Welcome to Hell! - Chapter 273: In the Flower Garden

The transformed appearance of Button who was the founder of the demon fox tribe had an air of maturity much like that of a fully-grown Woodsorrel. She grew a head taller and her figure became clearly feminine. An average human male might have been charmed.

However, I was caught off guard and was made to smell herbs mixed with alcohol, and my freedom of movement was taken away. Besides, my consciousness was still too stuck in my scorpion form. While I could comprehend human beauty and ugliness, I was never swayed by it. The only feelings Button evoked in me were caution and a slight sense of fear.

After all, the transformation art allowed for some degree of manipulation of appearance. What significance does her current appearance have? My comrades who saw me being taken by surprise hardly had the leisure to be charmed either.

“Maintaining this transformation does feel rather constraining. My shoulders are stiff.”

As soon as she uttered those words Button released her transformation. What appeared was a huge fox enveloped in golden fur, similar to that of a Woodsorrel. She might have been as large as Apao in his horse form. She also had nine tails and they were swaying gently around.

Button’s divine appearance was so captivating that even Chris, who had been openly cautious until now, seemed to be utterly mesmerized. Seemingly pleased with our reactions, Button snorted in a self-satisfied manner.

“Well then, shall we go ahead? Follow me.”

Led by Button, we started to move. Despite being overwhelmed by her presence, it seemed that moving forward naturally led to following behind. We kept our formation tight as we trailed behind her. Her tails were swaying from side to side as if she was in a good mood.

Button led us straight towards a pond. It looked like she intended to guide us to the pond located at the center of the flower garden. Whether taking us to the spot where most animals gathered was a sign of trust in us or a display of her confidence in her ability to subdue us if needed, it was unclear. However, my intuition leaned toward the latter.

“Antares, are you alright? Here, have some water.”

“Gulp, gulp… Ah, yes. My voice is back. Thanks, Chris.”

Chris created water through her spiritual arts and offered it to me in a cup with a worried look on her face. After drinking it all in one go, I was finally able to speak again.

Even though my weakness to alcohol was exploited, I was surprised by how easily I had been rendered powerless. What had she done, exactly?

“I’m sorry. The Great Mother often plays pranks like the one you just experienced.”

“It didn’t feel like a mere prank, though. But what exactly happened? It’s not like Antares to be neutralized so easily.”

“I don’t have all the details either. We, the demon fox race, are adept at illusion techniques, and the Great Mother has taught us much. I suspect she used some form of illusion as well… but how she managed to achieve such an effect is beyond me.”

[The Great Mother is also well-versed in medicines, so she probably used those too. It must be some secret technique known only to her.]

It seemed that even Woodsorrel and Gardenia were unsure of the exact methods Button had employed, though they were certain they involved both illusions and medicine. The complexity and effect of combining different techniques, beyond mere spiritual arts, was something I was aware of. To wield such skills with apparent ease… truly, she was worthy of being called the founder of the demon fox race.

Considering that Button was the founder of the demon fox race, she would be far older than Woodsorrel and Gardenia. Just how many years had she lived? But wait, to live for such a duration and to outmaneuver me without letting us grasp even a fraction of her power, could it be…

“Perhaps Lady Button is the demon fox race’s…”

“Hmm… Huh?”

“Oh, you’re awake?”

“Yeah. This place is beautiful.”

“Whoa?!”

The person who slowly appeared from the cargo bed was Lappy, who had apparently been sleeping until now. There was no need for the children to take turns keeping watch at night, nor had there been any staying up late. However, Lappy had been sleepy today and had been asleep ever since we set off.

Had Lappy been awake, she might have lashed out the moment Button clung to my back. It’s a relief that didn’t happen. If my suspicions were correct, Lappy could have died.

After surveying the surroundings, Lappy expressed her short impression of the flower garden before clinging to Chirik as if enveloping him. Chirik was still not used to Lappy’s displays of affection so he blushed and stiffened. If he was in the midst of spiritual art training, he might have lost control.

Regaining my composure, I observe the state of my comrades. The cargo bed obstructs my view of the rear, but I can still hear sounds and feel vibrations. It’s time to sharpen my senses which have been dulled by Button once again.

“Awoo~! Auuwoo~!”

“Whoa! Stop that, Lawqum… Ouch, ouch, ouch!”

“Lawqum is really energetic today, huh?”

Lawqum was the one overjoyed at the sight of the flower garden. It seemed he had shifted into his demon form and was eagerly leaning forward. While Tuhru held him gently, ensuring he didn’t leap out in his excitement, Linardo was being repeatedly hit by the wagging tail that he was swinging wildly due to being excited.

Lawqum’s power was growing day by day, making it increasingly challenging to care for him. I too would occasionally take on the task of looking after him, only to find myself at the mercy of his strength. When his power was wielded without malice, I keenly felt how difficult it would be to restrain him without causing injury.

“It’s marvelous… oh, truly marvelous…”

The one sobbing while furiously writing was Lorenz. This view of a flower garden must be precisely what he had been seeking. To complete his travelogue, he was undoubtedly capturing every detail of what he saw before him.

However, having someone burst into tears at such an awe-inspiring sight was somewhat problematic. It was making the others riding in the same carriage feel uneasy. While it was unreasonable to ask him not to be moved, I wished he could at least try to contain himself a bit.

The others also seemed overwhelmed by the fantastical flower garden. While I was thinking about this, we eventually reached the water’s edge of the pond.

The water in the pond was crystal clear, allowing us to see all the way to the bottom. It seemed as if water was springing from the bed of the pond, and the center always appeared to be rippling. There were no fish or aquatic insects in sight, which meant that the pond was mainly used as a drinking source for the animals living there.

“Here, this spot will do. You all should disembark.”

Button immediately told us to stop here. With no reason to object, I stepped down from the coachman’s seat. Button then transformed back into her Furu race form using her transformation technique.

This time, she wasn’t naked like Woodsorrel. Although the clothes she was wearing were unfamiliar, I could tell that they looked very expensive. This made me wonder where she could have possibly acquired it from. The mysteries surrounding her were endless.

“Now then, Antares, was it? I’ll be needing a bit of your time.”

“I don’t mind, but could you possibly share what this is about?”

“Okay. Our Lord, the chief of this pack has summoned you.”

Button seemed intent on introducing me to someone she reverently referred to as “our Lord”. However, the moment she mentioned it, I couldn’t shake off a sense of foreboding. Given Button’s strength and the respect she showed, the only figure that came to mind who would fit such a description was one.

“Our Lord… Could it possibly be the ‘Mountain God’?”

“A discerning man is always appreciated. Come this way.”

My apprehensions appeared to be justified. Button was indeed planning to bring me before the “Mountain God”. It seemed my modest hope of avoiding contact with such a high-ranking being was shattered.

I understand it. Being summoned like this, it was only proper to at least offer greetings as a basic courtesy. I was also aware that under normal circumstances, one would typically ask to be allowed to pay their respects.

Yet, the instinctual drive within me to “survive a hundred years” rebelled against the idea of standing before such a superior entity as the “Mountain God”. Truly, it was a troublesome predicament.

“Wait. Then I’ll come too.”

“We only need this man. But perhaps having a representative of the normal human species is necessary… hmm?”

Sensing my distress, Chris offered to accompany me. Button seemed uncertain whether to allow Chris to join, but the next turn of events was truly unexpected.

Near the pond stood a huge tree. Just when I noticed a single line running through its thick trunk, it split open widely. And from within, countless white root-like tendrils surged towards me.

“What…?!”

“Antares?!”

“Boss?!”

I instantly pulled out my twin swords and cut them to pieces to protect myself from the roots. However, the sheer number of roots was overwhelming. I was unable to cut through them all and was quickly bound and dragged into the depths of the huge tree.