The Nymph Wants to be Plundered - Chapter 5

She seemed fine. Since she wasn’t in pain, she could simply dust herself off and get up. It was appropriate that she end her rest and proceed to work at the flower garden. Just as she was about to push back the sheets and rise, someone rushed in, embraced her neck, and sobbed profusely.

“What shall we do, what shall we do!”

“Faye? Why are you crying?”

“Sob… What will become of you, Evelyn. They say you’ve, you’ve become a nymph.”

“What?”

A nymph? What was that? Bewildered, Evelyn first attempted to tie back her disheveled hair. For some reason, her light brown hair seemed more voluminous and slightly longer than before.

Could drinking one incorrect glass of juice cause such hair growth?

However, something was amiss. As her hand reached behind to gather her hair into a single binding, she unexpectedly felt something rustling. When she rubbed it thoroughly between her fingers to discern the texture, it felt like a leaf.

“…What is this? Why is there a tree leaf?”

Had Faye placed a floral crown on her head while she slept?

Perhaps it was merely caught in her hair. No, if the leaf became crushed, her hair would inevitably smell of greenery, and such a scent would persist despite washing with water. Soap was expensive and difficult to purchase. As she struggled to remove it, the door burst open, and the village chief hastily entered and stopped her.

“Leave it be, Evelyn! Faye, come out here for a moment.”

“Pardon?”

“Sigh, Evelyn. I have something imperative to tell you. Though you have just awakened and must be disoriented, please concentrate.”

The village chief hurriedly pulled up a chair and explained the situation from beginning to end, but despite hearing it with her own ears, it was a narrative she found impossible to comprehend.

The kingdom of Devran where they lived was once part of Jupiter, the neighboring land of the elves. In those times, nymphs were exceedingly common, and the chief’s ancestors had traditionally been tasked with celebrating and honoring the birth of nymphs.

However, everything changed when nymphs rapidly became extinct. The elves departed this land, which had no nymphs and had become barren, and the remaining humans quickly forgot the mysterious life they had shared with them—typical of humans with their brief lifespans. Nevertheless, since this was something that had existed firmly during the village chief’s childhood, he still maintained books concerning nymphs.

“What…? What does that have to do with me?”

“While humans transforming into nymphs is exceedingly rare, it has certainly existed in legends. I remembered that particular passage because I found it quite fascinating. Evelyn, although the book made no mention of this, I believe the jasmine leaves sprouting from your hair are evidence of this transformation. As of today, you have become a nymph.”

“What?”

“More importantly, I have urgent news for you. Unfortunately, the tree that has bonded with you has… failed to develop properly and is in rather poor condition.”

Evelyn, not understanding what this meant, blinked repeatedly. Approximately an hour later, after receiving a detailed explanation, she trembled with fear.

“H-h-help… What am I going to do?”

Not only the village elders but the chief himself had visited the garden, and they concluded that Evelyn’s tree could not be saved.

Since nymphs share the same fate as the natural element they are bound to, the moment that tree dies, Evelyn would also…!

The village chief gently patted the shoulder of the terrified, weeping Evelyn.

“Please calm yourself. I should mention that books were not the only things I preserved. I also have an Elvish language manual and magic-infused rune stones that my grandfather bequeathed to me. The situation appears quite serious, so I have urgently sent word to Jupiter. Let us wait a few days. We should receive a response soon. I will implore them to save your life, even if I must beg.”

Having shed all her tears, Evelyn could only nod repeatedly.

To think that if that pitiful sapling withered and died, she would perish along with it? Impossible—how could such a thing exist in this world? She didn’t even know what a nymph was! She was so frightened that she felt willing to do anything if it meant escaping this situation.

***

Jupiter Castle

Between the high columns of subtle hue supporting the roof, one could see tree branches stretching abundantly. These branches coiled around everything like vines, ensuring that anyone who entered the castle was wholly embraced by the bosom of nature.

This remarkable prosperity originated from a single tree—the World Tree.

Parting the lush leaves of this World Tree, Iel, the First Knight Commander of Jupiter, appeared, kneeling and earnestly pleading:

“Your Majesty, please do not allow a human-born nymph into the castle.”

Splash!

From the center of what had appeared to be nothing but water, bubbles arose and someone quickly emerged.

Cassis.

The immortal hero renowned among elves for rising from being a knight of the unremarkable blackberry tree to the guardian of the World Tree, and now the King of Jupiter.

Having been enthroned by the former king who had abdicated out of responsibility for the downfall of nymphs, Cassis had reigned for merely a few decades. Yet no one dared belittle him for lack of experience. Since the World Tree had designated its guardian for the first time in nearly eight hundred years, the young Cassis was being hailed as the greatest monarch in Jupiter’s long history.