Welcome to Hell! - Chapter 267: Rest in the Forest

A full day had passed since we negotiated with Gardenia of the demon fox race. The mist, which turned out to be the result of the spiritual arts of the snake residing atop that huge rock, had completely cleared. Given that it was summer, the heat might have caused discomfort to those outside the forest, but the shade within the woods made for a pleasant resting environment.

After sharing the identities of our attackers and the outcome of our negotiations with our comrades, we decided to relax and make ourselves comfortable. We took out the disassembled table and chairs from the carriages and set about creating a cozy atmosphere. Having spent much of the day inside the carriages, my comrades enjoyed the opportunity to stretch out under the sun.

“…Well, that should do it.”

“How about it, Lorenz? Making good progress with your writing?”

Lorenz was the one busy at the table with his pen swiftly moving across the page. He was jotting down a travelogue which was the very purpose of his journey and using his diary for notes. He aimed to capture his immediate thoughts and experiences in writing, to be elaborated on later. For Lorenz, his diary served as a notebook for his travelogue.

This method was apparently inherited from his grandfather, and Lorenz seemed to be following in his footsteps. As for me, I lacked not only the skill in writing but also the ability to judge the quality of text. I was content to let Lorenz proceed as he wished.

“Eeeh. The purity of the air, the taste of the forest’s fruits… there’s no shortage of things to write about.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“When it’s time to publish the travelogue, I’d like to ask Decius to provide the illustrations.”

Lorenz said this with a beaming smile. Decius was a man of many talents, but what many didn’t know was that he was also an exceptionally skilled artist. His drawings were incredibly lifelike, making them a perfect match for the genre of travel writing. Decius himself was enthusiastic, and there were frequent discussions between him and Lorenz about which landscapes to depict.

Decius, at the moment, was teaching the children alongside Marcellus. While Lorenz was the most popular teacher right now, they too were highly regarded by the children for their clear and simple teaching methods. All the children, except those who inherently disliked studying, were diligently attending their lessons.

“Uuumeow!”

“Whoa! S-Sidika, stop that!”

However, there was one who disrupted these lessons: Sidika, Marcellus’s daughter. She resembled a smaller version of Asumi, but with one peculiar habit that puzzled everyone. She was particular about the gender of the person who lifted her up, which varied from day to day.

Yesterday was the day she wanted to be held by a woman, as evidenced by the fact that Asumi was holding her. But today, it seemed she wanted to be held by men, as she had clambered onto Marcellus’s back.

Sidika had been peacefully sleeping on Marcellus’s back, but when she woke up, it seemed she yearned for her father’s affection. She tugged insistently at the nape of Marcellus’s neck and started pulling him towards her.

Though still an infant, Sidika was a demon, and her strength was incomparable to that of a human child. Marcellus had tears in his eyes from the force of her pull as he shifted Sidika from his back into his arms. Little Sidika was satisfied and she giggled and squirmed contentedly in Marcellus’s embrace.

“Gaoooooooooo!”

“Ugoooooo!”

“Shaaaaaah!”

And on the other side, Tigar and the others were dedicated to practicing martial arts. They wielded wooden swords crafted from branches found in the forest. They chose the hardest wood they could find, but given the demons’ formidable strength, it was clear that the branches would shatter upon a full-force collision. Therefore, the use of spiritual power or fighting spirit was strictly forbidden during these sessions.

This restriction on spiritual power and fighting spirit meant the practice was an excellent opportunity to hone their pure martial skills. Currently, Tigar, Gora, and Linardo were engaged in a three-way battle.

Among the three, Gora, who possessed the greatest physical strength, swung a log club with great force, which Linardo skillfully parried with his exquisite spear techniques. Linardo aimed for Gora’s throat by flicking his spear upward, but the latter caught the spear with one hand.

As the two stood in a stalemate, Tigar slashed through them with his wooden sword, as if he wanted to mow them down together. The two quickly moved away from each other, so as not to allow that to happen.

“Aaah! Paah!”

“Let’s cheer for Papa, shall we?”

“Muu…”

“Oh dear, it seems Reese really dislikes fighting, doesn’t she?”

“Is this what they call personality?”

Watching the training session of the three skilled warrios were the children who were too young to participate in the lessons and their guardians. While Lawqum’s eyes sparkled with excitement, Reese clung to Sharl as if she was afraid of the trio.

It appeared that everyone was enjoying this unexpected free time in their own way. Just as I was thinking about joining the training, I sensed something approaching me. Others also noticed it and alerted those around them, causing the campsite’s previously peaceful atmosphere to suddenly become tense with vigilance.

“What do you think, Antares?”

“There’s no attempt to conceal its presence, so I don’t believe it’s an enemy… but let’s not let our guard down.”

“Right.”

When Chris quickly armed herself and joined me, the entity continued to approach us directly. There were six in total, and by the sound of it, they were quite lightweight. Among them, one stood out from the rest with the other five seeming to desperately chase after it.

Their direct path towards us from the beginning left little doubt that we were their target. The lack of any attempt to hide their presence also meant they bore no hostility. Therefore, it was highly possible that they were messengers sent in response by Gardenia.

Although it was supposed to take at least four days, an emergency might have arisen. However, it was impossible to definitively say that these creatures wouldn’t confront us head-on. While the probability was low, letting our guard down was out of the question. It was only natural to prepare for anything.

Rustle, rustle, rustle!

Then something golden emerged before us after disturbing the leaves. It was a demon fox that was one size larger than Gardenia and it had six tails.

[Where are you?!]

“Right here.”

A telepathic message was sent out to reach everyone. I recognized the nostalgic voice that echoed in my head and understood everything before I stepped forward toward her. When I removed my iron mask, I hardened my exoskeleton, which I hadn’t used during the battle with Gardenia, and restored my tail to its original size.

She momentarily froze at the sight of my different appearance, but upon seeing my exoskeleton and tail, she seemed to grasp the situation fully. After snorting, she grumbled through telepathy as if she felt somewhat frustrated with the situation.

[Seriously, you just had to escape on your own… And you’ve changed quite a bit, haven’t you?”

“A lot has happened… It’s been a while, Woodsorrel.”

The demon fox before us was indeed Woodsorrel, with whom I had made a secret pact during the “Rookie Tournament”. Although the number of her tails had doubled, the voice that came through telepathically hadn’t changed at all. I softened my exoskeleton while feeling a sense of nostalgia,

My comrades also realized from our exchange that this was not an enemy attack and were now curiously observing Woodsorrel. I had already told them about Woodsorrel, so their interest was understandable.

Woodsorrel, without a care for the gazes around her, leaped onto the desk that Lorenz had been using. Curling up there, she pointed with two of her six tails towards a chair on either side, clearly indicating where I should sit. I obediently took my place before her.

[I was quite surprised. To hear that my cousin fought with those resembling humans, and to have a message specifically for me.]

“I knew you two were from the same demon fox race, but Gardenia was a relative of yours?”

[Yes, that’s right. And then… what was it, a demon? How does one turn from a scorpion into something resembling a human?]

It was only natural that she would be curious about that. Prompted by Woodsorrel, I summarized the circumstances of my transformation into a demon and the reasons behind our journey toward the Shumie Mountain Range. Woodsorrel listened in silence until the end, after which she let out a deep sigh.

[Such a tumultuous journey. And now you plan to cross the mountains? Isn’t that reckless?]

“Is it really reckless?”

[Yes, really reckless. The forests and mountains are not as forgiving as you think. If you force your way into the forest, you’ll be attacked by guardians far stronger than Gardenia. You’d be wiped out before even reaching the mountains.]

Woodsorrel asserted that crossing the mountains, let alone the forest, was impossible for us. There must be something out there, something she was certain we couldn’t defeat. What could it be…. I couldn’t help but wonder.

[But don’t worry. I’ll persuade them for you.]

“…Huh? Wait, you’re not here as a messenger with a reply or for some urgent matter?”

[No, not at all. I just rushed over after hearing the message from Gardenia and finding out where you were. Oh, looks like they’ve arrived.]

Woodsorrel, while still lying down, offered to take on the task of persuasion. However…I never thought that it was Woodsorrel’s own decision to come here. While I was indeed happy to see her, I wondered if it was wise to leave the matter of persuasion in her hands…

As I was wrestling with these thoughts, the companions who had been following Woodsorrel arrived at our camp. The group consisted of one monkey, two mountain cats, one wolf, and one bear. And they appeared to be confused at the sight of the relaxing Woodsorrel.

[It’s fine. This one is an acquaintance of mine. Eh? Your name? What’s your name?]

Woodsorrel was communicating with her companions who were chasing her through telepathy before she suddenly asked for my name. It was impossible for Woodsorrel to know my name since back when I was a fighting beast, not only was I incapable of telepathic communication, but I also lacked a name altogether.

“Antares. It’s a name given to me by someone I owe a great debt to.”

[So, it’s Antares. Isn’t it strange that we are acquainted and yet I don’t know your name? We didn’t exchange names when we first met. Well, does it really matter? Besides… relaying everything through telepathy is such a hassle. Here goes!]

“What?!”

When Woodsorrel lightly employed spiritual power, her body began to emit a bright glow. Within that dazzling light, her silhouette twisted and then largely expanded. And after the light subsided… there was a humanoid girl with flowing golden hair lying there.

********

TN: Of course!