The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 66

“Come to think of it, Sei, you already knew about the Demonic Beast? What exactly happened? I was on guard duty when suddenly we heard the King was sealed and the Demonic Beast resurrected. What’s going on? You were attacked by the Demonic Beast too? Is that why Rana returned to me?”

“Yes, I received a lot of help then. It would have been dangerous without Rana.”

As I nodded, Irei and Talis shot skeptical looks my way.

“Why didn’t Rana mention seeing the Demonic Beast earlier?”

“She didn’t know they were the Demonic Beast. She thought they were just another strange race.”

“Well, none of us have seen the Demonic Beast firsthand before.”

“Moreover, sensitivity can drop when a guardian is temporarily assigned. She probably didn’t have the chance to properly identify them.”

Clicking their tongues, the two men heaved heavy sighs of relief, pondering what would have happened without the guardian. I felt the same. If it hadn’t been for Rana that day, I would have surely died.

“Which lunatic would resurrect something like the Demonic Beast?”

Starting with Talis’s complaint, the three of them began to grumble in earnest.

“No matter how dissatisfied someone is with the world, there are boundaries. If those creatures run amok, they won’t be safe either. Do they wish for complete annihilation?”

“How can we understand the mind of a madman? Maybe they got bored of peace, not realizing the sacrifice that had brought it.”

“It’s shocking that even our King and Knights were taken down so easily. Sei you met Lord Semeion right? I thought it was a joke at first. To think he’s gotten so weak he couldn’t recognize an Aesang…”

“But at least he’s still alive. We can never see Lord Rashian again.”

With Talis’s heavy remark, the atmosphere grew somber.

“Sealing the King…that means, it’s exactly what we fear, right?”

“What else could it be?”

“Ha, that method was only passed down as theory. It’s unbelievable that it’s being used in this time, which is supposed to be the most peaceful, not in ancient times…”

“What do you mean?”

As I interjected into their cryptic conversation, they all momentarily fell silent, exchanging glances. They seemed to be debating whether it was appropriate to tell me. Eventually, Irei nodded calmly and began to explain.

“You should probably know too. Do you understand what a seal is?”

“I understand it as something hidden away somewhere.”

“That’s close. To be precise, it’s being trapped within a barrier of space-time. Someone inside that barrier ceases to exist in the world and is unaffected by the flow of time. They remain frozen in the same state as when they were sealed.”

So the King had sustained a fatal injury. It seemed they opted to stop time for him rather than lose him immediately, choosing to preserve him until a solution could be found.

“This seal can only be performed by Knights. And it requires at least three people. That’s why, by regulation, the king must always have three Knights accompany him when going out.”

The reason was that creating a sealing formation required at least three points of balance to prevent it from collapsing. While one Knight could form the central core, at least two others were needed to maintain the balance during the process.

The power expended in this process was immense, and an ordinary Clonne couldn’t handle it. The fact that two Knights had fallen into a semi-comatose state was more due to the energy they had expended in the sealing process than their injuries. But the most shocking part was the material used for the core.

“…A heart?”

As I numbly repeated what I’d heard, Irei nodded with a bitter smile.

“Yes, the core can only be made from a knight’s heart.”

“So, that means…”

“It means that Lord Rashian offered his own heart and willingly sacrificed himself.”

I never expected that “sacrifice” would carry such a heavy meaning.

The revelation left me momentarily breathless. Stories of vassals sacrificing their lives for their lord are often told as noble tales, but that doesn’t make it any less harrowing. The idea of willingly becoming a part of the seal was overwhelming. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what those who had to endure that situation felt like.

“Lord Kalph is the most incredible one in all this. He was like a brother to Lord Rashian, having been compatriots. Even if he appears unaffected, I’m sure he’s struggling inside.”

“…I see.”

“Still, don’t show it too much. If we act too concerned, it’ll only make him feel worse.”

“Yes, I understand.”

I recalled Kalph standing resolutely during the funeral ceremony. While Syran cried throughout the singing, and even Aska bowed his head with closed eyes, Kalph kept his bloodshot eyes wide open, unwavering. That was likely his way of mourning. Respecting his method of grieving was the role of those around him. Someone like me trying to estimate his feelings would only be a form of disrespect.

* * *

The half-day meeting concluded with the decision of a “temporary evacuation.” Although they couldn’t abandon the forest they had protected for generations, the danger was undeniable. The consensus was to retreat to a safer location until the situation was resolved.

The loss from the attacks was too severe to merely uphold their pride. The Dras race, in particular, had lost their sacred Purifying Water.

The Purifying Water, a spring infused with the blessings of spirits, was like holy water to them. It had become severely contaminated during the attack, endangering the surrounding area. Living there would lead to plagues and diseases, leaving them no choice but to evacuate. It would take at least several decades to purify it again.

The chosen relocation site was the Elten Mountains to the east. While it wasn’t far, it was a place the Demonic Beast would never dare touch. That area was the domain of Dragons.

“You know that the Demonic Beast is descended from Demons, right? And that Dragons were once Demons too. To them, Dragons are almost god-like. No matter how reckless they become, they wouldn’t dare trespass there.”

Even without Talis’s added explanation, it was clear that Dragons were stronger than the Demonic Beast. Records indicated that Dragons were the mightiest among the races that ruled during the Age of Magic. My curiosity, however, lay elsewhere.

“But is it okay to move into the Dragon’s territory?”

“Oh, that’s fine. The Dragon itself granted permission.”

“So, they’re beings you can communicate with…”

“Haha, most of them are rather prickly. We were lucky that the nearest Dragon was a Green Dragon. They’re among the most peaceful and reasonable ones.”

“A Green Dragon? Are there different types of Dragons?”

“Oh, you didn’t know? Dragons have different skin colors depending on their innate attributes. That’s how their clans are distinguished.”

This was news to me. There was scant information about Dragons in human society. Most of the circulated knowledge came from testimonies passed on by other races. Although some humans had encountered Dragons, the closest documented account was from a thousand years ago, and its authenticity was dubious at best.

All we knew was that they were enormous, reptilian in appearance, and capable of wielding immensely powerful magic.

Today was the first time I heard that Dragons had different attributes and that their clans were distinguished by color. If Green Dragons were the most gentle, it suggested their personalities varied with their attributes too.

‘Will I ever get to see one in person?’

Seeing as I had already encountered the Dras, which I’d thought impossible, who knew? What would have been dismissed as absurd delusions in human society seemed entirely plausible here.

Nevertheless, the Clonne’s relocation was scheduled to be the last. They decided to guard and patrol the surrounding areas until all other races had safely relocated. This led to a meeting for selecting the escort team. Although they claimed to seek volunteers, it was effectively a forced draft.

“Why isn’t anyone volunteering? Guess I’ll have to pick myself. Talis, Irei, Serige, Rikase, Asel. You five are assigned to guard the Dras. Go with Aska.”

“Ugh, Lord Kalph! Why of all people with these guys!”

“This is unacceptable, Lord Kalph! Please reconsider!”

Despite the protests from the chosen five, Kalph, who had already made up his mind, was unmoved.

“Quiet. I picked those who work well together. See what happens when no one volunteers? We have to resolve this diplomatically now. Enough talk, get going.”

“Did I just hear something incomprehensible? That I work well with these guys? I can’t accept that!”

“Oh come on, honey, we get along well, don’t we?”

“Shut up, Talis! This is tyranny! Absolute tyranny!”

“It really is tyranny! I can’t follow such a decision!”

“Right, I’m a dictator. Let’s go with that.”

“Lord Kalph!”

“Do you want to endure a beating or just go?”

“… We’ll go.”

“Good. Next is the Fairy delegation. Syran will handle this. I’m also picking five people. If anyone has objections, come out now. Let’s settle this with strength.”

“….”

As the severe drafting continued, even those who initially resisted eventually accepted their fate quietly. Those not conscripted into the escort teams were instead organized into patrol units. Once again, I was the only one without a specific role assigned. Noticing this, Serige raised his hand.

“But what about Sei if we all scatter separately? Leaving the kid alone doesn’t seem right, does it?”

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that too but…”

“I’ll take the Aesang with me.”

The one who spoke up was Aska. Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise. Even Kalph looked taken aback as he turned to Aska.