"Is that so..." Elara replied weakly as if this 5-year-old child understood what the lumberjack was talking about.
Elara, with an uncertain expression, spontaneously gazed at the trees around her, seemingly concerned about the potential fate of these trees in the forest.
Accustomed to the refreshing air provided by the tall trees in her surroundings over the past five years, Elara was unwilling to leave such an invigorating living environment.
In her thoughts, Elara expressed a wish, 'I hope it's just a minor pest issue.' She secretly hopes to avoid witnessing the trees' demise for no apparent reason.
After silently uttering a prayer, Elara suddenly tilted her head with a somewhat perplexed expression, contemplating, 'Wouldn't it be better for me to pray, hoping that Queen Titaia will soon appear and resolve all these trivial problems?'
She had almost forgotten the crucial fact that the land she resided on belonged to Queen Titaia, the sole ruler of the Galatea territory.
Given her lack of direct encounters with the Queen since arriving in this world, and amidst rumors of Queen Titaia being in slumber, Elara's understanding of the ruler remained somewhat elusive.
'Could the absence of the Queen for the past five years be causing these trees to fall prey to pests?' Elara began forming predictions in her thoughts, but her attention quickly returned to the present when she heard a friendly laugh.
The lumberjack named Zoe laughed to lighten the grim atmosphere around them.
"Well, hopefully, this incident is just a coincidence," Zoe said, tousling Elara's hair before saying goodbye.
"..."
Elara blinked a few times, as if about to say something, but a gust of wind mysteriously swept over her, causing her to forget. She simply returned to her prayers, as if nothing had happened.
'... Ah, yes! I hope the cherries I'm searching for haven't been affected by that strange phenomenon Uncle mentioned, please....!'
Worries lingered about her mother's reaction if Elara returned empty-handed after a full day of venturing alone into the forest—an unusual decision for her. Elara couldn't afford to disappoint her mother, who wholeheartedly supported her dream of creating the most delicious bakery in this other world.
Deep in her heart, Elara truly hoped to find something valuable in the vast forest for her new bread flavor. Though the chance of returning with nothing was significant due to her time constraints—she had to head home before sunset due to her peculiar illness.
'Besides cherries, I hope there are some sour-tasting fruits that can complement the sweetness in this forest!' Elara asked, anxiously hoping.
Determined to craft a unique flavor for her bread, Elara aimed to offer people a taste of variety with each bite.
As Elara hummed happily to herself, she quietly thought about how delicious the cherry pie she would make when she returned.
"I should secretly bake it without my mother knowing."
Elara pondered the long journey they had undertaken in creating the perfect bread. It had been three years since her mother had diligently practiced kneading and baking bread, but it still turned out hard, despite being delicious.
The memory of her painful teeth when chewing on the tough bread was still fresh in her mind. Regardless of how closely she watched her mother's every step in the bread-making process, the result remained the same: hard bread. There were moments when she almost gave up on teaching her mother.
Fortunately, her mother had a special talent for decorating bread, so they could make bread that looked tempting even if the texture wasn't perfect. In their collaboration, Elara handled the kneading part well, while her mother perfected the decoration. Together, they created bread that was not only visually appealing but also had a delightful taste.
With unstoppable enthusiasm, Elara continued to explore the forests to find various exotic fruits to complement her bread. She couldn't wait to see her mother's reaction when she tasted her creations, confident that she could create bread that was just as delicious as what she had enjoyed in her previous world.
She even thought further, that if her recipe succeeded, she could decide to sell this cherry pie. She believed its taste would be popular among others, and the villagers would be delighted to have a new, tasty bread flavor. Although the price might go up due to its exceptional quality, she was sure people would be willing to pay more to enjoy its extraordinary taste.
As news of the deliciousness of her bread spread through the mouths of the wandering merchants active in the village, Elara felt proud to be able to offer something special to this small village.
'Most importantly, I'm sure I'll become rich at such a young age!' Elara cheered in her heart.
Initially eager on her way to pick red cherries with an empty basket in hand, Elara suddenly halted. Her attention was captivated by the sight of two individuals deep in the forest, deliberately concealed behind the thick foliage.
One, a tall young man with an axe, and the other, a child around Elara's age, their short stature contrasting with the young man beside them.
'Who's... that?'
Cautiously approaching out of sheer curiosity to get a clearer view, Elara blinked as if catching a glimpse of something unexpected.
In an instant, miraculously, Elara felt as if her body were peacefully asleep on a soft cloud. Beneath this gentle cloud, a boy was crying and whining, begging to join. Amidst this scene, there was the shadow of a woman laughing at the boy's tears and whining.
...?!
Regrettably, what Elara witnessed lasted only for the duration of a blink and didn't reappear, causing her to secretly question her ability to see.
'Am I hallucinating...?'
The scene before she returned to its previous state, with two people engaged in a conversation with a suspicious atmosphere and tone.
Undeterred, Elara maintained her focused observation, attempting to analyze the identities of these individuals. Unfortunately, the person in the robe remained enigmatic due to the large black garment that nearly covered their short stature.
'Hmm, if they're only a few inches taller than me, that means they're not much older, perhaps 7 or 8 years old?' Elara speculated.
For some reason, Elara felt her heart racing.
'Why is this happening?' she wondered, touching her chest with a perplexed and questioning expression. She felt nervous as strange things inexplicably began happening to her little by little.
Despite her nervousness, Elara chose to set aside her pounding heart and approached the two individuals. Deliberately acting innocent, she bluntly inquired about their presence in a secluded forest like this.
Fortunately, Elara was able to identify the tall young man standing alongside the shorter individual in the robe.
"Mister Wika? Why are you two in such a secluded spot...?" Elara asked, her tone cheerful and curious, much like that of an inquisitive child.
The young man named Wika appeared highly surprised by Elara's unexpected presence. Meanwhile, the short figure in the robe quickly stepped back from Wika, redirecting their gaze elsewhere as if uninterested in Elara's sudden appearance.
"Eh, yeah, yeah, it's nothing!" Wika initially reacted with panic, but swiftly regained control of his emotions and, in turn, questioned Elara. "Why are you here, Lara?"
Elara couldn't overlook the suspicious look on Wika's face, marked by a hint of panic. Yet, uncertain about the cause, she continued to play the part of an innocent, curious child.
With an adorable display, she presented her empty basket. "I'm on my way to pick fruit for my bakery! Mister can come to my bakery later, okay?"
Wika hurriedly nodded stiffly. "Yes, I will buy your bread later."
While the short figure in the robe didn't answer, they simply stood straight, seemingly oblivious to Elara's presence. This nearly made Elara grit her teeth in annoyance.
"..." Although the situation felt a bit strange, Elara chose not to dwell on it too much. She didn't want to interfere in other people's affairs as long as it wasn't related to her.
"Oh, I heard that the trees you want to cut down can't be cut," Elara said, deliberately changing the subject.
"Oh, oh, yeah, that's right! Where did you hear that from?"
Elara continued as if she didn't notice Wika's suspicious behavior.
"I was told when I met Uncle Zoe. Uncle Zoe also said that he experienced the same thing as what Mister is going through."
Wika widened his eyes as if hearing about Uncle Zoe's situation from Elara for the first time. But after a few seconds, Wika's expression returned to normal as if he hadn't been surprised.
Wika nodded with a sad feeling. "Yes, I also met him and listened to his story briefly earlier," he mumbled.
"Is that so?" Elara tilted her head.
"Yes, I consoled him before going to my workplace to recheck the trees that I need to cut down."
"Did all the trees wither?" Elara asked cautiously.
Wika scratched his neck. "That's right. Strangely, only certain trees in specific places withered. I don't understand what's happening in this forest."
"... Maybe it has something to do with Queen Titaia who is still slumbering. She should immediately wake up and guard this forest as she usually does," Wika muttered in an annoyed tone, causing Elara to involuntarily furrow her eyebrows. For some reason, his words left Elara feeling unhappy.
!!
But there was already someone who gave off an aura of displeasure at Wika's statement.
Elara suddenly glanced at the short, robed figure who, a few seconds ago, had given off a mysterious aura that felt strangely familiar. Wika, unaware of the aura they were emitting, also looked at the short, robed figure as if remembering something.
"That's why I met someone from this information guild," he explained, pointing at the robed figure who was still standing still.
'Information guild...?' Elara tilted her head upon hearing that phrase.
The information guild was a legal organization that operated worldwide, known for its ability to gather and sell various types of information. They had an extensive network for acquiring data, and the price of information usually depended on its difficulty and confidentiality.
Elara realized that the strange situation she encountered in the forest, with someone robed emitting a mysterious aura, might be related to the mentioned information guild.
The villagers were probably confused by the phenomenon of the sudden withering of certain trees in random places, which should not be possible in the famously fertile holy land of Galatea. This confusion led them to seek information from the information guild.
'It looks like this isn't just a small pest...?' Elara thought, starting to feel anxious.
"They say they know the reason why those trees suddenly withered in just one day," Wika's voice snapped Elara out of her reverie.