5.1 – Whispers of fantasy and ashes
5 – Whispers of fantasy and ashes
5.1
Back at the remains of my camp inside Sherwood Forest, I take a look around as I wait.
"So... The Goddess said she would bring Akane back, but should I simply wait here? Take a stroll inside the woods, or what…?
…
"I don't have very fond memories of the last time I was here…" That huge beast in the dark jogs my memory. "I'll just continue towards the city. I'm sure they'll be able to find me either way."
Now that I'm starting to get used to this place, I begin to wonder how I wasn't able to notice those snakes on the trees before. Their positioning becomes obvious once you notice their breathing. And even if that wasn't the case, you can easily listen to their hearts beating.
…
Huh? That shouldn't be possible though? It seems being conscious of the spirits of life, makes me perceive more things than I could before…
I make my way through the forest, while avoiding the creatures.
It should be easy to hunt them for money now, but I shouldn't, since I don't think I'll gain any exp from them anymore. And honestly, I would just rather not kill any more of them, EVER, if I can help it…
…
…
…
Since I didn`t have to kill and store the snakes this time around, I managed to walk a bigger distance than on the first day. So I had the time to stop and relax a little…
I decide to take a little break, at a spot where there aren't many monsters around. I climb atop of a tree branch and start reading the adventurer's book to pass the time.
…
…
…
"*Yawn~* That was some good reading. I missed this!"
But I might have spent more time waiting here than originally intended…
It`s already sunset by the time I finish.
But it's alright, I'm not in such a hurry to get away from the capital this time around, since I've already talked things through with the Goddess… Not that it would have made any difference now that it's been confirmed she sent spies after us hahaha…
Would our conversation have gone differently if she knew I already had a portion of the soul? Or had she already noticed it…? I don't think she did.
Whatever, it doesn't make any difference now.
For now, I can just sit back and relax---
"As if!" I can't help but tsukkomi myself, as I scream into the air.
I was just looking into the battles between the previous 'heroes' and Demon Lords, and they're world changing events. Like, both figuratively and literally! Not only do they affect lives, politics and demarked territories, but they also change whole landscapes!
Sherwood here is a good example of someone who sprouted a forest out of nothing. But there are also others who take things even further out of proportion, such as creating massive canyons with each of their spear thrusts or obliterating a whole mountain range so the enemies wouldn't 'have the high ground'… And even this one who threw an entire sea at the Demon army, creating a desert on one hand and causing a massive flood on the other.
Isn't this simply impossible for someone like me!?
That kind of explains why the Goddess was so nonchalant: 'Just go there and beat the demons, yo!' She's way too used to these OP isekai characters! As if I could just do something like that!!! I couldn't even hunt a bear in the woods, and now I have to defeat the last boss!? Is there even any amount of training that will help me!?
Not like I have any other options now… Even if I were to assume that most of what she told me isn't true, then I would still need to investigate the demons for information on how to return to my own world. Not only that, but the demons seem to be the only ones who know how to properly connect to the spirits, so I would need to learn that from them as well, in order to increase the scope of what I can do. Hopefully, I can try to copy them just by watching…
But since I have the Demon Lord's soul inside of me, I don't think I would be able to go through their territory unnoticed. So I should learn how to properly defend myself first…
Which means that a) I should either go on adventures on even more dangerous places, earning myself some income as well… Or, b) now that I've made a deal with the Goddess, maybe I should just go back and take part in the training with the kids--- 'heroes', after all…
Argh... I don't like this. I'm not good at getting stuff done by fighting… Isn`t there a pacifist route somewhere…?
…
For now, I should prepare for camping. Though I have to admit I'm quite traumatized from last time… Maybe I could just trust the spirits and sleep here atop the tree? Away from whatever else might appear down there…?
*Stomach grumbling*
Wait, now that I think about it, I believe that there are more pressing problems right now… I forgot to scavenge for food! Thinking back, I haven`t even had lunch yet! Why do I always do that? And now that I noticed, I'm starting to get hungry---
!!!
Feeling a disturbance in the force, I jump down from the tree.
"What the---!?"
Something is… Falling from the sky!?
Once again, I`ve left my guard down against the unexpected. I`m the kind of person who only proceeds after analyzing the situation, thinking and formulating a plan. But I never know how to proceed at the moment something unexpected happens…
Before I can even land on the floor, right next to where I was standing, a girl carrying a big object on her back suddenly falls from the sky atop the tree branch. Her landing is so precise that not only does she makes no noise, but she also doesn't shake the tree in the slightest.
She has a light green hair and pink eyes… A beautiful onee-san I'd say, if the lower half of her face wasn't covered by a mask… And, for some reason, she is dressed kind of like a ninja… Is she one of those assassins who work for the Goddess, which Sherwood mentioned? She is carrying something on her back… With the shape of a person---?
Her eyes widen for a moment, as she looks at me.
"You actually managed to notice me this time around… Even if I`m carrying a heavy burden, it`s no small feat. Something about you did change after you disappeared. Is this the reason why our Goddess became interested upon hearing that?"
"… Have we met before?"
"… When I took Airi. I did poke you a few times, just to be sure of whether or not you had been able to notice anything."
It`s a bad hobby to make fun of someone as you kidnap their party member…
Looking more closely, I notice that this 'heavy burden' she just mentioned has a familiar long red hair…
"I see… I'll have to admit, I didn't notice anything at the time… Were you also the one who brought that bear as a gift?"
"Indeed. Although I have to admit, I wasn't sure of what kind of monster was inside the container, before releasing it. Moreover, it wasn`t a bear, it was a night wolf. Luckily for you it was only one and not the entire pack…"
I`m not sure if 'luck' applies to the actions others take against you…
From what I've seen so far, instead of a kunoichi, she seems more like someone running an express delivery service…
"And the container wasn't heavy…?" Comparing red to a bear-like wolf surely must be an exaggeration. Unless…
"I had to use expression at the time. With Airi, I am able to save my mana if I simply carry her with my own strength. Conserving mana is extremely important, so it's better used only when absolutely necessary."
Was she trying to steer the conversation this way? It seemed more like an advice than anything… So far, I had been doing the opposite, and using mana as I walked so I wouldn't get tired…
"Either way, sorry for the scare."
She doesn't sound sorry at all…
"But I mean no harm this time."
'This time'…
"I simply came to bring Airi back, as ordered by our Goddess."
She gets down from the tree and gently lays her on the floor. She is unconscious, but has a calm breathing.
I might have had my disagreements with her, but I'm relieved to see that she is doing well.
"I'll take my leave now." She turns away.
"By which you mean you will return to spying on us from the shadows? Or is that someone else`s job?"
She gives me a quick glance from this small jab, but soon turns around again.
"I'll leave that to your imagination. For more details, you should ask someone who is allowed to speak on this subject."
A model employee using the absolute tactic of transferring responsibility…
She takes a quick jump back to the top of the tree and with another jump she disappears.
"Well… I guess everything is back to normal now…"
I look at the unconscious Akane. I wonder about what kinds of trials she had to go through… Was there really any need for such a thing? Well, I won`t deny we are basically deserters…
In the end, did she also strike a deal with the Goddess? Or did they think it was okay since she was working with me? Or maybe she just aced the test, and I was the only one on the verge of being held back a year…
Either way, I should make use of this rare chance in which Akane is off-guard and have my revenge for all those times she beat me up. Mwahaha!
Do I have anything I can write with? I should make some funny drawings to her face! With no one to see it in this forest, she won`t realize it until we reach a town. But is it worth it? What if she looks at her own reflection in a river and notices it? She'll beat me up again for sure…
…
On the other hand, it will be very funny while it lasts!
As I approach her, imagining how many poops I should draw, I suddenly hear a familiar voice from behind me.
"What are you doing?"
"Uwah!!! What the---!?"
I turn around and the ninja girl is there, staring at me with disapproving eyes.
I didn't even notice she came back! Or, did she even leave!? Is this how far her stealth stat goes when she's being serious!?
"What were you planning on doing to an unconscious woman?"
When she puts it like that, it does sound criminally bad…
"N-no, you misunderstood! She deserves it, after everything she put me through!"
… Yeah, I got it after saying it. That didn't help.
She stares at me with clear disgust, and finally let's out a sigh.
"I'll just stay here for a while, where you can see me, so you don't have any strange ideas. It wouldn't do well to my career if I did not deliver someone safely as I was ordered to…"
From crowded cities to snake infested forests, we deliver your goods the way they left. That`s employee of the month material there…
But if she continued to watch us even after she made her delivery, doesn't that mean she was the one who had been following us so far, after all? Or could there be another person still in hiding…?
"H-haha… Isn't your reaction a little out of proportion? It wasn't anything that deserved this much reprimand…"
"…"
"A-am I being ignored…?"
"Trash…"
…
…
…
A while later…
"And… Why is she still passed out? You really had to give her something this potent?"
"There was no other choice. Considering her personality and the extent of her battle prowess, she would be far too dangerous for anyone handling her…"
"Yeah… I can only imagine how pissed she must have been when you guys told her she was being tested by the Goddess, lol. I wouldn't want to be there…" I wouldn't want to be another casualty of her uncontrollable rage… "But I'll admit I would have liked to see it…" It must've been quite a scene after all.
"…"
Huh? Why did she suddenly go quiet? Wait! Don't tell me…
"It's good to know that's how you feel. You'll be able to watch it firsthand once you tell her."
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?
"You guys didn't tell her!? She'll be furious once she wakes up! What the heck, I'm not doing this!"
She sighs in response.
"I've said the exact same, so I hope you'll understand. At least the both of you are friends."
"Huh?" Friends? From what sort of parallel universe did she get that sense?
Also, it really sounds like her coworkers simply dumped that job on her, and now she's dumping it on me as well…
"I'm leaving as soon as she begins to wake up. It'll be up to you then."
Urgh! I can't believe this…
"You still have some time to prepare your bullshit--- speech. It should still take her about an hour or so."
She`s definitely been spying on us…
"More like prepare to take a beating in your place…"
"…"
She doesn't deny it!
Her cold eyes might be a positive point for some kind of people, but I think it'll take me a while to get used to them…
…
*grumble* My stomach cuts the silence and begins to complain again.
"I-I guess I'm still hungry after all… You wouldn't happen to have something to share, right?"
"Even if I did, why should I share it with you?"
True. But she didn`t have to say it like that.
"I mean, I should still have a ton of food to eat, but who was it that took it all away? Don`t you feel a little sorry about that at least?"
"I was merely following orders. If you have a complaint to make, then you should discuss your case through the proper means. I could give you the address to the respective department, located at the capital."
She really was the one who took our food then…
And they have a department for receiving complaints? Isekai bureaucracy, they should make a novel about that…
"I see, then maybe I should--- Not! Aren't you the one who is trying to give me the bull here? I can't believe your orders specifically told you to take our food. Are you sure you were properly doing your duty? It might even be a waste of my time, but if I go there and it gets proven it was an abuse of power on your part, it's your career on the line!"
She grumbles under her breath, but in a volume meant for me to hear. "I'm not sure what would be worse, the numbskull waiting in line all day or me having to watch the numbskull wait in line all day…"
N-numbskull…
"I follow my orders. Precisely. Word by word. There was no 'abuse of power'. It's been a week already since you left. All of the food would have spoiled by now. As such, it was donated to charity, while we waited for your return."
"Ok, but what about the guild's emergency rations?"
"The kids loved it. It seems they had a slight hazelnut accent. Deliciously crunchy, while surprisingly not being all too hard at the same time."
T-this ninja… That's an awfully detailed description… She's the one who ate the rations, isn't she? Why do I feel like she would have just smacked her lips right now if I weren't watching…
Zero remorse…
D-damn, I feel like it's a waste of time to insist on that…
"Ok, sorry, you were just following your orders. But since you're so into charity, don't you have anything to share? I'm starving here…"
"And we went full circle… You`re hungry? I just made a three days journey in only one. I didn`t eat, I didn`t drink, I didn't stop on the way. I had to run at full speed, and to lessen the weight I couldn't bring any other baggage."
"E-even I---!"
Was talking and spending time with Sherwood and the Goddess, and then reading instead of looking for food when I had the time…
"And just as I was planning to have some rest while doing some simple observation, a perverted monkey appeared and tried to ruin my mission."
It really hurts when she says it out like that…
"You`re hungry? Then how do you think I feel?"
N-no free food then, I guess… Back to hunting, we go… Damn, I wish I knew how to scavenge for fruits and tree roots… But I feel I`ll have some terrible food poisoning if I try to do that now… Maybe I should buy a guide for comestible plants and stuff, the next time I`m in town.
It`s been a whole week (technically) that I don`t eat, but it was actually only a day for me. In truth, even that day went by so fast, I hardly even noticed it… Even counting today, I don't think I feel quite as hungry as I should be… Rather than anything else in this isekai, it might actually be from stress. Honestly, I should take better care of my meals…
…
I`m sorry snakes, I guess I`ll have to make a barbecue out of you again…
Damn, I really didn`t want to repeat the experience. Not only I felt horrible after killing them, but what worries me the most is the feeling I had 'while' I was killing them… Was it really something 'I' felt…?
The guild could have given us a bigger portion of rations… Though I have to admit it's quite bad-mannered to complain about something they gave us for free…
Hah…
"I`ll go get us some food then…"
"You should. Airi will be hungry as well once she wakes up. I`ll do the same while you`re gone."
"I was offering to get some for you too. Weren`t you supposed to stay with her?"
"Of course I`ll continue to take care of her, but I can also get some food and water while I`m doing that. I don`t want to be indebted to someone like you…"
Now she's being way too cruel! It's not like I'm trying to make her own me a favor--- or, well, not 'just' that!
"Remember to be careful, you`re on your own. Don`t let your guard down just because you think you have a babysitter now. I`ll still be watching, but I`m not going to help you. If it gets to that point, I will watch you die and then take your body to our Goddess. Also, don't forget you're no more than a rookie. I`ve seen many good soldiers get themselves killed because of overconfidence… Don`t you forget that, Kanade."
'Overconfidence'…
She has a gentle side beneath her harsh demeanor…
Tsun tsun dere tsun dere tsun tsun~
Though it is a little odd to be called by name when we never introduced ourselves…
And she said she'll manage her food and water while still taking care of Akane? I can only imagine her being carried as a sack of potatoes again. As expected of a ninja to be able to hunt in those conditions…
Well, the river is quite close anyways---
But wait, does she need to go all the way to the river?
She's a ninja after all! Don't tell me she can create water by herself! Or survive simply by drinking the morning dew!?
"Your hidden village specializes in water jutsu!? Or have you ascended to become the one and only dragon warrior!?"
"W-what? What are you talking about? How did you take any of that from what I just said?"
"I guess you're right… The dragon warrior has nothing to with ninjas…"
"Ahh… I've seen this happen a lot, but it's the first time I have some firsthand experience…"
Hmph, and here I was starting to think how awesome it was to meet an actual ninja… However, she can`t even pay proper attention to the flow of the conversation. I`m almost disappointed now…
But I digress, I should probably get going before it get`s dark…
"Then, I`ll be on my way."
"Y-yeah… Be careful…"
I leave to search for some food.
…
"Did he even listen to anything I've said…?"
…
…
…
Now let`s see…
I close my eyes and start breathing and exhaling slowly, as if meditating. I try to focus on the breathing of the beings around me. Their perspiration. And their smallest movements, up to the beating of their hearts… I almost feel like I just entered some sort of state of inner peace.
Soon, I begin to notice the flow of the life spirits through the forest. And also perceive the creatures that live inside it.
I can 'see' myself, the trees, the insects, the snakes, some small animals and birds, and Airi… But I can't seem to find the ninja girl. Is she using some sort of technique to disappear?
Anyways, one snake should give me enough food for a while. And it would also give me some of that poison that has already saved my life once… Who knows if that beast is still running around somewhere in here… I'd best ask the ninja once I come back. Since the test is already over, I don't think they would forget to collect it afterwards. I mean, since this IS a beginner's area, it would be too dangerous.
Haha, though for some reason I can quite imagine the Goddess with her indifferent face saying something like: 'Oh, that minor being? What kind of problems could it cause? Just wait a hundred years and it will be gone.' Or something like that. She did casually tell me to become the Demon Lord as if it were a simple stepping-stone…
Ah, I just found a snake… Not the biggest one I've seen so far but not the smallest either. It`s by itself, like the others, and in a rather low branch. I should be able to take it by surprise… No point in hesitating now…
I silently draw closer. As if possessed, I watch out for every change on its breathing, the movement of its head and eyes, the speed of its heartbeat; and I manage to approach it in one fluid motion, without alerting it. Soon enough, I'm standing diagonally behind it.
Despite our proximity, I'm calm. I understand its movements, its intents. It won't hurt me as long as I behave conscientiously.
Even so, I shouldn't be careless. I came here to kill it…
I should act quickly, before it can notice me.
As my hand approaches the handle of my blade, I'm once again struck by an unfamiliar euphoria.
And as soon as I grab the handle---
Another one for my collection~~~
My concentration is broken. As if adrenaline had been injected to my veins, I feel hot and ecstatic. The peace I felt is replaced by--- excitement. And I stop sensing what was happening around me. The snake disappears. Everything is gone.
But it doesn`t matter. Nothing else matters. I draw my blade and notice that the snake hadn`t actually disappeared; I just had my eyes closed. As soon as I open them back, I can see the snake hurriedly turning to my direction and preparing to strike. It seems my ambush failed and I`d alerted it of my presence.
But its struggle is futile, as I quickly cut its head off, along with the tree branch.
"Too slow…"
Opposite to my first experiences at killing, this time I could feel a positive change to my psyche…
I could get used to this.
…
…
…
To my surprise (or not), once I come back, that ninja is nowhere to be seen.
It makes sense, since Airi seems to have woken up. She is sitting with her back to a tree while holding her head.
As I come closer, she lifts her head and looks at me…
Scary! Her eyes are burning! She looks extremely pissed off!
Now I get the reason why the ninja disappeared. If I also were a deliveryman in Goddess corp., then I wouldn't want to face a client's fury over something someone from a different department did either!
The problem is, why did it fall on me to face her anger, when I don`t even work for their corporation…? Oh, of course, they must see me as the newly hired intern, picked by the Goddess herself… Now it makes sense they left me with the work no one else wanted to do… Don't worry, I have lots of experience on that…
First thing to check, did she actually see me, or can I still get away?
Yup, she's looking straight at me.
Hmmm. Crap. I'll have to cross out steps one to ten.
Now that she's seen me, there's not much choice…. But since it isn't my fault, as long as I explain the situation calmly, she shouldn't vent all of her anger on me, right?
Yeah, right… T.T