WOSE Chapter 14

"The carriage got farther away in the chaos, and the Savior jumped down from there—my heart really sank."

"..."

"But I'm glad you weren't hurt."

She displayed worry and relief, but chewed over, the words subtly accused her of ignoring Kelgrida's words to drive the carriage the opposite way, and throwing her body down first.

Rebelliousness stirred, but there was no need to attract more suspicion or wariness than necessary yet. Iyu played along appropriately.

"I never imagined experiencing something like that from my first journey. I was so scared I barely remember it."

When she unnecessarily hugged her arms and made a tearful face, Kelgrida, who'd been examining Iyu for a while as if gauging her true feelings, laughed heartily.

"When we reach the village, I'll reinforce it to be sturdier and safer."

She boasted that with her equipment and materials in the village, in today's situation they wouldn't even know what was happening, let alone feel threatened.

The reinforced carriage did become safer and more comfortable than now. Well, it was a result of preparing for the Savior's body to become increasingly uncomfortable as the pilgrimage progressed.

While Iyu renewed her disillusionment, Kelgrida, having fully regained her original attitude, suddenly held something out.

"Oh, this. It's a lamp that can repel insects. I didn't have proper tools so I couldn't make it properly, but use it if you'd like. Since the day was exhausting, I hoped at least the night would be peaceful."

What she offered was a rectangular box with a short stick attached. Inside were a candle, candleholder, and several nets woven with plants fixed in place, emitting a strange plant smell.

"Ah... thank you."

"It's nothing. Well, sleep well."

Kelgrida, who'd kindly bid her goodnight, finally left.

Iyu watched the departing figure expressionlessly, then only climbed into the carriage much later.

Tamia had already made two decent pillows.

[All ready for bed!]

"Impressive."

Iyu patted the child's head once, then shoved the lamp she was holding into a corner of the carriage.

And when outside became quiet too, she lay down on the bedding.

Iyu curled her body into a ball and quietly watched Tamia, who'd long since fallen asleep.

The sleeping child's regular breathing changed even her breath to a comfortable rhythm. Yet why couldn't she fall asleep?

Iyu slowly traced her senses, heightened further in the dim space.

The night sky visible through the narrow space between curtains and the insect sounds ringing in her ears were no different from her world.

Tracing old longing, she finally quietly rose and came outside the carriage.

She'd intended to stargaze since sleep wouldn't come anyway. However, she made direct eye contact with a man guarding near the bonfire.

The Hundredth White Branch was quietly staring at her in the darkness.

For a moment she thought he might leave. Seeing how she'd forced him to accompany her despite knowing he was uncomfortable, it would be a natural result in a way.

However, the man didn't move like a stone statue. He just slowly blinked his amber eyes, looking at her as she looked at him.

Finding neither discomfort nor hostility on his face, Iyu finally opened her mouth.

"I can't sleep. May I come closer?"

Instead of answering, he nodded. His silky hair slid smoothly then found its place.

Ignoring the inexplicable urge to reach out and touch, she sat at a distance where one person could fit.

Having removed his armor, he wore the black priest's robe she'd seen before. The clothes without a single wrinkle and buttons fastened up to the collar, even to the sleeve ends, gave an almost obsessive feeling.

The accompanying priests could maintain neatness since they didn't do what the knights did, but what exactly was this man's identity?

She didn't know much, but one thing was certain—he was a being who couldn't feel physical discomfort.

She looked away from his attire that made even the viewer feel stifled and tilted her head back.

Her original purpose was embroidered across the sky—picture-like. Iyu wandered searching for constellations she didn't even know well, then arrived at a fundamental question.

Was this world another planet within the same galaxy as Earth? Were at least those stars no different from what she observed in her world?

Whenever she saw the familiar night sky, she always had such thoughts.

Even before knowing the brutal truth, she couldn't shake off such fantasies—perhaps she'd been sensing it unconsciously.

Her position as a stranger still.

The stranger who smiled bitterly glanced again at the being loved by this world's gods.

The man submerged in silence didn't seem particularly comfortable. If anything, he was on the uncomfortable side.

But since she wasn't clinging to him because she liked him either, she spoke without much guilt.

"Thank you for accompanying me. Thanks to you, I wasn't hurt today."

"Not at all."

He answered quietly while poking the firewood with a poker.

"Hundredth White Branch..."

She wanted to ask why he'd changed his mind and decided to accompany her, but suddenly closed her mouth.

It was a belated complaint, but the celestials' titles were unnecessarily too long.

So Iyu changed her question.

"Don't you have another name? Something shorter and simpler?"

"The divine race doesn't have separate names."

It was something she knew to some extent from lessons. The divine race had few individuals anyway, and they proudly regarded themselves not as independent entities but as parts of the World Tree. That's why they didn't need names.

While interacting with other races, they'd settled on their birth order as titles for distinction, but wasn't it too bleak, setting aside how hard they were to say?

Their names even contained their rank.

'The lower the number of the branch or root they were born from, and in the order of branch, fruit, leaf, the more important role they assume.'

Freya, born not from a branch but from a fruit, could become leader precisely because she originated from the first branch—the Leaf of the Four Hundred Fifth Branch had explained during a lesson sometime.

Adding that given the World Tree's nature of having thousands of branches, that number was a fairly high rank.

'Especially those born directly from branches are extremely rare.'

This man, symbolic hundredth and even branch-born, had been marked as the next leader from birth.

Would he have been a prince if the celestials had formed a nation? Imagining him wearing a crown and glittering clothes, laughter burst out. Shaking off the image that suited him terribly, Iyu returned to the conversation.

"But the Red Fruit of the First Branch is called Freya."

"She's mingled with various races for a very long time."

Even celestials who didn't feel the importance of names would have found necessity.

Meaning—if the caller felt the need, couldn't she give him a name?

"Then may I give you one? I think I'll be calling you often from now on."

"..."

Iyu briefly recalled the day's events. Sorry to say, his title was extremely cumbersome to call in urgent situations.

Of course, even while making the proposal, Iyu was skeptical. She didn't even expect this mysterious stone-like man to accept such an intensely personal suggestion.

However, cold rejection didn't come. The man lowered his head slightly, fixed his gaze on the ground for a while, then nodded slightly.

"Huh, really okay?"

Iyu asked bewilderedly.

He looked at her without moving an eyebrow. As if asking why she reacted that way when she'd made the proposal herself.

"I thought... a name given by someone you dislike—no, find uncomfortable—would be a bit unpleasant."

"...I don't dislike you."

"Mm..."

'Yet you look ready to die of discomfort whenever you see me.'

Iyu swallowed the words and fidgeted with her toes needlessly.

"It's not a lie."

Iyu lifted her head slightly. Unusually, while his expression showed cracks, only his bright yellow eyes insisted on innocence without the slightest waver.

Though she'd experienced too much to readily believe it.

"Well, let's say so."

She answered perfunctorily, then soon came up with one suitable name.

"Your name... Odynne, how's that?"

A name taken from the supreme god who penetrated the order and fate of the world in mythology she'd read once.

Quite an appropriate name for a man remarkable in many ways, wasn't it?

"Odynne..."

The man's lips, which had been quietly murmuring the short two syllables, curved faintly, barely visible.

"...It's good."

Too minimal a change to even call a smile. Iyu, startled, opened her eyes wide, then smiled gently.

Then, a life form emitting light like a firefly came fluttering.

Following that movement, exactly like a star descending, with her eyes, she arrived at the oasis where moonlight shattered down and the rustling palm leaves.

In the beautiful stillness, Iyu, feeling more comfortable, gathered her knees with both arms. Propping her chin on them, she suddenly called the man who blended remarkably well with the scenery.

"Odynne."

"Yes."

"There's something I've really been curious about—may I ask?"