Logan descended into the corridor.
He hovered slightly from the momentum and addressed me.
"I was helping with the ritual in the forest. I'm running short on several magical reagents—might I borrow some from the castle?"
"Use what you need."
"I appreciate it. I'll return them later, I swear."
Logan bowed his head in thanks.
His body was always semi-transparent.
You could see a little through to the other side, but he remained nonchalant about it.
Grom and Yura weren't particularly surprised either.
Logan had been in this state for quite some time now.
One day, he had killed himself.
To be precise, he had offered his own life as the catalyst for a forbidden spell.
Dead Logan, through the spell's power, had transformed into a high spirit.
Furthermore, his remains were buried at the base of the World Tree, where a wedge of his soul was driven in to fix his existence.
In plain terms, he had become immortal.
Logan had become a spirit to protect the World Tree Forest and his kin.
He had chosen the path of an elven guardian, casting off the shackles of a natural lifespan.
However, I believed that wasn't his only reason.
He must have been worried about me.
As my oldest companion, he surely felt he should be the one to go first.
Originally, there was no need for Logan to become the Guardian of the Forest.
For I would have protected it of my own volition.
I intended to continue guarding it even after Logan's death.
Logan surely understood that.
And yet, he chose to become a spirit.
I never directly asked his true reasons, but I'm likely not mistaken.
A fundamentally taciturn man, yet he cares for others more than most.
That was Logan Rin Freetilt.
Beyond his role as Guardian of the Forest, Logan also assisted each Demon Lord.
He made irregular rounds, offering aid or counsel from time to time.
Initially, I intended for Logan to oversee one of the Demon Lords' domains as well, but he refused.
He stated that the World Tree Forest was his priority, and he had no capacity to manage other worlds.
Given those circumstances, I accepted his help in an advisory capacity.
He uses the gaps in his schedule to support the Demon Lord armies across various realms.
I bring up casual conversation with Logan.
"Have you been busy lately?"
"Disputes over the position of chieftain are brewing beneath the surface. I intend to interfere as little as possible, but I want to prevent any loss of life."
Logan speaks with a stern expression.
Such events were not uncommon.
They had erupted many times in the past, and Logan had guided each to resolution.
It had become something of a recurring concern.
"If you need my strength, just say the word."
"Understood."
Logan nodded simply.
At that moment, Yura raised her hand.
She conjured flames in both palms, flickering them as she declared, "Proposal directed to individual designation Logan. I will also provide assistance. Regardless of the enemy, let us proceed with swift annihilation."
"...Counting on you."
Logan replied in a guarded tone.
Despite being a competent Demon Lord, Yura still had moments where she struggled with restraint.
Especially when she was overeager, her judgment became suspect.
There was a real possibility she could screw up spectacularly.
Logan's apprehension was hardly unwarranted.