82. What Is a Curse...? It’s Too Hot for This (Part 1)

The unbearable heat persisted, as did my new hobby of spending the entire day taking refuge in the river. The water was always cool, no matter how hot the weather was. So were the amoebas.

I’ve gotta do something about the temperature inside the cave soon, though. I don’t think I’ve actually slept in days— Hang on. Can’t I just cool the bedroom with magic?

It struck me then.

I’m a freakin’ idiot.

Why the hell didn’t I think of that earlier?! Am I still not used to the fact that I can use magic or something?! I guess it does feel a little unnatural still... Oh well. There’s nothing wrong with taking my time. Slow and steady wins the race! But I’m definitely gonna cast a cooling spell on the bedroom tonight. Definitely.

I’m starting to get a bit sick of loafing around day after day, though. Maybe I should dry off and— Nope. I’ll be productive right here. I... I need to figure out what the deal is with this curse! Yeah, that sounds legit.

I still didn’t know whether other people existed in this world or not.

From what I knew from TV, curses were something cast by people. Since there was a curse in this world, it probably meant there were people out here too—somewhere. Based on my experiences so far though, it didn’t seem very likely that said people were in this forest.

I mean, there’s also a chance that this world is just the forest... Well, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. But if there’s nothing here but forest, and there’s no humans in the forest, then where did the curse come from? It wouldn’t make any sense, right? So there’s gotta be people out there somewhere!

I’m begging you... Please let there be people out there somewhere.

Back to the curse, though— What’s up with it anyway? Back home, a curse is usually placed on a specific person, right? I mean, theoretically at least. Maybe sometimes a place is cursed rather than a person... Actually, I think that’s haunting, not cursing. Like a ghost or something. A forest is a place. So is all of this actually the work of a ghost? Ha ha, nope. Rejected. Don’t think about it, don’t think about it.

“Hee hee, this is weirdly fun.”

The worst part of the curse was definitely those clinging, stupid shadows. They felt gross, and they scared my friends. Immediately purifying every shadow I saw was definitely the right choice.

Okay, so there’s the shadows. They’re all evil, for sure. What else...? Possession! Like whatever took over Shuri and the ants. That’s an evil curse too. Wait, aren’t all curses evil? Are there good curses too?

“Who knows? Not me!”

Lemme try and figure this out a little more clearly. So possession: When things get possessed, they don’t even realize it at first, right? There’s, like, a voice inside their head that gradually takes over— Wait, maybe that’s only demons? I saw a movie like that once... Well, it was similar enough, so I’m gonna call it possession.

Possession is also rejected. I’ll exorcize everything I see— Oh, hang on. I called it unbinding, not exorcism. Not important. I don’t care whether it’s a curse or the Devil himself—entry denied!

So does purification work on curses and demons both, or is it only one? This is the first time I’ve seriously tried to figure out the curse, so I’ve got no idea... My head’s starting to hurt. Actually, is this part even important? As long as I can get rid of it, maybe it doesn’t matter which it is? Hmm... I should probably plan for both, just in case.

Demons, demons... Sacrifices? That’s how you summon a demon, right? You sacrifice a human and...summon them? Yeah, summon them into your world. The demon gives you power, and you use it for world domination. Pretty sure that’s how the movies tend to go. To get rid of a demon, you need one of those guys with the funny collars. They do exorcisms. Right? Or is that only for the Devil?

Crap, now I’m just confused.

It was curses here, right? Not demons?

Urgh... Forget it! Whichever it is, it’s banned! Sacrifices, banned! Possession, banned! Curses, banned! I’ll get rid of them all! Got it?! Good!

Wait, are the curses and the possessions even coming from the same place, then? Or are they two different things entirely? Not like I can really find out, so I’ll just assume they’re a package. Either way, I’m not gonna let them stick around.

Ha ha ha, my head feels like it’s spinning. This is kinda fun! Wheeeee!

83. What Is a Curse...? It’s Too Hot for This (Part 2)

Just in case, I should figure out a way to prevent demons from being summoned. In the movies, they use a summoning circle, right? So the best way to do it would be to prevent the circles from being drawn in the first place. I don’t know where the circles would be, though...if they even exist. Hmm.

If it’s a curse, on the other hand, then someone—or something—has to be casting it. If I can figure out the source, I could deal with it easily enough. So the problem is the potential demon-summoning part of all of this. As far as I know, summoning a demon starts off with a sacrifice... Scary. Also, it’s just plain wrong. Sacrifices are banned!

Okay, lemme noodle this out. What does a summoning circle look like again...? No good, can’t remember. I’ll just picture a stone slab. That’s what they use for sacrifices, right? If someone tries to make a sacrifice, then the perpetrator will... Die? Nah, that kinda leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I’ll make them fall asleep instead. Yeah, that’s good. I don’t know how sacrifices tend to work, so I’ll make it so they fall asleep as soon as they get near the slab. Oh, and as soon as they fall asleep, they’ll also forget how to summon demons! That way, they won’t just try again as soon as they wake up. Perfect!

God, it’s hot. I’m still boiling, even in the river.

Uh, where was I? Um... Guess I should think about dealing with the curse as well. A little extra defense never hurt anyone. The curse would be coming from... Er... This is annoying. I’ll just picture another stone slab—oh, like a monolith! Yeah. I could visualize it being destroyed, but what if the curse attacks back? No thanks. Curse scary. Since I don’t wanna be attacked, I’ll just imagine the curses being returned to the monolith, same as always—with a little interest to repay the pain it caused my friends, of course. Ha ha ha. I also wanna stop the curses from coming... Okay, any new curses will be pushed back inside the monolith as soon as they’re cast, with no way to escape.

Hang on, wouldn’t it be better to prevent the curses from being cast in the first place?

Ugh, fine. I’ll picture the monolith being unable to cast any more curses. It’s probably more certain this way. The curses are sealed inside the stone— Hang on, now I’m just picturing a sacred rock, like at a Shinto shrine! Crap, it’s even got the ritual rope around it and everything! Eh, should still work. Ha ha, I don’t know where the curses are coming from, but it’s kinda fun to imagine what their reaction would be like if a bigass rope just appeared around them. Okay, and finally, there was something about 666— No, wait a minute. That’s demons again. I’m getting all mixed up.

“Maybe ‘666’ isn’t required for demons? Hmm... Crap, I’m losing it. From the top!”

Okay. If anyone tries to sacrifice someone, they’ll fall asleep and forget everything about the method. If anyone tries to cast a curse, it won’t work. Simple! I don’t know why it got so complicated before... Oh well. I’ve got the image ready to go, so now...

“Wait, what was I doing again? Oh yeah, the curse.”

Er, okay, so I’ve just gotta cast it. What was I casting it on? Right, the monolith thing. Picture a big stone, and...

“Er, Invocation?”

I jumped as a curtain of light twisted itself around me. The next moment, it was gone.

Crap, that scared me!

All of a sudden, my head was much clearer than it had been all day. My throat was parched—I was pretty dehydrated.

I’ve been sitting here longer than I realized. Guess I lost track of time... Wait, what was I thinking about? I feel like it was kinda important...

“I don’t feel so good... Why am I so dizzy?”

Gotta drink some water. Oh, I guess I didn’t sleep much last night, and then there’s this heat. No wonder I feel sick. What was I doing, though? I think I cast some kinda spell... Come on, remember!

Demons? That can’t be right. Where the hell would I have got that idea from?

I should probably head to bed early tonight. I’ll cool the room with magic and get a good night’s sleep... Clearly I need it.

The next day presented a rare opportunity—permission to help the Farm Brigade with the harvest. It had been ages since I’d been allowed in the fields. They only let me help out with harvesting. I didn’t know why, considering they’d forbidden my participation in every other task. I used magic to cool the air surrounding me, which made the work infinitely easier. The last few times I’d helped, I’d been basically useless due to the heat, so today I was trying my best to make up for it.

I should have been using magic to cope from the beginning, though. It took me way too long to figure that out.

After a good night’s sleep, I’d racked my brain to try and remember just what kind of spell I’d cast yesterday, but it was no good. The dehydration must have been more severe than I’d thought, because my memories were really hazy. I felt like I’d been thinking about something complicated, but I could only remember fragments—most of which had to do with demons, for reasons that escaped me. It didn’t make sense. The last thing I could remember was something about banning a curse, and even that was confusing.

Well, whatever I did, I’ll just feign ignorance and hope for the best. It wasn’t like it was on purpose or anything. Yep.

On a completely different note, was harvesting always this big of a job? No matter how many veggies I pull up, it’s like I’m not even making a dent. Isn’t this field just way too big?

84. Chai, the Dire Wolf (2)

— From the Perspective of a Dire Wolf Mistaken for a Dog —

Master had been helping the golems with the latest harvest for several days now. Honestly, it confused me. Master created the golems to work in his place; it didn’t make any sense for him to then help. He could be odd at times.

He’d seemed a little unwell recently, and we’d all been worried that he’d finally overdone it and exhausted his mana. Between us, we’d made sure that one of us was always by his side, in case he suddenly collapsed—or worse.

He seems fine now, though. His mana’s returned to normal too. Whatever that was a few days ago hasn’t caused him any permanent harm.

I still didn’t really know what had happened. I hadn’t been near Master when the overwhelming explosion of mana occurred. It was the most powerful thing I’d felt in my life. It hadn’t just been the amount of mana but the quality too—pure, intense, and raw.

Master always found new ways to surprise me. But it wasn’t just surprise that had rippled through me. It had been fear as well. A sudden, overwhelming release of mana usually only occurred at one point in a creature’s life—their death.

Terror had overtaken me. I’d rushed toward the river, as had the others—only to find Master sitting on the bank, calmly sipping a cup of water. He seemed a little lost in thought and nearly fell backward upon noticing our arrival, no doubt startled by the fact that all of his subjects had somehow gathered behind him while he was unaware. For the next few days, only those assigned to hunt left the house; the rest of us stayed nearby, too worried to let him out of our sights. Fortunately, as the days passed, nothing else unusual occurred, and the touch of Master’s mana began to feel as it once had.

I glanced at him again.

He seems well now. A similar thing happened when he extended the protective barrier, I suppose. He must have cast another immense spell, though I have no idea why. It must have been important for him to exert himself like that.

Regardless, Master seemed to have recovered, so there was no reason to keep worrying.

It was my turn to hunt today, alongside Koa as usual. It didn’t take us long to take down a few creatures and turn for home.

“Master hasn’t sent me any visions in a while,” I said as we padded through the forest.

Koa had been the first of us to encounter Master. She’d led him to the cave, where the other Fenrir and I had met him. During those first few weeks, Master had often sent us mental impressions. He couldn’t understand our language, nor we his. Therefore, whenever he’d needed to communicate something important to us, he’d transmit an image directly into our minds. As the time had passed, the images had come less and less frequently, and strange hand gestures had taken their place—not that I’d ever complain about Master’s decisions.

“He’s being kind, of course. Forcibly conjuring an image in another’s mind takes a toll on the one receiving it. Now that it’s no longer necessary, he’s stopped.”

Right, of course. It was true that having a strange image suddenly appear in my mind was an uncomfortable experience at best. But I’d go through much worse for Master.

“Chai, understand he’s not distancing himself from us.”

It’s like she read my mind. The mental connection we’d shared—one-way though it was—had made me feel very close to Master, and its current absence had left me feeling somewhat lonely.

“I know that.”

“I feel a little lonely too, though,” Koa added with a deep, throaty chuckle, before setting off at a run. Our kills floated overhead, returning to the mountain of their own accord. I began to chase after her, but my heart wasn’t in it.

I wish Master needed me more.

I wish Koa needed me too.

85. Harvesting Is Hard... Let’s Expand the Basement!

The true difficulty of farmwork was beginning to sink in. My back hurt. My arms ached. For the first time since being yanked into this world, I was completely and utterly exhausted—and we were only halfway through.

I’ve been bending over for so long that I can’t stand up straight! Look at how hard I’m working! Praise me!

Karen landed beside me and nuzzled into my waist.

Aw, are you trying to make me feel better? Thanks.

In search of more comfort, I beckoned the nearby Mira over, and lost myself in ruffling the dog’s soft fur.

Yep, this is just what I needed... Hang on, why are all the dogs here anyway? Eh, oh well. I better give everyone some pats just in case. Fluffy doggies, fluffy doggies... I don’t wanna go back to work.

Once the harvesting was finally over, I found myself facing a huge pile of new crops, waiting to be tested for edibility. Most of them turned out to be safe.

We’re gonna be a little low on space in the storerooms, I think... Actually, we’re gonna need a lot more space. Where the hell did all this come from? We harvested a lot, but it wasn’t anywhere near this much— Behind? What’s behind?

I followed one of the Farm Brigade dolls behind the mountain, where they’d planted the orchard.

Right, I forgot about this. It looks bigger than last time. I guess they’ve been harvesting stuff from here too? No wonder we’re running out of space in the storerooms. Why are they growing so much food, though? Surely we don’t need this much?

I surveyed the wide orchard, tilting my head. Noticing my confusion, a few members of the Farm Brigade ran over in front of me and began moving their bodies in a clear attempt at charades.

They’re trying to tell me something... Nope, no idea. I’m really sorry, guys.

There was obviously some reason behind the commercial-scale farming operation they’d set up; I just had no clue what it was.

Well, I’ll leave it in your capable hands. Just let me know what you need me to do!

The Farm Brigade kept going, leading me through the orchard to another field on the other side.

Yep, they’ve definitely extended it again. Fields as far as the eye can see. So what’s it this time— Oh! The vineyard! Grapes! Did you bring me here to let me know they’re ready to harvest? You guys are the best!

Grapes meant one thing—wine.

Time to try my hand at winemaking. I mean, it’s meant to be pretty easy, right? Apart from the barrels.

I’d already tried—and given up on—making proper barrels. It was impossible. I’d tried to make a small one for practice using magic, but when I’d filled it with water, it had all leaked out within minutes. I’d immediately given up and turned to the backup plan.

First, I needed a large tree. Luckily, that wasn’t hard to find. I cut the trunk into sections about a meter high, hollowing out each (with magic, of course) and transforming them slightly to resemble the curved barrels in my mind. All that was left was to make a lid, and it was done—a perfect, leakproof barrel. Well, forty-three barrels, to be precise. It had been quite a large tree.

Grapes had natural yeast on their skin, which was how crushed grapes turned into wine. Therefore, all I had to do was crush them, seal them in a barrel, and let it sit; fermentation would (hopefully) do the rest. I filled thirty-eight barrels with potential wine. It was only upon sealing the last one that I realized something.

Hang on, weren’t there three varieties of grape just now? I only tested one! I didn’t even notice... Oh well, it should be fine. The Farm Brigade wouldn’t have let me use them if they were poisonous or anything, wouldn’t they?

Now to find somewhere to put them... Yeah, we’re entirely out of space. Guess it’s time to expand the basement.

Energized by the prospect of future wine, I got to work expanding the basement. Although, physically, I didn’t have to do much at all. I used magic to cut the stone into suitably sized chunks and teleport it away, so really, the only effort I had to put in was mental.

Still, I gotta try my best. Cut, Teleport. Cut, Teleport. Cut— This is so boring... Come on, focus!

By the time I finished, the first basement level was three times bigger. I’d gotten a little carried away. It was easy to keep carving out more and more stone without worrying about it caving in, but now, looking at the massive new chamber, I wasn’t too sure. I hastily brought some of the teleported stone back to make pillars, reinforcing them with magic for good measure.

There, that should be fine... Now I’m worried about the rest of the house, though.

I spent the next few hours reinforcing the rest of the cave until I was satisfied that it wouldn’t collapse.

The One Eyes and the Farm Brigade seemed pretty happy about the newly expanded basement, which made it all worthwhile. I made some new food storage rooms, as well as a wine cellar. There was still room to spare after they’d moved the latest harvest inside, much to my relief. I wasn’t sure I could handle the storehouse being at capacity again so soon.

I’ll get some fresh air— Oh.

Yeah, I don’t know what I expected. What am I gonna do with these?

There was, of course, a massive pile of freshly cut stone slabs in the clearing outside. For starters, I used magic to transform the slabs into a cobblestone-esque path leading from the house toward the forest. The pile barely decreased. Next, I tried to use the stones to make another cave alongside the two belonging to the ants and Flying Lizard, but I was quickly told off by the clay dolls.

Guess there’s not enough room underneath... I expanded the basement too much.

Er, so what am I gonna do with all this stone?

86. The Mage and the King

— From the Perspective of a Highmage of Empras —

I looked at the slaves. They stood in rigid lines, equally rigid expressions on every face. Their lives were needed to repair the cracks in the Magestone. It was a necessary sacrifice for a necessary ritual.

I still hadn’t been able to rid myself of the strange feeling in my chest, no more than I’d been able to figure out what it actually was.

For this first attempt, one hundred slaves would be sacrificed. Depending on the condition of the Magestone following the ritual, more would likely be required. All of them had come into the world unwillingly, born of other slaves forced to carry them. There were different types of slavehood. Some were disposable soldiers, while others were used for research. Even among slaves, though, there was a hierarchy, and the lowest level of slaves were those forced to reproduce, their only job to supply the kingdom with fresh labor.

This was common knowledge—not only in the castle but among the citizens too. It just wasn’t something anyone concerned themselves over. Slaves were a lower form of life after all. If anything, most people probably considered it necessary; the more slaves the kingdom had, the better their own lives would be. Any who did object to the kingdom’s methods were made an example of, and after the first few public executions, no one dared to speak out again. Such was the way of our kingdom.

Today’s offerings were young. None had yet reached their fifteenth year. The preparations continued smoothly. A knife was drawn across the arm of each slave before they were tossed into the circle, as though merely objects. Their slave seals left them unable to resist. The only hint of defiance was the sorrowful expressions on their faces, and even those were faint.

I could sense the Archmage’s presence beside me. We’d squandered countless days in our attempts to discover the cause of the damage, but to no avail. Sooner or later, he’d face the king’s wrath.

Dark light began to pulse from the stone circle, and, sighing, I turned to leave the room. The ritual had begun. Soon, stems of ivy would burst out of the circle, piercing each of the slaves through the chest and dragging them into the darkness. I didn’t need to watch. I’d seen it too many times to count.

As I took the first step toward the door, blinding light flooded the room, followed by shouting.

What’s—?

I had no choice but to wait for the light to fade and for my sight to return.

“What happened?” I heard the Archmage say, his voice trembling. “What’s... What’s that?”

Something had happened; that much was certain. As to what, though... I couldn’t say. The mages around the stone circle had collapsed. The slaves were looking around curiously, unmistakably alive. I turned to the Archmage, confused, but he wasn’t looking at me. His eyes were fixed on something in the circle—no, above the circle. I followed his gaze and froze.

Something was tied around the Magestone—something I’d never seen before. I didn’t know what it meant, but for something to touch the Magestone... It was no trivial matter.

One of the collapsed mages groaned, and I rushed to his side. There was fear in his eyes.

I don’t understand...

There was a commotion as a squad of knights burst into the room. They must have realized something strange was occurring. I realized, to my surprise, that I was relieved by their presence. The Archmage quickly began giving orders. The collapsed mages—all of whom were acting strangely—were transported to a private chamber. I made a mental note to check on them later. The slaves were returned to their holding cells for the time being. All was returned to normal.

Except, of course, for the Magestone—and whatever the strange rope was that had appeared around it. There was little we could do but report it to the king. Explaining what had occurred was beyond us, however.

The king’s face went pale at the initial report. But the worst came moments later, in the form of a messenger: the mages had lost their memories. The Archmage’s eyes widened, and a thick, crushing silence fell over the throne room.

This kingdom—we—had clearly made an error.

— From the Perspective of the King of Empras —

I couldn’t comprehend what he meant by it. The restoration ritual failed? Why?!

“I can only apologize, Your Majesty. We’re currently trying to figure out why, so please, give us some time.”

It’s a simple ritual. You offer up some slave blood, and the Magestone is repaired—that’s it. It couldn’t be easier, so why are they telling me it failed?!

I chuckled. “How ridiculous... Impossible.”

They’ve done it a thousand times before. It’s simple. Simple!

“Fix it at once! Do you hear me?! I don’t care how many slaves you use! Use them all! We’ll just make more!”

“Please, Your Majesty. Just grant us some time. If we can’t discover the source of the failure, any further attempts will end in the same way—”

“I don’t want to hear your excuses! Fix the cracks! I order you to fix them!”

“Yes— Yes, Your Majesty. We’ll prepare the ritual at once.”

How many more setbacks will I face? Who is it that dares to attempt to get between me and my ascension? I’ll find whoever is causing this and teach them the error of their ways. I swear it.

87. Ultra-Efficient Bags... Flying Is Scary.

A mountain of stone slabs sat in front of me, and no matter how hard I pondered, I couldn’t think of a way to use them. I was stumped.

Seriously, what am I gonna do with them... Oh, that might work! The bags!

I’d modeled the storage bags after a certain robotic cat’s magic pocket. No matter how much stuff you put inside, the bags would never get full. I’d never tried to put a quarry’s worth of stone inside, but there was no reason it wouldn’t work.

“Guess there’s only one way to find out.”

In the end, storing the slabs was easily done—and I could just take them out of the bag if I ever needed them. Everyone had been surprised to see the slabs disappearing one after another, but no one was more surprised than me.

I can’t believe it really worked... These bags are way too efficient. It’s actually kinda terrifying.

Off to the side, the Farm Brigade was tending to yet another new plot. This one was much smaller, at least. Don’t know what you’re growing there, but good luck!

The heat began to dissipate, replaced by a refreshing, autumnal breeze. Summer was coming to an end.

Guess it’s about time for me to check that place out.

I’d spotted the clearing from above while expanding the barrier. It had been one thing in particular that had caught my eye—something familiar. Now that the weather was cooler, I needed to find out if my suspicions had been correct.

I might finally be able to get my hands on some carbs! Now, where was I headed again? ...I can’t remember. Crap. Okay, I’ll find it again with the drone... Crap, where was it?! I wasn’t at home last time I looked, so I can’t even remember which way it was! Okay, calm down. It’s gotta be somewhere... There! Wait, it’s a lot farther away than I remembered—but I guess I’ve got no choice but to try. Who’s coming with me? Hio, Shion, Chaya, and Sasa—and some baby spiders and antlets too? Thanks, guys! You’re always looking out for me.

Our destination seemed to be quite far away, so just in case, I filled one of the storage bags with some provisions. It sure would be handy if I could fly... Oh well.

Ha ha ha, I can’t believe it’s actually gonna take longer than a day to get there. Thank god I brought food, eh? They’re gonna be worried about us back home, though... Oh, some of the spiders are gone. They’re gonna head back to the cave and let the other know? Huh. I hope they’ll be okay.

I spotted a few monsters that I’d had the pleasure of meeting—okay, eating—before, but most of the creatures we encountered were unfamiliar, as were many of the plants. Since there were monsters around, finding a safe place to sleep was the priority. Luckily, we found a small cave nearby. I threw up a quick magical barrier, getting Shion to confirm that it masked our presence as well as protected us. It seemed to work, but we slept in turns anyway, just in case, and started off again the next morning.

Sorry for dragging you guys along...

We arrived half a day later.

Jeez, it was even farther than I thought it’d be... My sense of scale gets all mixed up just looking from above.

Still, the journey had been worthwhile, for what stretched out before me was a field of wheat—probably. The plants were much bigger than I thought wheat was meant to be, but it looked similar enough. The grain-bearing heads were golden in color and drooping, which I decided meant they were ready to harvest. I started with a single plant, just to be sure. I neatly sliced off the head with a quick spell and plucked off the grains, rubbing them between my hands to remove the chaff. Once the grains were free, I used magic again to grind them into powder, and dropped a pinch of it onto my tongue.

I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face.

It tastes way better than flour back home—sweeter. But it’s definitely flour, all right. I can’t believe it’s actually wheat! I’m so happy. I’m gonna harvest all— Crap, how am I gonna harvest all this by myself? There’s no way... Nope, gotta pull myself together. Wheat is within my reach!

I didn’t have to pluck all the grains off now—all I had to do was bring them back to the mountain and deal with them there. After I realized that, the rest was pretty simple. I used wind magic to sever all the stalks at the base, before casting a quick Stay spell to keep them suspended in place. From there, I just scooped the floating stalks into my bag. In no time at all, the field had vanished.

Time for a break.

I stood up a little while later, but Hio kept running back and forth, preventing me from leaving. I looked at him, confused. He twisted his head over his shoulder, indicating toward his back.

Er... Does he want me to get on? Nah, there’s no way! Oh, he’s crouching down now—maybe he does want me to get on?

I decided to give it a go.

Wow, he’s so tall! It feels so high up— Too high. Crap. I forgot that Hio and Shion can fly. But what about Chaya and Sasa— Oh, they’re flying too. Could they fly before? They seem kinda scared, so maybe not? I think it’s like when they moved all those trees. Chaya and Sasa are probably just being levitated by the other two. That’s gotta be scary for them. Ha ha, what am I saying? It’s scary for me too! Wait, what about the ants and spiders? Are they walking home? I hope they’ll be okay... I hope I’ll be okay too.

Hio let me cuddle into his neck, probably just so I would stop squirming.

The journey there had taken us a day and a half; the journey home only took a few hours. The wolves could fly really fast—or so I assumed. I didn’t remember much more of the trip than an overwhelming sense of fear. On the way home, we passed Fluffy, Karen, and Flying Lizard, who seemed to be on their way somewhere.

We were met by a canine welcoming party.

You guys must have been worried, huh? I’m sorry.

The baby spiders and the antlets returned suspiciously soon after—I wasn’t sure how—bringing a freshly killed, creepy snake with them.

I sighed. You guys want karaage, huh? Fine, fine.

I got to work.

88. Even Magic Has Its Limits... Wheat!

I headed to the fertilizer bins in one corner of the field. Every couple of days, I stopped by to check on how the composting was going. It seemed like plant matter decayed quicker here than it had back home. The surplus stuff we were left with after harvesting, like the stems and leaves, broke down in less than a day, all thanks to the wonders of fermentation-based composting.

About a month had passed since I’d started making fertilizer, mostly using food scraps from the kitchen. It hadn’t taken long to notice the difference in speed. Back in Japan, it would have taken over a month for food waste to turn into usable fertilizer. Here, it had only taken two weeks.

I’d made another discovery recently too. When I compared the naturally made fertilizer with some where I’d magically accelerated the decomposition, I realized that the natural fertilizer had a much better smell and color. Curious about the differences between the two, I’d designed an experiment, which was the other thing I’d come to check on. I’d made two patches, one for each of the fertilizers. I’d then selected ten different types of vegetables and planted one of each in the respective patches. By comparing the growth of each patch, I’d hopefully be able to figure out if there was any real difference between natural and magically accelerated fertilizer.

I surveyed the two patches now. No matter how I looked at it, the vegetables growing in the natural patch were doing much better. One thing I’d learned from my attempts at gardening was that things grew really quickly here. The vegetables in the natural patch were basically ready to harvest already. It didn’t seem like I’d ever struggle for food in this world. Provided I kept a steady reserve of fertilizer and seeds, I’d never go hungry. It was a reassuring thought.

There were other differences between the two lots of vegetables as well. The plants in the natural patch had more vibrant leaves, thicker stems, and most importantly, produced more vegetables—up to twice as much, in some cases. Natural fertilizer was clearly the way to go. I’d thought magic was all-powerful at first, but I was starting to suspect that it had its limits, particularly when it came to living organisms like vegetables and bacteria.

Maybe all living things have mana like me, and that’s why it doesn’t work too well? I’ll have to be more careful what I’m using magic for. Maybe I should start letting the fish sauce ferment naturally too? It’s still basically the only sauce I have, though... Nope, I’ll have to make at least some with magic. There’s no way around it. I’ll try my best to let the rest ferment naturally. The wine too. I can’t wait... Gotta be patient!

My curiosity had been kindled by the fertilizer experiment, so I started putting a few more things to the test, like comparing a wild vegetable to one grown instantly with magic, or a fire-grilled steak to one grilled with a spell.

The results were clear: It was better to avoid using magic when it came to both farming and cooking, except where necessary. The magically grown vegetables were basically tasteless when compared with their wild counterparts, and the instantly cooked meat was tougher and stringier. I’d discovered the downside to magic’s usefulness.

Luckily, time was something I had plenty of, so I could just let vegetables grow the usual way and cook things by hand. The only problem was fermentation. If I was going to let things ferment naturally, I’d have to start factoring in some long wait times. Right now, I only had fish sauce and wine to worry about, but I had other fermentation-related plans in mind already.

I’ll have to do a bit more experimenting. There’s no rush, I guess.

I had plenty to do at the moment, anyway—primarily, processing the wheat I’d found. I made a simple threshing machine, which was essentially a large comb. When I pulled the wheat stems through it, the grains easily fell away, and I threshed all the grain much quicker than I’d expected. Next came removing the chaff. Rubbing the grains between my hands had worked well enough back in the forest, but the idea of hulling all of the grains manually made me feel slightly ill. Instead, I sandwiched a decent amount of the grains between two short planks and rubbed them together, a method I vaguely remembered seeing on TV.

Hey, it works pretty well! Better than doing it by hand, for sure... But man, I’ve got a lot of wheat to get through.

The One Eyes soon came to my rescue. They were much faster at it than me.

Once all the grain had been hulled, we gathered it all together for the next step, winnowing. Essentially, winnowing entailed pouring the husked grains from a high place and letting the wind carry away the lighter chaff, leaving us with just the usable grains. It took me a few attempts to get the wind speed right, but after several failures, I managed to produce a suitable breeze, and the winnowing was quickly finished with the help of the One Eyes. Finally, after leaving the grain to dry for a few days (in a closed room with another light breeze), we scooped it all into sacks, and we were done. I’d made sure to preserve plenty of the intact grains too; the next time a springlike season rolled around, we could plant our own wheat for the following year.

I was quite proud of what we’d accomplished.

Next step: yeast. And after that...bread!

89. Yeast...and Mass-Produced Pizza Ovens.

I ground some of the wheat into flour. It wasn’t the white powder I’d expected to see. It was slightly brown.

I wonder if this’ll work the same as wheat? Guess there’s only one way to find out.

To make bread, I’d need yeast. Back in Japan, I could have just bought some from the grocery store, but obviously that wasn’t an option here, so I had to make it myself. Fortunately, I had a considerable amount of experience when it came to making bread, having been roped into assisting my baking-obsessed sister. For some reason, she’d decided that I was in charge of all things yeast-related, and I’d spent many an hour making various kinds of starters. In a way, this was kind of nostalgic.

Preparations came first. I made a couple of identically sized measuring spoons out of silver, as well as a new jar from the red crystal. After casting a thorough Clean spell on all of the equipment, it was time to begin.

One spoonful of wheat flour. One spoonful of water. Mix them together. Put the lid on. Leave to rest at room temperature for twenty-four hours. Open the lid, add two spoonfuls of wheat flour and two of water. Mix well. Put the lid back on. Rest for another twenty-four hours. Open the lid to check for— Perfect.

Bubbles had appeared on the surface of the starter, which meant everything was working. The starter was now active; all that was left was to feed it until it grew. This time, I added four spoonfuls of both flour and water, mixed it together, and placed the jar inside one of the refrigerated rooms. Three days later, I repeated the process, adding slightly less water this time. A few days later, the starter had grown to fill about eighty percent of the jar, with a yeasty smell and a texture similar to marshmallows. It was ready.

Fermentation definitely happens faster here than back home. I’ll need to make sure I check on it every day. Also, I feel like this One Eye has been beside me throughout every step of the process... I wonder what it’s up to?

While nurturing the starter, I’d started to worry about my lack of a measuring scale. I’d managed to get away with eyeballing things until now, but if I was going to make bread, I’d need more precise measurements.

I can’t make a digital scale, obviously. A balance scale, then? Hmm... It still won’t give me precise measurements, but I’ll be able to compare things accurately at least.

I decided to give it a go. First, I made the scale, before using all-purpose stone to make two weights, adjusting them time and time again until the scale was perfectly even. Once the first two weights were finished, I used them as the controls to make several more, again adjusting them until they were exactly equal. I then proceeded to split one of the new weights in half, using magic to reshape the halves as needed until they, too, were perfectly balanced. I kept making more and more of the weights until I was satisfied. It was still a rough system of measuring things, but I’d be able to know exactly how much I had of each ingredient compared to the control weights, and that would be good enough for now. The same One Eye observed me throughout the entire weight-making process.

You’re a little scary, you know?

Once I was ready to start making bread, though, I realized I’d forgotten something important.

I don’t have an oven! How did I overlook that?! Um...

A pizza oven! I’ve seen enough of those on TV to figure out how to make one, and bread should bake just fine in one of those, I think. Where should I build it?

Coalstones (the magically warmed stones I used in place of charcoal) didn’t produce smoke, so I could probably build the pizza oven inside.

Hmm... Nah, it still makes me kinda nervous. I’ll build it outside for now, and see how it goes. If nothing bad happens, I’ll make another one for the kitchen. It’s not like there’s much room to spare in the kitchen at the moment anyway. I mean, most of the cooking already has to be done outside. I’ll have to think about remodeling soon.

I decided to build the pizza oven next to the five large barbecues on the deck. I started off with a large sheet of golden metal, to prevent too much heat from transferring to the somewhat flammable deck. Then came the base of the oven, easily shaped out of all-purpose stone. Thinking that bigger was probably better, I made it about a meter wide and a meter and a half deep, which turned out to be massive.

Oh well.

The lower part of the oven was about waist high. The pizza ovens I’d seen on TV were all dome shaped, so mine would be too. I transformed some more stone into a large dome and placed it atop the platform, sealing the two parts together with magic.

It was time for a trial run. I filled the back of the dome with coalstones and heated them with magic. Of course to properly test it out, I also added some meat.

It was delicious.

It’s like a whole different flavor compared with cooking it on the barbecue. Everyone else seems to like it too.

I made five pizza ovens in total. That should be enough...right?

90. Bread Making...and a Short Fall.

I’m probably gonna need a grinder for all this wheat. What’s the best way to do it? I saw something on TV once... A mortar? A stone mill? Something like that... Anyway, I’ll make one for the next batch. This time I’ll go with magic. Hmm? Oh, it’s that One Eye again... Well, it can watch if it wants to.

Using my new scales, I prepared my ingredients at a relatively accurate ratio: two parts flour, one part water, one part starter, plus a spoonful of sugar and a pinch of salt. After warming the water slightly, I added the sugar and the starter, mixed it well, and placed it to the side.

Before long, the sludge-like mixture began to bubble, which meant the starter was still active. Next, I mixed in the flour and salt. The resulting dough was a little too sticky, so I added another dash of flour.

Looking pretty good, if I do say so myself.

The One Eye had stopped observing to curiously prod at the dough, but I chose to ignore it.

Once the dough was fully combined, I scraped it out onto the counter and began to knead.

Man, I forgot how annoying this part was. Maybe I can do it by magic instead? No, stop being lazy. Kneading, kneading, kneading... Ugh... Okay, it’s getting nice and smooth. I think it’s read— One Eye, please stop poking it now.

I placed the dough into another bowl and covered it with a damp cloth. Now I’d have to wait. If I remembered correctly, it would take about six hours for it to double in size.

In the meantime, I helped the Farm Brigade with the latest round of harvesting. The small plot they’d planted not long ago was already ripe and ready to be picked.

Seriously, things grow way too quickly here. Also, what are these vegetables? I don’t remember seeing them before... Are they edible? The color isn’t too reassuring... Eh, they’re probably fine.

I helped the Gremlins with the day’s butchering for a bit, then played with the amoebas in the river. Eventually the wait was over, and I all but ran back to the kitchen. The fermentation seemed to have worked perfectly, and the dough had doubled in size, just as I’d wanted. I kneaded it again, rolled it into a ball, and back in the bowl it went for another short rise while I finished the rest of my preparations.

I think ideally the room should be twenty-eight degrees Celsius for the bread to rise properly, but it’s not like I can make a thermometer! I’ll just have to rely on my senses.

To make it easier, I made a deep, rectangular recess in the wall—a perfunctory proofing shelf. Next, I divided the dough into evenish parts and rolled each into a rough ball, spacing them neatly on an iron tray I’d made earlier. I slid the tray into the recess and placed my hand on the stone wall, using magic to adjust the temperature inside the hole.

I think that feels about right... Hey, why are you nodding?! I gave the nearby One Eye a stern look. It didn’t seem fazed. Why do I feel like it’s supervising me... Better ignore it.

I closed the hatch of the (apparently warm enough) recess and let the dough rest for another two hours. I also didn’t have any way to measure time here, so it was more like “two-ish” hours, but anyway. Two or so hours later, I removed the tray from the proofer and carefully reshaped the balls into neater loaves. I covered the tray with a damp cloth again for the final rest, and forty-five(ish) minutes later, it was time to go. The final wait was a short one, thankfully—ten minutes in the preheated pizza oven.

For my first time making bread in this world, I’d done an excellent job. The loaves had a crisp crust and were fluffy and soft on the inside—and, most importantly, were genuinely delicious. I hadn’t actually expected my first attempt to be a success, so I was pretty pleased with myself.

I’m glad none of the flour went to waste either.

The ever-present One Eye lifted a baked loaf, turning it over to inspect it from all angles.

Er, what are you doing?

When it noticed me looking, it handed me the loaf and strode off somewhere. What’s up with it, seriously? It’s not gonna... Nah. That’s a “later” problem. Right now, I’m gonna enjoy my long-awaited bread! Oh, all the baby spiders and the antlets are here too... Well, let’s all enjoy my long-awaited bread! Even if we only get a few crumbs each!

Summer had truly ended, and I was very much appreciating the cooler, more comfortable weather. Unfortunately, after just ten days of said cooler, comfortable weather, the cold began to set in.

Is fall seriously over already?! Do the seasons here just make up their own rules?!

The clothes the Three Eyes made for me started to feature long sleeves and fur linings. The colors began to change too. During summer, most of my clothes were cooler colors like blue, but as the weather got colder, the colors got warmer, with orange and brown featuring heavily in my new wardrobe.

They’ve got seasonal fashion all figured out... I don’t know how they figured it out, but it’s better not to think about it. They’ve definitely got a better eye for fashion than me, though... Not that I care! Nope! It’s not like there’s anyone for me to impress, anyway! Ha ha ha... Er, not that I’ve given up the search or anything...

I woke up the next morning to the smell of freshly baked bread.

I knew it.

The One Eye’s bread was moister, fluffier, and tastier than any of mine had been.

Again, I can’t say I wasn’t expecting this...but that doesn’t mean I’m happy about it!

91. Winter Is Here... Wait, What Am I Meant to Do?

It sure is getting cold!

I’d had the same thought multiple times today—and the day before, and the day before that. It wasn’t just slightly cold either. It was bitingly so.

Hot and cold weather don’t pull any punches here, huh? Guess I should find something to do inside today. There was still some wheat to hull—

Oh, the One Eyes are doing it already. Thanks, guys. Well, I need to grind it—

Oh, they’re doing that too. You guys can use magic as well? Good job...

I could make some more starter... Huh. There’s still plenty. Okay, some more fish sauce— Guess not. There’s more bottles than last time for some reason. Sugar? Nope, still heaps of that too. Oh, I could make some more oil— Oh, you guys are already on it. Thanks. And you’re making salt too? Great...

I can’t find a single job to do. The One Eyes are doing everything— Hang on, you’re not a One Eye! So the Farm Brigade is helping too? Cool... Thanks a bunch, everyone.

I’ll make a stone mill. Yep, that’s my job. I know what they look like, and I’ve got a decent idea how they work.

I started off by shaping some all-purpose stone into a cylinder, about thirty centimeters in diameter and twenty centimeters tall. Using wind magic, I cut the cylinder horizontally into two pieces. As per my vague understanding of stone mills, I made sure that the pieces were slightly uneven. The shorter disc would form the base of the mill, while the taller, heavier piece would be the grinding stone.

Oh, I need to make sure the top part doesn’t just slide off, though... Oh crap. I remember now. I was meant to make the top half concave and the bottom half convex, not just flat. Er, I’ll just remold them with magic.

I feel like the cylinder got a little shorter. The bottom half is definitely thinner. Should be fine. I think.

Okay, what’s next? A handle for the top half. I should probably make it out of stone too, but I’ll wrap the handle in some gold ore so that my hand doesn’t get sore while I’m grinding. Then I need to drill a hole through the center of both halves—easy. The top half needs another hole to pour the wheat into, and...done! I need a rod to hold the halves together—I’ll make one out of silver. That should be smooth enough. Put the two halves together, put the rod in the center hole, and I’m finished! Cool!

Wait, I forgot to carve the ridges into the part where the stones touch... That’s the most important bit! Okay, taking it back apart. Carve some ridges with magic. Put it back together, and I’m finished! For real this time!

Now to test it. I poured some grain into the hole on top of the cylinder and twisted the handle around. Beautifully fine, brownish flour soon began to spill out from between the stones.

Nice! Er, hey, One Eye. How long have you been here—?

No, this is actually my job—

Okay, thank you. Enjoy grinding.

You want me to do what? Okay, no worries...

As requested, I remodeled the first floor of the house—namely, by constructing a new room for the One Eyes adjoining the kitchen.

What did they want again? A long counter and a stove. Okay, easy. They’re pretty short, so I’ll make a set of stairs for the counter too. What’s next on the plan... A proofing cabinet for the bread—with a window to check the progress? Hang on, and a walk-in fridge? Um, okay...

Just saying, but this resembles a real bakery a little too much for it to be a coincidence. Also, you’ve taken over even more of my work now... It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ll find something else to do.

The cold had settled in for real. There were even occasional flurries of snow. I realized one morning that I hadn’t seen Shuri or Spider Boss in a few days. After a short but anxious search, I found Spider Boss (who had shrunk for some reason) sleeping in the lower basement level, along with all the baby and itsy-bitsy spiders.

Are they hibernating? So maybe Shuri and the ants are hibernating too?

Breakfast passed, as did lunch, without an appearance from either of the insect families, so I decided that my hypothesis had been right. But when dinnertime came, so did the ants and the spiders.

So you weren’t hibernating, then? Well, we’re having karaage tonight— Hang on a minute. Don’t tell me you woke up just for this?!

I hadn’t accounted for the insects in my preparations, which made dinner that night an even more strenuous affair than usual. The kitchen was now officially too small, considering how large my family had grown. The Farm Brigade (my assistant fry cooks) were doing their best, but they needed a lot more space. Yep, I’ll make remodeling the kitchen my top priority—

“Ow!”

Note to self: Don’t eat karaage right from the frying pan... Still delicious, though.

Karaage, teriyaki, stir-fry. Roast meat, simmered meat, boiled meat, stews. Fried (fake) eggplant: crispy, sauced, or stuffed. Fried (fake) daikon: salted, hashed, or stuffed.

I figured out pretty quickly that the spiders and the ants would give up on hibernation depending on the menu that day. The ants would be lured out by the smell of eggplant, while the spiders preferred daikon-based dishes. Both groups would emerge whenever meat was on the menu.

You’re not hibernating at all, are you?! Oh, but you don’t wake up unless dinner is something you like... Maybe that’s how hibernation works here? Either way, you must have incredible senses of smell, I thought, idly watching as the itsy-bitsy insects engaged in all-out warfare.

92. Kitchen Remodeling...and Wine!

Okay, time to get to work. The main thing is being able to fit a much bigger stove in here, so we can have multiple things cooking at a time. I usually use coalstones to cook everything, so I guess I should try to make something like a coal stove?

Regardless, I’ll start by expanding the room. Well, I’d like to, but with the dining room right there, there’s not actually any space to expand it. Crap. Er... Oh right, I have a bag full of spare stone!

I teleported a bunch of the slabs back out of the bag and next to the kitchen wall. Once I pushed some of my mana into the stone, it became as malleable as clay, making it simple to merge it with the existing wall. Then, I visualized the kitchen stretching out. Within minutes, the room had tripled in size.

Perfect!

I quickly refitted the existing window into the new wall, and used another slab to make a new counter below it, the base for the new stove. The counter was quite low—lower than my waist—to make it easier for the clay dolls to reach it.

I think it’s a good height? Er... Yeah, should be fine. Okay, coal stoves. How many burners am I gonna need? Five? Yeah, that should be plenty... Maybe eight, just to be sure. Okay, so eight burners on top, and then I’ll hollow out the counter so we can put coalstones inside... Uh, we’re gonna need a lot of coalstones to heat all eight burners , aren’t we? And it would feel kinda stupid heating all eight if I only needed to use one... Okay, I’ll put a wall between each section, so we can use as many burners as we need to without lighting them all. Cool.

The fancy coal stoves I’d seen on TV had little doors to access the fireboxes, so I added some metal doors and closed off the rest of the counter, apart from the burners and a few holes for ventilation. The burners—essentially just large holes above each of the fireboxes—were slightly smaller than the large pots I usually used. If I needed to use a small pot for some reason, I could just cover the hole with an iron plate.

Finally, I covered the whole counter in a thin layer of the silver metal to add a little more protection from heat and spills, and it was done—an industrial-quality, eight-burner stove.

Next to the coal stove, I built three barbecues and three pizza ovens, which took up the rest of the wall. I was beginning to run out of space already, a fact I decided to ignore. Opposite the stove, I added a washing-up area with three large sinks, which would make it much easier to wash the mountains of vegetables we went through on a daily basis.

Come to think of it, I haven’t really considered ventilation or anything. The coalstones don’t produce smoke, so that’s not an issue, but what about heat or smells? Hmm... Well, I’ll figure it out later. Remodeling complete!

I was pretty nervous about testing all the new equipment for the first time, but thankfully, everything fired up without any issues. Koa and Chai (and their respective packs) watched the barbecues nervously, while Ai and the rest of the dogs—as well as the squirrels—were hanging around the pizza ovens. Happily, both groups soon seemed satisfied with the safety of my renovations, and moved to wait in the living room. The spiders and the ants were already there.

Hey! No swinging from the kitchen ceiling! It’s dangerous in here!

Cooking with all the stoves lit soon proved to be a problem: it made the room way too hot. Guess it’s time to figure it out now, actually... Unfortunately, lowering the temperature of the room with magic also made the stoves too cold, so that didn’t work. Thankfully, adding a few small windows to the wall above the stoves helped.

That more or less fixed it. Anyway, it’s good enough for now!

Dinner that night was freshly baked bread, grilled skewers, and meat and vegetable stew. I patted myself on the back for having the forethought to add three barbecues (even if I was now realizing that each one was stupidly large), because it meant that I could cook all the food at once—which in turn meant that no one was fighting over each piece as it was ready.

It’s finally over... Thank god. The daily fights were really scary.

The ants and the spiders returned to their respective dens after dinner.

You look even more satisfied than usual... Guess you’re getting plenty of sleep, huh?

After dinner, one of the One Eyes led me downstairs to the wine cellar.

Wait, does this mean...?!

Excited, I ladled a little bit of wine out of the nearest barrel and tasted it.

Ahhhh... Perfect. Guess wine ferments quickly here too. I’ll have to let the others have some later. Hang on... I looked around the cellar. There’s like 150 barrels in here. Right, I did make a bunch when the One Eyes asked me to, but... Yeah, looking at it now, I feel like this is a little excessive.

The three different types of grapes had resulted in three different varieties of wine. All three were delicious.

Another great decision.

93. Wine...and Snow.

I took the wine upstairs for everyone to try. Everyone tried it, but Spider Boss and Shuri initially abstained.

I wonder if they’re not big on alcohol?

“This...isn’t quite what I expected, though.”

After sampling the wine, Koa and the other wolves had (for some reason) started an all-out brawl in the clearing before the house. The other animals were circling them excitedly.

Not a dogfight, but a wolf fight, huh... Some of them are getting injured too. I should probably intervene, but it’s not like I can do anything to stop it. Crap, what should I do?

“Oh, it’s over?” I breathed a sigh of relief.

It wasn’t over.

Wait, now it’s Team Chai and Team Ai’s turn?! Why?! It’s not like I can stop them either... Oh well, I should probably supervise at least. Koa, round everyone up and bring ’em over here so I can heal you. Come to think of it, I haven’t reinforced everyone’s barriers in a little while... I better remember to do it tomorrow.

“Er... Chai?”

Okay... Guess all of Team Chai can randomly get bigger now. You’re all so awesome! Team Koa is probably still stronger, but you’re not far off!

Team Ai tried their best, but in the end, the difference between them and Team Chai was too great, and they were tossed out of the makeshift fighting ring one by one.

“Hang on, why the hell are you guys here?”

You’re meant to be hibernating! Or sleeping! Whichever it is you’re doing! Shuri, isn’t it too cold for you to be out here? And you, antlets and itsy-bitsy ants— And you, Spider Boss and friends!

Wait a minute, when the hell did you guys get drunk?!

I don’t know if the itsy-bitsy ants should even be drinking at their age... Ha ha, they’re so cute, staggering all over the place like that. They’re probably fine... The staggering giant ant and giant spider, on the other hand... I’d like you to stop, please. Stop shooting magic at each other too.

Baby spiders, stay away from the river— Okay, please remain calm. I’m coming to help.

“I just wanted to relax with a drink...”

At least Karen’s not a rowdy drunk... Hang on, don’t just fall asleep with your head in the barrel!

“You’re gonna drown if you do that!”

At least Fluffy and Flying Lizard were behaving just like always. I’m glad at least some of the kids are well-behaved!

“Oh, the One Eyes are—”

Oy! Don’t walk around dishing out more wine! Great, now Team Koa is at it again... See what you’ve done?!

I frantically created an extra barrier around the clearing for safety.

Looks like nothing got too damaged, thankfully. A few extra holes sure, but it could have been much worse.

The next night, Koa rolled out another barrel—

No! Rejected!

The animals’ collective glares pierced me like daggers.

I decided to enforce a policy limiting the consumption of alcohol to once every seven days. Communicating the concepts of “banned” and “days” to the animals was no easy task, but I got there in the end: I hung a wooden board with seven numbered tags on the wall and removed one each day. When only one tag was left, the ban was lifted for the night.

...Please stop removing the tags when I’m not looking.

Essentially, though, all I’d done was create a schedule for a weekly drunken brawl.

This isn’t gonna go on forever, will it? Right? They’ll get used to drinking eventually... I didn’t even consider that they’d react this way. At least they’re not fighting over food anymore.

Snow had begun to fall heavily now, going from a light dusting on the ground to coming up to my waist in just a single day. Back in Japan, this kind of snowfall only happened once or twice a year at most. The trains would stop, the buses would be overcrowded, and hailing a taxi was nearly impossible—but most of the time, that was the worst of it.

A blanket of pure white stretched out before me. It was beautiful. The canines seemed to be enjoying the weather as they darted around through the snow. It looked like the ants and the spiders had entered hibernation for real this time, though I didn’t actually believe that for a second. Karen was flitting around, diving in and out of the snow while on fire—that’s how it looked, at least. The first time I’d seen the bird covered in flames I’d thought it was actually on fire, but after a panicked investigation, everything turned out to be fine. Karen could control the flames, apparently.

Parallel worlds sure are strange.

Despite the waist-high snow, the weekly drunken brawls were still held as scheduled. I hope the alcohol’s not bad for them or anything... Still, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, and I’d grown accustomed to the regular alcohol-fueled violence.

Today’s prefight meal had been a mountain of karaage and wine. Ideally, beer would have gone better with karaage, but I didn’t have any beer, so wine it was. The barrel I’d selected for tonight had been on the drier side though, and it had gone surprisingly well with the karaage.

Oh, come on— I sighed. Guess they’re taking another break from hibernation.

While I’d been temporarily distracted, Shuri and Chai had started a one-on-one fight, with the giant ant occasionally firing strange black shapes at the dog between other attacks.

What kind of magic is that, I wonder? Oh well. Be careful, you two!

At least Fluffy and Flying Lizard are still behaving themselves. Where are they anyway? Oh, there they are. Hey, you three— Three? Wait, who the hell are you?!

Their little group had gained another member—a small, white, round creature that looked like a snowball, with small eyes and a comparatively massive mouth.

Er, who are you? Um... Okay, it’s just staring at me now. Well, it’s probably fine. Oh, you can fly too? Of course you can.

The snowball-thing had flown pretty close in its inspection of me, so I did the obvious thing and nonchalantly gave it a little pat. It felt like a marshmallow.

So you’re a marshmallow ball, not a snowball? Cool! I think I’m pretty drunk too. Well, looks like we have another new friend! “Marshmallow’s” a good name, right?

94. Amoeba...? Snow Monsters?

It hadn’t been an alcohol-fueled dream; we’d gained a family Marshmallow.

Er, maybe I should change its name...?

Apparently it was quite fond of “Marshmallow.” It wouldn’t let me change it.

I still had no idea what kind of creature it was. It seemed most similar to Fluffy, but it wasn’t similar enough to be the same species. Well, even if I sit here thinking about it, it’s not like I’m gonna figure anything out for sure. Ignore! No point wasting my time worrying about the unknown!

This, though...

We’d also gained another amoeba, apparently. They’d stopped multiplying after a while, but they must have started up again. I nearly screamed the first time it popped out of the snow in front of me.

Actually, you seem a little different than the ones in the river... Is it just because you’re in the snow? You are an amoeba, right? Why do you seem different? I think it’s the feeling I get from your mana... The water amoeba gives off the same mana vibes as Fluffy, but this snow amoeba kinda feels more similar to Marshmallow. Wait, maybe the water amoeba didn’t start multiplying again at all— Are you a completely different species of amoeba?

Eh, not like I’d know for sure either way. All I know is that now we’ve got another amoeba! Not a problem! It’s not a problem, right? It’s nodding, so it’s probably fine! Pretty sure it’s just been nodding the whole time, though... Oh well.

I gave the amoeba a tentative pat.

You’re so cold! Much colder than the water amoebas... Well, you do keep diving into the snow, so I guess it makes sense. Welcome to the family!

I feel like it’s been getting a little warmer recently... Is winter already coming to an end? The snow hasn’t let up yet, though.

One morning, I found myself suddenly being picked up by Spider Boss. Obviously, it scared the crap out of me, and I immediately locked up in fear. By the time I realized what had happened, I was already being carried somewhere.

It’s probably dangerous to try to get down now...so I’ll just stay where I am.

I was transported outside—to a new hole that had appeared on the far side of the river.

Another hole? What is it this time? And what’s up with the stairs?!

“Um, why are there stairs?” No one answered me, of course.

Seconds later, Shuri emerged from the hole.

Oh, is this another nest for you? The ant made a beckoning gesture with its giant foreleg. Er, do you need me to do something? Guess I’ll come inside... Wow, it’s really spacious in here.

I heard a noise behind me and turned to find some of the baby spiders charging down the stairs, the stone-filled bag in tow. Working together, they pulled one slab out and lined it up with the dirt wall of the recently excavated cavern, looking expectantly between the slab and me.

You want me to make stone walls? I think that’s what you want, anyway...

I gave it a go, covering the four walls of the large cavern in a coating of stone. Spider Boss and the baby spiders seemed rather pleased when I was done, so I decided I’d interpreted their request correctly. Shuri, on the other hand, was gesturing at the floor and ceiling; apparently, I wasn’t finished yet.

Okay, okay!

Soon enough, the dirt cavern was completely covered in stone, as though it had been carved into the rock to begin with.

What’s this place for anyway? I got my answer soon enough, as the baby spiders began rolling huge snowballs down the stairs. A snow storage room? It’s gonna melt eventually, though... Oh, not if I Freeze the whole place, I guess.

I poured mana into the stone walls, granting the cavern a hopefully permanent Freezing function.

I think this’ll work...

The baby spiders apparently thought so too, seeing as how they were throwing their little legs in the air in celebration.

I’m glad it worked... I don’t know where you learned how to celebrate like that, though.

The baby spiders, the antlets, and both sets of itsy-bitsy insects continued to fill the cavern with snow, and after I gave them a bit of Teleportation-based help, the room was soon covered in a thick carpet of white.

Huh? Oh, an amoeba—you scared me. You’re the new one, right? The amoeba was swimming—if you could call it that—through the snow. Marshmallow was rolling around happily nearby.

Hang on, maybe these guys can only survive in the snow? Now that I think about it, Marshmallow’s never come inside the house even though Fluffy and Flying Lizard are always inside... So are these two snow monsters or something? Hmm... No idea. Will you be okay in here, though?

I quickly checked with Spider Boss, who signaled that the two creatures would be fine.

Great. But snow monsters, huh... Er, like the Abominable Snowman? Ha ha ha, no way. No way.

I coated the stairs with a layer of stone too and cast another spell to prevent warm air from coming down from above. To stop water from running down the stairs and melting the snow, I raised the ground around the entryway, and added a roof for rain protection.

Perfect.

Koa and some of the others seemed pretty concerned about the ground above the new chamber, though.

Even though I’ve reinforced the cavern with stone, I guess tree roots and stuff are still a risk.

With that, I decided I’d landscape the area above the snow cave, turning it into a second large clearing.

Hang on, that means I’ll be expanding the grounds again... Oh well.

95. Springtime’s for Landscaping and...Pregnancy?!

As the weather became warmer, I started on my newest landscaping project. As always, the first step was felling the trees, at which point Shuri would dig up the stumps, and Spider Boss would haul them away.

You guys are always so in sync. But man, the two of you are massive now! Pretty sure you’re bigger than golf carts... You’re too big, actually.

“Are you still growing? Seriously, it’s kinda scary now.”

The baby spiders had grown quite a bit too, but at least they seemed to have stopped for now—unlike the itsy-bitsy spiders, who seemed to get bigger each day.

Are you trying to catch up to the older ones or something?

A vision of hundreds of golf-cart-sized spiders flashed through my mind. I shook my head to dispel the image.

Nope. Even the thought of it is too scary for me to handle.

Instead, I focused on the clearing in progress before me, watching as the number of stumps gradually lessened—

Hang on, that’s not the slightest bit “gradual”! You guys work too fast! Not like it’s a bad thing, but still.

With the nicer weather, the canines had recently resumed hunting too. As always, the monsters they dragged back were stupidly massive. I started to notice, though, that while before winter they’d taken it in turns to hunt, now the same squad went every day. Some of the canines weren’t going at all, as far as I’d seen.

I wonder why... Maybe something happened? I hope they’re not sick or anything...

“Actually, I barely see some of them at all these days. They look healthy enough when they come for dinner, though... I hope they’re all okay— Oh, that was fast.”

While my mind had been wandering, the insects had finished their work: A new (excessively) wide clearing stretched out before me. The One Eyes were already excitedly building fences. They’d probably been bored during winter since they didn’t have much work to do. Eventually there’s not gonna be anything left for them to do, though... That very thought was terrifying, so I promptly decided to stop thinking about it.

The Farm Brigade was already resowing the fields, trailing behind the itsy-bitsy insects as they tilled the soil.

I feel like there are fewer of them than normal. Guess some must be in the orchard? There’s a lot of work to do there too, I suppose... Keep up the good work, guys.

The hunters returned, and the Gremlins came swarming out of the house, excitedly rushing to butcher the latest batch of meat. I briefly considered offering to help, but immediately gave up on the idea after seeing just how quickly they worked now.

There’s no way I could keep up with them—not like that’s new, though.

The Three Eyes were back to work as well, soon delivering yet another new batch of clothes, albeit in a completely different style than last year’s spring wardrobe. I was beginning to worry about the sheer size of my wardrobe, to be honest.

I don’t need this many outfits, you know?

Spring had come, and everyone had a job to do—everyone except for me.

I soon found out why we had fewer hunters this year: They were pregnant. All of the female wolves and dogs were clearly expecting.

Wow... I guess it is spring after all. I probably should’ve predicted this.

“But babies, huh...?”

I was happy about the pregnancies and the idea of our family expanding yet again, but I was starting to feel pretty lonely when it came to human companionship.

Time for me to start searching again, I think. I’ll comb the whole forest from edge to edge.

“I hope we’re gonna have enough food, though.”

We’d managed to scrape through winter with the supplies in the storerooms, but just barely. I’d assumed that we were going to have heaps of fruits and vegetables left over at the very least, but at some point, the different animals had each discovered at least one or two types they enjoyed, and by the end of winter the shelves were nearly bare. If our family was about to get even bigger, we’d need to stock up on a lot more food for next year.

“I wonder if we’ll need another field or two?”

I’ve really gotta stop thinking out loud!

I’d been overheard. The next day, the Farm Brigade cornered me with their plans for a new field.

It was just a thought! I wasn’t saying we definitely needed one!

I ended up agreeing to their plan. I wasn’t going to let the future puppies starve after all.

It’s not like I’m just scared of the Farm Brigade or anything! Definitely not...

This is not what we agreed on! I can basically see the cave we found Team Ai in! Do you see how the mountain looks like a speck from here?! That’s weird, okay?! This is insane! No more expansion!

Somehow, I managed to overrule their objections, a stroke of luck I was sure I’d never repeat.

I’d extended the orchard at the same time as the field after some of the other Farm Brigade members had scared me into—no, had asked me to do so. Over half of the new area was dedicated to grapes.

Guess everyone’s been asking for more wine lately... The limit’s in place for a reason! The drunken brawls are terrifying! Though the thought of the wine running out is even scarier... Ha ha ha.

I decided to help out with the hunting, mostly because I kept getting chased away from the fields whenever I went near them.

I don’t care, you hear me?! Ha ha! I don’t care!

Besides, we actually did need to restock our meat supplies, so I wasn’t just sulking.

I’d expanded the food storerooms recently, but with the upcoming puppies, I was pretty sure we’d need even more space.

I’ll need to find somewhere to build a separate storehouse... Yay! I finally have something to do!

Just as the last vestiges of winter gave way to a warm and pleasant breeze, we welcomed all of the new additions to our family over the course of just a few days.

You’re all adorable. Let’s give this our best shot, okay?

96. The King (2)

— From the Perspective of the King of Empras —

“What happened?!” I cast my gaze around the room, but all of them stared at the floor, refusing to meet my eyes. “Someone answer me!”

You refuse to answer to your king?! I should slaughter the lot of you! Useless fools, each and every one! Oh, how infuriating. What happened? It’s a simple question!

“Those who defy me shall suffer the consequences.”

The beast monarchs should be powerless or dead by now, so why is all of this happening? Everything was just inches from my grasp... Blast it!

“Forgive me, Your Majesty.”

The Archmage knelt before me. I’d granted him power beyond human understanding. I’d gifted him the impossible. His quivering voice only added to my irritation. “So, you believe it impossible to repair the Magestone?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” he muttered, after a lengthy pause. “No matter what we try, it always ends in failure.”

I didn’t bother to dignify his pathetic excuse with a reply.

“The mages who last attempted the ritual seem to have lost their memories along with their magic,” he continued, voice still trembling.

“And what has become of them?”

“We’ve secluded them for observation, Your Majesty.”

“Kill them all. I have no need for useless things.”

“But Your Majesty, they—”

“I said kill them! Do it at once!” I signaled to the squad of knights nearby, who hesitated for but a moment before marching from the room. The Archmage faltered where I’d cut him off, but I didn’t care for whatever it was he’d been about to say. If the mages’ condition was as he’d described, they were no longer of any use to me, and thus, they would die.

“And you... Find a way to fix this—now.”

“As Your Majesty requests,” he mumbled. I watched as he rose and slunk out of the room, anger flaring up within me with each of his miserable steps.

If he fails again, perhaps I’ll use him to strengthen the wards instead.

It makes no sense! We’ve strengthened the Magestone hundreds of times before, have we not? Why has it failed now? Hmph. Useless, all of you! Fools! Idiots!

“If it’s not one problem, it’s another!” I growled, smashing my palm against the armrest of my throne in my rage.

The wards failed? The Magestone cracked? How could this have happened?! They’ve overlooked something, the incompetent half-wits! And then there was that lightning... Someone dared to threaten me, and they’ve yet to find the culprit! What are they missing?! Surely this isn’t the work of another kingdom, not now? Would any of them dare to act out against me, hiding in the forest to disguise themselves? No... No, they’re all far too cowardly to even consider it. No kingdom would dare to fight back against our might.

“But perhaps... Perhaps...”

It would be wise to investigate the possibility, slight though it is. The Second Knights Brigade shall go.

It had been a long time since I’d last done this, since I’d seen the slaves line up before me, helpless in their chains. I’d found it to be the surest way to alleviate myself of excess irritation. I’d amused myself with these playthings in countless ways over the past few centuries and had eventually grown bored of torturing them for sport, but today’s visit wasn’t purely for leisure. It was well past the time for me to begin replenishing the reserve of power in my sword.

Just in case.

All of them were horrid things. Just looking at those ugly ears disgusted me. At least I could grant them the opportunity to be of some use in this world. I unsheathed my sword, taking a moment—as always—to admire the bloodred gleam of its blade.

Unearthed from some ancient ruins, it possessed great magic qualities, and in some ways, was more powerful than even the Magestone. It was the Magesword: the greatest sword in the world, polished with the blood of countless sacrifices. To give up one’s life to fuel such a sword was a most generous gift for such lowly creatures.

“Rejoice, for you will soon become my power.”

The slave’s expression, vacant as always, suddenly curved into a smile. I brought down my blade furiously.

“Argh!”

The sword flew back upward, the blade shimmering with a blinding light, so bright that I cast it aside just to shield my eyes. Pain ran through my arm, but I couldn’t even begin to see what might have occurred. Gradually, the light began to fade, and I warily turned my attention to my still-throbbing arm.

“Wha... What?”

I heard a shout, and someone ran toward me and clutched my aching arm. A fresh wave of pain shot through me, and I twisted around angrily to find one of the mages casting a healing spell. My eyes trailed downward. Blood was trickling down my arm. The pain soon faded, but the blood...

“How? How...?”

How could my blood ever be spilled? Hundreds of layers of wards shielded me, and yet, blood ran down my arm in thin rivulets—my blood. A king’s blood. What happened? The sword... The sacrifices... What happened?

My gaze fell to the sword where it lay. The light had faded entirely now, as though it had never appeared in the first place. I knelt to pick it up, my legs unsteady. It was nearly unrecognizable as the mighty weapon it had been. It had lost its bloodred luster, and was now dull, black, and crumbling to pieces. Furthermore, there was now something strange and white coiling around the formerly beautiful blade.

What is this? What happened?!

I threw the sword against the ground. There was a sharp crack as the blade hit the stone.

The Magesword had been discovered at the same time as the Magestone. I’d bathed it in blood, fed it thousands of lives, and it had evolved into the most powerful blade in the world, a blade worthy to be wielded by me.

What happened?!

97. The Knight (5)

— From the Perspective of the Commander of the First Knights Brigade, Kingdom of Empras —

From my position on the balcony, I could survey the whole plaza—a perfect position to see any potential threats to the king, however unlikely they might be. My eyes caught on the raised sword before sliding to the rows of chained slaves. I barely managed to stifle my sigh as I looked away once more. It was a common sight in this country, but not one I’d gotten used to.

Not one I want to get used to.

“I’m the one who needs more strength,” I muttered. Then I’d be able to do something other than just stand here. “Power... I need power.”

I clenched my fist, almost unconsciously—and at that moment, light flooded the plaza. It was blinding. Though I closed my eyes and covered my face, the sharp shimmering still pierced through my eyelids. I could do little but wait until the burning brightness faded, evident even through my shaded gaze. When I could finally see again, I immediately began searching for the king. But what I saw...

“How—?”

Blood. It ran down his arm as he stood there, seemingly dazed, looking around aimlessly. As I watched, one of the mages ran to him.

“He’s wounded? But it’s impossible... All those wards...”

I searched the rest of the plaza, looking for any other abnormalities, but apart from the king’s illogical injury, everything appeared to be normal.

“The sword. Where’s the Magesword?”

He’d been holding it just before I’d been blinded by that mysterious light. I soon spotted it near his feet, likely cast aside in surprise—but there was something strange about it now. Even from this distance, it looked different than it had, but I couldn’t quite say why. Unease swelled in my stomach like a heavy stone.

It always had that red sheen to it before, like blood... I think it’s gone now... It’s impossible to tell from here.

I shook my head, trying to focus. Movement at the edge of my vision caught my attention, and I glanced at the slaves, who were clearly as surprised as I was—

“Huh?”

That’s not right... Something’s changed. Something’s different this time. What is it? Ah! They’re surprised. They look surprised. Slaves...

Their emotions were severed by the seal we placed on them to prevent any thoughts of insubordination or rebellion. I leaned over the railing, trying to confirm what I’d seen, but the squad of knights overseeing the slaves were already leading them away.

“Damn it,” I swore under my breath. I’d have to investigate later.

Once the king had safely departed, I left my post, making for the raised platform in the center of the plaza with quick steps. One of the mages had just retrieved the sword, gingerly clutching it with trembling hands. I jogged toward him.

“Can I see that for a moment?”

“Commander? Of course, as you wish.”

He held out the renowned weapon carefully, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. It was different. The first time I’d seen the Magesword, I’d trembled. It was as though sheer death had pulsated from its gruesomely red blade. That sinister strength was so absent now that I had to look over it once more just to convince myself that it was, in fact, the same sword. I sensed none of the overwhelming power that had once made me tremble. The once-shining blade was now black and chipped, and something white was twisted around the length of it. It reminded me of something, but what—?

Oh. It gives off the same aura as that thing that appeared around the Magestone.

The mages had been investigating the rope now securely tied around the Magestone, but they’d yet to identify what it was or how it might be affecting the Magestone’s power.

I cautiously took the sword from the mage and examined it more closely, but to no end. It offered no clues to what had occurred. I risked touching the mysterious coil too, but it didn’t feel like anything. I handed the sword back, thanking the mage.

First, the incident during the repair ritual, and now this: Whatever was going on, it was nearly certain that both were connected. The Magestone and the Magesword. Both had been found in ancient ruins—perhaps that was why these mysterious attacks were affecting both? Or did they have something else in common, something rendering them vulnerable?

I heard shouting and turned to see the remaining mages in a state of panic. One, an acolyte, had collapsed. Apparently, he’d been in charge of the invocation earlier and had just now crumpled to the ground.

“The invocation?”

In order to turn a sacrifice into power that could be absorbed by the Magesword, it was necessary to cast an invocation—some sort of difficult magic—at the same time as the blood was spilled. The collapsed acolyte had been the one casting the spell when the king had swung his sword. Soon, another mage arrived, and I withdrew to the edge of the platform to observe. The newcomer, a healer, held out his hand and waved it over the crumpled figure, but there was no change in the acolyte’s condition, much to the caster’s confusion. He attempted the healing magic a few more times, but the result was the same.

“What’s wrong?” I asked the bewildered healer.

“That’s the thing... Nothing’s wrong. There’s nothing wrong with him, which is why the spell isn’t working.”

Nothing wrong with him? But he’s unconscious!

A few minutes later, we saw movement; the acolyte was beginning to stir. The mage beside me sighed with relief. Failure in front of so many of his colleagues wouldn’t have ended happily for him.

Looks like everything’s fine, I thought, turning to leave.

“Who are you? Where am I?! I...”

The awakened acolyte began to shout, his voice echoing off the surrounding walls—the only sound anyone now dared to make. I turned back toward him, an ominous thought forming in my mind. Another of the nearby mages grabbed at his arm, trying to calm the agitated acolyte, but he shook him off, looking around in clear suspicion.

I’d seen this all before. The same thing had occurred when they’d tried to repair the Magestone. Those mages had lost their memories too.

Expressions of despair crossed several of the mage’s faces—the acolyte’s friends, I assumed. It was only natural. Just hours ago, the other mindless mages had breathed their last, by order of the king.

“Oh, right...”

Suddenly, I realized it—the other thing the Magestone and the Magesword had in common. Of course. They’d both been on the verge of being strengthened, both had reacted right before the sacrifices had been slain.

“So that’s what it is, then...”

Have we provoked the wrath of whatever dwells in the forest once again?

98. So Cute... Huh?!

I can’t believe they all gave birth at the same time.

Thankfully, everyone seemed healthy, the pups and the mothers included.

“Seriously, though, all of you look so much like your mothers—apart from your puppies, Koa...”

The two female wolves, Koa and Soa, had given birth to four pups each, but the only male I’d seen anywhere near Koa was Chai, and he was a dog.

Did you two actually manage to crossbreed? Well, the kids seem healthy, so I guess I don’t need to worry about it.

The first pack of dogs I’d found (Team Chai) had four females: Sau, Sasa, Sami, and Kisa. Sau and Sasa had each had five pups, Sami four, and Kisa three, and each lot of siblings was basically identical.

Telling them apart is gonna be a real headache...

Team Ai’s three females—Ami, Ayu, and Mira—had given birth to five pups apiece.

I’m really happy that they all seem healthy, but seriously, they all look exactly the same. Same eye color, same fur, same size... How the hell am I ever gonna be able to tell them apart?!

“So forty kids in total, huh?”

What was that? Oh, a squirrel... Er, and a baby squirrel? An adorably small squirrel was clinging to the larger one’s back. Guess it’s birthing season for the squirrels too... Oh, they’re so cute!

I’m not even gonna consider the idea of being able to tell them apart. Actually, I can’t even tell the adult squirrels apart anyway. Some things are just impossible.

“My family sure got a lot bigger all of a sudden.”

I’m really gonna have to build more storerooms.

I’d investigated the potential of remodeling the first basement level yet again, but I’d already reached the limits of the stone underground. Any additional extensions would push into the surrounding dirt instead, and I was too worried about the stability of the mountain on top of it to try to test my luck any further.

Where else is there, though? Oh, what about the second basement level? On the opposite side of the room I found the silver ore in?

I tested the exposed stone wall, letting my mana flow into it, and was rewarded with the sense of a huge expanse of rock.

Oh yeah, come to think of it... I found this the first time I remodeled this floor. I just gave up because I couldn’t be bothered dealing with it back then. There’s enough sturdy material here for me to make a third basement level... This is gonna be a lot of work.

And it was. The existing basement levels had already been there when I’d stumbled across the cave. All I’d had to do was transform the stone, adding walls and smoothing the surfaces. This time, though, I was working with solid rock. I started by adding a new stairwell leading from the first basement level, down and through the stone, carving two new chambers—one on the second level and a much larger one underneath—with mana and perseverance. Saying that, all I actually needed to do was cut the stone into workable slabs with magic and teleport them into one of the infinite storage bags, but it was a lot of stone, so it took ages.

I just hate repetitive work!

It took at least ten days to finish the job, but eventually my hard work paid off; we had two new sets of storerooms—some on the second basement level opposite the workshop and a whole new third level dedicated to them. Every time I finished one storeroom, the One Eyes would swarm in with glee and fill it with shelving. They completely furnished everything within just a few hours of me cutting the last slab of stone.

We now had too many storerooms for me to even count. We’d also gained a few more wine cellars, based on the barrels I saw being rolled into some of the rooms.

Just because you’ve added more cellars, it doesn’t mean I’m gonna let you drink more often, you hear me?! Not that anyone ever listens to me... It’ll be fine. I think.

The pups were growing up very quickly. Barely a month old, and they were already chasing each other around the clearing, occasionally shooting blasts of magic at one another.

Er, is this safe? The moms are watching them, so it must be okay... They’re so cute when they play. Wait, are they playing or learning to hunt? Hm. Well, just make sure you don’t get hurt.

Déjà vu!

I woke up one morning to the sight of six round, white balls, along with the figures of Spider Boss and Shuri nearby.

Er, I guess you want me to pour mana into them again, right? You’re both staring at me hopefully, so I think that’s a yes. I’ll do my best! There’s a lot more eggs than last time, though... Best not to think about it.

Double déjà vu!

The eggs shattered, and swarms of tiny black spiders and ants came creeping and crawling out.

And creeping... And crawling... I knew it was coming, but still. Six eggs equals a lot of insects. There’s no way I can count them. What do I call this lot? Wait, the insects are always helping the Farm Brigade in the fields... Is that why you both laid extra eggs?! Because the fields got bigger again?!

I decided to adjust my naming strategy for the insects. Forget giving each one a name—with how quickly they grew, I could barely tell which “batch” any given insect belonged to anymore. The most recently hatched ones were easily identifiable for now, but the “antlets” and the “itsy-bitsy ants,” for example, were now impossible to distinguish between.

I reclassified the insects according to size. Any insect smaller than my head was a “baby,” and any smaller than the length of my arm was a “kid.” Anything larger than that was an “adult.” Under my new classification system, the insects working in the fields were the baby spiders, the baby ants, and the kid ants, while the kid spiders worked in the orchard. There were no adult spiders or ants.

And I hope it stays that way. Everyone, please stop growing. If you all get to “adult” size...

I shuddered. I didn’t even want to imagine it.

99. The Amoebas Get to Help...? What About Me?!

The Farm Brigade soon finished resowing the fields. My offers of help had been immediately rejected, as had any attempts at negotiation.

Guess I’ll just have to be satisfied that I’m allowed to help with the harvest.

“Please let me help with the harvest again, okay? Okay?”

I can’t believe how many fields there are, seriously... Springtime in a supposedly wild forest, and all I could see were fields, orchards, and clearings. It’s a little different than I was imagining—not that it’s a problem. It’s not like I was dreaming of a jungle survival challenge or anything...

Hey, why is there an amoeba in the field? Hang on, is it helping? How come it’s allowed to help?! What’s the deal here?!

Wait, is it another new amoeba? It must be—the ones in the river can’t go onto land as far as I can tell. Er, nice to meet you, field amoeba?

I watched the new amoeba work for a few minutes—until one of the Farm Brigade grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the field.

Fine! See if I care! I’m definitely not sulking!

The puppies were already accompanying the adults on hunting trips. At first, I was worried—they were still so small after all—but after a few days passed without incident, I stopped feeling as uneasy about it. The puppies were even beginning to hunt small game on their own. The females had returned to the hunting rotation too, meaning that I was no longer needed to assist.

Once again, I found myself with nothing to do.

This is starting to become a problem.

I started going on long walks, secretly hoping to find something to do.

It’s weird, right? I thought being in a parallel world would mean doing a lot more building and hunting and stuff. This is like the complete opposite. Well, I shouldn’t complain—I never struggle with food or shelter or anything, but... I never thought I’d have this little to do.

Surrounding yourself with capable friends was meant to be the secret to a happy life or something, but it turned out that there was such a thing as too capable. I’d become redundant. I needed to find something to do, even if just to feel a little bit better about myself.

I dropped in to visit Marshmallow and the snow amoeba in their underground room. Thankfully, the snow hadn’t melted as the weather outside had gotten warmer.

I just hope it stays this way when summer comes.

Marshmallow flung a snowball at me.

Can you be a little more gentle, please?

The snow amoeba decided to join in too.

Oy, I said be more gentle!

Soon enough, I was covered in snow.

I just came to check on how you were doing... How was this the outcome?

I was still a little concerned about the potential of the snow melting, so I tried to conjure some with magic, to which the two residents responded with overwhelming happiness.

Maybe it had actually melted a bit already... I’ll have to keep an eye on things here.

Ah... Warmth. Unsurprisingly, it had been really cold in the snow cellar. And I’m pretty sure it’d be a terrible idea to use a heating spell down there... I’ll remember to bring a coat next time.

Next, I checked on the condition of the river. It hadn’t frozen over in the winter, not even when the temperature had been freezing and snow had piled up waist-high around it. A face popped out of the river—a water amoeba, trying to get me to play.

Ha ha ha... Nope, sorry. It’s still way too cold— Oh, now it’s your turn to throw things at me, huh?

It was water balls this time. I tried to avoid the incoming missiles, but more and more amoebas joined in, rendering my defense futile.

You’re not playing fair! There’s at least ten of you now, and only one of me! I’m exhausted... I only came to check on how you were doing! Seriously, how does it keep ending up like this?!

Thankfully, the return of today’s hunting party gave me an excuse to escape.

So what’s on the menu today, guys? Let’s see... A giant bull and a giant frog. Huh, I haven’t seen one of these frogs since the weather started getting colder. I wonder if frogs hibernate?

Before I could so much as blink, the Golems had already started butchering the kills.

Of course.

The female canines stared at me, their expressions proud.

Guess they’re happy with how the puppies are doing? Great job, girls... Wait, did the puppies hunt these? They’re huge! You’re kidding, right? They were only hunting small game a few days ago... It was them, huh? That’s why you’re so proud-looking. Great work, puppies! I’m glad no one got injured.

The squirrel babies...are still just the size of my palm. Thank god. You guys are the best. Palm-sized is perfect, okay?!

100. A Walking Branch... It’s Nice to Meet You?

I played with the snow amoeba and the water amoebas. I ran around with Team Koa, Team Chai, and the puppies. I spent time with the squirrels, hung out with Team Ai, and got the living daylights scared out of me by Karen.

Funny, I feel like I’ve been doing nothing but play around for the last ten days. I... I haven’t just been playing around for nearly two weeks, right? Right?

No, I’ve been working too! I’ve been cooking dinner, remember? Cooking! Sure, it’s been too much work to do it alone, but me and the One Eyes have been working hard! It’s the only thing I get to be in charge of... Well, I don’t mind. Yep, no problem. Everyone seems happy with my cooking, so I’m happy too.

I was a little concerned about my helpers, to be honest. The One Eyes didn’t have taste buds—or mouths, for that matter—so I did wonder if cooking wasn’t such a great job for them. They could remember measurements even if I only showed them once, but they couldn’t season anything on the fly and taste and adjust as needed. It was even more difficult when accounting for the fact that my handmade seasonings weren’t necessarily consistent from one batch to the next, which meant I needed to adjust the amount used each time, even for the same dish.

I tried a taste of tonight’s attempt. Thankfully, it seemed like they’d somehow managed to figure out basic stuff like salt and pepper, at least. I made sure that my sigh of relief wasn’t too audible.

The One Eyes were good at baking bread, though. Not that I’m annoyed about it or anything! For completely unrelated reasons, I decided to give some slightly fancier bread a go—a fruit loaf, which the collective canines loved. It was the first time I’d seen the puppies engage in the food-related warfare I’d grown accustomed to.

They’re not as good at restraining themselves as their parents are, though... Wait, their parents are just as bad. The kids just seem worse because there’s more of them. I’ll have to bake a lot more next time. Leave it up to me. Fancy bread is my responsibility! Yay, something else to do!

Baking as much fancy bread as was needed to keep the puppies from violence turned out to be too much for me to handle alone. Help me, One Eyes!

Playing around again today, huh... I should call it something else. Inspecting. I’m inspecting the grounds... Yeah, that’ll do.

Every time I “inspected” the snow levels and the condition of the river, I came away soaking wet. While magically drying my clothes on one such morning, I was caught by the Three Eyes, who were looking at me with what I could only assume was pity. After the next morning’s playdate— No, inspection, I was handed a dry outfit.

Thanks... Another new set of clothes. I’m scared to think about how many outfits I have by this point.

After I’d changed into the provided clothes, I sat on the deck with a calming cup of fruit water.

This is nice and all, but I need to get back out there and start searching for tea or something soon—

“Er... Who are you, exactly?” I asked the branch—the walking branch—that had appeared in front of me.

It’s gotta be a stick insect, right? Just one that’s ten times bigger than normal... Yeah, definitely a stick insect.

Um, are you a monster?

I looked suspiciously at Karen, who’d dropped the branch in front of me in the first place. The bird returned my stare proudly.

What have you got to be proud about? Also, since when did everyone learn how to look so proud of themselves?

Recently, the animals had taken to sitting up straight and puffing out their chests whenever they wanted to be praised for something.

Guess they’re figuring out the easiest ways for me to know what they’re thinking... Sorry, I don’t know what it is you’re so proud of— Don’t look at me like that... Okay, okay. Good birdy. Thanks for the stick insect.

“What am I meant to do with this, though?”

I mean, no matter how you look at it, it’s just a bit of wood... Wait, it’s an insect. It looks like a branch though—if branches had six legs.

Actually, despite having six legs, the stick creature was walking around on just two. You can walk like a person, huh? Impressed, I started applauding before I could catch myself. With one of its (currently spare) forelegs, the stick insect pointed toward the forest.

Do... Do you want me to follow you? I dunno... Well, Karen brought you here, so you’re probably not dangerous.

The stick insect led me a fair way into the forest. Accompanying us were some of the squirrels and baby spiders, as well as Koa and Shuri. We made for a lively bunch, all in all. Our destination turned out to be a large tree—larger than any I’d come across in the forest so far. However, unlike the other trees, this one still looked withered, like it was dying. Curiously, I touched it, and I felt a strange sense of sadness. I turned back to the stick insect, confused—

Oh. There’s three of you now.

Apparently, it had friends.

I think they want me to do something... I just don’t have any idea what. Er... Bewildered, I put both hands on the trunk, and instantly, I could feel innate mana pulsing throughout the wood. Do they want me to add to it, maybe?

I looked at the stick insects for confirmation. They didn’t move to stop me, so I decided I was right. Okay, I’ll add some of my own mana to the tree then.

“Ah!”

Immediately, all of the (admittedly sparse) leaves on the tree fell to the ground and dried up.

I didn’t know that would happen!

Neither had the stick insects, apparently; they approached the tree, looking at it in what I assumed to be confusion.

See, you guys didn’t expect that to happen either! It’s not my fault, right? Right? I didn’t know I wasn’t meant to use magic on it!

101. You’re...a Tree, Right? Er... Koa?

Well, this is awkward. Really, really awkward.

I examined the tree frantically—the immeasurably old, impossibly massive (and now very dead) tree.

Crap, this was probably super important to them or something... What do I do now?! Huh? There’s something in the roots...

I bent down curiously, only for a beam of light to shoot out from between the twisted roots.

“Ah!”

Ow, my eyes! Tree, please don’t do that again without warning.

When my vision finally returned, I looked at the roots again, but nothing was there.

Um...

I looked around. Koa and Shuri seemed fine, as did the baby spiders. The squirrels were a little surprised, but otherwise okay. The stick insects were...

Sorry, I can’t tell how to read your expressions yet. I’ll assume you’re fine too. Yep.

Huh? Something’s pulling on my leg... It’s a tree. Yeah, that’s definitely a tree. It’s got six branches and it’s walking around, but it’s definitely a tree. Er... Is it a tree monster or something? Is it dangerous? Nah, no way. It seems so friendly! Although the stick insects look kinda shocked to see it...

I waved a hand in front of the frozen insects, but they didn’t respond. I choose to assume they were fine.

Still, I managed to kill a tree and summon a monster... Today must be an unlucky day.

Me? Avoiding the situation? Never. Come to think of it, Koa and the others are being unusually quiet... Er, why are you all looking at me like that?

They looked shocked—scared, even. I looked around, but the only thing out of the ordinary was the new tree monster.

Wait, is that what’s scaring you? But it’s so cute... I wonder what the problem is.

I apologized to the stick insects for killing their tree—there wasn’t much else I could do, to be honest. They had started to tremble.

Seriously, what’s the deal?

And as for the tree monster... I chose to take it home. Well, I didn’t really have much choice in the matter because it wouldn’t let go of my pants. Every time I gently pulled a few of the branches that were clutching me away, a few more grew elsewhere. Ignoring its disturbingly rapid growth, though, I was actually quite taken with the tree monster.

Well, home we go. I wonder where I’ll put you... You’re a tree, so probably somewhere with good soil? I dunno if you’ll need to put down roots though. I mean, your leg-branches are coming out of the place that roots would go. Well, I’m sure we’ll figure something out.

Oh, the stick insects are coming too. Cool. Hopefully everyone can get along.

The tree monster quickly chose a spot by the lake.

Seriously, why’s everyone having the same reaction?

All of the animals had started shaking the instant they saw the tree monster. Clearly, they were scared of it.

Is there something special about this little thing? It’s just a tree! I can’t see anything scary about it apart from the fact that it moves... I guess that’s pretty unusual.

I was beginning to grow a little nervous about my newfound friend. I asked Koa—via gesturing—if the tree monster was safe, and she nodded slowly in return.

Well, Koa’s been with me the longest, so I trust her judgment the most. If she says it’s safe, it’s probably safe... Sorry for putting all the responsibility on you, Koa.

Hey, it is putting down roots! Awesome. So...does that mean it’s settling down here? Should be fine... Fluffy, it’s fine, okay? I wonder if all the other trees can do the same thing? Just up and move to a new spot? This is a parallel world after all. The trees just go, “Yep, this feels like a nice place!” and settle down somewhere new? Do they migrate en masse, like the wildebeests in Africa? I think that’s kinda different...

I pictured a large swarm of the tree monsters moving around in unison.

They’d still be cute...from a distance.

102. Morning Rounds and... Boring Afternoons.

A daily inspection of the grounds and checking up on the various animals soon became routine.

I’m definitely not just strolling around and goofing off with my friends!

I woke up early and said good morning to the One Eyes on my way to the dining room. Apparently, I was the only one who ate breakfast, so I always just had bread and the previous night’s leftovers—if there were any leftovers, that is.

The residents of the house had changed too. As the puppies had gotten bigger, they’d moved into the doghouses in the clearing outside. Apart from me, the only animals now living in the house were Koa, Chai, and Ai, plus Spider Boss and the rest of the spiders. Two canines from each respective “team” also stayed inside overnight, though the lineup changed daily. I had no idea if there was a system behind it. Shuri and the other ants seemed happy in their nest, and the squirrels had built hidey-holes all over the place outside. Fluffy slept by the lake, Flying Lizard had its little cave, and Karen had a perch in the field. The One Eyes built and maintained most of the structures, so all I had to do was verify there were no issues, which there never were.

Everything’s fine today too...

After I visited all the aboveground creatures and their assorted living quarters, I went down to check on the snow cellar. This part of my rounds always seemed to entail a snowball fight. Sometimes Koa joined in too, at which point I always ran away.

Koa and Marshmallow are really getting into it today, huh... They... They are just play-fighting, right? Right?

From time to time, Spider Boss would show up to join in too. I ran away even faster on those occasions.

I’m not playing, okay?! So stop trying to force me to join in, snow amoeba!

After verifying that there was plenty of snow in the underground room, the next stop on my rounds was the river. I strolled along the riverbank, checking for anything out of the ordinary—

Excuse me, I’m doing important work at the moment. Please stop shooting water at me.

You’ve multiplied again, haven’t you? There’s gotta be at least twenty of you now— Hey! Ganging up to shoot me at the same time isn’t very sportsmanlike, you know?!

A few days prior, they’d missed in their attempt to soak me and had inadvertently sprayed water all over the nearby field. The Farm Brigade had been furious. They couldn’t talk or anything, but they’d clearly been furious. The water amoeba had lined up and bowed apologetically. For some reason, the Farm Brigade had been mad at me too, even though I was obviously the victim. They hadn’t seemed to care. After that, the amoeba had stopped shooting water anywhere near the fields, though they hadn’t lessened their attacks on me.

Apparently, the Farm Brigade commands more respect around here. It’s kinda frustrating...not! See if I care!

Today, like always, I wrapped up my river check with a quick trip home to peel off my drenched clothes. I changed into the daily spare outfit—pretending I wasn’t at all irritated that this had become a routine—and headed back outside to check on the tree monster.

As I approached the patch where the tree monster had settled itself, the stick insects greeted me with their usual warm welcome. The first day after the tree monster had come home with me, I hadn’t bothered to check on it, not really seeing the need. However, at around lunchtime, the stick insects had come to fetch me. I still remembered just how upset they’d seemed and how that sorrow had vanished the moment I’d started following them to the tree monster. After that, I’d added the stick insects and the tree monster to my daily rounds.

Although you guys don’t need to cheer so energetically every time I visit... Please stop waving your legs in the air.

In reality, I had no idea why the stick insects reacted so enthusiastically to my visits. I still couldn’t read their expressions or communicate with them in the slightest. I was trying my best to guess just what it was they wanted, but based on their reactions, I’d yet to land on the correct answer.

I’m not giving up, okay? Just feeling kinda discouraged...

Next, I had a quick look at the Farm Brigade and the fields—from a distance, of course—and made sure the baby and kid spiders and ants were all happy. The field amoebas—as I’d taken to calling the newest batch—were constantly present now and seemed to be multiplying daily.

So the Farm Brigade is happy to let them work in the fields... How come they’re more trustworthy than me?! What’s the freakin’ deal?!

Guess I should check on the orchards too... There’s field amoebas here as well. I wonder if they’ll let me help— Nope. Okay. Back to my inspection. I’ll come back when it’s harvest time, though!

The last stop on my daily rounds was the inside of the house, starting with the giant thread-producing worms. I’d been a little concerned that staying in the one room for months on end might have been stressful for them, but according to the Three Eyes, they were doing well.

Guess it’s fine, then.

As always, I skipped over the room next door: a walk-in wardrobe that had appeared at some point without my knowledge.

I feel like it’s even bigger than before... Nope, I’m ignoring it. I’m definitely not looking at the skirts and stuff I can see in the back there either! And I haven’t noticed that there’s more of them than last time!

The skirts had appeared as part of my daily outfit one morning, but I’d adamantly refused to put them on. My firm rejection of the clothing category had apparently been understood, and the skirts had yet to make another appearance. Thankfully.

Finally, after a perfunctory review of the storerooms and the workshop, my daily inspection was complete.

I can’t believe it’s lunchtime already... Seriously, the grounds are too massive.

After enjoying a laid-back lunch, it was time to get on with my day. Not that I have anything to do... I guess I’ll go out and search for tea.

103. The King and the Knight

— From the Perspective of the King of Empras —

“Prepare your men to march on the forest at once. Surely the Fifth Brigade can succeed where others have failed. Bring me those who have dared to deny me my rightful claim.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” replied the commander of the Fifth Brigade. “Before long, the fools shall be quivering at your feet.”

Without meaning to, I found myself smiling at his words. That’s right. Bring me those foolish beast “monarchs.” Soon, they shall understand what it means to have angered a true king. A swift execution is too generous a punishment... No, they’ll be begging for death by the time I’m satisfied.

“Take whatever you need, Commander. Ask and you shall receive.”

“Yes, Your Majesty... I’ll need some additional mages and some slaves, if I may.”

Mages? Whatever for? Well, it makes no difference.

“Take as many as you like. I won’t tolerate failure, Commander.”

I watched as he left the throne room, and I began to chuckle. I should have done this much sooner. Even I can be a little naive, it would seem... That ends today. The time has come for those forest-dwelling fools to have a taste of what true power is.

“Imbeciles. Scum...”

“Excuse me, Your Majesty.”

What now? I looked toward the door to see a trembling messenger. The sheer terror on his face brought me great pleasure. “Speak.”

“Yes, Your Majesty... It’s... Well, the slave master wishes you to know that some of the slaves appear to be acting...acting strangely.”

Strangely? How can they be acting strangely? As long as the slave seals are in place, they cannot do anything but what they are commanded to do.

“Have the slave seals changed at all?”

“No, Your Majesty. Not according to the report I received.”

Then there’s no reason to worry... No, perhaps extermination would be the smarter choice. After all, we can just force them to make more to replace any we lose. If they’re acting strangely, then I have no need for them.

“Tell the slave master to dispose of any that are acting abnormally, and ensure that he replenishes the supply.”

The messenger hesitated.

“Did you not hear me?”

“Er, yes, Your Majesty. I’ll pass on your orders at once. Excuse me.” The man left in a rush, as though desperate to escape.

What was that, I wonder...? It matters not. Soon, I will see exactly which of those savage beasts was foolish enough to think they stood a chance against me... I’m looking forward to it.

— From the Perspective of the Commander of the Fourth Knights Brigade, Kingdom of Empras —

I’d spotted his familiar face by chance. It was an unusual place to run into one another after all. Where could he be coming from? Not the slave pens, surely?

“Fancy meeting you here.”

“Huh— Oh, yeah.”

Clearly, I’d surprised him; he’d been lost in thought about something. We fell into step, both heading for the training grounds. Recently, training was the only thing I’d had to do. Ever since the failed forest survey, the Fourth Brigade—my brigade—hadn’t been issued a single order. My men had lost their former enthusiasm, which wasn’t too surprising given the circumstances. We’d failed, and in the king’s eyes, failures didn’t deserve to live. The only reason any of us still breathed was because he’d been distracted at the time I’d made my report. However, that didn’t mean we’d been given a reprieve. The Fourth Brigade—myself included—lived in fear of what would come next: Would we be given new orders, or would we be rounded up and put to death? I only hoped, if it was the latter, that my life alone would be enough to satisfy the king’s rage, that my men would be spared. He’d executed those poor mages not long ago, after all. It wouldn’t surprise me if the execution I attended was my own.

As we approached the training grounds, I heard the clamor coming from the adjoining rest area and I wondered, What’s got the Fifth Brigade all riled up? Luckily, I didn’t have to wonder for long. Their excited shouts weren’t easy to ignore.

“So he’s sending the Fifth Brigade this time...” my friend muttered.

The Fifth Knights Brigade of Empras: the most bloodthirsty, the most loyal, and the most revered of all the brigades. They weren’t afraid to achieve victory by any means necessary—even if it meant the death of dozens of their own.

If it’s them, then maybe...

“Do you think the Fifth can—?” I started.

“It’s impossible.”

He hadn’t even let me finish my question. My friend was a smart man, and I knew he’d been researching the forest—and the creatures within—for some time. We’d all thought it a pointless use of his time back then. Now, though... Now I felt differently.

“Why?”

I made my living by the blade. I could handle any monster or archbeast life threw my way. My position as commander of the Fourth Brigade was proof the king acknowledged my strength.

Before I went and ruined things anyway...

My friend was also a powerful warrior—but I’d recently started to think his intelligence was perhaps even more fearsome than his skills in battle. He saw the world more clearly than any of us did. From time to time, I wondered if he already knew exactly what was going on in Empras.

“The enemy knows who we are—where we are. Can we say the same?”

“Aren’t they in the forest? If not the forest itself?”

“The forest has always been there. It’s never attacked us before.”

“The monarchs of the forest, then?”

“If they had this kind of power all along, why didn’t they fight back until now?”

“Well...”

“We don’t know the enemy. We don’t know the forest, and we don’t know where these attacks are coming from. But there is one thing we do know...” He looked at me expectantly. “You’ve been there recently. You saw it too.”

I had. When my brigade had been sent to investigate the forest, I’d noticed just how different it had felt. The forest had changed—was changing. But I didn’t know why.

“Something’s going on there. It’s changing,” he continued, as though he’d read my mind. “Or perhaps it’s just regaining the power it once had—the power it lost.”

I knew what he was saying. The power it had when the monarchs were in their prime, when the forest was a force to be reckoned with. Of course, neither I nor my friend had been around to witness the forest as it had once been.

But that would mean that somewhere out there there’s a being powerful enough to revive an entire forest on the brink of death... And that being is our enemy.

I could feel myself beginning to tremble. It was a strange sensation. When I’d become a knight, I’d vowed to cast away useless emotions like fear. But the more I realized about the threat Empras currently faced, the less I could control my body’s reactions.

“Our enemy is in the forest,” he stated, his tone devoid of emotion. “But the world’s enemy... Who do you think that is?”

I frowned at the question, confused. Whatever or whoever the threat to Empras was, it was definitely in the forest—with everything that had happened recently, that much was certain. But the way he’d phrased his question unsettled me.

The world’s enemy? I don’t... Oh.

In many ways, the forest and “the world”—life itself—were one and the same. Little was known as to why, but the forest (or something within it) played a crucial role in maintaining the world order as we knew it. To conquer the forest was to conquer the world. Naturally, someone attempting to do so would be, by definition, the world’s enemy.

But that’s us... Empras. Is he saying that Empras has picked a fight with the world—picked a fight with life itself?

I stared at him, my mind reeling too much to form a reply. He was watching the Fifth Brigade rally, their bloodlust echoing louder with each passing second. I couldn’t read the expression I glimpsed on his face.

Noticing my stare, his gaze flicked to mine for a moment, and he flashed me a strained smile. “I might be wrong of course.”

I doubt it. You’re probably the closest to the truth out of anyone... You’re right. I’m sure of it. But that means...

The Fifth Brigade was preparing to march on the forest—which meant they were preparing to march on the world.

“We’re... Empras is...”

Even with all the power of the Magestone—the ancient power it had already possessed and all the blood sacrificed to enhance it—the king still hadn’t been able to claim dominion over the forest yet. But he’d been waging war against it for over two hundred years, and no foe—not even the mighty forest—could remain under the Magic Eye’s gaze for so long and come out unscathed. The forest had lost more and more of its power over the decades. That much was unquestionable. However, something out there had restored much of that lost power in a matter of months. For mere humans to challenge such a being wasn’t just reckless—it was suicide.

“Whatever it is that’s out there... I don’t think we want to be on its bad side,” my friend murmured, barely loud enough to hear.

For the first time in my life, I could feel the oppressive presence of an unfathomable being. The overwhelming sense of being watched by something greater than humans.

What are we going up against? And... How angry have we already made it?

104. To the Forest... Caterpillars!

Yep, I’m gonna go see if I can find some tea. Not because I don’t have anything better to do! I just really miss tea, okay! Okay?!

As always, some of the animals accompanied me. Today it was Ai, Chaya, and Sasa, along with two of the squirrels and a few of the kid spiders in the trees overhead. I wasn’t sure why everyone was so convinced I needed bodyguards, but I appreciated their concern regardless.

I set off at a run, heading in a direction I’d yet to explore. Wow, haven’t seen those before. I can’t believe there’s still more new fruit out here. The color isn’t very reassuring, though... I wonder if they’re safe to eat? They are? But they’re purple and black and covered in thorns? You still reckon they’re safe, huh? Er... Nope, sorry. I’m good for now. I’ll come back later—after I prepare myself mentally.

Oh, but these ones look delicious— Wait, these are poisonous? The peach-looking, sweet-smelling ones are the dangerous ones? Aw. Kinda feels like a waste... I definitely would have tried one if you guys weren’t here. I’d be dead by now.

Oh, there’s even more over here! Not sure I like the look of these either, though— You want me to pick some to take home? These red ones with the weird, marbly, cursed-looking pattern? They’re safe? Okay... Looks like none of the pattern came off on my hands, so I guess they are safe— No, I believed you, I promise!

It was time for a break—and a snack.

Let’s see what we’ve got in here... A burger for me. Perfect. Ten more burgers with extra, extra meat for the wolves. Fruit juice! That’s also for me, yep. And...a whole deep-fried eggplant for the spiders? Wait, that’s how you like it? Okay... Crap, there’s nothing for the squirrels— Huh? You prefer to just grab fresh stuff? Okay, if you’re sure.

Hm. Come to think of it, I’ve never actually seen a tea plant. I have no idea what they even look like. Heck, I’ve never even made tea before. The prepackaged bottles are just too convenient! So... I guess it’s pretty pointless to keep looking for it in the wild, huh... Oh, maybe I can ask? Ai, can I borrow you a sec?

Once I had Ai’s attention, I took a sip of the fruit juice and then pointed at some nearby leaves.

Do you get what I’m asking? Nope? Ha ha... Yeah, I didn’t really expect you to. Hmm... Okay, how about this? I’ll pluck off a leaf from here, pop it in the empty cup, and pretend to drink from it... Yeah, see this leaf? You boil them and drink it— You still have no idea what I’m saying. This is harder than trying to figure out magic was! How am I gonna communicate the concept of tea?

What? You want me to follow you? But where do—? Okay, I guess we’re off.

How much farther is it? Also, where are we going anyway?

Great. A bright red lake. Hang on, is that blood?! No? Phew... Purification doesn’t do anything, so I guess it’s not cursed either. Actually, weren’t there lakes like this back on earth? A pink lake or something?

Ai tugged me toward a nearby tree.

This definitely doesn’t look like a tea plant. Also, it’s covered in fruit. I looked at Ai questioningly, only for him to return my stare with an eager one of his own. Fine, fine. I’ll have a look. Let’s see... It doesn’t smell like anything. This is a fruit, right? Guess I’ll break it open— Or not. Jeez, these are sturdy! Oh, I’ve got my stone knife somewhere... Actually, never mind. I feel like it would slide right off. Magic time! Bam. Perfectly halved. And inside we find... Seeds. Just seeds? There’s no flesh or pulp or anything? I kinda think you didn’t understand me at all earlier...

Okay, okay, I’ll give it a go! Just let me dig out a bottle of water from the bag. I’ll put some of the seeds in here— What? The peel, not the seeds? Huh. All right.

With great difficulty, I scraped some of the peel away from the rest of the husk, and dropped it into the open bottle. Immediately, the water turned a faint red.

Please stop looking at me so expectantly. I don’t really want to— Oh, fine, then.

I took a tiny sip of the reddish liquid. It wasn’t tea—that much was certain—but it did immediately fill me with an indescribable sense of refreshment. It was also slightly sweet and entirely delicious.

It’s a little weak, but I could easily fix that by letting it steep for longer. Awesome! Ai, you’re amazing! Come here and let me pat you! You’re such a smart doggie!

While it wasn’t tea, it was pretty damn close, and I could definitely get used to this as the closest alternative—especially if I could make it a little stronger. I harvested as many of the fruits as I could and prepared to return home.

We explored a different route on the way back, which was once again teeming with all kinds of unfamiliar fruits.

I still can’t believe how many varieties there are... Oh, these look nice—

Thankfully, Ai stopped me before I could grab the (apparently poisonous) fruit.

I’m never making a decision on my own again.

We continued running. We were about halfway home when something suddenly dropped from above.

What the—? That really scared me. What was that?

It turned out to be a caterpillar: a very aggressive-seeming, ridiculously large caterpillar.

It looks kinda like the caterpillars back home in Japan...if they were giant and had fangs and horns... Why is everything here so damn scary?!

I looked up to where it had fallen from. It was a poor decision. Hundreds of the bugs squirmed in the branches overhead, and all of them were looking right at me.

Crap, they’re jumping. They’re jumping down! I’ve gotta— Oh, they’re stuck in midair. That’s weird. Ah, the spiders made a web! The caterpillars all got caught in it. Gross.

Well, I’m gonna run away now. Thanks, spiders!

That night I dreamed of caterpillars. Specifically, of being smothered by them.

105. Once a Day... Wine Again.

Caterpillars chasing me... Just a dream.

Caterpillars falling from the sky... Just a dream.

I freaking hate caterpillars!

“Ugh. I really didn’t get enough sleep.”

The fake tea was really good. I’d spent a little bit of time experimenting with the fruits and had learned that letting the peel wither slightly before steeping it resulted in a stronger, richer flavor. It was the perfect remedy for tired minds—like, for instance, for someone who hadn’t slept well.

Mmm, fake tea... Forget it, I’m just gonna call it tea. It’s not like there’s anyone here to correct me. From now on, fake tea is just tea. Fake onions can just be onions. Fake potatoes are just potatoes. Man, this meat and potato stew is just as good on the second day! I think the lack of sleep might be making me a bit loopy this morning... Maybe not, actually. This might just be normal.

I turned to the counter to find it covered in the red, marble-patterned fruits.

Who put these here?! Is someone trying to upset me?! Why else would they have scattered them everywhere— Oh, you spilled them accidentally. It’s okay. I wanted to try one, so don’t worry about it.

Melon... Yeah. It’s like a weird red, marbled melon. It’s pretty good, actually. Guess you can’t judge a book by its cover!

Hmm? Er, no thanks, I’m good. One new thing a day is enough, please. I’ll try that one tomorrow.

I was starting to feel a little more like myself by this point, despite my insufficient sleep. I was looking forward to an early night, though. Getting enough sleep was very important.

I wasn’t the only one acting strangely that morning, though. All the animals were too. No one’s gone out hunting either—I wonder what’s up with everyone? All the puppies seem so confused... Me too, guys.

Huh? It’s harvest day...? I’ll help! Let me help! Oh, the wolves are staying to help move the crops inside, then. Wow, there sure is a lot to harvest... Are you sure we can get this all done today? No, I’m happy to help! I’ll work hard!

You... You want me to start getting the barbecue ready instead? Don’t worry, I can do that when we’re done! I’m here to help!

Phew... Just the orchard left now. Nearly done. Er, why does it feel like you’re all getting more energetic now? Ah. The grapes. I still can’t believe we ran out of wine already. You know, even if I make some more now, you’re not gonna be able to drink it for a while. It has to ferment first, and it tasted like crap when I tried to ferment it magically— Great, now you’re all depressed.

I sighed.

Let’s just finish the harvesting. Look, the Farm Brigade planted heaps more vines this time, see? So at least we won’t run out again! Wait, but we also have a much larger family now... Maybe this isn’t gonna be enough?

Never mind, everything’s fine. Trust the Farm Brigade to plant a whole second vineyard when I wasn’t looking. This place has gotta be at least five times bigger than the rest of the orchard. Incredible. What’s that? More casks? Sure, I’ll help.

I helped. Soon enough, there was a mountain of casks piled up in front of me—well, there would have been, if Spider Boss wasn’t whisking each one away as soon as I finished it. I didn’t know how the spider had turned waiting into something so unnerving, but I seriously wanted it to stop. Nearby, the One Eyes had started crushing the grapes; somehow, their enthusiasm was just as terrifying.

The Farm Brigade soon came to help, which meant they must have finished harvesting. Once they’d joined in, the rest of the wine making didn’t take long at all. Together, we transported the casks into the wine cellars, which quickly filled up. We couldn’t fit them all inside, even with the additional cellars I’d only recently excavated. Well, at least everyone’s happy.

No, it’s still not ready to drink yet. You’re gonna have to be patient.

I’d never forget the fear I felt when the wine ran out. Nothing I could say would ever truly describe the despair in my friends’ eyes. They’d been understanding, but their expressions... I hadn’t been able to look anyone in the eyes for days afterward. A bit of displeasure at having to wait was nothing compared to that tragedy.

No, not yet! If you don’t wait until it ferments, you’re just gonna be drinking grape juice! Be patient, okay? Jeez, maybe I need to put up a barrier so no one else can sneak in... Hm? You don’t think it’s necessary?

Well, if the One Eyes said it was fine, it probably was. Also, I was too scared of them to disagree.

I jumped as something sprinted past me—one of the kid spiders, quickly followed by a One Eye. I had no idea you guys could run so fast... I wonder what’s going on? I should go after them— Oh.

I watched in confusion as the clay doll launched into a flying kick, sending the spider shooting into the forest like a bullet. The One Eye nodded with satisfaction and started toddling back toward the house.

Er... Is that spider still alive...? It’s fine? If you say so... Why did you kick it, though? You want me to come with you? Okay... Ah. The wine cellar. I get it now. You’re making sure no one gets into the wine before it’s ready, huh? Ha ha. Thanks. I didn’t realize you guys were so strong, though...

106. Tea, Wine, and...Violence.

A huge bowl of teafruits sat on the counter in front of me. Today, I was going to discover their secrets.

I already knew that letting the peel wither slightly resulted in a stronger flavor, which made sense. After all, black tea was stronger than green tea, but both were made from the same plant; the only difference was whether or not the leaves were oxidized. Hopefully, the same logic would apply here.

The trick to success, as I’d learned since coming here, was not letting yourself think about all the times you failed along the way.

For starters, I tried cutting the peel into thin ribbons, but it was too hard for my stone knife to pierce it. With some hesitation, I traded it for a knife made of gold instead.

The gold knife was much sharper, which was a good thing, but I needed to be very, very careful of where my fingers were while using it. As soon as the knife so much as grazed the surface of the peel, it sliced right through it like butter—melted butter. Every time I’d used it, it had felt more like a matter of when I’d lose a finger, rather than if.

And then...I cut myself.

Again. I was trying to be so careful too... I mean, I barely touched it! This is the tenth time I’ve needed to heal myself today! This knife is just way too sharp. Weirdly so.

I took a break, thinking I’d try drying some of the ribbons I’d managed to cut. Immediately, my knife—and my work—was usurped by a waiting One Eye.

Wow, it can cut them way more neatly than I can... Okay, what’s next?

After drying the ribbons with magic, I scooped them into a cloth bag and massaged it. If the teafruits were anything like real tea, bruising them like this would speed up the oxidization process. I gave up after about ten minutes.

I mean, I’ve never made tea before. I have no idea how long this part is meant to take! Guess I should probably keep going for a little while longer... Or not. Looks like the One Eyes have it covered. Thanks.

After the One Eyes were satisfied, I retrieved the bag from them. A tantalizing, faintly sweet scent wafted out as I opened it.

You guys sure that was long enough? Okay... Next is to leave them to oxidize, right? It sure would help if I remembered more than a few bits of that documentary... Yeah, I’m pretty sure oxidization comes next.

I headed down to the fermentation room (basically, a room I’d magically set to a stable, fairly warm temperature), only to find shelf after shelf filled with jars of fish sauce.

I’m sure these weren’t here before.

Shrugging, I found a space for the tea ribbons and left them to oxidize for a few hours.

When I came back later, they smelled even better. The oxidized ribbons were darker in color and very aromatic. I wasn’t quite done yet, but I was beginning to have a good feeling about my experiment.

The last step was to bake the tea. First, I tried cooking some in one of the pizza ovens. Unfortunately, even though I’d ensured the temperature was as low as it could be, it ended in disaster.

Okay, I’ll try grilling it!

Another failure. It burned to a crisp.

Er, I’ll try toasting it in a frying pan?

Success! It looks perfect! Now for a test cup... Hm. That’s weird. I wonder why it’s colorless now? Oh well. It smells great, at least. And as for the taste... Well, it’s nothing like black tea, that’s for sure. Still delicious, though. Yep, this should work! Shame about the color, but I guess I can overlook that.

The latest batch of wine was also ready, although only just. Ideally, I’d prefer to leave it to mature a little bit more, but I didn’t really have much of a say in it. The sharp-sighted insects (namely Spider Boss and the kid ants) had apparently been watching when the One Eyes had come to let me know it was time.

Well, guess wine season is officially open— Wait, I meant after dinner! I’ll do a quick barbecue, so just be patient.

I made some simple meat-and-veggie skewers and started grilling. The finished skewers vanished before I’d even put the next batch on the grill.

Keeping up with you guys is impossible.

After everyone had eaten at least something—it was naive to assume they’d ever be fully satisfied—I declared the wine ban lifted for the night.

Before I knew it, the One Eyes were rolling a barrel out onto the deck. The wolves lined up first, each carrying a large bowl in their mouths, which the One Eyes filled to the brim with wine.

You sure you won’t spill any? Ah, magic. Of course. It really is convenient... Team Chai and Team Ai, you’re next. Same size bowls? Just be careful. Then come...the puppies? Aren’t you still too young— You’re grown-up now? Hmm... Okay, just a little bit though. You’re still pretty small.

The spiders and the ants brought their own bowls too? Hang on! Baby spiders, why are your bowls the same size as your older siblings’?! Go change them for something smaller right now!

Aw, the squirrels look so cute when they’re all lined up. Especially their cute little bowls. Seriously, you guys bring down my stress levels just by existing.

Fluffy and Flying Lizard, there’s plenty for you too— Karen, don’t you dare stick your whole head into the wine barrel! The One Eyes will get mad at you again!

Making everyone eat something first had clearly been the correct decision. Otherwise, the all-out brawl currently taking place before my very eyes would have been an even more disastrous sight to behold.

Still, I didn’t think the puppies would get this drunk off of just one tiny bowl... Maybe they were still a bit too young to drink? It’s hard to tell for certain. Hmm... Oh, Spider Boss is joining in now. Run away, puppies!

No, don’t run toward me! Are you trying to get me killed?!

That was scary... Where are we up to now? Shuri versus Ai? No, I’m not giving you permission for a fight to the death. This is just for fun, okay?

I still feel like they’re trying to kill each other... Must be just my imagination. Yep, just my imagination— Hey, tone it down a little!

What the—?

I jumped as what felt like a bucket’s worth of water landed on my head. I looked up in confusion, only to see one of the water amoeba stretching all the way from the river to directly above my head.

What’s up with you? Hang on, why are there a bunch of bowls next to the river?! Fluffy brought them to you?! So amoebas can get drunk too... Oh great, it’s swelling again.

A few seconds later, I was blessed with a second unwanted shower.

Drunken brawls sure are different in parallel worlds.

107. I Forgot! ...Caves Again.

You guys made this mess, so you can clean it up! Hm? The water amoeba can’t leave the river? Right... Well, Shuri and Ai can do it, then. That’ll teach you to stop fighting—

You know, if you use magic to clean everything up in an instant, it kinda defeats the purpose of it being a punishment.

No, it’s not like I forgot about you guys or anything, I swear— Sorry. I bowed in apology to Marshmallow and the snow amoeba. I mean, of course they heard us... The whole forest probably did. I completely forgot about these two.

Er, why is that pile of snow moving? Is that... Spider Boss?! You buried Spider Boss?! Um... Seriously, please forgive me. I’ll definitely bring you some wine next time, I promise! Just don’t bury anyone else in the snow.

A shivering Spider Boss wobbled over to me, along with a similarly shaking Koa.

You buried Koa too?! Has she been there all night? I’m... I’m gonna bring you guys some wine tonight, okay? Special treat, just for you. How does that sound? Please don’t bury me.

Koa, Spider Boss, come inside. I’ll make you something warm to drink.

I continued my exploration of the forest. I made sure to stay inside the barrier, but even then, it was still a lot of territory to cover.

Huh? My caterpillar sensor is tingling... Better change direction.

Nope, not this way either! Look out above! I glanced up. There was no mistaking those squirming shapes. I’m not going anywhere near you! As if!

“Oh, cool.”

I’d stumbled across another cave—one with a much larger entrance than any of the others I’d come across so far. It must have been at least seven meters tall. Even from the outside, it was obvious that it continued quite a distance. I tried using my Clairvoyance drone to scope it out from above, but it was a bust; the cave clearly went down, rather than into a mountain or anything. My Spatial Awareness spell didn’t help much either.

This thing must be seriously big—or maybe that spell just doesn’t work properly on things underground? Either way, I’m not too sure about this.

Still, I decided to take my chances and took a few steps into the cave.

Whoa, I feel like the air’s different in here... Is it just my imagination?

I’d been right. The cave continued down, and down, and down, deep under the ground. No matter how far I walked, it just kept going. I walked for what felt like ages with no change in scenery, and before long, I was very bored.

Let me try Spatial Awareness again... Nope. Still nothing. Although I can see how far I’ve come now though, at least. I’m even deeper underground than I thought. I’ve been walking for ages too. Hmm... Probably time to head back. I didn’t bring any food or anything with me, and everyone will worry if I’m not back soon. To be fair, they’re always worried about me no matter what I do.

Is it because I’m so weak? Probably. I need to start learning how to fight soon, if only to reassure them that I can handle myself. I’d need sparring partners though. Koa or Spider Boss, maybe? Nah. I feel like I’d just end up dying during practice rather than during a fight. The wolves who aren’t hunting usually spend the morning training—or playing, I can’t tell which—in the clearing out front. I guess I could see if I can join in? Ha ha, what am I thinking? I’d die for sure, and it seems a little stupid to just go and die when I’ve already been reborn once. Maybe I’ll just let them keep worrying about me.

“Let’s call it here for today,” I said, gesturing to my ever-present bodyguards that we were turning around. Hours later (or what felt like it anyway), I finally spotted the entrance.

It really is a giant entryway, though... Surely there’s no monsters this size around here, right?

I looked around once more.

Ha ha, no way. Nope. Er, maybe I shouldn’t investigate any more caves from now on... Why do I feel like it’s already too late? Um—

“Fireball!”

A blanket of flames rippled across the ground just ahead, turning the countless creepy-crawlies into charcoal.

Gross! Oh jeez, there’s more of them up there!

“Mud Pies!”

Lumps of dirt appeared out of nowhere, encasing the tree-hugging terrors in muddy cocoons. Thankfully, I’d had just enough foresight not to cast Fireball into the very flammable branches. I breathed a sigh of relief, which I promptly choked on as the dirt lumps began to plummet to the ground around me, thanks to gravity.

Crap, what if they break out?!

“Fireball!”

Phew. I knew it wasn’t a very nice thing to do, but everyone has something or other that they just can’t handle—and for me, it was things with way too many legs and spiky, gross fur.

Doesn’t seem to be any more of them around, thankfully... What’s wrong with all of you? Aw, were you scared too? It’s safe now. They’re all gone. How dare those bastards scare my friends?! If I have a mortal enemy, it’s definitely those stupid caterpillars!

108. Commander of the Fifth Knights Brigade

I cast another glance at the gathered knights. Not one face showed a hint of fear, only determination and excitement—as was fitting for a knight of Empras. Unfortunately, despite their status, the other brigades were full of cowards and worrywarts. I still couldn’t believe the extent to which a few meaningless differences in the forest had sent them all floundering. The fact they still dared to call themselves knights was an embarrassment to our very reputation. In fact, I’d been close to executing a few of them myself more than once over the past few months out of pure irritation. If not for the man marching beside me now, I’d likely have killed a fellow knight in front of the king himself.

“Is something wrong, Commander?” asked my second-in-command, the man I trusted most in this world. Sometimes, I thought he knew me better than I did myself.

“No. I just can’t quite believe it’s finally time.”

“That’s right. No more holding back,” he quipped, and I chuckled. He really did know me well.

Our mission was simple. In those trees lurked someone foolish enough to make an enemy of our king and the great Kingdom of Empras. We were to teach them the error of their ways—to make them regret, from the bottom of their heart, that they’d ever been born. I was looking forward to it immensely.

“Have there been any issues?”

“None in regard to the slaves, Commander...” He trailed off.

“And?”

“Well, the mages are quite curious as to what’s going on. Should I explain?”

I snorted. “They’d figure it out for themselves if they just thought for a moment, the dimwits.”

The failed attempts to attack the forest until now all had one thing in common: the Magestone. Therefore, the solution was simple—we needed to attack without using it. The Magestone was powerful, of course, but there were countless other methods we could choose.

Ideally, I’d have liked to take one or two of the Highmages along with us, but even without their assistance, we’d make do. With a few living slaves to sacrifice as needed, even a mage of average talents could acquire power that rivaled that of the Highmages, albeit temporarily. I didn’t know what awaited us in the forest, but whatever it was, it didn’t stand a chance.

I’d been spared by the king. Given power by the king. It was only natural that my life was his to use. If someone stood in his way, it fell to me to cut them down and clear his path, regardless of who they might be—so-called beast monarchs or otherwise. Those forest-dwelling false rulers were but relics of the past by now, mangy savages making a final pathetic clamor.

I’ll lay their heads before His Majesty’s throne—no matter what it takes.

I could see the trees in the distance now.

Strange. It does feel a little different than it used to... Not enough to worry about, though. Certainly not enough to get scared like those pathetic Fourth Brigade cowards.

We halted at the edge of the forest. My second-in-command explained the plan of attack to the assembled knights, while the mages began their preparations. Wards still endured in some parts of the forest, which was why we needed the mages. The outskirts didn’t pose much difficulty, but without destroying the wards, it was nearly impossible to proceed much farther into the depths. I wasn’t particularly concerned, though—any mage in the king’s service could dispel wards like this without much effort.

“...raze it to the ground...” I watched a subtle tremor pass through the ranks of soldiers at those words. If it was fear, it lasted only a heartbeat, quickly shifting into the eager tension of impending violence. I expected no less of my handpicked knights of the Fifth Brigade.

A few minutes later the slaves finally arrived, having fallen behind on the march. All of them were aged five and under, intentionally so, as I’d been the one to select them. There was a chance something was causing the slave seals to malfunction and allowing them to run away like the slaves on the Fourth Brigade’s survey mission. However, the slaves I’d chosen were still too young to have started combat training. Even if they did escape, they’d quickly end up as monster fodder. I’d also had them drugged to reduce them to a confused, disoriented state—an extra precaution to ensure they wouldn’t consider fleeing even if they were able to.

All two hundred or so of them had been ready for me just minutes after I’d given the order. If I ended up needing to use them all, it was no great trouble. They were disposable, and easily replaceable. We had plenty of brood slaves to produce more if required.

In fact, they should be thankful. It’s not often trash gets to be useful—especially not to a king.

We halted in the first large clearing we came across, and the mages began preparing their ritual circle. We had plenty of slaves to kindle the fire that would soon spread—maybe enough to burn everything in sight. In another clearing nearby, a few of the mages were drawing another circle, one to shatter the wards farther ahead.

If we bring more trash along next time, we could do even more damage...

I could hardly wait to see it.

109. Shion, the Fenrir

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

The flames spread in an instant, blocking our exit from the cave. I looked around in surprise, seeking the source of the sudden fire, only to see strange objects plummeting from the trees outside. As they hit the ground, the blaze grew more violent. I was ready for battle by the time I realized the flames bore the unique scent of Master’s mana rather than that of some unseen foe.

I glanced at Master. An expression of utter disgust clouded his face. But why? Everything had happened so quickly, and I still wasn’t sure what had actually occurred. I knew he had spells that allowed him to observe things in the distance. He must have seen a threat. We Fenrir could see quite far as well, but our sight paled in comparison to Master’s—and both his sight and his ability to perceive danger elsewhere in the forest seemed to only grow stronger by the day.

We’re meant to protect him... These days, I feel like we’re the ones being protected. I have to get stronger.

The Fenrir—Koa included—trained every day, and I pushed myself to my limits, desperate to become a more capable warrior. I still hadn’t managed to achieve my goal of landing a single hit on Koa, but I wouldn’t stop trying. I couldn’t have the youngsters thinking I was weak after all.

My kin and I had initially underestimated Master’s strength. At one point, when working alongside Koa and Spider Boss, I’d steeled my nerves and asked them for their opinion of his true power. Both had immediately replied with the same answer—that if they were to fight, the match would be over in a heartbeat. It had taken me a few moments to realize they’d meant they would be the ones to lose. For the queen of the Fenrir to admit such relative weakness... It had shocked me, but it had also convinced me of Master’s true strength.

We still didn’t know the full extent of his might; perhaps we never would. I was just glad he wasn’t an enemy. Master cared for us greatly. In the early days of his presence, I’d often glared at him, suspicious of the human in our midst, but he’d forgiven me for my transgressions with a generous heart. He truly was a kind human.

His kindness had heralded a change in the forest, and in us. He’d not only saved our lives, but had also taught us the meaning of them. How he cared for us had taught me the value of caring for others and of companionship as more than just a tool for survival. I knew my packmates felt the same. He allowed us to share his den and made sure we were comfortable there. The golems he’d made were much stronger than we Fenrir—a truth even Koa had reluctantly acknowledged. Yet, instead of simply letting the golems fulfill his every need, Master allowed us to contribute in the ways we were able.

There were some things we weren’t permitted to do—namely, attempting to steal Master’s food—but we had no need to do so anyway, for he freely shared the meals he prepared with us. The dishes he made consisted of strange, unfamiliar ingredients, but they were all delicious. My tail started wagging every evening around dinnertime. I couldn’t control it no matter how hard I tried, my joy at being treated to yet another of Master’s handmade meals was just too great. I’d spotted Koa wagging her tail too, though I’d never dare to mention it.

Despite his overwhelming power, Master clearly had no qualms about opening his heart and his home to other, objectively inferior species. He was stronger and kinder than any creature I’d met—possibly more so than any creature in existence.

I’d barely gone a day without being caught off guard since meeting Master. The most recent cause of my surprise was the dragons. Three dragons had now congregated within Master’s territory. They were usually highly assertive creatures, and any soul unlucky enough to encounter one would usually find themselves on the losing side of a fight to the death. The dragons gathered within Master’s domain were nothing like the ones I’d heard about before.

I hadn’t been the only one surprised, apparently: Both Spider Boss and Lord Shuri had been, as well as with Koa. After discussing the matter with them, she’d made some inquiries of her own. As it turned out, the reason behind the dragons’ unusually calm behavior was, of course, Master’s magic. Whenever he was near, I felt the same warm, reassuring embrace of his power. I just hadn’t expected it to be enough to calm a dragon, much less three of them.

It was strange. Usually, the more powerful a creature was, the harder they were to approach; just being near them was enough to stir fear and dread in the heart of any weaker being. The feeling was sometimes bearable between creatures of the same species, but even then, it was hard. When the powerful creature was of another species, it was altogether impossible.

However, though Master was unquestionably the most powerful creature I’d ever met, the touch of his mana gave me comfort, not terror. It also seemed to have an effect on the mana of other powerful creatures, for I’d recently become able to approach the dragons without experiencing the urge to flee in utter fear. Of course, I had no doubt the fear would return if I were ever unlucky enough (or foolish enough) to anger one of them, but for now, I could interact with the dragons as though they were my kin. It was also why I was able to spar with Spider Boss. If not for Master’s magic, I wouldn’t even be able to go near the Chuearenie, let alone think about attacking her.

To think the day would come that I’d be brawling with a monarch of the forest over a scrap of meat... It’s unbelievable. If I hadn’t been so desperate a few minutes ago, I might have stopped to realize the insanity of the situation, but it’s too late for that now. Besides, I did it! Swiped it from right under their fangs, and I’m still alive! And Spider Boss and the water dragon both forgave me for it... Master’s influence truly is amazing. It’s tasty fare tonight, as always— Ah! Earth dragon! Can I have a little bit of that, please? Just a little bit!

110. Shuri, the Anferfurmi (2)

— From the Perspective of a Giant Ant —

The sudden appearance of Treants near our home had taken me by surprise, but it was nothing compared to what I felt just hours later when Yggdrasil itself strode up to the mountain of its own volition and took root just beside the lake. If I hadn’t witnessed it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it. From time to time, I still wondered if I was simply dreaming, until I looked toward the lake and assured myself that the World Tree was indeed still there.

Yggdrasil was the heart of the forest. In some ways, it was the forest itself. Whatever happened to Yggdrasil would affect the entire forest in turn, which was why it shrouded itself in layer upon layer of magical protection. Only those it permitted were able to even see it, much less approach it.

When the Treants had led Master (and his bodyguards, including me) to the foot of the World Tree, it had been dying, a natural result of centuries spent attempting to protect the forest and the creatures within from the Magic Eye. Master had poured his mana into Yggdrasil. At first, nothing had occurred—the next moment, however, Yggdrasil withered and died before our very eyes. I’d frozen, too shocked to move or speak. I just stood there, staring at the once-great tree.

But time kept passing, and the forest didn’t wither around me. It wasn’t the end. Though it was beyond my understanding, it seemed as though Yggdrasil had accepted Master’s gift of mana and had used it to birth a new World Tree—to reincarnate itself. I still couldn’t do anything more than stare at the miraculous sight. Based on their reactions, even the Treants hadn’t anticipated such an occurrence. “Surprise” didn’t do it justice; no, they descended into a state of utter chaos. I couldn’t fault them for it. After all, out of all present, Master and Yggdrasil were probably the only creatures not feeling as though reality had turned on its head.

The mana emitted by the reborn Yggdrasil was a strange combination, carrying the touch of Master’s magic and of the forest’s. It flowed from the newborn tree into the earth and the trees and continued to spread farther and farther still. Like the rest of us, Yggdrasil seemed to find comfort in being by Master’s side, as proven by the tree replanting itself within his domain.

He must be confident indeed, to accept Treants and Yggdrasil among his subjects as though they were no more dangerous than any other creature.

Seeing the others’ faces when we’d returned to the mountain with Yggdrasil clinging to Master’s leg had amused me greatly. He must have been amused too, for he looked around at everyone repeatedly. Yggdrasil had taken root near the lake, and thanks to Master’s generous mana, it was growing taller by the day. I’d been worried at first—it was rather small after all—but several of the golems soon began guarding it in turns, which was enough to reassure me. The golems also patrolled the perimeter of Master’s domain at night, and I already knew just how fearsome our watchmen could be—knew how terrified I was of the brutal ruthlessness that crackled through the air like lightning whenever they spotted a threat. They struck without hesitation, rendering any foe unrecognizable in a single blow. Yggdrasil, and the rest of us, would be safe with them as its protectors.

Master’s golems were clearly of a different breed to any of the ones I’d seen before. They didn’t appear strong at first glance. In fact, their tiny size made them somewhat charming. I’d witnessed many monsters fall prey to their deceptively weak appearance, which was precisely why I’d vowed to never anger the golems myself.

Only once had I made the mistake of thinking that the golems without magestones, who worked inside the house, were weaker than those outside.

I was careless. I only wanted a little bit of wine...

I’d been spotted almost immediately, and a shiver had run down my spine. I’d fled, of course, but the golem had given chase. Finally, I made it to my nest, thinking I’d eluded the creature, only to find it standing right beside me. The next moment, the world turned black.

When I came to, I asked my children about the golem, and they told me it had left. It had left. My nest—my domain—was protected by wards of my own creation. Any who wandered within couldn’t leave without being released by either myself or one of my children. At least, that is how it should have worked.

But the golem simply walked straight out? How? Did any of you release it from the wards? You hid as soon as you felt its presence? I see... How strange.

My nest was once known as “the gateway to the underworld,” a moniker fearsome enough to strike dread in the heart of any creature—except for Master’s golems, apparently.

The golems inside the house are just as frightening as those who defend it, it would seem. Hmm? Yes, I’m unharmed. Do not worry yourselves. Yes, I’ll apologize to the golem. It will be as forgiving as Master is...probably. Everything will be fine.

Now that I think about it, why did you all hide right away— You’ve already experienced it for yourselves?! Spider Boss and her brood too—and the Fenrir? I see...

I wish you would have shared that with me earlier.

111. I’ll Protect My Friends...So Don’t Make Me Angry!

Hm? Something feels weird today... Wrong somehow.

I looked around but couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. My Clairvoyance drone didn’t pick up anything unusual either. Still, something was making me uneasy.

There was a flash of movement, and I turned to see the stick insects rushing toward me.

You use all six legs when you need to run, huh? I was kinda hoping you’d run like humans... Oh well. What’s got you all worked up?

It was the tree monster, apparently. It didn’t look any different, but it did seem kind of like it was in pain. The mana I could feel flowing out of it was all jumpy and erratic too.

Is it in danger or something?

I touched the tree monster, letting my own mana flow into the bark, but it didn’t help much.

What happened to it? Maybe it’s the location? I don’t know... I could pull it out and replant it somewhere else, but I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I dunno if the tree monster picked this spot for a reason. Is it something to do with the soil? Like poor nutrients or bad germs or something? I think I once heard something about how bacteria in the soil can end up penetrating the tree itself...or not? I can’t remember. I’m not a damn scientist. I’m just gonna focus on what I can do. So...what can I do, again?

Okay, let’s start with the hypothetical bacteria. How do I protect the tree monster against bacteria? Immunize it? Okay, I’ll inject some more of my mana into it and think about, uh, antibodies? Yeah, sounds about right. But there’s no guarantee it is bacteria, after all. It could be insects or something, which means they’d be causing physical damage too. So maybe I need to add some physical resistance to the mana injection too? Jeez, this is hard!

The problem is that I don’t know what’s causing the problem in the first place. Hmm... Okay, lemme plan this out. First, I scan the area with magic. A nice wide search, because I feel like bacteria and insects can spread pretty far. Any nice, friendly plants I detect can get a mana booster to protect them, and anything that’s already infected can get... What’s it called? Antibiotics? Yeah. How am I gonna tell the difference between harmful stuff and normal bugs, though?

Oh right: magic.

Okay, I’ll use magic to segregate them. Anything harmful can be quarantined. No, burned. That’s how they handled the bird flu outbreak back home, I think. Yep, burning is best. Turn ’em all to ash. Oh, and fumigation! Whether it’s an insect nest or a bacteria colony, I’ll wipe it out permanently. If anything’s already wormed its way inside the tree monster... Well, I can’t burn those, obviously. So I’ll just kill ’em—oh, but they’ll still be inside it. Uh, I wonder if it can use them for nutrients? Yeah, I’ll give it a go. Anything harmful inside the tree monster will be pulverized and absorbed, like water. That’s pretty easy to visualize. Can trees absorb things besides water? Guess I’m about to find out.

I went over the plan again in my head and began to cast.

“Area Scan.Filter.Isolate.Maximum Immunity.Maximum Resistance.”

It seemed to be working. The tree monster’s mana calmed down almost immediately. But I wasn’t finished yet.

“Antibiotics for infected plants. Incineration for harmful bugs, of either variety. Fumigation of any nests and colonies.”

Hey, it’s shaking its leaves all happily! That’s a good sign.

I was nearly done. “Internal Scan.Isolate.Pulverize.Absorb.”

You okay? Did you absorb everything properly— Oh, you grew. You’re huge now. You scared me! So I guess everything worked then. Awesome. Oh, the stick insects seem happy now too.

Jeez, that was rough.

I still didn’t know what had caused the problem, but I did know one thing: I was angry. If the stick insects hadn’t come when they had, I might not have been able to save the tree monster in time—and if I hadn’t noticed the erratic mana, it still might have died before I even figured out what was wrong. The thought made me want to cry.

“Don’t you dare lay a finger on any of my friends again, you shithead!” I shouted at the top of my lungs.

Man, I haven’t shouted like that in ages. Still, it’s not healthy to keep it bottled up! And it’s not like I’m gonna take it out on my friends either. Nope, it’s best to let it all out in one go and forget about it... Huh. Did my body light up for a second? Must have been my imagination.

What a relief... Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Yeah, I’m fine. Everything’s fine. Thanks for coming to find me, stick insects. You did great.

I should probably give these guys names soon. The tree monster too.

112. Fluffy, the Water Dragon

— From the Perspective of a Flying Ball of Wool —

To the inhabitants of the forest, Yggdrasil and life were one and the same concept. It had always been so. The sole difference now was that said concept had recently taken up residence beside my lake.

Whenever I emerged from the water, I could see Yggdrasil swaying, drunk on the touch of Master’s magic. It was an extremely odd thing to behold. In times long past, those it allowed to could see the World Tree, even touch it, if it considered them trustworthy. However, times had changed. The forest’s natural order fell into ruin at the hands of man. Many creatures and archbeasts lost control over their own minds, and unnatural, insentient monsters began to appear. It was then that Yggdrasil hid itself from the world, to protect both the forest and those of us who dwelled within it.

Mankind had long sought to seize the power of the World Tree. The monarchs had defended the forest from such threats many times over the centuries, driving out the trespassers and occasionally killing them to remind other would-be invaders of the forest’s power.

The might of the monarchs was such that after a while, the humans had stopped their attempts. Those who respected the forest, such as the elves and the beastkin, were still allowed to tread within, provided they remained faithful to the ancient teachings and did not approach the center. All was well for a time. Then the Magic Eye opened and extended its gaze over the entire forest. And life as we knew it came to an abrupt end.

But now...

Master had saved us from our suffering, and Yggdrasil grew once more, nourished and protected by him.

I just hope things remain as peaceful as they are now.

No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than something shifted within Yggdrasil. Its mana grew violent and disturbed, and it writhed as though in unbearable pain. I and the other monarchs nearby poured our mana into the tree, but it seemed to have no effect at all. The treants, who looked like withered branches, soon appeared with Master in tow.

Hurry! At this rate, Yggdrasil will...

Master’s other subjects quickly began to gather at the base of the tree, looking worried. I knew my own expression must have mirrored theirs. I felt an uneasy flow of mana coming from the ice dragon in its cellar, likely having noticed the situation unfolding aboveground.

Master began to gift his mana to the World Tree. For a moment, its anguish appeared to lessen, but it returned just moments later.

What has done this? Could it be... Could it be the humans?! Yggdrasil has only just been reborn! It cannot defend itself like this!

I let my own mana flow out, sending tendrils of it through the surrounding forest.

There. Just inside the borders—humans, I’m sure of it. And something else. Something unpleasant. They’re too far away for me to be able to tell what they’re up to, though. If only the wind dragon was here... Even so, humans again?! Why now?!

I spun around as I sensed Master’s mana sharpening. There was a slight hint of anger in it now. I’d never felt anger coming from him before. His magic always carried notes of love and protection, not rage. The tense, whirling mana whipped around him, encircling both Master and Yggdrasil in a turbulent embrace, and we stared at him as though in prayer. Master was powerful, but so were the enemies.

If anything were to happen to him...

I already knew I’d give anything to protect Master if necessary. Even my own life.

His magic continued to spread and whirl, and I flinched at the extent of it. The most virulent mana I’d ever felt rippled through the entire forest, twisting between each and every tree like a thick mist.

He’s reaching the entire forest? Impossible... It should be impossible. The forest covers nearly half the world. We dragons cannot even see the entire forest with our abilities, let alone touch it... Even now, I can only see but a glimpse. But Master can...

I stared at him, stunned, and my fellow subjects did the same, clearly just as surprised as I was.

“I knew he was powerful, but this—”

That was when Yggdrasil’s mana doubled, rendering me silent. No, not doubled... This is so much more. The World Tree, nourished by Master’s magic, grew in an instant, and I stared, barely able to comprehend what I’d just witnessed. I wasn’t alone in my astonishment. Yggdrasil stood tall now, mighty in not just height but also in power. It had been strong before the Magic Eye had appeared, but that had been nothing compared to this. Master had granted it more strength, enough to protect itself.

I looked up at Yggdrasil—I now had to crane my neck to do so—but turned back to Master as I felt his mana stoke once more. It shot out of him in tremendous waves, colored with a vibrant fury as he spoke, the unfamiliar words heavy with magical intention.

A shiver shot down my spine. I knew not for whom his incantation was intended, but no matter the target, it would do immeasurable damage—that much was certain. I’d never witnessed Master’s anger before. It had just reverberated not only through the forest, but throughout the entire world—I was sure of it. By the time my heart had stopped racing, Master had already returned to his usual state.

He’s back to normal... Thank goodness. Though perhaps “normal” is not a term that can be applied to such a being.

Once again, I found myself repeating the same thought I’d had countless times over the recent months: I was immeasurably thankful Master was not our enemy.

113. Commander of the Fifth Knights Brigade (2)

The mages had nearly finished their preparations.

And all the reports said we’d be attacked as soon as we entered the forest. Clearly not. Scared by the very sight of us no doubt... Boring. I would have liked to play with a beast monarch.

A few monsters had tried their luck, lured in by the slave we’d used as bait, only to be swiftly put down by the waiting knights. They’d barely posed a threat. True, some of them had been Magestone-made creatures, which meant they shouldn’t have been able to attack us—their creators—but I wasn’t concerned. I wasn’t cowardly enough to be frightened off by a few pathetic beasts.

I sighed as our bait began convulsing and crying out.

Tch. This one’s useless now. Pathetic, even as bait. I’ll have to get them to grab another—

I froze mid-thought because the forest lit up like the sun.

Finally, they’re attacking! Time for these fools to learn the error of their ways.

“Get ready! They’re coming! Attack as soon as they show themselves. And whatever you do, make sure you don’t finish them off!”

I thought I heard laughter in the distance.

Show yourself, whoever you are. I’ll bleed you dry.

The light continued to grow brighter and obscured my vision—to my great irritation. “Stop hiding and show yourself!”

There was no answer from the hidden foe. Instead, screams started coming from the clearing where the mages had been preparing to burn the forest.

So you’re aiming for them instead? As if I’d let you.

I relied on my other senses and sprinted toward the clearing. As I approached, the canvas of blinding light that was my vision became gradually colored by tendrils of ominous black. The screams grew louder, and I ran toward the sound, soon discovering the source of both the noise and the color.

It was smoke. The ritual circle was burning—along with the mages beside it.

Shit! I desperately cast a water spell, but it did nothing to extinguish the flames. Even as some of my subordinates arrived and joined in with spells of their own, the flames only grew larger.

“Shit! What the hell is this?!”

A jet of flame shot out of the still-burning ritual circle, encasing one of the nearby knights in a fiery shroud. His screams joined the chorus echoing through the forest.

“Pull back!” I shouted, scrambling to put some distance between myself and the circle, but it was in vain. The fire seemed alive, reaching out with burning arms to grab at the frenzied knights.

Crack. The next moment, a beam of black light shot upward from the ritual circle and into the sky. The flames vanished, and silence fell. Where the mages and knights had stood screaming moments before, there was now nothing—not even corpses. Not even ash. They were gone.

I didn’t even have time to panic as a new round of screaming started, this time coming from the other clearing, where the rest of the mages had been preparing the ward-shattering circle. I didn’t move, nor did any of the remaining knights. It was only after the horrific shrieking had finally ceased that I approached the clearing.

“What...? What is...?”

The mages and the knights assigned to the second ritual circle were dead—at least I could only assume so, for there were no recognizable bodies, just chunks of flesh and bone scattered around the blood-soaked clearing. Another beam of black light shot overhead, and the gory scene was no more.

No one made a sound, though there weren’t many of us left to do so anyway. The final trickles of the white lights vanished, and in an instant, the forest looked just as it had when we’d entered.

We need to regroup and—

I hadn’t even finished the thought before I hit the ground, the wind knocked out of my lungs. The impact made blood spurt from somewhere. I couldn’t move even a finger. Something was pressing into me—something unseen and undeniably angry. I managed to open my eyes a sliver, but all I could see was my second-in-command. He was in a similar position to me, but the terrible volume of blood gushing from his mouth immediately told me he was no longer alive.

I couldn’t even scream as the weight began to increase, slowly but surely crushing me. My vision began to blur from the lack of oxygen as my lungs compressed. I could hear my bones shatter one after another, the cracks echoing in my eardrums. Blood poured from my mouth uncontrollably.

As my sight began to fade, the last thing I saw was a pair of small feet.

I think I’m...

What happe...

We were meant to...

114. The Knight (6)

— From the Perspective of the Commander of the First Knights Brigade, Kingdom of Empras —

Throughout the castle, everyone’s moods improved in an instant as we received the Fifth Brigade’s initial report. The war room was calm now, the silence disrupted only by the occasional sound of turning paper—and now, the sound of a door. I looked up to see two men entering the room. One was my good friend, the Fourth Brigade Commander; the other was my second-in-command. Both wore expressions of relief.

I shuffled the papers I’d finished with into a pile and placed it to the side. At a glance, the general premise of the official requests hadn’t changed much—they were just pleas from the heads of each village for whatever they needed—but the contents had. The requests were no longer for food or protection, but for explanation—explanation of what the mysterious lights in the sky truly were.

At first, the citizens hadn’t been too worried about the infrequent phenomenon, strange though it was. The more they saw it, though, the more anxious they were getting.

I don’t blame them either. I see it several times a day now.

If I could explain away their fears, everything would be fine. Unfortunately, I couldn’t. No one could. We still had no idea what the light was or what it was doing, apart from that it was affecting the Magestone. Beyond that, nothing was certain, although I somehow felt as though something in this world was breaking with each blinding beam.

“Commander, have you heard?”

“Yeah.”

The Fifth Brigade entered the forest without any problems. No glowing lights, nothing. They’re probably halfway to the center by now.

“You don’t seem very happy about it,” my second-in-command said, though his tone was just as dissatisfied.

“Well, the Fourth Brigade managed to enter the forest too, after all. It’s not cause for celebration yet.”

“Well, no,” interrupted my friend. “We were attacked not long after entering. We barely got past the outskirts.”

“Attacked? What attacked you?” I replied.

“Huh? The light, of course.”

“Did anyone die in that ‘attack’? Any injuries?” I pressed. He fell silent, looking confused. My second-in-command looked annoyed, but I paid it no mind. “You say you were attacked by the light, but there were no casualties. The only thing that happened was the slaves running away.”

“What do you—?”

I cut him off. “It wasn’t an attack, friend. It was a warning.”

And that makes it all the more terrifying, because it means our enemy is confident enough in their power to have the leeway to warn us. If they were truly desperate, they wouldn’t have held back. Sure, it might have been a bluff, but... No, I don’t think it was. It was a warning... The strong giving a final chance to the foolish weak.

“But, Commander,” my second-in-command protested, “if it’s the Fifth Brigade, then surely—”

“What comes after a warning?”

“Huh?” he stumbled, confused. “After a warning? Well, an attack...”

“Right.” I paused. “Depending on how you respond to that warning—on how we responded to it.”

The “attacks” coming from the forest had yet to harm anyone. The mages who’d lost their memories had been killed, but we had killed them, not the forest. The forest hadn’t shed anyone’s blood—not yet anyway. As far as I knew, at least, for we’d never discovered what had become of the escaped slaves. The forest had warned us, and through the Fifth Brigade’s invasion, we’d chosen to respond with force. The question that remained was as to how the forest would respond to said choice.

“But if we don’t take control of the forest, then—”

He didn’t understand at all, couldn’t comprehend that the enemy we faced was undefeatable. It was shameful for a knight to admit such a thing, but at the same time, I’d hoped he would be able to realize it, for the three of us had a responsibility to the knights we led—a responsibility to ensure they didn’t die in vain, fighting something beyond human understanding. It might have been too late for that now, though.

“Stop!” I shouted, cutting him off mid-sentence. Even as the words left my tongue, I felt something crash into me, winding me. The whole room seemed to shake. In fact, the whole castle seemed to tremble. I couldn’t speak or move; something was pushing down on me, crushing me against the desk. Pain burned through every inch of my body. It was like being trapped beneath a giant boulder or a mountain, invisible yet overwhelming. It felt as though my organs were turning to paste.

Maybe they are. Maybe this is the end—

I gasped for breath as the weight lifted, as though it had never been there at all—and once the air returned to my lungs, I screamed.

My second-in-command had crumpled to the floor in front of me, his arm bent at an unnatural angle. He was unconscious but breathing. My friend, on the other hand, had managed to retain his consciousness, but he hadn’t fared any better than me based on his shrieks.

The wrath of the king of the world—the wrath of a god, maybe—could clearly reach beyond the outskirts of the forest.

115. The Mage and the King (2)

— From the Perspective of a Highmage of Empras —

The Fifth Brigade had begun their invasion of the forest. According to the report we’d received, they’d breached the tree line without any problems and had just started the march to the center. The report had brought me great relief. Many of my fellow mages had been ordered to join the mission, and I hoped more than anything they’d return safely.

I lowered my eyes back to the document in my hand, a summary of everything we’d learned about the Magestone since its discovery. I was searching for something, any hint or clue that would tell me how to restore the stone’s fading power without the use of sacrifices—tell me how to repair the ever-growing cracks. But the more I read, the more despondent I became. It was like reading a list of every sin I’d ever committed, like perusing a chronicle of my every transgression. The only thing it revealed was the true extent of my own atrocities.

The next moment, the castle began to shake violently, and hundreds of books toppled from the room’s shelves, smothering me. Crushing me. I heard a crack and gagged as I realized it was the sound of breaking bone.

Not yet... I don’t want to die!

I somehow managed to open my eyes, though even that was a struggle. Words stared back at me.

They made up a report from the earlier days of the king’s rule, at a time where we’d started to run low on sacrifices to continue strengthening the Magestone. It was after the king had seen that report in particular that he’d begun forcing the slaves to reproduce with one another. An infinite resource, he’d called it. Though their emotions had been sealed away, I’d heard some of the slaves still shed tears throughout the act back in the beginning.

The report was one of my own.

“Forgive me... Please forgive me...” I began to pray, futile though it was, until the words caught in my throat.

And then suddenly, it stopped. I could breathe again. Oxygen flooded my lungs, and slowly, my dizziness began to fade until I could focus on the scene before me. The other mages in the library had fallen just like I had. I could see that at least a few were injured. I wanted to help them, but I couldn’t move. Though the weight had mostly lifted, books still covered me. But they weren’t what prevented my movement. It was fear. Terror constricted my limbs like chains.

Minutes passed before I was able to stand and stumble over to the others. To my relief, while some were unconscious, all were breathing, and none of their injuries seemed fatal. I sank to the floor once again as the temporary strength faded from my body, trembling more with each sharp breath I took.

Dread. Despair. Tears spilled unbidden, rolling down my cheeks.

A memory flashed through my mind. Right... This was how that girl looked. Cowering, trembling—but glaring up at me, right until the very end. I hit her over and over.

Another sin, branded into one of the pages scattered around me. “The world will never forgive you,” she’d said. Perhaps she’d been right.

The eerily silent castle didn’t stay that way for long. Gradually, it began to reverberate with sound. Shouts. Screams. Crying. Running feet and angry yells.

I sat there, taking it all in. Soon enough, I heard a different sound—the clatter of someone entering the destroyed room. It was the Archmage, pale and shaking.

“Something’s happened to the king.”

Those few words were enough for me to force my aching limbs into action, but my body was sluggish and distant, like it didn’t belong to me anymore. Still, I pushed on, trailing after the Archmage as we hastened toward the king.

I hesitated, however, as I saw our destination: the king’s chambers. The king didn’t permit anyone apart from his most trusted daughters and granddaughters to enter his private chambers—though perhaps “trusted” wasn’t the most accurate term considering the women had been branded with seals to ensure their loyalty, just like the slaves.

The Archmage opened the door, and the king’s angry voice pierced my eardrums as did the intermingled screams. I followed him in—and froze at what I saw.

The king’s left arm was gone from the elbow down.

But the wards should have... No, his blood has already been spilled. We saw it with the accident with the Magesword. We should have predicted it could worsen... The king will never forgive this.

A different kind of despair rippled through me than what I’d felt just before.

Ultimately, we were unable to restore the king’s arm. Even with his most powerful mages pouring their mana into him, nothing happened. It was like pouring water into a bucket with no base. It wasn’t just his arm; something was wrong with the king’s body itself. Nothing we did had any effect.

“His Majesty is furious, but there’s nothing we can do.”

We Highmages and the Archmage all knew why—why the king’s arm couldn’t be restored and why it would never be. However, we’d never voice the reason. Doing so would mean sentencing not just ourselves to death but those around us too.

A sigh escaped me as we finally left the king’s bedchamber.

It’s not only the wards—his very body was strengthened by the Magestone too. It’s the cracks. A few years ago it would have been impossible for the king to be wounded, but the Magestone is too weak to protect him now. It’s too weak for us to use it to restore his arm either. And we can’t fix it. We can’t fix him.

If only I’d noticed sooner, when we’d started trying to repair the stone—

Of course. Of course... Why didn’t I realize it then? When we first tried to repair the cracks, when they were still barely visible—when we gathered the slaves for the first sacrifice. Why didn’t I notice?! They were scared! Scared! Their emotions should have been sealed! The Magestone was already failing all that time ago...

It’s too late now. Far too late.

— From the Perspective of the King of Empras —

It hurts! It hurts! Why?! Why am I being crushed against the floor?! I’m the closest thing to a god in this world! Who dares to attack me?! The Fifth Brigade said they were on their way to the center! They wouldn’t fail me! Everything was going to plan, so why?! WHY?!

“The king! His arm!”

I heard someone shout nearby, irritating me further. What about my arm?! I tried to stand, placing my hands against the floor for leverage, but I toppled to one side.

Argh! Why?! Why does it hurt?!

I glanced at the source of the pain, and faltered.

No. It can’t be. It shouldn’t be.

My body had been strengthened by the Magestone itself. Nothing could harm me. Nothing could wound me.

“My arm...”

Where is it? What’s that crushed lump of flesh and blood? Did someone attack me? Someone broke through my wards? How? How?

“Get the Archmage! Your Majesty, please calm down!”

Calm down? How can I calm down when something just attacked me? Me! Fools! Scum!

I grabbed a piece of the fallen debris nearby and swung it at the man attempting to bandage my arm.

“Argh!”

“Your Majesty, please control yourself—”

“Quiet!” I shrieked. “Fix my arm! Fix it!”

Useless, all of you! Useless! The Fifth Brigade will burn the forest, and all of this will end. That’s right. I don’t need to control the forest if there’s no forest left to control! I was focused on the wrong thing. Even I can make mistakes, but no longer. It will burn. It will burn!

116. Business as Usual?

It was morning, which meant it was time for my daily rounds.

With everything that had happened yesterday with Eco (the name I’d decided on for the tree monster), I was a little worried the rest of the area around the mountain might have been similarly affected. Luckily, nothing appeared to be wrong at first glance, at least. Marshmallow and the snow amoeba were acting the same as always.

I said I wasn’t here to play with you! And why are you being extra aggressive today?!

Next was the river, where, for some reason, I became the unwilling audience to a long, weird dance routine performed by the water amoebas.

What the hell is going on here? I don’t think they’re playing a trick on me, but I kinda want it to be over now... You’re still going, huh? Can we wrap this up, please? Thank you... Yeah, I had a great time. Sure.

My clothes are dry already. How long was I sitting there?!

Okay, time to check on the fields. The Farm Brigade are working hard as always. The field amoebas too— What? You want to show me a dance? It’s okay, the water amoebas already showed me, so I’m—

They’d already started. Reluctant though I was, I resigned myself to watching until they’d finished.

Seriously, no more dances.

Next, I went to inspect the orchard, where I was treated to yet another show by the rest of the field amoebas.

Yep, I give up. Thanks for the performance, guys. No, you only get to do one dance per group! Otherwise I feel like this’ll go on forever... I said one dance! Enough!

Apart from the spontaneous dance performance, there was nothing unusual about the orchard, so I wandered back toward the mountain.

Looks like the hunters are back already. Good haul today—maybe a little too good. The Gremlins seem a little overwhelmed. Wait, did Team Ai go hunting too? And all the puppies? Er... Maybe we need to put a pause on hunting for a while. That’s a lot of meat. I can’t even see the puppies behind all the carcasses they brought back... Yeah, great job guys.

“What the—?” I jumped when a massive shadow passed over my head. Jeez, that scared me... Um, what’s up with the giant fish? Fluffy! You brought this? Oh, Flying Lizard helped? Right... Sure, sure. You did good. Thanks.

Phew, the One Eyes and the Three Eyes are coming to help. I was starting to feel bad for the Gremlins.

Fluffy, wait! Where are you going?! More fish?! No, don’t worry about it. We’re good on fish for today, okay? We’ve got enough. I eyed the ten-meter-long fish in front of me. More than enough.

I made my way over to the lake to check on Eco and the three stick insects.

You’re all acting a little strange today... Don’t tell me you’ve been drinking or something? Nah, the One Eyes are still guarding the booze, so there’s no way. What’s up with you, then? Just drunk on life?

I’d wanted to name the three stick insects too, but I’d quickly given up on the idea, because all three were completely identical. It was a good thing I hadn’t, as it turned out that while I might have somehow managed with just the three of them, there were now heaps of miniature stick insects too.

Where’d you all come from?

And then there was Eco. Monster or not, I hadn’t expected a tree to be able to grow so quickly. I was kind of impressed, actually. It had clearly recovered from the weird sickness yesterday, whatever had caused it.

Can’t see any bacteria or harmful insects either. Not that I’d be able to see bacteria, I guess...

“Hm? You want me to have it?”

The stick insects gave me a strange fruit: a golden sphere. It was soft with a thin membrane-like skin.

Don’t know what this is, but thanks, I guess?

Thankfully, Koa soon came to my rescue, gently nudging me all the way toward the kitchen. At her urging, I placed the fruit into a bowl and took the fork she passed me.

You... You want me to pierce it or something?

Shrugging, I gave it a go, stabbing it with the fork. Liquid spilled out, smelling sweetly of something like maple syrup. I licked a bit of the golden liquid.

Oh... Yep, it’s maple syrup. Close enough anyway. This is good. God, I wish we had eggs. Can’t make pancakes without eggs. I’ll have to start searching again.

Still, I wonder why everyone is acting so weirdly today. Is it because of whatever happened with Eco? I mean, everything seems fine, but still...

117. A Change in the Forest...and in the Kid Spiders.

In the end, it took a few days before everyone started settling down, by which point I assumed they’d already driven half of the monster species in the forest to extinction based on the absolute mountain of carcasses I had the misfortune of witnessing each morning. Between them and the hardworking Gremlins, they’d filled an entire storeroom in mere days.

Great work, team.

Unfortunately, though most things had returned to normal, one thing hadn’t. Today’s performance was a joint venture between the water and the field amoebas.

Since when did you guys start mingling? Yeah, yeah, it was great. I’ve seen enough dancing for a lifetime, though... Also, please stop gradually increasing the length of your performances each day. I have noticed, you know.

I’m glad things are returning to normal, though. Really glad. Right, the alcohol ban gets lifted for the week today. It’ll be a good way to—

Nope! I’m extending the ban by a day! There’s no way I’m dealing with everyone getting drunk when they’re already in such a weird mood... Ha ha, it’s not like I’m gonna be able to keep them out of it though.

Please stop looking at me like that, squirrels. Yes, I know you got hurt last time. I can’t stop them though! It’s outta my hands!

A few days later, the stick insects (perhaps taking a leaf out of the amoebas’ book) also began putting on a dance performance for me each morning, which basically just looked like tree branches swaying in the wind.

Actually, maybe they’re just shaking... You’re not scared, are you? Not cursed or anything?

You came up with it just for me? Oh, thank you.

It’s time for Cave Exploration 2: Akira’s Revenge!

In order to try to get to the bottom of the very extensive cave I’d discovered a few days prior, I set off as soon as I finished my morning rounds, sprinting through the still-chilly forest air. It felt...different.

Actually, everything feels different... It’s the mana. The mana that usually covers the whole forest has changed.

As far as I could tell, there were different types of mana, or magical essence, or whatever it was actually called. The forest had its own unique mana: one I could feel constantly, no matter where I was. However, gradually but surely, the feeling that mana gave off was changing.

I think it started at the same time everyone started acting all weird. Well, assuming it was because they were excited rather than scared, I guess the mana changing is a good thing? Yeah, I think so. Although that means I was the only one who didn’t know... See if I care! I’m not annoyed or upset or anything! Nope!

The change was obvious now that I was running, at least. Before, the forest’s mana had left a slightly stinging, prickly touch, but now it was sort of warm and soft.

Something major must have happened for it to change this much, though... But since it feels so much nicer, I’m sure it was a good thing. I wonder what it was? The forest is massive, so it could have been anywhere. Obviously it wasn’t nearby, because I definitely would have noticed... Maybe I should check the barrier.

A slight detour took me to the nearest edge of my purification-slash-protection barrier, and I froze in shock. Before, the view beyond the barrier had been the complete opposite of the tranquil scenery within, with thick black shadows choking the withered trees. Now, though, those shadows were thin and wispy.

Has the stupid curse that caused me so much trouble really weakened this much? It would explain why the forest feels so much nicer, I guess. Awesome. Yep, I’m satisfied. Time to crack this cave.

Damn, this place is massive.

I ran and ran, but the singular tunnel didn’t show any signs of ending, much to my disappointment. I’d been kind of excited to discover what the cave was hiding, but so far, it was just a very long tunnel.

What if it just continues forever? Maybe I should just turn around...

After a quick break for lunch, I convinced myself to keep going.

This is getting pretty boring... Ugh.

Oh, the path splits! It splits!

I was probably too excited about such a minor change, but I didn’t care.

Two paths! Two paths— Crap, which one do I take? I really want to find something! If I came this far just to discover a really long cave, I’m gonna start crying. Seriously.

Which way do I go? Hmm... I don’t wanna choose. Spider Boss, you decide!

You’re... You’re not Spider Boss?

Crap. I didn’t realize the kid spiders were already so grown-up. Oh no, I introduced you to everyone as “Spider Boss” during my rounds this morning. Sorry.

Of course I’m happy you’re growing so well! You just caught me off guard.

Now that I looked at it properly, this “Spider Boss” didn’t have wings, and instead of the usual black body, this one had strange white patterns.

Is this what they call “mutation” or something? You seem pretty healthy, so I’m sure it’s fine. I did notice how talented you were at web-swinging on the way here too. Is that mutation? Evolution? I dunno. Anyway, which path are we taking, Fake Spider Boss?

With Fake Spider Boss in the lead, we plunged deeper into the cave.

Ha ha ha, there’s nothing here.

Unfortunately, the path we chose led to a dead end. Fake Spider Boss looked pretty upset.

Don’t worry about it, okay? We’ll head home for today and come back when you’re feeling better.

Amoebas...

They were waiting for us at the point where the two paths converged. As far as I could tell from a cursory mana scan, they were a different type of amoeba than those already at the mountain. While I stood there awkwardly trying to figure out what to do with the new jellylike creatures, our eyes met.

Well, so I thought anyway. All of the amoebas had very small eyes, so it was hard to tell sometimes. Despite their size, those barely visible eyes had been filled with very big emotions lately.

Mostly hope. And pleading. Yeah, lots of pleading. Especially when I ask them to stop dancing. It hurts to look at them when they’re like that, but it hurts more to watch them dancing. It just goes on for so long. I promised I’d watch them as long as they made the performances a bit shorter... I really hope they understood me.

118. The Puppy

— From the Perspective of One of Koa and Chai’s Children —

I got to go hunting with mother and father again today. I still couldn’t kill one on my own, but when we worked together, my sisters and I could take down a killerbobo by ourselves now. Killerbobos were one of the stronger monsters in the forest, and my goal was to be able to handle one alone.

Yeah! Mother and father look so cool when they kill one really quickly... I’ve changed my mind! My new goal is to kill one quicker than father! And once I’m stronger than father, I’ll keep training until I can do it faster than mother! I’ve got a lot of work to do!

We returned to the house with today’s batch of kills, where the Golems cut them up into small pieces straightaway. They were really fast. While we were hunting, we usually ate smaller monsters for lunch. It tasted okay, but I wished the Golems could come hunting with us too because the meat they prepared tasted way better. My sisters agreed. We all preferred dinner to lunch.

Master was at home today. Master was a human, but mother and father both respected him a lot. Apparently, he was a very amazing human. I thought it was a little weird because Fluffy, Flying Lizard, and Marshmallow seemed to respect him heaps as well. And could someone the dragons thought so highly of really be a human? The kids from all the other species were just as suspicious as I was. I’d asked father about it once, but he hadn’t known for sure. Neither had Spider Boss, who’d been with him at the time. Both had said that they thought he was human, though.

Master’s mana was strange too. Me and the other kids were still too young to recognize different creatures based on the touch of their mana. All I could tell was if a creature nearby was the same species as me or not. But Master’s mana was different from everyone else’s. At first, I thought it was because he was human, but mother said his mana was actually a mixture of heaps of different things. There was definitely human mana in the mixture, but there were also a lot of other species too. So while Master looked like a human, he might not actually be one at all.

I wasn’t convinced it was safe to trust something if we didn’t even know what species it was, but mother and the rest of the monarchs didn’t seem worried at all. Neither did Shuri and her kids or any of the other creatures. They just trusted him, so I did the same. It didn’t actually matter what he was, because he was amazing.

Hey, what’s up? Mother is doing special training with the dragons in the clearing? Cool, I wanna watch!

Wow, everyone is really into it today. Even Spider Boss is joining in... Oh, I get it. Master is watching today. So that’s why everyone’s showing off.

Er, mother, we’re still too young to join in... Yes, I’m sure. No, it won’t be fine if we “just dodge.” That’s not the part I’m worried about.

Spider Boss, if you hit us with that, we’ll die. We’ll definitely die! “Just avoid it?” You’re making it impossible to avoid on purpose! That’s just evil!

Thankfully, father had saved us before anyone got too injured, and I vowed to never, ever do “special training” with mother again. But when I passed by the clearing the next day...

Um... Why does she look like she’s waiting for me?

I ran through the forest. Everywhere I went, I felt the gentle touch of Master’s mana.

A few days had passed since the attack on the World Tree. When the World Tree had relocated within Master’s territory, the dragons had gathered all of us kids together and taught us how important it was. So when I’d seen how much pain it was in that morning—when I’d thought it was about to die—I’d been really scared. My sisters and I had huddled together, leaning on each other for support, but even that hadn’t been enough. We’d all collapsed to the ground, trembling.

I still started shaking whenever I thought about it.

Mother had put on a show of bravery, but I could tell how worried she was from the look on her face. When Master had come running toward us, I’d relaxed, but after that my memories were kind of fuzzy. I think I’d wanted to cry—or maybe I had cried.

Even in the middle of such a serious situation, Master had remained calm—in fact, he’d even taken the time to nod at each of us, to assure us everything would be okay. And then... And then, he’d started casting. Spells to attack, to defend, to protect, and to frighten the enemy away all flew around us. The speed and strength of his magic shocked me to my core. It was the first time I’d felt a tinge of anger in his magic, and even though I knew he wasn’t casting the spells at me, it still scared me.

His anger only lasted a moment, thankfully, and soon enough he’d returned to the Master I knew. Even though he’d used up so much mana, he didn’t even seem tired afterward. Later that night, mother had told me that even all the mana of all the monarchs combined was nowhere near as plentiful as Master’s. He really was powerful. Before we went to bed that night, all of us puppies had gathered in secret, and we’d all agreed we would follow Master forever, no matter where he led us. We would get stronger so we could serve him in the same way our parents did.

I didn’t know how, but apparently, we’d been overheard. Special training became mandatory, and it was even more dangerous than it had been before.

Mother, can’t you go a little bit easier on your own kids?!

119. The Puppy (2)

— From the Perspective of One of Koa and Chai’s Children —

The forest was different now. Even the wind had changed. There used to always be something a little gross about the breeze whenever I would go hunting or running, but now it was nice—kind of warm and soft.

The World Tree had absorbed a lot of Master’s mana, and the dragons thought it might have changed because of it. According to them, something like this had never happened before, so we needed to keep a close eye on the Tree. One of them was always watching it now. To be honest, it sounded like a bad thing, but they didn’t seem to think so. They seemed really happy whenever they looked at the Tree.

Father said that out of every creature, the dragons have the deepest connection to the World Tree, so I guess they’re happy to see it growing so big?

When the World Tree had grown, the Magic Eye’s influence on the forest had noticeably lessened. Every time I went hunting now, I found another place from where the shadows had disappeared. The parts of the forest outside Master’s magical barrier used to be pitch-black and creepy, but now they didn’t seem so scary.

Still, mother and father told me to never go outside the barrier. Ai and Shuri and the other adults all look sad whenever anyone talks about it too. I hope I never have to face whatever’s out there.

Shuri had once told me that the shadows had done something bad to her. Because of that, though, she was able to meet Master, so there had been good as well as bad, or so she thought.

The adults said the Magic Eye was cast by a human king as a way to seize control of the forest. I wonder if something happened to him and that’s why the spell is getting weaker? If it keeps getting weaker, maybe it’ll disappear for good... I hope so. That stupid king hurt Shuri and the rest of Master’s subjects. And now we’re his subjects too! Master gets sad whenever we’re sad, so I hope everyone who hurts Master vanishes forever!

Father nuzzled me kindly when I told him what I thought about the stupid human king. Yay.

Today, it was just me and my sisters. Our goal: a killerbobo.

Until now, we’d only gone hunting together with mother and father or sometimes some of the other adults instead. Today, it was just us—and we were on the hunt for a killerbobo, the biggest monster we’d been able to kill so far. It felt a little strange without the usual sense of security that came from one of the adults watching my back, but I was determined.

I just have to believe in my sisters. And myself. We can do it!

It was a little scary, but we managed it. We took down a killerbobo all by ourselves. I knew we shouldn’t have celebrated so loudly, especially this far away from the mountain, but none of us could control ourselves. We used magic to make the dead monster float in the air, just like mother had shown us. I still wasn’t strong enough to cast it by myself, but with all of us together, it was okay.

Time to go home.

“Hey, can you hear that too? It sounds like a voice...” one of my sisters asked, and we all strained our ears.

I can’t hear anythi— Ah!

She was right. I could hear the voice too now, small and distant. Being careful to stay hidden, we snuck through the trees, closing in on the sound until we reached the edge of the barrier. It was coming from the other side.

Is it the enemy? Or a trap? Father said humans always use dirty tricks, so they probably use traps too. But we’re really close to the center of the forest here. I dunno if humans could get this far. The voice is getting weaker... I don’t know what to do.

I looked at my sisters, but they were just as unsure as I was. The voice grew fainter and fainter, as though its owner was dying.

Oh, screw it. I’m gonna go look. No, you all stay here! It’s outside the barrier. Let me go first. If anything happens to me or if I don’t come back soon, go get mother and father, okay?

I ran toward the voice, hiding myself as best I could.

There!

I looked around for any signs of it being a trap. I couldn’t see or feel any other creatures nearby, but the Magic Eye’s touch was still present here, which made it hard to be certain. It was the first time I’d actually felt the influence of the Magic Eye—and to be honest, I was really scared of what it might do to me.

No! I’ve gotta be strong! Master is protecting me now. The Magic Eye can’t do anything to me. I don’t think there’s anyone else around apart from me and...

Yeah. I got this. Okay.

Fighting against the urge to flee, I stepped out from behind the tree and revealed myself.

Ah! Er... Oops.

What do I do now? It died as soon as it saw me?!

Oh, hang on... It’s alive... I think?

120. Could It Be...? Also the One Eyes Have Evolved!

Oh, the amoebas are gone. Guess I took too long thinking about how to respond... Whoops. I kinda wanted to figure out what type of amoebas they were, but chasing after them feels a little mean... Poor things. I’ll call out if I ever see them again.

Ha ha. This is weird. Back in Japan, I never would have thought that one day I’d be debating the best way to approach an amoeba without scaring it off. Although I guess we didn’t have giant amoebas back home... Also, I’m pretty sure these aren’t actually amoebas. They sure do look like them though. Oh well. I don’t think they mind what I call them.

Let’s head home. I feel like I’m really good at running through the forest these days. Seriously, look at me go! I don’t trip at all anymore! And who cares if it took me a year to get to this point?! Not me...

Huh? Something’s going on here. Why is everyone outside?

Ah, looks like the kids came back safely. What a relief.

Koa and Chai’s puppies had gone hunting alone for the first time today, and I could tell their parents had been worried.

I’m glad I cast an extra barrier on them just in case, even if it was unnecessary. No injuries, right? I’m proud of you kids.

Wow, Gremlins. That boar is massive. Who hunted it? Koa? Nice—

Oh right, guess I should find out what’s going on.

“What’s up, every—?”

Wait. Wait...

Somehow I managed to suppress my scream, though it was very difficult. Sitting on the ground, right before my eyes, was a human. Two of them, in fact.

Wait, maybe not. They have fluffy ears and a tail. What are they? Hang on, didn’t my sister describe something like this once? What was it... That’s right, beastkin! They must be beastkin! I think. Unless they’re cosplaying or something. No, I don’t think cosplay’s a thing in parallel worlds. Probably. Where did they come from?

Suddenly, I realized Koa’s puppies were looking at me anxiously. I returned their stare, confused, and watched as one of them drew a circle on the ground with magic and pointedly placed its paw outside it.

What... They came from outside the barrier?! You went outside the barrier?! Are you hurt? Cursed? Anything? No... Thank goodness. Jeez, I’m glad I remembered to reinforce your barriers this morning.

Phew. Yeah, I panicked a little. There’s still a lot of curse outside the barrier, after all. Even a weak curse is still a curse. But I’m glad you’re okay.

Okay, so... You found them outside the barrier and brought them here? Yeah, I thought so... Er, I’m pretty sure that’s kidnapping.

I looked at the two beastkin.

They’re young, clearly. Their ears look kinda like dog ears... Are they dog beastkin, then? Dogkin? Weredogs? Aw, their ears are different shapes too... They’re kinda adorable. And scared. They look really scared. Um... Oh, one of them’s gonna say something!

“Sovderasa!”

“Oh, come on.”

I felt like the excitement I’d been feeling moments ago had been shattered.

By a sledgehammer. And the sledgehammer whacked me too... Okay, calm down! Seriously, it’s not like I forgot this was a parallel world or anything! I just let myself get a little too excited about the thought of having someone to speak to... Yeah, I’m really upset.

Huh? No, you guys didn’t do anything wrong! You’re not the problem, I am! I just didn’t realize something really important until just now...

Yeah. Of course they don’t speak Japanese.

I spent so much time looking for other people and never thought about what I’d do when I found them. I just assumed finding them would be the hard part, not speaking... The world is such a cruel place.

Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out... Okay! I’m calm! Now what am I gonna do about this?

I looked at the beastkin again. Both had visible injuries, and they were thin—too thin.

“Heal.”

Okay, that’s the injuries dealt with. Oh, they might be cursed too.

“Purify, and Remove Abnormalities.”

Wait, did something just flash on their backs? Maybe they were more badly injured than I thought... I’ll have to remember to check when I give them a bath later. What else?

I cast a few more spells but stopped when I felt a tug on my wrist and looked down to see the two children looking extremely frightened.

Crap, I guess I have just cast a lot of spells on them with no explanation. Of course they’d be scared. I’m sorry! It’s just, we don’t speak the same language!

“Sorry. I don’t know how to communicate with you.” They stared at me blankly.

You’re adorable. I wonder how old you are? You’re a little smaller than my nephew was, but I dunno if it’s just because you’re so thin. For now, let’s get you some dinner—

I glanced behind me to find that the One Eyes were already lighting the barbecues. Piles of meat sat to one side along with dozens of bowls of vegetables and tray after tray of bread.

Hang on, have they scored the meat? It’s been marinated too... The One Eyes are evolving in a weird direction. I guess they haven’t had any furniture to make recently, but still...you guys are chefs now?

Wait. Why are the two kids screaming at the sight of the One Eyes? I think they’re cute...

121. These Kids Are Well-Behaved... Harvest Time!

A sudden jolt to my stomach snapped me awake, and I opened my eyes to find a One Eye standing on my chest. Until recently, I’d always woken up on my own, but for the past few days, I’d had the dubious pleasure of this new kind of alarm clock. Apparently, it was their way of letting me know that the two beastkin kids were awake. It was pretty much the way my sister had liked to wake me up back in Japan, although, thankfully, she’d just smacked me. I’d asked the One Eyes to change it to something a little gentler, but so far, a thump on the stomach seemed to be the status quo.

Unfortunately.

I headed down to the first floor. As I’d anticipated, the beastkin were already there, sitting in two chairs in the very corner of the living room, as though attempting to hide themselves.

I think they’re still pretty scared of the canines and Spider Boss. Not as scared as they were of Shuri, though. At least they seem to be getting used to me...

In the end, it didn’t matter whether or not they could get used to the animals, because what I needed to do was find their parents and send them home. I’d tried asking them several times with gestures, but I hadn’t been able to get my questions across. The only responses I’d received were painfully apologetic expressions, which made me feel even worse for them. If anything, I felt like I needed to apologize for my inability to speak the language of this world.

What bothered me the most, though, was that the two kids didn’t seem to want to go home. Given the circumstances, it felt strange they’d rather stay with me—a complete stranger—than return to those they knew.

They... They weren’t abandoned by their parents or something, were they? I guess it’s not impossible. Even in Japan, we had plenty of places that took in children when their own parents couldn’t raise them for one reason or another, and there were plenty of countries worse off than us. There’s no reason a parallel world would be any different. I can’t assume they have parents to go back to.

“Good morning!”

“Go... Good m-morning...”

Both kids were pretty clever. I’d planned to get them to teach me some of their language, but instead, they’d started picking up Japanese almost instantly. It was just simple greetings so far, but I was still impressed—particularly because I hadn’t even been able to make out the sounds of their words, much less attempt to repeat them back.

Kids sure are great at stuff like this.

“Let’s eat breakfast,” I continued, speaking slowly and clearly.

Over the past few days, I’d taught them some essential words for survival: “good morning,” “good night,” “breakfast,” “lunch,” “dinner,” “eat,” “bath,” and “no.”

I really have to learn some of their language too... I haven’t made any progress yet, but I’m not giving up! I’m just a little discouraged! Okay, very discouraged.

The two kids climbed out of their chairs and ran up to me with very faint smiles. I’d already noticed they wouldn’t do anything if I didn’t say something first.

It’s a little weird for kids to be so docile... They could just be nervous, though. Hopefully they’ll come out of their shells if I’m patient.

It was still a big improvement compared to their first day here, when their response to literally everything had been to burst into tears. I wasn’t very good at handling crying children. Whenever my nephew cried about something, I’d panic more than him, much to the amusement of our relatives. My older sister—his mother—would laugh at me until she struggled to breathe.

Seriously, how could someone laugh so hard when their own kid was right there bawling their eyes out?! Is that what they mean when they say mothers are strong? Somehow, I don’t think so...

Something else I found strange was how terrified the two kids were of the clay dolls. I think they’re really cute, but apparently it’s a matter of opinion... Wait, am I the weird one here? No, there’s no way. Maybe Japanese folktale creatures are just scary to people who aren’t from Japan. I guess the One Eyes do have, well, one eye. I suppose that’s kinda scary. I don’t think I could bring myself to alter them now, though... I hope they get used to them soon.

Breakfast today was bread and soup.

There’s plenty more, so you don’t have to scarf it down, okay? Eat slowly, slowly. Thankfully, I could communicate that much through gestures at least—though it had taken a few days to get to this point.

Hm? The Farm Brigade? It’s rare for you guys to come visit me in the morning— Outside? Okay, stop pulling! Oh, it’s harvest time! Thank you! I’ll work hard, just watch me!

What should I do about the kids, though? They’re still pretty weak, but I feel like some exercise might help at this point. Ah, but I can’t get the One Eyes to supervise them. That would be cruel. Oh, I’ll ask the squirrels to watch them!

I explained my request to the squirrel on the tabletop nearby.

I think he understood me? Yep, he’s going over to the kids. Good. They won’t be scared of squirrels, right? Yeah, I think it’s fine.

It was time for the biggest harvest yet. The haul from this round of crops would sustain us throughout the winter if all went well. Last winter, there had been a few days where the snow had prevented us from going outside, so I needed to make sure our stockpiles were plentiful—especially with all the new children to feed as well.

Let’s do this. Kids, don’t push yourselves, okay?

Why are there so many fields... I’ve been picking vegetables forever, and it still looks like I’ve done nothing. No, I gotta pull myself together! We need these vegetables! But my back really hurts!

The kids sure are working hard. Huh? The One Eyes are working right next to them, and they’re not scared. Maybe they got used to them already? Well, whatever it is, I’m glad.

I could feel the searing glares of the Farm Brigade as they realized I’d paused to observe the beastkin kids.

I’m sorry, okay? I said I’m sorry! I’m working hard, so stop trying to drag me out of the field just for taking a five-second break!

Wow, there’s so much wheat. This has gotta be like ten times more than last harvest. Or even more, maybe? The Farm Brigade’s agricultural know-how is impressive... Too impressive.

By the time we finished with the other fields, the vineyard had already been harvested, and the One Eyes were well into making wine.

Oh, Shuri’s trying to join in— Nope. Didn’t realize they could throw a giant ant so far. Give it up, Shuri. The clay dolls won’t let anyone interfere with their work, believe me.

Today’s harvest had taken even longer than last time. The few previously empty spaces in the orchard had at some point been filled with even more fruit trees, and there had been more unfamiliar vegetables in the fields too. The Farm Brigade was clearly working even harder than I’d given them credit for. The food storerooms were now filled to bursting point, and I was satisfied we were ready for winter.

The real challenge was still to come however, as I spent the next week taste testing the various new fruits and vegetables. It would have gone on for longer, but I begged for a break after the seventh day. Nearly everything I tried that week was inedible—definitely unusable. I somehow managed to get through the bitter vegetable and the fruits that left a stinging sensation in my mouth (thankfully, the samples provided for me were small). But as for the last vegetable I’d tried and its indescribable flavor, which had assaulted my taste buds...

“Urgh—”

...Yeah, it’s better to try to forget about it.

122. The Beastkin Children

— From the Perspective of a Former Slave —

The scary adult always said the same things. That I was born to be of use to Empras and that I should show gratitude to the king for granting me life—that my life was an example of his benevolence. I’d never been able to make sense of his words.

Gratitude?

I was hit and kicked, and even though it hurt, I couldn’t cry out. I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn’t come. He said it was creepy that my expression didn’t change when he hit me, and it made him mad, and he hit me again. I didn’t even know what an “expression” was.

Once when he hit me, it made a really awful sound, but he said it was fine because beastkin were durable—and then he’d stomped on me right where it hurt the most. The worst pain I’d ever felt ran through me, but I couldn’t make a sound. I curled into a ball until he went away.

What is gratitude?

I gradually began to make sense of the world around me. I was a slave, and the other kids with me were also slaves. The reason we couldn’t speak was because our voices had been sealed away. We couldn’t make expressions because slaves didn’t need to. I eventually noticed that sometimes, some of the slaves could make “expressions.” It was just a tiny change in their eyes, but it was still there, and for some reason, it made me happy. It wasn’t long before those who could make expressions started to disappear, though. Every time one was taken, I got sadder.

Sometimes, people called “nobles” came into the place where we lived. They didn’t come to beat us, although they did kick us sometimes. Most of the time, though, they came to kill a few slaves with a shiny silver thing. They called it “trying out a new sword.” For some reason, the slaves they killed were dragged back into the shared chambers. The slave master said it was because it wasn’t cleaning day yet.

Time passed, and little by little, I began to forget the few things I did know about myself. Strangely, though, I stopped being beaten as often. Sometimes, I noticed the slave master and his helpers looking frightened. I heard booming sounds coming from the sky once or twice, and sometimes, I saw flashes of light.

The first booming sound surprised me—but not as much as what it caused. I screamed. The sound was faint, and short, but it had been mine: the first sound I’d ever made. When I looked around, I saw a few others who looked just as surprised as me. I hadn’t been the only one to scream, although it was just a few of us who had. I didn’t know what had happened or why, but I was terrified.

We stuck together after that.

A few days later, a new adult came to see us. He didn’t seem frightened, unlike the slave master. He looked at us all closely and left.

The next day, two adult slaves came instead. Unlike us, they could speak, and they taught us a lot of things. They told us about a place called the forest, about creatures called monsters and archbeasts, and about us—about slaves. It was really hard to remember everything, but they told us we had to, so I tried my best.

I was listing the things I’d learned in my mind when the not-scared adult came back that night. He came straight up to our small group and said something.

“When you get the chance...run.”

He left without waiting for an answer—not that we could give one anyway.

Is something about to happen? I’m scared. I’m scared.

Suddenly, I woke up to the sensation of being dragged out of the pen. I was thrown into a small cage with too many other slaves, and soon it began to move. None of the other kids I recognized had been thrown in with me. Shaking, I made myself as small as I could.

I’m scared. Help me. I’m scared.

Something touched—grabbed—my hand. Another slave was holding it. I’d never seen her before, but as soon as I saw those eyes, I could tell.

She’s got emotions. Just like me.

Neither of us could speak or change our expressions. We just sat there, holding hands and cowering.

A long time later, the cage opened, and we were dragged out. It was so sudden that I nearly shouted in surprise, but I managed to control it. I knew something bad would happen if they found out I could make noise. I looked up and saw it: the forest.

The forest! Just like they said...

What followed was worse than anything I’d experienced in my entire life. My whole body screamed with pain. Horrible monsters jumped out from behind the trees. One swiped at me with its claws, and I went tumbling across the dirt.

Is it going to eat me? Am I going to die?

I closed my eyes and waited. I could already feel its hot breath on my neck before the adults came closer, killed it, and ran away.

The same thing happened again and again. A monster would attack me, I’d wait to die, and the adults would rush in and kill it instead. My mind went fuzzy. My body was shaking violently.

Why are they doing this... Am I...?

As my gaze drifted, I caught sight of the girl who’d held my hand in the cage.

Are you next? Run... Run away...

The next moment, I thought I saw a flash of light through my closed eyelids. I didn’t know what it meant, but suddenly warmth flooded my body, and the pain vanished. The heat clung to my back, right where the large pattern marked me. I never needed to check to know exactly where it was because the ache was constant. The adults had called it a slave seal.

I jolted as water landed on my face and opened my eyes to see the girl. Confused, I looked around, and everywhere I turned, I saw more and more of the scary adults lying on the ground. The girl held out her hand, and I took it.

“We have to run,” she said.

Right... Is this it? The chance to run he told us about? He said to run, so we have to run. But first—

I ran back to the cages. If there were any others who could escape, we needed to take them with us. The first cage was already open, but no one reacted when I called out. The response from the slaves in the second cages was the same. They were alive, but their hearts were dead—just like the adults had taught us. We couldn’t help them.

Together, the two of us collected as much food and water as we could from the caravan nearby—and then, we ran. We ran and ran, deeper into the forest and as far away from the scary adults as we could.

If we don’t get away before they wake up, they’ll kill us.

123. The Beastkin Children (2)

— From the Perspective of a Former Slave —

We ran without stopping. We had to get away from the adults before they woke up. The forest was home to all types of dangerous monsters, or so we’d be told. But we were beastkin—and slaves. Even if we made it past the edges of the forest, no one out there would help us. They’d kill us before we could even ask. I thought we’d probably be safer with the monsters in the forest than the adults outside it, and the girl felt the same. We could hear the cries and calls of unseen monsters as we ran, trying to stay hidden while still moving as fast as we could.

I couldn’t keep going forever, though. I began to stumble and stagger, and as much as I tried to force myself to keep moving, it was impossible. The girl was struggling nearly as much as me. We hid ourselves behind a huge tree, breathing as quietly as we could while we waited for our bodies to stop trembling.

They’re probably chasing after us already. They’re gonna find us. I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m scared.

I began to cry, but I made sure to do it silently.

I jolted awake. I couldn’t believe I’d fallen asleep. I scanned the area frantically, but there weren’t any scary adults in sight. Somehow, we were still safe. Beside me, the girl shot to her feet in panicked confusion. She’d fallen asleep too. I signaled to her that everything was fine, and she calmed down a little. Watching the trees nervously, we ate a little bit of the food we’d taken from the caravan.

It wasn’t long before we started hearing the cries of monsters nearby. We had to keep moving. With a nod, we began to run. My body still ached and every step was a struggle, but I knew I couldn’t slow down—even when blood began gushing from the soles of my feet.

If we stopped, we’d be caught.

When we couldn’t run any more, we started walking. We didn’t know where we were heading. The forest was dark, and no matter which direction I looked in, I couldn’t see very far at all. When the usual gloominess gave way to pitch-black darkness, we found another tree to rest behind. We set off again in the morning. We repeated the same pattern for days. Our food ran out, as did our water.

We’re gonna die after all... I don’t wanna die.

I wanted to cry again, but this time, I managed to control it. I squeezed my hand and felt her returning the gesture. It gave me enough strength to keep going.

I heard the trickle of water close by, and my throat, already dry, tightened at the sound. We changed direction, heading for where we thought the sound was coming from. We were barely able to walk now. The steps we took were slow and unsteady, but as we moved, the sound got louder and louder.

We’re nearly there...

I felt relief for only a split second. The next moment, the girl’s hand slid out of mine, and I fell down, down, into the water below. I flailed desperately, splashing my hands and feet against the water, but everything turned to black.

I could hear a voice. It was crying.

My eyes fluttered open, and I saw the girl. She was bleeding all over.

I can’t remember... Oh, we were running away... I heard water... I fell. I’m alive?

The last thought came out as sounds, and the girl nodded.

But if we stay like this...

With her help, I managed to stand up.

Where are we?

This part of the forest was different. I could see farther into the trees here—see the monster as it suddenly appeared from between them. As soon as I looked into its eyes, I knew: This one was different.

Every inch of my body screamed at me to run, but it was too late. I was tired. So tired. Once again, everything faded to black.

I hadn’t expected to wake up again, but when I came to, I was in yet another place. I shouted in surprise, which woke up the girl beside me, and she screamed too. We clung to each other and waited, but nothing came.

They’re not attacking us? But the Furmi...

The adult slaves had warned us about the Furmi, giant monsters that would drag us down into their nests as their dinner. But one of them was right in front of us now, and it wasn’t even moving. They’d told us a lot of things about the monsters in the forest, but I couldn’t remember most of it now.

One thing I did remember, though, was their advice: Choose our response based on whether the monsters were sentient or not. If they were insentient, we needed to run away, or we’d die. If they were sentient, we should leave their territory and beg for their forgiveness. I didn’t really know what they’d meant, and I didn’t know how to tell the difference between sentient and insentient monsters either. The monsters surrounding us now were definitely different from any I’d encountered before, though—but if that meant they were sentient, then leaving their territory was impossible. We were trapped.

What do I do? I—

I froze. A person had appeared.

A person? In the forest, with all these monsters and archbeasts and everything else?

It went against everything I’d ever learned about the forest from the scary adults and the talking slaves. They’d told us humans and monsters were enemies.

Maybe it’s not a human?

I jumped again as light suddenly enveloped me, and the next moment, my injuries were gone. My exhausted body felt lighter than it ever had before, and the lifelong ache on my back vanished without a trace. My hand shot out reflexively and grabbed the human’s before I could stop myself.

It was too late. The human would definitely kill me now.

I closed my eyes and waited, but death didn’t come. Instead, something brushed against my hair. The human was patting my head. I relaxed instantly.

The human was looking at something behind me, so I turned to look too, and screamed. There were golems—lots and lots of golems. The same creatures the slave master liked to use to crush slaves once they were no longer of any use.

We screamed and cried. I’d lost all my strength. There was no way I could run away now.

Suddenly, I felt myself being lifted into the air—no, into the human’s arms. It picked the two of us up and began to move. I was too confused to do anything but hold on as we were carried for a short distance before the human sat down with the two of us, one on each knee. We’d both stopped crying at least. Shock had taken over.

Some of the golems shuffled over, each holding a cup, which the human took, handing one to each of us. The cup was warm, and the liquid inside smelled nice. The human pretended to drink from the cup a few times before actually drinking from it, apparently wanting us to do the same. I took a sip. It was delicious, and my tears welled up again.

Something even warmer and more comforting than the drink was flowing out from the human.

“This human isn’t a bad one... I think we’re safe.” The words spilled out of me unconsciously, followed by the tears; the shock of hearing my own voice left me unable to hold them back any longer.

Gripping our cups, we cried and cried.

124. The Knight (7)

— From the Perspective of the Commander of the First Knight’s Brigade, Kingdom of Empras —

We found out about the complete annihilation of the Fifth Brigade a few days after it happened from a scout we’d sent to the forest. I’d expected as much.

I sighed.

The scout had found two cages, which could only have been used to transport the slaves the Fifth Brigade’s commander had demanded. Both had been empty. Based on the attacks so far, I didn’t think the Fifth Brigade would have been able to sacrifice the slaves before they’d died themselves.

But where did they go, then? Did they escape into the forest? So many of them were already dead inside, though. Would they have run, even if the cage was open?

Thinking about it would get me nowhere. I didn’t know. I probably never would.

I hadn’t seen the king since the attack on the castle, and encounters with any of the mages were also few and far between. I’d made some inquiries as to why, but to no avail. The mages were a tight-lipped bunch—it was part of the reason they were known as the king’s last line of defense. They’d never betray him.

What will he do next, though? The king will never admit defeat. He’d sacrifice every other person in this kingdom if that’s what it took to win. But it’s too late. We’ve already lost.

No matter what we did, I knew we couldn’t defeat the forest. We’d never faced an enemy with such terrible power. All I wanted was to prevent any more of my men from dying in vain, but even that...

I sighed again.

It’s no use. Anything I do now will be pointless.

We’d already been judged, and the forest had found us guilty. Empras had been warned time and time again, and yet we’d chosen defiance. We’d long ago wasted all our chances.

Every room and hallway across the castle was filled with a strange tension: fear and trepidation over when the next attack would strike. And like the latest attack or when the lightning hit, there would be no warning; no approaching army to give us time to prepare. Our enemy couldn’t be seen.

There was no point in trying to reassure those around me in such circumstances. In fact, many of the castle’s residents had already fled.

There was a great deal of unrest among the knights too. The often-bloodthirsty Fifth Brigade hadn’t been well-liked among their comrades, but everyone had acknowledged their strength—and, regardless of their personal feelings toward the brigade, the fear was such that most of them had been secretly hoping for the Fifth’s victory.

That hope had all changed in the blink of an eye when we’d learned of the instant and utter annihilation of the entire Fifth Brigade. The strongest knights among us, gone just like that. Now everyone knew just how powerful a foe we faced. Knights though we were, we’d never had to experience being on the receiving end of an attack, for no one had ever dared to confront Empras. In many ways, this was the first “true” enemy we’d faced. The shock of such a realization must have been severe, and to be honest, I was surprised none of my men had attempted to flee as well.

The closer I got to the war room, the slower my steps became. We’d had the same discussions over and over again for days with no decisions to show for it. I stopped walking completely and turned to stare out the nearby window.

Summer was coming to an end. A cool breeze filtered through a crack in the glass, and I breathed in deeply. It was a pleasant day despite everything. If I closed my eyes, I could convince myself for just a moment that nothing had changed, that everything was as peaceful as it had been before.

No. It had only seemed peaceful to us. In the forest, war had already begun—and we were the ones who started it. This... This is just us reaping what we’ve sown.

My great-grandfather had left behind a diary, and in it, he’d described the forest as it once was. I could still remember what he’d written now, though many years had passed since I’d read it in secret, by the light of a pilfered candle. He’d written of gentle breezes and swaying trees, and hundreds of people gathering to receive the forest’s blessings. He’d written of seeing the monarchs of the forest in their prime, and I’d pored over the words greedily, wanting more than anything to see them with my own eyes. That was the extent of my knowledge of the forest for many years. By the time I was born, Empras had already begun its assault, and no one dared to speak of it.

When I entered the war room, I found a sea of grim expressions staring back at me. My friend, the commander of the Fourth Brigade, was present too, apparently permitted to join us once again.

I guess with the Fifth Brigade gone, we need all the allies we can get.

“Let’s begin.”

Today’s meeting started with a report: the results of the detailed investigation around the loss of the Fifth Brigade. The search for survivors had ended in failure. Not a single knight or mage had been found alive, and no trace could be found of any of the two hundred or so child slaves who’d accompanied them. For the slaves, at least, there was a chance some were still alive, for they’d found many small footprints leading away from the area, though their current whereabouts were unknown.

The latter half of the report concerned the recovery of the bodies. Many of those present tilted their heads in confusion as we heard the numbers, and I did the same. But after confirming the results with the Second Brigade commander, it seemed there was no mistake. Sixty-four bodies had been recovered in total: all knights, no mages.

One hundred twenty-one knights went on that mission, and thirty-five mages... I’m sure of it.

“But that’s all the bodies we recovered.”

Perhaps they were eaten by monsters? No... Ninety-two corpses going missing without a trace is too many, monsters or not. But if not...where did they go?

125. Big Brother, Please! ...Fluffy’s Feet?

I took the two children to meet Eco. I was still hesitating about whether to name them or not.

Without names, trying to get their attention is pretty difficult, but it feels wrong to name them myself... I mean, they’re someone else’s kids.

For a few days now, they’d actually been calling me something. I still had no idea what it meant—heck, I couldn’t even catch the sounds.

Is my listening comprehension really so poor? Is there something wrong with my ears?

Anyway, I’d unilaterally decided that they were calling me “big brother.”

Definitely not “uncle.” Or “gramps.” Although, when I think about the age difference between us... No! It’s definitely “big brother”! I’m positive!

The stick insects graced us with another mysterious dance routine. Thankfully, the water and field amoebas had apparently reached the end of their performance season, and I hadn’t had to suffer through their dancing for the last few days. Unfortunately, that meant today’s visit to the water amoebas entailed the previous form of greeting instead...

It’s getting pretty cold now, so let’s stop with the water fights from now on, okay? Please?

The field amoebas, on the other hand, were a little more restless than usual, having finished their farmwork for the season.

Please stop merging with the dirt and jumping out to surprise me. What? It’s your new hobby since the work ran out? Right...

I hope they get bored of that before they get any better at it. I can still kinda tell when they’re hiding under there right now, but if they master camouflaging...

I sighed.

I’m kinda glad the stick insects didn’t have anything new to show me, actually. Even if I did have to sit through another dance.

I’d come to realize there was actually a range of dance routines in their repertoire, differing based on the direction they spun in, the number of jumps, and so on. The reason I hadn’t noticed before was because they’d been completely out of sync. Recently, though, they’d really started to come together as one troupe—although one of them did still mess up on occasion and spin the wrong way, which I thought was adorable.

We had these kinds of ritualistic dances back in Japan too, I guess... I wonder if they have any meaning here? I’m curious, but I guess I’ll never know.

The smallest stick insect was only around five centimeters tall. It swayed around whenever it got too windy, and I was more than a little concerned that one day it might just end up getting carried away by the breeze.

With my (very important) morning patrol completed, the kids and I headed back to the mountain. Over the past week, the cold had started to set in for real.

Fall is way too short in this world. It’ll be winter in no time at all.

Huh? Oh hey, Flying Lizard... Wait a minute.

It looked like Flying Lizard—in that it was a lizard with wings—but something felt off. I reached out with my mana to inspect the creature.

Fluffy...?

It nodded.

You are Fluffy. Er, is this a growth spurt or something— Hang on!

Fluffy’s a lizard?!

I suppose I did think Fluffy and Flying Lizard got on suspiciously well for two different species, but I can’t believe they were actually the same all along...

Congrats on the growth spurt, Fluffy! I patted the former ball of wool on the head, and Fluffy closed its eyes in apparent happiness. It’s so much easier to read your expressions when you’re not tiny.

Wait, does this mean Marshmallow is also... Yeah, I better mentally prepare myself, just in case.

Still, I can’t believe Fluffy went from a ball of wool to a lizard. Ha ha, it’s kinda like how Japanese amberjack gets called different names depending on what life stage it’s at... No, that’s just the name changing. It’s still a fish the whole time. Er... Butterflies! Yeah, Fluffy’s like a butterfly. Now I get it.

I think I preferred the ball of wool... Nah, it’s still cute as a lizard.

I headed to the lake with Fluffy for our first joint fishing trip in a while. The kids were having an afternoon nap back at the mountain. Watching the dances seemed to make them sleepy.

Wow, I haven’t been here in ages! The lake looks even more beautiful than I remembered. I wonder if it changed when the rest of the forest did too? Hmm... Well, becoming more beautiful can’t be a bad thing, so I probably don’t need to worry about it.

I do feel like the shape has changed a lot, though. There’s heaps of streams coming off it all over the place now. They weren’t there before, were they? There’s no structural problems or anything, I hope...

There’s not? Okay, if you say so.

Eh, maybe the lake just decided to sprout extra streams on its own. I mean, trees can move around of their own volition here. Anything’s possible.

What? There’s more streams heading back toward the mountain too? Yeah, I see them now. I guess that’s fine...as long as they don’t interfere with the fields, that is.

This feels kinda pointless, but I’m gonna ask anyway: Lake, please don’t make any streams through the fields.

Fluffy dove into the lake with a big splash.

So what’re you fishing for today, Fluffy? Wait, is it still fishing when you use your feet?

Hang on, did Fluffy have forefeet before? I swear it didn’t. But then again, it could eat like the rest of us, and even drink wine—that would have been hard without forefeet, right? Feet, Feet... Why can’t I remember?

Another huge fish today, huh? The One Eyes will be happy when they see that.

I took another look at lizard-form Fluffy as it flew overhead, a giant fish clutched in its tiny claws.

I still can’t remember... Maybe I can check Marshmallow.

126. The Treant

— From the Perspective of a Treant Mistaken for a Stick Insect —

We wanted to go with Yggdrasil when it hid itself from the world, but we were still too small, too weak. Being separated from the World Tree was painful beyond description, but we vowed to fulfill our duty as Treants and support Yggdrasil in any way we could as it protected our home.

We wandered the forest for what felt like an eternity until we came across the tree that would become our post. From atop those branches, we could attack any enemy who came into our lands and prevent them from advancing to the center. Though we were weak, if we could reduce Yggdrasil’s burden even a little, we would be satisfied.

I nearly lost myself to the darkness many times, but somehow I persisted, telling myself I would fulfill my duty for as long as possible, even if for just a day longer. Eventually, a time came when I could no longer feel Yggdrasil’s presence. The call of the Magic Eye got stronger, and my days were spent fighting not enemies but myself.

So I decided to sleep, to put myself out of the Magic Eye’s clutches so I would not become the very thing I fought against. The sleeping spell I cast was carefully woven. It had to be to ensure I would never wake again.

I was suddenly awoken by Yggdrasil’s cry. I could hear its voice. I was confused, for I shouldn’t have been able to wake up regardless of who called for me—even the World Tree itself. Nor should I have been able to feel its presence.

It wasn’t the Yggdrasil I’d known, though. Before, its mana had been cold, but the mana reaching out to me now was warm and pleasant. I couldn’t understand what had happened. With nervous steps, I followed the flow of mana back to its source.

What I found at the end of my journey left me dumbstruck. Everything about Yggdrasil had changed since I’d last seen it. The warmth I’d felt—it was the World Tree’s sheer joy.

Some of my brethren had already rejoined Yggdrasil, and I asked them what had occurred. Their response left me even more confused. Supposedly, the World Tree had died—and the one before me now was its reincarnation: a gift from the god of the forest.

The god of the forest...?

I’d never heard of such a being before. According to the others, who’d been by Yggdrasil’s side when the reincarnation had occurred, gods were creatures who provided the forest with what it needed to survive, and therefore, the creature who’d gifted us the reborn World Tree had to be a god. I was amazed. That wasn’t all, though. Not only had Yggdrasil relocated to be closer to the god of the forest, but we Treants had also been permitted to stay by its side.

I first saw the god of the forest for myself soon after. He’d taken the form of a human, but the mana that flowed out of him was gentle and calming, just like Yggdrasil’s.

I never thought I’d get to see Yggdrasil again. I’m glad I was able to wake from my slumber.

A few days later, my brethren and I were wandering through the forest when we came across the water spirits and froze. They were threatening the god of the forest. They only ever surfaced like this during a hunt, towering above the water to unnerve their prey. In times of peace, the elemental spirits subsisted on mana they absorbed from nature. In fact, the very fact they’d needed to start hunting monsters at all had been another indication of the forest’s waning power.

But the god of the forest is here now! His mana flows all around us. So why are you threatening him?! You dare betray our savior?!

I’d been about to approach the traitorous spirits when the water dragon called out to us. I’d thought for a moment it had come to stop the water spirits too, but according to it, they weren’t threatening him at all; instead, they were merely demonstrating their strength for him.

Demonstrating...their strength?

In fact, many of his subjects had gathered in the clearing—including the monarchs and their kin—and were competing in some sort of mock battle for his observation. The water spirits, according to the dragon, were merely attempting to participate in their own way.

When I looked at the water spirits again, I could see the truth in the dragon’s words.

I don’t know if it’s because they’re so happy to be acknowledged by him, but something’s making their mana turn warm and gentle... Doesn’t that go against the very idea of being threatening?

The water dragon was watching the spirits with a troubled expression.

I think I might be right.

The earth spirits, who were the next to demonstrate their tactical prowess to the god, weren’t any better at hiding their joy. The earth dragon, who was watching from nearby, seemed to be at its wits’ end.

What?! We’re going next?! No, no. It’s impossible.

Most of the other Treants felt the same. I’d forgotten all of our dances over the course of my lengthy slumber. After a quick discussion, it was decided we would instead perform the following day. Our chosen routine, of course, was to be the Treant’s widely feared “Dance of Destruction.”

Time to start practicing... Hm? You forgot too? Let’s rehearse together, then.

Huh? Which way was I meant to turn next? Right, I think. And then I jump... No, that was wrong. Do you remember the next part?

You don’t... Someone help us!

Spin to the right. Jump. Jump. Spin to the right, as hard as I can— Whoa!

I messed up more than once during the actual performance. The god of the forest was looking at me with a very concerned expression.

I need to practice more! I’ll get better, and then he will— Huh? We’re doing the Dance of Annihilation tomorrow instead?!

Someone! Anyone! Please teach me from the beginning...

Wait, what? My mana was? Really...

As it turned out, it was impossible to fully suppress the joy that radiated from within me whenever the god of the forest observed our performances.

Is that any better? A little? How much was I letting out before? Oh. I’ll have to be more careful.

What?! I sent a destruction spell right at him?! Oh no, I must have lost control of my mana again! I can’t believe it didn’t affect him in the slightest... The god of the forest truly is powerful.

Yes, I know I have to work on my control! I get it!

Tomorrow... Tomorrow, I’m going to prove myself for sure!

127. Names...and Even More Streams.

It seemed like the two beastkin were getting used to life at the mountain. They’d stopped trembling whenever they saw the clay dolls, no matter how many of them were in the room. They’d even finally managed to say good morning to Shuri. While they were fairly comfortable around the canines, for some reason, they seemed to be uniquely terrified of the giant ant.

Are beastkin and ants natural enemies or something? Actually, they were pretty frightened of Spider Boss too. Maybe it’s an insect thing? Nah, they didn’t have any problems with the stick insects... Oh well. It’s all in the past. Everything’s fine these days... I think?

Now they’d adjusted to life here, it was high time for me to give the kids names. I was getting really sick of trying to catch their attention with “Oy!” or “Kids!” Hopefully, at some point, the opportunity would come for me to find out the names their parents had given them, but until then they’d just have to make do with the ones I’d chosen for them.

There was one boy and one girl. At first, I’d actually thought both were boys, and it had been a real shock when I discovered I was wrong. I’d frantically asked the Three Eyes to make some new clothes for her, to which they’d reacted with suspicious enthusiasm. By the next day, they’d already finished sewing at least ten outfits for each kid.

Are they running a sweatshop or something? Also, why are these dolls so determined to make everyone wear skirts?!

I’d immediately returned the boy’s share of the skirts to the Three Eyes, who weren’t pleased.

After much struggling, I was able to decide on names for the two kids. I named the girl “Usa,” which came from the kanji for “gentle” and “blossom,” in the hope her life would be gentle and full. For the boy, I decided on “Kuhi,” using the kanji for “sunlight” and “sparkle.” Hopefully, he’d have a warm heart and a bright future.

Hmm... Yep, excellent. Great job, me.

Unfortunately, though I was extremely satisfied with my choices, the two kids didn’t seem so sure.

Wait, maybe they just don’t understand?

I said each name again while patting them on the head in turn.

Okay, they responded this time. Phew. That could’ve been much hard—

Usa and Kuhi burst into tears.

Er... Maybe they don’t like them after all? Crap.

I started to panic. Thankfully, by the time I’d calmed down, Usa and Kuhi were already testing out each other’s names, though the unfamiliar sounds came out slightly stilted.

I think it’s fine to assume they like them. Such a relief... I probably need to stop panicking so much.

I knew it was getting colder, but it’s snowing already, huh... When it piles up just a little more, Marshmallow will be able to come aboveground again. Right, I wanted to check if Marshmallow had feet!

Unfortunately, I’d remembered too late. When I went into the cellar to check, Marshmallow had already turned into a lizard, just like Fluffy.

If only I checked yesterday... Still, it’s weird I can’t remember if either of them had feet or not. I guess they might have just carried things in their mouths? Or with magic? Oh well, there’s no point dwelling on it now. If Marshmallow or Fluffy ever have babies, I’ll definitely remember to check then!

Wait, are they male or female? I don’t know where you’re meant to check when it comes to lizards... I’ll just wait patiently and see if any babies come along.

What’s... Wait, seriously?!

Something caught my eye as soon as I went outside to check on the snow conditions. Careful not to step off the cobblestone path that led beyond the fields, I made my way toward the forest, and soon enough, my suspicions were confirmed. A new stream had appeared, extending all the way to the edge of the cleared land around the mountain.

I’m sure there was no river here yesterday.

I could see more glimpses of icy blue between the gaps in the forest ahead.

Are these all connected to the lake?

Oh, Spider Boss. The river, er... Hm.

I pointed to the river that was now precariously close to the fields, and asked if everything would be okay. “Okay” was one of the first words the animals had picked up on, probably because I said it all the time. Right now, the extent of our communication was me pointing to something, asking if it was okay, and hoping my conversation partner could accurately join the dots. It was a rather ambiguous method of communication, but I was just grateful they could understand me at all.

Spider Boss nodded—that means the river won’t keep extending into the fields, right? I really, really hope that’s the case...

There’s so many new streams in the forest, though. Parallel worlds sure are crazy. Trees can move around on their own, lakes can make new rivers overnight— Wait, this isn’t gonna spark any tree-lake turf wars, is it?

I got Spider Boss’s attention again and pointed to the river and the forest in turn, before throwing a few shadow punches. It was another sign they’d learned the meaning of, given how often I used it as an example of what not to do while (unsuccessfully) trying to break up their weekly drunken brawls.

Spider Boss reckons there’s not gonna be any problems... I think? I’m not sure if I actually got the message across. Hmm... Yeah, should be fine. Spider Boss doesn’t seem worried or anything.

Hey, water amoebas. Oh... Dancing again, huh...? There’s even more of you. You multiplied again? I didn’t even notice... Wow, great. Thanks. You’re all so talented.

I applauded, mostly because I’d realized they usually settled down after I did so.

Time to head back, I think. Before any of the others start dancing.

I could already see several groups of amoebas scattered along the river.

Gotta stay on my guard.

Yeah, there’s plenty of coverage. I think it’ll be safe for Marshmallow and the snow amoeba to come outside starting tomorrow.

128. The Kingdom of Entall

— From the Perspective of the Captain of the Entallian Knights —

“At ease.”

Once I’d confirmed the knights were indeed taking a break, I also sat down on a somewhat comfortable boulder and surveyed my surroundings. My eyes stopped on the former Empran slave sitting nearby.

The slaves had come to Entall in the summer of the previous year, asking for shelter and assistance. Many had thought it a trap, but our mages had examined their seals thoroughly, and they’d been confident in their findings: Though the slave seals were still etched into their skin, they’d lost all effectiveness. That had been enough evidence to convince most Entallians that the slaves had not been sent as spies. Still, the seals were incredibly powerful magic, so naturally, the particulars of how they’d managed to free themselves was the next subject to be investigated. That was when we’d discovered that it apparently had something to do with the topic on everyone’s lips—the white flashes of light coming from the forest.

Despite devoting all their energy to researching the light, the mages had yet to discover anything concrete about it. So when a clue had arrived in a most unexpected form, their excitement had been tremendous; some might have considered it terrifying, even. From what we could deduce from the slaves’ statements, those in Empras had been just as shocked by the light as we were, if not more. Apparently, when it came to their kingdom, the light had been the harbinger of attacks—yet they knew as little as we did about the true nature of said light. With this new information, the mages were preparing for another, more extensive survey of the forest, the largest in scope in several years. The regular surveys they carried out had noted a change in the forest, along with the frequent blinding flashes. We just hadn’t realized how immense that change might have been.

My gaze shifted from the former slave to the forest around us. It has changed—or rather, it’s changing...

“Captain, a monster—!”

I could see it too—a single monster had appeared out of nowhere, far too close for comfort. It was huge. Everyone sprang to their feet simultaneously, ready for battle.

“Hold your positions,” I whispered hurriedly. “It’s not moving.”

Strange. Why isn’t it attacking? Is it weighing up the situation? Trying to throw us off?

The standoff continued, which gave me the opportunity to observe the monster more intently. It was its eyes that confused me most.

It almost seems intelligent... Sentient. I don’t think anything that dwells in the forest could still retain their presence of mind after all these years...

But the monster seemed too calm for me to ignore my suspicions, even if my hands were shaking from fear. “Sorry, we didn’t mean to disturb you. We’d just like to look around a little, if you’d allow us.”

The troubled whispering coming from the soldiers around me didn’t surprise me. After all, the idea of communicating with a monster was absurd in these times.

But the look in those eyes...

Long ago, vassals of the beast monarchs had each protected their own section of the forest. The vassals had been sentient and highly intelligent, and beastkin and elves alike had enjoyed a favorable relationship with their kinds. Though my partial elf blood granted me a longer life than others, I’d never seen a vassal with my own eyes. I’d heard about them from my father, though, often enough that his words had been all but etched into my brain.

Whenever you meet a monster, always, always make sure you look them in the eye.

The monster growled, and I involuntarily clutched my sword handle a little tighter. But nothing came. The monster turned and retreated into the forest. Within seconds, it had vanished.

“Is it... Is it actually letting us pass?” I heard someone murmur. They all stared at where the monster had been, dumbfounded. I was just as shocked.

Was it actually a vassal? And in that case... Have the monarchs started to regain their power?

“C-Captain, was that—?”

“No. We can’t be sure yet. We’ll keep looking.”

I’d thought—we’d all thought—that the forest was beyond revival, but... Is it foolish to take this as a sign? Surely. I just need some more definite proof, even just a little...

“Calm down, everyone! Don’t forget where we are. Once we’re ready, we’ll resume the survey.”

As I’d expected, the forest had transformed. It was barely the same place I knew. The influence of the Magic Eye had grown weak and had even vanished entirely from some swathes of the trees. Between them, I could see countless twisting rivers—or the “blessings of the forest,” as some called those glistening streams. They were no longer the black, stagnant mimicries I’d seen the last time I’d set foot in this area a few years prior.

“Aa— Aaah!”

“Shut it! This is the forest, you idiot!”

“B-B-But...”

I want to punch him.

I spun around to glare at my vice captain, irritation prickling—only to find him staring into the sky, mouth agape in a nearly comical way. He looked so foolish that my anger instantly gave way to curiosity, and I followed his gaze.

I clamped a hand over my mouth to stifle the shout. On the inside, though, I was screaming. My heart felt as though it was about to burst from my chest. For what he’d seen in the sky—what I was now witness to—was something all had thought no longer inhabited our world. A monarch reborn.

A phoenix.

Vivid red feathers encased in a cloak of flames, just as I’d seen in pictures. There was no mistaking it.

“Send word! The king must know of this!” I hissed, fighting to keep my voice low. Immediately, the mages began to prepare a spell. Within minutes, the king would know of what we’d seen, and the apprehensions I knew he’d had about sending so many of his subjects into the forest would vanish in a heartbeat.

129. The Kingdom of Entall (2)

— From the Perspective of the Captain of the Entallian Knights —

I could tell that the thrill of spotting the phoenix had dulled the knights’ sense of danger. If we carried on with them so unfocused, it could lead to injury—or worse.

Here’s probably as decent a campsite as we’re gonna find anyway. They’ll hopefully come to their senses soon enough.

“At ease. We’ll make camp here for the night.”

Though we’d covered a significant distance today, no one was showing any sign of fatigue, likely thanks to their collective excitement.

We all need to rest and refocus, or else who knows what might happen.

“I’ll check the perimeter. You two, with me,” I said, signaling to the vice captain and my adjutant.

“Yes, sir!”

Answering quickly is the only thing they’re good for... I sighed. A hotheaded second-in-command and an absent-minded adjutant—I don’t know what I was thinking when I picked these two.

“I felt it during the survey last month as well, but it really is different in here these days,” the vice captain said casually.

“Ah.” I said, after a pause. “Right, you were part of the last survey team, weren’t you?”

He turned to me, frowning. “Captain, you were the one who sent me to join the team! Did you forget? I reported back to you, right? I even made you a copy of the findings!”

“Of course I remember...” I trailed off, chuckling awkwardly. “Well, it looks like the perimeter’s safe. Let’s head back.”

I could feel him glaring at me, but I didn’t pay it any mind. It wasn’t an uncommon reaction when it came to him.

A flash of blue caught my attention. Through a gap between the trees, I could see one of the new streams, and I pushed through the branches for a closer look. There was something in the water. It was transparent; the only way I knew something was actually there was the unnatural flow of water around it.

Must be one of those “spirit” things.

“There’s something in the river, isn’t there?” asked the vice captain. He couldn’t see it either—not properly. If I had a little bit more of a knack for magic, I’d probably be able to see its real form. Right now, though, it was beyond my abilities.

I’d love to see a spirit, even just once.

There was a sudden gust of wind, and with it came the ominous feeling of something nearby. Beside me, the vice captain’s hand tightened on his sword, mirroring my own, while my adjutant gripped his bow. My gaze swept the trees, searching.

Something was approaching—a lot of somethings. I just couldn’t tell what they were. The shadows left by the Magic Eye had gradually faded, but it was still nearly impossible to use magic to scan my surroundings within the forest. Unfortunately, that meant I had no idea whether the swarm closing in was monsters, archbeasts, or vassals—or something worse.

Vassals don’t tend to amass in groups, or so the stories go. Which means it must be monsters or archbeasts.

To my right, my adjutant drew an arrow. Whatever they were, they were getting closer. My eardrums vibrated, the sound of rustling leaves competing against the thumping of my quickening heartbeat.

Simultaneously, there were two flashes of movement. The first was in front of me, as something rushed out from the tree line; the second came from beside me, as my adjutant loosed his arrow, his face paling in shock even as he did so. I knew why in an instant, for the swarm emerging from the trees wasn’t monsters or archbeasts—it was children. Beastkin children.

I threw up a defensive spell in the direction of the children, but I knew it was already too late—the arrow would surely find its mark. Just as the arrow was about to strike, however, a curtain of white light shrouded the children, stopping the arrow dead. It fell to the ground, and I heard choked sighs of relief from beside me on either side. I couldn’t take my eyes off the scene unfolding before me, though, as more and more figures emerged from between the shadowy trees.

“I’m beat.”

There had been 198 children in total. All of them were around five or six years old, and all of them bore a slave seal. If not for the former slave I’d asked to accompany us on this survey, I doubted we’d have been able to keep the two-hundred-odd kids in check.

Still, to think he’d end up being the one using the commands he once responded to back in Empras, even if just to keep them all from panicking... It’s kinda ironic.

Hours had passed since we’d discovered the children—or rather, since they’d discovered us. The morning sun filtered through the leaves overhead.

I can’t believe I’ve been up all night.

I sighed, stretching my back.

“Pardon me, Captain.”

I turned to the source of the voice. It was Kaju, the former slave in question. I’d charged him with calming the children down and figuring out where they’d come from.

“Not at all. I’m glad you were here, Kaju.”

He smiled at the simple praise, seemingly delighted.

The children were all slaves of Empras; he’d confirmed as much from the design of their seals. Just like him, those seals had lost all effectiveness. There was one major difference between Kaju and the children, though: The children had someone protecting them. Someone had cast the spell that had repelled my adjutant’s arrow.

But who—or what? It was white light again, just like the flashes. Bet that’s got the mages all worked up... Hopefully they don’t scare the kids—

“What?” I stammered, my wandering thoughts interrupted by the end of Kaju’s last sentence.

Did he just say monsters brought them food?

He had, as it turned out. According to the children, they’d survived by eating food brought to them by various monsters throughout their journey. I wasn’t sure whether or not I could believe them.

“Captain, Captain!” cried one of the mages as he sprinted up to us. “The children—their protection—defended...” He paused, hopefully (I thought) collecting his thoughts along with his breath. “The magic protecting the children is the same—or incredibly similar to—the magic flowing all throughout the forest!”

I had no idea what he was saying. “Well, is it the same, or is it just similar?”

“Yes, it’s similar! So similar that the two are indistinguishable! The same thing!”

I’m never gonna get a straight answer out of him in this state. Still, if it is the same as the magic on the wind...

According to the old stories and records, the wind flowing throughout the forest carried with it the mana of the World Tree.

But that would mean... Wait, is the World Tree protecting them? No, it could just be something similar. But what would have mana equivalent to that of the World Tree? I don’t—

Oh. A monarch would. Or rather, monarchs.

“Break camp! We’re heading home!”

Whatever the true nature of this situation was, it was definitely more than I could handle alone.

130. The Vassal

— From the Perspective of a Vassal to a Forest Monarch —

The breeze was pleasant today, as was the forest in general. There were still areas here and there where the disgusting touch of the Magic Eye could be felt keenly, but even they were slowly fading. All was well. Gone were the days of being locked in endless darkness. Now, I was free. I ran through the trees, feeling the embrace of Yggdrasil’s mana wherever I turned. The embrace felt very different compared to how it had all those years ago, but in truth, I preferred it now. It made me feel whole.

What...? I knew it! Something’s here!

Humans again?! No, something’s different about these ones... They’re oddly small, and there’re far too many of them. It doesn’t matter! If they’re here to harm the forest, I’ll stop them!

I readied myself to attack, but—

What?! Yggdrasil is embracing them... Does that mean I’m not allowed to attack them? I assume so... Oh, I made them cry. Sorry, small ones. I didn’t know.

I heard a growl.

Human-things don’t growl, so what was that noise? Oh, it came from the small one’s stomach. It’s hungry, I think... Nothing to concern myself with. Farewell, small ones.

But they’re so small. Will they survive? The World Tree is protecting them—perhaps I should help them? I can bring them some food, at least. What do they eat, though? I could hunt a monster for them... I better ask the others.

...

You think I’m a fool?! I’m telling the truth! There really are some small human-things, and the World tree is protecting them! Come see for yourself... Oy, don’t run off without me!

I told you I wasn’t making it up! So what do you think? Should I hunt something and leave it for them?

You think I need to cook it first? What—? Oh, like with fire? I’ve heard it tastes better raw, though... This is hard. I’ll bring them some fruit instead.

This one... Oh, it’s poisonous? Huh. What about this one? It’s fine... Great. Hey, wait! I found it first!

Here, small ones... You’re not going to eat?

Okay, they’re eating now. Good. Looks like they were quite hungry.

“What are we going to do?” What do you mean? Oh, what are we going to do with the small ones? Hmm... Should we show them the way out of the forest? Yes, I think so too. If they wander around much more, they’ll end up at the center. Yes, we’ll take them to the outer edge. Do you think this will be enough food for— No, they’ve already eaten it all. I’ll get some more.

More human-things. Large ones. A group of them. Maybe the small ones will be safe with them? Hmm... I’ll observe them for a bit.

They don’t seem too dangerous. Okay, I’ll try revealing myself to them. If they try to attack, they’re not safe to leave the small ones with.

They passed my test.

They’ll take care of the small ones. They’ll be safe, I’m sure of it... What?! I’m not crying! Don’t be ridiculous! Hmph!

131. Three Eyes, Time to Shine! ...Wings?

“Fast fashion” took on a whole new meaning in this world, thanks to the combined efforts of the Three Eyes and the giant silkworms. However, their work tended to blatantly reflect their own tastes, as evidenced by the frequently reappearing skirts. At the moment, they seemed to be obsessed with ribbons. Usa’s ribbon-adorned outfits were cute, but I knew I’d have to put a stop to things before things got too out of hand.

However, while we were never short on clothing, the problem was shoes. Until a few months ago, I’d still been wearing the rubber-soled sneakers I’d arrived in, but by that point, they were hanging together by a thread. I’d needed to replace them, but the “rubber” part had caused me a lot of difficulty. I knew what rubber was, of course, but I had no idea how to make it. I knew it came from trees, but beyond that, I was clueless. The idea of searching for rubber trees when I didn’t even know what they looked like was pointless, and so, I’d given up on the hunt for rubber before it even began.

With sneakers out of the question, I’d instead decided to try my hand at making sandals, specifically woven sandals. Making them, as far as I knew, was as simple as drying wheat stalks and weaving them together—easy enough, or so I’d thought. Unfortunately, I’d overlooked the fact that I had no idea how to weave anything, and the sandals plan had ended in utter failure.

Guess wearing sandals a few times doesn’t automatically mean I know how to make them...

After I’d recovered from my sandal-induced funk, I’d given in and asked the Three Eyes for their help. Considering how ambiguous the plan I sketched out for them had been, I had to give them credit for the shoes they’d come up with. The first prototype they’d produced resembled geta, the Japanese-style wooden sandals with leather straps. While they were perfectly wearable, it turned out geta weren’t really optimal footwear for forest life. I had enough trouble remaining vertical as it was.

Their next attempt was a revision of the geta design, with additional straps to properly secure the wooden planks to my feet. The final result looked like someone at the sandal factory had gone haywire. The new geta stayed on my feet nicely, but the tight fit just made the wooden soles feel even more painful. I knew I would get used to it eventually, but the Three Eyes opted for an immediate alteration instead. After measuring the size and shape of my feet, they carved the wood to fit my feet like a glove.

I’ve heard of custom-made shoes, but I don’t think anyone’s ever bothered with custom-made geta before...

Regardless, the geta were perfect. I could walk or run through the forest with ease, even more so after the Three Eyes at some point added grooves to make them nonslip. I chose to believe it was out of affection for me, rather than concern.

However, while the geta had been fine for the warmer seasons, winter was a whole different story. At the end of the day, sandals were sandals, and snow was cold. I’d been planning to make do with layer after layer of socks, but the Three Eyes were a force to be reckoned with. The next day, they dropped off a pair of winter shoes for me. As always, I was shocked by the level of craftsmanship.

Seriously, what are you guys?

They’d used thick leather lined with fur to make the soles and thinner leather for the rest of the shoe. It looked like they’d made the most of the natural shape of the leather to conform to the contours of my feet perfectly, but in the end, I had no idea whether or not that was the case.

Either way, these are amazing. Great job, guys.

Impressed, I glanced toward the Three Eyes, who each stood up tall and gave me a thumbs-up.

I have no idea where you learned that gesture... Oh well. I’m just thankful.

They’d also made shoes for Usa and Kuhi, who timidly offered their own appreciation for the footwear. Though the kids were still terrified of the clay dolls, they no longer cowered whenever one was near, which I thought was pretty good progress.

With my new shoes snugly tied, I went outside to see how they felt in the snow.

Crap. Yeah, I don’t know why I assumed they would have waterproofed them.

My feet were freezing.

Oh no, the Three Eyes are watching— No, they’re perfect, I swear! No problems here!

A few days later, several pairs of waterproof shoes appeared in the rack beside the door.

Thank you. I’m sorry.

The kids had also started getting used to the weekly Drunken Brawl Parties. I’d debated various names for our weekly drinking parties, but since the main feature of them was alcohol-fueled violence, “Drunken Brawl Parties” seemed to fit better than anything else I came up with.

To be fair, I think I was pretty drunk when I decided to name them in the first place... Oh well. Drunken Brawl Parties it is!

The first time Usa and Kuhi attended one of the Drunken Brawl Parties, they’d immediately screamed and fainted. I still felt quite bad about it. I’d developed a tolerance toward the egregious displays of drunken violence, so I’d forgotten just how terrifying they could be. I felt awful enough when they fainted but even worse after they woke up, crying and clinging to each other in terror.

I’m really, really sorry. You’ll get used to it, I promise.

And they had; these days, I’d even caught them leaning forward in excitement to watch the fights—until Spider Boss or one of the others began firing off spells with reckless abandon anyway. Even I still hid whenever that happened.

I must be drunk, ha ha. Flying Lizard’s wings look huge for some reason. Actually, it looks huge in general... Um... It is a lizard, right?

132. The Earth Dragon

— From the Perspective of a Dragon Mistaken for a Lizard —

As the World Tree’s strength returned with each passing day, I could feel my own mana growing stronger and stronger. While it was still a far cry from the power I’d once held, the thought that I’d been so close to oblivion just months ago now seemed like a foolish nightmare. And as my mana started to return to its natural state, so did my body.

Aah... Sure enough, flying with wings feels much nicer than just using magic.

Flying had never been my strong point, but there was something to be said for drifting over the ever-changing forest, taking in the sight of a land on the mend. I could feel Yggdrasil’s mana permeating each tree and boulder, just as it permeated my own body. The Magic Eye’s touch was barely noticeable anymore.

All thanks to Master.

I landed in the clearing in front of our dwelling. The forest monarch who’d come to be known as Spider Boss was waiting for me, as was the Fenrir queen, Koa.

“It’s been a while since you’ve flown so high, hasn’t it?”

I shrugged at the question. She was right: Once I’d begun to feel myself weakening, I’d devoted my mana to protecting my body rather than squandering it away on flight. After meeting Master and beginning to heal, I’d floated around quite a few times, but floating and flying were very different things.

“What about you two? You seem to look rather different than I recall.”

Spider Boss and Koa simply smirked in response.

Strange creatures.

In the past, the two monarchs had been constantly at odds. I no longer remembered the reason for their rivalry, just that they had always been fighting about one thing or another.

I took another look at the two monarchs before me now. In particular, it was their size that had changed the most. The Fenrir I remembered racing through the skies had been much smaller, and the Chuearenie I’d known—manipulating fire at will and darting between the trees—had been about half the size. Not to mention she had wings now where there’d previously been spikes.

Even among the monarchs, we dragons had been unparalleled when it came to matters of magic. Therefore, the ultimate responsibility of protecting the forest had fallen to us. When those first dark tendrils had woven their way through the forest, we’d followed them to their source and launched one attack after another at the heart of the problem—the Magic Eye itself.

We’d underestimated it, and we’d overestimated ourselves. Though we’d exhausted most of our mana in the attempt, the Eye hadn’t shattered as we’d hoped. Weakened, we retreated back into the forest. It was impossible to describe just how deeply we regretted our naivety, our failure to truly see the threat the humans had posed.

Still, we’d continued to resist. Our bodies shrank and withered, as we devoted the mana needed to maintain our formidable size instead to the protection of our home. Even as our former magnificence faded, the humans still sought us out, for it was well known that they coveted the blood and meat of dragons.

Be it large or small, a dragon was still a dragon, with power flowing in its veins and under its skin. I couldn’t let myself fall into our enemy’s hands. Though I knew the surest way to prevent such a thing from occurring was to die by my own hand in a place they could never reach me, it wasn’t that simple. For we dragons played another role in the forest—that of the divine beasts. Our deaths would bring the forest’s certain demise. By that point, I could no longer remember what it meant to be a divine beast, just that death was not an option. We had to keep ourselves out of the enemy’s clutches in a different way.

The fire dragon was the first among us to make a decision. Already minuscule in size, it transformed itself into a strange, unfamiliar form, unrecognizable as the mighty dragon it had once been. The rest of us followed suit, disguising ourselves like cowardly spies.

After we’d gone into hiding, there were few monarchs left to continue defending the forest. The humans immediately began marching toward the center, and in response, the remaining monarchs made themselves larger, driving the humans back at every attempt. Changing one’s body to become larger took a far greater toll than making oneself smaller, but by doing so, they fought to instill terror in the humans, to show them that all monarchs—not just the dragons—were creatures to be feared. In the grand scheme of things, however, they hadn’t had much choice. They were running out of time.

“If they’ve taken a liking to their new forms, I fail to see the problem,” came a voice from behind me—Karen, the phoenix. Her support for Koa and Spider Boss’s increased size didn’t surprise me, considering she’d grown several times larger than the two of them combined. I turned around to find her holding a barrel.

Wine? The golems will be furious, you know... They asked you to bring it? Well, if you say so.

“Now come and join us, Flying Lizard. How about a little bout for old times’ sake?”

The drink Master called “wine” had the unusual effect of making the drinker happy.

That’s right. The past is in the past. Yggdrasil is blossoming, and the forest is healing. The monarchs are on friendly terms, and the other mighty creatures are gathering here too. All will be well—and hopefully, the fire dragon and the wind dragon will find their way here someday too.

I’m not gonna lose to you, Karen. Master, look at me! I’m starting to look like my old self again!

133. Koa, Queen of the Fenrir (3)

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

I remembered things as they once were, days spent racing through the skies, my brethren at my side.

Compared with now, I was much smaller back then... I was faster too. I suppose colossification affected me more than I realized. It matters not. I can still fly just as well as I could before, and in this form, my back is wide enough to carry Master.

I glanced to the side, observing Spider Boss as she enjoyed yet another bowl of wine. Come to think of it...

I shifted my gaze, seeking out the Arumearenie. They were playing with the Garm pups in a corner of the clearing, shooting out strands of thin, nearly translucent string.

“Your children have developed a rather unusual ability, Spider Boss.”

The first time I’d seen the Arumearenie make their webs, I found it hard to believe they were actually her children. Frankly, the idea of any of her kind shooting out bits of string was ridiculous.

“When Master found us, he sent us a vision of creatures that looked like us, swinging back and forth on ropes of their own creation. That’s why they evolved so.”

“Oh, really?”

If Master required the Arumearenie to hold such an ability, I could understand their eagerness to evolve.

But just for string, though?

All those years ago, I’d gone through a similar change of my own, giving up a significant part of my mana to increase my size. It had nearly killed me. At the time, it had been necessary, but I never wanted to experience such pain again. Changing one’s very nature took a heavy toll.

How much suffering did they go through just to become able to produce string?

“Master keeps a few Suwasowa in the dwelling. They assisted us with the technique.” Spider Boss continued.

“What do you mean?”

Suwasowa shoot poison-laden threads at their prey, to be sure. Though the ones under the care of the golems had become rather strange... They helped you?

“We lacked the innate functions needed to make ‘webs,’ as Master calls them. The Suwasowa shared their cores with us.”

“You... You absorbed the core of a different species?”

The sheer thought of it was terrifying. The mana of two different species was rarely compatible. If a creature absorbed a core—a node of pure magical energy—but couldn’t adapt to the unfamiliar mana, their body would violently reject the intruder. More often than not, said rejection would result in the creature’s death. It was a reckless, dangerous act.

I can’t believe your children dared to do such a thing without your approval... What did you do when you realized they could suddenly make webs?

You went to acquire a core for yourself? Of course you did. You’ve always been competitive to a fault—even when it comes to your own kin, apparently.

What?! Hand over your throne to one of your children?! Don’t be ridiculous. If they want it, let them come and take it from you! It’ll be a long time before one of them can defeat you. Your place is at Master’s side, just as mine is... Hmph. A throne is not something to be given so easily, Chuearenie.

Speaking of successors, can any more of your children produce those “webs”?

Only two others? So only a few have actually evolved, then... Good. At least they haven’t inherited your competitive nature—

Ow! Don’t hit me, Arumearenie brats! I was just saying that you haven’t evolved—

You haven’t given up yet? I see... Maybe you shou— No, no. Good luck.

Good grief...

Spider Boss, are their webs black now? Yes, I thought so. So not only can they make webs, but now they can change the color too? Yes, I suppose it makes sense. The Suwasowa do have a similar ability, don’t they? Black webs... An excellent weapon to have at one’s disposal at night, I can imagine. Perhaps you do need to be concerned about your throne being stolen—

No, I said nothing. Don’t glare at me so.

Oh, that’s one of the pups I birthed, I believe... What? What manner of magic is it using? Hmph. When did you learn such a spell, pup? Yes, you’re doing well. Keep it up.

Spider Boss, come spar with me. These brats are dreaming if they think I’ll be handing over my rightful place anytime soon!

134. I’ve Seen This Before... Cave Amoeba.

The world outside was draped in white, as far as the eye could see. It was the second “winter” I’d experienced since arriving in this world.

It’s really cold.

I ventured out onto the deck. I’d previously cast a barrier to cover the entire wooden area with the addition of a warming spell. If I stayed on the deck, I was able to check on the conditions outside without freezing through and through. In the adjacent clearing, Fluffy and Marshmallow were fighting—

No, training? Yeah, I think they’re training.

The two lizards were both standing on their hind legs, arms locked as they grappled.

It’s like something I saw in an online video... Wait, maybe it was in an animal documentary? Yeah, that’s right. It was about monitor lizards—two monitor lizards were fighting in the middle of a city and holding up traffic. These two are even bigger than the ones in the video, though...

Oh, water attack! Nice dodge, Marshmallow.

Oh, Marshmallow can use ice magic?

Monitor lizards can’t use magic, can they...? This is like the parallel world version of that video, I guess.

“Good morning...”

I turned around to find Kuhi and Usa, apparently having just finished their breakfast. Both were wearing new, warm-looking winter coats.

Three Eyes, you guys are seriously amazing.

“Good morning,” I said. To my relief, the beastkin kids had started speaking up first on occasion, instead of waiting to be spoken to. They’d also stopped shaking quite as much whenever they came across some of the animals fighting—no, training.

They’re getting comfortable here... Hopefully that’s a good thing. I want to believe it’s a good thing.

Kuhi and Usa stared nervously at the lizards.

Honestly, I think they look pretty cute when they’re fighting. Although I guess the water and ice shooting out of their mouths is a little scary... Okay, very scary. I get it, kids.

The two kids sat down next to me on the bench. Seconds later, a One Eye bustled outside, a tray of hot drinks in hand.

Y’know, I only started thinking about this recently, but the One Eyes are like perfect maids... No, that’s not quite right. Secretaries? Butlers? Either way, they’re amazing.

I glanced at one of the clay dolls working nearby. Despite already cleaning the table with magic, it was now, for some reason, wiping the surface down with a cloth.

I should probably come up with some work for them to do, but... Yeah, it’s no good. There isn’t anything to do.

Oh, the kid ants are out and about! Not often I get to see you when the weather’s like this.

A group of adorable (though still too big for my taste) insects were marching toward the kitchen in a single line.

Hungry, are you? Maybe I should go with you... Nah, who am I kidding? The One Eyes control the pantry here. Make sure you get permission from them before you take anything, okay? You know what’ll happen if you don’t!

I’d seen it more times than I could count—kid ants being chased (if not thrown) from the kitchen by the clay dolls for trying to pilfer wine or snacks.

It hasn’t happened for a while, though, come to think of it. Maybe they finally learned their lesson?

I snuck a glance toward the kitchen, where a very smug-looking One Eye was observing the patiently waiting ants.

Yeah, looks like everything’s fine.

Still, I wonder why the lizards are training even when the weather’s like this. Aren’t they cold? Spider Boss and Shuri seem to hate this time of year, but these guys seem fine—

A chill went down my spine as I felt something—mana. Something—or someone—was nearby. The animals seemed to sense it too, looking around for the intruder, but there was no sign of it.

Strange. If I can sense its mana so strongly, it should be close enough for me to see it too.

My intuition (or whatever it was) for detecting mana had really improved since I’d arrived here, so I could usually get a good sense of what and where something was without even trying. I was also very good at telling whether or not that “something” wanted to kill me. The creature I could sense now didn’t seem to be hostile, but it was definitely close, and the fact that I couldn’t see it scared me. I crept to the edge of the deck and peered down.

“Argh!”

I shouted as a clump of the snow shot upward, leaving a round cavity from which, to my surprise, an amoeba emerged.

Hang on, aren’t you the one I met back in that cave? Why’d you come all the way here? And why are you staring at me like that?! It’s kinda creepy.

Er, what do I do here?

Marshmallow, you okay? The lizard looked just as surprised as I must have.

Um, do you know this amoeba? Is it the snow amoeba’s friend or something?

Marshmallow nodded once, before crawling into the hole the new amoeba had made and disappearing from sight.

Er... Well, Marshmallow nodded, so that must mean everything’s okay. Still, the cave is really far away from here. Did the amoeba burrow through the snow the whole way here? That’s pretty impressive...

Oh, more tea! Yeah, I’ll have some. Thanks, One Eye.

How come it tastes so much better when they make it...

135. A Bright Red Friend...and a Most Unexpected Answer.

When Marshmallow eventually returned, it was with a red ball of wool slung across its back...

No, it’s definitely another lizard. I won’t be fooled this time.

It’s a really pretty shade of red. Does this mean it’ll be a red lizard once it hits its growth spurt? Fluffy and Marshmallow both stayed the same color when they went from ball to lizard. Come to think of it, lizards back home were sometimes pretty colorful too, weren’t they? Red, green, yellow, blue... Are lizards flamboyant by nature, maybe?

Oops. I got a little distracted.

I turned my attention back toward the red ball of wool.

I’m getting some pretty mixed feelings from the mana it’s emitting... I feel like it’s sulking.

Oh, hey, Fluffy—

As Fluffy came into view, there was a flash of red as the ball of wool launched itself at the newly arrived lizard.

What the...?

Thankfully, the red ball of wool didn’t seem to be able to use magic; it simply shot at Fluffy like an ineffective bullet, and the two of them tumbled to the ground. From my vantage point, it just looked like a lizard playing with a ball of yarn, much like a cat would.

But I’m pretty sure—no, completely sure—this is a hundred times more dangerous than a cat with yarn...

“Usa, Kuhi, come here! Don’t get too close, okay?”

Squirrels, you should get out of the way too. Remember what happened last time you wandered into a lizard brawl? Actually, you did hold your own pretty well... Still, I’d stay out of this one.

Oh, thanks! The One Eyes had brought another round of tea outside. Yum. Usa, Kuhi, come have some more tea.

You made snacks too? You finally perfected it, huh? Great job!

The One Eyes’ recent experimenting with sweets had borne fruit, as evidenced by the adorable tray of cakes.

So what was the final recipe, then? Sugar, flour, fruit juice, and oil? And a lot of trial and error, huh? Well, I’m proud of you...

I blinked as I realized my little tray of cakes wasn’t the only one. In fact, one entire table was covered with the baked goods.

I’m not sure we need quite so many of them, though...

Oh. Yeah, that makes sense.

While the wool-lizard fight still raged in the clearing below, the other animals had started converging on the deck, drawn in by the scent of freshly baked cake. Marshmallow and Flying Lizard were the first to leap up, quickly followed by the three groups of canines. Even Spider Boss soon emerged, apparently lured out of pseudo-hibernation by the delicious aroma. I could only see a few of the stick insects. They didn’t seem to need to eat at all, which was a shame. In one corner of the deck, the squirrels were already gorging themselves, having secured their share of the cakes before anyone else had arrived. Smart kids.

Thanks for the snacks! I popped one of the bite-sized cakes into my mouth. The gentle sweetness and moist texture nearly brought tears to my eyes. I can’t believe they made something this tasty with such a meager assortment of ingredients... The One Eyes never cease to amaze me.

When I ignored the violent battle raging on the clearing below, it was a rather peaceful, cozy winter’s morning, spent enjoying tea with my extensive family.

Marshmallow, where are you going? Oh, you’re too warm? Sorry, I forgot about the heating spell on the deck.

Thankfully, Marshmallow seemed content to enjoy its share of the snacks from the top of a snowpile just beside the deck. I checked with Flying Lizard, but it was perfectly happy to stay inside the cocoon of warmth.

Oh, it looks like they’re finished fighting. Great. Any injuries... Doesn’t look like it. Phew.

Evidently, the reason for the ceasefire was because Fluffy had finally noticed the cakes, because it was currently making a beeline for the overloaded table.

Slow down— No, don’t fly! You were about to crash right into the table! Do you have a death wish or something?

The sight of a large blue lizard being scolded by an adorable clay doll was bizarre, to say the least.

Red Fluffy, do you want some cake too?

The red ball of wool—which I decided to refer to as Red Fluffy for the time being—was hesitating just past the edge of the wooden deck, seemingly unsure. I picked up a plate of the cakes and placed it next to the rounded creature, just outside the boundary of my warming spell.

Maybe it’s not fond of warm places like Marshmallow?

I returned to my seat, staring intently at Red Fluffy as it cautiously approached the plate, and...

Okay. Now I get it. That’s why I never noticed if Fluffy or Marshmallow had hands before... Still, it’s a bit weird. I didn’t expect them to eat like frogs. Wait, do lizards always eat by using their tongues like that? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a video of lizards eating before... I wonder how it drinks?

I placed a cup of fruit juice beside the plate. Red Fluffy sniffed it curiously, before wrapping its long tongue around the cup and tossing it back into its open mouth.

Wow. That’s a really dexterous tongue.

Red Fluffy seemed to like fruit juice, based on the way it was now chasing the last few drops out of the cup with its uncomfortably long tongue.

I was so excited to finally solve the hands mystery, but... Why do I feel so let down?

136. Trapped? ...More Lizards.

With nothing else to do on account of the snow, I decided to spend my time searching through the forest, hoping to find a beastkin village or settlement. I needed to find the kids’ parents sooner or later, and sooner seemed to be the more responsible option. And so, I dusted off my old drone Clairvoyance spell for the first time in ages and began to explore the forest from the warmth of my home. I’d already determined there weren’t any signs of habituation within the limits of my barrier, so it was time to go beyond.

I could magically send the drone anywhere within the Barrier without difficulty, but the few times I’d tried to direct it beyond the barrier in the past, my mana had immediately started depleting at a rapid rate, and I’d lost control of the spell. Saying that, I’d only recently realized exactly what had occurred on those occasions, thanks to my ever-increasing mastery of mana detection. When it had actually happened, I’d just been baffled by the sudden feeling of sluggishness and exhaustion.

This time, though... This is crazy! Has my mana level increased or something? I can’t feel it depleting at all. This is great. I’ll be able to cover a lot of ground.

The shadows have faded again too. One day, they might be gone entirely... That would be nice.

Focus, me. Okay. First, I want to finally figure out if this world is just forest or not. I’ll send the drone in one straight line as far as it’ll go, and see if there’s anything beyond. Fingers crossed.

Yes!

I never thought I’d be so happy to see a meadow. As the drone had neared the edge of the sea of trees underneath, an open landscape had opened up before it. This world wasn’t just forest. The forest was massive, considering how long it had taken me to escape it (and only figuratively, at that), but there was something beyond it.

Let’s go see what else this world has to offer—

“Whoa!”

As I urged the drone forward, something similar to an electric shock rippled down my body, and my Clairvoyance spell abruptly faded.

What happened? Hmm... Guess I should try again.

After two more attempts, it was clear: Something was preventing me from leaving the forest, even if only via drone. At first, I assumed it was a barrier similar to mine, but I couldn’t sense any mana from the forest’s edge.

But then what’s stopping me from leaving? Maybe I missed something. Focus, Akira.

I scanned for the telltale mana of a barrier again, but despite my best efforts, there was nothing.

But if it’s not a barrier—or any other kind of magic—then... The curse? Am I trapped in here by the curse?

No, I have to calm down. There’s no evidence it’s the curse. For now, I just need to do what I can do. I still need to search the rest of the forest for settlements. I might even find a way out while I’m at it.

Big lakes. Small lakes. A few waterfalls. Two huge mountains... Both have caves? And rivers. Lots of rivers. Wait, are these all connected to Fluffy’s lake? Is it still making new rivers? It’s gonna cover the whole length of the forest soon enough... No villages, though.

“Crap! Oh, that scared me.”

I’d been jumpscared by the sudden appearance of a lizard on my Clairvoyance screen.

Flying Lizard? No, Flying Lizard is much bigger than this one now. Fluffy? Marshmallow? No.

I glanced outside to make sure, but the lizards were still playing happily in the clearing. I’d decided firing off jets of deadly magic still counted as “playing happily.”

Hm. I turned my attention back toward the magical screen. Yep, still a lizard there. One of Fluffy’s friends, maybe? I wonder if it came to investigate the drone? It’s probably a weird thing to see.

The “drone” part of my drone Clairvoyance spell had at some point transformed to resemble the drones I’d seen on TV back home. When I’d first created the spell, it had been a weird orb of light, but now, a black, expensive-looking mechanical drone appeared instead. I’d been pretty startled the first time I’d seen it.

I mean, who wouldn’t be? I kinda expected it to just stay as an orb of light, you know?

Oh right, the lizard. Hmm... It does kinda look like it’s investigating the drone... Er, what should I do? I guess I’ll start directing it home...

The lizard’s still following it. Okay. Hm.

Drone speed, increase! Surely—

You’re really fast, mystery lizard.

I can’t believe it kept up the whole way.

137. The Mage (2)

— From the Perspective of a Highmage of Empras —

The fear that rippled through the gathered mages—myself included—was almost as tangible as the vibrations now coursing through the previously still Magestone. Nothing we’d done had produced any response in the artifact; the tremors that had just begun were of a different origin.

Another attack? Something worse?

The mere memory of the last attack still gave me goose bumps whenever I thought about it, and I knew the others felt the same. A memory all wanted to forget, but no one could—a memory that turned simple fear to utter terror.

A few more tremors pulsed through the Magestone, but nothing else happened. Around me, stiff shoulders loosened in cautious relief. It seemed, perhaps, that no danger would come. I heard a loud sigh, and with it, the tension in the room shattered.

I hadn’t realized I’d been holding my breath. I exhaled, and as the stagnant air left my lungs, it seemed to sap the strength from my limbs. I sank to the floor, offering up a silent prayer of gratitude.

The Magestone towered over me. It was hard not to look at it. Countless hours and resources had been spent investigating it over the past few months. We’d studied every ancient text we could get our hands on, used every spell in our shared arsenal, but we still knew nothing. We didn’t even know what type of creature it had originally come from. We didn’t know what attributes it possessed. Repairing the damage was out of the question—we hadn’t even learned how to figure out what had caused the damage in the first place. However, we had to keep investigating, futile though we knew it was. We had no choice. Those were the king’s orders.

“If you don’t wish to die, you’ll bring me some answers.”

The words weighed heavily on me, like a boulder on my chest.

I’d already accepted death. It was only fitting, considering the atrocities I’d committed. I’d caused countless deaths with my own two hands and had been responsible for even more. I’d made suggestions and proposals to the king, knowing each one entailed an unthinkable loss of life, and now I felt as though I was being crushed below the weight of my own sins.

That girl would think me a coward for being so remorseful now. “It’s too late,” she’d say.

For someone like me—someone who’d traded the blood of strangers for an undeservedly long life—forgiveness was not an option. It had never been an option.

But the other mages—my current comrades in the investigation—were different. They had never committed the sins I and my fellow Highmages were guilty of—particularly those who surrounded me now. The Archmage and the Highmages aside, nearly all of the remaining members of our order were mere acolytes, barely old enough to work. The rest had been executed for treason a few days ago. Only the lowest-ranking mages had been spared—for now.

But if we don’t find an answer soon... I sighed. Isn’t there any way I can save them, at the very least?

I looked toward the corner of the room, silently pleading with the statue of the Three that watched over us always.

Please. Please give me the answer. Tell me what I can say to satisfy the king, to make him understand... To make him stop all of this. Tell me what I can do to save their lives. They haven’t sinned as I have.

My gaze shifted to the door, now locked from the outside. I knew a knight stood on the other side—not as protection but as our jailer. At first, they’d kept watch of us from within the room, but they’d quickly changed to their current post. We weren’t the only ones who were scared of the Magestone.

The Magestone chamber had become our prison, and the only key that would gain our freedom was an answer. Unfortunately, not just any answer would do. It had to be the answer the king wanted; anything else would not be permitted. To the king, unsatisfactory answers were as good as treason. I’d already seen it happen. It hadn’t been just the mages either. Their whole families had been executed as traitors to the crown.

And thus, I sat in my peculiar cell, my eyes combing pages I’d read a hundred times before, searching for an answer I already knew wasn’t contained within. I couldn’t give up. If everyone gave up, it would mean the death of every mage here, as well as their families. I didn’t want to be the cause of any more deaths.

Eventually, the door opened to grant entry to a single knight, dispatched to collect the current progress of our research, pointless though it was. The Archmage’s face paled as the knight entered.

He looks terrible... I probably look the same.

Progress? What progress? Nothing had changed... No, that’s not true. The vibrations earlier... Perhaps I should report it? But I don’t know if those were a good sign, or a bad one. The king won’t allow uncertainty. To him, any change in the Magestone is as good as an omen...

I glanced at the stone. The cracks extended even farther now. Without any means to repair it, it would soon split completely in two.

And when that happens... When that happens, I’ll have to report it. I’ll have to be the one to tell the king... It’ll surely be the last report I’ll ever make.

138. The King (3)

— From the Perspective of the King of Empras —

The castle isn’t safe, you say? I should flee, you say? This kingdom has fallen, you say?

How dare you! Traitors, the lot of you!

The frantic whispers of my advisors infuriated me.

“Those who flee will be put to death for treason. Their families too. My kingdom has no use for cowards! And if anyone dares to voice another traitorous thought, I’ll have your throat burned.”

Silence fell in the throne room.

Good. In this world, I am power itself. I do not tolerate disloyalty.

“What news from the mages?”

The kneeling knight did not produce the answer I sought, to my fury.

What are they doing in there?! All they need to do is repair the stone! We have more slaves than we can house rotting away in the pens—why aren’t they using them?! Why bother producing more sacrifices if they’re not even going to use them?!

The sight of my arm—or rather, the empty space where my arm had once been—multiplied my anger tenfold, anger that hadn’t ceased since that dreadful day.

How could this have happened to me?! Me! The strongest king Empras has ever known!

“Your Majesty, please. You need to rest—”

“Silence!” I kicked out at the girl, sending her sprawling. A few screams rose up from the pathetic imbeciles gathered around, but all looked down in fear as soon as I caught their gazes.

“Your Majesty, you shouldn’t treat your granddaughter—”

“I said silence!” I shrieked, flinging whatever was in reach at the girl where she sat dumbfounded at the bottom of the dais. One of my throws struck true, and she crumpled to the floor, blood streaming from her forehead.

Scum! Useless scum! Can no one here be of any use to me?! Does no one hold the answer I seek?!

My gaze swept across the room, singling out the nobles where they clung to the walls like parasites. No one dared to meet my gaze.

Pathetic. You fatten yourselves up and swagger around on power I granted to you, and this is how you repay me.

“Y-Your Majesty, I beg your permission to speak.” Finally, one of the nobles spoke up, taking a single step forward as he did.

“What is it?” I replied, and he jumped at the sound.

“Er, um... Thank you, Your Majesty. The, um, the ancient ruins... Have you con...considered investigating them again?”

His nervous stammer infuriated me, but the proposal was intriguing. The ancient ruins he spoke of, of course, were the one where we’d located the Magestone—my Magestone. To me, the ruins were a sacred place, and therefore I’d ordered the strongest wards possible to be placed around them. No one could set foot near them without my permission.

“The ruins, you say...”

Perhaps it was worth searching them again as the man had suggested. He was one of the marquesses, if I remembered correctly. I’d have to reward him if his suggestion did lead to an answer.

“Summon the Archmage.”

A few days later, I received word that the investigation team had departed the castle, making for the ruins.

All those years ago, it had been the Three who’d guided me toward those ruins, and the power I’d unearthed there.

That’s right. The Three showed me the path to becoming the king of this world. The Three recognized me as the man worthy of becoming the king of this world. What reason does a man such as me have to fear any being, no matter what it may be? I have no reason to fear anything. The threats of a few beast monarchs mean nothing to a king like me.

In other kingdoms, the beast monarchs were objects of worship in their own right, but they’d never granted me anything—not like the Three had. In Empras, the Three were the only true gods, they who’d blessed me—and therefore, Empras itself—with indomitable might. The monarchs of the forest were no more than savage beasts.

“That’s right. The beast monarchs never helped me. Not even when I was suffering to such an extent.”

When the harvests were poor for years on end, didn’t the peasants pray to you, beast kings? Yet all you gave them was a few scraps of food—not even enough to cover their taxes! Do you know how much I suffered? How much money I wasted dispatching knights to collect taxes that didn’t exist?! So many peasants starving to death, and some dared to say I was to blame for it. But it was you, beast monarchs, who chose not to feed them! It was the peasants who failed to tend the fields properly! They dared to say it was my fault, that magic was to blame—do you know how much I suffered, you false monarchs?!

“They came to me and spoke of responsibility—fools who couldn’t even pay their taxes, trying to lecture me on responsibility.”

And to make matters worse, then came the floods. It was chaos. Peasants came to me, begging me to share my food with them—imbeciles! A thousand peasants could starve and it wouldn’t matter in the slightest, but if I starved, the kingdom would fall! I had to deal with rebellions as well as whining fools, and it was all your fault, beast scum!

The Three were different. The Three had answered my prayers. They’d changed the land itself. Our harvests had become bountiful, and my coffers full with my rightful share of the land’s spoils. What clearer proof of their greatness could there be? That was when I’d understood. The Three were the only gods in this world. Others could pray to the beast monarchs all they liked; it would be for naught.

The Three will help me now, just as they did then. I’m sure of it. The beast monarchs can do nothing.

139. Akira, the Cleaner... Akira, Calm Down!

The days gradually became warmer, albeit not yet enough to melt the thick carpet of snow. Still, the warmer weather made the thought of going outside for my morning rounds just a little more enticing.

En route to the lake to visit Eco, I paused to observe the animals gathered in the clearing.

You’re all very energetic this morning.

Much to my relief, it seemed like my pleas for “no magic fights first thing in the morning” had finally gotten through to them.

Even if it did take most of the season to get there... I really wish I knew how to speak whatever language it is they use in this world. A translation app would be nice—or one of those toys that tell you what mood your dog is in! I’m sure we had something like that back home... Wait, that wouldn’t work for communicating though. Maybe I can come up with a spell or something? Hmm...

Nope, can’t think of anything. If only I was as obsessed with manga and TV shows as my sister was! I probably would have hundreds of ideas for a situation like this... Maybe I should have listened better whenever she started talking my ear off? Nah. I didn’t care about any of it, so I wouldn’t have remembered it anyway.

The knowledge and experience I had brought from my own world hadn’t been of any use here either. I’d been a cleaner, specifically of hoarder houses. It had been pretty interesting work, to be honest. The juxtaposition of seeing incredibly beautiful people and their insanely dirty houses had shocked me the first few times, as had the eating habits their trash had revealed. The company I’d worked for specialized in confidential cleaning, which made it oddly fun. We’d do things like box up the waste as if we were a moving company (and wear the uniforms to match) so the neighbors didn’t realize the lady next door had been living in a sea of garbage. At other times, I’d have to disguise myself as a superexpensive, high-class cleaner instead so as not to stand out in the superexpensive, high-class apartment building I’d been sent to.

Man, it really was a fun job. Come to think of it, I wonder who took over my regular client? Hm... Oh well. Doesn’t really matter now.

Wow, all the lizards are here! Good morning, everyone. Why are you all hanging out with Eco instead of playing in the clearing with the others?

The lizard I’d inadvertently guided back with the drone was present too. The others didn’t seem wary of its presence, so I assumed they all knew each other. I was still struggling to get a grasp on the newest lizard’s mana—it didn’t leave much of an impression, to be honest.

Er... Huh?

As I approached Eco, I could feel a thick, pure curtain of mana enveloping the lizards where they’d gathered by the roots. It seemed to be coming from the tree itself.

What’s going on here—?

A sudden gust of wind swept around me, and I reflexively shut my eyes until it had passed. But when I opened them...

“Wha—?”

Lizards. Lizards, right...? You’re... You’re not lizards, are you? Um, but seriously, you look like...

Dragons?

They look just like the dragons you’d see carved into a temple or painted on a folding screen or something... Well, these ones look a little cuter, but apart from that...

Seriously, though? Dragons?

Um... Okay, I need to calm down. Yep. Calm down, me. This is a parallel world, after all. Dragons are a perfectly normal occurrence. Yep, perfectly normal. Wait, doesn’t that mean baby dragons look like balls of wool? I’m sure that’s not right... Yeah, I have some concerns about this whole thing. You’re telling me Marshmallow and Fluffy were baby dragons, looking like they did? Wait, that’s not the problem right now... What is the problem, again? The impossibly fast growth spurt? I mean, there’s not much I can do about it now. Or at all. Um...

Calm down!

Calm, calm. Okay. One: Dragons exist in this world. That much is obvious. Two: Those dragons are currently sitting right in front of me. No question about it; they’re definitely dragons. So there’s Fluffy, Flying Lizard, Marshmallow and... You must be the red ball of wool? And you’re the drone lizard. Yep. Five dragons in total.

Great! I’m a little calmer about this whole thing now... I think.

They’re kinda small for dragons, aren’t they? Well, they’re still bigger than me. They’re just smaller than the dragons I remember seeing in books. They’re beautiful though. Their scales are so glossy. They had scales when they were lizards, but they weren’t glossy like this. They didn’t have any scales when they were balls of wool...

I’m getting distracted again. Focus.

Scales. Nice, glossy scales. It’s almost like they’re shining... They’re beautiful.

Are... Are you guys still gonna be my friends now you’ve turned into dragons?

The mental image I had of dragons was that they were solitary creatures.

This... This isn’t where we say goodbye, is it?

I stiffened as one of the dragons approached me, slightly nervous. I wasn’t sure what to expect. It lowered its head in front of me, and automatically, I reached out to stroke it like always. The dragon closed its eyes, seeming to enjoy the touch.

Yeah... I think everything’s gonna be just fine.

The first dragon, with blue scales, was Fluffy, based on the feeling I got from its mana. Marshmallow and Flying Lizard soon followed for their share of pats, followed by the two newer lizard-dragons. One was red—clearly the former Red Fluffy—which meant the other, with light blue scales that shone like iridescent opal, had to be the drone lizard. I patted each one in turn. They seemed to enjoy it.

Great. Perfect. Everything’s fine. No problems here.

Their names really don’t suit them now, do they...? Crap, one of them is literally called “Lizard.”

140. Naming Chaos... I Want to Leave.

When I returned to the mountain with the dragons, everyone was waiting for us—and none of them seemed surprised.

You... You all knew they were dragons, didn’t you? This is why not being able to communicate is so frustrating! There’s nothing I can do about it, but I’m still annoyed!

Oh, at least Usa and Kuhi look surprised. Yeah! It’s not just me for once! I shouldn’t feel so relieved... I’m a failure as an adult.

I turned my attention to the pressing matter at hand: names. Unfortunately, three of the dragons already had names, and they seemed quite fond of them. Flying Lizard and Marshmallow had both ignored me whenever I’d tried to call them anything else. Changing their names to something more suitable didn’t seem like it was going to be an option.

So I guess I’ll keep calling you Fluffy, Flying Lizard, and Marshmallow? I guess you’ve got no idea what those words even mean anyway... I named you in Japanese after all.

So I only need to come up with names for the red ball of wool, and the one with light blue scales...

Er, did it just react to “ball of wool”? No, that’s not your name. Yes, I know I called you that once or twice. It was just a description! You’re a big red dragon, you know? Wouldn’t you prefer a cooler name? What about Guren? It means crimson flames! Guren? Guren?

Please react, I’m begging you...

Guren?

You don’t like Guren, huh? You like Ball of Wool? I see...

“Why, though? Does it sound cool to you or something?”

It took a few minutes for me to pull myself together enough to attempt a name for the remaining dragon.

Okay, I need a great name for you. Let’s see. Fluffy is a water dragon, as far as I can tell. Flying Lizard is probably an earth dragon. Marshmallow is a snow dragon, and Ball...

I sighed.

Ball of Wool is red, so it’s probably a fire dragon.

Hang on a minute. Water, earth, and fire make sense, but snow? Oh, ice. Marshmallow must be an ice dragon. Yeah, that sounds plausible. So that leaves... What kinda dragon are you, anyway? Your scales are light blue, a lot lighter than Fluffy’s—

Did you... Did you react just now? No, I must be seeing things. Definitely.

Okay, so the only other dragons I can remember from fairy tales are lightning dragons and wind dragons. Wind dragon, huh... Yeah, out of the two, you give me more of a “wind” vibe. Okay, wind names. What about “Hayate”? It’s written with the kanji for “strong gale.” Hayate? Hayate?

Nothing. You don’t like Hayate? Okay, no worries. I’ll think of something else, don’t worry.

Wind, wind... Okay, something color-based, then. Wait, what color is wind? Light blue, like the sky—

Please stop reacting to those words.

I’d ignored it the first time, but the dragon was definitely responding to the words “light blue.”

That’s not a proper name, you know?! No, don’t look at me like that!

I sighed again.

Okay, fine. Light Blue it is.

And thus, the dragons’ names were decided: Fluffy, Flying Lizard, Marshmallow, Ball of Wool, and Light Blue.

Seriously, do you just like the way it sounds or something?! What criteria are you basing your decision on?!

I’d discovered that the forest did end, and now, I wanted to leave it. The problem was how. I hadn’t felt the telltale mana of a barrier at the forest’s edge, so I didn’t think that was the issue. The only other thing I could think of, unfortunately, was that my imprisonment was curse-related.

Maybe someone cast a spell to keep the curse contained within the forest—and because of that, I’m stuck here too? I feel like curses get sealed inside boulders and things all the time in Japanese legends and stuff, so it makes sense. It’s probably the same deal here. So maybe if I get rid of the curse from the forest for good, it’ll break the seal? Guess there’s only one way to find out.

“Let’s do this!”

Wait, can I do this? Well, I’ve got no choice! I have to!

Okay, I’ll picture a bubble covering the whole forest... Nope. No good. It’s too freaking massive! I can’t picture the whole thing at once.

Oh, I’ll use the drone! I’ll send it up really high and look down from above... Nope, that didn’t work either. Wait, didn’t I try that before? Yeah... I’m an idiot.

Okay, let’s try again.

I know! I’ll use the wall that’s sealing me in to help! I’ll visualize my mana flowing along the wall, all the way around the forest... Yeah, this should work. Then I’ll just connect it over the top... Easy! And underneath. Deep, deep underneath. Perfect. I think.

I took a deep breath. “Purify!”

Crap, I haven’t felt myself lose so much mana in one go in a long time. Although I feel like it all replenished immediately too... It’s like I didn’t even cast anything. Huh. That’s never happened before... What a strange feeling.

Wait, wasn’t I doing something? Right, purification! Did it work?

Hey, everyone. Er, why are you all here? Oh right, there’s always a massive flash of light whenever I purify anything... I probably scared you all, eh? Sorry, guys.

Can I leave the forest now, though? Let’s see, I’ll send a beam of mana heading straight for the edge, and—

Nope. It just bounced right off. I guess there’s still some curse left?

I sent my Clairvoyance drone zooming around the forest, but I couldn’t sense even a shred of the curse anywhere. The only thing I could think of was that there were still a few shadows I’d overlooked in the depths of some cave or something, so small I couldn’t even detect their presence.

Okay, let’s try this again.

I pictured my mana spreading out across the forest—the entire forest, now that I could visualize it properly—filling every inch of the space inside the seal-wall-thing. I sent it up into the sky and down underneath the earth. I pictured it touching everything. Every leaf on every tree, every speck of dirt in every cave—right down to every drop of water in every lake and river. My mana filled the forest.

“Purify!”

I still can’t leave, huh... Why...? Why?!

141. The Knight (8)

— From the Perspective of the Commander of the First Knight’s Brigade, Kingdom of Empras —

“Thank you—I mean it.”

“It was nothing, Commander. I am your right-hand man, after all.”

Right-hand man, huh... I smiled. You’re more than that.

He wasn’t just my second-in-command, but also a precious comrade—a friend, even, one who’d stayed by my side even after learning of my true intentions. I’d put him through a great deal of trouble over the course of our relationship, but especially over these past few days. He’d taken charge of selecting the investigation team members, organizing them, arranging for supplies...

I really did burden you, friend.

It had all been for a good reason. The mission we’d received to investigate the ancient ruins had given me the perfect opportunity to facilitate their escape—the younger, innocent knights who had no blame to warrant their sharing in the divine punishment I suspected was soon coming. In addition to the hand-selected investigation team, I’d also put together a group composed of the impoverished children who worked in the castle out of necessity, ostensibly to assist with making camp and cooking. It was a dubious explanation for their presence at best, but somehow, it had worked.

The king was a powerful being, certainly—terrifyingly so at times. However, everyone who’d been in the castle on that fateful day had experienced the true power a king could hold—not just a king of some stretch of land but the king of this world, a being who’d wreaked havoc without ever showing itself. Despite the mere mention of his missing limb eliciting charges of treason, rumors of what had happened to our king had spread like wildfire. The king himself seemed to be the only person who hadn’t realized what we were up against. He was scared, though; that much was obvious. Too scared to even confront the reality of his situation.

A knock at the door dragged me back to my own reality as my friend, the commander of the Fourth Brigade, entered the room, closing the door behind him softly. He looked much calmer than he had a few weeks prior, though his expression twisted into one of self-satisfaction as our eyes met.

“The investigation team’s made it to the plains. We’ve also sealed off the entrance to the slave pens and opened up the escape tunnel,” he said, grinning.

“Perfect.” If they’d already crossed into the plains, they were safe. Even if the truth of their desertion was somehow revealed now, they were well beyond the reach of any pursuers. The slaves also now had a decent chance of escape, provided they could seize it. The number of them who’d regained control of their own will had increased dramatically over the past few days. I didn’t know why, and really, it wasn’t important. All that mattered to me was ensuring they were given the greatest chance of survival.

We’d broken the locks to their pens and left a map, which showed the secret tunnels leading out of the castle, in a highly visible location. I’d also spent the last week or so spreading rumors about how many of those who’d interacted with the slaves had inevitably incurred the forest’s wrath—and how most of them were now dead. It had clearly worked, for no one dared to approach the slave pens anymore, not even the slave masters. Even if one now had a change of heart and went to investigate, they’d find the entrance locked and barricaded. Hopefully the slaves would decide to make their escape through the tunnels, where they’d find some of my men waiting to guide them to distant safety.

Slowly but surely, I’d recruited like-minded companions and laid countless plans, avoiding the watchful eye of the king and the spies sent by the Fifth Brigade. All of it had been in preparation for this day.

“What of the mages?” I asked.

“I had one of the others look into it for me. Apparently, those who remain are still confined to the Magestone chamber, researching day and night,” replied my friend.

“Still? He just doesn’t know when to give up, does he?” my second-in-command replied sarcastically, and my friend and I laughed. He was right. If the king had even a scrap of rationality, things wouldn’t have turned out the way they had.

Maybe I should have kept the Second Brigade commander and his men here to help... I’d sent them after the investigation team, both as protection and, hopefully, as fellow escapees. While a part of me did wonder if their assistance would have been better utilized here, at least I didn’t have to worry about the safety of the younger knights and children with the Second Brigade protecting them.

It’s time. My hand fell to my sword hilt reflexively. Time to change this kingdom.

No sooner had I brushed the cold steel than an eerie silence fell, if only for a moment. Then, white light rained down upon us, covering the castle both inside and out in a blazing shroud. It filled every inch of the room, blinding me even through my closed eyes.

“Commander?” called my second-in-command worriedly.

“I’m fine! Just stay calm,” I replied.

Another attack? A cold sweat ran down my back at the memory of the forest’s last assault. I could nearly feel my body being crushed and the air being forcefully pushed from my lungs. I waited and waited until my sight finally returned to normal. I looked around the room, but nothing had changed—not in my surroundings nor in my body.

I’m... I’m okay? We’re okay?

“What...?” I trailed off, my thoughts reeling.

It’s quiet. The attack will have everyone cowering—no one will be thinking straight for a while yet.

I took a deep breath. My heart felt like it was about to burst through my chest. The sheer ferocity of it made me chuckle, though the sound caught in my throat. I glanced out the window, where I could see countless knights streaming through the gates and away from the castle like panicked ants from a crumbling nest.

“Well?” asked my friend. “What’s next?”

“We follow the plan,” I replied, drawing my sword. He did the same, as did my second-in-command. The light had surprised us, but we were unharmed, and all of the preparations had already been made. All that was left was to act. It was now or never. Today, we’d eliminate the source of the evil, which had penetrated our kingdom like a curse, and put an end to everything.

We arrived at the king’s chambers without incident. It had been easy—disappointingly so, even. I’d expected—and braced myself for—a difficult fight or two. The attack earlier had rattled the few people who still remained in the castle, and not one of them noticed us as we passed, much less tried to stop us. As one of the few people once responsible for the castle’s security, in the past, I would have been displeased with the lack of vigilance. But my priorities had changed. These days—and today especially—our unrestricted access was a blessing.

The flash of light earlier—the harmless “attack”... It couldn’t have been intended to help us, could it...? Surely not...

142. The Mage (3)

— From the Perspective of a Highmage of Empras —

When the First Brigade commander had handed me the list of the mages who’d be joining the investigation team, I’d reacted with confusion. Every name on the list had belonged to young, inexperienced acolytes—mages who’d only just joined our order and lacked any real talent or accomplishments. I’d hesitated for only a moment, for when I’d glanced up and seen the look on the commander’s face, I’d simply nodded my agreement without a word. Clearly, he had something planned, and I had neither right nor reason to interfere with whatever that was.

The Archmage and the other Highmages had surely come to a similar conclusion, for they remained silent too as the chosen mages departed. As I watched them go, tears welled in my eyes. This was the only thing a sinner like me could do to contribute to their salvation, and though it was minimal, I was grateful.

Weeks had passed since our imprisonment, and we’d still learned nothing about the Magestone.

“I think it’s time,” the Archmage murmured, his voice unnaturally calm.

I exhaled and slumped, as though all my willpower had escaped in that single breath. It was time; in fact, it had been for a while. Yet despite that—despite everything—it still seemed as though some small part of me wanted to protest, to rebel against my rapidly approaching demise. My hands shook as I thought about what came next.

Even though I have no right to feel this way... I’m pathetic.

“Yes,” I replied, my voice trembling. “Let’s end this, shall we?”

The king wouldn’t forgive us for our failure nor for the report we’d resolved to make, but it had to be said. He had to know that his time had come to an end—even if by uttering those words, we sealed our own fates.

“We—”

The shouting cut me off as the room exploded with pure white. I fell to the floor, covering my stinging eyes with my hands, but it did little to alleviate the piercing brightness. I couldn’t begin to guess at how long I remained cowering, my senses in chaos, before the harsh assault on my still-shielded eyes began to fade. The brightness became dimmer and dimmer. Right as I steeled myself to emerge from my defensive position, ineffective though it was—

Crack.

—a splitting sound shook the room, reverberating through the floor beneath my feet. I stiffened, waiting for the attack that would surely follow, preparing myself for the crushing pain, but nothing happened. The shaking stopped, giving way to silence.

My eyelids fluttered open, though I still had to blink a few times before I could see anything but a pale blur. I sighed with relief as the stone floor came into focus.

“Aaaah! Aaaaaaaah!” I jumped, spinning around to find one of the few remaining mages screaming, his face pale. He pointed one shaky hand, and I hesitantly followed the path it drew.

The Magestone had split cleanly in two.

It really is time.

My feet felt heavy, and I had to force myself to take each and every step.

So this is what it feels like...

With slow, unsteady steps, I approached the Archmage, crumpled on the floor. He recoiled in shock as he noticed me, but only for a moment before his expression morphed into one of realization. The other two Highmages sat silently nearby, seemingly having calmly accepted the strange changes their bodies were currently undergoing. The Archmage squeezed my hand, though I barely felt it. I looked at my fellow sinners—my friends—one last time, nodded, and began hobbling toward the door.

It was locked. I pounded against it with as much force as I could, but there was no response, so I broke the lock with magic and pushed it open myself. There was no sign of our jailers.

The light must have scared them off... Good. I wouldn’t stand a chance against them now, not like this.

I reached the king’s chambers with no difficulty save for my own feebleness, to my relief and amusement. No one would risk their life for his now, much less give it willingly. Even if they did, the sacrifice would be in vain.

I knocked a few times, again to no answer. Determined, I struggled with the handle and made my way inside. The king’s bedchambers were as spacious as one would expect; however, the formerly tidy room was now in complete disarray, with furniture and ornaments covering the floor in various states of destruction. Among them lay the princess, a quick glance enough to reveal it was already too late to help her. Beside her, a misshapen lump of clothing and limbs quivered—the near-unrecognizable form of the king of Empras. He’d once been a source of fear and awe, but I felt nothing as I looked at him now.

I took one step forward.

Thud. The sound came from the doorway behind me. I turned on unsteady feet to find the commander of the First Brigade staring at me. The man beside him was his second-in-command, if my failing memory wasn’t mistaken, and the commander of the Fourth Brigade stood behind the two. Their swords were drawn, yet somehow, I knew they hadn’t drawn them with thoughts of protecting the king.

All three recoiled as their gazes met my own, and I chuckled involuntarily at their expressions.

I wonder just how repulsive I’ve become?

“You’re...one of the Highmages, right?” The First Brigade’s commander asked suspiciously, the emblem on my robes clearly not enough to convince him of my identity. It was only natural.

“The Magestone is completely broken,” I replied. “This is the consequence.”

“The consequence?”

“We used the Magestone’s power to delay the passage of our own time... We Highmages, the Archmage, and the king.”

Our true goal had been to stop the passage of time completely—to grant ourselves immortality. However, years of experimentation had brought us no success, with age’s cruel touch steadily leaving its mark upon our bodies all the while. Eventually, we’d stumbled across a method to delay the process of aging instead—a solution to which the king had assented, if only as a temporary measure while we continued our search. The other Highmages and I had been the first test subjects, followed by the Archmage, and finally, the king. To delay the effects of aging, we’d tethered ourselves to the Magestone, with the lives we sacrificed providing a constant supply of vitality to counteract our natural loss thereof. When the Magestone had broken, so had that tether, and now we who’d dared to deny the passage of time were once again exposed to its merciless embrace.

Still, I thought we’d just rejoin the natural flow of time, but...

“And now, it would seem that those years are returning to us all at once.” I hadn’t realized just how hoarse my voice had become until now. My hand floated toward my throat, and I froze at the sight of it. It was withered and gray, skin hanging loose from jutting bones.

“I am...the king... The Three...recognized me...declared me...worthy...”

His faint voice was hoarser than my own. His figure was grotesque to behold, with two dark eyes the only things recognizable in the labyrinth of greenish, grayish wrinkles he’d become.

Is that how I look too? He’s like a ghoul... No, he is a ghoul. A foul specter wearing a human’s skin.

Breathing was difficult now. I collapsed to the floor. Though my entire body screamed with pain, only rattled gasps escaped my throat, which were masked by the cracking of my bones as they splintered one by one. My chest tightened, the pressure suffocating. I managed to raise my hand, wanting to claw at my throat, but my arm snapped and dropped limply to my side just seconds later.

Darkness enveloped me.

143. Commander of the Fourth Knights Brigade (3)

When we reached the king’s chambers, something was waiting for us. Though it wore the robes of a Highmage, it looked more like a corpse than a human.

“You’re...one of the Highmages, right?” my friend asked.

He’s not serious, is he? Does he truly think that thing is one of them?

The being’s skin was gray and streaky, and hung off it in loose, misshapen curtains. To look at it, only its eyes gave any indication it was indeed alive, strangely large and vibrant against their decayed surroundings.

“The Magestone is completely broken. This is the consequence.” The alleged Highmage’s voice was grating and rough, like the sound of gravel underfoot.

“The consequence?”

Though the news of the Magestone’s breaking surprised me, I was too concerned by the grotesque bearer of said news to pay it much heed.

If he is a Highmage, how did he become like this?

In broken, hoarse words, the Highmage explained his transformation, with each syllable becoming fainter than the last. Even as he spoke, his skin drooped lower and darkened, evidence in support of what most would have considered a wild claim.

From somewhere in the room, I heard another voice, though the words were too feeble for me to catch. I scanned around for the source of the noise.

There. Another one like the Highmage, but those clothes... Is that... Is that the king?

My breath caught in my throat. I didn’t move. I couldn’t move. The others were similarly frozen. We’d given up everything for this moment, resolved ourselves to do whatever it would take to change the future of our kingdom. But in all of our planning, we’d never anticipated something like this.

What... What happens now?

The Highmage collapsed, writhing in pain. I could hear the telltale snap of shattering bones as he twisted on the floor, and recoiled at the sight and sound. It was like something from a nightmare, and yet, I couldn’t look away.

Thump. The Highmage’s head smacked against the stone, and his movements stilled.

My friend’s second-in-command shrieked, and I let out a small, pathetic cry of my own. There was a crash as something else fell nearby, and I turned to see the king squirming frantically toward the door. He seemed to be trying to escape, though the effort was futile. He could barely move, let alone flee.

He’ll be dead soon, even without our help. So this is how it ends, huh? These are the final moments of the great king of Empras? Dying as the monster he always was... This is just...

Something else moved beside him, and I started as I noticed the woman for the first time. She was one of the king’s granddaughters. Officially, she was regarded as a princess; behind closed doors, however, she was no more than just another of his enslaved concubines. I watched in silence as she raised an unsteady arm, her movements feeble. There was a flash of silver—

“Ah—”

Someone—possibly me—cried out as her arm fell once more. For at the same time, the king’s head parted from the rest of his body, leaving a bloody streak in its wake as it rolled across the floor. A blade clattered to the ground.

“Now they’ll...be safe...” Her voice, thin and stilted, dripped with pain. I didn’t want to imagine the suffering she’d endured as one of the king’s slavewives, though I suspected even the worst things I could come up with would pale in comparison to the truth. Tears ran down her cheeks as she sobbed, her expression gentle. Though I’d witnessed it happen, it was still hard to believe she’d been capable of beheading the king.

When the king’s brothers had contested his claim to the throne, he’d had them and all other male relatives executed as traitors. At the same time, he’d imprisoned all of his female relatives in the inner castle he’d previously built for such a purpose, had them branded with slave seals, and turned them into his wives. Any who resisted were subjected to unthinkably heinous punishments as a warning to the others. Little was known about the goings-on at the inner castle other than rumors. But one thing had been clear: The king tolerated no disobedience from his wives and showed them no mercy despite their shared blood. The birth of the king’s first son had proven as much. He’d ordered the boy’s execution as soon as he’d learned of the child’s gender, and when his advisors had protested with their concerns for the need to maintain a successor to the crown, he’d had the baby brought to the throne room and carried out the execution himself for all to see. Ever since, male children had been disposed of on the very day of their birth. Female children were raised by wet nurses and governesses until their tenth birthday, at which point they were branded and led to the inner castle, never to be seen again unless summoned by the king. Over time, the women of the inner castle came to be called slavewives, a term the king had never denied.

I didn’t know how many lives the inner castle had claimed, but with the king’s death, hopefully the hearts of those still within it would begin to heal, if only a little.

My friend crouched down and picked up the king’s crown from where it sat among the debris. “Let’s go.”

We re-trod the path we’d taken through the castle, passing an assortment of knights and soldiers along the way. Each encounter was the same. They’d freeze for a moment upon seeing the crown where it hung from his fingers, before slumping in unmasked relief. Ultimately, this was how the end came to the most powerful man in the kingdom: deserted by his followers and killed by a woman he’d called his wife.

“I mean, it’s a bit of a disappointment, really.” I hadn’t intended to say the words aloud, but they’d slipped out unbidden.

My friend chuckled, though his expression quickly darkened. “That was the easy part. What comes next will be much harder. Now comes the time for us to beg forgiveness—from the people we’ve oppressed, and from those who dwell in the forest...”

“I—” I paused, finding it hard to speak around the lump that had appeared in my throat. “Do you think they’ll forgive us?”

My friend smiled sadly. “All I can do—all we can do—is atone for our crimes, and hopefully, the day will come when they do.”

144. The King (4)

— From the Perspective of the King of Empras —

I took another gulp of wine, but it did nothing to improve my mood. I glanced at my hand, and at the empty space beside it where the other should have been.

How could this have happened? When will the investigation team return? Will they be able to find a replacement stone? Yes, they must find a replacement. I have ordered it so, and the Three will grant my request. I’m sure of it. I have no reason to fear. Fear? I know no fear!

I threw the half-full glass at the wall, where it shattered. The two girls standing nearby screamed at the sound. Their piercing shrieks only served to anger me further. I turned my glare on them and was pleased to watch them cower and tremble.

That’s right. Fear me. Worship me. I am the most powerful being in this world. What could I possibly have to fear? I am the king! The king!

I kicked out, sending the small table in front of me clattering to the floor, along with the adjacent stool.

“Fear?! I have no fear!”

Fools! Fear? Worry? Never! All I feel is anger toward those who fail to carry out even the simplest orders! Fear doesn’t afflict a man like me!

“More wine—now!”

One of the girls ran from the room at my command.

Why isn’t it prepared already? Where are my useless attendants when I need them?! Imbeciles!

I turned to the other girl. “Don’t just stand there, girl. Entertain me.”

“Um, but—”

“Now!”

“Y-Yes, Your Majesty!” she yelped and began to dance.

What is this? It’s atrocious! Why am I surrounded by such worthless wretches?

“Can’t you even dance properly?! You share my precious blood, and yet you can’t do anything!”

I flung a nearby book at her head, and she crumpled to the floor with a cry. “Please forgive me, Your Majesty, please forgive me—”

“Silence!”

She trembled as I stepped toward her. Good. You share my blood, and yet you dare to be so incompetent? You’re worthless to me. You’d probably only birth me sons too. Trash. Scum.

My fingers wrapped around the handle of the dagger hidden deep in the folds of my robe.

I have no need for you.

The sight of her a few minutes later—eyes widened in terror, blood gushing from her mouth with each rattled breath—did make me feel slightly better. It was then, as my laughter echoed around the room, that the light appeared. Blinded, I fell to the ground.

I don’t want to die I don’t want to die I don’t want to die I don’t want to die I don’t want to die—

Time passed. The light faded. One shaky hand clutched the fallen table, causing it to clatter against the stone. My eyes twitched as I scanned the room.

I’m scared, I’m scared, I’m scared, I’m scared.

Why am I alone at a time like this? Where are my knights?! Why?! Why!

I pressed my hand against the cold stone. I needed to stand up. However—

What... What is this? Whose hand is this? Why, why, why?

My hand was blackened and wrinkled, a disgusting lump of loose skin and thin bones.

What is happening to me?!

There was a knock, followed by the sound of the door opening. I turned toward it with great difficulty and saw the monstrous figure leering in the doorway.

What is that? How did it get in here? Where are my knights? What is that? What is that?!

There was another flash of movement. To my relief, it was some of my knights, their swords ready as they approached the beast.

Finally! What took them so long? I’ll need to punish them later... After they deal with that thing, of course.

“You’re...one of the Highmages, right?”

What? That monster, a Highmage? It can’t be—

Unless... Unless the Magestone is no more.

No! Impossible! The Magestone was a gift from the Three!

It can’t be. Impossible. It can’t be. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong!

Lies! It’s lying! Hurry up and do something! Kill it! Kill it now!

The Three...chose me... I am... I am...

The ghoul calling itself a Highmage writhed before me, his face disfigured and decaying.

It won’t happen to me. I am different. I was chosen. I was chosen.

I’m scared I’m scared I’m scared I’m scared I can’t die I don’t want to die I’m scared I’m scared I’m scared I’m scared I’m meant to become the king of this world I’m scared I’m scared I’m scared I’m scared I don’t want to die I don’t want to die I don’t want to die I don’t want to die...

I don’t want to die!

I know those eyes... My wife... You’re here... Those eyes... Such hatred...

Even my slaves...betray me...wound me...

I was chosen... This world was...to be mine...

145. The Boundary...Can’t Stop Me!

After several days of exploring, two things were clear. One, the curse was completely gone, and two, I still couldn’t leave the forest. I was starting to get pretty annoyed, though I was trying to keep it to myself as best I could. It wouldn’t be fair to take it out on my friends.

Still, this is downright unfair. Maybe I should go to the edge of the forest for myself? Having a look at things through my own eyes is probably a good idea instead of just relying on the drone. It’s a long way by foot, though... Well, I’ve got no choice but to push through!

The familiar scenery of nature and brawling animals greeted me as I emerged from the house, which admittedly did serve to dampen my irritation.

“All right, let’s do this!”

Koa raced through the air, with me clinging on for dear life.

I hadn’t even managed to leave the clearing before Koa intercepted me, much to my surprise. She sometimes seemed unsure about the things I did, but she’d never actually tried to stop me from doing them. Naturally, I panicked.

What do I do now? Give up? But I want to see for myself...

Thankfully, before I could work myself into too much of a state, Koa twisted around and bent down, tilting her head toward her back.

Does she want me to get on?

Unsure, I clambered up as graciously as I was able to. My guess had been right, because as soon as I was seated, she took off into the sky. Despite not actually saying a word, she apparently knew exactly where I’d wanted to go, and we began making a beeline for what I’d judged to be the closest edge of the forest.

Thanks, Koa. You’re such a smart girl. Er... Why are you guys here?

More wolves surrounded us on all sides.

Wait, aren’t some of you the pups?! Crap, you’ve all grown too much... Now I can’t even tell you apart from the adults... That one’s a puppy, right? No, that one...? Er... I’ll worry about it later.

With Koa being as large as she was, I didn’t feel too concerned about the risk of falling off, though I did have to adjust my grip every once in a while to ensure I wasn’t inadvertently strangling her. I got better at it after the first few times she told me off. Sorry, girl.

Sure enough, the forest was as massive as always. Daylight had started to fade, and we still hadn’t reached the edge. We spent the night camped under a tree, and a few hours after the sun rose the next morning, we finally arrived at our destination.

The forest came to an abrupt end, a stark wall of trees giving way to open plains and a single, overgrown road. I’d spotted the obscured line I’d seen from the Clairvoyance drone, which was why I’d chosen this point specifically, hoping it was indeed a sign of habitation. I didn’t know who’d made the road—beastkin, most likely—but it was proof that people (in one form or another) had once been here, and that was good enough for me.

We’d landed just inside the tree line atop the dilapidated road. Steeling myself, I began to cross the few remaining meters between the forest and beyond—

Thunk.

...Ouch.

As expected, it seemed like exiting the forest wouldn’t be as easy as simple strolling out. Koa and the other wolves were looking at me with what appeared to be immense concern.

I’m fine, guys... Just a bit bruised.

Okay, now I’m really pissed off.

The feeling of being trapped was even worse when I could touch the invisible wall. Koa and the others wouldn’t go near it and growled every time my angry pacing took me too close.

Are they... Are they scared of the wall? It makes sense, I guess. They’ve probably suffered a lot more than me because of it. All right, I’m gonna break this wall and free us! As soon as I can figure out how...

Okay, invisible wall. How do I break a wall? A wrecking ball? I saw something like that on TV once... Actually, I feel like that was a news report on some kinda tragic accident. Maybe not a wrecking ball, then. What else do people use for stuff like this?

Oh, what about dynamite? No, I feel like that’s gonna be a single-ingredient recipe for disaster.

Okay, looping back around to the wrecking ball. It should be relatively safe if I do it magically, right? I’ll use magic to make a ball of compressed air or something and smash it against the wall a few times. That should do the trick, I think. The problem is I can’t actually see where I’m aiming—it probably won’t work if I end up hitting a different place each time. Maybe it’d be better to make one superpowerful ball instead of several smaller ones? Okay, I think I’m starting to overthink this. Let’s just give it a go and see what happens.

I pressed my palm against the invisible wall. Here goes nothing.

Crack.

Great, no counterattacks or recoil or anything. I hadn’t thought about it until it was too late, but if the forest wall had been equipped with a repelling feature like my Barriers, things would have gone very badly. Interestingly, I thought I’d seen something flash in front of me for a split second when I’d cast the spell, but I decided to put it out of my mind and focus on the matter at hand.

You’re going down, wall!

I took a few steps back and pointed my outstretched palm at the wall, and began willing another ball of compressed air into existence in front of it.

How powerful does this thing need to be? Let’s give it a bit more... More... More...

Around me, wind began to swirl wildly, fluttering at the edges of my clothes.

It’s still not enough. I need more power. Oh right, imagination is important when it comes to magic, isn’t it? Should I picture the wall breaking too? It won’t hurt. Imagination is free, after all.

Visualizing something like a marble shattering a sheet of glass, I focused intently on the wall.

“Just Break, dammit!”

Several noises came in quick succession—a few low cracks followed by the distinctive sound of splintering glass. The moment the splintering sound started, the translucent, glossy wall became visible.

Yeah, this is what I thought I saw...

Numerous jagged cracks spread out from the point of impact, but the wall was still whole—for now. With that much damage, I knew it wouldn’t take much more to bring the whole thing down. I stood up straight, squared my shoulders, and launched myself at the wall foot-first.

SMASH!

As my foot connected with the cluster of cracks, the wall lit up with a warm, yellowish glow, and promptly shattered into thousands of pieces. I yelped in surprise, but thankfully, the falling shards of glass immediately began to disappear in individual bursts of light. One shard, however, landed in front of me instead, and I scooped it up.

“Weird... Huh?”

I’d assumed the shard would disappear upon touching it, but instead the light had faded, and I was left with what basically appeared to be a normal piece of glass. Unnerved—as I always was when things didn’t go the way I anticipated in this place—I froze for a few anxious minutes. By the time I’d pulled myself back together, all evidence of the wall had vanished but for the single fragment in my hand.

Well... Looks like the wall’s good and broken, at least.

The road was open now. There was nothing else between me and the outside world, save for a few measly steps. I took a deep breath and started off, immediately finding myself overtaken by the wolves as they raced past me, tails wagging excitedly.

So cute.

146. You Bastards Again...? I Could Sue, You Know!

I did it...? I did it! I’m outside the forest! Sure, it looks like I’m in the boonies, but I’m still excited! Koa and the others seem kinda excited too, actually. So this is what the nonforest part of this world looks like...

“It’s broken?! How?!”

“What do we do now?”

“Don’t ask me! You were the one who said it was unbreakable!”

What the—? Jeez, that scared me! Hearing disembodied voices outta nowhere is some horror movie crap, y’know?

I looked around, but there was no one to be seen. The voices hadn’t come from nearby.

I feel like they’re weirdly familiar, though...

“This isn’t good. With the wall broken, the divine beasts...”

“Can’t we just make another wall?”

“Don’t you remember how much Higher Power we needed the first time?! How are we gonna make another one with our powers sealed?!”

Er... Divine beasts? Higher power?

I looked around again, but the result was unchanged: No one in sight but clearly audible voices. I’d experienced this once before.

When I got yanked into this world... Yeah, I think these voices belong to those dumbass apprentices. Don’t you dare tell me I’m about to get mixed up in something else thanks to those idiots!

“Wait, that guy broke it? Seriously?”

You don’t have the right to look down on me!

My hands curled into fists unconsciously, though I quickly loosened my grip after my right hand twinged on account of the wall fragment I was still clutching.

“Who the hell does he think he is, walking around with a pack of Fenrir?”

Fenrir? Do they mean the wolves? I glanced at Koa, sitting beside (and towering over) me. Oh, I guess maybe it’s a breed of wolves? It’s a pretty cool-sounding breed—perfect for an awesome wolf like you.

I scratched her on the shoulder a few times, to her evident delight.

Fenrir... Wait, Fenrir? I feel like that word came up during one of my sister’s manga infodumps...

“Oh... Oh no! The Magestone!”

“What?!”

“It’s broken too?! But how?!”

The voices were apparently obsessed with broken things—this time, it was something called a “magestone,” whatever that was. I didn’t know what was going on, but I was certain now. The three voices definitely belonged to those apprentices, and they were clearly up to no good. They were the whole reason I’d ended up in this world in the first place, and now it seemed like they’d also been the ones keeping me and the others trapped in the forest.

“What do we do now?”

Nothing. Stop doing things.

“If he finds out about this, he won’t just confiscate our Higher Power this time... We’ll lose our apprenticeships altogether!”

So I guess their “Higher Power” got confiscated after they messed up and summoned me here? Losing your apprenticeships sounds like a good thing to me, actually.

“That guy... Can’t we use him?”

They’re talking about me, right? They must be. Listen here, you—

My rapidly growing anger must have been causing my mana to surge, because I suddenly realized Koa was looking at me with what I could tell was concern. Actually, all of the wolves seemed somewhat distressed. Scary, but distressed.

Ah... Sorry, everyone. I didn’t mean to make you worry. I’m calm now, okay?

“Yes, of course... He’s a human, so this should...” The voice paused for a second. When it continued, there was a tinge of anxiety to the tone. “He is human, right?”

Obviously. What else would I be? Also, why do I feel like you just did something? Or tried to anyway...

“It doesn’t matter! We need to—”

“What in the blazes is going on here?! I sensed the presence of the divine beasts once more and came to investigate, and this is what I find?!”

“Waaah...”

Looks like the jig is up, bastards.

I recognized the new voice too. It was the angry one that had shown up to tell the apprentices off after they’d fumbled the hero summoning spell.

“What is this world?!”

“Lord, er...”

“You— You stole a realmseed, didn’t you?!”

They’re thieves too? Man, these apprentices really are a bunch of bad eggs. On another note... Is it all right for me to be hearing all of this? Although it’s not like I can just walk away, I guess...

“But Lord, we—”

“You what, exactly?!”

“Everything was going well! Our world was prospering!”

“Prosperity that came from the power stolen from the divine beasts you imprisoned?”

“Ah...”

What is he on about? Divine beasts? Maybe he means Fluffy and the other dragons? Dragons are sacred creatures in Japanese mythology, so maybe it’s the same here... Wait, does that mean those apprentice jerks have been stealing Fluffy’s power and using it however they wanted? These bastards!

“Incidentally, we appear to have an inadvertent eavesdropper...”

Guess he noticed me, huh... Yeah, I’m kinda scared.

“Sorry,” I said, speaking to no one in particular. “I’m the victim of those idiots—I mean, apprentices.”

“Don’t lie, you—”

“Silence!”

Wow, that made me jump! This “lord” guy is pretty intimidating.

“The victim, you say?”

“Yeah... I’m a human from Ja—er, Earth. They accidentally yanked me into their hero-summoning spell, and then I got dumped in this world,” I explained, rubbing my neck awkwardly.

“Huh?!” all four voices cried in unison.

Ha ha, they all reacted the same way. But seriously, you didn’t notice me standing here again? Like, I thought so, but I’m still pretty pissed off.

147. This World...and Me.

Koa nudged me with her nose. Please don’t. I nearly fell over. What’s up, girl? You seem kinda annoyed. Is it because I started talking to thin air? Maybe she can’t hear their voices...

“I apologize, earthling,” said the god (which is what I assumed “lord” implied about the voice’s owner). “I’d like to speak to you again, but first, I must examine this world a little more closely.”

“Okay,” I replied. “I’ll head home for now, then.”

“Home?”

“Er, yeah. I live in the middle of the forest with my friends.”

“I see. Well—”

“Um, human...” One of the apprentices interjected, cutting the god off mid-sentence.

You’re seriously just gonna interrupt a god like that? Learn some social awareness, man... Not that I can talk.

“Yeah? What is it?”

“How are you still alive?” the voice continued, somewhat hesitant.

“Er, come again?” I replied.

“Shut up, idiot!” hissed one of the other apprentices, and to my relief, the first one did so.

Okay, cool. I’m just gonna pretend I didn’t hear that. Like I’m kinda curious, but at the same time... Yeah, I don’t wanna know. Oh, I do have one question though.

“Er, Lord? Can I ask something?”

“Hm?”

“It’s just, I think it’s a little weird that I can hear your voices...”

“Indeed. Are you perhaps touching something these fools made?”

“Touching?” I looked down at my hand, and at the piece of the wall I was still holding.

“Well?”

“Yes... I think it’s a part of the wall they built to imprison the divine beasts. Thank you.”

Well, that’s really the only thing I wanted to know. Come on Koa—time to go home.

I was exhausted for some reason, though a few minutes on Koa’s back soon made me feel a little better. She went slower on the journey home, which I assumed was mostly (if not entirely) for my sake, and the gentle breeze further helped to lift my spirits. It took us two full days to get home, over the course of which I did little but sit and watch the scenery go by.

I felt a deep sense of relief when the mountain finally came into view.

Oh, the Farm Brigade is sowing the fields again? I guess it’s planting season already, huh— Crap! I need to top up the snow in Marshmallow’s room! God, I hope I’m not too late...

I leaped off Koa’s back as soon as we landed and sprinted toward the snow cellar—only to stop dead in my tracks as something shot toward me instead.

That’s a dragon, right? Yeah, definitely a dragon... Just one that’s five times bigger than I remember. How did it get so huge?! Oh, that god was saying something about divine beasts and sealed power and whatever... So does this mean they’ve got their power back? That’s why you grew so fast, huh? You must be at least ten meters long...

Seeing a huge dragon cautiously landing while trying to avoid trampling the adjacent fields was pretty amusing, I had to admit.

Hey, Marshmallow. It is you, right? I’m sorry about the snow... You seem fine out here, though.

Flying Lizard, you’ve grown too— Hey, be careful! You can’t just jump on me like you used to, okay?! Why? Because you’re gigantic now! Just be a little more gentle!

Farm Brigade, Ants, Spiders—thanks for your hard work. Sorry, field amoeba—you guys too. Yeah, I’m home. Sorry I was gone so long.

The two beastkin kids came rushing out of the house as they noticed the commotion outside, which made me smile.

I think they kinda like me.

“How about we have a barbecue or something, eh?”

Apparently, dragons could change their size at will.

If you’re gonna shrink yourselves down as soon as you hear the word barbecue, then why didn’t you shrink yourselves down before jumping all over me?!

Karen, you have to put out your flames before you land on your perch! Why? Because it’s made of wood! Don’t you remember what happened last time?!

One Eyes, let me do something to help, please...

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Er, and you are...?”

A person. A hermit? I don’t remember knowing any hermits. Oh, he speaks Japanese.

The hermit stared at me. “I’m a god. We met the other day?”

“Oh. Right. Sorry.”

I offered him a seat, and a One Eye immediately brought over some juice and a plate of sliced fruit. I thought the god looked pretty tired. I wonder if something happened?

“I’ve been looking into what happened to you.”

“I see...”

“I must apologize again. For the business with the hero-summoning spell, and for your subsequent imprisonment in this world.”

Imprisonment, huh? The truth sure is scary sometimes...

“Those fools seemed to think that if they dropped you in this forest, you’d soon succumb to, well...”

“Ah. Yeah, I understand.”

Basically, they dumped me here as a roundabout way of murdering me. What do they call it? Eliminating any witnesses? Rude.

So those “apprentices” are apprentice gods or something, then?

The god sighed heavily.

I guess he’s got his work cut out for him.

“This world was created by the three of them without permission.”

“I didn’t realize worlds could be created so easily.”

“They stole a realmseed made by the Creator and used that to craft this place.”

So if you have a “realmseed” you can just make a whole new world? And those idiots just stole one so easily? Seems kinda unsecure...

“Only apprentice gods can enter the place where the realmseeds are held. We never expected one to be stolen.”

You should probably take another look at your hiring practices, then. I’m not sure thieves make for good gods.

“Thankfully, this world seems to be doing rather well, all things considered. However...”

His story went on for way too long. Essentially, the world they’d made was coming along nicely, but over time, the people of this place had started worshipping the divine beasts as gods, much to the annoyance of the three apprentices. At one point, some king from some random kingdom had started worshipping the three apprentices as gods instead. Pleased by their recognition, they’d gifted the king the aforementioned “magestone,” which was a powerful rock or something.

Obviously, they were complete idiots. Instead of keeping an eye on things like they should have—especially after giving a random dude so much power—they’d instead gotten distracted by the idea of casting a “hero-summoning spell,” apparently believing that their success would result in immediate promotion to godhood. Subsequently, they’d left this world to its own devices for a couple hundred years while they prepared the spell. The dismal failure of said spell had been noticed by—and angered—a whole bunch of gods, and as a consequence, they’d had their “Higher Powers” confiscated for several years. Then they’d remembered the existence of this world, and had returned, possibly hoping to figure out a way to make a comeback and regain their impounded powers—only to find I’d made a whole lotta changes.

Oh, I really screwed up.

148. I’m Not Merciful...Graduating from Humanity!

My mind was going a hundred miles an hour as he spoke, trying to comprehend everything I’d allegedly done.

Okay, so I erased the curse, which was actually something called the Magic Eye... Either way, as long as all that black junk is gone, I’m happy.

I also broke the “magestone,” whatever that is. Breaking it seems like it helped the forest, so that was a good thing.

What did he say? I helped Yggdrasil evolve... What the hell is an Yggdrasil?

And I freed the divine beasts. Great work, me!

I annihilated the entire Fifth Knights Brigade of the Kingdom of Empras... Wait, what?!

Er, was that a bad thing? They deserved it? Okay, cool.

I also indirectly killed the king and his most important mages... Erm. They were bad people, right? Yeah? Sweet.

“I thought you’d be more upset about killing them.”

I shrugged. “I mean, it just seems like karma to me. Was there anything else?”

If I’d killed them with my own two hands, it would be a little more upsetting, but all I did was say a few words. Besides, based on what the god had said, the guys I’d inadvertently killed had all very much deserved it. Sacrificing beastkin, using children as bait... Even in the afterlife, crimes like those don’t get forgiven.

“The child slaves reached the lands of a neighboring kingdom, who happily took them into their protection.”

“Er... Sorry, I think I must have missed something.”

The condensed version of his long-winded explanation was that the two hundred child slaves who’d recently been dragged into the forest as sacrifices had escaped and were now safe, apart from the two who’d instead ended up at my house—

Wait, what?

“They were able to survive with your protection, and with a little help from some of the local creatures, it seems. Some of the slaves who’d previously escaped had already sought help from a neighboring kingdom, some of whom happened to be in the forest at the time. I am glad that all went well.”

Protection? What protection? I didn’t even know about the slaves in the first place, so how could I have protected them?

Magically? My magic? I don’t remember doing anything protection-y, but if you say so...

Wait, now he’s saying I had something to do with the first lot of escapees too? I really have no idea about any of this...

Oh well, I’m glad all the kids are safe, even if I didn’t know they existed until now. Also, I can’t believe Usa and Kuhi were slaves! That’s awful.

“And now comes the time to discuss you,” said the god. “It would seem that you are no longer human.”

I blinked a few times. “Come again?”

What is this geezer—er, god—on about?

“It appears that the power of all four heroes now resides within you, and you alone.”

“Right...”

“Furthermore, with no god to oversee things, you somehow managed to become the master of the divine beasts.”

“Sure...”

“Ultimately, you are the apex presence in this world.”

Er, okay... So basically, I’ve graduated from humanity? Cool, cool.

Yeah, I’m panicking.

“Would you like to become a god?”

“No thanks!”

Seriously, is this geezer—I mean god—all right in the brain department?

Okay, I need to calm down. Deep breaths, deep breaths. There’s way too much happening here all at once. I feel like my head’s about to explode.

“Are you sure? It’s not every day you come across an opportunity such as this.”

“There’s no way I could be a god, seriously,” I replied, still somewhat flustered. “Is this a test or something?”

“A god needs to be chosen to watch over this world, in the end.”

Yeah, but I feel like you’re up to something. If I’d said, “Sure! I wanna be a god!” you wouldn’t be sitting there smiling, would you? I need to be careful around this guy—er, god.

“There’s no need to be so suspicious, you know.”

“You were testing me though, weren’t you?” I pressed.

“Forgive me. You are an extremely unique being, and to be frank, I’m not quite sure what to do with you.”

Like that’s my problem! Wait, he’s talking about me. I guess it is my problem. But I’m never sure what to do with myself either...

“Honestly, I’d just like to live peacefully with my friends.”

The god frowned. “Unthinkable power dwells within you, earthling. Will you truly be satisfied with such a life?”

“I don’t really care about power and stuff. The only reason I wanted to get rid of the curse—I mean, the Magic Eye—is because it was hurting my friends. I just wanted my home to be comfortable, and the forest to be beautiful. That’s all I’ve been trying to work toward since I ended up here. That’s all I care about, really. Well, I suppose my power is what helped me survive until now, so I am grateful for it, but... Yeah.”

“I see.”

“It’s what my parents always said: ‘When in trouble, start simple.’”

Your own life was always the highest priority, especially in times of danger. You need to protect yourself without overcomplicating things. Secure shelter, food, and water, and find a way to protect yourself from disease. If you could make friends while doing it, great. If things got out of hand and you found yourself paralyzed by fear, stop and think simple, and work toward whatever kept you safe.

Those were the teachings my parents had tried to instill in my siblings and I, a condensed version of the lessons my dad had picked up while spending a few years backpacking around the globe in his youth. They hadn’t come in handy very often back in Japan, but here? Here, I was milking them for all they were worth.

“My family, can you—?” I paused. “No, never mind.”

“I’m sorry,” said the god.

I know my family. I’m sure they’re fine. They’re probably laughing and smiling whenever they remember me.

Also, he said I’m no longer a human, right? So what am I?

149. Thank You, Oblivious Me! ...Another World, Please.

“Now, I’m sure you’re unaware of this... But by all rights, you should be dead.”

Oh. That’s kinda... Yeah.

As much as I wanted to pretend I’d misheard him, I hadn’t. I’d heard it clear as day.

So first of all I’m not human, and now I should be dead? I’m... Okay, I need to calm down. I need to—

Ah... Soft.

Thanks, squirrel. You knew I just needed a few comfort pats. Okay, I’m ready. Let’s do this.

I listened to another of the god’s long-winded explanations, internally praising my apparently chronic lack of awareness with each new revelation.

It should have been impossible for me to tolerate the magical power of all four heroes. By now, the power should have overwhelmed me from within, running amok in a way that no human body could withstand.

But I was still alive.

I was alive because of this world—or rather, because of the unique situation within it at the time of my arrival. Through repeatedly purifying the effects of the so-called Magic Eye, I’d managed to use up most of the excess mana that would have otherwise destroyed me. My purifications alone wouldn’t have been enough, but the barriers I’d created here, there, and everywhere had taken most of the remaining excess. According to the god, barriers like mine were an advanced form of magic, requiring a constant input of mana for sustained existence.

So basically, I’ve been able to cast advanced-level spells right from the get-go? And thanks to that, I managed to avoid internal mana combustion? Awesome job, past me!

A hero’s power would increase in three stages, supposedly to allow their bodies to adapt to the immense changes. I’d gone through the same three stages—but each stage had entailed an increase of four times the power. I’d narrowly managed to survive the initial influx of power. Progressing to the second stage should have realistically killed me, but around the time it had started, I’d coincidentally extended the main barrier to the cursed lake, draining the critically excessive mana. I’d also unknowingly evaded death at the third stage thanks to another of my constant barrier extensions.

Turns out barriers are useful for more than just keeping curses out, eh?

However, just the barriers wouldn’t have been enough to keep me from mana meltdown, but as the god put it, my daily life seemed to revolve around a constant expenditure of mana. I couldn’t really make heads or tails of his explanation, though—

The purification spells I evoked against the Magic Eye countless times a day attributed to most of said expenditure...

Countless times? I don’t remember casting Purify that often.

...as did the frequent distribution of mana to my animal friends...

I definitely don’t remember ever doing that.

...and the nonstop activation of the golems.

What the hell is a golem?

The mana-laden breezes I constantly sent billowing throughout the forest also helped use up the surplus power within me...

Yeah, I’ve got no idea what he’s referring to there.

...and just recently, my role in facilitating Yggdrasil’s evolution had apparently necessitated an insane donation of mana.

Evolution?

In particular, strengthening Yggdrasil’s defensive abilities had probably also saved me, to my ignorance.

I don’t even know what the hell an Yggdrasil is in the first place!

And of course, my final expulsion of the Magic Eye from the forest entirely by shattering the wall had helped too.

So that explains why the forest’s been looking even prettier the past few days.

So basically, I needed to use up an almost impossible amount of mana every day or I would’ve died, and I somehow managed to do it without even realizing. I know I’m oblivious sometimes, but still... It’s kinda scary that I didn’t even notice it.

Supposedly, just using up the excess mana would have been enough to keep me safe, but my body had gradually adapted to the constant ebb and flow of power, and now I could accumulate a huge reserve of mana without any significant repercussions, a feat that would be impossible for a mere human. I’d evolved into something else—or so some of the gods thought anyway. Nothing like this had ever happened before, so it was still no more than a theory on their parts.

It’s just one of those inexplicable mysteries of the (maybe) human body. Let’s just leave it at that, okay?

“Are you all right?”

I sighed. “Yeah, I’m all right. There’s not much I can do about it now anyway.”

The god hummed thoughtfully in response.

So I’ve got enough power for four people—and not just any people, but heroes... Er, does this mean I’m actually pretty strong? I mean, I can already cast advanced-level spells even if it wasn’t on purpose...

“Ah, I nearly forgot,” the god said suddenly. “About those three...”

“Those three?” I replied, momentarily confused. “Oh, the three idi— I mean, apprentices?”

“Indeed. Stealing the realmseed, stealing the divine beasts’ eggs... Well, without getting into it too much, let’s just say they’ve caused a great deal of trouble.”

That’s putting it lightly.

“I’ve spent many hours speaking with them during these past few days, but it is clear that there will be no hope of redemption for them. They fail to understand the very fundamentals of what it means to be a god. We gods are not free to do as we please, you see. There are strict rules we must abide by, lest the stars blink out one by one and the worlds crumble to dust.” He scoffed. “They’ve learned nothing, the fools... They will be stripped of their apprenticeships and their Higher Powers and sent for reincarnation at the basest level of existence with their memories intact.”

“Intact?” I questioned.

“Those three are singularly obsessed with the idea of godhood, you see. For it to be so nearly in their clutches, only to fall to a place where it will remain out of reach forevermore... Nothing could be worse, as far as they’re concerned. Their memories will haunt them, and they will be unable to escape the reality of their punishment for the rest of their days... The other gods were extraordinarily angry, as you may be able to tell.”

The basest level of existence... I wonder what kinda creatures they’ll end up as? Wait, are they gonna be reincarnated here?

“Worry not. Their cycle will not lead them back to this world.”

Thank god.

150. I Am Me! ...That Hasn’t Changed.

I woke up the same way I always did: by being stomped on by a One Eye.

One day I’m gonna wake up before my attack alarm clock! You just watch!

I made my way down to the first floor for breakfast. Through the window, I could see Usa and Kuhi running around outside. They seemed to be helping the Farm Brigade with their work.

So they’re allowed to go in the fields too... Everyone but me... Nope, stop thinking about it. I’ll just get depressed again. It’s outta my hands anyway.

It was the day after the god had visited and explained all the stuff I’d unintentionally done since my arrival. A lot of stuff... Way, way too much stuff. After he’d left, I’d spent the night thinking over everything he’d said, and I’d come to one conclusion: I didn’t particularly care.

So? Okay, so I’m not a human anymore—what does it matter? I’m still me, same as ever. Yeah, I did a lot of stuff, but in the end it seemed to make this world a better place, so why worry about it? I’m not planning to do anything differently from here on out, so everything’s kinda done and dusted. Yep, nothing’s changed, except I now know I’m kinda strong. Just need to make sure I keep that in mind.

“Morning, kids! Time for breakfast!”

“Good morning!”

I’d had just one realization—and subsequent regret—after the god had left the previous day.

Seriously, I can’t believe I didn’t think of it! Language! He was a damn god, man! I’m sure he would’ve been able to grant a little wish like instantly becoming able to speak their language! I just forgot all about it because he showed up speaking Japanese... I’m so annoyed at myself.

The hermit-god had said he’d introduce me to the god of this world—once the others had decided on who that would be—so I’d promised myself I wouldn’t forget about it when that time came. I didn’t particularly care about meeting the god, but I was determined to beg for a solution to my language problem.

I flew above the forest astride Koa, surveying the landscape.

“It really is huge, eh?”

A vibrant carpet of blues and greens rolled underneath me, without even a hint of shadow. I hadn’t seen any sign of the curse since getting rid of the “Magic Eye.” Countless rivers and streams twisted between the trees and beyond, past the edges of the forest. I’d already seen evidence of the Farm Brigade extending the fields closer and closer to the forest’s edge.

This is nice. Just me and Koa—

A flash of movement beside me made me jump.

And a wind amoeba, apparently.

The recent appearance of the flying amoeba had startled me at first—reasonably enough, I thought—but I’d quickly gotten used to its constant presence.

Still don’t know why an amoeba is flying, though... Oh well. There’s no point trying to find a reason for anything that goes on in this place. It can fly, so it’s flying—simple as that.

“You’re the biggest out of all of them, aren’t you?”

The wind amoeba was indeed larger than any of the other varieties I’d encountered to date. It was weirdly beautiful too, with how the sunlight sparkled off its semitranslucent, jellylike body.

A few minutes later, I spotted something unusual moving through the trees below. “Beastkin?”

Indeed, a sizable group of beastkin were making their way along one of the overgrown game trails between the trees—I estimated probably about forty of them. Some had the same doglike ears as Kuhi and Usa, while others resembled different creatures instead.

I wonder if they’re hostile... Oh, they noticed me.

I waved at the group.

Crap, I think I scared them. Er, you guys okay? You seem kinda panicked...

Koa and I stopped above the group, which was potentially a dangerous move had they decided to attack, but thankfully nothing of the sort occurred. If anything, I was more worried about the multiple beastkin who looked like they’d fainted.

What the—? Oh, hey, guys. I jumped again as something darted past me, but it was only Fluffy and Light Blue. Yeah, I forgot to say hi to you guys this morning, didn’t I?

“Good morning, Fluffy. Good morning, Light Blue.”

If you’re gonna fly around me in circles, please make yourselves smaller first... I’m begging you. It’s like being caught in a tornado here.

Seriously, are those beastkin okay? They’re dropping like flies down there. Oh, I guess seeing the dragons probably shocked them—they are divine beasts after all. I feel kinda bad now.

“Koa, let’s go.”

I really wanna start building a relationship with the beastkin, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen with the dragons around. I’ll try visiting them with just Koa next time. Although really, it’s not like I’m gonna be able to talk to them anyway. Well, I’m already planning to ask the new god to teach me this world’s language, so all I can do now is pray they show up soon.

Come to think of it, there’s still a whole bunch of caves I need to explore. I should probably focus on conquering them first. Okay, plan of action decided! First, I’ll conquer every cave in the forest! Then I’ll forge a relationship with the beastkin and thereby increase my range of seasonings! Oh, plus I also want to find eggs and rice! I want donburi! I want pancakes!

There was no way of knowing what the future would hold, but one thing was certain: I was me, and nothing would ever change that.

Side Story: The Golems Love His Lordship

— From the Perspective of a Golem —

When I opened my eye, I saw him. His Lordship slept peacefully, wrapped in a cocoon of his own immense mana.

There was no question about it. This was who I’d been created to serve.

I began by testing the functionality of my newly made body. Thankfully, I was well designed, and movement was easy and comfortable. Satisfied, I turned to the matter at hand.

What does His Lordship require of us? Flooring... Yes, that’s right. His Lordship created us to assist in his work. Not just the flooring—we need to make the whole house a comfortable place for His Lordship to reside. That is our purpose, and we will not fail him!

His Lordship soon made another group of golems, to whom he gave the responsibility of preparing his clothing. How enviable... No, I must have more pride in myself, for we were His Lordship’s first creations.

More new golems...? According to rumor, the latest group had been tasked with dismantling the carcasses procured by His Lordship’s other subjects. If His Lordship required someone to prepare his meals, we One Eyes would have been glad to assist. There was no need for yet another group.

I’d been mistaken. The newest additions specialized not only in dismantling the carcasses, but in preparing the hides removed from them—an undertaking that took a great deal of time. If we One Eyes had been required to complete the work ourselves, we would have surely fallen behind on our other duties.

I’m glad he made more of us.

Another group of golems soon appeared, designed by His Lordship to ensure an adequate supply of food. Apparently, “fields” were an absolutely essential component of His Lordship’s desired lifestyle. Maintaining those fields, therefore, was an incredibly important responsibility, though I couldn’t understand why he’d granted each of the latest golems a mana-fortifying stone. I’m so jealous.

I apologize. The golems working outside were tasked with not just the maintenance of the fields but also with defending them from the monsters and archbeasts who constantly targeted the crops. Which explains the need for them to possess greater magical abilities... His Lordship truly is magnanimous. I should simply trust His Lordship and not question his decisions.

However, Your Lordship... If you continue to insist on helping in the fields, I do wish you would suppress your power while doing so. The effect it’s having on the growing crops is too immense! The farming golems are beside themselves with worry.

Queen Koa and Lord Chai were observing the Farm Brigade’s battle practice with much interest. There is no need for His Lordship’s generals to worry. The farm golems have mastered advanced magic and can annihilate an entire swarm of monsters in mere seconds. His Lordship’s lands are well protected.

After His Lordship’s mountain estate was complete, I began to worry about what the lack of work meant for my fellow One Eyes and me. Are we to be relieved of our post?

Thankfully, that didn’t come to pass. His Lordship began to carefully instruct us in the performance of various tasks, from cooking to cleaning. It soon became clear to me that our new purpose was to shoulder the responsibility of all household endeavors, and thus, I would accept nothing less than perfection.

His Lordship’s subjects soon increased again, with two beastkin younglings taking up residence at the mountain estate. They cried upon seeing us, but His Lordship was forgiving, though he did seem concerned about their reaction.

I do hope there won’t be any issues.

The beastkin children had been awake for a good while now and were starting to seem panicked without His Lordship’s company. I was at a loss. I wanted to rouse His Lordship, but I didn’t know how. His Lordship had never taught us the appropriate way to wake him from sleep. I combed through the knowledge he’d conferred upon us, and thankfully, I managed to locate one method of waking someone. With no other options, I had little choice but to test it out.

Success! His Lordship does seem a little uncomfortable, but he’s much more lively than usual upon waking, so I believe this method is correct. I’ll rouse His Lordship like this from today onward.

It was just another day spent serving His Lordship as best we could, and I wouldn’t allow anyone to get in between us and our duties, no matter who they might be.

His Lordship said this batch of wine wasn’t ready yet. Give the barrel back.

You refuse, you say... Do you honestly believe you have a choice?

Side Story: A Day in Koa’s Life

I pushed my forelegs out, curling my back slightly to loosen it from the stiffness of a good night’s sleep. A low growl of satisfaction rumbled in the back of my throat involuntarily. I’d slept well—perhaps too well. The beds Master had prepared for us were packed full of his mana—much like everything else around the house—and I woke up every morning to not just my energy but my mana also being fully restored. Mana was a delicate thing. Oftentimes absorbing another creature’s mana would lead to harm rather than benefit, but Master’s magic was gentle and had never once wounded me.

Yes, his mana is gentle—and strong. As expected of Master.

“Time to wake the others, I’d say— Hmph. Safe or not, recklessness has its limits, you two.”

I’d just spotted Shion and Kurou, both of whom were sleeping with their stomachs on full display. To bare your softest flesh so indifferently is mere foolishness. Good grief. Have you forgotten that you share a monarch’s blood?

“I believe some remedial lessons may be in order... Oy, you half-wits! Get up!”

Shion and Kurou both twitched slightly at my call, but neither woke. I could see their chests rising and falling, still fully exposed in their unguarded slumber. I found myself momentarily lost for words. Why don’t they wake?

“I’m sure I just gave an order...” I muttered to myself. “It seems like I might have to triple today’s training for the two of you. Shion! Kurou! Get up!”

Nothing happened.

“Wake! Up! Now!” I shouted, infusing the command with my monarchical power.

“Urgh—”

“Wha...?”

Finally, their eyes have opened. If they hadn’t responded to that, I don’t know what I’d have done.

“Good, you’re finally awake. Get ready and come to the clearing. We’re doing some special training today.”

“S-Special training?!” Shion and Kurou replied in confused unison. Ignoring their questions, I turned and left, intending to check on Master and the dwelling, as was my habit. Of course, it was unlikely anything would be wrong with the dwelling—not with him protecting it—but there was little harm in being cautious, even if it was unnecessary.

“Good morning, everyone,” I said as I spotted the Arumearenie—Spider Boss’s spawn—slowly passing overhead. “You all seem rather unhurried this morning.”

“Good morning, Queen Koa!” they all cried in response.

I smiled as I waited for the momentary commotion to die down. “I’ve thought this for a while now, but you can simply call me ‘Koa,’ younglings. We are all equal under Master’s care.”

“Really? Okay...” one replied, hesitant. “Erm... Miss Koa?”

“Yeah, is Miss Koa okay?!”

I chuckled. “Yes, that’s fine.”

“You’re so nice, Miss Koa!”

The Arumearenie took turns trying out my new title. Secretly, I thought they were rather charming. Still, I’d never imagined a day would come where I would be engaging in idle conversation with creatures such as the Arumearenie.

Though she was now known as Spider Boss, their mother—the Chuearenie—had once been known as the Gatekeeper of Hell among my kind. To watch her hunt was like watching a nightmare. She would appear out of nowhere, darting between the trees like a tempest breeze or even launching herself into the sky above as the situation demanded. Any enemy, once spotted, was as good as dead. She and the Arumearenie would surround their prey and bring them down in the blink of an eye. On the rare occasions a creature was foolish enough to attack her instead, she’d mercilessly bathe them in her fearsome flames until nothing but ash remained. She was one of the forest’s monarchs—a position that was well deserved, loathe as I was to admit it.

The Chuearenie’s hellfire was different from normal flames. Though infrequent, fires did occur within the forest. In the days when the forest had teemed with natural mana, the trees and the earth would soon regenerate after any blaze—unless, of course, it had come about as a result of her hellfire. Those black scars on the land took a great deal of time to fade, for her cloak of flame was impregnated with intense, violent mana.

As memory serves, the Chuearenie and I battled on countless occasions in those days, did we not? Though I cannot recall why we were always at odds for the life of me... I feel as though she has changed since those days, although I can’t say how. Well, our current relationship is more efficient, and I suppose that’s the important thing.

“Miss Koa, is something wrong?”

I’d gotten a little lost in thought. “No, not at all. Where are you off to today, younglings?”

“We’re helping in the fields!” one squeaked. “The golems said they’ll give us a potato if we work really hard!”

“And if we work really, really hard, they’ll even steam it for us!”

You’ve been well and truly domesticated, friends.

“Is that so? Well, I suppose you’ll have to work hard then, won’t you?”

“Yeah!”

I smiled at what had been another unified response as the Arumearenie took off running along the ceiling. They’re so motivated this morning... Unlike those belly-baring half-wits. I think it would be better if today’s training was four times as intensive.

“Morning, Koa,” came a voice from behind, startling me.

Perhaps those two aren’t the only ones who need to work on their awareness... To think I’d fail to notice a presence so near. Hmph.

“Oh, Chai. Good morning. Ah, and your kin—good morning, everyone. It’s been a while since we’ve met, has it not?”

Chai and I spoke at least once a day, but I saw the rest of his pack less frequently.

“Good morning,” they replied, before one—Sasa—continued. “We’ve been away training in the forest for the past four or so days.”

She looked rather proud of herself, as did the others; apparently, their training expedition had been fruitful. Dire wolves lived and hunted in packs and were innately territorial creatures. It was unheard of for their kind to live near other species, let alone among them. They seemed to have taken to life here rather well, however, and I often saw them training and playing around with many of Master’s other subjects.

Training in the forest... It’s a rather good idea, actually. Perhaps I should take those two fools for a trip myself.

“I see. It looks like it was time well spent,” I replied, and Sasa nodded enthusiastically.

Chai, on the other hand, looked extremely weary. I took a few steps toward him. “Is something the matter, Chai?” From this distance, I could clearly make out the way his eyes widened at the question—or more likely, at the proximity from which I’d asked it. I chuckled slightly at his reaction, which only served to make him look even more embarrassed as he averted his gaze.

Sasa laughed. “Chai, we’ll head off first. Take your time,” she said. There was an odd inflection in the way she’d spoken that made me tilt my head.

“It’s just like you said, Sasa,” Sami commented with a giggle.

What are they talking about?

“Of course it is,” replied Sasa. “Everyone behaves differently when they’re around someone special.”

“They’re already together, surely?” Kisa chimed in.

Do they know?

“But Chai got mad when I said so before...”

“He was just embarrassed.”

“Oh, I get it! He does get flustered whenever Koa’s near.”

Chai finally seemed to realize that his kin were making fun of him, letting out a low growl in the direction of the three girls. It had no effect, which didn’t particularly surprise me. Though Chai’s growls could be rather intimidating at times, the one just now had lacked all of his usual intensity. How cute.

“Chai, what’s wrong?” I said, leaning in even closer, though I knew I was getting a little carried away. “Are you feeling unwell?”

“I’m fine,” he replied gruffly, though I could see the pink tinge below his fur. “Enough of this. We should go see to Master.”

“You’re right.”

How commendable, to remain so unmoved... Good grief, what am I doing? This isn’t like me. I’ll need to double my own training for today, lest I soften even more.

We made our way to the first floor, and entered the spacious room Master had connected to the outside. With his many adjustments, this particular room now received a great deal of sunlight, and I found it to be a warm and pleasant spot to relax. Master also seemed rather fond of this room.

“Good morning,” I called as we entered. Master’s golems returned the greeting, never pausing in their work as they tidied up. Master, however, was not present.

An Arumearenie lounging in the sunlight nearby noticed me looking around. “You looking for Master? He just went outside with Lord Fluffy.”

What an unusual manner of speaking it has... I’m not sure I’ve met this one before. Is it one of Spider Boss’s latest brood? The Arumearenie seemed to hit their growth spurts whenever they pleased, so it was nearly impossible to determine each one’s age by sight alone.

“I see. Thank you.” In response to my thanks, the Arumearenie angled its rear upward and shook it from side to side.

The other Arumearenie have been reacting with a similar gesture recently, now that I think about it. Some sort of unusual trend among their kind? Well, odd though it may be, it’s still rather cute for now. I doubt I’ll feel the same once they grow a bit larger, however...

“I’m off to find Master, Chai. Are you coming?”

“Of course.”

We made our way through the entryway Master had fitted into the mountainside, emerging into the outside room. It was a most unusual room in that it had a roof to protect us from the rain, yet no walls to protect us from the wind. Master didn’t seem to think the room was lacking anything, however. Though its construction was odd, I was still fond of the outside room—particularly at night, when it became filled with the most delicious smells, smells that never failed to arouse my hunger regardless of how recently I’d eaten. Whenever those scents permeated the air, I found myself sprinting toward the outside room before I realized it, to my occasional frustration.

“It’s strange to think a day would come where eating would fill me with so much joy...” I muttered to myself.

“I think everyone here feels the same, Koa,” Chai replied.

Obviously, my voice hadn’t been as low as I’d thought—or rather, as it turned out, perhaps Chai had been closer to me than I’d realized, after I turned my head to find his face just inches from my own. It was my turn to feel flustered.

We soon spotted Master surveying the fields just beyond the clearing he’d made for us to train in. Lord Fluffy and Ai and the leader of the Garm pack were by his side.

“What is he doing, I wonder?”

Though morning practice had started in the clearing, Master’s gaze was squarely directed at the fields. I seized the opportunity to sneak up to him quietly, but as always, he suddenly turned and noticed me when I was still quite far away.

“Ah, he detected me again. How disappointing.”

“Have you ever managed to avoid his gaze?” Chai asked, and I shook my head.

More importantly, what is he looking at? Chai and I paused beside Lord Fluffy and turned our own gazes toward the fields. The Avimfurmi? I thought the Arumearenie were helping in the fields, but I guess the Avimfurmi are too... Hmm. I’d just noticed a small group of Avimfurmi attempting to hide while they snacked on pilfered crops. Just pray they don’t spot you, younglings.

“Ah.”

They’d been spotted. I watched as a golem quietly approached the unlucky Avimfurmi where they crouched in the grass, completely oblivious to their impending doom.

“Shouldn’t we warn them?” asked Lord Fluffy in a hushed whisper. I still wasn’t used to the dragon’s new amiability. The dragons I’d known in days past had been ill-tempered and proud to a fault, and though they’d been monarchs like me, I’d never once desired to forge any sort of friendship with the creatures. I found it difficult to associate that memory of them with the creatures I now knew, to the point of wondering what had been the impetus for such a dramatic change.

“And when the golems turn their attention to us instead, what will we do then?” I replied dryly.

“Still, we should protect our comrades...”

True. We’re not enemies anymore.

“If you feel so strongly about it, perhaps you should intervene, Lord Fluffy?”

“Impossible. If I incur the golem’s wrath, I’ll never know succulence again,” the dragon declared, causing Chai and Ai to erupt with laughter. Fluffy sniffed in annoyance. “There is no need for you or I to enter the fray. Perhaps Chai or Ai would be pleased to fulfill the request of a monarch?”

“Please don’t joke about such terrifying things, Lord Fluffy,” Ai replied, shaking his head rapidly. There was a slight tremor in his voice. “Going into that field right now would be suicide.”

“I’m sure they won’t go too hard on you,” Fluffy retorted with another sniff, and I nodded in agreement. Chai and Ai both took a step backward, looking every bit as though they were preparing to flee. Though I hadn’t actually been intending to force either of them to enter the fray, seeing them shrink back did disappoint me slightly. Another glance sent the two of them retreating by a few more steps, and I found myself feeling rather annoyed, particularly by Chai. Why is he pulling away from me?

“Eeeeek!”

“Argh!”

“Aaaieee!”

“Wah—”

A chorus of screams sounded from the fields, and I turned to see four Avimfurmi flying through the air toward the distant forest. A golem stood in the grass where they’d been hiding, shaking one little fist vigorously.

The four of us remained silent for a few moments as Master said something to the golem, who lowered its fist and tilted its head in confusion briefly before nodding once. Master scratched his head, thought for a minute or two, and started off in the direction of the forest, quickly followed by Ai.

“Sora! Nea!” Ai called as he ran, directed toward the Garm training in the clearing. “We’re escorting Master today, so come on!”

Like dire wolves, Garm also hunted in packs, and their cohesiveness was impressive indeed. Accordingly, when it was Ai’s turn to lead Master’s guard squad, it was more effective—and therefore safer for Master—for only Garm to accompany him.

“Understood!”

“See ya, guys!”

Both Sora and Nea were wagging their tails with unrestrained excitement at being selected.

In truth, Master was immeasurably stronger than any of his subjects, so there was little need for us to escort him for his safety. However, if we simply watched him run off into the forest whenever he pleased, the precious time we got to spend with him would dwindle—something no one had wanted to accept. After discussing the matter with Lord Fluffy, Lord Flying Lizard, and Spider Boss, we’d decided to implement a rotating system to allow each group of creatures to spend more time by his side. At first, I’d worried that Master would dismiss us during his excursions, but Master was generous and kind, allowing us to attempt to serve him though we knew we were little more than a hindrance. Unfortunately it was still a few days until my next turn as his escort, and I was already growing impatient—for more than one reason.

“Where in the world are those half-wits?”

I scanned the clearing, but Kurou and Shion were nowhere to be seen, though quite a while had passed since I’d roused them.

Five times the training is in order, I think—in the forest.

“That’s a rather unpleasant expression for you, Koa. You look like you’re plotting something,” came a cheerful voice from beside me. I looked to see Lord Flying Lizard bobbing gently in the air. For some reason, three Ratatoskr sat astride the dragon’s head. Also known as the messengers of the forest, the Ratatoskr promptly informed us monarchs of any odd occurrences happening throughout the extensive domain we called home. The creatures were incredibly fast on their feet, and no normal monster could ever catch one. To my surprise, the Ratatoskr had been unusually well-behaved since becoming Master’s subjects. I only hoped their docility would last. I knew full well how brutal their kind could be at times.

“Not at all.” The training is for their benefit. It’s certainly not just a way for me to amuse myself.

“If you say so,” Flying Lizard replied, though its tone clearly implied disbelief.

“Such matters aside,” I said, glancing at the Ratatoskr curiously, “has something happened?”

“No, no. They merely accompanied me to confirm the current condition of the rivers.”

“And how are the rivers?”

The rivers fulfilled one of the most important roles of all, serving to smoothly circulate mana through the forest unceasingly. After the Magic Eye had appeared, many of the rivers had dried up and vanished at the command of the forest itself, lest they inadvertently spread the Magic Eye’s power instead. These days, however, the rivers had started flowing once again, but now they were spreading Master’s mana throughout the land.

“Their growth is progressing well. I could see nothing of concern.”

I smiled at the dragon’s words though I was surprised at just how glad the news made me feel. Master’s warm touch was continuing to spread throughout our home, and one day, the whole forest would know his embrace.

“Morning, Koa,” said Shion. Kurou greeted me with a yawn instead. Both of them still looked half asleep.

Finally.

A part of me wanted to praise them for actually showing up—especially since they were aware special training was awaiting them. Unfortunately, I’d already decided on a fivefold intensive forest training plan for today, and I knew they’d attempt to flee as soon as they discovered what lay in store. I’d have to ensure escape was not an option.

“Good morning,” I replied calmly. “You two slept well, it would seem.” Well enough to ignore an order from your queen.

“Huh?” Kurou and Shion both jumped at my reply, trembling slightly as their gazes met mine properly for the first time. I’d accidentally let a little too much of my internal rage slip out in my tone.

“Koa, you kinda seem like you’re in a really bad mood...” Kurou mumbled nervously.

“Yeah, did something happen?”

I suppose they haven’t realized how carelessly they were exposing themselves while sleeping... It’s only natural, after all. Well, it’s high time we start our training... Hmm?

I suddenly noticed Chai, who’d only just returned to my side, had once again distanced himself from me. This is all those two idiot’s fault. How irritating.

“Right, let’s be off.”

“What are you—?”

Before Shion could finish speaking, I’d already flung the pair of them into the air with a wordless spell before sending them flying toward the forest with two well-aimed kicks.

“Oh my,” Fluffy murmured, seemingly astonished as it watched the Fenrir disappear into the trees.

Flying Lizard chuckled. “Don’t be too hard on them, Koa.”

I only hummed in response as I turned to follow the pair.

“Good luck, Koa!” Chai cried from behind me, and the simple encouragement sent me sprinting into the forest as though my life depended on it.

Now, where did those two end up? First, I must make sure they know any resistance is futile...

“What are you doing, Koa?”

It was Spider Boss, who’d followed me into the forest out of what seemed to be simple curiosity. Our relationship really has changed...

“I decided to reward Shion and Kurou with some special training out here,” I replied nonchalantly.

“Kurou... Oh, the two Fenrir came flying past here a few minutes ago?” she replied, glancing in one direction with an expression of what appeared to be pity.

So they went that way, then.

I changed my path slightly and increased my speed, and sure enough, Kurou and Shion soon came into view. I sped up once again.

“Ahh!”

My sudden appearance caused the pair to set off at a flustered run, though the two jets of concentrated wind I shot at them did slow them down somewhat.

“Koa! What are you doing?!”

“Special training, of course,” I replied casually. “Now, shall we make things a little more interesting?”

“Eeeek!” Kurou’s ridiculous yelp made me roll my eyes. Pathetic. Perhaps we’ll need to stay out here for a few days like the dire wolves.

“What did we do?” spluttered Shion.

“You just seemed as though you’d benefit from some remedial vigilance training—nothing more. Are you ready?”

“Argh!”

You can’t even avoid a simple attack like that? Unacceptable.

“I didn’t take you for one to use such underhanded attacks, Koa.” I didn’t need to look for the source of the amused voice to know that Spider Boss was in the trees overhead, chasing after us with apparent glee.

“Underhanded? It was nothing of the sort. Perhaps you’d like to join in?” I retorted dryly, not pausing for a second.

“Spider Boss, please stop her!”

Shion, don’t be so cowardly. I sent a few more wind blasts at him for good measure.

“Ow—Ouch! Koa, stop! Koa! You’re gonna kill me!”

“Don’t be ridiculous. This is nothing.” How is it you’re only fast while running away? If only you could react as quickly to my attacks...

Spider Boss laughed mirthfully. “Shion, Kurou,” she called, her voice taking on a singsong lilt. “Calamity’s catching up to yo-ou!”

Who are you calling a calamity? I sent a bolt of lightning in the Chuearenie’s direction.

“Whoa. Koa, it’s not polite to attack so suddenly, you know?”

Tch. She dodged it.

“What, would you prefer me to say ‘I’m attacking now!’ or something?” I scoffed. “Most danger doesn’t come with a warning—which is why these two need special training.”

“Clearly it’s more than just ‘special training’ to you, or you wouldn’t have that smirk on your face,” Spider Boss shot back.

“Training is training, regardless of what form it comes in.” I sniffed.

“Ah, it’s the monarchs! Koa! Spider Boss!”

I stopped in my tracks at the unexpected sound—as did Kurou and Shion—and spotted a few Avimfurmi poking their faces out from behind a tree.

Are these the poor souls the golems caught stealing earlier?

“What in the world are you lot doing out here?” asked an incredulous Spider Boss. Apparently, she hadn’t witnessed their crime.

“We, er, might’ve given into our cravings earlier...aha ha,” replied one, pointedly avoiding looking in the Chuearenie’s direction.

Immediately realizing what must have occurred, Spider Boss shook her head. “Stealing something from under their eyes is all but impossible, you idiots.”

“How would you know?” an Avimfurmi asked, suspicious.

“Hm?” Spider Boss looked away. “Now, what were we doing?”

She changed the subject rather quickly... Ah. Where did Shion and Kurou go?

They’d fled again, but I wasn’t overly concerned. I’d find them soon enough once I picked up the unique trail left by their mana. Tracking had always been my specialty.

“Honestly, Koa, that expression is terrifying. Chai will turn his back on you if he sees you looking like that!”

With a growl, I pounced at Spider Boss, who immediately began to back away. “Whoa, wait! Wait! It was just a joke!”

Hmph.

“A joke? I see.”

Fire spells had no effect on her, and she somehow managed to dodge the darts of water, ice, and wind I shot at her in quick succession. You’re too nimble for such a large target!

“Oy! Why are you putting more and more mana into each attack?!”

“It must be your imagination.”

“I’m not stupid! Tch. What’s up with you? Did you finally tell Chai how you actually felt or— Hey! Stop! Stop!”

What in the world is she talking about? Besides, I’m only conjuring a little ice storm over here. I’m sure she’ll be able to dodge it easily.

“It’s just a normal ice storm,” I said with feigned confusion.

“Koa.” Spider Boss glared at me. “If it’s a normal ice storm, why can I sense elements other than ice and wind?”

“Oh, I did add a little extra something to it, but the other elements won’t awaken until after it hits you.” I smiled.

“Cut it out right now!”

Chai already knows how I feel. Surely there’s no need for me to embarrass myself by— No, perhaps a little candor wouldn’t go astray...? Hmph. Never. Everything is going well between us, as it should. My feelings won’t change—it’s just the very thought of speaking them aloud that gives me a chill...

“This is all your fault, Spider Boss!”

“Why do I feel like you’re being completely illogical right now?!”

I was just seconds from unleashing the gale when I felt the unfamiliar presence. Monsters were closing in on us—quite a few of them as far as I could sense. I dispelled the ice storm and turned to greet our rapidly approaching visitors, as did Spider Boss.

I heard the screech-like hissing first, and a few moments later, the swarm followed.

Evil serpents and huge serpents?

“What’s got you overgrown worms so riled up?” muttered Spider Boss.

“Skaaaahhhsshh! Skaaaahhhsshh! Skaaaahhhsshh!”

She’s right—they do seem strangely agitated. But serpents, huh...

“If they’re serpents, they’re edible,” I murmured, remembering the dish Master sometimes made. He’d coat chunks of their meat in a strange powder and drop them into a light brown liquid, where they’d make a hissing sound similar to that of the monster they’d come from. After a few minutes, he’d retrieve the somehow well-cooked slices... Delicious!

“Yes, I remember... Crunchy on the outside, yet somehow so juicy...” It seemed as though Spider Boss had similarly fond memories of the serpent dish.

“Indeed.”

“And perfect with a bowl of wine... Oh, my mouth is already watering. Everything Master makes is tasty, but his fried serpent is incomparable.”

I had to agree. Everything Master prepared for us was delicious without exception, but the fried serpent was in a class of its own. Though he often scolded us for eating his dishes before they were cool enough to do so (and for good reason—I’d suffered from a blistered tongue on more than one occasion), fried serpent was unquestionably at its tastiest when scalding hot. I’d eat piece after piece and somehow only become hungrier. Having realized our unanimous fondness for the dish, Master would make it for us whenever we managed to hunt a serpent or two. Inevitably, our fighting was at its fiercest whenever said dish was involved.

“Skaaaahhhsshh! Skaaaahhhsshh!”

Oh dear, I’m drooling. How unseemly... Right, the serpents! There’s so many of them...

“With this much meat, we’ll be able to eat until we’re satisfied, don’t you agree?”

I can nearly smell them frying already...

“Oh, definitely,” Spider Boss drawled. “Which I suppose means we shouldn’t let a single one get away.” She crouched down, preparing to pounce. I readied myself too, concentrating my mana in my paws. The serpents fell silent and shrank back, clearly having sensed the looming danger.

“Don’t think you can escape me, meat! Just accept your delicious fate!”

“I think you’re being a little too blatant, Koa.”

Really? All I can think about is crispy, moreish fried serpent... Time to die, dinner.

“Just be careful not to roast our meat! We need to take it home uncooked, okay?!”

“Who do you take me for?!” I growled. “I’m not a fool—and you just called them ‘meat’ too!”

The serpents began to retreat in slithery earnest, and Spider Boss and I leaped into action, taking each serpent down with precision lest we damage the quality of the meat. Some tenderizing was inevitable, but we still wanted to avoid anything that would spoil the perfection of our future meal.

“Stop fleeing! Let me eat you!”

Oh! That was close. I managed to catch myself just in time, dispelling the fiery javelin I’d unconsciously conjured to fling after the fleeing serpents. They’ll be of no use to Master as ash.

Spider Boss scowled. “How many escaped?”

Shion and Kurou should still be nearby. Perhaps they can help...

“Arroofff!” (The meat is fleeing toward you. Don’t let it get away!)

“Rrrawf?” (The meat?)

“Aruuuruff!” (Oh, serpents—they’re serpents.)

“Rrraff!” (They won’t get past us, Koa!)

Excellent.

“Kurou and Shion will round up the escapees,” I called to Spider Boss, who dropped to the ground with a thunk. Well, truthfully, she hadn’t made a sound at all—despite her rather large size, she was oddly light. It just felt like each of her movements would generate an appropriately loud sound, so my mind tended to add them as needed.

“There’s even more than I realized. It’s not going to be easy to get all of these home in one go,” Spider Boss mused, surveying the pile of scaly carcasses.

“We don’t have much choice—” I jumped as I caught the flash of movement out of the corner of my eye.

“Did I hear something about meat?” Fluffy said gleefully as it swooped down, circling the serpentine mountain excitedly.

When did you get so close? I didn’t even notice... Though a dragon can be stealthy when it wants to, I suppose. You could have helped if you were here anyway though.

My ears pricked at the sound of more creatures approaching, though this time the visitors were of the friendlier variety. I guess they all heard me yell earlier.

“Wow, look at all of these! We’ll help you carry them, Koa!” Soa and Hio were the next to appear, tails wagging excitedly.

“Very impressive, Koa,” said Chai, following them close behind. A few drops of drool hung from his jaw as he stared at the serpents—a feeling I knew all too well.

“I’ll handle these three!”

“All right, then I’ll take these two.” Two of Chai’s dire wolves, Charu and Chata, had also appeared. Each one swiftly levitated their share of the load into the air before clambering astride and beginning to float back in the direction of the mountain. Seconds later, Raki and Ami from the Garm pack followed suit.

I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised. After all, I all but yelled “Serpents here!” for the whole forest to hear...

I heard a rustling in the trees overhead, and looked up to see a shower of Arumearenie falling from above. “Did you summon them, Spider Boss?”

She nodded. “There’s still a lot of meat left, after all.”

Though the mountain of serpents had decreased thanks to our various helpers, there were indeed quite a few of the carcasses remaining, so I was glad to see the Arumearenie. They were remarkably strong for their size, and several of them could now produce strange ropes they referred to as “webs,” which would likely come in handy.

“Spider Boss, we’re hee-eere!”

“Whoa, serpents! That means we can eat the good thing, right?! The crispy crunchy brown thing?!”

The Arumearenie began shouting excitedly upon spotting their future meal.

“That’s right,” Spider Boss said, amused. “But you have to help take them back to the mountain first.”

“Leave it to us!”

It was an impressive sight to behold. The Arumearenie divided up the work between them, manipulating the serpents into compact coils, wrapping them tightly with their webs, and slinging the bundles across their backs like one of Master’s bags before scrambling back into the trees. It was rather peculiar to watch them scale the trunks while carrying burdens double (and sometimes triple) their size. The ones tasked with carrying the huge serpents looked particularly minuscule in comparison. It truly was a testament to their remarkable strength.

“Well, it’s high time for us to head back too, I’d say.”

I wonder if he’ll cook them tonight?

At times, Master wouldn’t make the fried serpent as soon as we presented him with our kills, instead making us wait until the next day. It seemed as though he occasionally had to make preparations first, though I wasn’t sure what they entailed. My best guess was it had something to do with the liquid he sometimes soaked the meat in.

He’ll cook it for us tomorrow or the day after, if not tonight... Surely...

I levitated the five remaining carcasses—two evil serpents and three huge serpents—into the air and set out for home, weaving my spoils between the trees before me. The golems were already hard at work when we arrived, though the pile of serpents beside them was still enormous.

Oh, Master’s back!

“Master! You’ll cook for us, won’t you?!” I nuzzled into him as I spoke, a gesture he often responded well to.

Did he understand me—? Hmm. He looks rather pale... Perhaps he’s unwell? Master, are you okay?

I stared at him for a moment, worried, though he quickly noticed my expression and patted me on the head a few times reassuringly.

Yes, he’ll make fried serpent for us. I’m sure of it! I nuzzled into his side again, bathing in the warmth of his constantly flowing mana—

Wham.

—when something struck me from behind. I turned to come face-to-face with an extremely irritated-looking dire wolf.

“What on earth is wrong with you, Chai?”

“You’re too close to Master— I mean, you’re distracting Master! He needs to begin preparing...” Chai trailed off awkwardly. His ears were folded back, probably in embarrassment.

“Oh dear,” Sasa said with a giggle. Chai glared at her, though it was about as intimidating as it had been earlier in the day—which was to say, not very intimidating at all.

He’s so cute when he’s like this.

“Well, isn’t this something?”

Hmm? Ah, it’s Shuri. Come to think of it, whatever happened to those Avimfurmi in the forest? I forgot about them after the serpents appeared...

“Did your kin make their way back from the forest yet?” I asked.

“The forest? Why were my children out there?”

She hasn’t heard about what happened this morning, then...

“We’re here!” a voice squeaked, and a second later, the four Avimfurmi in question poked their heads around Shuri’s side. “We rode back on one of the serpents!”

“I see. And have you apologized?” I glanced toward the fields.

“We’re going now!”

“Yeah, see you soon!”

I watched as they scuttled off happily, and I turned back to Shuri. Looking at her closely, the Anferfurmi was strangely dirty. “What have you been doing?”

Shuri brushed at one of her legs. “I’ve been in the nest all day, cleaning and patrolling.”

Patrolling? Ah, I understand. Their underground den was a sprawling maze of tunnels, and I’d often heard about the younger Avimfurmi becoming lost in their own home until Shuri came to rescue them.

I was curious. “Have you ever gotten lost down there, Shuri?”

“Of course not!” she spluttered. “I’m not a baby who’d lose their way!”

Of course, of course. I can’t imagine how embarrassing it would be to accidentally become lost in your own domain.

“It was only because I was drunk...” she continued, muttering under her breath. “I’d never get lost while sober...”

I should probably pretend I didn’t hear her... Well, for now, at least. I’m sure I’ll find an appropriate use for this information in future...

“Koa, is something wrong? You look sort of...” Chai trailed off, peering at me.

I really must get better at controlling my expressions.

“I’m not sure what you mean, I’m afraid,” I replied indifferently, before quickly changing the topic. “Now, how about we go for a pleasant stroll?”

There’s still quite a while until dinnertime, and it’s been an eventful day— Oh, I forgot about Shion’s and Kurou’s trainings... Oh well. There’s always tomorrow.

“Dinner won’t be ready for a few hours... Yeah, a stroll and a chat sounds nice, I guess,” Chai growled in response, though his wagging tail gave some indication of his true excitement—as did mine, I realized with a start.

Some emotions can’t be disguised, I suppose.

“It does, doesn’t it? Yes, let’s pass the time together.” I paced to his side and brushed my tail against his. He jumped, turning to glare at me suspiciously. Though we’d been mated for a good while now, he was still nervous at times like these.

Oh well. We have plenty of time, my love. We can take things slow.

Afterword

Hello again, everyone. I’m Honobonoru500. Thank you for picking up volume 2 of Flung into a New World? Time to Lift the 200-Year Curse! I’d also like to thank Yosuke Ishibashi for another round of wonderful illustrations.

In volume 2, we got to see a resolution to the larger problems afflicting the forest. When I was planning out this part of the story, I originally intended for Akira to leave the forest, join forces with the commander of the First Brigade, march into the castle, and take down the king with his own two hands. However, as I started writing, I instead found the story taking a different turn. There were still too many stories I wanted to tell in the current setting—stories about Akira’s utter obliviousness and panic, about his sometimes successful (and sometimes not) attempts at overcoming his one-way communication problems, and about his constant misunderstandings and the resulting chaos. That being the case, I decided to ignore the already-planned plot and write about what I wanted without thinking of the consequences.

It was a lot of fun. My spontaneous decision did lead to some difficulties: figuring out another plausible way for the Fifth Brigade to be annihilated was particularly challenging. Such challenges were just me reaping what I’d sown, I suppose. Either way, I had to come up with a plausible way for Akira to defeat an entire brigade of knights without it resulting in his exposure to the world outside of the forest, which eventually led to the introduction of Yggdrasil and the stick insects. I’d actually planned to have the baby spiders lead Akira to Yggdrasil, but after stumbling across a random picture of a cute stick insect online, they ended up slipping into the story instead. They’re one of my favorite monsters in Flung.

The king of Empras also made a bigger appearance in the light novel version compared to the original web publication. I wanted to really show just how villainous and cruel he truly was, just to really make the moment where he gets what was coming to him feel all the more satisfying.

I think many of us feel stressed these days on account of the threat of coronavirus. I hope this book brought you even a little bit of relief and joy during these uneasy times.

Thank you to everyone from TO Books for your continued support. My manager changed from S— to K— throughout the process of adapting volume 2 for print, and I’d like to thank K for their support with all manner of things despite arriving midway through the process. Thanks to all those involved, the second volume has safely made it to print. I offer my heartfelt gratitude to you all and hope that you’ll continue to take care of me from here on.

Finally, I’d like to thank everyone who bought this volume. Because of your support, I’ve been granted the chance to meet you once again in volume 3! I hope you’ll choose to join me there once more. Lastly, the manga version of not only Flung into a New World? Time to Lift the 200-Year Curse! but also my other series, The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash, will both go on sale on September 15! Please check them out if you’d like!

Honobonoru500

July 2020