The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 79

“Can I ask which tree you are born from?”

“Ah, that… I don’t know yet.”

“You don’t know?”

“I grew up without knowing my father. So I have no knowledge of his lineage.”

Markatis blinked in surprise, staring at me intently.

“Then, is it possible you could be Rafiel’s son?”

“…Pardon?”

“You said Rafiel has a son. If you don’t know your father, isn’t there a chance that you might be his heir?”

“Oh, no. That’s not possible. His son is with the Demonic Beast.”

“Hmm, is that so? But you do resemble him.”

The unexpected comment made my mind go blank for a moment.

Resemble? I resemble the King?

“…If I resembled the king, everyone would have said so by now.”

“I don’t mean physical appearance. Each bloodline in your race has a unique aura. I might be more accurate in recognizing it, having observed your race for a long time.”

“But you didn’t recognize that I was an Aesang.”

“…If you put it that way, I have nothing to say.”

Markatis scratched his head sheepishly. It seemed like he had just thrown out that comment without much thought. My racing heart gradually began to settle. I couldn’t understand why I had been disturbed by such nonsense in the first place. Perhaps it was because the memory of that day still haunted me.

The moment the talk of an heir arose, the eyes of the Knights turned toward me. The shock and… disappointment in their forlorn eyes. It felt like I had become a sinner for something that wasn’t my fault. I never wanted to feel that way again.

I clenched and unclenched my fist. Maybe it was because the Awakening had ended. I thought I’d need more time to recuperate, but it seemed I was regaining my strength quickly. My body, which had felt like a burden mere moments ago, now felt much more usable. I felt I could walk. As I got out of bed, Markatis narrowed his eyes.

“What are you doing? I told you not to move yet.”

“I’m feeling much better. I think I can walk now.”

“That’s nonsense…”

Markatis looked at me in disbelief. But when I actually stood up and walked, his disbelief deepened. He reached out to check my forehead again.

“No more fever.”

“Yes, I’m fine now.”

“…This is odd. Despite all the antipyretics, the fever didn’t go down. To think your recovery started as soon as you woke up… Well, since Awakening is a process that boosts physical functions, I suppose this might be expected.”

Markatis’ eyes were filled with a strange heat as he muttered to himself. Just as I began to regret revealing too much about myself to my surprise that he was a dragon, he spoke again.

“The Awakening might have ended, but you’re still not an adult, are you?”

“Um, yes. Not yet…”

“So, you’re saying you’ll go through more Awakenings.”

I couldn’t bring myself to confirm it, so I awkwardly averted my gaze. Markatis didn’t seem to need my answer. He nodded to himself, then told me to wait for a moment before disappearing. When he returned, he held a glass bottle filled with a pale blue liquid that shimmered gently.

“Take it.”

“…Can I ask what this is?”

“It’s concentrated from my magical power. You could say it’s high-purity mana.”

Dragon’s magical power. If mages knew, they would rush in with their eyes wide open, wanting to grab it. Wondering why he was giving it to me, I noticed that he looked more puzzled by my confusion.

“During the Awakening period, you need high-concentration nutrients, correct? Your race calls it Anima.”

“Ah… Yes, that’s true.”

“Drink this instead. It might not be exactly the same as your race’s, but it should help you in your current state.

His unexpected thoughtfulness left me speechless. Despite any doubts, there was no denying his kindness. It was an overwhelming gesture, but I wasn’t in a position to refuse, so I accepted it gratefully.

“Thank you. I’ll drink it well.”

“Sure.”

As I unsealed the cap and drank the contents, an incredible clarity filled my mind. Every sense in my body awakened, and vitality surged through me. When I consumed life energy, it usually made me drowsy, but this time it felt different, or perhaps my symptoms had changed as the Awakening progressed. Either way, it wasn’t a bad turn of events given the current situation.

“Well then, I’ll be going now.”

After expressing my gratitude once more, I checked my attire. Markatis, who had been watching me drink with an intrigued expression, frowned at my words.

“Are you really going now? Wouldn’t it be better to rest a few more days?”

“It’s already quite late as it is. I’ve recovered, so I shouldn’t delay any longer. Thank you for taking care of me during this time. I will surely repay this kindness.”

“Goodness, you’re quite stubborn.”

Markatis, with his arms crossed, clicked his tongue softly.

“If it were Semeion, he would have already noticed the troubles of your race. You don’t need to push yourself this hard.”

“…It’s just that my conscience won’t allow it. I can’t stay safe while everyone else suffers.”

“Your race likely wants you to stay safe. If they were genuinely planning for the future, they would have chosen someone more capable than you. Don’t you understand why they let you escape? They wanted you to avoid harm.”

I knew. It was something I was already fully aware of. But still,

“I spent my whole life thinking I was alone.”

“…”

“I don’t want to live like that anymore.”

What meaning would there be in surviving in a world where everyone else is gone? Some might find meaning in that very survival. If that’s the case, then that’s their role to play. It wasn’t mine. With a calm heart, I looked at Markatis, who had been watching me intently, and he let out a light sigh.

“Alright. I understand your resolve,” he said, his voice softening, “but be careful. Don’t let your determination lead you to reckless actions.”

“What will you do if you encounter monsters or Demonic Beasts along the way? You don’t have a Guardian yet. How do you plan to protect yourself?”

“…I’ll do my best to avoid them. I’ll ask the plants for directions and proceed cautiously.”

“So, you don’t have a solid plan.”

“….”

“Do you have any travel expenses? Even if you can survive on sunlight and water, you’ll need to find places to stay on longer journeys. You can’t always camp out.”

“…I’ll manage somehow.”

I realized how reckless my responses sounded, enough to make me blush in embarrassment. However, my determination to go remained unchanged. Markatis sighed even deeper.

“You sure are a troublesome one.”

Saying that, he suddenly reached into thin air. His arm vanished up to the forearm, as if swallowed by something invisible. He moved his arm around for a moment before pulling it out, now holding a backpack that hadn’t been there before. He handed it to me.

“Take this. It’s packed with supplies and travel expenses. You should be able to manage for a few months.”

“…I don’t understand why you’re helping me this much.”

“I don’t want to hear that the Aesang I went through the trouble of saving died somewhere out there. If you truly wish to repay me, then make sure to return alive.”

He wasn’t wrong. Reluctantly, I accepted the backpack.

“Thank you. I will definitely repay this.”

“I hope you keep that promise. Oh, and take this as well.”

He handed me a long, sleek sword. The blade was a deep black with red patterns etched into it, and it felt surprisingly light, as if it were made of some unknown metal.

“Even if you can’t wield it properly, it’s best to have a weapon to protect yourself. It has protection magic cast on it, so it should save your life a few times.”

“Protection…magic?”

“Yes. It will protect you and anyone nearby. But if you overuse it, it will drain your strength, so use it sparingly.”

A magical sword. It would be yet another item to make knights go green with envy. My jaw dropped automatically, but with the legendary dragon standing before me, there wasn’t much left to surprise me, so I just accepted it.

“I will use it well and return it to you.”

“Keep it. Think of it as a gift in honor of meeting an Aesang.”

“What? No, I can’t just accept something so valuable…”

“It’s not valuable at all to me. I have more than I can handle. That sword is better used than sitting idle.”

“But still…”

As I tried to refuse again, Markatis tsked and took my hand gently.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

He then pricked my finger to draw blood, which he let fall onto the sword blade. To my surprise, the blood was absorbed directly into the sword.

“There, I’ve registered you as its owner. While it won’t cause any trouble if someone else touches it, it will not function as a magical sword for anyone but you. Now it’s truly yours.”

“…I will treasure it.”

“You can use it freely. As I said, I have more than enough.”

After responding nonchalantly, he instructed me on how to use the sword. The protection magic was simple to activate—just recite the spell—but based on his advice to get a feel for it, I spent some time practicing. This allowed me to learn that the magic’s duration lasted about five minutes and I could use it consecutively up to three times. Any more than that, and I risked my consciousness fading quickly.

“If your energy runs out, it will take quite a while to recover. It’s best to think of two consecutive usages as the maximum safe limit.”

“Understood, I will keep that in mind.”

“Good, now let me show you the way out.”

Though he mentioned guiding me, in the blink of an eye, the scenery around us changed. I was momentarily disoriented until I realized what had happened. It was spatial magic. Known in human society as a high-level magic that only mage towers could perform—and he did it without any magic circles or incantations.

Any mage of the tower would have been brimming with pride if they could perform such advanced magic. Markatis, however, nonchalantly pointed to a path and said nothing more.