Chapter 601
The Tale of the Forest Goddess
“That form is called a Treant…”
Eivass nodded slightly, lost in thought. “I think I’ve heard of it before…”
Yunuss asked, “Well, I’ve had someone inquire about it. Once Anya is fully transformed, her soul will ascend to the Dream Realm and she will completely become a slumbering tree. She might appear in any corner of the Dream Realm where there are trees, looking no different from any other tree.
If awakened by gentle music, she might grant one wish to the one who awakens her; however, if disturbed, the angry Treant will attack passing Phantom Demons.”
“– I think I’ve heard similar tales,” Eivass mused, finding the story strangely familiar. “In the literary work ‘The Brave Series’ from the Hrasal Empire, there is a chapter called ‘The Forest Goddess.’
Legend has it that a Brave traveler journeyed across the World. However, while debating ‘What is love?’ with his fiancée, neither could convince the other, and after seeking answers from friends, they found none. He wished to seek an answer from the legendary Forest Goddess. During his adventures, the Brave was severely injured fighting a Fierce Beast, and his fiancée, while searching for medicinal herbs to heal him, accidentally ingested poison, falling into a near-death state and even experiencing phantoms.
After all his attempts to heal her proved futile, the Brave held his unconscious fiancée and sadly leaned against a tree. He played his harmonica, wishing to stay with his fiancée until the very end.
Upon hearing his harmonica, the tree behind him came alive and gently wiped away his tears.
It was a beautiful maiden with long hair like branches, whose lower body gradually turned into roots. She healed both the Brave and his fiancée. When they awoke, they thanked the maiden together. At the same time, they were pained by each other’s anxiety and concern, and apologized for their earlier stubbornness.
The maiden, hearing their story of why they came there, smiled and made a flute from her own wood that could heal diseases and curses, fashioned a charm from her leaves that guaranteed a good night’s sleep, created a pair of bracelets from her flowers that allowed them to hear each other’s hearts, and finally, used her fruits to feed them to their satisfaction.
By this time, the couple no longer had the urge to continue their adventure or seek answers from the Forest Goddess. They simply wanted to leave the dangerous forest as quickly as possible. So, after thanking the maiden, they returned home.
When they recounted their adventure to their most intelligent friend, he clapped his hands—the maiden you encountered was the Forest Goddess!”
After finishing the story, Eivass realized the girl had, at some point, sat beside him.
Anastasia had listened intently to Eivass’s story, her eyes sparkling. The wariness in her eyes had vanished, replaced by affection.
“Will I… become the Forest Goddess too?” she asked, half curious, half yearning.
Grace saw such bright light in her eyes for the first time. “Aya… do you like this story?” she asked, somewhat surprised.
“I do. I love it,” Anastasia nodded vigorously. “I want to help others too… I want to give what I have to others.
“Mother, is that Forest Goddess… like me?”
“…Barring any unforeseen circumstances, yes.” Grace replied with a hint of helplessness.
She had a pretty good guess as to the archetype of the story.
It was likely those solitary elves, who, unable to bear the noise of town life due to the onset of petrification, went into the deep woods. They eventually turned into trees in the depths of the forest but, for some reason, did not ascend properly to the Dream Realm.
“However, this ‘Forest Goddess’ should ascend to the Dream Realm later on,” Grace said softly. “She probably hasn’t slept enough… or rather, hasn’t received enough sunlight, which is why she lingered in the Material Realm for a while. She gave away almost all her essence as gifts because she was leaving.
“She was awakened by gentle music, which is the correct way to awaken her. If she had been disturbed, she might have gotten angry – and after getting angry, her accumulated power might have been insufficient.”
“–No wonder,” Eivass mused, stroking his chin. “I’ve heard tales of people sacrificing to ‘Tree Gods’ in some places. But sometimes, the Tree Gods become unresponsive; that’s likely because the spirit inside has already ascended to the Dream Realm.”
“There should be fewer of those these years,” Grace shook her head. “Some say it’s because the current elven bloodlines are not as pure… but I think it’s mainly because those elves who might have become Treants have already ascended to the Dream Realm. Among the remaining elves, few have bloodlines as pure as Anya’s.”
“A throwback…” Eivass murmured. He felt a pang of fear for Isabel. After all, Isabel had nearly the same hair color as Anastasia and was also skilled in illusions. This sent a chill down Eivass’s spine. After all, Isabel was originally destined to become the Queen of Flowers, inheriting the Flowers’ Succession… This meant she could at least awaken the Flower’s Blood within her. Perhaps this was also a form of throwback?
Grace clearly understood Eivass’s meaning and nodded. “Most likely. After all, petrification generally only occurs in pure-blooded elves. I have never heard of half-elves or elves born from half-elves undergoing petrification.”
She obviously sensed Eivass’s concern.
“…That’s good.” Eivass felt slightly relieved.
“Brother Eivass,” Anastasia pleaded, “can you tell another story?”
The girl had clearly been lonely for too long, and it was rare to find someone sitting beside her, telling stories.
“Your Brother Eivass is here on official business,” Grace patted Anastasia’s shoulder, then looked at Eivass.
Eivass nodded and asked softly, “Do you remember Yunus?”
“…The uncle who plays the harp?” Anastasia’s eyes lit up, and she immediately guessed the rest of Eivass’s unspoken words. “Did he come looking for me? Uncle Yunus came to find me!”
“But you cannot go out, Anya,” Grace immediately refused. “If you come into contact with the outside world at this time, your petrification might immediately breach the danger level.”
“Then can Mr. Yunus come here?” Anastasia countered.
“…I’m afraid that’s unlikely,” Grace hesitated and shook her head. “He’s too old and probably lost all his childlike innocence long ago.”
“Then I will go out,” Anastasia said firmly. “Thanks to Uncle Yunus, those partners were able to find me. He saved me, and I want to thank him in person.”
“…Even if it worsens your petrification?” Eivass also asked. He neither persuaded nor dissuaded her.
“I will do this,” the girl said stubbornly. “And… I now feel that perhaps it is not a bad thing.”
“…Aya, you are not yet a hundred years old,” Grace knelt and hugged Anastasia’s waist with concern. “You haven’t even experienced a full childhood…”
“Mother, I know you want to be good to me, you want me to stay longer,” Anastasia suddenly said. “But I am a phantom that cannot be held onto forever.
“Maintaining this state… might be more painful.”
At that moment, Grace froze.
For a moment, she even stopped breathing. Grace had only just now realized something – she hadn’t considered whether Anastasia felt pain in this state of transformation. Because Anastasia’s life had been too short, she had tried everything to extend her life, even to the point of violating taboos… But perhaps Anastasia was just too understanding.
– She had never mentioned that this state caused her pain.
“…Have I caused you pain, Aya?” Grace’s voice trembled.
The girl simply reached out and gently wiped away Grace’s tears.
Only then did Grace realize… that her daughter, who had not yet reached adulthood and was even “frozen in age” in the fairy realm before reaching half the age of adulthood, possessed maturity and gentleness far beyond ordinary people.
Despite her childlike innocence and having spent all her past life with her parents and the fey, Anastasia had lived for decades. She was far more mature than Grace had anticipated.
“I have a gift I want to give to Uncle Yunus,” the girl said softly and gently. “He is very fragile and very sad… I want to help him.
“Perhaps I can save him… save his soul.”
Her gentleness was like the Forest Goddess in Eivass’s story.
(End of Chapter)
