It is said that when people dream, they often don’t realize they are dreaming, even if a pink whale is flying in the sky.
Originally, dreams are the thoughts of the sleeping person manifested through the five senses, so it’s difficult for the creator themselves to recognize the inconsistencies.
However, there is one thing. People living in the real world can recognize that they are dreaming if the situation in the dream is too unrealistic or doesn’t make sense.
Even that, it’s not clearly known what triggers this awareness, but the further removed from reality, the more likely a dream is to be exposed as a dream.
Then, for people who live in a world already filled with magic and monsters, where a pink whale flying in the sky wouldn’t be too strange,
What is unreal?
‘…What is this.’
The scene before my eyes was close to the fantasy that people living in a fantasy world would imagine.
The sun and moon popped out of the sky at high speed and then went over to the other side, and yet the sky remained clear and bright without getting dark.
‘Elodie, does she not realize this is a dream while picturing such a world?’
As expected, for a mage beyond the norm, this is the level of dream they have.
The scale of the dreams I had in the past, like flying in the sky or encountering a giant monster, seems insignificant.
First, it’s fortunate that I’m clearly aware that this is a dream. It would be a big problem if even I didn’t know this was a dream and just wandered around absentmindedly.
Meibe because this isn’t my dream, I immediately knew it was a dream.
‘First, I need to find Elodie.’
I was in a forest with lush green trees. I couldn’t see my surroundings because the view was blocked
If the place I entered the dream from wasn’t here, I would have been able to observe the absurd scale of this dream more closely, but so far, the only thing that feels dreamlike is the ridiculous state of the sky.
That alone is enough, though.
“But where should I go?”
There’s no path to be seen around here. If anything, it’s rather suspicious that only this spot is an open space in this dense forest.
It can’t be helped. I have no choice but to fly.
“Menosorpo.”
I spread the rune and used Aura to lift my body into the air—
—I couldn’t do any of the things I just said.
“…What?”
Menosorpo wouldn’t activate. No, it wasn’t just activation, the rune itself wouldn’t even form. Weaving was completely out of order.
“Don’t tell me, this is…”
I gulped. Only then did I examine my body.
…There was literally only a speck of Mana within my body. Weaving didn’t exist in the first place, so all the Offense and Defense, Menosorpo, and all kinds of weapons derived from it were gone.
And above all,
“…Small.”
My hands were small.
I looked at both my hands. They were small. No, let me rephrase that. These were the hands of a child.
There’s no way my body is fine and only my hands are like this.
I’ve become a child. Probably around the same age as the Elodie I saw in the cabin.
‘Did I go back to the past too?’
Did I get affected by Osprey’s magic while entering Elodie’s dream?
…No, that doesn’t make sense.
Weaving is Frondier’s unique skill. He probably had it from birth. I understand having low Mana, but not having the Weaving skill itself is incomprehensible.
Frondier at this age would have been able to weaving, regardless of anything else.
‘What on earth happened to my body?’
The moment my head was filled with such questions,
“Fron~~!”
A voice, both familiar and unfamiliar, cheerful and cute, echoed through the forest trees.
At the same time, there was a light pitter-patter of footsteps and the sound of bushes rustling.
With movements too agile for a child’s body,
“Found you!”
A small figure popped out from between the trees.
It was, needless to say, Elodie.
Elodie was looking at me with a bright smile.
“…….”
“Huh? Fron, why are you just standing there?”
I found myself staring blankly at Elodie.
Lake-like blue eyes. Elodie’s face, as a child, sparkled with innocence.
Above all, her dazzlingly bright smile stole my mind.
At that moment, a simple fact came to mind.
‘…I’ve never seen Elodie smile.’
Others might have seen her smile a little, but the face I had seen from Elodie in the past didn’t have even a trace of a smile.
“Come on! Fron, don’t just stand there, come here. It’s dangerous here.”
Elodie walked briskly and pulled my hand. The series of actions felt very natural.
“Where are we going?”
I asked. I realized only then that my voice sounded childish.
“Where else, the cabin.”
Elodie replied as if it were obvious.
I didn’t even know the way out of this forest, but Elodie walked slowly as if she was sure of the direction.
It wasn’t very noticeable, but the bushes and branches around us subtly moved out of the way as Elodie walked.
‘…Ah, this is probably…’
The open space in the forest where I appeared.
Elodie, who knew my location exactly and didn’t find it strange at all that I suddenly entered the dream.
‘Even I’m included as an element of this dream.’
Right now, I’m the Frondier of Elodie’s imagination. The Frondier of that time who found everything bothersome, lazy, and incompetent.
Exactly as Elodie saw him. That’s why I don’t even have the Weaving skill. Elodie doesn’t know about it at all.
As if to prove it, I started to feel out of breath after just a few steps following Elodie.
It was clear how weak Elodie perceived Frondier to be.
‘This is dangerous.’
The me created from Elodie’s memories was truly incompetent. I was probably even weaker than the actual Frondier of that time.
Moreover, this was Elodie’s dream. Anything could happen. Yet, I was almost incapable of responding.
“Don’t worry.”
As if reading my mind, Elodie said with her shining eyes,
“I’ll protect you.”
As she said those words, I could feel her grip on my hand tighten.
“Because I promised.”
