The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 112

Talis slowly opened his eyes.

Today, his body felt surprisingly refreshed. It was as if a distant, cherished memory was slowly returning to him, a feeling that was almost forgotten. The sunlight pouring over the plains, the fresh dew on his skin—it was as if he had just bathed in the morning light. He was so overwhelmed by this feeling that, for a moment, he completely forgot where he was.

“What’s going on? I feel… really good.”

“Yeah, me too. I feel the same.”

“Huh, same here.”

It seemed he wasn’t the only one experiencing this strange phenomenon. Others who had been lying around chimed in one by one. Feeling a sense of unfamiliarity, Talis realized it had been a long time since they had had any conversation.

At some point, they had all stopped talking. There was no more will to escape or resist. They had simply existed, silently holding onto life, with no other purpose. The starting point of this silence was something he didn’t need to recall, but it remained vividly clear.

‘It all began after hearing that Sei had died.’

“Hey, that guy you hid away… he’s dead.”

The mocking voice still echoed in his ears like a nightmare.

That kind, young child. Their Acacia. He had died mercilessly, in a place where no help could reach him. Alone and desolate.

“…….”

The briefly improved mood plummeted once more. Talis bit his lip, resisting the urge to curse.

‘What foolish thoughts. To feel like this again.’

How dare he wish to see the sunlight once more? How could he have the audacity to feel anything but guilt for not protecting their heir, for failing to recognize or protect him?

Even the brief moment of lightness felt sinful. The others seemed to feel the same, as they fell back into silence, exhaling heavy breaths.

Boom!

Everyone was startled by the sudden explosion. The source of the noise was none other than Kalph, who had suddenly slammed his fist into the floor.

“Whoa, that scared me…”

“What are you doing, Lord Kalph?”

Even with everyone’s attention on him, Kalph’s gaze remained fixed on the floor. His face was filled with agitation.

“…My strength is back.”

“What?”

“I said, my strength is back!”

At his words, everyone looked at the floor Kalph had struck. Cracks radiated out from the deep indentation.

“Huh?”

Given Kalph’s usual strength, it wouldn’t have been surprising, but such feats were no longer common. The king’s seal had weakened them, and they wore shackles that controlled their strength. Currently, his strength is less than that of an average human.

‘If I’m like this, then Syran…!’

As that thought crossed his mind, there was a cracking sound—something was breaking. Syran, who had easily broken his shackles, was looking over. Even before they had stopped resisting, attempts to break them hadn’t succeeded. There was no doubt about it. Their strength was returning.

“No wonder I’ve been feeling so unusually good.”

“Could it be that the king’s seal has been broken?”

“No, this… it’s different.”

Kalp shook his head, opening and closing his fist. His strength had returned, but it wasn’t quite to its peak. It felt as though only part of the shackled power had been released. It was as if it had been barely kept alive, just enough to prevent the worst. And this realization sent a shiver through him. There could be only one explanation for this phenomenon.

“Aska.”

At the soft utterance of the name, Aska nodded in acknowledgment. It was clear that he, too, had reached the same conclusion. A surge of warmth welled up within him.

The king was the source of their vitality. With such an entity sealed in the flow of time, the Clonne race was like a sandcastle slowly crumbling. But there was only one way to guard the final defense line.

“Sei is alive.”

“…!”

The last bastion that could prevent their complete collapse.

It was the presence of someone with the qualifications of a king among them. Another Acacia.

“Sei is close to us.”

* * *

—Honestly, I can’t tell if you’re reckless or brave.

The voice, low and clicking in tone, made me lift my head. It had already grown dark around me, pitch black to the point that I couldn’t see a hand in front of my face. From the darkness, a familiar voice reached me. No matter how I thought about it, there could only be one conclusion.

‘…Did I faint or something?’

A soft laugh echoed in response. It sounded somewhat incredulous.

—Funny thing to say. Fortunately, that isn’t the case. It would be dangerous if you collapsed helplessly in a place like that.

That made sense. He had just opened the door to the basement. But if he didn’t fainted, why was he having this dream?

‘Then why am I here?’

—I used a little trick. You should be grateful that you have such a capable Guardian. I said I’d go easy on you, but why did you go and make things more complicated? I can’t believe I’m stuck with such an audacious master.

‘I don’t understand what you’re saying.’

—All you need to know is that I’m helping you.

Is this what helping me looks like? I furrowed my brows at the feeling of confusion that I couldn’t shake off.

‘Anyway, please wake me up. This is not the time for this.’

―So, what exactly are you planning to do by going in alone? Is finding a place to die some sort of hobby of yours?

‘I’m only going to check on their condition. His Highness the Crown Prince has promised to send reinforcements, so all I need to do is buy some time until then.’

That was the plan. Since the events at dawn had implicated the Magic Tower in a major crime, there was more than enough justification for a thorough investigation. As long as I could create a crack somewhere, I’d be able to carve out an escape route. But my so-called guardian didn’t seem to share that optimism.

—Don’t you think that’s overly optimistic? What if things don’t go as planned?

‘Then do you have another solution?’

He had given a similar reply to Camille before. At that time, Camille hadn’t been able to respond. He didn’t want to continue a conversation with such an obvious conclusion. But the answer that followed was unexpected.

—Another solution? Of course, there is.

‘…There is?’

―You just have to wait for me. I can take care of everything.

‘…’

How could he wake up from this dream? It seemed unfair that the other party could call him into this dream or wake him at will, but he couldn’t do the same.

—Haha, don’t be so mad. I’m serious. I’m always ready to help you. You just have to call me.

‘…I don’t even know your name.’

―Ah, at last. You’re finally curious about my name?

His voice rose, sounding quite pleased. Come to think of it, why hadn’t he thought to ask for the name before? As he swallowed the rising curiosity—

—Epethes.

A foreign name etched itself into his ears.

It wasn’t just that he heard it; it was ‘engraved.’ As if something was being imprinted. It was a peculiar sensation that was difficult to describe in words.

—Epethes Retimion. That is my name.

‘Epethes… Retimion.’

At that moment, as if awaiting my acknowledgment, something stirred before me. The dark expanse quivered violently, splitting slowly apart to reveal whatever lay hidden within.

“……”

At first, I thought it was light bursting forth.

Then, I believed it was a starry night sky, infinite and shimmering.

But neither was true.

It was a colossal eye.

I only realized it when the eyelid blinked. What I had mistaken for light was the sclera, and the multicolored starry expanse was its vividly hued iris. Sharp pupils, dark and piercing, bore straight into me with an intensity that defied comprehension.

Instinctively, I understood.

This being was my guardian.

—Prepare yourself, Seirakia.

‘……!’

—Time is running out.

* * *

When I came to my senses, I was back in reality. A dimly lit space stretched before me, and a long staircase descended into the darkness. It was the entrance to the basement I had just stepped into moments ago.

“……”

My heart was still pounding.

The intense surge of energy when I called his name lingered, leaving a trail of raw, violent emotions. Even though I knew those emotions weren’t mine, they refused to settle. The sheer exhilaration, forced upon me, was unsettling at best.

‘Is this how it’s going to be from now on?’

Sharing thoughts and emotions with my guardian felt intrusive. It was disconcerting to be influenced by someone else’s feelings, and even more so to imagine my own being laid bare to another.

Still, I thought I understood what he had been trying to warn me about. What he had meant by preparing myself.

‘Feels like I’m burning up.’

My head was strangely heavy, my body unnaturally warm, and a creeping lethargy weighed down on me. I had initially chalked it up to sleep deprivation, but after what had just happened, I suspected there was another reason.

If my guess was right, this was likely…

‘The early signs of Awakening.’

It seemed the seal had been completely broken at last.

So much for holding back. How was this supposed to be helping me? Pressing a hand to my throbbing temple, I swallowed a sigh. It was clear that my so-called guardian had a questionable understanding of the word help.

‘Either way, I’ll have to hurry before I collapse.’

Descending the stairs, I emerged into a wide corridor. The single path soon branched into a network of passageways. The crisscrossing tunnels hinted at a labyrinthine structure that could easily confuse any intruder. But I didn’t hesitate.

‘Right.’

As my physical state deteriorated, my senses grew unnaturally sharp. I just knew which way to go, as if an invisible thread was pulling me in the right direction.