Shinka no Mi

Chapter 154: Encounter in the Forest

―――― Dear mom and dad. And Saria and the others. How are you?

Right now, I’m――――

“―――― Being chased by caterpillaaaaaaaaaaaaars!”

“““Pugyurururururururu!”””

Due to the crystal that came out of Destra’s belongings, I was sent into a strange forest where magic can’t be used in this manner, and I continue wandering afterwards, then it’s dawn when I noticed it.

I don’t feel sleepy or hungry, probably because of my body that doesn’t have any restrain, and I continued to explore through the night, but I couldn’t find traces of people. No, I don’t need to sleep, and I’m not hungry so I think I’ve really quitted from being human.

At any rate, compared to the first time I was sent to the 【Forest of Endless Love and Sorrow】, I had a lot of mental leeway this time, because of my ability, and the situation where I could get in touch with Saria and the others through communication.

However, when I defeated a 『Berserk Papillon Lv:78』 which looks like a giant swallowtail butterfly that attacked while I’m exploring the forest, a green soft and flabby caterpillar that was around 5 meters long…… hordes of 『Berserk Caterpillar Lv:55』 attacked me in an angry state.

Moreover, their number is unusual, and it looks like there are hundreds of them.

“If it’s grasshoppers, butterflies, or adult insects then I’m fine with it, but caterpillars are really groooooooooooooosss!”

“Pugyurururururururu!”

While receiving a squealing voice on the back that makes you want to ask if they really sound like that, I was performing a desperate escape.

Certainly, there’s no doubt that if I run with all my power, I’ll be able to escape, but if I do that, the forest will be blown away, or the nature will get destroyed which isn’t my intention!

However, there’s no doubt that it’s going to get worse at this rate.

I hate it, but …… I hate it, but I have no choice but to defeat it……!

When I make up my mind, I moved and turned around to the horde of caterpillars while pulling out the 『Fine Sword of Swirling Hatred (black) 』.

And then ――――

“Take this half-baked strike!”

When I swung Black while paying attention to the surrounding forest so as not to affect it as much as possible, I cut the caterpillar at the head of the horde into two, and the slash didn’t stop and continued to cut through the caterpillars until in the middle of the horde.

As a result ――――

“““Pu,pugyurururaaaaaa!”””

Green sloppy body fluid spilled all the way here.

“…………”

I looked at it silently, then I turn back to the caterpillars again.

“It’s so groooooooooooooosss!”

Impossible impossible impossible impossible! It’s not about fighting power, it’s physiologically impossible! How about this mental strength of mine every time I kill it!?

When I started running away again, I had gone through a cliff without realizing it.

“…………Nn? A’reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!?”

I’m too desperate to escape, and too stupid to not notice the cliff!?

I was surprised that the ground suddenly disappeared, and I fell more than 30 meters from the cliff to the ground without taking any precautions.

“Fuugetu”

I landed on the ground with my face first, but I don’t feel any pain, and I don’t even have a nosebleed.

When I got up and looked up at the cliff, I saw the caterpillars looking at me with grudge on the cliff.

It seems that the caterpillars won’t chase me unless they jump down this cliff, so they left as it is.

……No, I was wearing the 『Sky King’s Boots』 but I couldn’t afford to activate it. Then I didn’t have to make such a stupid fall……

Even though I think I’m really too impatient that I missed something, I regain my mind, and turned my eyes back, and become exhausted again.

“Eeh…… this forest, how vast is this……?”

The place where I fell from the cliff is also a forest, and again, I can’t use magic here either.

I used the 『Sky King’s Boots』 as a trial to move to the sky, and try to use magic, but still, it didn’t activate. It appears like it’s one space including the sky.

Even so, the effect of equipment seems to be different from magic, that’s why my necklace seems to be fine and the boot’s effect is also exerting properly. I wish I had some kind of transition tool.

“Well, it’s no use saying that. Anyway, I have to get to a place where I can use magic.”

I stepped into the forest in front of me again because I was searching for something that isn’t here.

◆◇◆

“Nn?”

After walking for a while, I suddenly heard the sound of flowing water in my ears.

“Is this …… a river?”

The fact that there’s a river, means that there might be something like a village if I follow it.

“For the time being, I’ll follow that something which is making sound.”

Currently, it’ll be around noon. The sun is just above me.

And I’ve been walking all night since yesterday, and I’m not even tired, but my body feels a little dusty. If the river is clean, even if I don’t have to take a full-body bath, I want to wash my face at least.

After the hordes of caterpillars, when I proceed smoothly without being attacked by monsters, I finally arrived at the place where the sound of water came……!

“I reached iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!”

“Heh!?”

“Heh?”

―――― There was, a woman with long purple hair and red eyes like blood, who was staring at me with her eyes wide open.

It looks like she was just in the middle of a bath, and her purple hair and skin are dripping with water.

And since she’s in the middle of a bath, the woman in front of me is naturally not wearing any clothes……

““……””

When we stare at each other, the atmosphere solidifies ――――

“――――Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

“――――Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

Me and the woman yelled at each other.

“Why are you screaming!?”

Then, the woman immediately hides her body with her hands and gazes at me.

“This, to be naked outside like this…… it’s a pervert!”

“Wai, isn’t that strange!? This is the scene where I’ll demand an explanation, you know!?”

“Ce, certainly……”

“What the heck, you!?”

“―――― What’s going on, Your Majesty!”

When I nodded involuntarily at the woman’s precise point, a tall woman dressed in heavy armor appeared from behind.

A woman in armor who puts her long white hair into a braid, and lets it hang on her shoulder appeared.

When such a woman sees my figure, she sharpened her eyes, and suddenly started slashing at me!

“Wha!? This…… bandit!”

“Wait, have a room for excuse……”

“Die!”

“The people in this world is scary!”

No matter how much I try to speak out, I’m just going to get attacked while being ignored unilaterally!

The sharpness of her movement feels similar to Louise, so perhaps her skills is the same as that of Louise.

However, I avoided such an attack in a position where I would feel bad for myself.

“That creepy movement…… as I thought, he’s an evil minion!”

“That’s a very abstract capricious decision, right!?”

What is an evil minion? You mean the 【Demon God’s Cult】? Well, I don’t think my movement is unpleasant for any evil soul, though!

However, it’s also true that I came to the river without checking it properly, and I couldn’t attack a woman, so I continue to avoid her attacks.

Now then, how to solve this misunderstanding――――.

“―――― Stop it, Riel.”

Then, the woman who was bathing a little while ago, somehow changed clothes before I noticed it and was wearing gorgeous clothes, told them so in a strangely dignified atmosphere. No, not just her atmosphere, but her tone also changed……?

“Tsu! But, Your Majesty……!”

“I told you to stop. Don’t make me say it again.”

“Hah……”

I’m not sure, but thanks to the woman in front of me, the woman in armor called Riel put her sword down.

But she didn’t forget to glare at me, and it’s just like she’s saying that if I make a strange move, she’ll immediately slash me. Eeh? I’m scared……

When I was drawing back too much, the woman in gorgeous clothes stared straight at me.

“You bastard, who are you?”

“Eh? Who am I …… I’m Seiichi, an adventurer?”

Is that right? But there’s nothing else I can answer……

When I was wondering if my response was really good, for some reason, Riel and the woman in front of me became somewhat less alert.

“Fumu…… from the sound of his name, he doesn’t seem to be a spy from the Kaizer Empire……”

“However, there is also the possibility of him being a hero summoned from another world.”

“That wouldn’t be so. He doesn’t even have a collar or a bracelet. I don’t think that country would let a hero go without a collar or a bracelet.”

“Then, from the cult?”

“That would be thin. Either way, if he’s an enemy, we’ll be attacking him at one point.”

Two people speak with each other in a voice that I can hear. Ummm? I don’t think it’s a good idea to talk right in front of me.

However, perhaps because Riel and the woman in luxurious clothes got used in this forest, they’re probably living near here, so I, who came here, will be a suspicious existence no matter how they see me.

“Etto…… excuse me. Could you tell me one thing, too?”

“What?”

She’s so dignified that she doesn’t seem to be the same as the person who was screaming earlier. Are they really the same person?

“Is there a place around here where I can use magic?”

“If there was, you think I’m going to tell you that?”

“Eeh……”

No, she certainly has no obligation to teach it to me who is a stranger.

To me who is exhausted involuntarily, Riel-san raised the corner of her eyes.

“You bastard…… putting on such a search, what are you going to do?”

“What is it…… I want to return with transition magic, so I just want to move to a place where I can use magic……”

“Transition magic…… Fumu. He doesn’t seem to be an enemy, but it’s dangerous to leave him alone.”

The woman whispers something disturbing.

Then a new person jumped out of the trees to us like that, and kneeled in front of the woman.

“――――Your Majesty.”

“Nn? What happened?”

The person is wearing plain black clothes with a slightly different design from Olga-chan, and words like emissary, spy, and secret ninja seems to suit that person.

The face and parts other than the eyes are hidden by a black cloth, and the gender is unknown. No, I think I’ll know it if I use 『Advanced Appraisal』, but…… it’ll be a problem if I move badly and they’ll become extra vigilant.

The ninja-like person knelt down and told the woman with a calm voice.

“The enemies are heading to the Imperial Capital again.”

“Tsk…… that’s irritating. Let’s go back right now.”

““Hah!””

I’m a complete outsider, and all I could do was look at the interaction in front of me, but the ninja-like person suddenly turned her eyes at me.

“By the way, Your Majesty. How about that person?”

“Leave him alone. We don’t have much time right now. …… No, wait.”

The woman who turned her back on me, tried to return with the both of them, but she stopped once, and she looked at me again.

“If you are an enemy, then it’s troublesome if we get hindered.”

Then, she looks at the trees nearby, and the moment the woman blew her breath, a flame lit on each of its tree trunks.

The flame is tender and seems to be pulsing for some reason.

“Stay there.”

After telling that much, the women went away this time.

…………

“Ha!? No, no, take me too ―――― “

As soon as I said that, the woman just breath out, and for some reason, the tree lit by the pulsing flame on its tree trunk began to move, it took out its tree roots from the ground, and as it uses its tree roots dexterously to walk like a person, it stood before me.

“Eeeeeeeh!? The tree walked!?”

Even if I use the 『Advanced appraisal』 involuntarily, it doesn’t seem to be a monster, and neither its level nor its name is displayed.

However, the tree in front of me is moving as if to stop me.

Etto…… can I beat this? Is it no good?

But if I get stopped here, I’ll get lost in the forest again……

When I was really confused, the tree suddenly opened its mouth.

“I, can you hear me?”

“Eh? Ye, yes ………… Yes?”

I stare at the tree seriously.

Then, before I knew it, the tree had eyes and mouth.

…………

“The tree spokeeeeeeeeeeeee!?”

My scream echoed throughout the forest.