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Chapter 77: That girl is not far from you.

The four of them rode their horses at a leisurely pace along the forest path.

The road was rugged, and everywhere they looked stood snow-covered pines; the horses moved with some difficulty, yet they were still far faster than walking.

They rode until afternoon, and when Reiner saw that the others were tired, he told them to camp here for the night and continue tomorrow.

“This forest feels really safe; we’ve been traveling all day and haven’t seen a single monster, not even any bandits,” Martina said, leaning against a tree and stretching lazily.

“Maybe the elves keep order here, which is a good thing,” Reiner replied, setting the Breath of the Red Dragon on the ground; the fire-mana crystal at the tip of the staff instantly burst into roaring flames.

Daisy gathered a few branches, rinsed them with water, and propped the rock-hard frozen white bread before the fire to toast.

The four of them planned to rest after dinner.

Suddenly Martina glanced at the pine behind her and punched it.

“Bugs?” Reiner asked in confusion.

“No, darling, come look… what is this thing?”

Reiner stood up and looked over.

He saw that the pine had actually grown a human face.

Its nose had been knocked crooked by Martina’s punch.

At first Reiner thought some bored traveler had carved a face into the trunk, until the mouth twitched.

Martina drew the greatsword from her back and raised it to strike. “Monster, prepare to die!”

“Wait.” Reiner pulled her back.

The tree whimpered and muttered in Elven, “Who are you? It’s bad enough you woke me, but you even hit me… ow, ow…”

Reiner patted Martina’s butt and said, “This should be a tree spirit, not a monster.”

Martina leaned closer and muttered, “Really? She still feels like a monster to me.”

Reiner stepped up and straightened the old tree spirit’s wooden nose. “Sorry, this is our first time meeting a tree spirit, and she got a little excited, so I’ll fix your nose.”

With that, Reiner cast Heal Water to treat its nose, though he wasn’t sure it would help.

“Ho, the last human I met who could speak Elven was about 200 years ago… truly rare,” the old tree spirit laughed, then said, “Don’t bother healing me; the nose will grow back soon enough.”

“Oh.” Reiner backed up a few steps and studied the tree spirit.

Apart from the huge face on its trunk, it looked no different from a common pine.

It was rooted in the soil and did not move at all.

While Reiner was musing, the tree spirit spoke again. “I’ve slept too long; it’s time to get up and stretch.”

Right after that, the ground around them trembled slightly.

The tree spirit yanked two legs out of the earth, and the crooked limbs were covered with dense roots.

It was enormous; every step it took made the earth shudder faintly.

Reiner simply watched in silence.

This was probably Nora’s first time seeing a tree spirit as well.

When she saw the walking pine, her eyes went wide.

After a moment, the tree spirit stepped back into the pit, plunged its legs into the soil again, and sighed, “The snow is really heavy this year.”

Reiner answered casually, “Yes, last year we only got a thin layer; it wasn’t this cold.”

The old tree spirit kept its eyes half-closed and looked kindly.

It asked slowly, “Out there, can humans and demi-humans live together peacefully now?”

Reiner shook his head. “No, they’re still hunting demi-humans all over the world.”

“Then it’s the same as 200 years ago,” the old tree spirit said softly.

Reiner was no good at conversation, and after hearing that he didn’t know how to respond.

The tree spirit spoke again. “It seems you’re not a talkative person, are you?”

“Mm, I’m not very good with words,” Reiner said, sitting down while the two beast-eared girls fought to squeeze into his lap and instantly started bickering.

The tree spirit watched and asked, “What are they doing?”

“Fighting to sit in my lap and rest,” Reiner said, patting Martina’s shoulder and speaking gently. “All right, yesterday was your turn, so today it’s Nora’s; one day apiece… fair and impartial.”

Martina’s horse ears drooped.

Puffing out her cheeks, she sat down beside Daisy.

The tree spirit gave a dry laugh and said, “They must be your slaves too, huh? Competing for favor… quite rare.”

Reiner replied solemnly, “Of course; I’m a rare good man.”

The tree spirit laughed again, paused for a few seconds, and then asked, “So why have you come to this forest? Passing through, or exploring?”

“I’m looking for a friend and happened to pass through this forest.”

“A woman?”

“Yes, a very beautiful woman with blond hair and blue eyes, exceptionally gentle and patient; she’s not only my friend but also my first magic teacher,” Reiner said, nodding emphatically.

The tree spirit laughed again, and this time it opened its golden eyes. “Two women aren’t enough, and now you’re after a third?”

Reiner scratched his face and looked away involuntarily. “Well… I haven’t really thought about that; I’m looking for her because I have something urgent.”

“Where are you from?”

“Dyast, a small city called Melod; I don’t know if you’ve heard of it.”

“Of course. I once had a human friend who lived there, but that was over 200 years ago, so he’s probably dead by now,” the tree spirit said sadly. “You humans are fragile, with lifespans barely a century.”

Stroking Nora in his arms, Reiner asked offhandedly, “Is there any magic that grants immortality?”

The tree spirit shook its head gently, and piles of snow slid from its branches. “To my knowledge, none exists.”

“Still, don’t be disappointed; living too long isn’t all that great. I sleep more than I’m awake now, and in a few hundred years I’ll probably die… My only hope is to find someone to chat with whenever I wake up.”

“May I ask how long you’ve lived?”

The tree spirit answered softly, “I have been in this forest for several thousand years.”

“So you even lived through the Old Empire era?”

“Of course; I even fought in human wars back then.” As it spoke, the old tree spirit stretched out a withered arm. “Honestly, I cherish the days I spent with humans, but I’m old now…”

So it had arms after all.

They had just been hidden among the thick pine needles.

The old tree spirit actually stirred Reiner’s desire to chat.

He had wanted to ask how demi-humans came into being in this world, but instead it said, “I have found the girl you mentioned earlier; she is not far from here…”

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