Chapter 13- How to Seduce a Tree

Standing at the base of his destination Cael felt a strange mixture of awe and disappointment.

『Y’know for something as dramatically named as the Elder Wood I kinda thought it would be bigger.』

Certainly the tree was grand in appearance with it's metallic lustre none too dissimilar to the Emperor's throne but looking at it in person he couldn't help but feel as though he got his hopes excessively raised. Overall the Elder Wood was as tall as a four storey apartment and combined with its imposing girth could indeed be considered a decent size as far as most trees on Earth are concerned.

However when thinking about the forests of trees that reached 80 metres in a certain anime he used to watch about a transforming edge-lord who flew around using steam he couldn’t help but compare them and find it somewhat lacking.

『I understand what you mean and it’s not like there aren’t taller trees on Pleiades like the World Tree in Eldenbloom where lady Dryad lives. The thing is though is that this is the oldest tree in all the realms and according to legend it was planted by humans of the Dark Epoch several billions of years ago.』

At that Cael froze with his mouth slightly ajar and he looked back at the tree once more with a newfound wonder that he doubted would be extinguished even if he saw the previously mentioned World Tree Selene spoke of. Before him stood an organism that’s personal history far exceeded the entire history of most life on Earth combined, if it were seen there it would probably be considered the greatest world heritage site on the planet.

『Is-is it really okay to take some fruit from this? I can’t help but feel like it would be extremely disrespectful.』

Before Selene could respond an unseen woman answered in her stead.

『It’s good that you know your place. If you had just tried to take one I would have turned you into a smear on the floor faster than you can blink.』

Cael looked around but couldn’t find the source of the voice but this did not surprise him as ever since he met Aria he had long since accepted that his previous knowledge counts for almost nothing in this world. Instead he turned to the native of the group for answers, it was at least better than looking back and forth like some kind of bumpkin seeing a magic trick for the first time.

When he faced to Selene he saw her bowing towards the tree like it was the one who spoke and considering how old the damn thing was for all Cael knew it could be.

『Hello granny Ciara I have come for a visit and at the orders of father.』

『Yes I heard about the latest hero summoning. I've roots everywhere so nothing gets by me and I always have been a bit of a sucker for gossip.』

Seeing he was not a aforementioned smear on the ground Cael decided to try his luck and talk to the thing so as to hopefully get some answers.

『Greetings miss Ciara? And might I add that is a lovely name very matching of the nice colour of your … bark?』

Behind him Cael heard Selene snort in a very unladylike manner somewhat unbefitting of a princess. Alas words spoken are like spilled water and so he just decided to roll with it.

『Such a charmer, I would be careful with this one little Selene who knows when he might try to pounce on you.』

『Granny! That’s so improper!』

『Don’t be such a prude little Selene, perhaps your just nervous because you’ve never seduced a man before let Granny show you how it’s done.』

Looking back Cael noticed Selene covering her face with both hands using all her effort but despite that the redness of her ears could still be seen poking out the sides. Honestly he found her embarrassment rather adorable and couldn’t resist chuckling a little, though hearing that caused her to groan and crouch down into a ball on the spot wishing she were anywhere else but there.

『I know she’s cute but don’t look at her, look at me. How about this; you wanted a trust fruit right? I’ll give you one if you manage to woo me.』

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

In Cael’s mind this could indeed be considered progress there was one slight hiccup though.

『I don’t mean to be rude miss Ciara but you’re a tree. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to "woo" you.』

At his words Ciara chuckled in a decidedly seductive? tone of voice while Selene behind him groaned again as if standing next to a relative doing something particularly embarrassing.

『Don’t worry little boy you were doing just fine before describing my bark, how about you compliment my leaves this time.』

『R-right complement your leaves, I can do that. Indeed miss Ciara your leaves are so very lush and full with a colour that nicely compliments your branches and trunk.』

『Oh my~ how forward of you, this is the most fun I’ve had in a long time. Please do go on I’m dying to hear more; it gets so lonely out here all by myself afterall.』

『Of course, with such healthy leaves it’s hard to restrain myself from wanting to give them a touch by holding them in my palm. They seem so soft and smooth afterall though I’m afraid I would become addicted if I try.』

『Okay, okay you win stop; you’re going to make this old lady blush. When did you figure it out I wonder?』

At her words Cael just tilted his head to the side not really understanding.

『Figure what out?』

『What? Seriously, are you saying you said all that without realising how it sounded?』

『…』

At his confused silence Ciara just burst out into laughter that tickled his ears. Before Cael could ask what was so funny, on the trunk of the Elder Wood the silhouette of a woman appeared before seemingly stretching out of the tree.

The shape eventually formed into a beautiful twenty-something onee-san with green hair so dark it almost seemed black. Her skin was a pale milky white that stood out especially so considering she was only wearing a few leaves and vines to somewhat cover her most private of places.

Standing in front of Cael the woman had a playful glint in her eyes and licked her lips in a slow and obvious manner that ended with a crisp sound that sent shivers down the length of his body.

『Didn’t you want to touch my leaves now’s your chance. I’m feeling generous if you want you can reach out and touch, all . you . want.』

As she said this she stretched her arms over her head like a cat that had been for a particularly long nap, this had the unfortunate or perhaps fortunate side effect of further emphasising her generous assets for all to see.

Despite all of Cael’s other qualities he was at the end of the day a teenage boy and hearing such a blatant provocation almost made his reason fly out the window. Luckily for him though Selene was there and upon noticing her gaze that was more worried than disgusted allowed him to see that something was wrong.

All of a sudden Cael had a hypothesis based off of his years of reading fantasy novels. His hypothesis was that if he gave up on his self-restraint and indulged in Ciara’s body he would most likely die of having his life-force or something to that effect stolen.

Seeing Cael hesitate for too long Ciara clicked her tongue in annoyance.

『Tsk, I was so close too. I haven’t been with a man since little Selene’s uncle, this big sis is thirsty cut me a break.』

『Um, miss Ciara while I have some guesses if you don’t mind me asking; what are you?』

Seeing how his gaze was practically shining Ciara rolled her eyes and gave in.

『This big sis is a nymph; a grand spirit of nature and a servant of the goddess of life Dryad. I was born when Dryad split off a small piece of herself, gave it a name and inserted it into the Elder Wood. Apart from giving me a mission to watch over the tree and act as her proxy in Eden I'm more or less left to my own devices these days.』

『A nymph huh wow~ ooh one more thing if I actually touched you what would have happened?』

Hearing that question Ciara licked her lips again in that special way she seemed so fond of that had since been forever branded into Cael’s mind.

『Hhm, why do you ask? Having second thoughts? Well it’s too late now I’m not in the mood anymore. To answer your question you would have died in ecstasy with your vitality being redirected to the tree and I would have used your seed to give birth to a child who would then assist me in caring for it.』

『You can have children?』

This time Ciara laughed in a motherly way as opposed to her usual seductive chime. She chuckled as if a toddler had just said something particularly amusing.

『Of course little boy, believe it or not that is actually one of the main purposes of grand spirits, to give birth to worshippers who care only for one god this is how the fae and kindred are born.』

(Fae and kindred huh, I wonder what the difference is?)

『Big sis here can tell your curious about baby making for one reason or another hehe. Though I’m not really bothered to go into too much detail if you and I had a child they would be born a silkie.』

『Then is a silkie a fae or kindred?』

『A kindred. Geez all these questions you know what I’ll just call Lily over, you can ask her yourself no guarantee you’ll get an answer though.』

Hearing this the one to react was not Cael but rather Selene.

『Oh, I have not spoken to cousin for a while I hopes she’s been well!』

『Cousin!?』

Blatantly ignoring Cael’s retort Ciara called out to her daughter. Not long after a teenage girl who appeared remarkably similar to Selene walked over.

Apart from seeming slightly younger in appearance the main differences were her expressionless face, slightly pointed ears, her hair being in a bun and the colour of it being a greenish silver as opposed to a greyish tone.

All that aside, the one thing Cael couldn’t hold himself back from commenting on was something else entirely though.

『Why is it a maid outfit!?』

『It’s my preference.』

Cael on this day came to a conclusion that he would later one day swear by. That conclusion being that the silkie he would thereon know as Lily from the moment of her birth most likely lacked the ability to speak a sentence unworthy of retort.