The white-haired girl widened her eyes, looking around.
She seemed to be searching for the source of my Telepathic Communication.
『It’s right in front of you, right in front. I’m the blue blob.』
“……Eh?”
I stretched and shrunk my body to emphasize my presence, and she turned her sleepy gaze towards me.
But then, she tilted her head.
“You are… what?”
『What do you mean, what…? I’m Kouya. Just a normal sli… human.』
I quickly corrected myself.
She didn’t seem to know about slimes.
If I revealed that I was a Demon Beast, she’d probably be scared, and I wouldn’t have to worry about a subjugation squad being formed after I returned her to a human town.
Well, it seems like humans rarely try to defeat Feral Beasts anyway.
“You don’t look human at all though…”
『That’s because of, uh, magic.』
“Then, the voice that’s been echoing in my head is also?”
『Yeah, it’s magic.』
“……For magic, your Mana is completely la──”
『It’s the Stealth Skill! I’m hiding so other Demon Beasts won’t find me!』
I forcefully conveyed my thoughts.
If I continued the conversation any longer, I’d probably slip up. I should change the subject.
『More importantly! Are you hurt anywhere? I tried to catch you as gently as possible, but my body is hard, so are you bruised or anything?』
“I’m fine. Nothing hurts.”
The girl answered while opening and closing her hands. There was no sign of distress on her face.
She doesn’t change her expression much, so I can’t say for sure, but it doesn’t seem like she’s just putting on a brave face.
『…Changing the subject, if you don’t mind, could you tell me how you got caught in the collapse?』
The Mana I felt from the girl was not even close to the level needed to be active in the Ferocious Beast Zone.
It was partly out of curiosity, but I wanted to know what the circumstances were for future reference.
“……Okay, I’ll tell you. I want someone to know, just in case something happens to me. …By the way, do you know about the Demon Beast Cult, Kouya?”
『……No, I don’t.』
I hesitated for a few seconds before answering that I didn’t know.
The fact that she asked if I knew meant that the Demon Beast Cult wasn’t common knowledge.
“The Demon Beast Cult is a group that worships Demon Beasts, or so it seems. I don’t know much about it either.”
『Hmm, hmm.』
I nodded, thinking that maybe I could get along with them.
I’m not the type to be worshipped, but if I could get along with them, that would be great.
“I was running away because the people from that Demon Beast Cult were trying to kill me. I couldn’t turn back because I entered a Steel Ant nest.”
『……Seriously?』
Attempted murder, those guys are dangerous.
However, there’s something a little unsettling about what she just said.
『So, the Demon Beast Cult people who were chasing you also got caught in the collapse…?』
“No, they didn’t. The one chasing me was a Demon Beast that was being used by a man from the Demon Beast Cult.”
『Used…?』
They worship Demon Beasts, but they use them…? No, is it because they worship them?
Ergo did say that taming Demon Beasts isn’t common in this world.
“Yes. At first, he wasn’t leading anything, but suddenly a Demon Beast appeared. And it was a Greater Beast. I would have been caught for sure if it wasn’t for the collapse, so in a way, it was lucky.”
『That’s… good then.』
As one of the causes of the collapse, I can’t really be happy about it, but if she’s taking it positively, then that’s good.
“(Still, a Demon Beast suddenly appeared, huh…)”
The first thing that came to my mind was Spatial Affinity.
With Paula’s magic, she could summon Demon Beasts ignoring distance.
However, Spatial Affinity is said to be extremely rare, and it seems difficult for the people of this world to handle it with their current knowledge.
Besides, you’d need a separate way to tame beasts.
Well, if I start thinking about all the possibilities, I’ll never stop.
I’ll just keep in mind that she might be a spatial magic user.
“Kouya…?”
『Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought. What were we talking about?』
“I wanted to ask which way we should go. Where are we?”
『Well, I was too busy escaping the Steel Ant nest, so I don’t know exactly where we are… It should be somewhere on the eastern side of the Goronomua Mountains, though.』
The girl nodded a few times, and then,
“Eh, isn’t that incredibly dangerous!?”
She shouted.
It was a very casual tone, a departure from her somewhat detached demeanor.
“D-Do you have a map or something…?”
『I lost it a while ago.』
“Do you, by any chance, have the entire terrain from here to the town memorized…?”
『I just got here, so I have no idea.』
“It’s over…”
The girl slumped down, looking utterly defeated.
“Why… I was just doing my usual, normal thing…”
She covered her face and started muttering something.
I was taken aback by her sudden change, but I felt sorry for her if she was misunderstanding, so I activated Telepathic Communication.
『There’s no need to worry so much. Even without a map, we should be able to get near the town by going through the ant nest.』
“What are you talking about? There are so many Steel Ants in there. That’s impossible.”
『No, no, no, calm down and think about it. I brought you all the way here, didn’t I? No matter how many Steel Ants there are, they’re nothing.』
I stretched my body horizontally, imagining myself flexing my muscles.
The fact that I brought her safely from the depths of the nest to the surface seemed to have some persuasive power, and the light returned to the girl’s eyes.
She still seemed a bit skeptical, but at least she wouldn’t object to entering the ant nest.
Also, it seems that the people of this world call Steel Ants “Metal Ants.”
Telepathic Communication and Comprehension are based on nuances, so from now on, I’ll convert the words I know in my head.
『If you don’t go home soon, your parents will worry. Let’s go quickly, uh… your name…』
“……Come to think of it, I haven’t told you my name. My name is Fiss. Fiss Mogsar. Nice to meet you.”
And so, my journey with Fiss Mogsar began.