For now, we're gonna run for safety. Any minute this thing could crash.

　Carrying the disempowered noir lightly, Garnett moved with a single leap to an area where the foothold wasn't tilted.

　Near the doorway of the open-air hall, a safe zone where the damage and cracks hadn't reached.

　There, an unrestrained Bran slumped powerlessly into the ground, shoved down on his back with no sign of escape or even an attempt at resistance.

　Immediately beside Bran, Edward and the other man were keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings and Bran's movements.

　This brown-skinned man was completely unfamiliar to them.

　It's a face I've never seen before among the adventurers, let alone the other knights.

''Is it this guy?　It's Chandler, the knight who was sent to add to the list.
Nice to meet you, wizard girl. It's not much older than you. The new head of the group is a beautiful woman: ......
You don't have to deal with it. It's a complicated situation, so we'll have to deal with it later, okay?

　Garnett gave a very brief explanation about the mysterious man, and without waiting for Noir's response, he turned the point of pursuit to Bran.

　Even from Noir's point of view, Garnett's air right now is different from the usual.

　It's not because he's acting like a knight, but as if he's facing something more fundamental and essential, something that can never be compromised - such seriousness and earnestness can be felt.

　If we were facing each other as enemies instead of friends, one look at me and my heart would have stopped beating.

Now, you can see why we didn't let you die. I don't know about Noir, but we acted as knights under orders.
...... You don't have veto power anyway. What do you want to hear?
The first thing is the purpose of the attack. What do you guys ...... want from Agart Ram?

　Crouched down in a rude outfit with his knees open, Garnett looks into Bran's face with a look of contemplation.

　His day job is a silver-winged knight tasked with maintaining security.
　He must be used to interrogation in these cases.

''The assassination of Administrator Fraxinus. That's what he said, as I recall.''
'Then why are you destroying the town? It's too chaotic to be a diversion. I can only assume the goal is to destroy it.
That's right. The people out there are out there for the very purpose of destroying the town...... Don't look so scared. I'll explain it to you.

　Bran had slightly regained his former light tone, but showed a willingness to respond obediently to his interrogation.

　He was probably relieved from the bottom of his heart to understand that his life would not be taken away immediately if he was captured by the people on the ground - his twin sister, Noir, sensed that.

"The floating islands that make up Asropolis, you see, are said to be a substitute for Fraxinus, the dryad, who turned his body into a tree and then expanded it even more.
...... what?

　Not only Garnett, but everyone in this place, except Bran, could not suppress their surprise.

　In other words, the administrator Fraxinus had not lost his body and let his soul dwell in the walls of the Great Capitol, but there was just something there that could be called the 'core' of his body, which had been transformed into a tree and then into a giant.

　Noir almost got dizzy from the sheer scale of the event, but as expected, Garnett kept his composure and tried to draw more information out of Bran.

'So you're saying that we've been running around on Fraxinus's body the whole time?
I suppose that's the way it goes.

　After preambleing that this was only what Algernon had said, Bran went on to explain in more detail.

The island is Flaxinus itself in every corner. The trees growing everywhere are derivatives of the body. It is not possible to perceive the inside of buildings, but the damaged areas can be restored with the magic and regeneration power of Fraxinus: ......
'On the flip side, the more you destroy a town, the more you can reduce the power of Fraxinus: ...... Okay, so that's how it works!

　The destruction of the city by automatic puppets was not only a diversion to disperse the forces of Asropolis.

　The massive act of destruction itself had become a milestone in the assassination of the administrator, Fraxinus.

　Considering that, the closing of this hierarchy to darkness by the demonic beast Skol may have also led to the weakening of the tree man (dryad), Fraxinus.

　Conveniently so by accident ...... or even the appearance of the demonic beast Skol is their--.

"I can't do this!　If the administrators are the real target, then the Great Capitol is the real deal!　Chandler, take care of these guys!　I'll be at the Capitol ......
'It's no use, it's too late for that. I'm sure the explosion earlier must have been a defining moment.

　Just as Garnett was about to stand up vigorously, Bran let out a laugh filled with resignation.

　It was not a mockery of Garnett by any means, but rather an expression of the thought that he knew the despair that he could no longer do anything but laugh.

'Sis ...... you remember the doll you left me with, don't you?　Algernon told me that the thing is called Hadary, and it's one of the cadre of automatons ...... of Agart Ram. Now that she's moved, we're on our way to ......
Wow!　That's convenient!

　Agart Ram's officers. The moment he heard that word, Garnett smiled a ferocious, toothy smile.

　Hostility, malice, and harm - an outpouring of emotions mixed with all the wills associated with hatred and anger.

　Bran, who didn't know any of the circumstances, was simply puzzled by the reaction Garnett showed him.

'Why, why!　There's no point in risking your life for nothing: ......!
I have something. And now it's too late?　Don't tell me you've forgotten who our general is.

　--Suddenly the quality of Garnet's smile changes.

　From a ferocious smile that is congealed with negative emotions, to a fearless smile filled with positive emotions.

　In the next moment, a tremendous flow of magical power runs through the entire great tree.

　Half of the open-air hall that was on the verge of collapsing moves noisily, and by itself, the slope of the scaffolding returns to its original position and the cracks are closed.

　Furthermore, even the cave in in the tree trunks caused by Noir's blast extinguishing had lost its traces and regained its original bark before you could even see it.

'Wha...... what the hell is this!　What's going on!
'This is Luke's ...... [restoration] skill ......!
"Don't let them do what they want. We can't just let them do whatever they want!

　Then Garnett left the defense of the place to Chandler and ran into the great tree at full speed.