I Can See the Sword’s Memories

Chapter 49: The Fairy’s Forest(2)

Why was the power of magic diminished in the Fairy’s Forest? It was a question I had been pondering from the start. The moment I stepped into the forest, the answer became clear.

‘Mana disperses…’

To be precise, mana that flowed outside the body scattered. This meant it was impossible to spread mana outward to expand one’s sensory field.

“What an unpleasant place.”

“You’re correct. For mages, this place is extraordinarily unpleasant.”

If I, as a swordsman, found it this unsettling, how must it feel for the mages? Unlike knights, mages channel mana outside their bodies to weave it into the mysterious force of magic.

In that sense, mages and the Fairy’s Forest were polar opposites.

At the same time, I had my doubts. Both of my companions were mages. In a place like the Fairy’s Forest, where their abilities were hindered, could these two be of any real help?

Perhaps sensing my concern, Shave, who was walking ahead, spoke up.

“If Envy and I were ordinary mages, we wouldn’t have volunteered for this mission.”

Shave and Envy, it seemed, were exceptions. Unlike most mages, they weren’t affected by the forest’s suppressive nature, thanks to their innate blessings.

This was the blessing Shave and Envy possessed—a gift that ensured their magic would never fail, no matter the circumstances.

‘It’s not particularly useful in most cases…’

Shave smiled wryly. Magic, as a discipline, was inherently unfair. Natural talent and blessings like theirs created clear boundaries for growth.

Skilled mages could correct mistakes mid-spell, reworking the formulas on the fly and guiding the flow of mana to complete their magic. At times, they even broke conventional formulas to enhance their spells.

For those who reached a certain level of mastery, the Flow of Mystique was a redundant blessing.

But here, in the Fairy’s Forest, this blessing finally found its purpose. Shave didn’t feel the need to elaborate further about their abilities.

The Fairy’s Forest was a realm entirely removed from normalcy. Deep within the forest, storms of mana twisted space, creating a self-contained ecosystem.

‘The shape of the trees…’

Ordinarily, trees grow straight up, reaching for the sky. But in this forest, there were no straight trees. Every trunk twisted and bent, with some even coiling around themselves as they grew.

As we moved through the forest, I recalled the target’s information. His name was Kenny. Sixteen years old, he had joined the Mage Tower just last year. Until then, Kenny hadn’t been a particularly noteworthy mage.

Cutting through the dense vegetation with my sword, I asked a question.

“This Reincarnator… Kenny, I heard he developed a unique magical system. Can his magic work here in the Fairy’s Forest?”

“The Mage Tower believes it’s highly likely. The moment his identity as a Reincarnator was discovered, he fled into this forest without a second’s hesitation.”

I mainly conversed with Shave. Although Envy occasionally tried to engage me, I didn’t bother responding.

Engaging with someone I held negative feelings toward would only lead to conflict. In a dangerous place like this, I had no desire to create unnecessary enemies.

Reincarnators generally retained the knowledge of their previous lives. Kenny had fled into the Fairy’s Forest without hesitation, despite it being a place where even ordinary mages struggled to survive. This suggested that, as the Mage Tower suspected, his magic could indeed function here.

‘I can’t let my guard down.’

Without the ability to spread mana and expand my sensory field, I had to rely on my primal instincts. 

It wasn’t difficult—just like navigating the snowy mountains, I simply had to observe, listen, taste, and feel everything around me.

As we traversed the forest, we encountered a small obstacle: a dense wall of trees abruptly blocking our path.

“Damn…”

“Wow…”

Shave and Envy both looked frustrated. I turned to them and asked,

“Can’t we climb over it?”

“If it were ordinary trees, we could. But those… are impossible.”

“Not a chance for me either…”

I nodded at their responses. Unlike knights, mages rarely trained their bodies. They spent their lives studying at desks, not scaling obstacles.

It was no surprise they couldn’t easily climb trees that stretched several meters high.

“Let’s look for another way around.”

“That would be best.”

Walking alongside the tree wall, I kept my eyes moving constantly, scanning everything—the darkened soil, the glowing underbrush, the trees bearing luminous fruits, and the turbulent blue mana swirling in the sky above.

I was searching for traces of the Reincarnator, but nothing stood out.

Not long after, we found a possible solution. Near the dense tree wall, enormous mushrooms jutted out of the ground.

At a glance, they seemed sturdy enough to serve as makeshift steps. I immediately proposed the idea.

“These could work as steps. Do you think it’s possible?”

“Hm… I think I could climb that much, but the spores those mushrooms might release worry me,” Shave said.

It was a valid concern. Ignoring the hesitation of my companions, I approached the largest mushroom.

“What are you doing now?”

“Hey! Didn’t you hear it could be dangerous? What if it’s poisonous?”

I sniffed the air. Mushrooms always had a distinct scent. Regardless of their size or type, there was a characteristic damp smell that never changed.

‘It’s not a mushroom.’

The growths beside the trees weren’t mushrooms at all. I drew my sword and lightly struck the cap of one.

Thud.

The blade sank in with a sound. It wasn’t soft but firm. No spores were released.

“It’s not a mushroom. It’s… something resembling a mushroom.”

“Is that true?” Shave asked, his interest piqued.

“It’s true.”

Seizing the moment, I reached out and touched the mushroom-shaped structure. 

The texture beneath my fingertips wasn’t much different from ordinary wood—solid and rough.

It felt sturdy enough to carve into furniture if processed properly.

“You’re right… It’s not a mushroom.”

“This is so strange… It’s like normal logic doesn’t apply here…”

Envy’s observation was accurate. The Fairy’s Forest defied conventional understanding. Birds that should have been soaring in the sky crawled across the ground, using their wings like limbs. 

Meanwhile, creatures that seemed like hybrids of fish and insects flapped their wing-like fins and swam through the air.

Now it was time for us to climb the massive mushroom-like structures to scale the tree barrier. I took the lead, leaping gracefully onto one of the giant mushrooms.

“Let’s go up.”

“You’re… so nimble…”

“How does she move like that…?”

Envy and Shave struggled to clamber onto the large mushroom, but they managed without too much trouble. Though a little unsteady, they could keep up.

While we made our way upward, I often had to swing my sword. Unknown monsters occasionally lunged at us, attacking with sharp claws or fangs.

Envy and Shave weren’t entirely reliant on me. They wielded their wands with short activation phrases, unleashing powerful spells. Blue lightning bolts and fiery explosions struck down the monsters in quick succession.

Observing their magic, I considered how a battle against mages might play out. Their spells were potent, but the preparation time was a clear disadvantage.

If it came to a one-on-one fight, I would undoubtedly win.

‘Unless there’s interference…’

I pondered the scenario of someone protecting a mage during combat. As I jumped from mushroom to mushroom, the thought lingered.

‘That would be troublesome…’

A fight against a Reincarnator required accounting for all variables. My thoughts churned relentlessly as we moved.

Eventually, I reached the top of the tree barrier, climbing onto one of its long, extending branches. Standing there, I found myself momentarily captivated by the sight before me.

“Huh…”

The spatial distance beyond the barrier warped. What lay beyond the towering wall of trees was another forest, its vastness stretching endlessly. Shave and Envy soon joined me, their reactions mirroring my own.

“How… How is this place so expansive…?”

“We’re not lost, are we…?”

I furrowed my brow. Before entering, I had gauged the forest’s size with my own eyes. The Fairy’s Forest wasn’t this large.

“It seems we should turn back. If it’s this vast, the three of us alone won’t be able to track the target. Returning to request reinforcements would be wiser,” Shave suggested.

He wasn’t wrong. I nodded in agreement and was about to turn when something caught my eye—a peculiar fluttering at the edge of my vision.

“What is that…”

I hadn’t imagined it. Without hesitation, I leaped down from the branch.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“Wait up!”

My cloak billowed behind me as I descended, landing lightly on a sturdy branch below. Though it wavered under my weight, it held firm.

Swish—

At the end of the branch, I grasped a piece of cloth snagged on its edge. It was undoubtedly a human trace. The scent lingered, faint but unmistakable.

Sniff, sniff—

My heightened sense of smell tracked the scent hanging in the air. The Reincarnator wasn’t far away.