The Nymph Wants to be Plundered - Chapter 45
“I have to go do what Ruba asked, so I’ll keep it short. I’m… a nymph of a small sapling.”
Nike’s eyes sparkled. She had already caught the scent of jasmine leaves from this adorable kin, but she wanted to hear the little lips wriggle through the introduction herself. So Nike played innocent.
“Ahem, ahem. My nose has been stuffy lately—can’t smell a thing. Could you tell me what kind of tree?”
…What was it called again? I only thought of it as a dying tree and was so desperate for it not to die that I never had the chance to calmly study it, so I didn’t even know its name. I’d heard it mentioned a few times, but it hadn’t stayed in my memory.
Truly, I had nothing to say and felt awkward and embarrassed. As Nike stared directly at me, I uncomfortably averted my gaze, and Ruba clicked her tongue and informed me.
「Orange jasmine.」
“It’s… orange jasmine, she says.”
“Oh! A small, pretty, and lovely tree. How wonderful. But where did you plant it? Hmm? Though perhaps not as much as His Majesty the great King, I too would like to pray for this tree to grow well as a new member of our kind. Would you please give me that opportunity?”
Fortunately, Nike didn’t tease her about not knowing her own tree, but instead tried to find out the tree’s whereabouts.
「This won’t do. I need to step in.」
Ruba, who had been visibly displeased at having her path blocked, stepped forward and sharply shook her head. Instantly, Nike’s body, which had been talking non-stop, was lifted like a paper doll and sent flying backward. All that remained in the spot where Nike had stood was a fierce wind that rushed in belatedly.
Evelyn covered her mouth in shock.
“Ah…!”
「That one will be fine, Evelyn. Worry about yourself. Let’s go.」
“B-but…”
「If something were wrong with Nike, the other elves would have tended to her. Look, does anyone even care? Nike is practically invincible as long as Jupiter exists.」
Ruba’s assertion was correct. The nearby elf guards who witnessed Nike flying away right before their eyes didn’t even raise an eyebrow, maintaining indifferent expressions. Even so, leaving like this troubled Evelyn’s conscience.
“Um, are you alright…eek, that hurts!!”
「Let’s go, move.」
As Evelyn hesitated, about to ask if Nike was okay, Ruba jabbed her rear end with a horn again. This time it went beyond tickling and was truly painful, causing Evelyn to panic and flee in haste.
Only afterward did Nike get up, dusting off her hands, without so much as a scratch on her skin, let alone any bleeding.
As the unicorn had said, Nike was a strong nymph who suffered no damage from something like this. That was the meaning of Jupiter’s prosperity being connected to a nymph’s life. It was protection at an almost eternal level.
She didn’t seem to feel any regret about being treated harshly, merely tilting her head as she watched the two of them disappear into the distance.
“Wow, how impressive. Being personally accompanied by His Majesty and receiving a unicorn’s protection as well—that’s quite extraordinary. Hmm, I should stop sitting around and gather some information.”
Smiling brightly as she left the scene, Nike soon heard a series of stories that made her eyes nearly pop out in surprise.
The birth of a nymph of human origin, still inexperienced.
Though uncertain, rumors circulated that even the Senate, for whatever reason, didn’t particularly welcome this development.
They say that as long as there was Nike, no other nymph was needed, which was why they hadn’t batted an eye even during the extinction of the nymphs. Countless elves wore reluctant expressions at the decision that this nymph was so fragile that His Majesty the King needed to personally care for her.
After hearing one negative opinion after another, Nike reversed the questioning. Though Evelyn was supposedly the nymph of some tree, no one could answer what type of tree it was or where it was located.
In truth, they probably didn’t care at all. Everyone seemed to avoid even accidentally encountering Evelyn.
‘Hmm… Is it really so objectionable that she was human before becoming a nymph? Being an elf myself, I don’t quite understand. A nymph is a nymph, what does origin matter?’
After hearing numerous complaints from disgruntled elves, Nike’s impression was unsurprising—true to their reputation for resistance to change, the elves valued only traditional principles.
While this created a sense of dissonance, it also sparked a hopeful excitement within Nike. She had her suspicions.
Hadn’t Cassis and Evelyn emerged together from the sacred grounds—a place Nike herself had never set foot in since birth? Moreover, she had witnessed them engaged in rather intimate contact. The atmosphere between them had been as warm and pleasant as spring flowers in bloom.
‘If my thoughts are correct, it means Evelyn’s tree is being protected in none other than the sacred grounds.’
Jupiter’s sacred grounds differed significantly from those of other nations. While traditional sacred grounds were temples touched by divine traces and blessings, Jupiter was different. As the World Tree’s influence grew, the original sacred grounds were reorganized into the Pantheon, and new grounds were established to serve the World Tree.
Even with this slight change in character, not just any tree could enter the sacred grounds. Though Cassis was the king, he must have obtained not only the World Tree’s consent but also the Senate’s approval. This ultimately suggested… that Cassis’s determination to care for that seemingly fragile nymph was considerable, did it not?
