Chapter 23: A First Glimpse of the Sacred Tree
As the sun rose, Maggie and Baggs awoke. Abyss and his companions had been chatting, then switched to their telepathic link later in the night, discussing their plans, then simply enjoying each other’s company, their conversation flowing freely. The peace they had found, after defeating the Lord of Nightmares, was precious. And the forest, bathed in moonlight, was beautiful. They finally had a chance to relax.
They had a mission, but even heroes needed a break.
“Ah… That was a good sleep. I’m exhausted after running around the Ossi Kingdom. I haven’t had a proper rest in days,” Baggs said, still in his cat form, stretching languidly, his paws extended.
“Master, you haven’t been working that hard. We were only in Ossi for a few days, and I had to stop you from visiting brothels four times,” Maggie said, looking at him disapprovingly. “I know you can get free… services in your cat form, but you should choose your moments! I was the one doing all the work, gathering information!”
“An old man like me can’t compete with a youthful, beautiful girl like you,” Baggs said, not the least bit ashamed. “And besides, my visits to those establishments weren’t for personal pleasure. The wild women of Ossi have a certain… charm. Wood Elves are too petite, Dark Elves too tall, Gray Elves are beyond my reach, and Light Elves don’t usually like old men. Human women are the best…”
“Keep your dating advice to yourself. I’m not interested,” Maggie said, interrupting him, then turned to Abyss. “Why are you all awake so early? Did you sleep well? I had a wonderful dream. I don’t remember the details, but it was pleasant. If you’re interested, I can tell you about another dream I had. It was a hot summer night, and I was naked in a tree, covered by a large leaf…”
“We didn’t sleep. We were chatting,” Rebecca said, interrupting Maggie’s story before it could get too graphic.
“You didn’t sleep?” Baggs asked, his cat ears perking up, his eyes gleaming. “Mr. Belator is truly a man of vigor. I anticipated this, so I covered my ears while sleeping. I didn’t want to disturb your… intimate conversations with these beautiful ladies,” he said, folding his ears flat against his head, as if demonstrating his ability to block out sounds.
The three girls realized he hadn’t heard the second part of Rebecca’s sentence. Only Abyss, his face adorned with his usual vacant smile, seemed oblivious.
“I slept too soundly!” Maggie exclaimed, slapping her forehead in frustration. “Sister Flora, can you teach me about… that? I’m so curious! Can four people really have three times the fun?”
“Why me…?” Flora asked, blushing, waving her hands. “We were just… talking…”
“Mr. Belator, do you use your mouth during those late-night conversations?” Maggie asked, hopping over to Abyss, her eyes wide with curiosity.
Abyss thought for a moment, remembering their initial verbal exchange before switching to telepathy. “You mean last night? Well… of course we use our mouths. We all do,” he said.
“That’s so exciting! I’ll try it when I get married! Oh, wait, Wood Elves are monogamous,” Maggie said, hopping around excitedly.
The three girls wanted to silence Abyss, his innocent yet suggestive words infuriating them.
“Perhaps we should get going. Are you hungry?” Rebecca asked, trying to change the subject.
“I am a bit hungry, but we don’t need to eat now,” Maggie said. “We’ll reach the sacred tree soon, and the Druid council is nearby. We can eat there.”
…
They continued their journey. Maggie was right. After about an hour, they crested a hill, and a massive tree appeared in the distance.
Only its crown was visible, but even that was enough to convey its immense size. Abyss estimated its base must be as large as a medium-sized city. And the surrounding mana density was incredibly high, amplifying magic, making it an ideal location for training—although it wouldn’t benefit Abyss much. His mana reserves were already immense.
“That’s our sacred tree! The area around it is called Keshel, which means ‘shade’ in Elvish,” Maggie said, standing up on East Wind’s back, her balance impeccable. “Isn’t it beautiful? It’s a shame you haven’t visited before, Mr. Belator, even though you’re a Druid. You must visit the council! It’s a wonderful place for Druids! All the core members live in the tree!”
“The sacred tree isn’t looking very healthy,” Baggs said from Abyss’s shoulder. “Normally, in spring, it blooms beautiful flowers, their colorful petals, rich in magic, not just a beautiful sight, but also valuable alchemical ingredients. But it hasn’t bloomed this year. That’s not a good sign.”
Rebecca nodded. The genius Druid Agnes had died five years ago, and the sacred tree had begun growing rapidly and blooming shortly after her death. It was said that Agnes, knowing she wouldn’t survive her final mission, had transferred a portion of her power to the tree, a gift to future generations. The flowers it produced had unique magical properties, replacing several rare ingredients, enhancing the potency of potions. Rebecca still had some stored in her laboratory.
Perhaps if they helped the Druids, she could acquire more of these precious flowers.
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