【The Spirit King of the Forest's Beloved Child】Conclusion

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"Ugh... nnn...?"

The first thing Mishtille felt.

If one were to describe it objectively, it was the golden light delivered from the morning sun.

It was a warm and gentle light, so soft and kind that she could feel its presence even with her eyes closed.

In her cold, dark solitary cell, it was something she had never experienced, something unknown.

That is why, while relaxing in its comfort, she, however, cautiously... slowly opened her eyelids.

"Wow...!"

And what jumped into her vision!

It was... something blue that continued endlessly!

Sometimes, something white would slowly drift by and then disappear... it was a wide, wide, limitless something, unlike her solitary cell, just beautiful and majestic!

Mishtille, seeing that something for the first time, opened her eyes wide and stared at it.

Why, you ask? Because Mishtille had never seen anything so beautiful before.

So moved was Mishtille that she couldn't move for a while.

"Huh...?"

The next thing Mishtille noticed was the lack of illness in her own body.

In her solitary cell, all alone, she had been afflicted by illness... and should have been waiting for death.

And yet...

Right now, she feels no pain, no suffering, no nausea.

If she had to say, she's a little hungry... but it's not unbearable.

In any case, she feels good.

"Ah... so."

Therefore, Mishtille concluded.

"This is heaven, desu!"

That she was dead.

"There's no way, is there?"

Then, from outside Mishtille's vision, such a voice was heard.

Mishtille was tremendously surprised, hurriedly sat up, and turned her face towards the source of the voice.

Why was she surprised?

Because it wasn't 【Telepathy】... it was the first time Mishtille had heard a "human voice," felt by the vibration of her eardrums!

It's no wonder her heart pounded fiercely, wondering what was happening.

However.

The next moment, Mishtille would be even more surprised.

Because, there.

Just like Mishtille, with two arms and two legs, with blue eyes, a nose, and a mouth on its face, and with golden hair... something!—

Was standing there!

"Ah... ahh!"

The intelligent Mishtille, unraveling the knowledge she had once learned from Hasumus, identified the something and shouted!

"You are! A human, desu!"

And while sitting, she shifted her body towards the human and smiled brightly.

"I am also! A human, desu!"

"............"

The human, to whom Mishtille had smiled.

At first, her brow was furrowed and her mouth was in a grimace...

But when she heard Mishtille's words, her eyes and mouth opened wide in a circle, and after being dumbfounded.

"That's right... you're human, aren't you?"

While scratching her head as if troubled.

"What a novel self-introduction."

She gave a bitter smile.

"I am... Toria."

And then, looking straight into Mishtille's eyes, she said that.

"Toria? Human? Which is it, desu?"

Mishtille was confused and tilted her head.

"Toria is a nickname... no, a name... from now on. From now on, I am a human named Toria. What about you?"

"I am a human named Mishtille, desu!"

"I see... that's right, isn't it..."

After a harmless exchange, the expression of the golden-haired girl who called herself Toria darkened again.

Her smile disappeared, and her face returned to the slightly scary one she had before introducing herself.

Seeing that, Mishtille felt anxious.

So, "as usual," she crossed her arms to hug herself and apologized fawningly.

"I'm sorry, desu..."

Seeing that, Toria's face became even more displeased.

"D-Don't hurt me, desu..."

Mishtille was so scared that she closed her eyes tight and shed tears drop by drop.

Because, Hasumus, who had been taking care of her.

Whenever Mishtille made a mistake, he would always discipline her.

Hasumus was a small mouse, but in reality, he was a spirit.

With his mysterious power, he would persistently inflict pain on Mishtille and "discipline" her.

That was an unbearable pain for Mishtille.

"...What are you talking about?"

But.

Toria never hit Mishtille.

When Mishtille cautiously opened her eyes... Toria had a troubled face.

Not a scary face.

"I made a mistake... that's not it, desu? Hasumus, at times like this, hurt me, desu."

Hearing Mishtille's faltering explanation of the situation, Toria's eyes snapped open.

A scary face again!

Her eyes are slanted upwards, and her brows are furrowed!

She was going to be hit!

Mishtille, frightened, shrank and trembled.

But.

...The next moment, what Mishtille felt was not pain.

Not pain.

It was softness and warmth.

Toria had suddenly hugged Mishtille.

"The spirits... are gone!! The one called Hasumus is gone too!!"

As if yelling, Toria shouted.

Something warm dripped—pota, pota—and wet Mishtille's shoulder.

"Hasumus, is not here, desu? Even though it's so bright, desu?"

"That's right! So... you too... and me too!!"

Here, while grabbing Mishtille's shoulders, Toria let go of her.

And, with a face that still looked angry, but with her blue eyes moist with tears.

"We're free... you know!!"

She shouted that.

"Free..."

Hearing that.

Mishtille, for some reason, looked up.

There, as usual, something blue... the sky, was spreading.

It's the same color as Toria's eyes.

"Toria's eyes are pretty, desu."

So, looking at Toria's eyes again, Mishtille muttered that.

"!?"

At that completely unrelated remark, Toria couldn't help but open her eyes wide, and with her mouth in a slight grimace, she blushed, but.

"Aha."

Immediately, as if to hide her embarrassment, she smiled.

"You don't know? You're the same, you know!"

She said that.

"The same, desu!? My eyes are also blue, desu!?"

"That's right!"

"Wow... free, desu!"

"Ahaha, what's with that!?"

She didn't know why!

But Mishtille was so happy, so happy, that she laughed a lot!

Toria too.

Her scary face was completely gone, and she was laughing out loud!

"...Well then."

After a while of laughing, laughing, and laughing.

Toria slowly stood up.

"Hey, let's go together, Mishtille."

And saying that, she extended her hand to Mishtille, who was still sitting.

"Go, desu? Where are we going, desu?"

Mishtille tilted her head.

"I don't know, we're free, after all."

Toria also tilted her head.

While tilting her head, she was smiling with a scary face.

But before she knew it, Mishtille was no longer afraid of Toria's face.

But.

Even if she wasn't afraid, Mishtille was full of things she didn't understand.

"Why are we going together, desu?"

"Why, I wonder..."

And it seems that Toria also couldn't immediately figure out the reason for her own words and actions.

Toria had a dazed look on her face for a moment and thought.

"Aha."

She smiled with a scary face.

"It must be my nature. I can't leave you alone."

She said that.

Mishtille didn't understand what was what at all.

But, Mishtille... firmly grasped the warm hand that Toria had extended to her and stood up.

"Ehehe."

And she smiled brightly.

Because, by that time, Mishtille—

Already loved Toria very much.

"Well then, let's go, 'Tille'!"

"Tille? What, desu?"

"It's your name! From today on, I'm Toria. And you're Tille!"

"Why, desu?"

"Because it's easier to say, isn't it!"

"That's true, desu! It's easy to say, desu!"

...Saying that, while making a racket.

Toria and Tille... the two girls with golden and silver hair, who had very similar appearances, began to walk from the wasteland.

The warm sunlight—

Gently... continued to shine on the two of them.

With this, Arc 28 is concluded.

I considered inserting one more chapter from the perspective of the Spirit God, but I thought it would be better for the story to end here.

The issue of 'What will happen with the magical power adjustment of the Spirit Forest from now on?' remains, but as long as the Spirit God is there, it will be fine, so there is no need for readers to worry about it.

As for the next Arc 29, I think it will take some time before updates.

I would appreciate it if you could wait.

I look forward to your continued support.