Forest of Dreams | Main Episode

[healingbonds]

MahoYaku Masterpost & Translator's Notes
Thank you K for providing this translation!

CHAPTER 1

Akira: We’ve arrived at the Northern tower. I’d like to ask the Northern wizards for your help in crushing some serious trouble.

Mithra: Sigh...... You say that, but it’s probably just some small fry who went berserk due to the influence of the < Great Catastrophe >, right?

Bradley: There’s definitely no point in sending all of us. Any one of us could probably take it down alone.

Snow: Don’t say that. This is a good chance for us to learn some teamwork.

White: You guys have to learn to work in sync, just like us twins.

Snow & White: On the count of three—
Matching pose!

Mithra: I have to do that with Bradley......?

Bradley: You want me to do that with Mithra......?

Akira: I-I can’t wait to see it.
Well then, our destination is known as the Forest of Dreams in Northern Country.

Owen: The Forest of Dreams?

Akira: Yes. Do you know of it, Owen?

Owen: Yeah. I often hang out there because it’s so comfortable.

Akira: So it’s a nice place! Thank g—....

Owen: The trees in the forest release a lethal poison that gives people strange and curiously delightful dreams.
The poison is so strong that they won’t make it out alive unless they have magic that is as strong as ours.
That’s why people with terminal illnesses and wizards who’ve grown tired of living make their way to the forest.
All to see a beautiful dream in their last moments before vanishing from this world.

Akira: ............


CHAPTER 2

Owen: Using their corpses as nutrients, the trees in the Forest of Dreams continue to reproduce and expel poisonous spores.
Isn’t that wonderful?

> Option: I wouldn’t call it wonderful......

Owen: Really? What a shame. If only you could enjoy the forest of corpses.


> Option: You think it’s wonderful?

Owen: Yeah. Why?

Akira: Y-you have a strange sense of values......

Owen: That’s why everyone is afraid of me, you see. Go on, you can fear me as much as you like.


> Option: I kinda want to go back to the magic headquarters......

Owen: You were the one who invited us. Don’t get cold feet now.


Owen: Hey, let’s go. I can’t wait. Maybe I’ll get to interrupt someone in their final moments.
Oh, right. This has nothing to do with the mission, but if you use the poison from the Forest of Dreams to fall into a dream, you can do interesting things.

Akira: Interesting things?

Owen: If you fall into a dream within the forest, the poison will seduce you into seeing things that you normally wouldn’t, and you can obtain unbelievable strength.
You’ll die in your dreams if you keep inhaling the poison though. But if you’re confident that you can return to reality, why don’t you try losing yourself to a dream in this forest?

Akira: Falling into a dream, huh...... Got it. I’ll try it next time.

✦✧☾✧✦

Akira: So this is the Forest of Dreams......
It’s as mysterious and charming as a fairytale.......

Owen: Don’t let its appearance fool you. You’d have gone insane by now if I hadn’t been protecting you.

Akira: Have you been protecting me, Owen?

Owen: That’s right. I’m doing it so that I can say to you: beg for your life if you want me to protect you.
Akira: I’d like you to protect me, Owen. I humbly beg for your kindness.

Owen: Can’t you be a bit more reluctant? How boring.....


CHAPTER 3

Owen: I wonder if there’s anyone around. Someone having a wonderful dream as they lie on the brink of death. I’ll wake them up and drag them back to reality.

Bradley: You know, you really don’t have to pull something that nasty. You’ve got terrible hobbies.

Owen: Hah?

Mithra: Ah, I remember now.

Snow: What is it, Mithra?

Mithra: I think I killed Owen once around these parts.

Akira: Huh!? Why!?

Mithra: Well, it was over some trivial argument. Do you remember?

Owen: ......I guess so.

Mithra: Did you die that time?

Akira: What do you mean by that......

White: Owen can die countless times. It’s because he’s hidden his soul away somewhere.

Owen: I did die. Here in this very forest.
Let’s go.

✦✧☾✧✦

Bradley: You said “crush,” but what the hell are we crushing?

Akira: With the increase of the poisonous spores, it seems like animals in the neighbouring areas have been collapsing one after another.

Snow: Perhaps the lord of the Forest of Dreams has grown more powerful under the influence of the < Great Catastrophe >.

White: The lord is an ancient tree that lies deep in the heart of this forest...... It’s probably sacred.

Owen: Nope. The sacred tree was taken over long ago.

Mithra: By what?

Owen: The dreams of the dead. While the tree was feeding on the dead, their dreams took root; before I knew it, they had turned on the tree and consumed it.
The < Great Catastrophe > probably revived the thoughts that the dead held in their dreams, and those thoughts are now manipulating the sacred tree.
Idiotic, isn’t it? The tree meant to consume the dead for nutrients, but it was the one who got consumed instead.

Mithra: Hah...... I think that sounds just like you, though.

Owen: ......What do you mean?


CHAPTER 4

Mithra: I don’t really understand it, but you want to know the darkness in people’s hearts too, don’t you?

Owen: I wouldn’t let that consume me.

Mithra: You’re practically the same. Back then, you probably tried to peer into the darkness within me, but you were the one who, well, how do I put it.......

Akira: .....Got hurt?

Mithra: Yeah, that’s it. Am I wrong?

Owen: Haha...... Hey. I’ll kill you, Mithra.

Mithra: That’s impossible for you. Ah, that’s it, this is how we ended up fighting last time too.

Bradley: Don’t get into the same fight twice.

Owen: ............

Snow: Where are you going, Owen!

Owen: I’ll defeat it by myself.

Mithra: Thank you. So, can we go back now?

Bradley: Owen can handle it, right?

White: Hey! Mithra, Bradley!

Snow: Hmm......? Sage..... The Sage is gone!?

✦✧☾✧✦

Akira: Owen! Owen, wait up!

Owen: .....Are you an idiot? Why did you follow me?

Akira: Y-you said you were protecting me, so I thought it wouldn’t work once I left your side.......

Owen: ............ Try begging for your life, then.

Akira: Please save me. I’m begging you. I don’t want to die.

Owen: Hmph. Come here then. Or I’ll leave you behind.

Akira: Thank you!


CHAPTER 5

Akira: Even so, this is such charming scenery...... ......It would look so good on social media......

Owen: On what?

Akira: Ah, it’s nothing......
What Mithra said back there...... What did you two fight about?

Owen: Who knows, I’ve forgotten.

Akira: ............

Owen: But I was beaten up pretty badly. Even if I can die many times, I still feel the pain keenly each and every time.
That’s why I escaped into the Forest of Dreams. I thought it’d be nice to see a happy, comfortable dream like everyone else does. But......
Something didn’t feel quite right.

Akira: Something didn’t feel quite right......?

Owen: Yeah. It was just a nagging feeling. Happy dreams, warm dreams, kind dreams — none of them really suited me.
I picked a fight with Mithra, lost, and ended up escaping — in the end, I just felt pathetic.
I had planned on hurting him. Yet I was the one who got hurt, and I was the one who died.
If I had known that would happen, I should’ve just fought till the end and let Mithra kill me. I’d made many, many wrong choices.
It felt like I was becoming emptier and emptier.

Akira: Owen......

Owen: You see, Mithra isn’t like me. He wouldn’t weaken his opponent and toy around with them. I think he’d have taken me down in one shot.
In that sense, he’s really kind.

Akira: Okay......

Owen: Haha...... What’s with that. You sound just like Mithra.


CHAPTER 6

Owen: ......The people who escape into the Forest of Dreams remind me of myself from back then.
That’s why I can’t help wanting to bully them.

Akira: If they remind you of your past self, then you should be able to treat them with kindness.

Owen: ............

Akira: You wanted to be saved too, didn’t you Owen?

Owen: That’s ridiculous. I’d rather bite my own tongue and die rather than be treated that way.

Akira: You don’t mean that...... Ah......! Owen, that huge tree......!

Owen: That’s the sacred tree, the lord of the Forest of Dreams. It’s been overtaken by the dreams of the dead; it’s spouting spores everywhere.
What a fool — you meant to hurt others, but you ended up getting hurt instead.
Allow me to laugh at you, as a kindness.
<< Cuare Morito >>

✦✧☾✧✦

Bradley: Hey, they’re back.

Mithra: Good job, Sir Sage, Owen.

Owen: Can I pinch your cheeks?

Mithra: Huh? No thank you...... What for?

Owen: I was thinking about the time you almost killed me, so looking at your face pisses me off.

Mithra: But you love my face.

Owen: I guess I do.

Akira: I can’t tell if they get along or not......

Snow: Good job, Sage. With that, our mission is over!

White: Nothing has changed about the Forest of Dreams, but hopefully the harm won’t reach its neighbouring regions now.

Akira: Yes! It’s all thanks to Owen! Thank you, Owen.

Owen: Hmph. I don’t need any thanks.
Give me some delicious sweets instead.