Chapter 101 - Episode Twenty-Two - The Thing Lurking Deep in the Forest (3)

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“The one who’s badly hurt…… there’s only one more person left.”

I sit down in front of the fallen investigator and check his complexion.

His face was blue and bloodless.

He grunts occasionally but his eyes remain meditated and he seemed unconscious.

He doesn’t respond to me as I approach him, either.

As I looked at the other investigators, I noticed something that looked like poison on the location of his injuries.

Although it was colorless water, it seemed to be reacting to magic.

Perhaps this was causing him to be disoriented.

Some of them could talk even if their injuries were severe, so it would vary from person to person.

I had Mea turn the investigator lying on his back over and put him on his face.

This guy is injured on his back.

When I asked him about it, he told me that he had been stabbed in the back with a tree root while escaping.

He put his hands on his clothes and rolled them up.

A bloody bandage is wrapped around it.

The bandage was cut and removed with the wood carving knife, revealing the location of the injury.

The flesh has been gouged out and dirt is mixed in.

I remove the lid of the Hyottle and pours the water inside on the back of the survey team.

“Uhh, ugh……”

The man on the survey team screams in pain.

“Oh Impure, leave.”

I point my wand at it and chant, and the water I poured over it wriggles and creates a small swirl.

It mixes with blood and dirt, and with them, it falls from my belly and soaks into the soil.

Maybe now that strange water has fallen off.

He continues, waving his cane.

“Revitalization”

The platelets rapidly gathered and hardened, forming a beautiful pressure sore.

His expression softened quickly and he seemed to relax from his shoulders.

As I watched her, she began to make faint breathing sounds like she was sleeping.

I pressed my wand against the injured area and lightly let the magic flow through it.

By doing this, the repulsive magic power is returned to the wand, giving me a thinly veiled idea of the state of the body.

“D-, does Elma look okay?”

Allen bends down and asks me.

It’s probably the name of the fallen investigator.

“She should wake up in time. Maybe.”

I’m mostly self-taught, and I don’t have much practical experience, so I can’t say for sure.

I’m sure it’ll be fine first.

“…… thank you very much. Looking back, I’m sorry for always helping me out. You were able to use medical magic as well as analysis, right?”

“Hmm? Ahhh, well, it’s just a bit of a nibble.”

I thought I had used a lot of attack magic in the ruins, but it seemed to be completely recognized by the survey team members as an analysis person.

It was Maizen who was standing in the front line and fighting, and they were put to sleep by Ebelheid along the way, so that’s how they see it.

“Medical magic isn’t my specialty, so you’d better show it to someone proper when you return.”

“No, no, even so, it still really helped! I don’t know what would have happened if it hadn’t happened. I underestimated the case just now. If such a monster is out there, we should plan a countermeasure and then bring the rest of the squad with us……”

I wondered if they wouldn’t call on the Adventurer’s Support Center to take them down, but I remembered that the nobleman’s private army was mainly drawn from adventurers.

If they couldn’t do it, it would be difficult for even the adventurers to do so.

“At worst, they might have to burn down part of the forest.”

“…… I, I think it would be better if you wait for now.”

“At any rate, we will return with you to the city. We’ll reward you again on our own……”

Oh, Ahhhh, I guess that’s what would happen.

I’m sorry, but I don’t want to turn back after coming this far.

The future Ortem is right around the corner.

“Since we just got here, I think we might do some more exploring…… Oh, I’m going to avoid the one with the monster and explore the west side from here, so don’t worry.”

“I see. I don’t want to force you to do anything, but please come to the lord’s residence. You are always welcome to visit us. If you tell us where you’re lodgings at, we’ll be able to……”

“N, no, you don’t have to……”

I wave my hands from side to side, a little embarrassed.

It wasn’t easy even in my previous life to have a rich man’s mansion welcome me.

I don’t know the etiquette or anything, and it’s a bit of a different world from mine. And I don’t have any intention to make much of a connection with it.

“Actually, Wegener-sama said that he wants to see Abel-san again…… I’ve approached the Adventurer’s Support Center as well, but you haven’t registered, Abel-san, have you?”

“Oh, no, about that, I’m really okay.”

I’m sorry, but I don’t have a very good memory of that barcode guy, and I don’t want to get involved if I can.

It just reeks of trouble.

“I see……”

I’m glad I registered under a fake name.

Thanks, Mr. Mountain. You’re always a great help.

“But please come when you’re ready! Absolutely!”

“Oh, Ahhhh, yeah.”

…… I can’t judge if I feel like it or not.

After separating from the survey team and heading west, I change my course in a circle and head towards the direction of the monster they said.

I activate the World Tree’s Ortem again and switch to magic power sensing and leading-the-way mode.

The Ortem makes another thumping sound and moves forward.

“…… Is it really all right? Mea’s starting to feel a bit worried. It’s probably best to leave it to the experts after all……”

“It’s all right. You can cut it with the wood carving knife.”

“If you want a tree, Mea will buy it! As a matter of fact, the owner of “Chimera’s Tail” said the other day that I could sell my horns to him……”

“N-, no, you really don’t have to do that, okay? You’re kidding, right?”

That shopkeeper, he said that when I wasn’t there.

I turn around and glance at Mea’s head.

……will it be such good material?

No, I don’t intend to use it, but…… I’m just a little curious about its use……

I found a small purple flower on the way.

It must be a flower called Popolga.

After the petals fall off, they have the tendency to send the fluff flying, sending the seeds far away in the wind.

However, normally the petals should be red.

They must have been discolored under the influence of an unusual magical power.

“It’s about time, it’s there.”

At the same time I said it, the World Tree’s Ortem stopped moving.

As I stopped walking, I noticed that the surroundings had become unusually quiet.

“Worship me as the god”

The words have been poured into my head.

A sense seemed to emanate from the black tree growing in front of me.

That could be the rumored monster.

“Or else I will grant you death”

The tree had been partially gouged out and looked like a face.

There was a shaved branch at the nose, and the eye area was depressed.

It was droopy-eyed and smiling.

It’s more of a demon-possessed tree than a magic beast.

There are several precedents for demon-possessed trees.

It was mentioned in a book the chief had.

I believe it’s more commonly called Evil Bound.

This is the first time I’ve seen it, but I’m almost certain it is.

Demons are said to be delusional in many cases.

Maybe he didn’t kill the survey team because he wanted them to spread the word about him and become a god by awe.

In fact, a demon is often the beginning of a small demonic religion.

It’s quite tricky when the demon dies, and the beliefs and rituals remain.

I’ve heard that it’s reduced considerably since the Kudor fanatics used to go around crushing them thoroughly.

The tree must have been raised in a certain way before it was possessed. I can sense the demon’s own obsession with the tree’s appearance.

However, it’s hard to say about the value of the tree without looking into it.

I’ve never heard of a case where something was made out of Evil Bound.

I’ve heard that it’s usually burned because it’s a bad omen.

I’ve heard that they leave the roots behind because they can be used as a medium for witchcraft and medicine.

A demon is a collection of spirits that have become a single living being.

In some cases, it is said to be a spirit beast or a great spirit, but there is not a very clear line between the two.

When a demon dies, it disperses and reverts back to being just a spirit. Therefore, leaving a corpse behind requires careful magical protection.

Although the Evil Bound will not disappear as it only possesses the tree, it still needs to be quickly preserved to prevent the demon from losing its quality after the demon’s death.

“Oh human, are you afraid of me?”

After Evil Bound’s thoughts flew in, the trees in the forest began to sway and make a lot of noise.

It is a provocation unique to Evil Bound, imitating human laughter. I’ve only read about it in books, so I’m a little impressed.

Mea pulls my hem.

When I turn around, her face has turned pale.

“What’s the matter, Mea?’

“A-Abel…… Don’t tell me that it’s an Ortem that Abel carved in the past?”

Mea glanced back and forth to the World Tree Ortem and the Evil Bound.

Suddenly, all at once, the forest became quiet.

Demons have a strong sense of self-respect.

Although I don’t think he knew much about the language commonly used by humans, but he could somehow guess from her eyes that he was compared to the Ortem.

The bark of the tree stirred and his expression changed.

“You dare to compare me to a mere wooden doll! I don’t see how we can be identical!

“To a mere wooden doll!?”

I point my wand at Evil Bound.

The World Tree Ortem, who had stopped moving in front of me, charges at Evil Bound.

Ortem jumps up and spins vertically in the air, striking Evil Bound’s high nose.

“!? What!?”

With a grinding noise, Evil Bound’s nose snaps off.

“How dare you call my masterpiece a mere wooden puppet! I’m going to make you take those words back!”

I point my finger to the Evil Bound.

He’ll beat the crap out of you with that thing.

“Wha-, what did you say? Is that something you can talk to?”

Perhaps due to the guilt of having been provoked by her own eyes earlier, Mea says with surprise, but with her voice hidden.

It seems that there are many sorcerers who use spirit language by memorizing only what is necessary for the exercise of magic.

But after all, it’s better to remember and understand all of them, so you can deepen your understanding of spirits and, more importantly, your understanding of magic.

Moreover, even if you don’t know the magic, if you memorize spirit language, you can understand what magic it’ll do just by listening to the spell.

A branch that resembles Evil Bound’s hand moves and glares at me, holding the area of its nose.

“You’ve really angered me”

Black roots begin to grow from all over the ground.

As we heard from the survey team, manipulating the roots seems to be the main attack.

Afterward, after holding out your hand, they also blow strong winds at you.

If I know what you’re going to do, then it’s easy to deal with it.

“That toy! I’ll crush it!”

Evil Bound seems to have his eyes on the Ortem.

Just what I’d like.

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