Three Brothers to the Great Forest
Summer break ends in about ten days, so Brother Chris and Brother Gerald will return to the capital. The three of us headed to the World Tree.
We plan to search for Cocotte nests on the way back.
This time, Kamuela, Levin, Luan, Lucia, Ciel, Cherry—every familiar under contract—came along.
Kamuela heard about the Cocotte nest search and told Grandfather he wants to join to train Levin. Luan asked Mother to let her train Lucia too.
Then Ciel and Cherry said if everyone’s going, they’re going. Full party in the Great Forest.
The familiars treat it like a picnic as they advance.
Well, with Ripka and Bianca’s families along, monsters keep their distance.
At the World Tree, we served the Alraune and Ripka and Bianca’s families the award-winning dishes bought from the exhibition for dinner.
They were thrilled to eat them again.
Next day, we hunt skeleton flowers. Green, yellow, orange, purple, lime, magenta, lemon—all faintly colored, reflecting sunlight. White is colorless.
“I hoped for a pearl-like sheen, but no luck.”
“Too bad about the color, but colorless ones will sell. Let’s take them.”
“Right.”
After collection, we sprinkle colored water elsewhere and return to the World Tree.
“Hardt, no Great Forest hot spring?”
“Why?”
“Want to hunt.”
The others: Ciel and Bianca flap wings wildly, Kamuela shoots lightning skyward, Bianca blasts cool wind magic at me.
Everyone needs to let loose.
I tell Brother Chris and Brother Gerald the kids want the hot spring because they’re still raring to go. They burst out laughing.
“But you’ll be in the Great Forest until the last minute before the capital.”
“With this strong lineup, we’ll reach the spring fast. Go for it.”
“Ripka and Bianca have nowhere to vent in the capital. Good chance.”
Not just them—everyone cooped up in the mansion wants to rampage in the Great Forest.
If it runs late, Cocotte nest search can wait.
From the next day, we head to the hot spring. Atre and the others slaughter monsters left and right; we just collect the kills.
“Every time, I wonder if this is really the deep Great Forest.”
“Look at the monsters—definitely deep.”
“But Ripka and Bianca have gotten strong.”
“This summer, they sparred with Atre and the others in the training ground.”
“Watching, it’s hard to call it play—intense combat.”
“They’re unscathed, so it’s play to them.”
The training ground after Atre’s “play” is pockmarked with craters; the restoration crew has a nightmare.
The Magic Division’s Commander Arcland says it’s good magic practice, that I don’t have to worry…
A year ago, the land blackened by Lucas’s curse is now overgrown with trees and grass, recovering well.
Bianca and Atre mow wide swaths with wind magic to clear paths; Ripka fells trees with fire magic.
Looks like they were treants.
“This area had those weird treants, right?”
“Yeah. Land’s recovering, so normal treants now.”
“This spot probably spawns treants easily.”
“Need caution next visit.”
We hunt treants and camp here.
Mages set defensive magic around the camp.
I offer to help; they say they’re bored, let us handle this much.
Morning, a mountain of monsters lies outside the barrier.
Ripka and Bianca’s families waited at the World Tree, so who did it? Ciel and Kamuela.
They yielded to the youngsters yesterday.
Ciel and Kamuela look pleased.
I ask Luan if Lucia’s training is going well. She trained her at the World Tree and outside the night barrier.
“Did Lucia pass?”
Her claws are still apparently too young.
Better invite them on future Great Forest trips.
Last year we met trolls, stayed alert, but reached the hot spring without incident. Atre and the others dive in, looking blissful.
We can’t bathe—monsters could attack anytime.
What do you think about this chapter?
