Ch.49Fairy Forest

Why does magic lose its power in the Fairy Forest? It was a question I had from the beginning. The moment I entered the forest, I understood why.

‘The mana disperses…’

To be precise, the mana that flowed out of my body scattered. This meant it was impossible to spread mana outside my body to widen my detection range.

“What an unpleasant place.”

“You speak true. It is most unpleasant for mages.”

Most unpleasant indeed. If I, a swordsman, felt this way, how must it feel for mages? Unlike knights, mages were those who summoned mana outside their bodies to create the power of mysteries.

One could say that such mages and the Fairy Forest were completely incompatible.

Seaerin simultaneously had another concern. Her two companions were also mages. She worried whether these two would be of any help in the Fairy Forest, where they couldn’t demonstrate their full abilities.

Perhaps sensing her gaze, Shave, who was walking ahead, spoke up.

“If Envy and I were like ordinary mages, we wouldn’t have volunteered for this mission.”

Unlike other mages, Shave and Envy weren’t affected by the Fairy Forest. This was thanks to their innate blessing.

[Flow of Mystery]

This was the blessing Shave and Envy were born with. It was a blessing that ensured their magic would never fail, no matter what.

‘It’s not particularly helpful under normal circumstances…’

Shave smiled self-deprecatingly. The study of magic was truly unfair. One’s growth limit was clearly determined by innate talent and blessings.

Skilled mages could complete a spell even if they made mistakes during casting. They could modify formulas on the spot and guide the flow of mana to somehow complete the spell.

Sometimes they would even break established formulas to increase power. For mages above a certain level, the blessing [Flow of Mystery] was essentially useless.

But now that blessing had found its use. Shave didn’t bother explaining his and Envy’s circumstances further.

The Fairy Forest was a space completely detached from ordinary regions. A storm of mana swirling from within the forest had severed the space, creating an independent ecosystem.

‘The shape of the trees…’

When one thinks of trees, one typically imagines forms that grow straight and tall toward the sky. However, it was hard to find such straight forms in this forest. All were curved left or right, or in extreme cases, grew as if coiling around themselves.

As Seaerin traversed the forest, she recalled information about their target. Name: Kenny. Age: 16. He had entered the Magic Tower last year. Until then, Kenny hadn’t been a particularly outstanding mage.

Seaerin cut through the tough grass blocking her path and asked:

“I heard that this reincarnator… this Kenny fellow built an independent magic system. Is it possible that his magic can be used in this Fairy Forest?”

“The Magic Tower believes so with high probability. As soon as his identity as a reincarnator was discovered, he fled into this forest without a moment’s hesitation.”

Seaerin primarily conversed with Shave. Occasionally Envy would address her, but Seaerin deliberately didn’t respond.

Starting a conversation with someone who harbors negative feelings often leads to conflict. She didn’t want to make enemies in a dangerous place.

Reincarnators typically retain the knowledge of their previous lives. Kenny had fled into the Fairy Forest without hesitation, despite it being a region where ordinary mages would struggle to survive. As the Magic Tower suspected, there was a high probability he could use magic here.

‘I must not lower my guard.’

I couldn’t spread mana to widen my detection range. In this place, all I could rely on was my beast-like instinct. It wasn’t difficult. Just like when I roamed the snowy mountains, I needed to see, hear, taste, and feel everything around me.

As they were crossing the forest, the three encountered a small obstacle. A sudden dense wall of trees blocked their path.

“Oh my…”

“Wow…”

Shave and Envy wore dismayed expressions. Seaerin asked them:

“Is it possible to climb the trees?”

“If they were ordinary trees, we could climb them, but… that would be too difficult.”

“It’s impossible for me too…”

Seaerin nodded at their responses. Unlike knights, mages hardly train their bodies. They spend their lives studying at desks.

It was natural they couldn’t easily climb trees that appeared to be several meters tall.

“Let’s find another way.”

“That would be best.”

Seaerin walked along the tree wall, her eyes constantly moving. The dark soil beneath, the undergrowth bathed in a soft glow, trees bearing luminous fruits, and the sky where blue mana swirled—she observed it all.

It was an effort to find traces of the reincarnator, but there was no particular discovery.

Before long, the three found a means to cross the tree wall. Beside the densely grown tree wall, huge mushrooms had sprouted up.

At a glance, they seemed usable as footholds. Seaerin immediately suggested:

“We could use them as stairs… would that work for you?”

“Hmm… I could climb to that height, but I’m worried about the spores those mushrooms might release.”

It was certainly a valid concern. Seaerin walked past the hesitant pair toward the giant mushrooms.

“What are you doing…?”

“Hey! Didn’t you hear it might be dangerous? What if they’re poisonous…!”

Seaerin sniffed the air. Mushrooms typically have their distinctive scent. Even with different types and sizes, that peculiarly damp smell remains consistent.

‘This isn’t a mushroom.’

In that sense, what grew beside the tree wasn’t a mushroom. Seaerin gently extended her sword to tap the cap of the mushroom.

With a thud, the blade sank deep. It wasn’t soft but hard. And no spores fell.

“It’s not a mushroom. It’s something… that looks like a mushroom…”

“Is that true…?”

It was true. Seaerin reached out to touch the mushroom-shaped object. The texture felt through her fingertips wasn’t much different from any ordinary tree.

Hard and rough. If cut and processed, it could make quite good furniture.

“It really isn’t a mushroom.”

“Strange… this doesn’t seem like a place where common sense applies…”

As Envy said, the Fairy Forest wasn’t a place where common sense applied. Birds that should fly used their wings to crawl on the ground, and creatures that looked like a mix of fish and insects flapped their wing-fins to fly through the sky.

Now it was time for humans to climb trees using giant mushrooms. Seaerin went ahead, lightly jumping up.

“Let’s climb.”

“You… move quite nimbly…”

“H-how does she move like that…?”

Envy and Shave awkwardly made their way onto the giant mushrooms. It looked a bit concerning, but they seemed capable of following.

Seaerin had to leap across the giant mushrooms while swinging her sword. This was because unidentified monsters occasionally rushed in to attack the group.

Envy and Shave weren’t just receiving help either. The two used magic with short incantations, waving small wands. Monsters hit by blue lightning and giant fireballs perished instantly.

Observing their magic, Seaerin estimated her chances of victory if she were to fight mages. Their magic was powerful, but it took time to prepare.

In a one-on-one confrontation, victory would be certain.

‘If there are variables, it might be different…’

What if someone was protecting the mage? She pondered this as she leaped between mushrooms.

‘Tricky…’

This was a battle with a reincarnator. All variables had to be considered. Seaerin thought ceaselessly.

Leading the way, Seaerin naturally reached the top of the trees. Standing on a long branch after leaping over giant mushroom footholds, she stared blankly at the scene before her.

“Huh…”

The sense of spatial distance was distorted. Beyond the massive tree wall lay another forest. Shave and Envy, who arrived shortly after, had similar reactions.

“H-how can there be such a vast space…?”

“Are we lost…?”

Seaerin frowned. Before entering, she had confirmed the forest’s size with her own eyes. The Fairy Forest wasn’t this vast.

“We should probably turn back. If it’s this vast, tracking with just us would be impossible. It would be better to return and request support…”

Shave wasn’t wrong. Seaerin was nodding and about to turn around when something caught her eye—a strange fluttering at the edge of her vision.

“That’s…”

She hadn’t seen wrong. Seaerin immediately jumped down from the tree.

“Hey! Where are you going?”

“Hey!”

The girl’s cloak fluttered behind her as she lightly descended. Seaerin landed on a straight branch as she fell.

The thick branch wobbled precariously but stably supported Seaerin’s weight.

*Swish*

Seaerin grasped a piece of cloth hanging from the end of the branch. It was clearly a human trace. There was also a scent left behind.

*Sniff sniff*

Seaerin’s exceptional sense of smell tracked the scent floating in the air. The reincarnator wasn’t far away.