The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 69

Even while on the escort journey, Talis didn’t neglect his duties as an instructor. He had thoughtfully prepared a list of daily training tasks for me to follow in his absence. The tasks were simple but substantial enough to take up nearly all my time. As a result, I stayed busy and didn’t have time to feel bored even when alone.

Every now and then, Kalph or others with some free time would drop by to check on me. Initially, I felt embarrassed, but over time, the frequent visits made me accustomed to their presence. Eventually, I didn’t mind the watchful eyes anymore. However, today’s observer was someone I hadn’t expected.

“…”

“…”

The intense gaze piercing through me made my skin prickle with sweat. I tried to ignore it, but the prolonged silent scrutiny compelled me to say something. Succumbing to the pressure, I finally lifted my head.

“Uh…”

“What? Are you done with your training?”

The pink eyes that had been silently observing me lit up, and the previously sullen face brightened instantly. I had never underestimated the impact of appearance, but I’d never felt it so acutely as now. I almost let out a laugh and quickly covered my mouth.

“No, it’s just that… I thought you were assigned to escort the Nina race?”

He caught the meaning behind my question—what are you doing here?—surprisingly quickly. Syran furrowed his brows slightly and replied curtly.

“I’m on a break.”

“Shouldn’t you be resting, then?”

“…? I am resting.”

I wanted to ask why his idea of resting involved watching me, but I refrained. It was undoubtedly a type of behavior I wouldn’t understand.

“What’s wrong? Is my presence bothering you?”

Syran’s expression became more sullen. While it wasn’t exactly false, I couldn’t just bluntly agree.

“No, it’s not that. I just thought that if Lord Syran were away for too long, the others might feel uneasy.”

“Tch, they’re not children. They’ll be fine without me for a few hours. If anything happens, Reta can open a portal.”

That explained how he could be here despite being on an escort mission. However, his reason for going to such lengths to visit me remained unclear.

“But aren’t you going to continue your training?”

“I was planning to take a short break.”

“Alright then, drink this.”

He approached me with a cup in hand, the familiar milky-white liquid sloshing inside.

“Is this Anima?”

“Yeah, it is!”

Syran’s eyes sparkled.

“Lord Kalph already gave me some before.”

“I know. How stingy.”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing. Anyway, you can drink more Anima. The more you drink, the better it is. Or do you not want what I’m offering?”

“…No, of course not. I’m grateful for it.”

“Good!”

His face, which had been subtly tense, brightened again. Was he here just to give me this? As I drank, I couldn’t quite understand the situation.

Initially, I knew nothing about Anima, but now I understand its significance. Anima was life energy condensed into liquid form. Sharing it had to put a strain on the giver’s body; it wasn’t something done lightly.

Typically, Clonne only shared it with their own children. For Syran to go out of his way to give it to me was puzzling. Was it a sense of responsibility as a Knight? That seemed to be the only plausible explanation.

“Have you received any from Aska too?”

“No, I haven’t received any from him.”

“I knew it. He acts like he’s taking care of everything but ends up just showing off. See? I’m better than him, right? I should have been the Second Knight.”

It seemed like a sense of responsibility. Using life energy just to take care of another Aesang seemed excessive, but I didn’t voice that thought.

“Make sure to ask Aska for some later too, and tell him he’s last.”

“Well, I think what I’ve received from both of you is already enough…”

“No, it’s far from enough. Anima is most effective when it comes from your own father.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. At the very least, it should come from the same type of tree. But you don’t meet either condition. So you need to get it from the highest-ranked ones available! Especially you…”

“…?”

“…Nothing.”

It felt like he had more to say, but then he stopped. I watched him curiously, but he just bit his lip, hesitating to continue. His frequent glances made it hard to ignore his hesitation. Finally, I decided to prompt him.

“You can speak freely.”

“What?”

“Don’t you have something you want to tell me?”

That was probably his reason for seeking me out. Syran widened his eyes and bit his lip again.

“…You really don’t resemble him at all.”

“Excuse me?”

“You really don’t look like him at all.”

It wasn’t hard to guess what he meant. My heart began to beat faster. Did he suspect someone might be my father? Or, judging by his reaction, was he almost certain?

“Do you really know nothing about your father? Have you ever even heard his name? Why didn’t your mother tell you anything? This wasn’t just a one-night stand! She must have known he was a Clonne! She should have at least told you who he was!”

“…How do you know all this? Do you know who my father is?”

“I don’t know either! But it keeps feeling like you resemble him!”

“Just a moment ago, you said I didn’t resemble him…”

“Exactly! You really don’t look like him at all! But somehow, you still feel like you do!”

I had no idea what point he was trying to make. The hope that had bubbled up within me quickly deflated. Unable to follow the conversation, I blinked in confusion.

“Alright, that’s enough.”

At that moment, an all-too-familiar voice cut in. Kalph stood there, arms crossed and smiling like a ghost. Syran’s face paled instantly.

“Syran, what are you doing here?”

“Uh, I’m on a break.”

“Break, my ass. There’s no break in an escort mission. Do ambushes announce themselves beforehand? If you’re going to rest, do it there, not here, messing with the kid’s training. Do you want to die?”

A bone-cracking sound emanated from Kalph’s interlaced fingers. Syran hesitantly backed away and hid behind me.

“I—I wasn’t a distraction! Sei said he was taking a break, so I just talked to him! And I gave him Anima!”

“An escort on a mission returns suddenly to watch? How’s the kid supposed to focus on training? You could’ve given him Anima after finishing your mission! Why are you boasting as if you did something praiseworthy? And didn’t I tell you not to fill his head with nonsense? Get over here now! Now!”

“No! If I go, you’ll scold me!”

“Then why do things that deserve scolding?”

The commotion finally ended when Kalph managed to grab Syran by the scruff of his neck. With Syran subdued, Kalph sighed deeply and apologized to me.

“Sorry about that. This guy must have been a nuisance.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Don’t pay too much attention to what this guy said earlier. We’ve narrowed down a few candidates while trying to figure out who your father might be, but nothing is certain yet. He just jumped to conclusions prematurely. At this point, we don’t know anything for sure.”

“Oh… I see. It felt that way.”

“Sorry we can’t give you a definite answer yet. But it’s better than giving you false hopes.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Not knowing anything had been a much more hopeless state. So, I nodded, but Kalph’s expression remained troubled. He sighed and smacked Syran on the head.

“Syran, you need to reflect on your actions!”

“Ouch! That hurts!”

“It’s supposed to! If you don’t want to be scolded, stop causing trouble!”

Suddenly, a pleasant fragrance filled the air, reminding me of a field of blooming flowers. It took me a moment to realize the scent was coming from the two knights. I must have been staring too obviously because both of them gave me puzzled looks.

“Why are you looking at us like that?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just… the scent is nice.”

“Ah.”

Kalph rubbed the back of his head, bashful. In contrast, Syran looked quite pleased. Their different reactions made me smile.

“I think you mentioned Lord Kalph that you are a Juniper tree, but what tree are you, Lord Syran?”

“Me? I’m a Hydrangea.”

It was a somewhat surprising answer. Hydrangeas are undoubtedly beautiful but are not particularly known for their strong scent. The hydrangea perfumes available in stores are usually concocted by perfumers; the actual flower is nearly scentless.

“Why? Is it weird for a Hydrangea to be a Knight?”

It seemed Syran had immediately understood my puzzlement and asked with a hint of annoyance. It must be a reaction he has encountered many times. His life probably wasn’t as straightforward as it appeared.

“No, I just thought it was a beautiful tree.”

Syran’s eyes widened in surprise, and then he gave a broad smile. It seemed to be the right answer. Though I hadn’t anticipated him pulling me into a tight hug around my waist.

“I knew I was right. It can’t be anything else.”

For a moment, I was unsure how to respond to his affectionate tone.

“Syran, seriously, enough.”

Fortunately, Kalph grabbed Syran by the scruff of his neck and pulled him back, sparing me from prolonged awkwardness. But Kalph’s expression also turned thoughtful. His eyes lingered on me, as if he were chasing a fleeting thought, then quickly looked away.