The day after the World Tree's treatment was completed and their private celebration had ended.
Given that last night people had been drinking and making merry late into the night at various spots throughout the settlement while watching the World Tree, even at a time when someone would normally be getting up, the settlement's residents were still fast asleep.
Naturally, Rei as well—though he had been a food specialist rather than a drinker, he had been eating late into the night, so he was still fast asleep inside the borrowed house.
Inside this house, aside from Rei, there was also As.
They couldn't very well throw him outside the settlement after the party ended, and yet they couldn't have As, whom they had only just met, stay at the house Elena and the others were borrowing either. By process of elimination, it was decided that he would stay at Rei's borrowed house.
There weren't many rooms to spare, but there was a living room, so Rei didn't particularly object and agreed to let him stay.
Amidst all this... it was still early morning. Despite it being a time when Rei would normally still be asleep, he abruptly sat up in bed.
He hadn't jolted awake, but even so, anyone who knew how Rei usually was upon waking would have been surprised at how quickly he came to.
Normally, after waking, Rei would space out for ten-odd minutes—or even several tens of minutes on a bad day—but right now was different.
"What is it? ...No, who is it?"
He muttered, took the Dragon Robe from the Misty Ring and put it on, slipped on his Sleipnir boots, and left the room.
The reason he still hadn't taken out Death Scythe from the Misty Ring was likely because the cause of his waking—the sensation he had felt while sleeping—wasn't unpleasant enough to warrant it.
And yet the reason he had fully woken up was partly because his Sixth Sense or thereabouts had picked up on a sense of urgency in the sensation, and also because there was something that could only be called a premonition.
What was that sensation just now? Wondering this, he suddenly realized something.
"Was that... something close to the gaze I felt after the World Tree's treatment ended?"
It wasn't literally a gaze but rather a sensation that couldn't be put into words, but the closest description seemed to be calling it a gaze.
However, since he couldn't understand what that sensation was trying to tell him, there was nothing he could do about it.
Even so, for some reason he couldn't stay still. He left the room and headed to the living room, where he saw As sleeping on the sofa.
And Poro, which had been using its own nine tails as a pillow beside As, raised its head, apparently awakened by the noise Rei had made.
"Poru~?"
With a slightly sleepy expression, Poro stared blankly in Rei's direction.
Is it really okay for a monster to be in that state upon waking? Rei thought, completely setting aside his own situation.
But thinking about the gaze he had just felt, he didn't have time to deal with Poro right now.
Glancing at As, who was sleeping on the sofa completely unbothered by anything, Rei spoke quietly so as not to wake him.
"I'm going outside for a bit, so you can keep sleeping."
"Pororo~"
At Rei's words, Poro readily went back to sleep, using its tails as a pillow once more.
Setting Poro aside, not waking up at all when someone he just met yesterday is nearby... honestly, isn't that pretty bad for an adventurer?
He glanced at As, who was sleeping deeply without even snoring, and left the living room.
Opening the door and breathing in the refreshing spring morning air, he eventually noticed the presence of someone running toward him.
Could it be related to whatever he had sensed? Thinking that, he turned his gaze toward the approaching figure...
"Huh?"
It was likely because the person's appearance was completely unexpected. A slightly surprised expression appeared on Rei's face.
That was because the person there was someone Rei didn't particularly get along with, and at the same time, he understood that the other party certainly didn't favor him either.
The other party—Ragdo—must have noticed Rei's figure as well. He increased his running speed even further, came to a stop in front of Rei, and killed his momentum.
"Hah, hah, hah... You knew I was coming, I see."
"It's not like I knew. I just stepped outside, so it's a coincidence. So, what are you doing here this early in the..."
He turned his gaze to the sky and noticed the sun had already risen.
"...well, it's not exactly early morning, but at a time when almost everyone is still asleep, what's going on?"
"...It would be better to have you see it directly rather than explain. I apologize, but please come with me."
Ragdo muttered this while directing a serious gaze at Rei—one completely devoid of any deception—and Rei understood that Ragdo's words were not falsehoods.
"Got it."
Without any unnecessary back-and-forth, he immediately nodded in agreement.
Fortunately for Rei, all of his belongings were stored in the Misty Ring.
There was no need to go back to his room to retrieve anything, so he left the house together with Ragdo right then.
"What about Marina?"
"Of course she's needed. That's why I'm heading there now."
"Hm? Then you've got the wrong direction."
Ragdo was heading toward Optis's house.
Noticing this, Rei spoke up, and Ragdo turned a puzzled look toward him.
"What do you mean?"
"Marina is this way."
Rei headed toward the house that Elena and the others were borrowing.
The day before yesterday, Marina had slept at her own home—the house where Optis lived—but yesterday was different.
Since they had been partying late into the night, she had decided to stay over at the house Elena and the others were borrowing.
There had also been talk among the women—things had gotten quite lively discussing various topics about Rei, though Rei himself was unaware of this.
Even so, Rei knew that Marina had stayed at the house Elena and the others were borrowing, so he led Ragdo in that direction.
Though Ragdo muttered some complaints under his breath, he understood that wasting time here was pointless.
He obediently followed Rei toward the house Elena and the others were borrowing.
Since this was an emergency, naturally they weren't walking—both Rei and Ragdo ran to get there.
What surprised Rei during that run was how unexpectedly fast Ragdo was.
Given Ragdo's appearance, which could be described as that of a refined young man, Rei had completely assumed he was poor at physical activity...
Rei had thought that, but immediately denied the notion within his own mind.
He was a Dark Elf to begin with, so there was no reason he would be bad at moving his body.
Of course, not all Dark Elves were good at physical activity.
Since there were aptitudes for everything, there would naturally be Dark Elves who were poor at physical movement as well.
Even so, the reason Rei thought Ragdo might be good at physical activity was simply because he worked under Optis.
It was a reason that wasn't really a reason, and yet once you knew the person that was Optis, it was strangely convincing.
Arriving at the house Elena and the others were borrowing, which had come into view, Ragdo pounded on the door without a second thought.
It was an act that should be described as pounding rather than knocking.
Fortunately, there were no other houses around the one Elena had borrowed, but if there had been, it would have been a nuisance to the neighbors.
A knock... no, it's not even pounding, it's more like punching.
The sound echoing through the area must have been audible inside the house as well. Rei could sense sounds and signs of movement from within.
The reason they didn't come outside immediately was likely because they knew Rei was the one out there.
If it had been Ragdo alone, that would be one thing, but they had no desire to show the person they held affection for their appearance just after waking—let alone their appearance the day after a party. As women, that was only natural.
Several tens of seconds after the sound of Ragdo punching the door stopped.
Ragdo, growing increasingly irritated, raised his fist again—the same fist that had turned red from his earlier actions—and Rei stopped him.
"What are you doing?! Right now we need to get Marina-sama here as quickly as—"
"Calm down."
"Nn."
Along with Rei's words, a small murmur reached them, and Ragdo stopped moving for a moment.
Turning his gaze toward the source of the voice, he found a girl who looked about ten years old.
Naturally, Ragdo recognized the girl as well.
She was the girl who had been among Rei's party.
With Elena, Vihera, and Marina—three women boasting striking beauty—it had been easy to overlook her, but there was no way he would have missed someone who was part of their group.
Now that I think about it, there was also another woman carrying a battle axe.
While he was thinking, the conversation between Rei and Byune continued... though whether it could be called a conversation was debatable.
"Marina stayed here last night, right?"
"Nn."
"Then, sorry, but could you go get Marina? Ragdo says there's some kind of serious situation."
"Nn."
Nodding, Byune went back inside the house.
After seeing her off, Rei turned his gaze back to Ragdo and spoke.
"So, what exactly is going on that has you in such a rush? We've got time until Marina comes out, so why don't you fill me in on the details while we wait?"
"...You're right. I would have preferred to explain everything at once, but... I suppose that would be better."
Ragdo must have realized from Rei's words that continuing like this would only waste time meaninglessly.
He weighed the effort of explaining things twice against explaining the situation to Rei first, and ultimately chose the latter.
"Actually, I went to see the World Tree this morning... and at that time, the World Tree that you... no, that Lord Rei had poured mana into yesterday and should have recovered its vitality... was clearly weakened."
"...What?"
That was an unexpected development for Rei as well.
By pouring in his mana, the World Tree should have replenished its mana deficiency and recovered.
After all, it had emitted an intense light once the mana infusion was complete.
A blinding luminescence, as if demonstrating through its very attitude that it was full of vitality.
That was precisely why the Dark Elves, and Rei's group as well, had judged the World Tree's treatment to be complete, and had concluded that the abnormalities in the forest would gradually diminish over time, even if it took a while...
"The World Tree weakening means... does that mean the disease wasn't actually cured yet?"
To Rei's natural question, Ragdo made a difficult face and was at a loss for words.
Even from Ragdo's perspective, the dazzling brilliance the World Tree had emitted yesterday was something that suggested a full recovery.
And in fact, as far as yesterday was concerned, the World Tree was in a state that could only be described as having made a complete recovery.
Yet for some reason, when Ragdo went to the World Tree this morning, it was clearly weaker than yesterday.
Thinking about it that way, being told it hadn't actually recovered would actually be more convincing.
But... even so, looking at the World Tree yesterday, it was impossible to think it hadn't actually recovered.
And above all, he had heard Marina, who had a deep connection to the World Tree, state that it had recovered.
If it had been the Ragdo from when he first met Rei, he might have suspected that Marina had made up an excuse to protect Rei.
However, the current Ragdo had seen Rei's power up close and understood it as thoroughly as possible.
Even so, the fact that the World Tree he had seen this morning was clearly weakened was an undeniable truth... and the contradiction within himself was what made Ragdo hesitate to nod in response to Rei's question.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Ragdo finally shook his head.
"No, honestly, looking at the World Tree yesterday, it didn't look at all like the disease hadn't been cured. ...That's exactly why this is abnormal."
"That's what he says. Do you have any idea about this?"
Rei, who had been talking with Ragdo, turned his gaze toward the figure that had appeared from behind Byune at the door.
It was Marina, standing there with a stern expression.
It wasn't exactly early morning, but it was still a time when most of the settlement's residents from last night's party hadn't woken up yet.
Despite it being such an hour, Marina was wearing a different party dress from yesterday.
She had worn a party dress—different in color and shape, but still a party dress—when they headed into the forest to investigate, so whether it was early morning or the middle of a forest, a party dress apparently felt natural to Marina.
Marina hadn't heard all of Ragdo's explanation.
Even so, just from hearing the latter part, she was able to understand the general situation.
In response to Rei's question, Marina shook her head.
"No, I have no idea whatsoever. At the very least, when I poured mana into the World Tree together with Rei yesterday, the disease was undoubtedly completely cured and it had regained its strength."
"Then did something happen between when we finished pouring in the mana and this morning? Did anyone suspicious approach the World Tree?"
"Impossible!"
Ragdo immediately denied Rei's words.
This wasn't out of consideration for his comrades. It was simply because the Dark Elves had been holding a celebration party all night long at a position where they could see the World Tree.
If anyone had approached, they would have definitely noticed—or so he asserted.
"Which means, the possibility is the short window of time between when the party ended and when Ragdo went to the World Tree. ...Anyway, it seems Marina is ready, so shall we go check on the World Tree?"
"Rei, let us come along too."
Elena and Vihera each announced as they appeared.
Both were already fully prepared—Elena had Mirage in its sheath, and Vihera had her hand and foot armor equipped.
Judging that even the time spent on questions was precious, and above all considering the combat power of these two, they wouldn't be a hindrance, Rei noticed someone who wasn't present.
"What about Ara?"
"It seems she drank too much."
From Elena's words accompanied by a wry smile, he understood that Ara was still asleep.
"Got it. Let's go, then."
With those words, Rei and the others began running. Byune saw them off with an unchanged expression, waving her hand... then gave a small yawn and went back inside the house.