024: Road to the Main Base (2)
After parting ways with Alicia, traveling alone with Silvia wasn't half bad. Having a cute kid around made people treat us kindly, too.
"Silvia, you sure you can eat all that?"
"I can eat it all!"
"You're just gonna stuff the leftovers in the backpack again, aren't you?"
"Wow! This is so yummy!"
"Nice dodge. Well, eat up. At your age, eating hearty is the win. Order whatever you want."
The only downside was the kid's bottomless appetite for food. How much had she been starved...?
Just before entering the first forest we'd come across, she spoke up.
"Demon King. Um... I have something to tell you."
"Why the sudden Demon King?"
"Well... the truth is, there's something I've been hiding from you..."
She fidgeted with her tiny hands, speaking cautiously. What could she be hiding? The kid who'd been calling me Cluster suddenly switching to Demon King had me on edge. Was it something serious? Like maybe she wasn't actually the saintess after all? Nah, no way. If she weren't, there wouldn't have been that whole uproar at the temple, and Lai had confirmed her face before fading out. Silvia was definitely the saintess.
"Spit it out. What's the secret?"
"The truth is... I'm not alone."
"Huh?"
Not alone? Did she have a companion? Her parents had sold her to the temple, so not them...
"You got a friend or something?"
"Yeah. I have a friend."
A friend... Someone at the temple who'd helped her out? Yeah, that made sense. A kid that young getting abused—there had to be someone who pitied her. Otherwise, even as the saintess, no way she could've endured two years sane.
"You worried about your friend?"
She wouldn't hesitate just to mention a friend. Probably had lingering worries about the one left at the temple. If she wanted to turn back now, I'd try to talk her out of it. The temple was way too dangerous for her. Alicia worried me too, but that succubus could at least protect herself. Even against someone like Siana, she'd probably escape somehow.
"Alicia's sharp and strong. She'll take good care of your friend. Don't worry."
I tossed in some reassurance, mentioning Alicia to imply the friend was safe.
"Alicia sis? Alicia sis is at the temple—how's she gonna take care of my friend?"
"Your friend's not at the temple?"
If not the temple, then the back alleys? That could be risky. The pope knew about her nightly slum runs; he might raze the whole area. Looked like that's what she was fretting over. Even knowing the slums' folk had sold her for pocket change, she still worried. Guess she really was the saintess.
"My friend's right here."
"Here?"
"She's a forest lover, so I wanna let her out. Is that okay?"
"Let her out? Uh, yeah. Go ahead."
The moment I gave permission, Silvia set down her backpack—about as big as she was—and carefully opened it.
"Veronica. You can come out."
Talking to the backpack. For a second, I wondered what the hell, but then I remembered: space expansion and lightweight magic on that thing, right? No wonder she'd been so desperate to grab it leaving the temple, stuffing it with food and all. Puzzle pieces clicking. If her friend was stashed inside, of course she'd never leave without it.
-Thud!
No sooner had she spoken—or rather, the instant the bag opened—something shot out fast.
"Whoa!"
It knocked Silvia flat on her butt.
"Silvia! Get behind me...!"
"No danger, Veronica. Calm down."
"Huh? Wait, where are we anyway? Not Hollidral... Relief work?"
The woman who'd burst out, scanning left and right, approached the butt-rubbing Silvia and spoke.
"Not Hollidral, and not relief work either. I left the temple. Like... ran away?"
"You left the temple? How?"
She wore a plain white shirt and green skirt. But not so plain: her long light-green hair tied back revealed pointed ears plainly.
"An elf?"
Seeing a real elf. I'd heard non-humans were rare since humans dominated the continent, so running into one felt kinda nice.
-Rustle
"Who are you?"
The elf, who'd been fussing over Silvia, whirled at my voice—ignoring my pleasant surprise—and went fully on guard, shielding her.
"I'm not shady. Lower the sword first, then talk."
I raised both hands. She'd drawn a slim rapier without me noticing, pointed right at me, but now she eased it down a bit. Still suspicious, but open to talk.
"I helped Silvia—"
"Cluster's the Demon King. He kidnapped me from the temple and got me out."
"No, Silvia, that's not—"
"Die, Demon King!"
At her words, the elf lunged, thrusting the half-lowered rapier and closing the gap in a flash.
"Sorry. Really, truly sorry."
"Nah. Totally understandable mix-up."
The sudden chaos ended without major incident, thanks to my desperate explanations. Despite her youthful look, her swordplay was top-notch—no telling if I'd come out unscathed otherwise. As it was, no injuries. Just some torn clothes.
"I'm Veronica Horn. Call me Veronica."
"Veronica, huh. I'm Cluster Versilver. Rust is fine."
"Speak casually. If you're Silvia's savior, you're mine too."
"Got it."
No reason to refuse casual speech. Elves were ancient, right? Felt weird banmal-ing someone that old, but she looked late teens, maybe just twenty—didn't feel off at all.
"What do you mean, Silvia's savior is yours too?"
"Silvia saved my life."
"Silvia did?"
"Hehe."
I glanced at her; she grinned sheepishly and looked away. How'd she save Veronica? Not doubting her, but... did Veronica even need help? Her ambush swordwork was pro-level. Against Siana, unlike me just blocking and dodging, she'd probably land a counter or two. Sure, saintess title opened doors more than raw power sometimes, but point was: elf. What human title mattered to a non-human? Couldn't imagine her needing Silvia's help.
"In Hollidral's back alleys, humans were dragging me off. Silvia saved me."
"Humans?"
"You know how they treat elves, right?"
How humans viewed elves... Not super clued in, but elves were the lookers who won human favor, and from what I knew, "First hero party's leader was an elf, yeah?"
The savior of humanity on the brink against demonkin.
"Shouldn't that make 'em friendly?"
"Yeah, that's the normal assumption. If everything had gone normally."
"Demon King subjugated, then something happened?"
"...You don't know what came after?"
"Been Demon King two years. Know the broad strokes, not details."
"Then let me sum up briefly..."
Veronica paused, scanning around. I did too. Silvia, who'd fallen on her butt earlier, had settled in, dozing under the warm sun.
"You feel it too, Rust?"
"Nah. Just been dead quiet lately. But seeing you tense up... something's out there, huh."
Couldn't judge by aura alone, but this proved Veronica outclassed me. Why'd someone this strong get nabbed by humans? Need Silvia to escape? Questions for later—I shelved 'em.
"I'll take point. You guard Silvia."
We left sleeping Silvia behind, quietly watching our surroundings. Silent. Just wind through leaves—no insects even.
How much time passed? Then I felt it too: the aura Veronica had sensed. Demonic mana. And with it,
"Dong-dong-dong-dong"
A massive drum echoed from deep in the forest. Potent demonic mana too. Big battle inside? Nah, forest too peaceful for that. Something this strong fighting would've meant explosions, crashing trees. Quiet aside, just normal woods.
Right as I started to relax,
"Veronica!"
"Yes. It's showing itself now!"
Something rocketed from the trees.
"Ahh... [Extinction Evil]! Glory to Girar, carrying your will! Dong-dong-dong-dong!"
The guy drumming from his mouth halted dead ahead of us.