Achoo!
Ursus, the Black Forest.
Gorth wiped his face in confusion; this body shouldn't be able to catch a cold.
I put my thoughts aside and looked around.
There was no noise as expected; neither the adult group nor the children's group were present.
"Going out to play?"
I approached the window with some questions, but the outside was full of life.
The Gardener took turns with their returning colleagues, carrying fertilizer into the forest.
The women were preparing food, and many of the newly Infected were bartering with their belongings.
Noticing Gorth by the window, the newlyweds were still somewhat afraid and tried to avoid him, but the old man greeted them warmly.
After spending time with the Lord of the Forest, the Infected discovered that his personality was far less frightening than his appearance.
It was a silence and inclusiveness like a forest, but it was a bit... reclusive?
As if confirming everyone's impression, Gorth's figure disappeared from the window.
Walking in the shadows, Gorth observes the lives of the Infected from a different perspective.
Everyone's face was beaming with smiles, peaceful and serene...
That's natural.
Ursus's vast tundra has a harsh climate, and most of the food crops commonly found in Terra cannot survive there.
A type of cold-resistant moss called "Moss Wheat" is a staple food for people.
It is edible before it matures, but becomes shriveled, bitter, and slightly toxic after it matures.
Due to low yields and unstable harvests, tundra inhabitants often face famine.
Having enough to eat and wear are perfectly normal needs.
But for the lower classes of Ursus, it was a formidable challenge.
For the Infected, who are practically enemies of the entire Ursus, these two needs should become "not freezing to death" and "not starving to death."
Gorth, who doesn't understand the daily lives of those Infected, naturally wouldn't realize how precious their smiles are now.
He simply sighed:
"So easily satisfied..."
Compared to the troublesome civilians in the game who always try to pull off some crazy tricks, the Infected are quite self-disciplined.
In addition to the accommodations provided by the Gorth, they spontaneously built granaries, churches, public toilets, and other structures.
The granary was naturally used to store frozen meat that couldn't be eaten.
Although Gorth repeatedly assured them that there was enough food, the Infected were used to hardship, were clearly reluctant to throw it away.
The construction of the church was an accident.
While playing with the children Eno and his companion inadvertently mentioned the snowman inside the house.
Upon hearing that it was a "tribute" offered by Alina and others to the Lord of the Forest, the Infected spontaneously began creating the statue.
When the finished product was placed in the center of the camp, the group, feeling it was inappropriate, built a shelter for it to protect it from the snow.
Through continuous refinement and improvement, a church stood in the center of the camp.
Gorth tried to stop it, not for any other reason than that the statue was just too realistic!
His terrifying appearance made him subconsciously think that some cult had infiltrated the camp, but everyone explained it as "a beautification of majesty."
Gorth secretly polished the ice sculpture in the middle of the night, trying to make his image more rounded.
The result is...
"Who did this! How dare they desecrate the statue of the Lord of the Forest!"
Enraged at discovering the altered statue, the group investigated the traitor, but Gorth, not wanting to be exposed, had no choice but to seek help from Alina.
"Huh? Me?"
A bewildered Talulah was pushed in front of the group, and the reason given was...
"The body temperature was too high, causing the ice sculpture to melt?"
Everyone looked on in disbelief, but then the fire suddenly burst forth, illuminating the entire camp—
Miss Talulah is not permitted to enter.
A warning sign was hung at the church entrance, Talulah, who had been unfairly blamed, was depressed all morning.
As for the final public toilet, Gorth secretly provided a great deal of assistance.
Why is that...?
Anyway, it wasn't when I went out that I stumbled upon a pleasant surprise in the snow.
Shaking his head to shake off the unpleasant memories, Gorth discovered a new building.
Peeking out from the shadows outside, Gorth silently observed.
"Sister Alina! I've finished drawing!"
Alina?
Upon hearing the familiar name, Gorth sank into the shadows once more.
Similar to its simple exterior, the interior of the house contained only a few simple tables and chairs.
The children sat together, showing their paintings to Alina in the center.
"Um..."
Looking at the scribbled lines, Alina gave up guessing.
"Can you tell me what you drew?"
"Hehe, this is Sister Alina!"
The child pointed at the stick figure in the drawing, looking at the white triangle skirt and the antlers formed by intersecting lines... Alina decided to give him some encouragement.
"Mmm! It looks great!"
"Hehe... there's more!"
The child, blushing with embarrassment at receiving the praise, then pointed to the painting again.
"This is the Lord of the Forest!"
Hearing that he was also involved, Gorth secretly peeked out from the shadows.
"Where is it? Why can't I see it?"
Eno, standing nearby, curiously leaned over, and the other children observed together.
The initially confident child gradually became nervous, and the artwork gradually declined in quality.
"Sister has already found it, haven't you found it yet?"
Alina's gentle voice rang out, and the children looked at the painting with puzzled expressions.
As if explaining to the children, Alina took the painting and showed it to them.
"Look at the big trees behind us?"
Upon closer inspection, everyone quickly noticed the difference.
The deliberately blackened tree trunk is indeed quite thick, coupled with its dense branches and intentional use of negative space...
Wow! It really is the Lord of the Forest!
"Yuri is amazing! I didn't know paintings could be hidden like that!"
The children were full of praise for their classmate's paintings, Yuri had been feeling down, cheered up again.
"Don't try to comfort me. I know my drawing doesn't look like it at all..."
No.
Alina ruffled Yuri's hair and held up the painting.
"My sister thinks this painting is wonderful; the figures in it look like they're about to jump out of the painting!"
"That's impossible..."
Yuri blushed, and as if to encourage him, Anina placed the painting on her head.
"Wow--!"
Alina suddenly lifted the painting, feigning surprise.
"Alina jumped out of the painting!"
The children stared blankly, and for a moment, all was quiet.
"Hmm... is that strange?"
There was no response; the girl's cheeks flushed slightly.
"Not surprising."
A familiar voice sounded from behind her, and Alina gasped and turned around.
"How did you end up here...?"
"It jumped right out of the painting."
As if to confirm his earlier words, Gorth sank into the shadows, then reappeared with the painting on his head, turning to the dazed Yuri.
"It's very well drawn."
"Gorth!"
Eno and Sasha were the first to react, with the latter asking anxiously.
"Is the house not clean enough? I'll go clean it right away!"
"It's nothing, I just came out for a stroll."
After calming the overly nervous snake, Gorth somewhat helpless.
Eno was very kind to her, Sasha maintained a sense of awe.
"Hey hey, are you here to take a lesson with Sister Alina too?"
Eno curiously leaned closer to his leg to ask, while Gorth turned his head in confusion.
"Attend class?"
The surprised children also realized what was happening, and with Eno leading the way, they swarmed to Gorth's feet.
"Yes! Sister Alina is teaching us to read!"
"We're learning very well! Sister Alina taught us how to draw!"
"Is the Lord of the Forest also coming with us?"
Having found the answer in the children's words, Gorth turned to Alina, who twirled her finger and said softly:
"Because... you said I'm suited to be a teacher, and I want to give it a try."
After a few seconds of silence, Gorth nodded emphatically.
"It is indeed very suitable."
Her eyebrows curved into a smile, and the girl's joy was palpable.
"Um, um..."
Seeing that Gorth was engrossed in talking to Alina, a child tugged at his sleeve.
"What's wrong?"
Gorth bent down, trying to soften his voice.
Are you a legendary elf?
"An elf?"
Gorth asked in confusion, "According to Vane, there is indeed a race called elves in this world."
But the child's meaning probably doesn't refer to race...
"Yes!"
The children excitedly rushed over.
"The fairies in the story live in the great forest, and they will give food and shelter to lost people, and they can also conjure up beautiful seas of flowers!"
After removing the child who was climbing up the robe, Gorth said regretfully:
"I'm sorry, I'm not an elf."
If he were a normal Druid, he could magically conjure a small flower right now.
But compared to the legendary friend of the forest, he now seems more like a fallen priest.
A sea of flowers... he can probably only conjure up a field of thorns.
"Although I'm not an elf... the entire forest is my mentor's masterpiece."
Alina winked at Gorth, then turned to the children and drawled.
"An entire forest! Even the elves couldn't do that!"
"Hmm... As expected, the Lord of the Forest is truly formidable!"
The children's attention quickly shifted, and Alina took the opportunity to dismiss them.
"Alright, alright, that's the end of class for today. Everyone, go out and have some fun!"
Led by Eno and Alina, the children left. Alina tilted her head slightly, and the wisps of hair on her forehead swayed gently with the movement.
"You've decided to come out? Has the research on the fruit been completed?"
Gorth shook his head.
"No, apart from being non-toxic, we haven't seen any other effects yet."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room, but the familiar figure did not appear.
Where is she?
Alina blinked.
"Little Tal, go finish your homework."
Operation...
After a moment of silence, Gorth asked uncertainly:
"Hiring?"
With Alina nodding, Gorth sighed and rubbed his forehead in exasperation.
Talulah had previously clung to her theory, leaving him feeling lost.
Gorth simply recommended that she put it into practice.
"Since you can't figure it out, why not try to join forces?"
"Joint?"
"Didn't you want to create that organization called Reunion Movement? Go give it a try, consider it homework."
As the flashback ended, Gorth was somewhat troubled by Talulah's high level of efficiency.
So where did she go?
"Right here."
Gorth:???
"Here? In the camp?"
Understanding Gorth's confusion, Alina explained:
"Little Tal probably thinks that people she knows are easier to recruit than strangers."
Gorth's eyes were subtle:
"Didn't you stop her...?"
Alina blinked.
"After all, it's your homework; you can't help Little Tal cheat, can you?"
"..."
With a sigh, Gorth turned around.
"Take me to see it."
Following Alina, the two arrived at the edge of the camp, where they could hear Talulah's loud voice from afar.
"... The oppressors have fabricated these charges against us in order to sow discord between us and other people!"
Talulah stood on a mound of snow.
Following Gorth's advice, she didn't wear her military uniform today, but instead changed into the same village clothes Alina.
Surprisingly, there were quite a few Infected in the surrounding area.
There were men and women, and their facial expressions were very complicated.
It wasn't indifference, nor rejection, but more like... hesitation.
The two stopped in the shadows, and a middle-aged man spoke.
So what does this mean?
When someone asked a question, Talulah's eyes lit up, and she cleared her throat.
"This proves they fear our united strength! Therefore, not only must those Infected unite, but they must also stand with other non- Infected— "
"How could that be? We're already being kind by not persecuting us."
Before he could finish speaking, an Infected interrupted him, and he was met with agreement from his companions.
"Miss Talulah, it's not that we're unwilling..."
One of the Infected looked distressed.
"If you're talking about saving other Infected fellow countrymen, since Infected don't live long anyway, I wouldn't mind doing my part."
"We could team up with the non- Infected... We'd be lucky if we weren't sold to the mines."
Talulah became anxious and retorted:
"But there are also non- Infected who are willing to help us, and we can't..."
"But that's only a minority."
A middle-aged Infected calmly interrupted.
"Besides, even if we unite, what will we rely on to resist those nobles?"
"They're all in Mobile City. They don't have to do anything; they just need to bring their Mobile City over and crush us."
Hearing this, Talulah finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Regarding this... our mentor gave Reunion Movement a gift: a power that can make every weak person strong!"
"The Lord of the Forest!?"
The crowd gasped in surprise; they certainly knew who Talulah's mentor was.
The Infected had initially objected changed his expression slightly, a hint of hope in his voice:
"If it's the Lord of the Forest... perhaps it really is possible. Would that lord help us?"
"No, the Black Forest is a pristine land that will never be tainted by war."
Talulah's expression turned serious, and she said solemnly:
"Having received the blessings of the forest, how can we push it into the quagmire of war?"
Upon hearing this, some of the Infected had stepped forward shrank back, while Infected nodded in agreement.
With a sigh of relief, Talulah continued:
"To truly change the situation of those Infected, we must fight with our own strength; otherwise... how can we prove to our fellow citizens that we have the power to resist?"
The group exchanged glances. The middle-aged Infected remained silent for a moment before asking in a straightforward manner:
"Then... what about the power bestowed upon you by the Lord of the Forest? Could you demonstrate it?"
Talulah's momentum immediately deflated.
She scratched her head, looking a little embarrassed.
"That's a technology... it will take a little more time."
As she spoke, Talulah lowered her head.
Clearly, even if she knew what she was saying was true, it wasn't very convincing.
The Infected exchanged glances and offered words of comfort:
"Miss Talulah, if it's about helping other of our fellow countrymen, we're willing to lend a hand."
"But you also know the daily situation of Infected. We are already very grateful to have the life we have now."
"So..."
The Infected didn't continue speaking, but simply sighed again and turned to leave.
Once one person moved, the others followed suit, and the once lively slope instantly fell silent.
Talulah above, had her head down, and her gray hair made her look even more dejected.
Are you unwilling to accept this?
Suddenly turning their heads, Gorth and his companion emerged from the shadows.
"Tutor..."
Talulah an awkward laugh.
"Sorry, I messed up."
"It was a complete disaster; the wrong test subjects were chosen from the very beginning."
Gorth sighed.
"Aren't those still being oppressed easier to recruit than the Infected are already living peacefully?"
"I know, I just wanted to try..."
Talulah turned to look at the camp; the Infected were still not far away.
"If I can convince everyone, then I might be even more confident in convincing other non- Infected... Hmm!"
He flicked the dragon girl's forehead, eliciting a cry of pain from her. Gorth said with a hint of exasperation, "You're such a disappointment."
"They haven't even learned to walk yet and they want to fly; they haven't even resolved the conflicts among the Infected, and they're already thinking about the non- Infected?"
"Hehe... I'm just giving it a try."
As if her worries had been dispelled by that finger, Talulah returned to her carefree self and waved to Alina.
"Alina, how's it like being a teacher?"
Alina's eyes crinkled into a smile.
"Hmm... that's pretty good."
Gorth nodded in agreement.
"Alina was born to be a teacher, as for you—"
Talulah tensed up, Gorth softened his tone.
"Not bad."
"... ah?"
The dragon girl stood there, stunned. Gorth explained:
"To get Infected are already living peacefully to join you in saving their fellow citizens—that alone makes your speech a great success."
"Is... is that so?"
Talulah blinked, her initial blankness slowly turning into smugness, and the corners of her mouth couldn't be suppressed as they turned upwards.
"Actually, it's because you, my mentor, taught so well--"
"But!"
Gorth's voice suddenly rose, Talulah's hair almost stood on end.
Seeing her reaction, Gorth suddenly understood why his former homeroom teacher liked to use this way of speaking.
It really is... a lot of fun.
"There are still quite a few problems."
Gorth's voice regained its usual calmness.
"First, it's too idealistic."
Even if they agree to help you, you should at least offer something in return. For one thing, you should at least promise to protect them.
Talulah nodded seriously.
"Second, verbal promises about space."
"Since the technology isn't finished yet, don't rush to say anything. Doing so will only damage your credibility."
Talulah nodded a little faster.
"Third, and most importantly--"
Gorth looked at her, his gaze calm:
"The primary goal of the Reunion Movement is not to unite the Infected, but to unite all the oppressed who can be united."
"We may not be able to find our friends precisely, but we can find the enemies of our enemies."
"Compared to the currently hopeless non- Infected, the other awakened rebels are our primary target."
Talulah nodded even faster.
"... Do you really understand?"
"Understood!"
After staring at Talulah for a long time, Gorth was unsure how much she had taken in.
Just to be on the safe side, he added:
"These are all theories; in actual implementation, they must be adapted to the specific circumstances of Ursus."
"I don't know much about Ursus's history, so that's all I can say."
"I know, you've said it many times."
Talulah nodded, then asked in confusion:
"Speaking of which, you've always said you don't know anything about Ursus's history, so where are you from?"
"..."
Seeing Gorth's silence, Talulah realized she had asked something she shouldn't have.
"Sorry! Please pretend I didn't say anything!"
Alina sighed, stepped forward, and changed the subject.
"Since you don't know anything about Ursus... why don't you take a look at the history books of Ursus?"
"History book?"
Gorth snapped out of his reverie and asked curiously:
Is it real?
"Hmm... most books exaggerate to some extent."
Alina made no attempt to conceal the hypocrisy of her homeland, stating bluntly:
"However, some bookstores sell realistic versions. Would you like me to bring you a copy?"
"This is troublesome."
Gorth did not refuse; he was indeed interested in the history of this country, which was similar to his hometown, Big Bear.
"Are you going to town, Alina? I'll go with you!"
"Sure, but this time Little Tal, you can't cause any trouble."
"What the hell? It was clearly those Infection Patrol who deliberately caused trouble."
The two women started playfully fighting, Gorth simply left.
He also needs to count the new cases, since new Infected are arriving every day.
But...
Swimming in a sea of shadows, Gorth suddenly felt a sense of unease.
There have been far fewer Infected lately. Is something wrong with Kevin's situation?
Gorth had mixed feelings about this "believer" who kept throwing people into the Black Forest.
I'm annoyed by the trouble he causes.
He was also pleased that the lucky person he had "abandoned" was still alive.
According to newly arrived Infected, Kevin is still active, but he seems to be moving further and further away...
"Try going out and taking a look when you have some free time..."
In the snow-white tundra, several black stains moved slowly forward.
"Wow, Captain, that's awesome!"
The Infection Patrol member looked at the captain in the vice-captain's seat, his voice brimming with excitement.
"So many Infected... that's enough for us to play with for a month!"
"Shut your mouth!"
The captain's furious roar silenced the team members instantly; he looked at them with disdain.
"If we weren't short-handed, do you think we would have brought you along?"
"Still playing for another month... Do you even know who the big spender is!?"
"Yes, yes, you're right..."
The team members quickly smiled apologetically, while the captain snorted and lit a cigarette.
"Captain... how did you find these Infected?"
"Hmph, do I even need to look?"
The captain's voice was somewhat smug. He knocked on the rear window, and a commotion erupted at the back of the carriage.
"These guys are like rats; once you find one, you can find a whole nest."
"But we caught it on the snowy plains!"
The team member scratched his head in confusion.
"Didn't these rats used to hide deep in the mountains?"
"Who knows what they're thinking? Anyway, this article is a sure thing to catch anyone who's been caught doing it lately."
The captain waved his hand impatiently, and the team members shut their mouths and drove quietly.
As the vehicle drove across the tundra, it jolted violently as if it had hit a rock.
Painful groans came from the carriage. The Infection Patrol captain's face hardened, and he drew his military knife and pounded hard on the rear window.
"Which blind fool is howling like that? Believe me or not, I'll rip your tongue out!"
The groan vanished instantly, the captain sheathed his knife, and closed his eyes to rest again.
But before they had gone far, another bumpy ride began.
The captain opened his eyes angrily, about to hurl insults at the team members in the car:
"You son of a bitch..."
The sound stopped abruptly; something invisible had gripped his throat.
"Hiss..."
As if falling to the bottom of a lake, the captain felt ice-cold all over, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
Black snow began to fall outside the car at some unknown time.
"Hiss..."
The sound of a venomous snake's breath seemed to echo in his ears, and the captain stiffly rolled down the car window.
"W-Is there... something... that... is there?"
"Hiss... Where did these Infected come from?"
As if understanding something, the captain mustered his courage and stammered.
"Yes, it was caught on the snowfield; it wasn't infected by ordinary people!"
"Hiss..."
The tall body of the Internal Guard leaned into the car, making the already dark interior even darker.
Looking at the Infected at the back of the carriage who had fainted from fear, the Internal Guard grabbed the captain by the neck.
"Spare me... spare my life..."
"The Ursus people should never surrender."
The Internal Guard calmly recounted his story, while the Infection Patrol captain felt his vision gradually darken.
"Hiss... Time to go."
The air returned to my chest, and the terrifying figure had vanished without me noticing.
"..."
After an unknown amount of time, the Infection Patrol, whose pants were soaked through, asked in a trembling voice.
"Captain... is that [the faceless monster]?"
(The demonization of the Internal Guard in Ursus folklore)
"Shut up!"
Trembling, the captain lit a cigarette and cursed:
"Aren't you going to leave and wait to die?!"
Watching the convoy speed away, the Internal Guard looked at his companion beside him.
"Hiss... what were you trying to do just now?"
"Hiss... That's just a piece of trash that's been slowly devouring an empire."
The Internal Guard fell silent, then shook his head.
"Hiss... Even scum has its uses. Those Infected will be sent to the mines to serve the Empire."
"They... are also citizens of the empire."
"The Infected are not human."
"..."
There was no response; the previous Internal Guard expressed his rejection with silence.
"Hiss... You'll understand."
Without explaining to their teammates, each Internal Guard had a subtly different understanding of Ursus.
Without exception, they all possessed absolute loyalty.
That understanding is key to their resistance against Demons corruption; there's no need to let some insignificant scum affect a blade.
"Hiss... How far are we from our destination?"
The silent Internal Guard brought up the topic, thus putting an end to the previous conflict.
"Hiss... Half a day's journey."
There were no other sounds; only two Internal Guards were sent on this mission.
"Hiss... According to the plan, we shouldn't have contacted her beforehand."
The one who remained silent raised doubts; that was a sign of distrust towards the person who issued the task.
"Koschei... is not trustworthy."
"Hiss... That's precisely why we should go and confirm it."
The two blades uttered a startling name as if no one else was around, clearly... they showed no respect for the evil god named Koschei.
"Hiss... Speed things up, we need to check on the Red Dragon's condition."
Koschei was unaware that, due to his personal image, the two Internal Guards were highly suspicious of the information he provided.
So...
Ursus's Blade decides to explore the forest in its own way.
The figures of two sharp-edged figures flashed by like frames in a movie, heading towards the destined place of demise.
They did not come with good intentions.
But it's okay.
The forest's inhabitant was very hospitable.
He...
We welcome all comers.
(Koschei: nicknamed "The Deathless Black Snake", the embodiment of the will of Ursus, with multiple manifestations.)
At present:
1: Duke Koschei, a thoroughly ambitious man who hoped to bind the entire Ursus to the war effort. He used Talulah's sensitive identity to provoke a war. After being killed by Talulah, his identity was hidden inside her body.
2: Kashena, a university teacher, changes Ursus through her teaching methods; the latest plot is starting to gravitate towards the Red Line.
It is currently confirmed that [Deathless Black Snake] has multiple Snake Scales and is reviving Ursus in different ways.