WM – Chapter 132: Takatsuki Makoto’s meeting

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Rosalie J Walker.

Her other name is Crimson Witch.

In the West Continent, she is called one of the Three Great Mages along with the White Great Sage and the Northern Miracle Mage Oz.

She is currently the most powerful mage of the Wood Country.

What cemented her fame as the Crimson Witch was the Human-Demon Massive War.

One of the Four Demon Lords that ruled the Demonic Continent in the past, the Insect King, Valac.

100 years ago, the Demon Lord Valac attacked the West Continent.

The ones who faced this were the Six Countries Alliance and the Heroes of the six countries.

Rosalie at that time was one of the comrades of the Wood Hero.

Demons vs Humans and Demi-Humans. This Human-Demon Massive War was fierce to the extreme, and the conclusion took long to come.

The army of the Insect King gushed forth infinitely, and the West Continent was slowly pushed into exhaustion.

The Demon Lord Valac simply sent his subordinates to the West Continent, and the person himself didn’t come out from the Demonic Continent.

The Great Sage-sama apparently somehow managed to endure the infinite spawns of the Demon Lord army.

But if this battle of attrition continued, it would eventually lead to their defeat.

The mage Rosalie, who was concerned about this, assaulted the Demonic Continent together with the Highland Hero.

The reason why it wasn’t the Wood Hero was because the Wood Hero had been severely injured in the war, and had retired from the frontlines.

The specialty of Rosalie was extreme long distance teleports.

The amount of people she can bring along are her and one more person.

And so, the current strongest fighter at that time was the Highland Hero, and so, they attacked the Demon Lord Valac together and they managed to bring him down.

The mage Rosalie managed to become a legend, and married the Highland Hero.

All’s well that ends well.

A template happy end.

But the hierarchical system of Highland was strict and it didn’t suit Rosalie, so her married life fell in around 5 years.

The legendary Rosalie apparently returned to the Wood Country.

After that, she has apparently been moving around the whole world, and when there’s a problem, she would poke her head out and scratch it.

Her specialty is Spirit Magic.

She is especially good at controlling Fire Spirits and Wind Spirits, and there’s no one who can match her in it.

Rosalie can use Spirits to create a colossal fire giant.

And then, after the battle, only a scorched field remains.

With that sight etched in their minds, she was eventually feared as the Crimson Witch.

—Those are the stories of the mother of Lucy.

“The person you met might have been my mother.” (Lucy)

“Eh?” (Makoto)

After the banquet yesterday, everyone stayed at the home of Lucy.

Lucy’s sister was currently making breakfast for us.

“Blonde hair and blue eyes, and she resembled me, right?” (Lucy)

“Yeah, it was the spitting image of you, Lucy.” (Makoto)

She felt like a slightly more adult Lucy.

“Lucy resembles mother the most after all.”

Lucy’s sister speaks while cooking.

“That Rosalie! If you have returned, show your face!” (Wolt)

The Chief-san was fuming.

That was Lucy’s mother, huh.

Then I should have spoken to her a bit more.

The strongest fighting force of the Wood Country.

After that, we listened to stories about Lucy’s childhood, and stories about her family as we ate.

“Hey, Aya, Furi, I will introduce you to my friends in the village, so let’s go together!” (Lucy)

“Okay~.” (Aya)

“Got it.” (Furiae)

Lucy, Sa-san, and Furiae-san left.

It has been a while since Lucy has been back home.

Let’s let her have her free time.

I wanted to talk to the Wood Oracle, but I couldn’t see her anywhere.

She might have gone out to work.

The Wood Country’s Hero apparently can’t be contacted.

Nothing to do.

(Should I go train around the Forest of the Lost?) (Makoto)

A dungeon that I have gone once together with Lucy.

Different from the Demonic Forest, as long as you don’t get lost in the path, it is a difficulty that even iron rank adventurers can deal with.

It should be okay even if I went solo.

“Makoto-niisan, where are you going?” (Leo)

“I was thinking about exploring the Forest of the Lost.” (Makoto)

“You are going to be exploring a dungeon alone…? Isn’t that dangerous?” (Leo)

Prince Leonard directs a worried expression at me.

“I will run away if it gets dangerous, so it is okay.” (Makoto)

“Then, I will go with you too!” (Leo)

Ooh, Prince Leonard will be coming with me?

“Wait. If Prince Leonard is going, I am going too. I have been given the job of guarding Prince Leonard by Princess Sofia.” (Janet)

Janet-san joins.

“Eh? Really?” (Makoto)

I thought her job was done after bringing us to the Wood Country.

“She also asked me to look after you, Makoto.” (Janet)

She directs a look at me as if it were tiresome.

Seems like her opinion of me has settled into ‘a Hero with no sense of morals towards women’.

(I am a virgin though…) (Makoto)

“Naa Naaa.”

Tsui jumps on me.

“What’s the matter? Were you left by Princess?” (Makoto)

I stroked its chin and it purred.

Janet-san looks straight at Tsui.

“Want to pet it?” (Makoto)

“I-I won’t!” (Janet)

I got glared at.

Even though I was being considerate there…

And so, three people and one animal head to the Forest of the Lost in the Great Forest.

◇◇

The traits of the Forest of the Lost are:

—The huge trees of the same type that endlessly go on.

—Tall grass growing thickly.

—There’s always a thin fog around.

—The Wind and Earth Spirits are always trying to make the travellers get lost.

That’s what’s said.

“With [Mapping], this is easy.” (Makoto)

It was classified as a dangerous dungeon in the Adventurer Guild, but as long as you don’t lose your way, there’s no problems.

“Looks like your Mapping Skill is strong.” (Janet)

“As expected of Makoto-niisan!” (Leo)

We explored the Forest of the Lost while the two praised me.

A while after walking through the forest.

A strange scenery spread before us.

“…What is this…?” (Leo)

“Prince Leonard, be careful. It seems there’s a dangerous monster here.” (Janet)

Prince Leonard seemed slightly scared, and Janet-san takes a stance with her spear to protect the prince.

“Corpses…of animals and even monsters.” (Makoto)

I mutter this.

There was an ocean of corpses from things like deers, horned rabbits, and forest bears.

I could tell at a glance that something killed them.

(They were eaten?) (Makoto)

Regardless of animal or whatever, there were traces of being crunched ferociously.

However, contrary to their state, there wasn’t much blood around.

I didn’t want to look at this for long, but when I took a close look, I could see that the corpses were slightly dried up.

“Takatsuki Makoto, do you know a lot about the Forest of the Lost?” (Janet)

Janet-san asks me.

“The monsters of the Forest of the Lost are the same as the Great Forest. I haven’t seen a monster do something like this.” (Makoto)

As far as I know, this sight is a first for me.

“Makoto-niisan… Isn’t the blood sucked out of these corpses?” (Leo)

“That’s how it looks.” (Makoto)

Sucking blood… A vampire, huh.

But right in the morning?

Can undead please keep their schedule to just at night?

“It is just as we heard from the elf village. The amount of undead has increased.” (Janet)

“That the undead tend to gather around the Demon Lord’s grave…the grave of the Immortal King Bifrons, was it?” (Makoto)

Lucy’s grandpa said.

“The Immortal King Bifrons…even though he was sealed 1,000 years ago, he still releases a massive amount of miasma. The King of the Dead…” (Janet)

“By the way, the seal hasn’t been undone, right?” (Makoto)

Like, you know, ‘the Immortal King’s grave’ and ‘seal’…

It only sounds like a massive flag to me!

“It was a seal done by the Savior Abel-sama and the Great Sage-sama. There’s no way it would be undone!” (Leo)

Prince Leonard says strongly.

“Hmm…” (Makoto)

It is worrying.

“You are a worrywart, aren’t you, Takatsuki Makoto. If the Immortal King were to return, it would have to be through the power of the two confidants of the king, Shuri and Setekh, but they have been defeated by the Savior-sama. In the first place, undead are the most hated demons in the Sun Country. A return won’t be allowed.” (Janet)

Janet-san also said a return from the Immortal King is impossible.

So is it only me being a worrywart as an otherworlder?

Well, it would be good if that’s the case.

While we were having that talk…

*Munch Munch*

I heard the sound of something chewing.

Like the sound of a carnivore devouring an herbivore.

It isn’t strange in this Great Forest where the strong eat the weak.

But what’s this sound as if slurping something?

I haven’t heard a sound like this before.

Prince Leonard, Janet-san, and I look at each other.

We instinctively stopped talking, and walked in a way that it doesn’t make a sound.

“Let’s go back.” (Makoto)

I proposed.

When coming into contact with an opponent for the first time, it is all about running away.

“No, if it is the one that has made all of the corpses of before, it would be better to defeat it now. At the very least, we should confirm its looks.” (Janet)

Janet-san objects.

Well, she does have a point.

“Prince Leonard, hold onto me properly so that the effect of Stealth doesn’t cut off.” (Makoto)

“O-Okay.” (Leo)

Prince Leonard, who was already trembling profusely, clinks onto my arm tightly.

“U-Uhm…I can’t use Stealth either…” (Janet)

Janet-san says this with difficulty.

Yeah, the Valentine Household doesn’t give me the image that they would do stuff stealthily.

“Then hold onto me too, Janet-san.” (Makoto)

She lightly held the tip of my sleeve on my other arm.

We were about to close in on the direction where the noise is being made.

{That’s horrible…}, Janet-san muttered.

{It has been devoured terribly.} (Makoto)

{Uuuh…}, Prince Leonard grew pale.

We gulped at the shocking sight in front of us.

Even though we were inside a forest, it was dyed bright red.

What’s scattered around here and there were the corpses of more than a hundred forest wolves.

Those corpses all -without exception- had a part of their flesh torn off, leaving the mark of teeths.

Within that hellscape of corpses, there’s one ‘humanoid something’ crouched, devouring and slurping greedily.

We were watching that disgusting sight for a while, but that something suddenly turned its head and looked over here.

The turned around face doesn’t have eyes.

Its eye sockets were hollow.

Its completely white skin had cracks in it, and there were black veins pulsing up and down visibly.

It was a ghastly sight that just looking at it would make you feel discomfort.

The teeth lined up in its big mouth were sharp like a shark.

As proof that it had been in the middle of its meal until a while ago, dark red blood was trickling down its mouth.

(A vampire…?) (Makoto)

It would be silly to even compare it to the Great Sage-sama. There was a sacrilegious being standing there.

“…”

Prince Leonard was trembling and didn’t say anything.

(This is…I would like to have them run away first, but…) (Makoto)

“Kuh…” (Janet)

Even Janet-san had cold sweat flowing from her forehead.

That vampire grinned and opened its mouth.

Janet-san and I take a stance with our weapons.

“I am sorry there. I was so concentrated on my food that I didn’t notice. Man, that’s embarrassing.”

The vampire scratched its head while making a refreshing smile.

(Eeeeh~~~.) (Makoto)

It was a friendly reaction despite appearances, which caught me off-guard.

“You are…not elves. This presence…to think that there would be humans here. Fufu, I can’t see anything right now, you see. I have no eyes after all!” <Yohohoho!>

It can’t see, but I can feel friendliness from its tone.

But well, just from its appearance alone, I can only feel madness from it.

An enemy? Or is it harmless?

I wanted to consult about this, so I looked at Prince Leonard and Janet-san, but it seems like they don’t have the leeway to speak.

“No, we ourselves are sorry for disturbing you while you were in your meal.” (Makoto)

I try having a conversation for now.

When I said this, the vampire made a face as if it were surprised.

“Well well, you see me, and yet feel no fear at all, and even try to strike a casual conversation… That would have been unthinkable 1,000 years ago… It is so saddening.”

“1,000 years ago?” (Makoto)

“I woke up recently after a 1,000 year sleep. Thanks to that, I was so hungry. Real hungry. A high class demon like me had to resort to such vulgar food. It is shameful.”

1,000 years ago…?

Woke up?

T-This is…?!

“C-Could it be that you are the Demon Lord, Bifrons-san?” (Makoto)

He really did wake up!

But when I asked this, the vampire bursted out laughing.

“Hahahahahahahaha!! Me?! The Grand Marquess Bifrons?! Do humans say such amusing things after 1,000 years pass?! No, I am just a nameless High Demon. Being mistaken for Bifrons-sama is the highest of honors, human.”

“I-I see.” (Makoto)

It wasn’t the Demon Lord. That’s a relief.

I am the only one conversing with it.

The remaining two have not moved at all until now.

The black cat at my shoulder was going ‘Fuuu Fuuu!’ and its fur was standing on its end.

At that moment, all of a sudden…

These words showed up in front of me…

[Will you run away from the confidant of the Demon Lord Bifrons, Setekh?]

Yes ←

(Achaa…) (Makoto)

The one in front of us was quite the dangerous guy.

Abel-sama! You didn’t end it at all!