The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 83

The following day, when I arrived in Fortuna, the security checks were indeed rigorous. It wasn’t just the entry points that were controlled—soldiers were stationed everywhere, stopping and questioning passersby. The primary targets of these inspections were outsiders, but even residents had to account for their movements.

Given my obvious traveler’s attire, I was frequently stopped. Each time, I handed over my identification token as requested. Eventually, I got so tired of the routine that I just carried it in my hand.

"This is a token issued in Seoryeong. What brings someone from there all the way here?"

Of course, it wasn’t a real token.

Without any guarantors, showing my real token as a minor wouldn’t be wise. I’d prepared a forged one for situations like this, and so far, no one had noticed. The soldiers checking my token showed no signs of suspicion either.

“Just on a leisurely trip.”

“How long are you planning to stay here?”

“Maybe two or three days.”

After answering these routine, casual questions, the soldiers generally withdrew without any trouble, sometimes even recommending good places to eat or see, or offering well-wishes for my stay, showing a friendly attitude toward tourists.

But it wasn’t like this for everyone. There were particular people who, despite showing their identification tokens, faced noticeably stricter inspections. After observing for a while, I picked up on a few common traits: the targets were usually men in their late twenties to early thirties.

If they were tall or had distinctive eye or hair colors, the scrutiny became even more intense. For those individuals, soldiers checked not only their occupations and origins but also whether they had family. They inspected their belongings, questioning the purpose of every item they carried.

The more I observed, the more it seemed like this was more than just heightened security. If my instincts were correct, they were actively looking for someone. And that someone met the same criteria as the person I was searching for.

‘…Semeion looked to be in his late twenties, didn’t he?’

A tall man, significantly above the average height for men in the Empire. Winter was approaching, but it was still the season when his distinctive hair color would stand out. His light purple eyes weren’t common either, which made this all feel even stranger.

Could it really be Semeion they were looking for? And if so, how did Fortuna’s Lord know about him?

The lack of a precise description meant they had never actually seen him. Yet, throughout my journey here, I hadn’t heard any rumors about him. This suggested there was another source of information, one that wasn’t public. The fact that they were ostensibly fortifying against Demonic Beasts while likely searching for a Clonne was also unsettling.

What bothered me most, though, was the state of the village. From the moment I arrived, it felt unusually desolate, and it wasn’t just because of the strict security checks. Despite the roofs and brickwork trying to conceal it, a sense of emptiness prevailed. It took me a moment to understand why.

‘There are almost no plants.’

Even in urban areas, some greenery is typically used for landscaping, but there was virtually none here. In fact, there were clear signs that areas that had been landscaped were now damaged or removed.

* * *

As time passed, it became increasingly evident that my initial impressions weren’t mistaken. In this vast territory, there were only a handful of trees, primarily in the square. There were a few flowerbeds, but beyond that, not even common weeds could be found. Though there was a forest nearby, it was fenced off, making access difficult.

Even if I weren’t a Clonne, it would have been clear that the Lord of Fortuna had a strong aversion to plants. It seemed less about dislike and more about outright avoidance.

‘Lucky I didn’t try talking to any trees.’

I hadn’t attempted it, assuming they’d be asleep, and it turned out to be a wise decision. Had I done so, I was certain I would have immediately become a target for the soldiers. Grateful for the lazily sleeping pine from the previous evening, I decided to turn back. Given the atmosphere here, Semeion was unlikely to be around. There was no need to inquire further; it was better to leave.

But as I turned to leave, I caught sight of something unusual. One of the few trees, a lone pine standing quietly in a corner of the square, had someone standing in front of it.

They looked to be about my age. Despite being a man, their overall build was slender. They wore a simple outfit consisting of a white robe with a blue cloak, which wasn’t as simple in meaning as it appeared. The lower hem of the cloak was embroidered with gold roses. As far as I knew, only one group wore such cloaks.

‘The Mage Tower.’

Founded by Archmage Sakhalin, it was a sacred place of magic and the homeland of mages. It was independent, beyond the reach of any kingdom’s influence—a place solely for mages, by mages, with its own rules.

Not all mages were part of the Mage Tower, but all mages followed its regulations. In Seoryeong, high-ranking mages, as well as magical tools and spellbooks that circulated in the market, were all monopolized by the Mage Tower. This emphasized the importance and influence they held.

Their standing was so significant that even the emperor of an empire would tread carefully around the head of the Mage Tower. Those affiliated with the Tower were treated with the same reverence as high-ranking nobles.

Indeed, the soldiers who routinely conducted checks hesitated to approach him. They only glanced at him nervously from a distance.

Even without the grandeur of the Tower behind him, approaching him would have felt daunting. His very appearance was extraordinary. His skin was as white as snow, and his silver hair, lightly resting on his shoulders, gleamed like moonlight.

Silver hair wasn’t a common color to begin with, but his hair had a particularly luminous, almost ethereal quality. His overall appearance was so unreal that he seemed otherworldly.

He stared at the tree with an unreadable expression and gently stroked its trunk. The sight gave me an odd feeling, as if he were communicating with the tree. It felt like witnessing something significant, something that shouldn’t be ignored.

Sensing my gaze, he turned to look at me. His eyes were remarkably red. Startled, I was about to turn away when he smiled brightly.

“Hello.”

“…”

Feeling embarrassed at being caught watching him, I couldn’t immediately respond. I couldn’t ignore him either, so I nodded slightly. I was thinking of leaving quickly, but then I heard footsteps approaching. The silver-haired man had stepped closer, his sudden proximity making me step back in surprise.

“You were watching me, weren’t you?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. You just stood out, so I looked without any particular intention.”

“There’s no need to apologize. It’s okay to look.”

His gentle smile seemed genuine, with no trace of displeasure. Perhaps because he was used to standing out, he appeared comfortable with such attention. After all, many others had been watching him too. Why he chose to approach me specifically was unclear. Noticing my puzzled expression, he laughed softly.

“By the way, did you know? You stand out too.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah, you caught my eye right away. And now that I think about it, you have red eyes too. It’s the first time I’ve met someone with the same color as mine.”

His unexpected words made me hold my breath for a moment. In my distraction from his dazzling silver hair, I hadn’t noticed his eye color before, but now I saw that his eyes were a strange mix of purple and red—deep crimson eyes that were rare even among those with red irises.

It was quite an uncommon color. Far more vivid than the slight hint of red in my eyes.

“I’m not sure if it’s exactly the same color. But thank you for the compliment, though people might laugh if they heard it.”

“No, it’s the same. You have the same color as mine.”

His confident assertion made my throat dry. My heart seemed to be beating unusually fast.

“Earlier, what were you doing in front of the tree?”

The question came out impulsively. The man, looking surprised as if he hadn’t expected me to ask, widened his eyes before smiling softly again.

“I just tried talking to it.”

“…What did you say?”

“I asked it how it was feeling, since it was all alone in such a quiet place. Whether it was lonely or how it was doing.”

“And what did it say?”

“Huh? It didn’t answer.”

His smile turned puzzled for a moment before it shifted into interest. Was it an illusion? A strange light seemed to flicker in his red eyes.

“Do the trees talk back to you, by any chance?”

For a moment, it felt like cold water had been splashed on me. I realized I shouldn’t answer honestly. Though I didn’t know why, that was the instinctive feeling. Trying not to appear awkward, I replied as nonchalantly as possible.

“Of course not. I was just humoring you since you mentioned talking to the tree.”

“Oh, I see. For a moment, I thought you could actually talk to trees. It’s a strange thing to say, but you gave off that vibe.”

“…I believe that’s a skill for mages.”

“Hm? Mages? Ah, this.”

The man tilted his head, then looked down at his outfit before laughing awkwardly.

“A mage can’t talk to plants, either.”

“Is that so? I thought you might be able to.”

At this point, I probably gave off the impression of someone completely unfamiliar with magic. The way I was intentionally pretending to be flustered made the man laugh in amusement. He leaned closer to me, and for a moment, I hesitated.

“But, you know, this is a secret…”

“…?”

“I’m actually not a mage.”

His whispered words made my face scrunch up in confusion. If he wasn’t a mage, what did that mean? Was he saying he faked the Mage Tower’s insignia?

If that was true, it was a dangerously reckless thing to do. But his face, looking straight at mine, remained as calm as ever. He smiled so easily, it almost felt like he was playing a bad prank. I came to one conclusion: I needed to leave this place immediately.