151. A Volcano...? Mating Season Again.

The landscape I could see from the mountain had changed entirely.

I wonder if it’s because the “Magic Eye” isn’t affecting the forest anymore? I kinda think it’s changed a little too much, though... Also, I still don’t even know what the “Magic Eye” was in the first place. Oh well. Not much point trying to figure it out now.

Besides, I had a more important thing to worry about than the actual meaning of the words “Magic Eye”—namely, the fire-spewing thing I could now see in the distance. I was pretty sure it was a volcano. Actually, I was really hoping it was a volcano. The alternative, if I was wrong, was that something else capable of impersonating a flamethrower was uncomfortably close to my house, and somehow a volcano seemed like a less terrifying prospect. The more I thought about it, the more anxious I grew, so I decided it was definitely a volcano.

Wait, but if it is a volcano, doesn’t that mean we might have to start preparing to evacuate? I feel like that’s gonna be a massive hassle. I should probably start by figuring out how far away it is from here... Although it’s not like I know how far away we need to be before we’re out of the danger zone. Hmm. Well, let’s just say the farther, the better, and go from there. Though come to think of it, I can see the volcano pretty clearly from the house... Wait, are we actually really close to it? If so, I’m pretty sure that’s gonna be a problem... Yeah, I better check it out right away. On the other hand, it is currently erupting kinda violently, which I feel like isn’t the best time to go for a closer look... Yep, I’ll wait for it to settle down a bit first. I mean, it’s pretty damn scary.

“Good morning! I bri-bri... Bring? I bring you tea...”

I chuckled. “Thanks, Usa.” I cradled the cup she’d passed me and took a sip.

It’s delicious today too.

The One Eyes had, at some point, become experts at brewing a quality pot of tea, and were now better at it than I was. Until just recently they’d struggled with the steeping part of the process, making the resulting tea either too weak or too strong, but nowadays every cup I had was consistently perfect.

They’re amazing. And speaking of amazing...

Usa and Kuhi were picking up Japanese at an astounding rate, whereas I hadn’t even managed to repeat a single word from their language—let alone exchange greetings or form coherent sentences. I’d tried my best and then some, but in the end, it seemed like learning their language the old-fashioned way just wasn’t going to happen for me. Therefore the plan now was to wait for the new god of this world to show up, then beg them for an instantaneous interpretation function or something. Unfortunately, the god in question was, as of now, nowhere to be seen.

I’m sure the hermit god told me they’d pick one really soon... Oh well. Not much I can do except wait.

Just the same, I still felt like a pathetic excuse for an adult whenever I looked at Usa and Kuhi, considering how much effort they were putting in just to be able to talk to me.

“We’re all waiting on you, god! Not that you can hear me anyway...”

What can’t be cured must be endured. Salvation by faith? Is that what they call it? Yeah, what a great saying.

“Ah, that was perfect,” I said, putting the now-empty cup on the table nearby.

What should I do today? Hmm... Oh, right! The forest’s been changing a lot recently, so I should probably make sure nothing else is affected. It would suck if anything went wrong with the house or the fields because of it.

I started with the fields, where the Farm Brigade along with the field amoebas, the baby ants, and the baby spiders were all hard at work.

“No changes here, huh?”

If anything had changed, I was sure I’d be able to see it. Thankfully, everything looked exactly the same, and none of the creatures seemed upset or panicked.

I don’t have to worry about the fields, at least. Besides, even if something had gone wrong, these guys probably would have handled it already anyway. Which means there’s nothing for me to do... No! The forest is full of precious resources, so I need to inspect it instead! Yep, that’s my job!

Just like the year prior, the collective canines began to give birth to their litters midway through spring. I’d had a relatively busy start to the season—what with meeting the hermit god and all—and consequently, it had taken me a while to even realize they were pregnant. To my relief, they’d all delivered their litters without any issues. I was currently watching the mothers and their respective pups in the clearing.

“You’re all so cute! You’re gonna be massive in the blink of an eye, but still... So cute.”

Future enormity aside, the incredibly heartwarming scene had me grinning before I knew it.

Huh? Usa and Kuhi are playing with the newborn pups...? Well, everyone looks like they’re having fun, so I guess it’s okay.

The One Eyes were in the middle of building a new set of doghouses. Luckily, there was enough space for them to do so thanks to the landscaping I’d done above Marshmallow’s snow cellar. They seemed to be incredibly fired up about their work, so I decided not to interfere. Have fun, guys.

“Still, do they really need to be doing all those intricate carvings on the doors? Actually, since the doors never even get closed in the first place, do they really need to be making doors at all?”

Oh well. No harm in letting them have their fun.

Oh, some of the squirrels gave birth too? Aw, you came to show me your babies? I’m honored... Sorry, but I can’t tell them apart in the slightest. There’s so many though—definitely more than two hundred. I think there might actually be close to three hundred of them now...

“They seem extra small though... I wonder if being constantly surrounded by giant wolves has made my perception go a bit funny? I feel like I’m gonna accidentally step on one...”

It hasn’t happened yet, thank goodness—

“Actually, I’m just gonna take a few steps back, okay? Sorry! I’m just terrified of stepping on you!”

Shuri and Spider Boss hadn’t brought me their eggs this year. I’d just been thinking that maybe they were done with breeding for now when I’d spotted the giant eggs carefully nestled in Eco’s roots. The stick insects seemed to have taken charge of them this year.

Are they gonna be able to hatch without my mana? Eh, I’m sure Spider Boss and Shuri know what they’re doing... I just feel a little bit unnecessary... No, the only important thing is that the kids are born healthy!

“I’m not depressed, do you hear me?!”

Even though I’ve just had another job taken from me...

With most of the creatures giving birth, I began to (somewhat excitedly) wonder if the dragons would do the same, popping out little white tufts of cotton wool or something. Unfortunately, neither Fluffy nor any of the other dragons ended up having any babies.

There’s always next year, I guess.

152. Inside...the Volcano?

“Wow... It really is a volcano, huh?”

After a few days, the lava spewing out from the top of the suspected volcano-thing had finally abated, and so I’d reluctantly made my way over for a closer look. As I’d predicted, it was indeed a volcano; small jets of flame were still intermittently shooting out of the mountain’s peak. I leaned forward slightly—making sure to maintain a firm grip around Shion’s neck—and peered at the fiery summit. I’d only ever seen a volcanic eruption on TV, so it was kind of satisfying to see one up close. The heat was intense, despite us still being quite far away from the volcano itself.

“Damn, I didn’t know volcanos were this hot...”

I could only look at it for another minute or two before I began to steam, at which point I asked Shion to take us a little farther away. He happily obliged. Even from our new, cooler position, the volcano remained breathtakingly impressive.

“It’s a lot bigger than I expected.”

A whole lot bigger. I mean, the summit’s above the cloud line... No wonder I could see it so clearly from the house even though it’s pretty far away. But if it’s big enough to see it clearly from that kinda distance... It’s gotta be about as big as Mount Fuji, right? Not that I have any idea how big Mount Fuji is. Eh, I guess it doesn’t really matter how big it is in the end.

Also, there’s lava coming out of it again.

I don’t remember hearing it erupt... Maybe I just didn’t notice the sound from all the way over here? It’s gotta be a pretty big eruption, based on the amount of lava... Hmm. Should I do something? Lava, lava... Lava’s hot, right? Yeah. Actually, I think “hot” is probably putting it mildly. I remember seeing footage of a whole forest burning down after a volcanic eruption back home...

So what’s going on here, then?

I mean, the lava’s flowing right down into the forest, but nothing’s catching fire so far. Sure, it’s not quite touching the trees, but I’m pretty sure it’s still close enough that they should be charcoal right about now... Is this lava not actually hot or something? Is this another of those “parallel world quirk” kinda things? It’s a little hard to swallow...

Oh, I get it! My sister said something about this, right? “Parallel worlds are full of double standards,” or something? The main character keeps running into conveniently favorable, logic-defying situations one after another, while everyone else is left to struggle... Wait, does that mean the forest is the main character in this world?

“Like, I already knew it wasn’t me, but still... I’ve been trying pretty hard over here, you know?”

Wait, wait, wait! Hold up! I don’t want to be the main character or anything, do I?

“Pull yourself together, me. Seriously, I’m already in my thirties—I gotta stop daydreaming.”

Okay, time to focus. The important thing is to make sure the lava’s not causing any damage. It looks like the trees are all fine. Guess they’re pretty fire-resistant—makes sense in a world like this one.

I followed the trail of lava as it twisted through the forest—from a safe distance, of course—until it abruptly vanished. Well, it seemed to disappear from the surface into the wide mouth of a cave.

I can’t really see much else from up here— Hang on, don’t I recognize that cave? Ah! Yeah, I remember that stupidly massive entrance. So it was a lava tube all along, huh? That explains why it was so huge.

Come to think of it, though... Didn’t I run into some amoebas down there? Jeez, I hope they got away before the lava came... I should probably have a closer look.

“I mean, logically speaking, they definitely ran away already... Right?”

We’d barely approached the lava when I’d felt overwhelming mana practically pulsating from it.

It’s weirdly familiar... Too familiar. Whose mana is this again...? Ah! Wait, wait—seriously?!

I magically traced the mana back to its source, which rewarded me with a mental image of a dragon inside the volcano. I’d been right.

Is that...? Yeah. You’re Ball of Wool, aren’t you? I did think you were probably a fire dragon... I knew your mana felt familiar.

Ball of Wool soon emerged from the top of the volcano and made a beeline toward me and Shion where we hovered near the entrance to the cave.

Wow, Ball of Wool. Dragon or not, it’s pretty impressive for you to be absolutely fine after being inside a volcano. Yeah, let’s wait for you to cool down a little first.

No, if you try and nuzzle into me now I’ll melt!

Wait! Just wait a minute!

“Yeah, good morning to you too,” I said, before sighing in relief.

Phew... I’m so glad it realized before it was too late.

Granted, I did get briefly blasted with an intense jet of heat as Ball of Wool had flapped its wings, but accidents happened sometimes.

“You’re amazing, Ball of Wool.”

The dragon dipped its head toward me, and I automatically responded by giving it a few pats. The way the dragons narrowed their eyes in obvious content whenever I patted them was incredibly cute.

I can’t believe you’re not even sweating, though... I guess fire dragons are probably pretty impervious to fire too.

Ah. I’d spotted something moving in the lava flow—many somethings, in fact. Hello again, amoebas. I see you can survive in the lava too.

They look like they’re swimming through it... Pretty impressive, guys.

Hm? I feel like they’re all looking at me...

Nope, no way. I’m not coming down there, sorry. I’m just a normal human, okay?

Wait, I’m not a human anymore.

Either way, I’m absolutely, positively not lava resistant!

I didn’t think I’d discover anything more shocking than a volcano on my volcano-or-not expedition, but things didn’t usually turn out the way I thought they would.

It’s still kinda hard to believe there are creatures here who can survive in lava... Parallel worlds sure are crazy, huh?

Ball of Wool had just joined the amoebas for a splash in the molten river still coursing through the lava tube. I’d previously assumed the bright red yarn ball-slash-lizard was a fire dragon based purely on its color, and clearly, I’d been right.

So if Ball of Wool’s got a volcano, and Marshmallow likes being in snow... Marshmallow’s already outgrown the snow cellar too...

“So next I’ll need to find a snowy mountain, basically?”

I had a quick look around, but sadly there were no white mountains to be seen.

Eh, it’ll probably appear sooner or later. The volcano popped up without me noticing, after all.

A beautiful, snow-covered mountain... I’m kinda looking forward to it, actually.

153. The River’s Mana...and the Amoebas’ Nest?

My trusty steed for the day was Soa, with two of her children rounding out my escort. Recently, the canines had begun fighting over who’d get to carry me every time I went somewhere. I wasn’t sure why they felt the need to fight over me, but I was pretty sure the subsequent lack of exercise was having a real impact on my physical health.

I gotta start using my own two legs more often, or one of these days I’m gonna wake up with a potbelly.

I patted my stomach anxiously. It definitely felt softer and rounder than I remembered.

It’s fine. I’m sure it’s fine.

Come to think of it, the One Eyes have been getting even better at cooking lately... Dang it.

“I stuff my face with delicious food and then get carried around all day...”

I decided to pretend I hadn’t seen (or rather, felt) my clearly expanding stomach for now.

It’s only a little softer, after all... No, maybe I should start exercising?

I poked at my stomach again.

Yep. Okay, time for a workout soon!

The landscape of the forest was continuing to change on a daily basis, though it seemed like the rivers had stopped extending for now—and for good reason: No matter where I went in the forest, I was always able to spot at least one river twisting between the trees. More lakes had popped up everywhere too.

I’d recently noticed something odd about the rivers, or more specifically about the water. It was absolutely chock-full of mana—mana which, as I realized a few days later, felt suspiciously like my own.

What’s up with that?

I’d considered various explanations. As always, no definite answer came to mind, and I was still feeling a little uneasy about the whole thing.

My entourage and I continued on our bird’s-eye inspection of the forest, when—

New cave discovered!

Caves had been the setting for the majority of my animal encounters, so my excitement was only logical. Well, I thought so, at least.

There’s a good chance I won’t find anything inside... There’s no harm in hoping, though. Yep! Just so long as it’s not those squirming, wormy bastards with way too many legs! I’ll take anything else, but no caterpillars!

“It’s been ages since I went caving!”

We were standing just outside the entrance to the cave. At first glance, it didn’t look any different from all the other caves I’d conquered so far. There wasn’t any strong mana radiating from within either, as far as I could sense. We began our exploration, with me sandwiched between Soa at the front and her two children at the back.

They wouldn’t let me take the lead this time either, even though the hermit-god said I was actually pretty powerful. I don’t have any real fighting experience, though. I guess that’s why I’m always in the middle? Everyone always seems to worry about me, and I think it’s kinda excessive, to be honest. Well, to be fair, if something jumped out at us suddenly, there’s no way I’d be able to handle it... Yeah, I guess their worries are pretty well-founded.

“Maybe I should figure out a way to cope with surprise attacks?”

Me being useless is probably making it a lot harder for them. Being on the attack and the defense—okay, my defense—at the same time seems like it’d be pretty difficult.

“Anyway, getting back on track—this is just a normal cave, isn’t it? Nothing’s here.”

We weren’t far into the cave, but it was just rough, bumpy rock as far as the eye could see, and I still didn’t detect any signs of life.

Eh. Let’s just go a little farther, I guess. If we don’t find anything in a minute or two, then we’ll turn back.

“Is that...water?”

We’d only taken a few more steps when the sound of running water suddenly reached my ears. In all my caving expeditions, this was a first. Even the lake cave I’d met Shuri in had been eerily silent—there hadn’t been any sounds even remotely resembling running water, for sure. Though I was a little nervous, I somehow managed to keep walking in the direction of the sound. The rush got louder and louder until we finally emerged in a wide cavern, most of which was dominated by a lake. There was also...

“Amoebas. Wait, is this your nest or something? Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude.”

I hadn’t been able to see them until I was just a few steps away from the edge of the lake. The amoebas I usually interacted with on a day-to-day basis were on the larger side, so I hadn’t realized amoebas could be so small. I could barely believe my eyes as I took in the sight of hundreds of palm-sized amoebas splashing around playfully.

“Aaaaah... It just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.”

I could detect some mana now that reminded me of that of the amoebas back in the river. I took a few more steps until I was right on the edge of the lake. Unfortunately, the tiny amoebas all dove underwater as I approached.

“I’m not gonna hurt you, okay? I promise!”

I crouched down, submerging my hand in the pleasantly cool water. Seconds later, I noticed the amoebas swarming around said hand. Many, many amoebas. Despite my “warm and fuzzy” comment just moments earlier, the sight of innumerable amoebas converging on my hand was, understandably, somewhat terrifying. I could handle a few dozen or so, but this...

Nope, sorry! It’s too creepy!

I pulled my hand out as gently as I could, not wanting to scare them. A few of them somehow managed to cling to my hand.

Er...

I slowly raised my hand to eye level. In smaller numbers—like three, for instance, which was how many were sitting on my palm now—the baby amoebas were very cute. Just a second or two later, the splashing started as the rest of the amoebas began going berserk—or so I assumed, anyway; I was too scared to look.

Okay, time to go!

I returned the three amoebas to the lake as carefully (and with as little looking) as possible. Then, with as friendly a smile as I could muster, I waved farewell to the amoebas and turned to leave, forcing myself to walk much slower than I would have liked to. The return journey felt much longer, which only made ignoring my aching cheeks and racing heart even harder.

I let out a deep sigh of relief as we finally emerged from the cave, slumping as the adrenaline faded from my body.

Scary. That was scary. Anyone would find that scary, right? Sure, they’re small individually, but when there’s so many of them... I shuddered. There’s definitely danger in numbers.

I looked down at my hand, remembering the way they’d swarmed around it...

Yep, I’m gonna forget this whole thing ever happened, or else I’m gonna be having nightmares again. You got that, brain?! Forget about it!

154. Bad Dreams... Racing Thoughts.

“Wha—? Oh... I was dreaming...”

I’d opened my eyes just seconds before being completely covered by tiny amoebas, shooting to a sitting position in a reflexive attempt to save myself. The One Eye near the door who’d most likely come to wake me looked somewhat surprised. I always had nightmares after experiencing something even mildly traumatic. It had been like this since I was a child, and by now, it was clear I’d probably be dealing with it for the rest of my life.

“Good morning,” I mumbled to the One Eye, who still looked rather shocked.

Is...? Is it okay?

It shook its head as it turned and left the room. The clay doll’s retreating figure could only be described as miserable.

Seriously, did something happen? Wait, is it upset because I woke up on my own before it got here? The One Eyes are perfectionists, I guess... I can’t help it if I wake up every now and then without assistance, can I? I’m not that incompetent. I wake myself up at least two or three days a year! I think... Not since the One Eyes decided to become my alarm clocks, though—

Hang on, am I...? Am I actually a complete failure?

Okay, time for a change. I’m gonna try my best to wake up on my own tomorrow too. I can do it! Probably...

After breakfast, I headed out to visit Eco, immediately noticing—and appreciating—the warmer weather. Beyond the fields, I could see the forest, which still seemed to be changing with each passing day.

I wonder if it’s ever gonna settle down? I’m starting to get a little worried here.

Eco seemed to be doing well, as did the eggs nestled in its roots. The stick insects were hovering around and checking on them constantly, which was adorable to see.

I can sense some mana coming from the eggs today... Are they about to hatch?

Speaking of eggs, if Spider Boss and Shuri laid the eggs, does that mean they’re both females? But where are the males, then? Although I didn’t actually see them lay anything, and I’m pretty sure there’s some species where the males look after the eggs instead... Okay, now I’m confused.

I gave the nearby Spider Boss and Shuri a nonchalant once-over but quickly gave up after remembering I had no idea what to look for when it came to ants or spiders.

“I’m an idiot.”

I waited near Eco for a while. There was no sign of the eggs hatching, though staring at the round, white spheres did make me yearn for some of my own—edible ones, of course.

I really miss eggs. I haven’t eaten a single egg since I got here! I’ve got wheat flour now, so if I could just get my hands on some eggs, I could make pancakes...

To be honest, I just really loved pancakes, and my mouth was watering at the very thought of eating them again.

I just need eggs! Should I look in the forest for a chicken or something? Hmm...

“Even if I find something that looks like a chicken, there’s no guarantee it’ll actually be a chicken, is there? Do you even get chickens in a monster forest?”

I glanced toward the clearing, which was currently overflowing with giant spiders, giant ants, giant wolves, giants dogs, a giant bird—

Oh, Karen’s hanging out at home today... Wait, I’m getting distracted.

“So I’m probably better off looking for a giant chicken, I suppose. Wait, maybe I shouldn’t limit myself to chickens? Other birds lay eggs too.”

I can’t remember seeing any birds since I got here—apart from Karen, of course. There was the giant winged lizard-bird thing that attacked me once, I guess. Was that this world’s version of a bird? Should I be trying to track down one of their nests? No, I don’t think that thing was actually a bird, somehow... Okay, maybe I just really hope it wasn’t a bird.

Hang on, I can just look for chickens outside the forest! I kinda forgot I can leave now.

I’m not sure I’m just gonna stumble across a wild chicken, though. In fact, there’s probably a pretty decent chance the only chickens I’d find would be on a farm or something, which means I’d have to pay for them... Crap. I don’t have any money. Hopefully bartering is a thing here—not that I’ve got anything to offer anyway. Ha ha... Seriously, I don’t have anything valuable to trade. Everything I own is made of stone, wood, or random minerals. Yeah, I don’t think that’s gonna work.

Okay, the bartering plan is scrapped. I’ll just start by searching inside the forest. Who knows, I might even cross paths with some of those beastkin. Maybe they could help me find a chicken? I can’t speak their language, but I could try drawing a picture... Ha. Would they even be able to figure out what I’m drawing? When I drew a picture of our pet dog back home, my family couldn’t even figure out it was a dog...

“Yeah, I feel like I’ll just end up embarrassing myself.”

Okay, the drawing-to-communicate plan is also scrapped. I’m just gonna go look for a giant chicken. Or a giant bird of some description. Great! Plan sorted.

...Yeah, my brain is going into overdrive right now.

155. Anxiety Overdrive... Something’s Wrong Here.

Deep breath. Calm down.

My thoughts were all over the place and getting less and less coherent by the second, so I took a few deep breaths in an attempt to compose myself.

A giant chicken? What was I thinking?

Besides, if bartering is a thing here, I can just offer some of the tons of food I’ve got in storage—and if I need money instead, the minerals and ores are probably worth at least something. I hope so anyway, not that I can say for— Yeah, I still haven’t calmed down.

“Focus, me!”

I stared at the eggs cradled safely in Eco’s roots, blocking out all other thoughts until the panic abated and I could think rationally again.

The anxiety had been building up inside me for quite a while now. I’d decided that thinking about it would get me nowhere and therefore had done my best to ignore the feeling, but maybe even ignorance had its limits.

Actually, I’ve been having nothing but nightmares recently—if I can even get to sleep in the first place... I wonder if those have all been fueled by this too?

“Wait, was I always like this...?”

I’d avoided dealing with my ever-increasing anxiety for as long as I could, but now it was consuming me, and I was pretty sure I knew why. It was the forest. More specifically, it was the way the landscape around me was changing (and dramatically so, at that) on a near daily basis. Anyone would feel uneasy in my situation—and without anyone to rely on for support or advice, said unease had only continued to grow. I’d ignored it for as long as I could, pretending not to notice the constant undercurrent of apprehension swirling around my mind, but it seemed like I’d reached a breaking point.

“Did I used to be the kinda person who bottled their feelings up?”

I don’t think so—at least, not until the point where the bottle exploded and sent me loopy. I used to deal with it before this point came, right?

“Yeah... I would’ve screamed or shouted it out by now.”

I know it’s not the most “conventional” coping mechanism, but it sure does work. I did use it once here, didn’t I? Right after coming to this world?

I’d relied on it a lot more often back in Japan. If it would only take a few shouted expletives to take the edge off, I’d do it at home. When a lengthier screaming session was in order, I’d rent a private room at the local karaoke parlor instead. Between my younger sister and me, I was pretty sure we’d nearly single-handedly kept them in business.

At least I noticed it now, while it’s still just my thoughts going berserk. I don’t know what I’d do if I accidentally took it out on Koa or one of the others instead... Okay, time to face things head-on. I need to start acknowledging what I’m feeling, whether I like it or not. Also, I need to figure out a healthy way to cope with my anxiety—but first and foremost, I need to just calm the hell down.

I took another deep breath.

Phew... I guess I should also start trying to figure out what’s up with the forest, since that’s what’s causing all of this in the first place. Something weird is definitely going on out there.

“I still really want some eggs, though.”

Normal-sized eggs from a normal-sized chicken, ideally. I really hope chickens exist in this world. I wanna eat pancakes so bad... See, this is why I deliberately avoided thinking about them!

I want rice too. Oyakodon, katsudon... Great. Just great. All that effort pushing away any rice-related thoughts, wasted. I’m never gonna be able to stop thinking about them now.

“Pancakes, oyakodon, katsudon, tamago gohan, cupcakes, beef and rice bowl, crab omelet with rice... Oh, but I’d need to find a crab first for that... Oh, and maguro, and aji fry...”

Great. Now my cravings are going wild as well as my emotions. I gotta do something to distract myself. Hmm... Oh, how about trying to run all the way to that lake again? I can work on my physical health and my mental health at the same time, and I might even come up with a few new egg acquisition ide—

Crap, I did it again. Come on, I’m meant to be distracting myself here!

I eventually managed to set off toward the lake I’d discovered during my search for water, overcoming both my gluttonous thoughts and the look Kurou had given me that had clearly said, You’re not gonna let me carry you? He seemed downright dismal as I started running, but still deigned to follow me, for which I was grateful.

“I have to exercise sometimes, okay?! It’s good for my health!”

And it’s completely unrelated to my squishy tummy!

The farther I ran, the more evident the changes in the forest’s landscape became. Trees I’d seen a hundred times before had doubled in size overnight, and some of the flowers I passed had changed shape entirely.

I’ve also seen new monsters here and there recently... At least none of them have seemed hostile. Although I think only hostile creatures fall under the term “monster” right? Which means they can’t be monsters—so are they just “animals” then? This world’s version of animals, anyway... Or is my definition of monsters just completely wrong? Who knows...

I paused for a moment to observe my leafy surroundings. The atmosphere was undeniably different from just a few months ago. The most obvious change was the mana I could sense. It was different in both volume and intensity than it had been before.

I mean, this is a parallel world, so maybe stuff like this is normal? No... It’s been a parallel world the whole time, and nothing like this has happened before now. I can’t explain it, but something’s weird about this whole situation... Right?

I groaned. “Like, I actually feel kinda sick...”

I took a few more long, deep breaths, but it did nothing to alleviate the tightening knot of unease in my chest.

156. The Changed Lake...and the Old Me!

Et tu, Brute...?

I stood beside the lake, looking up into the sky in disbelief.

I’d spotted it from a good way back—of course, it wasn’t hard, given how noticeable it was—but I’d simply assumed my eyes were playing a trick on me. From here, though, there was no mistaking it. Parallel to the center of the lake, there was now an island—an island that happened to be floating above my head.

Great, another entry to add to the list of things I can’t ignore. It’s gotta be, what, about a fifth the size of the lake? Nah, I think it’s a little smaller maybe... Although I feel like the lake itself has gotten bigger anyway, but is that just my imagination? I can’t really remember what size it used to be, to be honest...

The island wasn’t floating particularly high up, which meant I could vaguely make out the trees growing atop it. The waterfall thundering down from it into the lake, on the other hand, was more clearly visible.

“Okay, that’s just ridiculous.”

What the hell is it made of?! Where is all that water coming from?! I give up. There’s no way I’m ever gonna understand how this world works. No way, nuh-uh, not a chance. Seriously, is this place okay? Aren’t all these sudden changes gonna break something? Or is something already broken?

Kurou and the two younger wolves who’d accompanied me didn’t seem particularly surprised or scared by the island’s sudden appearance.

Unlike me... Well, if they’re not scared, maybe I shouldn’t be either?

I sank into a low squat, and for a while, did nothing but stare at the lake (and only the lake), ignoring the thing hovering above my head for as long as I was able to.

How did it even get there?

“Parallel worlds are freakin’ scary.”

Unfortunately, I already knew neither fright nor willful ignorance would change the fact that an island had appeared in the sky, so I eventually forced myself to start thinking about what I could do to come to terms with it instead. While I already felt pretty unsettled about the whole “mysterious floating island” thing now, the feeling would only get worse if I turned a blind eye to it rather than trying to figure out what was going on.

I asked Kurou to take me up to the island—and just seconds after making landfall, I immediately asked him to take me back down, having spotted countless tiny amoebas wobbling around the place.

Is this another one of their nests?!

The mana of the amoebas I’d recently encountered in the cave had felt like that of the water amoebas who populated the river around my home. These ones felt closer to the wind amoebas—such as the giant one who’d just followed me down from the island and was currently zooming in circles around the lake.

I think it’s just playing around?

The sight of the joyful, giant amoeba was oddly relaxing. The tiny ones, on the other hand...

One or two? Cute. Fine. Heck, I could even handle ten of ’em. But hundreds? Nope. No way. Seeing all of them floating up there just reminds me of— Wait, what does it remind me of? Why do I feel like I’ve been through something like this before...? And why do I feel like it ended badly...?

Ah! It was when we went to the beach when I was a kid and we saw all those jellyfish! And I got so excited, I ended up diving right in... I didn’t know jellyfish had stingers, ha ha. I think I got pretty badly stung actually—but when we went back the next year and I saw them all again, I still got just as excited for some reason.

Huh... I feel like my body just got a whole lot lighter all of a sudden... That’s weird.

Oh yeah, I was meant to be thinking about the floating island...

I looked up again, and in stark contrast to a few minutes before, found myself growing excited.

I mean, it’s a floating island! Who cares about the hows and the whys when there’s a whole freaking island just floating up there! I’d be crazy not to get excited!

“So why did I get so nervous instead?” I tilted my head as I peered up at the sky again. There was no question about it. When I’d looked up at the same scenery only minutes ago, anxiety had coursed through me. But I knew myself better than that now—knew it should have thrilled me to pieces, not chilled me to my core.

So why did it scare me then? Is there something wrong with me? Hmm...

I got Kurou to take me for a short flight above the treetops, hoping the open air would help me sort out my thoughts.

That reminds me... The first time I saw these guys fly, I was surprised—mostly because they didn’t have wings—but I was excited too, right? And whenever I fly on one of them these days, I’m just glad they don’t have wings, because it would make it harder to sit properly. That’s what I’m usually like, isn’t it? I don’t sweat the small stuff. I get surprised when I see something new and unusual, sure, but I get excited too—not scared. Okay, maybe a little scared, but it only adds to the excitement. I went through a bit of a rough patch when I first got dumped here, but I think that’s pretty understandable. But I got used to things pretty quickly, didn’t I? So why the hell am I getting so anxious about things now?

Kurou soon returned me to the lakeside, and I sank onto the ground, still wrestling with the unsettling shift in how I’d begun to think.

Sure, the forest is changing, but what’s the big deal? I’m sure it’ll sort itself out and settle down sooner or later. None of the animals seem concerned by it, so why should I be? I just need to wait it out. I need to remember that this is a parallel world with magic and monsters and everything else, and stop thinking about things like the logic of my life back in Japan applies here.

“Yep, that’s feeling a bit more like me.”

It was like all of the discomfort and unease that had plagued me was washed away in an instant, and I finally felt genuinely calm. A vague sense of trepidation, disgust, and despair still tugged at the edges of my consciousness when I stared into the forest for more than a few seconds, but while not knowing the cause of said feelings still frustrated me, I no longer felt like a ticking time bomb.

I’d always hated wasting time dwelling on things when I knew doing so wouldn’t give me any answers. Thinking back on it now, my mental state over the past few days had been ridiculously out of character for me. In fact, it almost felt as though something must have been forcing me into a state of worry and panic...

Is that...? Is that kinda thing possible here?

I didn’t understand much about the way magic worked, but despite that, I’d managed to use it to make or do nearly anything I’d wanted. As long as you could envision something clearly, it was possible to do anything with magic. So there was every chance that power extended to influencing another’s thoughts.

“Like manipulation... No. Like brainwashing...?”

With magic, brainwashing someone is probably incredibly easy here.

The mere thought of someone messing around inside my mind was making me angry, so I decided to stop thinking about it for now. I turned my gaze into the forest again. Just like before, the feelings of anxiety and revulsion immediately swelled up inside me. Gone, however, was the despair that had rounded out the trio just moments before, much to my surprise.

“What’s up with that?”

I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, resetting myself for another look at the forest. The result was the same: The despair, at least, was gone.

Did something change? I didn’t do anything though...

“I seriously don’t get this. It’s not like anything’s different now from an hour or so ago...right?”

Hmm... Yeah, nothing’s coming to mind. Oh well. It doesn’t feel like a change for the worse, so I guess it’s fine. This world is chock-full of things I don’t understand—one or two more isn’t gonna hurt.

Whatever it is that’s affecting my mood... I think it must be out there somewhere, in the forest. Just looking at it makes me feel kinda sick. I wonder if this is all because of that Magic Eye thing? The hermit god said it was gone, though... Does that mean there’s something else out there?

Yeah, probably. There’s something else out there, and it’s making me go all weird. This place is just full of problems, isn’t it? Kinda makes sense, given those three idiots are the ones who made it—there’s no way it was ever gonna be just a normal forest.

157. Gunmilze, Commander of the First Knights Brigade

I looked down at the sheet of paper once again—the final report on the incident in Elegari.

Casualties: 847 (Former Slaves Included)

Missing: 141 (Former Slaves Included)

Wounded: Innumerable

Holding back a wearied sigh, I averted my eyes from the grim figures and instead looked back at the two men who’d delivered it. Altrouge, the commander of the Second Brigade, and Visloge, his second-in-command, both returned my somber stare.

“Thank you,” I said. “You must be tired—I know you must have marched day and night to get there and back this quickly.”

“We’re fine,” Altrouge replied gruffly. “But news of what happened in Elegari is already spreading to the towns and villages nearby. What do you intend to do?”

I paused for a moment. “Nothing,” I finally replied. “It’s a cowardly move, but there’s not much else we can do, with things as they are.”

“I understand.”

“Get some rest, Altrouge. For your men’s sake as well as yours.”

Altrouge frowned in response, staring at me in reluctant silence. Eventually realizing I wouldn’t back down, he nodded grumpily. “As you say.”

Visloge looked visibly relieved at his commander’s acquiescence. Without my constant reminders, Altrouge was prone to jumping from one mission to the next, oblivious to the fact that his subordinates needed time to rest and recuperate. Actually, rather than being oblivious, he seemed to think rest was as unnecessary for them as it was for him, much to their despair. I could still remember the way some of his men had appealed to me with tears running down their cheeks on a joint mission many years before. Judging from Visloge’s expression now, it didn’t seem like much had changed—a fact that brought a faint, grim smile to my face.

“We’ll take our leave, then,” Altrouge said with a slight nod, and I grunted in response, waiting until the door had closed behind them before letting out the deep sigh that had been building up inside me since reading the report.

The Kingdom of Empras was in a state of utter chaos—chaos that had claimed the town of Elegari as its latest victim. A fight had broken out between the former slaves and the townsfolk they’d once been forced to serve, and Elegari had been destroyed in the process. The town had already been in flames and on the verge of turning entirely to ash when Altrouge and his men had arrived. I’d dispatched the Second Knight’s Brigade as soon as we’d learned of the conflict, but despite their best efforts, they’d arrived too late. The destruction of an entire town had taken just two days.

It made sense. Having spent their whole lives living and working in the backstreets and alleys of the town, the former slaves had known exactly where and how they’d needed to strike to cause the most damage. The townsfolk—people who’d never had to lift a finger, much less work or fight—had never stood a chance against them. Realizing how the fight would likely end, I’d sent only the Second Brigade to Elegari, dispatching my own men to as many of the nearby towns and villages as they could reach instead. I hoped they’d be able to persuade the respective leaders to attempt to make amends with their former slaves before we had another repeat of Elegari on our hands, but I knew the prejudice of men was not something so easily changed.

“If only I had more power...”

As it stood, protests against the emancipation of the slaves were breaking out all across the kingdom. The nobles who still held considerable power in the towns and cities farther away from the capital were at the head of the movement, using their resources to continue oppressing their slaves as though nothing had changed. But their resources wouldn’t last forever—nor would the passivity of those they tormented. Slowly but surely, former slaves from all corners of the kingdom were banding together and amassing their power, a movement the nobility remained largely oblivious to. Sooner or later though, they’d be forced to face the error of their ways, just like in Elegari.

A royal decree had been issued ordering the immediate emancipation of all slaves in Empras, but with the kingdom in such chaos, enforcing said decree in the farthest reaches of the land was near impossible at the moment. More towns would fall victim before the battle was won, unfortunate sacrifices in the fight for equality. When news of the trouble in Elegari spread, the voices of protest would hopefully quieten for a time. I had to come up with a way to resolve things before they could rouse once again.

“Using the lives of others for my own ends...” I chuckled sadly. “I’m no less of a monster than he was.”

The door flew open with a bang, and I jumped in surprise as Cruviaise, the second-in-command of the Third Knights Brigade, rushed into the room in a panic.

“The Magestone—” he stumbled, gasping for breath, “It’s gone! Half of the Magestone has been stolen!”

I felt my breath catch in my throat. I’d predicted the possibility of something like this occurring, which was why I’d charged the Third Knights Brigade with protecting the Magestone. But...

“I-I’m sorry, Commander. Viltora...”

Ah. I’d had my suspicions about Viltora, the commander of the Third Knights Brigade, but with so much to do—and nowhere near enough men to do it—I’d reluctantly brushed those suspicions aside.

“Don’t apologize, Cruviaise. I’m to blame for this.”

The Third Knights Brigade had unofficially divided into two groups already—those who remained loyal to Viltora, and those who supported Cruviaise instead. Cruviaise had immediately supported the emancipation movement, but Viltora hadn’t been so easily swayed. According to Cruviaise, around half of the Third Knights Brigade had vanished along with the piece of the Magestone. His face was deathly pale by the time he finished his report, and he was repeatedly bowing in apology.

“Please stop, Cruviaise. This isn’t your mistake to apologize for—it’s mine. I should have foreseen this.”

I was a fool.

Though not as numerous as I’d like, there were a good number of knights who supported the emancipation movement, primarily from the First, Second, and Fourth brigades—men who’d borne witness to the unknown forces protecting the slaves or who had otherwise heard rumors of what had happened to those who’d dared to lay a hand on the slaves. What unsettled them most was the fate of the mages, stripped of memory and knowledge after their attempt to sacrifice the slaves. The thought that everything they had cultivated over years of training could vanish in an instant was enough to terrify even the knights. The message was clear: If you mistreated the slaves, you put everything at risk. Those who’d experienced that lesson firsthand were quick to show their support for the new royal decree—but the Third Knights Brigade, which had primarily operated in the villages and towns on the outskirts of the kingdom, had not had the same opportunity. And now, what had once been a mere difference in experience had become a sharp divide, a crossroads for the kingdom itself.

158. Snowy Mountain! ...Gaaah!

It towered over me.

A snow-covered mountain! Oh, I’ve been waiting for you! I don’t know why this is so exciting, but it just is!

Snow wasn’t too uncommon in certain parts of Japan, but where I’d lived, it had only fallen enough to pile up once every two or three years—and even then, it was only ever a few centimeters deep at most. To me, snow was a rare delight, not a common hindrance. Therefore, whenever I saw snow, fun was the only thing that came to mind.

Skiing! Snowboarding! Wait, I don’t have any equipment... Damn it.

“Crap, I’m getting a bit too excited... Okay, I need to calm down.”

One, two... Yeah, that should be calm enough. Still, it feels like a massive missed opportunity, not being able to ski or snowboard with a giant snowy mountain right in front of me...

Wait, can’t I just transform a plank to make it nice and smooth? Yeah! I’m the only one holding myself back! I’ll do it right here and now!

Nah... I’ll ask the One Eyes to do it for me. I’m pretty sure I’d just end up making something unusable if I did it myself. The One Eyes, on the other hand... Yeah.

I’d just decided to head home and put in an order with the ever-capable clay dolls when the ground beneath my feet shook, and seconds later, I found myself being carried atop a particularly enthusiastic snow amoeba.

Wait a minute, wait a minute! I’m not wearing my snow gear! Hang on, I don’t have any snow gear... I’ll put in an order with the Three Eyes today too.

I’ve been putting in a lot of orders recently, haven’t I...? Oh well. I can’t help it if the clay dolls are so good at what they do! Or if I’m just terrible in comparison...

“Nope, that’s another of those ‘don’t think about’ topics!”

I’ll just get depressed if I do—so I won’t! So what if I’m not good at most things? I’ll just do the few things I can! Even if those “few things” are getting fewer and fewer recently... Well, good things come to those who wait, I think? Yeah, let’s go with that.

“It sure is cold here, huh...?”

I mean, who knew the summit would be this damn cold?! I wish I’d worn thicker clothes... Oh, maybe I can do something about it with magic? Hmm... Crap, I think the cold has frozen my brain. Okay, okay, think! Er... I’ll just make my clothes warmer?

“Warm my clothes.”

Well that was a pretty unimaginative spell... I think it worked though? I’m all warm and comfy... Could be a little warmer though.

“Warm... Plus.”

Yeah, now that’s what I’m talking about. Imagining myself wrapped in a feather quilt was the way to go.

“Oh, it’s Marshmallow.” I’d just spotted the white dragon plummeting toward me from the snow-heavy clouds overhead.

Wait, plummeting? Er, you’re gonna slow down, right? Right? I’ve... I’ve got a bad feeling about this...

Marshmallow did slow down before it crashed into me—by instead crashing into the snowdrift atop the summit just overhead, at which point the wind picked up, showering me with the drifting snow.

“Argh! It’s all inside my clothes!”

I was covered from head to toe and getting damper by the second. I danced around, trying to brush off the snow, an action which Marshmallow immediately began to mimic.

“Marshmallow, stop! Stop!”

It must have thought I was playing...

I was soaking wet by the time the dragon had finished its dance, though I quickly dried myself and my clothing off with magic so I wouldn’t catch a cold.

Yeah, yeah. You’re cute and all, but please don’t turn me into a snowman again.

The spell from earlier seemed to still be in effect, and I felt like I’d been embraced in a warm hug as soon as my clothes were dry.

Okay, I think I’m safe now. Phew. What’s Marshmallow so fixated on, though?

Marshmallow was staring intently at the ground—the ground beneath my feet.

Why...? Why does it feel like something’s moving down there?

I nervously lowered my gaze from the white dragon to the snow underfoot, which was indeed moving.

More snow amoebas coming to play? Or—

“Gaaah!”

Its head was the first to poke out of the snow, a long, too-many-legged body slithering out after it, pale white shifting to silver along its back. It was huge—big enough for me to sit atop it were I so inclined. But I wasn’t. Because no matter how I looked at it, it was a—

“Centipede!”

I hated centipedes. I was too shocked to move, otherwise I would’ve been halfway down the mountain by now. Marshmallow prodded the centipede curiously, to which it responded by rearing up and staring at me. I wanted to pass out.

Like, I actually want to pass out. Maybe... No, I can’t pass out through sheer willpower, can I? Although... Nope, not possible.

I was well and truly panicking.

The centipede soon lowered itself back to the ground—much to my relief—and peered at me in what I took to be curiosity. Marshmallow copied the centipede’s expression.

Er, what the hell is going on here? What is Marshmallow trying to do?

I was just as confused as the two creatures. Marshmallow prodded the centipede again, and it reared up once more.

Um... Wait a minute, is it trying to greet me or something? Don’t tell me this is supposed to be some kind of introduction.

I looked at Marshmallow for confirmation. The dragon did seem oddly delighted.

Does introducing me to a centipede really make you that happy? Seriously...

I glanced back toward the centipede in question, but quickly averted my eyes again.

Come on, me! Look at it! It’s fine! It’s white, not brown! Centipedes back home were brown, with heaps of legs! Wait, this one has heaps of legs too... Oh, but the size is completely different! Yeah! Even if the shape is the same, there’s tons of differences! Pull yourself together!

“Okay! I’ll do it! I’ll look at it!”

True to my word, I forced myself to stare at the unusual creature.

See? It’s... Nah. No matter how hard I try to convince myself otherwise, it’s a giant centipede. A white centipede, but still a centipede. And behind it... Ha ha. Yeah, it’s brought the kids along too...

“Ha ha ha... Nice to meet you, everyone...”

Calm down! It’s not a centipede, okay?! It just looks like one! Yeah... It just looks like a giant white centipede...

This isn’t gonna work, is it?

Even after closing my eyes, all I could see was centipedes.

159. Yep, Definitely Different! ...Emergency Stop?

Oh, come on...

The giant centipede had apparently noticed my reaction to it and wasn’t taking it well—judging from how it had backed away from me and was currently attempting to burrow into the snow.

“Wait, wait!”

I guess I was pretty rude, wasn’t I...? This guy isn’t anything like the centipedes back in Japan, after all. I mean, none of them ever tried to say hello to me! Some did try to snuggle down in my bed with me in the middle of the night, though... That was terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.

“Don’t think about it. Yep, don’t think about it.”

Aw, it looks so forlorn... It’s kinda cute, actually. Ha ha, I can’t believe I actually think a centipede is cute.

Inexplicably, the sight of a sulking, sullen centipede somehow allowed me to regain my presence of mind, and I finally gave the creature a proper look. Its white body sparkled in the sunlight, and the silvery scales toward its rear glittered intensely.

Wait, scales? Do centipedes usually have scales on their butts? It’s got something kinda like scales there anyway.

I carefully approached the centipede for a closer look. As I’d thought, the silvery part of its segmented body did resemble scales, but wasn’t quite the same. I gingerly gave it a touch.

It’s hard...but soft? But still kinda hard... Yeah, there’s no way I’m gonna be able to describe it.

Oh, it’s looking at me again. Ha ha. Weird... Now I don’t feel scared. I’m not good with centipedes, but this guy is an exception, for some reason... It’s actually pretty adorable.

I lightly scratched the silvery scales a few times and the centipede trembled in response, but not in an unhappy way—as far as I could tell anyway.

I think it likes it? Yeah, let’s go with that. The giant centipede likes butt scratches. Good to know.

I should probably give it a name. It looks like a centipede, so... Crap, I can’t think of anything but centipedes... There’s no way I’m calling it Centipede! Nope!

“How about, er... Cennie?”

Crap. It just looks too much like a centipede for my one-track mind...

Oh well. Cennie seems to like the name, so there’s no point worrying about it now.

What about the baby centipedes? They’re all basically identical... Yeah, I give up. Plus, you guys look just a little too much like normal centipedes for my liking. I’ll spend more time with you after you’ve grown up a bit, okay? But not now. Definitely not now.

A few days later I returned to the mountain with Usa and Kuhi. Ai was our escort for the day—although for some reason instead of the usual two or three bodyguards, we were joined by every other member of Team Ai too.

Er... Are you all just here to play in the snow or something?

I’d brought the brand-new sled the One Eyes had made.

Snow means one thing: sledding! Okay, maybe that’s an oversimplification, but I don’t care. I just wanted to try it.

I explained how to use the sled to Usa and Kuhi, followed by a demonstration. They’d been confused at first, but as soon as I took off, both started shouting with excitement. By the time I’d traipsed back up the small slope, both kids were jumping up and down, clearly desperate for a turn. Grinning, I helped them aboard and took a step back. However, before I could give them a push, Ai took a running leap at the back of the sled, and the three of them shot down the slope.

You really did just want to play in the snow, didn’t you...? Maybe I should get the One Eyes to make a few more sleds for the dogs—

“What the—?” Something had poked me. I turned around to see Cennie—well, to see the back of Cennie, who’d already turned around, wiggling its rear in my direction.

You want me to pat you?

Apparently not, because Cennie didn’t seem to appreciate the few test scratches I gave it. It looked toward the sledding trio, back at me, and then twisted its head around to gesture toward its own back.

You... Wait, you want me to get on?

“Wheeeeeeeee!”

The centipede-based sled run, as it turned out, started from the very summit of the mountain.

This is amazing!

With Cennie’s many legs raised out to the sides, we slid down and down, picking up speed as we did—a lot of speed. I felt like I was back on one of my beloved rollercoasters. I held on as tightly as I could, though really, there wasn’t much to grab onto.

It actually feels like I might get thrown off. This is so exciting! It’s like a rollercoaster with no restraints! Er, hang on, what’s gonna happen when we stop? Crap, I didn’t think about that—

Crash.

Ah, I see.

The answer, as it turned out, was that I’d go flying.

Thank goodness the snow is so soft... Ha ha, you’re so cute, Cennie.

The sight of a giant, panicked centipede rushing toward me was strangely heartwarming.

That was really fun, though... Oh, Kuhi and Usa are looking this way. Yeah, I should probably stop before they try to copy me... I kinda wanted to go again, but oh well.

“Thanks, Cennie! That was amazing— Oh, not again!”

I’d looked up to see Fluffy (apparently taking inspiration from Cennie) shooting down from the summit—right toward me.

Yeah, I should have predicted this.

A huge cloud of snow swirled into the air and buried me seconds later. Thankfully, a frantic Cennie immediately dug me out.

Thanks.

A few minutes later I was sliding down a (smaller) slope on Fluffy’s back, which seemed to quickly improve the water dragon’s mood, much to my relief. Evidently, my playdates in the snow with Marshmallow and Cennie had been making Fluffy jealous.

160. Problematic Forest... Abnormal Behavior.

I spent the next day playing in the snow too—and the day after that, and the day after that.

Man, it’s nice to just relax and enjoy myself every once in a while. Yep. Just snow, fun, and not a care in the world, as long as I don’t look at the forest—

I sighed.

Yeah. As long as I just keep ignoring the problem, everything’s fine, I suppose...

The problem in question was the inexplicable anxiety that swelled within me as soon as I let myself look at the forest for more than a few seconds.

It doesn’t feel like it’s about to crush me anymore, but still... Yeah, this probably isn’t the kinda problem I should ignore for too much longer.

I knew I needed to at least start figuring out what was causing the feelings. Ideally, a way to overcome them would be nice too. But every time I thought about starting off on my absurdly extensive scavenger hunt, I found myself sticking my head in the sand instead.

I can’t just avoid reality forever, though.

“Yep. C’mon, me! You can do this!”

After a healthy dose of positive affirmations, I took to the skies, examining the forest from above for any hint as to the source of the negative emotions. Unfortunately, thanks to the dramatic changes to the once-familiar landscape, it was like I was looking at an entirely different forest. I couldn’t even use the caves as a reliable landmark anymore. Not just because new ones were appearing either—others had actually vanished entirely. Ultimately, several days of drone-assisted searching passed without me finding a single clue.

“Well, I didn’t really think it was gonna be that easy.”

I mean, I don’t even know what I’m looking for. What kinda thing causes negative emotions anyway? A cursed boulder or something? A cursed doll? Ugh, creepy. I hope it’s not a doll. I won’t wanna touch it even if I do manage to find it. Besides, I don’t even know if it’s a curse I’m dealing with here...

I examined the forest once again, taking in the canvas of green treetops stretching to the horizon in every direction, and sighed.

I’m never gonna be able to find anything in here, am I? No matter how you look at it, it’s impossible... Oh well. Impossible or not, until I come up with a better idea, I’ll just have to keep up the search.

“But I’m not getting anywhere up here. From tomorrow onward, it’s gonna be boots on the ground.”

Ever since I’d made up my mind to actually start searching for whatever it was that was giving me the heebie-jeebies, my gut had been telling me that I needed to find it no matter what.

What do they call it? A sixth sense? Intuition?

It probably was just mere intuition, but to be honest, my intuition had been pretty reliable since arriving in this world. Following my gut hadn’t (usually) led me astray in the past, and right now it was telling me I needed to figure out what was going on—before it was too late.

“Still doesn’t change the fact that it’s gonna be about as easy as herding cats... Eh, I’ll give it a shot.”

The weather’s nice today at least. Guess I should probably start by searching the area closest to the house, and branch out from there... This is gonna take ages, isn’t it? Still don’t have any better ideas though, so here goes nothing!

“Let’s get this party started!”

I’d barely taken a few steps when I saw Koa. “Hey, girl! Good morning.”

Guess she ended up with the bodyguard shift for today— Huh. She seems different than normal. Something’s kinda...off.

Chai, who was watching cautiously from a few meters away, looked just as unsure as I probably did. Koa jerked suddenly, shaking her head from side to side.

“Koa, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

She’s never behaved like this before. It looks like she’s trying to shake off fleas or something...

For a split second, Koa’s eyes fixed on mine, and she growled. The next moment, she was shaking her head again.

Crap! That scared me. She hasn’t growled at me like that since the first day I met her. What’s wrong with her? It’s like she’s trying to shake off—

Suddenly, a strange sense of déjà vu rippled through me. I remembered the oppressive anxiety that had clung to me like a leech and the feeling of desperately wanting to—

Wanting to shake it off.

“You gotta be kidding me!”

She’s definitely trying to get rid of something. Crap, what if it’s about to completely take over?! I need to—

I need to calm down.

“Deep breaths. Okay. Nice and calm. I can’t afford to lose my cool now.”

I couldn’t tell if it was nerves or just me unconsciously mirroring Koa, but I was shaking. I took a few more steady breaths, forcing myself to calm down until my thoughts finally settled and I could focus again.

I have to help her.

We had an audience now: The other creatures clearly sensed something was wrong.

If I don’t find a way to stop this, the same thing could happen to them too... I won’t let that happen. Protecting everyone—that’s my job!

Koa’s growls were louder now, and more frequent.

Scary.

“As if! Scared? Who’s scared?! Koa’s my friend!”

I gotta get a hold of myself. Okay, okay. When whatever this thing is was trying to manipulate me, it wanted to make me feel anxious, right? But Koa doesn’t seem anxious, not with the way she’s growling at me. Is it trying to make her attack me, then? Hmm... Is there a magical way to protect against mental manipulation? Maybe some kind of barrier? Barriers usually don’t let me down...

Koa took a step toward me, snarling. The next moment, Chai was between us, staring her down with a snarl of his own. There was a flash of white, and before I even realized what was going on, Spider Boss had ensnared Koa underneath layer upon layer of webs, rendering the wolf basically immobile.

“Phew. Thanks, guys! Koa, I’m gonna figure out how to help you, okay?!”

She may not have understood my words, but she’d know I was trying to save her. I was sure of it.

With her limbs restrained, Koa could only move her head now, shaking it so violently it made me wince.

She’s still trying to fight back. It hasn’t won yet—not fully. Good. Okay, breathe in, and out, and in, and out... Let’s do this. I need to visualize— Wait, what’s the deal here again? I still don’t even know if it’s a curse we’re dealing with this time. Is that gonna be a problem? If it’s not a curse, will my spell even work? Shit! This is too hard!

“Well, if it’s not a curse, what else would it be? This is impossible...”

No! Stop panicking! I just need to come up with a way to specifically counter the manipulation, whether it’s coming from a curse or not!

“Curses are always all black and shadowy, right? Well, they are in my mind anyway... So I just need to visualize the manipulation—which may or may not be a curse—as something different, like... Er, a white shadow? No, light. White light.”

Perfect. Okay, so let’s think about the manipulation-thing as something like a white light, slowly penetrating into... Penetrating... No, light doesn’t really penetrate things, does it? I don’t know... Anyway, that’s not really working. Hm. Oh, what if I picture it like water, slowly soaking into the dirt? Yeah, that works. It slowly seeps into you, not making a sound, and you don’t even notice until it’s nearly too late... Yeah. All right, I think I’ve got a pretty good mental image of the manipulation bit. Now to protect against it. Something like a barrier...? No, a membrane—one that covers you completely, making sure nothing can sneak in. And when the manipulation quasi curse comes into contact with it, it... Er... Hm. Should I try something like the counter-curse I used for the Magic Eye? That ended up having a lot more repercussions than I realized though... Yeah, I probably shouldn’t try to “counter” anything else if I don’t know where I’m sending it back to. It might just make things worse for Koa. But what should I do then? I can’t just let all this manipulative junk hang around, even if we are safe from it. Oh, I know! What if the membrane just absorbs it instead? It can suction it all up and bam, problem solved.

Koa’s growls turned into cries of pain as she struggled against Spider Boss’s webs, the thick strands biting into her skin.

I’ve got you, Koa. This’ll work. It has to work!

I focused as hard as I could, my mind filled with the vivid mental images I’d settled on—bright light, seeping water, and absorbent membranes clinging to myself and all of my friends—and cast the spell.

“Barrier!”

At first there was nothing but the sound of Koa’s agonized cries pounding against my eardrums, but then, everything shifted. A warm light appeared, a mosaic of strange and changing hues that enveloped me, Koa, and everyone else. It clung to me for just a moment, the sensation pleasantly toasty against my skin, and then it was gone, vanishing into my body like water on a sponge.

“Er, what...?”

I don’t know what I was expecting, but I didn’t think we’d be the ones doing any absorbing... Wait, maybe I messed up?

Bewildered, I turned to Koa, only to find her staring back at me. Her expression, apologetic and miserable as it was, said it all.

She’s back to normal.

“Thank goodness...”

Relief rushed through me, sapping the strength from my limbs until I crumpled to the ground. I’d been terrified. Completely and utterly terrified.

As soon as I started taking the search seriously, it tried to make Koa attack me—I’m sure of it. If I’m gonna keep looking for whatever it is that’s out there, then I need a plan, because it’s probably not gonna give up so easily. Next time it might manipulate the actual monsters out there into attacking me instead... Yeah, I kinda want to throw in the towel actually...

I shook my head.

Nope. I can’t just ignore it, not when it can hurt my friends. I’ll comb the entire forest if I have to! Stupid scary manipulation thing!

“Actually, it’s more like brainwashing, isn’t it? Not manipulat— Hang on, didn’t I already have this realization?”

Oh well. As far as I see it they’re basically the same thing anyway. And no matter what it is, I’m not gonna let it turn my friends against me! No chance!

161. Gunmilze, Commander of the First Knights Brigade (2)

“We found them!” came the flustered cry as someone burst into the room. Thankfully, it was only Mizerost—commander of the Fourth Knights Brigade, and my good friend.

“Can’t you at least knock?” I replied dryly, eyeing his drawn sword. While things were stable at the moment, the threat of attack had us all on edge. It wouldn’t surprise me for him to have drawn it out of reflex.

“Oh. Sorry...” he replied, looking abashed. “Er, we’ve received a report—people resembling the Third Brigade’s commander and Duke Gihard have been sighted.”

“Where?”

“Totross, one of the villages closest to the forest’s borders. Looks like the lord there is sheltering them.”

Totross? But why would they shelter them?

I would have assumed the villages closest to the forest would have been more wary of the changes in the forest—too wary to provide a safe haven for Viltora and the stolen Magestone fragment.

Maybe they’re too distant—too isolated to have made the connection between the changes in the forest and what’s been occurring here in the capital. Come to think of it, Elegari was fairly close to the forest too... The news of each attack on the castle must have reached them too slowly for them to connect it to the changes they surely noticed in the forest—if it even reached them at all. I need to pay closer attention to the outlying villages.

I sighed. “Now the question is, what should we do about it?”

“We go out there and capture them, of course—they stole a piece of the Magestone.”

“It’s not that easy, Mizerost...”

A theft of this nature was clearly equivalent to treason, but the Kingdom of Empras currently lacked a king to commit said treason against. I’d taken charge for the moment, but I knew this fragile state of unrest wouldn’t end until there was a true ruler in place.

“Just take over as king already, Gunmilze. This has gone on long enough.”

I didn’t reply.

I thought it would be simple, that all I’d need to do was replace the king with one of his wives or daughters. I didn’t anticipate there being no one left alive to claim the throne. Well, there is one candidate, but... No. It’s impossible. She might be alive, but her mind is too far gone to take up such responsibility.

“I’m serious. Pull your head out and do what needs to be done.”

“I told you. It’s not that simple.”

“Isn’t it? It’s surely better than letting this instability and uncertainty go on for any longer.”

“And the former slaves? How do you think they’re going to react?”

In the eyes of those poor souls, I was as much an enemy as the king had been. I didn’t dare hope to think they’d accept me taking over without a fight.

“You don’t need to worry about them,” came a reply—but it wasn’t Mizerost.

“Wha—?” My eyes snapped toward the open door, and there stood Gujee.

How long has he been there for...?

It had been weeks since I’d last seen him. I’d sent Gujee—a former slave himself and one of my current advisers—to try and convince his comrades in the outlying towns and villages not to take up arms. During the former king’s reign, Gujee had been one of the oldest slaves still working in the castle. It wasn’t common for them to make it to adulthood. He’d also been my first ally among the former slaves.

It had been not long after the first cracks had appeared in the Magestone, on a mission like any other, that I’d met Gujee. In truth, I hadn’t noticed him at first—but one night, I’d looked into his eyes for just a second longer than I normally would and realized he was looking back. His gaze hadn’t been the dull, emotionless one I’d come to expect from the slaves. No, it had just a hint of sentience—a near undetectable touch of awareness—and, even more surprisingly, it had turned away from my own. I was shocked. A slave whose emotions and presence of mind had been taken from him shouldn’t have noticed my own curious gaze, much less tried to avoid it.

I’d waited for an opportunity to approach him without being noticed by my comrades so I could figure out the truth. Unfortunately, he still couldn’t talk, but I was certain he’d definitely regained control over his own mind.

In the months following, I repeatedly managed to have him assigned as support on my missions, and thereby began forming a connection. Before long, Gujee began to regain the ability to speak, which is when I’d learned some of the other slaves had also started showing signs of awareness. All the while, the constant attacks from the forest were continuing to chip away at the Magestone on a rapidly accelerating basis, which meant I, too, needed to expedite the plans I’d been gradually laying. I smuggled books and maps to Gujee and the other slaves in preparation for their eventual escape. I spread rumors implying anyone who interacted with the slaves would incur the forest’s wrath, and soon enough, neither the slave masters nor the guards would go anywhere near the slave pens. The rumors had been far more effective than I’d predicted, for which I was thankful, because it meant I’d been able to help save even more lives.

Eventually, the attacks and the rumors caused the castle to dissolve into chaos, and I readied myself to face the king. Failure would not be permitted—this I knew. Still, I didn’t dare ask Gujee and the other slaves for their help on my regicidal quest. And yet, on that day—the day I’d resolved myself to kill a king—I’d found myself greeted by Gujee and the other slaves as though they had been in on the plan all along. They’d escaped slavery, but they hadn’t fled. Even now, they remained my allies, traveling to the farthest reaches of the kingdom to rally the former slaves in support of our cause.

“Is something the matter, Commander?” Gujee asked curiously, his voice drawing me back to reality.

“No, nothing. What do you have to report?” I replied quickly, shaking my head in an attempt to rid myself of the memories I’d fallen into.

Gujee proceeded to give his account. According to him, the situation in the areas he’d visited was relatively calm, and the former slaves hadn’t been particularly aggressive, for which I was incredibly grateful.

“Do you...? Do you really think it won’t cause more trouble, Gujee?”

“If you were to become king, Commander? No, I don’t think it will.”

“They’ll resist it, surely.”

“I disagree. Most of them are wondering why you haven’t taken the throne already.”

As a child, I’d read my grandfather’s diary and learned the truth—the true wonder of the forest, the true nature of the beastkin, and the true horrors that brought our kingdom prosperity. I’d grown up nurturing a deep respect for the forest and the beastkin, and because of that, I’d never committed any of the terrible acts some of my fellow knights delighted in. However, I was far from innocent. I’d taken more than a few lives to escape the king’s notice. I’d taken slaves into the forest and returned alone too many times to count.

Could someone like me really be king? Can my sins ever truly be forgiven?

I looked back toward Gujee. He simply nodded firmly.

“I told you it was time to pull your head out,” Mizerost said, smirking. His nonchalant attitude infuriated me to an extent. I couldn’t afford to be so easygoing about a crucial decision like this. He’d been right, though. We needed a king, or the kingdom would never find peace—and the longer our indecision went on, the more likely it was that another kingdom would try to seize the opportunity to take Empras for itself.

I sighed. “The nobles won’t accept it so easily.”

“Nothing we can do to avoid that, unfortunately.”

But still, me? King? Isn’t there anyone else? Even Mizerost...

I looked at my friend, who immediately shook his head with vigorous force, as though he knew exactly what I was thinking.

“It has to be you. Anyone else would be torn apart by the knights and your other allies. I don’t have a death wish, friend.”

162. Mizerost, Commander of the Fourth Knights Brigade

Gunmilze sighed heavily. Though he was still reluctant, it was too late—in the eyes of those around him, my friend was already as good as king. There was no one else better suited for the throne. The remaining knights already expected it, and Gunmilze’s allies among the former slaves wouldn’t accept anyone else.

Those same allies were the ones charged with visiting the former slaves in every nook and cranny of the kingdom. After they’d heard of everything Gunmilze had done, had risked—well, there was little chance of any resistance. While the common folk who dwelled in and around the capital were confused by everything that had occurred—as was to be expected—they simply sought stability and protection from further attacks, and thanks to the many rumors that had spread around the kingdom, they also viewed Gunmilze as the likeliest source of that stability.

Some of the common folk farther from the capital still supported the nobility instead, but their protests were growing fainter as news of the uprising in Elegari continued to circulate. Across the land, common folk and former slaves alike were casting their lot with Gunmilze. In their eyes, he was who’d saved Empras. He was the one who’d overthrown the king foolish enough to incite the forest’s fury. If anyone else was to take the mantle with things as they were, it would only lead to turmoil. The kingdom needed Gunmilze, and he knew it.

We could probably postpone his appointment for a little while longer if the only risk of violence was internal, but the surrounding kingdoms had already set their sights on Empras. We were capturing more and more spies with each passing week, and more had surely gone unnoticed. The news of the king’s death had already escaped our borders. Some kingdoms likely sought to seize the forest for themselves, while others probably saw the unrest as an opportunity to merely expand their territory.

A kingdom with no king was ripe for the taking, and therefore, we needed a king—but not just any king would do. The ruler Empras needed right now was someone who had the support of not only the knights but also the common folk—and the former slaves. We needed a kingdom that was as united as possible. Cracks would inevitably form in that unity, but with the right king in place—with Gunmilze—we wouldn’t crumble. A divided kingdom made for a vulnerable kingdom, and we didn’t have the strength to go to war.

“Fine, fine,” Gunmilze finally said, though he looked remarkably unhappy about it. “But not until we deal with the problem at hand.”

“Has something happened?” replied Gujee curiously. Gunmilze glanced toward me, and I froze for a moment, confused, until—

Ah.

I’d entirely forgotten about the reason I’d come in the first place. I coughed awkwardly in an attempt to cover up my momentary lapse in memory, though Gujee’s expression seemed to say that he’d noticed regardless—and that he wasn’t surprised.

I can’t think why he’d have so little faith in me...

“We believe we’ve located Viltora, the commander of the Third Brigade.”

“I see.”

He was the problem at hand. The pockets of resistance against the emancipation of the slaves were troublesome, but owing to the combined efforts of Gujee’s associates and the First Brigade, their voices were being muted and dwindling.

Dissent was waning even in the areas they’d yet to visit as word of the king’s actions—and his subsequent downfall—disseminated. While it would take more time for the resistance to fade completely, the fact that it would was all but certain.

When it came to Viltora and the Third Brigade, however, time was not a luxury we had to spare. They’d stolen a fragment of the Magestone, and broken though it was, it was still dangerous. Perusing the notes left behind by the mages hadn’t given us any clues as to its potential power. We had to retrieve the stolen piece before the thieves could wreak havoc with it, if such a thing was even possible in its current state.

“The Fourth Brigade is ready to march,” I said, crossing my arms.

“We are prepared to move as well,” Gujee added.

“No,” Gunmilze replied flatly. “I’ll go.”

I blinked. “Huh?”

Gujee looked just as confused. “I don’t believe that’s wise, Commander.”

Gunmilze smiled weakly. “Viltora and I became knights together. We’ve been through the good and the bad by each other’s sides. I want to try reasoning with him, as futile as it may be.” His face twisted as he spoke, betraying a patchwork of emotions. I knew he regretted not trying to win Viltora over before it had come to this; he’d said as much already.

This was the true reason behind his reluctance to accept the throne. He’d always been the type to keep trying until he’d exhausted every possibility. Once he became king, his movements and choices would be limited. Right now, however, he could still act—still try to persuade Viltora to see the light, pointless though he knew the endeavor would be. Gujee probably knew the truth behind Gunmilze’s obstinacy as well as I did by this point.

He shrugged awkwardly. “Sorry... I know it’s selfish of me.” He must have been able to tell from our expressions that we understood, albeit unhappily.

“I’ll start gathering more information,” Gujee simply said, before turning and vanishing from the room. I’d yet to ask Gujee about the work he’d done during his time as a slave, but his skill at tracking down even the smallest scraps of knowledge was remarkable and far superior to my own. Gunmilze would surely know everything occurring in Totross before he even set foot inside the village.

“I’m coming with you, Gunmilze,” I said.

We can’t risk anything happening to him. Not now.

“It’s too dangerous. Who’ll protect the castle and the city when I’m gone?”

“The Second Brigade will still be here. So will my men.”

No matter how things ended, the mission to Totross would inevitably be Gunmilze’s last as a knight.

I wonder if we’ll ever get the chance to talk like this again after you become king, friend...

Though the thought made me sad, I knew there was no other choice.

163. Chuearenie, Also Known as Spider Boss (3)

— From the Perspective of an Enormous Spider —

I made my way through the dwelling, some of Master’s carefully prepared food in hand. Eventually, in a small room right near the mountain’s peak, I found them. Chai lounged beside a sleeping Koa, though he stood up as I arrived, immediately aware of my presence.

“How are you, Chai?”

“I’m fine... Thank you.”

The Dire Wolf did look a little better than the last time I’d seen him. Perhaps he finally managed to get some rest now that Koa’s settled down a bit.

The involuntary (and thankfully unsuccessful) attempt to attack our Master had taken a significant toll on the Fenrir queen, and she’d spent the past few days in pure and visceral anguish.

I’m glad she’s started to forgive herself—and that she’s managed to get her mana under control too.

Several days had passed since Koa had attacked—or rather, since she’d been forced to attack Master. I’d recognized the signs immediately, for she’d acted exactly like my brethren had all those years ago once they’d lost themselves to the Magic Eye completely. This time, however, there was no Magic Eye. I and the other creatures didn’t know what to make of it. Master had quickly erected a new ward around not just Koa, but all of his subjects, and she’d immediately come to her senses. However, her distress at what she’d nearly done had been dreadful—both for her to bear, and for us to behold.

It was only after Master’s ward had permeated my body and extended into every fiber of my being that I’d noticed the discordance within myself. There was something lurking within me, just as there must have been within Koa, and it had almost certainly burrowed deep inside me with the sole purpose of seizing control. The other monarchs experienced similar realizations. It could just as easily have been any of us forced to strike out at our Master against our will.

I don’t feel like I’ve let my guard down recently... What could it have been? I didn’t get a chance to investigate it—it vanished so quickly after Master cast the ward. But it didn’t feel anything like the Magic Eye. I’m sure of it. There was something familiar about it though—just barely, but still... I just can’t think of where I’ve felt it before.

I sighed. My memory’s not what it used to be.

Master was clearly concerned about Koa, but the Fenrir began to tremble horribly whenever he approached, so he’d refrained from visiting after the first few attempts. Hopefully his own distress would settle along with hers—though none of us would be able to truly relax until we figured out the source of the problem. I’d sent my children to investigate the forest, but they’d yet to uncover anything unusual.

At least nothing else has happened yet, for Master’s sake... He’s clearly been brooding over something these past few days. I just hope he doesn’t do anything reckless.

There was nothing else I could do for Koa, thus I left to reconvene with my children, who’d just returned from their latest expedition. They’d been unable to detect any issues with the mana flowing through the forest, which was welcome news, but not all was well. They’d spotted a pack of roughly ten monsters, each one a different species, moving straight toward our dwelling. Under normal circumstances, such a gathering—different kinds working together as one—would be unthinkable. My quick-witted children had annihilated the pack before it could draw near and left just a single one alive for my inspection—an astute decision, if I did say so myself.

They swiftly led me to the creature in question, along with Shuri and the few Fenrir who’d joined to hear the report. A single killeragus lay prone on the dirt, tightly restrained underneath layer upon layer of web. Oddly, it didn’t cower in my presence. It simply bared its teeth and roared. Seconds later, Lord Fluffy descended from above, having immediately noticed the atmosphere in the clearing was unusual. However, even the sudden appearance of a dragon failed to scare the killeragus. It only doubled down on its efforts to intimidate us.

“Something’s wrong with it,” Lord Fluffy murmured, clearly surprised. I was just as astonished. Killeragus were one of the weakest monsters in the entire forest. Encountering a dragon should have rendered it frozen with fear, if it didn’t simply frighten it to death. But Fluffy’s appearance had only made the killeragus more hostile. “It’s being manipulated, just like Koa.”

“But I can’t sense any unfamiliar mana—not from the Magic Eye or anything else,” I said, my words coming out more like a question than a statement. The only mana coming from the killeragus was its own. If something was influencing it—whatever that something might have been—I should have been able to sense the hostile mana weaved within. I glanced at Shuri and the Fenrir, but they looked just as confused.

I lifted my leg and pierced the writhing beast through, killing it instantly, before setting the webbed bundle alight. Seconds later, ash was all that remained of the killeragus. I hadn’t been able to stand the thought of looking at the miserable creature for a moment longer.

This is getting frustrating. What could be behind all of this? If any and all of the monsters can fall under its control, this could turn into quite a nuisance... We need to bring an end to this and quickly—but we can’t do that if we don’t even know what it is we’re dealing with.

What...? What kind of being possesses mana that leaves no trace?

164. Foreign Objects... Loads of Mana.

I watched my friends closely over the next few days, but in the end it seemed like my new barrier had worked as intended, much to my relief. It hadn’t been until a few hours after I’d cast it that I’d really realized just how panicked I’d been at the time—to be honest, it wouldn’t have been surprising if it hadn’t worked. Thankfully, a few days passed without further trouble, so it seemed safe enough to assume it had somehow worked.

Phew.

Sadly, Koa had taken the unfortunate affair incredibly hard. Nearly gutting me seemed to have shocked her, which wasn’t particularly surprising given it had been against her will. Chai had barely left her side since the incident, so I knew she was being looked after. It just seemed like it would take a little longer for her to return to normal.

“I just hope it won’t take too long... I miss her.”

I can’t believe something actually managed to control her like that, though. What the hell is hiding out there?

I’d used my own mana to scan the entire forest several times, but I’d found squat—no unfamiliar mana, no strange curses, nothing. Whatever was out there, it was hiding itself incredibly well—which meant I had to keep searching.

Ten days had now passed, and Koa had yet to recover from her funk. Furthermore, since she still started shaking every time I tried to go near her, I hadn’t even been able to attempt to reassure her. It was the most frustrating, heartbreaking thing I’d experienced since arriving in this world.

“I’m definitely gonna figure out what did this to you. I swear it.”

I glanced toward the forest. I’d started to worry over the past few days. There were a lot of monsters out there, and I didn’t particularly enjoy the thought of facing an indoctrinated army of them.

This manipulation... No, brainwashing. Huh? Why the hell do I keep avoiding the term “brainwashing”?

“Oh well. Same thing either way.”

Whichever term I used, it didn’t change the fact that I had a big problem on my hands. If I was going to comb every inch of the forest, I needed to come up with a way to protect myself first. There was no way I was going to be able to cast a barrier on every single creature in the forest. What I needed to do was identify the source of the problem, and then destroy it or seal it away or whatever else would render it ineffective. The issue was that I couldn’t detect even the slightest trace of anything unusual. I’d tried scanning the forest magically from the safety of my home, which obviously hadn’t worked. My daily expeditions hadn’t unearthed anything useful either.

There’s gotta be a better way to do this... Hm. When I came up with the new barriers, I visualized them absorbing the manipulation-thing, right? Maybe looking at the junk that got absorbed will give me a clue? It’s worth a shot.

Er, how do I look at a barrier? I should have one too, right? Okay...

I closed my eyes, attempting to picture the invisible barrier that presumably enveloped me—and immediately became aware of the thick layer of mana that seemed to cling to my skin.

“Wow! So this is what a barrier actually looks like?”

Though my eyes were still closed, I could vividly see a membrane-like film completely covering my body.

It’s kinda weird to actually be able to see it... No, this isn’t the time to be surprised. I’ve got work to do. The membrane should have absorbed anything foreign, so I’m looking for anything that seems out of place... Okay, let’s do this.

I began my full body check (inside my head, of course). It didn’t take long to spot the first strange dark speck, or the next one. I was covered in them. Each was tiny, only about two millimeters in size. I couldn’t feel any mana coming from them, but there was no mistaking it—they weren’t mine.

Are these what’s causing all this trouble? Seriously? Our thoughts and feelings are being controlled by minuscule crumbs?

I mentally tugged on the specks, amassing them all in one spot.

“Nothing. I don’t feel anything.”

If these are what’s been getting me down, shouldn’t I be able to sense something from them? Maybe they’re too small? Or maybe they’re not the problem at all?

I checked over the rest of the barrier, but apart from the specks, there was nothing unusual to be found. Over the course of my search, however, more of the tiny dots appeared, freshly absorbed by the membrane.

Is this one of those “little strokes fell big oaks” kinda situations? These little sinister nuggets invade our bodies, so small we don’t even notice them, but the more they pile up, the more control they take... It’s not impossible. Actually, it would explain why I kept getting more and more anxious and why I didn’t notice how bad it was getting...

I shuddered. The thought of something so vile invading my body without me noticing was profoundly upsetting. If things had gone a little differently, I might not have noticed the specks until it was too late.

You’d have to have a seriously twisted mind to come up with something like this.

I gave the barrier a final methodical look over, but didn’t find anything else of note.

Which basically means these specks must be the problem. The next question is, what do I do about it? There’s probably millions of these floating around in the forest. How can I get rid of them all...

Purification?

Maybe... But I should gather them all together first, at least. I might be able to sense something from them if I can get enough of them all in the same place.

I closed my eyes and pictured the forest, imagining a membrane like the one covering me descending upon it, wrapping the landscape in a clinging embrace. In my mind’s eye, I watched as the hypothetical specks flew around, yanked firmly by the barrier as it absorbed every last one of them.

No, not just the specks—this barrier will absorb anything the forest doesn’t need. There’s probably still some traces of Magic Eye junk hanging around, after all.

Then there were the monsters. I had no idea how many of them were out there, but it was pretty likely some of them—and some of the animals too—were already full of the manipulatory particles, so I refocused on my mental image of the barrier, visualizing it drawing the specks out of the creatures for immediate absorption. It wasn’t particularly easy to visualize, but I stuck it out, envisioning even the smallest details. My mind was filled with visions of the specks being tugged out of anything and everything, from the trees and the rivers to the flower petals and the tiniest pebbles.

Phew... That was hard, but I think I’ve got it now. Okay, so the membrane will absorb it all, and draw it all to one place, and then... Er, what next? It’ll definitely be a pretty big lump of specks, right? Since I’m doing the whole forest at once... Hm. It’s probably safest to leave them all inside the membrane for now—I don’t wanna risk them getting back into the forest. Okay, so I’ll draw them all to one spot inside the membrane, and compact them down into a single lump... Like a stone? Yeah, that works. A pitch-black stone, though, so I don’t end up confusing it with a normal one. And then bam, the stone vanishes. All right, perfect. Now I just have to cast it... What do you call this kinda spell anyway? Um... I’ll just keep it simple, I guess.

Focusing intently on the image in my head, I let my mana flow out into the forest. “Foreign Object Removal.”

Wow, the whole forest is glowing... Er, it’s really glowing. A little too intensely, maybe... Did I mess up?

I went to cover my face with one arm in an attempt to block the blinding glow, only to lose my balance and fall flat on my backside.

Ow...

I jerked at the sudden pain, but the movement was slow. I was exhausted.

Something happened to me when I cast the spell... No, it’s still happening. It’s like I’m being drained...? Oh, I guess I’m using a lot of mana? Wow! It’s like I’m completely hollow. Is this like the magical equivalent of starving? Er, hang on... Is this a bad sign?

Thankfully, the glow soon faded, as did the sensation of my mana depleting.

That was kinda scary, huh...? I’ve never lost so much mana before— Um, why do I feel like I’m being watched?

A quick scan revealed countless worried eyes peering back at me—I’d been caught.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. My mana’s already started restoring, okay?”

It wasn’t just an attempt to reassure them—I could actually feel my mana welling up again with each passing second.

Come to think of it, I wonder what would happen if I accidentally used up all of my mana in one go? Ha ha... I wouldn’t, like, die or anything, right? ...Right?

165. Gunmilze, Commander of the First Knights Brigade (3)

We were met by some of Gujee’s men at the entrance to Totross. Unsurprisingly, the arrival of Mizerost, myself, and a band of the First Brigade’s best appeared to frighten the villagers to some degree. Though I regretted causing such fear, it was necessary. The more scared they were, the less likely they’d be to act against us. Reluctant though I was to admit it, I knew if anything were to happen to me now, the response from Mizerost and the others would be ruthless—merciless. Mizerost had personally selected the men who’d accompanied us, and I didn’t doubt for a second all of them would lay down their own lives for mine. The thought scared me.

“Where are they?”

“It seems they fled into the forest.”

The forest? But why? I would have thought they would fear it more, being this near to it for so long... Unless there’s another reason—a reason that meant they couldn’t avoid heading inside?

“What now?” Mizerost asked.

I frowned. “Who’s in charge here?”

“Marquess Cuffley. It seems he’s married to Duke Gihard’s younger sister.”

“Have we figured out why Duke Gihard came here in the first place, though?”

“Potentially. Until recently Gihard governed a town just outside of the capital, but he was chased out.”

“Chased out?” I questioned.

Mizerost nodded. “The duke was vocally opposed to the emancipation movement, but it seems like his subjects didn’t share his views on the matter. He was outnumbered, and the townsfolk and the former slaves chased him out of his own town pretty damn quickly. This was probably the only place that would take him in. Gihard was always close to the king, and it seems like all the other nobles were too scared of incurring the forest’s wrath to lend him a helping hand.”

I wasn’t sure whether Gihard would’ve had the opportunity to learn of what had truly happened within the castle’s walls. If he had, his opposition to the slaves being freed could only mean one of two things: Either he was plotting something involving the slaves, or he was simply too foolish to face reality. What worried me more, though, was the fact that he’d fled into the forest. If he wasn’t merely an idiot, he wouldn’t have passed through those trees if he wasn’t at least marginally confident he’d be safe from the forest’s wrath. I just didn’t know where that confidence might have arisen from.

But with a piece of the Magestone, they might be trying to do something with magic...

“What about Viltora? Do we think he’s in there too?”

“Yeah. The intel came from one of Gujee’s men, so it’s pretty damn reliable. Some of them are still in there, trying to track them down.”

“I see...” I glanced toward the distant tree line. “I’m going after them.”

“No,” Mizerost shot back. “It’s too dangerous.”

“Commander, you can’t!” one of the First Brigade knights added, similarly opposed, with a few more adding their own objections. But my mind was made up. If I didn’t find Viltora, my already minimal chance to resolve things with words would vanish completely. If I sat here and waited, the situation would become a stalemate—one our resources didn’t afford us the luxury of allowing at present. Whether with words or with blades, I needed to settle things quickly.

We’d already detected a few potential foreign spies in the few hours since arriving in Totross. Though publicly I was still nothing more than a commander, it wasn’t hard to believe they’d already learned of my future kingship, whatever their sources were. Their apparent lack of discretion wasn’t an oversight; it was a warning: We see you, future king. Our masters know your movements.

Those masters—other kingdoms—could be enemies or allies; they could be content to merely wait and watch, or they could be preparing to attack even now. I didn’t have time to wait around for Viltora to show his face, not with the threat of war on the horizon. Empras wouldn’t stand a chance.

“You see them as clearly as I do,” I said slowly.

“The spies?” replied Mizerost. “I still can’t believe it... They’re not even trying to hide.”

“Is it really okay to just leave them be?” one knight asked.

“They’re still biding their time, just as we are. If all goes according to plan, they’ll run back to their masters with tales of our victory, rather than our vulnerability,” I replied dryly, though I avoided stating the obvious—that if things didn’t go to plan, Empras would likely find itself at war.

“Understood, sir.”

“Keep a good eye on their whereabouts,” I said, directing the command at one of Gujee’s men. “If something goes wrong while we’re in there, there’s every chance they’ll strike while you’re vulnerable.”

“As you wish, Commander.”

With that, I spurred my horse toward the forest, with Mizerost and the knights following close behind. The trees loomed nearer and nearer, making me more uneasy with every passing second. A large part of me feared what would happen when I passed between those ancient titans. We’d not suffered any attacks since the day the king had died, but we had yet to make any kind of amends with the forest either. I wanted nothing more than to beg the pardon of the beast monarchs, but of course I hadn’t the first idea how I’d find one, let alone apologize to it.

I spotted Gujee just meters from the tree line and nudged my horse slightly, urging it in his direction. He immediately explained the current situation. He could confirm Viltora had entered the forest, but they’d soon lost sight of him.

“I apologize.” Gujee looked down, clearly upset.

“It’s fine. You’ve done more than enough. Thank you.”

And then, we entered the forest—but it wasn’t the forest I remembered. It had changed in a way that was somehow both dramatic and indescribable.

“It’s...” I trailed off, entirely lost for words.

“Yeah.” Mizerost replied in a whisper, clearly as shocked as I was.

Through the gaps between the trees, I could see numerous rivers and streams flowing, the water within emitting tangible mana as it swept past. Trees, bushes, and flowers I’d never seen before greeted my every passing gaze.

“Is this what it looked like before, do you reckon?” Mizerost muttered, as though speaking to himself. He was probably right. The forest was simply returning to its natural form.

“Let’s go.” As staggering as they were, figuring out the true extent of the change would have to wait. Our time was running out.

“Mizerost, Gujee—keep your eyes peeled. They might have prepared some traps. Look out for ritual circles and anything else unusual.”

“Got it.”

“Yes, Commander.”

We pushed farther into the forest.

Nothing. There’s no signs that anyone’s been here at all... So why does something feel so wrong?

I halted suddenly, scanning our surroundings. I couldn’t see anything but trees—and yet, something was screaming at me to run.

We shouldn’t be here.

“Fall back!” I cried. Mizerost and Gujee reacted instantly, their feet already turning to retrace our path, when—

“Where are you going?” the voice came, soft and unhurried. I spun toward the sound right as Viltora emerged from behind the tree.

I couldn’t sense him at all! But why?!

I stiffened, frantically scanning the area for further hidden dangers. Viltora took a single step toward us, followed by another—but that was as far as he came. A moment later, his hand shot forward, flinging the concealed object in our direction.

“Run!”

It was too late. A burst of light flared beneath me, searing into my vision and revealing the intricate lines of the ritual circle I had wandered right into. My body locked up, rooted to the spot.

To think Viltora’s got his hands on a mage capable of this kinda magic...

166. Gunmilze, Commander of the First Knights Brigade (4)

To my relief, Mizerost and Gujee had been just a few steps outside of the ritual circle when it activated, though several of the knights and I were trapped.

Even if I die here, they can still escape. I can trust them with Empras.

Viltora lifted a single hand, and at his signal, the Third Brigade knights who’d fled the capital with him began to reveal themselves. I examined each one as closely as I could, matching them against vague memories. In terms of numbers, we were disadvantaged, but my men were stronger. Those lucky enough to have escaped the trap would survive—maybe not unscathed but alive. Mizerost had chosen well.

“Why are you doing this, Viltora?”

“Why?” he repeated, sneering. “I don’t remember you being the type to spout such nonsense, Gunmilze.”

“Nonsense?”

“Nonsense!” he roared. “Just like your ridiculous decision to let those animals loose on the streets, letting them think they’re equal to real humans!”

“You should hold your tongue, especially in a place like this,” I replied, fighting to keep my tone neutral.

Viltora spat on the ground. “Ha! You think I’m scared of such hogwash?!”

“When Viltora is king, he’ll restore Empras to its former glory!” shouted another voice. It came from a few meters behind Viltora, where I quickly spotted Duke Gihard hiding. “The likes of you will never become king!”

We don’t have to be worried about him, at least. Cowardly fool... Why would Viltora align himself with the duke, though? It must have something to do with this ritual circle... I thought, my gaze dropping to the carefully etched pattern at my feet.

“You can’t escape it, Gunmilze. It’s one of the late king’s own designs—his very first victory against the forest,” Gihard said mockingly.

“His first victory?”

All those reports, yet I don’t remember reading anything about a ritual circle like this one.

Gihard laughed. “The late king entrusted us alone with the knowledge. Only the great House Gihard knows of its existence.”

We knew Gihard was close to the king, but this close? Close enough to trust him with such critical knowledge? A ritual circle powerful enough to win him his first victory against the forest—what kind of magic is this?

“Those who step within it become puppets to be controlled—a fate worse than slavery, you could say,” Gihard continued unbidden. “A monster known as the forest’s gatekeeper once patrolled this place. The late king came up with this circle as a way to bend it to his will. He used it to turn the beast on its fellow creatures, without any risk to himself. Brilliant, isn’t it?”

“Sickening, actually.”

Gihard turned red. “He was so close to conquering this wretched place! You ruined everything!”

“You’re wrong,” I replied. “He merely reaped the reward for his own atrocities.”

“Quiet, both of you!” Viltora shouted. His arm shot up, brandishing another mysterious object. By the time I realized what it was—a tiny sliver of the shattered Magestone—he’d already flung it toward me. At the same time, the Third Brigade knights descended upon Mizerost and our men. Palpable mana erupted from the Magestone fragment as it landed within the circle, and as though in response, black shadows began to seep out of the ground, wrapping me and the other few unfortunate captives in their loathsome embrace. If Gihard had spoken the truth, we were just moments away from being forced to attack our allies.

Like I’d let that happen.

I grabbed the knife from my belt and held it to my own neck, hard steel meeting soft flesh.

“Gunmilze, stop!”

And then, it happened. The heavens opened up, and brilliant light rained down upon us.

“What the hell is this?!” Viltora shrieked, his figure masked by the blinding glow. The luminance plummeted down in a wave, dissolving our shadowy shroud before fading into the dirt below. It melted away as quickly as it had materialized, though it took a good minute before my sight returned and a few seconds longer to realize the ritual circle had vanished along with the light.

What was that, indeed...?

Mizerost and the others were looking around much like I was, in utter confusion. They didn’t appear to have been affected by the light in any way. The shadows and the circle had vanished, but as far as I could tell, nothing else had changed. I turned my gaze on Viltora, examining the dumbfounded, motionless man—a stark contrast to the commander I’d once called comrade. Gihard had clearly fainted, whereas the Third Brigade knights cowered and trembled, an understandable reaction to their first taste of the forest’s true might.

“Are you all right?” Mizerost asked, rushing toward me, Gujee close behind. I waved them off, focusing my attention on the condition of my men. A few had minor injuries, but thankfully, no casualties had arisen from the brief skirmish.

“The forest saved you, Gunmilze,” Mizerost said a few minutes later, once I was satisfied my men were mostly unharmed.

“Yeah... I don’t know why, though,” I replied.

“That light was a hell of a lot more powerful than the attacks on the castle, though. Do you think it’s because we’re inside the forest?”

“Who knows?” I shrugged. “Regardless, we’ve got more important things to worry about. Restrain Gihard and the Third Knights Brigade.”

It wasn’t difficult to convince our new captives to begin the return journey to Totross. The Third Brigade knights meekly did as ordered, no doubt eager to leave the forest after experiencing how terrifying it truly was. Gihard didn’t put up a fight either, given that he’d yet to regain consciousness and thus could simply be carried. The only one left was Viltora, who hadn’t moved an inch since the light had appeared.

“What...?” he started as I drew near. “What was that...?”

“It was the power of the king of this world,” I replied calmly. “The same power that helped free the slaves— And this time, it helped me, for some reason...”

“Impossible! Nothing could destroy that circle! And especially not when it was powered by a piece of the Magestone!”

“Except it was destroyed. It took mere seconds, Viltora. That’s the kind of power you’re facing here,” I said, and Viltora fell silent. I turned at the sound of footsteps to see Gujee approaching, his hand outstretched. “Well?”

“It is indeed a piece of the Magestone, Commander.”

Viltora’s bloodshot eyes snapped to the shard in Gujee’s hand, his hand stretching out as though to take it, the movement almost involuntary. He’d barely lifted his arm before a breeze swept through the trees. A split second later, the shard dissolved into sand-like specks of dust, and then it was gone, carried away by the wind.

Viltora groaned, the noise wistful and painful in equal parts, and slumped.

With one hand pressed firm against his slouching back, we began to retrace the path out of the forest. We’d nearly left the trees behind when I suddenly sensed it—overwhelming, nearly corporeal mana, surrounding us on every side. Everyone else could clearly feel it too, and the unexpected heaviness of it caused reasonable panic among the men.

“Calm down!” Mizerost yelled, the command echoing off the towering trees.

“Th-There!” One knight shouted, his outstretched finger shaking as it pointed toward the sky, and I looked up to see, of all things, a dragon—one of the forest monarchs—hovering overhead, fiery red scales contrasting against an azure sky. It turned slowly, possibly aware of our presence, and a bolt of tension shot through the gathered men, myself included. For a while, it watched, before finally twisting in midair and flying away toward the center of the forest.

“Bloody hell! A dragon!”

“Incredible!”

“That mana was freakin’ crazy!”

The knights of the First Brigade began to babble excitedly, clearly delighted by their first encounter with a dragon—an encounter that, conversely, had only served to amplify the Third Knights Brigade’s men’s fears. Some had crumpled to the ground, rocking back and forth, while others cried out to the gods for forgiveness. Viltora simply stared into the sky, eyes fixed on a dragon that had already vanished.

167. Ball of Wool, the Fire Dragon

— From the Perspective of a Volcano-Dwelling Fire Dragon —

Ball of Wool, the name Master gave me, had a strange yet pleasant ring to it. He tried to offer me several other options, but I refused them all. Ball of Wool sounded far nicer than anything else he suggested. The way it rolled off his tongue captivated me, though I still didn’t have any idea what the words mean.

I was in the middle of tending to the revitalized volcano, using it to channel my mana throughout the forest, when I felt the surge of the Fenrir queen’s power. It swept through the trees, muddled and chaotic.

“What?”

I leaped to my feet, the magma I’d been nestling in sliding off me in rivulets as I scanned my surroundings. The spirits were similarly flustered, looking around in confusion for the source of the disturbance.

What happened?

Apprehension, irritation, doubt, and fear hung heavy in the air around me, the residual traces of the passing surge. Koa’s mana had never carried such sentiments before.

It’s coming from Master’s dwelling.

I shot through the volcano’s mouth and into the sky, heading toward the source of the disturbance as quickly as my wings would carry me. My path soon crossed with that of Marshmallow and Light Blue, the latter surrounded by a swarm of wind spirits. Far below, I could see Fluffy and the water spirits streaking through the rivers, cutting a swift path toward the same goal.

The sight awaiting us outside the dwelling made us all stop in our tracks. Koa—Master’s most trusted subject—was bearing her fangs at him, ready to strike at any second. My initial shock quickly gave way to anger.

What does the Fenrir think she’s doing?! I seethed, tensing as I prepared to take her down.

“Stop!”

Before I could move, Flying Lizard and the Arumearenie overwhelmed me, the latter restraining me with their strange threads while the former pinned me down.

“What are you do—?”

“Calm down! She’s being controlled!” Flying Lizard interrupted.

The words sent a chill down my spine, snapping me back to my senses. The next moment, mana erupted from Master, coursing through each and every one of his gathered subjects. The touch of his power was familiar by now—kind, reassuring, and above all, pure. It draped itself over me, and as I felt it cling to and penetrate my skin, I realized it was a new ward. I then felt myself being tugged from the inside out. I could sense something inside me—something unfamiliar—for just a fragment of a second before it vanished, leaving me in shock.

Something was inside me, and I didn’t even realize? But why didn’t I realize? Hmm... The others seem just as confused. So it wasn’t just me who didn’t notice, then—no one did. Could that—whatever it was—have been what was controlling Koa? If so, it means any one of us could have just as easily been forced into attempting the same wretched act.

“It wasn’t the Magic Eye,” I said, to which the others nodded. Flying Lizard freed me, but I didn’t move right away. Instead I observed Master and Koa. He was stroking the Fenrir’s head. Though her mana was still unstable, the murkiness I’d sensed prior was no more.

Nearly attacking Master must still be affecting her. I can’t blame her.

There was a rush of movement as the Arumearenie headed into the forest, sent at Spider Boss’s command to investigate. Light Blue and the wind spirits took to the skies moments later to scan the landscape from above. Soon after they’d departed, Master began to approach each of his remaining subjects, likely examining us for any residual effects of whatever he’d just removed. I waited patiently for my turn. Master patted my head softly, and as always, his kind, gentle mana flowed into me with the touch. I twisted my head to nuzzle my cheek against his hand, and he smiled warmly. I, like everyone else, had quickly surrendered to allowing myself these moments of indulgence.

“Shall you and I cover the underground, Ball of Wool?” Shuri asked, and I nodded.

“Of course.”

Shuri and the Anferfurmi would search the caves and tunnels nearest to the surface, while I would take charge of the depths. By channeling my magic into the molten flow, I’d be able to detect anything abnormal with ease.

You can’t hide from me.

So Koa’s finally feeling better... Good.

The updates I’d heard about the Fenrir’s condition had been rather worrying, so hearing she was starting to recover was a welcome relief.

I gazed down at the forest from my vantage point on the volcano’s summit. Many days had passed since the unfortunate affair, and though I’d spent all of them searching for the source of the trouble—and sent the fire spirits to do the same—I hadn’t discovered a thing. The other creatures’ searches had been similarly unfruitful.

All this time, and we still don’t have the slightest idea what we’re dealing with here... What manner of evil is this thing?

I sighed. “We haven’t even found a single clue...”

Perhaps visiting Master will make me feel better.

I spread my wings to take flight, but before I could take off, a wave of mana pulsed through me and nearly knocked me off-balance. It carried on, spreading out and over the entire expanse of the forest. It was Master’s.

“But—”

Master’s never used this much power before—not at once. It’s covering everything! And it’s...pushing down? Sinking? But why?

I took to the sky.

I need to find him! Casting such a ridiculously draining spell—using so much mana in one go—not even Master could survive it! So why would he cast it? What’s happened?!

By the time I reached the dwelling, the mana had nearly faded entirely, the last traces of it seeping into the ground below. I immediately spotted Master surrounded by most of the other creatures. He was alive—but only just. His mana was severely depleted, and I could only sense the smallest remnant of his usually overwhelming power. I shot toward him, preparing to land, but I stopped short as I picked up on a presence near the forest’s borders. The other creatures seemed to notice it too and turned, ears pricking up in unison.

“I’ll go,” I called, twisting in midair and veering in the direction of the unfamiliar presence. It didn’t take me long to reach the border, nor to spot the numerous humans just within the forest’s embrace.

It looks like they’re on their way out, rather than in... Ah. They noticed me. Now they’ve completely stopped moving.

I circled overhead for a short time to assess the situation, but the humans remained frozen, simply staring up in fear. I soon decided they posed no threat and let them be.

Master’s condition is more important than a gaggle of humans. Besides, the wind and water spirits can keep an eye on them.

However, as I began my descent to the clearing outside of the mountain, I could already sense Master’s mana. Unlike before, it was vibrant and plentiful.

I don’t understand... How could he recover so quickly?

168. Koa, Queen of the Fenrir (4)

— From the Perspective of a Fenrir Mistaken for a Wolf —

This is one of Master’s spells... But he’s never cast anything this powerful before.

I raced outside just as the curtain of mana began to descend, frantically searching for any sign of Master. I spotted him right as he toppled backward.

“Master!”

I rushed toward him. He was still conscious, patting himself all over for signs of injury with an expression of what I assumed to be bewilderment. Even now, immense mana still continued to pour from him.

What’s he doing?! If he doesn’t stop, he’ll die!

I shook his leg with my paw in an attempt to gain his attention. He barely noticed me. Power continued to flow out of him in waves, causing dread to swell within me with each undulation. All the while, the spell itself—the curtain of mana enveloping the entire forest—continued to fall, eventually permeating the ground itself, where all trace of it vanished. Finally, the flow of mana ceased.

He’s so pale... He was so close to running out.

Master jumped slightly. Apparently, he hadn’t noticed we’d surrounded him until now. However, he did notice our worried expressions because he immediately smiled and nodded, as if trying to reassure us.

He’s trying to tell us he’s okay—but is he? Truly? He’s still so weak... I can barely sense his mana.

I couldn’t even begin to guess at how long it would take for his mana to restore. When I’d first met Master, my own power had been on the verge of utter exhaustion. It had taken nearly a full cycle of the seasons for me to return to my former strength—and I’d relied heavily on Master’s constant gifts of immense mana to do so. If not for him, it would have taken much longer.

But he just used up so much. It’ll be months or even years before he’s able to cast magic again. Perhaps... Perhaps I can transfer some of my own power to him? Perhaps I can help him, insignificant though my help might be...

I looked around to find that the others seemed to have come to the same conclusion, and we all prepared to channel our own power into him., when—

How?!

Master’s mana had felt like a dying ember just a moment ago, but now it flared brightly. The sheer force of it made me wince. It surged up within him, growing stronger by the second.

“Is Master actually...okay?” Ai murmured, nudging against Master’s waist with his nose. Master laughed and patted the Garm a few times before returning to his examination of his own body, looking thoughtful as he poked and prodded various parts.

Does he know his mana is rejuvenating? He must be able to feel it... Could it be he knew this would happen? I can’t quite believe it, but he doesn’t seem surprised, so perhaps...

Master truly is a being beyond the comprehension of the likes of us. We’ll never understand even a fraction of the magnitude of his existence.

I could sense Ball of Wool returning, seemingly content that the unusual presence near the border posed no threat. I felt its mana waver as it approached, an obvious indication of the fire dragon’s confusion at Master’s impossibly quick recovery. It was only natural, really. We who’d witnessed the phenomenon firsthand were just as unable to comprehend it. Master’s mana continued to replenish at the same unthinkable rate, and the familiar sensation of the constant supply of power he emitted into the forest unceasingly had already returned. The wards he maintained around each of us had also restabilized after a brief period of volatility.

To think any being could recover so quickly from casting such an irrationally powerful spell...

“He’s incredible,” Chai said, brushing against my side.

Incredible doesn’t begin to describe it... Well, nothing could, I suppose, I thought, finding myself with little choice but to agree with my mate’s assessment. But still, what in the world could have required so much mana in the first place?

“Master’s going somewhere!”

I immediately blocked his path, much to Master’s apparent dismay. He’d been making for the forest, but I wasn’t going to allow it. Not today. Thankfully, he quickly realized I wouldn’t back down and changed direction, ambling toward the dwelling instead.

Good. But why did he want to go into the forest?

“Koa,” a voice called. It was Spider Boss.

“Any word from your kin?”

“The monsters have settled down. They’re behaving normally again.”

I paused for a moment. “And when did this happen?”

“Right after Master cast the spell as far as we know,” Spider Boss replied, shrugging.

“Which means he... He did it to protect the forest.”

“I’d say so.”

And once again, we couldn’t do anything to help him. We’re always being protected by him—never the other way around.

I sighed. “They call me a monarch of the forest, and yet...ultimately, I’m powerless compared to him.”

“The same is true for all of us.”

“But none of you attacked him—only me. Does that not imply I’m weaker than the rest?”

“No,” Spider Boss replied firmly. “No one noticed the stuff penetrating our bodies—it wasn’t just you, Koa. Any one of us could have been in your position just as easily.”

Was he going into the forest to confirm everything had returned to normal? Or was there another reason?

“I think whatever caused me to attack him must be somewhere within the forest.”

“I think you’re probably right. Master seemed to think so too, and he’s never been wrong before.”

My comrades and I took to the forest, relying on our respective innate abilities to investigate every nook and cranny of the landscape, from the skies above to the caverns below. Unfortunately, our extensive searches revealed nothing. I began to wonder if we’d been wrong, if perhaps the problem wasn’t within the forest’s borders at all. However, Master soon began making his own forays into the forest, which confirmed our initial suspicions: Whatever it was, it was out there somewhere.

“We might not be able to do much, but we can stay by his side, Koa.”

I nodded.

Master is too kind to me—kinder than I deserve. He allows me to stay by his side as though nothing has changed even after I tried to attack him. I must never fail him again.

169. Monster Stones Again... And You Guys Again?!

“I’m not really sure what to do now.”

I’d tried my Foreign Object Removal spell a few more times, but since each attempt had ended with me falling on my butt with nothing to show for it, I had no choice but to head into the forest myself—accompanied, of course, by my extremely attentive animal friends.

They’re probably just worried I’m gonna cast the spell again... They’ll definitely stop me from trying it, eh? But those weird dark specks are still all over the place, so they’ve gotta be coming from somewhere. I just gotta find out where...

“Argh! I can’t think of anything!”

I placed my teacup back on the table and looked toward the fields.

The Farm Brigade is hard at work today! Nothing unusual about that, though... Wait a minute, shouldn’t there have been a bunch of stuff ready to harvest right about now?

It’s all been done already...? I didn’t even notice...

“They didn’t let me help at all...”

Guess I have been a little out of it for the past month or so. It’s all well and good that I figured out what’s causing all this trouble, but it’s not gonna be over until I can get rid of it once and for all. I just need to come up with something...

My descent into yet another spiral of frustrated brainstorming was interrupted by something tugging on my pants. I looked down to find one of the clay dolls staring back up at me—a member of the Farm Brigade, judging by the colorful stone fitted into its forehead.

“What’s up?”

It held something out to me—a slate-gray pebble.

What? Wait, isn’t this a monster stone?

Confused, I accepted the stone from the clay doll. It promptly toddled back toward the fields, looking extremely satisfied with itself.

Yeah, I forgot they look like this at first. They don’t turn colorful until after I fill them with mana— Huh? Fill them with mana...

“Oh, wait! Can I just use this to store all of the specks?! I might not even need the spell!”

I looked at the stone again.

I don’t really know anything about using these, though—even though the clay dolls and the animals seem to have it figured out. Why did that clay doll give me this? Did it somehow know I needed it? Those clay dolls are too smart sometimes—smarter than me, and I’m the one who made them! Ugh... Okay, I can trust them. I’m not scared! That’s what I’ll tell myself anyway. Yep, I can trust them enough to give this a go. It’s decided!

Well, no point dragging my feet.

“Let’s do this.”

Wait, before I try to deal with the rest of them—where did all of the specks I collected before end up anyway? I never managed to actually remove them, but I’m pretty sure I still gathered them all up... Er, did they all just get shoved down into the ground? Crap.

I let my mana flow into the ground underfoot to search for anything unusual, immediately pausing when the menagerie around me started to protest. After reassuring everyone that I was fine—and that I was definitely not casting the same spell again—I returned to the task at hand.

So how did the spell work? Everything was meant to get drawn into the membrane and then compacted down into a single lump. So theoretically, it should still be trapped inside one of my membrane barriers... I think. Yeah. So I should just be able to search for a trace of my own magic, right? Can’t hurt to give it a go.

Yep, there it is. Dunno how it ended up so far underground though.

“Up you Come,” I said, envisioning the compacted lump appearing in the palm of my hand. It did so, except it was several times bigger than I thought it would be, and I very nearly dropped it before managing to catch it with my other hand. It was pitch-black and about the size of an ostrich egg. I gently placed it on the ground and, after considering my options, began to poke and prod the large stone.

Nothing. I don’t sense anything from it. Are all the specks actually inside this thing or what? Hmm...

I sent a tendril of mana into the stone.

“Ah!”

Though my knowledge of magic was painfully limited, one thing I had noticed was that each creature’s mana felt unique. It was something I’d relied on to tell some of my friends apart. However, I hadn’t been able to sense anything from the specks—until now, that was. My mana penetrated the stone, and I recognized the power contained within at once. It felt identical to the barrier that had once surrounded the forest, keeping Koa and the others trapped within. A barrier I’d recently shattered.

“You’re kidding me.”

The hermit god said I didn’t have anything to worry about anymore, but this is definitely the work of those three idiots. Are they hiding in the forest somewhere, up to no good? I guess it’s possible... Did they escape somehow? What kinda place are the gods running up there?!

I sighed, slumping into a depressed crouch—which, of course, immediately caused my spectators to panic.

I chuckled weakly. “I’m okay, I’m okay. Don’t worry.” I reached out and patted Shuri, who was closest, on the head a few times.

Don’t tell me I’m about to get dragged into another one of their stupid messes. Seriously, what could they be up to this time? Just thinking about it is giving me a headache... Hang on, didn’t the hermit god say he sent the three idiots somewhere else? Reincarnated them as bugs or something? Yeah, that’s right! Hmm... Maybe they were actually pretty smart and set up a trap or something? Nah, if they were smart enough to do that, they wouldn’t have made so many dumb mistakes... Right? Ugh, I don’t know. Either way, I need to get this mess under control as soon as I can, especially now I know those three are behind it somehow.

I leaned over, pressing my forehead against Shuri’s cool exoskeleton in an attempt to calm my jumbled thoughts. When I opened my eyes again, I noticed Kuhi and Usa peering down at me worriedly.

“Don’t worry. I’m okay.”

“Ok-ay?” Kuhi repeated awkwardly.

“Yep, I’m okay. See?”

You’re both doing so well at learning Japanese... Unlike me, who still hasn’t been able to repeat a single damn word of your language!

I patted each of the two beastkin on the head, and their tails wagged softly at the touch.

You’re doing really well at showing your emotions too... I’m so proud of you. It’s also because of those idiots that you guys were once slaves! Those people really piss me off! Yep, I’m gonna erase every last trace of those jerks from this world—just watch me!

“Thanks for worrying about me, but I’m okay,” I announced, raising my voice so everyone could hear. I stood up and stretched.

Now I know who’s behind all of this, all that’s left to do is find them and crush them. Hard. No matter what I have to do, I’m gonna crush them. They can’t hide from me.

“You’re not gonna get away with this! Do you hear me?!”

I don’t care if you’re not even in this world anymore! I’m gonna find you in your next life and squish you like the bugs you are! That’s what you get for upsetting Koa—no, for upsetting all of my friends! You’ll get what’s coming to you!

“For starters, I need to deal with these nasty specks once and for all,” I declared, unusually confident. Figuring out the reason behind my extended headache had lit a fire underneath me. “Come to think of it, though, that power felt a little weird, didn’t it?”

The power I’d sensed within the pitch-black stone, the power belonging to the three idiots... It wasn’t actually mana, as far as I could tell, but something different.

“It’s bothering me, but I should try to deal with the specks first.”

I’ll figure out what’s up with the power later. For now... Let’s see... First, I need to yank every last speck of their gross power outta the forest, and trap it all inside the monster stone. Then, after I’ve gathered it all, I should just transfer it inside this big stone with the rest of their nastiness. Gotta keep all the trash in one place.

I gripped the monster stone tightly.

Those idiots were apprentice gods, right? So it’s not mana I’m searching for; it’s god power... Oh, Higher Power. That’s what he called it.

It was time to let my imagination do the work. I visualized the monster stone gathering every last speck of Higher Power from within the forest, absorbing it all before transferring everything into the pitch-black, barrier-protected stone, where it would hopefully stay trapped.

“Collect and Transfer all Higher Power.”

I nearly yelped as the monster stone suddenly seared within my grasp. Shock forced my hand open, and the stone shot into the forest at an incredibly impressive speed.

Er... What? Also, isn’t it going a little too fast? This isn’t quite what I was picturing... Um, I’m not sure I should be letting a pebble whiz around the forest at that speed... What if it collides with a monster or something?

Another tug on my pants yanked me back to reality, and I looked down to find myself surrounded by numerous members of the Farm Brigade, each carrying another monster stone.

“Er, are you saying I should use these too?” I asked, to which the clay dolls responded by holding out their respective stones to me.

“Okay, got it.”

I took the stones gratefully, deciding not to waste time wondering how or why they knew I needed them.

Yep. No point worrying about the unknown! It’ll only terrify me! I’ll just keep accepting the stones until they’re satisfied, and I definitely won’t dwell on it!

170. Too Efficient... Too Ominous.

I paused to examine the large black stone thing, which remained where I’d left it in the clearing in front of the mountain.

This’ll probably need to stay around for a little while... I guess I should give it a name. I can’t keep referring to it as “large black stone thing” even if it’s only in my thoughts. I’ll keep it simple though. It’s a stone... Well, I don’t think it is actually a stone, but it sure looks like one. And it absorbs things. Cool, let’s go with “spongestone.” I mean, it’s basically a sponge for Higher Power. Yep, spongestone it is.

Sometimes I’m glad no one else here understands Japanese.

Anyway, it doesn’t seem like the Higher Power is affecting anyone anymore. Good.

“Er, what’s that?”

It had been two days since I’d (somewhat unintentionally) sent the monster stones pelting into the forest—and now, another one of them was coming back. It whipped right past me to land atop the spongestone where it shone briefly, emitting a flash of light that immediately sank into the spongestone below.

“Great! Looks like everything’s still working well.”

The ongoing success of the flying monster stone/spongestone system was partially on account of the clay dolls, who’d taken control of the whole operation at some point over the past two days. While I still made sure to magically scan the forest every so often to check for anything out of the ordinary, I was more than happy to leave things largely within their capable clay hands.

Pretty sure I’d be a nervous wreck by this point otherwise.

Well, I’d say most—if not all—of the specks are gone by now, so it’s high time I head into the forest! I need to figure out whether or not those three idiots left any other nasty surprises for me. I wonder if it would be easier to search if I could use that weird Higher Power of theirs, instead of plain old magic? I couldn’t detect their stupid barrier, after all. Hmm... I’ll leave it for now. It’s probably not that easy to just start using the power of the gods on a whim... I’ll give it a go later, though.

All right, let’s get this show on the road!

I guess I’ll start by scanning the forest for Higher Power. I have a better idea of what it feels like now, even if I can’t use it. I’m probably looking for a place with a high concentration of Higher Power—if they have left anything for me to stumble across, that is.

Focusing intently on the sensation the Higher Power had left, I cast a detection spell, which consisted of envisioning a thin beam of light passing through the forest from one side to the other.

“Huh, that’s weird. I’m not picking anything up.”

I tried the spell again and got the same result.

What the—? Oh.

I’d just remembered the spongestone, as well as the high-speed monster stones constantly making their pit stops on top of it.

How the hell are these monster stones so efficient?! They’ve erased every trace of Higher Power from the whole damn forest!

“Pause,” I said, casting a spell to guide all the monster stones away from the forest and back to the clearing. A few minutes later, all fifteen stones had returned, forming a neat ring around the spongestone of their own volition. The clay dolls immediately emerged from somewhere and began checking over each stone, probably examining them for any defects.

You guys are seriously too damn efficient too... But that’s not important right now. I wonder if more Higher Power will appear if I wait? And if so, just how long will I have to wait?

“Ha... So now I’m waiting for the Higher Power to resurface, instead of wishing it would just disappear? Honestly...”

Oh well. Guess I might as well sit down with a cup of tea or something.

I settled myself on the wooden deck with a fresh cup of tea and Spider Boss and the wolves for company. About an hour later—by my rough estimation anyway—I cast the detection spell again.

Wow... Hmm.

The mental image came sharp and clear: a birds-eye view of the forest, and within it, several glowing points of interest.

Those would be the places where there’s a buildup of Higher Power, I’m guessing. Some of them are glowing brighter than the others... Five spots? Nah, seven. And then there’s four, no—six, no—eight of the slightly dimmer points. And the rest are all pretty faint but still feel kinda unpleasant... Five of those. So that makes, what, twenty spots in total...?

“Come on! That’s way too many for just three idiots!”

Oops. That just slipped out... Ha ha, Koa and the others look so cute when they’re confused... Or maybe they’re just scared of what’s gonna come out next...

“I’ve been talking to myself a lot more lately, haven’t I? Guess this is what happens when you’re starved for conversation. Ha...”

Oh well. Time to get to work! Oh, can’t forget to magically imprint the map in my head so I don’t forget where any of those spots are. I’ll start with the closest spot, which is... Okay, found it. Let’s have a quick look... There’s no paths leading from here to there, so I guess I’ll just plow straight on through the forest! Oh, but first...

“Resume.”

Okay, all set.

I set off into the forest, accompanied by Koa, Chai, and six of their puppies, making for a total of eight canines. Spider Boss and a whole bunch of the younger spiders in various stages of growth came too.

Am I imagining things, or do I have an unusually large entourage today? I wonder if they’re still worried because I kept collapsing before. I tried to tell them I was okay, but maybe the message didn’t get across? I feel kinda bad... But on the other hand, I dunno what’s gonna be waiting for me out here, so the more the merrier.

“Off we go!”

I took off at a run, racing through the forest toward the closest point of interest—and ran...and ran...and ran.

I took note of the location properly, but I completely forgot to check the distance! Ugh... I didn’t think the closest point would be so far away... I guess this is what they mean when they say you should never assume things...

“It should be around here...” I wondered aloud, checking the surrounding rivers and thickets against the map in my head.

Yep, I should be right on top of it. But there’s nothing here... Hmm.

I cast my detection spell again, but to my surprise, absolutely nothing happened.

Something’s interfering with my magic? The last time this happened, it was because of the barrier those idiots put up around the forest... They’re definitely to blame this time too. So what are they trying to hide? And more importantly, what am I gonna do if it’s something really dangerous? So annoying... Oh well. The first problem is figuring out where they’ve hidden it in the first place—and if my magic’s a no-go, I’ll have to do this the old-fashioned way.

I looked around, trying to figure out exactly where to start my manual search—but froze as something whizzed past my head.

Crap! Oh, it’s just one of the monster stones. Phew.

I watched in curiosity as the stone paused about ten meters away from where I was standing before starting to circle in midair. After completing five or six revolutions, it took off again, quickly vanishing from sight.

“So it’s over there, eh?”

I wonder how the monster stone figured out where to go? I probably need to figure out how those things work with a little more clarity... Another thing to add to the to-do list.

I made my way over to where the monster stone had paused, eventually spotting a half-hidden opening in what I’d thought was just a small cliff.

“Another cave?”

Something feels kinda off about it. I just feel uncomfortable for some reason.

Chai took the lead and warily approached the opening, and within a mere moment, a popping sound rang out, sending him backward like he’d come in contact with a live wire.

“Chai!”

Thankfully, he was okay. Thanks to the barriers I’d cast on him, he wasn’t injured, just surprised at being sent flying. Koa nuzzled against him reassuringly, and soon enough, he got to his feet as though nothing had happened.

Phew.

I inched slightly closer to the opening, only for Spider Boss to gnash its fangs at me in warning.

Okay, okay. I stroked the giant spider on the head a few times to soothe it.

So we’re dealing with another barrier here, then. And if they’ve gone to so much to keep others out... I’ve got a bad feeling about this.

171. Higher Power... Failure? Success?

In an effort to avoid being tossed around like a rag doll, instead of walking toward the cave opening, I instead stayed put and reached out toward it slowly with a single hand. Nothing happened until it was fully extended, at which point I could feel the slightest sensation against my fingertips—but that was it. I shuffled a tiny bit closer and repeated the process, to which I was rewarded with pain similar to an electric shock that ran through my fingers and down my arm.

“Ouch!”

At least I know where the barrier is now. At least I didn’t go flying like poor Chai, but I’m guessing that’s what’ll happen if I try to get any closer. Great. Okay, what do I do now? Last time I came up with something to do with compressed air and wrecking balls...

Yeah, I’m sure there must be a simpler way to do things.

Their barriers are made out of Higher Power, right? So maybe it’d be a lot easier to use Higher Power to break them too. Actually, what’s the difference between normal magic and Higher Power anyway?

I noticed a shadow appearing from above my head and looked up to find another monster stone completing its little circuit. With a quick spell, I willed it to drop neatly into the palm of my hand.

I wonder if I can extract the Higher Power from this thing?

“Extract all Higher Power—oh, and in a visible form.”

A tiny ball of glowing white light floated out of the stone, bobbing softly in midair.

I can’t believe that actually worked—especially the making-it-visible part. I was just taking a shot in the dark, to be honest. Wait, does this mean I can do the same thing with normal mana?

I gave it a go, casting a similar spell on a fraction of the mana inside my own body. Moments later, a tiny ball floated out of somewhere around my chest, bobbing over to hover alongside the Higher Power. Unlike the first ball, this one was black—I’d willed it to be that way, but the sight still made me shudder.

Strangely enough, seeing a black lump emerging from my own body is a lot more nightmarish than I thought it would be.

After pulling myself together, I compared the two floating orbs.

So what’s the difference? Besides the color obviously, seeing as I added that myself. Hmm... I’m pretty sure there is something different between the two of them, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. How am I meant to investigate something like this anyway? Do I just base it on the vibes each one gives off? Now that I think about it, I don’t actually know the first thing about normal magic, so it’s gonna be kinda hard to figure out how Higher Power is different in comparison... I feel like I might have been a bit overly optimistic about this whole thing. I guess I should start with the mana...

“Seriously, what the hell am I meant to do here?”

It’s no good... My mind’s all over the place. Okay, focus. Try thinking about this another way. A simpler way. Hmm. Okay, so what do I actually want to do here? I want to come up with a way to detect any more of these stupid barriers, and defend myself and my friends against them. So what’s the simplest solution to those two problems?

Oh. If I could change some of my mana into Higher Power and use it, wouldn’t that kinda kill two birds with one stone? I mean, I can always sense unfamiliar mana, and I can obviously use it for defensive purposes. Therefore, if I could use Higher Power instead, wouldn’t I then be able to detect unfamiliar Higher Power too? Plus, if I could use it to make barriers, I’d be able to protect everyone from both kinds of mystical attacks. I think that’s probably the ideal solution. I should be able to convert it, right? After all, I’m pretty sure mana is pretty damn similar to energy, and energy gets converted all the time. Okay, so all I need to do is convert some of my mana into Higher Power! If it is actually possible... Only one way to find out.

I decided to use the orb of mana I’d already removed for my trial run.

I definitely get a different impression from each of these, but I have no idea how to put it into words... How do I even start to visualize a spell like this when I can’t even describe what I want to do?

Bzzt. Nope! Can’t let myself go down that rabbit hole again. Gotta keep it simple. All I need to do is think about the vibes I get from the mana changing into the vibes I get from the Higher Power. Easy.

I held my palm out to the black orb. “Convert— Argh!”

A violent gust of wind pummeled me as soon as I’d cast the spell. As far as I could tell, it was coming directly out of the mana orb itself. It swept around us like a tornado, picking up leaves and branches from the ground and even stripping them off the trees, though luckily it wasn’t powerful enough to uproot any of them. After a minute or so, the wind died down.

“Why—? Oh...” It took me a moment to realize why Koa and the others had thrown themselves to the ground, and why the spiders were currently leaping out of the trees. I went and cast another spell without warning them first.

“Sorry! Are you all okay?”

A quick once-over uncovered no injuries, much to my relief.

Phew. Huh? Koa’s got her ears all folded down... I guess I really scared her. I feel really bad now.

“I’m really sorry... It’s over now, okay?” I said, patting each of the wolves in turn.

I mean, how was I meant to know a little conversion spell would cause a tornado? Still, I need to be more careful in the future. Okay, I think everyone’s calmed down now—time to check on the results.

I made my way back over to the orbs.

Weird. I was sure I visualized it so that the mana orb would resemble the other one... So why is it silver now, instead of white?

“What the hell have I made?”

Is this some kind of chemical reaction kinda deal? Crap. I think I messed up big time. What do I do now? I guess I should at least try to figure out what I ended up creating...

I held out my hand to the now silver orb.

Huh. It does actually feel pretty similar to the impression I get from the Higher Power... But it’s not quite the same.

“Bummer.”

Oh well. It’s not what I was hoping for, but I might still find some use for whatever this is... Can’t think of anything right now though. Nothing that makes sense, anyway.

“Well, this was a total bust.”

Although for some reason, the impression I’m getting from the silver orb feels more powerful than the Higher Power, weirdly enough. Am I just imagining things? I suppose there wasn’t as much Higher Power to begin with, so that must be why it feels kinda weak in comparison... Not like it’s important anyway. I still failed regardless. Well, waste not want not, as they say! Might as well at least try to use this failed experiment for something. After all, it does feel pretty similar to the Higher Power, so I guess there’s some chance I might be able to break this barrier with it, right?

“No harm in trying, is there?” Conjuring up an image of shattering glass, I held out my hand to the hovering orb, willing it to shoot directly at the barrier. “Break!”

Nothing happened.

Double bummer. The orb disappeared before it even reached the barrier. Yep, definitely a total bust—

SMASH!

The sound of glass breaking echoed through the forest.

“Argh! Crap, that scared me.”

Wait a minute, did it actually work?

Apparently it had, based on the brief glimpse I caught of a translucent, crumbling wall which then faded entirely.

“Huh.”

I looked around, but there was no further evidence of the broken wall or anything else unusual—just the wolves, who’d retreated to the distant tree line, and the spiders, who’d once again hidden themselves up in the trees... Crap.

“Er... Sorry...”

I literally just told myself to stop casting random spells without warning everyone first!

Eventually, the wolves deemed it safe to return, although they were clearly still somewhat cautious.

They all look so scared... Hang on, are they scared of me? I thought it was just the spell...

“You okay, girl?” I asked, scratching Koa behind the ear. Thankfully she relaxed quite quickly and began wagging her tail, which seemed to reassure the other animals too, because I immediately found myself surrounded by hopeful wolves. While giving each a healthy dose of scratches and pats, I mused over just what had scared them so much in the first place.

Was it the silver glow? Nah, I’d say it was probably the noise. It was pretty damn loud after all—which is my fault. I shouldn’t have based the spell around the idea of shattering glass. My bad. I’ll have to come up with something less scary next time.

Now all is said and done, I feel like it would’ve been quicker and easier if I’d just gone with the compressed-air wrecking ball again... Oh well.

172. Inside the Cave... Japanese.

With the annoying barrier now out of the equation, we made our way into the cave. The entrance was on the smaller side, but fortunately, it opened into a much bigger passageway. It was immediately obvious this wasn’t a naturally occurring landform. The ground below wasn’t rough stone but cobble paving, and the walls were lined with something quite similar to brick.

Did the idiot trio build this place, then? I’m gonna have to worry about traps and stuff... I snuck a glance at my ever-present entourage. And if they’ve used Higher Power to make said traps, I’m not gonna be able to protect everyone with just my regular old magic. I’ve gotta think of a way to make sure everyone’s safe. The silver power I used to break the barrier... I wonder if I could use it to protect us from Higher Power harm too? I have no idea what it is still, but I’ll use anything if it’ll help me keep my friends safe.

I decided to take a crack at using the mysterious silver power to cast a barrier over myself and the others. In line with my current mindset of keeping things simple, I began my experiment by wrapping myself in a layer of mana, just like I would if I was casting a normal barrier. Then, all I had to do was convert it into the silver energy—hopefully.

Oh, but I don’t want a repeat of the instant tornado from last time. What was up with that anyway? Was it just some kinda energy dissipation side effect from the conversion or something? Hmm... Well, guess I can try revising my spell a little so the conversion happens more slowly. It’s worth a shot.

“Convert into the silver energy.”

The mana barrier around me slowly began to glow with the silver sheen I’d been hoping for. While it still produced a slight draft, it wasn’t anywhere near as violent as the surprise tornado from earlier. I waited until the wind died down entirely, and after a quick scan to make sure nothing seemed out of place, I moved onto the next stage of my experiment.

“Barrier.”

I cast barriers on a near daily basis, so I didn’t need to visualize the spell, simply relying on the mental image I’d associated with the word a long time ago. After another gust of wind—a little stronger this time—the silver energy suddenly vanished. A quick self-conducted magical examination revealed a second barrier powered by the silver energy covering the first, mana-powered barrier I always donned.

It worked. Cool.

After moving around a bit to make sure it hadn’t impeded my movement in any way, I proceeded to apply silver energy barriers to my numerous companions.

“Well, we’re safe now no matter what we run into. You guys ready to take a look inside?” I asked, pointing farther into the tunnel. Koa and her pack indicated their collective agreement with a synchronized wag of their tails. From their vantage point on the ceiling overhead, the spiders snapped their fangs to signal their own readiness. Not for the first time, I found myself filled with gratitude toward my animal friends.

You guys are always right by my side no matter how anxious or scared you are.

I peered ahead, but the way forward was obscured in complete darkness, and I couldn’t make anything out. Hang on, something’s strange here... Yeah, why is this part of the cave lit up when the rest isn’t?

A basic sweep of my surroundings soon revealed the answer: glowing stones embedded within the nearby walls. This must be the same kinda stone we have back at the mountain... Also, I seriously need to work on my situational awareness.

Turning my attention back to the task at hand, I conjured a bunch of orbs of light, sending them to line both sides of the tunnel ahead at regular intervals. The tunnel itself was even longer than I’d expected, and in the end, I’d conjured more than twenty of the orbs before I could faintly make out what seemed to be another opening at the far end of the tunnel. With my preparations finally complete, we set off, Koa taking the lead. Spider Boss and the spider kids stuck to the walls and ceilings, happily taking up their regular roles as my bodyguards.

I’d mastered the art of barriers, but when it came to the offensive aspect of fighting, I was completely useless. The only attack I could use with much confidence was a wind-powered severing spell. I should probably start taking the attacking side of fighting a little more seriously, so these guys don’t stress themselves silly worrying about me all the time. Attacking, huh... It’s just kinda scary though... I mean, what kind of offensive abilities should I be trying to master anyway? It’d probably be easiest to just come up with a few more offensive spells, I guess... Though come to think of it, those beastkin I spotted recently—a few of them had swords, right? Maybe I could... Nah. There’s no way. Like, I can’t even imagine myself swinging a sword without somehow losing a few fingers—there’s zero chance I’d be able to do it in real life.

“And yet, imagining myself being attacked by someone with a sword isn’t hard at all for some reason...”

Eh, no point dwelling on the impossible. I’ll just stick to offensive magic.

With a start, I realized that while I’d been lost in thought, we’d reached the end of the tunnel.

Forget offensive abilities—I definitely need to work on my situational awareness first. Or maybe my ability to focus on the task at hand...

Pushing aside all other thoughts, I got to work, conjuring another orb of light and sending it into the cavern ahead. As I’d suspected, the cavern turned out to be on the larger side, so I repeated the process a few times until I’d achieved a suitable level of illumination.

“Aah! Ugh... Seriously?” With the cavern fully lit, I could now make out the giant pile of bones in front of the far wall—and after taking a few reluctant steps closer, I spotted the skulls. Human skulls. As far as I could tell, they were all human skeletons.

What the hell is this place...?

Averting my eyes from the grim scene, I inspected the rest of the cavern. The most obvious points of interest were the desk and chair over to one side, and the ten large cages lined up nearby. I checked each of the cages in turn. All of them were unlocked and empty—or so I thought, until I noticed what appeared to be some scraps of paper in one of the cages.

It looks like there might be something written on it... Come to think of it, this will be my first time seeing how the writing system looks in this world.

I reached into the cage and retrieved the small stack of paper, curious to see what kind of alphabet this place used.

“Hang on a minute... Is this Japanese?”

The characters were messy and hard to read, but sure enough, it was Japanese.

Everything turned white all of a sudden, and then I was here. My legs are gone, cut off from the knee down.

It hurts.

Some guy calling himself a god appeared and asked me a bunch of questions. I don’t know what’s going on. He put me in a cage. Why? He told me to write down everything that happens—any changes I feel. I told him I needed help instead, but he ignored me.

It hurts.

I can hear other voices. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only person here.

I moved onto the next sheet. The characters became even more illegible, with most of it now written in simple hiragana.

It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. So much pain. Help me. God won’t help me. Someone died. A scream. A terrible scream. Can’t get it out of my head. A new person came to replace them. Awful. Covered in blood. Looked like they were in so much pain. God’s shouting. It’s not working, he said. I don’t know what’s not working. Everything hurts. Help me. Someone help me.

I want to go home I want to go home I want to go home it hurts I think I’m about to die I want to see my family.

My heart twisted in my chest. It was a struggle to keep myself from punching something in anger. “Those bastards...”

There were eight pages in total, but I’d stopped reading after just three. The writing had gotten progressively harder to read as the pages went on, and by the time I’d reached the third page, I could only make out a few lines.

I sighed. “So these are their poor victims then,” I muttered, glancing at the mountain of bones.

Summoning spells—like the one that had yanked me into this world—were a difficult type of magic according to the hermit god, who’d kindly given me a rundown of various things. It wasn’t magic anyone could cast on a whim. I surveyed the cavern once again, taking in the relative positions of the desk and the cages, arranged so—

So they could keep an eye on their test subjects. This was where they practiced the summoning spell, casting it over and over again until they were ready to give it a go for real. This place isn’t some random cave—it’s a test facility.

I saw red. Raw, searing rage like I’d never felt before swept through me, and it was all I could do not to scream. With great difficulty, I managed to suppress the anger just enough for some measure of clarity to return and made my way over to the pile of bones, gently retrieving a single skull from the heap. The second my fingers brushed against it, another popping sound rang out, echoing off the cavern walls.

“Whoa!”

It was the same sound I’d heard when Chai had encountered their last stupid trap. It looked like my new barriers had worked, at least—no one had been hurt or gone flying.

What’s up with that? I only picked up a skull.

I looked at the bone pile again, confused—when it burst into vivid blue flames. As I retreated in shock, Koa and Chai darted in front of me, fangs bared and growling. Overhead, the spiders scuttled as they repositioned themselves to circle the flaming pile, their many eyes narrowed in wary caution.

173. The Fallen Apprentices

— From the Perspective of a Disgraced Former Apprentice —

How? How could this have happened? Of all the apprentices, I was the one closest to godhood! I was more powerful than any of them! And yet they dared to tell me I was unworthy? What do they know about worthiness, those lesser god scum?! They’ll come to regret this. Those pathetic lesser gods couldn’t even control a single world if they tried, and they think they can look down on me? Me, who created a world? Me, who was on the verge of mastering summoning magic, a power only the high gods wield? What right have you to stand between me and my rightful ascent? Do you think I’ll meekly sit around in a place like this for the rest of my days?

I must stay calm. There will be endless time for anger later.

I need Higher Power to escape this nightmare. They might have taken my power and my charged cores, but they didn’t find the one I hid as a precaution. How much Higher Power has it amassed now... Blast! It’s barely half of what I’ll need.

No, I need to remain composed. This is my only chance at getting out of here. I only need to endure this wretched place for a little bit longer, just like my brother said. I’m already halfway there, after all. It won’t be long until I have all the power I need.

The world I created with my own hands... Even now, it’s surely gathering Higher Power on my behalf—and as the scales tip in my favor, the ritual circles will have begun to activate. Though our wall being shattered was unfortunate, I can’t imagine the dragons nor any of the other beasts will abandon the forest. By now, most of the ritual circles should be active and making the necessary preparations.

Even if some god has been sent to monitor my world, their efforts will be futile. They’ll only be a pathetic lesser god anyway. So they’ll fall under my control easily enough. The deeper they ingrain themselves within my world, the more susceptible they’ll become—I made sure of it when I pieced that world together. No lesser god would be capable of noticing their gradual decay until it’s too late. Once all of the ritual circles are charged and active, the translocation glyph will animate once more, and then... Then, I will return to reclaim my realm.

Regaining my stolen power will be a simple matter thereafter by way of the arrangements I had the foresight to prepare. I just have to bide my time for a little while longer. Yes, just a little longer. Once I regain my power, I’ll wipe the bastards who banished me here from existence itself!

Calm, calm. My rage will serve no purpose here. My brother always admonished me for being so quick to anger. For now, I can do little but wait—and comfort myself with the thought of all that Higher Power being gathered, amassing more with each passing second. The creatures in the forest must be longing for me by now, completely ensnared within my control...

The human, the one who fell into our summoning spell—he was still alive. I wonder what became of him? How did he survive in the first place? Those useless lesser gods refused to tell me, no matter how many times I asked.

It doesn’t make any sense. By all accounts, he should have died the moment we released the spell—and even if he did somehow survive, it would have been impossible for him to arrive in my world intact. Summoning spells are a fickle beast after all, requiring the caster to guide their summoned target until they make contact with the destination world. We wasted so much time before we discovered that little obligation. Every last one of our candidates arrived mutilated. Oh, how frustrating it was! Yet that human was in possession of all of his limbs. I sensed something odd about him too... Something incongruent with the nature of humans.

No, I need not worry. If he still walks my world, he will have already fallen victim to my power. That much is certain. His feeble senses could never detect a trap of my design.

— From the Perspective of Another Disgraced Former Apprentice —

I wonder how my brother is faring? I hope he’s not being too reckless... He’s always been a little too prideful for his own good. The other one... He’s probably no longer with us by now. He was already frail when they sent us here. He was slipping closer to the edge with each failed summoning spell...

That’s right. This is all his fault. If he hadn’t made such an idiotic fuss during the hero-summoning spell, we wouldn’t have been caught. We might have failed, but no one would have noticed. I can forgive his panic to some extent—it wasn’t like our previous failures, after all—but there was no need to cause such a scene. If he hadn’t made such a clamor, we wouldn’t be in this mess. The fool... If he’s not dead already, I’ll track him down and kill him myself.

I still can’t believe I’ve been cast down to the lowest plane of existence. It’s utterly repulsive. Those mindless lesser gods clearly don’t know the first thing about divine judgment, or this never would have come to pass. They must have made the decision among themselves, surely. After all, if the high gods had been made aware of our plight, it would be those lesser gods who’d have found themselves crawling around down here.

How much Higher Power have I amassed now? Nearly half... Good. It’s returning quicker than I’d hoped for. My brother said there was no need to worry, but I’m glad I took precautionary measures just in case. Being unable to check on the state of things back in our world is frustrating, but our safeguards were infallible. I’m sure everything is progressing as intended. All I have to do is wait. Once the circles are fully charged, we’ll be translocated back to our world.

I can’t stop thinking about him, though... The human. How did he survive? When I realized we’d been discovered, I broke the spell and made sure to drop him over our world. No one could have survived a fall like that—so how did he? I don’t understand it. All summoning spells fail as soon as the caster breaks the connection, whether it’s a hero summoning spell or just a normal one. It shouldn’t have been possible...

Oh well. Dwelling over it here won’t give me any answers. Besides, by now he’s definitely a mere pawn, slaving away to hasten our imminent return. I’ll have all the time in the world to get my answer out of him then.

My brother must have realized it too: that the human might hold the key to unraveling the knowledge we need to master the summoning arts. And once we’ve done that, we’ll become high gods. Those lesser gods who dared to trespass against us will soon know how it feels to exist on the lowest plane of existence. Just you wait.

174. Condemnations...and Conversions

Watching the blue flames rise, a single thought echoed through my head.

I need to get out of here.

I couldn’t move, though—couldn’t do anything but watch as Koa retreated directly into me, nearly knocking me off-balance. I looked at her in shock, and she returned my gaze with a similarly confused expression. A few meters away, Chai was backing away from the roaring flames just like Koa had, and when I looked up at the spiders, I could see they were gradually backing away too.

They’re acting so oddly... Are they being controlled again?

I quickly visualized a marionette being made to dance around on strings, then pictured those strings being severed by a beam of the silver energy.

“Deprogram!”

A soft breeze swept through the cavern, causing everyone to flinch as it brushed past them. It dissipated a few seconds later, at which point all of my friends looked around nervously.

It worked. Good. So does this mean Higher Power can’t be fully countered even with a barrier? Or is there something special about this fire? Apart from the fact that it’s blue, I mean.

Wait, so if mana is used for magic, what is it called when you use Higher Power? Miracle working? Blessing?

Hang on. Now’s not the time to be thinking about this! Besides, I don’t even know for certain that it is Higher Power I’m dealing with here...

But then again, if mana and Higher Power are both forms of, er...let’s call it mystical energy or something, then what does that make the silver energy?

Nope, that’s another thing for the “deal with later” pile. C’mon, focus!

Somehow managing to wrench myself away from my muddled thoughts, I slowly approached the pile of bones, the blue flames growing more ferocious with each step I took.

[“The pain... I can’t...”]

Huh? What the hell was that? I could swear I just heard someone speaking Japanese... I could barely make it out, but still...

[“Help me... Mommy... Daddy...”]

[“Make it stop... No! I’m scared...”]

More voices joined the first, including what sounded like a young girl calling out to her parents for help and an older male whose voice trembled with fear. These must belong to their victims. My hands curled into fists and I blinked, trying to keep the tears at bay.

[“It hurts! It HURTS!”]

The words soon became inaudible, drowned out by a chorus of anguished screams that echoed off the cavern’s walls.

“They’re being tormented...” The words slipped free, my voice thin and unsteady. It felt like the whole world was pressing down on me, squeezing the air from my lungs. The flames surged yet again until they were nearly lapping at the ceiling itself, and as they flared, the voices vanished. I breathed a sigh of relief, and then—

[“IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS!”]

—the voices returned in unison, overlapping echoes of the same unbearable suffering. The pain in those voices was palpable, so intense that it was like they were being tortured even now.

Even now.

“You’re kidding me... Is this one of those ‘imprisoned souls’ kinda things?”

I didn’t realize that was something you could actually do... Those three idiots would probably do anything if it benefited them, though—even something as monstrous as this. I dunno if there’s taboo magic or anything when you’re a god, but if there is, I reckon those bastards would use it without a second thought.

[“IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS!”]

[“Just let it be over... I beg you... Just end this...”]

That’s the man’s voice from before... Can he sense I’m here or something? He’s asking me to put an end to their suffering... I can’t let myself turn my back on them. I have to help! Get a hold of yourself, me!

I took a few deep breaths to clear my head and studied the flaming pile of bones. “Okay, cool. So how exactly do I go about freeing an imprisoned soul?”

Would it help if I could extinguish the flames somehow?

I held out my hand, pointing my palm in the direction of the blue flames.

Just gotta imagine them going out... Better use the silver energy to power this one too.

“Extinguish.”

It didn’t work. The flames flickered slightly, but instead of going out, the fire actually got bigger. The anguished cries and tortured screams were louder now, mingling in a hellish symphony that penetrated my chest and stabbed my heart.

Focus. I can’t let the voices distract me. I need to figure out what’s powering these flames. I assumed it was Higher Power since those idiots were the ones behind it, but maybe I was wrong? I need to take a closer look.

A sudden nudge against my leg scared my half to death, but fortunately it was just Koa and Chai, one canine nuzzling against me on either side. Before I knew it, their pups were surrounding me too, and so were the spiders. Although they obviously couldn’t understand the Japanese, I knew they could sense the fear and pain in the ongoing cries.

“Don’t worry. I’m gonna help them,” I said. After giving everyone a quick yet comforting pat, I started to turn back toward the flaming bones, which was when the skull I’d picked up earlier caught my eye.

That’s right. It was when I touched the skull that the flames started. I guess I dropped it in surprise.

I carefully picked up the skull again.

No extra flames this time at least. My new barrier activated last time I picked it up, but I didn’t get hurt or anything—which means the silver energy is at least a little effective at repelling Higher Power attacks.

“So why couldn’t I use it to extinguish the flames?”

I still don’t actually know what the silver stuff even is... Wait, I’m meant to not be thinking about that right now. Let’s see if I can feel anything from these blue flames... Huh. It is just Higher Power... Ah, I see. It’s still Higher Power, but it’s like one hundred times more potent than everything else I’ve come across so far. Compared to that, my spell didn’t stand a chance—it was basically the magical equivalent of a squirt gun.

“So if I could somehow give my silver energy the same power boost, then maybe it would work?”

Dunno how I’m meant to do that, though... And if I fail again, it’ll probably just make things even worse. Besides, I don’t even know if extinguishing the flames is the right thing to do in the first place! Damn it... What should I do?

Deep breaths. In, out. In, out. Cool.

Okay, let me get my thoughts straight here. We’ve got an overconfident campfire fueled by Higher Power, and it’s doing something to torture these trapped souls. So let’s see... If I convert this Higher Power into something I can control, maybe then I’ll be able to set them free? Is that even possible? Well, I won’t know until I try it.

I reached out to the flames again, and focused on changing the colossal amount of Higher Power within into the still-unidentified silver energy. At the same time, I also visualized the mana within my own body changing too, leaving me (hopefully) with two compatible stockpiles of workable energy.

Preparations complete.

“Convert into silver energy.”

I sensed the mana within me transforming, and immediately, silver energy began to pour out from my raised palm, dousing the azure flames. A sharp sting rippled through my hand, perhaps caused by the blaze fighting back against the spell. Tendrils of fire curled upward, reaching out as though to restrain me—but then, a silvery glow erupted from every inch of my body, surging toward the flames like a tidal wave. The force of it was immense, catching me completely off guard. As the glow enveloped them like a blanket, the roaring flames darkened, turning from vibrant azure to a deep navy blue.

The voices stopped.

Er... Does that mean it worked? Also, that was a crazy amount of mana I just used. I don’t feel like it’s affected me at all, though—not like when I was trying to cast the Foreign Object Removal spell.

Huh.

I feel different... Yeah. There’s something other than mana inside me now. The silver energy? Can I stockpile it like I can with mana? Seriously? That’s possible? Ah... I’ll figure it out later. Right now, my priority is finding out whether or not I can do anything about these flames.

“Well, the voices went quiet, but...”

Does that mean they’re gone? Or are they just silent?

“Are you still there? Are you okay?”

Did I extinguish the voices instead of the flames? Crap. I didn’t even get to help them properly!

[“...”]

What was that? Am I hearing things now?

[“...”]

There it was again.

I still couldn’t hear any voices, but to my great relief, I had a pretty strong feeling the souls—or whatever they were—were still nearby. I reached out toward the flaming bone pile once again.

Release them from their pain, their sadness, and their suffering. Help them find some peace.

“Heal.”

Navy blue shifted to shimmering silver, and despite the silence, somehow I knew it had worked. I was sure of it.

Now it’s time to send you home.

Hand outstretched, I closed my eyes. The image came easily: a small child trapped in a cage, and the door swinging open, leading the way to freedom.

“Release.”

Er... Nothing happened. I think the flames might’ve flickered slightly?

“Why didn’t it work?” I waved my hand over the fire again, trying to see if I could still sense the souls imprisoned within.

What the...?

In my mind’s eye, I saw dozens of tiny luminous spheres, each tangled within countless strands of dull blue light.

These spheres... I’m guessing they’re connected to the voices I heard earlier. They won’t be able to escape until I can unravel those strands they’re trapped in. Pretty sure it’s a bad idea to just reach in and start yanking though—I feel like souls are meant to be handled with care.

“Yep, gotta play it safe with this one. Okay, so picture each strand being carefully unraveled, one at a time...”

Gotta make sure not to damage any of the souls. Slowly, carefully... Done. Next, picture the spheres being able to move around freely. Check. Finally, imagine sending them back to Earth... I wonder if they’ll actually be able to return there? I’m not really sure... But this is all I can do for them right now. Oh, right—I can give each of them a barrier to try and keep them safe on the journey at least. I dunno if my spells will still work once they’re outside of this world, though... I’ll use the new silver energy to make a special barrier, and it’ll be strong enough to protect them. Yep. Believing is achieving!

Okay, so each soul gets a special maximum strength, superpowered barrier. Hmm... Just calling it a “barrier” doesn’t make it sound particularly special though, does it? Coming up with a unique spell name will probably give it that extra bit of oomph. Words are power, or something! So let’s see... “Special Barrier”? Nah, I kinda hate that. “Best Barrier”? Nope, that’s not right either...

What was it my sister used to shout when she was playing that one video game? “Sacred light acquired! Activate Saint Mode!” Saints were meant to be special or something, and you needed to collect a bunch of sacred light to become one, I’m pretty sure... Sacred light. Barrier of Sacred Light? It’s a bit of a mouthful...

“Barrier of Sacred Light... Sacred Light Barrier? The ‘barrier’ part is still a little... Shield! Sacred Shield. Yeah, that sounds good.”

I kinda feel like my sister would die laughing if she could hear me right now... Nah, I’m sure it’s fine. It sounds good, right? Right. Okay, let’s take it from the top.

First, free these souls from everything binding them to this world.

“Release.”

Next, grant them protection for the journey back to Earth.

“Sacred Shield.”

As soon as I cast the spell, the flames flared brightly, sending silvery spheres drifting into the air like sparks caught in an updraft before fading away seconds later.

[“I’m free...”]

[“Home...”]

Oh, the voices are...

[“Thank you...”]

[“It’s finally over...”]

The voices faded away one by one, as did the mountain of bones, bleached white and disintegrating first into dust and then to nothing. The skull in my hand did the same.

Looks like I finally got there. I might not know for certain if they’ll make it home or not, but all I can do now is hope.

“Man, I’m beat.”

The animals all look exhausted too actually. I think it’s time to call it a day, I thought, with a final glance toward the spot where the bones had been piled up.

Oh, come on.

A single ball of navy blue flame hovered midair. I’d barely realized it was drifting toward me before it suddenly shot forward and sank deep into my chest.

“What the hell?!”

Er, what just happened?

After a brief and panicked self-examination, I was relieved to sense the familiar touch of my regular mana. I could still detect the silver energy I’d unintentionally begun stockpiling just earlier, but there was something different about it... I’m too tired for this right now. I’m going home for a nice long sleep.

175. Light Blue, the Wind Dragon

— From the Perspective of a Floating Island Denizen —

Master and the others are back from the forest. They don’t appear to be injured, at least from up here. Good. With all the trouble recently, I was rather worried... Master tried to reassure us of his good health and safety before he set out, but you never know what could happen out there, even if his wards are fairly robust. There’s no such thing as perfect safety—not even for a being as strong as Master.

Their party had left earlier in the day, and I’d been circling above the dwelling ever since, keenly scanning the trees for any indication of their return. They’d passed the treeline now, and as they made their way across the wide clearing, I began my descent.

Strange... There’s something odd about Master. Why...? Why can I sense two different powers within him now? I’ve never heard of such a thing... One is the same magic as always—I can tell that much, at least. There’s no mistaking such overwhelming mana. And the other... Yes, it’s definitely something different. But what could it be?! It’s similar to the power of the gods, but it’s not quite the same... There’s none of that usual hint of arrogance theirs has to it. It’s calmer, kinder—benevolent, even... But at the same time, it’s still so fierce... He didn’t possess anything like this when he set off this morning. So something did happen out there!

“Oh, why did I not accompany him?!”

Two forms of power within one vessel? Is it truly possible? He has been growing stronger recently, hasn’t he? Perhaps a single vessel can hold more than one type of power, provided it’s sturdy enough. He does look incredibly tired, though... I suppose that’s only natural if he’s added a second reserve of power on top of the colossal mana he already has. There seems to be an ample amount of the unfamiliar one as well... I do hope his health won’t suffer as a result of this. I’ll need to discuss it with the others later.

First, however... I need to welcome Master home! I should— Drat! Karen got there first...

“Koa! Chai! What manner of power has Master acquired?”

“No idea,” Chai reluctantly replied after a pause.

“But you went to the forest with him! How could you not know?! What were you doing out there?”

Spider Boss didn’t know either, nor any of their respective broods! How is it no one knows?

“Light Blue, calm yourself,” Flying Lizard said, stoic as always.

“How can I be calm at a time like this?! Master is walking around with two outrageous reserves of power as though it’s nothing! Two! And we don’t even know what one of them is!”

“I’m well aware of that, Light Blue. But getting flustered here won’t help us solve anything.”

Though I knew the earth dragon was right, it simply wasn’t enough to settle my nerves. Calm myself?! How can I relax when Master might be in danger?! Humph!

“Let’s begin with your account of things, Koa,” he continued, and the Fenrir queen nodded.

Her tale was thus: Some hex or malediction placed by the scoundrels who’d imprisoned us and stolen our power had triggered, and Master had created a new form of power in order to thwart it. Furthermore, his new power had subsequently undergone some kind of metamorphosis. Higher Power was a particularly special force, and not only because the gods wielded it. It couldn’t be affected by any other varieties of arcane energy, and it was more formidable than all of them. A ward weaved from Higher Power, for instance, couldn’t be breached by even the most highly concentrated mana attack. Nor could it be altered. Such was the might of Higher Power. It was, after all, the shield that protected our very world; a shield that could be easily negated by another form of power would be an entirely ineffective one. Therefore, creating something that could affect Higher Power was no simple feat. In fact, it shouldn’t have been possible at all.

But Master did create it. This... This might lead to trouble.

“This new power of his—it definitely overcame the Higher Power?”

“I saw it destroy their foul lifeblood malediction with my own two eyes. I also saw it heal the broken souls who were ensnared within it.”

A lifeblood malediction? I’m sure such spells are forbidden among their kind. To think those apprentices would go so far... And Master destroyed it with his new power? I can still scarcely believe it. On top of that, he healed the broken souls... I always thought only gods could do such a thing. Master is truly extraordinary.

“Is he unharmed, though? I could sense great exhaustion from him,” someone asked, snapping me back to reality.

Yes! That’s the pressing matter right now! He looked so weary... What if it’s a side effect of this mysterious new power?

“He appears to be fine, as far as I can tell,” said Chai, followed by nods of agreement from the rest of Master’s escorts.

How can you know such a thing, though?

“Are you sure? What about this metamorphosis you spoke of?” I asked, still uneasy. Creating a new form of arcane energy had surely been taxing enough, but to then reshape the very nature of said energy just moments after... It was difficult to believe he’d be “fine,” as Chai had so readily claimed.

“Truthfully, I was quite worried. Until we made it back here, at least,” Spider Boss chimed in.

Of course—I’d feel the same. For Master to give life to a new power, one that is beyond our understanding... How could you not be worried, not knowing if it might be harming our one and only Master? But why only until she returned here, I wonder?

“Because Master’s golems are here, of course. Those creatures are highly sensitive to any changes Master might undergo, are they not? But I didn’t detect anything out of place upon our return.”

She’s right. They didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. The golems outside just kept tending the fields, and the ones inside didn’t come to check on Master either.

“When Master’s mana nearly depleted, the golems brought every magestone they’d prepared and readied themselves to use them. They didn’t need to, in the end... However, those creatures clearly hold the keenest understanding of Master’s condition out of all of us.”

I see... Of course. When Master had nearly exhausted his mana reserves, the majority of us had been too shocked and scared to even move, let alone help. The golems, however, had immediately begun preparing for the worst. Once they were satisfied Master’s mana was recovering naturally, they’d returned the magestones and resumed their work as though nothing had changed.

So if the golems didn’t respond this time, perhaps there isn’t any cause for concern? Yes, of course. If Master was in danger, they wouldn’t have ignored it.

“Koa, what did his new power feel like?” Ai—the leader of the Garm—asked, and silence fell among the gathered as we waited for his response. The golem’s lack of reaction had brought us relief, but it hadn’t mitigated our curiosity as to the true nature of Master’s new creation.

“Well... Before it metamorphosed, the impression it gave was of something slightly weaker than Higher Power. Afterward, however... It was far more powerful than anything I’ve ever experienced.”

“More so than the power those apprentices used?”

“It would appear so,” Koa replied. “What are your thoughts, Spider Boss?”

“My impression was the same,” the Chuearenie replied.

What a tremendous thing he’s created. And yet...

“It’s rather fascinating, isn’t it?” I posed.

“What is, Light Blue?” replied Ball of Wool, looking somewhat bewildered. The others were similarly confused—apparently, no one else had come to the same realization as me.

“Well, Master created an entirely new form of arcane energy—one stronger than anything in existence. And yet, it appears not a single one of us is even remotely terrified by that fact.”

The role my fellow dragons and I bore—that of the divine beasts—had never been particularly necessary in this world. Even so, the birth of a new, unprecedented form of power should have naturally struck fear and caution in our hearts. That should have been the instinctive reaction of those born with the responsibility of a world’s protection. However, any fear or wariness which had awakened within us had vanished, simply because it had been created at Master’s hand.

“Ah... Indeed.”

Glances were exchanged, and here and there, quiet chuckles could be heard. It was true, after all: Not one creature present felt even the slightest unease about the danger posed by Master’s new creation. Any concern we had felt was solely for the potential strain it might have placed on him. If this new power had been created at anyone else’s hand, our reaction would not have been so impassive.

“Well, if Master isn’t affected by it, then there’s nothing to worry about! Right?”

At first, I’d hated this world. The air was stagnant and stale, and no matter how far I flew, I could never escape the feeling that I was being suffocated. After meeting Master, however, I’d grown to love this world. One reason was the mana that swept through the lands after his arrival, which was as gentle and comforting as he was. It was also because I’d become able to use the same magic he wove.

Divine beasts, by their very nature, were creatures of Higher Power, not mana. However, neither I nor any of my fellow dragons could wield it. Such was the reality of being born within an unblessed world. Needless to say, it had been something of a shock to realize my inability to wield Higher Power despite being a divine beast. Now, though? Now, I was grateful for it, for if I had been able to use Higher Power, I might not have been able to remain in this world. Apparently, the presence of too many divine beasts usually leads to all sorts of problems. When we’d learned that from the wizened god who’d visited Master, my fellow beasts and I had rejoiced in our inability to use our natural power, much to the god’s astonishment.

Perhaps I should make myself smaller and sleep alongside Master tonight... The others were upset with me last time I did so, but I care not. Master was surprised but not upset. Yes, I shall do so. While everyone’s still distracted...

“Ah!” All eyes turned toward Chai after his sudden exclamation. The Dire Wolf took no notice, tilting his head in oblivious confusion.

“What is it?” Koa asked.

Chai didn’t respond immediately, but after a few moments, he returned her gaze, frowning. “It’s not possible to destroy a Higher Power ward with ordinary magic, is it?”

Why ask such an obvious question? Everyone knows such a thing is impossible.

“Of course not. That’s just common sense,” I replied, and everyone nodded.

“That’s what I thought too... But Master destroyed the ward trapping us in here with just mana, didn’t he?”

What? I haven’t heard about this before... I knew there was a ward around the forest and that it was the reason we couldn’t leave, but...

“Ah!” several voices exclaimed in unison.

What? Did you all know? Did he really destroy a Higher Power ward with just mana?

“Is this true?” I asked Koa, who nodded solemnly.

“I’d completely forgotten it myself, but Chai is indeed correct. When Master destroyed that ward, he had nothing but mana at his disposal.”

Several astonished exclamations revealed I wasn’t the only one who hadn’t been privy to this information.

“But if he could already counter Higher Power with mere mana, why would he create a new power?” Shuri asked, and a hush fell over the group, puzzled faces all around.

Why indeed. If mana was enough, why go to the trouble of creating anything else, especially when doing so exhausted him so greatly? There must be a reason...

If there was, no one here had grasped it. Bewilderment was written on every face.

“Master clearly felt it was necessary—and for us, isn’t that reason enough?” Flying Lizard said, to unanimous agreement.

What a strange sight... It’s hard to believe we were all once at odds. It’s all because of Master—our love for him has erased any former grudges, no matter how deep they once ran... Ah! I have more important things to focus on right now. I need to sneak into Master’s chamber while I still can! It’s my turn to sleep beside him tonight! Quick, before anyone notices... Bye, everyone!

176. King Esmalito

— From the Perspective of the King of Entall —

“So there’s no question about it?” the chancellor asked, directing the question at the knight still kneeling before us. The impatience in his tone was clear.

“None at all. The forest protected Gu—Sir Gunmilze, the commander of the First Knights Brigade of Empras,” Dadavis replied, hesitating briefly before he added the honorific “sir” to the commander’s name. Hushed whispers rippled through the throne room, fracturing the previous silence. The chancellor frowned at the knight’s response but merely sighed instead of remarking on the choice of words.

The knights of Entall never used honorific titles when referring to their counterparts from any other kingdom—especially not titles like “sir,” which implied the addressee’s superiority. But Dadavis had just publicly acknowledged Gunmilze, an Empran knight, as his superior. Apparently, what he’d witnessed in the forest had been enough to convince Dadavis of the Empran’s capability.

“I see,” I said. In an instant, the room fell silent once more. I scanned the room slowly, first surveying the stiff expressions of the gathered nobles before turning my gaze toward Dadavis. “The forest deemed Gunmilze’s continued survival to be necessary—is that what you mean to say, Captain?”

“That’s correct.” There was no hesitation in his answer this time, much to the chancellor’s apparent annoyance, judging by his sullen expression. Somehow I managed to suppress the laughter his glum countenance sparked within me, but it was a close call.

It was understandable that the chancellor had found the news unwelcome, for it meant his carefully laid plans would come to naught. It had been just days prior that he’d come to me with the proposal: “We must strike at Empras now, before they regain their strength.” Evidently, he’d already gathered the support of a large percentage of the nobility, and now he was disgruntled by what would surely amount to significant damage to his reputation among them. While I did feel some sympathy for him, the report we’d just heard had changed everything.

Several days had passed since we’d witnessed the glowing veil drape itself over the forest, a thick shroud of pure, potent mana that had naturally set all who’d encountered it on edge. However, the veil had soon vanished into the forest itself, absorbed like water into sand, leaving us with no explanation as to what had occurred. Our mages had searched for a plausible cause, but with no success. However, the Third Legion, led by Dadavis, was in the forest at the time, and they’d returned with the answer we so desperately sought. The true nature of that light was beyond anyone’s wildest speculations. Who could have predicted the forest would have protected people from the very kingdom who’d waged war against it? But the forest had done so. There was no mistaking it.

The Kingdom of Entall was, primarily, one of beastkin. While it did count elves, humans, and dwarfs among its citizens, their numbers paled in comparison to that of the beastkin. Unlike other kingdoms, Entall also housed many hybreeds within its borders. For instance, Dadavis—the knight kneeling before me now—was himself a hybreed, with both beastkin and elf blood flowing in his veins.

Entall hadn’t always been a safe haven for hybreeds, however. In the earliest days of the kingdom, they’d faced the same discrimination here as they would anywhere else. Everything had changed when one child, just moments from being killed because of their lineage, had been saved by one of the beast monarchs. Entallians had always existed in harmony with the forest, and therefore held utmost respect for the beast monarchs and their judgments. Thereafter, discrimination toward hybreeds had quickly vanished, and now, they were treated no differently than any other Entallian.

By saving Gunmilze, the forest (or one of the monarchs within) had granted him the same respect. Before long, the majority of Entallians would recognize him as a worthy equal.

“At this point, there’s little chance anyone other than Gunmilze will ascend to Empras’s throne. Prepare an envoy, Chancellor.”

“But—”

“You disagree?” I interrupted.

“It’s just...”

I don’t know how far he’s gone in preparing for war yet, but I assume he’s invested quite a lot of his personal fortune in the endeavor. Has he backed himself into a corner? Fool...

“I told you, did I not? I told you not to make any rash decisions, and to proceed with caution,” I continued, my voice echoing around the silent throne room. Many of the higher-ranking nobles averted their gazes from my own as I surveyed our taciturn audience. They must be his allies... You’ve gathered quite a following for yourself, Chancellor.

“You did, Your Majesty, but—”

“So whatever is the problem?” I asked, cutting him off once again.

The chancellor, his irritation barely veiled, directed his full attention toward me. “Gunmilze persecuted beastkin, just like every other Empran. Don’t you think there’s a possibility the captain might be mistaken?”

Dadavis didn’t react to the chancellor’s words, but out of the corner of my eye, I could see his vice captain’s shoulders shaking just slightly, the barest evidence of the anger he was very nearly managing to suppress. I couldn’t fault him for his reaction. The chancellor had just publicly attested to his skepticism of the captain’s report, despite the fact that the captain had actually witnessed the incident with his own two eyes.

And by doing so, the fool is picking a fight with the entire Third Legion... Doesn’t he realize that?

“Are you suggesting the captain is lying?”

“No, that’s not quite what—” the chancellor stopped abruptly, clearly rethinking what he was about to say. “What about the reports, Your Majesty? We know for a fact Gunmilze has slaughtered beastkin.”

“We do,” I replied.

“Then—”

“Then what?” The chancellor blinked in shock, and I pressed on. “I’ve read the same reports, Chancellor. You need not repeat them to me. What does that information change about the matter at hand?”

“Are you saying we should just happily accept someone who has the blood of our kin on his hands?”

“We’re talking about a knight of Empras, Chancellor—a commander, no less. Some things are unavoidable in the pursuit of such a position.”

“So butchery is permissible provided it’s done in order to advance in rank?”

“In some cases, yes. The movements of his subordinates suggest that Gunmilze’s commandership was indeed necessary.”

“Your Majesty!”

I sighed. “When their king died, the majority of the First Knights Brigade was stationed not within the royal capital, but where?”

“I don’t...”

“Answer me!”

Utter fool. You’re nothing like the man I once knew you as all those years ago.

“They were stationed in the towns and villages...”

“And why was that?” This time, he didn’t even attempt to respond, so I simply continued. “They were there in order to suppress the chaos that would have otherwise arisen after the king’s death. Furthermore, they also evacuated the child workers in the castle—most sold into the work by their impoverished families—days before the king’s death. And it wasn’t just the human children in that group. Many beastkin were evacuated as well.”

“Well, yes, but...”

“And why did those knights remain stationed in each area?”

The chancellor muttered something under his breath.

“It was in order to protect the defenseless beastkin children after Gunmilze declared the slaves had been emancipated. It was also so that they could reason with the nobles in charge of each respective town and village. Arranging such a thing could not have been accomplished in mere days, Chancellor.” Again, there was no response from the man. “In truth, I suspect he’d been preparing for that fateful day for ten or so years, if not longer. Because that’s how long it would take to unite an entire brigade of knights in working toward one righteous, preposterous cause!”

The chancellor looked down, visibly frustrated.

We’d received a slew of information in the days following the king’s death. Not all of it had been reliable, of course, and I hadn’t accepted any of it at face value. However, one name had featured in each and every report: Gunmilze, commander of the First Knights Brigade of Empras.

I’d actually laughed upon reading the report concerning the so-called investigation team he’d put together to canvass those ancient ruins. Inexperienced, weak mages, squires who’d barely begun their training, and, most ridiculously of all, a slave escort largely composed of newborn beastkin and their mothers. Even a fool could see there was some scheme in motion. The investigation team, of course, had not made their way toward the ruins. They’d journeyed along deserted roads and under the cover of night until they’d arrived in a certain town—a town which just so happened to be governed by Gunmilze.

Our spies had managed to record the events of the king’s final day in great detail. We knew that the rear gate of the castle had been left open and unguarded. We knew that immediately after light had rained down upon the capital, knights had been seen escorting beastkin slaves out of the castle walls—knights bearing the insignia of the First Brigade. We knew that those knights had guided the beastkin toward a derelict warehouse nearby and that those beastkin had emerged soon after with passable disguises. We knew that immediately afterward, various unknown figures had appeared from where they’d been laying in wait, each taking charge of a small group of the beastkin and leading them away from the capital and toward safety and freedom. The reports we’d received from various towns and villages had all attested to similarly meticulous planning.

Preparations as extensive as those could not have been made in just one or two years.

Gunmilze’s views were not shared by many in Empras. I could only begin to imagine how difficult it must have been for him to find and recruit allies who agreed with his cause. He would’ve had to exercise the greatest caution while laying his plans, evading the watchful eyes of both other Emprans and foreign spies. If he’d merely sought an end to the king’s reign, he easily could have turned his back on the beastkin’s plight. But from his deeds, it was clear that freeing the slaves had been just as important to him—more important, in fact.

“Dadavis.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Well done.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

I nodded at the knight and turned to the audience at large. “The Kingdom of Entall values the wisdom of the forest and those who dwell within it. With Gunmilze on the throne, we shall strive to become allies with Empras, rather than enemies.”

With that, I took my leave. As always, the captain of the First Legion followed close behind.

“Ghalfa...”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Could you do what Gunmilze did?”

“Please don’t be absurd, Your Majesty,” he replied after a pause.

Ha. Absurd, you say... Indeed. I don’t believe I’d be able to do it either. How much resolve did such absurdity demand of him? I can’t even begin to guess at the toll it must have taken. And with such a man set to become king... No reasonable person would choose anything but to cement themself as an ally.

177. Cold Symptoms... Slow Mornings.

I woke to an uncomfortable tightness in my chest, and it took all my strength to push myself upright.

“Maybe I caught a cold?”

There’s definitely no chance of getting some cold medicine or anything here... Dang.

I pressed my hand to my forehead, but I didn’t have a fever. Well, not one I could feel externally anyway. I had a weird feeling that something inside my body was unusually warm, though.

Weird.

“I wonder if I can use magic for something like this? Heal.”

White light enveloped me and vanished—followed by navy blue light, then silver.

“Er, what just happened?”

I feel a lot better, at least... My spell just did something really weird though, right? I only got whitish light every time I cast magic before, so what’s the deal with the navy and silver?

Oh yeah! I remember now. I ended up making a new kind of power yesterday, didn’t I? Yeah, I somehow converted Higher Power into a new silver power of some type... I’m just gonna call it Newer Power, or I’ll end up confusing myself. Anyway, I guess that’s probably got something to do with it.

“This is fine, right?”

Hmm... It’s no good. I’m too hungry to think right now. Makes sense—I barely ate anything last night. I was beat.

I stumbled down to the first floor, where I was met with unconcealed shock from Usa and Kuhi.

Well, I guess it has been ages since I’ve woken up without the One Eyes helping me... I’m a real failure as an adult, aren’t I? But seriously, how am I meant to wake myself up anyway? It’s not like I can just go buy an alarm clock or anything! Although I probably still wouldn’t be able to wake up without any help even if I did have one...

“Good morning, Usa and Kuhi.”

“Good morning!” they replied, smiling.

You guys smile so naturally these days... I’m so proud of you.

I glanced out at the wooden deck, where Koa and Chai were lazily basking in the morning sun.

Those two are always all over each other these days. Well, as long as they’re getting along.

Next, I noticed the clouds of dirt rising from the clearing slightly past the deck.

Is someone out there training? This early in the morning? Huh... Er, why do I feel like I just saw something go flying?

Ah. Looks like Spider Boss has taken charge of training the Team Ai kids today... It’s pretty impressive, actually. They’ve grown pretty big, yet Spider Boss can still chuck ’em around like they don’t weigh a thing. Oh yeah, I was thinking about trying to pick up a few offensive skills, wasn’t I?

Something else just went flying—one of Shuri’s kids, I think? Looks like some of the little spiders are mixed in too... Should I see if they’ll let me join in?

“Ha ha ha... Nope. No way. Not a chance. I’d be dead in seconds.”

I averted my eyes from the chilling scene, instead focusing on the magic battle that seemed to be happening toward the right side of the clearing.

Are they more of Team Ai’s kids? The grandkids, maybe... You all got really strong, eh? Oh, looks like Shuri’s joining in—

Wow. Instant victory. Shuri, you’re amazing.

“Jeez, the weather sure is nice today!”

It was shaping up to be a pleasant day without a single cloud in the vast sky. Clouds of dirt did occasionally enter my line of sight, as did the sporadic fireball, but I chose to ignore them.

I can definitely figure out a way to up my offensive game without participating in their free-for-all. Yep.

A shadow passed overhead, stark black against the blue sky—a puppy-sized spider, soaring past like a meteor.

You don’t even hold back against your own kids, Spider Boss...?

“Breakfast is...is ready,” Usa said, barely faltering over her words. When I turned around, one of the long wooden tables was already laden with freshly baked bread, salad, and steaming cups of tea.

Bless the One Eyes.

After the standard “Itadakimasu,” we all dug into the food.

Their Japanese is getting pretty good these days! It feels like they can pick up on a lot of what I say just by intuition now. They’re smart kids! Me, on the other hand... I haven’t made any progress with their language at all.

I leaned in to listen to the conversation they were having now.

Hmm... Nope, can’t understand a thing. I can’t even make out a single word! Why is the language here so hard?

“Thanks for the food!”

I took a few minutes to relax with another cup of tea, enjoying the morning warmth. The plan today was to continue yesterday’s exploration of the apprentice’s cave. There were still a few things I wanted to get to the bottom of, foremost among them the worrying sight I’d caught a glimpse of—and promptly turned my back on—right before we’d left.

I still can’t believe they were exploiting all those people even after killing them... I mean, that’s just plain evil. I wonder if there’s any more of those souls trapped anywhere else?

“Ugh...”

What the...? I feel kinda off. And still weirdly hot on the inside? Just like I did when I woke up... I guess it could be because of what happened yesterday...

I placed my hand on my chest, carefully trying to get a sense of the energy inside.

The mana seems the same as always. No problems there. It’s the Newer Power that doesn’t feel so good. Er... What do I do here?

I decided on simply waiting to see if anything changed, and sure enough, the discomfort and the heat slowly faded away.

Maybe my body just needs more time to get used to it? Well, I guess that’s fine. I mean, it’s already inside me, so it’s not like I can get rid of it now. Besides, I’m gonna need it if I want to stand a chance against anything else those three idiots might’ve left for me. The aching and the fever are annoying, but they don’t last too long, so I can deal with it for now. Yep! I need this weird new power of mine, so my body’s gonna have to hurry up and get used to it!

Oh, looks like they’re finished with training... Why do I get the feeling Spider Boss is in a really good mood...?

The clearing looked like a corpse-riddled war zone, though thankfully the corpses weren’t actually dead. Amazingly enough, no one had gotten seriously injured either.

“Yeah... I really need to work on my own fighting skills. My defensive ones too.”

Those beastkin I saw had swords strapped to their waists. Maybe I should pick up some sword skills?

Nah, I don’t think so. I don’t know the first thing about sword fighting, and it’s not like there’s anyone around here I could ask to teach me. Plus, I feel like trying to teach myself by swinging a stick or something around wouldn’t cut it, right? Hmm... Yeah, no good. Nothing else is coming to mind either...

Hang on, didn’t I already mull over all of this before? Yeah, I did... Oh well. It’s not like I’ve hit my limit or anything! I’m just in a bit of a rut. I mean, there’s probably a decent chance I’ll be stuck in this rut forever... Eh, I’m sure I’ll be fine. Probably.

Well, guess it’s about time I get going. There’s work to be done!

“Kuhi, Usa, I’m heading out for a bit. Be good, okay? All righty then, I’m off!”

“I’m off!”

“I’m off!”

I chuckled. “Almost! You guys say ‘see you later’ here, though.”

“See you... Later?”

“Seeyew later?”

So adorable... Guess even these kids struggle sometimes. Aw, now they’re practicing it together. Kinda reminds me of my sister back when she was still young and cute. She was fine until around the time she started going to middle school, but then she got obsessed with those light novels or whatever they’re called. She started rambling about “parallel worlds” and “saint powers” with complete and utter seriousness... Yeah, she was pretty terrifying now that I think about it. Oh well. She was still my cute little sister in some ways at least!

I climbed down to the clearing, immediately tailed by Koa and Chai. I gave both canines a good pat, did a few simple stretches, and took off into the forest at a run.

I guess Spider Boss isn’t coming today?

Hm? Oh, I see. Light Blue’s joining us today instead. It’s still nice and small today too. I can’t believe dragons can just shrink themselves down whenever they feel like it. Like, Light Blue can’t be more than a meter long right now—that’s a pretty crazy size difference. Not that I’m complaining! Especially when this dragon in particular keeps crawling under my blanket in the middle of the night... A full-sized dragon would be a disaster.

Come to think of it, whenever Light Blue sneaks into my bed, I always see all the dragons flying around together the next day... I wonder what’s up with that? Eh, as long as they’re not fighting, I guess it’s fine.

Eventually, we reached the apprentice’s cave. “We got here quicker than yesterday... It’s a lot easier when you know where you’re going.”

The outside looked the same, but even without any ominous changes, I still found myself reluctant to enter because of what I’d seen yesterday right before we left for home—not the crumbling bone mountain or the navy blue fireball, as weird as both had been; no, my hesitance came from the glowing doorway that had materialized out of nowhere along one of the rocky walls.

To tell the truth, when I’d seen the doorway and imagined a second pile of bones or whatever else it could lead to, I’d simply given up for the day and left without even attempting to open it. I just hadn’t had the willpower to put myself through another round of agonized voices. This particular curse (or whatever it was) had taken a larger mental toll on me than any of the other evil junk I’d encountered so far.

I really, really couldn’t handle anything even remotely horror-adjacent. Not to brag—not that it’s something worth bragging about—but watching a horror movie was enough to keep me from sleeping for days on end. I was just that bad at dealing with them.

Naturally, the bone mountain/disembodied screams business the day before had therefore been a little challenging for me (okay, very challenging) and the thought of opening that door to find a second serving of skeletons and screaming was keeping me rooted firmly to the spot.

“Please don’t let this be a repeat of yesterday. I’m begging you.”

In the end, though, if there were more imprisoned souls on the other side of that door, I wanted to do something about it. So with a deep sigh, I headed through the opening.

The atmosphere in here is kinda different than it was yesterday—the air doesn’t seem as stale either. Is it just my imagination? Hmm... Guess I should start by checking out the door.

I retraced my path to the bone-pile chamber, and there it was: one very ornate double door.

Damn... I was kinda hoping it would vanish. No, wait a second—yeah, it would probably be just as terrifying if it had vanished.

“It’s excessively ornate, as far as doors go... I wonder why?” Every inch of the door’s surface was covered in intricate carvings, and jewels had even been inlaid here and there. Sighing again, I reached out and grabbed the handle.

I really hope nothing jumps out at me...

“Okay.”

Steeling myself, I twisted the handle and pushed. The door—which turned out to be unlocked—swung open with a creak. A soft breeze wafted in from the cavern inside, stirring the air as I took in the sight before my eyes.

It’s not another bone mountain, but still...

178. Angels and...Vacuum Cleaners?!

“Is that...a person...? No, it’s got wings... An angel? Nah, there’s no way.”

The floor was largely dominated by an intricate, circular pattern, at the center of which sat a transparent coffin—and inside said coffin, I could see something that looked very similar to a human body, if human bodies had wings.

Well, at least it’s not just bone central again... I think? I’m not sure this alternative is much better... What the hell is that thing? Maybe I can take a closer look—

Crack.

Yeah, I thought that was gonna happen.

As soon as I’d stepped on the patterns carved into the floor, another of the trap-slash-barriers had activated. Really, I would have been surprised if the idiot apprentices hadn’t left another of their booby traps here, so the resulting noise hadn’t scared me. What had scared me, though, was the low, threatening snarl that came from Light Blue in response.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard you growl before... It’s a pretty frightening sound, eh? A really frightening sound... And the bared fangs make it a hell of a lot more terrifying too. Guess you’re still a scary-ass dragon after all, even if you are in mini mode...

Light Blue seemed to realize I was staring and turned to me, expression morphing to the stoic, fangless placidity I was used to.

Yep, that’s better. Much better. I know you were probably just trying to protect me, but your reaction was scarier than the potential threat! I mean, you’re seriously—

Crap, I gotta calm down.

“Phew... Okay, that’s a bit better. So let’s see. I guess I need to get a bit closer before I can really figure out what’s going on, right?”

So this pattern is what, a barrier? Hmm... I don’t think so. I’m getting kinda similar vibes from it, but it’s not quite the same. I feel like I’ve seen something like this before, though... But where?

Oh, that’s right! It was in that random anime movie my older sister dragged me to see! Ha ha, yeah... She got dumped by her boyfriend and kidnapped me for the whole day while she distracted herself... There was a scene with something like this, right? What did they call it? A magic circle? Yeah, that sounds familiar... Wait, maybe it was a magic square? Hm. Which one was it? I—oh, it doesn’t matter. Let’s just go with magic circle. And they were used to...trap demons? And summon them too, I think...

My gaze shifted back to the transparent coffin. “Er... So that’s a demon?”

No... I’m pretty sure it’s not. I mean, it sure doesn’t look like a demon, you know? What else did they use magic circles for in that anime? Boosting magical powers or something along those lines...? Nah, it’s no good. I barely understood what was going on at the time, let alone now.

This is an angel, right? Well, it looks just like one, at least. I’m not getting any “demon” vibes from it at all. The pure white wings are a bit of a giveaway... And there’s gods in this world, after all. It’s only natural there’d be angels too! Which means there’s probably demons as well though... Well, I guess I’ll just have to eyeball things. This one looks like an angel, so angel it is.

Having said that, this angel’s kinda... Well, it’s creepy, as far as angels go. Beautiful but creepy. Kinda like one of those hollow wooden dolls... What were those idiots trying to do with it, anyway? Why trap an angel? Surely they weren’t trying to, like, hijack its body for themselves or anything... Ha ha ha, there’s no way... Right?

“I mean, the idea’s just crazy... But on the other hand, those idiots haven’t really been selling themselves as rational so far, have they?”

Taking over someone else’s body—so possession, basically. I dunno... I mean, it’s like something straight out of a fantasy novel, isn’t it? Or a horror one... Hang on, my whole life is basically a fantasy novel at this point! I even got roped into a clichéd hero-summoning spell. Anything’s probably possible here. So that would mean they did trap an angel as part of some evil possession scheme? It is protected by a barrier, after all—a Higher Power barrier too, meaning normal magic’s useless against it. They probably didn’t want anyone else to notice what they were doing here, and even if someone did stumble in, they’d be powerless to do anything.

“It’s still a little odd though. People or creatures, sure—but how come the gods didn’t notice anything?”

If they were using Higher Power to hide it, shouldn’t the gods have picked up on it straightaway? Especially the hermit god, considering he spent all that time investigating this world... Well, he didn’t mention anything, so I guess he didn’t notice. Which probably also means those idiots didn’t squeal about it during questioning either... Huh. I thought gods were supposed to be kinda, y’know, all-knowing?

Oh well. That’s not important right now, I guess. I’ve got plenty of time to contemplate omniscience later, so back to the problem at hand. I think it’s pretty reasonable to assume they wouldn’t be keeping an angel under lock and key like this if they didn’t have some use for it.

“So what were they using it for?”

I’m still getting those “hollow doll” vibes from it... Hollow? Yeah. I can’t get the image of one of them worming their way inside this angel out of my head... Ugh, even the thought of it is grossing me out.

Come to think of it, they also tried to take over our minds as soon as I started looking into what was going on with the forest—plus, they tried forcing Koa to kill me too. Those apprentices... Maybe they still haven’t given up? What did the hermit god say? They got sent to the lowest level of existence as punishment, with their memories intact. If they remember everything, of course they’d be trying to figure out a way to escape from their situation. And if they’ve left stuff like this all over the forest...

“Oh man... All of those Higher Power clusters I detected—are they all, like, contingency plans or something?”

The apprentices might have been idiots, but they weren’t entirely stupid. There was a good chance they’d come up with some strategies in case things went wrong—set up spells which would trigger if their presence could no longer be felt, or something. Of course, any sensible contingency plan would definitely include a way for them to return to this world. Which meant...

All right, time to start cleaning up! Starting with this magic circle business.

I knelt down, holding my hand over the patterns. Strangely enough, I didn’t feel the usual thrumming common to hostile spells but something like a vacuum or a magnet, drawing me closer to the circle.

“Wait, it’s not trying to attack me? Huh.”

Weird. And why do I feel like something’s being sucked out of me—?

“Crap!” Yanking my hand away, I quickly checked on my internal power reserves (both mana- and Newer Power-based). My mana had depleted significantly in the few seconds I’d been caught in the circle’s spell, though luckily it was already replenishing.

“Jeez, that was scary.” I mean, who woulda thought it was gonna suck up all my mana? What’s the point of—? Oh, I get it. Everyone here uses magic, and magic uses mana. So if anyone tried to destroy the circle, their spell would just be absorbed—no damage at all.

I decided to test my theory, sending a reliable Fireball—one of the “offensive magic” spells I’d been working on recently—shooting toward the magic circle. It hadn’t even made contact when the patterns glowed, tugging the flames downward and absorbing them without a trace.

“Yep, no surprises there... But what about this?” I prepared the same spell, this time drawing upon Newer Power rather than mana to power it. “Fireball!”

A mass of navy blue flames with silver edges went flying from my palm, bursting into sparks as it came in contact with the patterned floor. Taking a few steps back, I waited for the firework to end; unfortunately, it didn’t, though the circle did start glowing in a way I didn’t like the look of.

“Ah. Did I maybe mess up?”

All signs point to yes. Er... Maybe I can put the sparks out with some water? I’m kinda thinking that won’t work, for some reason... The circle’s really glowing now. Crap! Crap!

The growls of Light Blue, Koa, and Chai soon joined the crackling of the sparks, and the unpleasant symphony—combined with the eerie, brightening glow—made my hair stand on end.

Okay, calm down! Nothing’s happened yet. I just need to... Crap, what do I need to do?! Oh, I can just get rid of the magic circle, right?!

I dug around in my pocket for the monster stone I’d brought along just in case.

These things can absorb all the Higher Power particles polluting the air—it should be able to absorb a Higher Power circle from the floor! Maybe?

“Let’s hope so!”

And if this doesn’t work, I’ll just have to think of something else... Crap. I gotta hurry.

Okay, let’s keep the image simple. Something like...yeah, a vacuum cleaner, zooming around and sucking up all of that nasty pattern junk from the floor— Wait, I have to picture the monster stone or it’s not gonna work. Er... Okay, easy! One monster stone that behaves exactly like a vacuum cleaner coming right up!

“Absorb.”

Using my Newer Power once again, I willed the monster stone to move. It rose from my palm and hovered there for a second before zipping toward the circle. The popping sounds intensified suddenly, and as they did, silver light spilled out of the monster stone, filling the entire room. I squeezed my eyes shut to protect them from the brightness, and when that wasn’t enough, I covered my face with both hands.

I obviously couldn’t see what was happening—blind as I was—but when the familiar sound of suction reached my ears, I chanced a peek at the current state of things.

Well, the sparks are gone, first of all. And let’s see... Yep.

Exactly as I’d pictured, the monster stone was roaming around like a robotic vacuum cleaner, hoovering up every trace of the pattern as though the magic circle was no more stubborn than a layer of dust.

My powers of imagination are seriously lacking, aren’t they...?

Either way, the sight of the quickly disappearing magic circle made me smile, and before long, the monster stone was whirring its way back to me and dropping neatly into the palm of my hand.

Huh. It’s kinda radiant now? Really radiant, actually. I wonder if... Yep, it’s chock-full of Higher Power. Really pure Higher Power. It’s actually making my hand tingle just holding it.

“These monster stones are actually pretty impressive, aren’t they?”

It’s just that having a whole room full of ’em back home makes them seem a little more ordinary, I guess. The way more always show up, like dust, doesn’t help either... They are amazing though, especially now I actually have a use for them.

“Thank you,” I said absentmindedly, lifting the stone slightly higher and bowing my head in a gesture of gratitude.

What was I doing? Oh, right—the magic circle. Let’s see... No patterns to be seen. Just one ominous transparent coffin. Cool. I’m glad it worked, but really? A vacuum cleaner? I can’t believe I used such a lame solution...

Cursing myself internally, I shuffled toward the center of the room.

Hmm... Yep. Beautiful but creepy, just like I thought. So...can I open this coffin, then? I mean, when something’s closed, it just makes me want to open it more... It should be fine, right?

179. Dejection... Destruction.

Though considering literally everything else I’ve tried to do since getting here, I doubt it’s gonna be that easy to open it...

Just to be sure, I placed both hands on the coffin’s lid and gave it a half-hearted push—

“You’re kidding me.”

It slid soundlessly to the side as though it weighed nothing at all, and I couldn’t stop myself from slumping in utter dejection, remembering the hostile barriers and mana-sucking circles I’d had to overcome just to arrive at this stage.

And this is the final challenge? A pre-greased coffin? I know I should be happy, but I can’t help but feel kinda betrayed, in a way—selfishly so, but still... I guess they didn’t think anyone would make it this far. Most people probably would’ve given up back at the entrance, seeing as how they wouldn’t have been able to get through that Higher Power barrier. Hang on, aren’t the dragons all divine beasts? I would’ve thought divine beasts could use Higher Power... Eh. If they could use it, I’m sure they would have by now.

I glanced at Light Blue, but the dragon had fixed a stare at the angel.

I wonder if it knows something about the angel? Well, it’s not like it can tell me anyway, seeing as I’ve still got the little problem of being entirely unable to communicate with any of my animal friends. When is this new god gonna get here anyway?! I still need to ask for a real-time interpretation blessing!

“Ah!”

The angel! Angels can probably understand Japanese, right? They’re meant to be, like, assistants to the gods or something, as far as I know. It can probably teach me about magic and other stuff too... Right, let’s get to waking this sleeping beauty!

Hm. How exactly do I go about that, though? It didn’t react at all when I opened the lid... Ugh. It really is kinda creepy, but it’s hard to explain why exactly... Because it’s too perfect looking, maybe? It’s just uncanny. I can’t tell if it’s male or female either—although I’m not sure gender actually applies to angels, to be honest... This isn’t getting me anywhere. I should start by opening the lid all the way.

I gave it another push, putting more effort into it this time. Too much effort. The lid skated across the lip of the coffin and plunged to the floor on the other side, shattering into countless pieces.

“Argh!”

Crap, that wasn’t meant to happen. Great, and now the coffin’s glowing. Just great. I’ve screwed up yet again, haven’t I? So what the hell am I meant to do now?

The glow kept building, and again, I had to shield my eyes from the burning brightness. The sound of something cracking echoed around me, but I wasn’t going to risk permanent vision impairment just to check where it was coming from. Even with my eyes screwed shut and hidden under both hands, tears streamed down my cheeks in response to the brilliant glow.

After what felt like an eternity, the cracking noises began to fade, as did the light. After blinking a few times to dispel the white blur that had become my vision, I began to survey the scene before me—which was when I noticed Chai, Koa, and Light Blue, all of whom were wobbling around in blind confusion.

“Oh! Sorry... I really am trying to be more careful, I promise...”

I feel like no matter what I do, I always end up causing trouble for these guys. I need to start thinking before I act! I feel like I told myself the same thing last time, though... I might need to spend some time coming up with a slightly more effective reminder later.

Adding the task to my extensive mental to-do list, I returned to the matter at hand (i.e., the coffin). A web of cracks now ran through the transparent glass, and the entire coffin seemed ready to shatter at any moment. Panicking, I peered inside.

“Ha ha... I mean, seriously?”

I blinked repeatedly, but this time it did nothing to change the sight before my eyes.

Betrayed. Again. This world just loves trampling all over my hopes and dreams, doesn’t it? I was so optimistic... I thought, y’know, a literal angel would have a solution for my language barrier problems... Can you really blame me for trying to wake it?! What’s wrong with a little hope?! I’m not the bad guy here!

“So why the hell did a nice, mature, adult angel turn into a freaking baby as soon as I opened the coffin?!”

A baby angel isn’t gonna be able to speak at all, is it?!

I’d achieved my goal of rousing the angel, at least—if the way it was staring straight at me was anything to go off of.

Great, it’s awake. Woo-hoo. Wasn’t quite the outcome I was hoping for, though. I really got my hopes up, and for what?! I feel like... Ha ha. Yeah, I’m pissed off.

“Those bastards...”

I’m sick and tired of this crap. And seriously, hermit god? How did you miss a freaking giant setup like this one? You must be as idiotic as them! I mean, what was the point of investigating the world they made if you weren’t gonna take it seriously? How do you overlook a whole-ass cave?! Not to mention a supercharged magic circle! Are you blind?! You sure looked like a wise old hermit, but I guess appearances can be deceiving!

Sure, those three idiots are mostly at fault here, but you know what? I’m starting to think you gods aren’t entirely blameless either! I mean, they kept a whole world running right under your noses for hundreds of years, you know? I dunno what the deal is with becoming a god, but it’s pretty fair to say apprentices are basically the same as students, right? So why the hell weren’t you keeping a closer eye on them?!

Everyone knows beginners need to be kept in line or else they start mucking around, and yet you went and left them to muck around down here for centuries! So yeah, I think you guys are just as much to blame! What do you say to that, huh?!

“Next time I see that hermit god, I’m gonna give him a piece of my mind...”

I’m so annoyed. Give me a break, will ya?! And give me my wasted hopes back! And give me someone I can actually talk to, dammit!

I sighed, reluctantly dragging myself from the torrent of abuse still raging inside my mind. All of the thoughts were realizations I’d had—and subsequently pushed aside—at one point or another, telling myself that brooding over them was pointless, but apparently, all I’d done was turn them into a ticking time bomb. Really, I would’ve preferred to scream my accusations to the heavens, but I’d kept it all inside to avoid scaring Koa and the others.

Well, a little bit did slip out... Oh well. I’m not perfect.

With another weary sigh, I bid farewell to my emotional outburst and faced reality. Inside the nearly broken coffin in front of me sat an angel, all fluttering white wings and rounded, innocent eyes.

Yep. It’s a little angel. Looks around two years old, give or take? When I first walked in, there was definitely an adult angel in this coffin, though. Then the lid broke, and it turned into a child—a baby, actually. So—

“Goo-aah?”

No matter how I tried to spin it, there was no way I could convince myself that the sounds I’d just heard were even remotely meaningful. I sank to the floor, too overwhelmed with disappointment to see much point in forcing myself to remain upright.

I know I shouldn’t be surprised by this point, but still...

Unfortunately, as soon as I sat down, the trembling started—not mine, but the floor’s. I jumped back up and lifted the baby angel out of the coffin. The walls shifted as countless cracks began to appear along them.

“Crap, it’s gonna collapse! We gotta get out of here! Come on!” I yelled and began to run. A quick glance behind revealed everyone had at least understood the urgency in my words because they were following in close pursuit. Though it wasn’t until we were clear of the cave and all accounted for that I could breathe a sigh of relief, which was around the same time a boom rang out from the entrance as it collapsed.

“That was close—” I started to say, before the strange glow in the sky stopped me mid-sentence. “Oh, what now?!”

Leaping onto Koa’s back, I urged her into the sky. The source of the strange glow soon emerged: five floating magic circles centered around the former cave, all connected by bold strands of light to form a somewhat familiar shape.

“This is a pentagram, right?”

The lines faded first, emitting a sudden beam of light before dissolving into nothingness. The five circles repeated the process soon after, each leaving only a tiny luminous sphere in its place. Even from a distance, I could feel the intense, pure Higher Power pulsating from each one.

I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t just leave those there, but what do I do with them instead?

Before I could come up with an answer, it arrived in the form of a monster stone. Appearing seemingly out of nowhere, it whipped around the sky, sucking up each of the Higher Power spheres and promptly zooming back toward the horizon.

“Um... So everything’s okay now? I don’t have to do anything?”

I looked around, but it seemed like we were done with strange occurrences and ominous glows for the day.

Yeah, I think we’re safe for now. I’m still not sure what the deal was with that pentagram though... And this was only the first point of Higher Power interest I’ve checked. There’s a good chance the other spots are all gonna be just like this one... I’ll go home and have a think about it.

“Gaa-goo.”

I can’t believe I forgot I was still holding the angel either... What do I do with this baby anyway? I guess I’ll just take it home for now...

I wonder if the One Eyes will be any good at babysitting? They’re pretty capable at everything else, after all... Yeah, I’ll ask them to take care of it.

180. The New King

— From the Perspective of a Former Commander —

Cheers rang out from the crowds as they parted to allow the carriage to pass, and I waved in response, though the movement was a pale imitation of the gesture it had been as we’d started the parade. After hours of constant motion, my arm felt like lead. Pure willpower, rather than genuine joy, kept the smile plastered on my face. All of this pomp was a necessary part of becoming king, allegedly—but over two hours had passed, and whether necessary or not, I was beginning to feel disgruntled.

“Who came up with this blasted plan? I’m exhausted,” I muttered under my breath, unable to stop myself. Mizerost’s shoulders shook as he held in a laugh—clearly, I hadn’t been quiet enough—but his adjutant’s glare soon had him attempting to disguise the slip up as an ill-timed cough. Mizerost’s behavior around me was the same as ever, a welcome constant in a world that had otherwise turned upside down.

The days had passed in a blur after I’d agreed to assume the crown. There was so much to do in preparation and so little time to do it. Of course, my schedule wouldn’t be any less hectic from here on out, though the duties themselves would change.

The previous few weeks had been spent dealing with the Empran nobility, a task I’d initially thought would entail winning over any who remained opposed to the thought of my ascension. I couldn’t have been more wrong. In reality, I had divided my time between holding trials and selling favors, condemning some nobles to death while indebting others to me in exchange for their lives. Even now, I could feel a headache coming on at the memory of those insipid meetings.

The Empran nobility was rotten to the core, and it was all because of Gihard. Only after we’d arrested the former duke had the true extent of his crimes come to light. Although we’d first dismissed him as a mere accomplice in Viltora’s theft of the Magestone, we’d still searched all of his properties for further evidence, both his own and those owned by his family. As we’d predicted of the former king’s pet noble, the search had revealed extensive connections between Gihard and the rest of the Empran nobility.

It had also revealed the weak point we’d so desperately needed to control the threat they posed. The discovery of said weak point itself hadn’t surprised me—we’d suspected we’d find something, after all. The substance of it, on the other hand? That had exceeded our wildest predictions, and had caused some deal of chaos among the parties involved.

Gihard had been using his position to operate a business of sorts. It was the kind that existed only behind closed doors, the kind where the death of another noble, perhaps even from within one’s own family, could be arranged for a suitable price. Being born into the nobility meant being born into a world of succession disputes and inheritance claims, a world where murdering one’s siblings was socially acceptable—encouraged, even. Gihard had seen an opportunity to turn bloodshed into profit. He’d hidden his connections to the business well, of course; I doubted the other nobles had known who was behind the service they so readily availed themselves of. However, he’d also kept copies of every request sequestered away at his estate, likely saving them for future intimidation. The slave uprisings had impeded any plans Gihard might have had to blackmail his way to the throne, and so, he’d kept them aside for later use. That had been his biggest mistake, and our greatest fortune. It was also the greatest contributor to my ongoing headache.

Our initial plan—to try and convict the nobles who’d submitted said requests—had crumpled after we’d realized doing so would result in the complete dissolution of the Empran nobility itself, save for a few adolescent children. Though ridding ourselves of the rotten aristocracy wasn’t an unpleasant thought, in reality, it did pose some problems. While it wouldn’t be hard to assume control of the towns and villages closest to the royal capital, the nobility were a necessary evil when it came to preventing those farther from the capital from falling into chaos and ruin.

But what could be done? Replacing an entire social class in a matter of weeks was impossible, but leaving the majority of the kingdom’s citizens vulnerable to instability and unrest wasn’t an option either. After many lengthy debates, we decided to try and condemn any individuals who publicly opposed my ascension—and all that entailed—for their previous crimes, which resulted in the loss of over half of the nobility. As for the rest, we merely alluded to the evidence in our possession, winning their cooperation through the promise of discretion regarding their past offenses. As long as we held that evidence, they wouldn’t attempt anything foolish—or so I hoped, anyway.

Though we’d avoided as much unnecessary bloodshed as possible, the whole ordeal had left a bitter taste in my mouth. In the end, however, we’d managed to rid Empras of the majority of those parasites who thrived upon the suffering of the common folk, which did bring me great comfort. I’d have one less thorn in my side now that I’d accepted the crown.

There had been many fools among the condemned, gamblers who’d arranged the death of not only their siblings but their parents and friends too, paying exorbitantly to secure future status. All of them had failed to read between the lines—failed to notice the lifelong debt to Gihard attached to such measures. Though their preposterous lack of foresight still shocked me, ultimately, it was what had enabled us to usher in a new era of Empran leadership. The expressions those newly laureled nobles had made that day would be burned into my mind forevermore.

It was the day Empras had changed—the day beastkin had been welcomed into the nobility. Of course, the titles had gone only to those capable of meeting the obligations such a position demanded, following a careful selection process—anything else would have only served to harm public acceptance of the beastkin.

Personally, I thought the decision would result in excellent publicity for the new era of Empras. For the common folk, seeing beastkin join the ranks of the nobility would hopefully be a stark indication of our commitment to the changes that would continue to come, changes that would benefit all Emprans, not just those born into privilege. And for our neighboring kingdoms, it had hopefully shown things were different in Empras now.

Perhaps I should be thankful to Gihard. If not for his wickedness, rebuilding the nobility would have taken far longer.

I thought of the man awaiting me at the castle—Gujee, the new chancellor of Empras. He’d refused the position at first, but after much persuasion from myself and the others, he’d finally (albeit reluctantly) agreed. I’d gained a powerful ally in Gujee, even if his painful truths and indifferent reprimands did make me want to cover my ears at times. It was his readiness to tell me the things I needed to hear that made Gujee such an indispensable ally. With him as my guide, there was little chance I’d stray in the wrong direction.

At long last, the carriage stopped before the entrance to the castle. I let out a long sigh as the horses came to a halt and slumped low in my seat. My cheeks twitched. In fact, my whole face felt strange, like being forced to maintain the same expression for hours on end had damaged it somehow. Rubbing my cheeks with both hands, I made my way into the castle.

“Excellent work, Your Majesty. Time is of the essence, so let us proceed,” said Gujee as I entered. Any encouragement his compliment might have offered was swiftly erased by the detached, unfeeling way he directed me to the next task.

Time is of the essence—I knew he spoke the truth, but still, I desperately needed to rest, even if only for a moment. However, leaving the crowd already gathered in the courtyard to their own devices for much longer could easily result in a riot.

I know I need to greet them, but I’m utterly exhausted... Does he not think he’s perhaps packed my schedule a little too tightly?

“Just a short rest...”

“You can rest as much as you’d like tonight.”

He’s merciless... He’s an excellent chancellor, but I do wish he’d be a little kinder at times.

“At any rate, this is the final order of business for today.”

Right, I only have to greet the crows, and then...then, I can rest.

The promise of forthcoming freedom gave my weary legs the energy they needed to carry me toward the balcony doors.

Usually, the ascension of a new king would be celebrated with a grand party, but not this time—not with Empras in the state it was. Some of the enduring nobles had petitioned for one to be held, but I’d denied said petition without a second thought. Parties such as the one they desired were held for the sake of vanity, and frankly, Empras couldn’t afford to waste our limited coffers on keeping up appearances. Of course, we would have found a way to scrape the necessary funding together if there had been some benefit to be had, but that wasn’t the case.

The main purpose of such parties was to allow nobles to connect and conspire with one another, something I found myself caring little about. They could scheme to their heart’s desires elsewhere—and regardless, their grasp on this kingdom was all but over. As for the other kingdoms, we’d sent envoys to advise them of the crowning of a new king, but nothing more. The beast monarchs still hadn’t made their opinion of my ascension fully known, and until things became more certain, there was little point to attempting to forge any closer relations. In the future, similar celebrations and festivities might become necessary as a means of demonstrating our wealth and power to those same kingdoms—but now was not the time to put on airs.

Finding a way to apologize to the beast monarchs was our most pressing problem, but we’d yet to land upon even a rough idea of how to go about it. The other two main problems plaguing Empras at the moment were those of wealth and food. We might have managed if it had only been money that we were short on, but the food shortages Empras was currently experiencing made the wealth shortages even more troublesome. As it stood, we were running out of both at an alarming rate.

Harvest yields had been worsening for decades on end while the former king and the nobles had turned a blind eye to the problem. Now that indifference threatened to be our undoing. The survey we’d conducted of the kingdom’s farmland had revealed dozens of areas where crops now simply refused to grow.

Our mages had cast fertility spells over the soil, but sadly, no improvements had been seen. At this rate, the kingdom’s agricultural yield would only continue to diminish, which would in turn contribute to even greater financial instability. We’d put a team of scholars and mages together to find a solution, but they’d yet to discover anything promising.

I sighed under my breath.

The expressions I could see down below were colored with faint yet unquestionable glimmers of hope. There was no trace of the atmosphere of sorrow that had accompanied the whisperings of the forest’s vengeance on Empras. The hand we’d been dealt was a harsh one, but I’d resolved myself to do whatever it would take to bring peace and prosperity to our kingdom again. That was what it meant to be king. Steeling myself, I approached the edge of the balcony and began to wave. It was a simple gesture, yet at the same time, it was a crucial step toward a better future for our kingdom—a future where the people could continue to wear the joyous smiles I now saw.

181. Babysitting... Target Acquired.

I hovered at the entrance to the living room, unable to summon up the willpower to cross those last few steps.

Yesterday had been, to put it bluntly, a nightmare. Not somehow ending up responsible for a baby angel—that I could deal with. However, the fact that said baby angel had promptly started crying—and hadn’t stopped—was another matter.

Assuming it was hungry, I’d carefully fed it boiled, mushy vegetables, but the crying had continued. I’d then remembered something about babies needing to be burped and had given it a few gentle taps on the back, but nothing had happened—no burps and no relief. My experience with caring for infants was nonexistent, and therefore, I had absolutely no idea what to try next.

While trying to come up with a game plan—and worrying myself silly in the process—I’d accidentally fallen asleep, and when I’d woken up minutes ago, the angel I’d definitely left right beside me had vanished. I’d rushed down to the living room in a state of panic, desperately hoping the One Eyes would know something about the missing celestial being, but the scene I saw through the open doorway stopped me dead in my tracks.

A One Eye was dancing around the room. A baby angel clung to its back, shrieking and giggling in intermittent bursts. Beside them, another One Eye held something out—

What the—? How the hell do you even know about those?!

The sound of shaking and jingling soon filled the room, all coming from the pellet drum the One Eye had just handed to the angel.

Seriously, where did they learn how to make a pellet drum? I mean, they shouldn’t even know what one is! It does sound nice, though... I did think about asking them to make one, didn’t I? But then I remembered I had no idea how to make one either, so I gave up on the idea... Of course they don’t need my help to make anything. I underestimated them again.

“Good morning,” I said, finally finding the nerve to enter the room. The four One Eyes within lowered their heads slightly in response to my greeting. “Thanks for looking after the baby.”

Let’s see... It’s not fussing at all, just smiling and giggling. Maybe I’m better off leaving the child-rearing to the One Eyes? Yeah, definitely.

“Good morning!” Kuhi and Usa said as they joined us in the living room. I gave them a wave, but they didn’t seem to notice, instead staring at the baby angel in shock. Well, specifically, they were staring at the One Eye who was currently giving a piggyback ride to a baby angel.

See?! It’s not just me who finds a sight like that a little surprising!

While we ate breakfast, I watched the One Eyes at work.

The way they hold the baby looks a lot more secure than how I was doing it... Oh, they’ve made diapers too? Already? They’ve been working hard since yesterday... Yeah, definitely safer to leave everything in their capable hands. I mean, I nearly dropped the baby yesterday... That was horrible.

“Thanks for the food!”

We headed outside for a post-breakfast cup of tea, taking in the familiar sight of a clear blue sky intermittently interrupted by the assortment of animals and insects hurtling past.

I know you’re training or whatever, but isn’t catapulting your children taking things a little too far? Everyone’s been working so hard lately... Did something happen?

The sound of crying tore my gaze away from the training and sent it back toward the living room, where the One Eyes were changing the angel’s diaper, much to the latter’s displeasure.

Well, it’s not a boy angel, at least...

As far as I could tell, the angel was either a girl or entirely genderless; I just couldn’t work up the courage to find out for sure either way.

Also, what’s the deal with these One Eyes? I feel like they just set a new record for diaper changing speeds. This is definitely the first time they’ve taken care of a baby, right?

Another sound—clattering this time—drew my attention toward the far wall, where two One Eyes and one Farm Brigade doll were carrying something into the living room.

What is that? It’s some kind of frame...

I watched from a distance as they shuffled the mysterious wooden scaffold into one corner of the room and set to work applying the finished touches.

Oh. It’s a crib. Makes sense. I mean, they went and made a pellet drum for it to play with. Of course they’d also make something as obvious as a crib. And they even made one of those— Wait, what are they called again? Er... Well, I can’t remember the name, but one of those things you put above the crib that spins around and around. It’s got a bunch of pretty pebbles hanging from it too... Hang on, aren’t those the monster stones I was playing around with? I was just trying to see if I could make them shrink, but I’m glad they found a use for them. Aw, Baby Angel looks happy too. Those guys are seriously amazing.

“Er...”

Did the baby angel just shoot a beam of light from its hand? Nah, I must be seeing things... Ha ha. I wish. It definitely happened. And it definitely got absorbed by one of those monster stones too... Is that why the One Eyes made the spinning thing? Baby Angel’s doing it again, and... Yep. Absorbed right away. Um...

“One Eyes, random Farm Brigade doll—is that okay?” I asked, vaguely gesturing to the angel, who was still firing sporadic beams of light. The assorted clay dolls gave me a unanimous thumbs up.

Guess everything’s fine. Baby Angel’s still firing on all cylinders, though... Well, all of it’s getting absorbed right away, so I guess there’s no problem as long as no one’s getting hurt!

After another minute or two, Baby Angel tired itself out and quickly fell asleep in the crib.

It’s so cute when it’s sleeping. That light beam attack, though... That might be a problem.

Well, it’s decided. I’ll leave the babysitting to the One Eyes for now. It’s definitely better for Baby Angel that way... And for me too. Yep. Also, should I give Baby Angel a name? Am I even allowed to name an angel? It does feel kinda sacrilegious or something...

It was then that Usa and Kuhi tugged on my clothes, resulting in me jumping about a foot in the air.

Jeez, you scared me! These two never usually try to get my attention like that— Where are they pointing? The clearing? Is someone hurt?!

I rushed down from the deck to spot the majority of my animal companions clustered in one location. For some reason, everyone had converged upon the spongestone—the drop-off point for all Higher Power hoovered up by the monster stone vacuums.

“What’s going on?”

Huh. The spongestone is massive? Yeah, I guess that makes sense. It did get a mother lode of Higher Power dumped on it yesterday. It’s amazing it didn’t explode, really.

Pressing my hand against the spongestone, I scanned the Higher Power gathered within for anything unusual.

Hmm... I can’t detect anything out of the ordinary, but then why is everyone here?

Retracting my hand, I took a few steps back and surveyed the spongestone. After a minute or two, the cause of everyone’s concern was clear: The stone began to tremble, occasionally twitching in response to a faint sound of banging that seemed to come from within.

What the...? Why is it moving? There should only be Higher Power inside there—and definitely nothing living—so why does it seem like something’s trying to break out?! I’ll scan it again... Yep. Nothing alive in there, but still... Ugh, I feel sick. Did those idiots put some kinda trap on their Higher Power itself as well as everything else?

Seriously, please stop moving. It’s creeping me out.

I need to do something about this... Maybe I can turn the spongestone into an actual stone. Stones can’t move. Hopefully. It’s like diamonds, right? They’re made under pressure or something. Maybe I can use the same method to turn this spongestone into a nice, solid, stationary rock. Yeah, lemme give it a go!

I placed both hands upon the spongestone once more. Since I was dealing with Higher Power, I drew upon my Newer Power for the spell, enveloping the spongestone in a sheath of the stuff. Then I cast the spell, focusing on an image of the spongestone being compressed until it was small and solid, just like a diamond. As the seconds passed, the sheath of Newer Power visibly shrank—and then, it disappeared entirely, leaving a translucent, egg-sized sphere in the palm of my hand.

“Great, it worked— Huh?”

Where’d the sphere go?

Thankfully, I soon located it a few meters away after a short yet frantic search—apparently, I must have immediately dropped it. Before I could retrieve it, though, a monster stone zoomed out of the forest, dropped down to rest atop the now translucent, spherical spongestone, and transferred its load of Higher Power into it before taking off once more.

Well, I’d say it still works. Better put it back in the usual spot. Come to think of it, I’ve seen a lot less monster stones today than yesterday... I wonder if getting rid of all those magic circles had anything to do with it? Oh yeah! I forgot—I wanted to see if I could find any more of those stupid pentagrams hiding anywhere. Lemme just pull up my trusty mind map...

“And there it is.”

I’d found another pentagram, or what looked like one anyway—a circle of five evenly spaced clusters of Higher Power, with an even larger cluster at their center.

It’s a little far away... Oh well. Can’t do anything about that. But pentagrams, huh... I wonder if they’re some kind of religious symbol here or something? I’m pretty sure a whole bunch of cultures back home used pentagrams for one thing or another—all over the world too, not just in the east or the west. I think I read something about pentagrams having protective properties... I just can’t remember where that came from, though. Pretty sure it had something to do with divination... Onmyodo, maybe? Hmm... Well, I don’t think they’re being used to ward against evil spirits or anything here, that’s for sure. What else were pentagrams meant to represent? Good fortune, I think... That doesn’t really apply here either. Hm. Yeah, I can’t think of anything even remotely plausible. Oh well. Meaningful or not, I’m just gonna destroy them either way. This forest is gonna be a pentagram-free zone!

Oh man, what if there’s another bone pile or something this time? It’s probably pretty likely, isn’t it... Better start psyching myself up.

182. Nothing Here...? How to Summon a Door.

I’m sure it should be around here somewhere...

As far as I could tell, I was close to the center of the suspected pentagram I’d spotted on my internal mind map. Unfortunately, my haphazard searching technique had yet to reveal any of the defensive barriers I’d been expecting to find.

I mean, it sure looks like this is the place... But then again, so does everywhere else in this forest. These trees all look the same! Crap, maybe I’m not in the right place? Er... Oh yeah, I can just wait to see if any of the monster stones show up to suck up some of the Higher Power junk. Duh. They’ve got, like, high performance radar installed or something, after all...

A short time later, I spotted one of the stones whirring around overhead. It was a surprisingly reassuring sight.

Yep, those monster stones sure are good at what they do... Hang on, couldn’t I have just used Newer Power to search for the Higher Power instead?

...

Oh well. Let’s just say I was taking the opportunity to make sure the monster stones were still working properly! Yep. It’s not like I had any reason to think otherwise, but you can never be too prepared, right? Yeah, I think that’s plausible.

The (perfectly functioning) monster stone was currently revolving in a circle just meters away but zipped away as I approached.

Oh, come on! I was so close...

A tentative search of the area rewarded me with the familiar sting of a hidden barrier.

“Ouch! Well, I guess I found it...” I muttered, massaging my tingling fingertips. I’d brushed the barrier with a little more force than intended.

It’s a shame there’s no other way to find these— What the hell is wrong with me?! Of course there’s another way—if I just used Newer Power, I could detect these barriers without getting zapped! Seriously, what am I doing...? I literally just had nearly the exact same thought as well... It’s actually a little worrying how quickly I forget things. Hmm... Well, I’ll think about it later. Right now, I need to focus on the problem right in front of me.

“Break,” I said, drawing upon the silver energy to power the spell.

SMASH! A sound like shattering glass echoed through the trees.

“Ah... I forgot again.” I keep meaning to revise that spell so it’s not so, well, noisy... I’m even more useless than usual today, aren’t I? It’s really upsetting, actually... Well I have been through a lot recently! That’s a fair enough excuse, right?! Yep, that must be it. Uh-huh. No doubt about it. All right, time to get caving! Because if I let myself brood over my many, many failings for much longer, I’ll get too depressed to keep going... I’m not a masochist or anything, after all.

With some difficulty, I pulled myself together enough to start my spelunking. Today’s cave, much like the last one, was clearly not a naturally occurring landform, which meant there was an unfortunately high chance another bony monstrosity awaited me ahead. The mere thought of it made me groan. While I obviously wanted to free the imprisoned souls I’d probably soon encounter (if my experience in the last cave was anything to go off), I was dreading the accompanying soundtrack of tortured cries and agonized screams.

Trying to distract myself, I glanced at my bodyguards for the day—Spider Boss, Ai, and Ball of Wool.

Bit of a weird combination of creatures... I suppose that’s always true, though. Nice to see Ai seems a lot more comfortable around the others these days. He was pretty timid when I first found him, wasn’t he? But now he’s holding his own just as much as anyone else. Yep, he’s got real presence. And muscles—a lot of muscles. Yep, he’s pretty imposing...in a cool way, though.

“Wait a minute... I can see?”

I’d just (somewhat belatedly) realized that unlike the previous cave, this one wasn’t pitch-black. It didn’t feature the familiar glowing stone either; instead, lamps installed at regular intervals along the walls lit the path ahead.

Maybe the first cave was still under construction or something?

The end of the tunnel revealed another architectural difference. Last time, the tunnel had funneled us directly into an ominous cavern. This time, however, there was a door.

“Ugh... It’s only a minor difference, but it makes me feel like there’s definitely something waiting for me on the other side...”

Somehow I forced myself to grab the handle, but the thought of the potential mountain of bones just meters away made the idea of leaving some doors unopened sound incredibly appealing.

Not like I have much choice, though... Well, here goes nothing!

With a light push, the door swung slowly open, revealing (to my great surprise) nothing at all. The chamber ahead of me was completely empty.

“Oh, thank goodness...”

A closer look around the cavern didn’t uncover anything worrying either—no cages, no giant piles of bones. Relief flooded my body, but—

Hang on... I scanned the cavern again. There’s no weirdly opulent, ominously glowing doors anywhere either. Huh. Oh, wait—last time, it was only after I dealt with the whole “imprisoned souls” situation that the door appeared. But there’s nothing for me to deal with here, so how am I meant to manifest this door?

“Great. Now I’m stressing over the lack of an ominous door.”

Maybe there’s a trigger somewhere...

I carefully inspected each of the walls in turn, but unfortunately, I didn’t come across any hidden switches or strange outlines. Next, I tried to figure out where the door would theoretically be based on my experience in the prior cave. I was pretty sure I’d found the right spot, but my usual mana-based scan of the wall merely revealed solid rock rather than a hidden chamber. I then scanned the remaining walls in the same way but got the same result. As far as I could tell, there were no hidden chambers anywhere.

“Er...”

This is starting to annoy me. Okay, lemme take a few deep breaths... Yep. Nice and calm.

All right, from the top: What am I doing here? I’m looking for a door. Problem is, the door’s not appearing. Why not? Because I haven’t triggered it yet. What triggered it last time? Cleaning up the bone mountain. Yeah, that all sounds about right. So the door won’t appear until I’ve solved some kind of problem...

Hang on. Isn’t that a bit weird? Last time, why did that door appear in the first place? If I was a hidden door—especially one designed by those apprentices—there’s no way I’d go and reveal myself to a bunch of random intruders...

“It’s weird, right?”

I mean, they protected the place with all those Higher Power barriers, plus there was the whole business with the flaming bone mountain. Clearly they didn’t want anyone to be able to find that angel. But in that case, it doesn’t make any sense that the door would appear just because I got rid of all their nasty traps. Like, who would design it that way? So the door appearing must have been caused by something else... What, though? I feel like I must have done something...

Oh, yeah—my new power. I converted the Higher Power they were using to torture all those souls into Newer Power so I’d be able to control it. I wonder if that was what triggered it. I dunno... I guess if those idiots could use Newer Power too, it would make sense, maybe... Like if the door could detect Newer Power in the area, and that was the key? Hmm... Nah. If they would use Newer Power, they would’ve made the barriers out of it too. It seems stronger than Higher Power after all.

“As usual, thinking about it isn’t getting me anywhere.”

While I was pretty sure that all three forms of magical energy—mana, Higher Power, and Newer Power—were different, ultimately I had no idea what those differences actually were. Rather than dwelling on it any further, I decided it was time for some trial and error.

Let’s see if I can use Newer Power to lure this door out of hiding.

“What kind of bait do you use for something like this? Hmm... Let’s try some light.”

Tapping into the reserve of Newer Power I’d recently started building, I conjured a generic ball of light. The glowing orb that appeared seconds later was mostly silver with a navy blue core.

Come to think of it... When I converted mana into Higher Power, I ended up with the silver Newer Power. But when I tried to convert Higher Power into Newer Power, it turned navy blue, not silver... Like, this whole conversion system makes absolutely zero sense! And I’m the one who came up with it! I think... I know the hermit god said I’m not human anymore, but this is starting to cross a little too far into the unknown for my liking. It’s like I’m turning into a— Ha ha, there’s no way. Nope. Not possible.

“I gotta stop having such stupid ideas.”

Especially when thinking about it is just a waste of time. Besides, even if I am changing somehow, it’s not like I’ll be able to stop it anyway.

I sighed.

Well, whatever this Newer Power is, it sure is beautiful—and it’s a lot more powerful than mana too. I couldn’t have freed those imprisoned souls without it... Yeah. It might have had some unintended repercussions, but I’m sure everything will be fine in the end.

A flash along one of the walls tugged me away from my admiration of the orb, and when I turned, I immediately spotted the newly visible door.

So that means those idiots were using Newer Power as the key...? Wait, that’s not important right now. There’s no point worrying about the theoretical abilities of idiots who aren’t even in this world anymore. I’ll just remember that there’s a possibility they might have been able to use it just in case.

I... I can remember that much, right? Surely...

Yeah, forget all this stuff about new powers and mysterious transformations—what I’m really worried about right now is my memory.

While this newest set of double doors was as carefully crafted as the first had been, the design was less opulent, and a gentle push had them soundlessly swinging open. The first thing I noticed, of course, was the transparent, angel-occupied coffin in the center of the room.

“Not too surprising.”

The magic circle surrounding this coffin appeared to be identical to the previous iteration. However, the angel itself did look slightly different. Slightly...younger.

“Oh, don’t tell me—it’s not gonna turn into an even younger baby, is it? No... No, maybe it will just wake up like it is now? A nice, normal, adult angel?”

I knew I was probably just setting myself up for disappointment, but I could always hope. Well, it was a little bit closer to “begging” than “hoping,” but either way... Right! Let’s clean this mess up.

For starters, I flung a small orb of mana toward the magic circle, where it was immediately absorbed just as I’d predicted. I think it’s pretty safe to assume this is the same kind of spell then, which means... I dug the monster stone I’d prepared earlier out of my pocket and loaded it up with a good dose of Newer Power. “Absorb.”

Yep. Just like pressing the start button on a vacuum cleaner...

I’d considered altering the spell to something a little less lame, but unfortunately, I hadn’t been able to come up with anything more appropriate to use as a basis than a vacuum cleaner.

Does it really have to sound like a vacuum cleaner as well, though? I thought, wincing as the sound of suction echoed off the cavern walls. Magic sure is crazy sometimes... Oh well. It’s getting the job done, so I can’t really complain too much.

I watched in uncomfortable silence for a while, taking in the uncanny scene of a small pebble whirring around like a vacuum cleaner, hoovering up a magic circle from around an angel’s coffin. After the last traces of the circle had been siphoned away, the stone flew back toward me and settled neatly in the palm of my hand.

It’s exactly like a robot vacuum, isn’t it? Except they usually return to their chargers...

183. A One-Eyed Race...and Baffling Beastkin.

With the hurdle of the magic circle gone, I took a closer look at the transparent coffin before me—and the angel within.

You’re perfect the way you are, okay? So please stay just like that... It’d be a massive help to me...

It definitely looks younger than the first angel, though. Yeah... It’s gonna come out as an even smaller baby, isn’t it? Like, a one-year-old or something...

I better prepare myself mentally, I suppose. That said, though... I mean, how much can you really prepare yourself for something like this? It’s just...

I sighed.

I gotta stop thinking so hard about things, especially things like this. Because the more I let myself think, the more I want to run away... Okay, let’s open this coffin! Nice and carefully this time, so the lid doesn’t fall off and smash again. A gentle push, and... Great. It fell off.

“Why, dammit?!”

Crash.

The sounds of shattering glass and my indignant protests echoed throughout the cavern in a disgruntled duet.

I was so freaking gentle with it! What the hell?! Is it designed to fall off and break if you even so much as breathe near it or something?! I feel like I’m being pranked... Ugh. Stupid lid.

I huffed.

Fine, fine. Forget it. I should check on the angel—the baby angel, I should probably say. I prepared myself for this, right? So I can’t let myself get too depressed if my suspicions have come true... A little depressed is fine, though. I think.

“Yep. Great. I was right. Woo-hoo...”

Seriously, how old is this one? The last angel was about two years old—or so I decided, anyway—so this one’s probably about a year old, then? Yeah, let’s go with that. Oh, man... Well, at least it’s old enough to hold its own head up without support... Small victories.

I carefully lifted the baby out of the coffin for a slightly closer inspection.

Aww, your wings are smaller too. So cute! Look at you fluttering your widdle wings— Hang on, what am I doing?! There’s no time for this now. The last cave started collapsing right around this point. Yep, time to evacuate!

“Thanks, One Eyes,” I said, transferring the baby angel to one of the clay dolls. I’d made the ingenious decision (if I did say so myself) to bring several of the One Eyes along on today’s expedition.

See?! Who said I never learn from experience?!

I’d had a few close calls during our escape from the last cave—running while also holding a baby had turned out to be a lot tricker than I’d imagined. Rather than relive that particular nightmare, I’d decided to bring along some of the experts. The One Eyes immediately produced some strips of cloth from somewhere, examined the baby angel, and chose several of the strips, tucking the others away.

Er... What are they doing?

I got my answer within seconds, as I watched the other One Eyes use the strips to firmly secure the baby angel to the chest of one of their brethren. The speed at which they worked was, as always, mind-boggling.

“All right, let’s get out of here.” I let the One Eyes go first, following close behind so I’d notice (and hopefully be able to help) if anything happened. We’d only taken a few steps when the ground started shaking. “Hurry!”

If things got really bad, I figured I’d always be able to carry the angel-bearing One Eye myself. What I hadn’t counted on, however, was how fast the One Eyes were actually able to run. The speeds they were currently achieving should have been impossible for a person (or clay doll) carrying a baby, but yet, all I could do was watch as their retreating figures grew smaller and smaller.

Well, that’s the One Eyes for ya. I guess.

Once again, today’s cave-in ended with our narrow escape, the entrance crumbling behind us just seconds after everyone had emerged. I immediately checked on the baby, who turned out to be sound asleep in the One Eye’s arms. The sight of the snoozing angel brought me some relief—and quite a bit of guilt.

When I was carrying the angel last time, it was screaming and crying throughout the entire escape... I must have really scared it.

A vague glow from above caught my attention, which I assumed meant the pentagram had appeared. Thankfully, it only took a minute or two for the always-efficient monster stones to zip past overhead on their way to absorb the now redundant Higher Power clusters.

I need to remember to check on the spongestone later, in case another influx of Higher Power affects it again... I guess that means we’re done here, though.

“Let’s head home, okay?”

With that, we started running. Of course, I made sure to set a slightly gentler pace than usual on account of the baby, though I wasn’t actually sure it was necessary given that it was still sound asleep in the One Eye’s arms. When we arrived home, all of the One Eyes were waiting outside to greet us. The unexpected swarm of clay dolls did catch me off guard to some extent.

They’ve never waited for me like this before... I guess they’re all excited to see the new baby angel? Still, I’m not sure all of them needed to— Wait a minute... Aren’t there a few too many of you? Yeah... Way too many of you, actually... Oh, the Three Eyes are here too—and the Gremlins and the entire Farm Brigade... It’s a full congregation of clay dolls. Wow. It’s been a while since they’ve all gathered in the same spot... I’m a little shocked at just how many there are, to be honest. I don’t remember making all of these... Erm. Oh, Usa and Kuhi are here too! And Shuri and the ants. And Koa and all the wolves... And Chai and all the dogs... Yeah, everyone’s here, aren’t they? Even the dragons—thankfully in mini mode... Er, what’s going on? I know you’re excited or whatever, but I feel like you’re overdoing it a little by having everyone here... Oh well.

“We’re back!”

“Welcome home!” Usa and Kuhi replied cheerfully.

Their Japanese is getting really good—and now they’ve started picking up the mannerisms too. I’m still not sure whether it’s okay for me to be keeping them here, though... I know they used to be slaves, but that’s it. They might have friends or family out there somewhere. Maybe I should pay a visit to wherever these guys came from and see if I can track their families down? It can’t hurt to try, right?

Koa nuzzled against me, and I absentmindedly stroked her head.

Hey, girl. Hey, the puppies from your litter this year have all grown up nice and big, haven’t they? I can’t even tell the difference between this year’s litter and last year’s anymore. The fact that they’re all basically identical doesn’t help either... I’m glad everyone’s healthy and all, but it sure would be handy if they could look a little different, you know? Actually, what I’d really like is if they could be a little smaller... Because otherwise when everyone surrounds me—just like you’re all doing now—it always ends with me narrowly escaping being buried alive! You’re all too big for this! I can’t breathe—

I somehow managed to extract myself from my furry tomb, but when I went to check on the baby angel, the One Eyes had already taken it inside the house. “Thanks for waiting for me...”

The other clay dolls had already returned to their respective work. Clearly, they’d only been interested in the new baby.

Like, I knew you didn’t come to see me... But you could have at least waved or something, you know? Eh, I get it. The babies are really cute, after all.

How many of those Higher Power spots are still left to investigate? There were twenty at the start, right? And including the one at the center, each pentagram I cleaned up was made of six of those. So that’s twelve down, and eight to go? No more pentagrams, though... And my mental games of connect-the-dots haven’t resulted in any other plausible shapes, so I’ve got no choice but to check them all individually. Ugh. I can’t say I’m too excited to find out what else is waiting for me out there... Angels, bone mountains, tortured souls— I can’t even guess at what I’m gonna find next, but I’m pretty sure I’m not gonna like it. Gotta start psyching myself up again, I guess...

I made my way inside. A chorus of crying greeted me as I approached the living room. I probably could have guessed that double the babies would equal double the noise, but I was still amazed by the sheer volume of their cries. A quick peek around the doorframe revealed the One Eyes bustling around in the kitchen, apparently midway through preparing food for their new charges.

I wonder if the smaller angel needs milk rather than food, though? It’s still so young— Hang on, where the hell am I gonna find milk around here anyway? Well, I guess I’ll just wait and see whether or not I’m gonna need to find some first and figure it out from there. Somehow.

The One Eyes soon finished their preparations. They’d boiled one of the potato-like vegetables until it was soft and mashed it into a paste, then waited until it cooled down before beginning to feed the babies. The babies seemed to be eating just fine, even the younger one. After a few minutes of observation, I tentatively decided I wouldn’t have to worry about finding milk for the time being.

Phew.

“Oh right—names! I already decided I was gonna name the first angel, but I guess I forgot... Oh well. Angel names, huh? Let’s see...”

Everyone should have a name, after all—even if it’s just until a god shows up to retrieve them. Yeah, I’m sure it’s fine. So... What do you name an angel anyway? I’ll start with the first angel I found... I guess I could always choose something to do with that very distinctive hair color?

“How about something like Momo?” I suggested, crouching down between the two angels. “Momo?” I tried again, gently ruffling the angel’s wispy, peach-colored hair as I spoke. The angel didn’t react at all, but the nearby One Eyes did, so I decided to take that as a good sign. “Momo it is—peach, just like the color of your hair, okay? Now it’s your turn...”

I turned to the smaller angel. “Your hair is beautiful too—such a pretty shade of purple.”

I should probably just name them both using the same criteria, right?

“Oh, what about Sumire, like the purple flowers?” I suggested. “Your hair is the same color as the ones I saw that one time... I think.”

Okay, I’m not entirely sure if my memory can be trusted, but it’s a nice name either way right?

“Sumire?” Again, there was no response, which didn’t particularly surprise me. I got the attention of the gathered One Eyes with a wave, and formally introduced them to the babies. “This is Momo and Sumire. Thanks for looking after them.”

Yep. Good names, if I say so myself. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy just hearing them.

“Well, it looks like everything’s fine for now, but... Yeah, I should probably try to find some milk.”

And some eggs. I really need to figure out a way to get both. I’d need a cow or a goat for milk, and a chicken for eggs—or a quail, I guess? Or even an ostrich...

Now that I think about it, are there even normal animals in this world? Like, the kind we had back in Japan? I can’t remember seeing any... The only “animals” I’ve come across in the forest have all been giant monsters. Have there even been any small monsters? Oh, the squirrels? Although they do have horns. Are they monsters or animals? Maybe “animals” aren’t even a thing here?

I glanced up as Usa and Kuhi ran past.

Wait... Are beastkin this world’s version of animals, maybe? What even are beastkin? Usa and Kuhi both have dog ears and tails, so does that mean they’re gonna be able to transform into dogs once they’re fully grown or something? Like shape-shifters? Are beastkin shape-shifters? But if that’s true... Yeah. If that’s true, then there’s no way I’ll ever be able to get my hands on any milk even if I do find a cow. I mean, I can’t just go up to a beastkin and say, “Can I have some milk, please?” They’d think I was some kinda pervert...

I guess I could always take a peek at one of their villages or something if I can find one. Maybe that’ll let me figure out what “beastkin” actually are. I feel like my sister said something about this whenever she went on one of her beastkin rants... What was it again? “Kemonomimi are the G.O.A.T.!” or something... What the hell is a “kemonomimi”? A goat-based beastkin, I guess?

“Nah... I think that’s wrong, somehow.”

I give up. I never understood a thing she was saying anyway.

How do I go about visiting one of their villages, then? I still can’t speak a word of their language, and I don’t know their customs or anything either... I’d hate to do something offensive by mistake. I don’t have a whole lot of options for socialization in this world, so I can’t afford to screw myself over by leaving a bad impression. Hmm... Well, I’ll see if I can find a village with the drone first and go from there.

Hang on—I came across some beastkin in the forest once, didn’t I? When I was flying around with Koa. They looked just like adult versions of Usa and Kuhi—that’s the only reason I realized they were beastkin. So if they were adults, and they still looked like that...maybe beastkin can’t shape-shift, then? But I guess just because they hadn’t shape-shifted doesn’t mean they couldn’t, necessarily... Oh, forget it. I’m not gonna figure anything out by standing here and thinking about it, am I? I have to get out there and find the answer.

Where did those beastkin even come from, though? Maybe they’ll still be waiting for me back where I saw them last... Ha ha. Wishful thinking never hurt anybody, right? I should probably start by looking around there anyway. If they’re not just sitting around waiting, I’ll search for some buildings or a path or something. Oh, and I can’t forget about the dragons—last time, the beastkin all started fainting as soon as Fluffy and Light Blue showed up. If I do end up visiting a village, I should probably leave the dragons at home. Yeah, I’ll ask Koa to take me. I’m getting pretty comfortable flying with her these days. Oh, but if I take Koa, Chai will probably come too... Well, I think it’ll still be fine. No more, though. We’d stand out way too much. Yep, it’ll be better with just the three of us.

184. Fluffy, the Water Dragon (2)

— From the Perspective of a Lake-Dwelling Water Dragon —

I made my way through Master’s dwelling, having shrunk to my smaller form for ease of movement. Eventually I reached the chamber Master referred to as the “living room,” and peered inside at the two sleeping angels.

Archangels... I’m sure of it.

The other dragons had each drawn the same conclusion. The two younglings were not just angels but archangels—the closest, most-trusted servants of the gods.

But to think I’d meet archangels here...

I’d hardly believed my ears when we’d heard Koa’s account of the day they’d found the first angel. Encountering an angel in the first place was implausible enough, but encountering one within our world—and moreover, inside the vessel they’d found it in... It was unthinkable, and it was troubling.

My fellow dragons and I had spent hours discussing the crystalline case the angel had been entombed in. Ultimately, we’d settled on two possibilities, theories pieced together from the fragmented memories we still possessed.

The first was that it was a Cradle—a receptacle within which new angels were created. Koa’s description of the vessel differed from what we knew of Cradles, though. The Cradles we’d heard of had never been said to have lids.

The other possibility we’d come up with was that of the Caskets, used to either change or erase an angel’s memories—or to erase their existence itself.

To the best of our combined knowledge, however, the use of a Casket was only permitted in two situations: if the angel had committed a crime so great that other means of punishment were not sufficient, or if an angel’s soul became too damaged for them to continue on—so damaged that even the gods couldn’t repair the wounds. Those were the only two situations in which the use of a Casket would even be considered, let alone allowed. Furthermore, the Caskets were meant to be secured behind the strongest wards in existence; therefore, the presence of a Casket within our world should have been impossible.

I have many questions for that god when he next visits our realm... Many, many questions.

Truthfully, we still weren’t convinced we’d landed upon the correct answer at first, so we sent Ball of Wool to participate in Master’s next expedition. The fire dragon had been able to confirm our theory, because a second Casket had been present within the cavern they’d explored just earlier today. Understandably, this had caused significant panic among my fellow dragons and me. Cradles and Caskets were both said to be safeguarded by magic of the highest order, outfitted with terrible curses that would activate the moment anyone but their creators dared to touch one.

Ball of Wool, on the other hand, had remained unconcerned. When we’d pressed for an explanation as to why, we’d learned that the curse had indeed activated—only to destroy itself out of fear. Ball of Wool’s response had confused us, to say the least. Who had ever heard of a curse destroying itself, much less out of fear? What could a curse woven by a god even have to fear in the first place? Maledictions such as those—fashioned out of Higher Power itself—couldn’t be defended against by any means. What could such a terrible weapon have to fear?

Ball of Wool had witnessed that fear, though. It had seen the curse—or rather, the lid it had been placed upon—unleash the entirety of its power in an attempt to shield itself from Master’s new power, and when it had been unable to do so, it had thrown itself to the floor and shattered. Based on what we now knew, the curse placed upon the first Casket had probably resigned itself to the same fate.

Ridiculous though the thought is, it’s somehow oddly plausible... Master’s power is to be feared.

However, there was another matter still troubling me—that of the unusually small archangels I was currently observing. Generally, angels weren’t known to possess the ability to change in size.

But even if, unbeknownst to us, they did possess such an ability...surely they’d never deign to become mere children. Angels are angels—they are not bound to the passage of time. Such powerful beings, allowing themselves to be reduced to a form no different to that of a newborn human or beastkin? Never. Flying Lizard suspects that one of them is actually unable to physically support itself... Perhaps that’s a common weakness among the newborns of two-legged creatures? I am unsure... Hmm.

They cannot communicate either. Angels should be able to speak the languages of all creatures, but neither of the two can speak at all. It seems as though they cannot communicate telepathically either... How strange. They are angels—the Higher Power I can sense from them and the wings confirm as much. But yet...

“Any luck?”

The voice snapped me out of my musings. “Ah, Ball of Wool...” I sighed. “Not at all. They’re not responding to any of the thoughts I transfer.”

“As we suspected... Shame. I suppose those apprentices are to blame for it—the ones who trapped us here...”

“I can’t think of any other explanations,” I replied. “But as to why... That, I cannot say.”

One of Master’s golems bustled past us at that point, and we paused to observe as it approached the sleeping archangels. I’d long grown accustomed to the fact that the golems had never once faltered in our presence, but their composure still impressed me regardless. Perhaps sensing the golem’s movements, the angels began to stir. Their eyes fluttered open—

“Oh...”

“Indeed.”

Ball of Wool had it noticed too—noticed the darkness swirling within those eyes. Angels were beings of Higher Power, given life by the gods themselves. They were, by their very nature, pure beings. So for such impurity to dwell within them... Well, it was illogical.

Taking care to ensure I didn’t interfere with the golem’s work, I approached the archangels to examine their eyes more carefully. Unfortunately, I hadn’t been mistaken.

They’ve both been afflicted... Particularly the larger angel.

“This may pose a problem.”

“Mm. There’s something in their minds that shouldn’t be there.”

Indeed. Darkness cannot exist within their kind—unless something else has forced it upon them. Forced its way into their minds... But what could possibly be capable of overcoming the shields of an archangel?

The Caskets... The gods use them to erase memories but also to change them. If someone tampered with the memory-modification spell... It wouldn’t be a simple matter, of course, but I can’t say it wouldn’t be possible. But if that’s the case, then it’s surely those apprentices who are behind this. We’ve seen their handiwork before.

This is worrying. Who knows what manner of orders they’ve forced upon the archangels? Regardless, we must find a way to resolve this immediately. With the power those archangels possess... If they were to strike at us, it would be nothing short of catastrophic.

Ball of Wool and I exchanged a silent nod and turned to leave, already reaching out to summon the other dragons. However, I’d only taken a single step when something tugged me backward. Bewildered, I spun around to find one of the golems clinging to my tail, keeping me firmly in place.

Er...

“If you wouldn’t mind letting go of my tail...” I said (somewhat peevishly), but unfortunately, my request went unanswered. Annoyed, I tried flicking my tail to extract it from the golem’s grasp, but to no avail.

I am beginning to anger, golem...

I tensed just slightly, flooding my muscles with just a touch of the true might we dragons possessed. Obviously, I couldn’t unleash my full strength inside Master’s dwelling, but I unstoppered the valve just enough to free myself from the golem’s grip—or so I thought.

What in the world...?

I sensed a flare of power from beside me and looked to find that Ball of Wool had been similarly immobilized. We stared at one another in confusion, but only for a moment. A sudden flash of light drew our attention back to the archangels, one of whom—based on the surge of Higher Power rippling through the air—was in the process of casting an alarmingly aggressive spell. Panic and fear coursed through me, and I could do little but watch as the astonishing scene unfolded before my eyes: one archangel, soon joined by the second, directing a series of devastating attacks toward the ceiling above their resting place—devastating attacks which inexplicably then vanished into thin air.

“Ball of Wool... What is this?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

I soon noticed that the strange sensation of having my tail restrained had vanished, and a quick glance confirmed that the golem had finally seen fit to release me. A quick glance was all I could afford, for the archangels were still casting spell after spell, each of which mysteriously faded nearly as soon as it had been released.

I don’t understand... Whatever is that thing dangling from the ceiling? Dangling and spinning... Ah.

While I still wasn’t quite sure what the object itself was, I had finally recognized what was attached to it. Numerous magestones hung from thin strings, and Master’s power flowed out of each one, slowly but steadily showering the archangels in his mana.

Ball of Wool grunted. “Magestones... Fully imbued with Master’s mana.”

“His power is capable of purification, I suppose... But can their tampering be countered with mere mana?” I replied, unconvinced.

“I do not know... But it is Master’s power, after all.”

I found myself comforted by Ball of Wool’s comment, simple though it was. Of course. Master’s power can counteract anything—even a mind-manipulation spell as potent as this.

Eventually the attacks slowed, and then finally stopped. The golems bustled over to the pens they’d crafted for the two archangels, inspecting both the ceiling and the magestones for signs of damage. Apparently satisfied that all was well, they then departed, leaving Ball of Wool and I alone with the angels. The pair seemed to have exhausted their reserves and themselves, for they were both soundly asleep within seconds.

“It seems there is little need for us to worry.”

“It appears so. The golems clearly have everything under control,” Ball of Wool replied bemusedly, and I nodded.

That’s why they restrained us, I suppose—to prevent us from acting out of panic and ruining the system they already had in place. I even had the conscious thought to avoid interfering with their work... Clearly, I failed in that regard.

“Do you think Master knows of this too?”

Ball of Wool snorted. “What’s gotten into you, Fluffy? What a ridiculous question... Of course Master knows. Otherwise the golems wouldn’t be aware of it, would they?”

“I suppose...”

“That’s why he ordered one of the golems to escort him today, you see?”

“Oh, you’re right... I did wonder about that.”

“I’d say all of this,” Ball of Wool continued, nodding at the dangling magestones, “was planned by Master too.”

Of course. It was silly of me to think otherwise. Master’s greatness truly knows no bounds...

I closed my eyes, focusing my attention on the countless gifts Master had bestowed upon my body. His new power was the most vivid of them all, enclosing me within a blanket of gentle warmth. Wherever I went, I could feel his glorious touch.

“I think we’re done here, Fluffy. Let’s get back to the others. I’m sure they’re worrying themselves silly by now... Let’s tell them what we’ve learned and give them some relief.”

“Indeed. We’ll let them know about the golems—and about Master’s greatness, of course.”

185. Dadavis, Captain of the Third Legion of Entall

I sighed.

Khimir glared at me. “Captain, stop sulking and just accept it,” my vice captain said coldly. I usually found myself giving up as soon as his words took on that frosty edge, but not today.

“Accept it?” I laughed. “Accept it? How the hell am I meant to accept something as ridiculous as this?! This should have been a job for Ghalfa, or even Malphora,” I replied, rattling off the names of the other legion captains. “Do you honestly think I’m a better choice for an envoy?”

“Of course not... Oh, forgive me. I meant, you’ll be fine, Captain,” Khimir replied, laughing.

Rude bastard... Shouldn’t my vice captain be showing me a little more respect?! Apparently not, I guess...

“You’re not hiding your true feelings very well, Vice Captain Khimir...” interjected Cafilet, somewhat reproachfully. “Though I can’t say I necessarily disagree— No, never mind.”

Great—now I’m being mocked by my adjutant as well as my vice captain. I’m meant to be in charge here, aren’t I? Cheeky brats...

Seriously, how did I end up in this mess? Why am I being sent to Empras? I’m no good at all that formal crap. I mean, I can probably manage if I have to... I think.

“Do...do you think I’ll be all right? You know, with the etiquette and all that?”

“Pfft— Well, let’s just hope their new king is the broad-minded sort,” Khimir replied.

You just snorted at me, didn’t you? I heard it! And you, Cafilet—try and hide all you like, but I can see your shoulders shaking! I know you’re laughing at me! Wait... Am I truly that hopeless? And yet I’m the one who’s about to go and ask the new king of Empras if he wants to be allies... I don’t know what His Majesty was thinking choosing me as the envoy. Well, an envoy is basically just a messenger, right? All I have to do is take a message from our king to theirs, and vice versa. It’s not like I’m responsible for the future of our kingdom or anything.

“You’ll need to be careful, Captain. Being too humble in your demeanor could weaken their opinion of Entall greatly. That being said, you can’t act too arrogantly either—we’re not seeking to start a war after all.”

Okay, so I am responsible for the future of our kingdom. Great. Seriously, why the hell did the king choose me for this?! He should know more than anyone just how terrible an envoy I’ll be! Doesn’t he remember how many times I screwed up during my report on Gunmilze?! Urgh... This is giving me a stomachache.

“Do you need some medicine, Captain? I asked the mages to prepare an additional supply for you in light of your upcoming duties,” said Cafilet, producing one of the familiar vials from his chest pocket and offering it to me.

I’m glad you’ve made some preparations, but don’t you think you’ve got your priorities a little wrong here? Forget the medicine. You’re seriously not even going to try to prepare me?!

“What, you’re not planning to teach me all this etiquette and courtesy stuff, then?”

“Whatever for? I’m sure we’ve covered everything you’ll need to know quite thoroughly, Captain. Do you not remember?” Khimir asked, suspicious.

Ugh... Right, it was back when they made me a captain... Well, I remember being tied to a chair to stop me from running away, at least? And then came hours of lectures about behavior and decorum... Huh. Weird. I don’t remember anything about those lectures, though. Just about being tied to a chair...

I remained silent, which only served to validate Khimir’s assumption. “Just as I thought. I have no intention of wasting my time on such a pointless undertaking again.”

The sheer disappointment in his voice made me hang my head in shame. I couldn’t really protest, though.

Still, isn’t it kind of worrying that I can’t remember a single thing? Maybe there’s something wrong with me...

Khimir sighed. “You’ll be fine, Captain. In the end, it’s merely an introductory exchange. All you have to do is kneel down and exchange a few words, just like you do when you’re called to an audience with His Majesty.”

“He’s right,” added Cafilet. “I’m sure King Gunmilze won’t take offense, even if your manner of speaking is still too informal.”

The minuscule flicker of motivation I felt from Khimir’s reassurance was immediately pulverized by Cafilet’s remark.

Informal? But I’ve been actively trying to speak more formally this entire time! I thought I was doing well... I guess not.

“I want to go home...” I muttered. I knew it was impossible, of course. The Third Legion had been officially appointed as the diplomatic delegation to Empras by the king himself; no one would be forgiven for shirking their duty, least of all me. Besides, we were already well on the way to Empras. There was no turning back now.

I looked around, surveying the knights marching in stiff formation, their expressions as rigid as their bearing. They were nervous. I couldn’t fault them for it. Our journey was currently taking us through the forest, after all, but that wasn’t the only reason. Their unease was mostly directed toward our destination.

For over two hundred years, the kingdom of Empras had played host to a tyrant who’d treated both his own citizens and outsiders like playthings. While a new king had now taken his place, the horrors of the past weren’t so easily forgotten. Furthermore, the new king appeared to have the support of the forest, a fact which only exacerbated their unease.

“This place really has changed... Even the air here feels completely different now,” Khimir said.

Cafilet nodded. “I had the same thought. Oh, did you hear about the rivers, Vice Captain? Apparently, the villagers are saying that the crops they harvest these days are twice as tasty, and it’s because they’re using water from the forest.”

“I did hear something of the kind. I suppose that’s why they used to call those rivers ‘the blessings of the forest,’ no?”

I listened as the two continued to discuss the rumor that had been the talk of the capital in recent weeks. I didn’t usually care for gossip, but this particular rumor was an exception, because I suspected there was a high possibility the matter was actually related to the spirits I’d been fascinated by since childhood.

Extensive research had proven that when growing crops, any attempts to utilize magic—say, to hasten the process or increase the yield—would actually have the opposite effect. Spells cast for unrelated purposes also led to the same result. No matter what kind of spell it was, the caster’s mana would permeate and corrupt the soil, thereby damaging the growth of the crops. Therefore, the use of magic was prohibited in the vicinity of any fields within the kingdom. However, the rivers that flowed out of the forest ran thick with mana, and yet, the soil seemed as healthy as ever. In fact, our yields had actually increased, as had the quality of the crops. The bountiful harvests were possibly due to the World Tree’s power or perhaps that of the spirits said to dwell within the forest’s waterways. I’d always wanted to see a spirit, which explained why the rumor had captured my interest to such an extent.

“Monster!” A jolt of tension rippled through the ranks at the cry, hands falling to rest on hilts as we all turned, first toward the man who’d spoken and then in the direction he was pointing.

“Captain... Don’t you think it looks very similar to the vassal we saw?” whispered Cafilet.

He was right. The creature lying flat on the ground looked just like the vassal we’d encountered just prior to coming across all those beastkin children. It hadn’t reacted to our presence in any significant way, though it was staring at us intently.

“Captain, what...? What should we do?” asked one of the knights. His voice was trembling.

“There’s a good chance that’s a vassal,” I replied, striving to keep my own voice calm. “Don’t panic, and don’t show any hostility toward it.”

“Yes, sir!” a few knights replied, their whispers layering into a louder response that seemed to echo off the trees. The monster roused slightly at the sound, but soon settled once again. Though it was clearly aware of our presence, it didn’t seem interested in attacking us.

“No one is to engage with it. Understood? Tell everyone the same. It’s likely a vassal, and no weapons are to be drawn.”

“I’ll relay the orders, Captain,” Khimir declared. “I’ll catch up with you soon, so please carry on.” With that, he left his place at the head of the formation, repeating my orders as he worked his way along the long columns of knights. Even if he’d given me time to disagree, I had no reason to.

I can leave this to him.

“Let’s move out.”

We set off once more, walking at a snail’s pace until we’d passed the monster. We’d barely covered any ground before I began to hear the hushed whispers coming from further down the ranks, and when I turned around, it was to see the vassal had begun to move too. It followed a parallel path to our own, moving at the same pace—

No... It’s getting closer.

“Captain, should we—?”

I shook my head, cutting Cafilet off mid-sentence. “No. Do not engage.”

Aiming our blades toward a vassal would be the height of foolery. The creature was close now—close enough that I could see its expression clearly, and my gaze flicked toward its eyes. There was no hostility dwelling there, but there was the keen focus of intelligence.

“We’re in no danger. We’ll proceed as planned.”

“Understood, Captain,” Cafilet said, before turning to address the ranks. “Pay no heed to the creature and stay in formation!” The monster glanced at Cafilet briefly as he raised his voice, but nothing more. And so, we continued our march at a steady pace, distantly accompanied by the creature.

“I think you’re right, Captain... It must be a vassal,” Cafilet said quietly, and I glanced over to find that the monster was now mere meters away.

It’s almost like it’s part of the formation... Like it’s guarding us from other monsters...

“Surely not...” I murmured.

“Captain?” asked a frowning Cafilet. He opened his mouth to continue speaking but was interrupted by the return of Khimir.

“Captain, all is well with the— Is something wrong?”

“Well... That monster—don’t you think it looks like it’s protecting us?” I knew it sounded ridiculous, but all the same, the way the creature was behaving—the way it was scanning the forest around us warily, not to mention the way it steadily matched our pace—it was the behavior of a guardian.

“It certainly looks as though it is... But if so—this is incredible, Captain.”

“What is?”

“What do you mean? We’re being protected by a vassal of the beast monarchs! What else is that if not incredible?”

Ah. The beast monarchs... I guess he’s right. Wait, he’s definitely right. This is incredible, isn’t it?

I glanced over at the vassal once more, only to find it staring back at me.

It was watching me... Crap, what am I meant to do in this kind of situation? Should I approach it? Thank it or something? Urgh... My stomach hurts.

186. Dadavis, Captain of the Third Legion of Entall (2)

Khimir sighed. “Looks like I was right after all... It won’t leave the forest.”

I turned to look, but as implied by his comment, the vassal was nowhere to be seen. Instead, I saw only the disheartened expressions of knights frequently looking over their shoulders only to turn back in disappointment.

The vassal had stayed with us the entire time we’d been in the forest—an eight-day journey—which meant we’d managed to arrive in Empras without needing to sully our blades even once. While the assistance had been unexpected, it was far from unappreciated. Many of the monsters who lurked in those trees were incredibly formidable foes. Of course the path we’d planned had taken us through the less dense areas of the forest wherever possible in an attempt to avoid straying too close to the more dangerous monsters’ dens. But in the end we were still moving through the forest, no matter how carefully we trod. The chance of any unwanted encounters should have been minimal but not utterly nonexistent.

Long ago, the forest had been a thoroughfare between kingdoms, and the vassals had provided travelers with protection along those well-trodden paths. However, after the Magic Eye had been cast, both the paths and the vassals had vanished. In the decades thereafter, the forest went from a safe haven for the beastkin to a place fraught with peril.

As a child, I’d read of the vassal monsters and become as fascinated with them as I had the spirits. I vowed to dedicate myself to the practice of magic, sharpening my power until I was able to see the spirits. I longed to walk alongside a vassal on my journey through the trees. Until recently, both of those dreams had been just that—dreams, mere childish fantasies. But the forest was open to us once more. However, while I could perhaps still fulfill my dream of seeing a spirit—with a fair amount of dedication to the magic practice I’d neglected—I’d long given up on any thoughts of encountering a vassal.

And yet... It was all I could do to hold back the smile tugging at my lips.

“The way it roared...” Cafilet said, shuddering slightly. “I still can’t quite believe it. I could feel it in my every bone.”

His remark elicited a vivid memory. Normally, other monsters would flee at even the slightest threat from a vassal, but the eight monsters that had appeared when we’d made camp for the night three days prior had defied that norm. We’d drawn our blades reluctantly and prepared to defend ourselves as the creatures charged, but they’d frozen in their tracks—as had we—as a low, deep rumble had reverberated through the forest. It was a sound so menacing that no creature could move upon hearing it—the roar of a vassal. Moments later, our bewilderment had been exacerbated by the appearance of a second vassal from between the trees. It was as though the sight of the two vassals emitting their intimidatingly powerful mana as they stared the monsters down was burned into the back of my eyelids. It didn’t surprise me that the eight monsters had immediately turned tail and fled. I’d have done the same had I been on the other side of that encounter. Even now, the roar still echoed in my eardrums.

The other knights clearly remembered it just as vividly, and I heard snippets of their animated recollections despite three days having passed—and despite our recent departure from the forest. While I couldn’t particularly fault them for their excitement, it was time for the commotion to end. We were already within the borders of Empras, after all.

“Keep your wits about you, everyone. This is no place for carelessness.”

“Yes, Captain!”

The knights of the Third Legion immediately fell back into perfect formation. I couldn’t take any credit for their discipline, given that Khimir had been the one to train them. Shifting my own gaze back to the road ahead, I spotted the flags fluttering in the breeze and the knights who bore them.

“It seems they have come to greet us,” Khimir mused, and I nodded. A quick glance behind me revealed row after row of composed expressions, as though the excitement of earlier had been a complete lie.

Looks like it’s time.

“Let’s go,” I said, and our pace quickened slightly.

If this had been a standard mission, Khimir, Cafilet, and I—along with some of the other senior knights—would be riding on horseback, but the density and danger posed by the forest meant we’d all journeyed by foot.

I suppose there’s a decent chance they’re going to look down on us because of it, though... Oh well. If they do, it’ll only prove how idiotic they truly are. And I’d be more than happy to—

“You look like you’re enjoying yourself too much, Captain. I do hope you’re not planning on making a fool of yourself at a time like this,” Khimir said, suspicious.

How rude. It’s like he thinks I can’t control myself! What kind of person does he take me for? Maybe... Maybe I should ask him directly at some point...? Hmm... No. I have a feeling I won’t like the answer.

“Well met, Entallians, and welcome to the Kingdom of Empras. I am Mizerost, commander of the Fourth Knights Brigade. I’ve been asked to escort you to the castle.”

“Thank you, Commander. Dadavis, captain of the Third Legion of Entall...at your service,” I hurriedly added.

I think that was right? Close enough anyway.

“How was your journey? Did you suffer much danger in the forest?”

I shook my head slightly. “We were prepared for some difficulty, but unexpectedly, a vassal escorted us throughout our crossing.”

“A vassal?!” Mizerost repeated, shocked. “That’s incredible...”

Why? Haven’t you met a vassal yet? I thought you would have, what with your king being acknowledged by the forest and all... So we beat you to it, eh? Ha... Crap—I’m grinning, aren’t I?

I grunted.

“Is something wrong, Captain Dadavis?”

“N-No, not at all... Ha ha...” I lied, stealthily rubbing my side, which had just been on the receiving end of one of Khimir’s elbows. I glared at my vice captain, only to find my glare returned with even greater intensity. Clearly, he’d noticed my inadvertent grin.

Still, he could’ve just scolded me for it later... What was he planning to do if I’d passed out from the pain, huh?!

Fields stretched out on either side of the road as far as the eye could see, but despite the sowing season having come and gone, the fields were bare and dry.

Maybe the uprisings disrupted the farming work this year... Huh? I swear I can sense mana coming from the fields. Must be my imagination...

“Captain, the fields—they’re overflowing with mana. But how...?” Cafilet whispered.

Perhaps the same problems we have with using magic near farmland don’t occur in Empras? If so, I definitely need to find out why...

Entall’s crop yields had been steadily decreasing over the prior few years. Although our most recent harvest had been promising, we’d yet to fully analyze just how much the yield had actually increased. While the scholars were relatively certain the revitalization of the rivers would continue to benefit our harvests in years to come, there was little harm in considering other measures too if they did exist.

Maybe I should ask...

“What on—?”

“Captain! Up! Look up!”

I jumped at the sudden clamor. Idiots! I told them they needed to be on their best behavior!

When I glanced back at my men, each and every one of them was staring into the sky, mouth agape.

We must look like a proper bunch of fools...

“Is that...a Fenrir?” Mizerost murmured.

Huh? I swear he said “Fenrir...”

Now that the Empran commander was looking up too, I deemed it appropriate to follow suit. “Oh...”

The creature soaring through the sky overhead did, in fact, resemble a Fenrir. The figure close beside it, on the other hand, appeared to be a Dire Wolf. I was nearly certain of it; I’d stared at sketches of each for too many hours to think otherwise. Behind the two larger monsters, four smaller Fenrir followed in quick succession.

“The one at the front—it’s massive. I think... I think it’s a monarch...” Mizerost said, his voice trembling slightly. “But why is it here?”

Suddenly noticing that my own mouth was agape, I clamped it shut in a hurry.

Damn it! I can’t scold my men for their idiotic expressions when I’m doing the same... Wait, is that...? It is, isn’t it?

There was someone sitting astride the largest Fenrir. Furthermore, it seemed as though that someone had—by means unfathomable to me—called the Fenrir to a halt and was currently observing us, if my intuition was correct.

“Sir, our orders?”

“Orders?” I replied, bewildered—almost as bewildered as Mizerost, who’d replied at the exact same time. I glanced at him, returning his awkward smile with one of my own. It seemed we were both equally familiar with the impatience of our second-in-commands.

“Sorry,” Mizerost said with a short chuckle. “Do you know much about Fenrir?”

“Just whatever’s in the books. Right now, I’m more concerned by the fact that it looks like someone’s riding that Fenrir,” I replied brusquely.

“Captain!” Cafilet hissed. “Don’t speak so informally!”

Oh, damn it.

Mizerost laughed. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll drop the pleasantries too, and let’s be done with it. I’ve never been good at all that nonsense anyway.”

“You too, Commander? That’s a relief,” I said, grinning. “But back to the matter at hand—do you think that’s a person?”

“Well, it definitely looks like one. But if that Fenrir is a monarch, why would it allow a person to sit astride it?” he replied.

“You’re right. So that makes it what, then? A god?”

As we watched, the figure astride what we assumed to be the Fenrir monarch held out a hand and cast some kind of spell.

It’s casting magic over the fields?! I guess that explains why I can sense so much mana coming from them, though... Is it a god, then? The god of the forest or something, blessing the fields?

“Incredible... Whatever could this be?”

I felt just as amazed as Cafilet sounded. All around us, the fields had begun to glow, forming a rolling landscape of vibrant light that extended to the horizon in every direction. As we stared in stunned silence, tiny particles of light started ascending from the fields and converging upon the Fenrir-mounted figure before fading entirely.

No, not fading. They’re disappearing into whatever it’s got in its hand.

“The mana in the fields—it’s completely gone?”

“Huh? Oh, you’re right...” Khimir’s mumbled observation had confused me, but after lowering my gaze toward the fields once more, I immediately noticed what he obviously had moments before. The mana the fields had teemed with just minutes prior had vanished without a trace.

“But why?” Mizerost asked, staring at the fields blankly.

He seems almost upset... Just as I thought—Empras was intentionally using magic around their farmland.

“Are the crops in Empras not affected by the use of magic, Commander?”

“What do you mean?”

I frowned. “Well, you know—when there’s too much mana in the soil, the harvest gets worse and worse each year, and eventually nothing grows at all... Doesn’t the same thing happen here?”

“I see... I know that the previous king ordered his mages to imbue the fields with their mana, but I thought...” He sighed. “So that’s what was happening.” A shadow crossed his face briefly, before he turned his gaze upward once more, and I unconsciously mirrored the movement. When I scanned the sky, however, the Fenrir monarch was nowhere to be seen, nor was the figure I now suspected was indeed the god presiding over the forest.

To think I’d see a god with my own eyes... I’m glad I was chosen as the envoy now.

187. The New King (2)

— From the Perspective of a Former Commander —

“Is it confirmed?”

“Yes—well, as far as we can tell at this point, at least. As Commander Mizerost heard from Captain Dadavis, the Entallians are of the belief that soil with a heavy mana content will have an adverse effect on any crops grown within it. If that content is maintained for a long period of time, eventually no crops will grow at all, as he described it,” Chancellor Gujee said, frowning.

I sighed. Of all the problems we’d unveiled since the previous king’s passing, this was one of the most unexpected. According to the records left during his reign, imbuing the fields with a steady supply of mana had been one of the kingdom’s largest and longest-ongoing projects, supposedly to stabilize and even improve crop production. It was difficult to believe that it had instead resulted in the complete opposite, and even more difficult to believe that no one had noticed at any point. It was impossible to believe, in fact.

“But we’d been growing crops without the use of magic for quite a long time toward the beginning of his reign, had we not?”

“Correct. The project first commenced about one hundred years into his reign. In the beginning, production did indeed increase, according to the records we have available. But the yield began to diminish soon after, with the most dramatic shortages occurring in the most recent years.”

“And what’s your take on it, Gujee?”

He frowned again. “This is mere speculation, but... I would suggest it may have something to do with their continual use of the Magestone, even after it began to show signs of significant damage.”

“I see.”

The Magestone again... The source of the previous king’s power had also left us with a most burdensome legacy to contend with.

“And we were helped once again.”

“It does appear that way. We’ve heard Mizerost’s report, of course, and the figure was described consistently in the reports we’ve received from the towns along the forest’s border.”

“The god of the forest sat astride the Fenrir monarch?”

Gujee nodded. “I wish I had seen it...”

I nodded too. I felt the same.

A few hours after Mizerost had departed to greet the Entallian envoy, an incredibly flustered member of the Second Knights Brigade had burst into the council chamber. With some difficulty, we’d eventually managed to learn that his state of panic was in response to the reported sighting of—of all things—a Fenrir in the skies over Empras. I’d dispatched all available personnel to learn what they could about the incident, the result of which was the stack of papers on the desk before me. The reports had come from all over, but they all described the same thing: a larger Fenrir (thought to be a monarch), several smaller Fenrir, a Dire Wolf, and a human (or humanlike) figure whom many believed to be the god of the forest or something quite similar.

This almost implausible party had spent the entire day circling above the fields and farms of Empras and extracting mana from the soil. I didn’t know why the god of the forest had deemed us worthy of help once again. I did suspect, however, that it had known of the presence of the Entallian envoy. We Emprans hadn’t known of the true impact that mana was having on our lands; we’d actually believed it was helping us. If we’d seen the god perform the very same feat just one day earlier, we would have assumed it to be yet another form of punishment for the sins of our kingdom.

“By this time tomorrow, I daresay nearly everyone in Empras will know of this—of the adverse effect mana has on the soil and of the forest god’s act of salvation.”

“As long as we make it through the next year, the food shortages shouldn’t pose much of a problem anymore, correct?”

“It seems so, yes. The Entallian envoy seemed rather confident that once the soil is no longer impaired, our yields will return to their previous volume.”

“That’s something, at least. We’ll still need to feed ourselves until then, though.” Even if the mana was no longer hindering their growth, the crops would still need to be sown, watered, and tended until they were ready to harvest.

“Correct, Your Majesty.”

“Has the review of the storehouses been completed?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Though it will be challenging, I believe we’ll somehow make it through the year.”

“Thank goodness,” I said, breathing a sigh of relief. The problem of the food shortages had plagued my every waking hour these past few weeks. It had gotten to the point where I’d considered reaching out to the neighboring kingdoms for aid, but while doing so might have solved the food problem, it would also create another in the form of compensation—of which Empras had little to offer. I’d started to lose hope entirely, to be honest.

The god and the monarchs... I’ll never be able to thank them enough.

“What of the survey team? Have we been able to assemble one?”

Gujee grimaced. “Not as such, no. Many are still anxious about incurring the forest’s wrath further, and others are simply scared.”

“Naturally, I suppose.”

I—as well as Empras as a whole—still needed to apologize to the forest and those who dwelled within it, but we were struggling to put together a group to do so. Most everyone in Empras was still deeply nervous at the idea of entering the forest, which was only natural given they belonged to the kingdom that had been waging war against it until recently. It was why I’d asked for volunteers rather than simply issuing it as an order, but the response had been more dismal than I’d anticipated. Mizerost, to his credit, had been the first to put his hand up, to my mild amusement.

“I believe the events of today will possibly help in that regard, however.”

“Really?”

“Indeed. It seems many have taken it as a sign of the forest’s forgiveness. Of course, the general fear still remains...”

It didn’t matter if they believed we’d been forgiven or not if people were still too scared to enter the forest either way. However, fear could be overcome with the right incentives—and for some of my men, the chance to meet a Fenrir monarch might be just that.

“If they do start volunteering, don’t choose anyone you even suspect would be capable of harming the forest.”

“Of course not, Your Majesty,” Gujee replied, raising an eyebrow. “Though we’re assembling it under the pretext of a survey team, in reality their mission is one of repentance, not research. It would be a poor attempt at repentance if they were to offend the forest further.” He smiled. “Though with Commander Mizerost in charge, I don’t think we’ll have much cause for concern.”

Again, he was right. Mizerost had a deep respect for the forest and wouldn’t permit any untoward treatment of it by those on the survey team.

“So Mizerost actually saw the forest god and the Fenrir himself, right?” I asked, rubbing my forehead. “He’ll never let us hear the end of it...”

“Yes, I suspect we’ll have to endure his bragging for a good while hereafter.”

“I wish I’d gone to greet the envoy.”

“I feel as though I should admonish you for even having the thought... But I feel the same. I should have turned a blind eye to my work just this once and gone with Mizerost,” Gujee said, smiling—a real smile, not the polite ones he usually wore. Even he couldn’t resist the allure of the forest. I hoped we’d be able to reforge a positive relationship with it, for his sake as well as mine.

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to put up with his bragging this time, though...”

“Quite. I can tolerate his usual boasting, but not when it regards something like this. I suspect I’ll lose my temper before too long.”

“Gujee, you really admire the forest, don’t you? The monarch and the god too.”

It took a moment for him to reply. “The forest and the beings within... Their actions were the catalyst for our liberation. All beastkin in Empras feel the same admiration, I’d wager.”

“I see.” What he said was true, after all. I’d made as many preparations as I could for their liberation, but without the forest’s wrath—and the opportunities it presented—the slaves would likely still be in their chains even now. “I feel the same, Gujee. It’s because of the forest that my dream came true, and while I was still alive to witness it, at that.”

“I have a request, Your Majesty.”

“Sorry, but I can’t allow it.”

“But I haven’t even asked it yet?” he replied, frowning.

“Empras needs your strength for other purposes right now, Chancellor. Please, don’t ask me to let you join the survey team.”

He sighed. “There’s really no possibility?”

“Please, Gujee.”

He smiled wryly. “Of course, Your Majesty. I suppose I knew what your answer would be from the start.”

“I’m sorry.”

Gujee gave a slight shrug at my apology, but didn’t protest. Like he’d said, he’d known it was a futile endeavor before he’d even asked. He was a smart man, after all. He’d probably just hoped that his predictions had been wrong, just this once—hoped my answer would defy his expectations. However, I couldn’t let him go, though it pained me not to. Empras wasn’t yet stable enough to lose such a critical pillar of our new foundation.

“Oh dear,” Gujee said suddenly. “It’s nearly time for you to meet with the Entallian envoy.”

“Already?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Very well... Gujee, you said their delegation would include mages, right?”

“That’s correct—a number of highly skilled mages, I daresay. It would be a fool’s errand to attempt a crossing of the forest otherwise. They’d need a good few mages just to cover the most fundamental range of magical specialties they’d need.”

“And do you think it’s acceptable for me to ask them to lend us their strength?”

“You’re referring to—?”

“Yes, Gujee.” The Magestone—or what remained of it anyway. The fragment stolen by Viltora had dissolved into dust, as had the shards he’d splintered from it. However, the half that remained of it was not only as solid as ever, but was also beginning to pose a grave problem. I’d ordered every mage in the kingdom to turn their attention to the issue, but with no success so far. Few skilled mages remained in the Kingdom of Empras—in fact, few mages remained at all, due to the purges instigated by my predecessor. Many talented mages had met grisly fates before his reign had come to its long overdue end.

“Asking for their support is not an issue in itself. However...” he trailed off.

“It would be a show of weakness,” I said, finishing the unspoken thought. “Furthermore, the support itself could lead to greater trouble.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“But if the Magestone returns to its original state... There’s every chance that outcome will only cause more problems. Not only for us, but for other kingdoms too—and the forest,” I added, sighing deeply.

The grave problem in question was that the Magestone had started to repair itself—and it was taking the mana it needed to do so by force, extracting it from anywhere it could. We’d first discovered the problem after the mages inspecting the stone had collapsed from magical exhaustion, despite not casting any spells. Our initial reaction had been panic, for we’d assumed the Magestone was once again active, either on its own, or by forces unknown wielding it against us. Our few remaining senior mages had investigated the incident as a matter of highest priority, and eventually concluded that the Magestone was somehow reflexively drawing upon any and all mana it could access in an effort to repair itself. They’d immediately erected several layers of wards around it to limit such access, but only a few days passed before the innermost ward had shattered, destroyed—and the mana within absorbed—by the very thing it was meant to restrain. Currently, our mage’s efforts were solely concentrated on maintaining the wards. It was all they could do, seeing as though they couldn’t inspect the stone itself without risking mana exhaustion or worse.

“Indeed, we cannot allow it to harm our neighboring kingdoms once again...” Gujee agreed, nodding. “We’re standing on a knife’s edge as it is.”

If Empras caused any further trouble—whether willingly or otherwise—we’d find ourselves at war. That much was certain. While Entall, at least, seemed open to the idea of becoming allies, the other two kingdoms nearby had yet to break their silence.

“There’s no other option. I’ll ask their mages for their opinion, if they’re willing to give it. Request their presence at the meeting.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. What reason shall I give if they inquire as to why?”

“There’s no point hiding it, but I do want to explain the situation face-to-face...” I frowned. “Just tell them I wish to ask them for advice.”

“As you wish.”

After bidding Gujee farewell, I sank into my chair, enjoying the brief moment of respite.

I hope Entall’s mages will know of a solution...and that they’ll share it with us, if they do.

As far as we knew, Entall had their own version of the Magestone, recovered from ancient ruins just as ours had been. Or at least the records left by the Highmages and their acolytes had mentioned one. We had no right to expect their assistance, nor did we deserve it. However, I still held out hope that with their help, we’d be able to destroy our Magestone once and for all.

188. Dadavis, Captain of the Third Legion of Entall (3)

It’s over. The fancy audience is finally over! I did it! I think I made a few mistakes, but no one reacted too poorly... I’m pretty sure Cafilet laughed at me at one point, but that’s not particularly unusual even at the best of times. Yeah, I think it went well.

“I have another matter I’d like to discuss, Captain Dadavis,” King Gunmilze suddenly said, snapping me back to my senses. “Thank you for granting my request. Am I correct in assuming these are your mages?” he asked, gesturing to the men in question.

Oh, right... I forgot he’d asked me to bring them along. Wait, that means it’s not over yet... Urgh.

“Yes. What business do you have with Entall’s mages, though?”

Oh, I think... Yeah, I completely forgot to speak properly, didn’t I? Hopefully it wasn’t too offensive...

The king paused for a moment before replying. “We can drop the formalities now, I think. Let’s speak more comfortably.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” That’ll make this a lot easier.

“Captain!” Khimir admonished—as did Cafilet.

Hey, he said I could! There’s no reason to glare at me!

“Please, it’s fine,” Gunmilze said with a short chuckle. “I’d prefer this next part to be as simple as possible.”

“But to address royalty without the proper formality—”

“Please, Vice Captain Khimir,” Gunmilze interrupted. “I ask that you allow this of me—and your captain.”

It took a few seconds for Khimir to reply, but when he did, it was with wary acceptance. “Of course. So what was it you wished to ask of our mages?”

Ask? Our mages? Oh, right. Something like that did get said—that’s why he requested I bring them along. I was too worried about forgetting what I was meant to say during the audience to listen properly...

“We’ve heard the Kingdom of Entall recovered a magestone of significant power from some ancient ruins,” Gunmilze explained. “Are you still in possession of that stone?”

Ruins? A magestone? Oh, right.

“Yes, we are. The mana within the stone ran out a long time ago, though. Right now, it’s basically only useful for research and experiments.”

Wait, why does he look disappointed?

“If I’m going to ask for your help, it’s only fair that I tell you everything. Do you know of the Magestone found by my predecessor?”

Of course I did—it was the weapon he’d wielded against the forest.

“Yes.”

“When the forest finally struck back against him, it destroyed that Magestone, shattering it into two pieces. The immense mana it held was lost when it broke.”

I heard a lot of rumors about their kingdom being attacked by the forest itself... Guess they were true.

“Now, however, the stone has started repairing itself—and the few mages we have are powerless to stop it.”

I blinked. “Er... What?”

“It’s repairing itself? That’s impossible—absolutely impossible.” The response had come from Amagahl, the most senior mage we’d brought.

He’s right, though, isn’t he? I’ve never heard of a magestone repairing itself. Say it is, though—what happens when it’s done? Would the mana return too?

“How far along has this repair progressed?” Khimir asked, his expression hard.

Right, that’s important too.

“Not too far as of yet. However, it seems as though it’s advancing steadily. We don’t have much time.”

He’s completely serious...

“Are you sure that it’s repairing itself? There’s no mistake?” Amagahl pressed, clearly flustered.

“I’m afraid not,” Gunmilze replied. “Not long ago, several mages inspecting the Magestone suddenly collapsed. They’d completely exhausted their mana. When they came to, however, they claimed they hadn’t even been casting spells—let alone to the point of draining themselves completely. The theory was raised that the Magestone itself had drained their mana, and after a few experiments, we were unfortunately able to confirm that theory. The stone was absorbing any mana in the near vicinity and using it to repair itself.” He sighed. “We erected multiple wards to contain the stone, but it was able to break through the first ward in no time at all. It even absorbed the mana used to conjure the ward in the first place. Right now, all our efforts are focused on repairing and replacing the wards as it attempts to destroy them.”

“You mean to say that the Magestone itself is attacking the wards?” Amagahl’s voice wasn’t tinged with panic this time, but what I suspected to be excitement.

This isn’t good.

“Calm yourself, Amagahl!” Khimir warned. Thankfully his attempt was effective, as the mage promptly fell silent. Amagahl’s research focused nearly exclusively on magestones. While he was an undeniably talented researcher, he was also slightly too enthusiastic about his work. I’d heard too many stories of his subordinates finding him collapsed on the floor of his study from either exhaustion or malnutrition, much to their initial dismay—and subsequent frustration.

Amagahl coughed. “My apologies. I’ve never heard of such a thing occurring before, you see... Would it be possible for me to take a look at this Magestone, perhaps?”

Damn it. I’d thought he’d somehow managed to temper his excitement, but he’d only managed to hide it. His voice—high-pitched and trembling—gave it away, as did the worrying look in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” Khimir interjected, glaring at Amagahl. “And you, don’t be ridiculous. Of course you can’t see it. Control yourself, please.” His tone, while weary, had a keen edge of irritation to it.

You’re in for a lecture after this, Amagahl... My condolences.

“Thank you, Vice Captain Khimir,” Gunmilze replied. “However, I will allow your mage to inspect the stone, provided he swears not to approach it. I’d appreciate his thoughts on the matter.”

“Really?” Khimir and Amagahl replied in unison, equally shocked.

Khimir, sure, but I don’t understand why Amagahl’s so surprised—he’s the one who asked in the first place. I guess he probably thought it was pointless, but took his chances anyway... I mean, why the hell would Gunmilze agree to show that Magestone to an outsider? He must be pretty desperate...

“Your Majesty—a question, if I may.” The voice came from beside me, and I turned to find Amagahl standing there, having abandoned his “proper” position toward the back of our delegation.

“What is it?”

“Over the years, there’s been many rumors about the Empran Magestone, including that it was strengthened on the king’s orders after it was excavated from the ruins. Is there truth to those rumors?”

“There is,” Gunmilze replied simply. “Too many lives were taken in exchange for its strengthening.”

So it was all true...

“And what was the stone used for?” Amagahl continued.

“It was used to cast and maintain the Magic Eye spell upon the forest, which I know Entall is surely aware of, as is every other kingdom in these lands. It also possessed the ability to amplify spells, which the king used to reinforce the slave seals upon the beastkin. It was also used to extend his lifespan, along with those of his Highmages, and for a few other, slightly less hideous acts of magic.”

Is it even possible for a single magestone to possess that much power?

I glanced at Amagahl, but he was clearly too lost in thought to notice. “Amagahl?” I asked, and he jumped at the sound of my voice. “Do you have any ideas?”

He shook his head. “To the best of my knowledge, no magestone in recorded history has ever possessed such immense power. Even maintaining the Magic Eye spell should have been impossible, let alone while also extending multiple lifespans... It conflicts with everything I know.”

And when it comes to magestones, he probably knows more than anyone... No wonder he’s so interested.

“Would you still like to see the Magestone, Amagahl?”

“Of course, if you will allow it.”

Gunmilze nodded. “Again, I must warn you not to approach it. When the stone detects the presence of a mage nearby, its attempts to destroy the wards become significantly more ferocious.”

Amagahl bowed his head, seemingly composed.

I knew there was little chance he’d agree to leave Empras without seeing the stone, given his passion for the subject. However, I did doubt the man’s ability to maintain his apparent composure once the magestone was right in front of him. After all, this was the same mage who’d somehow ended up cradling what was reportedly a “highly dangerous” magestone as though it was a newborn child. There had also been that incident with the king, and the magestone he’d been quite literally in the middle of accepting as a gift... Yeah.

“Cafilet, don’t let Amagahl do anything stupid—even if you have to hit him until he stops.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Khimir then pulled out a rope, though I didn’t know where he’d produced it from.

“Why did you even bring something like that?”

He shrugged. “After I learned Amagahl would be joining us, I thought it best to be prepared.”

He’s always prepared, but this is taking it a little too far. Also, isn’t this rope a little thick? Wait, this is one of the ropes we use for restraining monsters... Then again, I can’t say it’s entirely unnecessary with his past record. He’s a genius, sure—it’s just his passion that’s the problem.

“I’ll leave him in your capable hands, then,” I said.

Khimir nodded, stretching the rope taut. “Leave it to me.”

Gunmilze had watched our entire exchange with an expression of utter confusion. That, at least, didn’t surprise me—even I knew it wasn’t customary for a diplomatic delegation to arrive for their audience with a foreign king prepared with a rope.

He probably can’t even think of what we’d use it for... I snuck a glance at Amagahl. Don’t lose control—I’m begging you.

Chancellor Gujee led the way to another building. As we crossed the threshold, the atmosphere changed somehow, as though the air had become denser—almost suffocating.

“This way, please,” Gujee said, guiding us down a labyrinth of narrow hallways. I was the last to reach the Magestone chamber—and by the time I had, the rope had already been tied around Amagahl’s waist.

“Did something happen already?” I asked Khimir.

“He tried to open the door and peek inside.”

“The fool...” I sighed. “Amagahl! Get a hold of yourself!”

“Sorry, sorry. I just got too excited, knowing it was so close... Er, about this rope business—”

“It’s staying on,” I said flatly. “You haven’t even seen the Magestone yet, and you still can’t control yourself.”

Khimir nodded. Cafilet, on the other hand, was staring pointedly at the ground, his shoulders shaking in poorly concealed laughter. Speaking of control issues...

“Shall we go in?” Gujee said, reaching for the door. He’d barely touched the handle when Amagahl crashed to the floor, apparently having tripped over the rope in his attempt to rush into the room. Khimir and Cafilet both sighed, clearly as surprised as I was by his behavior—which was to say, not at all. On the other hand, Mizerost (who’d also accompanied us) finally burst into the laughter I’d noticed him trying to suppress ever since he’d seen the rope. It seemed as though he and Cafilet were rather alike in some ways.

“Ow...” Amagahl groaned. “Oh, blast.”

“Is... Is everything well?” Gujee asked, visibly concerned.

Of course he’d be concerned. A mage from a foreign kingdom is losing his mind right in front of him.

“Yes. I apologize for my mage, Chancellor.”

“No, it’s quite all right... He really is fascinated by magestones, isn’t he?”

Personally, I thought Amagahl’s attitude toward the topic bordered a little closer to “obsession” than it did “fascination,” but I also assumed Gujee thought so too and was merely being polite.

“Er...” Gujee and I reacted with unified confusion upon noticing Khimir—or more specifically, the way he was currently coiling the rope around Amagahl from knee to shoulder.

Seriously, Khimir? I didn’t think you’d do that here, of all places... Have you forgotten where we are?

“Khimir, don’t get too carried away...”

“Don’t worry, Captain. I’m perfectly calm. This is merely a necessary measure to prevent any further behavior unbecoming of a representative of Entall.”

I’m not so sure about that... Doesn’t he realize how this looks? Er... Oh well. Let’s just get this over with.

Following Amagahl—who wasn’t walking so much as being dragged by this point—we made our way into the Magestone chamber.

“It’s massive...” None of the rumors we’d heard about the Empran Magestone had ever mentioned its sheer size. “I’ve never heard of a magestone this big.”

Or one that feels this sinister.

“Ohhh...”

Strange. It almost sounded like Amagahl just moaned... I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.

“Calm down, you sick bastard,” Khimir hissed, though I pretended I didn’t hear him either. Thankfully, the Emprans were graciously doing the same.

189. Mizerost, Commander of the Fourth Knights Brigade (2)

“Commander Mizerost, might I ask you to take over from here?” Gujee asked, staring at Amagahl with a troubled expression. The man in question was circling the Magestone, still tightly bound within his rope restraints. Amagahl himself—as focused on his inspection of the relic as he was—didn’t seem particularly concerned about his present attire. Though Khimir had done it in an attempt to calm the mage down, it clearly hadn’t been very effective, based on his ongoing agitation. Gujee had accompanied us hoping to uncover any hints toward overcoming Empras’s current plight, but with Amagahl in no state to respond to our questions—and no indication that he would be for a while yet—the chancellor had apparently given up for the time being. Gujee’s responsibilities were wide-ranging and never-ending, from serving as Gunmilze’s adviser on the fresh delivery of pressing affairs each new day brought to assisting with the resettlement of the former slaves, and much more besides. He barely had time to breathe, much less to wait around for an overexcited mage to compose himself enough to respond to his questions.

“No worries, leave it to me. Once he’s a little... Well, a little less like this,” I said, gesturing toward Amagahl, “I’ll see what we can learn. Was there anything you wanted me to prioritize?”

Gujee nodded. “If there’s a way for us to rid ourselves of the stone.”

“I thought so.”

“Thank you, Mizerost,” Gujee said, still looking slightly concerned.

“It’ll be fine. I’ll see what Amagahl has to say about the stone first, and maybe ask him for his assistance with the next steps, if he’s willing.”

“I’ll leave the decision to you.”

“Of course.”

After watching him leave the room, I turned my attention back toward the Magestone—or what remained of it anyway. The fragment measured around one meter tall, and despite its fractured state, still sat neatly upright on its pedestal, which prevented it from falling and shattering further. A strange, thick rope encircled the stone. It had appeared during one of the forest’s attacks, and our mages had never been able to figure out exactly what purpose it had been put there for. During the previous king’s reign, thousands of hours had been dedicated to said investigation, but with little to show for it; in fact, the only thing we knew about the rope was that it was incredibly strong. Though no trace of magic had been detected from the mysterious bindings—it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary rope, by all appearances—no blade or spell had been able to cut it.

“Looks like he’s finally calming down...” Dadavis said, sighing heavily. He looked around. “Sorry about him. Oh, the chancellor’s gone?” Apparently, he’d been too distracted by Amagahl to notice Gujee’s departure.

I nodded. “He’s running around like crazy these days, the poor man... And speaking of running around like crazy—that mage of yours is like a different man entirely, isn’t he? Compared to a few minutes ago, at least.”

Dadavis chuckled weakly. “He’s actually surprisingly competent once he’s not so worked up...”

Having finished with his circumnavigation of the stone, the now incomprehensibly composed mage was currently flicking through the reports we’d gathered with an incredibly serious expression. When he directed a question toward our mages every so often, he looked every bit the curious scholar, rather than the unhinged madman of a few minutes earlier. Like Dadavis had said, this version of Amagahl seemed rather competent. Looking at him now, the bizarre behavior earlier seemed almost like a hallucination.

Except that it definitely wasn’t... My own mind couldn’t ever come up with something as weird as that experience was. And come to think of it—where did the rope go? Did he wriggle out when I wasn’t looking or something?

“Er, did Vice Captain Khimir free your mage from his restraints?”

“Oh, no. Amagahl removed them himself with magic. It was just a normal rope after all.”

“Right...”

A small flash caught my attention. Amagahl had cast a spell between himself and the stone—at a safe distance of course—and seemed to be using it to examine something, looking through the smear of light while waving his hands in the direction of the stone. Bizarre behavior aside, he clearly was a talented mage. I couldn’t tell what types of spells they were, but the multitude of colors did tell me he was able to cast various types of magic. Unfortunately, his expression got darker and darker with each spell he cast.

“That’s a lot of different spells your mage can cast, Captain Dadavis.”

Dadavis smiled. “Yes, it’s quite rare in Entall for one person to be capable of using spells from so many classes of magic.”

“Is that right?”

He nodded. “That’s why his slight...eccentricity is overlooked.”

“Slight?”

You call that slight?

“Believe it or not, he was actually pretty well-behaved today... I’m serious,” Dadavis said, smiling ruefully. “Oh, it looks like he’s done.”

Spells dismissed and reports restacked, Amagahl frowned, sighing deeply. He looked vividly irritated—which Khimir, standing beside him, seemed rather perplexed by.

Dadavis frowned. “I’ve never seen Amagahl make a face like that... It’s somewhat worrying, actually.”

“Really?” I replied. Dadavis merely nodded in response.

Even if he does agree to help us, this isn’t going to be easy... He’s gotta agree to help us in the first place, though. And I’ll probably have to smooth things over before that...

“Is it really still so dangerous, even broken like it is?” Dadavis asked, gesturing toward the shattered stone.

“It is. Even a tiny shard of it is enough to power a whole ritual circle.”

“Is that possible?”

“It is,” I replied, remembering the circle Viltora had activated under Gunmilze. Our subsequent investigations had revealed that particular circle would have only been capable of turning one or two people into puppets to be controlled, as he’d put it. With a larger piece of the Magestone, though, you’d apparently be able to control hundreds—if not thousands—of people, or so our mages had theorized. Therefore, we couldn’t allow even a single sliver of the stone to remain. It had to be destroyed.

“That’s terrifying,” Dadavis murmured, shuddering.

“Agreed.”

“Still, you don’t have any concerns about allowing Amagahl to read all those reports?”

Magestones—and the information relating to them—were ordinarily treated with the same confidentiality as a kingdom’s military secrets. After all, that was essentially what they were. When it came to this particular magestone however, we’d reveal anything if it got us closer to ridding ourselves of it.

“None at all. If he can figure out a way to destroy that stone once and for all, he can read every single report we’ve ever written for all I care.”

I could sense Dadavis’s gaze as he considered me, likely surprised by my apparent willingness. It had been the truth, however.

Guess I can’t stall for much longer...

“Mage Amagahl, have you learned anything?” I asked. His eyes widened as the words left my mouth. A moment later, he was lunging toward me with ferocious force.

“Have I learned anything?! Why, only that I was lied to! You speak too shamelessly for a charlatan!”

As I’d suspected, Amagahl had misinterpreted our request as some kind of trick. Dadavis and Khimir both jumped at the mage’s sudden outburst, clearly confused. The Empran mages, on the other hand, merely looked somewhat disappointed.

“We did not lie to you, Amagahl.”

My reply only seemed to anger him further, and his expression grew even darker. “Do you take me for a fool, Empran? You told me this was the magestone used to cast the Magic Eye, but it can’t be! This stone is a powerful specimen, but it could never have ensnared the forest in that dark spell. The power within this magestone is pure! It is undefiled! You lied to us!”

He reached out toward me, only for Dadavis to grab him by the arms, keeping him restrained. “Control yourself, Amagahl!”

“We did not lie. This magestone is the very same one used to cast that spell.”

“But casting such an evil malediction would require the darkest kind of power! The stone might be trying to repair itself, but the power within the stone couldn’t have—it’s impossible!”

“So I’ve heard—and yet, it happened.”

“What?” Amagahl replied, his astonishment putting an end to the hysterics. “No, it couldn’t have...”

His assumption that we’d misled him was entirely understandable. Amagahl knew nearly everything there was to know about magestones, and so, he’d landed on the only conclusion available to him—that we’d lied. The information we’d provided him was irreconcilable—and yet, it had been the truth.

“Mage Amagahl,” I started, my tone flat and calm. “Everything we told you was true. We did not share all of our information, I will admit—but we did not lie to you.”

Amagahl listened meekly, letting out a small sigh as I finished speaking. Then, his gaze flicked up to meet my own, unwavering. “What didn’t you share?”

I raised my eyebrows. “You’ve already realized it for yourself, no? The fact that the power within the stone has transformed.”

“But that can’t be...”

“It has transformed.” I sighed. “I have a request for you, Mage Amagahl. This magestone... Will you help us destroy it?”

“Destroy it?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Dadavis stiffening slightly. I couldn’t blame him. Figuring out a way to destroy our magestone—one which already defied understanding—would surely take a very long time. Amagahl clearly fulfilled a crucial position within the Kingdom of Entall, and we were asking him to remain within and work for Empras instead.

“Is this...?” Amagahl faltered for a moment. “Is this really the same magestone?”

“It is. The stone you’re looking at now is the one that was used to cast the Magic Eye. This is the magestone that was used to create the slave seals and to keep the previous king and his Highmages alive well past their time.” I spoke slowly, emphasizing every word to avoid any further misunderstandings. As knowledgeable as he was, Amagahl had definitely noticed the sheer abnormality of the magestone before him—and if his earlier behavior was anything to go by, he’d surely be interested in learning more.

“I don’t believe it... And yet...” He turned back toward the stone with an expression that was astonished and entranced in equal parts.

We’d predicted his reaction to some degree. After all, having one’s long-cultivated knowledge and understanding of the workings of the world overturned in mere minutes would cause anyone to feel the same. Everything he’d said about magestones was correct—except when it came to this one particular specimen.

In its current state, its sheer existence defied all reason. Amagahl’s argument about the Magic Eye was the perfect example of that incongruity. A spell like that necessitated the use of dark power, and a rather unique variety thereof at that.

Any mage who was skilled enough could sense what kind of power an object contained without much difficulty. This magestone had been used to cast and maintain the Magic Eye, which had cast the entire forest within its evil embrace. Therefore, the power contained within it had to be of the darker varieties; there was no other explanation. However, the power which teemed within the Magestone now wasn’t dark, but light—almost blindingly so.

It had transformed, contrary to all established knowledge on the subject. Such was the conclusion we’d come to. I’d deliberately chosen not to explain that to Amagahl, and he’d thought I’d deceived him, tricked him into examining an entirely different magestone. I’d hoped we’d been mistaken—that he, of all people, would be able to sense the darkness we’d missed. Truthfully, however, I’d known such hope was naive from the very start.

“The Magestone is desperate to repair itself. It’s draining any mana it can and destroying any wards we place around it. We don’t know what will happen when it does manage to become whole again, but there’s little doubt the whole world will be at risk when it does. That’s why we need to figure out a way of neutralizing its power once and for all, and then we can rid ourselves of the stone itself. Please lend us your help, Mage Amagahl.”

I bowed low. It was probably the first time a commander from one kingdom had lowered their head with such humility to a mage from another. If it got us one step closer to destroying the Magestone, however, it was a small price to pay—and one I’d hand over without hesitation.

Side Story: Master’s Smile

Maybe It’s Okay for Us to Stay Here... — Kuhi

“I’m off!”

“See you layder!”

“Seeyew laterer!”

I still can’t say it right... It was really hard to copy some of the words Master taught us, no matter how hard I tried. Usa, who’d made a mistake too, looked just as annoyed as me. She caught me looking at her, and we both shrugged.

“We still need a lot of practice.”

“Yeah, you’re right... Master’s language is pretty difficult sometimes.”

Master didn’t speak our language. I wasn’t sure why exactly, but Master did a lot of things that I didn’t understand, and they always turned out to be important. He definitely had a reason for not speaking our language too. Since we couldn’t speak to him in our language, we’d decided to learn to speak his instead. It hadn’t been long since we’d started learning, and we both still made a lot of mistakes, but he always praised us for trying our best. I liked it most when we didn’t make any mistakes, though, because he’d always smile really happily and say we were “amazing.” Amazing seemed to be a good thing, so we both tried our best to be it every day.

“Yeah... You’re getting really good at it though, Usa.”

“Nah, you’re way better than me. We both need to keep trying hard though.”

“I know that already, duh.”

Master had given us a place to stay. When we’d first met him, he didn’t shout at us or hit us or anything, even though we couldn’t do any of our usual chores. He just treated us nicely and hugged me whenever I started to cry. There were a lot of scary monsters at his home, so I cried a lot in the beginning. But the monsters were nice too, even the golems—they didn’t try to kill us here, not like the ones back in the castle.

Master had already vanished into the forest, but I kept watching—just in case he came back—until I felt something tug at my leg. It was one of the golems, and it was carrying a huge plate of sliced fruit.

“Oh, remember?! This is the one that’s really sweet and juicy!” Usa exclaimed, plonking herself down on one of the nearby stools. The golem sat the plate on the table in front of her and beckoned to me, which probably meant it wanted me to sit down too. Master’s golems were kind. They never tried to crush us to death, and they also brought us heaps of yummy food, which Master must have ordered them to do. We’d been here a while, so by this point, I was pretty sure they weren’t going to hurt me. I was still just a little scared of them, though.

“Thank you,” I said to the golem, and it patted me softly on the head in reply.

Yeah... These golems are completely different from the ones back in the slave pens. All of them are so kind—they even give us juice or cake whenever we try to help them with the chores. I’m safe here. So why do I still feel so scared sometimes? Even though I’m so happy...

“I’m so happy!” Usa said, and when I looked at her, her cheeks were already full of fruit. Shaking my head, I grabbed a piece for myself, smiling involuntarily as the sweetness spread across my tongue.

Yeah, this is happiness. I never want to leave this place.

“Hey, Kuhi... Do you think Master seems really busy these days? And last night, he was sitting in the corner frowning about something for a few hours...”

I stopped eating for a moment to nod. Actually, he’d been lost in thought a lot recently, ever since Koa had tried to attack him. Sometimes he didn’t even notice when I spoke to him. I was really confused at first, but now I just tried not to bother him while he was thinking. He also went walking in the forest more often these days, coming home each time with a tired expression. He still smiled whenever he saw us, but I was worried about him. I hoped he wasn’t pushing himself too hard.

“Plus there’s those kids now too—whatever they are...” she continued, glancing at the winged babies. Master had brought one home with him from the forest, followed by a second one the next day. The golems had been taking care of them ever since. Like Usa, I had no idea what kind of babies they actually were.

“Something must be going on. I want to help Master, but...”

Beastkin were said to be pretty fast and strong compared to the other races, but Usa and I were definitely the slowest and weakest out of all the creatures who lived in Master’s territory. Even if we could somehow become grown-ups overnight, we probably still wouldn’t be very useful compared to the others.

“There must be something we can do,” Usa said fiercely.

I don’t know... The golems do everything around the house and stuff, and they’re way better at it than we would be. He doesn’t need us as bodyguards either, not when everyone else is so much stronger...

“I can’t think of anything,” I replied, sighing.

“Me neither. We’re not gonna get told to leave one day or anything... Are we?”

I froze. No...anything but that. But back at the castle, all the slaves who couldn’t work hard enough got put down... We’re no good for anything here. Is Master gonna get rid of us? Is he gonna tell us to leave?

“We have to find something!”

“Yeah.”

The golems let us help them sometimes, but we both knew that was more for our sake than theirs—they got through the work fine with occasional help from the smaller monsters. We had to find a way to prove ourselves, so Master wouldn’t want to get rid of us. But there wasn’t anything—not around the house, at least. The golems had it all under control.

“Let’s go check the forest.”

“Yeah!”

I gripped Usa’s hand tightly as we climbed down from the deck, coming face-to-face with two huge four-legged monsters—Nea and Raki. For some reason, they came with us most times we went out exploring, and helped us a lot too. The Garm were a little smaller than the Fenrir and the Dire Wolves, but very strong. Plus, their fluffy gray fur was soft and comfortable, and they usually let me give them a big squeeze whenever I liked.

“Um, we wanted to go into the forest for a bit...” I said. Unblinking stares were the only response, so I tried again, pointing into the trees. “Can we go?”

It seemed like they’d understood me the second time, because Nea let out a short, worried whine, while Raki tilted his head to the side.

“If it’s dangerous, we’ll come back right away, okay?”

There was no further response from the two Garm for a moment, at which point they turned and started walking toward the forest. When Usa and I didn’t move straightaway, Nea looked over his shoulder and growled in a way I now knew was cheerful.

“I think they’re saying they’ll come with us,” Usa suggested, and relief washed through me. There were a lot of scary monsters in the forest. Some of them even came quite close to the house sometimes, though the golems always dealt with them before I could get too scared.

I realized with a start that Nea and Raki were still staring at us questioningly and rushed to follow them, tugging Usa behind me. As soon as we caught up with them, the Garm shifted positions, with Nea in front and Raki moving behind us.

“You’re gonna be in the lead, Nea?” I tried asking, receiving another blank stare in response.

Language sure is hard, huh...?

“It’s nice of them to come with us,” Usa said, and I nodded.

“Yeah. We’ll be a lot safer.”

We cut across the massive clearing that stretched out in front of the house until we reached the path leading into the forest, which was when I heard a door slamming from somewhere behind us. When I looked back, I saw a one-eyed golem rushing after us as fast as its little legs could carry it. It stopped beside us and looked up at me as though waiting.

“Er... Are you coming too?” Usa asked. She too received only a blank stare.

This language thing is impossible, I thought, only to be surprised as the golem nodded. “Wait, did it understand you?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. It looks like it’s going the same way as us, at least... What about its work, though? Will it be okay?” The golems were only supposed to do whatever tasks Master ordered them to, not take unplanned outings into the forest.

“Maybe it has a job to do out there?” I suggested. Groups of golems headed into the forest from time to time. I didn’t know what kind of work Master had them doing out there, but they always seemed weirdly excited whenever they did get to go. This golem was alone though, and didn’t seem particularly agitated. If anything, it’s almost like—

“Kuhi, it’s watching us, isn’t it?”

I looked to the side again. Like she’d said, the golem was glancing at us frequently, matching our pace while also checking the path ahead every now and then. There was no question about it now—it was definitely intending to join us.

“Maybe Master ordered it to come with us? To protect us or something?”

Usa frowned. “I guess so...”

“Um, excuse me... Did Master tell you to protect us?”

The golem responded to my question by crossing both arms in front of its head diagonally. It was a gesture I’d often seen the golems exchange between themselves. I still didn’t exactly know why they did it or what it specifically meant, but I suspected it was something like “yes” or “that’s right.”

“I think it understood us again!”

“Yeah, me too...” I smiled. We hadn’t been able to communicate with the golems at all when we’d first arrived, but these days, we could hold basic discussions like this. The golems seemed to be picking up our language little by little, just like we were with Master’s.

“Well, thanks for coming!” Usa said. The golem tilted its head for a moment before nodding once. I shared her gratitude. With all the scary monsters in the forest, the addition of a golem to our little group was a huge relief.

When we were slaves, we were taught that beastkin are really strong—a lot stronger than humans, at least. Since we’d been here, though, I’d started doubting if that was even true. We were weaker than all of the other creatures who also lived in Master’s territory. We weren’t even a match for the little green monsters (I didn’t know what they were called). They weren’t very strong, but they were a lot faster than us. At this point, I was starting to worry that maybe there was something wrong with Usa and me—that maybe we weren’t even proper beastkin.

But if we can’t even be strong like beastkin are supposed to be, Master won’t keep us around forever...

“Here we go,” Usa said as we crossed the tree line and entered the forest itself. The golem fell a few steps behind us, still scanning our surroundings constantly, while Nea and Raki sandwiched us on either side.

“What do you think we should be looking for?”

“Hmm... I dunno, really.” What kind of thing could convince Master we’re not useless? “Some kind of amazingly strong power?” If we found something like that, we could protect everyone else for once... But I dunno where we’d even look.

“Master already has heaps of strong powers, though.”

“Oh, yeah...” She was right. There was no way we’d find a stronger power than Master’s.

“Actually, those babies—they have some kind of special power too, don’t they?” she mused, and I nodded. The two babies he’d brought back to the house recently were kind of strange, with tiny wings and, like Usa had said, some kind of mysterious power.

“Yeah. Don’t you think it feels kinda scary, though?”

Usa nodded. “The only reason I’m not too scared to go near them is because of that spinning thing the golems made.”

The beams of light the babies liked to throw around all the time were really pretty—which was why the dread I felt each time they did it was so weird. If not for the strange spinning device the golems had hung above their beds, I wouldn’t go anywhere near the babies either.

“Master was fine, though.”

“Yeah—he didn’t even flinch...” I muttered. My heart started pounding as I remembered the incident. Master had been holding one of the babies to his shoulder and tapping it lightly on the back when it had hit Master with one of the beams from behind. I’d frozen, terrified, but Master didn’t even seem to notice. He just kept tapping the baby’s back, completely unfazed. After seeing that, I’d started feeling slightly less scared of the beams of light—but only slightly.

“The baby just kept trying, remember?”

Like she’d said, the baby hadn’t given up after one attempt; it kept hitting Master with beam after beam of light. Master, however, hadn’t reacted at all. He was really kind, so I assumed he was just letting the baby do whatever it wanted so it would feel better. It seemed to work, because by the time the baby had worn itself out, the uncomfortable atmosphere that had arisen as soon as Master had picked it up had almost faded entirely.

He was showing the baby that it couldn’t do anything to him in the simplest way possible... Master’s so cool.

“It was really tired by the end. It just kinda slumped...”

“Yep. It even let Master stroke its head.”

Right... Master had smiled widely as he’d stroked the baby’s head, which I’d felt quite jealous about—something Master had apparently noticed, despite me being all the way on the other side of the room. After he’d gently placed the baby back down, he’d treated me to the same soft touch, brushing his hand tenderly along the top of my head.

Master’s magic surrounded us constantly, but I could actually feel it flowing into my body with the physical touch. I’d been shocked the first time it happened but even more so when I realized how much better I felt afterward. Master was gifting us his magic for our benefit—that was the only conclusion I had been able to come to. He hadn’t stopped yet either, even though both Usa and I were pretty much perfectly healthy. I knew I probably should have told him it wasn’t necessary anymore—told him not to waste anymore of his precious magic on us—but the feeling made me so happy, I hadn’t been able to bring myself to do it yet.

I really should though...

“Oh, spirits! They’re so pretty...” Usa exclaimed, suddenly rushing toward the pond ahead. I started running too, mostly because she was still clutching my hand.

“Don’t start running all of a sudden, Usa!”

She giggled. “Sorry, sorry. They’re just so pretty!”

We weaved our way through the last few trees, coming to stop at the edge of a wide pond. The crystal clear water stirred as the spirits Usa had spotted—the same kind we often saw in the river back home—floated idly past.

“I didn’t realize some of them lived out here too.”

“Me neither. Oh, they noticed us.”

“Yeah, looks like it. Ah, the water’s so nice and cool...” Usa sighed, plunging her hands under the surface.

“Oh, good idea!” The walk so far must have made me a little warmer than I’d realized, because the water felt even more refreshing than I’d expected. We splashed around in the shallow water for a bit, only stopping when an ominous shadow had loomed over us from above. I looked up nervously to find a huge, pure-white dragon staring back at me.

Phew... It’s only Marshmallow.

“Marshmallow!” Usa cried, waving excitedly. The dragon peered down at us curiously for a moment longer before suddenly shrinking down to a fraction of its original size and gliding down to land nearby.

“What are you doing in a place like this?” Marshmallow asked. Well, it didn’t really say anything. The dragons could talk, but we couldn’t understand their language either. Lately, though, they’d started “speaking” inside our heads in a way we could understand—for some reason—so we were able to “talk” to them now. We’d been talking to them a lot, actually. The dragons knew absolutely everything, so I learned heaps of stuff every time. A lot of the words they used were new to us, but Usa and I practiced them together after every conversation so we wouldn’t forget. To be honest, I was pretty sure the dragons were way too important to waste their time teaching us such basic stuff, but they all denied it whenever I said so.

“We’re gonna find something Master needs! If we can...” Usa replied.

Marshmallow blinked. “Something he needs?”

Maybe I should say why—say it’s because we’re worried he’s gonna decide to get rid of us if we’re not useful? I dunno... I feel like Marshmallow will get mad at me for some reason. But still...

“Yeah, b-because we want to make him happy!” I added hurriedly, stumbling over the words.

That wasn’t a very good explanation, was it? We do want to make him happy, though... Oh, maybe we should just find something he likes! He’ll be happy if we came back with a gift for him, right? And if he’s happy, he won’t say he doesn’t need us here! I don’t know what he likes, though...

“What Master likes? Hmm...” Marshmallow replied after I posed the question to it directly. “He did mention something the other day, but the word was unfamiliar to me... I’m sorry, younglings.”

The dragon sounded unusually sad. Usa clearly thought so too, because she immediately ran over to Marshmallow and began patting it gently. “It’s okay, Marshmallow. You’re really strong, and Master thinks you’re useful. Not like us...”

“Hm?” Marshmallow tilted its head curiously, and Usa mirrored the movement. “We dragons don’t think of ourselves as useful to Master either, you know.”

“What?!” Marshmallow feels the same? But the dragons are so strong!

“Our power is nothing compared to Master’s, you see.”

“But we’re so much weaker than you...” Usa replied downheartedly.

Marshmallow nuzzled into her touch. “I don’t believe Master cares about whether any of us are ‘useful’ to him or not, in truth. It doesn’t sound like something he’d say, does it?”

Marshmallow was right. Master was... Well, I didn’t really know what he was exactly. He was kind though, and generous, and just being near him brought me comfort.

“No, it doesn’t... But I still want to make him happy!” We can’t just keep taking and taking from him and never giving anything in return. “I want to thank him. If it weren’t for Master, we’d...”

I trailed off, but Usa still nodded. She knew exactly what I’d wanted to say: If it weren’t for Master, we’d be dead. We owed him our lives already; we couldn’t keep depending on him forever and doing nothing in return. I knew Marshmallow was right, but at the same time, I knew the fear of being discarded would still hang over me until I found a way to start repaying what I owed.

“Of course,” Marshmallow replied, sounding thoughtful. “I’m sure there’s something he’d appreciate...”

“Um, Marshmallow?” I asked, somewhat hesitant. “Master seems like he’s been worried about something recently... Do you know what it is?” If something’s wrong, we should know about it too. Even if we can’t do anything to help...

“Yeah, I was just thinking about that too. Did something happen, Marshmallow?” Usa added, squeezing the dragon tightly.

Marshmallow fell silent for a few seconds, before fixing me with an unblinking stare. “I understand your worries, younglings. However, this is one thing you cannot assist with.”

“Why?”

“You know of the apprentice gods who sought to destroy this world, correct?”

I nodded. Flying Lizard had told us a little bit about them and all the sadness they’d caused. Apparently they’d been the ones responsible for everything that had happened to us beastkin too. I hated them.

But they were also the ones who brought Master here... That’s the only thing I don’t hate them for, I guess.

“Yeah.”

“Although they’re gone now, we’ve come to learn that they left many evil traces upon this place—wicked plans and nasty traps that are now causing some problems.”

Actually, I do completely hate them!

“Master is currently in the process of discovering and destroying anything they left behind.”

So that’s why he’s been going into the forest so much recently... I knew something was going on, but I didn’t expect it to be those stupid apprentices behind it again.

“Um, those babies... Do they have something to do with it too?” Usa asked nervously. I thought of the babies, with their tiny wings—were they also something the apprentices had “left behind”?

“Indeed. The apprentices twisted their minds.”

Twisted their minds?!

“Why?” Usa asked. There was a panicked edge to her voice that had me snuggling into Marshmallow beside her before I really even noticed myself moving.

“To force them to attack Master,” the dragon replied softly.

Attack? But they’re just babies. How could a baby attack— Oh! Those beams of light—were they actually meant to hurt Master after all? I’d assumed so at first, but Master’s complete lack of reaction had led me to think otherwise. Apparently, my initial hunch had been right.

Master didn’t get angry even though the baby was attacking him? Well, I guess it wasn’t the baby’s fault...

“Isn’t there any way to fix their minds?” I asked.

The corners of Marshmallow’s mouth turned up in the way I’d learned meant the dragon was smiling, much to my confusion—Usa’s too, based on her expression. “The golems are using magestones to gradually counteract the spell placed upon the babies. Undoubtedly, Master has ordered them to do so. Today, their attempts went on for a much shorter time than yesterday... I imagine their minds will be completely healed within the month.”

Oh... So that’s why he was so happy back then.

“Master’s so amazing!”

“I know... I didn’t think it would be possible to undo a spell like that one.”

It’s not the first time he’s done something like this though, is it? Our slave seals were controlling us in kinda the same way, and Master freed us from them.

“We definitely need to figure out a way to thank him properly.”

Usa nodded vigorously, the movement only slightly less fierce than that of her wagging tail. It wasn’t until I saw hers that I noticed my own tail wagging too, to my slight embarrassment. With some difficulty I managed to stop the reflexive movement, though it unfortunately resumed the second I stopped focusing on it.

“Once their minds are their own again, those angels will be just as happy as you two,” Marshmallow said, seemingly amused.

I frowned. Angels? Those babies? But I thought angels were all adults... I only ever saw adult angels in pictures and stuff. There’s still so much I don’t know... Oh well. I’ve learned another new thing today thanks to Marshmallow.

“Oh! Master really likes fruit, does he not? Why don’t you try looking for a new kind of fruit for him—something he hasn’t found yet?” Marshmallow suggested.

Master did eat a lot of fruit. I still remembered how shocked I’d been the first time I’d wandered into the food storerooms and discovered the sheer variety of fruits that existed. Fruit was mentioned occasionally in some of the books we learned from back in the slave pens, but those brief sentences and faded pictures had been my only experience with the strange food. I couldn’t even imagine what they might have tasted like. I knew a lot about fruit now though, like how delicious and sweet it could be. I’d actually cried the first time I’d tried it. My outburst had made Master panic, and watching him run around had immediately cheered me up. It was one of my favorite memories.

“That would work! Don’t you think so, Kuhi?”

“Yeah, I think it would. The forest is huge, so I guess there’s still probably heaps of fruits Master hasn’t found yet.”

Usa nodded, and with that, our plan was settled: We’d explore the forest until we found what I was now sure would make a perfect gift for Master.

“Thanks for your help, Marshmallow!” I said, waving goodbye to the dragon.

“Yeah! I’m off!” added Usa with a wave of her own. We’d only made it a few steps when I felt myself being pulled backward and turned to find that the edge of my shirt was being gently held between the dragon’s sharp teeth.

“Er, Marshmallow?” I glanced at Usa for help, but she was staring at Marshmallow in bewilderment.

“It’ll be too dangerous for just the two of you,” the dragon said.

“We’ll be fine! Nea and Raki will come too—right?” Usa said, looking at the Garm for confirmation. Both let out a short, affirming growl.

“Hmm...” Marshmallow made a thoughtful noise, seeming to consider Usa’s claim. “I shall allow it—though I’ll tell the others to keep an eye on you, just in case.”

The others? What others?

“Be careful. If you come across anything dangerous or scary, just call out for me, yes? I’ll hear you no matter where I am and come to you at once. Understand?”

Wait, it can hear us from anywhere? That’s crazy!

“We understand, Marshmallow. Thank you. Well, we’re off!”

Gripping Usa’s hand once again, we set off, heading deeper and deeper into the forest.

Everything looks so much prettier than last time... Maybe I’m just remembering it wrong, though.

“Kuhi, was the forest really this bright and colorful when we first came here?” Usa asked.

“Wait, I was just thinking the same thing! We haven’t really been inside the forest since then...”

“Yeah. It definitely felt a lot gloomier, I think.”

We’d pretty much stayed within the boundaries of the clearing after meeting Master, which meant we hadn’t ventured into the forest properly since our desperate escape from the scary adults and their cages. We’d been too scared to look around much at the time, but still, I was pretty sure the forest had changed since then. It was almost like it was glowing, and the air felt clean and refreshing rather than heavy and depressing like I remembered.

“The air feels nicer too, right?” I added.

“Yeah. It feels really calming, for some reason.”

My hand never left hers as we continued deeper into the mysterious forest.

“We didn’t come through this part before, did we?”

“I don’t think so. Nea, Raki? Have either of you been here before?” I asked, gesturing broadly at the surrounding trees. The two Garm followed my finger, thought for a moment, and nodded at the same time.

Yay, they understood me! I think...

“That’s a relief,” Usa said, smiling.

“Yeah, we’re not gonna get lost with them around.”

“I hope not— Kuhi, look! The flower! It’s so big!” In an instant, she’d tugged her hand free and was running toward the enormous yellow flower. I’d never seen anything like it before. Excitement overcame me, and I went to follow her, but I’d barely moved a single step before I was overtaken by Nea and the golem.

“Huh?” My exclamation of surprise was drowned out by Nea’s low growl. Usa spun around in confusion, only to let out an exclamation of her own as Nea clamped down somewhere near her waist. Within seconds, the Garm had carried her all the way back to where Raki and I still stood. I was still struggling to understand what had happened—and why—when the flower fell to the ground, its stem severed by the golem.

Usa and I both yelped in shock, because the instant the flower touched the ground, the empty stem dissolved into what looked like fine black dust, which was immediately carried away by the wind.

“What happened?” I mumbled, stunned. Nea finally released Usa at that point. “Are you okay?”

Usa didn’t reply, only rubbed her stomach and looked confused.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” I pressed. From Nea’s expression, I could tell he was just as worried as I was.

“No, I’m fine! Nea’s teeth didn’t hurt one bit—I’m just confused, that’s all,” she hurriedly replied. Nea’s expression morphed to one of clear relief. “What happened?” she continued, looking back toward the golem.

Something doesn’t feel right. Why did the golem cut it?

“Actually, the flower... It was almost like it moved, but not with the breeze...” Usa said.

I thought back to a minute earlier. It did move, didn’t it? It moved toward her. Like it was reaching out for her...

I took a few small steps forward, trying to get a better look at the fallen flower. “Usa, look!”

She joined me, squinting at the yellow mass. “Wow! I’ve never heard of a flower with a mouth! Or fangs...”

I’d seen the same thing she had—a large mouth in the center of the even larger yellow flower, and the extremely sharp fangs within. “Me neither... Wait, was it about to eat you?”

Usa’s face turned white, which had Nea looking worried once again. “I think you’re right... Thanks, both of you,” she said, lowering her head to Nea and the golem. We’d learned the gesture from watching Master, and it was common to see the Garm, the dragons, and all of the other creatures doing it too.

“There sure are a lot of weird things out here, eh?”

“Yeah. We need to be careful.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but before I could say anything else, Raki growled, the sound low and threatening.

“What’s wrong, Raki?” Usa asked, taking a step toward the Garm and jerking back suddenly on account of the golem’s tight grip on her shirt hem. Nea snarled, staring warily in the same direction as Raki.

“Usa... Can you hear that?”

The sound, though faint, seemed to swell within my ears, pounding against my eardrums with each new scrape. Something was slithering along the ground, and it was getting closer. Soon enough, the source of the noise revealed itself—another flower, identical to the one the golem had previously pruned.

“There’s more of them.”

“Kuhi, I don’t think we’re safe here...” Usa mumbled, looking over her shoulder. A shiver ran down my spine as the slithering sounds grew louder still, not just from in front of me, but from all around. The ominous noise was muffled briefly by Raki’s sharp howl—a howl that, to my surprise, was soon answered by another in the distance. As soon as they heard the response, Nea and Raki turned around and sprinted toward us.

“Um...”

I watched as Usa was flung into the air with one of Raki’s skillful nudges, landing neatly on his back before the two shot forward. I was still struggling to make sense of what was happening when I suddenly found myself briefly leave the ground before plummeting down to land on Nea’s back. I did the only sensible thing and held on tight. Seconds later, Nea was racing through the forest, weaving his way between the dense trees while I held on for dear life. A trail of rustling and thumping sounds followed close behind, and a quick glance revealed more of the flowers throwing themselves down from where they’d apparently hidden in the treetops.

We’re being chased by flowers... Flower monsters, maybe? I don’t really know... These weren’t in the books at all.

“Kuhi, are you okay?!” Usa shouted, looking back toward me.

“I’m fine! Don’t turn around, you’ll fall off!”

“Fiiiiiine.”

I could still hear the flowers thumping to the ground behind us. How many of them are there? This is getting scary... What if Nea or the others get hurt? It’d be all our fault for making them come here!

My vision grew blurry, and I buried my face in Nea’s soft fur to hide the tears.

We need to do something to help them, but we can’t! We’re useless! There’s nothing me or Usa can do!

“I can’t—”

Whoosh.

The sound—like something bursting into flame—came first, quickly joined by a high-pitched scream. I risked a cautious glance behind me.

Huh? Wait, why is one of the flower monsters on fire?! What happened—

“The spiders!” Usa cried, pointing into the trees overhead. As soon as I looked up, I saw them too—countless young spiders leaping and swinging their way toward us, leaving dozens of burning flowers in their wake. Each fiery jet they sent was accompanied by another whoosh and then another horrible scream. Thankfully, both sounds soon faded away, leaving only silence and the smell of ash.

“Is...? Is it over?” Usa asked nervously, as Nea slowed to a halt. I looked around. To my relief, I couldn’t see any more glimpses of yellow in the leafy treetops, and the only thumping I could hear was my own heartbeat. Somehow, we’d made it to safety without anyone getting harmed.

Any of us, at least... I thought, trying (and failing) to count the burning remains of the flower monsters.

“I can’t believe how many there were...”

“Me neither.”

With a little help from Nea, I clambered down from his back and made my way over to the closest of the still-sputtering flowers. I was nearly close enough to touch it when one of the spiders dropped directly in front of me, barring the way.

“I guess it doesn’t want us to go near them?” I suggested.

“Obviously,” Usa responded with a sigh, shaking her head at me before lowering it as she addressed the spiders. “Thank you, everyone.”

I hurriedly lowered my own head and thanked the spiders too. They saved my life, and I haven’t even said thank you yet! When I raised my head again, two more spiders had joined the first on the ground, and all three were staring intently at Usa and me.

“Why are they looking at us like that? Is something wrong?”

“No idea,” I replied, frowning in confusion.

A few seconds later, one of the spiders shot out a thin strand of the strange stringlike thing some of them could apparently produce. It made me jump, but only out of surprise, not fear. I wasn’t scared of the spiders anymore. Usa and I stood still as the spider manipulated the long thread and brushed it over the tops of our heads, and my confusion deepened as I realized why. It wasn’t just brushing against our hair, but brushing something off it.

“Wow! Look, Kuhi! It’s so sparkly! What do you think it is?” Usa exclaimed, delighting in the way the dust shimmered in the light. I didn’t share her excitement at all, though, because to me it seemed like the spider was increasingly desperate to remove it—whatever it was.

“Stay still, Usa. I don’t know what it is, but look at the spiders—they seem really worried about it.”

I must have sounded pretty worried myself, because Usa immediately froze. “You’re right... Thanks again, spiders.”

Neither of us moved again until the spider had finished, at which point we lowered our heads and thanked them again, each receiving a gentle tap on the shoulder from the string-wielding spider in response. It still surprised me every time I realized just how much control they had over their weird strings. They kept getting better and better at it too; recently I’d even seen them using it to carry their plates or cups around at dinner.

“That was pretty scary...”

I nodded. “Maybe we should just go home.” We’re only going to keep causing trouble for everyone otherwise, right?

Before I could decide either way, I felt myself lurching forward, the result of one of the spiders giving me a firm push on the back. I managed to catch myself and turned around in confusion to see it waving at me, one long leg flapping back and forth.

“I think... I think it’s telling us to keep going?”

“Maybe...” Usa didn’t sound too sure. She waved back tentatively, and I did the same. All of the spiders—including those in the trees overhead—mirrored the gesture.

“Let’s keep going.” We can’t go back like this—not until we find what we’re looking for!

“Yeah, let’s go!” Usa agreed, waving to the spiders again with both hands. They returned the gesture just as vigorously, if not more. For some reason, a few of them weren’t waving just their legs, but their whole bodies, swaying from side to side in a way that seemed suspiciously intentional.

“Well, they seem happy,” I said.

“And they’re so cute!” Usa added.

Are they? I looked at the swaying spiders again. I guess they’re kinda cute...?

“So where are we going now?” Usa continued.

I frowned. To be honest, I had no idea where we even were, let alone where we would go from here. I’d had a vague idea of where we were in relation to the house earlier, but our frantic escape from the flower monsters had left me completely clueless. Nothing looked familiar.

Not that it would anyway...

“Er... How about we just go straight for now?”

“Sounds good to me!”

We started off again, joined by Nea, Raki, the golem, and—as a quick glance up revealed—two of the spiders. “Looks like they’re coming too?” I muttered, nudging Usa.

She followed my gaze. “Looks like it... Well, I guess we’re even safer now!”

I smiled. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

We continued on our way, walking in as straight of a line as we could while keeping our eyes peeled for promising fruits.

“What about that one, Kuhi?”

“Hmm... I don’t think I’ve seen Master eating anything like that before...”

Our search wasn’t going too well. We hadn’t come across a lot of fruit trees at all, and the ones we did bore either familiar fruits or dangerous ones. Luckily, the golem always intervened before we could touch the latter. It would be pretty depressing to return home with our gift and then find out it was poisonous.

“Oh, look at that tree, Kuhi! It’s huge!”

“Wow, it really is...”

Neither of us approached the tree immediately, instead inspecting it from a distance. The encounter with the flower monsters had made us both a little wary.

“I can’t see anything moving.”

“Yeah, I think it’s fine. Nea, is that safe?” I asked, pointing at the enormous tree and receiving a short, happy growl in return.

Pretty sure that was a yes. Okay, I can do this! I have to!

With some hesitation—I was still a little scared, to be honest—I finally mustered up the courage to take a closer look at the fruit, which was visible even from our current distance. “You coming, Usa?”

She nodded, and hand in hand, we made our way toward the towering tree. Up close, it was even bigger than I’d realized, and the closer we got, the more uncomfortable I felt.

“Wow.”

“It’s so tall...” Usa said, craning her neck as she looked upward. “How are we going to reach the fruit?”

“I dunno. I can’t even see it from here.” Weirdly, it had been much easier to spot the fruit from farther away. Now that we were standing directly below it, I couldn’t really make out exactly where or how far above us it was. One thing was obvious, though: It was definitely out of our reach. Even if we somehow managed to climb the trunk and wriggle along the branches, our arms would still be too short for us to pick any of the fruit.

“Oh,” Usa said, looking behind me. “Are you going to help us?”

I turned around to see one of the spiders waving both front legs, possibly in agreement. “Thanks!” I called to the spider as it passed us by, walking toward and onto the trunk. Within seconds, it was already halfway up.

“Whoa!” By the time the exclamation had left Usa’s mouth, the spider had already disappeared into the leafy canopy. Now we were both craning our necks, searching for any sign of the spider’s return.

“Do you think it’s okay?” I finally muttered, worried. It’s been gone for ages. What if something happened? I glanced at the spider’s friend, but as far as I could tell, it didn’t seem concerned.

“Oh, it’s coming back!” Usa’s shout tugged my attention back upward. As she’d said, the spider had reappeared, swinging down between the branches with a piece of the fruit strapped across its back. About halfway down, it stopped swinging and dropped the rest of the way in one go, and I was pretty sure I felt the ground shake as it landed neatly beside us. It promptly untied its little bundle and held it out.

“Thank you!” I took the fruit—lowering my head as I did so—and looked at it carefully. Usa leaned in to do the same. “What do you think? Have you seen it before?”

“I don’t think so... But it looks really familiar for some reason, don’t you think?”

I hadn’t noticed it from a distance, but up close, it did look kind of familiar. Like a lot of the other fruits I’d seen in the food storerooms, it was orange in color. It was also fairly large, and I needed both hands to hold it comfortably.

“Wait, it’s the shape!” Usa exclaimed.

The shape? It’s a pretty unusual shape for a fruit, I guess... All those bumps and corners.

“What about it?”

“The color’s different, but we tried something like this before, remember?” she continued. “The blue fruit? Master showed us how to make a hole in it and drink the juice!”

Making a hole? Drinking the juice? Oh... Yeah, I remember now. It tasted so sweet...

“But these are orange, Usa.”

She shrugged. “Maybe it’s a different variety or something?”

So then we might be able to drink from these too? I posed the question to Usa.

“Let’s try it!” she replied, smiling. “We just need something to make a hole with...”

With that, we started combing the ground for the sharp rock we’d need. A full lap around the tree rewarded us with nothing apart from the confused stares of Nea, Raki and the golem. The spiders realized what we were looking for and began to search too, scuttling through the bushes a little farther away. After they’d returned with a few stones, the others also realized what we were doing and took off on their own respective hunts. Soon enough, Usa and I found ourselves looking at a big pile of stones. Unfortunately, we hadn’t been able to explain the specific shape of the stone we were looking for, which meant we now had a collection in all shapes and sizes to look through.

“Well, at least one of these should work, right?”

We eventually did manage to find a suitable-looking rock from among the dozens and tested it out. It made a satisfying thunk sound when I attempted to drive it into the orange skin, but that was the only satisfying part of the attempt. The skin was too thick, and a tiny mark was the only evidence to show I’d tried at all.

“This might not be as easy as we thought, Usa...”

I drove the stone into the fruit again and again, but all it did was worsen the tingling feeling in my hand.

“Ow!” I’d misjudged my aim, and the sharp stone had slid across the fruit and into my other hand. I’d stabbed myself pretty badly too, judging by the blood already gushing from the wound.

“Kuhi, are you okay?!”

“Yeah, I’m fi—” I fell silent, too confused by the sensation of my hand being gently but firmly tugged. It was the golem, who now seemed to be inspecting the injury intently.

“Don’t worry about me,” I said, smiling awkwardly. “Us beastkin heal really quickly. I’ve probably stopped bleeding already.”

The golem took no notice, merely continuing its inspection of my hand. Eventually, it rested one of its claylike hands on either side of my injured one, and I let out a strange exclamation of surprise at the sudden warmth that seemed to flow directly into my palm.

“What’s wrong? Does it hurt?!” Usa pressed, clearly worried. Nea and Raki, who’d started patrolling around us in circles, looked toward me with worried glances of their own.

“No, everything’s fine,” I replied hurriedly before explaining the reason behind my shout. Once Usa seemed slightly calmer, I looked back at the golem right as it released my hand—and then, at my hand itself.

“It’s gone...?” I murmured, holding my palm up for a closer inspection.

“What?” Usa frowned, peering over my shoulder for a closer look of her own. “The golem must have healed you!”

There wasn’t really any other explanation for it. “Thank you very much,” I said, lowering my head for what felt like the hundredth time that day. The golem responded by raising a single hand and shaking it from side to side, which I was pretty sure meant it had understood me, and accepted my thanks.

“Okay, it’s my turn now! Kuhi, you rest for a bit.”

“Sure, but be careful. Don’t get hurt like me.”

“Of course I won’t!”

Before we could swap places, though, one of the spiders intervened, darting between Usa and the fruit she was reaching for.

“What’s it doing?”

We watched as the spider raised one long, spindly leg, and drove it down toward the fruit.

Thunk.

“Er...”

What just happened?

We found out only a second later, as the spider withdrew its leg to reveal a perfectly sized hole in the orange skin.

“It made a hole.”

“It sure did.”

“We should have asked for help to begin with,” Usa said, shaking her head.

Then I wouldn’t have gotten injured.

“I guess you’re right...” I replied hesitantly. To be honest, I wasn’t very good at asking for help. It just felt like another way to admit I was useless, and being useless meant being hated—or being disposed of. Sometimes, the fear I’d be told to leave Master’s home got so bad, I felt like it was crushing me. Usa was usually able to cheer me up, but the fear always came back. Master somehow always seemed to know when I was feeling particularly sad, and made sure to give me plenty of pats. I knew everything would be fine if I just believed in him, but I couldn’t—not fully. The unease always sat in my stomach like a stone, sometimes small and sometimes massive, but always there. I felt bad about it, though. I hated myself for not being able to trust him completely, especially after everything he’d done for us.

“Are you okay?” Usa asked quietly, running her hand along my hair. She’d started comforting me like this—the same way Master did—whenever she noticed I was feeling down. I did the same for her, though it usually took me a little longer to realize when she was upset.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” I smiled weakly. “Let’s have a look at this fruit, eh?”

We were both a little too scared to try drinking directly from the fruit, so we poured some of the liquid onto a large, slightly curved leaf we’d found nearby. The juice was orange, just like the skin of the fruit itself, but the smell... Well, it didn’t seem to have one at all.

“Do you smell anything?”

“No, nothing.”

Confused and slightly nervous, I swiped my fingertip through the liquid and pressed it to my tongue.

Wait...

Just to be sure, I repeated my taste test once again. To my dismay, the result was the same.

“It doesn’t taste like anything,” I said, slumping.

“Huh? Really?” Usa tried some for herself. “You’re right... No smell, no taste. No good...”

“Yep. No good at all.” And it was a new one and all... “Well, should we keep looking?”

Usa nodded. “The forest is huge, after all. I’m sure we’ll find something!”

Wiping our hands on our clothes, we turned to leave and saw Nea and Raki crouching down in front of us. Er... I think they want us to get on? I looked at Usa for confirmation, only to find her already clambering onto Raki’s back. At times like this, she was always bolder than me.

I thanked Nea as I climbed onto his back. He took off the second I’d looped my arms around his neck, with Raki (and Usa) in close pursuit. The spiders followed us through the trees overhead, and the golem somehow managed to keep up too, running alongside us at an unbelievable speed for something with such short legs.

“Er, Usa?” I called out. “Are you sure this is gonna work? I mean, we don’t actually know where they’re taking us...”

“Why wouldn’t it? They know the forest a lot better than us, right?”

That makes sense, I guess. They spend all day running around in here, so they’d obviously know a lot more than us. I’m pretty sure they’ve realized we’re searching for fruit too... Maybe Marshmallow told them?

“Plus, they’re a lot faster than us!” Usa added, shouting slightly.

Again, she’s right—this is heaps faster than us moving on our own two feet—

“Wait... Huh?”

We’re going really, really fast, but the wind still feels normal... I’m pretty sure it should feel a lot stronger. I don’t even have to shut my eyes. Maybe Nea’s shielding me from it or something?

I glanced back at Usa. Her eyes were open just like mine, and her hair wasn’t being blown all over the place or anything either.

Raki must be shielding her too... I hope I can talk to Nea and Raki properly someday, so I can thank them for everything. I’m sure it’ll happen eventually. After all, I couldn’t talk to Marshmallow when I first got here, and now I can—there’ll be a way to talk to Nea and Raki too.

“Kuhi, look!”

I was looking—it was hard not to. I just hadn’t been sure what the sparkling thing I was looking at actually was until the landscape opened up before us, revealing the vast expanse of river.

“Wow...”

The sunlight reflecting off the choppy surface was so bright, I had to squint, which made it a lot harder to make anything out.

Splash, splash.

There seemed to be something in the water though, given the constant splashing sounds. Eventually, my eyes adjusted enough to make them out—more spirits. They seemed to be playing around with one another, lunging partially out of the river and smacking back against the surface to send water flying everywhere. Nea and Raki ran alongside the river for a little while longer until coming to a stop at a slightly open stretch of the bank.

“Thank you, Nea—and you, Raki,” I said, dismounting with only a little difficulty and turning to take in the view.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. And look how many spirits there are!”

Splash, splash. Splash, splash. Splash, splash.

Splash, splash. Splash, splash. Splash, splash.

“It kinda feels like there’s almost too many, actually...” Usa said quietly, and I nodded. In fact, I was pretty sure there were more spirits now than there had been a minute ago—and it looked like more were still joining the gathering. I wasn’t usually scared of the spirits, but I’d also never been face-to-face with so many of them before. Nearly the entire surface of the river was now covered by their soft, almost translucent bodies.

Splash, splash. Splash, splash. Splash, splash.

Splash, splash. Splash, splash. SPLASH, SPLASH. SPLASH, SPLASH.

“Let’s go back to searching,” I whispered.

“Yeah... Why are so many of them here? It’s kinda scary...”

We started retreating—keeping our eyes on the river—when the shadow passed overhead. “Oh, there you are! Excellent,” came a voice—not from above, though, but inside my head. Risking a slightly reluctant glance upward, I was relieved to see that the shadow was in fact Fluffy, another of the dragons. Fluffy could “speak” to us in the same way Marshmallow could.

“Hello, Fluffy,” we said in unison.

“Hello, younglings. I’m glad I made it in time.”

Made it in time? I don’t understand... I was about to ask Fluffy what it had meant when the dragon spoke again. It wasn’t directed at us this time, however, but the spirits.

“Listen up! I know you’re curious, but you can’t just swarm the younglings like this!” the dragon “shouted” (I wasn’t sure if it still counted as shouting when it wasn’t out loud), glaring at the spirits.

“I did think it was weird that there were so many of them,” Usa said.

Fluffy sighed. “Compared to many of the other creatures, the spirits think the two of you spend a great deal more time by Master’s side. It seems they’re somewhat...well, jealous, shall we say? They merely wanted to learn what makes you so special in Master’s eyes, but as you can see, they got a little too excited... Don’t think badly of them. They meant no harm,” the dragon finished, sounding oddly apologetic.

I nodded. “Of course. I understand.”

It was a little scary, but the spirits didn’t try to hurt us or anything, just like Fluffy said. They were just staring at us. All of them, staring and staring... Okay, maybe it was more than a little scary. But the fact they think we’re really close to Master... It makes me kinda happy.

“Ah, that’s right. Marshmallow mentioned you were searching for a new type of fruit, correct? Have you found one yet?”

“Not really... Most of the ones we found were stuff Master already eats, and the only new kind we found didn’t taste like anything,” I replied gloomily.

“I see...” Fluffy paused, looking thoughtful. “I spotted a new grove recently, just a little farther along the river. Perhaps you’ll have some luck there.”

A new grove?! That sounds perfect!

“Thank you, Fluffy! Which way should we go? That way?” I asked, pointing in the direction the dragon had glanced toward a moment before.

“Correct. It shouldn’t take too long to reach it.”

“Thank you! We’ll go have a look!” Usa was already sitting atop Raki, looking very much at ease, by the time I turned around. She’s really pretty impressive, I thought as I straddled Nea with a lot less grace.

“So the Garm are your escorts today, I take it? Ah, and the golem and two fine young spiders too... Well, I imagine you’ll be fine, then. There’s a small nest of Roho along the way, so just be careful.”

Roho?

“What are Roho?” Usa asked, frowning.

“You’ve seen the Suwasowa, I believe? Roho are a rather similar species of monster. Suwasowa don’t tend to attack—not the ones Master keeps at least—but Roho are far more aggressive and incredibly territorial. Should you come across a brown, wriggling creature with pointy hairs, you’ll have found a Roho. Be cautious, younglings. The hairs they are covered in are painfully sharp, and the beasts can eject them at will and hit any target from quite a distance. They’re not particularly strong alone, but they’ll often attack in numbers,” Fluffy explained, not seeming overly worried.

Well, if they crawl like the Suwasowa, we just need to keep our eyes on the ground, right?

“What do you think, Usa? Do you still want to go?”

“Yeah. Those Roho sound kinda scary... But I still want to find the best present ever for Master, monsters or not!”

We nodded resolutely at one another, much to Fluffy’s apparent amusement. “Good luck, younglings!”

“Did you want to come with us, Fluffy?” Usa asked.

The dragon’s smile seemed to fade a little at the question. “I have some things to attend to, so I cannot join you. Apologies, children. If you find any delicious fruit, I hope you’ll bring some back for me.”

“Of course we will!”

“Yeah, we’ll bring enough for everyone!”

“I’ll be looking forward to trying it,” Fluffy replied, smiling again.

Usa and I smiled too. “Well, we’re off!”

When I turned around, Raki and Nea were already waiting for us.

“You’re the best!” Usa said, already clambering onto Raki’s back.

Fluffy smiled. “It seems you’ve found some fine companions in the Garm. How propitious.”

I didn’t really understand what the dragon meant, and when I glanced at Usa she looked just as confused. Nea and Raki were wagging their tails happily though, so I assumed it was a good thing.

“Arrurrawf rrrawf.”

“Of course.”

Nea and Fluffy exchanged a few words, but obviously, I could only understand Fluffy’s response. “What did he say?”

“He said they’ll make sure no harm comes to you,” Fluffy replied.

I looked at Nea. The Garm was watching me carefully, still crouching low as he waited for me to climb onto his back. “Can you tell them ‘thank you’ for us, Fluffy?”

“Of course.”

Though I didn’t hear it, Fluffy had clearly relayed the message immediately, because Nea’s tail started wagging with about three times the force. I was a little embarrassed by his reaction, but it also made me happy. After giving Nea’s neck a good scratch, I climbed up onto his back, and he immediately pushed himself to his feet.

Time to keep going.

Usa and I waved farewell to Fluffy, and watched as the dragon took off. Instead of getting smaller as it ascended into the sky, Fluffy actually got bigger, letting itself return to its normal size as soon as there was the room to do so. As always, I found it hard to tear my eyes away from the dragon, captivated by the way the iridescent scales sparkled in the sunlight.

“Come on, Nea! Let’s go!”

I wasn’t sure whether he’d actually understood what I’d said or not, but either way, Nea responded with a short growl and took off running, with Raki and Usa following us close behind. We headed along the riverside in the direction Fluffy had suggested, and before long, we found ourselves in a thicket of tall but slender trees.

“This must be the spot Fluffy was talking about, right?”

“I think so. These trees can’t be too old.”

Nea and Raki slowed down, allowing us to look around more carefully. “Usa, look! Those look like fruit, right?!” I shouted, pointing toward the black, rounded shapes I’d just spotted.

“Oh wow! Raki, that way!” Usa cried, quickly redirecting the Garm. She and Raki got there first, although Nea and I were only a few steps behind. We’d only been looking up at the tree—and the fruit high overhead—for a second or two when one of the spiders darted past us. In the blink of an eye, it had scaled the tree and returned with one of the jet-black spheres, which it passed to Usa.

“I hope this one is sweet...” Usa murmured, before remembering her manners and quickly adding, “Thank you!”

Now we need another sharp rock... Why didn’t we keep the last one?!

Before we could even start looking, the golem toddled over, took the fruit from Usa’s hand, and promptly began cutting it with a knife.

“Er... Did it always have a knife? Why did it let us mess around looking for rocks before?” Usa asked, bewildered.

“Well, it was probably trying to be nice and let us figure it out, but after we got hurt, maybe it decided to take over?”

“Yeah, you’re probably right—wait, we? You’re the one who stabbed yourself, Kuhi!” she retorted, and I laughed awkwardly.

While the golem was cutting the fruit into bite-sized pieces, one of the spiders found a large leaf, cleaned it with magic, and carefully laid it on top of a flat rock nearby. Soon enough, the leaf was covered with neatly cut slices of fruit, which the golem gestured toward as if to say, Go ahead.

“We didn’t even have to move.”

“Yeah... They really don’t want either of us to get injured again, I guess.” I inspected my hand, flexing it slightly.

It’s completely fine. There’s not even a scar or anything either... Isn’t everyone worrying a little too much?

I shrugged. “Well, let’s try some.”

“Yep! Thanks for your help, everyone,” Usa said, before grinning at me. “It’s my turn to try it first this time, okay?” I didn’t have a chance to reply before she shoved one of the pieces in her mouth.

Huh...it’s really weird for a fruit, isn’t it? The outside and the inside are both black, but the juice is bright red?

“Mm!” Usa’s loud chewing stopped suddenly, and her gaze locked with mine.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ish sho—” she paused to swallow. “It’s so sweeeeeet... It’s delicious! And nice and crunchy, and so soft...”

It can’t be crunchy and soft... I grabbed a piece for myself. As it turned out, she was right. When I first bit down, the flesh was crunchy and crisp. The more I chewed, the more the sweetness coated my mouth, and the softer it became. By the time I swallowed it, the texture felt more like a liquid than a solid food.

“Wow... Usa, this is perfect!”

“I know, right?”

I frowned. “I feel like I’ve seen a fruit like this back at the house, though...”

Usa shook her head. “There’s another fruit that looks the same on the outside, but the inside is white instead of black, and it’s a little sour. So this one has to be different.”

Whenever there was a new fruit—or any kind of food, actually—Master always made sure everyone got to try some. Even if it was incredibly delicious and there wasn’t much to go around, he shared it with everyone rather than keeping it to himself. It didn’t seem likely that the fruit we’d found was something Master already knew about and had just kept secret.

“Master’s gonna love this. Nea, Raki, spiders, you should try some too!”

Everyone sampled some of the fruit. One of the spiders was clearly particularly delighted by the taste, judging from the way it stuck its little butt into the air and shook it from side to side after it was finished eating. By now, I was used to seeing the strange movement, which seemed to be some kind of dance the spiders liked to perform whenever they were extra happy. All of the spiders would dance whenever Master made karaage, which was very funny to watch.

“Come on, Kuhi! Let’s grab as many as we can and head home!” Usa cried, punching the air in an imitation of the gesture Master often used, which I immediately copied.

“Yeah!”

At that moment, the golem waddled over, looking at each of us—fists still raised in the air—in turn before holding out a cloth bag.

“Hey, Kuhi... Where did that bag come from?”

“No idea. I mean, it kinda looked like it appeared out of thin air, right?”

“Yeah. That’s why I’m confused.”

I shrugged. “Well, they’re Master’s golems after all. They can probably do anything.”

“That makes sense,” Usa replied seriously, nodding.

Still, pulling a bag out of thin air is a little crazy... Oh well. No point wasting our time thinking about things we’re not gonna be able to figure out anyway. Let’s just focus on getting a whole load of fruit!

“I wonder if there’s any more of these trees around here,” I said, scanning the rest of the grove.

“I think there’s some over there,” Usa replied helpfully, pointing farther ahead. I could just make out two more trees laden with our newly discovered fruit.

Great! With three trees, we should be able to get plenty for everyone.

“Usa, you can be in charge of this tree, and I’ll start on the other two.”

“Got it.”

Nea and I—along with one of the spiders—headed over to the other trees. They seemed to hold roughly the same amount of fruit as the first, but I wasn’t worried. If we harvested them all, there would definitely be enough for everyone.

“It’s probably gonna be easier without these, I guess...” I muttered to myself, kicking off my shoes. I tentatively grabbed one of the lower branches and pushed myself up, my bare feet giving me a secure grip on the trunk. Like the trunk itself, the branches were still young and slender, and I had to be extra careful not to accidentally snap them as I pulled myself higher and higher. It didn’t take too long to reach the first fruit-laden branch, and luckily, I could reach the fruit itself without having to leave the trunk. It was only after picking the first fruit that I realized...

“Oh, no... I forgot the bag!”

Looking down, it was exactly where I’d left it—beside my shoes at the tree’s base.

Stupid... Guess I just have to climb down and get it.

I went to lower myself to the branch below, but stopped when I felt something tap my shoulder—the spider, who’d apparently climbed up right after me. My confusion quickly turned to relief as it launched one of its handy strings downward, looping it around the bag and hauling it back up in no time at all.

“Thank you very much.”

I reached out to take the bag, only for the spider to instead loop its string around the fruit in my hand, quickly and neatly dropping it into the bag.

Yeah, that’s probably safer... Less chance of me just dropping the bag entirely.

“Let’s do this!”

Working as a team, we were able to harvest the fruit quite quickly. I’d pick the fruit and hold them out to the spider, who would then pop them safely into the bag. We kept going for a few minutes, but when I reached out for the next fruit, I paused.

It’s not anywhere near as dark as the others... Maybe it’s not ripe yet or something? Hmm... I guess I could try tasting it?

I grabbed the fruit and tugged, but it didn’t come loose.

Huh? All of the other ones were so easy to pick. Does that mean it’s definitely not ripe, then? Maybe if I just—

With a little more effort, I was able to yank the fruit from the branch. Since we’d been able to eat the fruit normally before, I figured I’d be fine to bite right into this one too. I wiped it on my shirt just in case, and sank my teeth into the grayish-black skin.

“Urgh...”

It was sour—overwhelmingly so; unable to focus on anything other than the taste, I accidentally let go of the partially eaten fruit.

“Nea, watch out!”

Luckily, Nea effortlessly dodged the falling fruit. He cocked his head and looked up at me worriedly.

“Sorry! It’s okay, though. It was too sour to eat anyway.”

Waaaaay too sour... My mouth’s still tingling. I’ll finish picking the rest of the fruit as quickly as possible and take a break—hopefully some water will get rid of the taste... Just gotta make sure I only pick the really dark ones from now on.

After picking all the ones that looked dark enough to safely eat I carefully climbed down the tree, while the spider simply jumped down. When I counted the contents of the bag, there were thirty pieces of fruit.

I thought we would’ve been able to pick more... Too many of them weren’t ripe yet.

“Also, these bags...” I gave the bag—now filled with our harvest—an experimental swing.

Yep—it still doesn’t feel like there’s anything in it at all.

The bags Master and his subjects used were a little weird. No matter how much stuff you put inside, they never seemed to get full. They didn’t even get heavier. I’d never heard of anything like it before. No one else seemed to think the bags were weird apart from Usa and I, though. Everyone used them like they were completely normal. Really, they probably were completely normal, and it was just that Usa and I hadn’t seen them before. There were a lot of things slaves never got to see.

“Kuhi, how many did you get?”

“Thirty. What about you?”

“Twenty-eight,” Usa replied sadly. “A lot of them weren’t ripe enough.”

“Same.” I understood why she was disappointed. From below, everything looked so ripe and ready to eat, so I’d felt the same when I’d realized we’d be going back with only about half the haul I’d thought we would.

“Did you try one?” she continued.

“Yeah. You?”

She shuddered. “So sour...”

“I know, right? I was gonna go get some water... Which way was the river again?” I couldn’t see it through the trees, although I knew it had to be close.

“Oh, there’s water coming out of the rocks over there. I tried some right before you climbed down, and it tasted fine.”

Rocks? Water doesn’t come from rocks...

Confused, I let Usa lead me through the trees to the “rocks,” which turned out to be more of a rocky cliff. Like she’d said, there was water pouring out of a crack in the rock, which I caught in my cupped hands and drank.

“It’s good, right?”

“It’s great!” It was clean and refreshing, but more importantly, it washed the sourness right out of my mouth. “That’s much better. Thanks, Usa. You should rest a bit while I finish off the last tree.”

“Well, if you say so... Thank you!” she replied, grinning.

It didn’t take long to pick all the edible fruit from the third and final tree.

“How many this time?”

“Thirty-three,” I replied. Which makes...ninety-one, all together? I wish we could get just a few more...

“Kuhi, should we try looking for another tree? I feel like this isn’t gonna be quite enough for everyone...”

“Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing. There’s gotta be at least one more of these around here.”

We’d only taken a few steps when I noticed a strange feeling underfoot, like the ground was shaking for only a moment. I also realized I’d forgotten to put my shoes back on.

“Oops! One sec!”

I sat down and brushed the dirt from my feet before tying my shoes back on. I was nearly finished when I felt the ground shake again, more violently than the first time.

“Usa, do you feel that?”

“Feel what?”

“It feels like the ground is moving.”

Usa pressed her hand to the dirt. “Wait, you’re right! I can feel it.”

Nea and Raki growled suddenly, closing in as though to protect us. The trembling got even more intense, and even with my shoes on, I could feel the ground vibrating.

“Are we...trapped?”

“Looks like it...” I hadn’t noticed until now, but we were already cornered. “I guess these are Roho...”

The creatures weren’t fast, which was maybe why it had taken me so long to notice them. Like Fluffy had said, they looked a lot like the Suwasowa back home, with the main difference being that these ones were covered in brown, incredibly sharp-looking hairs. Just looking at them made me wince.

Raki growled again and lowered himself in front of Usa, and she immediately climbed on. I did the same with Nea. I could feel him crouch to take off, but something stopped him before he could: the golem, holding up one little hand.

“What’s going on?”

“No idea...”

The four of us—me, Usa, and the two Garm—tilted our heads in confusion, only for the golem to mirror the movement.

Wait, why is it confused?

A second later, the spiders scuttled between the golem and the Roho and started tapping their forelegs against the ground.

“What the—?”

I was cut short by a tremendous crack, followed by a deep, ominous rumbling that seemed to come from beneath our feet. The next moment, a giant hole opened up below the wriggling creatures, sending many of them plummeting down in a cascade of dirt. A lot of the Roho had escaped the initial plunge, but as they frantically turned to retreat, a shape lunged from the pit and seized one, pulling it down to join the others.

“It’s the ants!” Usa exclaimed.

I simply nodded. I was still struggling to comprehend what was happening. Ants continued to spew from the ground, snatching the panicking Roho and flinging them squarely into the hole. Before long, nearly all of the creatures had been forced into the pit, with the few who somehow managed to escape the ants quickly vanishing from sight.

“That didn’t take long...” Usa murmured. The mix of admiration and horror in her voice perfectly echoed what I felt inside. I’d never seen the ants move so quickly before, and honestly, it had actually been a little terrifying.

Tap-tap-tap-tap—

“Huh?” I (somewhat hesitantly) glanced back toward the hole to see a few little ant heads poking out, the owners of which were tapping their forelegs against the hardened soil. More of the tapping sounds soon came from beside us, this time from the spiders.

“Maybe it’s some kind of signal,” Usa suggested.

“Probably,” I replied. The ants did appear right after the spiders did it earlier, after all. They all look pretty pleased with themselves too...

“Spider Boss and Shuri are always fighting, but their kids seem to get along pretty well,” she continued.

I nodded. “Yeah. Whenever the two of them argue, it’s like all of the kids get together to try to figure out a way to make them stop.”

“Oh, I’ve seen them doing that too! Did you see them the other day? They were all on the deck drinking tea and eating cakes while they watched Shuri and Spider Boss in the clearing.”

“Huh, really?”

They really are friendly... I wonder if Spider Boss and Shuri are actually friends too? I mean, they fight all the time, but no one ever gets hurt... Maybe they’re just playing around or something? Yeah... I probably didn’t need to be so worried about them this whole time.

“I think it’s over...” Usa said, snapping me out of my thoughts. While I’d been distracted, the ants had already somehow managed to repair most of the giant hole they’d excavated, leaving an opening approximately the same size as the entrances to their nest near the house. They soon disappeared under the ground, each one raising one of their forelegs in a wave before darting below the surface.

“Ah— Thank you, everyone!” I called out hurriedly, realizing I’d forgotten my manners in my shock. The few remaining ants paused, before waving at us with two forelegs instead. Usa and I returned the gesture with similar enthusiasm, and a few seconds later, they were gone.

“I’m still not really sure what just happened...”

Usa shrugged. “Me neither, but they saved us, and that’s the most important thing.”

“I guess so... Well, let’s see if we can find another one of those trees, eh?”

It didn’t take long—mostly thanks to the help of the Garm and the spiders—to find not one, but two of the trees nearby, and after picking everything suitably ripe, we ended up with a respectable total of 144 pieces of the mysterious black fruit.

“This will be enough, right?”

“Definitely... Plus, I’m too tired to keep looking anyway.”

We both sat down to stretch out and rest our legs. Nea and Raki sat on either side of us, looking around constantly. They were clearly keeping an eye out for danger—which made sense, after our unexpected encounter with the Roho earlier—but right now, it seemed like they weren’t too worried, meaning we were fine to take a short rest.

“Ah!” I cried as something streaked past, startling me. I jumped to my feet, as did Usa, our heads whipping around to follow the movement. We both spotted it at the same time—a glowing, pebble-like object, zooming around in small circles nearby.

“That’s...one of Master’s magestones, isn’t it?” Usa asked.

Oh, she’s right! I can feel his power coming from it too—his new power, I think?

“I didn’t know they were going all the way out here...” I said, watching the stone loop around and around until suddenly it stopped, frozen in midair.

“What’s it doing?” Usa asked, taking a few cautious steps toward the hovering stone. We both fell quiet, watching it curiously, but nothing happened. The stone remained still.

“I dunno what’s meant to happen now...”

“Huh?” Usa frowned. “Kuhi, do you know what these magestones are for?”

“Well, I asked Flying Lizard about them, and it said, er... Oh, they fly around and absorb unnecessary... Um, I forgot the word. Well, basically, they absorb unnecessary junk from the forest,” I replied.

Apparently, there was a bunch of weird stuff floating around the forest, and if you breathed in too much of it or something, it could be very dangerous.

“Wow, really?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Apparently, Koa breathed in too much of it, and that’s why she tried to attack Master.”

Usa gaped. “Seriously?! That’s awful! I had no idea... These magestones are protecting us from something really dangerous, right? Thank you, magestones! Good luck!” she called. As she did, the magestone started moving again, wobbling from side to side for a second or two before shooting away and disappearing into the trees.

“It’s gone.”

“Yep.”

“Why did it stop here?”

I shrugged. “I guess there was a lot of that bad junk here?” Usa looked around nervously, and I smiled. “But the magestone would’ve cleaned it all up, so we’re safe here now.”

“Oh, right! Good. What do we do now, then? Should we just head home?” she asked, looking at the bag the golem was holding. Usa and I had both offered to carry the bag, but the golem had refused to let go.

It’s not like it’s heavy or anything. Is this just because I got injured? It was just a tiny cut... I guess this is what “overprotectiveness” feels like?

I’d heard the word a few times in my short life, but never in reference to me or the other slaves, of course. It was when you cared so much about someone else that you basically didn’t let them do anything, just in case they got hurt. The thought of being cared about so much made my stomach churn, to be honest. People like me and Usa weren’t important enough for anyone to feel “overprotective” of.

“Wait, look... Can you see that?” Usa asked suddenly, pointing into the distance. I could just make out something unusual, but I couldn’t see what it was.

“Wanna go have a look?”

“Yeah!” By the time she’d replied, Nea and Raki were already waiting for us to climb on.

Actually, they’re always ready to go as soon as we decide to do something... Maybe they can actually understand us? Hmm... Nah, I still don’t think so.

I’d had a similar suspicion before, so Usa and I had tried mentioning a whole bunch of stuff in front of the Garm to test their reactions. In the end, it didn’t seem like they could understand us properly, though. But maybe...

“What’s wrong, Kuhi?”

“I was just thinking about Nea and Raki... It still feels like they must be able to understand us sometimes, you know?”

“Yeah, it is a bit weird sometimes,” she agreed. “It’s almost like they can read our thoughts.”

It hadn’t been that way when we’d first arrived, but the more time we spent together—going for walks or playing in the clearing—the more they seemed to understand us. Clearly time couldn’t be the only reason though, because we still had no idea what they were thinking. Besides, if spending time together was all it took, we’d already be experts in understanding Master. I hadn’t been able to come up with another explanation yet, though.

Usa gasped. “This... Someone made this.”

“Huh?!” I tensed up, which Nea immediately noticed. He stopped suddenly, prompting Raki to also come to a halt. The landscape that had just opened up in front of us was very, very different to that of the usual forest.

“What... What is this place?” Usa whispered, and I shook my head slowly. It was a vast stretch of open land, filled with short grass that barely swayed with the breeze. Different patches of plants and bushes were growing in neat, well-maintained squares.

“This can’t be natural, right?” I muttered.

Usa nodded. “We must be a long way away from the house... I didn’t realize we’d gone so far.”

We were still in the forest—but only just, apparently. A few steps would take us beyond the forest’s borders and toward what must have been the outskirts of a settlement nearby. We hadn’t left the forest since the day the bad people had brought us here in cages—not because we couldn’t but because we were too scared to. When the god had visited Master, he’d offered to take us to join the rest of the slaves who’d escaped that day, but we’d said no. Leaving the forest would mean leaving Master. The thought of saying goodbye to him terrified us, and so, we’d stayed.

“Let’s go home.”

“Yeah...” Usa replied, her voice shaking slightly.

I knew why. We’d always been told that the forest was to be feared, but they’d been wrong. The world outside the forest was the scary one. We still couldn’t forget what we’d experienced out there, no matter how hard we tried.

“Oh, someone’s there...” she whispered, and I followed her gaze as they came into view.

It was a human; I was sure of it. The figure didn’t have a tail or ears like ours, so they couldn’t be a beastkin. I jumped as Nea brushed his tail against my back—one of his familiar methods of comforting me—and realized I’d been shaking.

I made him worry... “I’m okay, Nea,” I said, stroking his head with one hand. The other was clenched so tightly, I could feel my nails digging into my palm. We all turned to leave, but I couldn’t stop myself from glancing back at the human for just a moment—

Oh.

—which was all it took for our eyes to meet. A hard lump formed in my throat. The human looked surprised too, as far as I could tell. Their mouth moved, and suddenly, more humans rose up out of thin air—or so it looked, anyway. Really, there had just been more of them sitting down nearby.

I frowned. Something’s different about them...

“Kuhi, why are their ears so long?”

“Wait, what? Oh, you’re right...” All six of the “humans” had long, pointy ears. “Do some humans have ears like that?”

“None of the ones I saw back there ever did... Master doesn’t either,” Usa replied thoughtfully.

“Maybe they’re not humans, then?” I suggested, inspecting the mysterious humanlike figures—which was precisely when they began to approach us.

“Kuhi, what do we do?!” Usa cried, pressing herself into Raki as though trying to hide within his thick fur.

“Let’s get out of here—fast.”

Wait—what if they follow us, though? We might lead them straight to Master’s house...

“Kuhi...” Usa’s voice trembled.

Yeah, we need to run. Nea is fast, and Raki is too. If they run as fast as they can, we can escape... Right?

“We need to go—please, Nea,” I said, pointing back the way we’d come. Shouts rang out from the group in the distance, but when I risked a glance in their direction, they were no longer looking at us at all. They were looking—and pointing—at the sky. And when I followed their gazes...

“Huh?”

“It’s Koa and Chai!” Usa exclaimed. She’d seen them too—though really it would be pretty hard to miss the sight of two giant monsters soaring through the sky.

I let out a sigh of relief and slumped against Nea, unable to support myself any longer.

We’re safe. We’re safe.

It wasn’t until I heard the growl in my ear that I realized Koa and Chai had landed.

“Thanks, Koa... You saved us.”

Koa tilted her head in the way I knew meant she was worried, so I forced myself to smile, which seemed to reassure her a bit.

She glanced at Usa, who gave Koa a relieved smile of her own before glancing behind us again. “What are they doing?”

I spun around nervously, but thankfully, the people weren’t doing anything in particular. In fact, they’d stopped moving at all and were simply watching from their previous distance.

“Well, they’re not coming any closer, and that’s the main thing,” I replied.

“Yeah... I was so scared, Kuhi.”

“Me too. Let’s just go home, okay? I’m really tired.”

Usa nodded, flopping back against Raki once again and hugging him tightly. Koa growled again, and pointed one massive paw toward the forest.

“I think Koa agrees.”

“Well, we are pretty far from home... We’re ready, Koa.”

And just like that, we were off, sprinting through the forest at an incredible speed. Koa and Chai went first, followed by Raki and Nea (and, obviously, Usa and I atop them). Above us, the spiders swung from branch to branch with ease, never struggling to keep up. And the golem—

“Ah, the golem!”

—was nowhere to be seen.

Oh no! Is it still back near the edge of the forest?

Before I could get too worried, I caught a sudden flash of movement and twisted around to see the little golem chasing after us at full speed, with the little bag flapping behind.

“I wonder if something’s wrong?” Usa said nervously.

“I don’t think so...” I replied, scratching my neck. “Koa and Nea and the others—they all have really long legs, right? That’s why they’re so fast. But the golem’s legs are kinda... Well, short,” I whispered back, suspecting it maybe wasn’t a polite thing to say.

“Oh, you’re right! The golems are really short!” Usa agreed enthusiastically, just as the golem drew near. Though the golems didn’t seem to be able to understand us most of the time—and especially without a lot of gesturing—I couldn’t shake the feeling that it seemed unusually subdued as it caught up to our now slightly slower pace.

“Look, spirits!” Usa cried, clearly not noticing she’d (potentially) upset the golem. We’d just emerged into a large clearing, the majority of which was dominated by a vast lake. An island sat not within, but above the lake, floating in the sky overhead.

We came here before, right? With Master?

I voiced my suspicion to Usa, and she nodded. “I think so. I mean, there can’t be too many other floating islands around here, surely.”

“Oh yeah, probably not. Well, if this is the same place, then we’re nearly back at the house!”

“Yay!”

Koa soon slowed down even more, which meant everyone else did the same. That said, her “slow” pace was still about ten times faster than I could ever hope to run, so I wasn’t upset about the slightly less nauseating speed. It felt like only minutes had passed before another familiar scene opened up before us.

“We’re home! Finally...” Usa exclaimed, and I couldn’t help the small smile that spread across my face any more than I could fight the exhaustion that overcame me as soon as the house came into view.

“I’m so tired...” I sighed. The excursion itself had been exhausting enough, but our encounter with the long-eared, not-quite-human creatures at the end had completely drained me.

Nea glanced back at me with a curious “Grrrr?” so I scratched him behind the ear for reassurance.

“I’m all right, Nea—just need to rest a little.”

Or a lot... I could barely move, and when I slid off Nea as he stopped near the entrance, my legs buckled underneath me. It was only because of Nea pressing against me that I stayed upright. Definitely a lot.

“Welcome home! Are you kids okay?” The sound of Master’s voice (my favorite sound in the world) rang out, and my tail started wagging uncontrollably.

“Welcome home!” Usa and I replied in unison.

Master smiled at us. “Almost! You should say, We’re home, though.”

Huh?

“Just copy me, okay? We’re home,” he repeated, still smiling.

They both sound the same to me...

Still, I gave it a go. “Well home?”

No, that wasn’t quite right...

“We come home?” Usa’s attempt wasn’t much better than mine, so we huddled together and immediately began practicing while Master’s example was still fresh in our minds. We’d been at it for a minute or two when I suddenly felt my exhaustion—which I’d temporarily disregarded in my desire to perfect Master’s language—fade away.

“Huh?”

The heaviness I’d felt just seconds earlier was gone, and my legs weren’t trembling underneath me anymore. Did Master do something? Yeah, he must have...

“I feel great! Usa, what about you?”

“Oh! I’m not tired anymore!” she replied, apparently shocked. Clearly, she’d been more focused on practicing than I had.

I looked around for Master and spotted him talking to Nea, Raki, the golem, and the spiders.

He must be making them feel better too.

“Look, Kuhi! It seems so happy,” Usa said, pointing at the golem as it left Master’s side and headed toward the mountain house. It was moving its legs in the strange, jumpy way we’d come to recognize as a display of happiness. Sometimes I tried to copy the movement when I saw one of them doing it, and though I wasn’t very good, it was still pretty fun.

Master sometimes does it too... What did he call it again? Skep... Skepping? No. Skiing? Nah, that was something else, I think... Oh well. I’m pretty sure it was something along those lines.

It was quite common for us to see the golems doing the strange jumps right after Master praised them, so we’d determined it to be some kind of ritual dance they performed to demonstrate their joy and appreciation.

“Kuhi, Usa! You guys must be tired, right?” Master said, walking back toward us. “You should go rest up until dinnertime.”

The only words I really understood were “rest” and “dinner,” but it was enough to get the gist of what he wanted us to do. “Thank you, Master! Here, we brought—”

Wait, where’s the bag?! Oh, the golem was still carrying it...

Flustered, I turned to follow the golem into the house, only to see the (seemingly equally flustered) golem already sprinting back toward us. It quickly handed me the bag and ran off once more with an awkward wave.

“Er... What was that all about?” Master asked, staring at the retreating golem. Usa and I, on the other hand, looked at one another and burst into laughter.

They’re usually so perfect at everything, but seeing it panic actually made it look kinda cute, ha ha... Seriously? I can’t believe I’m actually thinking a golem is cute...

Master was smiling at us once again, and I sighed happily as the warmth spread through my body, filling me from ear to toe. I still wasn’t quite used to the sensation, even though it had happened many times since we’d arrived in Master’s lands. The first few times it happened, I’d panicked, thinking I was getting sick. However, Flying Lizard had explained it was nothing to worry about, and I’d actually started to enjoy the feeling, even though it was still a little odd. It wasn’t only Master’s smile that sent the warmth rippling through me either. Sometimes it happened when Fluffy or the other dragons praised me or during dinner, when Nea and Raki determinedly fought off the other creatures when they tried to steal Usa’s and my share of the meal. It was a strange feeling, but I liked it. Usa always said I looked really happy whenever the warmth swept through me, but she always had a big smile whenever she said it, so I was pretty sure I wasn’t the only one.

Wait, the bag! We need to give Master his present!

I dug out one of the black fruits and held it out. “Master, here! Present!”

Master raised his eyebrows and glanced between Usa and I, then smiled and took the fruit.

He’s surprised, right?! So it must be a new kind!

“Thank you. I’m happy,” he said. For a second, I thought there was something different about the way he was smiling, but then I blinked, and it was gone. He quickly pocketed the fruit, which meant he could then ruffle my hair and Usa’s at the same time, making us both grin. “You guys must have worked really hard! How about we get you kids in the bath, eh?”

Bath! He said bath, right?!

“Usa, let’s go!”

“Yeah!”

We made our way inside before splitting up to take our baths. We’d bathed together when we’d first arrived, but a few days later a second room with another bath had appeared out of nowhere, and Master had told us to bathe separately. I still wasn’t sure why. There had been plenty of room for us both in the one bath. We both spent a while soaking in the hot water, and when we finally got out, it was already time for dinner.

“Kuhi, hurry up!”

“I’m coming... Usa, do you think Master seemed a little weird when we gave him the fruit?”

“Yeah, I noticed that too...” she replied, frowning. “It was only for a second, though, and then he was smiling like always.”

Yeah, she’s right... It’s probably nothing to worry about.

“Excellent work today, younglings,” came a familiar voice, and I looked up to see Flying Lizard (in its smaller form) a little farther down the hallway.

I wish I could change size whenever I wanted. I just want to be a little bit taller! And stronger...

“What did you find?” Flying Lizard continued, before blinking in surprise as Usa threw her arms around the dragon before she responded.

“We found a new fruit! It’s black—like, really dark black—on the outside and the inside, and it’s really, really sweet and tasty!”

Flying Lizard nodded approvingly, and we continued on our way to the “dining room,” which was how Master referred to the place where we ate our meals. As slaves we hadn’t had a specific room just for eating, though I’d heard the humans did eat in a place called a bane-kwet hall or something. I liked the dining room, though. We got to spend a lot of time with Master there—and a lot of the other creatures too, depending on who’d managed to get a spot inside each night. These days, we also had the babies—no, the angels—for company as well.

“Kuhi, Usa!” Master called out to us as soon as we stepped inside, beckoning us toward him. He gently guided me into the seat at his side and Usa into the one opposite him, giving us each another few pats on the head. “Did you get to relax a bit?”

Relax...? Oh, I think he means “rest.”

“Yeah, we did. Right, Usa?”

“Yep!”

“Good,” Master replied, and my eyes drifted closed unconsciously as he scratched me behind the ears. I didn’t open them again until I heard the familiar bustle of the golems loading up the table with our meals.

“Itadakimasu!”

Yay, I said it perfectly!

As soon as we’d finished eating dinner, another golem trotted over and placed a new plate in front of us. Perfect, bite-sized pieces of the fruit we’d found earlier were arranged in neat rows, all sitting in a shallow pool of bright red juice. My mouth watered.

“This is the fruit you two found, right? Thank you,” Master said, before also thanking the golem. Master stared at the plate for a while before finally picking up a piece of the fruit and taking a bite. Usa and I watched him nervously as we waited for his reaction. We didn’t have to wait long, though.

“Oh...huh. I kinda struggled to get the thought of blood out of my head, but...this is actually delicious! It’s got a really interesting texture too. Thanks, Usa. Thanks, Kuhi. I love it.”

I wasn’t sure what he meant by the first bit, but regardless, Master was clearly happy with his present. I clenched my hands into fists in an ineffective attempt to hold on to the joy that rushed through me and laughed as I spotted Usa doing the same. The others each thanked us in their own way as they tried the fruit too, and their gratitude sent more of that strange but pleasant warmth rippling through me.

I love it here.

Once we’d finished the plate, Usa and I played with some of the smaller creatures for a while before heading to bed. We had a whole room to ourselves, and the bed was softer than I’d ever dreamed a bed could be. It was nothing like our pens back at the castle. Here, we could sleep comfortably. No one ever slapped us awake in the middle of the night or screamed at us. When we slept these days, we were safe.

“Everyone was so happy, weren’t they?”

I nodded. “We should go back and try to find another new type of fruit soon, and make everyone happy again.”

Standing a few meters away from our giant bed, we glanced at each other—and then, we ran toward it and threw ourselves on it, laughing. Being able to dive onto our bed without getting hurt still amazed us, and doing so had quickly become our regular routine.

“Hey, Kuhi...” Usa said sleepily.

“Yeah?”

“We’re beastkin, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“And beastkin are supposed to be really strong and fast, aren’t they?”

“Er... Yeah.” That’s what we were always taught, anyway. We’re not, though—at least, not compared to everyone else here.

“Well, I’ve been thinking... Maybe we should ask the golems to help us get stronger and faster? We could start training, like everyone else.”

“The golems?!”

Golems aren’t helpful; they’re dangerous! Oh, but Master’s golems are different...

She nodded. “Uh-huh. If we asked Raki and Nea they’d probably be happy to help, but their bodies and movements are really different from ours, right? But the golems look a lot more like us, only smaller. So does Master, but we can’t ask him to help, obviously.”

Yeah, he’s always super busy. The golems, though? I dunno... I guess we don’t really move the same way the Garm do, so it probably would be a lot easier to learn from the golems. But they’re made outta stone, right? I dunno if that’ll cause any problems...

“I’m gonna get stronger, Kuhi! Strong enough to protect everyone!”

There was a look in Usa’s eyes I’d never seen before, but somehow I knew exactly what it was: determination.

I want to protect them too.

“Yeah, me too! I’m gonna get really strong—stronger than the golems!”

She laughed. “I don’t think you’re gonna ever be that strong, Kuhi. Even Marshmallow said it probably couldn’t beat them in a fight.”

Wait, Marshmallow said that? Wow... Well, they are Master’s golems after all.

I shrugged. “No more hiding while everyone else protects us, okay?”

“Yeah,” Usa replied. “Plus, Nea and Raki will definitely be able to fight better if they don’t have to worry about us anymore, so they’ll be happy.”

“I think so too. Let’s work hard, Usa,” I said, squeezing her hand tightly.

“We’ll go ask the golems first thing in the morning.”

“Yeah, good idea.”

“I’m not gonna lose to you though, Kuhi!”

“Well I’m not gonna lose to you either!” I replied, laughing. “Come on, let’s go to sleep. Good night, Usa.”

“Good night, Kuhi.”

I’m gonna become stronger than everyone! Just watch me...

Akira’s Perspective

Several months later...

I was enjoying my usual post-breakfast cup of tea on the deck when I heard Usa’s and Kuhi’s voices coming from the clearing.

“I’m not tired yet!”

“Me neither!”

A few months ago, the two beastkin kids had randomly started training alongside the One Eyes. I’d been pretty worried about them getting injured at first, but after a few days passed without incident, I’d decided to leave them to it. The regular exercise was surely good for them, after all.

Besides, they’re training with a bunch of clay dolls—it can’t be too dangerous. It’s not like I’m letting them go up against Spider Boss or anything. Yeah, it’s definitely safe... I think.

I decided to go check on the kids just in case.

Huh... They really have changed a lot over the past few months. They were both so thin when they first got here. Like, way too thin. Now they’re all healthy and muscular— Wait, muscular?! Kuhi’s grown quite a bit, hasn’t he? And I’m pretty sure his biceps are bigger than mine... Well, I’m still taller! For the next few years, at least... Usa’s looking a lot stronger as well. She’s not quite as ripped as Kuhi, thankfully... I think her biceps might be bigger than mine too, though.

“Even though she’s a little girl and I’m a grown man...” I sighed. “Actually, those beastkin I flew past a while ago were all really muscly too.”

Maybe it’s like a genetic thing? Yeah, let’s go with that.

“Hah!”

“Argh!”

Er... I must be seeing things, because it almost looked like Kuhi and Usa just launched one of the spiders into orbit...

“We did it!”

“Yeah!”

Nope, not seeing things.

The small crowd of One Eyes nearby clapped, and Usa and Kuhi grinned. The spider (who’d apparently managed to avoid leaving the atmosphere) clapped too as it stumbled back into the clearing.

At least, I think it’s clapping... Or trying to anyway. Also, what’s up with this weirdly cheerful mood? And come to think of it, why the hell have Kuhi and Usa been training so hard anyway? I mean, do they really need to be this strong? Maybe the world beyond the forest is really dangerous... Hang on, they’re not planning to leave the forest, are they?!

“Big bro!” Kuhi and Usa shouted as they spotted me. Well, I wasn’t really sure what the word they always called me actually meant, but I’d decided to assume it was “big bro.” Their grins hadn’t faded one bit.

“I’m so strong!”

“Me too, me too!”

I was pretty sure they wanted me to praise them, if the hopeful look in their eyes was anything to go off. They really have changed a lot... But it’s all for the better.

“You’re both so strong now! I’m shocked, honestly.” Really, really shocked. “Great job, you two. And, er...you’re both amazing!”

Yeah, I think they understood me. Big smiles all around. Great! Maybe I should tell them they’re strong enough for now... Nah, better not risk it.

Marshmallow’s Perspective

Several months earlier...

I inspected the two younglings carefully as they headed toward the dwelling. “Everything must have gone well... Good.”

“Why?” asked Koa, who’d accompanied them back. “Were you worried?”

I nodded. “They both appeared quite troubled this morning... Kuhi seemed especially downhearted.”

Koa looked surprised. “Did something happen?”

“Not specifically, I don’t think. I assume they’ve just become more anxious as they’ve adjusted to life here,” I replied.

Koa frowned, tilting her head in confusion. I suspected she’d never experienced the feeling for herself. The strong often didn’t.

“Those children were slaves, Koa. Their freedom, their emotions, their minds—everything was stolen from them. Naturally, they think this happiness might be taken from them at any moment too, thus their anxiety.”

“Anxiety...” she repeated.

“Yes. They wanted to find a way to prove they were worthy to stay by Master’s side—not that he’d ever think otherwise of course—so I gave them a little help.”

Koa smiled in response, much to my surprise.

When did she become so expressive?

I looked around the clearing, taking in the unlikely assortment of creatures gathered within. Every few seconds, I caught another burst of laughter or an outbreak of excited chatter.

It’s not just her that’s changed... This whole place has been made anew.

“I do hope the younglings come to realize it soon...” I murmured. That the happiness they’ve found here isn’t something so easily taken away.

Afterword

Hello, this is Honobonoru500. Thanks to your support, volume 3 of Flung into a New World? Time to Lift the 200-Year Curse! has safely made it to publication. Once again, I’d like to start off by thanking Yosuke Ishibashi for the wonderful illustrations throughout the volume. I still can’t believe there’s now three volumes of Flung in print! It was only possible because of the many readers who chose to pick up this story, and I can’t thank you enough. The first volume of the manga adaptation is now on sale too, and I can’t stop grinning at the way it perfectly captures how completely out of sync Akira and his new friends are.

You might not know this, but I initially ended the web serialization of this story at the same point volume 2 ends. A part of me wanted to continue writing, but the plot and the setting had become too convoluted, and I didn’t feel I had the creativity and expressiveness needed to continue the story. My Japanese marks throughout all six years of elementary school were utterly, nearly implausibly abysmal. I don’t remember my marks in middle school. Unfortunately, there’s a three-year gap in my memory that has left me unable to remember anything about my middle school experience at all. It’s quite strange, actually. In high school, at least, my marks were perfectly average. The few occasions on which I received remotely decent marks were when we had to write book reports or personal reflections. My feedback would say things like, “It’s interesting to see such a unique perspective.” I clearly had a very kind teacher.

I did try to revise the setting and make things less complicated, but ultimately, I didn’t want to compromise the world I’d built. At the same time, however, I had zero confidence I’d be able to continue bringing that world to life, and so Flung came to an end. I never expected to see the comment section filling up with requests from readers who wanted to see the story continue! Seeing those encouraging words made my resolve to leave Akira alone waver. By that time, the decision to publish Flung in physical form had already been made, so I reached out about the possibility of continuing the story.

I attempted to get my head around the setting and plot once again, decided that everything would work out one way or another, and brought Akira back to life. Unfortunately, sometimes it turns out that starting is the easiest part. Things quickly became even more confusing and chaotic, and in the world of writing, “confusing and chaotic” presents as “hundreds of spelling and continuity errors.” My head still hurts... Luckily, I have a great team cleaning up after me. (Yes, the present tense was intentional—they’re still cleaning.) Thank you, everyone!

Volume 3 includes a brand new side story. I hope you enjoyed Kuhi and Usa’s strenuous adventure—and the similarly strenuous efforts of their many companions.

I’d like to give a special shoutout to everyone at TO Books and especially my manager, K! Thanks to you, publishing a third volume of Flung was possible. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I know covering for my many mistakes can’t be easy, and I sincerely appreciate your ongoing support.

Finally, I’d like to thank everyone who picked up and read this volume, and I hope you’re looking forward to volume 4. That’s right, volume 4 has already been green-lit, and it’s all thanks to my treasured readers! The first volume of the manga adaptation is now on sale too, so please check it out if you’re interested—and also consider checking out the light novel and manga versions of my other series, The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash. See you soon!

Honobonoru 500

November 2020