14 – The Dry Mirror (2)
“In other words, this is a forest.”
All the trees here store water.
He remembered the fairly large rivers around.
If one were to gather, they might be able to fill this vast lake. Rather, it would be economically viable to ponder why the lake dried up for some reason.
The deduction was not difficult.
In Tritan’s words, all the answers were there.
– Countless animals living in the forest had all quenched their thirst here.
Also, the elves who lived here used the water.
As the water level dropped, the lake completely dried up.
It’s like a tree that generously gave everything until there was nothing left to give.
‘Then I might be able to restore it.’
The forest could never be just a forest from the beginning.
There was one tree, and next to it, another tree sprouted. With animals living and thriving, the forest expanded even more. Thus, Lucion thought that undoing all of this would be the answer.
There was only one reason for his certainty.
‘It used to be a lake.’
It was an environment where a lake could exist. If he found and resolved the cause, he could create the lake again.
“Sia, do you remember the well next to the orphanage?”
“Yeah.”
“There’s water flowing underground, and the well just found it.”
Sia looked down at her feet.
And closed her eyes, concentrating.
Even though closing her eyes wouldn’t let her feel the veins, Sia felt it.
“Hmm… It feels like there’s something, but…”
There’s no way Sia could sense what Tritan couldn’t. Tritan might be able to lift water directly, but he probably didn’t know the structural method of creating a lake.
Lucion, once a lord in the past, had a track record of creating wells, lakes, and even artificial rivers.
“It’s going to take quite some time.”
“I’ll help as much as I can!”
“Good.”
#
It starts with confirming if there’s water. If there is, how high is the water level.
Lucion descended beneath the crater and drilled a long hole according to the water level.
Starting around the middle of the crater, a small amount of water began to flow out as he drilled the hole.
There was water underground.
“Of course, it was just that the waterway was blocked by the continuous accumulation of sediment.”
Wells also tend to run dry over time.
When it doesn’t rain, the water dries up, or sediment blocks the waterway, preventing water from coming out of the well.
I remember digging the ground multiple times to restore the well in such situations.
Lucion licked his lips while watching the water trickling down the slope of the crater.
“It’ll dry up again soon.”
Making the hole bigger would help, but that alone would be insufficient to fill this vast lake.
More water needed to be brought in.
A waterway had to be created.
The method was simple.
“Using physics.”
#
Sia couldn’t sit still because she wanted to be of more help.
She wanted to help the lonely Tritan!
“What can I do?”
“Just find nearby rivers.”
“Got it!”
Grabbing Sia, who was about to dash away, Kyle embraced her.
“Go with Harold. If it gets dangerous, Harold will help you escape.”
“Yeah!”
Originally, there was no entity in this forest that could defeat Sia. Nevertheless, Kyle was brought along just in case.
‘In that case, I…’
He surveyed the crater as a whole.
Quite spacious.
He couldn’t stay here indefinitely.
‘Shall I draw water a bit faster?’
Below the crater, Lucion had created quite a few holes.
#
When Sia returned, the water on the crater floor had risen by about 5 pence.
Seeing the pooled water on the ground, Sia shouted in triumph.
“Wow!”
Is this really happening?
She marveled inwardly and, seeing the water still flowing, felt moved once again.
It meant being able to see that beautiful sight Trithan longed for again! It meant the forest friends returning!
“I’m back! Zion!”
As she raised her head, wiping away sweat, she saw Sia waving cheerfully.
Harold was standing by her side, quite a few of them.
The sight of the future saint, standing with the sun at her back and surrounded by fluffy white bundles, seemed like a picturesque landscape from Lucion’s perspective.
Of course, it was not a situation to be taken lightly.
Sharonbirds also gathered around Lucion.
They were curious about what Lucion was doing.
The waterway of the crater had been opened up quite a bit.
But even if a few more were opened immediately, the rate at which the water would rise would not be remarkable.
Now it was time to connect the rivers.
“Did you find the rivers?”
“Yeah! Just follow me!”
“Great.”
Lucion wiped away the sweat that had reached his hips. Then, following Lucia and Howard’s guidance, he entered the forest.
Howard’s men and Sharonbirds followed behind them. Other animals like squirrels and deer also followed, but it was more of a concern than anything else.
What if trolls appeared?
The children would be surprised.
Zion was always prepared to take down enemies at any moment, but the trolls didn’t approach even when they saw Zion and Sia. They would rather run away.
“Have rumors spread among the trolls?”
There was no other way to think about it.
The priest who had beaten his own kind with a kick and one-shot them, taking Howard with him on a stroll through the forest.
That was the only thing that came to mind.
Sia introduced the rivers they had found one by one.
They chose rivers with a lot of water and made them into waterways leading to the lake. Their tool was a sword. They continuously swung their swords, digging into the ground, and created a waterway leading to the lake.
“The stream is too small, so let’s pass on it. This should be enough.”
“I want to help too.”
Sia extended her arm in support, but Lucia had no intention of letting Sia wield the sword.
“A buff is sufficient.”
It actually makes a significant difference. Without Sia, I would have worn out after swinging the sword a few times.
“Let’s stop here for today.”
The sun had quietly set.
The forest was vast.
Even with Sia’s help, it took half a day to connect one side of the stream, and the day had come to an end.
It was quite exhausting to return to the campsite, so that day, I fell asleep with Trithan’s leaves as a makeshift blanket.
#
When I woke up the next morning, the lake had risen by about 20%. If a few more streams were connected like this, it seemed possible to restore a reasonably impressive lake, if not as glorious as before.
“Shall we continue today?”
“Yes!”
The process remained the same.
Starting with the main stream, selecting a balanced direction from all sides to connect water-rich streams into a lake. As soon as the first and second streams were connected by noon, strange phenomena began to occur in the forest.
“What is this…?”
Rumors spread quickly among the people.
It seemed that rumors spread just as quickly among the forest animals.
“For some reason, the birds have been unusually active.”
All inhabitants of the forest raised their arms, or so one could express it.
Ogres and trolls, in alliance, were digging up the land by the river. It was to connect the waterway to the lake.
Lucion could only laugh in disbelief.
“Why are you guys…?”
It was somewhat satisfying to see them working. However, there was a bit of worry, thinking that they might come to drink water from the lake later.
What was even more astonishing was that, as if they had made some kind of agreement, the forest began to move systematically.
“A perfect command system.”
Normally, they wouldn’t gather.
But now, everyone was moving with a single heart and will to reclaim the owner of the forest and their sanctuary.
Birds conveyed information.
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Trolls and ogres cleared the land along the path indicated by the birds.
Underground, they prepared the land that ground monsters (moles) had to dig in advance.
When a large rock emerged, the trolls stepped forward to clear it first.
How was this possible?
Upon careful consideration, it was rather obvious.
Unlike other forests, the Eslock Forest here was almost unmapped on the map. Moreover, the history of the tree spirits of the forest, the Tree Tans, had no known way to trace. Think of it as going along with the history of this forest. In terms of age alone, it was at least thousands of years.
All the children living in this forest were, in a way, children of the giant tree spirit, Tree Tan.
“A bit… frightening.”
However, as Lucion, there was no way to escape.
It seemed that Tree Tan, who could extend its influence throughout the entire forest, had sent elves from afar to observe how Lucion was dealing with it.
The good thing was that the trolls took turns working to make Lucion comfortable. At first, when birds flocked together and prevented the arrows from hitting, it seemed strange. Then, the trolls appeared and dug the land Lucion was trying to dig.
‘Getting help from a troll in this situation of all things.’
Even those who seemed sinister as enemies, when considered Tritan’s children, were rather cute… Not that they stopped being enemies.
Those guys, given the chance, would chew on wild animals while they were still alive. That fact didn’t change. It was just that a public goal had arisen.
“Shall we go?”
Lucion headed towards the central clearing in the forest.
The water level of the lake had surpassed half by now.
Water still flowed in from streams all around.
If there was a problem, it was that the decreasing amount of water was visible.
“We might have to endure a drought.”
There was an absolute shortage of water.
The elf of Tritan nodded as if agreeing.
– Now is the time to show your strength.
Fill the water shortage in this area with your power?
If that were possible, there would be no need for campsites; they would have built a shrine.
Amidst the situation of bringing both available and unavailable water to fill the lake, to summon the wind?
‘Is there nothing I can’t do?’
There were already quite a few clouds in the sky. A method to gather passing vapors above Tritan’s head and make them fall here. There was a way, but it wasn’t used often. Damage occurred where water was less in other regions.
Lucion’s idea was different.
“Let’s raise the ground.”
Certainly, isn’t it a simple method?
If you can’t raise the water level, just raise the floor. If the above-ground rivers are mostly connected, there’s no need to draw up groundwater anymore. Instead, a more desirable circulation is completed.
“But how can we cover such a vast land?” Lucia inquires.
Lucion subtly glances at Tritan.
The answer was already within themselves.
###
Overgrown trees.
What do you think about them?
Trees ultimately drink water and grow.
Drawing water from the ground, exhaling it through the leaves.
Thus, the water of this forest gradually seeps out, little by little.
“Tritan.”
ㅡ Understood.
“Weight loss. Please.”
ㅡ I got it.
The massive tree trembles.
As a result, the ground ripples too.
ㅡ Come to think of it, there was a time when I was slender too. Back then, I received quite a bit of love from the elves.
When Tritan shrinks, the forest becomes more spacious. That was the only thing.
Realizing that its vastness was the cause, the tree began to shed its skin.
First, the leaves.
Leaves of various colors fall gently, filling the lake. Except for a few leaves, they all sink beneath the lake.
Unnecessary branches also fall away.
And the thick trunk, which is Tritan’s pride and self-esteem, swells and expands with a creaking sound.
It is getting rid of the unnecessary parts.
For the tree, its own trunk thickness is its source of pride.
Tritan has discarded its pride for coexistence, for a more beautiful appearance.
“I respect you.”
– No, there is no need for respect. It feels more like letting go of the greed that was buried in my subconscious.
– I am grateful for awakening me.
“Don’t mention it. So, now you’ll let us go, right?”
Tritan could even threaten Lucion and Lucia by mobilizing everything in the forest right now.
Tritan’s branches shake violently.
– I see.
– It’s a shame to let you go, but my shedding will take quite a while.
– I can’t keep you two here.
Lucion and Lucia faced each other.
The crisis has been averted.
I’ve also had the opportunity to engage in a somewhat rewarding task.
Recovering the sanctuary at the heart of the forest, isn’t it a noble endeavor?
Since I’m at it,
Sia knelt by the lake.
This time, hoping that the members of the forest could share this beautiful place for a long, long time.
The seemingly ordinary lake at the center of the Etheloch Forest, transformed into a sanctuary following Lucia’s prayer, radiated a bright light.
– I don’t know how to express my gratitude.
– Do other Treefins give their thorns in times like this?
Lucion concealed a smile on his face.
The tale of wizards assisting Treefins is a frequently heard adventure. The common reward in such stories is the Thorn of the Treefin.
Comparing it to other steels, it’s harder and, as a tree living for over a millennium, it harmonizes well with spirits and magic. Thus, wizards carry it throughout their lives, passing it to their successors upon death – the staff with the Thorn of the Treefin.
‘Quite a rare find.’
For Lucia, it was an invaluable tool.
The Thorn of the Treefin could be forged to enhance its sharpness.
It would make Lucia, already capable of close combat, even stronger.