kscans

Chapter 35 - The Neighboring Forest and the Little Person

"Alright, shall we head home then?"

After a full day of sightseeing and buying souvenirs for everyone, the Little Person climbed into the carriage with a look of pure satisfaction. As befitting a country known for its tools and technology, Flawers was overflowing with all sorts of things, and the finely detailed crafts were particularly eye-catching.

"The goods were magnificent. Embedding glass into pottery to create patterns. I particularly liked that workshop."

Dolphen was all smiles. Beside him, Adoris nodded in agreement.

"The mechanical harps and other instruments were amazing too. It’s simple, but it can play music regardless of skill. The concept is incredible, isn't it?"

Though it was a hand-cranked device, Adoris was fascinated by a tool that could be used even by those with no musical training. The principle was the same as a music box on Earth. A machine would pluck designated strings. Since it lacked the nuances of human touch, it could only play simple tunes, but for someone who couldn’t play at all, it was an astonishing contraption.

"The lamp hoods were pretty too. There was an elaborate playfulness everywhere you looked, it was an interesting city."

Mouse and butterfly motifs hidden under the streetlights. The terracotta pots for plants placed around the city were often adorned with complex patterns, and the Little Person’s eyes were drawn to everything. Cat carvings staring from the shadows of eaves, and openwork carvings covering entire railings. The playful spirit scattered throughout the city, as if to say they were truly enjoying themselves, had something in common with Japanese sensibilities and delighted the Little Person immensely.

"There were even frogs and rabbits hidden in the brickwork of the road. That was a surprise. You couldn't tell up close, but from a distance, it was perfectly clear. I can understand the proud looks on the faces of the townspeople."

It was what you would call trick art on Earth.

That had surprised everyone in the Frontier party. On their way into town, it had been an ordinary staircase and road, but after walking a little further, an elderly woman had called out to them.

"Are you from out of town? Then turn around and have a look."

The Frontier party turned around as the smiling woman suggested. What emerged was the image of a frog and a rabbit facing each other as if in conversation. Not only the road and the stairs, but also the nearby houses had been incorporated into the design with perfectly calculated depictions of feet and tails. The satisfied look on the woman’s face as she watched the stunned and speechless Frontier party was something they would not soon forget.

Watching the passing city with a look of longing, the Little Person felt a touch of nostalgia. The royal capital of Frontier was a perfected European style. It had a foreign feel to it, and the people were filled with a stable, calm atmosphere. But this place had the atmosphere of a developing Europe, brimming with vitality and curiosity. They would try their hand at anything that looked interesting and enjoy it. That playful spirit was similar to the Japan where the Little Person had once lived, and it felt somewhat nostalgic.

"Let’s come back again, all of us."

Adoris and Dolphen smiled and nodded at the Little Person’s innocent words.

However, around that time, a sinister discussion was taking place in the royal capital of Flawers.

"If magic is to be revived, it should be in the royal capital, should it not? Why in such a remote place?"

"They say a Master’s forest is necessary. The Master dwelling in the forest is the source of magic, and if it is healthy, it will fill the surrounding area with magic."

"Do those beasts really possess such power?"

"It is because they do that the greenery was revived in the borderlands, is it not? Look at reality. In fact, Frontier, which treasures its Master's forests, has not lost its magic and is prosperous."

"…..Grrr."

For a long time, Frontier had warned the surrounding countries. To treasure the forests. But the surrounding countries had dismissed Frontier’s words, which they had been crying out for ages. They called it the ramblings of a nation that was falling behind in technological development.

The neighboring countries, which were not on friendly terms with the Forest Masters like Frontier, did not correctly understand the meaning of the legends, even if they had been passed down. Even in Frontier, where the Golden King was born, they understood the relationship between the forest and its Master, but they did not understand the detailed mechanism behind it. It was only because the current generation had Chihiro, with her modern knowledge, that they were able to understand its structure and workings. Therefore, even Frontier did not understand the fact that the forest and its Master were the source of magic, and that without them, magic could not be used, until the surrounding countries actually lost it. The neighboring countries, which had killed their Masters and cleared the forests to build cities, gradually lost their magic and became unable to use it. No one made the connection that this loss, which occurred over nearly a hundred years, was due to the destruction of the forests.

Except for Frontier.

Only when the surrounding countries lost their magic did Frontier finally grasp the situation. And then, they fell silent. In the current state, where the forests and Masters were already lost, there was no point in explaining. In fact, explaining would only give rise to unnecessary jealousy and suspicion.

At the time, Frontier had urged them to treasure the forests. They had heard from the Forest Masters that without the magic of the forests, the rich land would wither. Yet the surrounding countries did not believe them, and they concealed stories and historical facts related to the Forest Masters, calling them groundless fabrications.

From this point on, information about the Forest Masters was intentionally erased. Of course, they could not hide things that were passed down orally.

The neighboring countries, which were keeping pace with technological development, found Frontier, which denied it, to be an eyesore, and Frontier's warnings were taken as a form of harassment and were ignored by everyone.

They were not even allowed to make the pilgrimage of the Golden King, the golden ring was broken, and in the blink of an eye, magic was lost from the world. If only the pilgrimage of the Golden King could have been made, the world would not have fallen into such disarray.

However, humans are a resilient species.

They just had to live normally, just like on Earth. The only difference was that the land was a little harsh to do so.

Why was Arcadia filled with magic? It was a provision from the gods.

For living creatures to inhabit, the world of Arcadia was too harsh. Half of its surface was desert and wilderness. The seas were small, and water was scarce. Yet, life was born even in such a merciless land. The gods watched over these small creatures with affection. But as time passed and humanity was born, the gods thought. As things are, these small ones will not be able to survive. The delicate lives that had sprouted on the dry land.

And so, to guide the young human race, they bestowed wisdom and magic upon the life forms that had existed before humanity. These were the first generation of monsters that would later be called Masters. The bees, frogs, and several other long-lived species became monsters using the wisdom and magic given to them by the gods, and began to enrich the land. They created lakes and forests in the deserts and wilderness, filled the land with green, and created a comfortable environment to protect humanity. In this way, the territories of the monsters were established in each place. They, who were permitted to use the magic of the gods, used the golden magic to gradually teach the innocent humans how to use magic as well.

In the land filled with magic, humans too were born with magic and could use it.

It was a different system from the gods' magic, but the source was the same.

For the humans who could not exchange words, the bees devised writing from the knowledge of the gods and taught it to them. In this way, the bees and humans were able to communicate.

The writing devised by the bees was also transmitted to other monsters, and the humans in the territories of other Masters were also able to communicate.

As a result, the language and writing of Arcadia became common throughout the world. Both the language and the writing were originally things from the knowledge given by the gods, which the Masters used and then adapted for humans. It was a natural outcome.

And so, in the rich world of Arcadia, humanity built nations and the people prospered.

…But that is a story of the past.

In inverse proportion to the development of humanity and their acquisition of knowledge, the gap between them and the Masters deepened, and their interaction waned. The fact that many monsters and beasts thrived on the revitalized land and began to attack people was probably part of the reason. From the Masters' perspective, it was simply the survival of the fittest. It was natural for the weak to become food for the strong. The mission the Masters received from the gods was to maintain a rich land where living things could dwell. As a result, this also led to the protection of humanity.

But humans, creatures of emotion, did not think so. It was easy for them to harbor seeds of doubt.

Why won’t you protect people? Why won’t you defeat the monsters? Aren’t the Masters on the side of humans? Why? Why?

The sprouted seeds of doubt quickly grew branches and leaves, growing into a great tree with a creaking sound.

By the time the Masters noticed the situation, it was already too late, and the hearts of the people had turned away from the forest. They no longer visited the Masters, and in fact, began to pointedly avoid them. The only thing that was passed down was that the Masters were intelligent, extraordinary monsters, and everyone shunned the forest.

Several thousand years passed.

As interaction with humanity faded, the Master side also underwent several generational changes, and no relationship remained between the humans and the Masters.

Except for one. The one who inherited the history of Frontier’s Queen.

The clan of the Queen, the primordial monster, is also a clan of storytellers who record history. They were also creatures who inherited the memories of their ancestors and could not forget.

Being unable to forget is a terrifying thing. The memory of being looked at with a gaze of utter contempt by the humans she had cherished like her own children would return as if it were yesterday, and she would recall it over and over again.

Seeing the Queen shedding tears, hota hota, each time, the gods sent a certain person.

It was a young child not even five years old.

"It’s been a while. Have you been well?"

The Queen’s eyes widened at the sudden appearance of the young child. However, she recognized the child with golden hair and golden eyes.

Several thousand years ago. The first village that was built near the Queen’s forest. He looked exactly like the young man who became the first village chief there. That village had moved far away out of fear of the Queen.

《Sapphard?》

"You remembered me? I’m happy."

We can speak?

Before, they could only communicate through writing.

The Queen, unable to hide her disbelief at this miraculous reunion, was met with the innocent gaze of the young child.

"The gods were worried. So they sent me."

With a broad grin, the young child spoke.

He said that the gods were always watching over the people. The Queen was no exception. To the gods, the Queen was also a precious small life. That cute creature was being disliked and feared without reason, and was crying in loneliness. The Queen was a storyteller who inherited memories because the gods had made her so. It was an ability given to the primordial monster so that they would not repeat the same mistakes. That was what was tormenting the Queen. Therefore, it was the duty of the gods to save her. They would grant her a human with the magic of the gods, so that the Queen would not have to grieve. While they were at it, they would send a human who was close to and understood the Queen. The rest they would leave to human nature.

And so, the one who was sent was Sapphard.

He learned words, writing, the principles of the world, and magic from the Queen, and was the first human to be with her until the moment he died of old age.

《Together again?》

"Yeah, I’ll build a huge country here so you won’t be lonely. Leave it to me!"

The same smile as before.

Ah, that’s right. There were many happy memories. There certainly were.

The smiling Queen and the laughing child looked at each other.

This was the first king of Frontier, the Golden King.

After building a prosperous country with the Queen, he passed the throne to the next generation and traveled the world with the Master who had similarly passed on the title of Queen to her successor.

He did so to convey the Queen's memories, which had already been forgotten by history, to the Masters of other lands.

The Masters, who were connected to the gods, could understand that Sapphard, known as the Golden King, was also connected to the gods in the same way. And they formed a pact. As beings connected to the gods, they would be together as long as life lasted. The pact through the exchange of magic was a coincidence. By exchanging magic, they could always feel each other's presence. It was something close to a simple promise for peace of mind.

It was a miracle that happened the moment they had made a full circle, visiting all the Masters they had sought out.

The golden magic formed a ring, and a pleasant resonance echoed throughout the world. It was a comfortable melody, as if they were being blessed. A light shone down on the two dumbfounded figures, making it look like a scene from a religious painting.

"Amazing, it’s like we’re being blessed by the gods."

《Perhaps we really are.》

The two looked at each other and laughed, though neither knew who started it.

A miraculous event.

Sapphard did not record this in history. He thought it had happened because he was sent by the gods. So that it would not be misinterpreted later, Sapphard took this fact to his grave.

However, he could not have imagined at that time that even after this, a Golden King of Sapphard's blood would be born in Frontier and have a relationship with the Queens. Nor that those children, following the example of Sapphard who had set out on a journey, would make pilgrimages to the Masters of various lands.

"If I knew it would turn out like this, I would have written it down!"

Or so Sapphard was said to have shouted among the gods.

Well, as a result, the absolute destruction of humanity, who had forgotten the blessings of the Masters, was averted. If they lost the Masters, the green land would revert to desert and wilderness. The existence of Frontier, and furthermore, the existence of the Golden King, had stopped that at the last moment.

Finally, humans were beginning to realize what was sustaining them.

Saving and being saved, forgetting and being forgotten. Remembering and being startled, humans wander about in confusion.

What do the gods think, watching such humans in the palm of their hands? However, even in the palm of the gods, the Little Person runs around causing a ruckus.

As if she might jump out of their palm at any moment, the Little Person is doing well today.