Welcome to Hell! - Chapter 269: Shape of One’s Heart

Four days have passed since we began camping in the forest. If things went smoothly, an envoy with a formal response should arrive by today. However, even with the bounty of the forest, our supplies were limited. At most, we could stay here for around ten days. If the envoy did not arrive by then, we would have to depart on our own accord.

Even though Woodsorrel insisted that it was impossible, turning back was not an option for us. Regrettably, it seemed we would have to forcefully make our way through and cut down the forest guardians if necessary.

“Morning, boss.”

“Ah, good morning.”

Tigar was the one who greeted me, having taken the night watch. Apparently, he brought me breakfast bread and a bowl of soup. I soaked a piece of hard-baked bread in the soup to soften it before bringing it to my mouth.

Even though it was hard-baked bread someone with the strength of a demon could easily crush it. But there was no need to eat it hard. I took my time, filling my stomach with the bread and soup.

“By the way… is that young lady still angry?”

“Yes. Her words are filled with thorns.”

Despite my exasperation with Tigar’s seemingly amused question, I could only nod in agreement. I had shared with Chris honestly that I had forgotten the last words Woodsorrel had thrown my way and long since dismissed them as impossible.

However, Chris has remained sullen ever since. Whenever I sought help from someone, they would either awkwardly avoid my gaze or, like Tigar just now, grin and tell me to deal with it myself. Am I not the leader of this group? Isn’t it a bit cold to not offer help when I’m clearly struggling?

“Can’t you help me out? I’m at my wit’s end here.”

“Help, huh… But before that, let me ask you something. What do you think of Chris, boss?”

“Chris?”

What Chris meant to me wasn’t easy to summarize in a few words. First and foremost, she was the first person who treated me kindly after I was born as the Hades Scorpion. Even if it was her job, had she not devoted herself to me back then, my personality might have turned out far more twisted.

Chris’s presence had been significant to me at that time. This was clear from how I had rampaged when I thought she had died.

Attacking a powerful opponent without knowing if victory was achievable, diving headfirst into danger, went against the mandatory mission to “survive a hundred years”. From this, it was clear she held a place in my life as significant, if not more so, than my very mission.

It was only recently that I discovered she was still alive. Both of us had changed so much over time that we nearly ended up killing each other, not recognizing who the other was. I felt so ashamed at that time that I ran away from her.

Since then, there hardly seemed to be a day when I didn’t encounter Chris. She had a strong body herself, so that meant she often ended up taking care of the many things I neglected. Before I knew it, her presence became something I took for granted, and her distant behavior left me feeling…

“I’m not sure. But I think… I feel lonely with how thing are right now. Probably, that’s what I think.”

“That might not exactly answer the question, but it’s good enough for me. Heh, I’m relieved. Sometimes, I wonder if you’re still all scorpion up in your head.”

“Are you picking a fight with me?”

“Not at all!”

When I glared at him with my compound eyes, Tigar hastily shook his head. Then, after organizing his thoughts a bit, he slowly began to speak.

“I might have phrased it poorly. Boss, don’t you sometimes act or speak based on how you felt when you were still a scorpion?”

“I won’t deny that.”

“What I wanted to say is, despite that, I’ve realized that our hearts are no different from each other after all.”

The shape of the heart, huh? I had never considered such a thing. If the shape of our hearts is the same, it could mean that despite my soul not being human, and theirs being human, we are the same kind of demon, and there is no difference between us.

No, the shape of the hearts of Tigar and the others, who were originally humans, is the same as that of humans. To delve deeper, perhaps he means to say that the shape of my heart and Chris’s heart are the same? If that’s the case, I don’t mind at all. In fact, it’s good.

“I never expected such poetic words to come from you, Tigar.”

“That’s even worse, isn’t it?! Well, I didn’t get to ask what I wanted, but it’s good enough. I’m heading back. Don’t worry, I’ll put in a good word with that young lady for you!”

With those words, Tigar left with a laugh. It seems he’ll be speaking to Chris on my behalf. I’m not quite sure what it means, but it appears I’ve passed some sort of test by Tigar’s standards.

This might resolve one of my concerns. Nonetheless, it seemed necessary to have another conversation with Chris. This time, I decided to clearly express how sad it would make me if I were treated harshly. After all, such feelings could only be conveyed through explicit words.

“…Hmm, is this the right moment?”

Just as I finished my meal and was about to speak with Chris, a familiar presence entered my detection range. There were twelve of them, and we were acquainted with all of them. Undoubtedly, it was the duo of demon foxes, Woodsorrel and Gardenia, along with their subordinates.

The fact that I had noticed meant others were aware as well. Mika, with his exceptional hearing, had likely detected them even before I did and had started preparing for departure.

I couldn’t leave the cleanup to others. Joining the rest, I efficiently helped tidy up. Our group was well-practiced in breaking camp which allowed us to be ready to leave well before Woodsorrel and her group could arrive.

“Well… if we have permission, that’s good. If not, it’s the start of a forced march. There’s nothing to do but hope it doesn’t turn for the worse.”

“I think we’ll be okay, Antares. We’ve made it clear on our side that we’re not opposed to a breakthrough if denied. Knowing this, they wouldn’t send an envoy but rather go for a surprise attack by their skilled warriors.”

“If we can avoid fighting, that would be better.”

It was Marcellus who responded to my mutterings. He was riding on the back of Shuu, along with his daughter, Sidika. It was probably Sidika who coaxed him into it. She was quite the tomboyish and willful princess.

Fortunately, it seemed that Shuu was not reluctantly putting up with it but rather enjoyed carrying them on his back. If letting them ride on his back made them happy, then he was content. Typically, we would ride horses like Apao, and it appeared that Shuu was slightly sad about this fact.

“That’s one way to look at it.”

“Well, there’s also the possibility that this is a ruse to lead us into an ambush. In that case, they wouldn’t fully brief the envoy on the situation. ‘To deceive the enemy, start with your allies’ as the saying goes.”

“That’s quite a cunning strategy.”

“Hahaha. It’s certainly deceitful and despicable, but it’s the best way to ensure a victory with minimal casualties, right?”

Marcellus laughed off the matter as if it were trivial. His attitude suggested that he didn’t seriously believe we would be ambushed. If he thought there was a significant risk, he wouldn’t indulge his daughter’s whims and casually ride on Shuu.

However, he also cautioned against completely letting our guard down. Even if Woodsorrel was friendly towards us, it was uncertain whether those above her would show us the same kindness. After all, we were outsiders attempting to cross through their territory.

“Really, after being in the military for so long, I find myself always thinking of the worst of situations. I become overly suspicious, wondering if there’s some hidden agenda, and my mind quickly jumps to shady tactics like the ones we’re discussing now.”

“But, thanks to that, we are here now. Besides, it’s always good to have at least one person who’s skeptical.”

“You’re right, Boss Bumooo~. And Marcellus’s lessons are always so fun Bumoo~.”

Despite Marcellus’s self-deprecating tone, I genuinely believe he is crucial to us. Many of us were brave and strong, but only Marcellus and Decius were capable of perfectly planning for the necessary supplies.

Moreover, while Tigar and I can handle commanding the front lines in battle, strategizing is not our forte. This is something only those like Marcellus, who have received comprehensive education in the imperial army, can do.

This includes our study sessions, which might very well produce many great generals from among the children. Speaking of tactics and strategy lessons, I’ve heard that Shuu is performing exceptionally well. For Shuu, Marcellus is an excellent teacher.

“It’s a bit embarrassing to be praised so directly.”

“It’s not cute when Mr. Marcellus is blushing.”

“Meooow!”

Decius was the one who made of Marcellus and the latter scratched his head as if he wasn’t too displeased. Back in the day, Decius used to address Marcellus by his rank, but now he simply called him by his name. Although he maintained his respect for Marcellus, the increase in his teasing was undoubtedly because they were no longer in uniform, and there was no need to be as mindful of their surroundings.

The one who reacted most to Decius’s arrival was Sidika, who was sitting on Marcellus’s lap. She was particular about the gender of the person she wanted to be held by, depending on the day, but for some reason, Decius was always welcome. Even now, she was reaching out both her hands towards him.

She thought that Decius should take over and look after her more, but there was someone who wouldn’t allow it. That was Marcellus, her father.

“How cruel! You shouldn’t get close to such a cold man, Sidika, right?”

“Fushaaa!”

“Aaagh! Okay, okay, I get it!”

While Marcellus and Decius had a good relationship, things were different when it came to Sidika. It’s unlikely that any father would be pleased to see his daughter grow more attached to another man than himself. Marcellus twisted his body protectively as if to shield Sidika from Decius.

However, the father’s protective actions were nothing more than an unwanted interference to his little daughter. She scratched Marcellus’s cheek with her tiny nails which were unusually sharp for a child. Marcellus let out a cry of surprise and resignedly handed Sidika over to Decius. The latter accepted her with a wry smile, while Sidika beamed with satisfaction.

“Ah… my daughter has been taken by my former subordinate…”

“Please don’t say things that sound so ominous. We should be heading back soon. The carriage Shuu is pulling is waiting.”

“Alright, see you then.”

“Time to go back.”

With those words, Marcellus and the others departed. Even though Marcellus was sure that we would be safe, I just couldn’t be sure about that. I felt more relaxed than before, but I still kept my guard up and waited for Woodorrel and the others to come.