Chapter 12

Fifth Report A Full Account of the Strange Incident in the Forest of the Vale “You’re sure about this?” Limis asks a little nervously. “…I am,” says Toudou, nodding. A cloudless blue sky hangs over the endless grasslands. Behind them is the outer wall of Vale Village. Toudou faces the direction opposite the way they’d planned to go. There is no enthusiasm in his face. “Sir Nao…,” says Aria, her voice tinged with regret. Nao mumbles to himself. It’s his choice—not Aria’s, not Limis’s. “I—am the hero,” he says, as if to remind himself. His words blow away with the breeze, and his feet take him once more toward the forest. He must always try to fulfill his role as the hero. Naotsugu Toudou’s code of conduct is as steadfast as his will to succeed. Dammit, just one more pain in my ass. I’d rather battle a monster to the death than deal with this. Still cloudy-eyed, unsteady on her feet, and convinced that she isn’t drunk, Amelia demonstrates surprising evasive skills. I’m good at chasing monsters but not so good at chasing people. Even so, after she deftly dodges me for a while, I manage to corner Amelia by the wall and catch hold of her arm. Finally got her. This lightweight… Just as I stretch out my hand toward her head to cast a holy technique, suddenly Amelia jumps with a start. I stop. She turns her face to me, a pointed look in her eyes. Her cheeks are still red, but she doesn’t appear drunk anymore. Then, in her normal, flat voice, she says, “…Ares, it seems that Toudou…has gone back to the Forest of the Vale.” The only thing more shocking than this drastic change in Amelia is what’s coming out of her mouth. Toudou is…going into the forest? No, no, no, no. It doesn’t make any sense. We went to the trouble of coaching the village headman and Glacia to convince the party to go to Golem Valley, and they reported to Helios that they intended to make that their next destination. There’s no reason why Toudou would lie to the Church, and even if he changed his mind, he doesn’t have any reason to go into the Forest of the Vale. I try to act calm but can’t help my voice from lowering. “Why?” “…I’m receiving the transmission from Glacia now. She’s…just saying nonsense. She isn’t giving a reason.” “…Shit.” Why can’t they just do what they’re supposed to for once? I told you the forest was dangerous, you dumbasses! I try to think this through clearly. Amelia says they’ve already gone back into the forest, so even if we leave now, it’ll take us an hour to get there. Amelia is sitting soberly in the chair across from me. “I’m sorry… If only I had contacted Glacia earlier…” I check the time. It’s still several hours before the update we’d decided on. “No, I’m glad you caught it when you did.” “I was just a little uneasy…” Of course, it would have been even better if she’d realized when they first started heading toward the forest, but that’s in the past. Now, hold on a second—is this the Amelia who was completely drunk a moment ago? I stare at her. She seems entirely back to normal. Does she have an on and off switch or something?! I want to pursue that, but for the time being, I set it aside. Right now, it’s time to work. The first thing we need to do is gather information and review the safety concerns of the situation. I steered Toudou away from the forest because it’s highly dangerous. But that isn’t the only reason. “The area of the forest Glacia was chased out of—the area inhabited by the glacial plants—is the very deepest point in the forest. That woodland is enormous. It’s highly unlikely the party will encounter the demon right away.” “But what we haven’t established yet is why the demon drove Glacia so far out toward the edge of the forest.” That’s exactly right. That is the reason I wanted to keep Toudou away. We don’t have a solid understanding of the situation. It actually doesn’t matter if this demon is a servant of the Demon Lord or not. If Toudou encounters any demon at this stage, he has no chance of winning. “I want to know why Toudou went back there.” If he just wants to level up in the forest, that shouldn’t be a problem. They wouldn’t wander into the deeper, more dangerous parts of the woods. Although it seems unlikely, if he intends to fight that demon, this is a much riskier situation. Even the usual monsters that live in the deep parts of the woods would be dangerous for Toudou’s party at their current level. Amelia sighs loudly. “…The only thing Glacia is saying is that she’s hungry.” “That’s useless to us.” Did I really not scare Toudou enough in the forest? Maybe I should’ve broken one of his arms. I take a deep breath and try to organize my thoughts. No point dwelling on the past. Although my position here is limited, I need to handle this as calmly as possible and do what I can. “I’m going to go into the woods assuming the worst. I’ll kill the demon before it gets to them if that’s what it comes down to.” “Understood.” A clear, concise response. How could she have been drunk a few minutes ago? I clear my throat. “…I think you’re aware, but I want you to stay here on standby.” “…Why is that?” She doesn’t get it? I…don’t want her holding me up. My fighting style is simple. I enter the battle alone, make use of a lot of buffs and heals, and strike the enemy using my mace. There really is no place for Amelia. “I specialize in solo fighting.” “So you’re saying I’d just be in the way.” …Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. Priests are most useful in the context of a party. There isn’t really anything she can do to contribute when it’s just me. Amelia fixes a stare at me, her expression unchanging. “Answer me this, Ares. How do you plan to find Toudou’s party in that enormous forest in the first place?” “If I concentrate enough, I’ll be able to pick up on their presence.” “Yes, but you have limited range. Using my magic, I would be able to search a much wider area than you could.” There is truth in that. I’m not an expert at life-force tracking—I’m sure with her magic she could do much better than me. I lick my lips and narrow my eyes at Amelia. It’s a given that if I want to be absolutely sure of finding Toudou’s party, I should bring Amelia with me. The thing is, that comes with its own set of risks. If I lose her in the woods now, she won’t be around when I need her later. Also, if Amelia is there with me in battle, I’ll have to protect her. An intelligent opponent would recognize that as a vulnerability. Sensing my hesitation, Amelia sighs and looks up at me. “Ares…I volunteered for this position with full knowledge that I could die.” …So what you’re saying is, “Don’t worry about my life.” I stare hard at her, but Amelia maintains her composure. “…Fine. But if you feel your life is in danger, you are to flee immediately. And you have to follow my orders.” “Got it.” Her quick replies make me uneasy. Does she really understand what she’s agreeing to? The hero’s life is important, but so is hers. I’m not a great warrior, and I don’t have a lot of different skills. The only things I can do are pray and smash things with my mace. “Amelia, contact Helios. He should have prepared a runner lizard for our travels—tell him we’re coming to get it a little early. I’ll report the situation to the cardinal. We depart in ten minutes. Let’s get ourselves ready.” “Understood.” Since we had planned to leave in the evening, our belongings are already prepared for departure. As I use a little magic to start the transmission, my head throbs with pain. No matter how much trouble Toudou causes, he always seems to come out feeling just fine… Just once, I’d like to kick his ass. Of course, I don’t think the Church would let me do that, though. Mercenaries are gathered in front of the church in a wide circle. In the center is a rare creature. It’s a lizard about the size of a horse called a “runner lizard.” I asked the church to provide us with one of these creatures as our means of transportation. These lizards were crossbred so they can be mounted, and although they are more difficult to handle than horses, they’re also a lot tougher. Helios stands next to the wild-tempered creature, holding the bridle to restrain it. “Looks like you’ve got it all set,” I call out to him. He smiles slightly in his usual way, shrugging. “Being so close to the forest, where there are many monsters, we are prepared for these situations. This is, however, the first time I have handled one of these creatures.” The lizard becomes aware of my presence, and its body shudders. It growls, perceiving me as a threat. “Do you have experience riding lizards?” Helios asks. “I do. No problem at all.” I take the reins from Helios’s hands. The moment I take hold of them, the lizard’s eyes open wide, and it cries out. Without me saying anything at all, the lizard shudders and immediately lies down on the spot. It takes a while to get these lizards used to humans, but they will fall in line with their superiors. If you’re level 60 or above, they’ll cooperate. Amelia loads our bags onto the back of the pacified lizard. “If anything comes up, Amelia will contact you,” I tell Helios. “Certainly… What of the crusader who was originally tasked with defeating the demon?” “He may not be needed. Our plan is to follow the hero, observe his movements, and make further decisions from there. The crusader should be arriving in three days—or actually, two days now. We should be able to decide how to proceed by then.” If it seems possible to get Toudou out of the forest right away, then I intend to pursue him and leave the demon alone. I touch the lizard’s cool, scaly head with the palm of my hand and say a prayer. The lizard is wrapped in the light of a buff. If we didn’t make it in time just because I was trying to conserve all my holy energy, our efforts would be wasted. I intend to do this job properly. I lightly jump off from the ground and mount the saddle. My line of sight is higher from the lizard’s back. Runner lizards have more strength in their legs than horses. They move at a considerable speed, but it isn’t as smooth a ride. After Amelia finishes loading the bags, I extend a hand to help her up. “Use holy techniques on yourself before you get completely sick. If you think you’re going to vomit, say so before it happens, and I’ll let you off.” “Who do you think I am, Ares? I don’t mean to brag, but I’m a strong rider.” You also said you’re a strong drinker, didn’t you? I grab Amelia’s hand and get her up in one pull. I check that she’s seated behind me, then turn back to Helios. I can’t decide what to say for a moment but finally go with, “I owe you one.” “Not at all. I have learned much from you.” The first time we met, I thought he was kind of a shady character, but people don’t always turn out the way they seem. “May Ahz Gried protect you.” “…Thanks.” The runner lizard they found for us is a fast mover. Its body shakes as its feet thud against the ground. The scenery flies past us at a terrific speed. Probably her first time on a runner lizard, Amelia grasps my torso firmly, but she doesn’t make a peep. She’s got a lot of grit to be able to handle this. “Do you know where they are now?” I ask her. “Y-yes. They—appear—to be—on the main—forest road.” …Is she really okay? I have a feeling she might be talking up her riding prowess like she talked up her drinking. She doesn’t seem to be doing well, so I wordlessly cast a holy technique on her. “…I’m not lying,” Amelia complains. “I can hold my liquor, and I am a good rider.” “Is that so?” “This is just…a bit worse than I expected… It feels like my insides are being churned…” The constant jostling up and down is a little intense. I remember that feeling of discomfort. I’m not trying to pick on her or anything. “Can you speak with Glacia?” “…Moving at this speed, it would be impossible. I can’t identify her location.” Transmission magic is still in the early stages of development. It can’t be helped that it has limitations. I work through some thoughts out loud. “Glacia was chased out of her home in the forest during the night, and most demons are nocturnal. So it’s unlikely that it would be roaming around during the day.” “…You sound like you’re trying to convince yourself of that.” “I mean…it does give me some peace of mind, but it’s my honest assessment. Anyway, in the end, this will just come down to Toudou’s own luck.” You never know what’s going to happen when it comes to Toudou. Nothing surprises me anymore. Although it’s unlikely he’ll encounter the demon, it is still a possibility—especially if he’s looking for it. They say that heroes have the power to direct the course of fate… How troublesome for their supporters. “Even if the worst happens, we just need to make sure Toudou gets out of this alive. I don’t know if we can count on Glacia, but Limis and Aria have given their word that they’ll protect him. Their levels are low, but they could at least draw the demon away from him.” “But wouldn’t that cause trouble with the kingdom?” I don’t give a crap about that. I’ve already been thrown out of the party anyway. After a little less than an hour traveling on the lizard’s back, the forest entrance comes into view. The closing of the village gate and blocking entry to the forest were lies intended to drive Toudou away from the Vale, but the local mercenaries have been notified of the appearance of a dangerous monster in the woods. There’s no one to be seen at the forest’s edge. The main road is wide, but with all the tree overgrowth, it’s impossible to enter with the lizard. Amelia dismounts the lizard’s back and throws the largest bag over her shoulder. “I can carry this one,” she insists stubbornly. “Have you walked through the forest before?” “…I haven’t really. My first time was with Toudou a few days ago.” It would be a lot of trouble for me if she collapsed somewhere along the way. I point to a smaller bag. “Take that one instead.” “Won’t you lose agility if you carry all the heavy ones?” “What I need isn’t agility—it’s strength and stamina.” “Ares, I think you’re a little overprotective.” “If you think you can carry so much, at some point when we have the luxury of spare time, I’ll give you plenty to carry.” I’m not being protective, and I’m not doing her a kindness. This is about practicality. I appreciate the sentiment, but everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Amelia gives in and takes the smaller bag. “If you could give me regular updates on Toudou’s whereabouts, that would be helpful. I’d like to stay one step ahead of them.” “Got it,” she says, nodding. I look out from the forest entrance. We still have a few hours of daylight. If possible, I’d like to resolve this situation before dark. We move down the forest road at a quick pace, Amelia using her detection magic from time to time to confirm Toudou’s location. At present, it appears Toudou’s party is still traveling the main road. This gives me a bad feeling. The path of the main road is carefully planned, and there are few monsters near it. If you want to level up, you need to get off it and into the woods. As I turn this over in my mind, a treant appears along our path. I smash it with my mace. This is a monster I could have defeated when I was ten years old. I knock it away with one hit and then swing my mace a few times in front of me out of habit. “…You wouldn’t think a priest would be so good at killing things.” “Amelia, even you should be able to keep up with monsters of this level. Although they might not be enough to level you up.” I’m no good at talking, but killing is where I excel. I’ve spent a lot of time leveling up. A lot of time wiping out the followers of darkness. Whether my opponent is a demon, a dragon, or even a human, I destroy them without mercy. Toudou is moving pretty quickly, but he’s spending more time in battle. We’re rapidly closing the distance. I first start to feel uneasy after about our tenth encounter in the forest. After killing a low-level wolf monster, I wipe the blood off my mace and look to Amelia. “…There are too many monsters,” I say. “Too many?” “We’ve already fought ten or so battles since we entered the forest. That’s unusually high for the main road.” It’s not like we’ve taken any special measures to avoid the monsters, but they typically don’t like to be near the road, as hunters frequently pass through on it. It could be that these were chased out of their normal territory, just like the glacial plant. I close my eyes as I focus my mind and sharpen my senses. I don’t perceive any followers of darkness around us—none at all. Could it just be a coincidence…? While certainly a possibility, there have been a lot of monsters in a short distance. It might be best for us to try to get ahead of Toudou as quickly as we can. “We’re turning off the road. Let’s get in front of them.” “Okay.” “We need to move a little faster. Are you tired?” “I’m fine.” I don’t know how true that is…but I’ll have to take her word on it. Amelia is no fool. If she couldn’t move any faster, she would say so. Worst-case scenario is that she collapses, and then I can just carry her. “Can you keep tracking them as we walk?” “Yes, for about an hour. I also brought medicine to restore my magical energy, so if we need to continue tracking, that will give us a little more time.” An hour isn’t very long, and we should be reserving magic for when we really need it. Maybe it isn’t realistic to be tracking them continuously. “Forget about the constant tracking. Just check periodically to make sure there aren’t any major developments.” “Okay.” I take a step off the road. Then something occurs to me—there are a lot of old trees with thick trunks and thick branches in the Forest of the Vale. I ask Amelia just for the hell of it. “It’d be faster to run through the treetops than walk on the ground. Do you think you could do it?” “…Ares, what do you think I am?” I guess that might be asking a little too much… We walk through the thickly growing trees in silence, trampling grass and snapping branches as we go. The only signs of life are the footprints of beasts. The sun is getting lower in the sky. It should set completely in about two hours. I wonder if Toudou will stop and set up camp. Hopefully, he isn’t foolish enough to march through the night. As we head deeper into the woods pursuing Toudou, I notice something. Compared to the main road, there are actually fewer monsters the farther into the forest we go. Speaking from experience, this is usually not a good thing. I stop walking and grind my heel into the ground in frustration. I consider sending out murderous intent in a wide area around us—could that lure the target in our direction? Maybe, but the risk is too high. Rash decisions can result in mistakes. I shouldn’t forget about our more reliable methods. “Amelia, where is Toudou now?” “About three kilometers ahead.” “Three kilometers… We should be able to catch up with them.” Picking up the pace was worth it. Amelia’s face is flushed, but from her voice, I get the impression she can keep going. “So, Ares—” At that moment, a bat-type monster about a meter long swoops down at me from behind. I manage to smash it with my mace. I can feel I hit it hard enough to crush its flesh and its bones. The creature lies dead on the ground, and I step on it with the heel of my shoe as I catch my breath. “Were you going to say something?” “…No… It’s nothing.” “Do you sense any large presences in the woods?” Amelia shuts her eyes and uses her detection magic. She opens them again, shaking her head. “…I can sense the presence of several entities deeper in the woods, but as for whether they are our target…” “Do you sense a demon?” “No demons… I would know the presence of a follower of darkness.” There are several types of monsters that could rival a glacial plant living in the deepest part of the woods. It’s hard to make the distinction between them from this distance. We can’t really know for sure whether our target is still in the woods. After a moment’s consideration, I decide to prioritize following Toudou. All I can do right now is act based on the information I have. “There’s also the possibility that our target is not a follower of darkness,” I point out. “There are others who serve the Demon Lord.” “Is it possible that another monster living in the woods happened to evolve, like Glacia did, and then drove her out?” “…That could be. But I think if that were the case, Glacia would have mentioned it.” Could this be a coincidence? I suppose there’s a chance we’re just having some really terrible luck. Personally, I wish that was the case, but there’s no point discussing hypotheticals. I continue swatting away the creatures we encounter as we move deeper into the woods. I occasionally check the map, and Amelia periodically uses her magic to confirm Toudou’s location. Toudou’s own ability of detection is still low. We decided to walk approximately one kilometer ahead of the party, from which distance we can still roughly sense their presence without using Amelia’s magic. Perhaps growing tired from their first march in some time, Toudou’s party starts moving increasingly slowly. They all have low stamina, Limis especially. Before long, their progress stops completely, and we stop with them. Amelia leans against a tree and settles her rough breathing. I toss her the canteen, and although she’s a bit flustered, she catches it deftly. Taking off the cap, Amelia looks a little discouraged. “Ares…aren’t you tired?” “I’m pretty sturdily built, and I’m used to this.” I sense no movement from Toudou’s party. They must have finally exhausted themselves. I open the map of the woods. There’s water in the direction Toudou is heading. Before long, it grows dark. If they don’t intend to continue walking through the night, they’ll probably camp where they are now. “Anything from Glacia?” “…Apparently, she’s hungry again…” It’s the same response she’s gotten for a while now. That dragon girl is useless. I need to have another talk with her. As expected, Toudou and the others seem to have set up camp. Once they stop moving entirely, we set up our own sleeping quarters. We camp in somewhat of a clearing, a little more than a kilometer from Toudou’s camp. Unlike Toudou’s group, who can use the carriage to sleep in, we have to set up a campground ourselves. Fortunately, we have clear weather, and sleeping on the ground shouldn’t be any problem. I can sense Toudou and Aria going into the woods, possibly to retrieve some food. Limis and Glacia stay back at the campsite. They head out without casting a prism, which is a careless move. I quietly take out a bottle of holy water from my bag, spill the contents on the ground, and cast a prism large enough to cover both camps. I look over at Amelia, who is moving rocks and fallen branches, clearing herself a space on the ground. “I’ll be taking the night watch,” I say. “Oh… No, I—” “I don’t need you to worry about me,” I say firmly. “I’ll need you to use your detection magic again tomorrow, so I want you to get some rest.” “…” “At this distance from their camp, I have a pretty clear sense of things. Try to rest and restore your magical energy as much as possible.” She attempts to appear attentive, but it’s clear from the change in her demeanor that she’s tired. A person’s level is a good reference point, but there are other factors to consider as well. Amelia has satisfactorily met all my demands, but compared to a veteran hunter, she’s still very delicate. She’s probably aware of that. Amelia resigns herself with a nod. “All right… If anything happens, please wake me.” “Will do.” Even if she hadn’t said it, it’s not like I would have left her sleeping. Night arrives. The woods are covered in an opaque darkness, and I can sense the increased activity of monsters. I satisfy my hunger with the tough biscuits we brought for travel. Thanks to the prism, I don’t sense any threats in our immediate vicinity. It would be good if Amelia and Toudou’s group could recover a bit of their stamina… I can hear Amelia’s short breaths as she sleeps, and I don’t think any of Toudou’s party has strayed from the campground in the night. In the end, today was uneventful. The woods seemed a little different than usual, but there wasn’t anything particularly strange. As I stretch my stiff body and try to relax, I suddenly sense a strong presence. I look up, staring through the trees and into the darkness. I focus my mind and sharpen all five senses. I open my eyes and stand slowly, not making a sound. Something is out there. It’s still far, but it’s definitely there. It isn’t my imagination. The presence isn’t a follower of darkness, but it doesn’t feel like any of the smaller monsters that live in this area, either. When I strain my ears, I can’t hear any kind of cry or call. But the forest is a little quieter than usual tonight. The presence appeared just on the edge of my range of perception. From this distance, I can’t tell very much about it. The good news is that it seems to be in the deeper part of the woods, closer to me, so there’s no concern about it attacking Toudou first. I look at Amelia. She’s sleeping soundly. I have little information about this enemy, but its presence is smaller than I’d expected. I should be able to take it down on my own. I wake Amelia as quietly as I can. “…Mmm…” She groans, opening her eyes halfway and sitting up. While I can kill this thing alone, if I consider the worst-case scenario, it’s not a good idea to leave her here sleeping. “There’s something big out there. I’m gonna go take it down. Stay with me on the transmission—I’ll report the situation to you as I go.” “…Huh?! …Okay. I understand.” Eradication techniques are only effective on followers of darkness. I can’t be sure if this presence is our target, but it occurs to me that if it had been up to Helios to deal with this alone, he could have ended up in a tough situation. For me, it doesn’t matter whether this enemy is a demon or something else. Still waking up, Amelia starts to get unsteadily to her feet. I stop her. “You don’t need to come, Amelia. Stay here on standby in case I need you.” “What…?” “I can handle this alone. That’s an order. And you have other duties. You understand, right?” If things go south, I’ll need her to inform Toudou’s party of the situation and help them escape. Amelia looks frustrated. “Am I just a burden to you?” she asks, her voice shaking slightly. “No—it’s just that fighting isn’t your role. You track, I kill. You just need to play your part.” If I knew for sure this was an enemy weak to eradication techniques, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to let her try to kill it. But she could be at a pretty big disadvantage with our present opponent. Amelia bites her lip. “I…I can fight, too.” “…” It’s not a question of whether or not she can fight; it’s that there’s no need for her to. If I needed her help, I wouldn’t hesitate to ask. How do I convince her? As I stare at her, thinking on this, she says, “…But this time, I’ll follow your orders. I didn’t come here to be a nuisance.” “…Thanks.” If that’s how you feel, you could have just said that in the first place, I think, swallowing the words. It’s not coming straight at us, but the presence is slowly moving in our direction. It makes no sound, and because it’s downwind of us, I don’t catch any scent. It moves cautiously. I pick up my mace and grip it tightly. Amelia stretches her arms, then reaches out a hand and touches my head. Her palm emits a bright light that cuts through the darkness. A holy technique—it’s a class-three buff. I can feel my physical abilities substantially increasing. “So you can conserve your holy energy,” she says as she withdraws her hand. “…Right.” Really, I’d have preferred that she conserve her own holy energy in case something happens to Toudou, but I suppose that wouldn’t make for a good response. “All right, I’ll be back soon. Leave the transmission on for me. I’ll keep you updated on my status. Questions?” “None at all.” “If anything happens with Toudou, be sure to let me know. Any questions?” “No, absolutely none.” I wonder if she was able to replenish a little of her magical energy. Her complexion does look better than before she rested. Even if the transmission were to cut out while I’m gone, as long as I’m able to defeat this thing, there shouldn’t be any problems. I grip my mace and take stock of my condition. I’m not fatigued. Even if my opponent is a demon, I’ll be able to handle it. “If you don’t think you can win, run from the battle and return here. If I let you die, then I’m in trouble,” says Amelia, only half-serious. “Got it?” “…Got it.” I see her point, but it’s not like I’m gonna lose. Even though I’m not technically a fighting class, I’ve been through countless battles. They didn’t all go smoothly, but I always came out victorious. Amelia must know that. She has to be familiar with my background. I know very well why I, of all priests, was chosen to support Naotsugu Toudou. My opponent isn’t concealing itself, so it takes no time at all to locate. I find it along a beasts’ trail, out in the open, the moonlight shining down on it from the cloudless sky. When I lay eyes on it, I feel like I’m seeing something from a nightmare. The beast’s body is the color of deep-amber flames, and its crimson hair shines like the sun. It’s two meters in height and has shining golden claws and fangs. A wild flame blazes in its fur, setting fire to the grass around it and scorching the earth. What I’m seeing is a lion. A flaming lion. The smell of smoke spreading through the woods confirms it. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Then I open them, verifying once more what’s in front of me. I check that the transmission is connected and report to Amelia. “…It’s a flame lion.” “…What?” I’m not making this stuff up! Amelia is silent for a moment. “…Did you just say flame? There are fire types living in the forest?” “…There shouldn’t be. It’s burning everything up.” If it wasn’t right in front of my eyes, I wouldn’t believe it myself. Beasts like this can’t live in forests because they’ll burn them to the ground. These types usually live in craters and other places. I’ve fought this type of monster before. Beasts that possess special abilities are generally very powerful. As their name indicates, flame lions are magical beasts that use the power of fire. They are ferocious, intelligent, physically very strong, and able to control flame. The recommended level to battle one of these is around 60. As its flaming fur brushes the trees, it sets them ablaze, turning them into torches. A tremendous amount of smoke floats up toward the sky. “Who would bring something like this here…?” Regardless of how weak or strong this beast is, the terrific light and heat coming off it make me want to flee for the first time in ages. …This might be worse than a demon. Even if I can kill this monster, I don’t have any way of putting out the fires it will leave behind. “Full Flame Resist.” I cast a holy technique that will increase my resistance to fire. When monsters possess an elemental attribute, only that single element is highly dangerous. If you take steps to protect yourself against it, it isn’t so hard to deal with. Having the ability to increase my elemental resistance as needed, I’m fairly well suited to this opponent. What concerns me isn’t the enemy itself so much as our surroundings. There aren’t any regions nearby that this type of monster naturally inhabits, so it really shouldn’t be here. It’s possible that something else brought it…but I don’t have time to think about that now. I click my tongue once and push off from the ground. Approaching the monster at a high speed, I feel the extreme heat coming off it. I first strike it with my mace, knocking it to the ground. It lets out a cry of rage that shakes the trees. The spikes of my mace tear through its skin, and as I pull the weapon back, blood flies and splatters on the trees and my clothes. The trees burst into flame when touched by the burning-hot liquid, but it doesn’t cause me any damage because of my extra fire resistance. The trees have no such protection. “Amelia, can you generate water?” “…Unfortunately, no.” That’s the answer I expected, though I can’t help but be disappointed when I hear it. The lion leaps in the air, coming straight at me. I take a half step back and narrowly avoid the swipe of its claws. I see the crimson color of its mane reflected in those claws as they manage to cut a few strands of my hair. When I battled this type before in the craters, I had no trouble, but the woods are the worst location to fight this particular enemy. Its burning tail grows long like a whip, and the beast prepares to attack. As its front leg comes down at me, I catch it with my mace. The mace creaks slightly under the pressure and turns red, but I don’t let up. The lion’s mouth opens, and its chest contracts, preparing to breathe fire. Pulling my mace free from its leg, I drive it into the lion’s mouth before it can attack. There’s a bone-crushing shock—a sensation of crumpling flesh. The lion’s enormous body flies backward, hitting the ground two or three times before stopping. All the vegetation it touches is scorched. Flames and smoke cloud the air. At my level, inhaling a little smoke shouldn’t give me any trouble, but I try to take shallow breaths to minimize any effects. I wonder what I should do about the fire. There’s nothing I can do, really. I don’t have any way of putting it out. The only way to stop the fire from spreading is to cut down the trees. The entire area will need to be cleared, but that’s the best way to handle it. Still lying on the ground, the lion sends its tail flying toward me, aiming for my head. I catch it with my hand. “Ares…I have some bad news…” “Toudou noticed it?” “…Yes.” Of course he did. I would be more worried if he didn’t notice this great burning disaster! I get a firm grip on the tail and yank it in front of me. As the beast comes swinging forward, I aim my mace at its head and knock it down. I can feel its skull cave in as the spikes drive as far as its brain. The beast’s eyes burn with a blinding flame, even brighter than before, as its remaining life burns up. A small amount of life force flows into my body. I release its tail and strike the body, still emitting a hellish flame, with my mace. The wind and the shock of the blow extinguish the fire. The red of the blood and guts that burst out of the carcass reminds me of the flames, but the body emits much less heat than when it was living. The plants and the trees touched by the blood of the dead beast do not burn. Now for the tough part—I’ve got to wrap things up here before Toudou’s party arrives. I take the mask out of my pocket and put it on just in case. I whip my mace back and forth to blow away the smoke. It’s only a drop in the bucket, but it improves visibility a little. “Well, the target is defeated. It’s time to clean up. What’s Toudou’s status?” “It seems they’re heading in your direction… Do you think it was the flame lion that drove Glacia out of the woods?” “No, I don’t.” First off, the basic form of the thing is different—Glacia described a dark humanoid type. On top of that, a flame lion isn’t strong enough to chase away a glacial plant. I calculate where I want the trees to fall and start swinging my mace. A group of trees falls, and the ground shakes tremendously as they land. With the sounds of crackling fire and falling trees in the background, I gather my thoughts. In the first place, this is a magical beast that lives beyond the volcanoes and the rocky mountains. The closest edge of the Forest of the Vale is more than a thousand kilometers from its home ground, and if it traveled that far, a human would surely have seen it along the way. After all, flame lions are hard to miss. “There’s a possibility that whatever it was that went through the effort to bring a flame lion all the way here is still inside the forest.” And that person must have extraordinary abilities—sufficient fighting skills to be capable of handling a magical beast perpetually engulfed in flame and either the ability to fly or to use displacement magic to move over long distances. No matter what it is, it’s not the kind of opponent you want to face. The situation is all the more undesirable under the current circumstances, with Toudou in the middle of the woods. “I’d rather not confront it, if possible. I’d prefer to leave it for Gregorio. He’ll be able to take care of it. He likes this kind of stuff.” “…Oh, does he…?” “Yes, he does.” As I level the trees, the wind from their fall helps disperse the smoke, and it gradually dissipates. But the situation itself is no better. The smells of burning wood and scorched earth linger in the air, and the ground is covered with a layer of ash that gives it a different feel as you walk on it. Even so, this is much better than the worst-case scenario I had imagined. It’s a good thing we followed Toudou. Now, if we can just get him out of the forest before the true enemy appears, all will be well. Just as I sigh in relief, thinking that finally things are looking up, a chill goes through my body. I reflexively raise my arm to guard my face. “Ares, Toudou’s party has started to move. How are things going over there?” “I’ve got bad news for you.” “…What?” I look up to the sky. It turns out my instinct was correct—in my raised left hand, I grasp a beam of jet-black light shaped like an arrow. The sinister flickering of the dark beam is strangely visible in the dim light of the dying flames. I crush the arrow. Ignoring the small sting of pain in my left palm and channeling strength into my right hand, I grip my mace tightly. That arrow was aimed at my head. If I hadn’t been paying attention, I might not have gotten away with my life. Then I recall that I’ve seen this magic before. An arrow of darkness that pollutes and destroys the target’s life force. A skill of the evil gods, in direct opposition to the holy arts. “There’s a demon. Battle begins now.” As I speak, a wind starts to blow. Eventually, I can feel the powerful presence of a follower of darkness, putting me on high alert. The wind is black, and it sucks in everything around it. This obsidian evil is so opaque that it looks as if it has painted over the light, and those who see it are inflicted with a feeling of despair. A black fog swirls around and gathers in one place, taking the shape of a human. The figure has pitch-black hair, deathly pale skin, and is clad entirely in black. It resembles a human, but you can be certain by looking at it that it isn’t. This is an enemy of humankind. I’m struck by a strong feeling of revulsion. It’s exactly as Glacia described it. I fix the mask firmly over my face to keep it from falling as I try to quiet the noise in my mind. I look up into the trees that are still upright and find it there in the darkness, standing on a thick branch. Its eyes are a red more sinister than the flames of the lion’s tail, and they indicate this enemy is one of the black-blooded tribe. It spins its head around in a crazed manner. Why did it come here, and why now? And how powerful is it really? Toudou and the others will be here before long. This is the worst possible development. Well, maybe the second worst. I get a measure of its ability from the evil seeping out of its body. Its lips are so red they look like they’ve been painted with blood, and they part slightly to let out a breath. It looks to either be sighing or curving its lips into a smile. I’m the one who wants to sigh here. I didn’t want to fight this thing, but since it showed up at this exact moment, I have no other option. I’ll kill it before it sees Toudou’s party. At the very least, I need to make sure Toudou and the others are safe—that’s my first priority. I bite my lip and carve that fact into my mind. My heart beats loudly. I study the figure. It’s a male, maybe around fifteen years old. Although his age and his pallid skin give him a frail appearance, I can sense the enormous amount of magical energy in his body. I absorb this information. He’s a black-blood. I’ve fought them many times before—they’re highly intelligent followers of darkness that take the shape of humans. They have outstanding physical abilities and also possess numerous powerful special abilities. They lurk in the darkness, concealing themselves in secluded places. Some call them vampires because they suck the blood from human bodies. His hands are wrapped around the tree branch, scratching at the bark with long nails. We’re locked in a stare. I push against him with murderous intent, but he doesn’t stir in the slightest. His mouth opens slightly, and I catch a glimpse of large, sharp teeth. I immediately take my knife from my belt and throw it at him. I no longer have time to concern myself with the spreading fire. I need to win this battle before this threat reaches Toudou. From the moment I throw the knife, I dive headlong into battle with all my strength. The ground shakes violently, and the vampire loses his balance on the tree branch. Arms swinging, he manages to knock away the blessed mythril blade. The knife falls and pierces the ground, exactly as I intended. Black-blood abilities greatly surpass those of humans. Physical strength, speed, visual acuity—all the characteristics of their existence as living beings are above ours. Which is why it’s necessary to prepare yourself before a battle with one of them. As I close in, with a swing of my mace, I gouge out a large chunk of the tree he stands in. Although he isn’t in my field of vision, I can sense the movements of the follower of darkness as if he were in the palm of my hand. The tree collapses, but my target has already disappeared from its branches. “Ares?! Ares?!” I don’t have time to answer the transmission. Taking a quick breath, I raise my arm high in the air and bring my mace down at the vampire. But it’s as if time itself has suddenly frozen. Although I swung forward with all my strength, something stops me. Right in front of me, almost close enough to touch, are the bloodred eyes of the black-blood. He stares at me devoid of emotion, as if observing me. His right hand has halted my mace in midair. His hand, so thin and bony it looks like a skeleton’s, holds the head of the mace with his fingers in between the spikes. I try channeling more energy into the arm holding my weapon, but I can’t move it at all. The young vampire lets out a little sigh. “When I got this mission, I knew it would be a pain in the ass.” He has the voice of an adolescent but a little high-pitched, suiting his appearance. You and me both. With my left hand, I take another knife from my belt and hurl it at him. Regardless of the close range or the incredibly high speed of the throw, the devil knocks it away with ease. The knife spins through the air and falls into the bushes—that’s number two. Paying little mind to the silver knives, the vampire continues talking as if we were having a casual conversation. “Why’d they dispatch me—a descendant of the Vampire Lord—to this place way out in the middle of nowhere?” I pull on my mace, but it still won’t budge. He’s stronger than I am. Left with no other choice, I release my mace and move back. The vampire seems surprised. Not knowing what to do with the mace, he throws it away. That’s number three. The strength of this type of monster fluctuates depending on the phase of the moon. Tonight, the moon is full…which makes this the worst possible time to face a vampire. “You’re quite the violent sort, aren’t you? Please, be a little more rational. After all…pretty soon, you won’t be able to use your brain at all.” “I see you’re quite the talkative sort.” Having the time and energy to hold a conversation during battle—that’s something to be envious of. “Ares! Are you okay?!” “Fine,” I answer shortly, my eyes on the vampire who looks like he’s about to come at me. “Do you need help?” “No.” I seize knives from my belt and ready one in each hand. The vampire looks at me with a bored expression. “You should already know the difference in our abilities by now. You do pretty well for a human, but you can’t beat me. You know—” Not waiting for him to finish, I jump off from the ground. Aiming at the underside of his jaw, I throw a knife. His expression changes, distorting wickedly. The knife cuts through the air without touching a hair on his head. Taking a step closer, I launch more knives at him in succession. Probably predicting their paths by the glimmers from their blades, he dodges them all with minimal movement. He can see them all clearly. “See, this is why humans are so stupid. Didn’t anyone ever teach you to listen when a person is talking to you?” “You’re not a person.” As he bats away the last of my knives, I catch a glimpse of a smile coming over his face. Suddenly, a severe pain shoots through my wrist, and I can no longer move my arm. Somehow, without my noticing, he grabbed hold of me. His skin is as pale as a corpse. His nails dig into my skin, sharp as daggers, and a chill runs through my body. Not letting this unnerve me, without hesitating, I use my other hand to produce another knife, thrusting it decisively at his heart. The vampire’s face contorts…but I feel no resistance against the blade. It feels like stabbing air. “I’m telling you, this battle is pointless. Don’t you get it?” The knife in my left hand is piercing straight through his body, but the area around his heart has turned into a black fog that engulfs my arm. “Have you really never fought a vampire before?” asks the thing in a voice feigning surprise. Ignoring his taunting, I pull my arm back and throw the knife at him. The vampire flinches, but the projectile passes right through him and sticks into the ground behind. I focus my hearing, but I don’t hear anything besides the sounds of wind and fire. I’m at a disadvantage in hand-to-hand combat. From previous battles with vampires, I’ve learned that there are all sorts of them. This one is by no means lacking in skill, but luckily for me, he’s kind of careless. There’s a crooked smile on the vampire’s face. I try to shake him off my arm, but I can’t move it. I click my tongue and attempt to intimidate him. “Give your name, vampire.” “Heh-heh-heh… Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Now—now he asks…” He bursts into high-pitched laughter. Then a terrible magical power starts to swirl about his body. The temperature suddenly drops. It’s similar to the cold wind near glacial plants, only this is much stronger. The ground and everything around us cracks and whines as it freezes solid. The smoldering fire is extinguished.