Part 4
The second day after losing the carriage──
Shera let out a pathetic voice.
「It’s no goodー......It’s so hazy that I can’t see into the distance.」
It was raining.
She had her Summoned Beast, 《Turkey Shot》, fly up and she could see Diablo from the sky, but let alone Caliture City, she couldn’t find even a small settlement or road.
It was nothing but a mountain covered in trees.
It might be different if the weather cleared up and the visibility could go off into the distance though
Rem spoke sounding bitter.
「......There is the possibility that we continued off in the completely wrong direction.」
「Ehー!?」
Shera raised a voice that sounded like she would cry.
「......After fighting against the Spriggan (iron giant), we had intended on continuing down the original main road, but by some chance, maybe we went down a different road......or maybe, we simply didn’t notice that we diverged from it.」
Certainly, the path became narrower the more they continued down it, so it felt like they were going down an animal trail. If they continued down it with a carriage, they would have ended up getting stuck.
「Rem, it’s your hometown, right?」
「......Sorry. I was ten years old when I left Caliture, and moreover, it was on a caravan carriage.」
「So you don’t rememberー」
「......It’s because I was asleep most of the time.」
「Ah, that’s right. Rem, you’re weak with vehicles, weren’t you.」
Diablo shrugged his shoulders.
「Once things clear up, we might be able to see something. There’s no choice but to wait for a while.」
「......That’s true.」
It looked like he, who possessed a tough body, and Rem, who was used to adventures, didn’t have a problem.
However, Shera was trembling.
「Uuu......It’s so coldー」
「......It’s probably because we didn’t bring outfits to keep out the cold since the South is so warm.」
It was also the winter season.
Since it was raining, the atmospheric temperature had unexpectedly lowered.
「I’m hungryー」
「......Unfortunately, both our food and water are at the bottom of the valley together with the carriage. Putting aside having drinking water if we gather up the rain water, Shera, wouldn’t you be able to get some fruits from the trees?」
「I’m asking them, but since they are busy drinking water on rainy days, it’s hard to get them to listen. Plus, it’s not like there’s nothing but nice trees.」
「......So it doesn’t always work out so conveniently.」
「It’s not like they have Elves looking after them like in the Greenwood Kingdom’s forest after all.」
Going "Mu?", Diablo looked up.
*Suru suru* Something came falling down.
It was a bright red fruit.
It resembled a tomato.
──This kind of fruit didn’t appear in the game.
Shera’s eyes shone.
「Waa～～～, you’re giving it to us!? Thank you!」
Rem made a wry smile.
「......Looks like it does work out conveniently. As usual, isn’t the world spoiling the Elves a bit too much?」
「That isn’t the case at allー. Even I’m doing my best after all.」
Shera extended her hand to the red fruit.
「Eat, don’t!」
There was a shout.
At the same time, *hyu*, there was the sound of cutting the air.
What came flying, was a small rock.
The bright red fruit broke. Making a damp sound, the red fruit scattered about on the wet ground.
Shera raised a scream.
「Ah～～～!? How could you do that!?」
「Was it a wild animal!?」
Rem put herself on guard.
Diablo also took out his Magic Staff.
「Who’s there!?」
Among the trees of the forest──
There was the figure of a young girl.
She had the appearance as if only having a cloth wrapped around her naked body.
Diablo felt like he was going to reflexively avert his eyes.
「Na, nake......ah, no......」
No matter what kind of appearance she has, by some chance, she might be an enemy.
Being negligent was forbidden.
That young girl had light brown hair, and her pointed ears stood straight up. Since they were dog-like ears, it seemed like she was a Dwarf, but her height wasn’t short, nor was her chest huge. And then, she had two large tails that looked like she could sit on them like they were cushions.
They looked like fox ears and fox tails. That sort of Dwarf didn’t exist.
On top of that, the look in her eyes was different from the atmosphere that the Races had.
Suddenly, he remembered.
About the young ladies that were at the Monster Girl Soapland that he went to in the royal capital......
「Could it be......are you of the Beastman race?」
Hearing Diablo’s words, the young fox-eared girl gasped.
「You, understand, said!?」
Her speech was a bit broken, but it wasn’t hard to talk with her.
「Isn’t that obvious? Answer me──Why did you break the fruit? Or could it be that you aimed at Shera and missed?」
「Wrong! Corpse Tree, red fruit, eat, absolutely can’t! Poison!」
「Did you say poison!?」
「One bite, die, rot and Corpse Tree, grow.」
So the tree that gave them the red fruit was called a Corpse Tree, had animals eat deadly poison strong enough have them die in one bite, and would then turn those corpses into nourishment.
Diablo turned his gaze to the tree in front of him.
This standing tree that had nothing unusual about it, he now saw it like it was some kind of monster.
「So it would seem that you saved us.」
「Me, Feneri. You, who? Why, Race, say, understand?」
It seemed that the young fox-eared Beastman race girl was named Feneri.
「Hmph......It’s only natural that I would at least understand your words! I am a Demon King that came from another world after all!」
「Demon King!?」
Feneri opened her eyes wide in surprise.
As if resolving herself, Rem cut into the conversation.
「Diablo! Could it be, are you able to understand what that wild animal is saying!?」
「Eh? Ah, of course. Certainly, it is a bit broken......but it’s not like we can’t get the meaning out of it, right?」
Shera shook her head sideways.
「It’s only barking kun kun, you know?」
Diablo once again looked over at Feneri.
「You can talk, right?」
She displayed an expression of bewilderment.
『What Feneri say, Races, don’t understand. You, only.』
In the end, Diablo acted as the interpreter, and they exchanged information with each other.
Going "Fumu fumu", Rem nodded.
For the time being, it seemed that they understood the reason why she pulverized the fruit with a small rock.
「......To think there was such a plant.」
Even if it was the land of her hometown, there was no way she would know about all of its flora and fauna. Looking closely, around the fruits that had fallen to the ground, the carcasses of small insects had increased.
So it was deadly poisonous.
Shera trembled.
「Uwaa～n, thank you! That was a close oneー」
「She seems to be grateful to you.」
After Diablo reported that, Feneri nodded.
『Feneri, Elf, hate, don’t.』
「It seems that she saved you because you’re an Elf.」
After acting as the interpreter like that, in their small conversation, it seemed that they got along quite well.
She invited them to her village.
『Food, bit, have. You, follow.』
Rem was cautious, but even if it were a trap, it would be fine if he just crushed them.
More importantly, they might get them to share some food with them.
Also, she said that she knew where the town of the Races was. Unfortunately, it seemed to be pretty far though......
Diablo’s group followed after Feneri, who possessed splendid tails, and headed to the village of the Beastman race.
Part 5
While walking within the forest, Rem spoke.
「......Those ears and tails. I think that she is most likely a Kobold.」
Shera nodded looking impressed.
「Ahh, Kobolds! Kobolds are fairies, right?」
「......There are various theories. Like that the females have physical appearances close to the Races, but males are closer to animals.」
「I’ve heard stories saying that they’re friendly to the Races.」
「......I, have heard stories that they attacked a town of the Races.」
「But, earlier, she saved me, you know?」
「......Yes.」
Feneri turned around.
『Arrived, here!』
At a glance, it was a mere forest.
There was nothing different about it from the forest that they had walked through up until now.
There weren’t any huts in between the trees, nor were there any figures that were living above the branches.
Since the foliage were growing thickly despite it being the winter season, they acted like a roof, and most of the raindrops didn’t fall through.
At their feet, there were a lot of fallen leaves, and the ground couldn’t be seen.
Feneri dropped her waist, and shook her tail. Using it like a broom, she brushed away the dry leaves that piled at the base of the standing tree.
『Wet tail, dirty. Hate.』
Going "haa～", she dropped her shoulders.
At the place where the dry leaves were brushed away, a hole opened up.
Facing the hole, she shouted.
『Returnedー』
Before long, another one came shuffling out.
It was a man with a fox head.
Seeing Diablo’s group, he tilted his head.
『Why, Races here?』
『This guy, can talk! Food, some, give.』
『A person of Races can understand words!?』
There were several more holes in other places, and Kobolds appeared from them. In total, there were about 20 of them. Surrounding Diablo’s group, they gazed at them looking curious.
『She say you can talk? Name is?』
「My name is Diablo.」
『Talkedー!?』
They opened their eyes wide, and raised voices going "Wah!".
A majority of the Kobolds were women, and they possessed light brown hair, sharp ears, and bushy tails just like Feneri.
And then, as expected, since they were lightly dressed, Diablo was a bit troubled as to where he should place his eyes.
As for the men, just as Rem had said, they had fox heads. They had the impression of having supple and trained muscles, and fur grew on their backs. They only had loincloths for clothes.
『He really talked! What a surprise!』
A man whose fur had thinned to the point that his bare skin could be seen had raised his voice. His words were more fluent than Feneri’s.
「And you are?」
『Acting as the elder of this clan, I am the one called Yorda. To think that a person of the Races would understand our words.』
「Hmph......For me, it is something of ease.」
He didn’t know the reasoning behind it, but it was possible for Diablo to converse with them even though he didn’t learn the local language.
Similar to that, he was able to understand the Beastmen’s words.
He wasn’t able to converse with Demonic Beasts and wild animals but......
The Kobolds addressed Rem and Shera, but it seemed that the girls could only hear it all as the growls of animals.
Rem tilted her head.
「......Diablo, it sounds like you’re talking with them normally though.」
「Un! For us and the Kobolds, it’s mysterious how your words are getting through!」
Shera laughed sounding like she was having fun.
Diablo flourished his mantle, and curved his lips into a sneer.
「It is because I am a Demon King that came from a different world!」
The Kobolds had their eyes go round.
『Demon King!?』
After freezing up for a moment──
Dowa ha ha! One laughed.
『Whether he’s a person of the Races or a Demon King! This is real good! He’s an interesting guy!』
It wasn’t only the Elder Yorda, the others also held their sides with laughter.
Diablo was plainly disheartened.
Him not being trusted had happened a lot up until now, but this was his first time being laughed at this much.
It hurt.
Feneri mixed in gestures to make an appeal.
『This guy, food, want!』
『Yeah, that’s fine. We have quite a lot after all.』
When the Elder gave his directions, several of the women returned to the holes. After a while, they came carrying dried fruits, jerky, and dried sweet potato.
「Ugh......」
Within a basket, there were even dried up insects.
It was a high hurdle for someone raised in the city.
──Well, I guess there’s no need to force myself to eat the insects.
Carrying out a considerable amount of food, it looked as if it had turned into a banquet.
On top of the carpet of fallen leaves, baskets with food inside were lined up, and grape wine was poured into wooden bowls.
『Rather than rain water, this is much better, right?』
「That’s true.」
Actually, he was also bad with alcohol though......
However, unlike alcohol which was hard to go bad, water and juice couldn’t be preserved. Convenient things like preservatives didn’t exist here.
Even for Diablo who was bad with alcohol, while he reluctantly drank it, he ended up being able to drink it a little. Although it was called grape wine, the alcohol by volume was low.
「Nn? That is......」
It was an alcohol bottle with a form that he recognized. It was probably something created in the Lifelia Kingdom.
Yorda stroked the surface of the alcohol bottle.
『It was something that was at a Human race’s town.』
「So it would seem.」
Even the wooden bowl had an artistic impression applied to it. Despite digging holes in the ground and living in them, they had a cultured lifestyle.
The dried sweet potato and meat were delicious, but the dried leaves were no good. They were just leaves that were dried. It made the inside of his mouth dry.
Yorda, who sat opposite of him, threw an insect into his mouth. Maybe due to his fox head, it didn’t really feel out of place. He ate it making crunching sounds.
『──So? Where did you come from?』
I came from another world! Even if he said that, the talk wouldn’t exactly move forward, would it.
「From Faltra City.」
『I don’t know where that is.』
「Well, it is far enough that it would take more than ten days with a carriage after all.」
『You’ve come from quite far away, haven’t you!』
「This village, is everyone here all of the members of it? It looks like there are a lot of women......」
『The men are out. Since the day before yesterday. Some trouble had happened.』
「Fumu.」
『Even among the Races, the Demi-Humans are better. There are even guys that would trade things with us. The Dwarves that live in holes.』
「Rock Dwarves huh.」
In the past, he had visited that community.
Away from the towns of the Lifelia Kingdom, they were people that lived as if they were hiding. He felt like their shut-in nature was a bit similar to himself.
──Well, at that time, there was a bit of trouble with various things though.
『Then, there are also Grasswalkers. We don’t really see that many Pantherians and Elves.』
He turned his gaze towards Rem and Shera.
They couldn’t exchange words with those around them, but the girls looked like they were enjoying eating together with them without that much trouble.
To begin with, there was no need to forcibly talk with them when taking the food.
Yorda wrinkled his fox head brow.
『The Human race is no good! Whenever they find us, they shoot arrows at us as if hunting animals.』
「What did you say!?」
『Since long ago, we have lived in this land. The Human race came, and created towns. That is fine. But, they are trying to drive us out. Many of our companions were killed. We are absolutely unable to forgive them.』
「Why are the Humans hostile towards you?」
『Most likely, it is because we cannot understand the Human race’s words. Due to that, they do not recognize us as part of the Races.』
He said that as if he were spitting out.
「Such a ridiculous thing to do......」
『Do you think so?』
「Of course. As I can understand your words, I feel that way all the more. I don’t feel that there is any difference between you all and the Races.」
『Even if we have fox heads?』
「That doesn’t matter. Giving disadvantages for reasons of outward appearance and principles, that is called "discrimination". Discrimination is not something that should be allowed.」
『You, are you really a person of the Races?』
「Hmph......I’m sure I said it. I am a Demon King that came from another world!」
*Gera gera* Yorda made another hearty laugh.
──Unless I show them some magic, it might stay like this.
Since Yorda’s figure as he burst into laughter surprisingly had some charm to it, although he was disheartened, Diablo didn’t feel all that bad about it.
Part 6
In the end, since the rain didn’t end, they decided to stay in the village.
At first, they were reluctant to jump into the holes but......
After going in, it was surprisingly wide enough for them to stand and walk.
The standing trees were used as pillars, and the surface was hardened with clay.
It was nice and cool, yet had a moderate amount of moisture, and although it had a slight beastly smell, it was a pleasant environment.
Above all, since it was underground, the raindrops didn’t come falling on them.
Diablo got a more detailed location on where the town of the Races was from Feneri. It seemed that there were signs hidden on the trees of the forest. With these, if the weather cleared up, they wouldn’t get lost.
At night, covering themselves in the blankets they borrowed, the three of them slept while leaning their bodies on the mud walls.
The next morning──
Since they were inside a hole, there was no sunlight, and it was hard to tell the time and the weather though.
They awakened from the countless footsteps that were approaching.
More accurately, the one who noticed was Rem, and Diablo and Shera were poked awake by her elbow.
「Mu?」
Before they knew it, they were surrounded by some brawny Kobold men.
『They’re Demi-Humans?』
A red-furred, remarkably large man put himself on guard.
Diablo half rose to his feet.
Coming before things became troublesome, Elder Yorda and Feneri came out from deeper in the hole.
They explained that they were invited as guests yesterday.
Rem spoke with a soft voice.
「......It would seem that red one is the boss.」
Although she couldn’t understand their words, going by Yorda’s and the red furred one’s attitudes, she seemed to have sensed that.
Yorda said that he was the elder......I see, I guess there’s no guarantee that the elder is the most important person.
The red furred one stood in front of Diablo.
『So you can understand our words?』
「Umu. I will allow it, introduce yourself.」
『He really talked!?』
「Of course I did. Are you unable to understand words?」
『Hahn! This place is my settlement. You cocky bastard!』
「......」
『Whatever......I am Patriarch Borbos! To think there would be a time where I give my name to a person of the Races.』
「Umu. So, did something happen? You looked like there was something unusual......」
Borbos and Yorda looked at each other.
Since Diablo conducted himself as if he were a king even though he was in a position of being a guest surrounded by a large number of people, they were probably bewildered.
However, that couldn’t be helped.
Although he had recently gotten quite used to speaking with strangers, he still wouldn’t be able to skillfully put out words if not for his Demon King role play.
Borbos spoke.
『It’s something unrelated to you.』
「I don’t really mind if you say so......」
They had a debt of gratitude for being put up for a night and a meal. If they were troubled by something, he felt that he wanted to be of help to them.
That being said, it would be wrong of him to demonstrate his true abilities and force them to say it.
He turned his gaze towards the ones other than Borbos.
Suddenly, his eyes stopped on the thing that one of the men held.
It was a fragment.
It was something that looked like a bulky, metallic shell, had a clearly chipped cross-section, and was dirty with a sticky black substance. He noticed traces of it being burnt.
──Could that be.
「The Spriggan......」
Borbos opened his eyes wide from his mutter.
『You know about it!?』
「Ah, no......Umu, isn’t that obvious? As I am a Demon King of another world, I have tremendously extensive knowledge after all.」
Three days ago, I hit it several times with high firepower magic, and drove it to self-destruction──he couldn’t possibly say that.
Naturally, they surely didn’t think that he could do something like that either.
Borbos folded his arms and opened his mouth.
『This is, our Guardian Deity.』
「H, hou......?」
He had a hard time hiding his discomposure.
Wild animals that made a Spriggan their Guardian Deity──that was, in other words......
『It was three days ago. There were trespassers on the path along the valley. Our Guardian Deity headed over there. After a while, there was a loud sound.』
「Fumu.」
『It would seem that our Guardian Deity had fought against someone. It was there that it turned into this sort of appearance......』
「I see.」
Borbos glared at the ground looking vexed.
『I do not know the reason. Why the Guardian Deity turned into very small pieces.』
It’s because it self-destructed in a flashy way──Although he thought that, he didn’t say it out loud.
「Is there anyone that saw what happened?」
『This time, it was really sudden. It was like this by the time we arrived.』
「I see......」
A guy that had a tanuki-like face where only the area around his eyes were black asked a question.
『What do we do, Borbos!? The Guardian Deity is gone. We, can’t fight!』
『What foolish talk! Our hands, they have already reached the Human race’s large town. We will win, with just us! We will chase them out from this land! Absolutely!』
His roaring intensity, it was quite something.
But there was one thing that bothered Diablo.
「Did you say the Human’s large town?」
『Yeah......If I remember, the name that they gave it was──Caliture.』
「You’re planning on attacking Caliture City!?」
Rem’s complexion changed.
「......ッ!?」
「You can’t do that!」
Shera raised her voice, and Borbos and the others made puzzled faces.
『That woman, what did she say?』
Purposely not answering that, he asked a question so as to confirm.
「The wild animals in this land that made the Lifelia Kingdom’s fortresses fall, that is talking about you all, right?」
Borbos narrowed his eyes.
『We, are not wild animals! We’re people. If you call us a beastman race, I would allow that.』
「Just answer my question.」
『Hmph......The ones who made the Human race’s fortresses fall, were us. We borrowed the Guardian Deity’s power though.』
As he thought, these Kobolds, so they were the quest’s subjugation target.
It seems that their main force was the Spriggan. And Diablo had crushed that.
「This has turned into something troublesome......」
『You, you’re a Demi-Human. Despite that, are you going to ally with the Human race?』
He was troubled.
With Diablo’s position, that is how it would turn out. He had received the request to subjugate them from the Lifelia King after all.
He thought that it was a quest where he just had to defeat the wild animals that were attacking the town of the Races.
However, he had a debt of gratitude to the Kobolds.
On top of that, if their story was true, the ones living here first were the Kobolds.
In the story he heard from Rem, about 100 years ago, it seems that the Lifelia Kingdom expanded its territory and ran into them.
Wouldn’t that mean that the Human side was the invader?
Diablo glared at Borbos.
「We have been taken care of by you all......Especially by Feneri. I am not thinking of returning the favor with enmity.」
『I see. You can understand our words. Since you are not of the Human race, there is also no resentment. But, there are also some here that will go wild if it turns into a fight. If you value your life, get out.』
「............」
Diablo couldn’t make a response.
His thoughts couldn’t be assembled over what he should do.
Borbos spoke once again.
『Right now, there is a storm outside. Once the sky clears, you should leave.』
Truly, these guys, they weren’t villains. Which was a problem for him......
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