Chapter 34. Forest Shelter IV
Episode 34.
Forest Shelter IV
Was that the summoning effect?
Embers close to gray flared up, and from within them, the lizard revealed itself.
"......."
My second tamed Magical Beast.
The vertical pupils characteristic of reptiles were striking.
'Was it a cold-blooded species?'
Of course, no such actual classification existed, but facing it directly, the back of my neck prickled for some reason.
I debated what to say, then started with a greeting.
"......How's your body holding up?"
The lizard blinked its eyes slowly, as if confirming my existence, then spoke.
"Not bad. Aside from being a bit hungry."
......No matter how many times I see it, I can't get used to this.
The sense of wrongness from watching a lizard speak human words was no joke.
It felt less like reality and more like movie CG.
'I'll have to get used to this gradually.'
I nodded and said,
"I'm glad the <Nest> seems to have been comfortable."
"It wasn't particularly comfortable. That inferior weasel kept clinging to me and being a nuisance."
So it meant Weaselly.
That guy did have unusual sociability.
Anyway, it seems they share the same space inside the <Nest>.
I looked at the lizard's health bar, which had recovered to about half, and spoke.
"Sorry to interrupt your rest, but I called you because I have a few things to ask. I don't think I'll have time later."
"Hm. What are you curious about?"
It's unexpectedly cooperative.
Though I wished it would do something about that way of talking.
"First...... about the <Ash Moon> clan."
There was a mountain of things to ask, but this was what I was most curious about.
<Ash Moon> and <Frost Sun> were words I had seen several times even while playing the game.
At the time, I hadn't attached much meaning to them, because <FoS> was full of vague, nebulous terms like these.
'Not anymore.'
Fighting the Black Tree and the Woodmen had given me a vague suspicion.
Could these be extremely important concepts even in <FoS>? Could they hold secrets fundamental to the entire setting?
"Additionally, I'd like you to speak a bit more clearly about your purpose and origins."
"You're an impatient one."
"You said it first, didn't you? That we'd talk about the details after you slept and woke up."
"Did I?"
Its indifferent tone was oddly infuriating.
I had managed to tame it, but I could already tell its disposition was completely different from the weasel I'd tamed before...... Weaselly.
Naturally, every Magical Beast has its own personality and quirks.
"Still, a promise is a promise, so I should keep it. But the story will be somewhat long...... so I'd like to fill my stomach first."
"Stomach?"
"Yes. Since I'm hungry, have food brought to me."
"......."
I had ordered three servings of food, but giving that precious health tonic to this guy would be a waste.
I casually tossed it some jerky that was rolling around in my pouch.
The lizard sniffed it, put the jerky in its mouth, and—
Ptooey.
The lizard spat it out immediately.
"Are you joking? You expect me to eat this garbage?"
"The weasel ate it just fine."
"You insolent wretch! Do I look like I'm on the same level as that inferior weasel!"
Inferior, it says. The weasel would be hurt to hear that.
"Sorry, but right now there's nothing else to eat. I'll treat you to a proper meal later, so put up with this for now."
"Don't make me laugh. A lion may starve, but it does not graze on grass."
Apparently it wasn't hungry enough yet, if it could still spout nonsense like that.
Of course, if it didn't want to eat, I had no obligation to force-feed it.
"......Enough about food. How about we start with introductions? I'm Kaindel."
"......."
The lizard stared at me blankly, then asked,
"Is that all?"
"Yes."
The lizard gave me a dumbfounded look for a moment, then snorted—surprisingly, flames came out—and said,
"Well, I suppose that's possible. Pleased to meet you. Kaindel. My name is Dialtometos Shu Gieopurbalkis. The rightful successor of the Ash Moon and one born with the heart of a dragon, apostle of Baekeunhyang...... call me whatever you like."
Setting aside the pointless flowery language for now.
"Your name's too long. I'll call you Alto."
"Hmph. How rude. Come to think of it, you humans' names are absurdly short. Very well. I suppose I have no choice but to accept the cultural differences between our races."
Was this bastard's way of talking always this infuriating?
"That look on your face says you're wondering why a mere Magical Beast is acting so high and mighty, doesn't it?"
"......."
"A fair question, but my position warrants it."
"A position where you can't help it?"
"Yes. First, mere mortal Kaindel....... How much do you know about the types of Magical Beasts?"
Types, huh.......
I pulled up memories from my head and said,
"Generally, aren't they classified as beasts, Magical Beasts, Jinsu, and Spirit Beasts?"
The lizard nodded.
"Correct. The ones you Delvers encounter are mostly beasts or Magical Beasts—lowly creatures with no intelligence to speak of."
By classification, the Blade Weasel...... Weaselly is also a Magical Beast.
So that was what all that talk about inferiority was about.
"Still, they're the same kind. Do you have to talk about them like that?"
"Ridiculous. Do you humans consider monkeys your kin?"
"......."
Is that the same thing?
I said with a sour expression,
"Even if beasts are like that, the intelligence of Magical Beasts isn't something you can dismiss."
There's a term: non-human person.
It's a word for beings that, while not human, possess enough personhood to be called people. By the standards of the world I lived in, great apes and dolphins fell into this category.
The criteria were fairly strict.
'By this world's standards, there'd be far more.'
Take Weaselly, whom I'd tamed, or the wolf bastard that screwed me over on the train.
These guys possessed not only self-awareness but also reasoning and logic, and at times even patience and self-control.
"In terms of intelligence, perhaps. But they lack the most important thing."
"And what's that?"
Alto arrogantly raised its chin.
"Dignity. And culture."
"......."
"No matter how outstanding their intelligence, if they cannot establish an independent civilization, their limits are clear. The flower of intellect is culture, and its terminus is civilization. That is, if they lack dignity, no matter how brilliant their brains, they are nothing but beasts."
"Is that so?"
"Still, from Jinsu onward, they can more or less be recognized as intelligent beings. If enough of them gather, they can form a culture of their own."
"Wait. Something about what you're saying is strange. Don't Magical Beast numbers plummet as their stage increases?"
Even Jinsu are like that.
Even if you gathered every last one in the forest, there probably wouldn't be more than a few hundred.
'That's only natural, though.'
According to the setting, a Magical Beast that survives for hundreds of years and begins to form its own unique energy is called a Jinsu.
The monsters that reign as masters even in the areas beyond the forest's midpoint.
"How could they possibly form a culture with only that many?"
"Naturally, it would be difficult with Jinsu alone. But it is possible if a higher existence lends them power."
A higher existence than Jinsu.
'It must mean Spirit Beasts.'
Magical Beasts stronger than dozens of Jinsu combined—even I encountered fewer than ten of them while playing <FoS>.
The result?
'I failed six times and succeeded three times.'
In fact, of the countless battles I fought in FoS, the most memorable were the Spirit Beast subjugation battles.
A new question arose here.
"......Are you really a Spirit Beast?"
"You insolent wretch!"
Alto opened its mouth wide, and flames burst from its entire body.
"You look upon this sacred ash-gray flame and still doubt my identity!"
"......."
It seemed to think it had shouted majestically, but it wasn't particularly frightening—only a cute little match flame flared up.
"Spirit Beasts are monsters like qilin, imugi, krakens, and hydras. I admit you're extraordinary, but putting you on the same level as those things is a bit much."
"Ho-oh......?"
Alto looked at me with an interested face.
"You speak as if you've seen them yourself?"
"......."
"Well, that is true. You're not wrong. I'm still far weaker than the Spirit Beasts you mentioned....... But that is because I have lost my power."
"Lost your power?"
"I guarantee it, mere mortal Kaindel. If I recover my original power, none of the Spirit Beasts you just named will be a match for me. Hmm....... The qilin might be a bit much."
"......."
It didn't seem like empty boasting. In fact, of the ones I'd fought myself, the qilin had been the toughest.
"You accept it immediately? You're not just bluffing—you really do know a great deal about Spirit Beasts."
"The conversation keeps drifting. So? What does all this have to do with the Ash Moon?"
"It's simple. Only a few thousand years ago, there were countless beings on this land worthy of being called Spirit Beasts. To put it in terms a human like you can understand, there were enough of them to form what you'd call a 'nation.'"
My head went blank for a moment.
What the hell is this bastard talking about?
"Impossible."
"No. It is possible. I can still see it clearly: my homeland, glorious Baekeunhyang—the magnificent civilization nestled among beautiful forests......."
"......."
"......Of course, back then, not every individual among us was as strong as you imagine. It was an era when bloodline mattered more than power."
So.......
Does that mean what I now consider the average combat power of a Jinsu would have ranked among the very top by ancient standards?
'It makes sense, since only the strong individuals would have survived until now.'
At this point, I felt like I understood why Alto had brought up this long story.
"So the nation the Magical Beasts established back then was the kingdom of the Ash Moon?"
"Yes. You have good comprehension for a human."
As I listened, I was gradually getting used to this lizard's swaggering way of speaking.
"How did such a powerful nation end up falling? Woodmen don't seem strong enough for that."
"Of course not. Those rotting, festering tree creatures are nothing but insignificant underlings."
"Ah."
Come to think of it, that was right.
The ancient text had explicitly described the Woodmen as Sun Worshippers.
"Then what you're talking about is the <Frost Sun> clan?"
"Correct."
"Where are they? Do they still remain in the world? Or were they nearly annihilated in the fight with the Ash Moon?"
"I had hoped so, but......."
Alto let out a sigh.
"Looking at how large this forest is now, apparently not."
"Forest? Why a forest all of a sudden?"
"It's not sudden. Their goal is to expand this forest endlessly until it ultimately covers the entire world. The Frost Sun's influence has reached its peak in this era, and even now it seems to be continuing to spread."
"But I haven't really seen those things in the forest."
Alto, who had been staring up at my face, said,
"Is that really true?"
"What?"
"Think carefully. Why do they worship the Frost Sun? Why aren't they satisfied with an ordinary sun? Why do they keep trying to expand the forest....... The answer is simple. They do not want sunlight so intense it can give rise to life, but neither do they want a world without a single patch of shade."
The expansion of the forest.
The massive forest existing beneath the sun, and the shade created by it.
My expression may have hardened around then. The lizard's words had struck me that forcefully.
"Don't tell me the Frost Sun clan is......."
"Correct."
Alto nodded.
"They are the beings you Delvers call <Shadow>."
<Forest of Shadow>.
In that moment, the game's title flashed through my mind once again.