CH 6

It had been three years since Alexei had been abandoned in the Demon Forest. The body of the woman he called Pie has become even greener and her skin was all mushy, but Alexei often touched her skin saying that he liked it.

「You’re an odd one, Ham.」

「No, I’m not. It feels nice and bumpy, doesn’t it?」

「Yeah, yeah I get you!」

She laughed at that, and then grabbed Alexei in a hug and placed him on her lap.

「I’m big now! I’m nine years old, okay?」

「You’re still small.」

Alexei said that, but he liked being on her lap. He was happy with his life now, much happier than being in a cold castle where no one embraced him.

Alexei knew home and love for the first time.

「You made friends with Usa-chan, Fuku-chan, and Tora-chan. You were quite afraid of them at first. Ham did very well.」

When he first came to live in the Devil’s Forest, Alexei was terrified of demonic beasts because he was devoured by a three-eyed red bear. He couldn’t stand them!

However, after watching her become friends with demonic beasts when Alexei wasn’t around.

he was eventually got close to the smaller ones – though big enough when compared to a human. demonic beasts such as the bicorn rabbit and the great fire-breathing owl And over yet another year, He was able to build friendships with rest. Except for the three-eyed red bear.

「Pie, this isn’t an apt way to name them?」

「Ora? I think it’s a great name.」

「No, because it’s a two-horned rabbit, it’ll be Usa-chan.」

「Do you prefer Nikak-chan? Unna, but since you’re so round, I’ll call you Maru-chan.」

「Why don’t you just give it a normal name like Dmitri or Tasha?」

It was a casual suggestion, but she looked a little sad. Since her skin was all slimy and mushy people wouldn’t be able to figure her expressions out.

「Ora…… When I was living in the village, I was scolded for calling people’s names. They said they would be cursed. That’s why I never called a human by their name. I’d feel sorry if they were cursed.」

「No no! Pie’s kinder than anyone else in the whole wide world! I love pie!」

「Thanks. But the people in the village said that I ought to be a cursed monster.」

「That’s just the ravings of a coward.」

「Ham-chan knows a lot of difficult words. I don’t know what “ravings” mean, but I’m happy that you were concerned for me.」

Alexei was furious at the villagers for all the discrimination she had to go through, who were indignant to her and causing her grief. He resented the world that discriminated against one based on their status and looks.

And so, after a few brief moments of silence and staring at the ground, she stood up suddenly.

「Ham! Ham! The creatures in the forests are acting weird. Somethings strange! What’s happening over there.」

Suddenly, the sky darkened, and when he looked up, he saw many winged demonic beasts flying towards the north, blocking out the sun, And with the earth-shaking, many demonic beasts were running towards the north

The demonic beasts she adored as children were about to head north as well!

「You guys, what’s going on? What is it?」

The next thing she knew there was a blinding light all around her. So bright that she couldn’t even keep her eyes open.

When she opened her eyes after the light subsided, she saw all the demonic beasts that should have been flying in the sky vanished. she could see the bright blue sky again.

All the demonic beasts near them had fallen.

「Usa-chan, Fuku-chan, what happened?」

She approached and shook the demonic beasts.

「 ……!」

The demonic beasts were all lying dead. When she looked around, she could see the carcasses of demonic beasts lying all over the place.

She called out to Alexei in her arms.

「Ham you alright?」

「Uh-huh.」

「What happened … Anyway, don’t run away from here. Ham is protected by Ora! Don’t worry, it’s okay.」

She couldn’t hide her shock at the death of all the demonic beast she had loved like her own child, but she hugged him tightly, saying that she had to at least save him. And once they turned on their heels to return to the cave, they heard footsteps coming from the direction the demonic beasts were headed!

It wasn’t the footsteps of a demonic beast rather it was the footsteps of shoes that Alexei hadn’t heard in a long time. It wasn’t dozens of them either their Probably hundreds of them.

「Pie, humans are coming. And it’s a massive group that’s approaching us.」

「What do you mean?」

「I can’t it figure out…… Maybe they’re here to kill me.」

The beasts were headed north. And now there are human is coming from the north? Let’s just run for it!

But before they had time to escape, Alexei was surrounded by knights with swords and spears.

「The Knights of the Empire」

Alexei muttered.