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 sumr, the heat might have caused discomfort to those outside the forest, but the shade within the woods made for a pleasant resting environnt.
After sharing the identities of our attackers and the outco 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 aid to capture his imdiate thoughts and experiences in writing, to be elaborated on later. For Lorenz, his diary served as a notebook for his travelogue.
This thod was apparently inherited from his grandfather, and Lorenz seed to be following in his footsteps. As for , 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 forests fruits theres no shortage of things to write about.
Thats good to hear.
When its ti to publish the travelogue, Id 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 didnt 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 mont, 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 thods. All the children, except those who inherently disliked studying, were diligently attending their lessons.
Uuuow!
Whoa! S-Sidika, stop that!
However, there was one who disrupted these lessons: Sidika, Marcelluss 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 seed she wanted to be held by n, as she had clambered onto Marcelluss back.
Sidika had been peacefully sleeping on Marcelluss back, but when she woke up, it seed she yearned for her fathers affection. She tugged insistently at the nape of Marcelluss 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 squird contentedly in Marcelluss 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 ant 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 aid for Goras 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!
Lets cheer for Papa, shall we?
Muu
Oh dear, it seems Reese really dislikes fighting, doesnt 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 Lawqums eyes sparkled with excitent, Reese clung to Sharl as if she was afraid of the trio.
It appeared that everyone was enjoying this unexpected free ti in their own way. Just as I was thinking about joining the training, I sensed sothing approaching . Others also noticed it and alerted those around them, causing the campsites previously peaceful atmosphere to suddenly beco tense with vigilance.
What do you think, Antares?
Theres no attempt to conceal its presence, so I dont believe its an enemy but lets not let our guard down.
Right.
When Chris quickly ard herself and joined , 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 ant they bore no hostility. Therefore, it was highly possible that they were ssengers sent in response by Gardenia.
Although it was supposed to take at least four days, an ergency might have arisen. However, it was impossible to definitively say that these creatures wouldnt 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 sothing golden erged 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 ssage 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 hadnt used during the battle with Gardenia, and restored my tail to its original size.
She montarily froze at the sight of my different appearance, but upon seeing my exoskeleton and tail, she seed to grasp the situation fully. After snorting, she grumbled through telepathy as if she felt sowhat frustrated with the situation.
[Seriously, you just had to escape on your own And youve changed quite a bit, havent you?
A lot has happened Its been a while, Woodsorrel.
The demon fox before us was indeed Woodsorrel, with whom I had made a secret pact during the Rookie Tournant. Although the number of her tails had doubled, the voice that ca through telepathically hadnt 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 ssage specifically for .]
I knew you two were from the sa demon fox race, but Gardenia was a relative of yours?
[Yes, thats right. And then what was it, a demon? How does one turn from a scorpion into sothing 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? Isnt 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, youll be attacked by guardians far stronger than Gardenia. Youd 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 sothing out there, sothing she was certain we couldnt defeat. What could it be. I couldnt help but wonder.
[But dont worry. Ill persuade them for you.]
Huh? Wait, youre not here as a ssenger with a reply or for so urgent matter?
[No, not at all. I just rushed over after hearing the ssage from Gardenia and finding out where you were. Oh, looks like theyve arrived.]
Woodsorrel, while still lying down, offered to take on the task of persuasion. HoweverI never thought that it was Woodsorrels own decision to co 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.
[Its fine. This one is an acquaintance of mine. Eh? Your na? Whats your na?]
Woodsorrel was communicating with her companions who were chasing her through telepathy before she suddenly asked for my na. It was impossible for Woodsorrel to know my na since back when I was a fighting beast, not only was I incapable of telepathic communication, but I also lacked a na altogether.
Antares. Its a na given to by soone I owe a great debt to.
[So, its Antares. Isnt it strange that we are acquainted and yet I dont know your na? We didnt exchange nas when we first t. 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!
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