In the void.
The World Tree had transformed into a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old girl, one-eyed and thin-lipped, resting her chin in her hands as she gazed into the distance with eyes full of longing.
The Second-generation Wizard King sat beside her and asked in a low voice, "What are you thinking about?"
"You won't be the Second-generation Wizard King for many more days, and I, this World Tree, am nearing my end as well. Sigh, if there is another life, I truly hope I can become a carefree little animal, chasing butterflies without any destination, gently breathing in the fragrance of flowers and grass in the fields, unrestrained and unfettered. Even if hunted by predators, all I would need to do is run for my life with all my strength."
Tilting her head, the World Tree murmured, "Is a wish like that too much?"
The Second-generation Wizard King gave a derisive laugh and shook his head.
"Everyone has their mission. I still remember when I was young. Back then, the Wizard World was not yet called the Wizard World, and wizards were still in their ignorant, newly awakened stage. Humanity was simply too weak and helpless. After the Ancestor of Humanity, humans grew weaker and weaker under the influence of the barbarian bloodline remaining within them, yet their wisdom of self-awareness grew stronger and stronger. In that age when everyone sought learning, enlightenment, and understanding, I was merely one among them."
The Second-generation Wizard King spoke as though sharing his own story with an old friend.
"At that time, everyone, myself included, had only one thought: to become stronger. When the struggle for supremacy against the seafolk began, every wizard thought of only one thing—were we about to be exterminated? Heh heh, I even prayed then that as long as