Welcome to Hell! - Chapter 264: Traveling Through the Plains

The journey towards the Shumie mountain range was surprisingly smooth. The pass issued by the royal family ensured that we faced no delays in acquiring supplies in the towns and villages we stopped at for resupplying. Additionally, the fact that everyone was accustomed to camping outdoors and that no one fell ill played a significant role.

However, there were two even more important reasons for the smooth journey. One was the geographical nature of the Harlasia Kingdom. The central part of the continent, including the kingdom, was almost entirely flat and devoid of any difficult terrain that could slow our pace. The weather also proved to be favorable, posing no issues whatsoever.

The other reason was the excellent public order within the kingdom. We were never attacked by bandits or the like. If an armed group approached us, it was likely the local lord’s guards in the area where we were staying. And upon seeing the royal pass, these guards would leave with one exception.

That exception was a guard captain who was suspicious by nature. He insisted on inspecting the cargo on our carriages forcefully. Even though we explained the situation, he resorted to calling us monsters and attacked us.

I had no choice but to fight back, but since I couldn’t just kill him, I stopped at just making him incapacitated. Then, thanks to Rinne’s illusion spiritual arts, we implanted false memories in his mind and thus managed to avoid further complications. Dealing with the overly suspicious and diligent garrison was extremely troublesome.

“I knew it from afar, but now that we are up close, it’s very overwhelming.”

“Muu… The trees are too tall; I can’t see clearly.”

Lappy who was sitting next to me expressed these thoughts as she stood in front of the dense sea of trees at the foot of the Shumie mountain range. The mountains, stretching across the continent from east to west and completely dividing it from north to south, were so tall that the peaks would vanish into the clouds on cloudy days.

However, before one could even think of challenging the mountains, the vast forest at their base posed a great barrier. For the residents living nearby, it was a place that brought blessings from the mountains, but at the same time, it was also a dangerous area that was passed down from generation to generation and people should never venture into its depths.

The trees growing in the forest were all massive enough to be considered giants, obstructing any view and making it impossible to grasp the full extent of the mountains from here. Not just the mountain range itself, but even the forest at its base and the trees within it were huge. Without the promise made with Aiwass, I would have never even considered attempting to cross such a place.

“…. Shall we go then?”

“Spiritual arts are really convenient.”

We decided to step into the sea of trees. Although there were no roads in this sea of trees, I activated my sand spiritual arts to make up for that. In an instant, the sand transformed into a path, and our carriage began to move slowly over it.

Chris, who was riding in my carriage, seemed impressed by my creation of a sand road, but it wasn’t something that warranted praise. This type of spiritual arts required more spiritual power than skill, and I had planned to have Chirik practice it as well to increase his overall spiritual power.

I initially intended for Chirik to take on this task from the start, but that proved difficult at the moment. The reason was… Chirik had become Lappy’s plaything.

“Do…don’t cling to me so much, Miss Lappy.”

“Muu. Lappy is older.”

“Alright, alright, big sister Lappy!”

Lappy had been downcast since the day of our departure, but she quickly recovered her spirits thanks to the comfort provided by all of us… especially me, Chirik, and Chris. Since then, for some reason, Lappy has begun to be as physically affectionate with Chris and Chirik as she was with me.

Considering she looked up to me as a father figure, it seemed she recognized Chris as an older sister and Chirik as a younger brother. Indeed, she called Chris “Big sister Chris” and instructed Chirik to call her “Big sister Lappy”.

The nickname hadn’t quite caught on yet, but Lappy had a surprisingly stubborn side to her. There was no doubt she intended to repeat it until it did. And Lappy was not one to listen even if I told her to stop. Chirik, sometimes it’s important to know when to give up.

Lappy who was sitting next to me on the coachman’s bench while I held the reins for Apao was hugging Chirik as if she was embracing him. Lappy, who often climbed onto my knees or shoulders, had the smaller Chirik seated on her lap.

Even now, she pressed her chin and cheek against the top of Chirik’s head, which was filled with his keen intellect, and rubbed against him. Chirik’s ears flushed red, perhaps out of embarrassment. And Chris watched the two of them with amusement, much like an older sister watching her playful younger siblings.

“Hihiiin. Boss, boss! There’s something in the distance!”

“Ah, yes. We must stay alert to the sounds around us.”

Setting aside the playful antics of the two beside me, I took Apao’s warning to heart. It was a well-known fact that there were various dangerous creatures deep within the sea of trees. Though we as demons were hardly likely to be defeated by such creatures, we should never let our guard down.

The sounds that Apao heard were also audible to me. They seemed to be from a group of beasts. There was no sign they were approaching us, but this only highlighted the fact that even on the outskirts of the forest, it was normal for groups of beasts to roam freely. I couldn’t help but realize why people didn’t try to exploit the forest, even though it was known for its rich resources.

“However, those are just a pack of wolves. You alone could scatter them with ease.”

“Is that so? But their howling still sends shivers down my spine! Brrrrr!”

Apao was sensitive to sounds, and so he struggled to gauge the strength or form of enemies based on noise alone. On the other hand, I excelled in such skills and had already assessed the strength of the beasts. I was not going to bother with a group of beasts that were of no threat to us. They were just a waste of time and energy.

Apao was originally a horse that had been synthesized with a human, and the sound of a wolf’s howl seemed to instinctively arouse fear within him. Even I, having been a demon for quite some time, often found myself driven by instinct. It was nothing to be ashamed of.

We continued deeper into the forest while remaining vigilant of our surroundings. The sandy paved road allowed us to ignore the tree roots and fallen logs that covered the forest ground. Regardless of the terrain, we were able to cover a considerable distance straight south in just half a day.

“The sun will set soon. Let’s make camp here for the night.”

As soon as I gave the order, my comrades began to emerge from the carriages one by one. With practiced ease, they divided the tasks among themselves and started to prepare for the night’s camp.

I kept watch from the outer edge of the camp to protect the surrounding area, while Mika, who had been appointed head of the cooking team, began to prepare the meal with the others. The others were busy unhitching the horses and cattle, such as Apao and Shuu, from the carriages. Afterward, they chatted and waited for dinner to be ready. This was the usual scene during our night watches.

“Here, this one’s for you, Antares.”

“Ah, thanks.”

As I kept watch atop the carriage roof, Chris leaped up with two bowls in hand. After receiving one of the bows from Chris, I removed my iron mask that covered my lower jaw and we began to eat our dinner side by side.

The season was transitioning from spring to summer, and the daytime temperatures were on the rise. However, after sunset, it was still cool, especially in the forest where the canopy of leaves created a vast shade. Perhaps due to the high humidity, the temperature suddenly dropped.

“Yawn… this warm soup really hits the spot…”

“Is that so?”

“Right, I forgot Antares; you’re more resistant to changes in temperature, aren’t you?”

The dropping temperatures hardly affected me, but Chris might have felt a bit cold. I took off the coat I always wore and silently offered it to her.

Chris’s eyes widened in slight surprise, but she smiled warmly, thanked me, and draped the coat over her shoulders. The added warmth seemed to comfort her as she happily sipped her soup.

“Are Lappy and Chirik doing the usual?”

“Yes, Chirik is quietly attending Mr. Lorenz’s lessons. Well, Lappy might be dozing off, though.”

The time after dinner was reserved for lessons for the children and any interested adults. Mika, Marcellus, Decius, and Asumi, who had previously received education, had taken on the roles of teachers but now Lorenz has also joined their ranks.

Having been a wealthy merchant, Lorenz possessed a wealth of knowledge that surpassed the other four. His eloquence made his lessons particularly popular among both adults and children. Lorenz had carved out a place for himself among us through what he had accumulated over the years. The initial awkwardness was gone, and now there were children who affectionately called him “teacher”.

“He fit in quite smoothly, didn’t he?”

“What are you talking about? I know you had a hand in making it happen, Antares.”

“I might have helped a bit, but it was mostly Lorenz’s doing.”

As Chris had mentioned, I did make an effort to ensure Lorenz could settle in quickly. On the first day, I asked Tigar to talk to him, and it was I who suggested he take on the role of a teacher.

However, I have no intention of boasting about this as my own achievement. After all, I merely created an opportunity. She simply chuckled and agreed, so I wasn’t sure if she understood what I meant.

“Ah, finished eating? Then pass me your bowl, please.”

“I appreciate it. Water spiritual arts is really convenient.”

Chris proceeded to clean the bowls and spoons we had used with her water spiritual arts. Water spiritual arts was not only perfect for cleaning objects and the body but also good for securing drinking water. It was clear that water was far more versatile and convenient to use than sand.

Chris snorted proudly and showed off the dishes and spoons, now as clean as if they were brand new. She had meticulously dried the water used for washing, demonstrating her impressive skill in manipulating water.

“Can I come back after I’ve put these away? It’s not my turn for watch duty tonight, but I’d love to chat until I get sleepy.”

“That’s fine by me.”

“Yay!”

With a joyful expression on her face, Chris eagerly took the dishes and spoons and ran off to put them away. She soon returned, and we spent the time engaging in light conversation until she felt sleepy.