The tree severed from its trunk by Death Scythe's strike came to a halt, leaning against another nearby tree.
Whether to call it fortunate or not, the falling tree hadn't broken any of the others around it.
This was likely because the surrounding trees were all roughly the same thickness as the one Rei had just cut.
(Come to think of it, that's unnatural too. Almost every tree here is the same thickness.)
Rei had gone into the mountains countless times back in Japan—so many times he'd lost count.
That was precisely why seeing every tree within sight sporting the same thickness struck him as nothing but wrong.
Even if someone planted trees specifically for harvesting as lumber, the trunks would inevitably grow differently due to varying conditions.
To a degree that would be visible at a glance.
Yet here, gazing out across the Treant Forest, every tree was uniformly thick.
Of course, if someone actually measured them, there would probably be some slight variance.
But at the very least, from what he could see, they all appeared to be the same thickness.
(I probably should have noticed this yesterday... well, it doesn't matter. Either way, what I need to do doesn't change. Besides, I still don't even know why they want this wood in the first place.)
Strictly speaking, he did understand the reason they wanted it.
A forest that produced such fine trees day after day would surely have plenty of uses.
But if asked specifically what it would be used for, that was something Rei couldn't pin down.
No—it would be more accurate to say there were too many possible applications to narrow it down.
"Rei? What's wrong?"
Marina called out to him, pulling him from his thoughts as he stared at the felled tree.
Startled back to himself, Rei shook his head to indicate it was nothing. He then touched the tree he'd cut—still leaning against its neighbor—and stored it in his Misty Ring along with Death Scythe.
"Well, my task for today is done. Let's head back to Gilm. I need to submit this tree to the Guild, too."
"Is that so? Yes, let's do that."
Marina had started to say something in response, but she quickly gave up and agreed instead.
She likely wanted to leave the Treant Forest as quickly as possible.
Rei and Set had no objections to that, either.
The two of them and Set began walking back through the forest.
(In the end, no Treants or anything of the sort showed up. I actually cut down a tree—I was sure they'd come out.)
This place was called the Treant Forest, and above all, Thresha had reportedly been attacked here. There should have definitely been something dangerous lurking within.
Yet even after actually felling a tree, nothing happened.
Judging that staying any longer would be pointless, Rei's group exited the forest as they were.
"...Still nothing, huh. I was sure something would make its move the instant we let our guard down after leaving the forest."
"In this case, should I be glad about that... or should I be disappointed?"
Marina must have been thinking about the forest she had just left behind.
She murmured while glancing back over her shoulder, but... there, as expected, no abnormality could be seen.
Well, the fact that not a single animal could be spotted in a forest this large was abnormal in and of itself.
Deciding that nothing would happen even if they waited around, Rei pulled a spear from his Misty Ring.
However, it wasn't the Twilight Spear he'd been using frequently of late, but rather a Throwing Spear from before he'd obtained it.
A disposable item, with chips and rust along the shaft and spearhead.
It was a spear meant to be discarded in the most literal sense, and the one Rei had taken out this time had a chipped spearhead.
If thrust normally, it wouldn't even pierce... such was the state of the tip, but that changed entirely when Rei was the one throwing it.
"Rei? What are you going to do? Don't tell me..."
Did he sense a monster?
Rei shook his head at Marina, who was asking with her eyes.
"No. It's a reference point to check how far this forest has spread by tomorrow. I was able to judge it by the remains of Thresha's campsite yesterday, but going all the way there every time is a hassle, right?"
"True. You're the one coming tomorrow too, Rei, so I think it's best to have something like that prepared."
Marina agreed, and with nothing further happening, Rei's group departed the scene.
What remained after the two of them and Set had vanished was a forest befitting the word "silence," where only the chirping of small birds echoed through the surroundings.
"Ah, Rei-kun! Long time no see! Have you been well?"
The moment he stepped into the Guild, a cheerful voice rang out.
Kenny, already a familiar face to Rei, was waving happily at him.
"Yeah, nothing in particular. ...More importantly."
Rei gave Kenny a small wave, then shifted his gaze to Lenora, who was sitting beside her.
"I cut down a tree, but where should I take it? It's pretty big, so I can't just leave it here."
"Ah, if it's about that, I'll guide you to the warehouse. ...Well, it's a warehouse you've used several times before, Rei-san, so you probably don't need a guide."
At Lenora's words, Rei recalled the time he had brought in a massive quantity of Gamelion meat, as well as the time Alchemists had gathered to research the Unbris.
Things had certainly been busy back then, but looking back on it now, he found himself feeling somewhat nostalgic.
"Hey, Lenora. If you're guiding Rei-kun to the warehouse, I'll come—"
"Kenny, you have your own work to do, don't you? Once that's finished, I don't mind having you help out here."
"That's..."
Lenora's gaze was fixed on the stack of documents in Kenny's hands.
Naturally, since those documents were necessary for the Guild to carry out its important work, she couldn't just abandon them.
But even so... Kenny shot Lenora a mildly resentful glare.
Lenora met her with a look tinged with exasperation and opened her mouth.
"Listen to me. If you had just done your work properly, I could have left this to you, you know? The reason you can't guide Rei-san is because you weren't doing your work... telling me that doesn't really help, honestly."
"Mmph... Lenora, you're mean, a cheapskate, and flat-chested."
"...Oh, did you say something? You dunce who can't even do her own work properly?"
Lenora's eyebrow twitched for just a moment at the "flat-chested" remark, but she showed nothing else in her demeanor as she asserted her dominance.
She flashed Kenny a triumphant smile as the other woman ground her teeth in frustration.
Lenora was usually the one on the losing end of their exchanges, but today she wore the smile of someone certain of her victory.
Satisfied after seeing Kenny's frustrated expression, Lenora then realized something important—Rei was here, which naturally meant that Marina, who had been acting alongside him today, was also present.
Noticing Marina directing the same exasperated glare at her that she had just been giving Kenny, Lenora hastily spoke up.
"Come, let's go. There's no point wasting time here."
"Right."
Marina said nothing further, but that very silence only fueled Lenora's fear.
After all, Marina no longer considered herself the Guild Master.
That was precisely why, even if she caught someone slacking, she had no intention of actually saying anything about it.
Looking slightly flustered, Lenora hurried out of the Guild with Marina and the others in tow.
Given that it was still a little before noon, there were few adventurers inside the Guild at the moment.
Since it was spring, most adventurers were presumably doing their jobs diligently for the time being.
"Come to think of it, did you notify the other adventurers about the Treant Forest situation?" Rei asked as they walked toward the warehouse.
The Treant Forest was, as could be surmised from the fact that Rei was investigating it, a matter of considerable importance.
But if word got out, someone would naturally take an interest.
...Though, those who knew the Treant Forest's wood was excellent as a building material were, for now, only a very small few.
Even if adventurers who knew nothing ventured into the Treant Forest out of curiosity, they would likely find nothing to gain.
On the contrary, there was a possibility they could be attacked, just as Thresha had been.
(Well, considering Thresha's case, the Treant Forest probably only moves actively at night, so it should be fine. ...I see, conversely, that means if you go to the Treant Forest at night, you can encounter monsters.)
Rei arrived at this realization belatedly, but given that he had only learned of the Treant Forest situation yesterday, it couldn't be helped.
"We've posted a notice on the Request Board about the Treant Forest. However, since there doesn't seem to be anything in particular there, we haven't expressly prohibited people from entering. ...If we did forbid it, some people would actually find it intriguing and approach it."
"Ah... I see."
Several familiar faces briefly flashed through Rei's mind.
Many of them were adventurers through and through—people who followed their own ways.
Because of that, if something were prohibited, there would certainly be no shortage of those who would approach it of their own accord.
But conversely, since it wasn't prohibited, and they were saying there were no monsters or anything else there... what would come of that?
Since it wasn't forbidden, many would think there was no need to go out of their way, and that would be that.
Of course, there might be some who would still lose to their own curiosity and head for the Treant Forest, but there was no way to regulate everyone's actions.
That was entirely a matter of self-responsibility.
"The Treant Forest is located far off from the main road. Ordinarily, no one would think to go there, but... well, that sort of thing varies from person to person."
Despite the Guild warning people not to approach, if someone still went to the Treant Forest of their own volition, the Guild bore no responsibility for whatever happened.
That was likely what Lenora wanted to convey.
Rei had some thoughts about that, but if someone ignored the warning and threw themselves into danger, that was what self-responsibility meant.
While mulling over such things, they arrived at the warehouse.
Rei unlocked the door and stepped inside, but...
"There's absolutely nothing in here, huh."
Just as he said, there was nothing in particular inside the warehouse.
Only a wide, empty space.
"Yes. Materials and such are kept in other warehouses, and this one isn't currently in use. ...Though, given time, materials will likely start accumulating here as well."
Lenora murmured as she glanced around in response to Rei's words.
Marina, too, was likely aware of the circumstances as a former Guild Master. She simply nodded without saying anything.
Adventurers starting work in the spring would sell materials to the Guild, which would then pile up in the warehouses... and as the seasons turned to summer and autumn, those materials would increase.
Of course, the Guild didn't just hoard them—they also sold them to earn funds, so it wasn't as if they only accumulated.
Faintly understanding those circumstances, Rei got right to the point.
"So, where should I put the tree I felled?"
"Ah, yes. Anywhere in this warehouse is fine, but... let's see, please put it somewhere not too far from the door, so it can be brought out easily."
"Then around here should be fine."
Following Lenora's instructions, Rei moved to a spot near the door.
And in the next instant, a single felled tree lay stretched across the warehouse floor.
"Wow... no matter how many times I see it, it's amazing."
There was genuine surprise in Lenora's voice.
She had seen Rei use his Misty Ring many times before, but even so, seeing an entire massive tree stored inside still caught her off guard.
"So, is it fine to leave this tree as it is? I don't need to trim the branches or anything like that?"
"Umm, yes, that's right. The requester will handle that sort of thing directly, I'm told."
"I see."
Strictly speaking, the truth was that Zumous—an Alchemist belonging to Daskar's Knight Order—wanted the tree intact to investigate its potential as a building material, or whether it could be used for various other purposes.
"Then, I'll process your reward, so please come back to the counter."
At Lenora's words, Rei couldn't help but feel it was a bother, but confirming materials was an important duty of the Receptionist.
Considering that, this was the natural response for a Receptionist.
Making that judgment, Rei returned to the Guild with Marina and reported that the forest was indeed expanding.