We arrived by Asti’s teleportation at a sacred place where a towering broadleaf tree rose high into the sky.
Sunlight filtered through the branches, scattering across the grass below in shimmering patterns, and the air itself felt fresh and alive.
The clarity of it made me sigh as I took a deep breath and stretched without thinking.
“This is incredible… It feels almost mystical.”
“You like it?”
“Yes, very much. Maybe it’s the clean air. I feel like I could stay here forever.”
Leaving Asti behind, I wandered around a little. Fallen leaves crunched softly underfoot, and my spirits lifted with each step.
“Asti.”
“What is it?”
“Where is your mother’s grave?”
“My mother’s? Ah, Misty’s grave is this way.”
…His voice sounded lower than usual.
When I turned around, a large, white, dog-like creature filled my vision.
“Welcome.”
“Eek?!”
I froze, my mind scrambling over who Asti had been talking to, when the great white dog bowed its head.
“Master, please don’t appear so suddenly. You frightened Lady Sheila.”
“Is it really that strange to return to my own resting place?”
“Asti, I’m sorry. This is the resting place of the spirit lord.”
“…Ah. Then this is your bedroom. I’m terribly sorry for intruding.”
The thought that I had entered someone’s sleeping quarters without permission made me stiffen, but the great white dog blinked, eyes wide.
“No, it’s fine. Really. And forgive me for startling you.”
Despite his dignified air, his shoulders were trembling slightly.
Had I said something rude? Tension crept in.
“Don’t worry about it, Lady Sheila. He’s just like this,” Asti said.
“…I see?”
He said “he,” but what I was looking at was clearly more dog than man.
“Come this way, Lady Sheila.”
Guided by Asti, I followed him to a small grave built of carefully stacked stones.
Gravestones were usually carved from large slabs of stone, but this one was made of many palm-sized stones, quietly standing there.
“Mom, this is Lady Sheila. For certain reasons, I’ll be lending her your house. The house itself has accepted her.”
Asti spoke softly toward the grave. There was a sadness in his expression that made my chest tighten.
“Lady Misty, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ll be borrowing your beautiful home. I promise to take good care of it.”
I offered a prayer.
The trees rustled gently, and a soft breeze wrapped around me, as though embracing me.
“Looks like Mom approves.”
“Really?”
If that breeze was her answer, then she must have been a very kind woman. I found myself wishing I could have met her.
“Of course she does. Just being near this girl calms the spirit. I can feel her body settling into balance.”
“You think so too, Master?”
“Yes. Though I prefer something a little more fierce. I was thinking of granting my blessing to the child. It’s yours, isn’t it, Asti?”
The white dog gestured toward my stomach with a front paw.
Asti froze completely.
“Um, this child is…”
“Master, this is Lady Sheila’s child.”
Asti snapped out of it and answered at once.
The spirit lord looked between us, ears drooping.
“Oh. I see. I thought Misty had a grandchild at last.”
He rested his chin on his paws, looking almost sulky. It was so endearing that I reached out and gently stroked his nose. As I traced from the firm bridge down to the cool, damp tip, his ears flicked upright.
“You’ve got fine magic, young lady.”
“Thank you.”
I didn’t really know what my magic felt like to others, but I was relieved he seemed to like it.
“You’re from the west, aren’t you?”
“Well… I’m not sure where this is exactly, but I’m from Flailchest. A small town in the Altrum region.”
“Altrum…”
Flailchest was a small town about a month by carriage from the royal capital of Baralesia.
It didn’t have any famous specialties, but my family ran a magic medicine shop and was fairly well known locally.
In regions where doctors were scarce, magic potions were invaluable.
That was why I was so skilled at making recovery potions.
“I don’t know that far. Outside my territory.”
“May I ask who you are?”
“Flail, goddess of healing. That explains it. Your magic is gentle, focused on healing and protection.”
The spirit lord circled me, observing closely. I had never really thought about how my magic functioned.
“Good. I like you. I’ll grant my blessing to your child. Bring them here after they’re born.”
My eyes widened. Only a chosen few ever received a spirit’s blessing.
The thought that my child would be among them filled me with joy.
“And you may take as much from this forest as you like. If you can live in Misty’s house, you clearly have sufficient magic. Your parent was a potion maker of Flail, yes?”
“Yes. You’re exactly right. I was planning to support myself by making recovery potions.”
“There’s a guild in the nearby town. Asti, introduce her. If she’s been selling potions already, word has probably reached even the capital.”
“Lady Sheila’s recovery potions are prized throughout the country. They’ll be thrilled to have her supply them.”
I watched the two of them talk, still a little dazed. It all felt unreal, but being allowed to gather materials was an incredible boon.
“Thank you. I’ll gratefully make use of the forest’s resources.”
Having access to materials from a spirit-protected forest was rare indeed.
I had considered finding a place to live in town, but now I felt I had been given something truly special.
The only concern was transportation.
Could I walk to town? And what about a child?
In time, my child would need to attend school daily, learning to read and write with others.
That was something I would have to plan for.
“By the way, where exactly are we?”
“I should have explained earlier. This is actually quite close to your hometown. The nearest guild is in Alstrail, though. It’s the neighboring territory to Flailchest. A settlement founded by the famed adventurer Alst. Essentially, a town of adventurers.”
I had heard the name Alstrail before.
Before I left for the capital, my mother had mentioned a new town forming nearby.
Flailchest fell under the lord of Altrum, but Alstrail was an independent territory with a different ruler. I remembered my mother complaining that the lord there was difficult and had driven her off when she tried to sell potions, saying he disliked outsiders.
“I’m new there. Will that be all right?”
“It’ll be fine. Lady Sheila is admired by adventurers everywhere, and many of them rely on your family’s potions.”
Maybe the world was smaller than I thought.
