Meanwhile, Emerald's eyes widened with astonishment after listening to the Flower Spirit's statement.
"Myuu, myu, myuu?" Emerald uttered with surprise.
'If the Flower Spirit was among the smallest of the wood spirits, then how big was the biggest?' - Emerald asked.
"The biggest wood spirit, you ask? Hmm, that would be the Elder Spirit, the biggest tree you would see around here after the Mother Tree. The Elder Spirit also has the biggest say around here. Everyone has to listen to him," the Flower Spirit honestly answered.
She seemed to have no reservations about sharing information with a complete stranger she had just met.
Nevertheless, the Flower Spirit still had her curiosity.
"Where do you come from, Little Fairy?" the Flower Spirit asked curiously, adding, "You're not from around here, are you? Could it be that you are from the outside world?"
As soon as the Flower Spirit raised that question, her eyes lit with hopeful anticipation.
However, Emerald didn't answer immediately. She hesitantly glanced at Vaan for directions before receiving his nod of approval. Only then did she admit with a nod.
"Myu!" Emerald answered.
"Woah~!" the Flower Spirit quickly exclaimed with excitement before enthusiastically stating, "That's amazing! I always wanted to see the outside world one day! I just knew there was a wider world out there! There has to be!"
"But... the Elder Spirit forbids it," the Flower Spirit mentioned dispiritedly shortly after. "Myu, myuu, myuu?" Emerald tilted her head with doubt.
She wondered why the Elder Spirit didn't let the Flower Spirit outside.
Although she hadn't had any interaction with other wood spirits before, she instinctively knew that wood spirits were very harmonious among their kind.
Thus, this so-called Elder Spirit shouldn't be able to hold the Flower Spirit back in the secret realm against her will if it was truly her wish to see the outside world.
"No one is allowed outside because it is very dangerous for wood spirits in the outside world. According to the Elder Spirit, wood spirits who wander outside will either get killed or live miserable lives," the Flower Spirit stated before asking, "Tell me, Little Fairy. Is it really that bad outside?"
"Myu?" Emerald pondered for a moment before replying, "Myuu, myuu, myu, myuu, myuuu~!"
"Ah? It is truly that bad outside?" the Flower Spirit exclaimed, feeling a little afraid after receiving Emerald's confirmation.
Emerald told her that the outside was full of bad people and that she had suffered a lot-to the point that she wished she didn't exist.
However, that was before she met her human master.
"Myuu, myu, myu, myuu~!" Emerald began praising Vaan in front of the Flower Spirit and telling her about how he had saved her from the darkness she used to be trapped in.
After hearing so much about Vaan from Emerald, the Flower Spirit re-evaluated him with a blank look.
"You are... a human?" the Flower Spirit asked in disbelief.
In that instant, the Flower Spirit froze, seemingly paralyzed in fear. Despite being close to him for so long, she only became afraid after learning he was a human.
Evidently, the Flower Spirit was not familiar with humans and didn't regard Vaan as a human until he acknowledged it. Or rather, she thought he was just another strange wood spirit and not some other being.
"Y-You... please don't hurt me," the Flower Spirit pleaded, looking pitiful.
"If I wanted to hurt you, I would have plenty of chances to do it already, don't you think so?" Vaan replied with an amused look before mentioning, "I have a few questions. You'll answer them, won't you?"
The Flower Spirit nodded obediently without daring to take her eyes off him. At the same time, her cute reaction amused him.
"Myuu, myuu!" Emerald clamored, claiming the Flower Spirit had no reason to fear Vaan.
The Flower Spirit nodded obediently again as if she was fully agreeing with Emerald to please her and not because she truly thought that.
"What is this isolated realm?" Vaan asked.
"U-Um... this isolated realm is known as the Garden of Thyia, or at least, that's what the wood spirits call it, Lord Mister," the Flower Spirit answered nervously.
"Lord Mister?" Vaan smiled with amusement before saying, "You can just call me Vaan. What is your name?"
"I don't have a name, Lord Vaan. However, the other wood spirits just call me Little Rose," the Flower Spirit replied honestly.
"Then, I will do the same," Vaan nodded before asking, "You won't mind, right?"
"N-Not at all, Lord Vaan," Little Rose answered.
After a few short exchanges, Little Rose's initial fear of Vaan died down as she became increasingly at ease with his presence.
Nevertheless, Vaan was quite curious about this source of fear that she and the other wood spirits seemed to have developed while living in such an enclosed realm.
"Well then, Little Rose, do you know why everyone calls this enclosed realm the Garden of Thyia?" Vaan casually asked.
At the same time, he harbored doubts in his heart.
If all wood spirits were timid and fearful like Little Rose in front of other races, then what was the vague sense of danger he felt from the hidden realm?
"Um..." Little Rose contemplated for a moment before saying, "It might have something to do with the Goddess of Life, Thyia, who was said to have planted the Mother Tree in the
"However, no one actually knows if this is true," Little Rose stated.
"Is that so?" Vaan uttered.
"B-But! If there's someone in the Garden of Thyia who might know the truth, it would most likely be the Elder Spirit, Lord Vaan. The Elder Spirit is the oldest wood spirit around here."
"However, I don't recommend you to seek out the Elder Spirit for answers..." Little Rose hesitantly added.
"And why is that, Little Rose?" Vaan casually asked, but he could already guess the reason.
"The Elder Spirit is very strict and unlike other wood spirits. He wouldn't hesitate to punish a misbehaving wood spirit," Little Rose stated before saying, "If the Elder Spirit learns about you, an outsider, he might do something very terrible to you..."
"Oh? And why would you tell me this? Wouldn't it have been better if you didn't say
anything?" Vaan calmly smiled.
Little Rose shook her head and said, "It's... It's because of the Little Fairy. If such a pure wood
spirit vouches for you, then you must not be a bad person."
"It's not right for bad things to happen to good people," Little Rose added innocently.