How to Survive as a Princess in a Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 214

“Wow…….”

It was a place so beautiful that admiration spontaneously flowed out. Unlike the deep green jungle outside, all the trees inside were grayish-white. The sky and everything else were the same.

Everything was white, filled with silvery clouds and light clusters that spread in five colors. It looked like a collective gathering of the Milky Way and auroras, unreal yet so beautiful that one would be entranced just looking at it.

I wondered how Isaac had been able to see this scenery and come right back out.

“Finally, you’re here.”

When I turned my head, I saw Meliana. She’d entered before us and had been waiting…….

“Sorry.”

“Why would royalty apologize for something like this? It’s not like I don’t know that you care about that Medi—hmm, that man.”

Meliana said, turning her head abruptly.

After that, we started walking again, following the elves.

Unlike the forest earlier, the ground here was flat and smooth as if a path had been made. Thanks to that, walking wasn’t difficult, but I kept thinking about Reno.

‘I wonder if Reno is okay……’

He told me not to worry, but it was natural to be concerned. No matter how used to being alone he was, this was Reno’s first time coming here too.

Knowing how difficult it is to be alone in an unfamiliar place, I couldn’t help but worry.

“Killis.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Could you ask how much further we need to go?”

“Certainly.”

Killis willingly asked for me. After a moment, he relayed the elves’ answer.

“They say it will take about half a day more at our pace. That pink tree visible at the end is our destination.”

“Thank you.”

Since I had already seen where the elves and Killis had pointed during their conversations, it wasn’t difficult to find the pink tree.

Indeed, there was a distinctively noticeable pink tree not too far away.

‘But will it really take half a day to reach there?’

My puzzlement was resolved only after that much time had actually passed. The reason the pink tree was visible even from a distance was because it was extremely large.

‘What kind of tree……’

The tree, seen up close, was truly massive. It looked so large that it wouldn’t just match but far exceed any high-rise building. It was an unbelievably enormous size.

—This is the entrance to our village.

The elves approached the twisted roots, just as before arriving here. When they lifted the leaves covering the roots, a hole appeared, similar to what we had seen earlier.

‘So that thing we saw earlier wasn’t a tree trunk but a root.’

No wonder it was different from ordinary trees.

It was a belated realization.

—Enter.

“They say to enter. This is the village entrance.”

“Finally, the village.”

Meliana stepped forward without hesitation and entered the hole. Having experienced it once before, she seemed to have gained courage.

As we also emerged through the hole, the world changed once again. Contrary to my expectation of being greeted by a green forest again, the surroundings were somewhat dark.

Thanks to the nameless clusters of light floating around, it felt bright, but it was like being inside a tree.

I looked up, but the sky wasn’t visible. There were only solid tree trunks like ancient trees, leaves, and moss-like things glowing between the branches.

“This place…… it’s as if we’re inside the World Tree.”

“Really……”

Though I wasn’t sure, Killis’s words made sense. Could there be another tree this enormous besides the World Tree?

“But if this is inside the World Tree, we arrived quickly. I wonder if that space shortened the distance?”

“I’ll ask.”

Ah, I didn’t mean to hint that he should ask.

I felt a bit sorry for constantly asking Killis to do things for me.

Soon, Killis resolved my curiosity.

“It’s as Your Highness suspected. They call it the ‘Root Path’.”

“Root Path?”

“Can’t you tell just by hearing it? It must be a path connected by the World Tree’s roots.”

Meliana suddenly interjected. She must have been listening to our conversation.

“It’s as the Second Princess says. It’s connected to wherever the World Tree’s roots are.”

“It seems like more than just being connected……”

“The World Tree’s power reaches here, so there are many spirits, and one can move much faster than on the ground.”

“I thought the atmosphere felt different.”

The elf who said they would visit the Guardian had returned quickly, and now I understood why.

I carefully observed the elven village. Though I had read many books about other races, including history books, the descriptions in them were all vague and brief.

All they said was that elves lived in a mysterious space, near the World Tree.

Perhaps that’s why the scenery of the village I was seeing directly was unfamiliar and mysterious.

The buildings, built in harmony with the sturdy tree trunks, looked like small palaces.

In fact, I had expected something more nature-friendly and primitive, like living in hollowed-out trees or huts…… It was a moment when my expectations, prejudiced as they might be, were completely shattered.

And then we arrived in front of an exceptionally large and splendid building among those elegant and beautiful palace-like structures.

—This is the temple where the Guardian resides.

“They say this is where the Guardian is.”

—Before entering.

An elf approached a small stump in front of the building.

—Pour this over your head like this. It’s part of our tradition.

Splash! A liquid-like substance poured out. The elf had filled a cup with the liquid and poured it over their crown.

“Ah, it’s cold!”

Meliana, who was closest, winced as droplets splashed on her. From her reaction, we could tell that the stump was filled with liquid.

—Follow suit, human.

The elf held out a cup toward me. Taking it reflexively, I looked at Killis and asked.

“Do I need to pour it too?”

“That’s what they’re saying. It seems everyone here, not just Your Highness, must do it.”

“Get wet with that unknown water before entering? Ha, I don’t want to……”

“Since they say it’s tradition, it would be best to comply.”

Killis relayed the elf’s words to Meliana in a gentle voice. Leaving their conversation behind, I stood in front of the stump. As expected, the stump was filled with clear, transparent green liquid.

Plop, plop—seeing bubbles rising, it seemed the liquid was pooling up from below.

‘I wonder if the amount matters?’

I carefully filled the cup. Eyeballing it, this seemed to be about the same amount the elf had poured.

Then I poured the liquid over my crown, just as the elf had shown. A cool sensation spread from my crown, and a fragrant herbal scent began to rise from my entire body.

Ding!

[<System> You have encountered the essence of the World Tree. All beings were originally born from the World Tree. Communication with other races becomes possible.]

“Huh……?”

Suddenly a message window appeared. Upon confirming the message content, I couldn’t help but be surprised.

This makes communication possible? Really?

“What’s wrong? Is it strange after all?”

Misinterpreting my surprise at the message, Meliana raised her voice.

I immediately tried to correct the misunderstanding. Since I couldn’t say the system told me, I had to be vague.

“No, it’s not strange….. I just feel like I can understand what the elves are saying.”

“What? Is that true?”

—It’s not understanding the language, but resonating.

Following Meliana’s question, the elf corrected me. And amazingly, words that previously sounded like birdsong and were incomprehensible became understandable.

—This is the essence imbued with the World Tree’s power. Through this essence’s power, we can resonate and communicate our intentions for the duration.

“So this is called resonance……”

As I nodded, Meliana, who had been watching nearby, extended her hand to me.

“After you, sister. Give me that cup.”