In the morning, the grassy plains surrounding the holy city of Ophelia were bathed in gentle and warm sunlight.
Much more peaceful than the steppes further to the east, their main roads were crowded with merchant caravans, making the city a commercial hub: traders from all over the region came to exchange goods of all kinds. Gold decorations, weapons for adventurers, wooden or metal furniture, ornaments and jewelry, dry foods, and cereals: everyone could find what they were looking for there.
However, for the past few weeks, many caravans reported being attacked by monsters or beasts. This number of attacks was increasing, and even the calmest areas of the region were not spared.
There were two solutions for these merchants: either wait for the attacks to stop, which could take several months depending on the number of creatures, or the more wealthy ones would call upon mercenary guilds to escort them.
In the heart of the city, in one of its largest and most luxurious residential areas, Eiji, Ophelia, and Tahrren were discussing their actions to limit the proliferation of these monsters and eliminate the source of the problem. Because they knew very well: this was only the beginning.
The smell of grilled ham and freshly baked bread prepared by Eiji wafted throughout the room. Happiness could be seen in Ophelia's eyes as she enjoyed her bread with a delicious blueberry jam, fruits picked in the mountains further northwest, near Myr-Khandur. Even for the royal family, it was rare to find such delicious food at their time, while they are common goods nowadays.
Eiji smiled as he watched Ophelia eat, putting so much jam on her slice of bread that at least half of it dripped onto the table. He served the grilled ham he had just prepared to everyone.
Then, he approached the young girl and helped her wipe the excess jam off the table. She quickly thanked him before resuming her enjoyment.
"In the end, we still don't know why you became a dryad, Ophelia, and how you turned back into a human."
Eiji sat next to her and looked at her as if waiting for an answer. She stopped eating and cleared her throat silently.
"To be honest, I don't know either. However, my transformation into a dryad might be related to the spell I cast at the time. I had no hope anymore. I was ready to sacrifice my life to save the kingdom. So I decided to change my existence into mana. The forest probably absorbed it, and I was reborn from those traces."
Not entirely convinced, Eiji's gaze shifted to Tahrren, hoping he could confirm or refute what Ophelia was claiming. After all, he couldn't judge for himself, given his limited knowledge of magic. Tahrren thought for a few seconds before nodding.
"Magic isn't exactly my area of expertise, but I guess it's possible. But the person's very existence must be imprinted in the released mana. It all depends on the spell used. However, I don't understand why hearing her name allowed her to return to human form. I'm sorry to say this, Ophelia, but there's a non-negligible possibility that you're no longer completely human."
Ophelia was not surprised by Tahrren's words. After all, she was a great magician! Although magical research and theories were not her strong point, like Tahrren, she was at least able to analyze and understand what he was suggesting: if she could retain her memory until now, it was because it was inscribed in her mana flow that had spread throughout the forest before. But there is no guarantee that her genome was also inscribed in it or that this body is still the same as before, as it may just be a simple copy.
Seeing the girl uncomfortable, Eiji decided to change the subject while forcing a smile.
"What are we going to do about the immortals at the Saintess' Garden?" he said, grabbing a plate from the other end of the table. He placed his slice of ham on it and prepared a slice of bread, on which he spread some butter.
"We can't make any hasty decisions. Our information is scarce and blurry. We should all go to the Saintess' Garden and investigate."
Eiji was taken aback by Tahrren's words.
"Does Ophelia have to put herself in danger? She has just woken up!"
Tahrren sighed slightly before speaking again with a wide smile, almost a mocking laugh.
"You were beaten hands down by her in her dryad form! And believe it or not, fighting outside their forest is not these nymphs' strong suit. Isn't it rather you who is in danger?"
Ophelia tapped him on the shoulder, got closer, and whispered in his ear.
"Don't worry. I'll protect you."
She burst out laughing while Eiji blushed slightly. It was rare for him, accustomed to compliments for his strength, to be in such a position of weakness. With a clenched fist, he once again swore to become stronger.
"Okay, okay, I get it. So, what kind of information are we looking for? Do we have any leads?"
Tahrren sipped his coffee before replying.
"Do you remember Father Andrea? The priests talked about him when we were at the Kyōniko Inn."
Eiji tried to remember the scene as best he could.
"Yes. They were trying to be discreet at that time. Although I didn't have the translation amulet, I understood the main points. A certain Father Andrea had disappeared in the Saintess' Garden. Do you think it's related?"
Tahrren nodded.
"Certainly. It turns out Father Andrea was already investigating monster sightings and strange events happening in that area. If we find him, he may be able to tell us more. By the way, he's Irina's uncle and a dwarf from Myr-Khandur. If we save him, perhaps the dwarves will be grateful and able to provide us with financial or even material support to fight the immortals... which makes it a good bonus for this mission!"
Skeptical, Eiji fixed his mentor, seeking to learn more. The latter felt obliged to elaborate.
"Among the five great races that walk the ground of Aurdalia, not all are active in the fight against the immortals. Humans, by their numbers, represent the spearhead of the rebellion. But there are also the elves, renowned for their magic, and the giants, masters of architecture. On the other hand, the dwarves and pharas are still neutral and do not intervene in this war. Although powerful, it will be hard for us to get help from the pharas, isolated in their desert. On the other hand, the dwarves, wealthy, strong by nature, and renowned engineers, will be important in our fight. We need to rally them to our cause, but negotiations have been at a standstill for several years now due to a lack of financial arguments. A large majority of dwarves remain cloistered in their mountain their entire lives, so they do not feel concerned by this conflict. Hopefully, Father Andrea will be able to convince them for us if he has interesting information to provide."
After this little tirade, Tahrren quickly finished his coffee and got up.
"Very well. You have five minutes to finish your meal and get ready. Then we leave for the Saintess' Garden. A small town is located nearly a day's ride from the city. Hopefully, we'll reach it by the end of the day. We'll get to start our search tomorrow."