A female butler burst into the office of the local lord of Silden. “Y-Your grace!”

  The woman looked up from her paperwork. “Is it her?”

  The butler nodded.

  “Fantastic.” The noble stood from her desk in her non-traditional outfit for women, a set of slacks, a fancy pink shirt with long sleeves, and a sword belt at her waist.

  She picked up her rapier, secured it to herself, and headed toward the door.

  “Is she as big as reported?” The noble asked.

  “Bigger, your grace. Taller than other giants.”

  “I see.” The noble replied.

  They reached the main door to the estate and stepped outside.

  Even if the giantess was about twenty feet away, the noble needed to crane her neck to see the now smiling giant.

  “Hello!” The giant cheerily said. “It is a pleasure to meet you.” She gave a formal bow. “I am Princess Melody of the Gaian Forest.”

  The noble was surprised by the giant’s poise. She returned a formal bow. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Princess Melody. I am Count Elisa Briar. I thank you for your timely assistance to my city of Silden. Was it not for you, all may have been lost.”

  Melody giggled. “It was my pleasure to help.”

  “I have already doled out the reward to the adventurer’s guild, but I wanted to see if you desire a greater reward for defeating the Earth Dragon and nearly wiping out half of the Monster Rush. What do you desire?” Count Briar asked.

  Melody looked to think for a while.

  “Lady Melody?” Count Briar called.

  “Hmm? Oh, sorry. I was speaking with someone.” She smiled. “Please give me another moment,” Melody asked, returning to her task.

  Count Briar’s butler leaned in. “Perhaps that is what I have heard of before.”

  “That is?”

  “That spirits of nature can commune through nature.”

  “I see…” Count Briar found that to be a convenient ability. Communication devices were insanely expensive for those not gifted in magic.

  Melody smiled brightly and thanked someone. She turned to the Count. “Count Briar.” She knelt to make it easier for the noble to see her face. “How would you like to have a Gaian Forest Trade post just outside of your city?”

  “What?” Count Briar was surprised.

  “We of the Gaian Forest can provide many rare forest supplies and excellent wood for construction. We are also partnered with Lotus Trade Company, so they can work with forest spirits to transport goods through our Fairy Rings. What do you think?” Melody pitched.

  “I…” Count Briar could not believe the deal she was getting. She took a moment to collect herself. “I would be happy to explore a trade agreement. Would you be negotiating the terms?”

  Melody giggled. “I will not. But I will have a representative of the Gaian Forest come soon. With your permission, I would like to establish a small outpost near your city. Would that be alright?”

  “Of course. I look forward to the meeting.” Count Briar bowed her head. “Thank you, Princess Melody.”

  Melody stood tall and bowed. “You are welcome. I look forward to working together.”

  Count Briar watched as Melody left her estate, being stopped by various curious residents who came out to thank her.

  “She is amazing…” A man said.

  “Kyle?” Count Briar looked behind herself. She scowled at seeing her husband’s enraptured expression. She flicked him in the forehead. “Close your mouth before a lustful bug flies into it.”

  “Uh, um, sorry, my dear.” He apologized.

  The butler chuckled. “Seems the other rumor of her beauty turning men’s minds to mush is also true.”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Violet lay lazily over the back of Aroo while she watched Melody begin her work.

  Melody placed her hands on the ground. A ring of various mushrooms and flowers sprouted, and a mystical circle of magic appeared within.

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  “Connection made.” Melody smiled.

  “My mother will be ecstatic when she hears you opened a new trade route for her.” Violet laughed.

  “Your mother has helped the Gaian Forest considerably. It is the least we could do.” Melody stated as she began growing a defensive outpost around the area.

  Violet snickered. “She still complains about the toll.”

  “It is a fair price for instant transmission across vast distances. I also remember her tears of joy when I told her she would have an instant path to the capital.” Melody retorted, sounding a bit annoyed.

  Violet knew the reason why Melody was annoyed. At first, Violet’s mother was well on board with the deal, but the merchants who worked for her began to complain about the cost. Over time, they became so disgruntled that they pressured her mother to renegotiate the price.

  It didn’t go well for them.

  They ended up having the whole Adventurers Guild, Violet’s family, and Melody bare down on them. It was just a handful of merchants causing trouble so her mother could deal with them efficiently while keeping her business going.

  Those annoying merchants weren’t blacklisted from using the Fairy Rings, but they now had to pay an ‘Asshole Tax,’ as Melody called it, for one year.

  There were very few merchants who were banned from using the Fairy Rings. A few individuals were found to be transporting illegal substances or had mistreated those of the forest spirits.

  Violet had to snicker as she remembered the one drug lord who got teleported directly to the royal guard with a cart’s hidden compartment filled with illegal drugs.

  “What is it?” Melody asked as she finished setting up the compound.

  Violet smiled. “Nothing. Just remembering a dumb joke.”

  Melody eyed her friend for a moment before shrugging her shoulders, looking to not want to bother.

  “Melody!” Annabelle rushed up to them in a panic.

  “What is it? More monsters?” Melody readied her bow.

  “No! Urgent call from Hallfen! A plague has been confirmed at Wesori. They need us heading there as soon as possible!” The priestess reported.

  Gerald and Willow arrived on horseback.

  “I assume you got the message?” Willow asked.

  “I did. We will teleport back to Hallfen and head to Wesori.” Melody stated.

  Violet sighed, wondering when they could go on a relaxed adventure rather than an emergency.

  “Please inform the countess that a representative of the Grove will come to the city in a few days.” Melody stepped into the Fairy Ring along with Aroo, Annabelle, and Violet, who was now sitting up on the wooly bison’s back.

  “I’ll stay here to assist Silden. Good luck, you three.” Gerald reported.

  “Roo!” Aroo huffed.

  Gerald laughed. “I mean four. Good luck to the four of you.”

  Melody giggled, patted her companion’s side, and teleported them back to Hallfen.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  “Melody!” Rui jumped and hung around her beloved sister’s neck.

  “Rui.” Melody lovingly hugged her sister.

  “How was the Monster Rush? How many were there? I heard you fought a dragon! What did it taste like? Was it like a salamander?” Rui rapidly shot off her questions.

  Melody giggled while carrying her sister. “I’ll tell you on the way to Hallfen. We have a lot of supplies to pick up.”

  “Yay!” Rui kissed Melody on the cheek.

  They arrived at the entrance to Hallfen, where Okan was speaking with the duke and high priest.

  “Grandpa.” Annabelle rushed to hug her grandfather.

  He chuckled. “Are you hurt at all?”

  Annabelle grinned and reported she now had a major resistance to poison, which caused the old man to laugh.

  “These are all the supplies for Wesori.” The guild master directed Melody toward the several crates. “We also have several doctors who will also be going.”

  Then, four horses pulled a large cart out of the city gates with a cheerful-looking Lady Cambel atop it.

  “That is a big cart…” Rui commented.

  “Melody, I hope you like the gift?” Lady Cambel asked as she climbed down a ladder.

  Melody placed her sister down. “Is this for Aroo?”

  Lady Cambel nodded. “Yes. A wooly bison-sized cart! I was planning to add several embellishments, but I figured that with everything you need to transport to Wesori, now was a good time to break it out.”

  Melody picked up and hugged the noble lady. “Thank you! Say, thank you, Aroo.”

  Aroo gave Lady Cambel a big, wet lick to her face. “Roo!”

  Lady Cambel grimaced. “Um… You’re welcome.”

  Melody set the woman down and began to apologize. Lady Cambel waved her off, saying neither of them expected it. Thankfully, Annabelle offered to use a bit of holy magic to clean the noblewoman off, which she gratefully accepted.

  Rui pouted, her mood being picked up by Melody through nature.

  Melody turned toward her sister and warmly smiled. “It’s okay, Rui. Once we finish this job, I’ll return and stay a couple of days before heading out. And, if we get an easy mission from the guild, we might take you along.”

  Rui could feel her sister’s love for her, as well as her regret for having to leave her sister behind. “Could I come this time?”

  Okan placed a loving hand on her head. “You are not yet ready.”

  “But it is just a disease. I’m immune to those, at least.” Rui stated.

  The old tree nodded. “Yes, but it is still dangerous out there.”

  Violet called for Melody to lean down, and she whispered something into Melody’s ear.

  “I guess you’re not wrong…” Melody sat on the ground. “Grandpa.”

  “Yes?” Okan asked.

  “I’ll take Rui with me this time.” Melody stood.

  Okan looked at her in concern. “Are you sure?”

  She nodded. “Several forest spirits are coming along. It would be a good learning experience for her.”

  “Please! Pretty please, Grandpa!” Rui begged him through nature.

  Melody giggled. “Please, Grandpa.”

  Okan sighed. “Very well, but Melody.” He pointed at her. “You teach as much as you can while there, understand?”

  Melody hugged her grandfather. “I will.”

  Rui cheered and joined in on the hug.

  Melody giggled. “You should thank Violet. It was her idea.”

  Rui dropped to the ground and hugged Violet, thanking her for the assist.

  “Alright! Let’s get all this loaded up.” Melody began loading the crates onto the massive cart. As she added the first crate, she noticed it bouncing. “What the?” She inspected the undercarriage.

  “It has a suspension and rubber tires. So, you can go off-road with it a little bit.” Violet proudly stated.

  Melody cheered and continued loading the remaining crates onto the cart. The doctors, forest spirits, Annabelle, and Violet also loaded onto the cart.

  Melody strapped Aroo into place to pull the cart, and the two sisters sat atop Aroo, mostly because Melody was still a tad too big for the cart.

  “To save Wesori!” Melody cheered.

  “To save Wesori!” The rest of the group cheered, and Aroo began pulling the cart off to the west.