STM 198

Experience is indeed important for a person. When I crossed the dimensional portal, I didn’t just sit there in awe of the wondrous scenery, simply because it was my second time. However, my gaze was momentarily captivated because the location and colors were different from the first time.

Back then, red swept through the air like waves, but the color I faced now was orange. With just one color, the world had become enveloped in the sunset.

Whoosh!

Along with the sound of a soft breeze, various other colors followed the orange. The fleeting moment of the afternoon quickly turned into a different time.

At first glance, it looked like an aurora, but unlike an aurora floating in the sky, this wave of color encompassed both the sky and the earth.

“This is amazing.”

A gasp of admiration escaped my lips. The sight of the wind sweeping across the vast, treeless field felt like a grand orchestra.

Knee-high grass swaying in the breeze, stones of all kinds scattered among them, and even a small lake at the bottom of a gentle slope. I wondered if this wasn’t another version of heaven.

Since I was on a vast open field with nothing blocking the way, I could feel the flow of the wind even more clearly. Thanks to that, I became certain.

There is something in the wind.

All the non-human entities I have met so far have used names like the sound of the wind when referring to some high being. However, I did not think that the wind itself was the master of the forest.

I remembered Baron Owick’s words. She said the master of the forest was the strongest among living creatures. Could this wind be the ability of that being? Just then, a notification from Mo came through.

[Movement detected in the 2 o’clock direction.]

I looked in the direction Mo mentioned, and saw something swaying up and then down. What is that? It stretched out in a sticky way, just like a snail’s antenna. If that was true, the main body must be about the size of a person.

No way. I’m not mentally prepared for a giant snail yet.

But no sooner had I thought that than a wriggling figure suddenly poked its head out from between the bushes. Just like slime.

But how far does it stretch? Its head extended high like a giraffe’s neck. I flinched and stepped back, but as soon as I did, the creature was startled and disappeared back into the bushes.

“Wait!”

I called out to the creature without realizing it. However, only its long antenna twitched through the bushes; it did not reveal itself.

Is it timid? But there was no time to coax it. I was in a hurry. After all, I had come to find the master of the forest.

“Do you happen to know Lord Huewick?”

There was no response. Then…

“What about Lord Wheeuuuung?”

That’s not it either? Damn it, everyone calls names however they please, so I have no idea which one is correct.

“Lord Whiriririk? Lord Shuusuuk?”

There was no response this time either. But just as I was about to be disappointed, letters suddenly started scrolling up in front of my eyes like a chat window.

[The human is making strange noises.

A stupid human has arrived.

The human doesn’t seem to know how to speak.

Stupid, so stupid!]

The chaotic chatter from all around was being replaced by text. Because there wasn’t just one creature. Antennae were sprouting up here and there amidst the bushes. Wait, there are too many? But I can’t back down here…

[Shall we eat the stupid human?]

What?! Man-eating slimes?! Goosebumps ran all over my body. Without thinking, I grabbed my club.

“Who’s stupid?! If you try to eat me, I’ll beat you all up!”

As soon as I threatened them, there was a rustling sound and the sound of them scattering in all directions. I barely survived, but a moment later, I realized that even the beings I could ask had vanished.

…Ah, fuck.
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Huff, haa…

The field where I first landed was damn wide. To what extent? It took me nearly half a day of walking just to reach what looked like a forest.

During that time, I encountered several non-human beings, but to no avail. Since the name wasn’t accurate, I intended to look for another being to help first.

“Do you happen to know where the divine beasts are?”

The response I received was always the same.

‘You stupid human.’

‘Are you trying to hit us?’

‘Make a strange sound again, hurry up and make one.’

It was impossible to communicate with them. After wandering around for a while longer, I encountered frogs with butterfly wings.

“Have you perhaps seen the divine…?”

‘The idiot is here!’

‘Stupid, stupid!’

‘Stupid human!’

‘Run away! He’ll hit us!’

And so, the frogs flew away. It was absurd, but in a way, also spectacular. After failing to even have a conversation a few times like that, I realized something. Rumors about me had spread rapidly.

Then shouldn’t a divine beast or the Spirit of Poison be coming to see me?! So, I shouted a name without hesitation.

“Call Uturainu!”

At that, the foxes, who had just been about to flee, paused and turned to look at me. They were small like fennec foxes with big ears, and they all had big, round, pink tails like cotton candy. They whispered amongst themselves, and one of them bounced up and asked.

[Are you the stupid human?]

At this point, I decided I should give up asking. There was a reason Baron Owick’s ancestors couldn’t find the master of the forest here. Because they couldn’t communicate!

“Yes, I am the stupid human.”

I replied in resignation, and just as I was about to wander around looking for him…

[Human introduces himself. Not dangerous.]

What? All I had to do was admit that I was stupid?

…Damn non-humans.

However, perhaps because I was recognized as safe, I was able to converse with the cotton candy foxes.

But life always throws me one obstacle after another. Once again, it was the same situation.

[Who is Uturainu?]

Isn’t that the name? I hurriedly gave a detailed explanation about the Spirit of Poison.

“A powerful poison spirit.”

[Everyone has their own power.]

Shit.

“No, the one this size, looks like a human, and flies through the sky… Ah, speak in a song.”

[I have many friends like that. A lot.]

Damn it.

“Then, what about the being with deer antlers who wields the power of fire? I mean an incredibly strong being. It hasn’t been long since it returned home after getting injured while helping humans.”

This time, the fox nodded.

[**** (impossible to transcribe) is sleeping.]

How strange must a name be for it to be difficult to transcribe the pronunciation? It was the first time I’d seen Mo struggling. Anyway, is it resting because it’s run out of strength?

Then the serpent divine beast…was likely to be watching Tairok’s fight in Tubain right now. That left only one. It was someone I really didn’t want to meet if I could help it. I bit my lip as I asked.

“What about a big rock friend? It was held captive in the human world for a long time and returned recently.”

[Sparkle!]

It was name that didn’t suit a rock, but it did sparkle when it was a gem.

“Can you bring your friend over?”

[Sparkle hates humans. Sparkle said humans are dirty.]

Yeah. It’s definitely that one.

“No, I’m Sparkle’s friend. I helped Sparkle come back home.”

In an instant, the cotton candy foxes poked their heads out from here and there and looked at me. Then, all startled, they asked in unison:

[You, Eunuch human?!]

…Fuck. Should I just deny it and let Tubain be destroyed?

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What a cursed fate.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

I thought to myself, “This is definitely a cursed fate,” as I watched the enormous rock hurtling toward me while the ground trembled.

[Eunuch human!!!!!!!!!!]

Seeing all those exclamation marks for the first time in a long while made me feel stifled first. Even though my expression was sour, the rock paid no heed and was busy expressing only its own joy at seeing me.

[You’re still an eunuch!!!!!!!!!]

How promiscuous I’ve been with Tairok all this time…I barely managed to swallow my rebuttal and asked the rock.

“Hey, Sparkle. I’ve come to meet the master of this place. Can you take me there?”

[No.]

This guy still gets all serious at the most crucial moments.

“Won’t you? Or can’t you?”

[I can’t do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

It felt like my ears were ringing, even though it was just an increase in the number of exclamation marks. Why are you saying so confidently that you can’t do it? But why can’t you do it?

[That being can’t meet anyone!!!!!!!! Because!!!!!!!!!]

Because?

[Because the identity is unknown.]

… What? I blinked for a moment, unable to understand.

“You know the name? That name that sounds like the wind.”

[Huh?!!!!!!!!!!]

“What?!”

[The eunuch is not stupid!!!!!!!!!!]

…Damn it. Is this the moment to be wasting time with useless chatter? But I couldn’t help but pause at the rock’s next reaction.

[You know the sound of the wind is the master’s voice~!!!!!!!!]

I didn’t know. A voice?

“You can hear words in the wind?”

[No.]

Are you kidding me?

[But the wind is the voice!!!!!!]

I wondered if it meant that even though it couldn’t understand it, it knew by feel that it was the master’s voice.

I didn’t understand it, but since I didn’t understand anyone here in the first place, I didn’t dig any deeper. After all, all that matters is that the master of the forest listens to me.

“Then can I just say what I want to say to the wind?”

[That’s right!!! When you came before, you asked them to open the door!!!!! So Hyuwik~ listened to you!!!!!!]

Ah, so the door suddenly opening back then was the master’s doing?

I couldn’t help but watch the colorful winds gently sweeping across the world with a rather serious gaze. But would asking with words really work?

My wish was for the master of the forest to go to Tubain and resolve the difficulties there. When I honestly voiced this, the rock answered immediately.

[No.]

This fellow deserved to be renamed “Serious” rather than “Sparkle.”

“Why?”

[Because for that to happen, Hyuwik~ would have to go to Tubain!!!!! That’s why it won’t work!!!!]

So why won’t it work… … huh?

“The master can’t move?”

Was this the reason only the divine beasts went to Tubain? I slowly looked around.

A being strong enough to wield the power of the wind, yet unable to move. No, not just strong. I still remembered Baron Owick’s words.

‘The master of the forest is said to be the strongest being among all living creatures.’

As someone who had experienced a hell where countless lives were lost, I knew what survived to the very end. Because I had witnessed it with my own eyes all the time.

To put it another way, I knew of a being that possessed a life force capable of endlessly reviving itself, even though it was considered dead. The strongest being that would remain until the very end. I looked around at the countless shades of green surrounding me.

Plants.