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Branches covering the sky. Perhaps it’s because the tree’s embrace reaches right in front of me that the demon worshippers haven’t dared to approach this far. Fortunately, there was no interruption on our return to the city.

Even while staying on high alert, the only company was not those damned demon worshippers, but cute little critters like squirrels and wild rabbits.

Neither the scouts from the other elves nor Elvis caught sight of any enemy, so we finally relaxed and could continue on our way.

And if there was a small gain to mention…

“Dad, that orange-haired lady finally created her own faction.”

Ianette had clearly divided the members into groups opposing Airine individually and the rest led by Cenya. Now that we were near the World Tree, it seemed that there were even some ear-pointers aligning with Airine’s words.

Absorbing Elvis’s words and thinking carefully about them, before I knew it, unfamiliar figures approached from the front of the group.

“You all are…”

A group of fully armed elves— scouts assigned to patrol this area, not far from the city.

In response to their appearance, Friel and Airine naturally stepped forward, with Shione positioning herself a few steps behind them.

It was quite clear these three were the most representative members of the hunting team, but the somber expressions and attire of the scouts suggested they weren’t bringing good news.

“From the looks of it, I assume they are the scout rangers,” I remarked.

The scouts attentively listened as Friel spoke before Airine could utter a word, raising their hands cautiously in salute.

“If it’s not too much trouble, could you relay the unit’s message to our resting place? As you can see, all of our members—”

Friel glanced back subtly, and the scouts’ gaze naturally followed hers.

All the elves looked quite exhausted. Among them were some with great injuries and even those who appeared so gravely wounded they could hardly move.

As Friel Arielte stated, the situation of the elves forming the unit could hardly be deemed normal.

“We’re pretty worn out, you see.”

“Of course, I’ll hurry to relay the message to bring in reinforcements. Is there anything you want to convey…?”

“Just tell the most important points.”

Friel took a breath.

As the chilly air filled her lungs, she grimaced at the sharp pain at the long cut across her chest, causing her to unintentionally sound more cynical than intended.

“We succeeded in taking down two of the three half-demons lurking in the eastern forest. We also thwarted their rituals multiple times, buying time from their sinister plans, but…”

With every accomplishment, there are inevitably accompanying losses.

“Regrettably, we didn’t achieve the goal of eliminating all three targets, and with the numerous battles fought to catch the last half-demon, all our rangers have either sustained considerable injuries or are extremely fatigued.”

We had endured plenty of battles along with the internal matters that left us with extensive wounds.

“I need you to hurry and prepare those to carry the severely injured and those to take care of them—.”

One of those who had collapsed and recently regained consciousness after several days, Friel Arielte.

It seemed that her being bedridden for a while was not an exaggeration after all.

“Just tell them what I said.”

She scoffed while touching the wounds left by the cultists.

*

The unit that had departed to track and eliminate the half-demons in the eastern forest had finally returned to the vicinity of the World Tree.

With workers, healers, and even a small army, it was only natural that the quiet city began to buzz. News of their return would spread rapidly.

Accordingly, Shione observed the gathering crowd of beastmen surrounding our procession.

“Quite a lot of people gathered,” she remarked.

“Indeed. I had no idea there would be so many elves lining the road even before we arrived,” I replied.

“They’re probably curious. They must be aware that the situation in the Great Forest isn’t good,” she said.

“That much is true,” I conceded.

“However, the problem is, well…”

Shione sighed heavily.

“This procession is different from a victory march.”

As she so aptly put it, in the parade we had created, there wasn’t a single ranger smiling, intoxicated by the sense of accomplishment of having taken down two half-demons.

Everyone was worried only about the last half-demon they failed to kill, the real demons, and the deep wounds they had amassed thus far.

The procession hardly felt like a celebratory victory march or even an appreciation ceremony for the weary unit.

Rather, the rangers likely felt a greater pressure and responsibility as they quietly gazed at us, whispering among the elves. Yet for those from our Count’s House, there was no need to bother with such concerns deeply.

Only one simple, objective truth remained: the mission had failed. We had completely failed to prevent the demonic summoning ritual they intended to carry out.

‘Looks like Friel and Airine will be quite busy from now on.’

How things had unfolded, what losses had been endured, and the necessary responses. Now, new operations had to be swiftly devised and implemented. It was plain to see that we would soon be called upon, either today or at the latest, two days from now.

Moreover, Shione and I had particularly been quite active in the unit. It was inevitable we would get summoned to various places, so it seemed best to reflect on the events of the past few days as we waited.

With such thoughts, I followed their lead and returned to the mansion of the Arielte family, arriving at my door.

“Then I hope you can get a good rest for today at least.”

The elf who had been assisting me and Shione thus far presented us with a beautifully crafted glass vial filled with a glimmering red liquid— clearly, an expensive potion.

“The Grand Elder has already conveyed that he would take care of the treatment for you and Shione. Please use this potion at least on urgent wounds….”

Hearing those words, Shione was visibly startled.

“The Grand Elder mentioned our treatment?” she asked.

“Yes, the healing for heroes should ideally be carried out under the blessing of the World Tree. He expressed his desire to have a conversation as usual while doing it,” the elf replied.

High Elf, Edelin.

To think she would personally treat Shione and me—

While Shione didn’t particularly need to worry about any serious injuries, I, being somewhat between annoying aches, would likely receive robust healing magic that could mend my jinxed state in one go.

Edelin would soon inquire about what transpired in the forest, so for now, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to drink this pricey potion while waiting.

“Ray, are you sure you don’t need to be treated properly right now?”

“Yes, I’ll be fine,” I reassured.

Her concern was kind, but even while I was asleep, Shione had driven the magic away and poured the potion into my mouth generously.

Thanks to that, my condition wasn’t as dire as it had been when that Arachne bite hit me either.

I replied to Shione’s question with a gentle smile.

“The only issue I have is that my injured leg feels a bit sluggish, but it’s nothing I can’t live with… especially with such a valuable potion, this alone should be sufficient.”

“If that’s the case, then I’m relieved…”

Shione looked at me with a worried expression.

Meanwhile, Diolia, who had been quietly keeping watch, chimed in slyly.

“Shione, you’re not worried about me, are you?”

“Oh, you too.”

Shione retaliated coldly at her playful smile.

“Aren’t you the one who wanted to wrestle with Ray and me in the middle of all this?”

“Ah… um, that’s….”

As Diolia was completely overwhelmed by Shione’s verbal skill, an elf, who had quietly been listening to our conversation, seemingly found our exchange amusing. With a neutral expression yet an upward flicker of leaves on her mouth, she said her farewells.

“I will excuse myself first.”

After the first elf left,

“Then I too should go meet the other knights,” another elf added.

“I must also… talk with my spirits for a bit, so I will head in first,” said another.

“Then let’s agree to meet again for dinner. Is that alright?”

“Of course, I’ll come back in time.”

I nodded in agreement as we all parted ways and entered our rooms.

The wide, luxurious room felt extravagant for just one person.

“Sigh….”

With a deep exhale, I threw myself onto the bed.

It wouldn’t be bad to rest for a moment like this, but given the amount of information I gathered during the eastern forest mission, it would be better to outline and organize it before resting.

Just as I lay there, gazing at the ceiling and organizing my thoughts, an unexpected change caught my eye.

“Remove Threat”

“Eliminate enemies hiding in the eastern forest. They are demons and numerous progeny… various places…*※#……@@…….”:

“Reward: @, *※# of…─, ■■”

“A strong interference is starting to distort the quest…!”

“Resisting.”

“Must resist—”

SDVIMVFoanVzY1YwSVhjamMzUkt1VzVsZXFxVFpPYVBhSlBkZG52WHNRRWFPb1Q3ZnRsV3ZwN2RjTE90ZFMzMQ

“Resist.”

『Resist』

『Resistance Failed』

『Content Modified.』

A quest that appeared due to third-party interference began to face interference again.

“Remove Threat”

“In the end, the first altar’s ritual succeeded. To prevent walking down the worst path…*@#@…@#@@…….”:

“Reward: ■■”

“What in the world…”

…the resistance and failure, indeed.

What on earth had been happening to me all this time, such interferences?

Frowning and glaring at the quest, I felt a chilling unease settle over me.

“….”

It was a sensation I was all too familiar with.

The primal instinctive repulsion I had felt every day during my delve into this dungeon. A surge of raw magical energy washing over me brought shivers down my spine as I quickly got up.

“What’s happening?”

With beastfolk everywhere and the World Tree along with high elves seated here, why was there such a strong magic presence?

I hurried to the window, flinging it open to take in the world outside.

“….”

It looked no different from the city just a moment ago.

The sky was bright, with lush azure above, and the brilliant sun shining down— anyone would describe it as a warm, life-giving day toxic to demons.

Yet, if there was a peculiarity in this bright sky…

“I’m going crazy.”

I instinctively sensed danger from the magic and saw that all the local wildlife had risen to the sky, fleeing westward.

Quite ominously so.

Most of them were crows flying frantically through the skies.

*

“Ah—”

A man’s exclamation echoed softly through the room, barely lit by the strands of light filtering in through the curtains.

In response, a knight who had been quietly meditating in a corner slowly opened his eyes and stared at him.

Meanwhile, the man, Allen Kalia, continued staring blankly at space, only sighing.

“Ah….”

Having donned a look of ecstasy, Allen Kalia gradually rose from his armchair.

“Chloe, that person has finally conveyed a message!”

Chloe Anette, the captain of Marquis Kalia’s elite knights, stepped cautiously towards him as her name was called.

“When that person gives a message, it means…”

“It means the grand operation is finally starting in earnest, so we mustn’t be lazy and should dedicate ourselves to the grand undertaking. That’s what they said.”

“They’ve finally responded to Allen’s efforts. Congratulations!”

“Great, great….”

Allen’s mouth spread into a wide grin that showed no sign of faltering.

Soon after, he stood up from the armchair and pulled the curtains wide open.

As if that wasn’t enough, with a beaming smile, he briefly gazed at the blue sky before turning swiftly to face Chloe.

“Chloe, everything’s ready, isn’t it?”

“Of course. Just one thing.”

“One thing?”

“Recently, Abel has been busy meddling with us. If we don’t move quietly, we might really be caught.”

“Hmm, Abel. What to do—”

Allen began pondering deeply.

But after a moment, he shook his head vigorously and lapsed into a nonchalant tone.

“Thinking too much is annoying—”

Now, with a voice low and distinctly infused with madness, he declared:

“Perhaps it’s better to send an assassin instead.”

He was nothing more than a beast who had forsaken humanity.

 

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