55
Chapter 55
"A Druid?"
Was it the kind of Druid I knew?
Druid.
Usually, they were the ones who protected nature in games.
To put it nicely, guardians of nature; to put it bluntly... extreme environmentalists.
That was the impression lodged in my head.
I had muttered in a low voice, but somehow, an answer came back.
"Yes, that's right. Are you the ones who lost your way?"
It was a beautiful, androgynous voice.
It was definitely human. The pronunciation was clear, and the sentences flowed smoothly.
But the problem was their appearance.
Their whole body was tangled with vines, moss, and unknown plants, and the hand that had just been holding a dead rabbit was smeared with thick mud and green moss.
Only their face wasn't covered by plants, but that was an issue too.
Because their exposed face was wearing a mask carved from a tree, shaped like a small animal.
It was a mask that seemed to represent a beast of the forest, like a raccoon or a deer.
Thanks to that, I couldn't tell their age, let alone their gender.
Rather than a human, that figure looked more like a guardian of the forest in a human shape.
Or... a spirit created by the forest.
Since I couldn't figure out their identity, I felt unsure whether to trust them or be wary.
Rustle.
We had no choice but to awkwardly stand up with both our hands raised.
We showed that we had no hostility for now, and it seemed there was no need to hide anymore.
"...Yes, we took a wrong turn during our journey."
I answered as I slowly raised my body from my spot.
He gave a light nod.
"Getting lost in this forest is not uncommon. Besides... it's especially chaotic around here lately."
His speech and attitude were certainly calm, and close to a person.
However, I still couldn't let my guard down given his appearance and vibe.
He took a step forward and introduced himself once again.
"I am called Vellan."
"Ah, right. I'm Riv."
He quietly held out his hand.
I hesitated for a moment, but awkwardly accepted the handshake.
...Hmm. Is this a vine or a human hand?
It was too rough to be skin, and a bit too slimy to be a hand.
It felt as though a plant was faintly squirming in his palm, making my body instinctively flinch.
"You're a bit... unique."
When I spoke in a mumbling way, Vellan gave a slight smile.
"When you live with the forest, it can't be helped. Because I've been a part of this forest for a long time."
I couldn't tell if that was a joke or the truth.
Eileen also couldn't drop her somewhat cautious gaze.
Neither of us knew much about the existence of a Druid.
But one thing was certain.
If anyone knew the deep roots of the 'abnormal signs in the forest' that Bravil had mentioned, it would be this person.
"By any chance... do you know about the things happening in the forest? Like the guys that look like this...."
I asked him a question while describing the monsters we had seen in the forest.
At my question, Vellan slowly nodded his head.
"Yes. I call those beings the 'Error of the Forest'."
Error of the Forest.
It sounded like a cool phrase, but it was an ominous word at the same time.
"They are beings that go against the essence of this land. They are a rift deviating from the laws of nature, a lingering scar."
"...So, is that scar opening up again?"
"It's still just at the edges of the wound. However, if it festers to the core, this entire forest might collapse."
A chilling sensation swept down my spine at those words.
To think those things were only a fraction of the problem; I could feel the severity of the situation.
"Is that why you're staying in this forest?"
"Yes. To reverse this rift, and... out of a desire that there will be no more sacrifices."
He let out a short sigh and raised his head.
Strangely enough, a mix of sorrow could be seen in his eyes.
"By any chance, do you know what caused this to-"
"I don't know."
Before I could even finish my question, a firm answer cut me off.
His tone was soft, but I could feel a clear line drawn within it.
A quiet warning, a nuance telling me not to ask any further.
Hmm, it's best not to touch on this subject.
I didn't want to get involved that deeply in the first place anyway.
We're just people passing through the forest.
"It might be a coincidence that you arrived here, but perhaps that coincidence will bring about a small change."
I asked back at the incomprehensible words.
"Huh? We're planning to leave right away, though?"
He shook his head.
"I have no intention of forcing anything. It's just... until you leave this forest, it would be best for everyone if you stay careful."
I nodded silently for a moment.
I felt a weight that only someone who had spent a long time with this forest could express.
"We plan to head north to get out, is this the right direction?"
Vellan looked up at the sky at my question.
Staring at the thin rays of light falling through the dense leaves, he soon slowly closed his eyes.
And after a moment, he quietly opened his eyes and spoke.
"Yes. The direction you're going is correct. If you keep going this way, you'll be able to leave the forest."
"Phew... Thank you."
Fortunately, it seemed the direction I remembered wasn't wrong.
"How much further do we have to go?"
At my question, he looked around once again and spoke quietly.
"It depends on how much you can walk... but it will take roughly a full day."
"Ah, I see."
It wasn't as close as I thought, but it was within my expected range.
We stayed a day at the temple, and taking a detour inevitably delayed us.
Even so, if it was just this much, it was actually a relief.
If we had rushed any further, we would have collapsed from exhaustion halfway through anyway.
I let out a short breath and looked around.
The forest was still quiet, and a somewhat chilly dampness lingered in the air.
It was time to start walking again.
"We'll be on our way now. Thank you for the good information."
"Yes, I hope you return safely."
He didn't hold us back any longer.
I wondered if he truly wanted nothing from us, or if he judged that letting us go was for the best.
Unlike his bizarre appearance, he definitely wasn't a strange person.
***
"Behind you!"
A green figure flew toward Eileen's back.
Eileen reflexively twisted her body at my shout, and thanks to that, the sharp fang only cut the strap of her armor as it passed by.
If she hadn't dodged, it might have pierced right into her spine.
Eileen, her Armor loosened by the sudden impact, quickly pulled back.
"You crazy mutts!"
I gritted my teeth.
Monsters weren't the only things in this forest.
Naturally, there were also Beasts that made this forest their home.
Just like these green Wolves surrounding us right now.
"Grrrrr-"
Green fur that resembled light-reflecting leaves.
Firm brown muscles showing through the gaps.
They approached soundlessly, as if they were part of the forest, making them that much harder to detect.
It had been nearly half a day since we started walking north, just as Vellan, that Druid, had instructed.
Up until then, the Brush had been quiet, and there was no sense of threat.
But suddenly, as if on cue, a pack of Wolves leaped out from all directions.
Low growls. The bated gaze of predators.
Tearing through the silence of the forest, the fangs and claws of Beasts lunged at us.
I didn't hesitate.
I immediately threw a Water Bomb at the large one that looked like the Captain.
Splash.
"Yelp!"
Along with the sound of the water surface bursting, the creature let out a scream.
The bursting current pierced its eardrums, and the muddy water mixed with Mud blinded its eyes.
The guy stumbled and ran away, and the rest of the pack quickly tucked their tails and fled upon seeing their Captain fall.
I let out a slow breath and muttered.
"At least they have some intelligence, these guys."
"Y-Yeah, they do."
It was a relief, really.
Beasts that could read the room were far better than Monsters you couldn't reason with.
If the fight had dragged on, I would have been at a severe disadvantage, especially since my wrist was not in good shape right now.
"...Will we be able to get out safely?"
When I asked in a murmur, Eileen answered firmly.
"We will definitely be able to get out."
I forced myself to nod at those words.
"...Yeah, we have to."
I said that, but honestly, it was hard to hide my increasingly exhausted mind.
Even now, I could feel a throbbing sensation in my wrist.
It felt more swollen and hotter than yesterday.
Literally, it felt like my body was slowly breaking down.
I had to be careful even lifting my Mace, and the pain became clearer every time I clenched my fist.
'It will be okay.'
I repeated that to myself over and over.
Being dragged into this Other World and ending up in this situation in the first place, it might be stranger to stay completely sane.
Eating, washing, sleeping, and even taking a dump—nothing was familiar.
There wasn't a single thing that wasn't uncomfortable.
In such an environment, I had to fight every single day.
Always making the right choice in the midst of all that... is just nonsense.
I was just an ordinary office worker.
Combat, adventure, death... they were all things that only existed in my imagination.
To someone like me, this world was too cruel right from the start.
Perhaps surviving in the Dungeon, hunting Monsters, all of those things might have just been pure luck.
It wasn't skill, but continuously holding on by pure coincidence.
Most of the things I had done were ultimately thanks to the help of the people around me.
Getting swept up in the disputes of nobles and stepping into reckless situations... maybe, subconsciously, I thought I was some sort of protagonist.
Or maybe it was just foolish sympathy rearing its head, without even properly understanding my own situation.
I was under the illusion that I survived through skill, but looking back, I was just lucky....
...Didn't they say a sound mind dwells in a sound body?
Thanks to my wrist getting worse and worse, it felt like my mind was crumbling too.
I thought I was doing okay in my own way, but my sense of guilt just kept growing.
Did my expression look that dark from the side?
Eileen was looking at me with worried eyes.
Sigh, even at that young age, she is silently enduring this all on her own...
And here I am at my age, needlessly throwing a pity party for myself.
Truly, pathetic.
Smack. Smack.
I slapped my cheeks hard twice with both hands.
I had to pull myself together, even if I had to force it.
Now was not the time to be weak.
I barely managed to snap out of it and hurriedly moved my feet again.
A quiet sigh of relief could be heard from beside me.
......How embarrassing.
***
"......Crazy...."
"Damn it...."
Leaving behind the march that lasted late into the night, the next day arrived.
We reached the outskirts of the forest we had so desperately hoped for.
The gaps between the trees widened, and light began to seep through.
I thought the end was finally truly in sight.
However, what we faced there was not freedom.
Outside the forest, at the edge of the field spread out like hills-
"......Gwooooh."
A pack of at least a dozen ghouls were prowling around.
Rotting while still alive, they were slowly roaming through the brush, and it seemed they hadn't noticed us yet.
We held our breath, hiding our bodies behind a tree.
We now had our backs to the forest, and to move forward, we had to pass through them.
However, breaking through them head-on in our current state was impossible.
My wrist was still throbbing, and Eileen's stamina was completely depleted.
"What do we do...."
I wiped my sweat behind the tree and quietly pondered.
Having taken such a long detour, I didn't expect our feet to be tied at the final threshold.
Was there a way to lure them away? Or should we turn around and bypass further north?
It was then, as I held my breath and tried to rack my brain as much as possible.
"You there, don't move and stay quiet."
"......!"
An unfamiliar voice was heard from right behind me.
A calm yet firm tone.
I reflexively tried to turn around, but the other person added first.
"I have no bad intentions. It's just... you want to get out of here, right?"
Beyond the view obscured by vines, someone revealed their figure.
The cloth wrapped around their body fluttered in the wind, and a short bow was slung over their shoulder.
His eyes shone clearly even in the deep darkness.
"I am in the same situation as you."