CH 83.1

Episode 83 – Leisurely Chat [Part 1: ” Return”, Part 2: “Journey”]

The wings of Type-2 fluttered as they descended onto the middle of the Vajra Wall.

The three of them jumped down from the huge body with ease.

“Thank you for your efforts. We’ll feed you later, so please take a break and wait for us.” Lilia spoke to Type-2, who was very mild-mannered, unlike when it was being manipulated.

“Well, Lerga. We don’t know much about our master’s castle. I’d like you to show us around, if that’s possible?”

“No. Ask Doussan.” Turning her back on the wary Kageha, Lerga headed for the Great Door.

“…Hmm, that’s problematic. How do I ask Doussan? Even if Doussan is an honorable gatekeeper, requesting a pet seems…”

“It was much more difficult for me. It’s still better for you since this is the first time.” Lilia said while stroking Type-2.

“Hmm…”

Kageha, who shrugged her shoulders, also became mildly interested in the scene in front of her, and began stroking Type-2 which had it’s head bowed.

Once she was satisfied, she too entered through the Great Door.

The scene that greeted her inside the Great Door, even though it was the second time she had seen it, drew her attention.

Another world.

The shiny black walls and the ceiling were unusually flat, and the mystical vast space with no useless decorations enraptured her.

In the heart of the entrance, a huge serpent of flamboyant colors took her breath away.

The serpent that carried Lerga, who was becoming lazy, was there with a unique presence.

“‘Doussan’ refers to the snake. I don’t see the owl… I’m not familiar with these species. They’re probably endemic.”

While Doussan glared at Type-2, who was sitting in a well-behaved manner, Lilia opened her mouth after a bit of consideration. “Yeah… Lerga, that child’s food is–” Lilia walked up with Kageha while pointing, and asked her what the snake was going to eat.

She was about to continue, but… Lilia’s hand was brushed away.

“……”

By the tail of the snake.

“….Don’t point at me. I’m a paisen.” It spoke.

[TLN: Original word used here was paisen, which is usually used in a cutesy way instead of senpai.]

“Doussan, shut up.”

“What do you mean, ‘Shut up’? I have to state the obvious! You’re Crono-sama’s apprentice! If he thinks I’m a bad influence, it’s over!”

Doussan raised its head and conversed with Lerga as though it was natural.

“I’m not going to let you make a fool of yourselves as long as I’m here… You’re the one who’s going to be judged. You know what I mean?”

“Lerga’s a Werewolf. She’ll be fine.”

“Werewolf, Werewolf, Werewolf! Enough! You’ve still got to learn! How many times do I have to teach you? I’m so tired!”

Lerga was being lectured by the snake, but she was so used to it that she didn’t even notice it, peacefully napping instead. 

Lilia and Kageha were taken aback.

“You, can you talk…?”

“As you can see… Why are you so shocked…?”

Lilia was irrationally stunned, but she quickly recovered, thinking that Crono’s pet could possibly talk.

“So what are you doing?”

“Honorifics.”

“…..”

She understood what it was saying, but a snake was still a snake, even if it’s the oldest member.

Even if it asked her to use honorifics, she couldn’t just nod her head.

“….You seem to be talking to Lerga normally, though?”

“That’s because Crono-sama told me to be friendly with her. Besides…. She doesn’t listen to me. She’s a hard woman to please. No matter what…. you say, no matter what. Where the hell is this guy…?”

Apparently, it had tried to get Lerga to use honorifics.

“Well, I’ve been taking care of her as a senior member of the security team. You guys are juniors. Honorifics are common sense. Be respectful, assholes.”

“…According to your logic, I’ve been entrusted by Crono-sama to take care of you.” Kageha stated.

“Hmm, hmm? What the hell…?”

The snake’s tail, which had been flicked around with pride, fell to the ground.

“I have also been given leadership by the Lord of this castle. To put it bluntly, I’m currently the highest-ranking person during the Lord’s absence. I will be your superior.”

“….You’re lying…”

Kageha pitied Doussan.

After all, he seemed to lose the ability to protest at the mention of Crono’s name.

“….Damn, that’s shitty.”

Doussan rolled up again and tried to go to sleep in vain.

“Doussan…. I’m hungry.”

“Huh? Oh, I’m feeling hungry now too…” Lerga’s stomach rumbled suddenly as if it had just remembered.

“I’ll go now. When Hisahide’s stupid buddies come back, tell them I went to get food.”

“Meat! I’ll wait!”

“You need to eat your vegetables too!” He slithered with his thick lava-colored scales, lecturing the others as he moved.

“Holy crap, what’s wrong with the big guy?”

“–“

“….Wait, I’m coming with you.”

“Lilia?”

Before Kageha could call out suspiciously, Doussan quickly responded.

“Don’t worry. I’m one of Crono-sama’s henchmen. I’m not stingy. I’ll hunt for you from my realm.” 

“I just want to see if there’s any edible wild plants in the forest.” Lilia said. She then looked at Doussan and said, “I’ll find out if I can let you eat some when Crono-sama comes back.”

Kageha muttered a small <“Hmm, so that’s why…”>, and Lilia also said she was doing it for Crono-sama…

“…Well, that’s fine. I’m sure he and I will be enough to protect you… Let’s go, then.  Stay close.”

………

……

…

West Forest.

Surrounding the Vajra Wall were different environments, split in the east, west, south, and north. The western forest was particularly rich in mushrooms, fruits, and nuts.

Although it was Hisahide’s domain, Dousan and Lilia had come to this forest where it was much easier to secure food than in the other forests.

“….Aren’t you the Lord of the East?”

“Yes, I am. You know me well. But you know, there’s not much food in my area, and there’s also poisonous gas spewing out here and there. Crono-sama said so. I don’t know if you can stand it, so I can’t take you there.”

“We heard in town that the east is safer, so we came to the Vajra Wall from the east…”

Doussan who was carrying Lilia let out a dexterous sigh.

“Baka, you’re not strong enough… The poison not working on you was just a coincidence. Hisahide saw your magic and thought you were related to Crono-sama, so he let you go. Normally, you humans would be swallowed whole.”

“……”

“You humans are just taking it easy because there aren’t many demons, right? Crono-sama’s friends are in the west. Even for normal people, the safest place to go is the south.”

With Lerga there, they would have been safe even if they had encountered Doussan… He couldn’t say that out loud, though.

“It’s the same with the poison, isn’t it? You can’t just imitate Crono-sama. He’s special and there are many kinds of poison. Mine would melt you all in an instant. Nuh-hah-hah!”

The touch of the heavy scales of the chattering serpent, which was still rambling, seemed to be strong enough to hurt her, Lerga, or even Kageha.

It seemed to have a level of power that Lilia could not accurately measure.

“……!?”

Lilia jumped down from Doussan, her maid’s uniform floating in the air as she revealed her cutlass.

“….We’re surrounded.”

Shadows surrounded Lilia and the others in the blink of an eye as they shuffled through the vegetation.

Green wolves, though she didn’t know their exact name.

The two in front of them bared their fangs in threat.

The other wolves scurried around, looking for an opening to attack.

“……”

One on one, or if it’s one on three or four, she didn’t think she’d lose, but there are more than ten wolves in this pack.

‘Unless Doussan can take on half of them, he’s going to get injured…” Lilia thought.

“Oh, no, no, no.”

Dousan, in a reproachful voice, slithered towards the boss-like wolf in the front.

“I heard these guys are nasty. I don’t know, because I swallow food whole, but Lerga said she didn’t like their taste. I hear they’re not even edible.”

“Ugh… hot.”

Doussan’s scales took on a dark glow like they were made out of real lava, and at the same time, he began to emit heat. She almost burned her clothes just by being in the vicinity.

“That’s why, I apologize for coming here so bravely. So, excuse me for coming here with so much authority, but I’m afraid you’re going to have to leave—- while I’m still not hungry.”