Welcome to Hell! - Chapter 253: At the Royal Castle (5)

“I’d prefer you not wander around the castle. Instead, feel free to use anything in this room. Make yourself comfortable.”

Crus said before leaving the room. Restricting our freedom to roam implied that it would also be difficult for us to interact with each other. Despite the luxury of the room, was it paranoid to think this was a deliberate attempt to isolate us from one another?

Fortunately, most of us are demons. I can detect changes through vibrations; Zald and Bolts can do the same through smell; and Mika through hearing. Any attempt to divide us and enact something wouldn’t likely be meaningful.

Now, what to do in this unnecessarily large room given to us? When I glanced around, I found that the only sources of entertainment seemed to be alcohol, books, and board games. Alcohol is out of the question for someone like me and the young Chirik, and my only knowledge of board games is that “they exist” with no understanding of the rules or tactics. Enjoying them is out of the question.

That leaves books as the only option to pass the time. I took Chirik to the bookshelf and, on his behalf due to his poor eyesight, began reading the titles written on the spines one by one.

“How about it? Any book that interests you? Don’t hold back.”

“Um… then I’m curious about ‘Tales of Wandering in the Western Lands’!”

Chirik and I settled side by side on a long bench and I began to read a book titled “Tales of Wandering in the Western Lands”. As the title suggested, the book was a travelogue of a certain traveler.

According to my knowledge, this travelogue genre was popular worldwide. This was probably because the areas beyond city walls and fences were overrun with powerful wild animals, making travel itself dangerous.

When I think about it, all the creatures that I went to capture under Orvo’s orders, including those synthesized with Tigar and the others, were extremely strong. While those trained in combat might stand a chance, individuals without any knowledge could hardly retaliate against such strength.

Although not all creatures possessed such formidable strength, traveling entailed the risk of encountering such beings. Considering the deteriorating security due to wars and the frequent appearance of bandits, travel was indeed a life-threatening venture.

That’s precisely why firsthand accounts from those who had actually visited other lands offered readers a fictional experience of travel. The value of travelogues might continue to rise until the continent’s situation stabilized.

“Hehe, maybe if I write about the South, it might just sell well.”

“Teacher? What’s the matter?”

“Nothing; let’s continue reading.”

While thinking that no one would probably read a travelogue written by me, I flipped open the cover and read the contents. It turned out the author was an adventurer who preferred traveling over three meals a day.

The book detailed the author’s journey across the western regions of the Enzo continent, exploring various countries and documenting their histories, cultures, breathtaking landscapes, and local culinary traditions. Oh, when you say it like that, I can’t help but get interested too.

“Let’s see… ‘The culture in the western part of the continent is fundamentally influenced by the teachings of the Justice Church. To summarize their doctrine, it advocates living a clean and righteous life every day’.”

“Clean and righteous, huh? That has nothing to do with me.”

“Hmph, don’t worry about it. Only those who’ve never struggled to live could possibly manage to live so ‘cleanly and righteously’ in every sense. To strive to live is not wrong. I won’t hear such talk.”

“……thank you, teacher”

Chirik’s voice was laced with self-deprecation and sadness as he muttered these words. Indeed, they had resorted to theft multiple times just to survive the day. Theft is condemned by most religions, not just the Justice Church. From that perspective, it could be said that Chirik wasn’t living a “clean and righteous” life.

However, the harsh truth was that they had no other way to live. Who would entrust work to the young children among the refugees? Was there anyone offering charity? Without such support, adhering to these teachings was tantamount to telling Chirik and the others to starve to death.

As someone tasked with the mission to “survive a hundred years” I did not deny the necessity of struggling to live or even dirtying one’s hands. I was determined not to let anyone deny this. Perhaps my feelings were conveyed to him as Chirik smiled slightly while I patted his back.

“…Look, here’s what comes next. ‘However, the teachings of this church are somewhat too rigid for me. They are completely beyond my understanding as I seek the freedom of travel’. It seems I might get along with this author.”

“Do you think so? Who wrote it?”

“Let’s see… It’s written by ‘Godwin of the Swallow’. The book itself seems quite old, so the author has likely passed away by now. It’s a pity, but let’s continue reading.”

Fortunately, the description of the culture was brief, and what followed was about the landscape of the first country he had visited. This country boasted vast forests dense with giant trees bearing pure white bark, around which towns had been built. It was said that the country’s history was inseparably linked to these forests.

While foraging and hunting were common in the shallower parts of the forest, the deeper regions remained unexplored by humans. Among the local inhabitants, it was believed that the depths of the forest were the territories of mighty beasts, with a beast god residing at the center and he was considered the master of the woods. Ancient people worshipped this beast god and regarded the forest as a sacred place.

However, as the people were indoctrinated by the “Justice Church,” their perceptions began to change. It seemed that the Justice Church advocated that all gods should be subservient to the “God of Justice” and naturally, they believed that the beast god should also submit.

As a result, the Justice Church sent envoys to demand the beast god’s submission, but none of these messengers ever returned. The Justice Church saw this as an act of hostility and, calling it a holy war, sent crusading parties repeatedly.

Yet, all these crusading parties were repelled. There was only one instance where they managed to defeat a beast that held territory near the center, but even then, they were no match for the beast god. Now, the beast god is feared as an evil god and its domain is forbidden territory.

“Changing beliefs can turn a sacred place into a forbidden one, huh?”

“Yes. I’m not a follower of any particular deity, so I can’t fully grasp the sentiment… What about you, Chirik?”

“I’m not particularly devout either. I only know about the gods Mika taught me about.”

“I see. Well, let’s continue. Next up is… culinary culture.”

Following the sections on the history and religion associated with the forest, the next topic was culinary culture. Due to the forest draining the vitality of the land, the areas outside the forest were barren, making it difficult for crops to thrive. The staple foods were coarse grains and beans, described as bland and dry and hardly considered delicious.

However, it seems that the wild vegetables, nuts, beasts dwelling in the forest, and fish from the rivers flowing through it were delicious. Particularly, the author was impressed by the smoked meat using the bark of the iconic pure white trees of the forest. The unique flavor imparted by this bark was said to greatly enhance the taste of both meat and fish.

There were other mentions of local cuisine but… hmm, there doesn’t seem to be any information about sweets. For me, the only aspect of food that truly captures my interest is sweets. It was such a shame that they weren’t there.

“Wow… There are so many foods in the world that I don’t know about, teacher!”

“Aah, that’s right. Chirik, is there anything you’d like to try?”

“Yes! I’m curious about that Doro stew you mentioned earlier!”

Chirik’s eyes sparkled as he said that he wanted to try the stew. Chirik was mature enough, but it was reassuring to see him show reactions befitting his age. Well then, perhaps I should read the section about his favorite stew once more.

As we were engrossed in the “Tales of Wandering in the Western Lands” the sound of several footsteps reached us. It was not mealtime, so I focused on the sound, wondering what it might be. Chirik, who had noticed the footsteps almost at the same time as I did, also strained his ears to identify their source.

“The door’s open. Come in.”

“Please excuse us.”

From the number of footsteps, I could deduce how many visitors were approaching, and from the pace of their approach, I could gauge their stride. Combining these clues, I guessed the identity of our guests and, therefore, informed them through the closed door that it was open without waiting for a knock.

The reason I welcomed them unconditionally was because they were people we knew. The door was opened by Hilda, followed first by Chris and then by Liselotte. It turned out to be the three of them as I expected.

“What brings you here, my lady? It doesn’t seem like you’ve just come to check on us.”

“Yes, you’re right. His Majesty has asked me to persuade you.”

Liselotte explained her purpose with a troubled smile. Indeed, it seemed the king had sent the person he deemed most suitable to persuade me. It seemed like he wanted me more than I initially thought.

Then, Liselotte took a seat on the sofa opposite us, with Chris looking sad and Hilda, expressionless, standing behind her. I urged them both to sit down with my eyes, and Liselotte thought for a moment, then smiled kindly and ordered them to sit down as well.

“At first I thought I would try to persuade you with reason, like an aristocrat, but I thought it would be better to be honest with you if I wanted to persuade you. So I’ll be honest. In fact, because of the problems caused by my relative, my position has become a bit compromised…. and I can’t even afford to be refused.”

“Hmm… I see. Well, if I can be of help, then I will lend my strength.”

“Eh?! Just like that?!”

“Are you sure?”

Chris and Hilda seemed surprised but I had already decided that I would grant Liselotte’s request, as long as it did not endanger the lives of myself or my comrades. I felt I owed her that much gratitude. Even those among us who were reluctant to get involved with the country’s affairs would likely agree to help for Liselotte’s sake.

Why did we give Liselotte special treatment? It was because she did not discriminate against us for being demons and treated us without any prejudice. It was only natural to prioritize the wishes of Liselotte, whom we knew well and regarded highly, over the rewards offered by King Carl, whose character was unknown to us despite his esteemed reputation.

“As for the details of the agreement, we can work those out later… But where are Leo and Lappy? Why are they acting separately?”

“Well… actually… King Carl said, “I’d like to have a fight with a real demon’…”

“You can’t be serious; are they with the king now?!”

“Not just the king. The future queen is with them as well. They might be crossing swords as we speak.”

Hearing Liselotte’s difficult confession and Hilda’s incredulous tone, I felt a sense of disbelief wash over me, and I leaned back on the sofa. I was overwhelmed by the bombshell they had just dropped.