Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Connection
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Rustle!
The silence of the quiet forest was shattered by a sound.
Something emerged, pushing through the dense underbrush.
'...A tree?'
No, not just any tree.
It took the form of a human—more precisely, that of a beautiful woman.
But.
'It's not human.'
Its skin, and even the clothes-like wrappings around its body.
All of it was made of emerald-green tree bark.
It was as if a sacred tree had been carved whole and breathed to life.
A living work of art.
'A dryad.'
Commonly known as a tree spirit.
A being even rarer than a fairy had appeared before them.
"......"
But that awe lasted only a moment.
Shing!
Gerd Kan drew his sword reflexively from beside him.
His face showed no interest whatsoever in the dryad's mystique.
He saw it only as a target to eliminate.
[...Huh?]
The dryad murmured in confusion.
Its bewildered gaze turned toward the two men.
[It was definitely... definitely the aura of the earth...?]
It wasn't human speech.
Nor was it a sound uttered from its mouth.
'Telepathic communication through the mind.'
The being's voice burrowed directly into his head.
Suspecting as much, Damian glanced at Gerd, but he showed no sign of hearing anything.
'Could it be...?'
Damian instinctively realized it.
The identity of this strange yet familiar sensation.
'It's the language of the earth.'
The ability gained by devouring the earth spirit: rooted senses.
And the earth affinity that let him feel the mana and energy of the land.
Those two powers allowed him to perceive the dryad's words.
'So it mistook my aura for one of its own kind?'
The dryad was also a being deeply rooted in the earth.
It must have taken Damian's earthly aura as that of its kin.
Or at least, something akin to it.
"Don't move."
Gerd warned.
Killing intent rose from the tip of his sword, tightening around the dryad like a noose.
A suffocating pressure, as if it would sever its head at any moment.
'If this goes on, that dryad will die.'
The aura of the earth told him so.
The dryad was no enemy.
There was no need to kill a sentient being that wasn't hostile.
'Let's try talking.'
Damian probed the instincts etched into him.
Empathy through the language of the earth.
He attempted it.
[Can you hear me?]
[...!]
The dryad's eyes widened in shock.
Communication established.
'I've got the hang of it.'
Should he try a longer conversation?
[Don't be startled. We're not enemies.]
[How can a human speak the language of the earth...?]
[It just sort of happened.]
[Could you be... a spirit whisperer who communes with all things?]
[Not quite, but it's complicated to explain.]
Damian continued calmly.
First priority: ease the other's wariness.
[We have no intention of harming you, so if you're the same, you can just go. If this is your territory, we'll leave.]
A reasonable proposal.
[......]
The dryad fell into thought.
Torment frosted its emerald eyes.
[...Perhaps.]
A moment later.
It seemed to steel itself and asked.
[Are you 'knights'?]
Knight.
An unexpected question.
Damian shook his head.
[I'm not, but the one next to me is.]
Not wrong.
The only knight here was Gerd.
The dryad continued.
[From what I know, human knights are people who uphold the noble spirit of 'chivalry.']
Chivalry.
Damian paused at the word.
A tree spirit invoking human codes of conduct.
[They help the weak, fight against injustice, and uphold justice to fulfill their knightly duty...]
[Not all of them.]
Damian answered honestly.
Not all humans are good, so not all knights are just.
[But at least the one beside me is.]
Were there any group that valued honor as much as the royal knights?
As far as Damian's limited knowledge went, no.
[Please...]
At those words.
The dryad bowed its head.
A gesture filled with desperation.
[Please... help us! Help us!]
A plea.
And a cry.
[A wicked warlock cast a horrific curse on our home. The forest is dying.]
Curse.
The moment he heard it.
Fragments of memory surfaced.
'Cursed Wood Elves.'
Memories from the free city of Melrn.
'Changes in the eastern great forest.'
The monster wave in Sobkov Territory.
And even the shaman king Kaldaram behind it all.
'Maybe, just maybe...'
Are they connected?
By a single massive thread.
All these changes.
"......"
Of course, still just speculation.
First, resolve the situation at hand.
[Do you know human speech by any chance?]
[No, just a few words...]
That was enough.
[Then say this. Not in the language of the earth—in human words.]
Damian enunciated carefully.
In human pronunciation.
[Please, spare, my, life.]
[......]
At that, the dryad looked at Gerd.
Then bowed deeply and pleaded.
"Please... spare... my... life."
A clumsy but clear voice.
The tree spirit expressing with its whole body that it was no foe.
At least for now, it could halt the knight's sword.
"A curse..."
The situation was immediately reported to the prince.
"This doesn't seem ordinary."
Prince Bastian muttered gravely.
His gaze turned to the dryad's haggard face.
"It hurts. Curse, forest, please save."
The dryad spoke slowly.
Mobilizing every human word it knew.
Desperately trying to explain the situation.
"It seems their home has been tainted by something."
Damian stepped forward then.
Admitting he understood the language of the earth would be awkward.
He guided the conversation as if he had exceptional insight.
"Given their repeated use of 'curse,' it's likely not mere contamination but some kind of magic or sorcery."
Everyone nodded.
A sign they agreed with Damian's reasoning.
"Do you know who cast this curse?"
Damian phrased it as a question to the dryad while naturally slipping in the info he'd gleaned.
"Do you know who cast this curse?"
"Magic."
"Magic?"
"Magic. Dark."
"A warlock."
Prince Bastian said.
Curse, and dark magic.
It clearly meant a black mage.
"A black mage's curse..."
He sank into deep thought.
"Dryads have long been known to humanity as a friendly race."
Though their habitats differ, so encounters are rare.
Still, tales of dryads have been passed down since ancient times.
Kind spirits who guide lost travelers in forests or mountains.
"I want to help more than anything, but right now, it's not easy."
Additional support for the great forest subjugation plan.
And the project starting with elevating the grand lord to marshal.
None could be delayed.
"The problem is, we need to cross these mountains."
They aimed to traverse the range as quickly as possible.
They'd formed this small elite group for that very purpose.
But if there was an issue in this mountain range?
Detouring would add at least four days.
"And there's something else that bothers me."
"What exactly...?"
To Gerd's question, the prince murmured.
"When planning this operation and studying the monster waves, I investigated many things. Reports of anomalous behavior from subraces across the nation—all of them."
Anomalous subrace behavior.
For example, the Cursed Wood Elves.
"It made me feel like we're being increasingly isolated."
Isolated?
What did that mean?
"It feels like humanity's enemies keep multiplying."
Monster waves invading human territory.
The corruption of subraces once friendly to humans.
And countless other monster and subrace incidents.
"I can't help thinking all these phenomena might be connected."
Connected.
Damian was inwardly surprised at the word.
'Almost exactly my thoughts.'
The flow from Melrn to Sobkov Territory.
The prince had arrived at the same suspicions from his experiences.
'Have I changed? Enough to think like the prince?'
Or was this another result of devouring?
Either way, it wasn't bad.
As that thought crossed his mind.
"That's why this sticks in my head, Damian. What do you think?"
Prince Bastian asked Damian.
Suddenly, all eyes were on him.
"...If Your Highness harbors such doubts."
Strength entered his voice.
His eloquent speech shone after so long.
"Perhaps this is a chance to verify the source of those suspicions."
"As expected, we think alike."
A satisfied smile.
He looked at the others.
"What do you think, Sir Gerd?"
"Assess the situation first. Whether we can cross the mountains or must detour."
If they could resolve a minor issue and proceed?
Some delay, but faster than detouring.
But if the problem was too big to handle?
Better to detour safely, even if it took four extra days.
"Helping them comes after."
A curt, cold answer.
The prince nodded.
"That makes sense too."
Finally, the prince decided.
"Sir Gerd."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"As you said, assess the situation first. And Sir Damian."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I heard you led the strike team through the great forest with incredible senses."
Hard to deny.
Damian nodded quietly.
"Use those senses to assist Sir Gerd this time. It'll be a great help."
True enough.
Midway up this vast mountain range.
The perfect place to unleash his rooted senses.
"The rest wait at camp."
The prince's judgment: immediate situational awareness.
As the two prepared to head out.
"...No."
Damian sensed something.
He drew his sword from his waist and murmured.
His elven buckler was with it.
"No need."
"Pardon? What do you mean all of a sudden...?"
"They've caught our scent first."
A moment later.
"Escort team, battle ready."
Gerd Kan sensed it a beat after Damian.
Unlike the dryad, the presence and malice were blatant.
Screeeeech...!
Prince Bastian didn't sit idle either.
He drew his bowstring taut, scanning the surroundings.
"Incoming."
The moment Damian signaled.
Thud!
The ground screamed.
Thud! Thud!
Something massive approached, toppling trees.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Rotten tree bark.
Moss stained gray.
[This... in the forest...]
A being meant to protect the forest and trees.
Now fully corrupted: an ancient tree giant.
[Get out...!]
The cursed forest guardian.
The 'ent' roared ferociously.
'It's here.'
And at the same time.
'My prey.'
Damian's devouring instinct exploded.
He charged ahead of everyone.
A high-quality hunt after so long.
He wouldn't let the ent slip away.