kscans

Chapter 42 - A New Pilgrimage and the Little One

"That’s why. I think it’s worth a try."

The next day, with the knights and the others watching over her, the Little One placed her hands on the desolate earth. Instantly, both her hands began to shine as if stars were falling, and golden bands raced across the land in every direction. Summoned by this, the breath of life erupted, and Chihaya and the Frontier knights froze, witnessing the plants sprout and grow before their very eyes.

"It’s a magnificent sight," said Dorfen and Adonis, smiling with narrowed eyes.

"But wait, doesn’t this all wither if there’s no Lord to form a pact with?"

"No... Even if there is a Lord, shouldn’t a forest made of golden magic wither away? That’s why the Queen’s forest grew so thin, isn’t it?" Adonis and Dorfen murmured.

The Little One answered their questions.

"That’s right. Because golden magic is what creates something from nothing."

Golden magic was the magic of the world's creation. It was a power that showed its true worth when a star met its end and a new one was born. It gathered what was present and added what was lacking to create a world. In other words, it created something from nothing.

That was the power of the gods.

However, the gods were originally supposed to repeat this process many times before receiving their names, creating a better world through trial and error. But Arcadia, which should have been their first creation, survived by a fluke. As a result, it became a world lacking in all sorts of things. It lacked greenery. It lacked water. It had only the bare minimum for living creatures to survive. Naturally, people moved to obtain what was missing. Lumber, ore, food, and so on. But because this world had been filled with golden magic, people never knew the hardship of obtaining these things, and humanity grew in a distorted way.

"So, it needs to be improved from the ground up, nyo."

When the little girl lifted her hands from the ground, the plants that had grown so thick rustled with a kasakasa sound and quietly withered away. They vanished from the earth, not leaving behind a single fallen leaf.

"What is born from nothing leaves nothing behind."

The plants were gone, clean and clear. All that remained was the bare, uneven ground, pocked by the paths their roots had carved.

As the others watched, breaking out in a cold sweat, the Little One gave some instructions to Pochiko-san and Mugi-ta. She then ran to the carriage and returned carrying something large. It was something in a burlap sack. Pochiko-san took the heavy object from the Little One and soared high into the sky.

"Ready?"

The honeybees scattered out, with Pochiko-san at their center. Below them, Mugi-ta and the other frogs, along with Mi-chan and the other sea snakes, spread out on the ground.

"Begin!"

At the Little One’s call, Pochiko-san used her stinger to tear open the sack she was holding. Instantly, something fine spilled out. The surrounding honeybees used wind magic to spread it far and wide. Then the frogs and snakes on the ground unleashed water magic toward the sky. It was swept up by the bees' wind magic, scattered about, and pattered down to soak into the earth. The Little One gave a small nod to the familiars continuing to disperse the water, then placed both her hands on the ground again and sent her golden magic flowing through it. Not in a single burst like before, but a moderate amount, spread thin and wide. She let it flow slowly, taking her time. Then, from the moistened earth, countless tiny sprouts poked their heads out, and the green spread in the blink of an eye. Compared to before, the trees grew their branches and leaves as if in slow motion. The undergrowth of grass and flowers also bloomed, and before the astonished, open-mouthed crowd, a dense forest once again took shape. Looking up at it, the Little One carefully lifted her hands from the ground.

As the knights watched, swallowing hard with a gokuri, the forest in question continued to sway quietly in the wind even after the Little One’s fingertips had left the soil.

"I... did it."

With a vacant light in her eyes, the Little One swayed and tilted over. Dorfen rushed to catch her, staring at the forest with an expression of disbelief.

"What does this mean? Why...?"

His lips trembled with amazement. The voice he managed to produce was quivering slightly. The Little One grinned and explained.

"I used the golden forest to break up the earth, then sowed seeds and water there to grow it, nyo."

When Dorfen and Adonis, who didn't understand, asked for details, she explained that the golden forest was a forest of the gods. It sprouted in defiance of the laws of nature. However, since it was something created from nothing, it would vanish if it lost its golden magic. But the tracks left deep in the earth by the trees' roots would remain. By sowing seeds and giving them water there, an environment where plants could grow was created.

"After that, it was golden magic’s turn. I carefully and slowly promoted their growth."

She had taken the utmost care not to strain the plants, raising them at the fastest possible rate.

"It’s not something created from nothing. It’s a proper forest, nurtured by seeds, water, and light. I thought this method might just work and let it remain."

The little girl smiled, her face full of satisfaction.

The earth, tilled deep underground by the golden forest, easily accepted the roots of the new trees. It was a wilderness that would have required tremendous effort and time to cultivate normally. The Little One was deeply grateful to the golden forest for solving that problem in one fell swoop. A forest that merely used golden magic as fertilizer would surely grow without issue. Legion, with whom a pact had been made, was nearby. As long as the Little One was alive, there should be no shortage of fertilizer. From then on, the natural process of decay would enrich the earth. The Little One dreamed of a future where beasts and monsters would migrate here and make it their new home.

If you don’t have it, you just have to grow it and increase it.

The breath of the great forest would become water vapor, calling the clouds and bringing rain. Surely, in the not-so-distant future, the wilderness would be greatly reduced.

I’ll plant those seeds. Just like the old man in the picture book I read as a child. With a soft smile, the Little One let go of her consciousness.

"Chihiro-sama?!"

Utterly exhausted, the Little One surrendered herself to a pleasant drowsiness and dreamed of an old man planting tree nuts.

The unfortunate reality was that the story the Little One believed to be true was, in fact, fiction. But it was also a fact that such dreams have led to the realization of many ideals.

And so, with a new ambition in her heart, the Little One, having overused her magic, was embraced by slumber and fell asleep.

Sanari, sanari.

A forest stretched as far as the eye could see.

Legion looked down on it gleefully, while the little oni danced about.

The members of the Frontier party, excluding Dorfen and Adonis, simply stood there, speechless.

What in the world just happened?

For the first time, Chihaya seriously doubted his sister. This was not something a human could do. Who in the world is Hiiro?

He had wondered this several times before, but even so, Chihaya had always managed to keep up with his sister, even if he was a step behind. Studies, magic, martial arts. In all of them, though he couldn't match his sister, he had managed to do well enough not to be overshadowed. But this was different. This was not something that could be done by human hands.

Chihaya timidly looked at Chihiro and felt a sense of relief at her content sleeping face. Ah, it’s Hiiro. My cute little sister.

While stroking his chest in relief, his young brows furrowed in spite of himself. Noticing Chihaya’s complicated expression, Dorfen and Adonis gave a wry smile. Chihaya could probably understand an adult conversation now. Those around the Little One had an unspoken agreement not to tell Chihaya the details of her past life and circumstances. They thought he wouldn't be able to comprehend it, and if he carelessly spoke of it outside, there was no telling whose ears it might reach. Furthermore, the twins' sphere of activity was the royal palace. It was a den of demons teeming with all sorts of people, from royalty and nobility to spies from other countries. A careless slip could lead to an irreversible situation.

That was why they hadn't told Chihaya anything.

But if he was going to accompany the Little One like this, they should probably tell him. There were likely many things about her that even Adonis and her parents didn't know. So, they wanted to share at least the parts they did know. Dorfen glanced behind him. There were knights with the same expression as Chihaya. Several of them had accompanied the pilgrimage ten years ago. They had likely guessed the general situation the moment they heard they were heading to the Lord's forest. They must have also heard the rumors of the Little One’s return that had spread through the castle town. This event had surely turned that into a conviction.

"An emergency meeting, I suppose," said Adonis.

"Indeed. Let’s issue a gag order just for this group," Dorfen replied.

With serious eyes, Dorfen and Adonis nodded to each other and carried the Little One to the carriage.

That night, leaving the sleeping Little One in the care of her familiars, the humans gathered in a tent to hear the whole story.

That the Countess Jourje’s daughter was Fatima from ten years ago. That she saved Fatima’s soul when she was on the verge of death due to the gods’ circumstances, saved Frontier, and saved the world. That as a reward, she was reborn as Drago’s daughter, a true child to them, while retaining the memories of her past life. And that now, at the gods' request, she must undertake a pilgrimage to create the Golden Ring.

When they had heard everything, the people were in an uproar.

"So you mean, the countess’s daughter is the Golden King?!"

"After seeing that, it’s plain as day. Who else could perform such a divine feat?"

"Ah, to witness a legend with my own eyes... What an honor!"

"To think she really was the Little One. No wonder my heart was filled with such nostalgia."

While each person voiced their thoughts, Chihaya remained silent. No, his mind was spinning at full speed, thinking about various things, but his thoughts wouldn't come together. There was too much information.

Hiiro is the Golden King I learned about in history? And she possessed Fatima-sama and influenced politics... Can a child do that? Huh? She surrounded Frontier with a Golden Ring and defeated a bad god with the other gods? And as a reward, she was born to Dad again? Whaaat? Wait a minute!

As Chihaya’s head spun gwang gwang, Adonis and Dorfen led him from the tent to the carriage. After asking Zack and Hyrulia, who had followed them, to leave them for a moment, the two men sat Chihaya down on a soft cushion.

"What we are about to say must not be leaked outside."

Dorfen stared at him with a sincere gaze. Adonis, who was always cheerful and smiling gently, had unusually cold eyes. It was a sharp atmosphere the two of them didn't normally show. Chihaya shivered from the chill that crept up his spine like so many frost columns.

"Your sister is not a human of Arcadia."

It was a sudden coming out.

Looking at Chihaya’s wide-open eyes, Dorfen chose his words carefully, breaking them down so they would be easy to understand.

That the Little One was originally a young woman living in another world. That she was caught up in the gods’ scheme without knowing anything and came to Arcadia. That she used her knowledge from that other world to save many things, surpassed even the gods’ imagination, and saved Arcadia for the better.

"The rest connects to the story I explained to the others."

Dorfen, with a solemn face, managed a faint smile and waited for Chihaya’s words.

"Hiiro is... from another world?"

"That is correct. Only her soul, but she also possesses memories from that world."

"From another world..."

Sensing what that small murmur implied, Adonis knelt beside Chihaya.

"That’s not it, you know? Even if her soul is from another world, Chii-Hiiro is your sister. You’re siblings who have been together since you were born, the head chef’s daughter, you get it? Don’t get it wrong."

Adonis’s words made Dorfen start as well.

"She’s from another world, but she’s my sister?"

"Of course she is. Have you forgotten? You two have played and learned and run wild together all this time, haven’t you? That’s all that matters."

Adonis grinned broadly. Having been with them since they could remember, he was like an older brother to the twins. He had taught them many things, both good and bad, and they had often been scolded together. And he was the one saying it. Chihiro was his sister.

"Yeah. She was always there. And she always will be."

"That’s right. Always. We have to protect her so we never lose her again."

Those words made Chihaya start as well.

That's right. If the explanation just now was true, then Dad and the others had lost Hiiro once. She was taken away by the gods. Chihaya’s heart grew heavy with a zukun. I have to protect her. No matter how smart Hiiro is or how much magic she has, she was easily taken and lost.

I’m her big brother.

"I’ll protect her. I’ll absolutely protect Hiiro."

"Yeah, let’s do our best."

As Chihaya snorted with a mun, Dorfen’s face showed open relief.

"My apologies. My words were insufficient."

Adonis narrowed his eyes playfully at the soft murmur.

"Can’t be helped. You place Chii-Hiiro too high up. But as her guard knight, that’s not wrong. She is a noble lady, after all. You wouldn’t understand a commoner’s perspective, would you?"

Commoners, who live closely together, have strong family affection. The Jourje family has a strong tendency toward that. That's why Adonis visits them casually and interacts with them easily. However, nobles, who value their house, have weaker family bonds. When weighed against the house, they will even cast aside their own child. For Dorfen, for whom that was normal, he was devoted to the Little One as the Golden King, and he couldn’t fathom the feelings of Adonis or Chihaya, who would kick aside such titles and move forward. Such differences in values arise from time to time, but there was no doubt that Dorfen also cared for the Little One herself. Even if the Little One were to lose her golden magic, his loyalty would not change. It was merely the catalyst. Adonis clapped the slightly dejected-looking Dorfen on the shoulder.

"Don’t worry, it’s just for now. I can see it already, you’ll be more overprotective than any of us, Dorfen."

That’s right. The little girl would grow up from now on.

Dorfen, who would always be by the side of the Little One, who was predicted to grow up to be beautiful, would surely be more on edge than anyone. Adonis could clearly picture him growling and raging like a guard dog.

And so, sharing their secrets, the Little One’s unit solidified their resolve. To share their fate to the ends of the earth.

Only the Little One didn’t know the reason why her brother, who had kept a certain distance until now, became so clingy, why Dorfen’s lectures increased, and why the knights’ tension became strangely high.

Even if she looked up at Adonis, who was playing the part of a mere bystander, he would only smile for some reason.

The Little One tilted her head, all alone in her confusion.

Nevertheless, she would press onward.

The Little One’s squad, once called a one-man army, now accompanied by the reassuring knights. They will charge full speed ahead today and tomorrow.♪