The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 53

“What do we do now?”

“First, hold onto me!”

With no better choices, I complied and grabbed onto Rikase. Meanwhile, he tried to force the gap open with all his might. The muscles in his arms and neck strained, but the portal showed no signs of widening.

“Just a little more!”

‘It doesn’t seem to be budging at all.’

No matter how much I tried to stay calm, I couldn’t deny reality. The space around us had narrowed to the point where it was difficult to stretch out properly. Feeling the pressure from all sides, I let out a low sigh.

Being crushed while crossing a portal… People die eventually, and I had always known that my day would come, but I had never considered this as a possible cause of death.

Is life for non-humans always this dynamic? It felt so surreal that I couldn’t even feel a sense of crisis. I just thought that if I died like this, there wouldn’t be a body left to find.

At that moment, I felt something pull strongly, and suddenly my body lunged forward.

“Whoa!”

“…!”

I heard Rikase’s loud scream just as I tumbled to the ground beside him. The stinging pain made it clear we had escaped. Somehow, the portal had abruptly widened. We had survived.

“Ow, my head. Are you alright, Sei?”

“Yes, I’m alright…”

As I tried to get up, a white hand extended toward me. Looking up, I saw an unfamiliar face. He appeared to be about my age, with light golden eyes and freckles scattered across his skin—a striking sight. Judging by his summer forest-like hair, similar to Serige and Rikase’s, his identity was unmistakable.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt? Here, take my hand and get up.”

“Ah… Thank you.”

“Oh dear, you’re all covered in dirt.”

The boy who helped me up brushed the dirt off my clothes. He was close enough that I could sense a faint fragrance emanating from him. It was different from the scent of flowers but had a subtly rich quality, reminiscent of the aroma of high-quality wood.

Hadn’t it been said that the stronger the scent in Clonnes, the higher the rank? No sooner had I recalled this than a hesitant voice came from behind him.

“Lord Kalph, we can take care of this.”

Kalph. That was a name I’d heard before. Serige had mentioned him multiple times. And if my guess was right, he was one of the Knights. He gestured dismissively at Rikase with an indifferent look.

“Forget about that. Take care of that guy.”

“What?”

“You almost killed the kid. Lock him up in the warehouse for a few days.”

His tone was as cold as his decree. Rikase, shocked by the words, sprang to his feet, protesting loudly.

“This is too unfair, Lord Kalph! I did my best to…”

“Doing your best means killing someone? You connected the spaces all at once again, didn’t you? How many times did I tell you that Wilow is weak over long distances, so you should break the travel into stages? You insisted on doing it yourself when I was going to send Reta, and now look at the mess you caused! It was only by chance that I discovered it; what would have happened if I were late!”

Ah, so that was how the portal opened. Now I understood why it had suddenly widened, allowing us to escape. The realization that I had indeed come close to death truly sank in.

“Willow assured me it’d work this time! I feel betrayed too! But still, I clung to the passage with all I had!”

“Stop using Willow as an excuse! Gauging and utilizing a guardian’s power correctly is also part of your skill! And of course, you had to hold onto the portal! You may be expendable, but the kid needed to be protected!”

“Ah! That’s too harsh, Lord Kalph! I’m wounded!”

“Shut up! What are you all waiting for? Seize him and lock him up!”

“Yes, Lord Kalph!”

“Come on! Let’s go, Rikase!”

The group that answered energetically swarmed Rikase. Despite his strong resistance, he was easily overpowered by multiple hands. Soon, he was bound and carried off somewhere. “Let go of me! I said, let go!” His shouts gradually faded as Lord Kalph clicked his tongue and turned toward me.

“What a noisy fellow. You must’ve had a hard time coming with him. Your name is Sei, right?”

“Yes, I’m Sei. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise. I’m Kalph of the Juniper tree. I’m also the fourth Knight serving the King. If you have any questions or discomforts while you’re here, feel free to talk to me.”

So, he was a Knight. We shook hands lightly, and he looked at me with a clear gaze, his eyes examining me attentively, which made me a bit nervous.

“They said you were handsome, and you really are. But your eyes are red?”

I blinked at the unexpected comment. It was only the second time I’d heard it, the first being from Semeion. So, the Clonne clan considered this color to be red?

“Have you not heard that often?”

“No, people usually see it as brown.”

“Really? When you fully awaken, it seems like your eyes will turn completely red. Generally, this color tends to shift to red upon awakening.”

“I see.”

“I’m curious to see what kind of tree you’ll become. Red eyes often indicate a strong scent tree. Not all high-ranking individuals have red eyes, but it’s rare for someone with red eyes to be low-ranked.”

Even as he explained, Lord Kalph’s gaze remained fixed on me, his expression somewhat peculiar. As I looked at him curiously, he snapped out of his thoughts and smiled awkwardly.

“Ah, sorry. You looked familiar somehow.”

“…Do I resemble someone?”

Something stirred within my chest. I had thought I had let go of my hopes, yet perhaps I hadn’t completely given up. I must have unconsciously worn a desperate expression, as Lord Kalph quickly shook his head.

“It feels like I’ve seen you somewhere, but I can’t pinpoint it. It doesn’t seem like someone I’ve personally met. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be this unsure.”

“Ah…”

“I’m sorry I can’t provide a definite answer. We’re already looking into your lineage. Once you awaken, it will narrow down the investigation significantly.”

“It’s alright. You don’t need to worry too much about it.”

Lord Kalph looked at me intently. I wondered if I had done something wrong and retraced my actions in my mind. Just then, a hand gently pulled me into a light embrace.

“You’ve worked hard. Thank you for growing up well.”

The unexpected hug left me stiff, and his words made me swallow hard. As we pulled apart, his face had softened.

Just like with Serige, it was clear they saw me as a much younger kid. Their proud and affectionate gaze made my fingertips tingle. Strangely, I didn’t dislike it.

* * *

Later, I discovered that the place I had arrived at wasn’t the Clonne residence but merely the path leading to it. The residence itself was heavily guarded, requiring special conditions to enter.

“I’ll show you how to get inside.”

Lord Kalph led me to a small clearing in a corner. Unlike the lush surroundings, this spot had dry, patchy ground with scattered rocks. He pointed to the rocks.

“See those over there? Remember them well. They act like signposts guiding you to the residence.”

This part of the explanation made sense to me, but the next part was puzzling.

“After circling around the second rock from the left, stand with your back to it and take four steps forward. Then take seven steps to the right.”

“…What?”

“I know it sounds bizarre, but just try it. You’ll understand once you do.”

Despite the cryptic instructions, his serious gaze convinced me he wasn’t joking. I nodded in agreement.

“What about the stride length?”

“It doesn’t matter. Just follow the sequence, and you’ll end up in front of a puddle. Then you need to jump over it.”

A puddle? I looked around but saw only the dry, dirt ground in front of me. If the puddle was just a few steps away, it should have been visible, but there wasn’t a single sign of water anywhere. Bewildered, I glanced back at Lord Kalph, but he only urged me on with his eyes. I had no choice but to proceed. Thankfully, the sequence itself wasn’t complicated, so I felt confident following it.

‘Circle the rock once, stand with your back to it, take four steps forward, then seven steps to the right.’

As I completed the specified steps, something remarkable happened: a small puddle appeared exactly where my last step landed. I hadn’t seen it just moments before, and the unexpected sight made me hold my breath involuntarily.

When I turned around, Lord Kalph was nowhere to be seen. The surrounding landscape felt subtly different from before. I couldn’t quite grasp what had changed, but it was clear I was in a different space than just moments ago.

‘…The last step is to jump over the puddle.’

Calming my anxious heart, I leaped over the puddle. Suddenly, brilliant sunlight poured in, nearly blinding me. I reflexively closed my eyes.

When I reopened them, a completely different scene lay before me. The first thing that caught my eye was a deep blue lake. The water was so clear and blue that it seemed to embrace the sunny clouds, its surface shimmering gently. Surrounding the lake was a lush, dense forest, vibrant in various shades of green. It was a breathtakingly beautiful and peaceful landscape.

“Quite impressive, isn’t it?”

Startled, I turned toward the voice. Lord Kalph stood behind me, smiling, though I had no idea when he had arrived.

“You look quite surprised. This must be an unfamiliar type of magic for you, coming from Seoryeong.”

“Is this different from magic?”

“The principle is similar, but the usage and mastery are different. Anyway, welcome to the real Clonne village. This place is more of a temporary residence but, once you get used to living here, we’ll take you to the main residence.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“No need to thank me. Come on, follow me. I’ll introduce you to the family you’ll be living with from now on.”