This story is told from the perspective of the former Corporal, who has since become an adventurer.
My name is Franz.
I used to serve as a Corporal in the army, but these days, I make my living as an adventurer in the Tower City.
It feels like a lifetime ago that I encountered that peculiar Alraune in a border village during a Witch Hunt. Shortly after that, we were attacked by a Dragon from the Demon King's Army. I managed to escape with my life and start over here in the Tower City, and a few days have already passed since then.
I have a family back home to support, so I have to keep the remittances flowing. It’s time to turn over a new leaf and give this my all!
Just as I was starting to get the hang of life as an adventurer in the Tower City, I met a friendly dwarf old man at a tavern.
"I see! Sending money back to your wife and daughter, eh? You’ve got it rough too, lad!"
The dwarf let out a boisterous "Gahahaha!"
We had only just hit it off and decided to grab a drink together, but he turned out to be a well-informed and entertaining old fellow.
"Tell me, have you heard? Apparently, a fort near this city was captured by the Demon King's Army."
By "nearby fort," he likely meant the outer fort that guarded the path between this Tower City and the fortress city that fell to the Demon King's Army last winter. Word was that it had been taken by someone claiming to be one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
The Four Heavenly Kings... that was far from peaceful news.
Apparently, the Tower City is the Demon King's Army's next target. The residents and soldiers are in a state of panic. If something like that dragon from before showed up, we wouldn't stand a chance, so I can’t blame them for being on edge.
Supposedly, the fort was decimated by an enemy in the form of a giant bird. If they’re attacking from the sky, there’s not much anyone can do. I’ll have to make sure I keep an eye on the clouds while I'm out working.
"So, where does your work take you tomorrow?" the old man asked.
"Just an exploration mission in the forest nearby."
The job I’d accepted from the Adventurer Guild was a forest investigation request for the Dryades' Forest.
There was a good chance this task was related to the fall of the fort. If that forest were to fall into the enemy's hands, the Tower City would find the Demon King's Army right on its doorstep. At that point, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the city was already lost. That’s how vital the forest is as a defensive stronghold.
"In that case, do you know about this? They say the forest spirit Dryad lives there."
So, a spirit-sama resided in those woods. That certainly made the investigation feel worthwhile.
The next day.
I was trekking through the forest alone. Since I worked as a hunter in my hometown, navigating the woods was second nature to me. I’d heard the forest was crawling with monsters, but this close to the city, I hadn't run into anything particularly ferocious.
I hadn't discovered anything out of the ordinary, and I was starting to wonder if the rumors of the Demon King's Army approaching were just my imagination—until I ran into it.
I was taking a break by a small stream when I heard the sound of a tree collapsing directly behind me. I spun around and spotted a single withered tree.
No, it wasn't just a tree. It was a tree monster—a Treant!
That Treant was busy uprooting a strange triangular tree. What on earth was going on? Treants are known as forest guardians; they're supposed to protect the greenery from humans and monsters alike. I’d seen Treants in the woods back home, and they always guarded the trees with great care.
Yet, this withered tree Treant was destroying the tree with its own hands. Shouldering the strange triangular tree, the Treant vanished into the depths of the forest.
However, my encounter with the unknown wasn't over yet.
A little further past the stream, I came across a girl. It’s rare to stumble upon another human in a forest this vast. Her hood was pulled down low, hiding her face, but she looked to be a small girl of about ten years old.
I felt like I’d seen her somewhere before...
Looking closer, I noticed she was carrying a bucket. Had she come to gather something? The girl radiated a mysterious atmosphere as she issued a sharp warning.
"I will not allow you to go any further."
"...And why is that?"
"If you go, I will not forgive you."
That wasn't much of an answer. What could possibly be up ahead?
Ignoring me entirely, the girl brushed past my side.
"Wait a minute!"
Strangely, by the time I turned around, she was gone. The only thing I could hear was the sound of birds flapping their wings in the distance.
Where could she have disappeared to? I felt as if I’d been bewitched by a fairy.
Wait, a fairy! That was it. That girl must have been a fairy. The dwarf old man had mentioned a spirit living in the forest. If there’s a spirit, there are bound to be fairies too. That must mean the fairy was warning me that the path ahead was dangerous.
It’s always best to listen to the revelations of the forest. The senior hunters back home used to tell me that if you ignore a warning from a forest dweller, you’ll live to regret it.
After returning to the city, I went straight to the Adventurer Guild to file my report. On the way back, I spotted a strange girl in the plaza.
"What is this nectar?! It’s way too delicious!"
The girl had been manically licking nectar out of a jar for some time. She looked to be about fifteen. I know girls that age usually have a sweet tooth, but the way she was shoveling it in was a bit off-putting.
Judging by her outfit, she was a member of the Church—an apprentice saint, if I recall the vestments correctly. There she was, an apprentice saint in a total trance, licking nectar off her fingers with a sticky face.
Truth be told, I’ve actually seen the Saint once before. It was five years ago, when my home village was attacked by the Demon King's Army. The Saint happened to be visiting and saved the villagers. She healed every single person wounded in the battle with her light magic. I was one of the ones she cured.
The Saint became the savior of our village, and the children there still admire her to this day. The granddaughter of the Great Sage who lived next door used to never shut up about how she was going to "become a Saint in the future."
I only met the Saint that one time, so I don't remember her face clearly, but I recall her being a truly divine presence. Come to think of it, what was her name? I remember being devastated when I heard a rumor that she had passed away.
I really didn't want to overwrite the memory of that beautiful Saint with the image of this apprentice saint engaged in "desperation nectar eating" in the middle of a public square.
Yeah. Let’s just pretend I didn't see that. My mental image of the Saint was on the verge of shattering.
When I headed to the tavern, I ran into the dwarf old man again. I joined him at his table, and we shared a few drinks. Nothing beats a cold one after a hard day's work.
I told him about seeing the fairy in the woods. Because of that, he started grilling me for details about exactly where I’d spotted her.
"Hey, old man. Why are you so hung up on the fairy?"
"Well, of course I am! Lad, you’re lucky you made it back in one piece after meeting a fairy."
"What’s that supposed to mean?"
"Maybe the youngsters don't know it, but this is a famous story in the Tower City."
According to the old man, the master of the fairies is the forest spirit Dryad. And that Dryad is a terrifying existence to humans.
"The spirit isn't part of the Demon King's Army, so I can’t imagine it being that dangerous," I said.
The dwarf's jolly expression suddenly turned dead serious.
"That forest spirit... fifty years ago, she killed the Hero."
I leaned in to listen to the rest of the story.
That was how I learned the legend of the Hero who was slain by a Dryad in that forest half a century ago.
This chapter was from the adventurer's perspective. It seems the former Corporal has left the military behind and is doing his best as an adventurer.
If you enjoyed this chapter or want to cheer him on, I would be very happy if you could support the series with a bookmark or a ★★★★★ rating. Your support is what keeps me writing!
Next time: Prepared to sell my very soul for my precious family, I shall squeeze out plenty of nectar today as well.