SDT 213

Then… upon closer inspection, I saw a chick the size of a fist perched atop a flat stone. Despite being the smallest of the lot, it sat there as if it were occupying the seat of honor.

Even though this was a dream, I had no desire to run into that troublesome quartet, so I tried to slip away before they spotted me. Just then, a voice reached me, not through my ears, but it echoed directly inside my head.

[Can the master of the forest do it?]

The skeptical question came from the mountain goat. A rebuttal followed immediately.

[It is the master of the forest. There is no way it can’t.]

That was the grandmother’s voice. Startled, I watched as the mountain goat turned its red eyes toward the serpent. Although its eyes were the color of flames, the goat gave off a cold impression, whereas the serpent’s blue eyes felt far more searing.

[Just because the master of the forest can do it doesn’t mean it must.]

[But it’s for that child’s sake. That child wants it.]

That child?

[Even so, the master of the forest shouldn’t have to expend such Read on great power to grant that wish. What if the forest ends up in danger because of it?]

The mountain goat seemed to be objecting, yet its calm voice made it sound more like concern. Just then, the voice of a beautiful woman rang out. I turned my gaze toward the black bear.

[It is a matter for the master of the forest to decide. No matter how much we plead here, if the master of the forest refuses to act, there is nothing we can do.]

So, they had all gathered to ask the master of the forest for a favor. It was a dream, yet it felt real. What kind of favor could it be? Was there something more important than sealing the rift of monsters in Tubain?

A brief silence fell among them. Instead of speaking, the three divine beasts turned their collective gaze toward the chick.

Then, after a long while, a child’s voice was heard.

[The master of the forest says…]

The words came out with an old man’s cadence, slow. Just as I was about to stand up in impatience, the rest of the sentence followed.

[…that it cannot grant our request.]

Whatever the request was, the answer was bound to be disappointing, yet the reaction of the divine beasts was unexpected. The serpent, which had been swimming through the air, came to an abrupt halt, and the mountain goat tilted its noble head to the side.

The black bear rose slowly, looking [stolen content]startled. Then, something strange happened. They all turned to look at me at the same time.

I flinched.

I knew it had to be a dream, yet I felt as though I had been exposed to their gaze. However, the look they directed at me was warm. The grandmother’s voice offered congratulations.

[That is wonderful, child.]

Wonderful? I was surprised, but then the black bear spoke.

[There is only one thing the forest god does not do: intervene in matters that will come to pass without its direct involvement.]

So, what is coming to pass? The mountain goat divine beast calmly informed me.

[What you desire.]

My desire… was simply for my homeland to be free from the suffering caused by monsters.

Are the monsters there going to disappear? How?

I turned to the chick, which hadn’t [stolen content]spoken to me yet. It flew slowly through the air toward me.

[Great power always begins with small movements.]

[It will take time for your homeland to cultivate that power. But in the end, the peace you desire will come.]

I couldn’t breathe. Peace would return there, just as it used to be? I had received confirmation that the prayer I’d offered so desperately would be answered, yet I couldn’t believe it. Perhaps I felt unworthy.

“What about humans? What if that span of time is too long for us?”

[It is a long time.]

“…….”

[But your kind endures with remarkable tenacity.]

I felt a rush of emotion. I felt sorrow and pity for those who would remain to endure it all. Could such an existence be called a life?

Was I pathetic for feeling anxious and unsatisfied, even after getting the answer I wanted? The chick’s golden eyes showed resignation as it looked at me.

[You simply cannot bring yourself to believe.]

After all, I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. Just then, the chick resting in my palm took flight. Why so suddenly? That question was eclipsed by the marvel unfolding before me.

A golden radiance erupted from the chick’s body as it soared high into the air, a light so intense it was blinding. In an instant, it morphed into a huge creature with four wings.

It was a phoenix, its entire body clad in golden plumage. With every beat of its wings, golden particles scattered in all directions.

As I stood frozen, overwhelmed by the spectacle, a calm voice resonated in my mind.

[Indeed, you humans only come to believe when you see things with your own eyes.]

It sounded as though I only trusted its words after witnessing the divine beast’s true, magnificent form, which made me feel a bit ashamed. Yet, the gaze it turned upon me was benevolent and warm.

[Do you wish to see proof?]

Yes, of course.

[To do that…]

To do that? But then, the voice began to fade just like waking from a dream. Moments later, I opened my eyes at the touch of a hand shaking me.

“Lu.”

A familiar voice.

Tairok?

I struggled to focus, until Tairok’s face came into view. He was looking down at me silently, but his golden eyes showed that he was worried.

I couldn’t bring myself to say, “I’m fine.” Instead, my priority was to cling to the tail end of the dream and recall what had been said. The chick had clearly stated:

[The power of the master needs to grow stronger in Tubain. Then, I’ll show it to you.]

That meant showing me what my home looked like, right?

I sat upright; Tairok tried to hold me back, but I grabbed his hand and exclaimed like a madman:

“We need to spread the master of the forest faster!”

“Lu, slow down. Sit and talk.”

No, there was no time for that. I quickly scrambled into my trousers.

“The more the Divine Herb spreads across Tubain, the stronger the master’s power becomes. Isn’t that right?”

“Do you need the master’s power?”

Of course. I nodded vigorously.

“Desperately.”

He stared at me for a moment, then slowly stood up.

“All right. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

***

About a year into my travels across Tubain, I had the dream again. It was a landscape of parched earth, the kind often seen in Tubain, yet I knew that this place was my home.

A devastated Earth. The remains of fallen trees bore witness to the fact that a foresvisit our sitet had once stood here.

However, it wasn’t entirely devoid of plant life. Sparse patches of low-growing weeds covered the red soil where the great trees had once stood. Then, as if a camera were slowly zooming in from the air, the view focused on a single spot upon that desolate land.

At first glance, it looked like a black rock, but it turned out to be a monster. It was so motionless that one might have thought it dead. Then, a grotesque leg twitched.

But that was all. Why was it like that? The view slowly circled the monster’s body before coming to a halt at a specific spot.

Its hide was tough enough to withstand any weapon. Yet, a section where the plates interlocked was now covered in purple blotches.

What was that? Was it some kind of mold?

The view changed again. It swept across the barren ground to settle on another nearby monster. Like the first, it was immobilized, and purple mold was blooming all over its body. And another…and another. Dying monsters.

I was overcome with emotions. Even though it was a dream, I found it hard to breathe. Earth was creating its own natural predator to eliminate the invaders.

It had taken a long time. An eternity for humanity. But there were still humans alive on Earth.

So, in the end, we would win.

***

Not long after Lu had set out to plant the Divine Herb across Tubain, Solongo came to see Doctor Kim with a puzzled expression.

“Documents have arrived from Grand Duke Kun’s estate, certifying that the Adeye Merchant Guild is Lu’s official sponsor.”

Since Lu was traveling across the country, Adeye had stepped in to provide official support. Without such an arrangement, everyone and anyone would have flocked to offer their help. Doctor Kim keenly observed Solongo’s expression.

“Is there a problem?”

“No. It contains everything the guild requested. But… well, take a look at this.”

Doctor Kim accepted the document Solongo handed over and checked the final section where Solongo was pointing. Beneath the signature of Rick, Lu’s representative, was a seal bearing Lu’s name.

The ink shimmered with an iridescent sheen, likely due to anti-forgery magic. Yet, neither the ornate seal design nor the expensive security magic caught Doctor Kim’s eye. It was a single, unfamiliar name.

“Adeye Lu… Ram?”

Doctor Kim’s face slowly stiffened in shock. As she looked up, Solongo spoke with a serious expression.

“Just to be sure, I checked Grand Duke Kun’s documents as well, and he uses the same name.”

“Ram?”

“Yes.”

“The two of them, together?”

“Yes.”

As Solongo nodded again, Doctor Kim’s face slowly twisted into a grimace.

“Haa… that bastard Lu. He doesn’t even realize he’s taken an oath, yet he’s going on about being in heat…”

She finally clutched the back of her neck in exasperation.

“Ugh, that moron is single-handedly bringing shame upon all of Earth!”

End