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AFTER enjoying some sauteed fish just caught in the lake, we immediately took to our cart and headed together to the forest. As we floated gently over the forest, we both sensed something that seemed to be tugging us back.
“It’s a barrier,” Lord Viol noted.
“Yes, I thought so too… I feel like something’s weighing on us.”
“Your magical perception has heightened, Seren.”
The unexpected praise filled me with happiness. Detecting magical energy has been a weakness of mine. I’d be pleased if I’ve improved at that, even if only a little.
“Seren, can we go a little higher?”
“Yes, of course.”
We rose higher, and Lord Viol turned his head to gaze out over the village.
“Seren, I want to get a feel for the barrier’s boundaries. Could you please fly in a zigzag pattern toward that mountain?”
“Roger!”
“It’s stronger over there… A little more to the left.”
As I flew where he directed me, I realized that the barrier existed to separate the forest from the village. And it seemed like Lord Viol had even sniffed out the source of the barrier’s magic.
“One on this side… Another on this side… With the barrier cast in between those two magical devices.”
“That’s a very handy tool,” I said.
“Yeah… Seren, could you set us down here?”
Following Lord Viol’s instructions, I took us down into the forest to the exact spot he wanted. Eventually, we discovered a magical barrier device wedged into a rock.
Lord Viol examined the device without handling it since doing so would disturb the barrier. He nodded as though confirming his suspicions. “It appears to have been made by the Third Mage Guild before I joined. It was probably made by Old Man Euleho himself. If we ask him, I’m sure he’ll be able to tell us more about its construction and the history behind it.”
“Oh, how fascinating.”
“The composition is quite simple. One magic stone seals the barrier in place, and five magic stones strengthen it.”
“Five reinforcements is a lot.”
“You need this much to protect an area this large. But you’re right, it is a lot. The magic stones used to cast this barrier are among some of the largest I’ve ever seen. It must have taken quite some work to procure them.”
“An amazing magical device, indeed. But it’s odd that the barrier starts here, quite deep in the forest, instead of between the forest and village,” I observed.
“Odd, indeed… Shall we take a look around the forest?”
“Let’s. I’m a little curious about what’s in here.”
“Then please cast a protective wall around yourself. I’ll cast a barrier around us both, too.”
“We haven’t done this together for a while, have we?!”
I found myself getting excited. Even casting protective walls seemed like a thrill. It made me think of happy times monster-hunting in the forest with Lord Viol.
“I think it’ll be all right, but let’s first check that the barrier is functional.”
“Okay!”
I was on board with Lord Viol’s level of caution. I certainly wasn’t here to stick my neck out. I proceeded with a flight path that was as safe as possible. Flying through the forest led to many more discoveries than simply flying over it.
The forest had seen human intervention at some point. The sunlight filtering through the trees was stunning. For a forest, it was surprisingly bright and cheerful inside, and even somewhat tranquil and relaxing.
Perhaps because of the sunlight, there were many wild strawberries and fruit-bearing shrubs and flowers in bloom here and there. It was pleasant to fly slowly through such a beautiful forest with Lord Viol.
As we went deeper into the forest, the trees became denser and darker, and we began to see more mushrooms, moss, ferns, and the like. Markings on the trees here and there were signs that someone had been by.
After flying for quite some distance, I was surprised to see a large cliff with caves that seemed to cut through the forest.
“From what we’ve seen, I think we can guess that the range of the barrier has been cast to afford the villagers to enjoy what the forest has to offer, to a certain extent,” Lord Viol noted.
“It seems that way. There are signs that people have been here, and then there’s the small spring and those caves… You could definitely camp out here.”
“The caves… Those might be mines, you know, where colored gems can be found.”
“Oh, wow…!”
“I still have some things I’d like to confirm… Would you be up for exploring beyond the confines of the boundary line? Of course, I’ll make sure you’re safe, Seren.”
“I would absolutely love to…!”
Could there be any more reassuring words?
I have defeated a mid-level magical beast before, but that was just to qualify for the exam. I don’t have much combat experience overall, and I haven’t even been monster-hunting in quite a while. I seriously doubted I’d be able to face off calmly against any beasts, unlike Lord Viol. So it was reassuring to have him with me.
“When we were flying to the village, we spotted that dense area of trees, right? And I said there might be a reservoir of magical power there, remember?”
“Oh, yes.”
“This village is quite close to that magical center. Not like the capital. This is just my guess, but based on the proximity, I’d say there’s a high possibility of mid-level magical beasts living just beyond the barrier’s perimeter. We should proceed with caution.”
In an instant, my body tensed up.
Beyond the barrier, we might find a habitat for mid-level magical beasts. The thought was terrifying. Perhaps that was why the barrier was constructed… to cordon off this dangerous area, where mid-level magical beasts could lurk, ready to attack the village at any time.
“Okay. Let’s go.”
“…All right.”
I took a deep breath to steady myself, then slowly urged the cart forward. I was the one driving. I had to be careful to stay in full control. Or, so I kept reminding myself.
We passed through the boundary line, deeper into the forest.
At once, the atmosphere in the forest was so different that even I could feel it. There was tension in the air, as if the magical energy was denser here, and I could sense powerful magical beasts prowling nearby.
“I think we’ve reached the heart of the forest,” I said. “To think such a wild place exists so close to the village.”
“Indeed. Without the barrier, they’d be cooked. Before the barrier was set up, they must have dealt with great danger on a daily basis.”
Just thinking there had once been such a terrifying time made my heart sink.
Here I was, with protective barriers and magic to fight with, and I was still frightened of even low-level magical beasts. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the women and children who had no way to fight back and had to live in such a dangerous environment. I was glad that the magical barrier had eventually been set in place.
“Seren.”
I heard the tension in Lord Viol’s voice, and a wave of nervousness washed over me.
He was warning me of a magical beast, no doubt.
I reinforced my protective wall around myself, and I could feel the magical energy of the beast make my skin prickle. The prickle soon escalated to a constant humming pain.
Then there was an air-ripping roar.
I was afraid.
“A mid-level beast, incoming.”
A mid-level one!
Sensing the presence of a magical beast after so long… I felt overwhelmed by my fear.
“Escape skywards!” Lord Viol ordered.
“…Roger!”
I automatically took us higher, just as a golden-colored magical beast pounced onto the spot where we’d just been hovering.
GROAAAR…!
It roared in displeasure over its thwarted attempt to kill, then shook its head angrily, its golden mane swaying spectacularly.
“I’ll take it out.”
Lord Viol wasted no time unleashing his magic. He shot out blades of wind, one after another, which slammed into the golden beast’s throat. Multiple blades converged on one small area, slicing through the beast’s windpipe and taking away its last breath, with almost no other damage inflicted. It was an amazingly efficient attack.
The beast collapsed with a thunderous rumble. It was an abrupt end that happened all in an instant.
“Amazing! Wind Cutter, in a pinpoint attack…!”
“Mid-level and higher beasts have tough outer hides, so this is the fastest and most effective method,” he explained. “Wind Cutter is useful for beast hunting, but it does a lot of damage, which can be kind of gruesome. A pinpoint attack is less… splashy.”
He was right.
“I certainly learned something today!”
Lord Viol looked at me, chewing his lip. “This wasn’t quite what I had in mind for our honeymoon…”
“Oh… Right. But you know, Lord Viol… The ease with which you dispatch mid-level beasts is impressive… It kinda makes me a little jealous.”
“You flatter me. Anyway, I’ve got years of experience on you. Still, if you learned something, I hope you’ll make good use of it if the opportunity ever arises.”
“Absolutely!” I nodded enthusiastically, and Lord Viol smiled wryly.