episode_0058

Rattling, rattling.

A carriage passing by countless trees that clutter the view.

Next to Jupiter, who was lying down and moaning, staring blankly at the sky.

“Hey, Airi.”

“···huh?”

“Why are you trying to save the demons?”

While I was spending time looking at the floating clouds, an unexpected question came from Lisbeth.

What on earth are you talking about?

Save the demons?

···I?

“Didn’t you see the demons I killed?”

There were at least three demons killed in front of him.

Two skull gourds and a succubus.

“No, that’s not it. Demons from the Demon World. Honestly, it’s dangerous. What if I fail?”

···Ah, that’s what you’re talking about.

What should I do?

Cold sweat was flowing down.

Shall I be honest?

Of course, there may be good demons. Well, there are people like that in the world.

But I am not a saint who acts to save the demons.

We should feel sad when they die, but in the end, we will dismiss it as something that cannot be helped.

···The reason why I try to catch the devil so hard is very simple.

Because it has to be difficult.

There is no reason beyond that. No, it exists.

What, protecting the lives of innocent demons? It’s good.

But there is no reason for me to go through all the trouble.

Whether you lose to the Demon King or the Four Heavenly Kings.

Since losing is the goal in itself, of course it is better to be difficult.

The reason for bringing the Demon King’s army is simple.

Still, I have become attached to my colleagues, but I can’t let them die.

Are you going to be defeated in the middle of enemy territory just to have fun alone?

Because at that moment, my colleagues who are much weaker than me will definitely die.

I’m only going to lose once anyway, so I’m planning on just wiping out everything after I lose my virginity.

We can’t let Yuna, Lisbeth, and Jupiter die.

Actually, originally, I was going to have a fight where I was sure I would lose, like 1 vs 10,000, in a place where no one was around.

Since he’s the main character of the game, it’s clear he won’t be killed. I’ll send it to you once I have sex with you.

With that in mind, the lies I told in moderation ended up here.

Now, the words I used to say as excuses were starting to constrain my actions.

“Well, don’t worry. I’m a warrior, so I won’t fail. It’s better if there are fewer victims in the fight.”

“Ha, unlike that arrogant kid, you’re so nice.”

no.

That’s not it.

I wanted to refute it, but I couldn’t.

What if I say it was just something I said?

Something unsettling is sure to happen.

However, there are many problems with being defeated by the Four Heavenly Kings or the Demon King as originally planned.

Because the danger isn’t just your colleagues, it’s expanded to the entire city.

I concluded.

Apparently my plan was ruined. And that too on a grand scale.

A line from a famous movie suddenly came to mind.

They say life is something that never goes as planned.

Can’t we digress a bit on this? It’s a gem of a quote, really.

I, who can defeat the devil with just a single hit, am in despair because things don’t go as planned.

Although they say there is nothing wrong with what our predecessors said, I wish they were wrong…

“Hey, I can’t go any further! The road is cut off!”

Yuna, who was driving the carriage, shouted.

This means that it is no longer possible to travel by carriage.

“Come on, Jupiter. Wake up. You don’t have to ride anymore.”

“Ugh, ugh…”

I soon became accustomed to the sight of Jupiter always dying whenever I moved to a new place.

After naturally wandering around, I found a nice place while looking around.

The base of the tree boasts a large size, suggesting that it was originally a large tree.

It was cut cleanly and looked good to lay down.

“Oh, there…”

“Huh? Is there a problem?”

“···No. Jupiter looks pretty tired too. Let’s rest here today and move tomorrow. Is that okay?”

“I agree. It’s getting dark. It doesn’t seem like a good idea to move any further.”

I don’t know why, but he seemed a little hesitant.

···Was there something wrong?

“Well, then I guess I’ll have to get some firewood. Can you help me out for a moment, Lisbeth?”

Lisbeth, an elf who is much more familiar with the mountains, would be better than Yuna.

Deciding that, I asked Lisbeth for help, and Lisbeth, who knew this, readily agreed.

“Okay. Then Yuna, make a lot of water.”

“A wizard is not a tool for making water.”

“Ah, it’s okay if you’re useful! Take care of yourself, Jupiter!”

“ha···.”

Yuna meekly agreed.

Yuna’s stamina is woefully low compared to me and Lisbeth.

In times like this, I can’t speak strongly.

“Come on, let’s go. Airi! Leave it to me!”

“Yes, I believe it.”

“Hmm! Don’t underestimate an elf’s vitality, this is it!”

It’s a confident expression.

Is the very fact of being in the forest enjoyable?

Apparently, the last time I went to catch a dryad, it was also a forest.

I didn’t enjoy it this much back then.

The appearance of being particularly happy is noticeable.

“···I guess not all forests are good?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I wasn’t this excited when I went to catch the dryad.”

“Isn’t it obvious? I was born and raised here.”

Oh, that’s right.

For Lisbeth, this place is like home.

When I thought about it that way, my happy expression looked a little different.

Rather than just being happy because it was a forest, there was a bit of longing and freshness in those eyes.

“Originally, this was a place where elves lived. I also lived near here.”

“In this place? . . . But, there’s nothing.”

“Oh, it’s already been hundreds of years. The road was cut off a while ago, right?”

“Well, I did.”

“That road was originally a trade route between humans and elves, you say. They originally got along well?”

···I thought I felt longing for this forest as my hometown.

Wasn’t that too?

Literally, this area was Lisbeth’s hometown.

“There was a blacksmith shop there, and a general store over there. Oh, and there was an inn.”

He speaks excitedly, pointing here and there.

I stared at her words for a long time, but there was absolutely no trace left.

I think they’re just twisted trees.

“Haha, it’s been a really long time. When I was young, I often played there with my friends.”

“Are you happy?”

“Of course it’s fun! It’s been a while since I came back to my hometown. You probably have a hometown to go too, right? Where is it?”

“I can’t go. I can’t go now.”

“uh···.”

For a moment, there was silence.

The happy look had disappeared, and Lisbeth’s lips began to dry out as the atmosphere suddenly became cold.

When I saw that, I realized what others would think if they heard what I said.

“Oh, no. That’s not it. Forget it.”

After returning to my hometown after a long time, I suddenly shouted in front of my excited child, “I can’t go to my hometown!” What a declaration.

I’m going crazy.

No, it’s true that I can’t go.

Even if I tell you to go back, I won’t go.

There is no home, no friends, no money.

In comparison, what about this place?

money? The situation is no different from that of a farm owner. Suffice.

friend? Not only am I going on a trip with three pretty girls and making friends, but I also have a maid at home and a disobedient child. There are people I would call family rather than friends.

Not to mention the house.

I achieved my dream of owning my own home here.

It’s a bit disappointing that there are no games or internet, but there are plenty of entertainment facilities here.

The casino I visited last time even had slot machines. If you look through ancient ruins, you’ll probably find something like a game console.

“I’m sorry, Airi. Was I being too careless…?”

“No, there’s no need to apologize. I don’t mind.”

“Uh, huh.”

I wanted Lisbeth to enjoy it as much as possible, so I stopped talking about this anymore.

The already cool atmosphere did not ease.

Lisbeth, unable to overcome the suddenly cold atmosphere, stopped talking and started collecting firewood.

···Wow, that’s incredibly fast. Is it really an elf?

“Shall we go back? Yuna will be waiting for you!”

“I guess so. Let’s go back. It’s okay to rest for a while.”

“No, no! Wouldn’t it be better if we all went back and rested together?!”

“Okay, then.”

I tried to advise him to take a short break, but he was completely rejected.

It seemed like he couldn’t get over this awkward atmosphere.

Unlike when we left, there was an awkward silence between me and Lisbeth.

While I was wondering how to resolve this situation.

Lisbeth’s ears twitched.

“···? Wait a minute. I think there’s a commotion going on.”

“A disturbance?”

“Yes. The location is… Damn it, it’s where Yuna and Jupiter are!”

With those words, Lisbeth quickly left her seat and ran out.

An incident could happen in that short period of time. You two will both be safe, right?

There was forest everywhere and I couldn’t find my way, so I had no choice but to follow Lisbeth’s back.

When I passed through numerous trees and arrived at the place where the two people were staying.

In my field of vision, I saw Yuna and Jupiter tied up with rope.

“Now, wait! Stop! You guys!”

“Who are you? Wait, Lisbeth? Is that you?”

The ears of those who restrained them were elongated and erect, just like Lisbeth’s.

···It’s an elf.

“Those humans are my group! Let them go, men!”

“No. This is elf territory. You know that, Lisbeth. If a human comes here, we can’t just let them out.”

“B-but…!”

“Moreover, humans are lying on top of the remains of the World Tree. This is unforgivable!”

what? Remains of the World Tree?

At those words, I looked at the base of the tree.

It’s incredibly big.

So much so that even two people can lie down and still have plenty of space.

So, that base is the world tree?

···That?