“Haa…haa…!”
I moved my legs frantically, desperate to escape from the pack of Wind Wolves, these fearsome creatures that chased me from behind. I knew that if I stopped even for a moment, I would become their prey.
“Ugh! I messed up…!”
My name is Margaret. I was an ordinary village girl living in a nearby village. The reason I found myself in this forest infested with monsters was to search for ingredients for a medicine to cure my mother’s illness.
Normally, my mother never caught even a simple cold, but she had contracted a rare illness that couldn’t be cured without a special remedy. Unfortunately, the village doctor didn’t have any stock of this miracle cure, and it was said to be available for order on the next trading day, with the actual purchase on the following one.
Luckily, the illness didn’t seem fatal, but watching my mother struggle with coughing was truly heartbreaking, and I couldn’t bear to see her in such pain. That’s why I ventured into the depths of the forest, a place I had been strictly forbidden to enter, in search of medicinal herbs.
I managed to reach the location where the herbs grew, which was a relief. However, while engrossed in gathering them, I was discovered by a pack of fearsome Wind Wolves.
“Howl, howl!”
“Wough!”
“Kyaaaaa!”
The echoing howls of the Wind Wolves made me involuntarily let out a scream. It was utterly terrifying. They were surely toying with me, deriving pleasure from my fear. If not for that, there was no way an ordinary village girl like me could have survived this long in this place.
And when they grow tired of it, they would surely kill and devour me without hesitation. Thinking about it was both frightening and intensely frustrating; a feeling of helplessness was creeping over me.
The village knew that there were those among the monsters who could be reasoned with. However, we were equally aware of their strength and sheer dreadfulness.
So why did I take such a reckless action? Was it a mistake to believe that I could somehow speed up the treatment of my mother’s illness? Was this punishment for underestimating the forest and its creatures?
“Hyuuh… Hyuuh…”
I could barely catch my breath. My legs felt like they had turned into jelly. My mind wasn’t functioning properly.
“Ah?!”
It seemed that the end had finally arrived. I stumbled over a tree root and fell. Even moving my legs had been an ordeal, and due to the pain and exhaustion coursing through my entire body, I couldn’t even stand.
“Ah… ah…!”
The Wind Wolves were slowly closing in. The pack consisted of seven creatures, and as the gaze of one particularly large wolf met mine, I felt as if I were paralyzed, unable to move. It seemed that their time for play had come to an end as well.
Scary. Scary, Scary, Scary! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!
“Someone… help…”
“Grrrraaaahhh!!!”
“””?!”””
In the moment I desperately wished for a miracle in a hoarse voice, an incredibly fearsome roar echoed, almost blurring the presence of the Wind Wolves. Did help arrive?
No, that couldn’t be possible. Among the creatures dwelling in this forest, the only ones known to produce such a terrifying sound were the Cyclopes. They didn’t form packs, were ferocious, and were a type of monster that would kill and consume any living being that crossed their path. In a sense, they were even more terrifying opponents than the Wind Wolves.
The Wind Wolves were hesitating, trying to figure out their next move. Should they give up on me, their hard-earned prey, cornered all the way here, and escape? Or should they turn the tables on the Cyclopes, using their numbers and coordinated strength to feast on even more flesh? That was probably their dilemma.
“Shhh!”
“Charge!”
“”Gyah?””
However, they weren’t granted the luxury of contemplating such matters. From the sky, a swift and almost invisible black figure descended, severing the head of one of the Wind Wolves. Simultaneously, a red figure darted in from where the roar had come, sending another wolf flying.
“Get down; it’s dangerous!”
“Huh? A slime?”
Before I realized it, a beautifully translucent slime that had somehow appeared behind me gently cradled my body. It kept its distance from the Wind Wolves. Realizing this, they hastily started heading in our direction.
“I won’t let you!”
“”Growl!””
However, accompanied by a girl’s voice, a large boulder dropped down between us and the Wind Wolves. I could only widen my eyes while the Wind Wolves were confronting this new foe that had appeared.
“Are you alright?!”
Initially, I thought someone might be on the boulder, but that wasn’t the case. Unbelievably, the one speaking was the boulder itself. Moreover, tentacle-like limbs were extending from the crevices and cracks in the rock. What on earth was happening?
“Kyu Kyu!”
“Garrah!!”
At the edge of my field of vision, a juvenile dragon was locked in a struggle with one of the Wind Wolves. I wasn’t fully informed, but I believed that child was probably a true offspring of a dragon. Why would a dragon that would become a significant figure centuries later be present in a place like this?
“Genjuro should take care of the Green Wind Wolf! Jigoro and I will deal with the minions! Iris and Ruby, continue guarding the girl! Karl, don’t push yourself too hard!”
And finally, emitting black magic, the last to arrive was a mystical creature adorned with a robe as black as the night itself and a captivating staff. This being wore a silver mask that seemed to slice through the darkness.
Even though his face was covered by a mask resembling a silver skull, I somehow knew he was a monster. It was because he had four arms made of bones.
With the staff, an intriguing floating book, and a weathered yet unsettling scythe that induced a sense of unease just by looking at it, not to mention the skull mask, I found myself indulging in fanciful thoughts that this might be the demon king from those legendary stories.
“Shaah! You’re weak, you little mutt!”
“Hohohoho! Quite the performer, I must say!”
“Don’t waste your breath! Remote activation of magic circle, Earth Hole, Activate Star Magic Circle, Thunder Arrow!”
Yes, I had grown calm enough to entertain such whimsical ideas. The red-skinned, golden-haired demon was relentlessly pummeling the Wind Wolf, looking rather dissatisfied, while the insect-like swordsman appeared to be having fun facing off against the boss of the Wind Wolves.
The skeletal-masked mage appeared to be engaged in battle seriously, but I didn’t think he was struggling. It seemed more like he simply wasn’t letting his guard down.
“How about this?”
“Iris, nice assist!”
The boulder in front of me and the slime that had been behind me until just a moment ago were both fighting to shield me. This might sound disadvantageous, but it wasn’t.
The rock, impervious to fangs and claws, instead used its tentacles to catch the Wind Wolf and constrict it the moment it approached. And once the movement ceased, the slippery slime swiftly attacked the wolf’s vital points.
I wasn’t able to witness these details. I just gathered a sense of it from the exchange between the two. Nevertheless, how could they, as monsters, speak human language? Could they possibly be acquainted with humans?
“I’ve had my fill!”
“Gahh…!”
The slightly peculiar large sword wielded by the swordsman dealt the finishing blow to the Wind Wolves’ boss. The fearsome pack that had been attacking me seemed to have been defeated quite easily.
I’m alive. But whether I’m truly safe remains uncertain. The figure that seemed to be the leader, wearing the skeletal mask, was approaching me. I tensed up instinctively.
“I apologize, miss. I didn’t intend to frighten you.”
The skeletal-masked individual genuinely spoke with an apologetic tone. Despite the frightening appearance of the three-eyed mask, his mannerisms might surprisingly be quite gentlemanly.
“I assume you’ve guessed, but we are monsters. However, we don’t intend to harm you. And if you’re willing to grant us a single favor, we’ll escort you back home.”
The proposition from the skeletal-masked figure sounded appealing to me. I had managed to escape the Wind Wolves’ clutches, but there was still a considerable distance to traverse through the forest. Exhausted as I was, I’d likely perish before reaching home on my own.
But what exactly did he want in return? Depending on the request, it might not be wise to get closer to the village. I couldn’t endanger my mother and the villagers due to my foolish actions.
“What kind of favor?”
“We are playe… travelers from your perspective. We’re searching for a safe place to return to.”
Travelers. I was taken aback upon hearing that term. They were supposed to be the individuals summoned by the goddess, appearing in the world some three or four months ago.
I had heard that they had physical bodies in various other worlds as well, traveling back and forth between them. While this was my first encounter with the Travelers, I wondered if it was uncommon for them to possess the bodies of monsters.
“So, we would like you to tell us about someone who might provide us with a base.”
“Just that…?”
It seemed far too little as a reward for saving lives and ensuring safety throughout the journey. Consequently, I couldn’t help but regard them with skepticism.
“Hahaha. It might not be easily achievable for you, a resident of this world, but for us, a secure base is something even more valuable than anything else.”
Is that… really true? Since the travelers had appeared on the continent below, I hadn’t heard of them setting foot in this land. Therefore, I had no knowledge of the intricacies surrounding them.
Ah, I’m getting lost in various thoughts. I’ll believe in my instincts here and in the fact that they helped me.
“Understood… I’ll guide you to the village. So, if you could…”
“Yes, leave the safety of the journey to us.”
And so, this was how I was rescued by this peculiar group of monsters.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
――――――――――
Race level increased. Gained 1 SP.
Job level increased. Gained 1 SP.
The race level of your familiar has increased.
The job level of your familiar has increased.
The level of the [Staff Mastery] skill has increased.
The level of the [Scythe Mastery] skill has increased.
The level of the [Intelligence Enhancement] skill has increased.
The level of the [Spirit Enhancement] skill has increased.
The level of the [Health Recovery Rate Increase] skill has increased.
The level of the [Mana Recovery Rate Increase] skill has increased.
The level of the [Advanced Magic Control] skill has increased.
The level of the [Holy Magic] skill has increased.
The level of the [Space-Time Magic] skill has increased.
――――――――――
The source of the scream turned out to be a human girl named Margaret who resided in a nearby village. It was surprising to find a human on Vetus floating island, but I presumed that she might be a descendant of the ancient people who had likely installed teleportation devices here.
Nevertheless, the question lingered: Why would she be in such a dangerous location? The answer was that she had come to collect medicinal herbs, which were the key to curing her ill mother. Quite a filial duty, I must say. Well, considering she nearly met her demise in the process, one could argue she had displayed a lack of filial piety.
She seemed to regard us with a fair amount of caution, but necessity being the mother of invention, she accepted the conditions I proposed. Establishing a base was genuinely crucial, after all.
Indeed, with a tent, one could safely log out from within. However, if death were to occur afterward, we would be respawned all the way back at the Lizardman village. An inconvenience beyond measure.
Hence, while I truly wished to use her village as our base, I opted to restrain my demands, deeming it a bit presumptuous to ask for such favors outright. It was entirely my fault that this approach backfired, though.
“Fufufu! It tickles!”
“Kyu, Kyuu!”
Currently, Miss Margaret was engaged in playing with Karl. It seemed that dragons held a place of reverence on this continent akin to goddesses, so initially, she hesitated even to touch Karl, considering it too disrespectful.
However, the sheer innocence with which Karl playfully interacted eventually won her over, and now she was completely smitten. Well, there’s no helping that—he’s undeniably adorable!
Now, I was in the midst of accompanying Miss Margaret as her protector, and naturally, monsters made their assaults. Yet the ones appearing were solely Cyclopes and Wind Wolves. I was growing accustomed to dealing with them, given how frequently they appeared.
Still, Iris managed to astonish me. She grasped tree trunks and other objects with her tendrils, propelling us forward at high speeds. According to her, the objects she was grasping needed to be sturdy enough to support her weight, making this tactic’s application challenging. Regardless, it seemed to be a handy surprise tactic against foes. I decided we should incorporate it into our tactics going forward.
Miss Margaret found relief in witnessing our consistent victories against the monsters. Although, when Jigoro asked, “Aren’t there stronger ones?” her face stiffened momentarily.
By the way, it appeared that stronger monsters existed. Currently, we were headed north from the spring we teleported to. On the contrary, it seemed that if we were to head south, we would eventually reach the southern end of the Vetus floating island. Apparently, that’s the territory of this forest’s master.
From what we gathered, it wouldn’t bother anyone unless approached directly. Thus, it seemed unlikely that villagers would deliberately venture to be killed. The details remained unclear. However, those two battle maniacs were clearly excited upon hearing this. The first “post-base establishment” adventure had already been decided.
“Hey! Looks like we’re reaching the edge of the forest!”
As Jigoro had stated, it seemed we were finally emerging from the dense woods. Although there was no road or any signs of civilization as we left the forest, faint structures were visible around the horizon.
“That’s our Saile Village,” Margaret said.
Our destination had come into view. This was the first inhabited place we were about to visit since starting the game. While we might not be welcomed with open arms, I was curious to witness a bit of the scene inside.
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