This forest existed not far from the town of Cassandra, where we live.
It’s about an hour’s walk at one way.
Speaking of difficulty, it is troublesome, but I don’t mind since I have something to do in it, and at the entrance of the forest at such a difficult distance, currently, There was an old sign set upped that meant as a warning 『Strictly forbidden to enter』.
According to the story I heard from the people in the town in advance, it seems that the Wind Spirit King lived in this forest a long time ago.
One of the five great spirits who command the so-called wind, the others were soil, water, thunder, and fire.
An extraordinary existence that manipulates the wind at will, and can erase even mountains.
The people of this town worship the Spirit king with such enormous power, and in return, they were under His protection.
However, one day, the spirit king stopped showing his figure in front of the people.
At that time, there were various speculation about it., but apparently, the main reason is that someone in the town broke his vow with the spirit king and touched his reverse scale*. (TN: Reverse scale = a figurative expression of something you should not touch. It can also mean touching ones nerve)
I have no idea what that vow was, but in short, the spirit king who has a grudge against humans, might still be in the spirit forest.
No wonder the people in the town are afraid of this forest.
All the inhabitants of this town, from children to adults to the elderly, were all together, believed that disaster will occur if they approach this forest.
Perhaps that kind of thing happened a few times.
There’s also the factor that the monsters in the vicinity of the forest in the spirit forest were too strong, but they’d never approach this forest so that they won’t touch the spirit king’s reverse scale ever again.
It was said that they have been taught by that so hard since childhood.
“…………”
We were, in such a forest.
It was really easy.
What’s more, we forcibly broke through the “Superior Magic Barrier” that was stretched around the spirit forest ––––
“…… Hey, is it really okay for us to enter without permission?”
“It’s fine! It’s fine! Rest assured, Katou! We’re just going into the forest to pick up some fruits, moreover, we brought some souvenirs just in case!”
Despite my worries, Leafa said so and lifted the bag.
The bag was filled with two puddings in a heat-resistant cup container that I had brought from Japan.
But it’s not just a pudding.
Limited production of 30 pieces a day in my hometown, 3,000 yen per piece, it was a crappy high-quality pudding.
I used a mini cooler box and brought a total of ten of them.
I thought it would be a waste if it got worse, so I was certain that we all ate it a few days ago, but apparently, they hid some of it.
And Leafa seems to be willing to use these puddings to contain the wrath of the Spirit King.
“…… I’m anxious.”
It’s hard to believe that an existence which was worshiped as a Spirit king will grow up with one pudding at all.
To be honest, I want to go home right now.
However, in order to make a flavored potion, which was Leafa’s suggestion, we had to go into this forest by all means.
Flavored potion.
It seems that there is a fruit called Kubel fruit in the material needed to make that.
In Leafa’s story, it seems like a white peach, a fruit that can only be obtained in the spirit forest.
And the fruit has an interesting characteristic, that it imitates the taste and smell of the nearby foods exactly as they are.
In other words, if we use that fruit, we can reproduce the taste of pudding that Leafa has now.
It was said, that such a fruit is somewhere in this forest.
It was a nice idea, unusual for Leafa.
But as I said earlier, this is the dangerous Spirit Forest.
There may be not only ferocious monsters here, but also the Spirit king who have grudge against humans in this forest.
To be honest, I can’t help but feel uneasy about breaking into such a forest and even breaking the barrier.
However.
“Lord! Speaking of forest, its barbecue! Speaking of barbecue, isn’t it in the forest!? I want to have a barbecue!”
“That’s good! There’s plenty of money left in the sold potions, so let’s have a barbecue in this forest tonight!”
“I agree! I, want to eat all the onions!”
“……………”
I, wonder if it can be done in this world.
With my distant eyes, I look up at the blue sky.
It was a light escape from reality.
To be honest, I think barbecue can be done even if it’s not in this forest, but perhaps, they won’t listen to me obediently.
When I was thinking about such a thing, Yumina called out to me from my side.
“Please rest assured, Nobuyuki-sama. Even if a monster attacks, I’ll be by your side.”
“That’s right. You’re with me and Frey, so trust us a little more.”
“Umu!”
“…… Well, that is true too.”
This forest may indeed be dangerous.
However, as Yumina and the others said, the girls, will do something about the monsters.
Even if the Spirit king appears, they might be able to manage it.
Well, I think that such negligence will be fatal later, but it’s important to take off such serious matter occasionally.
Besides I, really want to have a barbecue in this forest.
“Alright! When we’re done collecting the fruits, let’s go buy some meat!”
“Hooray! I’ll eat a lot of meat!”
“I too, will eat vegetables!”
“Fufu, I’m looking forward to it.”
If that is decided, let’s collect the fruits as soon as possible.
We went into the depths of the forest, and began to explore.
We are steadily moving through the forest, even though our feet were taken by the bumpy road.
A few hours have passed since I entered the forest.
“Ah, isn’t that it?”
The one who first discover the Kubel fruit, was Yumina.
The fruit, as Leafa taught me, was about the size of my fist, and it was certainly like a white peach.
On one portion of that tree, a decent number of fruits was there.
There are at least five trees with Kubel fruits around here.
“Alright, let’s go collect it.”
We harvested the Kubel fruit.
“We’ve gathered a lot.”
Looking inside the basket, the Kubel fruits as a matter of fact was spreading all over.
There were likely to be twenty of it.
“Even if we take too much of it, we don’t have enough storage to place it, so let’s just keep it around this area?”
“…… That’s true.”
I want to take a little more, but the kubel fruit seems to rot over time, just like any other fruit, so they that if we want to store it for a long time, we have to have something like a refrigerator.
Of course, there is something like a refrigerator in this world as well.
However, with this fruit size, even if we force it into the refrigerator at the inn, ten pieces at best were the limit.
We prepared two refrigerators just in case, but there’s no place to put it any more.
Well, with this size, we should be able to make quite a few flavored potions with just one Kubel fruit.
I’ll leave the collection at this much.
We rounded up the fruit collection, and decided to go back to the inn at once.
It was on our way home.
“Ah! Look, look! Over there!”
Leafa, who was ahead of us, raised her voice as if she had found something.
She seems to have found something.
“Nobuyuki-sama, let’s go.”
“O,oh”
I nod to Yumina and immediately rushes to Leafa.
Then, we came out to a place with an open view.
With a lake, it’s a place that has a pleasant scenery
If there were any ordinary animals in this forest, we might have encountered a scene of them drinking water here.
It was such a place.
…… By the way, we’ve been exploring the forest for hours now, but we haven’t encountered any of the monsters here.
According to the people in the town, there are strong monsters in this forest, but maybe it was a lie to keep us away from this forest.
“Hey hey! Let’s have the barbecue here!”
Leafa happily tells me.
Certainly, there’s water here, and it’s perfect for barbecuing.
“I also like this place!”
“Umu!”
“Okay, then let’s do it here!”
We decided to have a barbecue at this lake, and since there are some fruits, we hurried back to the inn.
◇
“Sylph-sama. Intruders.”
“Hmm?”
It was in a large mansion with invisibility magic which was built near the center of the Spirit Forest, where the Wind Spirit Lord –––– Sylph, and her contracted Maid –––– Maria lived.
Maria stands in front of the bed, and looks at Sylph in front of her.
She was drooling and rubbing her eyes sleepily.
Maria wiped her drool with a handkerchief, and she combed Sylph’s long, beautiful blonde hair.
Sylph accepted it as it was.
Then, perhaps to kill time, Sylph tampered with Maria’s ponytail.
“Eh~, how many intruders are there?”
“It’s four people. They broke the barrier while Sylph-sama was sleeping and invaded once. I thought I to repel them, but it’s troublesome …… They went out right away, so I decided to let them go. But earlier, they have invaded the forest again. The number is the same. Its probably the same offenders.”
“…… Is that so.”
Sylph said so, and closed his eyes sleepily again.
And then ––––
“Isn’t that a serious matter!?”
With an expression of eyes wide open, Sylph suddenly shouted so.
“…… Please don’t yell in front of me all of a sudden. Your saliva flew at me.”
Maria makes a disgusted face while wiping off her spit.
“No, no! Let’s be a little more surprise!? There were intruders who broke the superior magic barrier!?”
Sylph rushes out of bed in a hurry.
While chasing her like that, Maria began to prepare her change of clothes.
“I wonder what you are talking about. Until recently, it was almost every day that bandits invaded this forest by breaking the superior magic barrier, right? Human beings these days are too foolish.”
“What the hell are you talking about, it was hundreds of years ago!? Get ready fast!”
Sylph sits at the table, and swallows Maria’s prepared dinner without chewing.
I thought she would leave the mansion as it is, but apparently, she chose to have dinner properly.
Or rather, I want her to chew properly and eat.
Maria thought so, but kept looking at Sylph silently.
Maria then makes Sylph change from her sleepwear negligee to her outside clothes.
Now, everything is prepared.
Maria locked the mansion as she looked at Sylph’s back, as she jumped out in high spirits.
“Haa …… Sylph-sama, you’re very motivated.”
“Why wouldn’t I be! It’s an intruder after a long time! My arms rumbling!”
Maria sighs at Sylph’s happy expression.
I don’t really mind it.
To be honest, it’s troublesome.
Maria thought so, but followed Sylph nonetheless.
…… Well, it’ll be over shortly anyway.
Maria concludes so.
Certainly, if it’s the intruders who had broken the superior magic barrier, perhaps they are a little confident in their skills.
However, there are so many people in this world who possess such degree of power, to the point of corroding their existence.
Maria is one of them.
And there is an opponent in this world that Maria can never win.
An absolute ruler.
Such, is the girl in front of Maria.
In front of her overwhelming power, living things are equally the same.
From the point of view of this absolutely strong woman, living things are all equally less than insects ––––
◇
“Maria, Maria. I found them.”
A few minutes after walking through the forest without hesitation.
Sylph beckons Maria.
It seems like she has already found the intruders.
“Have you found them already?”
“That’s obvious. Since this is my garden.”
At Sylph’s remarks, Maria was a little frustrated.
Maria was aware that there were intruders in this forest, but she didn’t know where the intruder was now.
In the last few hundred years, she felt that she was a little closer to her ability, but apparently, she still has a long way to go.
Let’s do a special training in magic tomorrow for the first time after a long time.
With that in her mind, Maria hides behind a tree with Sylph.
The intruders were doing something, with a peaceful atmosphere near the lake.
After her careful observation, they seem to have made a fire, and was grilling something.
“……What is this. Smell.”
“Uh, I’m getting hungry.”
Sylph said that, even though she just ate dinner.
However, Maria felt the same way.
It’s a fragrant and good smell that stimulates your appetite.
Such a good smell drifts to their spot.
Only then did Maria find out what the intruders were doing.
“…… Looks delicious.”
“……It looks delicious alright.”
The group was barbecuing in this spirit forest, which can be said to be a sanctuary.
I wonder if they’re stupid.
In this forest, Sylph –––– there is a powerful blessing applied by the Wind Spirit King over a long period of time.
With that blessing, no animals, let alone even one monster, will appear in this forest.
In other words, it is a sanctuary.
One of the safest zones in the world.
How can they do a barbecue in such a sanctuary.
I don’t think they are sane.
I wonder if they’re just stupid or just so powerful.
Maria stopped her light talk, tied her mouth, and tightened her attention.
Firstly, Maria have to determine the ability of the other party, so she carefully observed the adversary.
At first, let’s go with that elf with idiotic boobs, no, enormous breast.
“… That elf, is a contractor right.”
Maria, who is also a contractor, found it out immediately.
In Maria’s words, Sylph nodded, “Yes.”
“It’s probably the Spirit King of Earth, who signed the contract. What’s more, maybe she was loved so much, that she has been given a tremendous amount of magic power. …… A’re? But I’m not sure, that you can make a contract with the Spirit king of Earth so easily …… “
Sylph puts her hand on her chin with a thoughtful gesture.
“It is certain that you can create a contract with the Spirit king of Earth ……. but you must be a part of the Elf royal family.”
It seems unlikely that that stubborn Spirit King of Earth will break that rule.
Then that elf, is definitely, a member of the royal family.
“Why is a royalty here in a place like this ……!”
This has become a bit of a nuisance.
If they’re just bandits, it doesn’t matter if she uses force, but if the other party is a royalty, the story will change.
It doesn’t matter if that side of hers is in the intruders.
If that elf’s skin is scratched, it could lead to the worst war.
Elves severely loathe being hurt by races other than their own race.
To that degree, they carry the pride of their own species.
They’re quite a bad race.
“How about that child next to her? That silver-haired child.”
This time it’s the child next to the elf.
A quiet girl with silver hair.
There would be no trouble with that child.
Maria thought so.
However ––––
“…… That child, is not human.”
“Eh?”
“The amount of magic power of her is clearly beyond that of a human. A demon possession? Contractor? I don’t understand what it means…… She’s on par with the Elf, or possibly, she has more power than her, we should think that.”
Demon possession.
In Sylph’s words, Maria looked at the little girl with an expression that it was not possible.
Maria has fought only once with a demon possession.
The battle was Maria’s complete defeat.
Maria despaired that there was such a strong creature in this world.
Sylph helped Maria when she was dying.
Sylph desperately embraced the bloodstained Maria, and the day she managed to escape with her life, was remembered by Maria like it was just yesterday.
It was a fierce battle that wiped out a mountain.
As she heard from Sylph later, demon possession seems to mean that the soul of the King of the Underworld dwells in the bodies of humans and demons.