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Pink Deer
Dream Maker was bustling. Some were repairing the walls and the city, some were rebuilding Lands Harvest, some were killing monsters in the vicinity, and some were advancing to untouched lands.
Of course, there were many who counted on them for business. With the arrival of the second group of people next month, more activity was expected in the future.
『We’re leaving, then.』
Just like before, Paula bade farewell to her bodyguards early in the morning.
Galixon bowed respectfully.『Take care, Goddess. Perhaps we should join you, after all?』
『We’ve already talked about this! It’s okay. Silver Face is with me!』
『Boss. Take care out there!』
『I know.』
Galixon tried to stop Hikaru’s party from going again to the northernmost tip of the continent. Oblivious to the existence of Drake, they didn’t understand why they would put themselves at risk once more.
Hikaru asked them to do only one thing: to watch the house while they were gone. Otherwise, they were free to do whatever they wanted.
The bodyguards saw them off in front of the garden mansion. Although whether they actually saw Hikaru and the girls with their Stealth on, Hikaru didn’t know.
Hikaru decided to walk some distance after leaving Dream Maker. Last time it took them ten days to travel with the hang gliders, a method that came with a lot of risks. So instead Hikaru planned to use the gliders only from a spot where they could cover a long distance. He already had some places in mind.
Besides, he was curious about what went on in the forest. With the Evil Drakon gone, there should be changes in the ecosystem. Furthermore, an expeditionary force led by the Beastman King Gerhardt, had been formed, and roads were being created. Hikaru planned to proceed while watching the men and the monsters.
「There it is!」
「Surround it, but don’t kill it!」
About half a day after Hikaru’s party left, they caught the sounds of men shouting. They were soldiers of the Quinbland Empire, who didn’t notice Hikaru and the girls with their Stealth on.
The soldiers had cornered a pink-striped, deer-like creature. Huge and stout, it was the size of a compact SUV. Even covered in wounds, it fought the soldiers bravely.
Was there ever a creature like that? The rich ecosystem was full of surprises.
The lack of horns indicated that it was a female deer. Nonetheless it overwhelmed the armed soldiers. It should. From what Hikaru saw, Dream Maker’s soldiers were about two to three times stronger than the men from Quinbland.
Why surround the creature and not kill it? Hikaru wondered.
「We got more injured!」
「Tsk. No other choice. Retreat!」
The imperial army began their retreat, and the deer did not follow them. Though they were weaker, they had Healers on their side. Their skills should improve after trying a few times.
All right. Observation over. Time to go—
Hikaru was not cruel enough to kill a weak doe. By nature, deer are herbivores—although there might be carnivorous ones in this continent—but as long as men don’t harm them, the creatures should not be a threat.
「Hikaru-sama, that deer’s acting kind of strange…」Paula pointed out.
He was going to ignore the creature, but then noticed something. Breathing wildly, the deer staggered and fell over to its side.
「Wait a minute.」
Hikaru’s Mana Detection couldn’t see it, but when he switched to Life Detection, it was plain as day. The deer was already dying. It probably spent all its energy in fighting off the soldiers.
Hikaru detected another sign of life in the deer’s belly. It looked round because it was pregnant with a fawn. Moaning, it quite literally used its last ounce of strength to give birth to its baby. The fawn that came out, wrapped in a slimy membrane, bore the same pink stripes as its parent.
The doe drew its last breath. Tearing through the membrane, the fawn staggered on its feet. It then shoved its head to the doe’s abdomen to suck milk.
「What do we do, Hikaru?」
「I’m not sure…」
It wasn’t unusual for wild animals to die soon after giving birth. But the fact that humans essentially killed this one bothered Hikaru a little.
It’s not like we can raise it.
After switching back to Mana Detection, Hikaru noticed something approaching their location. Noticing it too, the fawn tried to run, but stumbled. Its legs still weren’t strong enough.
It didn’t take long for the fawn to be found by one of its natural predators—wolves. The sounds of fighting and the smell of the doe’s blood must have attracted them. The wild creatures surrounded the little deer.
「Wh-What do we do, Hikaru-sama?!」
「Ugh, fine. Let’s help the little guy.」
It was mere self-satisfaction. Even if they moved on and did nothing, he would’ve forgotten about this sooner or later. Still he decided to lend the creature a helping hand.
「That was quick…」
「That sure didn’t take long…」
「It didn’t take that long…」
As soon as Hikaru appeared, he threw his daggers, killing two instantly. Lavia cast Fire Breath, and the wolves turned tail and ran.
The pink deer stiffened, surprised by Hikaru and the girls’ sudden appearance. It stood still, shivering, clearly frightened.
「We saved you on a whim.」Hikaru said.「Don’t worry about a thing.」
The deer retreated.
「………」
「It’s okay. You must have been scared. But you’re safe now.」Lavia approached the fawn. It wrinkled its nose and licked her hand.
「Wow. Talk about differential treatment.」
Paula laughed, unable to back Hikaru up.
In the end, Hikaru and the girls took the fawn back to Dream Maker. It didn’t know where its herd was, and the wolves would just devour it if they left the little guy behind. So they decided to ask for an expert’s advice back in the city.
『Oh, if it isn’t Silver Face!』They immediately ran into Gin.『Wow. You found a baby Pinky Deer. These creatures are perfect for riding once you train them.』
They found an answer in no time at all.
『Riding?』
『What, you don’t know? We call Pinky Deer “Forest Carriers”. They’re fast and have incredible stamina. And best of all, the adults can carry at least five people. But wild Pinky Deer are hostile to humans, so we train newborn ones.』
Hikaru finally understood why the Quinbland army was hunting one. They must have known about this. In the end though, the deer proved too much for them and they had to retreat.
『You actually had no idea?』Gin asked.
『Nope. So how do you raise it?』
『It’ll drink almost any kind of milk. It can eat grass in a few days. I know. I’ll introduce you to our stable man.』
『Thanks.』
Gin’s eyes sparkled.『Ah, it feels great to be thanked by the great Silver Face. This is nothing compared to what you’ve done for us.』
Gin introduced them to an old man who worked in Dream Maker’s stables, to whom they handed the Pinky Deer they saved.
There were many horses, deer, and six-legged animals in the stables, but only three Pinky Deer, so it was no wonder Hikaru didn’t know about them.
『Do you want a ride in exchange for this guy?』
『Huh?』
『Their legs can carry you through the woods.』
The stableman’s suggestion was quite appealing. Walking through the forest was indeed tough, as Hikaru had experienced today. But they would have to use hang gliders on the way, especially when crossing large rivers.
『Appreciate the offer, but we’ll be going through terrain that animals can’t cross.』
『I see. Then how about a Route Sheep? They’re fluffy, but can carry three people.』
『Were you listening? We’ll have to leave the animal behind at some point.』
『And that’s exactly why I’m suggesting the Route Sheep. They have homing instincts. You can leave them wherever and they’ll return to this stable. What’s more they have keen senses of smell. They can avoid most monsters.』
The old man brought a brown lump of furball. It was a huge sheep with droopy eyes and curled horns.
「Oh…」Lavia tottered towards the animal and jumped on. She coughed as dust rose in the air.
『This one likes playing in the mud. I suppose the drawback of riding it is you’ll get a little dirty.』
「I want to ride it.」Lavia’s response was immediate.
In the end, they returned to the garden mansion and decided to leave on the Route Sheep first thing in the morning.