#224. The Last Forest (6)
—
“Help! Naindel is down!”
“There’s no end to them…! How long is this going to go on…!”
“Aaaagh!”
Urgent cries and screams echoed through the village.
As a race with high mana affinity, all elves were at least 1-circle mages. More than half were 2nd Circle, and there were even some rare 3rd Circle mages. Yet, they were struggling against the homunculi.
It was a matter of elemental compatibility.
The homunculi, whose circles were filled solely with red mana, specialized in enhancement and fire magic. Elves were not accustomed to close combat or dynamic fighting, and on top of that, they had to protect everything around them from the flames.
Fwoosh! Crackle!
Red flames flickered everywhere, dyeing the scenery a hellish crimson.
‘Who in the world are these creatures…!’
Gant was flustered.
He could confidently claim to have lived the longest life among the villagers, but he had never experienced an invasion like this.
But only for a moment.
The experience and wisdom accumulated over the years quickly led him to the most appropriate countermeasure.
“Everyone, form up! Groups of three—take turns deploying shields! Divide your focus between defense and attack! It will make it much easier to respond! Regain your composure, and the way forward will naturally become clear!”
Despite not using any amplification magic, his voice thundered across the battlefield.
The elves, regaining their senses, immediately followed his orders, pairing up and organizing their defense.
With precise, calm instructions, the line that had been pushed back all the way to the World Tree began to push forward once more.
“Good! Keep it up—huh?”
Gant’s words faltered.
In the distance, he saw nearly a hundred enemies gathering together to conjure an enormous fireball.
Fwoosh! Crackle!
Branches and underbrush shriveled under the heat. If that thing hit them directly, the entire area would be scorched to ash.
Gant squeezed every drop of water element from his circles rings, forming a massive sphere of water in the air.
Other water mages joined in, expanding it further, but even so, it was only half the size of the fireball.
A wave of anxiety swept through the elves.
“It’s okay…!”
Out of breath, Veronica appeared and reassured them.
“Even if we can’t fully extinguish that fireball, I can deploy a shield to block it. All we have to do is hold out… until Ray comes.”
“…I know the boy is remarkable. I’ve seen him manipulate the life stone’s mana myself. But… do you mean to say he has the power to turn this battle around?”
“He’s only 3rd Circle, but… he’s much stronger than that. Once he realizes what’s happening, he’ll be here. I’m sure of it.”
Her voice trembled, but her eyes were full of certainty.
Grinne added quietly, “If it’s Ray, it might really be possible.”
“Grine, you too… That boy… is really that strong?”
“I didn’t mention it earlier, but he’s also contracted with a top-tier spirit. And he uses magic in ways we’ve never seen before.”
The elves murmured among themselves.
“A contract with a top-tier spirit…?”
“That’s only supposed to be a legend…”
Contracting with any spirit was a challenge, no matter how many circles one had. The spirit had to genuinely like you.
And the higher the spirit’s rank, the more selective they were.
‘And that human boy made a contract with a top-tier spirit…?’
Even Gwendel, who had spent seven hundred years communing with the spirits of the forest, could only contract with upper-rank spirits.
But before the elves could think further—
FWOOOSH!
The massive fireball shot toward them, and the water sphere shot forward to intercept.
Sssss—!
The flames vaporized the water instantly, still barreling forward without losing any momentum.
Uuuung!
Veronica braced herself, deploying her shield at full power, and the white mana mages joined her.
‘Will it hold…?’
Veronica bit her lip.
Then—
BOOM!
A thunderous sound.
All eyes turned toward the village gate—where a boy was standing.
Time seemed to slow as he took a step.
—THUD!
A blue shockwave erupted from his feet, rippling outward in concentric circles.
Whooosh.
As it moved, the ambient water mana condensed, forming cold droplets.
Swaaahhh—!
By the time anyone realized what was happening, a massive wave swept through the village.
Hundreds of homunculi were washed away and rendered unable to fight. The giant fireball was swallowed and snuffed out.
Ray strode forward, cutting through the soaked underbrush and writhing homunculi, toward the World Tree.
“The enemy is pouring in from outside. We need to reactivate the barrier and the distortion field.”
Gant, stunned, finally snapped out of it.
“That… that will take time.”
“How long?”
“Even if we work as fast as possible… at least an hour.”
An hour.
More than enough time for the homunculi to completely flood the forest.
At that moment, an elf arrived carrying Gwendel on his back.
“We found her collapsed inside the fourth ancient tree. From the swelling on the back of her head, it seems she was struck by a heavy object.”
“Who could do such a thing…!”
“Is it the work of an intruder…!”
The elves exploded in anger.
Veronica eyed Ray’s protruding collarbone suspiciously.
“Could it be… you?”
“There were unavoidable circumstances.”
There wasn’t enough time to explain the whole situation.
Ray quickly took a breath and spoke to Gant.
“We must use the power of the World Tree to prevent the enemy from entering the forest. Otherwise, even if we win, it will be a victory in name only as the forest will be destroyed.”
“If the enemy’s numbers are as you say, then… that seems like a reasonable suggestion. But the World Tree is still silent. I’ve tried calling out to it several times, but it has been unresponsive.”
“I’ll try.”
The surrounding elves joined in the conversation.
“Wouldn’t it be better for you to just fight alongside us?”
“The World Tree will not respond now.”
Various opinions were exchanged, and the murmurs grew louder, but Ray and Gant only stared at each other.
Then,
“Everyone! Stand your ground with your lives on the line!”
Gant turned his body and shouted in a booming voice.
“Stay in your positions until the boy breaks the World Tree’s long silence! Do you all understand?”
The elves, now fully alert, quickly rearmed themselves.
Meanwhile, homunculi were once again gathering outside the village.
Before entering the trunk of the World Tree, Ray threw a yellow gem to Veronica.
Thud!
“Huh? I don’t know how to use the mana in this gem.”
“You don’t need to. Just hold on to it tightly.”
“What does that mean— Aaaah!”
Veronica quickly found out.
The Laqria that flew out of the gem manifested its main body, rampaging among the homunculi.
“Such a huge spirit…!”
“It must be of the highest rank…!”
“Screeeech! Aah! Laqria, just a little— go easy on me! Aaaah!”
Every time the mana threads between the gem and Laqria shook, Veronica felt herself being pulled along.
“Ray! Come back as fast as you can! Aaaah!”
“I’ll try.”
Ray launched himself into the hole.
*
Inside the World Tree’s trunk, the structure was like a massive maze.
Fireflies floated around, so it wasn’t completely dark, but the scenery repeated so much that it was easy to lose track of the path if you weren’t careful.
“I heard the World Tree used to guide the way.”
If you spoke the desired room, vines would block the path to lead you there.
But after its silence.
That guidance had disappeared.
Because of that, it became a labyrinth that only those familiar with the internal structure could navigate.
But why?
“……”
Now, the boy was looking at the vines blocking one of the paths.
Swish─ ssswish─
It was a clear signpost.
There was no hint of false intent.
It seemed as if the path knew where it wanted to go, without saying a word.
“I was going to spread my mana to find the way.”
But now, there was no need.
Ray raced forward, following the guidance.
Soon, he reached a room where all the missing children were sleeping.
Steady breaths, pale faces—all seemed to be fine physically.
“…The safest place in the forest. It must be the World Tree’s maze. Since no one can find it, there’s no fear of it being discovered.”
Gwendel had pretended to take the children out of the village but had secretly returned them to hide them within the World Tree’s maze.
The fragments of mana he had taken from the children.
Left behind in the empty air outside the village.
“That’s what threw me off. This was proof that she had noticed my tail.”
Some questions were answered, but others remained.
Thud─
Ray placed his palm on the wall of the maze, which could be considered part of the World Tree.
“I wish we could talk for a moment.”
There was no answer.
“I need your power.”
Once again, silence.
“The forest is being destroyed.”
The result was the same.
“I guess I’ll have to burn it.”
Whoosh!
In that instant, Ray felt like his consciousness was being pulled somewhere.
……
The place he arrived at was a white room.
A form of the World Tree made of light, shaped like a child, sent a thought as if questioning him.
─Are you crazy?
“I knew you were in here.”
─Were you planning to kill me?
“I thought the door was closed, so I didn’t think you were here. But the forest’s defenses have been lifted. It’s a very dangerous state.”
The thought briefly cut off.
Then, a few seconds later:
─I know. You’re talking about the red ants that have entered the forest, right?
“That’s right. I need your help. The ants that have come in are just a part of it. More are running through the wilderness right now. If we let them enter, the forest will be completely destroyed.”
Silence followed again.
Ray, staring at the emotions of the World Tree writhing in the room, asked:
“Are you afraid of death?”
─No. It’s the things that happen after death that I fear.
“What are you afraid of?”
─The fact that all the children of the forest will mourn my death.
The World Tree paused before sending a long thought.
─All life in the forest is like my children. But all of them will return to the earth before me. That’s an unavoidable thing. No matter how hard I struggle, it won’t change. It’s a sad thing. Can you imagine how a mother would feel, constantly sending her children ahead of her? That’s why I know what sorrow is. I know what longing is. There’s no one who understands those emotions more than me.
“What is sorrow?”
─It’s something that weighs on your shoulders your entire life.
“And longing?”
─It’s something that suddenly rises up and chokes your throat.
“……”
─It’s very sad when the ones who have left are still alive in your memories. It’s like the roots withering and the leaves falling off. It could make life itself impossible. That’s why I made a decision. I won’t pass on this kind of pain to the children. When I die, the children will surely carry my death in their hearts for the rest of their lives.
“So that’s why you’ve been doing things to make people hate you?”
─It’s better to be the subject of resentment and anger for the rest of my life than to be the object of longing and sorrow.
“Even if it’s possible, that’s quite a childish way of thinking. Especially for something that looks so childlike.”
─A child…? What do you mean by that?
“You look like a little kid to me.”
─You see me as a child…?
The World Tree’s thought swelled with confusion.
It had talked to many over thousands of years, but no one had ever projected themselves onto it as a child.
Its soul felt strangely familiar…
Had they met before?
…But there was no way to know, so the conversation soon returned to its original topic.
─I told you, I can’t help. If I do, all the actions I’ve taken to earn resentment will have been for nothing.
“I’m telling you right now. Without your help, the forest will be completely destroyed.”
─That’s impossible. Without my help, the children can overcome the crisis. It will be hard, but they can make it.
“If you keep acting like this, I won’t be able to stay silent.”
─You? What will you do if you don’t stay silent? This is my domain. You have no influence here. If I don’t send you back, you won’t even be able to return… Ugh!
Slap!
The World Tree, slapped across the face by Ray, tumbled to the ground.
─Wha… what? How…?
“I just hit you, and it worked.”
─T-That’s impossible! This is my domain!
Ray stepped forward and lifted one of the World Tree’s limbs.
“It works.”
─Who… who are you…!
Ray put his hand in his pocket.
He envisioned something in his mind and soon held something in his hand.
Swish.
What he pulled out was a book.
“How to discipline disobedient children.”
─W-What is that! How did you get that!
“The best discipline, they say, is corporal punishment.”
─Wait! Wait a minute!
In the white room, the pained thoughts of the World Tree echoed loudly.
