The Spring of Life was revived with the cooperation of Cecilia and Piyo.
With the return of the King, the spring breathed life again. As it turned out, the spirits that had been thought to be evil spirits were actually spirits corrupted by miasma, Arceus and his kin. They were about the size of humans, with no arms, but from where their arms should have been, butterfly-like wings sprouted. Their translucent wings, which allowed sunlight to pass through, were as beautiful as stained glass. They also had long tails, which they skillfully used to climb trees.
The injured Arceus and his kin were instantly healed by the power of the spring.
“I’m so glad. See, your wings are back to normal too.”
The wings that had likely been cut by Philiana had perfectly reattached. Arceus and his kin looked at us strangely before flying away.
The fog cleared, and the trees regained their color, their green returning as if painted. The King of Spirits was sitting on the branch of the largest tree in the center. His majesty was befitting of the King of Arceus.
“Um, I’m sorry about everything. Even though we were under the influence of dark power, we still hurt the spirits. And if the spring revives, the Dark Elves will come again.”
“No, this is for the best. We cannot remain hidden from the darkness forever. My own weakness caused so much trouble for many people.”
It seemed that after the King was sealed, some of the remaining Arceus had left the spring and hidden deep in the forest.
“I was impressed by your courageous actions. I will permit you to proceed further. I won’t ask how you knew the greeting; you simply had the资格 to know it.”
Then, she retrieved the shield and cloak I had thrown from inside the spring.
“I will return these to you. You can head towards the gate where the living and the dead meet. However, whether you can pass through it is another matter.”
Alright, I have now been officially permitted to set foot in the territory of the Hummingbird Harpies. I don’t know yet if I’ll be allowed inside.
“I may sound arrogant, but please, help them. I have to clear the miasma from this entire area. The spring will not purify itself just because it has returned. Please, rest here for a night.”
“And,” she returned the Lighthouse Bangle too. But was that alright? Its power shouldn’t have fully returned yet.
“Here, please hold onto this. It’s for the next time the Dark Elves attack. I don’t know, but I think you’ll need light power.”
“Are you sure? You will surely need it when you confront the darkness in the future.”
“I can’t use it effectively, so it’s fine. I have many companions. They even came to help me just now.”
Karubene nudged me, saying something about me talking big, but it was the truth. I had something far more precious than any valuable item. With that, no matter what happened ahead, I would surely overcome it.
“Is that so? Then I will gratefully borrow it.”
The King of Spirits put the bangle on her tail. The stone attached to it began to shine white, beautifully, like a fish in water. It seemed like a completely different item from when I held it.
Now that everything was settled, I decided to take her offer and rest for the night. I was quite tired from coming this far. Then, I suddenly realized I wasn’t cold at all. I had been so focused that I hadn’t noticed, but thinking about it, it was very cold when I was in the Giant’s village.
Yet, here it was, warm like spring. Lush green grass grew underfoot, and colorful flowers bloomed.
By the way, I wonder who played that trap prank. Was it the doing of evil spirits? Thinking about it, the giants would never do something like that. If they had, I would have been found out immediately and severely punished. Moreover, it’s impossible for a child of the Puzu Tribe, who knows the forest well, to forget the location of a trap they set themselves.
They probably just appeared suddenly and I happened to fall into it. Right, I hadn’t thanked my father who accompanied me and was about to leave after confirming the spring’s return.
“Um, thank you very much.”
“I should be thanking you. I didn’t catch your name, stranger.”
“My name is Hiroaki.”
“I see, Hiroaki. Because of your arrival, hope has been born. Speaking of which, you managed to keep up with my son’s pace.”
Ah, well, that was half our fault, or rather, because we were chasing him.
“Hahaha, he was fast.”
“What my son has chosen, I consider it the will of the forest as well. The forest does not decide who is right or wrong, or who is just. It simply accepts change, just like the changing seasons. Although, it is warm here all year round.”
He then went back to his family after wishing us safety. That’s good. Now, our newborn child can live in a peaceful forest. It would be too cruel for the first sight to greet their eyes upon birth to be a dark and eerie landscape.
