None

Standing before us was Miria-san, squinting as if dazzled by the light that had just burst out of her own body.

So— she wasn’t instantly restored to a full Elf with a single blessing.

I guessed things were never going to be that easy.

“But… if you look closely, there is a change, isn’t there?”

Her skin seemed slightly lighter.

Almost like the very first layer of sun-darkened skin had peeled away, leaving a faintly paler tone beneath.

“Simurgh-san… does this mean her World Tree blessing returned?”

“…Judging by the flow of mana, the blessing itself has not returned. However, her body—tainted by worldly mana over centuries—is beginning to be purified.”

“So that means…?”

If she continued eating World Tree fruit, did that mean Dark Elves could become Elves again?

Simurgh-san read the implication behind my hesitation and gave a firm nod.

“Indeed. I cannot say how long it will take, but eventually they may act once more as Progenitor Elves.”

“Oh… I see. As long as there’s hope, that’s great.”

“Though one should be patient. To be honest, it may not be something accomplished during your lifetime, Woody.”

“I figured as much. In that case, we’ll eventually need to build a Dark Elf settlement somewhere.”

“Hoh… Woody is looking quite far ahead.”

Even people of the same race fight.

Humans fought humans.

So humans and Dark Elves?

There would be many obstacles before they could truly coexist.

As long as I served as lord, it would be fine.

But Miria-san and Lulu-san—despite their youthful appearance—have lived for decades, perhaps more.

To take responsibility for them meant helping them become self-sufficient, so they could keep living long after I was gone.

I didn’t want their lives to fall apart once I died.

“For now, you will need someone trained in pruning and managing World Trees.”

“Yes. I intend to entrust that to the Dark Elves.”

The fruit of a World Tree holds absurd value in human society.

Selling only a few dozen would be enough for the Konrath family to go mad with greed
and launch an assault on this place.

Which was why I’ve never been able to sell or even dispose of them— they just kept piling up.

I also feared someone might be tempted to steal or smuggle them out.

So I only planted non-fruit-bearing trees until now.

But now I knew something crucial: the World Tree fruit was essential for the Dark Elves’ purification.

So my idea was simple:

Let the Dark Elves manage the World Tree entirely.

If the fruit was necessary for their bodies and heritage, they’d have no reason to steal or misuse them.

And since they originally descended from the same race as the Elves, there would be no issue having them handle the World Tree.

“W-wait! Wait just a moment!”

Miria-san raised her hand sharply, clearly panicking.

She stared at her slightly lighter skin, sweating.

“M-my apologies, Woody-dono! Could you explain… what exactly is happening to me?”

Ah— I got carried away and left the most important people out of the conversation.

We couldn’t move forward without explaining everything.

So we told them:

That the fruit had begun purifying their bodies.

That if they continued this process, they would eventually regain the blessing of a Progenitor Elf.

That we wanted them to tend to the World Tree in Tree Village.

And that someday, we intended to create a new Dark Elf settlement where they could live freely.

“……”

Miria-san listened silently, absorbing every word.

Then she lowered her head… and tears began dripping onto the ground.

“Woody, you villain! Making a girl cry again!”

Simurgh-san teased from behind.

I opened my mouth to protest— but Miria-san suddenly lifted her head.

“Y-you truly are a cruel man, Woody-dono! How dare you make it so we cannot live without you!?”

Tears streamed down her face— yet she was smiling.

A warm, crumpled smile.

More beautiful, somehow, than her perfectly composed face.

And so, Miria-san and Lulu-san officially took on the role of managing the World Tree in Tree Village.