After walking through, it was like I was transported to a naturalistic wonderland. The houses and huts were all vines and wood, and leaves were pressed together to act as pavement. Looking to our left and right revealed a pair of flower fields. A bridge of intertwined limbs allowed us into the actual village, and a coursing river of the brightest, cleanest water was rushing underneath that.   

But the strangest thing was that there wasn’t a wall of trees blocking us into the village. Behind and around us? Yeah. But in front? After that giant sequoia tree, which had to be over 2,600 feet tall and more than 320 feet in thickness, there was the rest of the forest. And even though that massive tree acted as the central cornerstone of this village, shade was scarce. It was sunny and peaceful, and when I looked up, I saw the thick leaves and flowers branching off the highest limbs.  

I looked at my map and realized being this close was enough for the entire village to get scanned. A total of 97 people lived here, and one white dot was coming this way.  

“Holy shit...” Tilde whispered, her breath taken back slightly. “How the hell did I not know this was here?”  

“That’s because we do not carelessly wield our tongue, sprite of the forest.” We turned to the bridge a few feet ahead and saw a woman with harpy-like features descend from the sky. Her hair was long and orange, with white-tipped feathers around her wings, which acted like her arms. Sharp talon-like claws branched off her bird-like feet, which were orange and black. The feathers from her wings spread across her torso to act like a bra for her flat chest. She wore a short pair of brown shorts.  

“But it’s not hidden?” Tilde asked. The harpy shook her head.  

“This village is open to all with peaceful and non-violent intentions. High Blessing of the Forest, how did you find this place?” I assumed she was talking to me, so I told her about Kokan. “The scholarly oni? Yes, he is a friend. We of the village took him in for a few weeks after he was falsely accused of that heinous crime. Has his daughter taken him back?” she asked while walking towards us. 

“Yes, she has. She understood Kokan was telling the truth from the beginning. She's been trying to make up that lost time.”  

“Hmm...” Aello, the Vermillion Harpyfolk, blinked her orange eyes. “Lost time? One cannot necessarily make up for something that cannot be recovered. Only the High Blessings of the Forest are immune to the rampaging wraths of time. How foolish of the girl to not believe her flesh and blood.”  

Foolish? Perhaps. Irisa knew more than anyone how idiotic she was.   

“Could I inquire as to the nature of your visit? Am I to assume it involves the one in the chair of wheels?” 

She talks a bit weird—too antiquated and formal. Well, she’s 223 years old, so maybe that comes with the age. 

“I’ve been told of a blacksmith that excels in creating prosthetics. My companion needs one for her right arm, left leg, and right foot. And my name is Lyudmila Springfield.  

“Springfield? Yes, I recall a clan with that name. Centuries ago, it was wiped from existence. Are you intending to start it anew? How impressive. Yes, impressive. The location of the Springfield Forest was said to be lost to history... It is a joyous occasion.” Aello nodded. “The smith you seek lives here. He has the skill required to grant mobility to those who had it stolen. Shall I take you to him, Lyudmila Springfield?”  

“If you don’t mind,” I replied.  

“Mind? No. Not at all. Not for someone like you. Please, follow.” Aello turned around and walked, and we followed her over the bridge and onto the village proper. 

That was when I noticed there wasn’t a single human in this place. There were Slugfolk—people with the upper body of a humanoid with two antennae and lower body of a slug, Wormfolk—the same deal, Mandragorafolk—child-sized humanoids with green skin and vines and flowers growing from their head and body. One Mandragorafolk was playing with a Dryad in a playground that looked like one from my world, only it was all wood. To the far right was a pair of centaurs racing and horsing around. One was male, the other female, but they shared the same blond hair and horse-like ears.  

“Lyudmila Springfield,” Aello said as we walked across the village. After people started to notice us, they all stopped what they were doing and looked our way. “Why do you stare with pensiveness? Have you not encountered a bounded field before?” I shook my head, and Aello looked almost downtrodden.  

“Bounded fields occur when the mage sews their mana into an area to separate the inside from the outside. Think of a building with four floors on the outside, but the inside has fifteen. The inside is often much larger than you’re led to believe when looking at it from an outside perspective. This village is one of them. That tunnel we passed through must’ve been the corridor, my liege.”  

“Lionfolk? Uncivilized and war hungry, yet this one is much too experienced to be a rampaging cub. Yes, you’re correct. The great Eagle Yew—the pillar of this bounded field,” Aello raised both wings towards the giant tree. “Long ago, a great eagle—Aetos— participated in a tremendous war that ended with casualties in the hundreds of thousands. He suffered fatal wounds and died, and the blood spilled from the noble beast offered nourishment to the yew seed it carried in its talons. The Spirit Lords of the Spirit Realm saw great courage and compassion in Aetos and lifted his soul from his very body. Aetos refused to be carried away and yearned to return to life, for he had much to accomplish and a lot to protect. As such, the Lords of Spirit took pity and granted his request, turning Aetos into a great eagle spirit. Though he was granted what most wanted and desired, Aetos took refuge within that yew seed that grew strong and fat from his life. Over time, the tree grew and grew, with Aetos eventually creating this bounded field around his tree.” 

“How do you know all this?”  

“The elder of this village? I am she. Knowledge was shared from elder to elder, from family head to family head, from mother to son to daughter to the elder again. You will not find a soul that cannot recite the tale from the heart.” Aello flapped her wings a few more times. “Would Lyudmila Springfield—High Blessing of the Forest—offer Aetos her prayers?”  

“Eh, it wouldn’t hurt anything to do it.” I looked to Tilde for guidance. Ultimately, I nodded. After folding my hands over my chest, I closed my eyes and bowed my head. I’d never pray to a God I didn’t believe in, and I wouldn’t pray to some eagle that died a millennium ago. But I didn’t come here to start shit. I just thanked Aetos for creating a place that would grant Niva her mobility and independence. When I opened my eyes, my body shimmered an emerald glow— the color of mana infused with the power of nature. It spread to Tilde, Sekh, and Niva, all of who were praying. The mana broke apart seconds later and fluttered towards the Eagle Yew as green particles of condensed mana.  

“Yes! Aetos is proud and happy. Lyudmila Springfield—High Blessing of the Forest—I thank you for your generosity.” Aello turned to face me with a smile on her cute face. For being two centuries old, she almost looked like a more playful teenager in that she looked youthful. She flapped her wings a few more times. She wasn’t the only one cheering us on, either. It seemed the entire village was celebrating in their own way.  

And then I saw them. One was a forest-green blob about double the size of a basketball. It jiggled and wiggled in place like a living water balloon. The other was a plant-like monster about half a foot taller than the slime. It walked on its brown roots and waved its green vines around in the circle as if it was cheering me on. After thinking about it for a second, it almost reminded me of a tooth-shaped monster a bit bigger and taller than two basketballs. With no eyes and mouth, I don’t know how it got around. But it and its slime buddy just stared until Aello tapped me with a wing. “The slime and draingi... Has Lyudmila Springfield not seen one before?” I nodded. “Lyudmila has nothing to worry about. Please, follow me to the blacksmith’s cave. It is the least I can do for your prayer.” 

---

We walked around to the left side of Eagle Yew, and I noticed this place was pretty much like a regular village. It had a small market stashed full of vegetables and fruit, an archery range located near a store that manufactured items that’d be found in [Nature’s Workshop], and even an inn with a dozen or so beds in their own individual rooms. Some of the younger children had the curse of curiosity and walked with us. A little Dryad pointed to a covered-up Niva and asked if she was sick. I replied she wasn’t and that she’d lost her arm, leg, and foot in an accident. Folding her vines together, the Dryad and other children prayed for her, then said Mr. Enap was a friendly man who let them ride on his legs. 

Legs? As in more than two? He’s not a human or humanoid? Or maybe they mean wrapping their vines around his leg like a child would hug their mother’s leg? Ah, I better use a fake name. Alright. For the time being, Niva, you will be called Lola. She turned her head to me in confusion, but Tilde and Sekh understood what I was doing. After a quick whisper from Tilde, ‘Lola’ nodded and turned back. 

“Lady Springfield, what about you?” asked the Dryad. She tried to place a vine on my arm, but I moved it up and away.  

“It’s a personal issue,” I replied. “Don’t do that again.” My words were stern and possibly frigid, but I didn’t mean to be an asshole. The Dryad looked frightened, with her green eyes full of tears. Aello turned to her and scolded her for annoying the ‘High Blessing of the Forest.’ 

The little girl gave me a tearful apology, but I just sighed and put my hand on her head. Upon telling her I wasn’t mad or upset, the waterworks continued. She hugged my leg and cried into my skirt, but I patted her head until she finished. She wiped her eyes with a quivering vine that sprouted from her arm. We resumed walking, but the questions continued.   

When asked why I used a gun, I replied that it was just something I was used to. I took to it more naturally than a sword, spear, or bow because Reina’s arm granted me [Deadeye]. I couldn’t say that, but it seemed they bought the excuse I made for it.   

“A High Blessing getting tainted by metal? Surprising? Yes, very. Why?”  

“I took her in when she was just a wee lass,” Tilde said, coming to my rescue. “She was found surrounded by the ash of her family. A group of bastards wanted to steal the enchanted wood her clan nurtured. When the chief said no, they burned it to the ground. When I noticed the smoke, I rushed to find my little blessing crying her eyes out.” Tilde was staring at me, then explained that I’d killed one of the bastards with his own gun and was hugging it.  

“Lady Springfield is an orphan?” the Dryad said. I thought about her words for a moment. Was I an orphan? I didn’t have my parents' love, and they often tried to abandon me while beating the living daylights out of me.  

So, yeah. I was an orphan. I nodded to the Dryad, and she pointed to a few people staring at us. “They’re orphans too. And I’m an orphaned spirit.” Tilde saw my confusion and explained. When a summoner passes away, any spirits contracted to them become orphaned. If they didn’t find either a source of mana related to their element or a new summoner, they’d return to their spirit core. If enough time passed without someone awakening them, the core would fade away, and the spirit would return to the Spirit Realm without any of their memories. It worked the same with demons, as well. “If Lady Aello hadn’t found me and asked the great Eagle Yew to give me mana, I wouldn’t be here anymore.” 

“Well, I’m glad you’re here, Dryad,” I said, trying to make an abandoned child feel better. The Dryad smiled, and the questions turned to Sekh and Niva. But Aello probably read the situation and told the kids to go play. They all replied, ‘yes, ma’am,’ and scurried off without a word of protest, then the Vermillion Harpyfolk apologized for their behavior. High Elves were rare—somewhere numbering in the 10,000s at any given time, and I was the first to come here in 130 years. 

I didn’t realize they were that big of a deal. 

---

After finally reaching the other side of the Eagle Yew, I saw an utterly thick forest with clear, defined paths. Aello took us down one of them, and she spoke a little bit more. Aetos Village was home to a dungeon that spawned slimes and draingi, but there was a catch. The whole forest was the dungeon. The boss’s home was a stone temple within the heart of this bounded field. With how powerful Aetos was, the forest stretched for hundreds of miles. It even had its own mountain ranges in the far, far back. But the boss was described as a snake with the features of a plant. Its mouth opened horizontally and vertically to reveal thousands of sharp teeth, and hundreds of great, thick vines sprouted from its body to suck in nourishment from the surroundings. For as long as Aello had been the village elder, Sathtshas—the boss—had not once tasted defeat.  

Probably because it’s hard to find this place. 

After stepping into the forest, my map switched to its 3-D form and filled in where I walked. A scanning feature for my map would be helpful. But no. If there was anything like that, I was too weak to have it.  

We walked a particular path for twenty minutes before coming to a large cave. Nearby was a sizable pond filled with fishes that swam without care. The mystical glow of the sunlight filtering through the leafy leaves combined with the calm atmosphere to create something calming and beautiful. Perhaps it was Susize inside of me, but I felt calm and collected to be surrounded by such nature. Aello flapped her wings and said she was glad I looked relieved and happy—I didn’t even know I was smiling.   

Aello led the delve into the cave, and thanks to some glimmering mushrooms growing on the walls and ceiling, it was easy for her to see because Tilde explained Harpies had poor night vision. Aello agreed, then stated that her evolution to a Vermillion Harpyfolk didn’t help her in that department. Before long, I heard a hammer strike metal. A couple of turns later, the warm glow of a hot furnace illuminated the end of this tunnel, and I overheard a couple of people talking. 

“Sir Enap, I can’t thank you enough for helping us,” said a soft voice.  

“You don’t need to worry about it, my friend. I have spent many decades mastering my craft. If I could not practice even more, then why did I exert so much effort? Hahaha!! Oh, is that Lady Aello I hear?”  

When we turned the corner, we found ourselves in a cavern at least 40 feet high. The same bioluminescent mushrooms provided enough light to remove any trace of darkness. A furnace at least 7 feet tall was connected to a structure with many levers and six billows. Ten pipes spouted out the back and burrowed into the wall, and I only presumed they were linked to the outside. Maybe to provide airflow? Ten anvils were littered around a work area, which consisted of buckets full of different colored liquids.  

Oil? That’s a lot...  

Another lake was nearby, but it was possible to swim through it to another part of this extravagant cave system. This place probably served as a workshop since I saw a stove, tanning rack, and other crafting instruments. The stars and various open entrances in the far back probably led to rooms I could only imagine.  

“Enap, it is good to see you,” Aello said, flapping her wings as she spoke to a man that was part human and spider. An arachne, they were called. His yellow-tipped legs were as tall as me, and his upper half added another three feet. He had black hair wrapped in a ponytail, his arms were broad and burly, and he wore no shirt. His black spider eyes on his human head matched the eight black ones on the front of his spider-like lower half.  

The monstrous beast looked directly at us with his ten eyes, but he wasn’t alone. Standing next to him was a Deerfolk with long golden hair dressed in a brown tunic that matched his impressive antlers. A pair of axes hung from his belt, and even I felt the radiant power enchanted within them. But his eyes... They were bluer than even the deepest sapphire.   

Sitting about three feet from them in a chair was a bald-headed kid with just one arm. She looked happy enough to sit there, but her cautious eyes were locked on me.  

“Likewise, dear elder. Oh, a High Blessing? Haven't seen one in a few decades. My name is Enap—a mere arachne. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” 

There it is again. Another ‘High Blessing.’ Why is this happening now? That Elf from Noelia’s bar acted kinda similar, didn’t she? 

I shook Enap’s hand and introduced myself, Tilde, Sekh, and Niva, though I used her fake name of ‘Lola.’ On that note, I used [Status Cloak] to change her name, so everything worked out.   

“Greetings, Miss Springfield. I’m Ruru,” said the Deerfolk. He pointed behind him. “And that is Arguna.” Arguna happily lifted her arm and waved. A cat's tail wagged behind her, but I didn’t see cat ears. Nor did I see any humanoid-like ears. The AI gave me a report and confirmed the girl was a Catfolk.  

“Enap, Lyudmila Springfield wishes to hire your services, but I see you’re busy with another customer.”  

“I’m afraid that’s true, dear elder. Miss Springfield, I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”  

“It’s no inconvenience at all. When do you think you’ll be done?” I asked.  

“Hmm... A day or two at the most. Young Arguna requires a prosthetic arm. If it isn’t too much trouble, could I ask you to follow the elder back to the village? When night falls, I will come to you to get more information.”  

“Lyudmila Springfield, is that acceptable?” Aello asked me. I nodded, and she smiled, and Tilde was too busy looking Enap up and down. She complimented him hard on his toned body and felt up his muscles. Giggling like a schoolgirl, she turned and asked me to start hitting the gym so I’d have a ‘goddess’s physique.’ 

Ruru started to speak. “As it turned out, Sir Enap has finished taking the measurements needed for Arguna. Would you mind if we returned to the village with you?”  

“I don’t see any reason to refuse,” I stated. Ruru held out his hand, and Arguna ran over to hold it. We followed Aello through the cave until we came to the water out front, then took a break for Arguna. She was breathing rough, but she never let go of Ruru’s hand. And he didn’t seem upset or bothered by it. In fact, he was so soft-spoken and full of mannerisms. He almost reminded me of someone who’d been so tainted by hardships that he didn’t dare want to put anyone else through the hell he’d been through.  

Of course, I wasn’t sure that happened. That was just the vibe I got from Ruru. When we left the pond, he carried Arguna in his arms since she had started to doze off. Not wanting to wake her, we remained silent until we emerged from the forest and back into the safety of the village. Aello took us to the playground, and I sat down on a swing and lightly swung back and forth.  

“You all would require lodgings, yes?” Aello asked. “The great Aetos once served the Princess of Vredi as her faithful companion. According to the story, the two were intertwined from the very beginning of her birth. Aetos's demise was crushing? Yes. Very crushing, yet she and he were never apart since Aetos now lives eternally within the great Eagle Yew.” Aello flapped her wings while I tried to hide the look on my face. I instantly turned to Sekh, and she lightly avoided my eyes while rubbing her upper arm. “It is rumored that Forest of Vredi has been faithfully recreated by the Eagle Yew as this bounded field. But to give thanks to the Princess of Vredi and other High Blessings that assisted in the war, he saw fit to create a replica of her mansion. Only High Blessings and their allies are permitted to enter.” 

Okay, I see it now. I guess Sekh killed him. 

“By the by, Ms. Springfield, I noticed you eyeing the pond earlier. Are you an angler?” asked Ruru. “I know it is forbidden for you to eat not born from nature, yet there’s nothing to say that you cannot enjoy a pleasant day of fishing. Care to join me?  

“I don’t have any experience,” I said, shaking my head. “But perhaps later. We spent three days traveling from Ria, and my companions and I are quite tired from the trip.”  

“I understand. If you do change your mind, I will happily teach you. Arguna and I are staying at the inn.” Ruru smiled, nodded, and walked away. Curious, I mentally asked the AI for a more detailed report. After a few seconds, the AI concluded that Arguna was completely deaf. I asked Aello to confirm, and she nodded.  

“It is sad? Yes, very upsetting that someone would do such a thing. The tail remains, however, and hair can grow back. Not all is lost, High Blessing. But please, follow me, and I’ll take you to your lodgings.” We followed Aello to a mansion that sat near the flower fields. The view was probably going to be great, and it was far-ish away from the other houses in the village. Standing three stories tall, it was the definition of grace and elegance without being too gaudy or overly indulgent in greedy and gluttonous desire. As I probably predicted, the whole place had nary a spec of metal other than what was brought in from the outside. Sekh helped me carry Niva’s wheelchair up the root-covered stairs.  

When my hands touched the door handle, it glowed a soft green before a wooden key materialized in mid-air. “That is the key to the house. It is filled with your mana and is magically connected to you. Please enjoy, High Blessing. I will return with a gift of appreciation in a few hours.” I wanted to deny it, but free shit was free shit. I’d gladly take it.  

Flapping her wings once more, Aello hovered off the ground and flew back towards what was probably her house. In the distance, I saw a building with a hole on the third floor that was just the right size for her to fly in.   

I grabbed the key, unlocked the door, and entered the mansion. We wouldn’t stay here for more than a week or so, but hey.  

Until then, it was our mansion.