204 - - Art. 204. The Forest of the Devil

We had left the town of Togai and were heading for the home of a different tribe where Ms. Sharaza lived without stopping the carriage.

"There is a room in the carriage ......"

A door on the rear side of the carriage was opened, which led not to the outside of the carriage but to the inside of the building.

In fact, this carriage was made wider than it looks inside by space magic, so it is like a little accommodation inside.

"Is this really a carriage with a bath and living room?"

"It's already a luxury inn on the move."

Megli is right, a horse-drawn carriage with this kind of architecture in its interior space is called a camping horse-drawn carriage.

It is a hobby item for those who are not satisfied with airships and transfer gates, but for adventurers and soldiers, it is a surprisingly good item.

In places where there were no gates, or where transfer magic could not be used or airships could not be flown, the mobile facility was useful for stable ground transportation.

"Oh!　This is great!　I'll take the corner room!"

Mr. Gyro immediately ransacks the room and takes it for himself.

"Oh, Gyro, you're so cool!　Me too!"

Then everyone starts to look for their own room, thinking they won't miss out on a good one.

"Don't be in such a hurry. We've made about 100 rooms for now.

Too many """""!

Well, in such a case, you may need more rooms than you think, because you may need to help people in trouble along the way.

Anyway, thanks to our advance preparations, we didn't have to stay in the field and could rest and relax as we went along.

And since we were golems, we didn't need to rest our horses.

I'm sure you can imagine...

"Speaking of which, I wonder if it's a good thing that Mr. Goldoff didn't follow you when you went back to your hometown?"

As I opened the window on the governor's platform to see if any mohumofu had fallen out, I wondered if I should have brought Mr. Goldofu along with me.

"No, the forest is too deep for a dwarf to traverse on his own two feet," he said. He must have thought of that contingency and chose to stay behind so that he wouldn't slow us down.

"Impossible to traverse?"

What does that mean?　It is true that dwarves are not the fastest, but their strong bodies should have no problem walking through the forest.

"The forest is more full of demons now than it was when he ran away. He would not be able to get in and out of the forest unless he had enough legs and covert skills to escape from those demons.

Are there that many demons?

What do you mean there are so many demons that you have to be so careful to go there?

"Maybe that forest is too small?"

Mr. Gyro, who seems to have thought the same thing, asked Mr. Sharaza a straightforward question.

"No, it's the opposite. No, on the contrary, the forest is quite large. The forest is so large that a nation of humans could easily fit in it.

A forest large enough to contain us, a nation of humans. Then it must be a big forest.

There were many large forests where elves lived in my previous life.

I was told that if I found a big forest, I should check for elves before hunting.

"A forest big enough to hold an entire nation of humans on this path?　...... Could that be a cannibal forest!"

Liliela shouts in surprise when she hears Sharaza's explanation.

"Hmmm, that's what they are called by the human race.

"Cannibal forest?　What's that?"

The name doesn't sound familiar to me from my previous life, but I wonder if this land was newly created after my death.

The Cannibal Forest, also known as the Misty Forest, is a forest designated by the Adventurers' Guild as a semi-hazardous area.

Semi-hazardous area, there is such a place!

"It is famous for always being shrouded in a deep fog, and people who enter the forest always get lost and leave the forest as if they were being chased out in no time.

Wow, so that's why it's a misty forest. But what about the cannibal forest?"

I wonder, is there something about it that makes people who enter it lose their sense of direction?

"It is said that some adventurers who were wandering in the forest saw the shadow of an unbelievably large monster. In fact, some of the adventurers who entered the forest never returned."

A giant demon in the mist. It's inappropriate at a time like this, but it's kind of exciting.

It reminds me of the story of the Cave of the Unknowable Demon in the adventures of Rygard the Swordsman.

In that story, Rygard and his friends succeeded in reaching the lower level of a labyrinth, but suddenly a huge hole collapsed and they fell into a mysterious huge cave.

They wander through the cave to get to the surface, where they encounter a huge and terrifying monster.

The sheer size of the creature was so huge that even torches and lights could not illuminate it. Rygard and his friends wandered through the huge cave with minimal light to avoid detection, and finally succeeded in returning to the labyrinth.

They finally succeeded in returning to the labyrinth, and when they were ready to go back to the cave, the great hole in the dungeon had disappeared completely, and they could never go back to the giant cave again.

This story is said to be a fiction, but it is one of the most mysterious stories in Rygard's adventures, and has many fans.

...... Oops, I'm getting off track.

"But what do you mean by semi-dangerous territory?　If there are that many dangerous demons, I think it should be designated as a normal dangerous area.

"It seems to be designated as a semi-dangerous area because you will be kicked out no matter how many times you enter, and because you have a better chance of getting out alive compared to other dangerous areas where everything around you is surrounded by enemies and you are constantly under attack, or where it is difficult to enter because it is filled with poison to begin with."

I see, it's true that the deeper the fog is, the harder it is for the demons to find us.

"But, if it's not forbidden to enter the place, then I guess a lot of adventurers come here to make a fortune, don't you think?　Some of them were trying to make a name for themselves by defeating those big demons, weren't they?"

Gyro, you make a valid point.

Some adventurers aim to make a name for themselves by defeating powerful monsters.

"I heard that the fog is making it very difficult to find materials. Adventurers' work is not only defeating demons, but also harvesting and mining valuable materials is an important part of their income, right?　Because of the fog, there is a high risk of being caught by surprise by demons, and the reward is small compared to the danger, so they are shunned.

I see, adventurers don't see the benefit of risking their lives to enter the forest, which is why no one enters the area, even if it is classified as a dangerous area.

Those who want to make a name for themselves by fighting would probably be quicker to look for famous demons that are easy to earn money and make a name for themselves than those who are not sure if they are strong and when they might meet them.

"Well, that man-eating forest is our forest for sure. The fog that envelops the forest is the result of a great ritual performed by our ancestors.

""""""The Great Ceremony!?""""""

We couldn't help but shout when we found out that the mist surrounding the man-eating forest was the result of a ritual performed by the elves.

"Yes. In the past, when our land suffered a great calamity, the most ancient elven chiefs performed a ritual against the Great Spirits in exchange for their own lives.

A great ritual performed by elven elders who risked their lives!　What kind of awesome spirit magic is this!

"What kind of ritual was that?"

After I asked her, I realized that she wouldn't normally tell me the details of such a great ritual, but surprisingly, Sharaza told me easily.

"Well, it's called the Great Curse of the Lost."

"......The Great Curse of the Lost!"

What?　The elven elders risked their lives for this magic only to have its effect of leading the other person astray?

"Ha-ha-ha, I know the feeling. We were also surprised when we first heard about this. But that's exactly the kind of magic our ancestors were looking for.

And so Ms. Sharaza told me why our ancestors risked their lives for a magic that could only lead others astray.

"The reason we moved to our current home town was to escape from a terrible entity," she said. This creature was so powerful that it could wreak havoc all over the world, devouring everything in its path, and tracking us wherever we ran or hid."

The elves, no, the other species, are such demons that they run away and live in hiding?

What kind of terrifying monster is this?　It's just like the description of the white plague found in the underground ruins. ......

"Our ancestors gave up hope of defeating the dreaded monster and decided to bet everything on not being found. That is the Great Curse of the Lost. This spell manifested itself in the form of a mist that enveloped the township. It blinds all eyes, muffles all smells, and drowns out all sounds. By this great incantation, the dreadful monster lost sight of us, and at last we regained our peace."

"""""" oh """"""

We applaud Sharaza as he proudly finishes recounting the feat of the Great Curse.

"Huh?　But then how did you know that demons were after your hometown?"

Megli-san, who seemed to have felt something strange in the conversation, questioned, "What is it that you are doing here?

"Well, we noticed that too late. Thanks to the great spell of hesitation, we have been able to find peace, but that doesn't mean that not a single demon has come our way. They can still enter by accident, as long as you only lead them astray."

Indeed. If the wards are not designed to keep people out, it is possible for people to get lost and enter by accident.

"One day a huge monster appeared in our township. We fought off the monster as it tried to enter our township. We had never dreamed that a village that had been peaceful for so long would be attacked thanks to a great incantation.

Maybe that's the downside of too much peace for too long.

"Sporadic attacks by demons followed, and we decided to investigate to find out what was going on in the forest. But by then it was too late to do anything about it.

So Sharaza and his team checked the forest and found that it was full of demons.

"And it was discovered during the battle that the demons were going after the fruit of the sacred trees rather than the warriors who were going out to intercept them."

So they give priority to the fruit of the sacred tree over humans. They certainly react differently from ordinary demons.

Demons usually attack people when they see them.

"Hee-hee!"

the golem horse squeals to let us know what's going on.

"What's going on?"

I look out the peek-a-boo window and see a large forest spreading out just in front of me.

And I realized that was exactly where we were going.

Because the forest was covered by a deep fog.

"Mr. Sharaza, I think we have just arrived.

"Arrived?　Have you arrived in a town somewhere?"

I urged everyone to get out of the carriage.

"What?"

""""" Oh!!!""""

The size of the man-eating forest has everyone in stark amazement.

"Wow, what a big tree!"

Mr. Gyro was right, the trees in the cannibal forest were very big.

In fact, it is rare that the trees on the perimeter of a forest are so untouched and untouched that they grow to this size.

Perhaps it is because the residents of the neighborhood stay away from the area, wary of the great spells of the lost and the demons that wander through the fog.

"And it's a great fog."

Mina is right about this, too.

The forest is so thick with fog that you can't see the depths at all.

Indeed, this is a sight worthy of being called a misty forest.

I can't believe it. It's only been a few days since we left ...... at what pace do we have to run to reach the forest ......?"

Well, I just let the golem run on a straight route all night.

"I'd like to ask Sharaza to guide us from here."

After all, this is the forest where the great curse of the lost was cast.

Even if you order the golem horses to run straight, they may find themselves going around in circles.

"Ah, ah. I understand. Follow me."

I stowed the golem horse and followed Sharaza with the others.

The moment we entered the forest, the world went white.

"Wow, I really can't see what's ahead once I'm inside.

Gyro is not the only one surprised.

The fog was so thick that when I held my hand out in front of me, my arm was a blur.

"Never leave my side. The fog will deceive you."

"""""" Yes! """"""

We're going to concentrate and follow Ms. Sharaza so we don't lose her.

Is everyone okay?

"Yes, I'm fine."

I'm okay too!

"I'm okay, too."

"So far, so good."

"Oh, I managed to ...... too!"

"Cue!"

The fluffy thing on top of my head says that it's okay too.

"Hmm?　I think I just heard something. ...... Follow me while keeping an eye on your surroundings!"

"Yes, sir!"

Amazing, how can you be so sensitive to the reactions of your surroundings in such deep fog.

I also activate my search magic to check everyone's position and search for approaching demons, but while I can somehow sense the presence of nearby demons, I don't think I can detect the presence of demons at a distance as sensitively as Sharaza-san can.

"You are lucky today. There are few signs of demons. This means that we may be able to reach the township with minimal encounters with demons.

Looks like we got lucky. And it's probably because of this fog.

"Hey, the Great Lost Curse can lead people and monsters astray when they enter the forest, can't it?　Are we going to be okay?"

Mina asked Sharaza if she would be able to get through the forest safely.

"Then don't worry. The Great Curse does not work on us elves who are descendants of the elders who made a contract with the spirits. The Great Curse is only meant to lead intruders astray. It does not lead astray those born in the land."

Wow, that's useful magic. That's spirit magic.

But it seems those like Gordov who have chosen to leave their homeland and live outside are more likely to get lost.

I see, those who have chosen the outside world as their own will lose the blessings of the Great Cursed Law.

Then I notice that there is a reaction of approaching demons to the search magic.

"Oh, Ms. Sharaza, there is a demon approaching from that direction..."

What?　We'll hide in the trees there!"

"Yes!"

We quickly hide in the shadows nearby.

Not long after, a huge monster passed by.

I couldn't see its exact shape due to the fog, but from the barely visible shape of its legs, it might have resembled the monster that attacked the town of Togai.

"Well, we made it through. Let's go while we still can."

We proceeded deeper into the forest, carefully avoiding the demons.

Hmmm, I haven't hid from the enemy like this since the last time I was ordered to attack the enemy's main camp in my previous life.

Hiding is a hassle, but it's easier not to have to fight with them.

Fortunately, the number of demons seemed to be small today, and Sharaza was in charge of the distant ones while I was able to detect the approaching ones with my low-precision probing magic.

At night, we would take turns to take a rest after applying a layer of warding magic to keep the demons away from us as much as possible.

And so we continued to walk through the forest for days.

This time we really didn't encounter any demons. And your search magic is very accurate. It's wonderful that we can evacuate before we encounter any demons.

"No, thanks to Ms. Sharaza's guidance.

After all, this man-eating forest is so large that it could completely contain a nation of humans. It's because you have detected the flow of demons in such a huge forest and chosen a safe route for me that I can concentrate on avoiding stray demons that Sharaza-san can't follow.

"At this pace, we might be able to reach the township today.

Sharaza tells us in a good mood that we are progressing at an unexpectedly good pace.

We continued to move forward, hiding in the forest for a few minutes.

Then it happened.

"What is it?　I hear noises."

The sound is coming from where we are going.

Sharaza listens carefully to find out what the sound is, and suddenly his eyes widen and he looks impatient.

"No!　My people are fighting demons!"

"What?"

It sounded like Sharaza's friends were fighting demons.

Let's hurry!　The township is close!"

"Yes, sir!"

Impatiently, Ms. Sharaza padded forward. She seemed to have not forgotten her role as a guide, and seemed to be checking that we were following her, despite her impatience.

After a short while, we suddenly had a clear view.

"What?　Fog?

We were surprised at the sudden lifting of the fog, but we were even more surprised at the sight in front of us.

After all, the place we had come to was right behind the demon.

How close!

Everyone get away!

Immediately, we move away from the monster and check the situation.

After checking our surroundings, we were first able to see the whole picture of the huge monster.

I knew it looked just like the monster that attacked the town of Togai.

But the number of them is much larger.

There must be at least 50 demons gathered here.

It seemed that the demons were attacking a fortress-like wall ahead, and the elves and dwarves standing on top of the wall were intercepting them.

However, the attack did not seem to have much effect.

What is going on?　Elves should be able to use more powerful magic with spirit magic.

And the dwarves' weapons don't seem to be working very well either.

"No!　If we don't do something, they will break through the gate!"

Sharaza's panicked voice made me look over to see the great door of the fortress about to be destroyed.

"We'll cover you!"

Well, this is no time to watch the elves fight.

Let's kick the crap out of them first!

"Yes!　We're on our way!"

"Wait!　Don't go out there alone!　Megli, Gyro, follow him!　Nolbu, you cast defensive magic on us!　Mina, you're going to have to do something spectacular right in the middle of all those demons rushing in with their magic!　It doesn't have to be a one-hit wonder. Just turn your attention this way!"

"Okay, okay!"

Liliera gives us instructions while rebuking Mr. Gyro who jumped out of the room.

Liliela seems to be in charge of Mr. Gyro and the others.

"Then I guess I'll have to deal with the monster that's going for that gate over there!

"Wait, those demons are ......!

Triburst Impact!

Sharaza was about to say something, but was drowned out by the sound of magical explosions.

Was it something important?　

While I was thinking about this, my magic hit a demon.

Just like the demon that attacked the town of Togai, the demon's body was easily blown away.

The other two magic shots also shattered the body of the demon that was near me.

"What?

"It's so fragile after all. Or was it compatible with impact-type magic?

I'd like to try many things, but we're in an emergency. Let's destroy the demons first.

Orah!　I'll cut you in half!

Gyro's flaming magic sword slices through the body of the monster, shell and all.

And the demon roasted by his magic fire gives off a delicious smell.

"Hmmm, what shall we have for dinner tonight?

Oh no, I have to concentrate on the battle.

"Tri Burst Impact!　Impact!　Impact!"

I preferentially targeted the demons that were close to the fortress, but as I expected, all the demons were easily broken by the impact magic.

And not too long after, we succeeded in intercepting the demons.　

"Whew, that's good. I thought the main demon had attacked us, but it was surprisingly weak.

Maybe these demons were scouts.

Anyway, it wasn't a bad first encounter for a newcomer to a different tribe's hometown.

I guess they'll believe us when we tell them we're just adventurers brought as reinforcements.

"We managed to scare them off, didn't we? I'm glad they weren't the main demon.

When I told her this, for some reason, Ms. Sharaza's expression turned indescribable.

"No, you see, ......"

I don't know, he seems rather brusque.

"You see, ...... the current demon is the main force of the demons that have been attacking our township."

"Huh?"

That demon is the main force of the demons that made the mighty elven warriors suffer!

What in the world is going on?

I was puzzled by the strange feeling I had when Sharaza-san told me that these demons were the mainstay of the enemy, even though they were obviously weak demons.

But I soon realized why.

......Yes, I remember she said that the cannibalistic forests are so full of demons that the great spell of getting lost becomes meaningless, so the elf warriors must do everything they can to thin out the demons.

Sharaza said so too. It's impossible to go through the forest unless they can escape from the demons without being found or caught up.

I'm sure that the people protecting the township are young apprentice warriors who don't have such skills.

I see.

We humans don't know the age of the elves, so we get confused at times like this.

But that means there are so many demons that skilled elf warriors have to concentrate on thinning out the demons.

With no seniors to rely on, the young apprentice warriors must have felt a lot of mental pressure as they had to desperately protect the place where everyone returns without anyone to rely on.

Then we must help them!

"Sharaza-san, we'll do our best to help you thin out the demons!"

"Uh-huh. I'm counting on you. ......"

And so we arrived safely at the home of the sacred tree.