Welcome to Hell! - Chapter 244: Journey to the Harlasia Kingdom

Liselotte and her group’s journey back home was unusually smooth, as they were accompanied by us as escorts who could work day and night. Using the enhanced senses of a demon, we could detect and annihilate any bandits plotting foul deeds before they could even strike. When it came to setting up camp for the night, there was ample opportunity to hunt wild beasts, ensuring safety and providing fresh food and fur, which added to our travel funds.

Whenever we entered a town along the way, Lieselotte’s status proved useful. Being her guards allowed us to enter villages and towns for rest. While it was clear that Asumi and the others would have to stay hidden as they could change their form, there were a few like me who were able to hide their physical characteristics after purchasing a mask that covered their entire face and could occasionally venture out for walks.

“It’s about time for a break. Please send a telepathic message to everyone to rest.”

“Yes, Teacher.”

Chirik and I were seated side by side on the coachman’s bench of the carriage that was leading the way. Our master-disciple relationship continued even after Chirik and the other children joined us, and whenever there was time, I would observe his training in spiritual arts. His talent was overflowing, and he spent more than half of each day practicing spiritual arts, so his skills have improved dramatically.

I was facing straight ahead, and it didn’t seem like I was looking at Chirik. However, Chirik didn’t feel any discontent because he knew that I was keeping an eye on him with my other compound eyes.

On the very day they joined us, I informed the children that we were demons and running fugitives from the Empire. I also didn’t hide the fact that among our group were soldiers who had once served in the Republic Army. It seemed impossible to keep it a secret and I felt that deceiving them would be an insult to those who had bowed their heads to us.

The children, who were previously unaware of the demons, displayed more curiosity than disgust or fear. In fact, when Leo and Lappy transformed into their demon forms in a secluded area, the children were so interested that they approached them without hesitation, eager to touch their ears and tails.

Perhaps Leo and Lappy were not feared because they had already established a reasonably good relationship with the children. In contrast, some were indeed frightened by my scorpion tail, and there were several who were taken aback when Apao spoke.

The children showed a remarkable ability to adapt, but understandably, they couldn’t immediately warm up to Asumi and the others. After all, Asumi and the others were from the Republic, and it was the Republic’s invasion that had caused hardship for Chirik and the others.

However, as the children learned about the harsh treatment Asumi and her group had endured, they gradually began to sympathize with them. After being captured, they were used as test subjects in experiments, and all except Asumi were left in a state where they could hardly speak properly. Understanding the pain of being merged with multiple creatures, the children refrained from speaking ill of them.

Moreover, these demons had been fighting against the Empire, meaning they hadn’t directly caused suffering to Chirik and the others. Although the children couldn’t completely overlook this fact, there was no outright rejection or hostility.

“Is this spot fine? Please stop here, Apao.”

“Hihiin! All right!”

After veering off the street onto the adjacent grassy plain to secure a spacious area, we decided to stop the carriage for a break. As the carriage came to a halt, my comrades began to disembark one after another, stretching and relieving the stiffness in their bodies. Even though demons are resilient, it’s not as if they can maintain the same posture comfortably for long periods.

Chirik also paused his spiritual arts training to join Magna, Leo, and the younger members, and they started chatting while relaxing their bodies. While his dedication to training was commendable, interacting with his comrades was equally important. I was greatly satisfied watching the children get along so well.

The carriages were arranged in a circle, with the center part protected from the surrounding eyes. Asumi and the others could easily be identified as different so they made a conscious effort to stay out of sight during these daytime breaks.

“Ah-uh-aooh~!”

“Kyakya”

“Naoooh!”

“Oh my, you’re all so energetic.”

But it wasn’t just Asumi and the others in the central area. The weaker ones, like babies and children, along with Lieselotte and her carriage, were also positioned in the safest spot.

Liselotte, who adored small and cute beings, was not only fond of younger girls like Lappy but also of babies. She was seen playing with toys with three babies.

The three babies were Lawqum, the son of Linardo and Tuhru; Reese, the daughter of Tigar and Sharl; and Sidika, the daughter of Marcellus and Asumi. Sidika was born during this journey, and Liselotte and the others had known her since she was just born.

For Sidika, Liselotte was like a kind older sister who often played with her. Even now, Sidika was reaching out with a beaming smile from her mother’s arms.

Liselotte responded with a smile, yet she was careful to never touch Sidika directly, only through toys. This was because Sidika too was a demon.

Sidika was the child of Asumi, a demon, and Marcellus, a member of the Furu race. The first child born of a demon and another race was a demon herself. Moreover, like Tigar, Zald, and the others, she possessed two forms: a human-like form and a demon form.

In her demon form, Sidika inherited all of Asumi’s traits: goat horns and a tail, along with cat-like eyes and limbs. Although the sample size was still small, we had grasped a general rule: the children of two demons inherit traits from both parents, while the children of a demon and another race inherit the demon’s traits.

Since Sidika was still unable to voluntarily transform into her demon form, it was possible that her demon traits were less pronounced in less visible areas. Moreover, as the blood of different races mixed, the demon characteristics could continue to diminish, much like how Sidika’s skin was less blue compared to Asumi’s.

“All three of them look so energetic.”

“Yes, they’re in a very good mood today.”

“Chai!”

“Sid; that’s not good. Meh~.”

While checking on the babies, I was energetically slapped on the thigh by Sidika. Although Asumi immediately intervened, the strength of even a baby demon was formidable. If Liselotte had taken the blow directly, it might have broken her bones.

Despite being scolded by Asumi, Sidika’s vigor hardly diminished. She was quite an active baby, especially when compared to the more docile Reese.

“Hilda, I know I ask every day, but how much longer until we arrive?”

“If the weather stays like today, we should arrive in two days. I say this every day, but it really feels like coming home.”

“How about the boss? He’s from this country, right?”

The one who asked me this was Farl who was rubbing her belly beside Tuhru. Yes, she had finally been blessed with a child with Gora. The joy of the couple, who had been married for a long time without being blessed with children, was immense.

Gora’s eagerness was incredibly intense, especially since Farl’s belly had yet to show any signs of swelling. Ever since the incident during their escape from the imperial city, where Farl nearly died, Gora had become excessively concerned about her safety.

In battle, Farl’s role was to command those who could fly. Typically, her duties involved sniping from the air with the bow and arrows or using spiritual arts to overwhelmingly crush the enemy from above.

However, there were times when she had to engage in aerial combat with elite spiritualists who could fly or suddenly attack the enemy camp from the sky. The former demanded fighting powerful foes, while the latter involved diving right into the heart of the enemy. Such were the extremes of safety and danger in Farl’s role.

This place was not a battlefield, and more importantly, Farl who was now pregnant would unlikely be fighting at full strength. However, even after giving birth and regaining her full capabilities, Gora might continue to worry excessively. It was a troubling prospect.

“It’s true that I was born here, but I feel no real connection to it. After hatching from the egg, I was raised in a basement, and the only time I went outside was to fight as a battle beast. Right after I gained my freedom, I almost died when fighting an enemy of monstrous strength, and then I became a demon. Recognizing a city I’ve only glimpsed once as my hometown is impossible.”

The undeniable fact was that I was born in the kingdom of Harlasia. However, it was a country with few pleasant memories, with Chris being one of the few exceptions. How could I feel any attachment to such a place?

Ah, speaking of memories, there were also the small friendships I developed with that Popi race member and Woodsorrel whom I met at the Battle Beast tournament. In any case, I never once felt kindness or gratitude from the people of the kingdom.

“Indeed… I mean, when you put it into words, it sounds quite intense.”

“That time, you really saved us.”

“Honestly, it seemed almost impossible to let the young lady escape alive.”

Yet, at the same time, I couldn’t bring myself to hate that country. George, who had raised me, was a detestable man, and I felt no guilt in delivering the final blow to him. After all, he had done that much to me.

However, it was also in this country that I created memories with Chris and met people like Liselotte and Hilda, who could understand my story. Therefore, I didn’t have an aversion to bringing it into my sight or stepping foot in it again.

“Still, in two more days, our escort mission will be over. It felt long but also short.”

“It’ll be lonely…”

“Antares, you should have a proper talk with Chris.”

As I looked back, realizing that my journey with Liselotte and her friends was nearing its end, Liselotte lowered her eyebrows sadly, and Hilda glared at me with a stern expression. It was certainly an unexpected joy for me to be reunited with Chris, and there was no doubt that I felt bad about parting ways with her.

However, the problem was that it seemed like Chris had been avoiding me for the past few days. Even now, as soon as Liselotte’s safety was confirmed, she had stepped outside the carriage’s circle to teach swordsmanship to the children. Even though I was told to talk to her, I never had the chance to do so.

I tried in vain to find a time to talk to her. Despite my efforts, Chris continued to avoid me, and two days passed. Then as scheduled, we reached a position where the capital of the Harlasia Kingdom became visible.