51
Chapter 51
"A Monster Tree?"
"Yes. Weren't you being chased by a Monster that looked like a Tree with a mouth attached to it?"
"Ah, yes, you're right!"
It was an accurate description.
The Monster that had charged at us with its gaping maw, looking as if it could swallow a person whole with the giant mouth attached to its tree-like body.
That thing was a Monster Tree.
"My word, so there really was more than one?"
"What? You mean there's more than one of those things?"
I was briefly at a loss for words.
"Yes. I came here to investigate the disappearances occurring in this forest, but I was ambushed deep inside. If you encountered one over there, it means there are at least two of them."
That Monster was far larger and much more terrifying than most monsters I had encountered.
The fact that there were multiple of them was a difficult reality to swallow.
"You said you were an Ascetic earlier, right? May I ask what exactly it is that you do?"
He nodded and pulled back his hood.
"Ah, my apologies for the late introduction. I am Bravil, an Ascetic currently on a pilgrimage for the Kalzheim Order."
Shining blonde hair cascaded from beneath the hood, and even his eyes were a brilliant gold.
His appearance exuded a holy aura. He looked like someone who belonged to an Order, no matter how you looked at him.
He held out a hand as he spoke.
The Kalzheim Order? It was a name I was hearing for the first time.
"It is an honor to meet you."
"Ah, Mr. Bravil. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Riv."
Shaking his hand, I carefully bowed my head as well.
"And the person beside you is...?"
"My name is Eileen."
Eileen bowed her head slightly in polite greeting. A brief flash of tension and wariness crossed her eyes, but it quickly faded into a quiet smile.
Bravil gave her a gentle nod and said,
"I'm glad you are both safe. This forest is currently dangerous. That Monster might be something more than a simple Demonic Beast."
I subconsciously shut my mouth. I could intuitively sense from his words that something much bigger was at play.
"By the way... how did you end up coming into this forest?"
Bravil asked cautiously.
"Was this forest always such a dangerous place?"
"Are you unfamiliar with the Black Forest?"
The Black Forest. Even the name sounded ominous.
"Yes, is it famous by any chance?"
He nodded at my question and answered immediately.
"Yes. It's famous as a forest where an unusually high number of disappearances have occurred recently. Normally, a Merchant Guild or Travelers would take a detour around it. It's a place everyone avoids. Did you have urgent business?"
...This forest was that kind of place?
I was left speechless.
There was no way I'd know the geography of this world in the first place.
I had left the Carriage route entirely up to the Coachman.
He probably didn't know this path was dangerous, either.
Or... perhaps he did know, but stepped foot in here out of greed to earn a few more coins.
'I can't even say anything....'
However, that Coachman Mister was the first to fall victim.
The Wheel flying off right before my eyes, the tangled Horses, and... the blood.
The horrific scene that unfolded in an instant dug into my mind. Even when I closed my eyelids, it surfaced vividly. My mouth went dry, and my stomach churned.
Truthfully, we weren't even that close.
But... seeing someone who had been with me just moments ago literally vanish before my very eyes left a lasting shock, no matter how much I tried to steady my mind.
"...We just didn't know."
Eileen muttered softly. I also nodded slowly.
"Still, it's a relief... that we survived."
At Mr. Bravil's words, I let out a quiet breath.
We survived. For now, at least.
But I could strangely sense... that this wouldn't be the end of it.
"Even so... couldn't we just take a detour and find another way out?"
Eileen asked carefully. However, Bravil slowly shook his head.
"It isn't quite that simple. The terrain on the outskirts of this forest is much rougher than you'd think."
He pointed at the ground.
"The south is blocked by mountains, and a muddy Swamp stretches wide to the east. It would take three more days to detour that way, and above all else..."
He paused for a moment.
"That Swamp is inhabited by 'Mire Spiders'."
I subconsciously furrowed my brows.
Spiders again. I was already sick of spiders.
"A Mire Spider?"
"There are ones as large as a Cart. They hide motionless deep within the mire, then ambush based purely on the sound of footsteps. Once you're bitten, it's over."
Are all the spiders in this world huge on average?
Even someone like Fabre probably couldn't have been an entomologist studying Insects in this world.
Mr. Bravil let out a short sigh.
His expression made it clear that he wasn't joking.
"The safest path through this forest is the one you two just ran down. Normally, a Carriage would just follow the road and quickly pass through. But right now..."
"...We don't have a Carriage, and the Horses ran away."
As I finished the thought, Mr. Bravil nodded.
"Furthermore, the fact that there isn't just one Monster Tree is concerning. There's a high probability that another one is lurking somewhere in this forest. You can't even feel safe around things that look like ordinary Trees."
"Then... what should we do?"
Eileen muttered softly.
A brief silence fell over us.
The wind pushed past the Branches, sounding like a strange murmur from deep within the forest.
It sounded like the breathing of living things.
"It would be best not to force our movements right now, and instead head to the Abandoned Temple near the forest."
"An Abandoned Temple?"
"Yes. There was a small Temple I used to stay at during my pilgrimages through this forest. It is abandoned now, but the building remains. We have no choice but to hide there for the time being and look for an opportunity."
"Is it safe there?"
"It's at least better than the forest. A Monster Tree is sensitive to the sound of movement, so we must rest quietly and get our bearings again before night falls."
I gave a small nod.
"How long will it take to reach the Abandoned Temple?"
"If we keep going like this, we can arrive before sunset. However, we must move quietly. If there is even one more... there might not be a next time."
"...Understood."
The small gulp of saliva slid down my throat. My breath felt constricted.
But now, there was no turning back.
Keeping our bodies low, we carefully followed behind Mr. Bravil through the dense Trees.
As if accustomed to this kind of situation, he navigated the path without stepping on a single rustling fallen leaf, like a man who had melted into the forest itself.
'He said he was from the Order... but his movements are too experienced for him to just be a Priest.'
I thought this while gripping my Staff and staring at his back as he led the way.
At first glance, he looked like a calm Pilgrim, but upon closer inspection, something felt off.
The outline of dark brown Leather Armor could be seen through the gaps of his slightly loose gray Coat.
A scabbard was naturally tied to his waist, and his hand movements carried a kind of tension that only a trained person would possess.
'...Is he a Battle Priest or something?'
The explanation that he was just a Pilgrim sent by the Order was insufficient.
His behavior seemed oddly closer to that of a Mercenary.
"Here we are."
As Mr. Bravil gently parted the Bushes in the forest, an old, half-collapsed Stone Wall was revealed before our eyes.
It seemed to be a structure that once surrounded the grounds, now buried in nature and covered in Moss and Vines.
Beyond it, past collapsed pillars and a broken roof, a small, low brick building could be seen.
It was the Abandoned Temple Mr. Bravil had spoken of.
"This is a small Temple where Pilgrims used to rest. It is no longer in use, but the inside is still safe."
He went inside first, carefully checking our surroundings, and we followed behind him.
The inside of the Temple was surprisingly clean.
Dust had piled up on the broken Altar, and not a single footprint remained on the Moss-covered floor.
It didn't even have that common musty smell. Instead, the chilling air emitted by the old stones filled the space.
"Let's rest here for a moment. We still have time before the sun sets."
I carefully sat down next to the Altar and looked around.
The faint shadow of an old saint remained on the wall, and a broken Candlestick rolled around, completely covered in dust.
Still, the roof was mostly intact, and seeing that the doors were still attached... it was quite a decent shelter.
"This Temple... is a really old place."
Eileen said as she slowly looked around.
Her eyes held a somewhat complicated look. Perhaps the sight of the ruined Altar overlapped with a familiar scene.
Mr. Bravil leaned against the wall and answered gently.
"This is a small Temple in the outer forest. There is a larger Temple further inside. This place used to be quite a holy site, but as war and disasters struck, the Priests could no longer stay."
I took a sharp breath at his words.
"Was this place... attacked as well?"
He nodded.
"Yes. Long ago, an unidentified entity appeared in this forest. The Monster Trees have been here since then. At the time, various Orders joined forces to subjugate them, and we were able to temporarily calm the situation... but the fact that they still remain like this means that something is not yet over."
A strange sense of dread lingered at the end of his words.
I had a premonition that this forest wasn't just a dangerous area inhabited by Monsters, but a place harboring a deep, dark history.
"Did the Order step forward directly back then?"
"Yes. It was a massive purification operation mobilizing various Orders, including the Kalzheim Order, Knight Orders, and even Magicians. Most of the inner Temples collapsed, and this area was subsequently removed from the Pilgrim routes."
"Then what brings you back...?"
He nodded quietly.
"After some time passed, disappearances began occurring again. We judged that some kind of energy had revived... so I was dispatched first."
I quietly bit my lip.
It wasn't just a Monster we happened to encounter at the forest entrance. This was a place where the darkness of the past remained deeply rooted.
"Then... is the inner Temple still standing?"
"Yes. Although mostly collapsed, I heard its core still maintains its shape. It's possible something was left behind there... or awakened."
By the time he finished speaking, Eileen's gaze lingered for a moment near the collapsed pillar.
"You mean something... is awakening even in a place like this?"
Mr. Bravil gave a short nod.
"Yes. Perhaps this forest itself is a story that has yet to end."
This has become troublesome.
We had merely followed the road, yet we got swept up in something strange.
"By the way, you mentioned you belong to the Kalzheim Order, right?"
"Ah, yes. Have you heard of our Order?"
"No, it's my first time hearing of it. I'm a bit far removed from religion."
"Ah, you were a Magician, I see."
Mr. Bravil had noticed I was a Magician from the moment we first met.
In truth, it wasn't even that surprising at this point.
Lately, more people recognized Magicians than I expected, to the point I was getting used to it.
"What God do you serve?"
"Our Order serves a Demigod."
"A Demigod?"
At the word Demigod, my eyes widened slightly for a moment.
Can you be half a God?
I couldn't quite grasp what he meant.
Mr. Bravil let out a short laugh, then added.
"Not anymore. But at the time the religion was founded, he was strictly human."
"A God used to be human?"
Truthfully, this sounded even stranger.
"He ascended to the position of a God with a human body. He traveled the world on his own two feet, venturing into deep forests and oceans, wastelands and abysses that everyone feared, to reach that place."
"......."
"We call him the 'God of Adventure and Exploration'. He is also the first Adventurer."
Ah, so that was it.
"Therefore, the Priests of our Order go on pilgrimages."
"A pilgrimage?"
"We travel to Temples scattered across the world and solve the problems in the regions where those Temples are located. It means a journey of taking action directly, not just a simple visit."
Ah, so it was a pilgrimage in that sense.
Traveling and solving problems.
So, it was almost like the Order's version of a Mercenary.
"Within the Order, only those who have completed their pilgrimage are recognized as true Priests. During that journey, we sometimes defeat Monsters, and sometimes help people."
"......That's oddly practical."
"I suppose it means the one we serve valued action that much."
His demeanor was always polite and gentle, but I could feel a heavy resolve within him.
I finally understood why he was able to enter this forest alone.
"Then... is investigating the Missing Persons in this forest also part of your pilgrimage?"
"Yes. This is a place where a Temple has existed since long ago. It is abandoned now, but the records remained. I was dispatched here by the Order when the Missing Persons occurred."
He spoke calmly.
"This place has seen many dark events in the past. That might be the very reason the Temple was abandoned."
"......"
"So I was attacked by a Monster Tree while investigating this forest. Fortunately, I managed to escape and met Mr. Riv's Party."
He said with a light laugh.
I gave a small nod.
It felt as though the things he had experienced were layered behind that laugh.
'The God of adventure and exploration...'
I suddenly thought that perhaps there was a side of it that suited me as well.
Come to think of it, I was getting swept up in strange things every day, too.
In terms of being a journey to survive in this world, it might not be all that different from that pilgrimage.
"It's a relief we can rest, even if just for a moment."
Saying so, I discreetly drew upon my Mana while pretending to wipe my lips.
Using Condensation, I gathered moisture at my fingertips and quietly took a sip.
There was no need to openly reveal that I was using Magic.
A dry feeling remained in my mouth, but it was enough to quench my thirst.
However, my mind was still complicated.
There wasn't just one Monster Tree, and there was something in this forest in the past.
And now, we were right in the middle of the shadow of that past.
I wondered... if we would be able to make it out safely.
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew, causing the Temple doors to creak.
The night laid out before us was still long.