Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 7
Bolenan Forest
Satou here. My city-born friends sometimes envied me for having a hometown in the country. Personally, though, I believe that as long as you have a place that can evoke some happy childhood memories, there’s nothing to envy other people about.
“<Forest.>”
“Is this Bolenan Forest? It’s kind of…normal.”
Mia and Arisa muttered in front of the forest, the former speaking Elvish.
Riding on four horses, two runosaurs, and one hornless unicorn, we had arrived at the outermost edge of the forest, the Bolenan Forest barrier.
Since Arisa couldn’t ride horses on her own, she was riding with Mia on the unicorn.
Mia dismounted and spoke the words open gate in Elvish, and ripples appeared on the barrier, creating an opening about ten feet around.
Looking too excited to stand still, Mia rushed inside.
“Hey, Mia, wait!”
Arisa ran after her, followed by the rest of us.
Aside from the giant trees in the distance that messed with my sense of perspective and the World Tree that definitely still looked like an orbital elevator, it was a decidedly ordinary forest.
As we followed Mia down the narrow path, it led into a slightly more open area. There were no other paths leading out of the clearing.
Throughout the clearing were little rings of mushrooms.
They looked exactly like the fairy rings that served as travel gates in the Cradle, where I’d rescued Mia.