“...I don’t follow.”

Licht was more than happy to associate ambient force with mana. That was a familiar concept to him, and he considered it a small win to have something that once seemed complex reveal itself even in only a small part.

But associating skills to spells? Well…

It’s not like he couldn’t see the similarities, but he didn’t exactly see how absorbing nutrients or passively resisting the effects of acid could be considered spells. Luckily, all of his thoughts right now weren’t being transmitted to the mushroom woman he was currently speaking to.

Practicing with Muan had finally allowed him to hold conversations with [Wooden Commune] without leaking all of his surface thoughts. Something he was largely grateful for as it would suck to break down the reliable image he had built with Racheal by exposing all of his dumb inner dialogue. Okay, maybe he fumbled sometimes, but mostly he came across as reliable, right?

Anyways.

“How much do you know about the outside world? Outside of this forest, I mean.”

On that note he could definitely say he was clueless. Or, actually maybe he wasn’t totally unaware of a few choice things. He recounted what he had learned from his system to Racheal. Without mentioning the system, of course.

“...There exists groups of people organized into kingdoms which are likely around this forest, there are people who go into forests hunting for certain types of trees, the practice of slavery is present in the civilizations surrounding this forest at the least, and there are roots that grow here that certain people seek out to cure their erectile dysfunction…”

“Okay, okay! Aside from a few interesting tidbits, it’s clear that your information is very spotty. Although however weird it is that you were exposed to some of those pieces of information.”

Licht scanned the woman’s face, seeing that she was a bit flustered from certain bits of his knowledge. A purple hue made its way to Racheal’s orange cheeks. Were people here that sensitive to sex? Licht wondered about that. It was sadly pretty unlikely for an attractive ex-slave like her.

“Well, aside from all of that it's clear that you're not that knowledgeable of outside events. I don’t know if all of your family is the same way, but it's clear you should learn about what's going on around you.”

Licht debated whether or not he should tell her that the surrounding trees were really just him. It might be better from a security standpoint to keep up the illusion, no doubt the hypothetical hunters as mentioned by the Giving Tree would be less likely to find him that way. But, it was also kind of annoying to keep hearing it. It was going to keep coming up, Licht knew.

He wrestled with telling her purely to sate his minor grievance and the legitimate possible safety concerns.

“To start off with, people in Hadea who can use mana use it for spells, or magick. Only a small portion of people are born with the ability to use magick, I think it's like one in one thousand. Additionally, once these people are identified, it is determined what kind of magick they can use, and that is what a spell is.”

“So those that can use magick can only do so in a singular form. Such that if a person who was born being able to use magick was able to use wood magick, they would only be able to use a single kind of spell in the wood category?”

Racheal nodded.

“That’s exactly it. Based on what category of magic their spell belongs to, we call them ‘attuned’. Someone who can use a fire spell is attuned to the fire element, but that doesn’t mean that they can use other fire spells. Just the one they were born being able to use.”

“Just the one, huh? Isn’t that limiting?”

Racheal hummed. It was clear that she was drawing upon the experiences of others, not her own.

“It can be, from what I’ve heard. Though being born with a single spell sounds limiting, in reality those who can use magick hone their respective spells to their limits. This essentially allows them to do a variety of things with a single spell. Also, for similar reasons, it has become natural for spectrals to practice their craft in groups. Especially while doing assignments.”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“Spectrals?”

Licht hadn’t heard that term used by the woman before. Was that this world’s version of mages?

“‘Spectral’ is the widespread term for someone with access to their own spell. Though other places with stricter cultures sometimes call them by their own names. For example, the Kingdom of Mont Ryoux, somewhere south of here I think, near the western peninsula, calls those in their army ‘War Ministers’. Which I think sounds pretty overbearing for anyone who could be just a novice spectral.”

It sounded to Licht like the woman felt kind of miffed by this Kingdom to the south. Her caravan might have come from there, or perhaps she alone? Licht could only guess, he didn’t feel like bringing it up at the moment.

“You have a poor opinion of these ‘War Ministers’ then? Although it seems like any spectral could be dangerous?”

Racheal shook her brimmed head. The overhanging mushroom cap covered her face like a wide brim hat. Her tone sunk further as she spoke.

“Of course they’re dangerous, being spectrals and all, but most of those who join the army only do so because they’re too weak on their own to make it. Of course, that’s for reasons aside from the basic benefit of being in a group, they really are just after the status that comes with the army.”

Racheal waved her hands, as if to disperse the negative mood.

“Nevermind all of that! I really meant to answer your questions, not bring down the place with my own feelings. Please, let me know one of your questions!”

Licht hummed. He had offered at first to answer some questions about the Manacle Blossoms he had given to the group in case there were any questions, but somewhere in their conversation he began to view her more favorably. Racheal was definitely an earnest person, that much he could tell from the initial conversation a few days ago. However, there were also a whole host of other positive qualities she had exhibited since then.

For one, she seemed to think she owed Licht a debt of some kind, and answering his questions about the outside world to be a part of repaying it. From his perspective, Licht could sort of see both sides. On one hand, it seemed natural to him to want to repay the person who quite possibly saved your life. Such a trope was present in even the most unorthodox of media back on Earth. It was ubiquitous.

But on the other hand, she thought he was a collection of multiple individual beings, didn’t she? Did it make sense to pay your respects entirely to a single tree when you thought a different being was responsible for actually freeing you and helping your friends in a fight?

Despite the apparent paradox, Licht wanted to get to know the fungoid-woman. What other way was there then, then to ask an invasive and possibly offensive question?

“Hmm, what about you? What kind of being are you, to look so similar to my kind yet sport the body and intelligence of a human?”

The question clearly took the woman off-guard, as in the darkness created by the commune skill she took a step back reflexively.

“Oh! Uh, um…”

“I apologize if I’ve offended you.”

“No! No, I wasn’t offended, just surprised that a being like you would be interested in such a thing. You could have asked about anything, and I was kind of expecting you to ask more about magick or at least the surroundings of Hadea.”

“We can talk about those things instead if you’d rather?”

Licht offered the girl an out. She was clearly not as young as she seemed, but Licht was the same. He was used to giving people the chance to change the topic of conversation. Especially in his later years, when people around his hospital bed had more bad news than good at times, this skill of his was flexed a fair amount.

“No, that’s alright. I suppose I am still used to slave merchants fawning over my species than I am with people casually discussing it. I am of a species called a Fungoid. While we bear much of our resemblance to the races of elves and men, we share a small amount of our ancestry with natural spirits associated with mushrooms and the like. Thus our current appearance.”

Huh, so her race actually was called Fungoid. Licht didn’t know whether or not the commune skill was doing the heavy lifting to interpret her words into something familiar to him, but he was still surprised it was something so easy to remember.

“Current appearance?”

“It’s suggested that at some point in the past our ancestors looked more like nature spirits than the races of men. Similar to the Myconid in appearance, in fact.”

So there were other races of plant life people? That was all that went through Licht’s head.

“Myconid? Are they similar to your race?”

Racheal made a grievous expression, as if she had just been forced to swallow a bucket of spit.

“Not. At. All. They are disgusting creatures whose only resemblance to us is their number of appendages. They are grossly under cultured and unsightly beings. Holding nothing sacred and having no history to be proud of. Dreadful things, truly.”

Licht internally raised a brow.

Guess he hit a nerve?