Thank you for the recommendations, comments, and coupons! Episode 78
26. Magical Beasts and the Residents of the Bewitching Forest #2
“Hey, yay! Finally, someone’s here! Can you move this thing?”
A tiny voice, as small as an ant scuttling under a rock, came from below.
I pulled my ear away from the rock and asked Leaf, “You really can’t hear that?”
“Um.”
Leaf frowned at my question, appearing to concentrate on his hearing, but then shrugged.
“I don’t hear anything.”
“That’s strange.”
Maybe being in contact with Elder Ilgast from the western forest had sharpened my senses a bit. I thought to myself, ‘I must have a slightly more sensitive sense compared to Leaf,’ and leaned my ear back against the rock.
“Hey! Move this rock!”
Someone trembling beneath the stone shouted at me.
“Looks like someone’s stuck down there. They want the rock moved,” I said.
“Really?”
At my words, Leaf placed his palm on the rock.
“But how do we move this rock?”
“We just need to push it together.”
We tried pushing and prodding the rock in various ways, but it didn’t budge, as if it had been there for hundreds of years.
“This is way too heavy. Even if we wanted to, we couldn’t move it. Let’s just go. Fighting against nature is foolish.”
I rapidly lost interest in the rock and attempted to keep walking with Leaf.
As I felt my presence fading, a loud voice erupted from beneath the rock.
“Wait! Don’t go! There’s a scale next to that rock! The scale! If you take it off, the rock will become lighter!”
“There’s a scale there?”
Searching the rock as instructed, I found a wide, red scale stuck to it as if glued on.
“Taking this off will make the rock lighter? Is such nonsense even possible?”
“Yes! It’s a scale from Echidna Kaah. Kaah is the witch of the misty forest, and she does all sorts of magical things!”
“Magical things, huh?”
It looked like this scale held some sort of magic or supernatural affinity.
While I was inspecting the scale stuck to the rock, Leaf approached me with a worried expression.
“Are you really going to release it? The sign said not to move the rock.”
I muttered in a voice barely audible to Leaf.
“In places like this maze, when they say ‘don’t touch,’ it usually means you should definitely touch it.”
“Huh?”
Leaf raised an eyebrow, clearly perplexed.
I directed my voice toward the one trapped beneath the rock.
“So if I save you, what will you do for me? There’s got to be something in return.”
“What? Um, how about a greeting filled with my affection and gratitude?”
“Goodbye! From the sound of your nonsense, it seems being under that rock isn’t so bad after all.”
“Wait, wait! Why is your tail so short? Let’s talk a bit more. I don’t have anything right now…”
“Nice try.”
“I have nothing! But I have treasures at home! Plenty! If I can make it back safely, I’ll give you a bunch!”
It sounded like it was desperately trying to persuade me like someone dangling from a cliff, but who knows if it was just a tactic to get past its crisis.
“Treasures?”
I was intrigued by the mention of treasures.
In my time in this forest, I had learned that when beasts talk about ‘treasure,’ they usually mean something of significant value.
The Moonstone I got from the queen ant was one, and both Cordyceps and Everlasting Snow Grass had high efficacy that could boost levels in a snap.
“This guy’s offering treasures?”
The voice from under the rock questioned me, but Leaf couldn’t hear it at all.
I briefly relayed what I had just heard to Leaf.
“It claims to have tons of treasures at its home and says it will give them if we rescue it.”
“Treasures? Maybe it has a heavenly peach!?”
Leaf exclaimed brightly, his face lighting up.
“What’s a heavenly peach? Is it a fruit?”
The name ‘heavenly peach’ wasn’t unfamiliar to me.
I was the type to enjoy veggies and fruits at a meat restaurant, so I was a fan of them.
‘Could it be the heavenly peach I know?’
Thinking of its taste and aroma made my mouth water.
Leaf babbled on about what he knew.
“It’s a fruit that can fill you for ten days with just one bite. It only grows in the Bewitching Forest, and it’s so rare that not everyone can eat it. There’s nothing in this forest more precious than that.”
Food, huh?
Well, anything is better than giving me a useless crown or gold ingots, so I nodded at the thought.
I envisioned the familiar fruit in my mind and asked Leaf.
“Is that heavenly peach delicious?”
“I’ve never eaten it, so I don’t know, but I’ve heard that it can make other fruits look pathetic. They say it’s the king of fruits.”
“The king of fruits, huh? How fancy.”
That nickname made my mouth water even more.
Leaning closer to the rock, I asked subtly.
“Does that treasure you have include heavenly peaches?”
“I-it does, but that’s so precious! There’s only a few in this forest! I barely managed to get one…”
“What good is that fruit at home if you’re stuck down here? Think it over.”
“Ah, think. Yes, um. Just, give me a moment to think.”
It seemed to be wracking its brain for a while, letting out a sound of distress.
After a few seconds, it finally replied hesitantly.
“Alright, I’ll give you a heavenly peach! So, hurry up and get me out!”
I felt this deal was concluding too easily, while simultaneously having a tingly feeling of excitement.
“But you might be lying to me. From how stuck you are under there, it seems like you’re not exactly a good creature. How can I be sure you will keep your promise?”
From just the voice, it sounded like a pretty decent fellow, but there was always the risk of it suddenly jumping out and attacking me.
‘What we see isn’t all there is, right? What we hear isn’t all there is, either.’
A deep sigh and a tsk came from beneath the rock.
“You’re very cautious. Are you a herbivore? Alright then, let’s swear by the name of Mihuwang.”
“Mihuwang? What’s that?”
The unfamiliar name made me frown.
Did Leaf just catch my mutter? He showed interest as he stood beside me.
“Mihuwang, you say?”
“Do you recognize the name?”
“Uh, yeah, I have some unsettling history with that name. I never expected to hear it here. Did the creature beneath this rock just say ‘Mihuwang’?”
“It swore by the name of Mihuwang.”
“Wow, that’s the highest oath the residents of this Bewitching Forest can pledge. Looks like it doesn’t intend to lie.”
“It could still break the oath.”
Since I hadn’t penned anything down and didn’t have any collateral tied to this verbal promise, I thought it could easily be overturned, something I had experienced in modern society.
“Break the oath? Nah, since it’s sworn by Mihuwang’s name, it probably won’t unless required. Unless it’s someone risking their life.”
Leaf shook his head vigorously.
The creature beneath the rock continued calmly.
“Mihuwang is Yan-Mite and Kublai in this forest. It’s the master of a small grove, but its influence is absolute. Not just anyone can invoke that name. I guess the one stuck under that rock is quite high-ranking among the monkeys.”
“Then why the heck is such a being stuck down here?”
I began to feel a bit intrigued about this Mihuwang and the one pledging by its name beneath the rock.
“Let’s see your face.”
I scraped the red scale off the rock with my front paw.
With a pop, the enormous stone began to shrink, much to my amazement.
‘Wow, what is this? Is this even real?’
What was unfolding could only be described as magic or sorcery.
This place was full of animals speaking and others with bizarre abilities, but I had never seen such a wondrous phenomenon before.
“Phew, I’m alive.”
The rock had shrunk to the size of a pebble and fell to the ground with a thud.
Underneath the stone was a tiny pit that could nicely be called a solitary cell.
“Thank you! I don’t know how much I appreciate this!”
A skinny palm with five fingers, rather human-like but adorned with a magnificent mane of red fur, emerged.
“I’m really, really grateful.”
As the creature crawled up from the ground, it kept expressing its gratitude.
I thought it was natural for it to behave like this, facing the savior of its life, when suddenly—
“I’m so grateful, but I’ll have to eat you!”
With a shriek, a gaunt monkey leaped up from the ground.
“Wait! But you just swore on the name of Mihuwang!”
I scowled fiercely, baring my fangs and growling.
The red monkey shrugged and offered a self-deprecating smile.
“These days, that name is worth nothing in this forest. You’re quite the uninformed visitor. Time for you to d*e!”
And it charged right at me.
I swung my tail that was gently swaying and struck its body.
With a satisfying slap, the red monkey let out a final gasp of pain.
“Ow! That hurts!”
I thought it would end up lifeless on the spot, but it seemed to be a tough little critter, writhing in agony instead.
I wrapped my tail around its neck and hoisted it up high.
“To repay kindness with malice? Isn’t that a bit much for an animal?”
“Big bro! I’m sorry! I was just so hungry!”
Its belly roared loudly, confirming it wasn’t just empty words.
“Give me one good reason not to k*ll you. If you say something ridiculous again, you’ll end up in my stomach, and then your hunger will cease forever.”
I growled, baring my fangs right in front of its nose.
“Pl-please! I’m…”
The red-furred monkey trembled as if it might wet itself, crushed by my display.
With just one swish of my tail, it seemed to lose its will.
“I’m the only son of Mihuwang, Judah! If you save me, you’ll receive a grand reward!”
“Mihuwang’s only son?”
As I growled out a voice filled with suspicion, Leaf murmured, “The red-furred monkey…”
Then, Leaf nodded and said, “It must be true. The monkeys with red fur are only found with Mihuwang. It’s probably his kid.”
“Y-yes! It’s true! I’m not lying!”
The creature, now calling itself Judah, urged me desperately to believe.
I looked around and smirked with a hmph.
“So you’re the son of the little grove’s lord. But why the heck were you stuck under a rock? It’s absurd for the son of royalty to be treated like a criminal!”
“That’s…”
Judah, claiming to be Mihuwang’s son, paused and showed an embarrassed expression.
“It’s all Echidna Kaah’s fault. This forest is sick. Mihuwang’s name isn’t what it used to be.”
Judah’s face, previously clouded like dark clouds, suddenly brightened.
“Big bro, there’s a beast of incredible strength! I’m quite confident in my strength, but seeing you take me down with one blow means you must be some powerful creature. A Ratel, maybe? Please help me!”
Judah squirmed, trying to wriggle free.
“Help? What help would you offer? I’m debating whether to swallow you or turn you into a preserved snack.”
“I’ll give you a reward! I’ll offer Mihuwang’s treasure, which is worth far more than a heavenly peach!”
“You think you can buy me off with just treasure? Talk a little more detail. Is it food?”
“Well, it’s not food…”
“Hmm.”
Seeing my blatant disappointment, it quickly added.
“W-well, it could certainly be eaten. It’s delicious! But I couldn’t bear to eat something so rare! It has other uses.”
[Author’s Note] If you enjoyed reading, please press the recommendation at the top of your mobile screen! With just 2 seconds of kindness, you can gift a happy day to a writer!
