"Roy, I think I know someone who could give you first aid. I only ask that you avoid asking questions and trust me."

"Sir magician?" said Roy weakly.

"Leafly, can you hear me?" It was unnecessary to shout; I knew the trees would transmit my voice to wherever she was.

Since I still had my connection with the artifact that I had entrusted to the dryad, once I concentrated on looking for it, I knew that, as I supposed, it was still in the forest. The artifact moved frantically from one side to another but stayed still once I said that name.

Almost immediately after, I felt the artifact sink underground and start heading toward me with great speed. Almost without giving me time to react, a half-naked woman shot out from under the roots of a tree.

"Master! You woke up! I was terrified when I felt that the tower had disappeared! I went to investigate what had happened but couldn't find anything, and I didn't feel your presence anywhere in the forest… Is it because of that cloak you are wearing?"

"Yes, it's because of the cloak; I'm sorry, the first thing I should have done was talk to you. But I needed to clear my mind (and remember you)… Now, could you please stop hugging me?"

The young woman with lush dark green hair looked at me with tearful eyes of the same color. Apparently, she didn't want to be separated from me, but in the end, she accepted and moved away her delicate white body with a greenish hue.

Honestly, the staff she had in her hand pressed against my ribs, which was quite painful.

The staff was decorated at its tip with a green jewel similar to an emerald, and reliefs in the shape of leaves completely covered it. That was precisely the artifact [Nature's Sovereign], I won't go into details about it yet, but I'm glad she took care of it until today.

Aside from the staff, the dryad had nothing but vines surrounding her slim and almost bustless figure. Of course, being a dryad, she only covered what was necessary. And that's because I forced her to cover herself with those vines. Before, she used them as only an ornament.

Of course, I have nothing against the naked body of a woman. But I have known this strange creature since she was a child, and I feel somewhat responsible for her.

"And Leafly, I've already told you that I'm nobody's master."

"Master, are you planning on getting rid of me?!" Exclaimed the dryad, distressed.

"Oh, forget it; this is not the time to have this discussion again," I said, rubbing my forehead with my hand; I felt like I was getting a headache.

"A human!" Leafly said, just noticing Roy's presence. "Sorry, Master, I was worried about the disappearance of the tower, and I haven't taken care of the intruders in the forest yet..."

"You don't need to take care of the intruders in the first place; I only asked you to watch over the forest so that nothing serious happens..."

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"Of course, Master, thanks to the staff you left in my care, I had no problem taking control of the entire forest; now it belongs to you. There is no one here who is lacking in loyalty!"

Yes, my head was definitely beginning to ache at that time. Unfortunately, my immortal body could also get stressed or sick, like any other human being's.

Giving up in my attempt to reason with the strange creature, I turned my attention to Roy. It seemed strange to me that the magic soldier was so quiet. It turns out that he apparently had been passed out for a while...

I don't know if it was because of the surprise, but I preferred to blame it on his injuries. It seemed Leafly had prevented any intrusion from outsiders into the forest. But she had no problem treating Roy's injuries as soon as I asked.

I'm glad she doesn't have hateful feelings toward outsiders. But that, at the same time, means that I indirectly had created all the terrible fame of the forest. According to Leafly, she was simply following my orders… It seems I have to have a long and careful talk with her at some point.

Roy's healing went smoothly. Of course, Leafly didn't have magic that healed humans instantly. In addition to bandages made from leaves, she used various ointments and herbs recollected in the forest.

I have an artifact that would have worked in this situation, but it would have taken far too long to summon the tower and try to find it. Next time I must remember to search for it to have it at hand.

"Leafly, about the humans who were escaping from the forest…"

"Don't worry, Master; the treents won't let them get far!"

"Remember that they have someone tied up; they should not hurt that person."

"Of course, Master, treents can be as delicate as the touch of a feather."

I doubt that giant walking trees could have the delicate touch of a feather, but I trust that Lord Edward would not be harmed. Leafly generally does things her way, but she always follows through with what she sets out to do.

And just as I expected, it wasn't long until Leafly told me that her gigantic trees had taken care of the intruders. Honestly, that way of saying it did not give me much peace of mind. But I decided to pay little attention to it, and we set off toward the location where the report had come from.

Thanks to my [Boots of the Freezing Wind], I had no problem running above the wind. At the same time, Leafly traveled through the roots. We left Roy in the care of other dryads who arrived on Leafly's orders.

Although Leafly acts like a child, it must be clarified that I met her more than two hibernations ago. That is, she is already over two hundred years old. And even before I bestowed an artifact on her a hundred years ago, she had already become the leader of her clan.

Of a child, she only has her attitude when it concerns me, her delicate figure, and her scant bust.

Anyway, once we got to the place of the "accident," I could see that my bad feeling was accurate, and only Lord Edward was left alive, who, although no longer tied up, remained unconscious. It may have been tiredness or the fear of seeing how the forest was coming upon you...

"Can you hear me, Lord Edward?"

"Who are you?" The nobleman, who had begun to open his eyes slowly, noticed my presence crouched next to him, and spoke to me.

"My name is... Argy Del."

"Master?" asked Leafly, puzzled.

I've never had a problem introducing myself as Argyros Dandel. Ever since the world changed, that has been my real name, and I use it as such. It represents my resolve and a form of promise to myself.

But honestly, I didn't want to get involved in a political dispute between two kingdoms, so I modified it a bit.

"Argy Del... behind you! Among the army of trees! Is she the famous dryad of the forest?!"

"If you're talking to my master, you have to pay attention to my master," Leafly scolded Lord Edward angrily.

"Master? Who can be the master of such a powerful…? White hair, silver eyes… Argy Del… Argyros Dandel?! One of the four gods of magic!"

And that's how I learned I had to get used to using my cloak [Eternal Mystery] better; until now, I had only used it to hide my presence. But by activating its other functions, they wouldn't be able to recognize me even if I told them my real name.

In my defense, although it was a similar name, few can remember my legend so easily; it's just that Leafly talks too much...