――My heartbeat quickened up.

I think this is the biggest amount of blood thus far…

I can tell that its

In the next instant, when the magic crest started to rotate around my wrist as if becoming a special lock of the Crest Tree, I could hear a metallic click as if a heavy lock had been opened.

Has my arm really become a key for the Crest Tree? Well, I'm the suzerain of the Lucival, on top of my hand currently being stuck in the tree.

At the same time, the bark in front of me transformed, turning into a bark-made, double door corresponding with the thick tree trunk.

That door opened by widely denting inwards with a creak. Of course, I was pulled into the tree together with my arm that was still stuck in the hand print.

The crest tree'S interior was dark. It felt like it had depth. But, sensing anything with Grasping Perception or Magic Observation proved to be difficult as there were mana responses all around me. The visibility was also bad, so I couldn't see much.

…But, I could tell that my body had been engulfed by something like a liquid. Any normal person would have died from suffocation because of that, but…is this blood?

No, going by its smell, it's something else. It's not sap either.

I could perceive some moist sensation from my skin as if it was in contact with some sort of body fluid.

…It's warm. Can you say that I'm currently inside Iglued's body?"

"――Your Excellency!"

"Aaahh! Shuuya's body has been drawn in!"

"Did Iglued eat him?"

"Nyagoaaa."

"Aaahh, Miloooord!"

"Quema-sama! Are you okay!? You're peeing yourself…"

I could hear everyone panicking behind me. Did Quema collapse?

『…Vessel, thou are in a grave situation! Thou must let me out!』

『No. It's not like the tree is hostile, but if I let you out, you might have your blood and mana sucked, instead of just a bit of blood』, I warned Saraten.

Although she fell from the divine domain, she's a being holding the name of "Treasured Divine Sword Saraten." That's why I think it'd be alright even if I released Saraten inside this tree. Or rather…Saraten is talking about the situation being grave, but it's clear that she's aiming to absorb my blood. She's apparently attempting to feast on my mana and blood.

Her blood consumption seems bad, but maybe blood is also flowing through her blade. If I get the bald, cool Suloza to appraise Saraten…

No, it's quite possible that she'll simply repel the attempt of an appraisal.

As I was pondering about all that…

『…Tsk, I wanted to suck some blood, but I'll endure! I'll wait here!』

Saraten calmed down. But, I have to let everyone know about the situation.

Since my mouth was blocked, I told Rebecca and the others through a blood message that I'm alright.

"A blood message? Has your mouth been blocked inside?"

『Yes, it's covered by a fluid, but I can hear just fine』

"Rollo-chan became all upset in her divine beast form."

That's probably because she saw me being pulled inside the tree. It must have worried her.

『Eva, please calm Rollo down』

『Okay』

This fluid-like substance wrapping up my body was weird. It wasn't as though it was encroaching me or anything. But, the sensation was slightly different from when Helme was engulfing me…

The fluid was warm and felt somewhat sticky, feeling like it was tending to my body in a special way. Maybe comfortable describes it well?

But, Iglued, which transformed into this crest tree, should have originally been a spirit or evil spirit tree. And even though it's an outcome of me having poured my mana into it…for it to have evolved to such an extent…I guess it grew while reviving as something akin to a spirit tree because it got my mana which combines light and darkness.

And Iglued's spirit tree, which probably possesses a light attribute, achieved the great feat of fighting off the invasion by Queen Sardyne.

Moreover, I don't know whether it's been triggered by my mana or Eva's mind reading ability, but after feeding on my blood and mana, the Iglued tree, which seems to have turned into a spirit tree, reacted to my Extra skill

and also to my recently obtained, new skill