The roots seem to be attempting to form something, but Elara can't recognize any specific shape they are indicating.
'Are they trying to convey something to me?' Elara wondered. 'I don't know how but they look so adorable.....'
She intended to wait, curious about what the tree roots wanted to show her. Unfortunately, Elara realized that the sun had descended, signaling the arrival of the evening.
This meant Elara had been away since morning and hadn't returned by evening, causing her mother to likely be in a state of panic, thinking Elara was lost in the middle of the forest.
'I mustn't cause trouble for the villagers, making them think I'm missing like four years ago!' Elara thought carefully.
"I am deeply grateful for the help you have given me. Without all of you, I wouldn't have been able to return," Elara said sincerely, causing the roots, each busy with something, to pause and seem to listen to Elara's words seriously and obediently.
Thinking about it, Elara couldn't help but smile. Suddenly, she felt incredibly thankful to possess this power. She had never imagined she could communicate with tree roots like this.
The wind suddenly blew strongly, and a noisy sound, as if a small natural disaster was about to occur, was heard simultaneously, making Elara turn around spontaneously.
A group of roots, previously gathered to create a staircase for Elara to climb, had now been dismantled back into free-form roots. These roots danced as if waving towards Elara, before slowly returning to their original places in the vast grassy field below the cliff that Elara had successfully climbed.
"..."
Elara watched it all unfold with an expression of wonder and amazement in her eyes before finally glancing to the side, where a small root was dancing amusingly. She reached out to gently stroke the small root.
The little root seemed momentarily startled after Elara's touch, but it quickly wound its roots around Elara's pinkie finger and wrist with careful delight.
"Hahaha... How adorable..." murmured Elara softly.
[Cute... cute...!]
"Yes, you are very cute," replied Elara, chuckling.
Other small roots seemed determined not to be outdone, also wrapping around Elara's wrists and ankles tightly but cautiously. Meanwhile, the larger roots danced on the side, seemingly aware that their massive size could harm Elara's petite body if they joined the playful antics of the smaller roots.
[We're cute... cute...too!]
"Haha, stop, don't climb my leg, oh, wait a minute...?" Elara paused, realizing something was amiss.
'I was just talking to someone...?' Elara thought, suddenly breaking into a cold sweat.
[Stop... let go... understood!]
Elara once again listened to the cheerful voice, just like that of a giggling child playing with other kids. The difference was, that this joyous and cute voice didn't belong to a human child but to the roots entwining themselves around Elara's wrists and ankles!
Confused about how to react, Elara was fortunate that the small roots released their hold on her wrists and ankles, leaving only one root still wrapped around her pinkie finger.
Elara silently took a deep breath, gazing intensely at the small root still encircling her pinkie finger as if forming a naturally beautiful ring.
Deciding to overcome her embarrassment, Elara opened her lips slightly.
"... You can talk?"
'Previously, tree roots couldn't speak at all. Why can they speak now? Are they evolving into intelligent beings?!' Elara thought, perplexed.
[Yes... Thanks to you!]
'Huh...?'
Elara furrowed her brow in confusion. "Thanks to me? What did I do to you...?"
[Because...]
[... You came here!]
After the root answered with the same cheerful tone as before, the wind suddenly blew again, as if intending to blow everyone towards Elara, who stood near the cliff. Strangely, Elara was not panicked or afraid of being blown away by the wind.
Thump! Thump!
"..." Elara touched her chest, still beating rapidly, while observing the busy gusts of wind.
[Waa! hihi!]
The root, still wrapped around her finger, laughed joyfully, seemingly delighted by the arrival of the gusts of wind that appeared out of nowhere and continued to swirl around Elara.
[Do you want to go home... right?]
The cheerful voice brought Elara back to awareness, and she nodded in response to the sudden question.
[In that case... You can follow these winds!]
Hearing those cheerful words, Elara turned to the winds still frolicking around her but avoiding touching her, as if afraid of her.
[These winds will show the way out of the forest!]
'So, like a compass...?' Elara was amazed to the point of speechlessness.
Elara remained silent for a moment, still observing the winds busy blowing around her without moving an inch. No, more precisely, Elara was examining something behind the group of winds. She felt a sense of familiarity from those winds
But after a few moments, Elara closed her eyes and decided to think about this issue tomorrow.
"... So, I am inside the Eternal Forest?"
[Yes! You are in the second layer of the Eternal Forest.]
Before Elara could ask another question, the root spoke again with the same cheerful tone.
[Are you looking for something? The treasures in this area are still in the same places, so we can guide you if you want!]
"... What?!" Elara couldn't conceal her shock and almost uttered a curse in her astonishment. Fortunately, her hand swiftly covered her mouth reflexively.
The treasure was sought by many from all corners of the continent, willing to take daring risks to enter the Galatea territory just to access the dangerous Eternal Forest, shrouded in mysteries and governed by strict rules, with the penalty for violation being one's life.
This treasure, rumored to only be discoverable by those destined to possess it, could only be obtained by those fated to do so. Thus, no matter how wealthy or fortunate one might be, discovering the treasure's location in the Eternal Forest would be in vain if not destined to claim it. The treasure would simply reject the seeker and hide in a different location.
Therefore, adventurers decided to change their approach. Instead of intending to claim the treasure for themselves, they chose to seek the location and detailed description of the treasure they found. Later, they would sell the gathered information at a high price to information guilds, which were highly sought after by wealthy nobles interested in the treasures held by the dangerous forest.
However, since the information was only valid for five years due to the ever-changing geographical conditions of the Galatea territory and adventurers couldn't enter the forest without thorough preparation, the information was considered extremely valuable. This allowed adventurers to retire and become wealthy enough to secure their future generations.
Even so, despite possessing information about the location and name of the treasure, it would be futile without the destined individual. Hence, nobles decided not to impulsively purchase such information unless they were confident they could acquire it without incurring losses.
'And here, I'm being offered directly to obtain the treasure in this place by these natural beings...?' Elara thought, dumbfounded.
Trying to steady her trembling voice, Elara opened her lips slightly. "Can't you just take any treasure in this forest if you're not destined...?"
[Hm? Why asking something like that...?]
The cheerful voice of the root still sweetly wrapped around Elara's pinkie finger now seemed confused, leaving Elara equally puzzled as the root turned the question back to her.
"Huh... Why?" Elara swallowed nervously, asking again.
[Others need to have the right affinity with the treasure for it to willingly leave this Eternal Forest.]
[But not you.]
'Not me...?'
Elara sensed something when hearing the last sentence.
'Me? What makes me different from others destined for this...?'
As she contemplated, Elara suddenly realized something while gazing at the root still coiled around her pinkie like a ring.
'Right... I do have an affinity for all six elemental attributes... Could that be why I can claim any treasure without worrying about destiny, as the root mentioned...?'
'... If that's the case, wouldn't it be dangerous if others like me might take all the treasures in this forest?'
Her last thought quickly dissipated as Elara remembered the presence of Queen Titaia, the ruler of this land, and her renowned Elemental Wings known for their strength.
"..."
Elara looked at her petite body with a puzzled expression, torn between amazement and fear.
'No, that's impossible.' Elara shook her head again before staring at the root still faithfully wrapped around her pinkie.
"I'm not interested in those treasures at all. Right now, I just want to go home," Elara said calmly, causing the winds still blowing around her to calm down as if preparing to guide her.
[Understood!] The root answered as if anticipating that Elara had no interest or need for the treasures from the beginning.
The root released its coil on Elara's pinkie gently and retreated slowly toward the surrounding trees. More precisely, it deliberately severed the connection on its root coiled around Elara's pinkie, turning it into a regular ring made of ordinary roots on Elara's pinkie.
[Until we meet again ... in the future ... ■■■■!]
Elara scratched her ear as if to make sure what she heard was true.
'... Did these roots just say something dirty? Is there any kind of filter in this world? I feel like hearing a censored word....'
Elara waited for a moment, thinking there might be roots or other natural creatures wanting to speak with her. However, realizing the current time, she decided to leave promptly.
Before leaving, she took a moment to gaze at the ring on her pinkie, harboring a multitude of emotions and questions about the strange events that had unfolded. However, for now, she decided to store those thoughts away and looked ahead resolutely.
"Let's go home..." Elara murmured with a heavy sigh, glancing at the wind in front of her.