89
Chapter 89
The memories are still vivid to me.
My previous life. I used to duel many of those known as the Absolute Strong Ones. I cannot say with certainty that every encounter was a one-on-one fight, but it is certain that I fought so many times it's hard to count.
However, if I were to pick just one opponent who stood out among those many battles.
I could choose one without hesitation. A peak powerhouse etched deep into my mind, an unforgettable presence.
Great Sage Merlin Gregory.
A former mage of the Hero Party, someone whom even the Tower Master dared not look down upon when it came to magic.
When we first met, she was the principal of Eden Academy. Since she was the one who founded Eden Academy in the first place, that wasn't surprising.
What was truly strange, however, was her magical achievement.
'Hellfire-!'
'Meteor Strike-!'
A mere human was effortlessly summoning natural disasters like the flames of a dragon and meteors.
'Big-Bang!'
And then, she unleashed an unprecedented spell that twisted causality and transcended all limits, triggering endless explosions within my own body. A single human casting a great spell that no dragon in history had ever managed.
Who could have predicted such a thing?
I survived only because it was me.
If it had been any other demon, they would have been blown to pieces along with the entire area during that first 'Explosion.'
Even an inanimate object wouldn't have fared much better. Had Merlin's final blow hit the earth, the continent would have likely shattered shortly after.
That is the kind of existence Merlin Gregory is. In terms of magical achievement and prestige, she reached a realm that surpassed elves, dragons, devils, angels, and even gods.
That monstrous Merlin Gregory... is now right before my eyes. Standing there, fidgeting like an awkward adolescent boy.
"Are... are you really human? How did a person end up here in the Demon Beast Forest...?"
'Merlin' scans me with a cautious gaze. Or more accurately, glasses so opaque they hide the eyes are staring at me.
Young 'Merlin' seemed completely flustered by our encounter. As if they never expected to meet a human in the Demon Beast Forest, which is crawling with magical beasts.
Now, what should I do?
Of course, encountering Merlin here was not part of my plan. My meeting with her was supposed to happen in the distant future, in the relationship between the principal of Eden Academy and a student.
In other words, I shouldn't be meeting a boyish Merlin who looks no older than late teens.
Should I just cut ties and run away? No, Merlin has already noticed me. And I have no idea how that 'recognition' will play out.
"Y-you aren't a beast of slumber disguised as a human, are you...? But I've never heard of a beast of slumber carrying a cross... and it's not even an inverted cross..."
My rosary reflected in Merlin's glasses. That's right, demons cannot touch the rosary, the symbol of the Messiah and the Lord. I am the exception, having received it directly from the Saint.
...I'll use this.
"O fragile boy who has lost his way! How did you come to enter the Demon Beast Forest?"
"Huh? H-how did you know I was lost?"
How did I know? Merlin was famously bad with directions, to the point where she often mixed up the classrooms and the principal's office, constantly crashing into the wrong room during lessons.
Besides, I can't feel any other presence around here except for Merlin. Anyone with a bit of common sense could easily conclude that Merlin is lost.
Of course, I can't just blurt that out. I'll have to make up a convincing story.
"How many youths as young as you would have a reason to be in the Demon Beast Forest! You must have lost your way in some forest on the continent and wandered in by accident!"
"It's true that I'm lost... but I came to the Demon Beast Forest on purpose! I only got lost after I entered..."
"Is that so? To think a boy with so much life ahead of him would walk into a perilous place like this of his own accord! The youth of today certainly have impressive courage!"
When suspected, the best way is to act confident. While I won't avoid acting timid when necessary, a bold and confident demeanor is the best way to gain trust.
I could play the role of a pitiful wandering traveler, like I did with Beatrice... but that was because Beatrice was a resident of the Demon Beast Forest.
"My courage is great...? I appreciate the words, but that's not it at all...! In fact, I-I've never heard anything like that before!"
Merlin and the Hero Party are unwelcome guests in the Demon Beast Forest. They need a guide to lead them.
I will take on that role.
If I become the guide for those who are ignorant of the Demon Beast Forest.
I can act as a bridge so that the King of Humans and the Hero Party can meet, just as it happened in the original history.
And if a chance arises, I could potentially kill everyone in the Hero Party, including the Hero, while sparing only Merlin. Though capturing Dragon King Endros is the priority.
"Hahaha! Then how did you end up in such a dangerous place, young man! By the look of it, you seem to be a mage?"
"H-how did you know I'm a mage...!"
"You're wearing a magic robe!"
"Ah...! I-I am Merlin Gregory, a court mage of the Empire! Please, just call me Merlin...!"
"I see! Young Merlin! A court mage of the Empire... you're a much more impressive youth than you look!"
And quite clumsy, too.
Revealing one's identity so defenselessly in a place where safety isn't guaranteed is practically a suicide mission.
If I were someone with a grudge against the Empire, or someone intending to kidnap a court mage for ransom, Merlin would have been subdued already.
Despite that, the fact that they reveal their identity so readily suggests either extreme confidence in their skill or, more likely, a naive personality.
Those small shoulders hunched up from earlier. That gaze that only scans my lower half, never daring to look up. Those hands, index fingers fidgeting aimlessly.
Every detail reveals Merlin's true nature. It's a stark contrast to the old Merlin who roared at me with bloodlust, but considering the hundred-year gap, it's only natural for a personality to change.
"But... for what reason is the master here in the Demon Beast Forest...?"
"I am Suoka, a beast of slumber hunter! I entered the Demon Beast Forest about ten years ago and haven't stepped foot outside once since!"
"A-a beast of slumber hunter...!? And you've survived in the Demon Beast Forest for ten years...? Hiee...!"
"No need to react as if it's so impressive! It is an honor for a mere hunter to meet a court mage!"
"Huh? N-no! I'm just someone who knows a bit of magic...!"
"...."
As I recall, Merlin was already a 6th Circle mage at this time. Though she would eventually reach the 9th Circle, even at this stage, she was on a level that would put most great mages to shame.
Ah, so a 6th Circle mage's version of "knowing a bit of magic" was that. The other ninety percent of the continent's mages might as well just go die right now.
"But why has a court mage come to the Demon Beast Forest? Oh, perhaps you are part of the 'Hero Party'?"
"How did you...!"
"A hundred years ago, the Empire sent a Hero Party here to the Demon Beast Forest! There is no way a noble person like a court mage would come to such a perilous place of their own accord! While some oddball mages occasionally risk their lives to procure experimental materials, you don't look like one of them!"
"U-uugh...!"
I spoke a bit too quickly and at length. Merlin's eyes shifted frantically behind the glasses. What gives? To reach the 6th Circle, one must be exceptionally brilliant. Did she not even understand a sentence like that?
"P-perhaps you find me burdensome too, Mr. Suoka...?"
"Hmm?"
"I mean... everyone does... Once they find out I'm the mage of the Hero Party, they start acting uncomfortable and avoid me... That's why I introduced myself as a court mage first...."
"Ah, if that's what you meant, you have nothing to worry about. I wondered what you were talking about."
It's not that they find her burdensome; they just don't want to be associated with her. Who would want to build a connection with the Hero Party, who are treated as nuisances in the Empire? That attitude would flip 180 degrees if the Demon King invaded and the Hero Party's status rose above the Emperor's, though.
"Anyway, this is the Demon Beast Forest! Whether it's the Empire or anything else, none of that matters here! On the contrary, I'm just glad to meet another person after so long!"
I think I see why Merlin has such a timid personality.
She was naturally unsociable, but after being assigned to the Hero Party, the changing gaze of others seems to have turned her into a boy stunted in social relationships.
This is an absolute windfall for me. Since I've decided to stay with Merlin, and since I must ensure she survives and leaves this place, I essentially have to become close to her.
When dealing with someone lacking confidence, you simply provide them with certainty. Then they think, 'Ah, this person won't leave me,' and they trust and rely on you even more.
"R-really? You're the first person I've met who says that even after knowing I'm part of the Hero Party...!"
"Of course! Once I give my word, I won't take it back even if a blade is at my throat!"
Look at Merlin's expression brightening in real-time. Though I couldn't see the changes clearly because of the large round glasses that covered half her face.
I use a manly way of speaking, as if I've possessed the King of Humans. This is to make me look like a veteran hunter who knows this place inside and out. There's nothing better than this to make wanderers trust and follow me.
"By the way, since you're from the Hero Party, did you come to hunt beasts of slumber? Just as the Hero Party of a hundred years ago did?"
"Yes, yes! T-that's right! By any chance, do you know where the beasts of slumber gather?"
"You must not have known. No more beasts of slumber remain in the Southern Demon Beast Forest. The Hero Party from a hundred years ago wiped them all out. Though they ended up dying to the Seven Dragons under the Dragon King's command."
"What...?"
"I only found out after coming here myself. However, Dragon King Endros is still very much alive. Isn't Endros included in your targets? If you'd like, I can guide you to Endros's dragon lair!"
I have a feeling things will go smoothly. It seems possible to have the Hero Party face Endros directly, avoiding the Seven Dragons, just as in the original history.
That is, provided the young Merlin accepts my suggestion.
"Then we'd be very grateful! Just a moment! I'll go find my companions!"
Bingo.
Merlin hurriedly vanished into the brush, unaware that the place would become the grave of her companions.
In the meantime, I chuckled and headed back toward the group. If I just manage to keep them quiet, everything should go very smoothly.
*****
In a deep basin, seven dragon heads sat in a circle with grave expressions.
The reason I specifically said 'heads' is because while there were seven heads, there were only three bodies. A dragon with one head, a dragon with two, and a dragon with four heads were facing each other.
Beneath the dragons, whose massive frames filled the basin despite being only three, thousands of monsters were gathered. The types of monsters were varied. From low-level monsters like orcs, goblins, and skeletons to high-level ones like gargoyles, all sorts of magical beasts were clustered under the dragons.
The single-headed dragon opened its maw.
"The forest's ecosystem has collapsed."
The two-headed dragon replied.
"I know. That is exactly why we have gathered here today."
"We cannot leave this alone forever. In our effort to obey the King's order not to interfere with the food chain, we simply watched, but now the entirety of the southern forest is under threat."
"It has been a threat for a long time. The monsters gathered here are all the monsters left in the south."
"Even after rounding up those in hiding, this is all there is?"
The two-headed dragon slowly scanned the monsters crowded around its feet.
Though several thousand was by no means a small number, the situation changed once that range expanded to include 'all monsters in the Southern Demon Beast Forest.'
"Just a hundred years ago, millions of magical beasts maintained the ecosystem and rotated the food chain."
"That is precisely why we have convened."
"...."
"Both of you, stop this trivial chatter."
While the single-headed and two-headed dragons spoke of the current state of the forest, one dragon that had remained silent finally moved its maw.
It was the dragon with four heads.
"...."
"...."
"One demon. Two humans. One beastman. One goblin. And one mysterious angel."
Perhaps because the four-headed dragon held a higher rank, the other two dragons simply listened in silence when it spoke.
"These are the primary culprits destroying the ecosystem. Ordinarily, we should not have stepped forward since the King ordered us to remain in seclusion, but my conclusion is that we can no longer stand by and watch their actions."
"...."
"...."
"The six of them, led by that mysterious demon, are hereby designated as the enemies of this forest. Furthermore, I issue an order to slay them to all beasts of slumber in the Southern Demon Beast Forest."
As the solemn declaration ended, the heads of the two dragons and the magical beasts bobbed in unison.
It was the moment the Seven Dragons, three of whom served under Dragon King Endros, stepped to the forefront alongside the beasts of slumber.