Chapter 506 - Fourth Episode: The Dryad of the Royal Capital Region
According to what the now completely quiet Rabbit Man says, the Dryad was apparently below the plateau in the past.
The plateau in winter must be severely cold and have a lot of snow. What did she like about such a place that she moved there?
"She was pursued by humans."
The Rabbit Man returned the expected answer.
In short, it was the battle with the Demon Lord's army.
The beastmen living in the southwestern part of the Royal Capital area once joined forces with the Demon Lord's army. To be precise, it was the remnants of the Demon Lord's army.
"You guys also had a period when you fought with humans, right? It's that era."
Humans and beastmen used to live together. However, humans cut down forests and cleared land for agriculture. Humans, whose food self-sufficiency became stable, increased rapidly and proceeded with the cutting down of forests. For the Dryad and the beastmen, it was a battle to protect the forest. The Demon Race of the Demon Lord's army remnants took advantage of that and formed a united front.
"Did the spirit Dryad break her neutrality?"
That's an impossible thing.
No, maybe not.
"Well, various things must have happened. I also acted together with the Demon Lord's army for a period."
There was a familiar practical example called Renata. However, in Renata's case, it wasn't a place where humans could enter. It was just that her habitat overlapped with the Demon Lord's army as a result of the trees turning into monsters.
"The Dryad didn't actively fight with humans. She just excluded the humans who invaded without permission. But humans were in the middle of fighting our beastmen ancestors who joined forces with the Demon Lord's army. It seems she was misunderstood."
The Rabbit Man is saying it in a light tone, but that's a quite serious misunderstanding.
The Dryad, who dislikes conflict, was consequently caught up in the battle between both armies.
In the meantime, the Demon Race was subjugated and their military strength decreased significantly. Finally, they were forced to withdraw.
Since then, she has apparently lived on the plateau. It's a story from over five thousand years ago.
"The Dryad of that time died of old age and the generation has changed, but she seems to remember the events of that time well."
I heard that Dryads inherit memories from trees. She likely thinks of it as if it were her own affair.
"She directly clashed with humans. That's quite serious."
Renata didn't participate in the battle. The Eastern Plains Corps led by Roberts-sama didn't set foot at the foot of the mountain where the Dryad's Forest is thought to be. Of course, it's also a fact that they didn't have that much military strength, but since the Elves were with them, there should be no mistake.
"This time, she was quite reluctant to meet humans. But you're the Jeanne-san I heard about, right? The one who is friends with various spirits and was even recognized by Gnome."
"Um, I don't know if I was recognized. It's just that he came to the farm I manage with my companions and we had a banquet together."
"G-Gnome having a banquet at a human farm!"
He suddenly spoke in a loud voice. I didn't think it was such a surprising thing. I thought they did it normally in ancient times, but is that not the case?
"Oh yeah, it was a full gathering of the Four Great Spirits. Besides them, Dwarves, Elves, Alraunes, and Goblins. We beastmen also participated. Well, I was coming here, though."
The Wolf Man puffs out his chest here. Don't brag since you weren't there.
"A-At a human farm?"
"That's right. After all, we all gave a blessing to the child of the Alraune this Bishop Jeanne lives with. Probably, that Alraune girl will become... what was it? Oh, the Queen of Flowers? Yes, she'll become the Queen of Flowers."
If you don't know without checking, then stop talking like you understand it well. Honestly. The other beastmen are desperately holding back their laughter.
It was clearly a suspicious explanation, but he wasn't lying. Also, the banquet with all four gathered was also held in the beastmen's village. It has a certain amount of persuasiveness. As proof, the Rabbit Man firmly believed it.
"The human world has also changed significantly. Unlike you all, humans with short lifespans change dizzyingly. I won't tell you to let the past be bygones, but could you treat us as people different from the humans who fought in the past? We humans also have a heart of reflection."
Even if it's a past event for others, for the Dryad who inherited the memory from the tree, it might be a vivid 'now'. But it's a fact that the generation has changed, and couldn't she accept the change? At the very least, if we miss this moment, we don't know what will happen in the future. I want to create a history of reconciliation, not just a history of conflict.
"W-Well, that's something the Dryad decides. I'm just a scout."
"You're saying that, but isn't the Dryad's clone right there?"
To the Rabbit Man who was saying a standard excuse, Renata's clone made a sharp point. They are of the same kind. She wouldn't overlook it if she's there.
"Eh? Is she here? W-Where is she?"
The Wolf Man is looking around the area.
Listen, what's the point of you being surprised.
We weren't the only ones who brought a Dryad's clone for negotiations. The other side was thinking the same thing.
She was apparently sticking to the rabbit's back, but thanks to Violet stretching the thread for keeping watch, she couldn't approach to where the content of the talk could be heard. Having no choice, the rabbit tried to invade with short-range Teleport, but he got caught in Violet's magic detection.
Since it's been found out that she's there, there's no point in hiding. She probably intended to have the clone contact us before we entered her forest anyway. When Renata's clone called out, she came out easily from the shadow of the bushes.
"I didn't expect you to bring a clone. You're quite something."
Renata's clone was inside the barrel halfway through, so she didn't seem to notice while she was pursuing us.
Even so, her tone is young. Of course, she's likely much older than Little Serena, but she's probably younger than Serena. In human terms, if Serena is in her thirties, is she barely twenty?
Her size is about the same as the clone Renata, so she's likely finger-sized. She's a slender beauty. Her hair must be long; she has it tied at the back right. Perhaps not because of that, but she has a somewhat slanted posture.
"Hey, do you have your forest exactly on the opposite side of the mountain range?"
She's asking Renata's clone. She probably mistook her for Serena.
"No, my forest is further east, in a corner of the region humans call the Northeastern Forest. Though, it's in a state where it can't be called a forest yet."
The moment she heard those words, the Dryad's atmosphere changed.
"The Northeastern Forest? I heard that place was destroyed. Did you survive?"
"Somehow. It was terrible for a while. I was also exposed to dense magic power and changed, turning pitch black."
"Yeah, yeah."
She's about to cry. She might be the type with deep emotions.
"But you know, when Jeanne here shone a light with her light magic, I returned to normal. See, my hair is also green, right?"
"Yeah. It's beautiful. It has a gloss too."
"My tree also turned into a monster, turning black and the branches twisting."
"Yeah."
"But you know, thanks to Jeanne's magic after all, she made new acorns for me. Now, because everyone is cooperating to recover the whole forest, new trees are gradually increasing."
"Aaan, I'm so glad—!"
She clung to Renata's clone and started crying and laughing.
This, I should probably leave it to Renata.
The destruction of the Dryad's Forest...
That wasn't someone else's business for the Dryad of the Royal Capital area.
In battles within the forest, monsters have the advantage. Humans, who knew that, hired an ultra-high-level magic user and countered with a forest fire caused by Prominence.
The flames fanned by wind magic didn't go out for days and burned through the forest, and it seems a vast area became a burnt field. Of course, they didn't touch the Dryad's Forest. It was the forest occupied by the Demon Lord's army remnants, the process leading to the cave where the Demon Lord would be resurrected. However, it wasn't that far from the Dryad's Forest either, and as a result, the effect of the threat was more than enough.
The previous Dryad was furious, but flames are a bad match. Unfortunately, the Elf, the Great Sage of the Forest, wasn't in this area. If he had been, it wouldn't have ended simply. Of course, it must have been a reckless act committed after knowing the Elf wasn't there.
Fortunately, the fire was apparently stopped from spreading, perhaps because the operation was interrupted, but for the Dryad, it became a sufficient reason to break with humans.
It's the flames of Prominence that even melt rocks. Those who were in the direction it was released only become victims.
Trees that took it head-on disappeared into charcoal in an instant, and trees around where the dragon's head passed also ignited from the heat, and the fire spread from there.
If it were a human, they would die in an instant as if evaporating in the flames without even time to scream, those who were right nearby would also be enveloped in flames in an instant and lose their lives, and even those a bit further away would have their whole bodies burned, leaving them in a state where there was no hope of survival. Moreover, it was a follow-up attack using wind magic.
And the memory of the Dryad, who couldn't save the burning trees even though she wanted to, has been inherited by her.
It's something that happens occasionally even on battlefields between humans. However, no matter how much the enemy is hiding, burning down a forest is not something that happens within the range of my knowledge.
Actually, I have witnessed it too.
When I participated in the Demon Lord subjugation unit, Eleanor-sama and Wilson-san released it toward the black trees that had turned into monsters on the fourth floor. To call out the swarm of ants.
It seems trees that have turned into monsters have higher magic defense than normal trees. Nevertheless, two passages were completed in no time as if they had been hollowed out. Of course, neither of them would have done such a thing if it hadn't been for those monsterized trees on the fourth floor. In fact, in the Northeastern Forest, including the Eastern Plains Corps, they haven't burned down trees with fire magic of high-level or above. Of course, there would be use in fields, but the target is strictly a direct hit on a monster.
When the Dryad was a child, such memories didn't matter. Apparently, she inherited that memory from the tree when she became an adult... I don't know how old that is. At that time, she learned of the previous generation's thoughts, who hated humans and feared forest fires and went up to the plateau. Immediately after inheriting it, the memory of that moment was apparently so vivid that it surfaced visually, and for a while, she apparently experienced shock and terror to the point where she couldn't sleep well at night.
"You've had a hard time too. Are you okay now?"
"Thank you. Now I can sleep well at night, and I'm okay. Besides, it's not as much as you, Sister."
In Renata's case, she herself was placed on the threshold of life or death.
"I also turned into a form that couldn't be called a spirit for a period, but it's not all bad things."
"Yeah. I hope so. But..."
She glances at me.
It seems fear and hatred toward humans are not easily wiped away.
However, even among the same humans, there are examples like Northern Gram. The King of that country walked the path of rebellion to protect the forest. Renata's clone was with him, so she knows.
"Humans are various, you know. In my case, humans saved me from the state where the forest turned into monsters because of that Elf, as I said earlier. So, I think it's better if you don't stay bound by past experiences forever."
"I suppose so..."
The reaction to Renata's words was also mediocre. Well, I had expected it to some extent. We just have to meet and see.
Perhaps because she relaxed her guard a bit while talking with Serena, she drank the honey wine I had prepared.
"H-Heh, it's delicious, isn't it."
She has a surprised face.
On the other hand, the Rabbit Man is gulping it down. Honestly. His face is red; I don't think he can fulfill his role as a scout if he gets drunk, but is he okay?
"N-No, it's delicious. This. It's honey wine, right? You can't easily drink something like this."
Is that so, is that so, then I'll have him eat Miana's new work too.
When I handed over Miana's new baked sweet, he was picking it up with a "Hmm."
That won't do.
"It's delicious. Please be brave and eat it with a 'chomp'."
I open my mouth wide and appeal.
"Did the Bishop make this too?"
"No, this is my companion. She runs a shop. She bakes bread and sweets, and makes lunch boxes."
"Hmm. Bread, huh. I've eaten it. It makes the inside of your mouth feel dry, right?"
While saying so, he nibbles a little bit of the edge.
You won't understand like that.
"Why don't you go 'chomp' more boldly. You're a man, right?"
It's the Wildcat Sister. For a carnivore, she likes sweets.
Perhaps inspired by being told so by a girl, he bit into it all at once.
"Eh? What is this? Strawberry? Hey, it's strawberry jam, right? You stuff it inside!"
With this, the rabbit is completely fallen.
According to what the Rabbit Man says, life on the plateau is indeed harsh. Apparently, they take turns going down below the plateau to hunt or gather to secure food. Especially rabbits, taking advantage of being able to use Teleport, occasionally jump to near human settlements and make off with various things while scouting.
"Things like metal weapons, we can't make them ourselves."
While saying so, he showed me a knife and a one-handed sword.
They have a feel of being quite well-used. If Matilda saw them, she might start sharpening them immediately.
"Is there no mine here?"
"None. So it's bartering."
"Which tribe are you trading with?"
"I can't say in front of a human."
Even when the Wolf Man asked, he refused while looking at me.
"Um, shall I step away for a bit?"
It should be fine if there's no human.
"Isn't it dangerous?"
The Wolf Man is concerned, but Violet is there.
When I looked at her face, she smiled and nodded.
"Then, we'll also step away for a bit."
Renata is inviting the Dryad of the Royal Capital area.
In the end, we ended up splitting into three groups.