CH 31

Chapter 31-: The Third Strongest Species

"Go away."

I hear  the voice.

I look around, but there's no one around but us.

"Nya, nya? Who's there?"

"I don't see anyone. ...... Could it be a ghost?

"Nyan!　　No, don't talk like that!

"Oh, my. Is it possible that Kanade is not good at talking about such things?　　Even though you're a cat spirit?

"Because, you know, ghosts can't take a beating. ......

"Quiet, both of you.

I braced myself for whatever might happen.

Now, what do we get?

Is it a ghost like Tania said?

Or is it ......

"Walk away.

With the third warning, particles of light flooded the surrounding trees.

They drifted through the air in a regular pattern, as if each one had a will of its own.

Eventually, they gathered in one place and took the shape of a person.

"......"

As the light cleared, a girl appeared.

She was short and could easily be mistaken for a child.

In spite of her appearance, she has a dignified expression on her face, which contradicts the fact that she looks somewhat mature.

Her flaxen hair was gathered up with a flower decoration, which suited her well.

Most eye-catching of all were the ...... wings.

On the girl's back, there are two pairs of light wings.

"...... Spirit Tribe ......."

Tania murmured in disbelief.

A tribe of spirits.

They are one of the most powerful species, along with Kanade and Tania.

The most unusual of these is the wood spirit ...... dryad.

They are a mild-mannered race, but they are harsh towards people.

Or rather, they hate people.

For a tribe of spirits who make mountains, forests, and nature their home, people who cultivate mountains and cut down trees are like natural enemies.

This is why they have clashed with each other many times.

Then, the ...... spirit tribe disappeared.

It is said that they hated to get involved with people and hid themselves in the depths where people could not reach them.

That was about 200 years ago.

Since then, no one has ever seen the spirit tribe.

And yet, ......, I never expected to meet them in such a place.

I was so surprised that I couldn't find the words.

"Well, ...... hello."

"Walk away.

"Can I talk to you for a second?

"Walk away.

"I'm Rain. These two are Kanade and Tania. They're with me.

"Walk away.

"We're here on a bit of business. ...... Did you create these wards?

"Walk away.

No.

There's nothing I can do.

"If you don't walk away, then ......

The girl from the spirit tribe softly floats up.

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.

"I will eliminate them by force.

"I'll be back!

"I'll retreat!

"All right, all right!

We hurried back to the entrance.

"You're not following ......?"

Kanade looked behind her fearfully.

"Yeah, we're fine. It doesn't look like they're chasing us or anything.

"What the hell is going on?　　What the hell is it that's trying to attack us out of the blue?

"I don't think Tania wants to hear that. She tried to burn down the forest.

"What did you say?

"Nothing.

Funny, huh?

I've never heard of a spirit tribe coming out of Arios.

I'm not sure if he was lying to me or if it was just a coincidence that we met.

...... No.

You should not think of it as a coincidence.

The other party is a spirit tribe that hates people and disappeared 200 years ago.

There must be a good reason why they showed up in front of us.

The reason must be ......

"Warding ......?"

"Nyan?"

"I'm not sure what to make of this.　　I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but it's a good idea. It's a good idea to take a look at the actual information on the web and also to make sure you're getting the most out of it.

"I'm sure you're right. I think Rain is right.

"So you're saying that the spirit girl is guarding the wards?　　But doesn't that mean that ...... they are indirectly protecting the demons at the deepest level?

"That's right, .......

I'm not sure what to make of it.

I'm not sure what to make of it.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

Then, he had the spirit tribe protect the wards.

It makes sense if you think about it that way.

The only thing is that it makes sense, but the question remains: why did they do it?　　The question remains.

It's true that the spirit tribe hates humans, but that doesn't mean they are the kind of tribe that would cooperate with demons.

Demons trample nature and reap trees for no reason.

In a sense, the spirit race is much more hostile to demons than to humans.

So, there is no way that the spirits will cooperate with the demons.

"I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on.　　Hmmm ...... no. None of this is even remotely imaginable.

"I'm not much of a thinker.

"Try a little harder, you little pussy.

"Bad cat"?

"I don't know what they really mean, but I'm pretty sure that the spirits are involved with the demons. I'm not sure what to do.　　I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on.

"It's not easy to say. ...... It's that spirit tribe, you know?

"I'm not sure what to make of it. I'm not going to be able to beat them.

This is a great way to get the most out of your business.

It's a great confidence as always.

It seems that she doesn't think that she will lose at all.

I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.

"It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. I'm not sure what to do. I'm not sure what to do. You can't put Kanade and Tania in danger.

"What is that? Are you saying that you don't trust my abilities?

"No, I'm not. I'm genuinely concerned.

"Yes, you are. ...... You're worried about me. ...... Well, well. Well, if you're that worried, I'm not going to play hardball with you.

"I'll do as Rain says.

"Thank you, both of you.

"But what are you going to do?　　We'll never get to the bottom of the mountain unless we deal with the spirits.

Tania is right.

If you don't persuade the girl of the spirit tribe, you can't go deeper.

You can destroy only the wards if you see a chance, but ......

"Do you have any idea what you're doing?

"No, not really.

"Nyan?

"I think we should talk again.

"You didn't seem like you were in a talking mood.

"You were surprised and defensive earlier, weren't you? If you show us that you are not hostile this time and that you are sincere, ...... or maybe we can have a dialogue.

"Sounds like a good-natured idea.

"No?

"No? - No. I don't mind that kind of thing.

"That's just like Rain, nyun.

Kanade and Tania smiled at me, as if I had made the right choice.