Prev Next
Published at 16th of March 2020 05:23:07 AM
Chapter 34
Translator: RoblagEditor: H . K . GlenstidHello, everyone .
First of all, an apology for the delay and also for the fact that the chapter is not completely edited . My intention is not to rush or to point out our dear editor, who by the way has done a wonderful job during all the time he has been helping us, but to give you something to read in these complicated days . I hope you are all in good health, and I urge you to stay safe . I will try to upload chapters, even if they are not edited, more often . And if our editor can still help us, then I will update the chapters later on .
I appreciate all your support and attention . I hope you enjoy this chapter .
Cheers, everyone,
Roblag .

The night passed peacefully, but Marguerite and Graham still have yet to return . Belgriff paces back and forth, a pit of worry starts to build in his gut . Was the forest distortion to far gone? Or perhaps… the Demon King was more powerful than they had anticipated?

“But it’s Lord Graham we’re talking about… Marguerite is just as impressive . ”

Duncan turns to look at his friend . “The Demon King ain’t going to be easy Bel . I’m thinking we should go help them . ”

Belgriff pauses . Even if the two of them were to join the fight against the Demon King, the old adventurer doubts that they would be of any help . But if Graham or Marguerite are injured…

“Alright . But facing the Demon King head-on is suicide . We’ll just go and analyze the situation, and try to back up the two of them if we can . ”

Deep down, Belgriff prayed that the two warriors were lost in the forest labyrinth . That would mean that no one was in imminent danger .

“Well said, Bel! Hahahaha! My body is shaking in anticipation!”

The sky’s overcast looms menacingly above them as they reached the forest edge .

As they enter the forest, the surroundings immediately differed to the norm . Everything around them has turned an ashen white, the trees and the forest floor was smoothed over . The darkness festering further into the forest was unpleasant and frightening .

Although Belgriff has ventured into this forest countless times over the past 20 years, the scenery was different . Belgriff pulls a compass out of his pocket, but the needle spins wildly . The wind, which should be blowing into the hills at this time of year, is blowing randomly, making it nigh impossible to know which direction they’re facing .

The two adventurers soon arrive at a familiar location . They recognized it immediately as the fresh corpse of a magical beast they had slain was still there .

“This forest has truly become a maze,” Belgriff says, rubbing the back of his neck nervously .

“Do you have any idea where we should go to, Bel?” Duncan asks as he passes his battleaxe from one hand to the other .

Belgriff kicks the ground with his prosthetic leg and then looks up . The sky is a stale grey, it is difficult to distinguish where the scarce sunlight was coming from .  

“This is more complicated than I imagined . This is no longer the forest I knew…”

“Hmmm… What to do now?”

Duncan plunks his axe into the ground and leans on it . Belgriff looks around before he wanders off with a determined expression . Duncan grabs his axe in a hurry and starts following after him .

“You managed to find the way?”

“No . Just a hunch . “

“A hunch?”

Seeing the uncomfortable expression on Duncan’s face, Belgriff can’t help but laugh .

“You shouldn’t take hunches lightly . When your plans or ideas don’t help you, there’s nothing left but to trust your instincts . ”

“If you say so, Bel…”

Duncan is still not fully convinced, but if there was one thing he has learnt from coming to Tornela, it was that Belgriff was as trustworthy and worth his wisdom . He has a vast more experience with this place and as an adventurer .

After walking for a while, they arrive at a place where the roots of the trees twist strangely above the ground . The branches of the huge trees intertwine well above the heads of the adventurers as if they were emulating a roof of some kind . Across the muddy ground, a thick, wet layer of mold covers everything .

“Everything is different…”

Belgriff carefully observes the surrounding terrain, the wind direction, the tracks of the magic beasts, and possible locations from which attacks could come . Belgriff is trying to find some clue, however slight, even though he is now relying solely on his instincts and intuition .

At that moment, a strong gust blows through the treetops . The branches sway and produce a slight sound .

“Could it really be that simple?” Belgriff asks aloud . He starts walking briskly in a direction .

“W-What do you mean Bel? I don’t understand what’s going on,” Duncan runs after Belgriff . “At least tell me what’s going on . ”

“At this time of year, the winds are blowing from the south . The deepest part of the forest resides too the north . If we follow the direction of the wind, we will go deeper into this labyrinth . “

“B-But the wind is blowing everywhere!”

“Where we are? Yes . But look at the treetops… the wind is blowing in one direction . ”

Duncan looks up . Though it’s a barely perceptible opening, one can see the tree branches swaying in the same direction .

“Unbelievable… Your observation skills are on point . ”

“I could only tell by the force of the wind . Maybe it was the spirit of the forest that moved the leaves to help us…” Belgriff jokingly says with a smile on his lips .

The situation is now simpler as they have a fixed course . From time to time, Belgriff stops and looks at the treetops just to confirm the wind direction .

However, whether going further into the forest was a good idea or not, Belgriff doesn’t know . Dangerous magical beasts lurk within the depths .

“The beasts are becoming stronger,” Duncan mutters casually as he destroys a giant spider with his axe .

“True . But these magic beasts are at most B Rank… I don’t think those two would have a problem with enemies like these…”

Belgriff squints and looks around him . The forest was getting noticeably denser, and now even the branches of the bushes intertwine with those of the trees, forming something very similar to a maze wall . This area was starting to look more and more like a dungeon .

Belgriff looks up again to catch their bearing . But now the branches are so tangled and so close together that it is simply impossible to see the sky .

“Well… I think we should be ready for the worst from now on Duncan . ”

“Hahaha! I’ve been ready since the beginning! Let’s do this!”

Belgriff smiles and then looks back the way they came . All along the way, Belgriff has marked some trees so that he can retrace his steps, although he is not sure if this will be of much help to them .

However, it’s far too late to start doubting now .

Belgriff takes a deep breath and looks ahead . “Yeah . Let’s go . ”

The trees rustle, swaying like they had a life of their own . The branches intertwine and merge, forming a dome ceiling above the forest clearing .

“This has to be a joke… “

Marguerite grinds her teeth . Several magical beasts were lying dead around her feet . Their brethren growled from the opposite side of the clearing,  their hungry eyes honed on Marguerite .

But there’s also a child there . A child that is sitting casually on one of the branches, swinging his legs back and forth without a care in the world . Their long hair sways to the breeze, exquisite black eyes stare sadly at Marguerite .

“I can’t underestimate you can I?” the elf mutters .

Marguerite raises her thin sword, her grip tightening around its handle . The moment she moves, the magic beasts pounce on her .

Marguerite scowls and attacks the magic beasts, blurring from her spot . Like a deadly dance, she swiftly weaves in and out of range of the beasts attacks . Her attacks are gentle but extremely precise and deadly .  

The magical beasts, while not highly threatening, have a major numbers advantage over the elf . The girl is talented, boasting power and speed unrivalled by her peers .  

But she is only a swordsman . Duels are her forte, between one powerful enemy and herself . Her ability to take down a horde of enemies were limited to just slaying them one by one . Limited by her own stamina .  


Sponsored Content

Marguerite soldiers on, like a whirlwind, constantly becoming faster and faster and never losing momentum . The blood splatters onto her sword and clothes

However, there doesn’t seem to be an end to her enemies .  

The child, still sitting on the branch and with a sad expression, raises his finger and points at Marguerite .

The elf girl opens her eyes in surprise and instinctively jumps away . From the ground, a black shadow begins to materialize . At first, it looks like a human, but its shape begins to change as it shakes .

Suddenly, a hideous eye appears in the front of the shadow . When Marguerite thinks that the eye is gross enough, several more eyes appear in the body of the shadow with nauseating sounds and immediately fix their gaze on the elf girl . The shadow seems to be happy to see her

A fierce smile appears on Marguerite’s face and she holds her sword even more tightly .

“Very well… You will be my opponent!”

The shadow creature pounces on Marguerite . The elf girl roars mightily and swings her sword to attack her opponent .  

From behind, Graham watches the fight with his arms crossed . Outside the clearing, branches block almost all roads, as if they were nets or grids .

Graham’s huge sword is still on his back and he doesn’t seem to have any intention of helping Marguerite . The old hero looks at Marguerite with a look that expresses resignation and a certain disappointment and then, he lets out a sigh .

“…I don’t know anymore . ”

Graham managed to catch up with Marguerite shortly after she entered the woods . Marguerite can normally move quite easily through any forest, but thanks to the strange energy and the changes of the place, Graham was able to catch up with the elf girl .

Along the way, Graham tried to persuade her to return home, but when he saw that the princess was not paying the slightest attention to him, he gave up . The old hero thinks it’s best to let her do what she wants for now . Allow her to experience things on her own and perhaps Marguerite will learn something useful from this battle .

But so far, everything’s the same . Marguerite still swings her sword recklessly .

“She’s certainly strong . But I don’t think it’s enough…”

Graham looks at the boy sitting on the branch . The boy’s look seems nostalgic, sad even .

There’s something quite strange about all this . The magic power that comes from the child is almost identical to that of a Demon King . But it also seems that its magical power has not yet “matured” .

Despite that, the trees surrounding the clearing and forming the dome are full of magic . All the magical beasts found there have been attracted by this great concentration of magical power .

Graham keeps his eyes on that scene .

Graham imagined at first that child is the origin of that strange magical power . However, the magic power seems to come from the strange clearing .

As far as the old hero can understand, the magic power is under the control of that child, but the magic power will not go away, even if they exterminate the child . Moreover, if the child dies, the magic power may run amok .

But even Graham, a legendary hero, isn’t completely sure about this .

The child can control magical power similar to that of a Demon King and change his surroundings without being corrupted by it .

“…It’s like the child is building a home . ” Graham mumbles .

It seems Marguerite doesn’t realize that yet . She still thinks that the child is a Demon King and that everything will be solved if she subjugates him .

But even Graham was pretty reckless when he was younger . At that time, he thought that all the obstacles he faced could be solved if he removed them with his sword . The advice and words of the old and experienced adventurers were no more than useless naggings for young Graham .

When he remembers that, Graham feels a little embarrassed . It is almost impossible to stop the advancement of reckless young people .

At that moment, Graham feels a presence behind him and immediately turns around .

“… How?” Graham asks incredulously .

Belgriff and Duncan are standing there . They look at Graham and the clearing behind him with a surprised expression .

“What are you two doing here?”

“You didn’t come back after dark . And we were a little worried…”


Sponsored Content

Graham squints at Duncan’s words .

“…I see . So it’s been that long . ”

“Didn’t you guys notice? It should be easy to notice, you know, with the sunset and the sunrise and that…”

“Time seems to pass differently in this place . It’s still dark . “

Duncan opens his eyes with surprise at Graham’s explanation, but Belgriff, who seems to have noticed it before, nods solemnly .

“But, Lord Graham . What is this place… “

“It’s the center of the forest maze . It’s small, but the vortex of magic power is there . ”

“Marguerite!” shouts Duncan at the sight of the elf girl inside the clearing and then he turns to see Graham . “We gotta help her!”

But Graham shakes his head silently .

“This is a good time for her to learn If she doesn’t want to understand with words, she’ll have to do it through experience . ”

“B-But her opponent is a Demon King, right?! If anything should happen to her…”

“Don’t worry, Duncan . As far as I can see, that being does not have the power to kill Marguerite . ”

“O-Okay . ”

Duncan grips the branches in front of him tightly and watches the battle carefully .

Belgriff also watches the fight with a complicated expression . “… Is that child a Demon King?”

“I don’t know . But its magic power is very similar . ”

“Hmmm . ” Belgriff is confused, as his intuition tells him that this child is not evil .

Unlike the magic beasts around, the child does not exude any bloodlust or hostility . The old adventurer feels that, if he had to fight that child, he would not be able to hurt him .

However, Marguerite seems to be unaware of this . In spite of everything, Marguerite continues to fight as if that child were an enemy that she must destroy at all costs . Graham seems a little disappointed by that, but he doesn’t want to interfere either .

Belgriff understands Graham’s feelings perfectly, as he too has raised a girl who will declare war on any magic beast she encounters . The old adventurer also understands that sometimes experience is needed to promote growth .

However, there is also something puzzling about that fight, which makes Belgriff a little uneasy .

While the three of them watch from a distance, Marguerite finishes off the shadow creature and pounces on the child .

The child gently shakes his finger and a new shadow begins to form quickly . Then, the new creature stands in front of Marguerite .

“You’re on the way!”

Marguerite swings her sword sharply, the shadow is cut in half and disappears into the ground . Marguerite jumps again and addresses the child .

“Go to hell!”

Marguerite twists her body a little and brings her sword closer to her, then the elf girl pushes her sword forward taking advantage of the momentum .

The boy watches Marguerite without moving from his place and murmurs, “Lone…ly…”

When the sword is about to touch the child, Marguerite stops short . The elf girl turns back and realizes that one of the shadows now has tentacles and they are clinging tightly around her legs . Without giving her time to respond, the creature lifts Marguerite and slams her on the ground .

“Kah!” Marguerite’s face writhes in pain and air is forced out of her lungs .

It had been so long since Marguerite had felt such pain that her mind went blank for a few moments . But she can’t afford to let her guard down . If she loses here, that means her uncle was right . And that just can’t happen .


Sponsored Content

“Fuu… Don’t mess with me!”

Marguerite opens her eyes suddenly and kills the approaching shadow creature . She shakes the tentacle grip and nimbly manages to jump back up .

Seeing what Marguerite does, the child’s gaze becomes even sadder .

“Scary…”

The child shakes his finger again and, from behind him, the shadows suddenly stretch out and shoot straight into Marguerite’s stomach .

Marguerite, whose reaction is delayed by the pain she feels and the sudden rush of blood to her head, is hit directly and thrown back .

The elf girl stands wobbly and assumes a defensive position . Little by little the taste of blood takes hold of her mouth . The magic beasts that lurk nearby do not waste this opportunity and pounced on her .

Marguerite tries to fight, but her body doesn’t move as it should .

“Gu… Damn…!”

Marguerite raises her sword shakily and at that moment, a hand gently grabs her shoulder . The elf girl is quite surprised and quickly looks up . Belgriff is standing next to her and he has a stern expression .

“Old man? What are you…?”

“Let’s save the talk for later . Lord Graham . ” Belgriff gently pushes Marguerite back . Graham puts one arm around her and takes her to a safe place .  

Belgriff quickly pulls out his sword and finishes off the nearest magic beast . Duncan also wields his axe and attacks the magic beasts that keep approaching .

Seeing the old warriors go into battle, Marguerite tries to join them . “No, not yet! I can keep fighting!”

“Marguerite . ”

The elf girl shudders at the severity of that voice .

“Granduncle . ”

“You have to learn when to yield . ”

“…Damn . “Marguerite says in a whisper .

After defeating the magic beasts, Belgriff walks to the tree and looks up to see the child directly . The boy has the same sad look he gave Marguerite earlier .

Belgriff relaxes his muscles and sheaths his sword . For the first time, the child opens his eyes wide . Then, the old adventurer turns around and walks over to Graham .

“Let’s go back . Trying to do anything else will be futile . ”

“Did you find out anything?”

“That’s just a kid . He’s scared and that’s why he fought back . That’s what I think . ”

“Hmmm… Is that so?”

At that moment, Graham holds Marguerite tightly .

“Let’s go . ”

“Duncan! Time to go!”

“As you command! I’ll take care of the rear!”

With Duncan in the rear, the four of them get out of the clearing and walk away . The child looks at this with a surprised expression .

The magic beasts that were around the clearing begin to disperse and the wind again blows through the trees .

The child looks around and then whispers . “…Lonely . ”

Report error

If you found broken links, wrong episode or any other problems in a anime/cartoon, please tell us. We will try to solve them the first time.

Email:

SubmitCancel

Share