Hearing such a responsive request, Oscar made a troubled face.

“I’m sorry, but I think I can’t do that.”

The raging fire in the skull's hollow eyes had died down after hearing the heartbreaking answer. Together with that, the furious storm had also calmed down.

“W-Why?”

“Because I can’t do what I can’t do,” he shook his head in refusal, “As you can see, my body is weak. Just walking in the forest had almost killed me. How could I fight against such a horde of scary creature.”

The skull was dumbfounded as though he couldn’t believe what he had heard.

“You can trick anyone but me, my lord! Even though you are still young and immature, but aren’t you a forest king… no, a forest god? There is no way the head of the white stag herd such as me mistook you for only a mere kid.”

Shocked by what the skull had said, Oscar couldn’t help but held his breath.

“Did you just call me a forest god?”

“Of course, my lord. It’s said that a forest god has a unique kind aura like the first flowers in the early spring and is loved by the mother nature. There is no way I would mistake my lord for some random child.”

“Do you know what a forest god is?”

“Well,...”

According to the knowledge passed down in his herd, forest gods and forest kings depicted the very existence of the forest itself. Naturally, a forest god is higher in ranking than a forest king and it’s said that a forest king is actually a servant to a forest god.

This forest also had a forest god in the long past, but he had abandoned it for who knows how many centuries ago. After that the white stag herd had protected this forest ever since, waiting for their beloved lord to return.

“Forest gods and forest kings are very important figures for a forest. They turned a barren land into a fertile one and gave birth to us plantations and wild lives. To us, they are nothing less than deities.”

Somehow the skull became calmer whenever he talked about a forest god.

“A forest god is a divine existence that, with a swing of his hand, he extinguishes the severest forest fire in an instant. With a single stomp of his foot, he tramples anyone damaging the forest no matter how far away they are. And with a single drop of his blood, he reinvigorates the burnt trees and rewinds the death of his followers who are burnt into the finest ash.”

Every single word of him was full of praise and admiration, like a little child talking about his hero.

However, the more Oscar heard the words of praise, the uglier his face became.

How could he do such absurd things?

Let alone extinguishing the forest fire, the sunlight would be hot enough to burn him dry. Trampling his enemy would be impossible if he can’t even properly walk in a forest. And rewinding the death… this was too much of a joke.

“As if I would know how to do that!”

Oscar unconsciously screamed for unable to bear the misunderstandings, but this time the skull didn’t look so surprised.

“I see, my lord might still be immature so you don’t fully understand your potential. In that case, why don’t my lord ask a favor from spirits?”

“Spirits?”

An unfamiliar word was heard, making Oscar frowned and narrowed his eyes.

“Yes, spirits are everywhere. Though we can’t see them, we can ask for their favors from times to times. Well, they are picky and lazy so we usually need to offer something to please them, but as a forest god I think they would at least abide my lord’s requests.”

“What can a spirit do?”

“It depends on which kind of them. A water spirit can produce water and control it. A fire spirit can ignite a fire and extinguish it at its will. Even forest spirits exist where they can even grow trees overnight.”

Although he was not too sure about what the skull had said, he started to believe that his existence was exceptional. He could talk to both trees and animals and they, in turn, felt unreasonably over-attached to him in return.

If a forest spirit existed, there was no doubt that it will be kind to him. They could help him or not was another story, but they should at least listen to his request.

Oscar frowned and used his head.

If… Just only “if”... If what the skull said was true and I can ask the spirits to help getting rid of or casting these monsters away, what will I do?, he wondered.

He had no grudge against these green warts or whatever, but leaving them like this and they would destroy this forest. If he asked himself whether he wanted to let them live in this forest or not, the answer would be shifted toward their extermination.

However, there were still problems restraining him from helping the skull.

Firstly, he couldn’t just trust every word of the skull blindly. He felt admired toward the skull that he had protected and maintained this forest well, but listening to the whole story from one side was an unjustified act. There was a possibility that the green warts just attacked the white stag herd for only territorial reasons which was pretty normal in every forest.

Secondly, revenge can’t bring back the dead. Even though he can exterminate the monsters, the forest protectors won’t come back. As the result, there was still no guarantee of the good future of the forest in case that the green warts were to be all exterminated.

And lastly…

He looked straight at the skull.

Lastly…, he felt admiration toward the skull as a forest protector. Although the skull was currently in that poor state, Oscar still hoped to see his hero do his jobs until his last moment.

Is there no way for the skull to gain his body and fight again?, he wondered.

Oscar let out a long sigh. He was 100% sure that reviving the dead with just his blood was impossible. And even if that was possible, the skull that had lost once in his last battle against the monsters probably can’t fight back alone after his revival.

Then what could he do to help the skull? Was there really no hope?

Oscar massaged his temples and racked his brain. He closed his eyes and looked toward the sky which was covered with leaves and vines.

The skull kept silence during this whole period. In his heart, he truly wished that his lord would help him avenging his herd and took control of the forest in his place, but speaking it out loud and driving his admired lord into a corner was an unrespectful act.

I will just calmly accept it if my lord foresees that it is impossible and decides to abandon my hope, the skull determined.

“Vines…," Oscar mumbled, staring at the vines hanging on a tree branch, "That’s right, the vines!,” Oscar suddenly shouted out, snapping the skull from his thought.

“If… If I do that and following with this… Then theoretically, it’s possible. Though I don’t know how to do it in detail if I ask the spirits… this is highly possible!”

Seeing his lord overjoyed, a spark of hope was lit inside the skull’s inexistent heart.

“M-My lord what happened? Do you perhaps decided to help us exterminating the evils?”

Oscar shook his head while grinning broadly.

“That’s not it, but I have a better idea. I will make you a new body, a stronger one!”