing.”

And so, I wandered through the Elven Kingdom alongside Bohater, my slave.

“You shouldn’t go around criticizing a country while walking through it, you know?”

“Right back at you.”

“I wasn’t directly insulting it, though.”

“If you think that makes it okay, you’re dead wrong… Anyway, back to the topic—so the World Tree is in danger, huh?”

“Yeah, more or less.”

“…Can you actually fix it? The World Tree dying sounds like a world-ending event. Are you really capable of handling something like that?”

“Hmm… I think I can solve it?”

They said the World Tree was withering, but…

From what I had seen, that wasn’t exactly the case.

If it had truly been dying, I wouldn’t have stood a chance.

But in its current state…

I recognized it.

It was the same scenario from the game.

The problem wasn’t with the World Tree itself.

Rather, it was an issue with the Great Spirit residing within it.

“That… doesn’t sound very reassuring.”

“Well, I’m not exactly an expert on spirits.”

I knew the cause.

What I didn’t know was whether I could fix it.

“…Wait, the spirits are involved?”

“Yeah. I don’t think the tree itself is actually dying.”

“What? But the World Tree looks weak from here. It’s lost its vibrant green color, and there are even withered leaves falling. That’s never happened before. …Well, not that I’ve seen it in person before now.”

“That’s true.”

From a glance, the leaves of the World Tree had indeed lost their vitality.

For a tree that was said to never wither, this was clearly an abnormality.

However—

It wasn’t the tree that produced its leaves.

That was the work of the spirits residing within it.

The trunk and branches were the World Tree itself.

The problem wasn’t with the tree as a whole—only with its leaves.

And if that was the case, then it was incorrect to say that the World Tree was dying.

Of course, this was all knowledge from the game.

No one in this world knew that.

So naturally, they assumed, The leaves are falling! The World Tree is dying!

Which… was a reasonable conclusion.

“Well, isn’t it weird that I know this?”

“…You really shouldn’t have said that out loud.”

“Exactly.”

That was all I was willing to say.

I had no intention of revealing that I was a reincarnated person.

“Anyway, I’ll do my best with the World Tree. But don’t get your hopes up too high.”

Even in the game, this issue had only been briefly touched upon.

The game’s solution had been finding an ancient text explaining that the World Tree consists only of its trunk and branches, so the leaves falling aren’t a problem!

It had never actually addressed healing the spirits within it.

I would have to figure out a real solution on my own.

And since I wasn’t a spirit expert, I wasn’t entirely sure I could pull it off.

“Hmm. Well, if it’s you, I’m sure you’ll fix it in no time. Guess I don’t need to worry.”

“I literally just told you not to get your hopes up.”

This was definitely something to worry about!

“…Hey, Brother. I have a favor to ask.”

Just as I was thinking about how much time it would take to fully research spirits, Bohater suddenly cut into my thoughts with a completely unrelated request.

“Hmm? What is it?”

“There’s… something I want to do here.”

“Huh?”

“And… I want you to help me.

If you really see me as a friend, then lend me your strength.”

“Pfft—That’s quite the way to phrase it.”

“Ugh.”

“Now how am I supposed to refuse after you said that?”

Help me as a friend.

Hearing those words hit a little too close to home for me.

Back in my previous life, I had been pretty lonely.

So naturally—

“Fine. I’ll help. What do you need?”

“Well… Before that…”

Bohater took a breath, as if steeling himself.

“I have a goal. Something I must accomplish.

Please… Lend me your strength.”

“…?”

“Hah. You’re a friend. Of course, I’ll help you—within reason.”

“…That ‘within reason’ part is annoying.”

“Haha! But you know, Bohater, you’ve really stopped holding back around me.”

“You’d see through me anyway, so what’s the point?”

“That’s not necessarily true.”

And so, while exchanging words with Bohater, I continued walking through the Elven Kingdom—

Unaware of just how important his request would turn out to be.