CH 82

"This is ...... Shadow Cougar and Slime. These are the monsters that inhabit the 'Demon Forest' in our territory, aren't they?"

Asuna said in amazement and dismay.

My eyes lit up at the word " monster ".

I wondered if they were the same " monsters " that Rubens had told me about earlier that inhabited the dungeon.　

I asked Asuna with curious eyes.

, "I heard that monsters appear in dungeons and such, but do they exist in the 'Demon Forest'?"

Asuna looked at me and said, a little stunned.

"No, the monsters in the dungeon and the demon forest are called the same thing, but their contents are different. The monsters in the dungeon are born from the magical power produced by the core. But the monsters in the forest of demons are creatures that are born with magical power."

'...... So you are saying that they are basically the same creatures as we are?""

She nodded at my words.

In other words, the monsters in the "forest of demons" are no different from us.

They seem to be creatures with magical powers.

The reason I came to the castle town wearing a maid's uniform was because I wanted information on the herbs that can be found in this " Demon's Forest.

The Demon Forest is, as Asuna said, a deep forested area in Renalute that is thick with magical power.

Although it is dangerous, ores and various materials that can only be obtained there are often traded at very high prices.

The quality of weapons made from the materials of the Demon Forest is very good, and they are highly regarded even in Magnolia.

For this reason, adventurers from many countries often come to Renalute to make a rich profit.

The lowly group of three mentioned earlier, as well as the men mentioned earlier, who were probably Marein's mercenaries, probably came to this country as adventurers at the beginning.

In fact, I knew about the " Demon Forest" before I came to Renalute.

Partly because I had looked it up in books in this world, but also because it was in my past life's memories.

In the Otome game "Tokirera! the " Demon Forest" was also an important place to collect raw materials.

In the game, the player simply placed the character in the " Demon Forest" on the map, pressed the "Collect Materials" button, and waited for the time to pass.

However, if one examines the " Demon Forest" in the book in this world, one finds that although the resources are abundant, there are many "dangerous creatures" in the area.

It is an undeveloped land that people cannot easily step into.

But when I looked up " Demon Forest" in a book, I found that it is rich in resources, but there are many "dangerous creatures" in the area.

However, I was convinced that there was "lute grass," the raw material for a special medicine for magic power depletion, in this "Demon's Forest.

Because "Tokirella! in the game, I had found "lute grass" when I "collected materials" in the Demon Forest.

While I was pondering, a shadow cougar came up to my feet and rubbed its cheek against my foot.

He looked just like a cat as he rubbed his cheek against my leg.

His fur is all black, but he has an upside-down triangle of white on his chest area.

His fur is generally long, and he has two tails, which are also long.

It looks like a tortoiseshell cat.

When I looked closely at the shadow cougar that had come to my feet, I noticed that it was wearing something like a collar.

"...... what's up with this?"

I squatted down and looked closely at the collar-like thing and saw that it was made of some kind of sturdy material.

Was this what was holding this child down?　

Ellen answered the question I had at that moment.

This is a collar for suppressing magical power, which is used to tame monsters. When you put it on, the monster cannot control its own magical power. It is an expensive tool, so I suspect that Marein provided it.

I" see. I'm not sure what to do with it."

Ellen replied to my words with a slightly disgusted look on her face.

'I'm sure it can be removed, but it might get out of control the moment you take it off, right?"

"But we can't leave it like this, and if it comes down to it, we'll all be here."

As I said this, I looked around.

Ellen, who seemed to have noticed this, let out a sigh and began to remove Shadow Cougar's collar.

"I don't know what's going to happen to it. ......"

While Ellen was removing the collar, I looked at the slime on the other side.

The slime is light blue and translucent, but does not look particularly dangerous.

The slime looks like it is anxiously watching over the shadow cougar that is having its collar removed.

"Alright ,it's removed "

While I was watching the slime, Ellen removed Shadow Cougar's collar.

At that moment, the body of the cougar grew bigger and bigger.

The people who were around the curious screamed at the sight of it and ran away.

Tia-sama, come to behind me."

"I'm sure it' s okay though. But I think I'll be fine, don't worry."

Deanna stepped in between the shadow cougar and me as if she was protecting me.

Asuna is likewise protecting Fara.

Ellen screamed as she rushed to hide behind me.

"I told you, I don't know what's going to happen to it ".

At first the shadow cougar looked cute, about the size of a cat.

Now it is about the size of a lion.

But I don't think it has any hostile intentions toward us.

The bigger shadow cougar was so happy that it approached the slime and started rubbing its forehead against it.

At that time, the slime also began to change its shape, giving off a happy vibe.

When the change was over, the slime took on the same appearance as the shadow cougar.

However, the color of its entire body was whiter and the inverted triangle on its chest was inversely black.

We were stunned by the slime's change and rolled our eyes.

When the slime change was over, the two beasts looked at each other happily.

They made a hugging gesture, as humans would do.

I muttered to myself, feeling that their friendship was similar to the atmosphere my parents had created.

"I wondered if this shadow cougar and slime were by any chance a married couple. ......?"

'It looks like ....... We don't really know much about the ecology of monsters,...... but I've never heard of a slime and a shadow cougar being a married couple."

Asuna said in disbelief at the sight of the two animals.

The others seemed to be in the same boat.

At that moment, the man whom Deanna had blown away first staggered to his feet, holding his face.

When he saw us, he shouted angrily.

"How dare you guys do this to us! ......?"

The rage became disheartening halfway through and the man looked astonished when he saw the two freed monsters.

Then, this time, he raised his voice like a scream as he pointed at the two animals.

"Aaahhhh, why are you guys releasing those monsters?"

At the moment he shouted, a black shadow cougar jumped angrily toward the man.

The man shouted, "Ohhhhhh, my bad, my , help me ."

As soon as the shadow cougar jumped at him, the man turned his back and tried to run away.

The man was unable to escape, however, and was caught from behind without a second thought.

The man was pinned down by a monster, and the monster ate him up.

Where did his original momentum go?

The man was crying out desperately.

The shadow cougar bared its fangs as if to vent its anger at being chased.

At that moment, I shouted, "Wait!

"Wait, don't kill him!"

......?"

The shadow cougar looked back at me with a skeptical look on its face, as if its voice had reached me.

I don't know if he understood me.

But I went in front of Deanna and approached Shadow Cougar and said softly,

"We want you to leave them to us. Besides, if you kill this man now, there will be a lot more people chasing you. So, I'm going to ask you to hand him over to us."

"...... guh."

The Shadow Cougar, perhaps understanding my words, moved off the man's back, looking a little sorry.

Well, here's where we come in. The man muttered in relief as his body was no longer restrained.

"I'm so glad you're okay. ......"

I" think it's early to ...... be relieved, do you?"

"What ......?"

The man responded to my words with a dumb look on his face.

At that moment, Asuna came up behind him.

'...... I'm going to ask you to explain to me everything about why the monsters of the ...... Demon Forest were in this place...... ........."

The man's pitiful scream echoed around again.

What the man told us was not a very pleasant thing to hear.

He said that a couple of shadow cougars had recently been seen in the Demon Forest.

It was not an issue that was immediately brought up, as shadow cougar couples themselves are seen from time to time.

But one day it was revealed that one half of the couple was a slime mimic.

A couple of shadow cougars and a couple of slimes is not something you find very often.

Some customers might be curious about it. And so, under Marein's direction, the men planned to capture the two creatures.

However, the shadow cougar itself is a very strong monster, so it is not an easy task.

So, the men first captured a slime and took it hostage.

Once the hostage was taken, the Shadow Cougar stopped resisting and became docile.

That's when they put a collar on him and caught him.

"What a terrible ...... thing to do."

'...... that sucks.'

Fara and Ellen said as they heard the man's story and looked at him with disdain.

But the man turned to them and spat at them.

"I'm not trying to ...... do anything to you. We're dealing with a monster.　We don't give a damn what happens to them."

"......Do you think that if it is not a human being, you are allowed to do whatever you want⁉ That is never the case. ...... Such a thing is just a conceit of human beings. Those who do things that are out of the way, like you, are called "outcasts."

"⁉...... damn ......."

With a quiet anger in my voice, I spun the words to the man.

When he heard my words, he turned his head away and muttered quietly.

At that moment, I heard a familiar voice from behind me.

"I wondered what all the fuss was about, but it was Deanna, wasn't it?　What are you doing here?"

I have a bad feeling about this.

I hoped I had mistaken her for someone else.

When i turned around with this thought in my mind, it was Chris who was there!

Deanna had an indescribable look on her face when she saw the person she had not expected.

"Oh.. what the matter ?"

Chris looked at Deanna's face and, not understanding her intention, made a puzzled face.