Grass Cutting and Discovery
The first day of the Great Forest monster extermination.
Thanks to having heard the explanation, I was only able to be active for about half a day, but even so, I was able to sink monsters in about one-seventh of the Great Forest’s area into the depths of the earth, or so it felt.
The results were excellent, and I was able to eliminate about thirty parasitized individuals, so it was sufficient.
Also, when I dissected the parasitized individuals, there was something like a seed in their brains. I crushed it and looked inside, but there wasn’t anything in particular.
I think it’s probably the same system as the Roper’s implantation. When the main body dies, the seed in its head hatches, and from there, the main body is reborn.
If that’s correct, then I can confidently say that my decision to deal with them preemptively was the right one.
“Welcome back.”
“Yeah, was there anything strange?”
“I was fine. How was it on your side?”
“Nothing major here either.”
“That’s good… um.”
“What is it? Can you teach me how to read this?”
“…You couldn’t read it? I’m sorry about that.”
“No, I can read most of it, but there are some parts I don’t understand…”
“I see. Understood, which parts don’t you understand?”
“Um, it’s here.”
“Ah, this part is…”
Ina, who I had waiting at the spring, seemed to have been able to spend her time safely without any problems, so I can be relieved for now.
While teaching her the parts she didn’t understand, I noticed that she had already read almost half of it, so I took out the additional book, or rather, the sequel I had given to Ina, and placed it there.
“What is that?”
“It’s the sequel to that, in other words, an extra way to kill time.”
“Heeh. There are so many, huh?”
“I only have this much, but there are still more sequels, and there are many other similar stories.”
“Heeh…”
“Are you interested?”
“Yes!”
“Then, after we’re done with this whole forest. I’ll take you there after we’re done.”
“Yes!”
After that, we talked about various things about the books, and the first day ended.
By the way, the author of the book I gave to Ina is my younger sister, two years younger than me, who ran away from home and was captured by a merchant’s daughter. She was an aggressive girl who was more likely to face a bear with a wooden spear than sit at a desk, but for some reason, she became a story writer.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
The second day of the Great Forest monster extermination.
In the morning, as soon as I woke up, I spent time holding Ina, who was trembling all over, stroking her head, and patting her back to calm her down.
Her symptoms were similar to extreme trauma, or rather, I’m not familiar with psychiatry, so I can’t say for sure, but I think it’s probably that kind of symptom.
The symptoms subsided in about half a day, but there’s no way I could leave her in that state and go kill monsters, so I spent all of the second day with Ina.
She also hid the energy she had shown before and just sat quietly on my lap, so I stroked her head and fed her dried fruit.
My knowledge of how to deal with it is superficial compared to someone who is knowledgeable, but I do know it and can deal with it.
It’s not uncommon, especially for knights and soldiers who almost died on the battlefield, to end up in a similar state and keep vomiting up everything in their stomachs.
“There, there.”
“…”
“Don’t worry about it, take slow, deep breaths and try to imagine things you want to do, things you want to try.”
“…” Nod.
“There, there. Do you want to eat?”
“…” Nod.
“Okay. Ahh, open your mouth.”
“…Nn ah.”
“Here. Chew well.”
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
“Thank you for yesterday! I’m all better today! I’ll be waiting, so have a good day!!”
“Lower your voice a little. More importantly, are you really okay?”
“I’m okay!”
“Then, eat breakfast.”
“Munch! Mogu mogu.”
The third day of monster extermination.
Ina, who was down all day yesterday, woke up and immediately started shouting loudly, so I made her sit down and shoved dried meat into her mouth.
As I watched her continue to eat without trying to hold it herself, I observed her, and it seemed that her symptoms had subsided as she had stated. However, it’s not certain when they might reappear.
“Yesterday, I was taking care of you, but today I’m going to move around in the forest to prepare. During that time, you’ll have to wait alone, is that okay?”
“Mogu mogu.” Nod nod.
“I’ve left you some books and food. I’ll be back before evening, so don’t move until then.”
“Mogu mogu… Yes!”
“Good answer. Well then, I’m going.”
I handed Ina the first day’s set and entered the forest.
I had finished killing all the monsters on the outer edge on this side of the village on the first day, but there was a possibility that things had changed after a day, so I decided to run around to check. Also, I’ll check the tent I set up outside the forest, and if it’s still there, I’ll collect it.
“…This is troublesome.”
To state the conclusion, there were living members of the Demon Race in the forest.
I felt a disgusting presence, so I headed there, and there were High-rank and lower Demons capturing monsters and carrying them towards the Great Tree, so I killed them all before they could escape.
I thought that wouldn’t be all, so I ran around in the forest while killing monsters, and I found Demons carrying monsters in six places besides the first one, and I killed them all.
If it had ended there, there wouldn’t have been a problem. They were just Demons, and the possibility of their involvement was within my expectations.
What was abnormal was what came next. I sensed the presence of a Highest-rank Demon and headed there, and there was an Elf chatting calmly. It was like a scene from everyday life, like a normal sight, exchanging words with the Demons and handing over and receiving something.
Honestly, I wanted to jump in and kill everyone there, but… I endured it because I couldn’t act rashly before Fana and the others arrived.
I endured, endured, endured, and when the Elf who had been chatting disappeared and the Demons started moving, I attacked the Demons. I crushed their heads and gouged out their hearts to kill them.
In the process, I looked inside the Demons’ heads and near their hearts, but there were no seeds implanted, so it’s safe to say that the root of the Disaster Classification being scattered and the anomaly occurring in this forest is the Demon Race.
That being the case, there are various questions about the abnormal behavior occurring in the Other Races… but for now, I’ll put that aside for the time being.
“The final goal is the Great Tree… but the most urgent thing I need to deal with right now is the Demon Race.”
I don’t know what the Elf is thinking, working secretly with the Demon Race, but dealing with that can wait.
What’s more important is that the Demons are constantly carrying monsters to the main body of the parasitic creature. If that happens, no matter how many monsters I kill, it will be endless in the current situation where I have to move while protecting Ina.
It’s possible to let Ina escape outside, and in fact, it would be better to do so to regain my freedom. But there’s something that bothers me, where would I take her if I let her escape, and the possibility that the Elf could grasp that.
If it’s a Sacrifice, then there must be a way to find her even if she escapes.
There’s also a question about why they wouldn’t come looking for her, but if they had a way to find her, there’s a possibility that they could bring monsters outside and attack.
That’s why I had the Knights Order deployed to surround the forest, but if the main body goes berserk and the forest itself moves, there’s nothing I can do.
If that happens, damage will occur in the human living area before I can kill it, and the more damage there is, the more people I’ll have to kill. I don’t want to waste my energy like that, especially when I feel the possibility of a large-scale invasion by the Demon Race.
“For now, I’ll kill all the Demons in the forest by tomorrow.”
Also, as a side note, the tent was destroyed.
Not by monsters, but by human hands, probably by the Elves. Well, it was within my expectations, and it was just there as a decoy, so it’s not a big problem.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
The fourth day.
I think it’s about time for Fana and the others to start moving, so I’m going to change my activity location to the area around the Great Tree where the parasitism is most widespread.
If you ask if the outer edge is finished, it’s not. But there’s no point in dwelling on it forever, and I can leave the small fry monsters to Fana and the others.
“We’re moving.”
“Where to?”
“Near the Great Tree. Ask the Spirit, is there a place where the Forest Anomaly hasn’t spread?”
“Okay… It seems there is. I know the location too!”
“Then, let’s go. Let’s get the move over with quickly.”
“Okay!”
So, we’re moving our base from the spring to a place near the Great Tree.
I caught Ina as she jumped at me and carried her as I continued to run through the trees, keeping a certain distance from the Elf’s presence.
It’s too much trouble to hide my strength anymore, so I’m using my full power. My face is already known to the Demon Race, and I don’t think I can handle things properly from here on out while holding back.
And so, after moving for about ten minutes.
As the trees began to fill with dread and the number of parasitized monsters increased, Ina called out, “It’s over there.”
Concealing my presence and eliminating any monsters in my path, I arrived at a dilapidated stone chamber where weeds grew haphazardly.
“…What is this place?”
“According to the Spirit-sama, it seems to be a Ritual Site. Long ago, a shrine maiden and her guardian would prepare and offer meals here for seven days and seven nights to pray for a bountiful harvest.”
“I see… Can we enter?”
“It seems it’s been abandoned for hundreds of years, but it’s still accessible.”
“Good. Just in case, should we make another exit after we go in?”
“It seems to be fine. It’s been abandoned, and no one is supposed to be there anymore.”
“I see… I’m going in, get down for now.”
“Okay!”
Listening to the explanation Ina had received from the Spirit, I entered through a gap in the collapsed part of the stone chamber and found myself in a surprisingly bright and spacious underground area.
I suspected it might be a dungeon, but there were no signs of monsters or corpses. It was more than adequate as a hiding place, and there seemed to be no need to set up anything, so I brought Ina inside, who had been waiting outside, and handed her the usual set of items.
“Well then, I’m going.”
“Yes, please do your best.”