The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 20

“Are you sure it’s okay for you to be sitting up?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Have you been awake all night, Lord Camille?”

“No, I’m awake because it’s my turn for the night watch. It’s a safe place, but you never know.”

“I see. I’ll take over, so you can get some rest.”

“What are you talking about? You just fainted and woke up.”

“I’ve had plenty of rest. I feel fine.”

I usually felt better after a bit of rest, even if fainting was rare for me. Despite my repeated assurances, Camille remained unconvinced. Since it was almost time for everyone to wake up anyway, I decided to stay up with him. As I stretched my stiff body from lying on the hard ground, Camille hesitated before asking,

“About your ability, is it related to growing plants?”

“Pardon? Ah, yes, that’s right. This was my first time growing something this large, though.”

When the earthquake happened, I targeted the tree roots that might be underground. They must have grown quite large to cause such vibrations. Though I only managed to create gaps rather than have them burst through the surface, it was enough for our needs. Looking back, it was fortunate it didn’t go any further; having trees suddenly sprout from the ground would have been much harder to deal with.

“When did you discover you had this ability?”

“Not too long ago. I found out by chance while watering a flowerbed… And as I mentioned before, it’s inconsistent, so it doesn’t always work. We were lucky this time.”

“I see…”

The conversation briefly stalled. Camille seemed unsure what to say next, and I had no further comments to make. Perhaps that’s why I blurted out something random.

“Sometimes, I hear voices.”

“Huh? What?”

“It tends to happen more often when the weather is nice. Someone keeps talking to me. At first, I could only listen, but now we can converse. Research on Spirit Mages didn’t show any cases like mine. It might be a mental illness.”

“What…?”

“You said you were upset about hearing things about me from others. So, I’m telling you. I haven’t shared this with anyone else yet.”

Camille, who had been staring blankly, bit his lip and lowered his head slightly.

“…Yeah, thanks. For telling me.”

His eyes seemed reddened. When he looked up again, his face wore a bright smile. I couldn’t help but smile back. I hadn’t intended to share about the voices, but it felt liberating. Perhaps I had been waiting for a day like this, a day when I could talk about myself.

* * *

Though we had evaded our pursuers, the hardships of the expedition were only beginning. The biggest challenge was the heat. According to the forecast released by the Imperial Palace, this summer in Seoryeong was hotter and more humid than usual, with frequent heatwaves. While everyone persevered, by the end of the first week, someone finally collapsed from exhaustion.

“Are you okay?”

“No, I feel like I’m dying…”

The person who had collapsed was Lisa. We hurriedly laid her in the shade and placed a wet cloth on her forehead, but it didn’t seem to be helping much. Since everyone was already tired, we decided to take a break.

“In a world with water and magic communication, isn’t it ridiculous that there are still so few paved roads?”

Lisa ground her teeth as she rubbed her face with a wet towel. If the roads were better maintained, we could have used carriages. Considering upscale carriages have cooling features, it was a significant drawback. However, since most of our route involved mountainous terrain, it wouldn’t have made much difference.

“But Lisa, you’re a magician. Can’t you make ice with magic?”

“I can only use light magic when it comes to elemental magic. You can learn other attributes starting from the fifth circle, but I’m still at the fourth.”

Her face looked bitter as she explained. It was understandable. To grow as a mage, you needed to find a mentor, but high-level mages were monopolized by the Magic Tower, which didn’t accept women or other races as apprentices. Realizing he had touched on a sensitive subject, Hamar quickly changed the topic.

“By the way, Sei, you seem to be holding up better than expected. Honestly, I thought you’d be the first one to collapse among us.”

“Oh, I don’t really get affected by the heat.”

“Huh, that’s interesting. You get rashes from hot water but can handle the heat just fine? So, it’s not an issue with the temperature then?”

“No, it seems to be about tolerable temperature levels. I tested it with tea water, and the rashes started when the temperature exceeded body heat. Seoryeong’s heat doesn’t reach that level.”

“Oh, then what about in Namryeong? The temperature there easily exceeds body heat during the hottest times.”

“I haven’t tested it, so I’m not sure.”

The idea of such intense heat sounded unappealing, and everyone else seemed to share the sentiment, their faces contorted similarly. Camille, who had been fanning himself non-stop, asked,

“If it’s that hot, then this heat must be nothing to people from Namryeong.”

“No, not really. It’s hot but not humid there. Humid heat is the worst.”

“Does it make a difference?”

“Of course, it does. If the heat in Namryeong feels like it’s burning you, then here in Seoryeong, it’s like being steamed. Honestly, if we’re just talking about heat itself, Namryeong might be better. As long as you’re shaded from the sun, you can manage. Laying under a tent in an oasis feels like heaven.”

The desert landscapes I had only seen in pictures always seemed barren and like a land of death where living was difficult. But it seemed there were livable aspects as well. Such tales from other regions were rare and valuable information. My perception of Namryeong changed, and I now consider it a place worth visiting someday.

“In any case, it seems too much to move further today. How about stopping by a village, Captain? We’re running low on supplies as well.”

“That sounds like a good idea. If we’re near here, we should be close to Estan Village. I’ve visited it for work before; it’s a friendly place. The fried chicken and barley beer at the inn’s restaurant are particularly excellent.”

“That’s perfect! We can have that for dinner tonight. Alright, everyone, hang in there a bit longer. We’ll get to rest properly in the village.”

Encouraging everyone with a bright face, Hamar personally helped Lisa to her feet. Seeing this, the others got up without complaint. As I tried to rise, a sudden dizziness hit me.

‘It seems the heat is getting to me after all.’

I probably needed to hydrate more frequently. If I was already feeling this way, I could only imagine the state I’d be in by the end of the expedition. As I sighed, I felt someone’s gaze on me. Camille was looking at me with a peculiar expression.

“Lord Camille? What’s wrong?”

“Oh? Ah, sorry.”

Even as he apologized, he didn’t take his eyes off me. Thinking I might have something on my face, I started to check myself when he asked seriously,

“Hey, Sei. This might sound strange, but your hair—is it black?”

“…Isn’t it obvious?”

Baffled, I asked in return, and he nodded, looking equally puzzled.

“Yeah, it’s definitely black. But earlier, it looked green for a moment…”

“Maybe you were just so tired you saw things? Or it might have reflected sunlight that way.”

“Hm, yeah, that must be it.”

As Camille rubbed the back of his head, looking embarrassed, I chuckled. Normally, people wouldn’t seriously question someone’s hair color over a fleeting illusion. Maybe his seriousness led to such quirky moments sometimes.

* * *

By the time we reached our destination, the sun had already set. Despite our accumulated fatigue, everyone’s faces brightened at the sight of a village after so long. However, those expressions soon turned to confusion.

“Huh? Why does it seem so empty?”

Though the sun had set, it was still early in the evening. It was the time when people would usually be winding down from their workday, whether from their jobs or fieldwork. Yet, there wasn’t a single person on the streets. If not for the lights in the buildings, it would have been believable as a ghost town with no inhabitants.

“This place… feels strange.”

“Certainly. It feels like it’s the middle of the night already.”

Expecting a bustling village, everyone now scanned their surroundings with tense expressions. Hale, who had been here before, looked especially bewildered.

“This is odd. It wasn’t like this the last time I visited…”

“Are you sure this is the village you visited before?”

“No doubt about it.”

“Let’s look for an inn first, then. If they’re even open.”

Hamar looked around with a resigned expression. The possibility of coming this far only to turn around left everyone visibly disheartened. Just then, a deep voice called out from behind us.

“Where are you folks from?”

“…!”

Turning around, we saw a soldier armored for combat. He seemed to be part of the village guard. The sight of another person brought relief to everyone’s faces.

“Oh, excuse us. We’re travelers. The day’s ending, and we’re looking for a place to stay.”

“Hmm, travelers, you say?”

The soldier narrowed his eyes suspiciously, clearly wary of us, likely because of our mercenary-like appearance. His focus was particularly on Edmil, whose exhausted demeanor made him seem more menacing. As Edmil met his gaze with a stoic expression, the soldier’s caution only deepened. Sensing the mounting tension, I decided to step forward.

“We’re unfamiliar with the area. Could you recommend a good inn? We’re very tired from traveling all day and need to rest soon, as we have to leave early in the morning.”

Emphasizing our intent to stay just one night seemed to ease the soldier’s suspicions. He pointed toward a part of the village.

“There’s an inn called the Travelers’ Haven over that way. There are others, but that one’s the best for staying. Head over there.”

“Thank you for the recommendation.”

I bowed politely, which seemed to soften his demeanor further. He added grudgingly,

“And try not to wander around at night. Things have been tense around here lately.”