The prompt still hovered before me.
[The Forest Sprite "Lys" has submitted her will to you.]
[Would you like to tame her?]
[YES || NO]
I stared at it for a long moment.
Tame her?
I could tame her?
[Statistically speaking, it's not entirely impossible. Look at her — in what way does she seem like a human to you?]
"As far as I know... Forest Sprites are considered demi-humans. And not to mention their ascension paths are similar to mine, a human's, no?"
[You are correct on that part. But she seems to have her beastly quirks more dominant than her human ones. And she was the one who submitted herself willingly... so that was accounted for.]
"Still... taming a child doesn't sit right with me."
The words came out quieter than I intended.
Zero didn't respond immediately.
Which was unusual enough to notice.
I looked at Lys.
She was still prostrated — small and grey-green against the cave floor, dark hair falling forward, the smooth stones she had arranged in a careful line sitting beside her undisturbed.
I approached her and knelt down.
"What do you mean by helping you get stronger?"
Lys tilted her head upward, just enough to meet my gaze.
"You are a beast tamer, are you not?"
"Yes... I am..."
"Then... you c—... you can simply tame me..." Her voice came out as a quiet whisper, almost hesitant.
I couldn't tell what she was feeling or what was going through her mind to come to such a conclusion.
"Taming..." I muttered softly. "I can help you grow stronger even without such a peculiar method... wouldn't that be more efficient?"
Lys froze instantly, her face turning pale. "No! You... you have to tame me! There is no faster way to get stronger than this!"
"Faster...?"
Lys sat back on her knees. Her posture and reaction were of the kind where one doesn't want to explain certain things but has to do it for a reason.
"A... alright... I shouldn't be telling you this... but... I have no other choice."
I stared at her intently. She fidgeted for a few seconds and then reluctantly prepared herself to reveal something.
"Territorial Vessel... that's the special trait almost every Forest Sprite has. It's a type of trait which allows us Forest Sprites to grow stronger along with the territory we possess..."
She looked deep into my eyes, the determination to prove her loyalty palpable on her face.
Grabbing one of the stones, she started to draw something that could be inferred as a territorial boundary and a figure — maybe a Forest Sprite.
"Look here. Suppose this is a Forest Sprite, and this is her given territory. If she was born as an Adept 1-star... then suddenly, by fate or help, she gains another portion of territory, she would immediately ascend to Adept 2-star. If she occupies even more territory, then she will ascend further — unlike humans in the Birthbound Realm who can't ever ascend or descend."
She kept explaining with her calm demeanor. Every opinion I had of her being a child had faded at this point. No child could talk like that... act like that... of course, not someone who isn't a reincarnator or transmigrator like myself.
So how was she doing it?
"Ah... are you listening?" she waved her hand in front of my face with a delicate blush. Maybe I was staring at her for too long.
Call me awestruck...
"I... am listening. I just... can't wrap my head around it... how are you so... I mean... so mature at your age?"
"Ah!" she blushed harder. "Well, it's not just me... Forest Sprites... all are like this... their minds develop faster than any average human's..."
"By your appearance, I guessed you were mostly nine or ten years old at best... but if your mind develops faster... then when I first found you... why were you..."
"Ah... that! That was because I was in a vulnerable state and... my bestial side was the one in control... it's complicated..."
"It's fine... you don't have to tell me if you don't want to..." I reassured her and then stood up. "Now that I feel like you are at your best state, and as long as you know what you are doing, then I don't have any problem with taming you..."
Lys's eyes softened a little. "Thank you... I won't disappoint you... Marfin-sama!"
I nodded and then pressed YES.
The interface rippled outward like a stone dropped in still water.
A warmth spread through my chest — nothing like Napoleon's summoning or Timber's taming. Those had been bonds formed through dominance or devotion gradually accumulated over days of shared survival.
This was quieter.
It felt less like a chain being attached and more like a door being opened from both sides simultaneously.
[Taming Complete.]
Beast Information
Species: Forest Sprite
Rank: Adept ★★
Age: 10
Trait: Nature's Vessel
Passive — Capable of using concentrated nature energy for force bursts independent of physical size. Nature energy regenerates passively within claimed territory.
Special Trait: Territorial Vessel
Passive — Cultivation rank advances in accordance with the size of inhabited territory. The larger the territory, the stronger the host becomes. Growth accelerates with each expansion threshold crossed.
Loyalty: 71%
Abilities:
[Nature Sense] — Detects all presences within a 30m radius through nature energy. Cannot be deceived by concealment abilities below Adept tier.
[Force Burst] — Releases concentrated nature energy as a focused impact. Potency scales with nature energy reserves and territory size.
[Territory Bond] — Passively absorbs nature energy from inhabited territory, strengthening all abilities over time.
I read through it twice.
Then I stopped at Territorial Vessel and read it a third time.
Cultivation rank advances with the size of inhabited territory.
That's a powerful ability for someone who wants to conquer.
I finally closed the interface and turned to Lys.
She was fidgeting with her upper clothing.
"What are you doing?"
She looked at me with confusion.
"Isn't it obvious? I... am getting ready for the ritual? You would need a place to inscribe your taming crest on my body... so I was about to offer my back to you..."
"What? No... I don't really need to do things like that..."
She looked puzzled. "You don't? Then what's your method of taming?"
"Ugh! I already... tamed you. Didn't you feel anything?"
She blinked twice, then again, seemingly realizing it.
"So... I am tamed?"
"Yes... you are."
"Just like that? So... can I do this?"
[Ding! Tamed beast Lys wants to designate your territory as her territory. Will you make Lys your Territorial Vessel?]
[Warning! Tamed Beast Lys will be able to absorb and maintain the nature energy around your territory as she wills.]
[Would you still want to make Lys your Vessel?]
[Yes || No]
I looked at her and then back at the interface.
"Help me get stronger, my Master!"
I nodded and then pressed yes.
[Congratulations, Host. Tamed Beast Lys has ascended Adept ★★ → Adept ★★★]
That's... powerful.
It means—
Every single expansion I make for the settlement's sake will make her stronger without any additional effort from either of us. Her growth and the settlement's growth are not just aligned.
They are the same thing.
'How... fascinating.'
I closed the window.
"The oath you swore," I asked her immediately, "upon Yggsdril. What does that mean exactly — to your people?"
Her posture shifted — straightened, becoming formal in a way that felt less trained than instinctive, as if the word itself demanded it.
"Yggsdril is the World Tree," she said. "The root of all nature energy in existence. To swear upon it is to bind your intention to the living world itself."
A pause.
"If the oath is broken... the nature energy within the one who swore it withers."
"Permanently?"
"Permanently."
I couldn't help but stare at her in awe once more.
The determination she had... and the fragile trust she placed in me... yet she still chose to be tamed by me?
Was it a gamble for her?
I couldn't tell.
"Anyways, Lys, come to the square in a few minutes. I'll show you something amazing," I chuckled and patted her head.
Then I started walking away.
As I walked, I could hear faint voices behind me.
"Hurrah! Timber! I don't think I made a mistake trusting Marfin-sama... you were right... he is nice... sorry I didn't believe you!"
"Timber... always right... Master good!"
I couldn't help but exhale.
Was she an adult... or a child?
I am confused... haha.