anwhile, Erald's eyes widened with astonishnt after listening to the Flower Spirit's statent.
"Myuu, myu, myuu?" Erald uttered with surprise.
'If the Flower Spirit was among the smallest of the wood spirits, then how big was the biggest?' - Erald asked.
"The biggest wood spirit, you ask? Hmm, that would be the Elder Spirit, the biggest tree you would see around here after the Mother Tree. The Elder Spirit also has the biggest say around here. Everyone has to listen to him," the Flower Spirit honestly answered.
She seed to have no reservations about sharing information with a complete stranger she had just t.
Nevertheless, the Flower Spirit still had her curiosity.
"Where do you co from, Little Fairy?" the Flower Spirit asked curiously, adding, "You're not from around here, are you? Could it be that you are from the outside world?"
As soon as the Flower Spirit raised that question, her eyes lit with hopeful anticipation.
However, Erald didn't answer imdiately. She hesitantly glanced at Vaan for directions before receiving his nod of approval. Only then did she admit with a nod.
"Myu!" Erald answered.
"Woah~!" the Flower Spirit quickly exclaid with excitent before enthusiastically stating, "That's amazing! I always wanted to see the outside world one day! I just knew there was a wider world out there! There has to be!"
"But... the Elder Spirit forbids it," the Flower Spirit ntioned dispiritedly shortly after. "Myu, myuu, myuu?" Erald tilted her head with doubt.
She wondered why the Elder Spirit didn't let the Flower Spirit outside.
Although she hadn't had any interaction with other wood spirits before, she instinctively knew that wood spirits were very harmonious among their kind.
Thus, this so-called Elder Spirit shouldn't be able to hold the Flower Spirit back in the secret realm against her will if it was truly her wish to see the outside world.
"No one is allowed outside because it is very dangerous for wood spirits in the outside world. According to the Elder Spirit, wood spirits who wander outside will either get killed or live miserable lives," the Flower Spirit stated before asking, "Tell , Little Fairy. Is it really that bad outside?"
"Myu?" Erald pondered for a mont before replying, "Myuu, myuu, myu, myuu, myuuu~!"
"Ah? It is truly that bad outside?" the Flower Spirit exclaid, feeling a little afraid after receiving Erald's confirmation.
Erald told her that the outside was full of bad people and that she had suffered a lot-to the point that she wished she didn't exist.
However, that was before she t her human master.
"Myuu, myu, myu, myuu~!" Erald began praising Vaan in front of the Flower Spirit and telling her about how he had saved her from the darkness she used to be trapped in.
After hearing so much about Vaan from Erald, the Flower Spirit re-evaluated him with a blank look.
"You are... a human?" the Flower Spirit asked in disbelief.
Vaan calmly nodded.
In that instant, the Flower Spirit froze, seemingly paralyzed in fear. Despite being close to him for so long, she only beca afraid after learning he was a human.
Evidently, the Flower Spirit was not familiar with humans and didn't regard Vaan as a human until he acknowledged it. Or rather, she thought he was just another strange wood spirit and not so other being.
"Y-You... please don't hurt ," the Flower Spirit pleaded, looking pitiful.
"If I wanted to hurt you, I would have plenty of chances to do it already, don't you think so?" Vaan replied with an amused look before ntioning, "I have a few questions. You'll answer them, won't you?"
The Flower Spirit nodded obediently without daring to take her eyes off him. At the sa ti, her cute reaction amused him.
"Myuu, myuu!" Erald clamored, claiming the Flower Spirit had no reason to fear Vaan.
The Flower Spirit nodded obediently again as if she was fully agreeing with Erald to please her and not because she truly thought that.
"What is this isolated realm?" Vaan asked.
"U-Um... this isolated realm is known as the Garden of Thyia, or at least, that's what the wood spirits call it, Lord Mister," the Flower Spirit answered nervously.
"Lord Mister?" Vaan smiled with amusent before saying, "You can just call Vaan. What is your na?"
"I don't have a na, Lord Vaan. However, the other wood spirits just call Little Rose," the Flower Spirit replied honestly.
"Then, I will do the sa," Vaan nodded before asking, "You won't mind, right?"
"N-Not at all, Lord Vaan," Little Rose answered.
After a few short exchanges, Little Rose's initial fear of Vaan died down as she beca increasingly at ease with his presence.
Nevertheless, Vaan was quite curious about this source of fear that she and the other wood spirits seed to have developed while living in such an enclosed realm.
"Well then, Little Rose, do you know why everyone calls this enclosed realm the Garden of Thyia?" Vaan casually asked.
At the sa ti, he harbored doubts in his heart.
If all wood spirits were timid and fearful like Little Rose in front of other races, then what was the vague sense of danger he felt from the hidden realm?
"Um..." Little Rose contemplated for a mont before saying, "It might have sothing to do with the Goddess of Life, Thyia, who was said to have planted the Mother Tree in the
distant past..."
"However, no one actually knows if this is true," Little Rose stated.
"Is that so?" Vaan uttered.
"B-But! If there's soone in the Garden of Thyia who might know the truth, it would most likely be the Elder Spirit, Lord Vaan. The Elder Spirit is the oldest wood spirit around here."
"However, I don't recomnd you to seek out the Elder Spirit for answers..." Little Rose hesitantly added.
"And why is that, Little Rose?" Vaan casually asked, but he could already guess the reason.
"The Elder Spirit is very strict and unlike other wood spirits. He wouldn't hesitate to punish a misbehaving wood spirit," Little Rose stated before saying, "If the Elder Spirit learns about you, an outsider, he might do sothing very terrible to you..."
"Oh? And why would you tell this? Wouldn't it have been better if you didn't say
anything?" Vaan calmly smiled.
Little Rose shook her head and said, "It's... It's because of the Little Fairy. If such a pure wood
spirit vouches for you, then you must not be a bad person."
"It's not right for bad things to happen to good people," Little Rose added innocently.
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