In a certain part of the deep forest, there was a figure leaning against a large zelkova tree, which forest keepers often used as a point of reference.
She looked as if she were waiting for someone, resembling a merchant in an alley preparing for a clandestine transaction.
As someone approached, she lifted her sunglasses slightly, surveyed her surroundings, and asked,
“Is the item ready?”
The voice belonged to Sorbi, whose tone was low but carried an oddly lighthearted quality.
Although she often spoke in a serious manner, her voice still had the mischief of a tomboy that seemed unchanged.
The figure responding to her was none other than Daphne.
“…You really went through all this trouble just to get that?”
“If you don’t want to, feel free to back out. I won’t be disappointed at all.”
“Oh, no. I’m not saying I don’t want to…”
Daphne hurriedly grabbed Sorbi.
Yes, what was urgent right now wasn’t her; it was just that she had dozed off at the worst moment…
Daphne originally wasn’t particularly suited for physical labor.
She wasn’t one of those frontline forest keepers, merely a desk worker.
Though she sometimes assisted Yerna as a guide, it was limited to tasks like report writing and patrol support.
Although she had spent a long time in the forest, she was not particularly akin to other forest keepers, let alone a quasi-superhuman.
So, falling asleep while fixing the flowerbed was somewhat inevitable.
However…
“Alright, the item is confirmed!”
“…”
Sorbi smiled as she looked at the vial Daphne produced.
It was none other than the beauty potion from ‘Bibiden,’ which every woman desired.
Named after the witch “Bibiden,” who devoted her life to alchemy to enhance her appearance since she was unhappy with it, the brand was well-known for its cosmetics.
As the name suggested, the cosmetics made by ‘Bibiden’ were all powerful beauty potions imbued with magic.
Among them, the ‘Oasis Dream’ series was said to be the most reliable.
If taken consistently, it promised skin whitening, wrinkle improvement, and trouble prevention… supposedly packed with all sorts of beneficial properties.
They claimed that with this cosmetic, one could appear several years younger, and it was not a lie.
Numerous user reviews confirmed this.
Slightly exaggerated, one might say it was akin to plastic surgery.
But due to its remarkable efficacy, obtaining it was like plucking stars from the sky.
The moment it went on sale, it was sold out within a minute, and the stock was always insufficient.
Of course, that was because it used rare ingredients.
In fact, Sorbi had been keeping an eye on Daphne ever since she mentioned getting her hands on this cosmetic.
She said she received it as a gift from her younger sibling, and Sorbi wondered why she didn’t have a sibling who would gift her something so precious.
And how could Daphne receive such a rare item and never use it?
If ‘Oasis Dream’ had eyes, it would be crying, truly.
Indeed, Sorbi’s words of ‘not being disappointed’ were a lie.
“Okay then, let’s trade right away!”
“…Wait, let me see my item first.”
“Of course, hehehe.”
Sorbi grinned wickedly, her eyes curving like crescent moons.
It seemed she had really gotten into her role.
Perhaps she had watched a noir film recently.
But that was irrelevant.
The item Sorbi carefully pulled out was…
A photo of Luke wearing a floral crown and wandering the night forest.
“Is the item confirmed? Isn’t it just adorable?”
“Sigh… it really is.”
Yes, it was something she couldn’t deny.
Luke, wearing a floral crown, walking under the moonlight surrounded by fireflies, looked no different from a young goddess.
Even though it was nighttime and the lighting wasn’t great, the atmosphere was enhanced by the moonlight reflected on the lakeside, where fireflies danced.
“What on earth was this taken with?”
Daphne knew full well that Luke wouldn’t smile like this in front of Sorbi’s camera anymore.
For reasons unknown, it seemed like Luke had quite a bit of resentment towards Sorbi.
So, Daphne couldn’t help but be curious.
In response to Daphne’s question, Sorbi continued her impression of a wicked merchant in a teasing voice.
“I captured this with a specialized magical camera while sitting by the lakeside talking to Yerna! What do you think? Does it please the customer?”
Indeed, it was strikingly clear; it didn’t look like it was taken with a cell phone at all.
“…Right. It’s very clearly taken.”
“It was taken with a magnification of a hundred times.”
With that, Sorbi grinned.
Luke had recently become very conscious of his surroundings, so whenever Sorbi attempted to take a photo, he would hide his face completely, making it hard to capture a shot.
With magnification akin to that of a telescope, and even if he disliked exercise, Sorbi, being a forest keeper, went unnoticed by Luke as she remained hidden in the trees.
“In the past, he would even pose for me to take photos; it’s so difficult now.”
Now, one had to act as if they were a member of the ‘Black Eagle’ guild to snap just one picture.
If she had known this would happen, she should have taken a bunch of photos earlier.
“…”
Then, Daphne slightly trembled at the thought of Sorbi’s ever-improving paparazzi skills.
She couldn’t really blame her.
After all, she herself was quite similar in wanting to capture everything needed at this moment.
Perhaps it was indeed Luke’s fault for being so adorable.
—–
The morning sunlight that peeked through the curtain of the window illuminated the floral crown hanging on the door like a decoration for the Spirit Festival.
It could have lost its vitality since it was made yesterday, but the floral crown remained beautiful.
Perhaps it was due to the preservation magic cast upon it.
In contrast, the flower ring that had been worn on Yerna’s left ring finger was already wilting.
It had run out of its lifespan due to the enchantment.
However, Yerna, unaware of that fact, could only feel regret.
It seemed she hadn’t expected it to wilt so soon.
“Yawn…”
Luke stretched groggily before getting out of bed.
It seemed that sleeping in a proper posture each time left him feeling somewhat stiff.
Well, it wasn’t actually stiff, but psychologically, it did feel that way.
Anyway, following his instincts, he sprawled out, stretching his arms, tucking in his waist, and extending his tail in an exceedingly cat-like manner before finally feeling his body free.
What a refreshing feeling.
‘Alright, shall I start meditating after a long time?’
Having refrained from absorbing magic to a great extent, the abundant magic of Luke Forest felt wonderful.
Moreover, it was a forest that shared his name. Didn’t it feel special?
It felt like a comfortable return to his hometown.
‘Perhaps it’s because it’s the place where I first opened my eyes, or because it’s genuinely related to ‘Luke Irus’.’
According to the ‘search’, the origin of the name Luke Forest was indeed derived from his name, ‘Luke Irus’.
While the exact story intertwined with it wasn’t provided, it seemed that ‘Luke Irus’ had disappeared from the Material Plane last while in this forest, hence the naming.
The end of ‘Luke Irus’…
Certainly, at the end, he had entered an unnamed forest by himself.
But what he did there was just frustratingly impossible to recall.
Whether he hadn’t received the memories entirely or whether they were erased, if they had been erased, then who and why?
If he had been involved, there are only two suspects.
God, or Renie Arinseia.
When one thought it through, it might just be one entity.
The God and the saint Renie are almost identical in magical or theological terms.
The difference lies in which one exists in the Material Plane…
Tap, tap, tap.
“Hmm?”
Suddenly interrupted by a noise that disrupted his meditation and thoughts, Luke opened his eyes and looked towards the window where the sound originated.
Through the window, he saw a familiar figure, and Luke jumped up and shouted.
“Ah! Py, you’re back!”
– I’m here, Ereh! You called me with fireflies again, didn’t you?
“Where have you been all this time? I was worried!”
– I had a lot of fun! It was enjoyable! Um… anyway, there was a lot!
Py danced excitedly for a while.
Although he wanted to explain what he had been doing, perhaps due to the overwhelming emotions accumulated during that time, Luke’s spirit language had achieved a certain level of proficiency, but he couldn’t comprehend the tangled emotions mixed with Py.
“Right, right. I’ll listen to your adventure stories slowly. Come in quickly.”
As Luke opened the window, Py flew in, and Luke spoke.
“Py, isn’t there something you should say upon returning?”
– ‘I’m back!’
Py’s words were clear human language.
It felt rewarding to have taught him.
“Really well done, welcome back, Py.”
– Yes! Ereh!
“…You keep calling me that again. What exactly is ‘Ereh’?”
Py paused for a moment, looking at Luke’s face before turning around and saying.
– Ereh is Ereh!
“Why do you keep saying such riddle-like things…”
Somehow, this felt oddly familiar.
——
On their way back after finishing the clandestine deal, Sorbi and Daphne discovered a strange trace.
Petals, unnaturally torn, as if scattered by the wind, laid in one place.
It was something anybody would find peculiar.
Moreover, what was most unusual were the footprints left in the area.
The damp soil after the rain easily retained footprints.
As a result, the shape of the footprints was remarkably clear.
And the footprints in the soil looked as if they had been made bare-footedly, leaving light imprints.
It was extremely unnatural.
“This is…”
Daphne slightly bent down to lift the badly shredded petals.
The scattered flower petals looked somewhat familiar.
It made sense…
“It seems like the magical herbs that Luke cultivated in the flowerbed.”
Sorbi clicked pictures as if wanting to leave evidence.
Daphne was slightly taken aback by the sight.
‘Sorbi isn’t usually this meticulous…’
It seemed like she was thinking to capture everything worth taking a picture of.
Perhaps so.
It was indeed necessary to take pictures at this moment.
Daphne turned her gaze back to the scene.
To wander barefoot in such a forest was no small matter, and judging by the size of the footprints, it seemed to belong to a child.
Probably a young child around the same age as Luke.
“…Did Luke go wandering barefoot?”
“No way.”
She hadn’t seen Luke take off his boots.
He probably wouldn’t have intentionally walked barefoot on the dirt either.
He really enjoyed walking on muddy ground in his boots.
“…Somehow, I think we have to follow this.”
