The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 54

After walking a bit following Lord Kalph, we soon came upon what looked like a residential area. Most of the houses were made of brick, but interestingly, many had glass-facade fronts and roofs. Regardless of anything else, they seemed to have excellent natural lighting. In the Empire, this kind of architecture was usually reserved for greenhouses, and the reasoning likely wasn’t much different here.

‘They did say something about plants.’

Perhaps because it was more practical, this felt more real than seeing any wondrous abilities. It made me feel like I had truly stepped into a different world.

We arrived at a small square positioned in the center of the residential area. A group of people gathered there noticed our approach and stood up. Some of their faces looked familiar. They were the ones who had earlier detained and taken Rikase.

“Lord Kalph!”

“You’re here, Lord Kalph!”

“Is that kid behind you…?”

Everyone’s curious gazes turned toward me. Lord Kalph, with a broad smile, led me before them.

“Have you all been waiting long? Now, everyone, greet the new arrival. This is the Aesang that Serige discovered and brought back.”

“Wow! Really?”

“How long has it been since the last Aesang? Nearly fifty years, right?”

“I’ve never seen one in my life!”

Expressions of amazement and cheers erupted all around me. Being the center of attention was unfamiliar, causing a cold sweat to break out on my brow. Almost instinctively, I looked at Lord Kalph, who met my gaze and nodded encouragingly, as if to reassure me not to be afraid and to introduce myself. Taking a deep breath, I spoke up.

“…Nice to meet you. I’m Sei. I look forward to getting along.”

Even I found my introduction rather unremarkable, but the people who approached didn’t seem to mind at all.

“Nice to meet you, Sei! I’m Roan of the Zelkova Tree.”

“I’m Escada of the Paulownia Tree. Please take care of me.”

“I’m Agenta of the Ginkgo Tree. Let’s be friends.”

“I am Irei of the Tulip Tree. Think of me as an older brother and feel at ease.”

“I’m Leto of the Oak Tree. Welcome to our home.”

From familiar to unfamiliar names, various types of trees were mentioned. Everyone seemed quite tall, perhaps a trait of their race. It was said that only men were among the Woodfolk, and indeed, I saw no sign of females.

There were about forty Clonne residents living here, most of them in the prime of their youth. They mentioned that their kind typically doesn’t live together unless it’s at their central home, so the settlement here in Seoryeong wasn’t very old. Of course, by their standards, ‘not that old’ still meant over a hundred years.

“You’ve probably heard, but Sei has always believed himself to be human. He’ll need a lot of help adapting to life here. It’s also time for his awakening, so make sure to take good care of him.'”

“Yes, don’t worry, Lord Kalph!”

“Leave it to us!”

The faces that cheerfully replied were full of kindness towards me. Perhaps being a small clan makes them naturally welcoming to new kin. There was no trace of the caution one might expect from those greeting a new member of their race. It was a starkly different atmosphere compared to when I first entered the ducal house after leaving my homeland, and I found it hard to adjust. Lord Kalph, who had been looking around, suddenly frowned.

“But why isn’t Syran here?”

“Oh, Lord Syran? He went to play in Dras Village earlier.”

“What? I told him we had a new family member coming.”

“He probably forgot.”

“Figures.”

Judging by the honorifics used by the others, this Syran person must also be a knight. Despite Lord Kalph’s scolding that they should have stopped him, the responses implied it wouldn’t have made a difference. Everyone seemed to treat this as a common occurrence. Lord Kalph let out a sigh and turned to me.

“Sorry, Sei. Syran is also a Knight like me, but he tends to be forgetful. I didn’t expect him to miss your welcoming. I’ll go fetch him.”

“Oh, there’s no need to trouble yourself…”

“No, it’s not okay with me. I’m going to fix his forgetfulness once and for all. I’ll be back soon, so talk with the kids while I’m gone. Reta! Connect the space to Dras Village now! You’re coming with me.”

“Yes, Lord Kalph!”

With a confident reply, someone stepped forward and quickly opened a spatial portal. He seemed to be the other Connector in the village. After the two disappeared, I felt a hand patting my shoulder. Turning around, I saw a man who smiled kindly as our eyes met.

“Lord Kalph might take a while. Standing around will make your legs tired, so let’s sit over here and wait.”

“Oh, yes. Thank you.”

I think his name was Irei from the Tulip Tree. He had soft, gentle features with hair lightly draping down to his ears. His bright yellow eyes, with a dark orange ring around the iris, resembled flower petals.

Following his lead, I walked over and sat on a flat rock. The others naturally took seats around me.

“I heard about it. You and Rikase nearly got into serious trouble, right? Did you get trapped inside again?”

“Ah, the exit closed too quickly…”

“Oh dear, that’s because it was linked over a long distance in one go. Reta tends to connect things hastily, and Rikase tries to do the same.”

“He’s always been competitive with Reta since they were kids. Even if they’re both Connectors, the difference in their abilities must hurt his pride.”

“What can you do about it? It’s like the difference between a rhinoceros beetle and a longhorn beetle.”

“Never say that to Rikase. He’ll write it down in his Book of Grudges. Don’t you know he records every slight in there?”

“But it’s true, isn’t it? A rhinoceros beetle and a longhorn beetle.”

Apparently, Reta’s guardian looked like a rhinoceros beetle. I thought they were both insects, but the distinction seemed to carry significant weight here, judging by their serious expressions.

“Was he really locked in the warehouse?”

“Oh, Rikase? Well, yes. It was Lord Kalph’s direct order, after all.”

“But as a Connector, can’t he get out on his own?”

“It’s possible, but he won’t do it. If Lord Kalph really gets mad, it’ll be a big problem. Still, he’ll probably let him out after a day or so. Maybe even sooner; Lord Kalph has a soft spot.”

Even from a brief interaction, he didn’t seem to have an intimidating personality. Feeling relieved, I heard someone laughing. Turning towards the sound, I saw a handsome man. His appearance was striking, not only because of his looks but also his long curly hair and the elaborate, ornament-laden outfit he wore, giving off an unmistakably flamboyant aura.

It was a man. If I recall correctly, he was of the Maple Tree. His eyes were as red as autumn leaves.

“Before that, I should go give him a hard time. I ought to scare him into thinking he’ll be banished from Seoryeong.”

“Don’t, Talis. That timid guy might actually cry. He already has fits whenever he sees you.”

“Haha, you still don’t get it, do you? It’s fun to tease him because he cries.”

“Oh come on, can’t you consider the kid’s feelings? Do you really have to show off your bad personality on a first meeting?”

Despite Irei’s chiding, Talis just shrugged his shoulders without a hint of concern. Yet, he didn’t leave, indicating he might have abandoned his plan to tease Rikase. At that moment, our eyes met.

“What’s so interesting, newbie? You haven’t taken your eyes off me since earlier.”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“No worries. I understand. It’s only natural to be drawn to beauty. It’s hard not to stare when someone is as gorgeous as me. But don’t fall for me, okay? My heart belongs to Irei.”

“You maniac. Spouting nonsense again?”

Irei, with a contorted face, smacked the back of his head. A loud sound echoed, but Talis, seemingly used to it, remained unfazed.

“But I need to make things clear. You already have a lot of admirers, and we don’t need more rivals.”

“Cut the crap already! There are things you shouldn’t say in front of the newcomer!”

“Oh, so it’s okay to say when he’s not around? How about we step over there and have a Rated-R conversation?”

“Argh, seriously!”

I didn’t quite understand their relationship, but it was evident that Irei couldn’t outtalk Talis. As they continued to squabble, others intervened.

“Hey, quit it. Is this how you behave in front of the kid?”

“Seriously, not a day goes by without this. Sorry, Sei. They’re always like this.”

“You’ll need to get used to it if you’re going to live here.”

“Oh, it’s fine. So, are you two a couple?”

My question, asked without much thought, triggered laughter all around. It seemed I had misread the situation.

“No!” Irei shouted, his face flushing with irritation. But Talis’s eyes sparkled with delight. With the added light, his red eyes resembled maple leaves soaked with rain. Those eyes suddenly approached right in front of me.

“Your name is Sei? I kinda like you.”

“Oh, um, thank you…”

“Haha, you can’t hide that look of disgust, can you? You have a cute side the more I see you. I thought you’d be a total jerk since you’re so good-looking.”

“Why are you speaking ill of someone right to their face?”

“He just doesn’t know how to watch his words.”

Hearing the disgruntled comments from the others made me chuckle.

“It’s alright. I hear that a lot.”

“Really? You must have had a lot of unfair moments in your life.”

“Well, not really. I just act according to their misunderstandings.”

“…Oh.”

Talis seemed surprised by my answer. He blinked a few times and then burst into laughter.

“I really do like you.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It is a compliment. But are my eyes that fascinating?”

“Pardon?”

“You’ve been staring at them. At first, I thought you were looking at my face, but since our eyes keep meeting, you must be looking at my eyes, right?”

Without realizing it, my gaze had fixated on his eyes.