#1243 The 22nd Surname 

Forest the Lifeless King. 

…Which makes me picture him as either related to Mori Ranmaru or Mori Yoshiro. 

But nope, that’s not it. 
Turns out, the Forest of Lost Paths itself is the Lifeless King! 

I can almost hear it saying, “I never thought I’d start growing mushrooms just from staying still for thirty years.” 

…So then, even this extremely rare jungle-type dungeon type is…? 

“It is only possible because a being like a Lifeless King lies at its foundation. Normally, jungles are places where energy tends to stagnate, but never so much that a dungeon could form,” Sensei explains. “In fact, forests have a natural cleansing effect. They draw up harmful energies from the soil through their roots, filter them in the trunk, and release them through their leaves. Thanks to that mechanism, elves consider forests the best of all dwellings.” 

That's why forests becoming dungeons should be nearly impossible. 

Yet here, the Forest of Lost Paths is at once a natural woodland, a decayed transcendental being, and a dungeon of another realm. 

“In a way, Forest represents the ultimate form of a Lifeless King. Many such beings, myself included, fail to completely shed their human shape despite immortality. But if one seeks true eternity, the human vessel is far too small.” 

Well, there’s also the cat Professor, for example…  
Looks like Lifeless Kings really are beings far beyond human comprehension. 

“Ah, it seems we’ve arrived.” 

And sure enough, the place before us is unlike the rest. 

The dense trees give way to a small clearing, maybe ten meters across, carpeted with short grass.  
At its center stands a single tree with a large hollow in its trunk.  
From deep within, a blue light glows, shimmering in a mystical, otherworldly way. 

“So pwetty.” 
“Byootifoolll.” 

That’s right, kids.  
This is the kind of sight you can’t see anywhere else, a true tourist spot!!! 

“It’s not a tourist spot! It’s a dangerous dungeon!!!” 

Still, with such a deliberately serene and special atmosphere…  
Could this be the very heart of the forest? 

“There is no ‘center’ in this realm. That would be a weakness. This space is something Forest created to welcome us...think of it as a guest room.” 

A reception room, huh? 

The tree with the blue glow flickers playfully. 

“…It’s been hundreds of years since we last faced each other like this, Sensei.” 
 “Actually, I believe this is our first time. I was never one to wander about unless meeting Lord Saint.” 

The tree talkeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed?! 

This is Forest, the Lifeless King?!  
An immortal, transcendental being who is also a forest. 

His tone is calm, almost friendly.  
Sensei clearly likes him, so I doubt he’s an enemy. 

“Forest is unlike those cruel and petty Lifeless Kings you sometimes hear about. He prefers the natural flow of things, accepting them as they are.” 
“Perhaps because he fused with plants. The animal-derived instincts of desire and ambition have faded. Now, he simply believes that if he leaves things be, they’ll work out somehow.” 
“While other Lifeless Kings, freed from death, are still dragged around by their lust for dominance and superiority, you, Forest, may well be the true finished form of the Lifeless King.” 
“That’s not true.” 

The blue glow flickers with self-mockery. 

“When my human body rotted away and I merged with the forest, my nature became closer to that of plants. And so, I came to live by a gentle survival instinct. ‘It’s enough just to live,’ ‘it’s enough just to exist.’ I even forgot my original purpose in transcending death.” 

His original purpose? 

"Most Lifeless Kings transcend death in search of the ultimate truth beyond knowledge. Mortal beings, bound by the shackle of lifespan, can never reach it. Against the wall of time, all living things are powerless." 
"But you, while ending your life as an immortal, you fused with plants and returned to being a living creature." 
"Yes. And that was the mistake. By merging with plants and becoming something that simply ‘exists,’ I lost my thirst for knowledge. For a Lifeless King, the time that should be used to accumulate knowledge now merely passes by. For me, ‘evolution’ became nothing more than growing and spreading, rather than honing myself upon the foundation of what I’d learned." 

It’s the most stripped-down, purified form of the survival instinct, far more so than any animal. 

"That’s why the Professor never counted me among the Three Wise. My existence is an insult to what it means to be a Lifeless King." 
"But your unyielding will to survive would still surpass every other Lifeless King. The Professor, as the oldest of our kind, ought to have a broader perspective." 
"Animals only grow more set in their ways the longer they live." 

Yeah… a conversation at the pinnacle of Lifeless King intellect. 
This isn’t exactly the kind of talk a human like me can step into. 

...Right, Momoko? 

"…Ah, yes, totally…!!!" 

That’s the exact reaction of someone who has no idea what’s being discussed. 

"…An emissary from the Adventurer’s Guild? To me, these ones are nothing more than the passage of time itself." 
"Y-Yeah, nice t’meetcha…!" 

Momoko, at least try to follow along.  
Don’t just respond on reflex. 

Still, the way he just said that… 
It’s almost like he already knew Momoko was coming? 

The Adventurer’s Guild regularly checks this dangerous dungeon for any significant changes. 
Apparently, that job usually goes to S-rank adventurers. 

"That’s just the official story." 

The blue light flickers deep inside the hollow of the tree. 

"I’ve had a non-aggression pact with the Adventurer’s Guild for the past 500 years. Because I merely exist, I do not prey upon human settlements, unlike certain cruel dragons or other Lifeless Kings." 

Centuries ago, the Guild slowly uncovered the truth of the Forest of Lost Paths and determined it was possible to negotiate with its guardian. Then they actually did. 

It’s hard to imagine the hardships they endured to get that far. 

They must have first gone in treating it like any other dungeon.  
But with the Forest of Lost Path’s guardian—the forest itself—able to freely change its layout, it must have felt like a mouth of despair for any adventurer who stepped inside. 

After countless failed expeditions, they must have pieced together enough strange clues to finally conclude this dungeon was different. 
Eventually, some heroic adventurer reached the forest’s heart and met its guardian in person.  
Only then could the non-aggression pact be formed. 

The Adventurer’s Guild had managed to neutralize a clear and present threat to humanity: the Forest of Lost Paths.  
We can’t just look at the result and think lightly of it. What we’re witnessing right now is nothing less than a triumph of humankind. 

"500 years ago, the Guildmaster said this: ‘Each time a new S-rank adventurer takes a seat among our finest, we will send them to you, so that you may temper them yourself.’" 
"Huh?" 

Momoko’s face is all confusion. 

Basically, investigating the Forest of Lost Paths is just the cover story. In truth, it’s a rite of passage for new S-rank adventurers. 

"They say the essential qualities of an adventurer can be learned here. The Guildmaster wished to see if the ultimate form of those qualities was present in the adventurer, by sending them into this forest." 

The most vital skill for an adventurer… 
That’s probably the ability to survive, no matter the situation. 
Danger sense, survival techniques… sure, I can see how those would shine in a forest like this. 

That overwhelming sensation of being watched the moment we stepped inside was the gaze of the Lifeless King himself. 
The Forest of Lost Paths is him.  
There’s no escaping his eyes while within it. 

"I know little of adventuring, but survival skills shine best in the forest. A sea of trees teeming with life offers much to make use of." 
"And on top of that, you’ll be under my constant watch as the forest’s guardian. If I wished, I could attack at any moment. You will never have a moment’s rest." 

The perfect picture of an extreme environment. 
So this is the final trial for an S-rank adventurer: to survive here. 

"…Got it." 

Momoko grins boldly. 

"In that case, I’ll survive in the Forest of Lost Paths for a year, ten years, however long it takes! Bring on whatever trial you’ve got!" 
"…I’d rather you don’t stick around that long." 

Even for a Lifeless King who’s adopted the life of a plant, one or ten years is still a bit much.

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forest is mori (森) in japanese, which is also among the 30 most common japanese surnames (currently 24th accdg to wikipedia).