Part Sixty-Four — An Invitation, and Its Consequences

　The following days, once Eris had rested and the worst of the previous night's exhaustion had eased into something more manageable, I found Lyra alone near the inn's small courtyard, turning something over in her hands that I recognized as one of her people's traditional prayer beads.

　"You've been thinking about something," I said, settling beside her.

　"About home," she admitted. "Or what's left of one. I've been wondering, lately, whether searching for a way back to our old forest is even the right question to be asking anymore."

Huh.

Maybe there's a simpler answer than she's been looking for.

　"What if you didn't need to go back?" I said slowly. "What if there was somewhere new. Somewhere actually safe."

　She looked at me carefully.

　"What are you suggesting?"

　"I have a domain," I said. "The Horizontal Line. Protected, hidden, more space than I've ever properly used."

　I glanced toward the quiet courtyard.

　"You and your people would be welcome there, if you wanted it. Not a temporary stop. An actual home."

　She was quiet for a long moment.

　"I'd need to discuss it with the others. This isn't a decision I can make alone, for people who've already lost one home to someone else's careless decision."

　"Take the time you need," I said. "It's not going anywhere."

　It took her several days.

　Messages passed back and forth with scattered companions and, apparently, contacts farther west who still had word from what remained of her original settlement.

　When she finally returned with an answer, something had settled within her that hadn't been there before.

　"They've agreed," she said. "All of them. More than I expected, honestly."

　"It's not charity," I said. "It's family looking out for family."

　She smiled at that, small and genuine.

　"I'm starting to understand why Eris looks at you the way she does."

...I'm going to pretend I didn't hear the specific way she said that.

　The journey took the better part of two weeks with the full group in tow.

　We reached the Horizontal Line on a clear afternoon, its edge marking itself as a subtle shimmer in the air.

　"This is a dead end," Lyra observed, studying the terrain.

　"Don't worry," I said. "I built this barrier myself. Only people I've given permission to can enter freely. Anyone I haven't cleared just walks in circles, back toward wherever they started."

　"And if they force their way through regardless?"

　"Then they're as good as dead," I said. "Even if they got in, they wouldn't last a minute inside. This whole place is closer to a monster's playground than an ordinary forest."

　Eris, walking beside her with Ace held close, gave a small, embarrassed laugh.

　"That's more or less what happened to me, actually. If Kai hadn't found me, I'd have been stuck wandering this exact barrier until I starved."

　By the time we reached the house, I'd already started doing quiet math――the size of the group Lyra had brought, weighed against a home built for exactly three residents and a wolf.

This isn't going to fit everyone.

Not even close.

And I can't exactly just build more, given what I gave up.

　I pulled Lyra aside and explained the situation plainly――the sacrifice, the loss of Arcane Creation.

　"No wonder she seemed different in a good way," Lyra said, something clicking into place.

　Then, practically:

　"Don't worry about construction. My people know creation magic too――different tradition, same fundamental principle."

Oh.

Right. Should have thought of that.

　"We'll need to take down your current home and rebuild properly," she continued. "And expand the land considerably."

　"How many houses are we talking about?"

　"Thirty, at minimum."

　I stared at her.

　"Thirty. I didn't realize there were that many of you."

　"There aren't," she said.

　"Not yet. The rest are still on their way."

...Wait.

　"What do you mean, the rest?"

　"The entire elven population from our forest," she said, as though this were obvious. "Word spread faster than expected, once people heard an actual home was being offered instead of endless searching."

　She glanced across the untouched forest.

　"I'd estimate we'll need considerably more than thirty houses. And given how much untouched forest exists here, rich with spirit energy besides, I'd like them to start relocating properly."

　I opened my mouth.

　Closed it again.

　"Alright," I said finally. "I don't have any issue with that. This domain's massive enough that two kingdoms could probably fit inside comfortably."

　< You should also arrange time to properly explore the sections of your domain you have not yet reached. >

　Anti-Subconsciousness's voice followed calmly.

　< Given the scale of what is apparently about to become a settlement, thorough knowledge of your own territory would be advisable. >

Fair point.

Add it to the list.

Guess I've got a lot more list, all of a sudden, than I had this time yesterday.