This place was……a hilly area somewhat far from the『Flower City』.
It was dark and air was also bad, however based on appearance alone it wasn’t easy to discover it……and this was a cave with likeable environment to『them』from Hunting Tribe.
「What about those two idiots? Did they die after all? 」
「Tch, this why hired hoodlums are shit……wouldn’t it have been better if we ourselves went? 」
「Yeah, for hunters like us everything is easy as long as we know the know-how. We『North』are……different from『South』which lives a comfortable and relaxed life」
They were employers of the two hoodlums Minato beat, but were killed cruelly by some unknown assailant……these people were who learned the wiles of kidnapping from the two people.
However, they neither were thinking of selling them, nor making them into their playthings.
They had been living a stoic lifestyle, like hunting and swidden agriculture (it had different names though), since a long time before, and they were living in that difficult environment while being blessed with prey.
However, the answer Mother Nature gave out to them, who had lived a stoic lifestyle for several hundred of years, was something terrific.
The forest kept on disappearing, land kept on becoming infertile and demons kept on leaving.
Even among that the most severed was the annihilation of forest which blessed them with fruits, mushrooms, and meat of prey etc. That had been rapidly increasing in the past ten-odd years.
It was……the existence of『Dryad』.
Dryad and Alraune with power of sprites had the ability to purify the magical energy in the atmosphere of forest to benefit the forest. That ability worked even without their awareness, with them being there it would automatically function.
In the forest that once spread all the way to the『Green Canyon』had Dryads living in it, but because they weren’t as much in numbers as in South, that the habitants didn’t knew about them.
Because it was the same as a『forest』, and naturally the southern side was affluent that they were able to migrate without any problems of dying from the lack of life force.
And finally: ten-odd years ago.
The wild animal species demons were only increasing that couldn’t be eaten even if boiled or grilled.
It was obvious that the damage dealt had reached a point of no return, and the forest would completely die if they kept on living the same way.
Thinking that, a group of people from the nearly dead North colluded and commenced the solution strategy.
They were trying to『regenerate the forest』with the power of Dryad they kidnapped from South and thrown in the northern forest.
It was a plan relying on the legend that seemed like a fairy-tale, but concerning the results this method was correct.
「It was having a humans figure? It should be a demon, no problem, hehe, right? 」
「However, there is a problem. I don’t know if it has anything to do with the disappearance of the two hoodlums, but……there is an A-ranker adventurer in『South』as a hired escort. And there is a high possibility of that guy being in contact with the Dryads of South」
「Yeah, I have conjectured his information before, but……the possibility is really high. In the bad case, he had sniffed out about us and would hinder in the abduction of Dryads」
「Don’t worry, he isn’t a guy who doesn’t know his situation……and there’s no profit for him to lie currently」
「Don’t worry about that……I have thought out a plan for that」
「Mwhahaha, An eye for an eye and……An A-ranker for an A-ranker!」
Few Days from the day of assault.
The negotiations of traders from sis’ place had been advancing favourably.
We didn’t let down our guard……but because we didn’t know against what to be vigilant for that we were just having a contact with Neil-chan at periodic intervals while using Elk as intermediary. Elk had now truly completely mastered the『Telepathy』, and could, at will, send transmissions and receive them.
Basically he was a person who put the saying ‘a wise man keeps away from danger’ into actual practice, but even that him wasn’t as cruel to keep quiet and see little girls being abducted.
Well it was only natural, neither us nor her are police.
No, it wasn’t like I doubted her, but I didn’t trust her enough to speak about everything completely. In the exchange of information, the discreet caution was needed. Conversely, she also wouldn’t have trusted us completely as comrades.
Incidentally if that Zari hadn’t wiretapped, or noticed about the existence of Neil-chan and other Dryads (Neil-chan was an Alraune though), then this would’ve been a secret from him too.
……Ah also, later on, we had a strange story by the Eldest old woman.
The people who could talk with spirit species, even among the demi-humans, were like Elf, or other species that had power near to that of spirits.
Zari had a Magic Item, but Elk didn’t have any item like that to use……I can’t think but feel that it was because of her inherent talent……
According to the information from traders, in a couple of days, Trader Groups from other Trading Associations of other cities and villages would arrive here. And, we, having come here first, would be able to return first and deliver the fresh flowers.
While being impressed by the information gathering ability of sis’ association, it felt like this quest would end without any problems other than our over-anxiety……
「It’s the demoooooooons!, the demons are comiiiiiinnnnnggg!!!!」
「Yeah, I had a bad feeling, but if possible, it should’ve been just one thing out of these two!!」
For the time being, I couldn’t leave the situation as it was……so I sent Elk to Dryads, and I went to take on the demons. Although, after quickly getting rid of demons, I intend to quickly meet up with Elk and others.
It, recently, had been able to put up a barrier, so it could fight on both sides of offence and defence.
Hence, thinking about the safety of Elk and the Dryads, I let it go with her.
Well, the point of worry……was that Alva made a mistake and it led to deforestation, just that much.
The majority were E or F Ranked small fries, but among them there were some D and C Ranked demons here and there. If I let others handle it, it would be difficult.
「H-hey brat! Don’t be reckless to take on that many demons alone! 」
After finishing, I felt other people looking at me as if, I were some adult who rammed in a teenager fighting completion and won decisively and was happy too. Just why look at me like that?
After going out a little bit seriously I finished half of the demons and said to others in a roundabout way: 『I finished about half of them, so leaving the rest to you♪』
It wasn’t funny for the seniors that a child like me defeated so many while they didn’t a thing, so after my proposal they all pleasantly agreed to it and started killing the remnants of demons.
I was thinking that……but I didn’t notice a certain thing.
And that person appeared when……I almost entered the forest, where Elk and others might be fighting.
Not in her usual battle dress……but while wearing steel armour covering her upper body, she took out the sword hanging on her waist, just by looking it could be understand that she was in her full armed state. And like that……Sherry-san stood in front of me, who was trying to enter the forest.
That day,
If they let go today, then from tomorrow and after that, new Trader Groups –the people who got information later and would simultaneously enter the Flower City for 『restocking』-, would come, along with strong adventurers.
And to them……other than meddling adventurers, one more obstacle existed.
They were in a coexisting relationship with the Dryad……no, the forest itself, and hence wouldn’t attack the Dryads. Moreover there even some among them who would attack those that tried to harm the Dryads.
There the method they chose was……using a drug made from a certain flower found in northern forest, and temporarily making the demons submissive. In that time they would abduct the Dryads and finish everything before the adventurers in the city knew about it.
It was a type of incense type odourless colourless drug used by burning. In turn for calming down the demons temporarily……it would later make then in an extremely agitated state, so they start indiscriminately killing everything in the surroundings.
The blood on the fangs of demons the other day was not of city guards……but it was of people from『North』, who thought the drug was working perfectly and let down their guard.
……And there was one more problem.
……They took on the method to make two『A-rankers』fight each others, and not hinder their work.
「……I’m the, mastermind?」
「No, even if you say something crazy to me all of a sudden……I don’t have a memory like that at all」
However, he was put in the testimony of falsehood and doubt, and Sherry, standing in front of him, wouldn’t allow that.
「Isn’t it some misjudgement by the town head? I was truly……no, well I surely didn’t participate in defending the city, but I indeed have not met with suspicious men like that」
Then……for a short amount of time, Sherry shut her mouth up.
As though……she were waiting to see his reactions for seeing through Minato’s lie.
…….And,
It went without saying that those were the people from『North』.
「Yeah, from the looks of it……it is going fine for now. The woman seems to completely doubt the guy……it doesn’t feel like it will end so easily」
While talking like that, the several men from『North』kept on watching a pair of black and red, boy and girl standing in front of each other.
「You’re right……there is not even a single one like that in our village. Even I can now understand the reason for starting the work of kidnapping」
「I know. Isn’t that the reason we are making two A-rankers fight each other? 」
「……Is it my imagination?」
After ten-odd seconds of silence, both of them opened their mouths.
「……*chuckle*, you’re sharp」
The Sherry-san that seemed like a normal girl before……now seemed to have a brutal colour on her, maybe because she was emitting her belligerent presence without any stopping, and in her eyes was a fiendish light.
「It isn’t like……you’re not suspicious, right? In that case I will『stop you』before you go inside the forest and call other demons……it is completely normal thing to do as an adventurer for controlling the causalities, there’s nothing strange in that」
「You want me to believe it? Just impossible, there’s no proof or anything」
After all, no matter how one looked at it……Sherry seemed to have been『enduring』till now.
「……That is unreasonable. I have some work to do in this forest, though I can’t explain in details」
Then,
Sherry took stance with the sword『in her hand』and an obvious fighting spirit……as though she had been waiting to say those words since the start.
「……It’s fine now? I don’t care anymore, even if you speak out your mind」
One beat later,
Minato heaved a sigh seeing Sherry speak out her『mind』without any hesitation.
「……This is why I hate……battle maniacs……!」
He let out his unpleasant feelings and glared at Sherry, if people who knew him saw this scene, they surely would be surprised.
Then,
「Yeah……it isn’t seen easily, the battle to death of two monsters!」
While taking on the stares of people from『North』, who were given the job of observers……the two A-rankers kicked off the ground at the same time and with a *claannnnggg* ear-splitting metallic sound, they clashed.