There's No Way the Hot Girls Would Fall for an Ordinary 'Healer NPC' Like Me! ~About How I'm Just Treating the Beat-Up Heroines, But For Some Reason Their Reactions Are Getting Really Weird~ - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: The Mastermind

‘Don’t come…’

As I get closer to the girl, the voice inside my head keeps getting louder.

It’s not coming through my ears.

It feels like it’s pouring straight into the back of my mind.

“…!”

My chest feels tight.

What is this?

It’s like someone else’s feelings are flowing right into me.

‘No…’

‘I’m scared…’

‘It hurts so much now…’

The girl sits curled up at the base of the World Tree, hugging her knees.

She has long, pale green hair.

Skin so white it looks see-through.

On her back are semi-transparent wings like a butterfly.

Just by looks, she’s a really beautiful girl.

But—

Black vine-like things are wrapped around different parts of her body.

It’s like the World Tree itself is sick.

“…Fairy… sama…”

Elfina lets out a painful-sounding voice.

Her eyes are locked on the girl in front of us.

“The fairy is… the will of the World Tree itself… a guardian created by the World Tree…”

“Huh?”

“That means… if she gets hurt, the World Tree gets hurt too…”

So this kid is—

The World Tree itself.

I look at the girl again.

Then.

The girl slowly lifts her face.

In that moment, a shiver runs down my spine.

Beautiful jade-green eyes.

But deep inside them is pain that’s right at its limit.

‘…Why did you come?’

“Um… well…”

This is bad.

What am I supposed to say in a situation like this?

My social skills aren’t that great.

‘Everyone broke…’

At the same time as the girl’s voice, the whole World Tree pulses with a heavy thump.

The second the air shakes, a sharp pain shoots through my head.

“Gu…!?”

“Leon…!?”

Elfina rushes to support me.

But I’m not the only one suffering.

The girl herself is pressing on her chest and trembling.

‘It hurts…’

‘It hurts so much…’

‘That’s why… I took everyone back…’

“Took them back…?”

Then, a faint light floats up around the girl.

Inside it, I see—

Elves walking toward the World Tree with smiles on their faces.

And then.

The moment they touch the roots, they turn into light and get sucked in.

“…!”

Elfina gasps.

Kanaria’s face goes pale too.

‘If they’re inside me… they won’t hurt anymore…’

The girl mutters quietly.

Then the trunk of the World Tree glows faintly.

The next moment.

Countless lights appear inside the tree.

“…Those are…”

Inside are the figures of sleeping elves.

They don’t look like they’re in pain.

They’re sleeping peacefully, like they’re having gentle dreams.

“…They’re alive…!”

Elfina’s eyes fill with tears.

“…Thank goodness…”

Kanaria relaxes her shoulders in relief too.

The girl looks at us and mutters softly.

‘Because… if they stay outside, they’ll break…’

Her voice is incredibly weak.

It makes my chest ache.

This kid wasn’t going wild.

She was desperately protecting everyone while she herself was falling apart.

‘But… I can’t anymore…’

The black vines wrapped around the girl’s body spread even more.

At the same time, the whole World Tree pulses in a creepy way.

“…!”

The air gets heavier.

It feels like even breathing is being squeezed.

‘It hurts…’

The girl spills tears while pressing on her chest.

‘I can’t… hold it back anymore…’

Seeing her like that, I step forward without thinking.

“…What’s your name?”

‘Me…?’

“Yeah. If it’s okay, could you tell me?”

‘Nel… My name is Nel…’

“Nel, huh.”

I repeat the name.

Then the girl—Nel—widens her eyes a little.

Like it’s been a long time since anyone called her by name.

‘…Why ask for my name?’

“Well, um…”

What should I say?

The words aren’t coming out right.

But.

“Calling you Fairy-sama all the time feels kinda weird.”

‘…You’re weird.’

Nel gives a tiny laugh.

A really small one.

It looks so weak it might disappear any second.

But seeing that expression makes me feel a little relieved.

Nel hasn’t completely lost her mind.

“Nel… have you been here the whole time?”

‘…Yeah.’

Nel leans her back against the World Tree.

‘I’ve been watching everyone.’

‘When they laugh happily.’

‘When they cry.’

‘When they fall in love…’

Her voice is gentle.

It sounds just like a real mother.

“So the one who’s been protecting the elves is…”

‘Me.’

Nel nods slightly.

‘The World Tree is needed for everyone to live…’

In that moment, the black vines squirm.

“…!”

Nel’s body jerks.

‘Ah…!’

Nel presses on her chest in pain.

This is really bad.

If we leave her like this, she’ll actually break.

“Leon…”

Elfina looks at me with worry.

Kanaria stays alert and scans the area.

The branches rustle and the roots on the floor pulse.

It feels like the whole World Tree is screaming.

“Nel.”

I slowly walk closer to her.

‘…Don’t come.’

“It’s okay.”

‘No…’

Nel shakes her head.

‘If you get close… you’ll break…’

“Me?”

‘No…’

Nel looks down while crying.

‘I will…’

Right after she says that, the black vines spread even more.

Like they’re eating into her white skin.

‘I can’t hold it back anymore…’

“Is this some kind of curse?”

‘…I don’t know.’

Nel shakes her head weakly.

‘But… ever since that day, it’s been so painful…’

“That day?”

Nel’s body shakes hard.

Her jade-green eyes tremble with fear.

‘…It was scary.’

‘At first, he was kind.’

“…Who?”

Instead of answering, Nel slowly lifts her face.

In that moment.

A pitch-black light pulses deep inside the World Tree.

At the same time, images flow into my head.

Silver-white armor.

A golden sword.

A young man wrapped in dazzling light.

The second I see him, my heart almost stops.

I know that face.

No way I could forget.

Because that guy is—

‘He said he would save everyone…’

Big tears fall from Nel’s eyes.

‘He said if he used my power, he could save the world…’

The black light pulses deep in the World Tree.

‘But…’

Nel presses on her chest in pain.

‘That person… broke me…’

The air freezes.

Elfina and Kanaria both hold their breath.

I just stand there in shock.

The hero.

That guy is—

The protagonist of this game.