Four years ago, when Elara was still five years old, in a rather dense forest.
"I didn't expect I could be here...."
Previously, she had often gone out accompanying her mother to the forests since she was very young.
During those times, Elara never asked what her mother would do in the forest and simply followed her mother from behind obediently.
But during those journeys, all Elara saw was her mother looking around the forests as if enjoying the serene surroundings, occasionally touching and tapping tree trunks with various expressions that Elara rarely saw at home.
Nevertheless, Elara didn't bother herself with questions; she just silently gazed at her mother's unfamiliar yet warm face.
'Perhaps Mom really loves the peaceful and refreshing atmosphere of this forest, considering our home is also situated on a hill,' That's what Elara thought.
While reminiscing, Elara slowly lifted her gaze to admire the lush scenery around her.
Here she was now, standing at the entrance to an unfamiliar forest, wearing a blue shirt and brown pants that her mother had long prohibited her from wearing.
Elara quietly took a deep breath and exhaled.
For the first time, with a heart full of courage, Elara decided to explore a forest far from the small woods near her home—and she was doing it alone.
With a fiery determination, Elara eagerly retrieved her trusty notebook, the vessel of recorded forest paths and crucial details in the unfamiliar terrain. Her meticulous preparations, including essential tools, were neatly organized within the woven wooden basket crafted by her mother.
In the center of her notebook, Elara retrieved a carefully folded piece of brown paper. As she unfolded it, a sprawling, somewhat chaotic map of the surrounding forests, marked with ink pen scribbles, was revealed.
The map, almost as large as her still short and petite body, represented the culmination of Elara's meticulous observations spanning two years as she traced her mother's footsteps through all the nearby woodlands. Elara aims to fill the remaining empty parts of the map, completing this extensive depiction of the forest.
Elara reveled in the pride of conquering the considerable challenge of creating this map with her small hands and developing skills in writing and drawing. She was certain that if others uncovered her secret effort, they would once again celebrate her as a genius.
The geographical shifts anticipated in the coming years within the Galatea territory won't immediately render Elara's current forest map obsolete; its utility is expected to persist for some time.
"..."
Elara silently gazed at the not-so-dense forest that still held its charm. Although it was just an ordinary small forest, it had captivated her attention.
Lately, she felt that her mother's peculiar habit of contemplating and communing with the forest had rubbed off on her. Without her realizing it, she began to enjoy moments like these, gazing at the forest with genuine comfort. It was quite astonishing, considering that three years ago, only fear arose when she heard the word 'forest'.
"...Indeed. When you look at it more closely, being in a forest like this is really comfortable."
Elara, previously a modern woman who had never experienced life outside the big city, had her fears and reluctance toward the wilderness. She was afraid of the wilderness, mountain climbing, camping in the woods, or even living on a remote island. All of this was because she was afraid of insects, wild animals, and poisonous plants.
Initially, when she found out that her new life, especially her home, was surrounded by small woods, she was shocked and reluctant to leave the house. But when she finally decided to follow her mother into the forest for the first time, she was not afraid at all. She even felt comfortable in the foreign yet calming forest.
'...Even though I've never encountered wild animals,' Elara thought with a nervous laugh.
In the village where Elara resides, named Flora Village, expanses of forests throughout the Flora Village area boast a miraculous array of various rare and mysterious plants. These unique plants can only thrive within the Galatea territory itself.
Conversely, the forests surrounding Fauna Village are inhabited by a diverse array of rare and robust wild animals, distinct from common species. These creatures, specific to the Galatea territory, flourish due to the habitat's suitability for living beings dependent on their natural environment.
Elara secretly breathes a sigh of relief, grateful to have grown up near Flora Village rather than Fauna Village
Elara acknowledged the small possibility of encountering wild animals in the Flora Village forests, possibly straying from neighboring areas. However, these creatures were known to be intelligent and avoided reckless attacks on innocent humans.
This knowledge instilled a sense of safety in Elara, alleviating the fear that initially overwhelmed her when exploring the forest.
With unwavering determination, Elara embarked on her venture into the woods, clutching a map to guide her. Her objective extended beyond mapping the unfamiliar terrain; she sought to discover a new habitat for red cherries.
Previously, she had reached the usual spot where red cherries grew, but because many people were there to pick them, Elara decided to change her mind and go elsewhere. She realized that the cherry spot she knew had become a target for many people who wanted to pick them.
With a heart full of enthusiasm, she tried to find a location that was still natural and untouched, a place where cherries could grow freely without human disturbance. That was her mission now, to find new space for plants to beautify and enrich nature.
"Hmm... Hmm..." Elara hummed cheerfully, confident she wouldn't get lost.
While continuing to walk through the forest, Elara realized that her rough map did indeed need additional notes to keep from getting lost. She diligently recorded every detail that might be useful, from important things to seemingly trivial ones, to complete the messy yet reasonably accurate map.
During her journey, her mind wandered to the idea of selling this map. This idea came up because she realized she would need her own money, especially if she intended to leave this remote area to fulfill her dream of opening the world's best bakery.
With such a grand dream, Elara was sure that she would soon leave for a bigger place, and for that, she needed to have enough savings to survive in the big city that was unfamiliar to her.
But given the ever-changing geographical landscape of the Galatea territory every five years, Elara pondered the impracticality of selling a map with a transient accuracy.
"It would be quite a hassle to recreate the map every five years," Elara thought, a frown appearing on her face, prompting her to reconsider the feasibility of her original plan.
Although she had collected some money from selling her bread recipes, she knew it was still not enough if she wanted to explore three Kingdoms at once.
Contemplating her options, Elara mused, 'Perhaps focusing on experimentation and discovering ingredients that complement the unique resources of my world for a sought-after bread recipe would be more viable.'
Elara had already experienced substantial success selling various bread recipes in her bakery, resulting in significant profits. However, she reserved certain recipes due to the intricacies involved, utilizing her ingenuity with measurements and tools not yet widespread in this world.
"Hello, Lara!" Greeted a 40-year-old man, interrupting Elara's daydreams.
Elara looked at the mustache man who greeted her while carrying a large axe, emerging from the opposite direction.
'It's still early in the morning, not even bright sunlight yet, but someone is already returning from the forest so quickly? That's strange....' Elara thought.
"Good morning, Uncle. Are you on a way to cut wood?"
The middle-aged man shook his head wearily.
"I just returned after inspecting some trees to be cut. Just last night, these trees were checked in the best condition to be felled this morning, but strangely, this morning they suddenly withered," he said despondently.
A lumberjack couldn't just recklessly cut down trees. Otherwise, the small woods surrounding the outskirts of Galatea could be at risk of deforestation.
So, the lumberjacks, responsible for maintaining the forest's ecosystem balance, had to carefully inspect the quality of the trees first, select them, and then cut them if they deemed it was time.
Elara listened attentively as the middle-aged man recounted the issue with the trees scheduled for cutting. She could sense the worry in his words.
Lumberjacks did indeed have a great responsibility in preserving the forest's balance, and mistakes in selecting the trees to be cut could have adverse effects on the surrounding environment. Elara fully understood the importance of thorough inspection before felling these trees to protect the small woods around Galatea's territory.
Recalling the significance of the trees that grace the expanse of Galatea's territory, safeguarded and revered by none other than the formidable Great Queen Titaia, Elara understood the vital importance of these natural wonders.
In the outskirts, where only ten lumberjacks served two villages, the gravity of their task was evident. Cutting down these crucial trees was out of the question, as it risked provoking the anger and wrath of the mighty Great Queen Titaia.
"Previously, Uncle heard something similar from Wika too. But Uncle thought it was Wika's carelessness when checking the tree's quality, but it turns out Uncle also experienced something similar...." He muttered, sighing.