Welcome to Hell! - Chapter 275: Return to the Flower Garden

Having returned Antares to the flower garden, the “Mountain God” pondered while caressing the seed resting in his palm. He was thinking about where to plant this seed and how to reward Antares.

“Hmm… What should I bestow upon him? Do you have any suggestions, Sir Trickster?”

“Oh, have you noticed me?”

“Even though you are a greater ancient god than my mother, I am not so senile that I wouldn’t notice someone entering my body.”

The spherical space to which Antares was invited was crafted by the “Mountain God” weaving together the roots of his lower half. Even though it was detached from his main body, it remained a part of the “Mountain God” that shared his sensations. No matter how much one concealed their presence, it was impossible not to be detected within it.

When the “Mountain God” turned around, he saw a long-haired man wearing a straw hat, a worn T-shirt, frayed jeans, and mud-covered rubber boots. He was carrying a well-used hoe over his shoulder and he looked as if he had just been working in the fields.

However, in this world, T-shirts, jeans, and rubber boots did not exist. The attire was bizarre to the extreme, but the “Mountain God” was unfazed, as if this were nothing out of the ordinary for him.

“Ah, truly fitting for the ‘Mountain God’. There’s a reason you’re considered one of the highest-ranking gods, aside from the ancient gods themselves.”

“Coming from an ancient god, that almost sounds like a backhanded compliment.”

The “Mountain God” stated this in a matter-of-fact manner, but the long-haired man merely chuckled in response. He then casually pulled out a small blue crystal ball from his pocket and tossed it into the air.

As the crystal ball came to a halt mid-air, it began to emit a faint glow. This glow slowly took the form of a figure… the figure of the god who had tasked Antares with crossing the mountain, the “God of Wisdom” Aiwass.

“It’s been a while, Mountain.”

“Wisdom, eh? So you were involved in this as well.”

The “Mountain God” was acquainted with Aiwass and had sensed his presence from Antares. Neither Antares nor any of his companions were aware of this connection, nor could they sense it. So, how did the “Mountain God” come to realize it?

The answer lay in the name of Antares. His name was bestowed upon him by Aiwass, and this was synonymous with gaining the blessing of the “God of Wisdom”. It was this connection that the “Mountain God” had sensed.

“I have tasked him with establishing my research base beyond the mountains. I understand that you have no intention of interfering, but I thought it best to inform you directly.”

“I have no interest in what lies beyond the mountains. Do as you please.”

Aiwass had made a point of contacting the “Mountain God” as a way of showing respect. It was a matter of principle to inform a peer or superior when setting up a base of operations in their vicinity. Silence could be taken as a lack of sincerity, and relationships without sincerity are prone to complications. This principle held true among both humans and deities alike.

The “Mountain God” showed no particular reaction to Aiwass’s plans to establish a base nearby. This was not because he was tolerant, but because he had no interest in anything other than his own domain, the Shumie Mountain Range and the forests at its base.

“Always the same, huh~? Well, given the expanse of your territory, it’s among the largest not just on this planet but among others as well, so humility isn’t exactly your strong suit.”

“Thank you. If you’re troubled about what gift to give Antares, I have a suggestion. Would you like to hear it?”

“Hmm, let’s hear it.”

After Antares left, a discussion unfolded among the three gods about what the “Mountain God” should gift him. The debate wasn’t particularly heated, but given the gods’ different perceptions of time, it concluded only several days later.

◆◇◆◇◆◇

“I’ve really been through the wringer…”

“Bro, you must be exhausted.”

Back in the flower garden, I found myself lying on the ground, completely exhausted. Being overpowered by the transcendent “Mountain God” and then tossed around not once but twice had taken its toll. Even for a demon known for my physical endurance, and one of the more resilient ones at that, it was impossible not to feel exhausted.

Chris, who lifted my head and placed it on her lap to give me a lap pillow, blushed shyly. While I thought it was unnecessary for her to bother if she was embarrassed, I lacked the energy to say so. Besides, experiencing a lap pillow for the first time was surprisingly comforting. I decided to just accept her care.

Lappy, who sat next to me, flapped her ears in her demon form to send a breeze my way. The wind she created felt soothing. I murmured a thank you as I gently stroked her head.

“I’m really sorry, Antares. Our Lord can be a bit forceful at times.”

“Really, I’m so sorry!”

Button and Gardenia apologized as I lay collapsed. It was uncertain whether their actions could be termed as “slight”, but it was clear that the fault didn’t lie with them. Nor was it with the “Mountain God”. I managed to prop myself up to indicate that their apologies were unnecessary by shaking my head.

“The root of all these troubles is my own weakness. To be in such a state from merely encountering the ‘Mountain God’… and then to have burdened others with concern is shameful. It seems my past training was too lacing.”

Indeed, the fault was mine. It was my own weakness that made me tremble at the mere presence of a god. To overcome this, I needed to further enhance my fighting spirit and spiritual power. More rigorous training than ever before was necessary to elevate myself.

As I renewed my resolve, the faces of three of the four people listening to this, excluding Lappy, tensed up. Their reaction wasn’t what I expected, but since Lappy was nodding her head vigorously, there was no problem. I decided to commit to even more rigorous training.

“Still, it’s impressive how well you’ve adapted in such a short time.”

While I was slightly concerned by the reactions of the three, I was more impressed by the conduct of my comrades. After I was dragged into the giant tree, Tigar and the others didn’t hesitate to draw their weapons. It was only after Gardenia, Button, and Chris intervened that they sheathed them again.

Upon hearing the commotion, a multitude of animals gathered around the pond. They seemed like curious children who could not read the room in a good way. Mistaking Tigar and the others in their demon form for some kind of strange comrades, they frolicked around them without any hesitation.

The animals, seemingly diffusing any tension, played around with Tigaru and the rest who were worried about me. Once I returned and they were reassured of my safety, they began to interact with the creatures.

“Aoooo~! Aoooo~!”

“Meow?”

Even now, Lawqum, the son of Linardo and Tuhru, was straddling the back of a bear cub. Lise, the daughter of Tigar and Sharl, was having a staring contest with a litter of wildcat kittens.

Countless young monkeys were scaling the giant Gora as if he were a piece of playground equipment, while various birds perched on the shoulders and fingertips of his wife, Farl. It seemed like the animals were also gathering around the other comrades, following a certain pattern.

“It seems like they are attracted to the demons that are synthesized with similar creatures as them.”

“It appears a sense of kinship is blossoming among them.”

“Well, they are just children, after all.”

Button and Woodsorrelt watched over them with amused smiles. Even in the short time before I would leave this place, I preferred to be on good terms over discord.

By then, adult animals had also joined in the interaction. Today, it had been decided that we would gather for a feast. The forest’s bounty provided ample ingredients. Our role was to cook them.

“Mmm, delicious indeed.”

“Really, it’s just as the Great Mother says.”

“Humans should not be underestimated.”

Typically, the animals feasted on dishes prepared especially for them, but the demon foxes who could use transformation techniques alone shared our meals. Their ability to transform their physical structure into that of humans made this possible.

However, the demon foxes were fewer in number than I had expected. Including Button and Woodorrel, there were only eight who could transform. Along with twelve like Gardenias who were yet to master the skill, there were only twenty in total.

Furthermore, every one of them was female. It wasn’t that they were disguised as women; it appeared that the demon fox tribe consisted solely of females. This raised the question of how they continued their lineage. Button provided an explanation.

“We absorb the spiritual power of selected males and use it as a seed to conceive our offspring.”

“So, the child matter that Woodsorrel mentioned…”

“Remember Antares at that time? He was already strong, wasn’t he? I had an intuition that a child born from his spiritual power would surely be a powerful daughter! I’ll go for seconds!”

With that, Woodsorrel ran towards Mika and the others, who were tending the pot. Meanwhile, those of us who had heard Button’s story couldn’t help but marvel at the unique biology of the demon fox race. The trait of being able to conceive with any creature, despite only females existing within their kind, was unheard of.

The demon foxes sharing our meal also mentioned that their fathers varied widely. Some had bears, others had wildcats, and there were even those with fathers from the Furu race, whom they encountered when descending into human territories.

Even with their strong sense of kinship, the demon foxes seemed to lack a traditional sense of parent-child relationship. While they recognized their mothers as such, their relationship felt more like that of sisters. Instead, they all revered Button as the Great Mother and placed her, the founder, at the apex, with everyone else treated as equals.

“By the way, how long are we allowed to stay? We plan to leave as soon as we’ve replenished our supplies and checked the carriage.”

“Oh? Why not stay a bit longer?”

“Even if you say so, I have promises to keep.”

Woodsorrel tried to persuade me to delay our departure while I was asking Button about when we should leave. I was happy to be reunited with her again, but this was a different story. We should leave as soon as possible.

However, Button furrowed her brows in concern at my question, which was unexpected. This should not be troubling her at all, so what could be the matter?

“Regarding that matter… our Lord is thinking about a gift to bestow upon you. We wish for you to remain here until a decision is reached.”

“I-Is that so?”

Though I didn’t expect to be asked to leave right away, I also didn’t expect that the other party would ask me to stay. And just like that, we found ourselves spending several days in the care of the “Mountain God”.