kscans

Chapter 32 - The Neighboring Forest and the Little Person

"What in the world…?"

The Flawers knights waiting at the forest’s edge stared at it, holding their breath. They had been warily keeping watch, worried for the Frontier party that had gone inside, when a great tremor shook the ground and a massive pillar of water shot into the sky. As they watched to see what was happening, countless bands of light shot out, blanketing the forest. The entire area was filled with a dazzling light, and for a moment, the Flawers knights lost their vision.

After they had instinctively closed their eyes against the overwhelming brightness.

When they opened them again, the world had completely changed.

The grass of the plains, which had barely reached their ankles with a dry, kasa kasa rustle, now swayed softly, sawa sawa, reaching up to their calves. Colorful flowers could be seen here and there, and the land that had been so desolate was now covered in a carpet of green.

But what drew their eyes most of all was the forest.

The forest whose edges had been withering away. The emaciated trees that had stood like ghosts were gone, replaced by trees with leaves so vibrant they seemed to burn. The forest that had once felt lifeless was now overflowing with vitality. A deep, dense, thriving forest. The dry earth had transformed into a world of fresh, vibrant green.

The Flawers knights stood speechless. One of them murmured to no one in particular.

"…Has the Forest Master awakened?"

The man was an elderly knight. His trembling eyes were wide with disbelief as he stared at the forest.

The Forest Master?

It was a familiar phrase. A great monster that appeared in many old legends.

They say that long ago, a clan of monsters lived in the forest. They are gentle in nature, but do not let your guard down, for they are monsters. Monsters who were here long before man. Wise and clever, ancient monsters who watch over the land. If you do not invade the home of these intelligent monsters, they will be with humanity, bringing great blessings.

The Forest Master, a figure who appeared in every old tale.

But no one had ever seen one, and they had believed it to be nothing more than a legend. A folktale created to praise this forest that existed so suddenly in a land dominated by arid plains. That’s right, a forest had existed only here.

A vast expanse of green, flourishing since ancient times in a harsh land that could mislead men and lead them to their deaths. Records stated that this entire area was once farmland. There was no trace of it now, but there were once fertile fields, and Flawers had been self-sufficient.

That was only a few hundred years ago.

In those days, they said, people in Flawers could use magic. They didn't have to heat their homes with coal or operate wells by hand as they did now. They lived prosperous lives.

It was a pipe dream. That's what they had thought. A fantasy born from envy of their prosperous neighbor, Frontier.

But now, the reality was laid bare before their eyes.

Looking at this beautiful, verdant land, it was easy to believe. To believe that this was once rich farmland. The grasslands spread out before them, occasionally rippling like waves in the wind, covering the land as far as the eye could see and making the hearts of the Flawers knights dance. Unconsciously, their eyes began to curve into gentle arcs. Though their faces still held expressions of disbelief, smiles bloomed on their faces, and small laughs escaped their lips. A joy that welled up from the bottom of their hearts. Their entire bodies welcomed this miracle. It wasn't just the land that had been parched. The people, too, had been so dry they could feel it on their skin.

Being surrounded by this greenery, they realized it for the first time. Can green really bring such peace to the heart?

Though their eyes were wide with astonishment, the members of the Flawers knights could not stop the excited fluttering in their hearts.

"Woooow, is this your house, Molt?"

《Indeed. This is the lake where my children dwell.》

A vast lake spread out before Chihiro’s eyes. In Earth terms, it might be as large as Lake Biwa. It was so big that the opposite shore was hazy. Its surface was calm, the water beautifully clear, offering a perfect view of the swaying water plants on the bottom.

"It’s so pretty. If only it were a warmer season, I could have gone for a swim."

The Frontier knights stared, aghast, at the little girl who was playfully splashing her hands in the water, chapu chapu.

"Swim… huh? You mean get in the water?"

"You’re not a fisherman, why would you get in the water? I don’t understand. Why?"

"You’ll get sick if you do that. The water is cold, it’s not good for you."

"What if you drown? The only people who can swim are those who live by the sea. Please don’t think of such dangerous things."

The panicked knights voiced their concerns one after another.

Ah, I forgot. This is how it is in this era, yeah.

Even in medieval times on Earth, swimming wasn’t common. It was an age where most people would never submerge their heads in a river or the sea, and many would end their lives without even knowing the meaning of the word "swim." Cold probably equated to freezing, to losing body heat. Or more directly, to drowning.

Feeling the gap between this world and the modern one for the first time in a while, the Little Person gave a dry laugh.

Come to think of it, even in Japan, the concept of swimming was limited until a large number of children on a school trip died in a major maritime accident.

It was a well-known story that after that accident, swimming lessons were incorporated into Japan’s compulsory education.

As Chihiro was recalling a useless memory from her past life, Molt’s deep voice reached her ears. 《No harm from water shall befall the king I serve. Rest assured.》

As Molt nodded with the gaze of a benevolent old man, several small frogs appeared on the surface of the lake. Red, blue, yellow, green… frogs of all colors popped their heads out, staring at Chihiro with curiosity. Though he called them small, that was only in comparison to Molt, who had been their first impression of a frog. They ranged from the size of Chihiro’s palm to the size of a human child. Frogs of various sizes appeared, and the lakeside suddenly became lively.

The lake, which had a majestic feel, was now in a state of a frog chorus. The heartwarming scene brought an unconscious smile to the faces of the Frontier party. Normally, being swarmed by frog monsters would be a cause for screaming, but the members of the royal palace, who were used to giant bees swarming the place, had grown strangely accustomed to monsters. Thus, a vague sense of everyday life preceded any fear. Habit is a fearsome thing. It probably also helped that they knew the Forest Master was an intelligent monster that wouldn't attack people without reason. It was a confidence unique to a country that existed with its forests and coexisted with their Masters.

To be with them, and to know them well. This was surely important in all matters.

Molt held a great deal of goodwill toward the Frontier party, who practiced this without even being conscious of it.

If only all people were like this, so many of my brethren would not have been lost.

His comrades who had fallen in their attempt to protect the people, to defend the forest to the death. Why did the gods not grant us words? If only we could have communicated, things would not have come to such a disastrous pass.

The only one they could exchange words with was the Golden King, who possessed the same golden magic as the Masters.

Pushing aside the futile thoughts that pierced his heart, Molt called over one of his children.

It was a frog about the size of a goose egg. The pale green frog looked much like a tree frog from Earth.

《I have heard from the Queen. She said a small attendant would be best. This son is the smallest of my children, and yet possesses great power. Please, take him with you.》

The introduced frog hopped forward energetically and puffed out its chest in front of Chihiro.

"What is this, it’s so cute!"

The Little Person was overjoyed, placing the purring tree frog in her palm.

You’re the one who’s cute, the Frontier knights thought, watching the scene with lukewarm gazes.

Then, Molt entrusted a cluster of eggs to the Little Person. About ten eggs, each the size of a quail's egg, were arranged in an egg tube.

《These are eggs that were laid when the forest began to wither. The next generation is likely among them. Please, take them to the Queen.》

He explained that for Molt’s clan, who were aquatic monsters, the next generation to inherit the forest is born during times of crisis, when the forest is dying. A Forest Master who is a hermaphrodite and can increase its clan on its own. Their biology seemed to be full of mysteries, but Chihiro suddenly felt a parallel with her world, Earth.

The most famous hermaphrodite on Earth is the slug. They multiply on their own and spread. The snail is a lesser version of this. Snails are not hermaphrodites, but when they sense a crisis for their species, hermaphroditic individuals, like slugs, are born to increase their numbers. Similarly, it is said that other creatures, while not hermaphrodites, will produce more female offspring when they sense a crisis for their species. It is interpreted as a defense mechanism to increase the number of individuals capable of bearing children and maintain the species, but it has not been fully explained.

Such similarities existed in the biology of the Masters.

《If both our successors are raised, we will be able to come and go freely between our forests.》

Not just raising one's own successor, but mixing different species. This was quite an ingenious idea. The same species often perishes for the same reason. To avoid this, it is important for multiple species to coexist. If there is diversity, one can deal with a single event from various angles, and breakthroughs become easier. Originally, the many monsters teeming in the forest probably fulfilled that role. However, Molt's forest, with its scarce magic, was unable to exert its full power and fell into a critical situation. Taking this into account, the Queen had proposed an exchange of successors, so that they would not be in trouble if the same situation were to occur again.

The bees, specializing in undeniable offense. The frogs, specializing in defense, strong enough to withstand the lawlessness of humans even with scarce magic. If these two were combined, they would undoubtedly be a formidable force.

We're neighbors, so this kind of thing is nice to have, right?

The little girl giggled.

This too would later cause a great commotion, but the little person of the present had no way of knowing.

The wind blowing through the forest carried a pleasant moisture as it raced across the land.

The stunned Flawers knights. The exasperated-looking Frontier knights. What both groups had in common was a soft smile.

And so, involving many people, the Little Person once again goes her own way as she pleases.