We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Do you like spirits?
I reached out towards a faintly glowing spirit and took one step off the path.
That was all it took.
However, by the time Camila realized that one small step would be a giant leap in the Dragon King’s Forest, it was already too late.
“Waaah, waah! What should I do? I’m lost!”
Mistral and her colleagues, who had been by her side just a moment ago, suddenly vanished from Camila’s sight. Instead, the deep forest stretched endlessly before her.
Thick foliage blocked the midday sun, which still held the heat of late summer. Yet, the forest as a whole was bright because the leaves, illuminated by sunlight, shone dazzlingly green, beautifully illuminating the ground.
However, deep within the forest, where visibility was good, there were no signs of her companions, let alone any presence.
The only non-natural entity in Camila’s sight was the faintly glowing spirit she had tried to touch.
“Wow, I’m lost, aren’t I? Is this your trap? Or was it unavoidable?”
As Camila reached out to the faintly glowing spirit, it flinched slightly and darted away as if to flee.
However, it soon closed the distance again. And so, the faintly glowing spirit drifted unstably around Camila.
Camila stared intently at the faintly glowing spirit, observing its movements.
When Camila reached out or looked in its direction, the faintly glowing spirit would shyly retreat as if frightened. Nevertheless, it would soon return to Camila’s side and drift around.
Camila knew from her past experiences that spirits varied in appearance and abilities when manifested, depending on their power.
“Ummm, is it okay? Spirits become greater spirits the closer they are to a human form?”
“Prisia, that explanation is insufficient.”
“Mmmph. Then Yunyun will explain for Prisia, okay?”
“Ahaha, Prisia just dumped the troublesome task on her older sister.”
“Good grief, you were the one who said you wanted to be the teacher and play. I can’t help it.”
The Mimicho Race, who aged slowly compared to humans, had a different difference between their physical and mental ages than humans, as the Shooting Stars residing in the Forbidden Territory learned through Prisia.
At the same time, they learned a great deal about spirits from Prisia and her guardian, Yun and Rin.
Therefore, Camila knew that the spirit drifting around her could not speak human language.
However, she also knew that even the lowest-ranking spirits could understand what was being said.
And she understood that all spirits had will, and that they possessed rich individuality through various thoughts and personalities.
“Wow. Do you perhaps think I’m angry? Even so, you’re worried about me and aren’t running away, are you?”
Because she was distracted by the faintly glowing spirit, Camila got lost in the Dragon King’s Forest. The spirit that caused it hovered around Camila.
However, it reacted as if startled by Camila’s movements, yet it stayed close as if worried.
Observing the faintly glowing spirit’s movements, Camila deduced its thoughts and personality, and came to that conclusion.
So, Camila smiled gently.
As if dispelling the spirit’s misfortune.
As if to show that she was not angry.
“It’s alright, you know? Because, look. Mist-sama said she would come to pick me up if I got separated, but she didn’t tell me to be careful because the forest is dangerous, right? So, I’m fine.”
Rather, if someone comes to pick me up, I can act with peace of mind, right? Camila said, with a smile that seemed quite childish for her age.
Then, as if her feelings were conveyed to the spirit, the spirit’s presence, which had seemed frightened and worried, softened.
The spirit drew even closer to Camila and began to drift happily.
“Waaah, waaaah!”
And Camila was surprised.
Until now, she had thought only one faintly glowing spirit was interacting with her, but now, one by one, several faintly glowing specks began to appear around her.
“I just couldn’t sense them, but there were many other spirits too, weren’t there?”
When Camila reached out, many spirits happily gathered around her this time.
“Wow, it’s getting livelier. Well then, let’s all go look for Mist-sama and the others together.”
In response to Camila’s words, a faintly glowing spirit gently landed on Camila’s outstretched palm.
She felt no heat or weight, but Camila could definitely feel a faint warmth of life.
The spirits cheerfully drifted around Camila.
Even if she were lost in the depths of the forest, she didn’t feel anxious or isolated with them.
And, sensing that the spirits seemed to intend to act with her, Camila fearlessly began to walk into the deep forest with the spirits.
“They’re twins.”
“Like Yufi and Nina.”
“Which one is the older sister?”
“Which one is the younger sister?”
Viletta and Vietta, the twin Shooting Stars.
They finally managed to get rid of the spirits that had snuck into their clothes, and just when they thought the puppy-like spirits had finally given up on trying to take off their Miko’s Attire.
The twin Shooting Stars, before they knew it, had become separated from their colleagues.
“Yufi-nee-sama, we’re already lost.”
“Nina, we’re already lost.”
Perhaps the only salvation for Viletta and Vietta was that it wasn’t just them who had fallen into the Bewildering Technique, but Yufilia and Nina as well.
Nevertheless, they were still lost in the Dragon King’s Forest, and the twin Shooting Stars looked around at their surroundings with unease.
Their sight was filled with numerous spirits, from intangible low-ranking spirits floating in the air to high-ranking spirits taking on forms the size of small children.
The spirits moved about freely.
Some spirits teased Yufilia and Nina, while others drifted as they pleased. And some spirits showed interest and approached Viletta and Vietta.
“Yufi and Nina are indistinguishable.”
“Can we distinguish these twins?”
It seemed that the spirits of the Dragon King’s Forest were deeply interested in the twins Valetta and Vaetta, who were familiar with Yufilia and Nina. The twin Shooting Stars deduced this.
“Fufufu. I am the older sister, Viletta.”
“And I am the younger sister, Vietta.”
“Now then, shall we let them guess?”
Viletta and Vietta clasped hands and began to spin around in place.
As if not to miss their movements, the spirits also began to spin around in pursuit, and the scene began to liven up.
“Viletta doesn’t seem bothered by being stranded.”
“Vietta doesn’t seem bothered by the spirits’ pranks.”
And Yufilia and Nina watched the antics of Viletta and Vietta, who had gotten lost after straying from their colleagues in the Dragon King’s Forest.
Yufilia and Nina had noticed.
While Viletta and Vietta were distracted by the spirits clinging to them, the guides Mistral and Ruiseine had quietly moved on ahead.
Except for Camila, who had intentionally stepped off the path and into the Bewildering Technique, all the Shooting Stars were probably lost in the depths of the forest by now.
However, this was Mistral’s intentional arrangement.
Mistral intended to give the Shooting Stars invaluable experience through a method different from Elnea’s.
And the Shooting Stars, correctly grasping Mistral’s intention, were trying to make all their experiences their own nourishment.
Yufilia and Nina watched Viletta and Vietta, who were positively embracing the troublesome spirits’ pranks and even getting lost in the Dragon King’s Forest, and trying to adapt to this unique environment.
“Well, is it about time?”
“Am I Viletta? Or Vietta?”
The twin Shooting Stars, who had spun until they were dizzy, asked the spirits.
The spirits, who had lost sight of their movements midway, fluttered about, noisily debating and trying to distinguish between the two.
“If we can’t tell the twin Shooting Stars apart, we’ll never be able to.”
“If you can’t distinguish the twin Shooting Stars, you’ll never be able to, no matter how many thousand years pass.”
“Yufi, who is it?”
“Nina, who is it?”
“Isn’t this one Viletta?”
“No, that one is Vietta.”
“Hmm.”
“I don’t know!”
In a corner of the deep Dragon King’s Forest, two pairs of twin sisters and spirits were making a racket, unfazed by the Bewildering Technique.
“Muki! We were tricked by Mist and Ruiseine!”
“Fufufu, Head Miko, please calm down.”
“It’s alright, Head Miko. We’re with you.”
“Or rather, Head Miko, you’ve also been caught in the Bewildering Technique?”
Madrine had gotten lost with a large number of Shooting Stars.
Madrine had seen it.
That immediately after the spirits started making noise, Mistral and Ruiseine, who were at the front, had quietly proceeded onward.
And that they, who had lost their guide, were easily caught by the Bewildering Technique.
She understood.
What Mistral and Ruiseine were thinking.
Nevertheless, she couldn’t help but ask. Why she, along with a large number of Shooting Stars, had been affected by the Bewildering Technique.
“Um, um… I am indeed the Head Miko, but you are all more noble beings, so… being called ‘Head Miko’ makes me feel so ashamed.”
And that she actually felt indebted to the Shooting Stars.
The cause was clear.
Madrine herself felt it strongly.
That the Shooting Star Mikos were far nobler and more honorable women than herself, a Head Miko belonging to a Great Shrine in a frontier region far from the major cultural sphere of humankind.
Deep knowledge. Pure and correct actions without flaw. And strong conviction and proven ability. Madrine felt that in all aspects, the Shooting Star Mikos were superior to her, and she resisted being called “Head Miko” by them, as if they were respecting her.
However, the Shooting Star Mikos rejected Madrine’s offer with smiles.
“What are you saying? No matter the country or region, the Head Miko is a noble position. We are respected as Shooting Stars, but we are not superior to the Head Miko.”
“The Head Miko is the most noble representative of the Goddess of Creation in that country. We are stars. The Head Miko is the moon. No matter how beautifully we shine, we are eclipsed by the moon’s radiance.”
“The position above the Head Miko is only held by the Chief Miko who governs all Head Mikos, the Queen who is the incarnation of the Goddess, or the Princess Miko of Creation who resides in the Sanctuary.”
Therefore, the Shooting Star Mikos gently spoke to Madrine, who looked perplexed.
“We respect Head Miko Madrine from the bottom of our hearts.”
“Still, if you feel somehow indebted. Let’s see. We have learned many things from Elnea-sama and everyone else. In the same way, wouldn’t it be good for Head Miko to learn many things from us?”
With a loving smile befitting a priestess, Madrine’s inner turmoil finally began to melt away.
“That’s right. The reason I feel indebted is because I am still immature. If that’s the case, I should learn many things from those I can respect in the future. Muki, you just wait, Mist! Ruiseine!”
The Shooting Stars who had gotten lost with her smiled happily at Madrine’s revived spirit.
And the spirits, who had been watching the exchange between the Mikos with interest, attacked mercilessly.
“Mist-san, was that alright?”
Knowing that many had been captured by the Bewildering Technique of the Dragon King’s Forest, Mistral and Ruiseine pushed forward and reached their destination, the Mimicho village, before the sun reached its zenith.
Mistral smiled “Fufufu” at Ruiseine’s question.
“It’s fine. Although they are noble Shooting Stars, they can’t guide them all the way to the Spirit King’s village in the deepest part of the Dragon King’s Forest. It’s better for them to gain various experiences by the time they reach the Mimicho village.”
“I agree. Regarding the matter of the Spirit King’s baby in the forest, it seems we will ultimately have to resolve it. By the way, what does it mean for a baby to be a shut-in?”
As Mistral and Ruiseine were talking at the entrance of the Mimicho village, Yuuri appeared, leaning on his staff.
“Oh my. The forest has become quite lively, but you two came here alone?”
“Yuuri-sama, hello. We were asked to come by Yun and Rin. So, what about the Spirit King’s baby in the forest?”
As Mistral and Ruiseine asked this, a strong wind swept around them.
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