We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
With the Dragon King and the Spirit Tree Spirit.
Although it’s spring, it’s still cold in the forbidden territory at night.
A cold wind flows into the hollow of the sacred mountain, creating a mist that’s hard to tell if it’s clouds or fog.
I was watching the hazy night scenery from a branch of the Spirit Tree.
“I’m absolutely not stuck because I climbed up and can’t get down, you know?”
“Oh? Then I’ll tell those waiting for your return below that.”
“No, no! Ares, I’m sorry!”
Ares, the adult form of the Spirit Tree Spirit, manifests beside me.
“Yes, I’ll be honest. Climbing up was surprisingly easy. Or rather, it was fun!”
But when I actually climbed to the branches, I was a little surprised by how high it was, more than I expected.
I peer down at the ground from the branch where I’ve settled.
Small lights can be seen here and there at the base of the Spirit Tree.
“Ugh, it’s so high.”
I shiver.
But I’m not scared. I just shivered from the cold wind blowing up from below.
Really, I did?
“Have everyone gone to sleep already?”
“It seems so, except for your wives. I can’t ascertain the whereabouts of the Demon Lord or the Ancient Dragon Species, though.”
“I see.”
Since it was lively before sunset, everyone must be tired or drunk and asleep.
“So, why did you climb the Spirit Tree at this hour? There must have been some intention behind it?”
“Ahaha, as expected of Ares. You see right through me.”
If I had started climbing the tree when Priscilla was awake, it would have been a ruckus by now. But I chose midnight to climb.
It wasn’t because I was drunk or giddy and went berserk, you know?
So, why did I climb the tree in the middle of the night?
It’s because I wanted to be alone for a little while.
“No, to be precise, it’s because I wanted to be alone with Ares.”
“Fufufu, are you inviting me?”
Ares, who sat next to me, snuggled close to my body.
On this cold night, Ares’s warmth seeps into me.
But it’s not like I want to do “that” on the Spirit Tree’s branches. However, I’m grateful for the warmth, so I won’t refuse it!
“Um, Ares.”
Without hesitation, I snuggled up to Ares and told him the reason why I wanted to be alone together.
“Ares, you are the Spirit Tree Spirit, and Spirit Tree Spirits must, of course, be by the side of the Spirit Tree, right?”
The primary reason Ares possessed me was that I owned the Spirit Tree wooden sword, which is to say, the Spirit Tree.
However, the Spirit Tree has left my hands. It has taken root on the mountaintop of the sacred mountain and grown into a magnificent great tree.
“Um. I’ve asked this once before. But now that the Spirit Tree has taken root, I want to confirm it thoroughly one more time. Ares, will you truly stay with me from now on? Or would you rather be by the Spirit Tree’s side?”
That’s right.
From now on, I will be acting separately from the rooted Spirit Tree. I’m only now starting to truly feel that.
I’m sure Ares and the Spirit Tree should also be feeling the same sense of what’s to come.
That’s why I think I must ask anew.
About the future. Will Ares truly stay by my side, away from the Spirit Tree? Will the Spirit Tree be alright with that? Did seeing the Spirit Tree as a great tree make Ares change his mind? If Ares were to change his mind, then I…
“You worry about our relationship, don’t you?”
Ares wrapped his arms around my body.
Normally, if Ares, with his alluring aura, were to wrap his arms around me, my heart would race. But now, as Ares said, I’m so overwhelmed by anxiety that I can barely breathe.
“That’s right. I am the Spirit Tree Spirit. Naturally, I am a being that should be with the Spirit Tree.”
The Spirit Tree in the Dragon Forest also has its own Spirit Tree Spirit dwelling within it. However, unless there’s a compelling reason, they don’t leave the Spirit Tree’s side. At least, their Spirit Tree Spirits have never visited the Spirit Village casually or come to see us outside the Dragon Forest. So, perhaps Ares should also be with the Spirit Tree on the mountaintop of the sacred mountain? Isn’t that Ares’s true duty?
Ares chuckles wryly, reading my thoughts.
“Your thinking is correct. To think a human has become so knowledgeable about Spirit Tree Spirits.”
“Priscilla and the Mimicho Race tell me about it, and more importantly, you’ve been close to me.”
But that’s precisely why I realize truths I don’t want to know and futures I want to look away from. And then, I feel anxious about the possibility of Ares changing his mind, and I become depressed and sad.
As if sensing my loneliness, Ares silently gazes into the distance. A quiet moment flows by. Only the pleasant rustling sound of the branches and leaves swaying can be heard. The Spirit Tree also watched over us silently.
But we can’t go on like this forever.
“Fufufu. I don’t mind, you know? Spending eternity with you in the spirit world wouldn’t be so bad.”
“W-w-whoa! Please spare me from that! I want to be with Ares too, but I don’t want to be separated from everyone else. …I see. Just like my feelings, Ares, you can’t be separated from the Spirit Tree either, can you?”
I didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t want to realize it. But since Ares is someone I could say is one with me, I realize it. I become concerned. And by speaking it out loud and comparing it to my own deeply connected feelings, I understood Ares’s position more clearly than ever before.
I hang my head. I never imagined that just thinking about parting with Ares would make me feel so sad. Then, Ares gently places a hand on my head.
“You are a good child. But you are only good. Sometimes, try to express your desires and wishes as they are. Here, it’s just us. There’s no need for hesitation.”
“My desires…?”
“You are simply listing your understanding of my purpose and position, stating that it is correct. You are thinking only of me and not of your own wishes.”
Ares is a Spirit Tree Spirit, a being that dwells within the Spirit Tree. Now that the Spirit Tree has taken root, Ares should naturally be by the Spirit Tree’s side. Ares once declared that he would stay with me forever. But seeing the Spirit Tree as a great tree now, perhaps he has changed his mind. The Spirit Tree, having taken root, will now live in this place. At that time, it might feel lonely without an important being by its side. Even if Ares stays by my side, the Spirit Tree might not want it.
I understood because I understand Ares and the Spirit Tree. And that is correct, as Ares says. But… I haven’t considered my true feelings, desires, or wishes. No, I had decided from the beginning that I shouldn’t think about them, and deliberately avoided thinking about them. I…
“I’m genuinely happy that the Spirit Tree has taken root in the earth. I don’t regret letting go of the White Sword. But… if I were to be separated from Ares here as well, I think I would fall into despair from loneliness.”
I turn to Ares, who is leaning against me. Ares turns to face me. I gaze into Ares’s eyes with a serious look.
“I want to be with Ares forever. I don’t want to be separated. I want to be one with you. So…”
My position is a little different from that of my beloved wives. Ares is my other half. I absolutely don’t want to be separated from half of my soul!
“So, I want you to stay with me from now on!”
This was my true feeling. It was a heartfelt wish and a selfish desire. Ares, who heard my feelings, stares at me silently. I continue to stare back. I wonder what Ares thought upon knowing my heart? How did he feel? Some time passes as we stare at each other. Ares was the first to break the quiet atmosphere. Ares smiles, “Fufufu.”
“Foolish one. If we are one, then you should grasp my heart as well.”
“Ugh, but how can I when you say that?”
Ares has the ability to read my mind, but I don’t have the ability to read others’ minds. However, just this once, I feel like I can sense Ares’s heart. Ares, smiling gently as he looks at me, holds a deep affection that seems to encompass all my selfishness.
“Ares…”
Ares gently covers my open mouth with his hand. Instead, Ares speaks.
“To begin with, I am not the only Spirit Tree Spirit dwelling in the Spirit Tree.”
“What? Is that so!?”
No, come to think of it, that makes sense. Priscilla has special eyes that can see Spirit Tree Spirits in nature that are not being used. That’s why she’s the next tribal chief of the Mimicho Race living in the Dragon Forest. But Priscilla can’t go alone to the Spirit Tree that grows further beyond the Moss Garden. So, how does she know she can see Spirit Tree Spirits dwelling in the Spirit Tree? The answer is simple. It means there are Spirit Tree Spirits in the Dragon Forest, not just near the Spirit Tree. In other words, some Spirit Tree Spirits are free to act without being bound to the Spirit Tree.
“The Spirit Tree in the Dragon Forest that favors you is the King. If you are the King, you can’t be as free and capricious. However, you can find multiple other Spirit Tree Spirits if you search the Dragon Forest.”
“I see!”
And then, Ares continues.
“Currently, only I reside in this Spirit Tree. However, gradually, other Spirit Tree Spirits will appear. Among them, I will eventually become the King and be the one to watch over this Spirit Tree. But that is a story for the future. Besides, I lack the power.”
“Even you, Ares, lack power?”
“After all, if I don’t receive power from Priscilla or you, I can’t even take on an adult form like this.”
Nevertheless, compared to the past, Ares can now choose between adult and child forms more freely. However, he usually remains in his child form.
“You still lack nourishment. Do you understand?”
“Th-that means you want me to give you more power!?”
“I am a glutton, much like Priscilla. So, if I leave you now, I might collapse from hunger.”
“Eeeeh, that’s terrible!”
Ares chuckles. I also laugh.
There’s no need to say anything more; I fully understand Ares’s feelings.
“But, is it really okay? Is the Spirit Tree okay with it too?”
The Spirit Tree is rooted and cannot move, so is it okay to take only Ares with me?
“It’s okay! Because I’ll be happy if Ares grows a lot!”
“I wish for this Spirit Tree, my host tree, to grow big. In the same way, the Spirit Tree probably wants its guiding spirit to become splendid.”
“You mean, like the Spirit Tree and Spirit King of the Dragon Forest are great beings?”
“That’s right.”
“Aim for it, surpass it!”
To surpass the Spirit Tree and Spirit King of the Dragon Forest, which have grown over a long period of time, is very difficult. So, Ares wants to stay with me, get lots of food, and grow up quickly, rather than being by the Spirit Tree’s side!
“Alright, then from now on, I can go on adventures with Ares without any worries!”
“Looking forward to it.”
“You’ve become tiny again!?”
As if to say the problem is solved, Ares returns to his child form. Then, Ares sits on my lap. And he starts humming happily. I hug Ares tightly.
“Always together, forever together.”
“Thank you, Ares. And thank you, Spirit Tree.”
“If you come visit us here, we’re always together.”
“Yes, I’ll come visit a lot. Of course, I’ll take care of you too!”
“Fooddddd!”
“No, no, you just ate!”
“Food, food.”
“Ares, you too!”
Not even a speck of the worries I had just moments ago remained. My heart felt light, and my mood was at its peak. I felt like I could fly right now!
“…No, no, that’s pushing it too far.”
“Oh, what is too much?”
Just then, Mistral appeared at the perfect moment. Of course, in his human-dragon form, beautifully flapping his wings.
“Ah, Mistral, you can’t. To come up to the Spirit Tree, you have to climb the tree, you know?”
“Oh, really? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“I just decided it.”
“Ah, Spirit Tree, that’s a secret!”
“Spill, spill.”
Mistral lands beside me and sits down.
“So, were you able to resolve your worries?”
Mistral says this while peering at Ares.
“Hmm. You knew?”
I didn’t tell everyone about my worries regarding my future relationship with Ares, though? It seems Mistral knew. Mistral smiles, “Fufufu.”
“I see through everything about you. All of us do.”
“You told everyone too!”
What! It seems I wasn’t just worrying Mistral, but everyone.
“Ah, that’s right. Ares said everyone else was asleep downstairs besides Mistral and the others, but everyone else was awake worrying about me, weren’t they?”
“That’s right. So, if the problem is resolved, shall we go down quickly?”
Mistral pets Ares, who is humming cheerfully on my lap. Then, he strokes my head. And he lets out a sigh of relief. Mistral seemed to understand the outcome of my relationship with Ares without me telling him. As expected. He understands everything about me.
“Well then, Ares. Shall we go home?”
“Let’s go, let’s go.”
Ares floats up into the air. I embrace Mistral next to me without hesitation.
“I don’t suppose you climbed like a kitten and then couldn’t get down, do you?”
“N-n-n-no, that’s not it!”
Seeing my shifty eyes, Ares and the Spirit Tree laugh. Mistral, sighing in exasperation, pulls me closer and flaps his wings.
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