34 - Highlander's Duty

“… What would you have me do?” I asked Kikko inside her hypnotic world.

Kikko didn’t reply. Instead, I received a wave of uneasiness; Kikko’s wavering indecision.

“Those dreams I’ve been having, my mother had them too, didn’t she?”

Correct.

“The highlands, it means something’s wrong, isn’t it?”

Correct.

“Is this what you mean by the duty of a highlander?”

Kikko paused for a while, a wave of hesitancy washing over me before.

Correct.

My heart sank.

“Does this mean… my mother failed?”

Uncertain. At first, contained. Now, revived.

“Is it the Dark Forest?”

Kikko nodded.

“What should I do now?”

Nothing.

“What?”

I shall go. You shall stay.

“But-”

My promise.

“Your promise to take care of me? What about the Tranquil Forest?”

Others will help.

No doubt, Kikko meant the other animals. But they won’t be able to fend off trouble for long without Mister B, and if Kikko didn’t return…

“No, I’ll go.”

Foolish.

“I know, but I’m going.”

Cannot allow-

“This is a highlander’s duty, is it not?”

…

“I’m strong, Kikko. You know that, don’t you?”

Too inexperienced-

“It’ll be okay, I have experience. Three persons worth of experience, in fact.”

Drag in outsiders?

“I believe I can call them friends now.”

They don’t accept?

“Then I’ll do it alone.”

…

I sighed, doing my best to show an attitude of nonchalance. “It’ll be fine, if I can’t handle it, I’ll just escape, retreat into my mind palace and figure it out from there.”

… Fine.

With Kikko’s approval, I awoke standing in front of my house. There was light snowing, the sun still yet to rise and bask the horizon in its warm glow. Kikko turned to leave, but a small, white ball of fur jumped off her back, scampering towards me.

“Fokko?”

“Auu!”

She climbed onto my shoulder, settling down with her tail curled around my neck.

“Hehe, that’s cold, Fokko. It feels reassuring with you here, but no. Go back.”

Go.

It wasn’t Fokko to give her reply, but Kikko.

“… No. Fokko, you’ll get in the way if you tag along, just trust me and-” I cut myself off, realizing the words I’d just uttered.

Same words as your mother.

“Kikko?”

This time, no regret.

She turned once more to leave, her footsteps silent in the snow.

“Fokko, stick close to me, alright?”

“Auu!”

*

“Hmm, I see. A highlander’s duty, eh? Sounds like emergency missions for the guild.”

While listening intently to my explanation, everyone hastily dressed in their traveling gear.

“Man, the highlands sure are mysterious, eh? Guardian foxes, highlanders watching over the mountains…” Mars sighed. “We know so little we never even considered sending a mapper up here.”

“Well, the highlands aren’t widely explored in general,” Estelle put on her winter clothing, checking her equipment one last time. “There’s always a first for everything, yeah?”

“Stelle, didn’t we pass a forest just like Riko described?” Edelweiss, said thoughtfully. “The one that freaked you out real good.”

“Oh yeah… creepy place. Even those wolves were docile in there.”

“Everyone, listen.”

“What is it, Riko?”

“Umm… maybe dangerous. Better go now. Go back Rustal. But if…”

“Yes?”

“If… if okay, help Riko…”

“Hmm?” Estelle titled her head questioningly. “What do you mean you’ll accept help? We’re already preparing to go, aren’t we?”

“Help Riko?”

“What were you expecting? I know it’s urgent, but give us a bit more time, yeah? Winter gear’s always trouble to put on-”

“You’re just too big, Mars.”

“Yeah? You forgot your fourth scarf.”

“Hey-”

Frankly, it was amazing they could still quip like that, even after I told them of the dangers.

“Sure? No information, dangerous. Cannot guarantee safety…”

“Just like any other day for an explorer. First to enter unknown territory, always full of peril, and yet we’re still here today,” Mars said. “Have some confidence.”

“We’ll go together, alright?” Edelweiss gave me a reassuring pat on the head.

“Ugh… thank you…!”

“Save that for later. Hurry up and get your equipment ready, you don’t want to go in there bare-handed, do you?”

“Isn’t that Riko’s specialty?”

“Oh, that’s right.”

“Hehe…!” Even with the sense of dread in my stomach, I still found the means to laugh.

“Okay, everyone.” Mars stood up, the expression on his usually stoic face turned serious. “Those who fail to prepare, better be prepared to fail. Make your final preparations, grab a quick snack; we’ll go in ten minutes.”

“Aye!”

“A-aye…?”

*

As the first orange rays of light finally hit the highlands, we set off. Woolie and his friends ferried us for the journey as we dashed through the Screeching Forest. Without thick canopies and vines to obstruct our way, the moffas were able to go at a decent pace.

“Riko, you sure you got everything with you?”

“Quit worrying, Mars. I’m sure Riko’s done her prep bag enough to know what she’s doing.”

“Umm…!”

“… Riko?” Estelle couldn’t believe her eyes as I began rummaging through my backpack.

“Shine, ’o luminous magelight.”

Edelweiss’s bright, sphere of light hovered above my head, illuminating the inside of my backpack.

“Umm… yes! Everything okay!” I breathed a sigh of relief, clutching onto the two blades on my back to reassure myself.

“At this pace, I’d say we’ll arrive by mid-afternoon. We’ll stop for a break mid-way, but daylight’s much shorter here so we’ll need to eat fast.”

“Got it, Mars.”

“… Riko thought Estelle leader?”

“You’d think that, won’t you Riko?” Edelweiss pushed up her glasses dramatically. “But she’s pretty bad at everything outside of combat.”

“Edel?!”

“Ooh… Riko understand.”

“Understand what?!”

As everyone began to banter, I leaned forwards, resting my face on Woolie’s back.

“Woolie, after we arrive, wait for me outside, alright?”

“Muu?!”

“Please.”

“Muu…”

I couldn’t help but smile. Woolie was a coward, he’d shake at any little thing, and start bawling his eyes out whenever he was in danger, puffing up his woolly coat for protection. Woolie’s a loyal friend. He couldn’t fight at all, but he’ll follow me no matter what. I refuse to lose him.

“Auu!”

As if preemptively announcing her objection, Fokko puffed up her cheeks, daring me to tell her to do the same.

“Alright, Fokko. But you must never leave my side, alright?”

“Fok-ko!”

“Riko, you said you had recurring dreams leading up to this very situation, correct?”

“Yes, Edel.”

“Can you describe it again?”

I told Edelweiss about the murky void I’d seen, emitting a nauseating aura of darkness. Or rather, felt. It was violent, angry and out of control, lashing out at anything and everything.

“Mars, what does that sound like to you?”

“Huh? I dunno. Some kinda abstract feeling…?”

“Sorry, I meant what does it remind you of.”

“…? Violent and dark… attacks everything regardless of friend or foe… A fiend?”

“Specifically-”

“A mana beast!” Estelle cried out.

“Yes, that’s what I think too.”

“Mana beast?”

It was a term I’d never heard of before.

“Sometimes, creatures can mutate due to abundance of mana in the air. It’s not a common occurrence, but considering how common mana is-”

“Areas with low inhabitation from civilization such as forests, oceans, and in our case the highlands tend to have cases of runaway incidents-” Mars continued.

“Indeed. A small number of creatures have bodies that absorb mana far better than their counterparts. Animals aren’t aware, and can’t control the buildup of mana in their bodies. Eventually it forms a manatite crystal inside them, causing them mutate. They lose control and go berserk, destroying everything around them.”

“Manatite? That?” I pointed to Edel’s wand.

“Yes. We have the means and know-how to properly wield them, but creatures don’t. Oftentimes these mana beasts will go unchecked; by the time they mutate it’ll have been too late. They eventually find their way to town and villages, wrecking havoc.”

“And that’s why we’ve got people like us to handle it!” Estelle said proudly.

“Yes, yes. What a musclehead.”

“Excuse me?!”

“So… Riko dream of mana beast?”

“We can’t be sure, but from inference, it sounds the likeliest scenario.” Edel stated with confidence.

I rally admired how calm and collective she was, even while confirming the dangers ahead.

“Everyone, fight mana beast before?”

“Yes, but not with just us three. We don’t actively seek them out, too risky. They usually come to us, and with plenty of fighters at the ready in towns, don’t pose too much of an issue. Our current situation, however…”

“It’ll be fine. From what Riko said, this mana beast’s been recuperating from severe wounds. If it’d only just awoken, it must still be weak. It’s now or never.”

We took a quick break to have lunch, wolfing down the last of my stock of meat. There was still plenty of solid soup left, giving everyone a needed respite from the cold sweeping through the open field we now traversed across.

Mama… if you managed to defeat the mana beast, why didn’t you finish the job?

Though I had several thoughts and doubt still lingering in my mind, I didn’t have much time to contemplate. Soon, we’d arrived at the entrance to the Dark Forest, and the investigation will proceed.

*

“… And that’s the plan. Simple and straightforward, yes?”

“Brr… is it just me, or has it gotten colder?”

“Probably just you, Stelle. You never were good with dark and foreboding places.”

“Alright. Estelle, Edelweiss, Ricolette, any last minute preparations?”

“I’m raring to go!”

“All good.”

“Riko… ready!”

“Then let’s head out.”

As the three went on ahead, I turned back one more time to see Woolie scampering towards me, bawling his eyes out.

“Muumuu!”

“Ahaha, come here, Woolie.”

I hugged him tight, stroking the warm wool one more time for comfort. I wanted more than anything to simply sink in, run away from this forest and go home.

But I have to see this through.

“See you later, Woolie.”

I waved him goodbye, watching as he trudged away to safety back to his pack.

“Let’s go, Fokko. Don’t leave my shoulder.”

“Auu!”

I rejoined the group and at long last, entered the Dark Forest.