Having settled things in Vestri, the three of us set off for Kenmare, the famous seaside city of Concordia.

It was quite a tumultuous week.

The ship we were on this time was a royal vessel provided by Vestri. Although not as imposing as the Necropolis's ship, it was the most beautiful I had ever seen. Every aspect of the ship was meticulously carved by artisans, creating intricate patterns and designs. Daisy loved the ship.

"I never imagined humans could transform wooden trees into something so beautiful," Daisy exclaimed.

"I thought you'd be upset to see a product made from felling and destroying forests."

"Harvesting is acceptable, but nature only gets angry when there's excessive exploitation without replanting."

"Nature's power is not only mighty but also wise," the female captain remarked.

The captain assigned to take us to Concordia this time was Anisia. She was a favored individual of the Vestri royal family, granted her status and noble title based on her own merit. She personally requested to be my captain, rather than being appointed by the royal family. Perhaps she was interested in the purpose of the voyage, or perhaps she was interested in the individual involved.

Whatever the reason, Anisia was incredibly amiable, very fond of Daisy, and enjoyed talking to me.

"You can't compare us in terms of strength; since the appearance of humankind, nature has created a balance for both to coexist. But if that balance is shifted, nature will always have a process of restoring it." Daisy presented her argument in a captivating manner.

"Oh, that's wonderful," Anisia, Lynn, and I said in unison, applauding.

It was a casual conversation, and also a disguised lesson from our teacher, Daisy.

"Look, there's a small island over there," Captain Anisia signaled to us after observing with the beautiful binoculars she always carried with her.

"Oh yes, should we go over there?" Lynn asked.

Daisy seemed to sense something coming from the island.

"I hear something like singing," Daisy said, fluttering about.

"You hear it from this distance? That's good, isn't it?" Lynn wondered.

"I don't know," Daisy said, then concentrated more, listening and observing the distant island more closely.

"Have you often heard this kind of singing?" I asked.

"Probably a long time ago. When I was with my mother, I often heard it. She said it was the forest talking to me."

I guessed who or what the song was coming from. I never imagined such a creature could exist in the middle of this vast ocean.

"Perhaps we won't get too close to the island, Captain, please stop about half a mile away," I suggested.

"Yes, Your Excellency," Anisia replied.

The three of us used the Fly spell to fly to the island and meet the person who had sung the song to Daisy.

Almost the entire surface of the island was covered in green vegetation.

There was no flat ground around the island for us to set foot on, so we circled around looking for an entrance. Before we could move any further, a small section of the dense forest moved, revealing a small passage resembling a cave. 

That the trees on the island could move further confirmed my hypothesis.

Inside the island were many strange plants. Lynn spent hours with Daisy taking notes, and even more difficult, drawing them in his notebook. Yet I could admire his sketching skills.

As we ventured deeper, we no longer heard the gentle lapping of the ocean waves; instead, we heard the murmur of streams flowing through rocky crevices. Plants would spontaneously emit warm yellow light whenever we approached, a friendly welcome sign.

Daisy led the way to what was perhaps the center of the island, where sunlight streamed from all directions through the cracks in the rocks. And in the middle of this vast center was a sphere formed by countless root systems of vines growing from the plants covering it. Inside this spherical dome, a glowing creature was present. The light emanating from it intensified, illuminating everything within the dark, damp space.

Daisy was overjoyed, as if she had met an old friend. She flew around the dome, radiating colors I had never seen before—colors of joy mixed with melancholy.

"Sister Divris, it's Dryad. A friend." Saying this, Daisy flew and landed on the glowing root system.

The light gradually faded until only tiny specks of light (bioluminescent spores) floated around.

When the light inside the sphere faded, I could see the creature within: a beautiful young woman. She wore a dress made entirely of lush green leaves and branches. She bowed respectfully to the petite Daisy.

"Greetings, esteemed faerie dragon. My name is Begonia, and it is an honor to see your power still so strong under the necromacy magic. Surely, Lord Elowen's blessing has always shone upon you through the years."

"Elowen? Ms Dryad, do you think it's due to Elowen's blessing?"

"Yes, my existence on this island is also due to Elowen's blessing. But that's just speculation. It's been over ten years, and I still haven't dared return to the mainland."

"Oh, Begonia, are you running away from something?" Daisy worrily ask.

The beautiful fairy looked at me, a little worried, but she quickly spoke.

"Greetings, Supreme Necromancer. I presume you are the one who summoned the Faerie Dragon Lord."

"That's right, it's me. But I'm not a necromancer, my lady."

"Really? I've been terrified. The force that forced me into this perilous journey is an incredibly fearsome necromancer. I had to abandon my forest, only managing to save a few tree-like creatures. Because my power was too small, I couldn't protect everyone."

"Where is that necromancer now, Dryad? Do you know?" Daisy asked.

"I fear he's somewhere deep underground around Kenmare and Lenoreley, so the forest fairies would have difficulty finding him. Please help my people, my brothers and sisters on the mainland are in danger." Tears streamed down the forest fairy's face, quickly solidifying into shimmering amber-colored crystals.

"Don't worry, Ms Dryad, we'll find that damned necromancer and get justice for you." Daisy cast a spell, creating many daisies on the forest fairy's canopy, and the magic seeped into her dress.

Now her dress was adorned with beautiful orange and yellow daisies.

"Thank you for the beautiful gift, Lord Faerie Dragon. This little forest will nurture these beautiful flowers and scatter their seeds everywhere."

"Oh, don't worry, once we drive that necromancer away, you'll be able to return home."

"Perhaps my mission has now been decided by Elowen; he wants me to find a new land. Besides, we've come a long way already; returning now would be strange."

"We?"

"Ah, I forgot to introduce you. I have a companion, a stone turtle spirit."

Dryad said, and then a tremor startled us. It turned out we had been inside a giant rock formation shaped like an island. No...

When we went outside to observe, the true shape of the rock formation astonished us even more.

A giant turtle carried on its back the island of the forest fairies. They had lived in symbiosis in the sea for years, enduring incredibly well.

The slow-moving turtle lifted its head and flapped its limbs as if greeting us. The rhythmic flapping of the stone spirit created large waves that rocked the boat in the distance. Because I had instructed Anisia to anchor far away, the boat only rocked slightly.

We were all overjoyed and thrilled to be invited by the forest spirit to stay overnight. She would treat us to the finest fruits on the island.

"Oh. Then we should keep in touch," I suggested.

So the forest spirit showed me a relatively flat rock surface so I could draw the teleportation spell.

That night we rested in a cave on the island. The crew was also invited to rest. Daisy and Lynn continued to record the strange plants, and now with the guidance of the forest spirit Begonia, they wouldn't miss any.

Although the island was powered by the energy of the forest spirits, the stone turtle spirit couldn't move quickly, and both of them would struggle to protect themselves if the weather turned bad or hostile forces attacked. I created a barrier for Begonia so she could use it when facing danger from the weather or forces she didn't want to encounter.

At dawn, everyone said goodbye to Begonia and boarded the ship to continue their journey.

"See you again, Begonia," Daisy said to the forest fairy before leaving the turtle island with everyone else.

Before leaving, Begonia whispered something to me about Lynn, but it wasn't until several months later that I understood its meaning.

The gentle sunrise lit up the horizon, incredibly beautiful. The stone turtle spirit spat out a stream of water as a farewell gesture. The water was sprayed out in a thin layer of mist, reflecting the morning light to create a faint rainbow. In an instant, the rainbow vanished, leaving Daisy, Lynn, and the crew with a lingering sadness for a brief encounter.