Chapter 330: The Secret of “The Black Ones”
When the dome constructed of earth collapsed, a large amount of water flowed out from within.
And… the massive body of a Diamond Bear rolled out from the water.
The giant bear, which had drowned, had not a single wound. Not only its flesh, but also its crystal-like shimmering fur was unharmed.
The water-soaked Diamond Bear was frozen to keep the meat from spoiling, and it was carefully processed.
“So… what were those guys in the end?”
However… what bothered me more than the harvest was the mysterious presence that had spoken to me from the Deep Forest earlier.
Ula had naturally accepted their existence, but what exactly were those things called “the black ones”?
“Haaah…”
“Don’t ‘Haaah’ me. Please come back to your senses already.”
“Nn… too bad.”
Ula had been in a state of ecstasy while being embraced by Rest, but she eventually regained consciousness and answered Rest’s question.
“Sora-Magic.”
“Sora-Magic…?”
“Stealth. Lavender.”
“…………?”
Most of Ula’s words were incoherent, but… after patiently asking questions, I was able to extract enough information.
“So… they are members of an organization called ‘Sora-Magic’, and they are a stealth unit serving the Lavender Barony?”
“Yes.”
“This forest is a base for ‘Sora-Magic’, and that’s why it’s a forbidden area. If anyone sets foot in the Deep Forest, they’ll be killed without question?”
“Yes.”
“…How did I even get in? I could have been killed…”
Rest dropped his shoulders in dismay.
It was Rest who had asked to enter the forest and get a Diamond Bear, but I wish they had told me if it was such a dangerous place.
Ula, being a member of the Lavender Barony, was one thing, but Rest could have been killed.
“It’s okay. You have the ring.”
“The ring… you mean this?”
Rest held up the purple ring that Ula had given him when he entered the forest.
“Yes. Safe.”
“So, with this, I won’t be attacked by the ‘Sora-Magic’ guys… what’s the logic behind that?”
What meaning could this ring possibly have?
Was it really okay to give such a thing to Rest?
“No problem. Because…”
“We have seen that power.”
“…………!”
A voice echoed from the Deep Forest.
At the same time, I felt an unusual presence. It didn’t register on Life Search, a slimy, unpleasant sensation.
“You guys are…!”
“We shall acknowledge you as our master. We shall serve you from now on.”
“Huh…?”
“Then, please call upon us whenever you have need…”
With those words, the mysterious presence disappeared.
All that remained were Rest, standing there in a daze, and Ula, with her usual expressionless face.
“What was that just now…”
“Yoro.”
“No, even if you say ‘Yoro’…”
“You are the boss of the Lavender Barony. Yoroshiku.”
“…………Huh?”
A rare long sentence… for her, that is.
Rest froze at the outrageous bombshell that Ula had dropped.
Later, on the way back, I got the story from Ula… the ring that Rest had received was proof of the authority to command the stealth unit ‘Sora-Magic’.
Rest had received it without knowing this, and as a result, he was effectively recognized as the head of the Lavender Barony.
“Why did it turn out like this…?”
Before I knew it, the outer defenses had been breached.
The story I had been told by the head of the House, Loser Lavender… the proposal to make Ula my bride was becoming a reality.
“Yoroshiku,”
Ula said, snuggling up to Rest.
A distance that was clearly not that of strangers. It seemed she was trying to breach not only the outer defenses but also the inner ones, as she was showing her intimacy with her whole body.
“…Please let me think about it.”
Rest said, using honorifics for some reason, and then used magic to transport the Diamond Bear’s corpse.