Sacred Forest (3)

Selena blinked with her mouth agape.

"Does that mean this place isn't a forest?"

"It's a forest. There are plants and animals living together, lush trees, and even a lake."

"But you just said this was a dream."

"Well, it is a dream brought into reality."

Magic is the manifestation of phenomena. In that sense, this forest is also a kind of magic.

That's why non-magicians often misunderstand magic as 'illusion'.

Because when magic is canceled, the blazing fire disappears, and the ice rink that was frozen in an instant melts away.

However, the burns and frostbite remain. This forest is the same.

The plants and animals in this forest have already formed an ecosystem.

Of course, it is a circulatory system made entirely of mana, but most people probably wouldn't notice the difference from reality.

A dream so close to reality that ordinary people can't even tell the difference. And the fact that it has been called the 'Sacred Forest' for decades.

It has existed for too long to be called an 'illusion'.

"Can an ordinary person do something like that?"

"No, they can't. Merlin is an Archmage."

"Even so. Even if it's a dream, it's amazing to create such an elaborate world. There must be a limit to a person's mana, but this, for decades..."

Selena's question was valid. In fact, I didn't think this could be done for decades. Just as Selena said, there is a limit to the total amount of mana a human can have.

There was a part of it that I could guess, but for now, I held back my words.

"Let's hurry anyway. You've been dragging your feet, wasting time."

"...Must you speak like that."

Ignoring the retreating voice, I spurred Cassian on again.

After traveling for a while, a thought suddenly occurred to me, and I said,

"But aren't assassins accustomed to torture? They receive training for it."

"They are. They're familiar with the agony and pain. The terror that pierces all senses. That's why, even if they cry and beg, they're trained not to divulge information."

"It's not about enduring the pain?"

"At first, they deceive you into thinking that. That it's training to endure pain. But it's not. You're subjected to unbearable torment. It doesn't stop, no matter how much you cry, beg, or scream. But if you leak information, it becomes even more intense. Then, the pain beyond your limits is seared into your brain. So, no matter how torturous the torment is, no matter if you're crying and pleading, you won't spill the information. Because you remember the fear from that time."

...That's a terrifying story.

I had nothing more to say, so I just quietly looked ahead.

After a moment of silence,

"Hold on."

Selena said.

"But how did you know? That I'm an assassin. I only said I was a bodyguard."

"Because you act like one."

I didn't know about that, I saw it with the 'Analysis' skill.

"Are you sure you should be talking about this? How you received torture training and all. Wouldn't your superior, Hagley, be angry?"

"It doesn't matter. Manggot is a vile place. Everyone there knows it themselves. So, there's no need to hide the vile deeds. You just need to hide the things that really need to be hidden."

"..."

I didn't respond to that.

Manggot is a miserable place.

It's a place like a refuge for those abandoned by the country, but it's also a place where anger and hatred accumulate, eventually leading to an uprising.

It's literally an uprising. It's the 'karma' that the continent has committed, and Manggot is that flame.

Of course, from the perspective of a gamer, aside from such complex feelings and calculations of loss and gain, dealing with demons is hard enough, let alone the craziness of Manggot driving one to madness.

That's why I don't want to fight. This is the mindset for clearing the game. Because fighting meaningless battles will lead to the annihilation of humanity in this world.

Can Manggot and the continent ever make peace? That's one of the things I consider most impossible among the many failures in this game.

"......But, this path has been continuing straight for a while now."

Selena said as if it was bizarre.

"Does this road really lead to that, the lake, if we follow it?"

"No. If you just follow it, you'll be lost forever."

This forest is Merlin's dream.

This road, which seems to go straight, twists bizarrely according to his thoughts, preventing reaching the lake.

The reason Merlin retreated without hesitation after seeing me with Mjlnir was because of this.

He judged that it was more likely to prevent me from reaching the lake than to fight me and shed blood.

"So what do we do? Why are we still following this path?"

"I know the way."

This forest is actually the 'trial' that Aster will eventually face.

Most players know how to conquer this forest.

But that's because Aster was of a high caliber and recognized by Merlin, so Merlin provided an appropriate level of difficulty.

But as always, I'm Frondier.

Merlin would never hand over the lake to someone like me, a nobody from nowhere.

'But.'

I can see it. This 'illusion' of a dream.

It's partly because I'm looking at it with the 'Analyze' skill, but more than that, my intuition reacted first.

Maybe it's because I possess the 'Weaving' skill, something even closer to an illusion than anything else, that I found the dream world oddly familiar.

"Cassian. From now on, follow my lead."

After saying this, I lightly grasped the reins. Cassian seemed to understand and slightly slowed down. He's really a smart horse, almost scarily so.

'...Sigh.'

I took in the landscape with my eyes. For now, this straight path was just like playing Aster.

As a player, walking this path would prompt Merlin to give various hints, but I had to find my own way.

The 'Analyze' skill doesn't discriminate against its target. This world itself, being identifiable, means that 'Analyze' is also possible.

Up until now, analysis read me supplementary descriptions like item tooltips.

But Merlin's 'dream' is certainly similar to Frondier's 'Weaving.' If it's Frondier, then the essence of this dream could be revealed.

Then,

"It's done."

The analyzed dream world came into view. Like a weapon created by weaving turns into a piece of thin thread, this dream was also strands of numerous threads.

I led Cassian into the revealed world of illusion.

"Over here."

I pulled the reins to the left. There was no path, just dense trees. But Cassian, unafraid, followed my command and pushed through.

In an instant, the dense trees split apart, transforming as if this was the intended path all along.

Like fixing a mistake, hurriedly completing an unfinished painting, or revealing a hidden space behind the stage curtain.

"Ugh, I feel dizzy."

Selena said. Indeed, the sight was disorienting, almost like witnessing a glitch in a game right before your eyes.

I continued to lead Cassian forward. Each time I changed direction, the trees parted, and the path revealed itself. We were definitely approaching the lake.

"But, Lord Frondier."

"How many times do I have to tell you, call me Frondier."

"I heard you liked being called lord."

"Consider any information Manggot has on me to be pure gossip."

"Gossip?"

"It's trash."

Selena didn't respond to my remark. Instead, I felt the touch of Selena's hair from behind. She must have nodded.

"So, Mr. Frondier."

"Yes?"

"If this is Merlin's dream, couldn't the location of the lake be changed at will? Then, even if we find the correct path, wouldn't it be difficult to actually arrive..."

It was a plausible thought.

Had she come to that conclusion after realizing this was a dream? Selena's adaptability was faster than I thought.

But that guess was wrong.

"It's impossible to move the lake."

"Why?"

"Because the lake is real."

"Ah."

Everything we see around us is part of Merlin's dream.

Except the lake, which is real.

In other words, Merlin designed this dream for that one lake.

At that moment, the trees began to transform in strange ways.

The once ordinary landscape twisted, and the trees grotesquely enlarged, stretching their branches out. Thick trunks twisted, and the gaps that opened between them seemed to smile like a human mouth.

"Uh, um, Mr. Frondier...?"

Selena spoke in an anxious voice.

"Merlin is certain of it."

"Of what?"

"That we know our way precisely. That it's impossible for us to lose our way."

So, the plan is to push forward with force once again. Only this time, to do so more covertly and safely.

The trees had already inflated their bodies, becoming shadows. The forest darkened in an instant, with the giant trees bending their backs to look down.

"Since this is a dream, it might be okay to get hit, right?"

"What do you think? How would it feel to get hit?"

"It seems like it would hurt a lot."

I nodded.

"As long as you can't escape that thought, it's going to hurt a lot."

Damn, Selena muttered before reaching into her bosom and pulling out a needle.

It was nice to see the pretense disappear, but it felt like manners were disappearing along with it.

* * *

Merlin stood in front of the lake.

He could feel everything within this forest. Even the faint breaths of small birds.

Frondier was already approaching. They had tried to block him using the trees, but it was only a matter of time before he arrived here.

[What should I do.]

There was a hint of resonance in his murmur. It was not merely a mumble spoken in solitude.

[Why do you worry so much?]

Water in the center of the lake Merlin was looking at erupted.

In the place where the water had burst forth, a woman appeared, mirroring the way Merlin had emerged from the ground.

"I have failed to protect the lake," Merlin said.

"It's alright," the Lady of the Lake responded.

"Whoever reaches this place will gain nothing," the Lady of the Lake smiled.

"Recklessness only leads to death."

That's when they heard it.

The familiar sound of hooves approached Merlin and the Lady of the Lake.

Thud thud thud thud!

Breaking through the brush was Frondier.

His clothes were torn and worn in places, suggesting a fierce battle had taken place on the way here, yet he seemed to bear no serious injuries.

"Heck, hah..."

On the other hand, the woman riding behind him looked near death.

"Hey, stop slumping. We've arrived," Frondier chided the woman behind him.

"It's cowardly. You barely take any damage while I have to dodge and fight."

"It's an illusion. If you understand it correctly, you won't get hurt."

"I thought about that too, you know? It's an illusion, it's fake, I kept telling myself that and believed it. So why am I the one getting hit?"

"It's not about believing, it's about knowing."

Merlin listened to their conversation in silence, then furrowed his brow.

An illusion? Not taking damage?

So, is Frondier unharmed because he 'saw through' the dream?

...That can't be right.

"Ah."

That's when Frondier noticed Merlin. He also glanced at the Lady of the Lake.

"We meet again, Sir Merlin. And..."

Frondier looked at the woman and smiled deeply.

"I've been looking for you for a long time. 'Witch of the Lake'."