Chapter 131
Chapter 131
Chapter 131
Their Story (2)
The young man called Alba Caesar was quite a peculiar individual.
Generally, travelers carry simplified backpacks or space-compressed pouches, and unless they're exploring remote regions, they don't carry such enormous backpacks.
Maria felt as if he was deliberately trying to display himself as a traveler to the outside world.
"Your companion has gone missing?"
"Yes, that's right. We received word that something went wrong with the one leading our companions in the Great Forest."
"Ah..."
"I'm going to find them to handle the situation."
Among travelers, there are many who form crews for common purposes.
Especially in the Great Forest, there are still some who challenge it to collect rare herbs and plants.
Rebecca, still sensitive in her emotions, placed her hand on her chest and bowed her head.
"Oh, I offer my condolences."
"It's alright. My companions and I started this knowing that something could go wrong."
"......"
Alba smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"But still... Since everyone started this for survival, I hope things work out well."
"Your circumstances don't seem very good?"
It's quite common for people to leave their hometown and become travelers when life becomes difficult.
"That's right. Especially since my hometown's situation was so poor that we had no choice but to flee. My hometown is a desolate place."
"Ah, I can relate."
Baran Village, which was like Rebecca's hometown, had relatively better circumstances, but even so, it was a border territory.
Rebecca had experienced countless times what the circumstances of border villages were like, following the village chief who was a former mercenary.
Baran Village was fortunate to be well-governed by Count Rickart, the frontier Count, but she had heard that other territories were often much poorer than Iskar Territory.
"So Alba, you're doing dangerous work to save up migration funds."
"Something like that."
Alba let out a small sigh.
"There were many friends who didn't come with me willingly, but someday they'll understand my sincerity."
"You want to live together... They're bad friends!"
"Hahaha, they're friends with very strong personalities. They're really powerful too, so persuasion wasn't easy."
"Your friends will surely understand Alba's sincerity someday."
"Thank you, Rebecca. This gives me strength!"
At Rebecca's encouragement, Alba laughed heartily and raised both arms high.
"......"
Maria listened quietly to their conversation without saying a word.
'Something is definitely strange.'
The skill to easily dispatch the holy knights, who were certainly a group of decent fighters, even if their opponents were bad.
This wasn't the kind of power an ordinary village peasant would display.
But if you asked whether she couldn't feel sincerity in that conversation… That wasn't it either.
'That person's words aren't lies. He's definitely speaking only the truth.'
But why did the thought that Alba and Rebecca shouldn't be left together keep arising?
When they learned that their destinations were both the Great Forest, Alba naturally requested to travel together.
Originally, Maria was going to refuse that proposal, but when Rebecca, who had taken a liking to Alba, asked Maria to accept, Maria had no choice but to accept the proposal.
'If he shows even the slightest suspicious behavior... Whatever it takes, I'll kill him.'
***
Fortunately, Maria's thoughts turned out to be unfounded worries.
When they arrived at the entrance of the Great Forest, Alba bid farewell to the group.
"Unfortunately, it's time for us to part ways."
During their week-long journey together, Rebecca, who had grown quite close to Alba, spoke with a regretful voice.
"The Great Forest is said to be a really dangerous place. Will you be alright alone?"
"Hahaha, I'll be fine. I'm capable enough to protect myself."
Alba, who had been laughing heartily, suddenly looked down at Rebecca with gentle eyes.
"Rebecca."
"Yes?"
"You are truly a special woman."
Rebecca's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden confession.
"...What? What?"
"If fate brings us together later... I would very much like to meet you again. No, we will meet again. My intuition tells me so."
"Um, excuse me... I have someone I care about...!"
"Let's stop there."
When the atmosphere began to flow strangely, Maria directly stepped in front of Rebecca.
She had been trying to be patient since it was a parting situation, but her blood pressure rose when he suddenly crossed the line.
Alba shrugged and took a step back.
"It seems I got too carried away by emotions."
"Thank you for everything so far."
Even at this clear line-drawing, Alba's expression didn't change much.
"Yes, I enjoyed it too."
Alba left like that.
Watching Alba's figure disappear far into the depths of the Great Forest, Rebecca asked with slight dissatisfaction.
"Wasn't that too cold?"
"He was that kind of person. Complete chaos that couldn't be predicted...."
"Sister must have had her reasons... but it wasn't like sister not to try to exchange even a word."
Maria was definitely not an introverted personality.
She simply hadn't shown it while bearing the weight of the crown, but her true nature was clearly lively and sociable.
Before meeting Alba, hadn't she been chatting pleasantly with Rebecca and the succubi?
"Well, that's true. But I still trust my instincts."
"Hmm..."
Well, if Maria said so, then it must be so.
Rebecca let it slide and straightened her shoulders, speaking with an expectant voice.
"Ah, then now we'll be able to meet Rudian?"
At that moment, Maria's expression turned slightly pale.
"Before that..."
"Yes?"
"Let's think of excuses first, us."
After all, their purpose was the western resort.
Definitely not dangerous remote places like this Great Forest.
"Ah..."
Naturally, when the two women later encountered Rudian's group, they had no choice but to tremble for a while under Rudian's tremendous anger.
***
"Alba Caesar?"
"Yeah, he said he was traveling as a hobby."
Rudian frowned as he listened to Maria and Rebecca's travel stories.
Since Maria was there, naturally no serious danger would have occurred, but when he heard information about the individual called 'Alba Caesar' at the end, his suspicion naturally became certainty.
"Damn bastard, he came in person, didn't he?"
"Do you know him?"
"Of course I do. He probably changed his appearance slightly so even you didn't notice."
One of the Seven Seats, Demon King Baal.
He had only expected subordinates to be sent, but for some unknown reason, the top leader himself had made a personal visit.
'Did he also notice that the Seven-Colored World is here?'
From what he heard, it seemed he came alone without bringing other Demon Kings...
While Rudian was silent, trying to understand Baal's intentions, whining sounds came from nearby.
"Rudian, I'm tired..."
"30 minutes left."
"Heeng..."
"You're not doing it alone, so do it to the end."
As Rudian said, near Rebecca, all five succubi including Maria were standing in punishment with both hands raised neatly.
Rudian glared with fierce eyes and stood in front of Rebecca.
"Even though I emphasized how dangerous it was so many times...!"
"......"
"You didn't listen at all!"
"I'm sorryyy!"
At the tremendous pressure applied to her temples, Rebecca let out a pained scream.
'Right, Rebecca showed a lot of restraint.'
Compared to the original where just being scolded together with Evan was evaluated to have reduced Abel's lifespan by about a third, this was quite gentle.
"But I still can't forgive you!"
"It hurtsss!"
While Rudian and Rebecca were performing their skit.
Elvin approached his sister who had caused a major incident, letting out a strange groan.
"Hmm, Maria?"
"Yes, brother."
Though it was a curt response, Maria, who had committed a sin, didn't dare meet Elvin's eyes.
"...I didn't expect even you to do such a thing."
"......"
No matter how much Matheus had permitted the journey, wrong was wrong.
Maria quietly bowed her head and muttered in a small voice.
"There was someone who made the first move..."
"......"
Well, having come this far, Elvin wasn't one to miss the meaning of those words.
Sure enough, the person who was the reason for their running away and the biggest cause had remained silent without saying a single word until now.
"Hmm..."
A strange battle of nerves flowing between the two.
Looking at this situation, Elvin offered only one sentiment.
'What a mess.'
***
With Maria and Rebecca joining, Rudian was troubled.
'What should I do...?'
Right now, Rudian had two choices before him.
'Should we go directly to the Hall of Heroes, or should we take a little more time for training?'
Actually, Elvin and Luciella were now adapting almost perfectly to the Great Forest environment.
Maria wasn't something to worry about from the beginning, but the biggest problem was Rebecca.
'I can't easily send her back now.'
The reason Baal approached Rebecca.
It was probably because her power as a Demon Eater was too dangerous.
Actually, in the original Chapter 1, Rebecca was the one who killed as many Demon Kings as Abel did.
However...
'If it was Baal, he could have killed Rebecca even with Maria's interference...'
Why didn't he do that?
Of course, it was good that Rebecca wasn't harmed.
He just couldn't understand it.
'Since it's come to this...'
It seemed necessary to move up the schedule a bit.
Rudian sighed and said to Rebecca.
"Put your hands down."
"Yay!"
"You all put them back up."
"That's too much, Master!"
The succubi who had been sneakily lowering their arms following Rebecca protested with tearful faces.
"It's obvious you instigated Rebecca, so be grateful I'm not spanking you."
"Oh, that's also pretty good... Sorry."
The succubi who had been pleased quickly lowered their tails when they saw Rudian genuinely angry.
When the situation had somewhat calmed down, Rudian's next schedule, having made up his mind, was announced.
"Now we're going to the Hall of Heroes through the portal inside the Great Forest."
"Hall of Heroes?"
While the companions who had been briefed beforehand nodded, Maria and Rebecca, who knew nothing, tilted their heads.
Rudian looked at Rebecca and said.
"Rebecca, originally I was going to get a Magic Sealing Jade to seal your blood, but... since it's come to this, I'm going to try a different method."
Since Baal had shown interest in Rebecca, he decided to shift direction toward a method of completely controlling that power.
"In the Hall of Heroes, human heroes from the Heaven-Demon Great War era onwards sleep in spirit form. Among them... there's someone who could be considered your ancestor."
"......?"
To Rebecca, who couldn't understand the meaning exactly, Rudian provided supplementary explanation.
"You'll receive training there to completely control your power."
"Oh, really?"
"The problem is... that period will be quite a long time. It could be 1 year, or it could be 10 years."
"...Huh?"
No matter how much time rate adjustment there was, the time you actually experience remains the same.
The other companions were naturally prepared, and Maria would also accept the trials at the Hall of Heroes for 'true succession.'
But only Rebecca, the sole 'ordinary person,' absolutely had to steel her resolve greatly before entering.
Otherwise... her mind would very likely be completely shattered...