The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 32

“Then, do you also… hear the voices?”

He seemed amused by my casual question, and it was impossible to look away from his face.

Until now, I had been the only one. Despite scouring countless books and various materials, I had never found anyone experiencing the same phenomenon. No one was like me. Everything that was happening to me seemed to mark me as an alien being, not belonging to this world. I thought there was no place for me to fit in…

“For some time now, I’ve been hearing strange sounds from the empty air, to the point where I wondered if I was going mad. They start conversations with me, and I even respond. It’s gotten worse over time…”

“Haha, that’s not a hallucination.”

There was a light laugh mixed into Serige’s voice.

“I told you, our essence is that of plants.”

Whoosh—

At that moment, a breeze gently tousled his hair, flowing like the grass filling the fields, like the swaying leaves on tree branches. Accompanied by this, a babble of voices began to spread. The very voices I always ended up hearing.

“Ah, they’re chattering again, right on cue.”

“…Chattering?”

“Yeah. Just like children running around a festival square, they’re chattering. Even the fairies of the Yato Valley aren’t this talkative. So? Can you hear them?”

Serige asked as he brushed his hair, mussed by the wind. It was also the answer to the question I had posed. He, too, was hearing their voices.

“These are the voices of the plants speaking to us.”

“The voices… of the plants?”

His gaze softened as he looked at me. I stared at him, mesmerized, and swallowed hard. Everything I could hear felt unreal.

“It also proves that you are a Clonne.”

* * *

I lost track of how much time had passed. By the time I regained my senses, I found myself sitting next to Serige, conversing (our sleeping companions were gently laid down in one spot). We mainly talked about my life story.

“What? Your mother passed away too? At ten years old, that’s really young! Oh, if only we had found you back then!”

“So you grew up at your grandfather’s house after that. Did he ever speak about your father? Huh, a third-rate mercenary? Really, out of all the professions, why would your father choose that?”

“Ugh, your grandfather forced your parents to part ways? Well, yeah, I guess sending his daughter to a third-rate mercenary would seem wasteful. But why that profession…”

Serige constantly clicked his tongue, genuinely feeling sorry for my circumstances. Each time, I didn’t know what expression to make. It was the first time I had opened up so honestly to someone about my story.

“You’ve endured well until now. It’ll be alright from now on. From now on, we will protect you.”

His words made me pause unconsciously. Sensing my reaction, Serige gave me a puzzled look.

“What? Does saying ‘protect’ sound like we’ll be spying on you? Don’t worry, we’re not going to interfere in everything.”

“No, it’s not that… I just don’t quite understand.”

“What don’t you understand? Was my explanation lacking?”

“It’s not that, but… I’m a half-blood, after all. Compared to that, you’re treating me far too warmly.”

Regardless of ethnicity, the attitude toward half-bloods was similar. At best, they wouldn’t face persecution, but it was rare to be fully embraced within a race. Yet, from the moment Serige learned about my identity, he seemed to naturally accept me as part of his race. Whether this was due to his kindness or the collective values of his race, I didn’t know, but it made me cautious. Seeing my reaction, Serige’s eyes widened before he burst out laughing. His next words only left me more bewildered.

“Haha, what are you talking about? Don’t worry about such things. There are no half-bloods among Clonnes.”

“What? No half-bloods…?”

“Among us, only Clonnes are born, whether the partner is human, Dras, or Bestian.”

“That’s… is that really true?”

“Of course it’s true. My mother was human as well.”

“……”

“To be precise, you could say they are half-bloods when they’re born, but as they awaken, they inherit only Clonne blood. Different starting points, but the same endpoint.”

Is that even possible?

It was a biological trait I had never heard of before. Even the Bestians, who only inherit maternal traits, mix with other races. While half-blood characteristics might not be prominent, you couldn’t say they weren’t half-blood.

But a race where this doesn’t even apply at all? The more I learned about Clonnes, the more fascinating they became. Surprisingly, that wasn’t the only astonishing fact.

“And actually, our wood folk are always born as half-bloods. To reproduce, we must marry other races from the start. Clonne males and females can’t reproduce with each other.”

“What? How is that…”

“Men are tree-natured, and women are grass-natured. Although both are Clonnes, their biology is different. Women reproduce by self-fertilization, and men need to borrow the womb of a female of another race to reproduce.”

Ah, so that’s why.

I sighed unconsciously. I hadn’t noticed with everything happening, but looking back, Serige had only shown interest in the paternal side. It was as if the paternal side being Clonne was a given.

“Seems like you’re quite surprised. Does it really amaze you that much?”

“…Yes. I’ve never seen a case where the same race cannot reproduce with one another.”

“Haha, don’t think of it as too strange. It’s just a way to integrate more with other races. If left as we are, we’d stand out quite a bit.”

What surprised me the most was the fact that their hair color changes with the seasons. If they plant their hair, it sprouts; their bodies emit scents, and tears can be made into perfume. If they wanted, they could even attract insects.

“…You really are like plants.”

“I told you, we are plants. And this is only because we’ve mixed with other races. Self-fertilization reproducing female Clonnes can even bloom and bear fruit from their bodies. Their appearance is far from ordinary humans.”

“I see…”

“The reason we don’t get along with mountain air is that we have a plant-like respiration. For humans, it would be like living in a crowded city.”

“Then about that medicine…”

“It’s condensed air from our respiration. It’s toxic to humans. That’s why I was sure you were a Clonne.”

“Ah…”

“So, in fact, we like to be around humans. The air is really pleasant when we’re near them. Conversely, humans feel that the air is good when they’re next to us.”

Suddenly, I remembered the cleanliness evaluations at the Security Department office. The yearly reports consistently rated our Administrative Support Department as exceptionally pleasant. I always found it curious because, to me, all the offices seemed the same, yet ours received the best reviews.

‘Could it really have been because of me…’

It sounded like self-importance, but it seemed likely.

What unexpectedly surprised me was the fact that the Clonne race resided within the Forest of Life. They had been living there for over a thousand years.

“So is that why you regulate the passage of travelers?”

“Oh, that’s not just because of us. It’s at the request of the Dras.”

“The Dras?”

“We owe them for letting us stay on their territory. In return, we help by blocking outsiders, a mutual benefit.”

“I see. That’s a bit surprising. I thought the Dras were entirely exclusive to other races. But they cooperate with the Clonne?”

“It’s because we’re plants. They’re a nature-friendly race, and they’re crazy about flowers and trees. Naturally, they would be favorable towards us.”

“Got it…”

But still, Clonnes have a human appearance. If their essence is plant-based, does form not matter? My perception of the Dras, known for being indifferent and cold-blooded, was beginning to change.

“Anyway, about that… kid.”

“Uh, that nickname is a bit…”

“Hm? Why? But you are a kid.”

“I’m nineteen.”

“Exactly, a kid. You’ve just barely been born.”

There was no reasoning with him. It was clear that this race had a much longer life expectancy than humans. I decided to quietly resign myself to the nickname.

“So, what were you trying to say?”

“Oh, right. When do you think it’s best to go to the village?”

“Village?”

“I have to guard this area for a week. Should I contact the village to have someone come get you, or do you want to stay with me and go together later? Which do you prefer?”

“Well…”

“Oh, don’t worry about your companions. I’ll give them the antidote and send them back safely. There’ll be no after-effects.”

“No, that’s not the issue…”

My mind halted for a moment. Serige also blinked in confusion.

“Going to the village… you don’t mean just for a brief visit, right?”

“Of course not? Does it make sense to leave a newly discovered Clonne without a guardian? Naturally, you have to stay with us now. You weren’t thinking of going back to human society, were you?”

When I hesitated to answer, his expression changed drastically.

“No, absolutely not.”

“But…”

“You’re at a very critical time right now. Your body is undergoing significant changes, and you don’t know what might happen next. The signs are weak now, but soon you might suddenly collapse or fall seriously ill. It’s really serious.”

Ah, so there is pain involved. Well, transforming into another race wouldn’t be without its challenges. As I nodded silently, Serige sighed.

“That’s why, during this period, your father should be right beside you. Letting you roam alone is unthinkable.”

In that moment, the mystery of why everyone asked about my father was resolved.