A will is something more than an ability to talk and understand.
It’s close to the ability to think for themselves and others.
Having a will is something like having artificial intelligence that can think about things as well as possess human-like emotions.
Our emotions can be very good, bad, positive, and evil.
Just like them, something possessing a will can be either good or evil.
But, mostly, something with their own will within the world is good.
To define ‘good’, we can say that they can use the power they possess to help others or rule over others.
They can either improve everything within nature or just stay in a place created by themselves.
Possessing a will was the same as being a higher life form that can think far better than normal humans about some particular things.
There were some very famous ‘things’ possessing wills that were famous in many books.
In the great Roxana empire, there are twelve places with beings that possess a will of their own.
And one of them is in the imperial academy.
But those things weren’t for me to think about for now.
Looking at the tree that just spoke to me through telepathy like Celes in astonishment, I answered.
“Hello, sir, willow tree.”
I didn’t know what type of greeting he might accept, so I just bowed my head and then looked at it.
[[ Yes, yes. Greetings, little human. You can call me Lian. And you have already met Ace. She’s a playful one but don’t worry, she’s a good kitty. ]]
His grandpa-like voice was something that felt soothing to my mind.
Even my heart was serene, more than it is in normal conditions.
This ancient tree was nothing like what they wrote about them.
A scary, ferocious, and deadly tree that devastated lands and ruled over them as if overlords of that land?
This grandpa-like voice that seemed so welcoming and warm was nothing like what they wrote there.
On top of everything, the area I was standing in had more vegetation than many other areas I had seen.
And not only the area around this lakeside but also the tree themselves were more beautiful than many other places I had seen.
This was an ancient tree, meaning this tree was at least a millennium old.
That was a long time and just imagining that this grandpa was a thousand years old was enough to make my eyes shine.
Lian, an ancient willow tree that had lived for a long time, might also know how I can get out of this forest, right?
[[ You might think that I know the exit of this great forest, right? ]]
As if he has read my mind, he asked in a… sorrowful voice?
“You… don’t?” My heart sank at his unexpected voice.
I had hoped that if I can somehow come here, this old tree might be able to help me somehow.
I was ready to hear the denial, but I didn’t know it would feel this bad.
[[ It is not like I do not know, child. But- ]]
“You know!?” I shouted with hope-filled eyes.
If he knew what I had to do to get out of this hell and get back to my parents, that was enough!
‘Even if I have to cross hell-‘
[[ Alive can’t cross hell and just like them, not anyone can get out of this so-called hell. ]]
Now, I truly doubted that this tree can read minds.
Not like it was something hard. Skills like them existed. ．
But that wasn’t the thing to think right now.
All I have done until now was just run and jump from tree to tree.
Even just a direction would help if it meant I can find the hell while being alive and cross it.
[[ Listen closely, little child. What I’m about to tell you is something very few know about this forest. ]]
The tree suddenly got to the point, bombarding my mind with questions.
Why was he suddenly so serious?
What did he see in me to tell something very few creatures of this forest would know?
What was so important that this many creatures of this forest were unknown about many things in it?
Even though this forest was larger than the size of two empires combined, what was the reason we knew very few things about this place.
This was strange in itself, and I had no idea why it was like this.
But the seriousness in his words was unprecedented.
I cleaned my mind and looked at the tree before me with total focus.
[[ The great forest of Kamut is divided into a total of six parts.
I don’t know about the situation right now, but what I know was always true and was still the same the last time I confirmed.
Four different races that are the most powerful among any race in this forest rule the four cardinal directions.
North, the forest of dryads.
A place where the beings that are caretakers of this forest reside.
As dryads, they can freely move through normal trees and plants as spirits.
A place of unrivaled natural energy.
East, the mountains of golems.
A race of earth and some of the most powerful beings in terms of pure strength.
They are creatures that love absolute quiet and not even a bird dares to enter that place.
West, the icy region of the great forest.
Fully covered by ice and thick snow, ice elves rule this area.
A race that’s closest to nature and is master of the ice itself.
Though they are from the elf race, they do not like the company of any other race, and they despise other humanoid races the most.
In case of something like you step into their area, they would shoot you dead before even knowing.
And remember that I know just how strong you are right now.
Southern regions of molten lava.
Some of the hottest places on this continent and the last remaining home of a race called (Flame Borns).
Even though they are some of the most friendly and good-natured races, because of their rare habitat and natural temperature that goes above the explosions, not many can interact with them.
You will have to have an extremely high affinity with the fire element and seeing you possess such a high affinity with all-natural elements, increasing one would be an enormous problem.
Your life might be at risk.
These four of the cardinal directions that have their exits were… you can’t exit as a human.
Aside from these small parts, the biggest two parts are the (central region) where we are in and the area that mostly covers the great forest.
And… the dark forest that is just ahead of here.
A place where corrupted beasts that might be outside of saving conditions lurk freely.
The darkest and most dangerous area and… possibly the only exit there might be for you.
I don’t know what thing is there across the dark forest but I have heard there was a human that managed to pass through this forest somehow and managed to exit this place.
But that happened six hundred years ago, and that human was extraordinarily strong.
But… you, child, are nowhere near strong enough to cross that place.
So, I can’t help you with how to exit this place. ]]
In the end, the tree released a helpless sigh.
Why was this tree so considerate of me?
I didn’t know that one, but I sure knew one thing…
“Thanks for the warning, ancient willow Lian, but… I had already decided on going to that forest.
I know I’m not strong enough, but if there is any hope, I will take it.” I answered in a confident voice.
It was not even a question of not going there.
I was confident, and I must survive there no matter how long it took me.
The look in my eye was enough to tell him that I was determined.
[[ Looks like you have made up your mind, young boy. ]]
He helplessly said, and a small light appeared before my eyes.