When Makoto placed his hand over his chest and made a pulling motion, a small spherical object emerged from his chest, emitting a mysterious light. Tomoe and Mio were startled by the aura radiating from it.
"What is that, Waka-sama?" Mio asked.
"I can feel that this object is something very special," Tomoe said as she observed it closely.
"This is a seed of Yggdrasil—the World Tree," Makoto said while holding the seed. "Before that, there is a secret I want to tell you both," he continued with a serious gaze.
Tomoe and Mio looked at each other, then nodded.
"I have memories of a previous life. My name in that life was also Makoto. One day, while I was on my way home, my vision suddenly went dark and my entire body was wracked with pain. After that, I lost consciousness—or perhaps I died at that moment. When I turned sixteen, I remembered my past life and sensed that there was a mysterious object within my soul."
Makoto looked at Tomoe and Mio as he continued.
"I believe it was this seed that carried my soul as a transmigrator to a different world—one that was still a modern world, yet different from my previous one."
"Before arriving in this world, the seed only emitted a very faint light, as if it were about to die. It could use only one ability: instinctive camouflage, to protect itself from being detected—even by gods or goddesses. After arriving here, it began absorbing the magical energy in the air, but the process was extremely slow… until the moment I began archery training," Makoto said, glancing at the seed.
"When I released my first arrow, I felt a fluctuation from this seed. But at the time, you were both there, so I focused on my training. Only after you left did I examine the changes. The faint, dying light had become brilliant and powerful. As I investigated it with my consciousness, I unknowingly formed a soul bond with the seed."
Makoto paused briefly.
"This bond is similar to the contract I share with you—but far stronger. It binds my soul directly to this seed."
"Although I don't know all of its abilities, I am aware of at least three. The first is camouflage. The second is the ability to store magical energy. And the third… is the ability to travel to another world."
At the mention of the third ability, Tomoe and Mio unconsciously clenched their fists.
"Waka-sama… are you going to leave us?" Mio asked, tears welling in her eyes. Tomoe remained silent, her expression deeply sorrowful.
Seeing their reactions, Makoto flicked both of their foreheads.
"What are you thinking?" Makoto said, shaking his head as Tomoe and Mio held their foreheads in pain.
"Listen to me until the end. While the seed can send me to another world, it can only send me away—I wouldn't be able to return. How could I ever leave you behind and go to another world alone?" Makoto said with a gentle smile.
"I didn't call you here because I plan to leave. I called you to discuss where we should plant the seed of the World Tree," Makoto continued.
"Is there any special requirement before planting it?" Tomoe asked thoughtfully.
"As far as I know, there are no special conditions," Makoto replied. "Do you remember when I asked about dimensional energy earlier today?" he asked, looking at Tomoe. "The World Tree seed only needs sufficient magical energy and dimensional energy before it can be planted."
"Then, Waka-sama, doesn't that mean we can plant it anywhere?" Mio said in surprise.
"Waka, how about planting it at the center of the sub-dimension?" Tomoe suggested after considering several locations. "I don't know how large the sub-dimension is now, but it keeps expanding every time you train with archery. Still, I believe you know where its center is."
"I was thinking the same thing," Makoto said. "But I didn't call you here only to discuss where to plant it. I also want to talk about what will happen after I do."
Makoto's expression turned serious.
"I feel that planting the World Tree seed will cause a major change in the sub-dimension. That's why I called you—to prepare yourselves and to inform the residents."
Looking toward the distant outline of the developing city, Makoto continued, "We need to warn everyone so they can be ready. Otherwise, there could be chaos and confusion when the changes occur."
"You're right, Waka-sama. If a major change happens, the residents would panic," Mio said.
"Then I'll gather everyone and inform them," Tomoe said, preparing to leave.
"Wait," Makoto said, grabbing the collar of Tomoe's clothes. "That doesn't mean I'll plant the seed right now," he added, shaking his head.
"You can tell Ema during dinner tonight about the upcoming changes, and gather everyone tomorrow at noon. That way, any urgent work can be finished beforehand."
"Mio, go back and prepare dinner. Tomoe and I will check the center of the sub-dimension and find a good place to plant the World Tree seed."
"Understood, Waka-sama! I'll make something delicious," Mio said cheerfully.
After Mio returned to their temporary residence, Makoto used Sakai to locate the center of the sub-dimension. After some time, he pinpointed it—though in truth, what he detected was the center of the landmass.
After countless archery sessions, the sub-dimension had expanded immensely. Using Sakai, Makoto roughly estimated that the combined land and sea covered around thirty million square kilometers—almost as large as Earth's moon.
For some reason, however, the sub-dimension no longer expanded beyond that point, no matter how much Makoto trained. It felt as though something was missing.
Using the Fog Gate, Makoto and Tomoe arrived at the center. Towering trees stretched toward the sky.
"What do you think, Tomoe?" Makoto asked, surveying the area.
"Waka, perhaps we should clear the surrounding area to make it more suitable," Tomoe replied.
"Alright. Let's do that."
After clearing several hundred square meters for the planting site, they returned to their temporary home to wait for dinner. Tomoe immediately went to watch historical dramas, while Makoto reflected on his own training.
Due to his immense magical energy, Makoto sometimes poured too much power into his spells, resulting in excessive destructive force. Several times, he nearly injured highland orcs or mistio lizards during training. Thankfully, by constantly using Sakai, he was able to redirect attacks at the last moment.
As night fell, dinner prepared by Mio was ready. At Makoto's request, Ema joined them.
"Waka-sama, is there something I can help with?" Ema asked after sitting down.
"Tomorrow, I'll be doing something that will cause major changes to the sub-dimension," Makoto said calmly while drinking tea. "I want you to inform everyone to gather and prepare, to avoid panic and confusion."
"Also, make sure all urgent tasks are completed in the morning. I don't know what kind of changes will occur."
"If I may ask… what exactly will you be doing, Waka-sama?" Ema asked.
"This isn't a major secret, but I'd like you to keep it confidential for now," Makoto replied.
"I will protect this secret with my life," Ema said solemnly.
"You don't need to be that serious—it's only temporary," Makoto said with a wry smile. "Tomorrow at noon, I'll be planting the World Tree seed."
"The World Tree seed?" Ema asked, even more confused.
"I don't know all the details myself, but I believe planting it will bring major changes to the sub-dimension," Makoto said seriously.
"Understood, Waka-sama. I'll contact the leaders of each race and begin preparations," Ema said, then excused herself.
The next day, the residents busied themselves, rushing to complete urgent tasks. Before anyone realized it, noon was approaching.
"Tomoe, Mio—you'll both stay with me and secure the area while I plant the World Tree seed," Makoto said.
"Yes, Waka-sama!" / "Understood, Waka!" they replied in unison.
"How are Ema's preparations?" Makoto asked.
"Everything is going smoothly. The residents have gathered and completed their final preparations," Tomoe replied.
"Then let's go," Makoto said, opening the Fog Gate and stepping through—followed closely by Tomoe and Mio.