Chapter 56

My name is T.P. Eight Olishua

The Ruins of Kabbalah—one of the ancient ruins sprawling beneath the holy city of Elohim, Beit.

This is the only place where roots severed from the World Tree Sefira exist, making it the facility that grants Elohim its title as the "Island of Understanding."

When an angel dies, their life is returned to the World Tree. At the same time, the knowledge they acquired during their lifetime is also returned to the tree, adding to the cumulative wisdom of the World Tree, Sefira.

The ever-growing wisdom of Sefira could rightfully be called the memory of the stars themselves, the Akashic Records.

Of course, if a holy beast were to try and absorb Sefira's undiluted wisdom directly, their mind would be overwhelmed by the torrent of information, effectively causing their head to go boom.

『Sefira’s wisdom is so vast that modern holy beasts cannot handle it. But long ago, the ancient Kabbalah tribe discovered that one could receive diluted wisdom fragments of roots severed from the World Tree. Ein Sof respected their understanding and named it ‘The Wisdom of Kabbalah.’』

"You sure are well-informed. As expected of the Archangel of Understanding."

『Fufun…』

I had only asked for a brief explanation, yet Binah happily went on to about the origins of the name and related trivia about the World Tree Sefira. She was like a otaku proudly flaunting their otaku knowledge. They were settings I didn’t know, but her talking about it so enthusiastically was adorable and helpful.

I see… I knew that angels returned their life to the World Tree upon death, but I didn’t know their knowledge went back as well. I’ll share this tidbit with En and the others with a knowing look on my face later.

Still, naming a carbuncle, a creature tasked with gathering information from across the world for the angels, "Kabbalah-chan" is really chic. The name fits so perfectly it’s hard to believe it’s a coincidence.

I really am amazing. Fufun, luck is on the side of a perfect cheat original protagonist.

"I like high places, but places like this have their own charm too."

『──! Right? Right? I often come here to refresh my mood.』

This location we moved to with her Teleportation seems to be underground the town.

Thus, the sky isn’t visible, and the surroundings are enclosed by earthy walls. However, the countless crystals sparkling like gemstones illuminate the cavern from every direction, creating a scene reminiscent of an illuminated street during Christmas.

While it’s not a high place, it’s a picturesque scenery in its own way. Binah-sama seemed to deeply resonate with my admiration, her voice filled with excitement.

The sight of her was heart-warming, like a child proudly showing off their secret base.

Binah held my hand for a while as we moved forward, and there we found a large tree standing alone at the end of a spacious limestone cave.

Pointing to the tree illuminated by the countless glowing ores, she said,

『That’s the Root of the World Tree.』

"Yes, it seems so."

It was a magnificent tree with a total height of over 20 meters, reaching all the way to the ceiling.

Eh, this is a fragment of the Root of the World Tree? It’s not a second World Tree grown from a sapling or something?

What she introduced seemed too impressive to be called a "root."

Certainly, given its source’s, the World Tree, unbelievable size, it’s natural for its fragments to be sizable as well, but… despite that, seeing this beautifully shaped root left me muttering,

"…It’s grown so splendidly…"

As I murmured those words, I stepped forward to touch the Root of the World Tree.

I wonder what this is. When I touch such a spendid tree, I feel like I can receive a mysterious power. Truly, it feels like a power spot.

I wonder if this originally was just a simple fragment that grew into this beautiful form over a long period of time… Plants sure are sturdy.

Even so, it’s really a spectacle. A thick, long, and imposing tree. It’s a shame that it’s underground. I’d love to climb it.

『Daat…』

"Whoops, no good, no good. I can get sentimental later."

I, I won’t climb it, okay?

I just imagined how nice it would feel to play a harp on top of this tree, but I do know the TPO (time, place, occasion). I don’t always indulge in my hobbies. Of course, if it would look cool, I’d do it, but now isn’t the time for that.

Snapping back to reality at Binah’s call, I focused my gaze on the tree trunk I’m touching with my hand.

I deliberately didn’t correct her calling me "Daat." After all, original protagonists that deny it every time they’re called out in a fanfiction format would slow the temp and are a bit annoying… unless it’s for the beauty of form of a gag scene, of course.

As an original protagonist, this is a scene I want to approach seriously.

──That's why, Root of the World Tree-san.

"Now, lend me your wisdom."

If this so-called Wisdom of Kabbalah is like the Fairy World version of Google-sensei, which grants those who touch it the information they desire, then please share some of that wisdom with me.

Specifically, I’d like to know about Tsubasa’s tragic past, and evidence proving that my body has nothing to do with Daat... Something along those lines, please.

Since I’m a humble original protagonist, I don’t need you to tell me everything necessary for me to act as a cheat original protagonist in the future.

Those are things I will find with my own hands.

My protagonist play is mine alone.

Even if Google-sensei kindly shows me the way, it’s meaningless unless the glorious road is carved by T.P. Eight Olishua.

…Oh, that phrase just now sounds pretty cool and original protagonist-like. I should speak sharply like that during the final battle with Keter.

While thinking such thoughts, I knelt on one knee, adopted a prayer-like posture as though praying to God, and closed my eyes.

From a fantasy perspective, if you do something priest-like in a sacred place, something should happen. This was an improvised move based on my subcultural knowledge.

In hindsight, though, it’d look pretty uncool if this fails.

But… it seems to have worked.

Peeking slightly with half-opened eyes, I saw my body being gently enveloped in a pleasant light. What is this light!?

Awesome, I look so godly right now! This appearance is undoubtedly God Eight-chan.

Seeing me like that, I could sense the astonishment from Binah-sama from behind.

Hmm? Did I end up doing something again? Man, what the heck do I do now? Haha. I'm sorry for being so godlike, disregarding even the archangel.

As I thought about such things, I suddenly heard a voice in my head that wasn't Binah-sama's.

『I’m Charon… Welcome back, Daat.』

…Hmm? This voice is──what did you say, goddess-like person?

In order to dilute the wisdom of Sefira by several billion times, the “Wisdom of Kabbalah” was created by utilizing fragments of the Roots of the World Tree, making it so even holy beasts can receive the information.

But even so, there is no one in the current Fairy World capable of absorbing all the wisdom.

Even Binah, who possesses the highest information processing capabilities among the Ten Archangels of Sefirot and holds access rights second only to Keter, has not been able to understand everything. There was always a limit to the amount of wisdom that even the “previous Binahs” who came before her could acquire.

But, in the history of Fairy World, there was one exception among the archangels.

That was the primordial Archangel and the zeroth Sefirot—the Archangel who presides over "Knowledge," Daat.

From observing the person calling herself "T.P. Eight Olishua," Binah had become convinced that she was actually Daat, disguised as a human.

Otherwise, there would be no rational explanation for her to know so much about the state of affairs of Fairy World. On top of that, she had delved deeper than anyone else into the concept of "Fairy Burst," proposed by the Holy Dragon Ein Sof, and had even put it into practice.

Just as she had guided the rampaging Rikidou Chouta and brought about his awakening.

The theory she had proposed earlier, that approach to the "darkness of the heart" is the key to activating the Fairy Burst, was the same theory that Binah had arrived at through her own considerations.

Binah had observed the exact moment when Akatsuki En, the first human to achieve Fairy Burst, awakened. She had witnessed it from this world through the eyes of spies she had placed in the human world.

Unexpectedly having her hypothesis confirmed by Archangel of Knowledge Daat, was a stroke of fortune for Binah.

Since childhood, ever since King Keter told her stories of legends of the time of creation, Binah had always admired Daat, the legendary archangel who was said to have once saved this world from an unprecedented crisis.

In those days, Binah had used the Wisdom of Kabbalah to investigate every legend surrounding Daat, imitating her mannerisms and actions so thoroughly that they became ingrained in her body and mind.

It was like a child mimicking their mother.

This led to a massive argument with Keter, and half of Binah’s wings were reduced to ashes by his wrath

However, Binah felt no shame about her past and didn’t even look ashamed toward Keter.

Of course, she loved her eldest brother, Keter.

Her initial curiosity about Daat’s legend stemmed from wondering, “What kind of angel was this primordial Archangel that the king loved so dearly?” That’s how much she adored Keter.

But now, she could confidently say she loved both Keter and Daat equally.

…That said, Binah’s knowledge of Daat was ultimately nothing more than a trifling understanding derived from the “Wisdom of Kabbalah.”

Aside from the Holy Dragon, Keter was the only one who had ever met the real Daat, and in that sense, Binah had always been frustrated over the fact that she would perpetually be unable to understand him.

──But now, standing before Binah was the real Daat.

The real Daat had come to meet her after all this time. This was the greatest joy of Binah’s life.

From the moment she first saw Daat, who appeared exactly as described by the Wisdom of Kabbalah, Binah had been tearing up beneath her veil. Even though she had held back when showing her face, she was still greatly extreme now.

『Ah, Daat... Our mother…』

As Binah instinctively reached out to her back emitting divine light──she stopped herself, feeling it was too discourteous.

Right now, she is receiving the Wisdom of Kabbalah. She must not be interrupted. Mother must not be interrupted.

When the body is enveloped in light during the reception of the Wisdom of Kabbalah, it signifies that information from the World Tree is being transmitted.

Normally, the recipient’s capacity would be exceeded after about five seconds, at which point the roots of the World Tree would activate a safety mechanism and halt the transmission of information.

However, T.P. Eight Olishua had already been receiving this information for over five minutes.

With an appearance more divine and saintly than anyone else, despite absorbing an immense amount of information, her expression remained calm.

This indicated that her capacity to receive information from the roots of the World Tree was incomparably greater than Binah’s.

As expected of the legendary archangel who presides over "Knowledge."

Seeing this glimpse of Daat’s abilities, passes down through folklore, Binah couldn’t suppress her excitement.

『I told you, Keter... Daat is alive.』

As I thought, she was the real deal. The real Daat.

A tear slipped from Binah’s eye, hidden beneath her veil.

The existence of Daat, who disappeared following the great war against the ancient Qlippoth, never to return to the World Tree.

Since she hadn’t returned to the World Tree, just like Keter, Binah had believed she must still be alive.

However, whenever young Binah expressed this belief, Keter would smile awkwardly and deny it.

He would always say the same thing,

Daat is gone.

She’s already gone… that’s why we must protect this world ourselves.

It was a sound argument that we should look at the world in front rather than thinking about now-deceased old figures. Of course, Binah was convinced.

However, the truth was that Daat was alive.

Not only that, but she also acknowledged humans and thought them wonderful.

How encouraged Binah must have felt at the moment when her opinions, which had been denied by her comrades until then, were affirmed by none other than Daat.

And today, the conversation she had been waiting for thousands of years finally took place.

When Daat learned during their exchange that Binah had sided with humanity and became so moved that her eyes glistened with emotion, Binah felt overwhelming joy, reassured that her judgment had not been wrong.

Although she hadn’t mentioned this to the humans, if Daat were to simply say, "Stop interfering with humans," it would likely be enough to convince Keter without needing to rely on the Holy Dragon.

So why did Daat choose not to reveal her true identity? This doubt rose up, but Binah concluded,

By secretly accompanying humans, she’s also giving the Ten Archangels of Sefirot a trial.

In the hope the archangels would uncover the truth through their own efforts.

Just as Netzach had once suspected when he noticed their surveillance, “Could this be a trial from the Holy Dragon?” Binah saw Daat’s antics as "T.P. Eight Olishua" in a similar light.

Recently, Binah had learned of a Japanese saying, that this behavior is said to be “a lion casts its cubs into a bottomless ravine.”

In the human world, the animal known as the "lion," was said to throw its newborn cubs into a deep valley and only raise those with high vitality who managed to climb back up.

However, that too is a form of love that parents direct toward their children… The idea of deliberately imposing strict trials on someone they truly care for to help them grow seems to be a popular concept among humans. In fact, when observing humans at work in their companies, the way superiors treat subordinates they have high expectations for perfectly embodies this notion.

It struck Binah as an irrational and odd culture, but learning about it made her understand why humans grow so quickly.

Among the people of Netzach's island, for instance, they regularly train their bodies as part of daily life, but there's no precedent for parents throwing their children into the bottom of a ravine, nor are there any who admire such a child-rearing method. Among the archangels, Gevurah of "Severity" has a similar thoughts, but he’s the same as the ones mentioned previously.

It is precisely because their lifespans are short that humans live fast and recklessly. And because they live fast and recklessly, they grow strong in the blink of an eye. Even without the words of the Holy Dragon, Binah could see that considering the future, she didn't think she wanted to turn them into enemies.

She also feared that if humans genuinely resolved to kill holy beasts, they might come up with something entirely unthinkable to achieve it.

Daat had likely spent a long time in the human world. Judging from her extensive knowledge of humans and her fluent use of human language, much like Raphael once did, it seemed certain.

It was probably by adopting the human spirit of "a lion casts its cubs into a bottomless ravine" that Daat steeled her heart and took such actions.

…Yet, even so, Daat's words and actions always oozed with unconcealed kindness.

That moment──when she wept, holding Chesed, Malkuth, and Mea tightly in her arms, as if in repentance for imposing a cruel trial on them, stuck to Binah's mind.

Daat's figure was so heartrending that Binah herself wanted to embrace her.

That’s why she was also suffering.

Just like Keter now.

When Binah saw glimpses of Daat’s daily life through images sent by the carbuncle──Kabbalah-chan, it seemed as though she was always agonizing over how to guide the good-for-nothing children (me).

『More… I want to understand you more.』

Seeing her selflessly continuing to draw forth the Wisdom of Kabbalah for the sake of this world, for others rather than herself, Binah murmured quietly.

Faced with Daat’s overflowing broad-mindedness when they first met, Binah found herself wanting to lean on her.

Moved by that emotion, Binah had even held hands with her earlier, but she was also one of the senior archangels. She realized that it wouldn’t do to continue like this forever.

Not just with her, but also with God and the King.

Binah felt that the time had come for the Ten Archangels of Sefirot to cast aside their dependence on them and stand independently.

Just like that one, who, despite being created by the "King," was trying to defy him as a human. That girl──Mea.

Fixing her determined gaze on Daat's back, the light emanating from Daat grew even more radiant, spreading across her vision.

And then—

Hm…?

Hmm—…Wha?

What the heck, when did I fall asleep?

I clearly remember being enveloped by a radiant, divine light and hearing a very familiar female voice.

...Yep, my memory is fine. Yet, when I came to, I was lying sprawled on the ground.

No way, how unsightly. As the elegant protagonist that I am, there's no way I'd choose to lie down outside on my own.

──Which means, I must have fainted. Ugh… How could this happen. Good grief.

As my consciousness returned from the darkness, I slowly sat up and opened my eyes.

Wait, it's cold!? The inside of the limestone cave was supposed to be relatively warm, but this feels like January or February levels of cold.

Chesed's island, El, was chilly, but this is even worse. Ahh, maybe it's because Kabbalah-chan isn't here. My neck and the lower half of my body under the skirt are especially cold. I'm freezing and shivering. Brr, so cold… Barrier, barrier. Alright, done.

Using my supernatural ability, just like when I fly, I regulated my body temperature and stood up and stretched. I also did some light stretching and checked my body movements.

Good. While I was a little worried about the effects of fainting, it seems there’s nothing wrong. I won’t even need to use Healing touch.

"Now then, where am I?"

Heyyy, Binah-saaan.

Kaballah-chan, too, where are youuu?

Calling out to them in my mind, using "Search" and "Clairvoyance," I scanned the area for their locations.

Most likely, some kind of anomaly occurred while acquiring that so-called Wisdom of Kabbalah, and I fainted. As an original protagonist, I find this embarrassing to the point of death, so I’m in the middle of planning how to cover it up.

But still, to leave me unconscious in a place like this and wander off somewhere, Binah-sama, aren’t you a bit too heartless...? No good, since I came to this world, I haven't been able to act alone much anymore, so maybe I'm feeling just a little bit lonely.

Ah… but a development where an aloof original protagonist is influenced by characters of the original work and becomes slightly bound by feelings… not a bad idea, right? Thinking that, I let out a chuckle. As expected of me, turning even weakness into strength, am I a genius or what?

Still, that aside, it’s lonely, so let’s just meet up with Kabbalah-chan.

In a place this cold, there’s no way I can manage without something fluffy to cuddle…!?

“Eh?”

At that moment, I involuntarily cast aside my usual composure and let out a startled voice.

The place where I was standing seemed like some kind of plateau.

I could see the familiar landscape of Mount Fuji in the distance... Yes, this was my favorite place in my previous life—no, but why!?

──Why am I on Earth?

And not the Earth of the world of Fairy Savers, where the supernatural runs rampant.

Familiar air, familiar scenery. Everything I sensed with my five senses matched the world burned into my memories──When I used Clairvoyance to check a little further away with my now-clear head, sure enough, I saw the town where I used to live in my previous life.

The townscape had changed a little, but there was no doubt about it. That was my hometown.

What is this rapid development…? It’s not just the readers who are left behind; even the original protagonist’s head has been left behind.

Goddess-like person? What on earth…

“Fuh…”

For now, I decided to smile coolly.

Calm down… calm down, me.

I am T.P. Eight Olishua, and as you can see, I’m a reincarnator. …Alright, I’ve calmed down.

I’ve always been cool and stylish, but let me just say this one thing.

──What am I supposed to do with a fanfiction where the original protagonist returns to their original world?

I’ve frequently read fanfictions where the author appears within the narrative, but it's realistically impossible for characters to appear in the real world. Well, there are jokes for creative works like that, though.

But you know… is there really anyone out there who would want Fairy Savers fanfiction… who would want me to be here? Eight-chan feels doubtful.

(author: The Wisdom of Kabbalah seems to give Eight exactly the information she really wanted.)

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