The Dryad's Forest (I)

It was definitely a beautiful morning. I had already shrunk and put away my tower, and at that moment, I was walking in the middle of the forest in search of civilization. Sunlight pierced through the treetops and made the little stream whose flow I was following shine.

The singing of the little birds was combined with the sound of running water, creating a piece of harmonious ambient music. The leaves fell between the branches following the wind, and small animals lived their every day around me. I felt so relaxed that I could almost forget about the corpse bleeding on the stream's bank.

Honestly, why did something like this have to ruin my day so early?

Sensing how I was approaching it, the corpse moved its head in my direction. It looks like it wasn't a corpse, after all.

"Excuse my insolence, sir magician, I need to deliver a message urgently," the man said with difficulty.

From his clothes and armor, I would say that the man was part of an army, but thanks to [Appraisal], I could see that he was not a simple soldier but a magical one. While they are much weaker than a magic knight, they still have superhuman abilities and make up the bulk of a magician's forces.

The man had seen my outfits and didn't hesitate to recognize me as a magician. What can I say? The artifacts I'm wearing are quite striking for these times of dirty clothes. They even give off magic, and someone sensitive to it would soon feel it.

If I use all the capabilities of my cloak [Eternal Mystery], I can change the perception that others have of me. But at the moment, there are no downsides to being seen as I am.

"You shouldn't try so hard with those wounds; better lie down again," I said, crouching down close to the man. These wounds are pretty deep, and I am not a doctor. What can I do…

"Don't bother, sir. I know my time is short... But I need to let it be known that Lord Edward has been kidnapped... I know it's disrespectful for a nobody like me to ask a sir magician for anything... But, for the good of the nation, could you give notice, sir? As a magician, surely you have heard of Lord Edward's mission…

Since all magicians are basically nobles in their respective countries, it's no wonder the magic soldier thinks I'm aware of what's being talked about at court. But I, and if nothing has changed, only know that this forest should be part of the territory of the kingdom of Forlan. That's all.

I have never been much interested in the nations of the new world. It is enough to sleep for a hundred years a couple of times, and they have already changed. But it's something I will have to worry about from now on. The sooner I begin to understand the world, the better.

"Sorry, soldier, I'm a foreigner traveling the world. I don't know Lord Edward. But I have no problem doing something about it."

The man seemed somewhat confused when I said, "Do something," but he was relieved to know that I was willing to listen. If there's one thing that hasn't changed in the last few hundred years, it's that magicians, in general, are accumulations of pride and power and very challenging to deal with.

The soldier's name was Roy, and he was part of Lord Edward's escort. Who had gone as an ambassador to the neighboring kingdom of Rimbel? Apparently, relations between the two kingdoms have not been the most cordial in recent years, and the tensions only escalate.

When they returned from their visit, it was then that the attacks by what appeared to be a pro-war group began. It is worth mentioning that Lord Edward is part of the Estalion house, a prominent family of magicians. But Edward himself is not one of them. Even the accompanying magic soldiers were only prepared by the Estalion house. Thus, his defensive capabilities were not ideal.

Finding themselves at a severe disadvantage, they decided to enter the dangerous forest known as "the forest of the dryad." A century ago, a powerful dryad took control of the forest, and since then, no race has been allowed to enter. Not even the elves, who are generally on good terms with the dryads.

But being Lord Edward, part of the nobility and ambassador of Forlan, he hoped to reach an agreement with the dryad and receive her protection. That was the plan at least, but the attackers managed to catch up with them, and although Roy and the rest of the guard sacrificed themselves, the captors were able to kidnap Lord Edward with the help of ropes of light.

Although they were also magic soldiers, it seems that the attackers did not have a magician in their ranks. Otherwise, they would not have had so many complications. But they did come prepared with a spell, probably in scroll form.

Roy was the only one left alive, and thinking it was impossible to recover Lord Edward on his own, he headed towards the nearest town to give notice of the news. Although finally, his injuries caused him to lose consciousness for a few moments falling from his horse.

The magical soldier ended his story with a small stream of blood coming out of his mouth. His situation was already worrying me enough. It wasn't the first time I'd seen someone die in front of my eyes, but that didn't make it any easier to watch.

"Dryad..." I said, trying to search my memory, which was quite scrambled from so much sleeping.

If I remember correctly, I had given a dryad a rather unoriginal name in this very forest.

I had saved her from drying up when she was barely a tiny sprout. Of course, I knew dryads even then, but only their adult form. So it was quite my surprise when, many years later, a naked woman emerged from the tree.

This strange world is the fault of the goddess and her fantasy creatures.

Anyway, the presence of that dryad was one of the reasons why I chose this forest for my hundred years of hibernation. I had basically asked her to watch over the place. In return, and also as an aid, I lent her one of my artifacts [Nature's Sovereign].