Reborn After A Death March

Chapter 75

"Master Satou!" Our arrival at the southern island, a stopover on our journey to Bolenan Forest, was met by Yuuneia, a young girl with striking black hair tipped in vibrant red. She embraced Satou tightly, then turned to call out to her older sister, Rei. "Sister! Come quickly!"

A blur of white and blue, a tiny figure with hair like spun snow tipped with azure raced towards us. Though seemingly younger than Yuuneia, Rei held a surprising age: older than even Mia the elf. She was a half-ghost, a rarity amongst races, and the sole survivor of the ancient Lalakie dynasty. Her life spanned millennia, reaching back over two thousand years.

"Welcome back, Satou. Good to see you, everyone."

"You too, Rei."

Despite Rei's characteristically tranquil demeanour, her behaviour on the island hinted at underlying loneliness. Her small hand clutched Satou's tightly, a desperate grip that spoke volumes. Yuuneia, once clinging to him, had been forcibly separated by Arisa.

"Can you stay awhile this time?" she asked.

"No, we're on our way to Bolenan Forest, I'm afraid."

I quickly added to Satou's response when I saw Rei's smile fade. "Why don't you come with us? We stopped by to ask you to accompany us on a tour of the elves' forest."

"Are you sure the elves won't mind uninvited guests in their territory?"

"It'll be fine."

With the blessing of Aaze, Aialize, the esteemed high elf of Bolenan Forest, and the approval of the elf elders, we were authorised to extend an invitation to the two following the Lalakie incident.

"But..."

"Don't worry. Aaze is in the elf village, and the World Tree's spirit light purifies miasma."

Rei's apprehension was likely fuelled by her heightened sensitivity to miasma, which often accumulated in crowded places and posed a significant threat to her well-being.

"Yuuneia, will you come, too?"

"I'd follow my big sister anywhere!"

Yuuneia's devotion to her sister was well known, so her answer came as no surprise. With the sisters now in tow, we continued our journey towards Bolenan Forest, aided by a series of 'Return' spells.

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"Okay, we're here."

The journey to Bolenan Forest, including a brief stop at an island, required eight castings of the 'Return' spell. Unlike the more efficient 'Space Magic' teleportation spells, 'Return' had a limited range of two hundred miles, making it impossible to reach the forest in a single jump. The additional magic required to transport the group also drained Satou and my own MP reserves more than usual. Someone else was already there when we arrived at our tree house in Bolenan Forest.

"Hello, Miss Lua." Lua froze, looking startled.

As the high elf Aaze's dedicated priestess, she tended to her every need.

"Welcome back, Mr Satou, Miss Kura. You've got quite a crowd with you this time."

She was used to Satou and me suddenly appearing, so she greeted us with a calm smile. Judging by the open windows and the scent of fresh air, she was airing out our rooms today.

"We were hoping to do some training, so we'll be staying for a while, if that's all right."

"Of course. You're always welcome."

"'This time'? Come to think of it, didn't Rei say, 'Can you stay awhile this time?' too?"

"Mm."

Mia and Arisa started whispering behind us, but I ignored them.