The girl who had emerged from the grown World Tree introduced herself as Nebula, her face lit with a bright smile. Relieved that she seemed friendly for the time being, I offered a response.
"I’m Kaito Miyama. It’s nice to meet you... um, Nebula-san?"
"Nebula! Just call me that, Master! There’s no need for formal speech, either!"
"Um... well then, it’s nice to meet you, Nebula. So, I take it you’re... a spirit?"
"Yes! I am the Spirit of the World Tree that belongs to you, Master!"
At a glance, she had a cool, mysterious air about her, but Nebula seemed to possess a vibrant personality. Combined with her small, meter-tall frame, she came across as quite cute.
She likely called me "Master" because I was the one who owned the World Tree. It seemed she really was its spirit... though I had no idea how one had taken up residence in it. Lilliwood-san had specifically treated the tree to prevent spirits from dwelling there.
While talking with Nebula, I sent a Hummingbird to Lilliwood-san. I knew she was likely busy, so I just wanted her to check the situation whenever she had a moment.
However, the matter apparently qualified as a major emergency. In less than a minute, a Hummingbird returned with a message: "I will adjust my schedule and arrive within ten minutes."
As she watched Kaito exchange messages with Lilliwood, Nebula’s mind was racing.
(It is unthinkable for a mere inferior creature to stand above me, an Absolute One. Do not get ahead of yourself... No, wait... If I were to ask if Master—no, if this inferior creature is at fault, I cannot truly say he is. Shallow Vernal is the one to blame. Looking at it that way, he is a victim of that person just like I am. If that is the case, directing my resentment toward this inferior creature would be beneath me as an Absolute One.)
Cooling her temper, which had nearly reached a boiling point at the thought of serving a human, Nebula continued her internal rationalization.
(...Yes, I simply need to shift my perspective. Master—no, this human—is essentially the very first servant I have acquired since my resurrection. Hmph. In that case, I must treat him with importance. Indeed, if I view it through that lens, I can forgive a few minor discourtesies.)
It was an arrogant line of reasoning in its own right, but having reached a conclusion that satisfied her, she gradually regained her composure.
Right on cue, Lilliwood arrived. She looked back and forth between the transformed World Tree and Nebula.
"I see... she certainly appears to be a spirit. Moreover, she seems to possess an extraordinary amount of hidden power. As for the tree, although it has changed, it is indeed still a World Tree. I do not know why this has happened, but the birth of a new spirit is always a joyous occasion."
(...This...! How dare someone with power that fails to even reach the Quasi-Almighty Class speak down to me! Even if my rank has been lowered, if I felt like it, I could—in an instant—No, wait.)
Nebula’s pride flared for a moment as the King of the Spirit Race welcomed her with a gentle smile, but she caught herself mid-thought and corrected her trajectory.
(This woman is an acquaintance of Master—of my servant. That means if I were to punish her, it would cause trouble for my servant... That won't do! It is perfectly fine for 'the servant to cause trouble for me.' Since he is my inferior, such a thing is inevitable. Tolerating that is simply the breadth of character required of an Absolute One... But for 'me to cause trouble for my servant' is something that must never happen. Such an act would be an utter disgrace!)
Having organized her thoughts at lightning speed, Nebula addressed Lilliwood with a polite smile.
"I am Nebula. It is a pleasure to meet you, Lilliwood-sama!"
"The pleasure is mine. If you ever find yourself in trouble, please do not hesitate to reach out."
"Thank you very much!"
Since her internal monologue occurred in the blink of an eye, to any observer, it looked like a perfectly amicable introduction—regardless of what was actually going on inside Nebula’s head.
Shortly after Lilliwood, Kuromueina arrived, having also been contacted by Kaito. She had experience growing the World Tree that served as Lilliwood’s main body in the past, but even for her, this situation was far too bizarre to fully comprehend.
After a brief introduction, she stared at Nebula with curiosity.
"Hmm, I wonder if it’s some kind of mutation? Even so... I get the feeling Nebula-chan is hiding incredible potential. Once she grows up, she might have power rivaling the Six Kings."
(...What is wrong with this person? Her power is absurdly unbalanced. She is roughly at the Quasi-Almighty Class, yet her authorities are all destruction-specialized... Is she some kind of God of Destruction? At this rate, her balance is so poor she will likely never reach the Almighty Class, no matter how much she grows... Hmph. Since she is an acquaintance of Master—of my servant—she falls under my protection, in a broad sense. Perhaps I shall grant her a few creation-type authorities. If I do that, she should be able to reach the Almighty Class once she matures.)
Following several investigations, they reached the consensus that Nebula was a new species of spirit born from a mutation. She was undoubtedly a spirit, and because she appeared friendly toward Kaito and his associates, she was judged to be essentially harmless.
Alice, being naturally more suspicious than the others, still seemed on guard, but even she eventually concluded there was no immediate threat to Kaito. By the time the group dispersed, her vigilance had relaxed significantly.
Serious-senpai: "She looks like she's hurling insults in her head... but then she keeps trying to call Kaito 'Master,' so there’s no doubt she’s friendly... I really have to wonder what kind of tricks that Natural God pulled on her..."