Demonic Forest.

A huge dungeon that is almost at the very center of the Great Forest.

It has giant magic trees and is covered in thick mist, and even though it is broad daylight, light barely reaches.

Once it is night, it is complete darkness.

I could hear creepy voices and sounds here and there.

Sa-san and I use [Stealth] to move forward in this place. 

We have transformed into zombies with the transformation skill. 

It bothers me a little bit that Sa-san is a zombie, yet is wearing a ribbon and has slightly ‘cute eyes’. 

The Demonic Forest dungeon has a recommended rank of silver or higher.

However, a normal adventurer would not come even if they were to become silver rank.

(Takatsuki-kun! Is that a Zombie Dragon?) (Aya)

(Yeah. It is…sleeping? Let’s take a detour.) (Makoto)

A giant dragon made of only bones is lying down.

Even though it shouldn’t be breathing, its body is slowly going up and down. Maybe that’s a trait of when it was alive?

A Dragon Zombie is a Calamity Designation monster.

Even if silver rank adventurers were to join forces, they wouldn’t be a match.

We made a big detour and went deeper inside.

(Wow, there’s a lot of skeletons.) (Makoto)

(That’s…skeletons are having a sword fight?) (Makoto)

A group of around 10 skeletons were fighting with rusted swords or spears, making ringing sounds.

It doesn’t look like they are having a dispute here, but more like they are relatives playing.

By the way, an iron rank adventurer would be plenty enough against these guys.

“Takatsuki-kun! That big…chicken(?) that seems to be drinking water at that swamp…is a bit cute.” (Aya)

“Sa-san…that’s a cockatrice. That water there is poisonous swamp water, so don’t get close, okay?” (Makoto)

“Eh? That’s a poisonous swamp?!” (Aya)

The giant chicken monster -the cockatrice that has a snake as a tail is going ‘kokokokoke!’ as it bathed in the poisonous swamp.

From afar, it looks cute, but if you get hit by its breath, you are turned into stone. 

A super dangerous monster.

Of course, it is Calamity Designation.

(The strength of the monsters showing up is way too scattered…) (Makoto)

This Demonic Forest is the most unpopular dungeon in the West Continent. 

The amount of missing adventurers is the highest by a large number.

The reason for there being a high amount of missing people is because there’s a lot who go from: Great Forest → Forest of the Lost → Demonic Forest; without noticing.

By the way, the adventurers that die can have a class change to undead thanks to the miasma of the Demon Lord’s grave! Ain’t that great?! 

…There’s talks about the recommended rank being increased to Gold.

(If the Demon Lord revives, that won’t be enough though…) (Makoto)

“Takatsuki-kun, Takatsuki-kun, there’s a whole lot of zombies over there!” (Aya)

“Basking in the sun…no way that’s the case, huh. It is night after all. Are they basking in the moonlight?” (Makoto)

More than 50 zombies were standing there spaced out or lying down.

They are only letting out ‘wuuh wuuh’ noises.

But there might be some who are actually communicating like that.

Anyways, this is the first time I have come into the Demonic Forest, but…

(It is more peaceful than I thought.) (Makoto)

There’s a lot of monsters. 

No doubt about that.

We are encountering monsters more frequently than even the Mid Floor of Laberintos.

It is just that, as long as you use Stealth, they can barely notice you.

There’s no fighting between monsters like in Laberintos.

This might be because there’s no need to fight for food when they are undead.

I could see forest wolves and forest bears every now and then, but the deeper we go, the more undead there are.

Is that how the habitat is divided?

We head to the center of the Demonic Forest where the Demon Lord’s grave is said to be in.

{Takatsuki-kun, there’s a lot of strong monsters over there.} (Aya)

My [Detection] is also reacting at the place Sa-san is pointing at.

There’s quite the strong monster pack.

{Sa-san, keep the Stealth up.} (Makoto)

{Yeah, got it, Takatsuki-kun.} (Aya)

We make our breaths shallow, and slowly proceed towards the location where the Detection rings louder.

There was a nice thicket there to hide in, so we peeked deeper in while inside it.

It was a slightly open space like a plaza.

Because of that, we had a wider field of vision with the moonlight.

What was there was…

An army of several thousands of monsters.

A giant two-headed lion monster.

A dog monster with three heads.

A black griffon.

A northern man-eating giant that’s known for its ferocity.

That’s what I could tell with a cursory glance.

There were also a whole lot of other monsters I have never seen before.

Also, what’s strange is that all the monsters were armed.

Even at the Great Forest and Laberintos, I haven’t seen an armed monster.

The giant had a massive sword fitting its size.

The four legged monsters have helmets and armor.

(Monsters of the Northern Continent…the Demonic Continent?) (Makoto)

I am somehow able to infer that these guys are 1,000 year monsters. 

The strength of the mana I can feel, their body size, the powerful presence they give off that speaks of their lengthy experiences in life.

(If these guys were to attack the Kanan Village of Lucy…) (Makoto)

I end up imagining something terrible.

Unlike Makkaren, the elf village doesn’t have decent ramparts, so it would be at their mercy.

Furiae-san and Prince Leonard who are in the village as well…

(What should I do? Would it be better to return and have everyone escape? But Lucy has her family. She probably is going to stay in the village, and fight to protect it.) (Makoto)

At that moment, my hand was held tightly.

“Sa-san?” (Makoto)

“Takatsuki-kun, don’t shoulder this alone.” (Aya)

Sa-san smiles.

“Was I making a weird face?” (Makoto)

“A really grim expression.” (Aya)

I see. I was making that kind of face, huh.

“Good boy, good boy. Takatsuki-kun is a hard worker.” (Aya)

She petted my head.

“…” 

It is ticklish.

In my middle school days, Sa-san, who was smaller than me but had been born 1 month earlier  and had a lot of siblings, treated me like a little brother.

At first I thought: ‘What’s with her? Acting as if she is above me’, but not having siblings, and having no memories of my parents pampering me, Sa-san acting like a big sister was fun.

Sa-san ruffles my hair like in the past.

My heart slowly calmed down.

“Sa-san, let’s return to the village.” (Makoto)

“Yeah, let’s return and think with everyone.” (Aya)

There’s no point in worrying here.

I don’t know the objective of this army of monsters, but I don’t think they are unrelated to the revival of the Demon Lord.

Also, if I want to stop the revival, they will definitely become a wall.

Let’s go back first and tell the Wood Country.

The moment I thought this and was about to return…

“What are you bastards doing?” 

A voice poured at us from above.

““?!””

Sa-san and I look up at the same time.

What was there was a giant shadow.

(S-Since when?!) (Makoto)

There’s no doubt it wasn’t there just a moment ago.

It moved in an instant?

With this giant body? Not making a single sound?

If I had to describe it in words, it would be a giant pitch black centaur. 

The horse legs were as thick as an elephant’s, and he had 8 of them.

However, his hoofs were not touching the ground. He was standing on the air. 

Does he gallop in the air?

Is that why it didn’t make a sound?

“You can’t talk? You lowly beings?” 

He asks again in a stronger tone.

(This is bad. It might be a High Demon.) (Makoto)

This is what Prince Leonard taught me.

Monsters that can have a conversation are demons. 

The demons that don’t suddenly attack you apparently have a good chance of being high demons. 

High Demons hold high pride in their name, and look down on people who begin battles without introducing themselves.

“We are undead who live in the Demonic Forest.” (Aya)

Sa-san answers.

“So your mouth works. Then, I ask you: who are you bastards affiliated with?” 

“…”

Sa-san falls silent.

I should answer this one.

“Setekh-sama.” (Makoto)

The name of the only demon I know of here.

He is the confidant of a legendary Demon Lord, so there’s no way he doesn’t know of him.

But his reaction wasn’t favorable.

He simply frowned.

“…That guy that doesn’t know how to kick the bucket, huh. That disgrace for us demons who was defeated by a mere human hero 1,000 years ago.” 

“…”

Eeeh.

Setekh-san, you seem to have a bad reputation.

“Are you displeased by the fact that your master is being bad-mouthed? But we need him to bring out the power of the Great Lord Iblis, since he was a weak being that was a low rank demon in the past. Who knows if he will be of use in the coming war.” 

He is saying quite the things there.

But Setekh-san was originally weak then.

An executive that worked its way up, huh.

“Uhm, is it okay to ask for your name?” (Makoto)

I feel like the demon in front of me is a famous one.

An elite among demons.

“I am the immediate follower of Zagan-sama. One of the Ten Claws, Jinbara.” 

Another top brass of a Demon Lord!

We are meeting a lot of them lately!

For now, I kneeled together with Sa-san.

“Regardless of our lack of knowledge, we were rude to you, Jinbara-sama. You must have come all the way here on this occasion for the sake of the revival of the Demon Lord Bifrons-sama, right?” (Makoto)

I keep it low for now.

Let’s try getting something out of him while at it.

“Under the orders of My Lord, Zagan-sama, I had no choice but to do so. Human Heroes will be obstructing the revival of the Immortal King. We are simply going to be bringing those flies down. A devilkin youngster is performing the resurrection ritual for the Immortal King deep down here. Stop going any deeper than this.” (Jinbara)

“Yes, understood!” (Makoto)

Woah, he told us a lot.

So the Demon Lord’s grave is deeper in here, huh.

By youngster, he must be talking about Archbishop Isaac -most likely.

He even brought back Setekh. He is one busy guy.

“I will be careful.” (Makoto)

“Sorry for the intrusion.” (Aya)

Sa-san and I thanked the executive of Zagan, Jinbara, and went back.

We felt his gaze for a while, but he suddenly disappeared.

(Teleport?) (Makoto)

Is that why we didn’t notice him?

He looked like the warrior type, but he can use magic. He might be a magic warrior. 

We take a good distance from the monster army, and Sa-san and I heave a big sigh.

“That was scary, wasn’t it, Takatsuki-kun?” (Aya)

“Yeah, it isn’t something we two can do on our own.” (Makoto)

When it goes all the way up to the Demon Lord upper echelons, Stealth might not be as effective. 

Relying too much on Skills is not good.

I was blessed with the misfortune of meeting two Demon Lord Executives 2 days in a row, and somehow managed to survive.

(We shouldn’t be so reckless.) (Makoto)

I was about to put Sa-san in danger there too.

Let’s wait until the Wood Country gathers their forces.

We successfully returned to the elf village where Lucy and the others were waiting while thinking this.

What welcomed us when we returned was…

A Kanan Village covered in flames.

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