297 – Master of the Forest #1
Did it look that way?
I guess it could, from an outsider's perspective. So I explained to Stella that I was able to talk to the spiders.
However, with her fever burning high due to the centipede's poison, Stella couldn't quite grasp what I was saying. Her brow only furrowed in confusion.
"… Reverting to a primal state, hearing the voices of beasts… I've heard it sometimes happens to fairies. Is it because of the mysterious magic of the spider forest…?"
When I saw blood splatter from her mouth, my hair stood on end. I didn't have time to dawdle with the spiders anymore.
"Can you look after this long-eared fairy for me? I need to find that evening primrose you mentioned."
━Sure! But be careful! Evening primrose grows in damp, dark ponds. There will be a lot of centipedes.
"Which way is the pond?"
━Follow the big star next to the moon. You'll naturally know when you get there. That thick poison can't be hidden.
A place filled with poisonous insects?
Considering how the ogre Dordor avoided the eastern forest because of centipedes and other poisonous insects, I felt quite tense.
But my options were limited.
Lose Stella here or risk heading toward the pond. I didn't need to think to know which choice I wouldn't regret.
I stepped out of the cave.
Under the dark moonlit night, the forest north of the wall was eerily silent. Yet, if you listened carefully, you'd realize the forest wasn't completely still. ř𝘼NO͍βƐS̈
━There he goes again.
I could hear hushed whispers from all around, hidden among the bushes. Conversations from creatures I couldn't even identify. The world was filled with all sorts of conversations, making my ears ring.
Was the world always this noisy?
It would take some time to get used to this.
According to the spiders, if I followed the biggest star to the north, I would eventually reach the pond where the evening primrose bloomed.
As I walked, I felt followed.
━Looks like he's going towards the pond.
━Should we tell Kubilai? The pond is Angala's territory. We can't follow him there. The poison is too strong even by being close…
━Let's keep watching for now.
The name was the monstrous wolf that ruled the eastern forest. I heard it was an incredibly large wolf with thick fur.
It seemed that its subordinates, though unseen, were communicating with one another.
Marmar had told me that the monsters beyond the northern wall had fallen into corruption and ruin, losing their reason.
But hearing all this, not only they had reason, they had their own way of communication and maintained order.
If I could communicate with them, I might be able to resolve some of the issues ahead. Whatever the case, it was very fortunate for me that they didn't attack me right away.
A strange scent filled the air, prompting me to stop breathing and quickly cover my nose and mouth with a handkerchief. A crude and irritating scent, as if someone had doused themselves in perfume.
I wasn't so dull to not realize that this was the poison the spiders had mentioned. Had I finally reached the pond where the evening primrose bloomed?
Looking around, the trees stood bare, without a single leaf. I could no longer sense the presence of the wolves that had been following me.
It seemed they had given up the chase because of the poison.
Bones scattered across the ground crunched beneath my feet, and amidst them, something with a long body moved. It had a gleaming shell and countless legs—a centipede.
━Ugh, look at that. Only two legs. And ten tiny spikes on its front paws. Are those fingers? That's so disgusting!
━Ugh, that's horrifying. Let's run and tell Angala-nim there's an intruder!
Seems like they don't like me either. They think my fingers were disgusting. I'm a little hurt.
But I didn't have time to dwell on that, as a thick fog obscured my vision.
The night fog severely limited my sight, making it nearly impossible to see ahead.
So I illuminated the surroundings with a magical sphere.
As the fog receded slightly in the light of my magic, I saw what could be described as more of a lake than a pond, and the beautiful flowers blooming around it.
They looked like lilies.
Gently glowing, they simmered beautifully with a faint light. These must be the evening primrose the spiders had mentioned.
I was about to step towards them when—.
I heard a rough scraping along the ground.
━Who do we have here? A lost little fairy coming to the pond.
It was a creepy feeling. When I turned around, I could see something long passing behind me. It was big and thick.
Its body was as thick as a temple pillar. And its smooth, armor-like body was covered with legs thicker than a human forearm.
━No, you're not an ordinary fairy. You're a mix of things. A half-fairy. That's a rare sight these days. Interesting.
I realized then that its massive body covered the entire ground. Yet, I still couldn't see its head, so I had to search for it amid its massive form.
As countless legs brushed against me, I thought of Stella, still suffering from the poison, and those waiting beyond the wall. I gathered my courage.
"Are you Angala, the master of this pond?"
━Ho, you're talking to me? But you should pay attention to your language, child. Even Solomon, whom the world calls the Demon King, showed me respect…!