Welcome to Hell! - Chapter 272: The Beautiful Territory

The morning after Mika had prepared a meal for us, we set out once again. According to Woodsorrel, we were to reach their territory within the day. It was likely a gathering place for more powerful demon foxes and other beings. Never be hostile. We were in agreement in that direction.

“Wow, there are various types of demons, aren’t there?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

During our journey, Woodsorrel inquired about the demons. It seemed her questions stemmed more from orders given by her superiors than from her own curiosity. She probably should have asked these questions the day before, but it appeared she had completely forgotten until it was brought up, possibly by one of her monkey subordinates… They were really having a hard time with her.

I shared everything I knew about demons, as there was no reason to withhold information. I explained that they were beings created through spiritual arts by merging humans with other beasts and that the process typically required one human and one beast to avoid failure. Some creators endowed their creations with the ability to switch between two forms, while others did not. I also mentioned that there were countless demons created for the purpose of war, aside from us.

“War, huh… Isn’t it stupid for thousands of humans to kill each other?”

“You’re right, but don’t tell me that. I didn’t start it, and I wasn’t even human to begin with.”

Woodsorrel seemed unable to grasp the concept of war. Even though territorial disputes are common among ordinary creatures, she claimed that beings with intelligence living in this forest were strangers to such conflicts.

However, with intelligence, or rather because of it, one cannot be free from conflict. The higher the intelligence, the more one’s desires are likely to grow beyond basic instincts. With higher intelligence, conflicts become more brutal and insidious. Having been continuously embroiled in conflicts, I was convinced of this.

“Is it even possible to be free from conflict?”

“Yes, because if we did, we would anger God.”

Ah, that’s right. There was a real god in these mountains. Woodsorrel had mentioned that there was a “Mountain God”. It’s unlikely that any fool would provoke conflict knowing that divine punishment from a transcendent god could befall them. I knew this more than anyone else since I fought against a descendant of God.

But gods… I would rather not meet them. Who would want to present themselves before a being far superior to themselves? As someone who needed to survive for a hundred years, I had no intention of deliberately crossing a dangerous bridge.

“May I ask what this god is like?”

For this reason, it was necessary to understand the nature of the “Mountain God” Woodsorrel spoke of. When I asked that, it was not Woodsorrel but Gardenia who was perched on Chirik’s lap who responded.

[The God is kind. Occasionally, they descend from the mountain. And they have a fondness for alcohol. Half the reason we come down to the human settlements is to acquire alcohol.]

“Alcohol… alcohol, huh…”

Hearing about the deity’s preference for alcohol left me feeling at a loss. I am a complete non-drinker. Even the mere smell of alcohol is enough to make me dizzy. It was clear that our tastes would not align.

However, it was said that the “Mountain God” does not harshly treat those who appreciate the bounty of the mountain. Meaning, that as someone with a sweet tooth and a love for fruits, I would fall into their favor. As long as I didn’t intentionally upset them, it was unlikely we would become enemies.

“That’s the way it is! Ah, we’re about to get a view of it!”

“About to get a view? It doesn’t seem like anything has changed though…”

“No, something’s off. Something doesn’t feel right.”

Chris seemed perplexed, but I was subtly aware of a strange sensation. Yes….it was the sense of distance. The scenery slightly to the right of the direction we were heading seemed to have depth as if a painting with perspective had been placed there.

The wind made the branches sway for sure. Yet, when I listened carefully, I realized there was a spot where no sound was made despite the leaves falling.

“As expected! Not half bad!”

[…Too sharp, aren’t you? But what about you, Big sister Woodsorrel?]

“I know, I know!”

It seemed my observation was correct. After Woodsorrel patted my shoulder and praised me, she reverted from her human form back to her original demon fox appearance. She and Gardenia then let out a howl together.

Then the illusionary landscape that seemed like a painting disappeared as if it had never been there. What lay beyond was a field… soft-looking grass and a vibrant array of flowers blooming profusely.

[Welcome to our territory!]

[It seems this is the first time anyone other than our friends has come here. Don’t do anything stupid, okay?]

A spacious flower garden in the middle of the forest. This was an almost surreal environment into which we cautiously made our way. I could feel how nervous Apao was through the reins, but entering this area felt like our only option.

From my slightly elevated position on the coachman’s seat, I could survey the entirety of this space. The area awash with blooming flowers was vast; it was perhaps as large as the imperial capital itself. Butterflies and bees danced in the air, and various creatures frolicked or lay resting all around.

Although it was a flower garden of peace itself, there were two landmarks that caught my eye. One was a large pond at the center of the flower garden. I could clearly see that the water in this pond, which wasn’t connected to a river, was crystal clear even from here. A family of deer was drinking from it, seemingly savoring the water.

The other one was a huge tree with a thick trunk right next to the pond. The height of the tree wasn’t much different from the trees in the forest surrounding the flower garden, but it was much thicker than the others; it would perhaps take twenty people holding hands to hug it. Being the only giant tree within the flower garden, it naturally drew our attention.

“…They’re much more unresponsive than I thought. I had expected to be met with more visible wariness and to be surrounded on all sides.”

They seemed to be wary of us, so I thought we would be tightly surrounded at least. Considering Gardenia’s words that we were strangers venturing here for the first time, I had assumed that their caution would be even more pronounced.

However, once we entered, we weren’t surrounded by anyone. Although I could feel eyes staring at us from afar, it didn’t seem like they were being cautious at all.

“There’s no need for that. Because…”

“I am here, after all.”

“What?!”

Just as Woodsorrel was about to explain why we weren’t being watched, an unfamiliar female voice emerged from the carriage, followed by a white arm reaching out. It wrapped around my neck, taking me completely by surprise, as I hadn’t even felt its presence. I instinctively tried to pull the arm away.

Yet, despite its slender appearance, the arm wouldn’t budge. Even though I didn’t use any fighting spirit, could it be stronger than me? Are you kidding me? I was among the strongest in terms of sheer physical strength among the demons.

“Well, well, I can see why Woodsorrel is fond of you. Such fighting spirit and spiritual power… a fine young man indeed.”

The woman clinging to my back seemed unfazed by my strength and was whispering in my ear as she attempted to remove my iron mask. I tried to tell her to stop, but for some reason, I couldn’t produce any sound at all. Just as her hand was about to touch the iron mask, something firmly grasped her wrist. It was… Chris’s prosthetic arm.

The prosthetic arù creaked with the force applied and stopped the movement of the arm I had been unable to budge myself. Her other hand was positioned on the hilt of her twin swords, ready to draw them at any moment.

When I glanced at Chris through my compound eyes, I saw that her expression was utterly serious. However, the expressionless Chris seemed terrifyingly chilling… no, the air around us was physically growing colder!

It appeared that Chris had pushed her fighting spirit and spiritual power beyond their limits, causing the moisture in the air to cool down due to the effect. I wanted to tell Chris to stop as well, but for some reason, I couldn’t move my body, let alone speak.

“Step away from Antares. Otherwise, I will cut you down.”

“This young girl speaks out of turn. This man has not rejected me, you see?”

“I detect a faint smell of alcohol and herbs. You’re using that to strip Antares of his movement, aren’t you?”

“Oh? Quite impressive for someone from the Furu race. I shall praise you, young girl.”

Chris’s observation seemed to have been correct. The odd sensation in my body was apparently due to the woman standing behind me. Considering that even Chris had been stopped in her tracks, it was possible that this woman was also suppressing my powers. She really had done quite a number on me.

However, a calm part within me was desperately trying to restrain Chris. Hadn’t this woman declared upon her arrival that there was no need for us to be on guard simply because she was present? Given that she had almost completely masked her presence and that despite being right behind me, I couldn’t sense any fighting spirit or spiritual power from her, it was highly likely that this woman’s abilities were too much for us.

Engaging such an opponent in battle was out of the question. I screamed this in my mind, but my pleas failed to reach Chris. She didn’t yield and continued to glare at the woman with a stern expression.

“Hehehe, alright, alright. Perhaps I’ve been a little bit too playful.”

Fortunately, there was no battle between Chris and the woman. When the woman released the arm around my neck and stepped back, Chris also relaxed her prosthetic arm, and the temperature in the air returned to its previous state.

Yet, the question remained: who was this woman? It was clear she was not a human. But wait, could it be that she appeared in human form? That meant…

“Hey, Great Mother! What are you doing?!”

“What am I doing? I was merely taking a little examination. This young man could prove to be a fine seed.”

[Haa~… Let me introduce you. This is Lady Button. She is the founder of the demon fox tribe and one of the vice chiefs of the guardians.]

“That’s right. It’s good of you to come. You’re most welcome here.”

While Woodsorrel reacted with indignation, Gardenisa revealed the woman’s true identity with a hint of exasperation. Lady Button herself jumped down from the coachman’s seat and spread her arms in a gesture of welcome.