At the same time as the events unfolded between Alum and David at the river, Noel and the others scoured a small forest for something edible. Their eyes widened; it was more mystical now that they were up close. Their gazes wandered, exploring and taking in the sight.
The towering trees shone faintly like they were drawing nourishment from the soil from below as the energy flowed upwards and spread through the massive bark, subtly resonating with the rest of the forest.
Too awed by the sight, the students let the forest speak. The wind hummed smoothly, rustling the luminescent leaves above them; each shimmered, pulsing gently as though the forest calmly breathed.
Around them, fruits dangled, hanging from the branches high up. The colorful fruits ranged from gold to magenta. Each fruit emitted a faint glow, exuding a sweet, pleasant scent. The temptation was difficult to resist. Their glossy surface and sweet scent didn't help that the students were hungry to begin with. Their stomachs rumbled more at the sight of the fruits' deliciousness.
—Gulp…
"Miu… are these fruits safe to eat?" Noel asked, nudging her.
Miu blinked a few times as Noel snapped her out of her daze. "Oh… Noel, sorry I got lost in the prettiness of the forest…" she chuckled, troubled by the inquiry.
"Ah… we were too," the other awkwardly followed.
"No worries, I was too." Noel crossed his arms, shifting his attention towards the fruits. "Honestly, I'd say I have a good intuition, and the fruits don't give me a bad omen."
"Yeah…" Miu nodded. Her ruby eyes peered right at them. "They are safe to eat, rather… they're nutritious." She leaned her head to the side in mild confusion. "Actually, very nutritious…"
"You're probably right." Noel smiled gently. "Though, I find it strange nevertheless."
"It is strange, she can tell. But… I'm not saying…" Ida's words trailed off in a murmur, and the others seemed to understand what she meant.
"Well, it's as unbelievable as we all think. Like, creating fire at the top on one's hand, isn't that the same?" Noel confidently stated.
Jayne and Henrik refrained from speaking as they've done so far. Andreas glanced at his friend, Ida, who'd let up an unnecessary remark and sighed.
"She's not completely wrong. To be honest, I still don't know since there's no concrete evidence—all of this is just gut feeling as of now." Andreas crossed his arms, looking around. "I can't be the only one to think this way, am I?"
"You're not wrong." Noel shrugged and glanced at Miu, seeing how she'd handle the situation—I can't always help you… is what you told me, right? He commented to himself.
Even her close female friends were reluctant to comment on Andreas's statement. Seeing their reluctance to trust her fully, Miu placed a palm on her chest. "Don't worry," she voiced gently. "I'll be the first to test them," she declared.
"…"
Everyone froze momentarily. It wasn't like they wanted her to be an offer, but… they couldn't risk their lives, especially when she made the claims. Although they first bought in on her words, they became cautious after a calm consideration. But all that seemed to wash away when she boldly declared she'd be responsible for everything being safe—it was the least she could do. They knew that, but… they didn't want her, of all people, to sacrifice herself.
"…"
Noel's lips curved into a proud smile. She sure has grown, he thought.
After the long, five-second silence, Julia, Lena, and Lova hugged her. "Miu, we won't let you do all of that alone," they declared as they squeezed her tightly between them.
"G-Guys…" Miu's voice hitched.
She felt a rousing warmth growing within her, like jittery fireworks and a giddy stomach. She realized she might've made true friends this time—good for you. Noel seemed to have said with his gaze. Her eyes wavered, but a gentle smile soon solidified on her face.
"Thanks, you girls…" she said bashfully, her warm face reddened.
There you have it, Noel's eyes said with a smirk, causing the others to look away somewhat awkwardly.
"Ahem… since most of us here use wind magic, should we use that?" Ida suggested, catching everyone's attention. "I think it would be hard to climb these trees."
"Sounds doable," Andreas nodded as he stroked his chin. He looked up, warmth surged through his body, and a faint greenish glow swirled in his hand in a high-pitch screech. He readied himself to launch the magic. "Hmph—"
However, Noel grabbed his wrist, stopping him as he was about to launch a wind attack towards the branches.
"Don't be so hasty," Noel calmly said.
"Why'd you stop me?"
The swirl from Andreas' hand dissipated. He was clearly annoyed. Noel had his reasons, and it wasn't like the others hadn't paid attention, but… it was difficult to notice that some of the roots looked almost animalistic.
"I don't think we should steal from the forest," he warmed.
"What do you mean?" the others inquired, glancing at one another.
"The forest seems harmonious, don't you think?"
When Noel mentioned it, their eyes widened. When they first entered the forest, there was an odd sense of unity among the vegetation, like how they didn't compete for resources but shared them. The trees were glowing, but the grass and other flora on the grounds weren't—instead, they basked in the glow, flourishing in their luminance.
"It might sound wild, but… the grass seems as if it has been grazed before—and the visible roots resemble the marks left by smaller grazing animals."
—Gulp…
"You mean…" their words slowly trailed off.
"Yeah, the forest likely consumed them. And… we haven't encountered any animals so far, have we?"
"…"
As the unease grew, Noel began to puff and laugh. "I'm kidding. If that were the case, then we'd be food by now," he patted Andreas and Henrik on the back.
"Jeez, Noel!" Miu pouted, hitting his shoulder.
The others sighed in relief, but his words lingered in their minds like a parasite, reminding them to be cautious.
"Anyways, I believe the forest is sentient. Nobody would be happy if something got stolen from them, right?"
Obviously, their gazes seemed to imply.
"Besides, this forest is already strange—it's its own thing away from the jungle, alone in the plains—where animals feed on the high grass. So… we should trade with it," Noel suggested in jest.
"…With the forest? How?" Jayne raised a brow.
"Umm…? How about go get Kevin and offer him to it?"
"…"
"Haha, I'm kidding," Noel chuckled, grinning playfully. "Watch." His voice was filled with confidence as he walked toward a tree. However, Miu tugged his shirt.
"Noel, wait, I'll go too," she smiled warmly.
"Us too," Lova, Julia, and Lena followed.
Andreas and Ida exchanged a look before walking up to them. As did Henrik and Jayne. "So…? What are we doing?" they asked.
"Dunno," Noel promptly replied.
"…" all their expressions turned deadpan.
"I was thinking of placing my hand on it to see what happens, y'know?"
"So when you said 'Watch,' it was some BS statement?" Miu giggled as she poked him on the cheek. "You're cheeky, aren't you?"
"Oh~ shut it, Miu…" Noel's face reddened slightly as he brushed off her hand.
After some of the tension dissipated, they placed a hand on one of the trees together. Its slightly rough but oddly smooth surface began to shine brighter. They all felt something being drawn from their bodies—it was the same sensation as using their abilities.
"What the…" they uttered, retracting their hands.
If this were a game, it'd be like the tree is drawing our mana, Noel commented inwardly, placing his hand on it again.
The others sighed and followed his lead. They felt a warm throbbing pulsation in their bodies, which wasn't unpleasant. Still, it became mildly discomforting as a tiny headache struck them—it was the same feeling when they tired themselves using magic.
"Not sure this is a good idea, but what the hell…" the others murmured their protests to themselves.
However, their complaints lasted only a short time. The energy drawn from them stopped—the branches began to rustle and move. They all jolted backward, looking up.
Rightfully so, the branches in the forest began to extend and descend. On closer inspection, it was only the branches with fruits that descended.
"Wow…"
Their eyes widened as the fruits dangled right within their reach. Miu took a deep breath, reaching her hand toward a golden fruit a little further away—making Noel chuckle a little as it was the same shade of gold as a certain somebody's eyes.
This might be a weird time to think about it, but does she even realize she has a crush on him? Did she consciously pick the fruit with a shade identical to his eyes, or was it unconscious, perhaps a coincidence? Noel wondered, amused by his confident yet shy childhood friend.
Miu gently grasped the fruit, and the others watched in anticipation. "Huh?" The surprise in Miu's voice caught them all off guard, readying them for a fight, but… "It just lets go as soon as I touch it…" Miu's eyes twinkled in awe.
The others furrowed their brows, touching the fruits themselves—just as Miu said, as soon as the fruit was in their hand, the trees seemed to let go, and the fruit would fall onto their palm.
"Noel… are you a genius?" Julia turned to her platinum-blond friend.
"Ehehe~ he is, in fact, one," Miu giggled, replying in his stead as she flashed them a bright smile.
"Oh… forgot for a moment~" Julia teased, scratching her head and giggling.
I can see why Oliver puts so much trust in him… Ida and Andreas thought.
"The question is… how many are we allowed to take?" Lena curiously murmured aloud.
"That's a good question indeed~" Lova hugged and whispered to Lena, interjecting the loud thought of her friend.
"E-eep, I-I said that aloud?" Lena blushed. Her puppy eyes peered and pierced an arrow through Lova's heart.
"Ugh…" Lova groaned—how is that thickhead not taking her already?! She's so cute! She exclaimed internally.
Watching the two, the others laughed—crunch. Suddenly, the sound of someone taking a bite of the fruit echoed. In silence, they all turned towards Miu, who smiled happily.
"Wow! It's so juicy and crunchy and sweet and sweet and delicious!"
…Did her vocab become that of a kid? Also, she said sweet twice… is it really that good? They all wondered as they watched her eat happily—crunch, squish, squish… This time, they then turned towards Noel.
"Oh wow… it's so good," he said, taking another bite.
—Crunch…
Miu's other friends took a bite, too, melting in the fruit's sweetness—Miu, this is amazingly good! The girls exchanged glances with one another.
In a silent agreement, the rest seemed to think, 'What the hell…' and took a bite. They were pleasantly surprised by how tasty it was, but it was also strangely filling with just a few bites.
A little while later, they picked more fruits as they fell into their palms with a light touch, filling them in the jackets they brought. But despite the many fruits they've taken, the forest doesn't seem to react to the amount—though they all knew not to be greedy.
When they finished picking the forest's bounty, it began to expose the sky to them as the trees raised their branches. And along the ascending branches, the trunks near the roots also started to close.
…Thank you… However… we don't eat sunlight, Noel chuckled to himself. But as he looked down toward the roots, he shuddered.
The closing trunks briefly exposed decomposing animals to his eyes. The creatures were many times larger than he was—looking like they'd been killed, as marked by the many holes piercing through their bodies—crunch. The trunks closed completely.
I'm somewhat glad I didn't notice it before…
His eyes shook, and he shut them close, trying to regain full control—the imagery wasn't as bad as the live deterioration of his best friend. He quickly turned to the others, who basked in the sun as they didn't seem to have noticed.
Holy crap… was I right after all…? His silver-blue eyes looked toward the sky. I wonder… are there any civilizations in this world? Even this tiny sentient ecosystem could be considered a civilization. There must be one with animals like us, right? It's a fantasy setting, right?
With those thoughts lingering in his mind, they exited the forest and weren't going to mention anything until they got back to the others.
…
..
Under the same sky northwest of the Ilifelen plains was the massive capital city of Ilifel—the heart of The Lesich Empire. The Ilifel Family ruled for millennials after the great wars of the past for three thousand years; the family served the people of the empire. Their lineage was five thousand years deep in their roots.
However, Ilifel had grown stagnant after the wars—monopolizing most of the central continent under the rule of its monarchies. Even though said monarchies ruled the empire together, The Ilifel Family always had the last say—after all, who was brave enough to backstab them after their generosity?
Those brave enough to face the harshness of Lethren and its other inhabitants? Or those strong enough to live without the protection of the Great Diloth Sphere? It didn't matter. The choice was already in their hands—they were unrestrained yet restrained, and such was the price for the peaceful era.
—Sigh…
Walking in the lively hall, a girl clad in armor found herself sighing inwardly repeatedly. The fussy personnel's buzz stopped as they saw her making way for her. With a palm on their hearts, they showered her in respect.
"You all have more important matters to attend to. You do not have to salute my presence during such a hectic time."
"But…!" their words trailed off as they met her stern gaze. "…Understood." And so, they returned to their activities, walking past her.
—Sigh… the girl quietly sighed once again.
After what seemed to be too long, she finally made her way to a quieter hall. Four-legged limestone-like magical golems cleaned the dark blue carpet beneath her, collecting dust through wind magic as they meticulously picked up pieces unaffected by the vacuum.
"…You're always working so hard, little guy," the girl smiled, crouching down, condensed and crystallized her mana into a wind crystal, handing it to the golem as a treat.
Happy by her gesture, the golem jumped up and down on the carpet, dancing and making a soft 'thunk, thunk' sound. It bit into the crystal—crunch, crunch. A faint green light pulsed throughout its visible vines as it happily ate.
I sometimes… wish I was this simple, too… the girl thought as she began to walk toward her destination.
At the end of the hall was a door guarded by two soldiers, seniors to her in age but underneath her in rank.
"Sir Rigeld has been expecting you, Lady Chely," one said dryly as the other rang on the door.
As the door slid open, an office and a gray-haired senior underneath all the paperwork came into view.
"…Good work, you two," Chely said as she entered.
The sliding door behind her closed—shimmering briefly as isolation magic was reapplied. Another girl beside her was inside, nestling close to piles of paperwork on the couch. Rustling paper and pen strokes echoed, and a groan escaped the gray-haired man as he noticed her presence.
"Aaah! I can't anymore! There's too much woooork~!" the senior whined—a thud followed as his head came crashing down the desk.
"…Sir Rigeld, if your other subordinates saw this, they would be disappointed," Chely casually remarked. She glanced at the girl on the couch. "Did you also overwork The Princess?"
"What…? No… she just returned from a mission herself… and hadn't time to rest as this chaos unfolded… well, I'm glad she's resting now…" Rigeld replied tirelessly. "…How come you aren't tired…? Didn't you have a tougher… time in the mountains… Chely?"
Chely crossed her arms and replied casually. "It was bearable. But…"
"Yeah… I just read the report. So… How's your sister doing?" Rigeld's head poked up from all the paperwork. There was also a hint of worry in his voice.
"Her mana foundation is broken… She's still unconscious in a private room here at the base. Though I worry, as she, The Saint is injured. But as an older sister… I worry to death."
"I see…" Rigeld gave her an understanding look. "You can leave your report on my desk… urk… I mean, somewhere in the room…" he softly chuckled, troubled by the disorganized place.
"But…"
"No buts, go visit her once more. I've got a new task for you afterward."
"…"
"Remember how Oracle Keilyn mentioned a spatial quake somewhere in the massive Ilifelen Plains?"
Chely's eyes widen. "…Has Wanderers from another world arrived?" she asked with a hint of fatigue.
"They have. We know the location of the quake area, but… well, we can't see anything because of dimensional disturbances—I want you to head there first. We don't know if our new friends are… well… 'friends~'"
Chely's demeanor darkened as her heart solidified in her harsh Eclipse Flame. "…Understood—"
"Hahaha," Rigeld burst out laughing. "I jest, I jest. You're too serious, Chely."
"…"
Chely reverted to normal, her face relaxed, and her elegance returned from the hardened battle-ready lady she had just displayed.
"Ahem… Well, supposedly, one of them has enough talent to be the next Hero. Doesn't that intrigue you?"
Chely furrowed her brows with a clink-clank of her heavy armor, crossing her arms. "Sigh… in other words, they supposedly are not hostile. You want me to monitor and keep them alive until the airship arrives?"
"—Hey! I haven't gotten to that part!" Rigeld exclaimed and was dumbfounded. It was as though Chely had ruined his plan to surprise her. "Well… that was basically it. I was about to hand this job to Luna. But she's not especially social, so to speak. Besides, how can I when she's adorably sleeping there?" he asked and glanced at the sleeping girl.
"…You're actually taking good care of her, aren't you?" Chely voiced sarcastically as she began to speak more casually—I always see you overwork her, she remarked inwardly.
"Look, she would've protested—insisting she could take the job were she conscious right now, sigh…" Rigeld sighed tiredly.
"Right…"
"I'm serious… who would want to overwork his cute niece?" Rigeld sulked and protested.
"…"
"…"
"She doesn't want to get married, okay???! What am I supposed to do otherwise?! Huh?! Tell me?!"
"No, I get it…" Chely looked at him with a flat, deadpan expression.
"See! You're the same as her, escaping marriage through the military! Aaaaah! My workload and the complaints from my brother and sister-in-law!"
"…My condolence."
"The heads of the academic institute, The Ilis'—your grandparents are pestering me too, you know?!"
"…"
"Hey… say something…" Rigeld peered her a suspicious look.
Chely averted her eyes. "I will… tend to my sister—she might've awakened," she said, vanishing like a flash of lighting as soon as the doors behind her slid open.
"…" Rigeld silently sighed, but a smile tugged his lips; he leaned back and looked at the ceiling, "I'm getting old…" he uttered under his breath.
…A potential for a new Hero, huh? I wonder… would they somehow be able to overshadow the mightiest Hero in history—someone raised to ground entire continents by herself? …A new Hero… a new Hero… what will you do, Mightiest Hero? Step aside? This might be your first and last chance to become an ordinary girl—Chely Ilis.
The old man continued to muse, not noticing the princess with half-lidded eyes on the couch.
…Nnnh… I don't want to move… but do Mother and Father still pester Uncle for this marriage stuff…? My my… I told them to stop… The Princess closed her heavy-lidded eyes. Even so… I never anticipated that The Hero Chely would have the same problems… she thought as she drifted back to slumber.