Chapter 44
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: A Plea for Death
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"Hmm... you there."
"Yes, my lord."
The middle-aged man, with wavy, reddish-tinged hair, a neat mustache, and a rather sharp jawline, looked at the butler standing before him.
He was in a remarkably good mood, thanks to some pleasant encounters with noble ladies he had met recently.
It was all after consuming this particular elixir.
"This elixir seems to be a recent acquisition. Have you found a new, quality supplier?"
"Does it please you, my lord?"
"Hmph, its effects are quite potent indeed. I can still feel the fire down below."
At the man's words, the butler offered a small smile.
"I hear that Baron Wilkis Diello recently succeeded in subjugating the Bronserian Forest, and as a result, higher quality herbs and ingredients for elixirs are now being sourced from there."
‘Wilkis Diello? That reckless fool accomplished something like that?’
He had heard the man was pushed out to a remote area, even in the provinces, after losing a power struggle.
The subjugation mission he was given surely had an extremely low chance of success.
"So he turned his misfortune into a blessing, did he?"
But even so, there was no chance of him returning to the capital.
He wasn't someone worth paying attention to.
"Hahaha. Still, to think I'd get my hands on such a fine elixir because of him. The quality is far better than I expected."
"I believe the key ingredient was an herb called Red Dragon's Fang Herb."
"If it's the Bronserian Forest, that would be in Erkal. There must be a distributor."
"Shall I look into it?"
The man nodded at the butler's question.
"Find out at once. The other nobles will soon have their eyes on it."
In high society, ample stamina was the only weapon a man had to embrace many a woman.
Having recently passed forty, he wasn't what he used to be and had tried various elixirs.
But they only provided a momentary spark, never any real satisfaction…
‘To think such a fine thing exists.’
The man lifted the reddish pill and smirked.
"Procure as much of it as you can."
"Yes, Count Cameron."
With that, the butler withdrew. Count Cameron carefully closed the box containing the elixir and burst into laughter.
* * *
Thwack! Splat!
The monsters’ screams echoed as blood splattered everywhere.
At the center of it all, a boy fought with a spear.
It was Demian.
"..."
Diel watched Demian fight with a blank expression.
At first, she would hide whenever a monster appeared, but now she had grown comfortable enough to watch casually.
"...It's amazing."
Diel murmured to herself.
The more she watched, the more remarkable he seemed.
The others who came with him weren't much older, either. But...
‘Most mercenaries wouldn't stand a chance against them.’
Running a merchant guild, she was no stranger to dangerous situations.
Because of that, Diel had hired a great many mercenaries in her time.
So she knew the general skill level of an average mercenary.
But Demian, along with Dianal and Kyle, were no ordinary fighters.
To even compare them to those mercenaries would be an insult to the three of them.
"Hoo."
After effortlessly dispatching four monsters, Demian let out a small breath and approached Diel.
A wave of heat and the lingering scent of battle washed over her.
As Diel looked at Demian, he spoke.
"You don't have to come with us anymore. If the unit asks, you can just say you sent me into the forest for an errand."
"I just... wanted to come. It's not like I have much to do at the guild anyway."
That was a lie.
With the recent surge in orders, Diel had a mountain of work to do.
But she periodically followed Demian into the forest.
It wasn't just because she wanted to see Demian and his companions fight.
‘Where will they go from here...’
She was curious about their future.
Diel asked Demian.
"Sir Demian."
"Yes?"
At her call, Demian turned his head to look at her.
Diel asked.
"Were you always this strong?"
"...Pardon?"
It was a sudden, out-of-the-blue question.
But Diel quickly continued.
"I mean, it's just that... all three of you seem too strong for your age."
Diel scratched her cheek, looking embarrassed.
At her words, Demian let out a small chuckle.
"Strength and age aren't directly proportional."
"But wouldn't a fully grown body be more advantageous than one that's still developing?"
She was talking about the difference between a child and an adult.
Certainly, one would be stronger with a fully developed body.
But.
"You're not wrong, but you're not entirely right, either."
Demian shook his head.
"The most important thing is how you build that body."
A body that grew up just by idling away time was meaningless.
Of course, in a peaceful era like this, it didn't make much of a difference either way.
However.
"The human body is like steel; it gets stronger the more it's forged. That's part of the reason I came here."
Even though the Magi had been completely cleared out, the Bronserian Forest was once again filling up with monsters.
The difficulty had dropped significantly compared to before, but it was still a place where one could engage in life-or-death combat.
"To me, this place is like an inexhaustible training ground."
A training ground that would forge him to be even stronger.
"..."
Diel wore a confused expression, unable to comprehend Demian's words.
At this, Demian grinned and said.
"No need to think so hard about it. It's easier if you just think of me as a masochist who enjoys hardship."
"Ah?"
"What do you mean, 'ah'? Don't actually think I'm a masochist."
At Demian's words, Diel stuck out her tongue and giggled.
She felt as if he had read her mind.
"I understand."
Diel replied with a smile.
The more she got to know him, the more peculiar and interesting he was.
"Whew, well then..."
Demian left Diel and walked back to his companions, looking at the monsters fallen on the ground.
About a dozen of them.
"Looks like this is all of them, right?"
"Seems so. I think we've pretty much wiped this area clean."
"Hehehe, I wonder if the seniors know. Thanks to us, they're having an easy time on escort duty."
Kyle let out a low laugh.
He wasn't wrong.
They were operating much deeper in the forest than the other seniors escorting the herbalists, clearing out monsters.
Demian lightly wiped the blood from his spearhead and scanned the surroundings.
‘Should I go... a little deeper?’
Now that his Delft Mana Cultivation Method had reached the 4th Star, most monsters were no match for him.
He was at a level where even a pack of orcs couldn't defeat him.
Demian's incredible kinetic vision.
His vast combat experience from countless battlefields.
Now that he could skillfully wield mana on top of that, there was almost no one here who could challenge him.
‘I might have to leave this place sooner than I thought.’
He had planned on staying for over a year... but it seemed his plans were moving ahead of schedule.
Demian gazed deeper into the forest.
Just then.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing."
Demian shook his head. But in that instant.
"...?"
Demian's gaze shifted to another direction.
His expression had suddenly hardened.
Dianal and Kyle tilted their heads in confusion.
"...What's wrong?"
"It's..."
Demian started to say something.
But then he shouted.
"Everyone, get down!"
The very moment Demian yelled.
Swoooosh!
Something came flying rapidly toward the group from beyond the bushes.
Dianal and Kyle quickly ducked to avoid it, but.
‘Damn it!’
Fwip!
Demian instantly launched himself toward Diel, who was standing alone.
"Kyaa!"
Demian embraced Diel and rolled on the ground.
Th-th-thwip! Thunk!
"Keuk!"
For a moment, Demian's face contorted.
Diel asked.
"A-Are you okay?"
"Yes."
Demian answered curtly.
More important than the wound...
"...Dammit, what bastard was that?"
Demian pulled something embedded in his right shoulder out with his hand.
"...A tree branch?"
It was shaped like a thorn, but it was a branch.
What kind of bastard would shoot something like this?
"Grrrrrrrrr..."
Just then, something approached the group, letting out a low growl.
Dianal's eyes wavered.
"...What is that?"
Seeing the creature for the first time, Dianal couldn't hide his bewildered expression.
He had never heard of a monster that looked like that.
Demian looked at the creature.
Is this what a tree would look like if it were made into a person?
Its arms and hands, which looked like branches, were quite convincingly formed.
But most striking were its unfocused, black eyes.
"...Magi?"
It was clearly a symptom of Magi poisoning.
But weren't all the creatures infected with Magi supposed to have died when the crystal shattered?
"...No way."
Could it be a creature on a completely different level, one that could even withstand that death?
Even the colossal monsters had been unable to endure it and had fallen dead.
And a small creature like this managed to survive?
"Kuaaaaaaaaargh!"
But there was no time to think.
The creature stretched its hand forward again.
Fwip-fwip-fwip-fwip!
The same thorns that had been shot before rained down on the group once more.
Demian immediately swung his spear, deflecting all of them.
"Protect Lady Diel! I'll handle this one!"
He knew from that single exchange.
The other two were no match for this thing.
Dianal and Kyle must have realized it too, as they immediately took Diel and began to move away.
Thump!
Demian dashed toward the tree monster.
Seeing Demian charge, the creature stretched out its hand again.
Fwip-fwip-fwip!
"That won't work again, you bastard."
Lightly ducking forward to evade the attack, Demian rapidly closed the distance.
He didn't know what this thing was.
"I'll figure it out after I kill you."
So.
"Just die quietly!"
Whoooooooosh!
Demian's spear shot up swiftly from below.
However.
Clang!
"...?"
Demian's expression twisted as his spear was blocked by what felt like an invisible wall.
What kind of ability was this?
But there was no time to think.
Swoooooosh!
The creature's long claws suddenly twisted together like a corkscrew, instantly transforming into a long spear.
"Kraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!"
The creature thrust the spear toward Demian.
Demian frowned at the attack coming for his side.
Faced with the creature's unorthodox attack, Demian quickly backed away.
Since he couldn't predict its attack patterns, it seemed best to create distance and observe it first.
"Hoo... So it can reshape its body, too?"
This bastard, he was getting more and more curious about its identity.
Had he ever heard of a creature like this?
Demian raised his spear and lowered his stance.
The moment it showed an opening, he planned to rush in and cut off its head.
But just then.
—...Kill... me.
"...?"
Demian flinched and glanced around.
A strange voice had suddenly echoed in his head.
"Don't tell me...?"
—Kill... me.
The tree monster in front of him began to shed tears.