Chapter 201

It’s been a few days since we left the Witch’s Home .

While we’re traveling, we were attacked by many monsters .

The area where we departed from is also among the deepest part of the Golden Demon Zone .

Perhaps, that’s why there we encountered some troublesome monsters .

We also encountered a Human-Faced along the way .

However, just like the other monsters, we crushed them all .

The difference between the monsters here and those in the Northern Demon Zone was quite clear .

Compared to the South and West, only the monsters in the North were quite extraordinary .

We managed to skip past the monsters within the deep areas of the Northern Demon Zone through the Magical Chariot’s Recognition Obstruction ability .

The monsters in the area beyond the Northern Depths were as strong as those in the South and the West .

In short, only the Depths of the Northern Demon Zone were prominent and dangerous .

I just shudder at the thought of what we would have happened if we had passed through the depths of the Northern Demon Zone without the Magical Chariot .

[——I guess this is where we rest for today . ]

I told the Slei, who was dripping in sweat, to slow down .

I looked over my head .

The sun was about to set already .

In a few moments, it would already be night .

[Thank you for today as well, Slei-dono . ]

After Seras gets off Slei, I also dismounted .

[With you here with us, we were really able to pass through the area fast, Slei . ]

Stroking her neck, Slei happily rubbed her head against me .

[Burururu♪]

The Golden Demon Zone is officially called the “Great Historic Ruins” .

It is dotted with buildings that seem to be the remnants of a former civilization .

Some of those buildings were still in their original state .

We entered one of those buildings .

After finishing our meals and getting ready for bed, I opened the “Encyclopedia on the Forbidden Arts” .

We may be enclosed inside the protection of this building, but we’re still trying to keep our lights to a minimum .

Perhaps, because she saw me making a displeased expression while I stopped turning the pages, Seras spoke to me .

[Is something the matter?]

[Yeah, I’m a little troubled regarding Pigimaru’s last Enhancer . ]

[Pigimaru-dono’s last Enhancer, is it?]

[Yeah . This one might be difficult to make . ]

[......Indeed . ]

In the course of our travels, Seras has also read a great deal of the “Encyclopedia on the Forbidden Arts” .

She must have remembered the contents of the corresponding page .

The last remaining problem with the Slime Enhancing Experiment .

The problem is quite simple .

It’s difficult to get the materials .

In the margins of the page, there’s a list of places to get the materials written in a memo .

However, all of the places where they were obtained were marked with a horizontal line .

Written on the bottom part of that note is......

“Currently Unavailable . The experiment was successful . However, it’s unlikely to be replicated after this . ”

The name of the monster holding the needed material is “Purple Beetle” .

Its appearance and material parts were carefully drawn in a picture .

This material wasn’t even in Erika’s collection .

I once asked Erika before if she had any idea of other places to find this monster but...

“Unfortunately, I don’t know . Or rather, if it’s a Purple Beetle, Erika also wants one . That’s only if you were able to find one though . ”

—is what she said .

That means...

[It’s one of those so-called rare monsters huh . ]

If that’s the case...

[If it’s within the Demon Zone with its variety of golden-eyed monsters living here...... I should be able to find one since we first stepped foot in this place but......]

[I’ve also been looking out for it, but I haven’t seen it . ]

[In that case, it’s possible that they’re already extinct......]

The last enhancement for Pigimaru .

I guess it might be better if we temporarily consider this as something that can’t be achieved huh .

[It’s about time we return back to traveling . ]

[Yes . ]

We didn’t have Eve’s map that would allow us to keep track of our current location anymore .

However, we’re making use of the map Erika gave me instead .

The map depicts distinctive structures and the topography of the area .

If we follow those markers, we won’t get lost .

After resting, we continued westward through the Demon Zone .

▽

We’re finally halfway to our destination .

Looking at the building in front of me, I compared it with the map .

This area is about halfway between the starting point and our destination .

Looking at it is making me realize how Erika’s home, which is located in the center of the Demon Zone, is a really far place .

I don’t think the area we are in now can be considered within the “depths” anymore .

Incidentally—— the location of the Faraway Country isn’t marked on the map .

I only remember the general location of the area where Erika pointed it out to me before we left .

It seems that she feared that there was some accident and this map would fall into the hands of others .

[Shall we stay in that building today?]

I looked at the building that Seras was pointing at .

The building has one of those doors that is opened and closed by injecting magical energy .

It’s one of the few places in the Demon Zone where it’s easier to ensure our safety .

Of course, we still need to make sure that it is safe inside the building .

If it looks like the entrance to an underground ruins where large amounts of Golden-eyed monsters have escaped, of course, we will not be staying inside it .

[I’d also like to get Slei a good night’s rest in an environment where we won’t be distracted by night attacks...... I guess let’s go check it out . ]

Then...

[Pinyuu?]

Pigimaru noticed something .

Slei was also glancing towards that direction .

Something is coming closer .

[............ . —–A squirrel?]

It looks like an ordinary squirrel .

There were familiar animals that lived here in the Demon Zone, although they were quite scarce .

Just then, the squirrel suddenly—— showed its belly, turning its body over .

Seeing this, I have an idea as to what this squirrel is .

[It’s Erika . ]

We had decided on a few signs that we decided in advance .

If the other party is doing that, it would show that it’s her familiar .

This is one of those signs .

I take out the “alphabet paper” from my backpack .

I then spread it out on the ground .

Seeing this, the squirrel gets up and runs over to us .

[Are you Erika’s familiar?]

[Kyukyuu . ]

Pointed under its little nose...

“Yes . ”

—-the squirrel answered my question .

Seras, who had been looking down at the squirrel while sitting close to it, looked relieved .

[Erika-dono, I’m glad to see you’ve recovered enough to move your familiar . ]

[Kyuu . ]

I look back at the building behind me .

[......Let’s talk later, how about we get inside first?]

Opening the door, we stepped inside .

The inside was built like a warehouse .

In fact, it was probably used as a warehouse, judging by the placement of the shelves .

However, the shelves and cabinets are all empty .

I also don’t feel the presence of any living beings—– hostile monsters nearby .

[..................... . . ]

*Sniff*

Even though it seems like it’s quite dusty in here......

It looks fine for an overnight stay .

I also didn’t find any hidden doors or stairs inside .

Knowing that we’re in a safe area, I unload my luggage .

When I finished spreading a cloth on the floor, I felt a sense of peace and tranquility in the air .

However, there are still some matters at hand .

I spread out the “alphabet paper” on top of the sheet .

[Kyyuuu!]

The squirrel cried out, as if it’s saying it’s about time for its turn, and was about to run over to the alphabet paper......

[Please wait for a moment . ]

[Kyyuuu!?]

Seras, who was sitting in seiza, catches the squirrel with her soft hands .

Next, she gently placed the squirrel on her lap and began to wipe its feet with a clean cloth .

[My apologies for being impertinent . However, considering that we will continue to use this alphabet paper, I don’t think it would be a good idea to get it too dirty . Hmm...... I’m sorry, this won’t be long, so please stay still for a bit...... . ]

And then, after wiping its feet......

[Kyukkyuu . ]

The squirrel ran around on the alphabet paper .

It showed each letter one by one, building up a sentence .

This method takes a lot of time .

However, we have plenty of it before bedtime .

Eventually, just as Slei was deeply sleeping, a brief report was completed .

[Except for Ikusaba Asagi’s group, they are currently back in Alion and...... It’s likely that the subjugation of the Great Demon Emperor is going to commence in the near future?]

The squirrel shakes its nose...

“No . ”

—telling so to me .

[It seems that the Heroes over there are still not moving . Based on Erika-dono’s judgement, it seems like they haven’t moved yet because Sogou-dono still hasn’t completely recovered . ]

[Sogou currently has the power to kill even Human-faced and a Confidant . She’s someone that Vysis couldn’t afford to be not within her war potential . She wants to make sure that she finishes off her natural enemy, the Great Demon Emperor—— If that’s the case, she would most probably want the three S-Ranks to be in their perfect condition so that she could send them to the decisive battle . The reason why they still haven’t moved to subjugate the Great Demon Emperor yet, is most probably as Erika conjectured, because Sogou is not yet in a decent condition to fight......]

In other words, Vysis isn’t certain that they can win without Sogou Ayaka .

If not, she would have proceeded with a strategy to subjugate him even earlier centered within the remaining two S-Ranks .

If that’s the case—— there’s no need for us to be in that much of a hurry either .

I asked Erika more questions .

In response, the squirrel busily goes back and forth between “yes” and “no” .

[Is Ikusaba Asagi’s group still in Jonato?]

A good number of days have already passed since the demon’s massive invasion subsided .

However, they are still staying in Jonato .

Could it be...... that they still couldn’t move because there are lots of injured in their group?

Incidentally, all the information this time was obtained in the vicinity of the royal castle of Alion .

So, it’s possible that the information we have is a bit out of date .

That means, Ikusaba Asagi’s group may have already left Jonato right now .

[..................... . ]

Well, in any case, the main objective of the Heroes is the subjugation of the Great Demon Emperor .

It’s safe to assume that Ikusaba Asagi and the others will eventually join up with Sogou and the others .

[Even so, the Drunken Sword Party who got sent to the Western Army is safe huh . That’s good news . ]

[I did hear that you had met the members of the Drunken Sword Party in the Mills Ruins . ]

[Of all the mercenaries in that ruins, they were the only group who actually showed concern for me . I’m just glad to know that they are safe . I’m not sure if they will remain safe while they’re on the Goddess’ side but...... Even if they’re on the opponent’s side, I can’t bring myself to kill people like them . I’d at least like to return their good will with the same actions...... Even if it’s quite naive of me, that’s something I won’t back down on . ]

Seras gently laid her own hands on mine .

[That is exactly what...... I like about Touka-dono, you know?]

[Kyuu!]

The squirrel folded its front paws and pouted .

It kind of looks rather displeased .

[If you’re going to flirt, do it later, is what I think it’s saying......]

[Kyuu, kyuuu . ]

The squirrel nodded .

A blush appearing on her cheeks, Seras puts her hand on her face .

[F- Flirt......]

Speaking of which...

[Even if you’re not using your familiar to speak, we’ve exchanged conversations quite long already . Are you not tired?]

When I asked, the squirrel flexed its muscles .

“I’m fine . ”

—or so, Erika claims .

Seeing a squirrel flexing its muscles is kind of......

If I didn’t know that it was being controlled, this squirrel would have looked creepy .

Since we’ve already acquired the information that she gathered now...

[Also, if you’re still fine, I’d like to ask you...... Are Eve and Liz doing fine?]

“Yes . ”

The edge of my mouth slackens a bit .

[That’s good . ]

Erika says she will continue to gather information for us .

Saying that she’s going to bring the squirrel out, I opened the door for it .

Thereupon, the squirrel just ran off .

[So she had her familiars scattered throughout the Demon Zone as well......]

[Erika-dono once told me that she can only maintain such numbers with the help of the Sacred Spirit . ]

[I see . ]

Manipulating her familiars will still place a burden on her body, even if she doesn’t use their mouths to speak her voice .

She will be needing some time to rest and gathering information .

That means it seems safe to assume we need to wait a little longer for the next report......

After taking some rest, we got ready again and left the ruins .

The two of us riding Slei, we passed through the forest as nightfall began approaching .

[So, it wasn’t just the Anti-Demon White Castle that suffered in the great invasion huh . ]

Seras muttered .

[Based on where the supposedly higher-ranked Confidants and the Great Demon Emperor appeared, the main target may have been the Anti-Demon White Castle or the Eastern Army . However, this area looks more like a decoy rather than a main target for the great invasion......]

The scope of the battle is too large compared to a simple skirmish .

This was quite clear in comparison to the previous cases .

If it’s possible for them, they may have planned to crush everything from all directions .

Including the Heroes on their path .

[They must have thought that if they wanted to crush the Heroes of Another World who have special growth characteristics, the sooner they can do it, the better . ]

If that’s the case, then the Root of All Evil of this time is clever .

It can be said that a short decisive battle is the secret technique to dealing with the Heroes .

If you want to use a battle manga as a metaphor......

It’s like the Last Boss and his Upper Echelon-class subordinates all came together while you’re still in the middle of training against goblins and kobolds .

[The Great Demon Emperor...... may have learned something from the past . ]

[Are we going to stay low after the outcome of this fight?]

[......I wonder . As far as I’m concerned, it would be most desirable if that Demon Emperor stays holed up in the northernmost part of the country until the last minute though . ]

[However, it will also be quite difficult for the Holy Alliance to move a cohesive force . It seems that the Holy Alliance’s side has been hit pretty hard by the previous battle . ]

That’s certainly true .

Magnar’s main remaining war potential is said to be only the White Wolf Knights who were on the east before .

To make matters worse though, the White Wolf King went missing in the middle of the battle .

And then, it can be said that Jonato lost its main strength from the previous battle .

The Saintess, the Holy Extermination Force, and the Four Revered Saints who had been sent to Alion .

Even if one looks at their army as a whole, it is quite doubtful if they can even defend their royal capital now .

Bakuos has also quickly lost two of the three newly appointed Dragon Warriors .

The Black Dragon Knights were now close to being annihilated .

Looking at their army as a whole, it seems that their army also suffered several deaths in the previous battle .

The Holy Kingdom of Neia has also lost a percentage of its army, though not as much as Bakuos .

[Comparatively speaking, the only ones that still have sufficient war potentials are......]

Urza .

Mira .

And Alion .

The Magister King .

The Mad Emperor .

And that stinky goddess’s country .

The main war potential of these three nations were......

The Magic Knights and Dragonslayer .

The Brilliant Squadron .

The Heroes from Another World and Alion’s Thirteen Cavalries .

[——I guess that’s pretty much it . ]

With that, I tried putting it into words in order to understand our current situation .

However, Urza’s Dragonslayer was severely injured in the battle in the Anti-Demon White Castle .

I even heard that it’s difficult for him to return to the front lines .

“Fuumu...” Seras puts her clenched fist on her mouth .

[Other than Alion, the other two are countries that weren’t directly assigned to various armies...... and were made to standby as reserve forces, right?]

[The closest army in our current position would be Urza and Mira’s army, who still have their main war potential left behind but...... I just hope they don’t become an unnecessary obstacle in the future . ]

Though I feel like saying something like that makes me raise some kind of flag......

[..............................Slei, can you stop for a moment?]

Dismounting from Slei, I got down on one knee and bent down .

My gaze was directed to the ground .

[Touka-dono?]

Seras also dismounted from Slei .

Leaning forward, she peered into where I’m looking at from behind me .

[Aren’t they... . . people’s footprints?]

[Perhaps . If there’s some kind of bipedal monster out there who wears shoes, these footprints may have been from such a monster...... but putting that aside——-]

I look beyond the footprints .

[These footprints were coming from multiple people . ]

Seras follows my gaze .

[......Touka-dono . ]

[Yeah . You’ve also noticed huh . ]

It’s faint—— but I could definitely smell it .

[The smell of blood . ]