Although the capital of the Forest Princess was not nearly as vast as other human cities, their dwellings—tree hollows—were layered upon one another, rising toward the heavens like a towering skyscraper.
Each hollow was connected by bluish-green vines that intertwined with thick branches, forming countless aerial walkways. Along these beautiful, nature-filled paths, graceful Forestfolk could be seen walking to and fro.
When Eriri appeared in this world, she happened to be only a few hundred meters away—horizontally—from the tree hollow where the Elf Sister and the High Elf Archer lived. Since their residence was located in the most central part of the capital, few ordinary Forestfolk ever ventured there. Thus, while the High Elf Archer hurriedly brought Eriri to their home, they did not encounter anyone else along the way.
Otherwise, the three—Eriri, the Elf Sister, and the High Elf Archer—would never have been able to spend a quiet morning together inside the tree hollow.
After all, both sisters were princesses of the Forestfolk, and any stranger's visit would certainly have alerted the tribe's upper council.
...
Now that the three of them had begun exploring the interior of this towering "skyscraper," it naturally drew the attention of many Forestfolk.
Although every Forestfolk possessed stunning beauty, their reactions upon seeing Eriri were no different from those of ordinary humans. Eriri's beauty was on a completely different dimension—and her aura made it impossible for anyone to ignore her.
Fortunately, because she was accompanied by the most noble princesses of the Forestfolk, no one questioned her identity. That spared Eriri a great deal of unnecessary trouble. Besides the Elf Sister and the High Elf Archer, no one else among the Forestfolk held her interest.
"Eriri, what do you think of our Forest Princess' capital?"
While wandering through the elevated walkways, the High Elf Archer suddenly turned to ask.
"It's quite nice. Different from the usual steel cities—there's a unique sense of beauty to it," Eriri nodded, not holding back her praise.
"Hehe, of course there is!"
The High Elf Archer puffed out her flat chest proudly, her face glowing with confidence and affection for her homeland. Beside her, the Elf Sister watched their interaction with a gentle smile, her elegant features relaxed with quiet contentment.
...
The capital of the Forestfolk stretched to incredible heights—it would take far more than a day to explore it fully. But Eriri had no intention of touring every corner. After a casual walk to get a general impression, she decided to end their outing.
Naturally, during their stroll, they encountered several high-ranking members of the Forestfolk who had come to investigate the situation.
Among them was the Elf Sister's former fiancé—a handsome High Elf clad in black leather armor, with long silver hair cascading over his shoulders.
As for the tribe's chieftain and the elder council, such a minor matter wasn't worth their personal attention.
Indeed, after the Elf Sister's strength had advanced beyond Level 6, she had decisively annulled her engagement with her cousin. Initially, the elder council opposed her decision, insisting that at over eight thousand years old, it was time for her to wed.
Had this been before joining the chat group, the Elf Sister would likely have accepted her predetermined fate—marrying her cousin after a few centuries and succeeding the throne of the Forestfolk.
But after hearing Eriri and the others' advice, she chose to change her destiny.
Her stance was unwavering. She even displayed a portion of her formidable power before the council elders. Faced with such strength, the elders eventually relented and agreed to dissolve her engagement.
When the armored High Elf came to question them, Eriri didn't speak; the Elf Sister handled the explanation herself, while the High Elf Archer eagerly helped with the details. Before long, the man excused himself and left.
After that encounter, no one else came to disturb their peaceful stroll.
By around three o'clock in the afternoon, Eriri had already left the Forest Princess' capital together with the Elf Sister and the High Elf Archer. They arrived at an open clearing several kilometers away from the city.
"Eriri, are you planning to place the World Gate here?" the Elf Sister asked curiously after surveying the area.
"That's right. The environment here is great. With a little refinement, it'll be a perfect spot—an ideal place to build a forest villa."
Eriri nodded with a satisfied smile, scanning the surroundings. Although the clearing wasn't particularly large, expanding it would only take her a flick of the wrist.
What truly appealed to her was the natural layout: towering trees neatly encircled the clearing, and a small river—about ten meters wide—flowed nearby. Eriri intended to construct the house beside that river so she could enjoy picnics and outdoor meals with her friends whenever she wished.
"Wait, Eriri, you're going to build a house here? And what's this 'World Gate' you mentioned?" The High Elf Archer's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she asked.
Eriri blinked in mild surprise and turned to the Elf Sister (Forest Princess). "Frelia, you didn't tell Arelis about the World Gate?"
"I didn't. After all, I've never seen one myself, so I didn't think to explain it," Frelia admitted calmly.
"I see." Eriri nodded in understanding before turning back to the inquisitive High Elf Archer. "Actually, the World Gate isn't that big of a deal—it's simply a fixed interdimensional gateway that connects two different worlds."
The High Elf Archer's eyes widened in astonishment. "What?! A gate that can permanently connect two worlds?!"
"That's right," Eriri said with a calm smile. "I'll build a house here, and inside it, I'll install a World Gate linked to my own world. Once that's done, you and your sister will be able to visit my world anytime you like."
"Every member's world has one of my World Gates, so you can also travel to other members' worlds whenever you wish."
As Eriri explained, the High Elf Archer's expression shifted through waves of excitement and awe. Though she knew that the chat group's store sold Cross-Realm Tokens—each costing only a thousand points—she also understood the difference in scale.
Owning a permanent World Gate was far beyond the convenience of a simple travel token. It was a priceless treasure. Her admiration for Eriri grew even stronger, her gaze now filled with open reverence.
"Eriri, hurry and make the World Gate! I can't wait to visit other worlds already!" The High Elf Archer suddenly grabbed Eriri's arm, shaking it playfully like a spoiled child.
"Don't worry. It'll be ready in no time." Eriri chuckled and gently pinched the elf's cheek.
Then she raised her right hand and snapped her fingers with practiced ease.
With that crisp sound, the once uneven, grass-covered ground instantly leveled out as the weeds vanished completely. Moments later, the clearing began expanding outward at an incredible rate—growing from barely a hundred square meters to well over a thousand.
In the center of the newly expanded area, a magnificent three-story modern villa materialized out of thin air, covering several hundred square meters. The remaining space around it became a spacious yard, while the surrounding ancient trees and the flowing river formed a natural boundary.
Of course, Eriri also erected a protective barrier around the property—she had no intention of allowing careless humans or beasts to trespass into her private domain.
In less than a minute, the entire landscape had transformed dramatically.
The High Elf Archer stood frozen in place, mouth agape, as she stared at the beautiful villa before her eyes.
Though she already knew Eriri was immensely powerful—an existence at Level 8, Stage 9—witnessing her effortlessly create something from nothing left her utterly awestruck.
It wasn't just the High Elf Archer—standing on Eriri's other side, even the Elf Sister was staring at the villa in front of them with visible shock.
In truth, aside from Eriri, none of the chat group members had a real sense of what a high-level being was truly capable of. They could only imagine it based on the descriptions within the group.
None of them had ever witnessed Eriri going all out—or even understood the full extent of their own destructive potential. After all, no one had ever unleashed their true power.
A Galaxy-level being, by definition, could destroy an entire galaxy. Naturally, none of them were reckless enough to test that theory firsthand.
...
"Alright, the house and the World Gate are finished. Let's go inside and take a look~" Eriri said cheerfully.
When she created the villa, she had also embedded the World Gate directly into its grand front door.
Reaching out her right hand, Eriri gently grasped the Elf Sister's left hand, intending to lead her forward toward the entrance.
Feeling the warmth of Eriri's hand, the Elf Sister—who had still been in a daze from earlier—suddenly came back to her senses. A faint blush spread across her cheeks.
She didn't pull her hand away, allowing Eriri to hold her firmly. Logically, a simple gesture like holding hands shouldn't have stirred her emotions so deeply—especially between two women.
Yet her heart was clearly beating faster, and her face grew warmer by the second. In her eight thousand years of life, she had never felt this way before—and the unfamiliar emotion made her strangely nervous.
Oblivious to the Elf Sister's inner turmoil, Eriri simply led her forward, with the High Elf Archer still clinging tightly to her other arm as they approached the villa's entrance.
They were only a dozen meters away, and soon they arrived before the beautifully carved double doors.
"This is the door? I've never seen anything like it—it's so delicate and beautiful!" The High Elf Archer reached out and traced her fingers across the ornate engravings, her face full of awe.
Though Eriri had already remodeled their tree hollow into a modern dwelling, it was still just a simple home compared to the luxurious villa before them. Even the door alone was leagues beyond what their old home could compare to.
"This is the main entrance of the villa—and also the World Gate connected to the Saekano world," Eriri explained with a smile.
The High Elf Archer's eyes immediately brightened. "So if I push this door open, I can go to your world?!"
"Exactly. I've already granted both you and your sister access to the World Gate. As long as you think about going to the Saekano world when you open the door, the gate will activate," Eriri replied.
"However, for now, let's explore the villa first. We can study the World Gate later."
"Alright!" The High Elf Archer nodded eagerly. Though she was dying to try out the gate, she obediently followed Eriri's words.
Meanwhile, the Elf Sister remained quiet, still distracted by the strange warmth in her heart. Compared to the villa or the World Gate, what she felt from holding Eriri's hand mattered far more at that moment.
Just then, her left hand slipped free. Surprised, she looked up to see Eriri pushing the grand door open with her right hand.
Glancing down at her now-empty hand, the Elf Sister felt an unexpected pang of loss. But before the feeling could settle, that familiar soft touch returned—Eriri had reached out once more and intertwined their fingers again.
The Elf Sister's fleeting sadness melted away instantly, replaced by a rush of quiet joy.
Since Eriri had no intention of activating the World Gate yet, the doorway didn't lead to the Saekano world but to a normal entryway inside the villa.
Once they stepped in, the High Elf Archer immediately began exploring every corner with bright, curious eyes—just like she had when Eriri first modernized their tree hollow.
For the next while, Eriri led her two companions through the villa, the High Elf Archer excitedly inspecting every room while the absent-minded Elf Sister followed close behind, her thoughts still quietly rippling with emotions she didn't fully understand.
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