“This is the entrance to the village.”

We followed Philip, who stopped in front of something that looked like a plain meadow.

“There’s nothing there, though?”

Nigel bent his neck.

However.

“…The space around here is separated from the real world.”

When I said that, Philip was surprised.

“As expected of the saint! Can you feel it?” He asked me.

“Yes. However, unless one is very attentive, they cannot feel it. They also would not notice it unless you acknowledged it first.”

“Because humans should never approach the spirit village. There are many layers of tight barriers.”

“I see. Is it really alright to invite us there?”

“It’s different—you guys are our benefactors.”

With that said, Philip held his hand over the grass.

Then…

“A, a village entrance!?”

Nigel raised his voice.

The space in front of me began to distort—after a while, a wooden gate appeared.

Philip turned around and told us:

“Welcome to the spirit village.”

Following Philip as he walked, we passed the gate.

“It’s a beautiful place.”

“It’s all thanks to Eliane for clearing the miasma. Until a while ago, the plants were dead and miserable.”

I looked around as I walked.

The young spirits I mentioned earlier were floating around the village.

Thanks to that, the forest which should have been dim looked bright, it was as if lights were on.

“Wow, there are so many adorable spirits!”

“Yes. As for the words of gratitude towards the saint who has saved the forest, I shall teach them later.”

“Well, there’s no need, because they’re so cute!”

“I see. If you say so, I’ll refrain from doing that.”

Philip sighed.

He was a good spirit, but still a little too tense. I wanted him to relax a little, like Douglas.

“…What a fantastic village. Thank you for inviting me, even though I’m but Eliane’s attendant.”

“It’s no problem. You’ve lent me Eliane, your citizen, Nigel. As such, I also have to thank you.”

Philip replied with a blunt tone. However, he certainly felt grateful.

“What’s the building on that tree?”

“That’s our dwelling. Spirit make their homes on trees.”

What a wonderful thing!

There were many brick and stone buildings in the kingdom of Verclaim and Lynchgiham. That’s because they were harder to burn and break.

Therefore, when I was looking at the spirits’ houses, which were not only lined up but also made of wood, I felt excited. It was as if I had entered the world of fairy tales.

“You are also growing vegetables.”

Vegetable gardens spread everywhere.

“Indeed.”

“It seems that spirits also require sustenance. I thought you guys only need magical power…”

“Of course, the latter kind of spirit also exists. However, it is more fun to receive nutrition from food. It also helps us maintain our health. It’s common for spirits to eat something for substance nowadays.”

“Is that so… oh, the water is clean.”

“I’ve said this many time, but, it’s all thanks to you. When the water was still corrupted with miasma, we couldn’t consume it.”

By using purification magic on the forest, the miasma that had corrupted the water and plants had vanished.

Probably because of that.

Reverting to their former state, the plants and vegetables became fresh. The water was also transparent.

My attention was caught by the refreshing sight.

“Kyaa—!”

“Oops.”

Because of that, I was about to trip over a stone and fall.

However, Nigel quickly supported my body.

His tender palm felt warm.

“Haha, Eliane, how dangerous. You should keep your eyes on the road when walking.”

“So, sorry…”

“But it’s understandable why you did so, it’s such a wonderful place.”

Nigel laughed as he casually released me.

Hmm… Nigel may be my fiancé, but if he were to suddenly do something like that, I’d be embarrassed!

I wondered if I could really be his fiancée!

I was so nervous, I might die someday!

“Did you perhaps get tired of walking? Let’s talk on top of this.”

Before long, Philip stopped before a big tree.

H, how big…!

The top of the tree couldn’t be seen from there.

Countless dwellings were also built on the branches of the thick tree.

“What’s above this?”

“The top floor.”

Philip said nothing further.

A ladder was also attached to the big tree.

But… how long does it take to reach the top floor?

I was scared of heights…

As I was beginning to feel anxious, Philip, as if he had read my heart…

“Don’t worry, we’ll arrive soon.”

He snapped his finger.

In the next moment, both Nigel’s and my feet stepped on something fluffy.

“Using this method, we’ll reach the top floor.”

Our bodies rose steadily to the point we couldn’t see the ground.

I-it was too high—!

Not only that, it was also very scary—!

“Ni, Nigel!”

“Even for me, this is scary.”

However, it looked like Nigel was having fun.

I clung to Nigel’s body and closed my eyes until we reached the top. I desperately endured the fear.

“How scary…”

We were invited to Philip’s house. Inside, we sat in front of a table.

“I’m sorry. I will keep in mind that humans aren’t used to such height.”

“That’s right. From now on, please give a proper explanation before doing something like this.”

“I apolo—”

“—Apologizing is prohibited! Because I’m not angry!”

I said that as I put my hand over Philip’s mouth.

“U, umu…”

Philip was blushing a little—why…?

“Enjoy the tea!”

While I was pondering that, a dwarf-sized spirit carried tea on a tray.

Apparently, those young spirits, whom had light forms, were four years old in human years.

When they reached the age of eight, they gradually transformed into a person—just like the spirit that had delivered our tea.

However, spirits had different lifespan compared to humans.

The spirit arranging tea on the table looked very young, but was probably over 100 years old.

They were so different from human beings, I often found myself confused.

“Alright…”

Before sipping the tea, Philip cut to the chase.

“After lending us your aid, what does Lynchgiham require from us?”

---

***T/N: I wish we got more detail about the place… it sounds like a fascinating place…

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