The three of them looked at me with wide eyes for a few seconds until finally, Maxim talked. "Are you certain you do not want to kill them, My Lord?" He asked me, furrowing his beautiful eyebrows.
Walking towards a tree, I replied, "Why? Would they arm us?". Slowly sliding my back against the bark of the tree until I am sitting on the grass.
Ivy followed behind me, talking while she did. "Well, that would be safe to assume, My Lord." She replied, slowly taking a seat beside me.
Then with a pout, Iris also rushed to sit beside me.
Seeing that, Ivy smiled, then continued, "Safe to assume because, they see us as a germ that they have the duty to get rid of."
A germ?
"Why is that?" I asked.
"Because they are 'heroes' and we are 'villains'." Maxim answered, gesturing air quotes with his hands.
Looking up to the sky, Iris whispered, "They are the reason why we are in the continent." Squinting her eyes, "Locked away from the world." Closing her eyes afterwards.
Looking at Iris with deep eyes, I faced down then noticed Ivy still picking flowers.
"Why are you picking flowers" I asked Ivy.
"To give them to you, My Lord."
"Why?"
"Because you've once shown me how these flowers produce a beautiful smell." She replied, smiling at me ever so cutely that I feel my manliness being absorbed by her.
After standing still like a living stick, Maxim finally opened his eyes then exclaimed, "My Lord, the humans are almost to the outskirts of the forest!"
"Wow, they are fast." Iris retorted.
Then, placing her bundles of flowers on the side, Ivy started talking while she stretched her arms. "We have to start preparing, My Lord." She slowly stood up.
"O-okay, but we won't fight them okay?" I looked back and forth between the two.
"Yes, My Lord." Maxim bowed."And Ren should be waking up soon, it's been 2 weeks since she was in the cocoon" He continued, then disappeared together with Ivy.
"2 Weeks?!" I shouted, but they were already gone.
Then Iris spoke behind me, curling her hair. "Well it's also been 2 weeks since you've been asleep, My Lord."
Astonished, I stood up, staring at Iris who is still playing with her hair.
2 weeks? I was asleep for 2 weeks? How could my body have managed that, how am I still alive?!
"How did that happen?!" I asked her.
"Well, blessings do take a long time, My Lord." She replied, slowly standing up. "And My Lord, It is actually a fortune that yours only took two weeks!" Iris exclaimed, looking at me with a grin.
"Blessings?"
"They are the acknowledgement of the world, the deepened connection with mana, the surroundings — But for me, it is simply being lucky" She snorted, walking around the tree we were sitting in.
Oh right, Maxim told me that while the wind around me was all strong and weird.
"Can you tell me more about that?" I asked her, rubbing my chin and trying to piece things together.
"Basically, My Lord, it is simply knowing how stuff works or being at the right place at the right time."
Knowing how stuff works… So when I ranted about the soil minerals and stuff? Is that it? Oh yea, it probably is…
"Well what does it do?
Looking at me for a short while, she asked. "You don't feel anything, My Lord?"
"Nothing…"
Then, she leaned side wards unto the tree, tapping the bark with her hands as if in thought.
"Since you are now a spirit, My Lord, I could assume that you will feel it when you return to nature."
' Huh' I thought... "Tell me more."
"How about being inside a tree, My Lord?"
"How do I even do that?"
"You can use your ability, Transfer consciousness, My Lord."
"How do I use it?" I tilted my head backwards, "Do I just call it out?"
But that didn't work before...
"Well I've seen you do it before, My Lord. But not as a spirit…"
"I see, tell me how I used to do it then."
"Well, I notice you would close your eyes and fall forward to the tree, My Lord."
Should I try that?
After contemplating a bit, I closed my eyes. And right after I closed my eyes, it's not like I even closed them. I could still feel and… see everything, just maybe even clearer as I did with opened eyes.
I can see the every movement of leaves, waves of the grass, the water from the leaves that drop to a puddle…
And I can see my back It's like seeing in a 360 view — ITS AMAZING
After seeing my surroundings with closed eyes together with an opened mouth barely drooling for probably 30 minutes, I leaned forwards to the tree we were sitting at.
And before long, I could suddenly, feel like what I used to feel before having this ghostly body. I could move the branches like my arms and legs and I could totally not move. Except this time, I could feel everything…I could feel something like water moving inside me.
'Is this mana?' I thought to myself, as I concentrated on feeling it and tapping its flow like I did with the flowers.
Apparently noticing what I am trying to do, Iris smiled, "I suggest not doing that, My Lord."
"Why?" A sound came out. Is it my thoughts? Am I telepathic now? Heck! That's cool!
"Because the tree will explode. And unlike the flowers, your consciousness is in it and your soul could perish, My Lord."
Oh. Good thing I stopped. I swear if trees had sweat glands, there would be liters of it dripping on me right now.
Then Iris sat in front of me. "Instead, My Lord, try to focus all that mana into one branch." She said, as if lecturing me.
"How do I focus my mana?"
"Respectfully, I do not know, My Lord." She sighed. "I have never really spoken about it with spirits but as far as I know, spirits can directly manipulate mana unlike us."
Unlike them?
Curious about spirits, I asked, "What do you mean, unlike you?"
"Well, unlike spirits, most of the creatures in the world need to use spells to control magic" She replied, playing with her hair once again. "Unless, it's your inborn ability, you can't directly manipulate fire but would have to rely on spells to control fire."
"Well you could try staying in that tree until you feel mana, My Lord." She smiled. "I can wait for you!"
"I see, thank you for that, Iris."
With a reddened face, she replied, "It is my pleasure, My Lord."
Then, I started to 'feel' this flowing water inside me.
*Maxim Perspective**********
Looking at the group of humans donning shiny armor and fearful weapons, I looked at Ivy who is now scrubbing her chin, trying to analyze the opponent.
"They seem dangerous, Ivy"
"I would agree with you on that one, Maxim. They don't seem to be those 'adventurers' like before." She replied, squinting her eyes.
"But they do bear a single crest on their breasts" She continued.
After a deep exhale, I replied "So the human kingdoms have finally found us… This could be bad for our Lord."
After saying that, the surrounding air smelled pungent and sour. Followed by Ivy slowly saying, "I do not know what the Lord is thinking… meeting with these vile, selfish and loathsome humans."
"Agreed, our Lord has been acting off lately."
"Later on that, I should report back to our Lord, you stay here until they reach the forest then prepare the mandrakes."
"Well then, I shall see you later, Ivy."
Ivy nodded, disappearing into the woods right after.
Could my Lord want to meet with these humans?
Well, my Lord said he wants to...
But that's impossible… He bears deeper hatred for that putrid race more than his brother.
Many thoughts raced on my mind but for now, I have to keep watch of these humans, for my Lord.