Blessing of the World

Right after leaving, I asked "Can I know your names?"

"Oh right! Your Lordship has forgotten things…" The girl not bringing a bow answered in a decreasing tone.

Still wearing her cute, light smile, the woman with the bow replied "My name is Ivy, My Lord. And this is my Sister, Iris."

"Beautiful names, they complement each other" I remarked

After saying that, a veil of sweet aroma enveloped us, then Ivy looked at me with a warm smile and tender eyes, "You gave us our names, it would be natural that they are perfect for us, My Lord."

Oh… the past me did? Well he is creative.

Continuing forward, I can't help but still be absorbed by the sheer height of this tree, it's branches that stretch to the edge of the forest, paired with the foliage composed of the different hues of green and that fills the forest's soil with fallen leaves.

"Is that the forest heart?" I asked Iris, pointing my head to the big tree.

"Is it not magic, that you want to know about, My Lord?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Well yes, it is." I shrugged, "I'm just... curious."

"I see" She replied with a light smile. "It is not the heart of the forest. Instead, it is the tree that might have given life to everything in this forest" She continued while picking up beautiful flowers along the way.

"Could have given life?" I knitted my eyebrows, "Do you mind, expanding on that?"

Did that single tree ignite the forest's ecosystem? Because If it did.... That would be wonderful!

Walking forward, Iris started talking, making hand gestures as she did, "Well see, if Your Highness'es memories were still intact, you would still remember Your Highness'es Father's stories." She literally rapped, "Your Highness would remember tha—"

"Please, don't be too formal. I do not like it" I interrupted

"Are you sure, My Lo—"

I raised my hand again, "Yes, I am sure."

Afterwards, the sweet aroma that enveloped us just got stronger, sweeter and more alluring.

She bowed, "W-well then, My Lord." Then continued walking forward, "As I said, if your memories were still intact, you would remember your father's stories about your grandfather." She paused, picking up more exotic flowers.

"What did he say?" I asked, looking at her pickup flowers.

Standing up, she sighed then continued, "Well, your grandfather fought the war that hid our location for centuries, until recently. When a group of humans and a 'hero', as they call it, stumbled upon your brother's manor. I feel they are still there until today, being broken until they die."

My brother?

Intrigued, I asked, "Is he the same one that you guys said attacked me?"

"Yes, he is the one that attacked you, My Lord." She looked at the sky with a somber face, "And we do not know the reason for it up until now."

"I see, well I guess we only have each other for now — Oh wait, about that story, can you continue it?"

With a big smile, she replied "Very well, My Lord… After your grandfather fought the humans, it left thousands of bodies across our part of this continent, enriching the soil with pure magic. " She said, "And eventually, those dead bodies attracted the mandrakes, so now they reside here"

Our part of the continent? Mandrakes?

Enriching the soil? Like fertilizer? But with pure magic??

So many questions, aghhh!

"Hmm, the part about enriching the soil? Can you tell me more about it?"

"Well, when the dead dies, the—" Iris interrupted Ivy, "Let me talk!" Iris pouted.

Then Ivy simply replied, "Okay then", continuing to pick flowers afterwards.

"Well you see, My Lord, when the living dies, the mana within them is released to the Earth, to be processed by other living things" She answered enthusiastically, hopping around as she did.

I see, so mana is like energy?

"Have you heard of energy?" I asked, rubbing my chin.

"Energyy?" She pondered, "hmm, I'm afraid I haven't, My Lord."

Focused on magic huh, I wonder what concept of science exists here…

"How does mana enrich the soil?"

She simply shrugged her soldiers then replied, "Well for one, every living being contains mana to the environment and constantly releases that mana to the environment"

With something in my mind, I asked "So the trees themselves releases mana to the environment?"

Then she replied, "Yes, My Lord. Touch a tree and you can feel something like a flow of water. That is mana, and it enters through the base and leaves through the leaves."

Base? Does she mean roots? Wait… So this means that the nutrients are not only being stored inside trees but released to the forest?

Suddenly realizing something, I continued to mumble to myself, "So that means that forests still maintains high soil quality… because of the process of decomposition enriches the soil and makes trees more healthy but instead of the nutrition remaining on the tree which ends to low soil quality due to the tree and plants storing the nutrients. Or in this world mana, the tree itself excludes mana in the surroundings but of a different type which is to be taken in by the creatures who then dies and repeats the process… Maintaining a perfect balance…"

I stumbled a few steps back, eventually falling down. I held my shaking hands over my gasping mouth and trembling lips as I start to appreciate the sheer beauty this ecosystem has been maintaining for such a long time… wait —time!

While the two women were staring at me after my long speech, I asked "H-how long has this forest existed?"

After a short pause, Ivy answered, "Probably not older than your grandfather, My Lord."

"And how old is he?"

"631 years old"

Hearing that, I gasped even more.

"Less than 631 years for all this to develop—and that tree… I estimated at least Tens of Thousands of years…"

Just as I was thinking, a very bright green light surrounded me, enveloping me with a warm embrace.

"A blessing?!" Ivy gasped, slowly equipping her bow and taking out an arrow.

Is she going to shoot me?

With knitted eyebrows, Iris followed, "But you are a spirit, My Lord. How can you still be blessed…"

"Agreed, as far as I know, spirits are already connected to mana." Ivy started aiming at me with her bow.

"Who are you?!" Iris shouted, a huge fist slowly forming around her hands as she took a fighting stance.

What's happening?! I can't possibly fight them… I can't fight!

But I'm their Lord right? How could they attack me…

With a racing heart, I declared "I-I'm your Lord! Lower your weapons!"

Not even a moment later, the surrounding trees and the underground roots suddenly sprung towards them, moving so fast that each of them sounded like whips.

Just then, a bright light flashed and all the whooshing roots were sliced in half, also with Iris and Ivy suddenly falling slowly to the ground, to be caught by a guy wearing a yellow kimono… Maxim?

He then looked at me and waved a very long sword that almost looks like a Japanese katana.

"Is that you, My Lord?!" He shouted after a few moments.

"Y-yes! It's me!" I replied, also shouting.

After answering, it took him a few minutes until he lowered his sword, then it suddenly disappeared to thin air.

"I see, you are undergoing a blessing right now, My Lord"

"A blessing?"

"The Spirit of the World is acknowledging your profound knowledge and has given you a deeper connection to mana, My Lord!." He shouted.

Spirit of the World? Deeper connection?

I can hardly hear him, the surrounding air is producing very loud whooshes and gusts that I can only hear the loud whistles of the air that moves around me.

Already panicking, I frantically replied, "What do you mean?"

"Try to close your eyes, My Lord, then kinda feel your surroundings!"

WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW

"O-okayy"

Then, I closed my eyes.

Afterwards, there was pure silence then I find myself sitting cross-legged. Across an old man with a familiarly old beard and a very familiar long robe… The God of Justice?

"DID I DIE AGAIN?!" I stood up.

"Well I hoped that you will" The God mumbled under his breath

"What?" I asked, the old man waved his hand, and I'm now cross-legged again.

Then, the God raised his head very high, "The Spirit of the World favors you, so sadly I cannot touch you nor can I scheme against you." He proclaimed.

"Then why am I here?"

"Because that sudden outburst of mana you caused when you closed your eyes kinda killed you. Well, it put your soul into sleep but not your body." He said, then a huge book flew to his hands. "And, since the World has recognized you, you will be back there soon." He said, then started reading a book.

"Oh, I se—"

I got interrupted when I suddenly now find myself back on the forest.

Looking around, I saw a crater probably ¼ of a football field, exposing the thousands of interwoven roots and the hundreds of different little organisms that live underneath.

"M-my Lord" A voice suddenly came from behind me, I looked back and noticed it is Maxim.

"Yes?"

"What are you… My Lord?"

The hell kinda question is that?

"I'm your Lord, dzuh" I replied while doing sit-ups then standing up for stretches.

"I see, well I would expect my Lord to be powerful."

"Yes, yes you should"

Wow! I feel so full of energy right now, I feel like I can take down a tree.

Suddenly, Iris and Ivy appeared out of thin air, "My Lord, the humans seemed to have sensed the mana fluctuations caused by your blessing and are now rushing towards the forest at high speed."

"Oh wow they are already near?"

"Yes, My Lord."

"Let's meet them then."

Then, right after Satoshi was transported again to the world, the God of Justice sat there, reading the book on his hand.

While reading, he suddenly paused then started massaging his head.

"I forgot he studies plants." He mumbled to himself. "Why did I turn him to a tree.", he continued while tearing the book in half, only to be restored a few seconds later.