Chapter 434: Ongoing
At this time of year, apples and oranges are abundant, so I’m making sweets and jam.
Before that, I squeeze some oranges for juice! I take two oranges, squeeze them tightly, and gulp down the refreshing drink. Rishu shakes his face, looking a bit wobbly.
“Did it fly away? Sorry, sorry.”
I wash my hands and gently pet Rishu.
I prepare fresh water for Rishu, give him another soft pat, and start my work. I’m making a hearty apple pie, a long, gooey apple pie, thin apple tarts, Tarte Tatin, apple crumble, and honey apple cake.
For the treats to bring to Dinoss’s house, I’ll add some decorative patterns. The sweets for the island will be in shapes that are easy to divide. The ones for eating outside will be small, from palm-sized to bite-sized. I’ll store them hot in [Storage].
As for the oranges, I’m making orange cake, orange rare cheese, and chocolate-covered orange peels—and more.
It took three and a half days to make all this. I can’t wait for Kanum to come back. I feel restless and fidgety, so I thought I’d clean or cook or do some everyday chores! But it looks like I’ve made too much.
◇ Meanwhile, Deep in the Demon Forest (Retze’s Perspective) ◇
“Seriously…?”
Dean mutters quietly beside me.
I’m also sweating profusely in this cold place. The Black Spirit that the lord’s daughter found has already latched onto the meat and is on the verge of becoming a Demon Beast. Technically, it already is a Demon Beast, but it seems to be struggling to adapt.
“If that thing starts moving, we’re in big trouble!”
Chris says, his voice urgent but still low.
In front of us is a hunched figure resembling an owl. It’s covered in grotesque black lumps, with wings sprouting from it, only to be swallowed back into the lumps. The presence of what’s growing before us is anything but ordinary.
Just because it’s sluggish doesn’t mean we can act carelessly; I know that much. Just looking at it makes my legs tremble.
“Small Black Spirits are gathering.”
Ash furrows his brow.
I’m just an ordinary human who can’t see spirits unless they’re trying to show themselves or are particularly large, but Ash and Note, with their amber eyes, can see the spirits.
The place where the small Black Spirits gather is easily recognizable to most who can’t see them, often referred to as a miasma or a magical residue.
“We need to get back and have this dealt with at the Temple; otherwise, we’re in serious trouble.”
Being here is making me feel sick.
Even though it’s small, being possessed by a Black Spirit can lead to dark thoughts, causing one to hate and despise others. The worst part is that you end up hating yourself too.
“—Will it be enough?”
Note asks.
I’m already overwhelmed just facing this half-formed Demon Beast, and I can’t help but envy his calm demeanor.
“No matter how big the drop is, it looks like it won’t do any good.”
Dean glances at the drop the lord’s daughter is holding.
The drop is the power of a spirit before it turned black, when it still held affection for humans. This power is the essence of the spirit itself, and it might be able to somewhat counteract and soothe the current black state.
I don’t expect it to revert back to normal, but I had a faint hope that it might at least retreat deeper into the forest. However, as Dean pointed out, it’s clearly not going to work; it’s like pouring water on a burning stone.
“It’s fine. I’ll—”
The lord’s daughter places her hand on her chest and takes a step toward the crouching Demon Beast.
“Stop it.”
I find it troublesome, but I intervene.
“You’re a town girl who’s used to entering the Demon Forest, right? Being sent here means you must have some of that lord’s blood in you.”
She looks surprised at my sudden interruption, her eyes widening in shock.
“It’s rather reckless for someone claiming to be noble to act this way.”
As Note pointed out, her behavior is quite odd for a lady of nobility.
While it’s a noble’s duty to hunt down Demon Beasts and invaders, there are some who take action. But her movements, from her gait to her fingertips, are not those of a fighter or a noble; they resemble those of a town girl who works in the shallow woods, someone I know well.
“Ah, is this one of those things where you redeem yourself with the blood of a spirit’s beloved? Spare me…”
Dean says with a grimace.
This is truly troublesome. If it were just me and Note here, I’d probably have quickly sacrificed the girl and made a run for it.
“A young lady shouldn’t be making such a decision!”
Chris’s earnest smile is blinding.
This has to be a situation where the lord has a sister or a younger sibling as a hostage, right?
“No, I have to do something about this…”
The girl’s determined expression falters, her mouth moving but no words coming out.
She’s so caught up in her thoughts that she can’t articulate them—no, it’s more likely she’s bound by an Oath Document.
So, she’s about to fight this Demon Beast with her life on the line, and when she survives, she’ll get caught up in whatever the lord has planned for her. This is really a hassle.