Names Pt.I

Day 15

Last night was a real mess and I didn't even want to think about it.

How did the Timber Wolf King not see the importance in creating an alliance? Had she already resigned to serving under Krull?

It was dawn and I had been woken up by the Agent. This was because of the journey I had today with the sprite.

The dryad had been waiting for me, looking no different from usual. Except this time, she had a pink lily pad on her head.

"Good morning."

'Erh… good morning? Is that a sort of fashion trend amongst the sprites?'

She looked at the lily pad then giggled. She was so refined and lady-like. The opposite of Minerva.

"Um… no. This lily pad is something that allows dryads to move long distances away from their trees."

'Oh? So why do you have it? You're not a dryad.'

"Uh… It may be true that I am a sprite, but it is so that Lady Diane can manifest herself before us at any point."

'Oh-ok. So that woman wants to keep an eye on us, eh?'

"Yes."

She responded without a care in the world. Diane really didn't trust me even after throwing all the responsibility on my shoulders. Maybe I should have tried to run away, but it would be best to get through this. Maybe I would acquire some very useful skills along the way and if I defeated a tyrant, wouldn't that be an insane boost in power for me?

'You said it would take us a full day to get there?'

"Or two, yes. It is quite the journey."

'Wow.'

I thought out loud.

"Did something happen, Hinotori?"

'Oh, nothing really. I'm just amazed by how big this forest is. That must mean there are tons of places to go to and explore, right?'

"Well yes. There are different spots in the West that I am certain you would love to see."

'Oh? Like where?'

"There's the watering hole, the forbidden dungeon, the Murt'ark ruins, the-"

While she was listing, there was one thing that had me excited.

'Wait… What did you say!?'

"The Murt'ark ruins? It's the-"

'No, no, before that.'

"The forbidden dungeon?"

'Yes the forbidden dungeon. As in like a dungeon, dungeon? With gold and relics? And an elder lich zombie skeletons and all that?'

"Oh? So even Hinotori has some sort of common knowledge about the world?"

Usually, that would have been offensive, but considering I am new here, I would just ignore it.

Afterwards, she told me the story of how a certain human sorcerer created a tomb in the west of the forest. Apparently he was friends with Larm and so he was the only human permitted to live in the forest, which was weird considering how much they say Larm hated humans. He later died and his dungeon had been protected by skeleton soldiers ever since.

That must have been the cave I accidentally traveled to when I tried to explore earlier. I wondered what kind of things were down there. If I survived this incident, I definitely wanted to check it out. I also wanted pay-back for what that skeleton did to me. Chasing me out of the cave like some kind of animal. The nerve of that thing.

'Now that I think about it, Oda was there with me, no?'

"You have been there bef-"

She suddenly tensed up. I knew perfectly why she did so. Something was rushing at us. Quickly. It didn't take long for the creature to jump out of the bushes, startling all the tiny creatures around. When it had settled down, it faced us then said,

"Hinotori."

'Hey… you… rat dude…'

That was awkward. I had prepared myself for a fight, but I calmed down when I recognized who's aura that was. It was the rat man leader from before. I wondered what he wanted. He didn't have a name so it was sort of difficult to call him.

"It is I, the leader of the rat men!"

He valiantly declared although his looks didn't match. He was a giant rat about the size of Gorm. His fur was dirty and black with mud all over his hands or feet? His eyes were pitch black and he had a bag slung over his chest with a belt containing five daggers and pockets for various reasons.

'I know that. Why are you here?'

He cleared his throat, then boldly said

"I have come to aid you in the King recruitment mission."

'Huh?'

"It is as I said. I wish to help you in this mission to recruit the kings into our ranks."

I was so confused at the moment. Wasn't this the very same guy who didn't volunteer to do this when I suggested it last night?

'Wait… did you come here because you wanted to spend time with the cute sprite at my side? No thank you, dude, go away.'

I grabbed the sprite and brought her in closer with my wing.

"Yes!"

'So you did come for her?! Leave!'

"What? N-no! I just came here because you have shown to be completely incompetent, not managing to convince the timber wolf king to help us."

He brought up the terrible night from before and I wouldn't accept this embarrassment lying down.

'Huh? How is it my fault for something that was beyond anyone's hands? Also don't you have to be training your group?'

"The thing is, we the rat men are already organized. I just need to leave the matter to my second-in-command and I can go anywhere."

'Sa sa! That's just you being lazy, isn't it?'

"It is not being lazy when you have carefully handled it all."

'Tch, he's right.'

"Aha! So you do agree? Then I will be tagging along."

'Before, how did you know about last night?'

"Like I said, we the rat men have eyes, ears and noses everywhere in the west. There is nothing we don't know that happens in the West."

'Fine. I take it you know where we're headed then?'

"Ah yes. The Bee Hive."

I looked to the sprite for confirmation and she nodded.

'Ok then, I guess it's the three of us.'

With that, the sprite, the rat man and I set off towards the spider king's home. I really needed to give those two nicknames or something.

---

'Hey, you guys?'

I called out to the two who were walking ahead of me.

"What is it, Hinotori?"

"Hmmm?"

They responded like such, not even stopping in their tracks to face me.

'I've been wondering about something. Why are names such a big deal around here? Whenever you speak to me, you mention my name and like ninety percent of the sentient creatures don't have names. Is there some sort of taboo?'

The rat man looked back at me with a look of disbelief and the sprite looked like she had been expecting me to ask something like that. They both then looked at each other.

"Is she serious?"

The rat man asked the dryad, and she let out a refined giggle.

"It appears so."

'Hehe… sorry, but I'm sort of an airhead.'

I told a lie, so as to avoid many questions, but he glanced at me with suspicious glares, then said

"Very well then, I believe you should answer the question, seeing how your kind know more about this stuff than the other races in the West."

"Very well then."

They had decided that the sprite would answer my question.

"You see, when a magical creature is blessed with a name, it is proof that the creature has been acknowledged by a higher being."

'Oh? So that's why it was a big deal to you guys?'

"Exactly."

'So in that case, how does one get acknowledged?'

"A magical creature should have done something to attract the attention of the higher beings."

'Is that how you planned on getting a name, rat dude? By fending off the East's forces?'

"Ah? Yes. I will prove my worth during this battle and earn a name from the higher beings that will be watching."

'Wow. So that means all those with names must have done some serious stuff, huh?'

"Yes! Sister Diane for instance was given her name because she has been monitoring this side of the forest for over a century now. She was rewarded by the Forest King for her diligent work."

'A c-century!?'

"Ah yes. She is the oldest of the dryads in the forest even going to have become what people call a nature spirit."

Just how old could these dryads live up to?

"That old hob-goblin Gorm must be something else."

I remembered that hob-goblin chief who was something like a brother to Minerva. I didn't know if she still cared for him though. Yeah, she probably did although it didn't look like she had given much thought to his request. I guess that was just in her stubborn nature.

"Oh, it seems I forgot to mention, that in some rare cases, magical creatures get named after evolving."

'Oh? In that case, wouldn't it be easier for you to try to evolve, rather than to try to gain a higher being's attention?'

That seemed like the likeliest chance of ever getting a name. Still, was it really important to be acknowledged by someone stronger than you? That was the same as being happy that you were weak. No one would want that. I wouldn't want that. I wanted to grow stronger. So strong that I would be the one looking down on everything.