T/L: Yurika
3rd POV
[Flashback]
Forli had been preparing for the planting of trees in the duke’s territory, and had managed to plant the first trees in the target area on a trial basis. All the trees had been chopped down and hauled away, leaving only stumps, but the steep slopes made it difficult to turn the land into farmland, and thus the area had not been cultivated.
‘We were able to give the impression that planting trees is a good way to make money by paying the loggers a daily wage for planting saplings, as they were unable to enter the forest due to Ancient Dragon’s presence.’
‘Now we have to watch over the growth of the planted trees. Maybe we can make this a job, so that those who can no longer do as much hard work as logging can earn a living.’
With this in mind, Forli was going around checking the condition of the saplings with his healthy legs, which were still strong even at the age of sixty-five.
Forli’s wife, the chief of the forest people, was also looking forward to the planting and came along to see the site. She looked up at the sky and said,
“The dragon’s herald bird is watching us.”
He looked up overhead and saw a large black bird circling in the sky. The bird was black like a raven, but it’s body was more like a bird of prey. Even Forli, who knew the forest of Yurinova like the back of his hand, had never seen anything like this before.
His wife said that the dragon’s herald bird was a subordinate or an alter ego of the Ancient Dragon. They are like scouts, reporting to the Ancient Dragon what they have seen and heard. They must have noticed that the humans were behaving in an unfamiliar way and came to scout the area.
As if it had heard them, the bird quickly lowered its altitude. It perched on the tip of a large rock near Forli and his wife and stared at them.
The bird’s eyes glowed bright red as rubies.
Then Forli spoke to the dragon bird.
“What we are doing here is called planting trees. Humans have been cutting down forests for years, but from now on, we are going to plant and grow trees in the areas that have been cut down and use them.
It will take fifty years for the planted trees to grow to the point where they can actually be used, and until then, we would like the logging to continue. The sister of Duke Yurinova, the leader of this land, came up with this idea, and His Excellency the Duke ordered us to proceed with it. It is a measure ordered by the Duke’s Excellency, and the Duke’s family wants to get along with the forest.
His Excellency, the Duke, wishes to coexist with the forest and the Ancient Dragon with respect.”
Then, the dragon’s herald bird laughed.
In a human voice, it laughed out loud.
Then it spread its wings and flew away with a loud buzz of its wings.
Once the bird had flown away, Forli felt somewhat embarrassed. He had no idea if the bird could really understand him, and he thought it was funny that he was talking to it so earnestly. It was at that moment that he smiled at his wife.
The sky, which was supposed to be clear, suddenly turned dark.
The weather in the mountains is always changing, and as he looked up to see if clouds had appeared, he instead saw a huge silhouette in the backlight. Far above the treetops, stretching toward the sky and blocking the sun, was the long, black head of the Ancient Dragon.
Even with the backlight, the fiery crimson eyes were looking at Forli.
