The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 80

“Follow this path. Walk northwest for about half a day, and you’ll come across a village. From there, you’ll need to find your own way.”

“Yes, thank you. I’m very grateful for all your help.”

“Well, it was enjoyable for me too. I wish you could have stayed a few more days.”

“…”

“As I mentioned, you’re welcome to come back anytime. I can create a garden just for you, the best natural environment you could ask for. Just promise to consider it.”

“…I’m grateful for the offer.”

“Haha, not convinced, huh? Anyway, I mean it. Keep the offer in mind. If your heart changes, come back here and call my name. I’ll come to meet you.”

Well, no matter how my circumstances change or how my values shift, I can’t see myself living as a Dragon’s pet plant. Unable to bring myself to give even a polite assent, I chose silence, prompting him to burst into laughter again.

“Well then, I wish you a successful journey. How about a farewell handshake? It was good meeting you. Um…”

He extended his hand with a smile, but then hesitated, frowning slightly.

“Now that I think about it, I didn’t catch your name.”

“Oh.”

It dawned on me that I hadn’t introduced myself properly. Despite the chaos, it was a significant oversight. Feeling embarrassed, I hurried to remedy the situation.

“My apologies. I’m Sei… Seirakia.”

“Seirakia?”

“That’s my full name, but I usually go by Sei. Please call me Sei.”

I thought about just using my usual introduction but felt it was more respectful to give my full name to my benefactor, so I added the clarification. His expression was peculiar as he looked at me, amusement dancing in his eyes.

“Are you sure you’re not Rafiell’s son?”

“…Pardon?”

“It seems you don’t even know what your name means. In the ancient language, Seirakia translates to ‘Silver of the Sky’—meaning ‘Moon.’”

“Oh, I see. I wasn’t aware of the detailed meaning. But why is that…?”

“An ancient clan once called the Acacia the ‘Moonflower.’ They said the pale, silvery-white buds looked like moonlight when seen at night.”

“…”

Once again, my mind went blank. Not knowing how to respond, I could only repeatedly open and close my mouth.

“…It must be a coincidence. My mother, who was human, gave me this name. She didn’t know that my father was a Clonne.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“If she knew, she would have told me.”

Before she passed away, my mother had intended to reveal all truths to me. She wouldn’t have hidden my father’s lineage, especially not something as integral as that. It was only upon arriving here that I learned about the Acacia tree. A name so unfamiliar to me would have been unknown to her as well. She couldn’t have known that the tree was called the ‘Moonflower’ in ancient times.

Markatis seemed to accept my explanation, though he looked a bit disappointed. It seemed he regarded it as an interesting coincidence. He laughed it off lightly.

However, as I continued down the path after parting ways with him, my mind remained preoccupied. It was just a name. People often attached all sorts of pleasant meanings to names. It could have been chosen simply because it sounded nice or seemed appropriate. Delving deeply into each possibility to assign meaning was overanalyzing.

‘…Even so.’

I grabbed a handful of my hair, and the strands slipped through my fingers, showing a mix of colors. It was tinged with the hues of autumn, as though reflecting the changing season.

Although it looked this way now, before my Awakening, my hair had always been black—a deep, inky black so intense that I’d even earned the nickname “crow.” Now that my Awakening had ended, I knew it would return to that same dark color soon.

“…”

A sigh lingered at the edge of my lips.

Why, I wondered, would my mother give me a name meaning ‘moon’ when my hair was so distinctly black?

It was the one thing I still couldn’t understand.

* * *

was an old tavern that had been in operation in the capital for thirty years. The drinks weren’t particularly great, but they were cheap, and the owner was an excellent cook, which brought in a loyal crowd of regulars. Roil was one of them.

Today, Roil had come to the tavern for a small respite after work. Just one drink and then go home. Just one. He muttered this habitually, knowing full well, as did the tavern owner, that he wouldn’t stick to it. And today, he had an unexpected encounter.

“Oh!”

“Ah!”

Arriving at the tavern, Roil’s eyes widened as he saw a familiar man and woman outside. The two of them recognized him as well, their faces lighting up with delight.

“Well, if it isn’t Roil! How long has it been?”

“Wow, it’s you two! I can’t believe it—Sir Hamar, Lady Lisa! How have you been?”

The two he ran into were Hamar and Lisa, old comrades from a major mission they’d once worked on together. They’d run into each other by chance in the hallway earlier and decided to meet for drinks on the spot. It had been a long time since they’d all gathered socially like this, ever since their cornerstone, Sei, had left the capital. The three happily joined together at a table. They started with light drinks and appetizers, quickly turning the evening into a spirited reunion. It was a time for venting and sighing, too.

“It’s really killing me. I thought everything would be resolved once the expedition was over, but it was actually just the beginning. Happy endings are only in fairy tales, I guess.”

“Why do you think fairy tales end at the happiest moment? Because everything after that is reality.”

“Wow, that makes a lot of sense.”

Even after the Imperial Family stabilized, the Security Department remained overwhelmingly busy. They hadn’t fully grasped the Demonic Beasts’ movements, nor had they identified all the culprits involved. The prime suspect, the First Prince, was under suspicion but lacked concrete evidence, creating a tense stalemate.

The Imperial Family pressured the Chief of the Security Department, Duke Rouster, who, in turn, applied pressure on his subordinates. It was a relentless parade of overnight shifts and late-night work, with complaints and discontent steadily piling up. Though they couldn’t openly discuss their work, as the night wore on and the alcohol took effect, their guards lowered slightly.

“I’m telling you, we’re being used for every possible task nowadays! Suspicious wagons passed through the gates and the justification for the check was dubious? Why do they make us investigate? That falls under the jurisdiction of the Guardians!”

“Our department is no different. We’re supposed to be a Research Department, but we have no time to actually do any research!”

“Don’t even get me started. The lower ranks are suffering the most. If we’re short on staff, they should hire more people! With so many quitting because they can’t handle it, are they telling the rest of us to just work ourselves to death?”

“Exactly!”

Knock, knock—

The tense atmosphere was broken by someone tapping on the table.

“Your remarks are dangerously close to crossing the line, you three. One more step, and you might be violating national security laws or committing insubordination. Be careful.”

“…!”

The three turned in alarm and widened their eyes when they saw who it was. A tall, well-built man with striking silver hair was standing before them. His refined appearance, unbefitting a common tavern, made him look like a high-ranking noble. More importantly, he was someone they knew well.

“Camille!?”

“Oh, Lord Camille?”

“Well, look who it is! Isn’t this our young master!”

The man who appeared like a strict supervisor was Camille Rouster, a fellow expedition member. Recently, he had been transferred to the Operations Team and had made a name for himself by completing the infamous “Basics” course in just three months. Camille couldn’t hide his faint smile at their delighted faces.

“It’s been a while. I didn’t expect to see you all here.”

“We should be the ones saying that! What brings you here?”

“Probably the same reasons as you. I like to have a drink after work too.”

“You, young master? Here?”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“Oh no, of course not! Come, have a seat with us.”

Roil quickly pulled out a chair beside him for Camille and drew him down into the seat. Camille, pretending to be unable to refuse, ordered his share of alcohol from the owner. It seemed that his claim of occasionally stopping by was no lie, as he looked quite at home. Hamar made a strange expression.

“That’s really unexpected. I thought you would only go to high-end places for drinking, you know, places only nobles frequent.”

“Well, now I know what kind of image you have of me, Sir Hamar.”

“I mean, come on, isn’t that just common sense? Nobles don’t usually come to places like this.”

“And you talk as if you’re not a noble yourself. I heard you’re of royal descent.”

“Haha, your comebacks have improved, huh? Where’d our gentle young master go? You’ve been praised as the rising star lately, so did you decide to become cool too?”

Hamar’s playful provocation continued, but Camille just drank quietly without reacting. Hamar smacked his lips in disappointment, thinking that Camille had indeed matured. The Camille he knew was straight-laced and innocent, always fun to tease—unlike most high-ranking nobles. Yet now, facing him, Camille had an intimidating aura. His physique had grown even more imposing in the few months since they last met, conveying an unspoken authority, and his eyes bore a shadow of detachment.

Was a boy’s growth always this rapid? The lively energy typical of a rookie during their expedition was nearly gone now. Whether it was due to the rigorous life in the Security Department or some profound internal change, it left Hamar feeling a little disheartened. Sensing a similar sentiment from Lisa and Roil, they tactfully shifted the conversation.