EP8. A New Journey (3)
About 15 days have passed since Shawn and Levi left Laes.
“····We are going well, right?”
“Don’t worry, I’m on the right track.”
Even with Levy’s confident assertion, Shawn’s expression did not brighten. It doesn’t mean that Levi is particularly gilded. Of course, I still vividly remember when I was lost in the mountains when I was young.
The thing is, neither Sean nor Levy has ever come this far. Laes was very close to the village, and she could have missed it because she only had to follow one road.
“How long until Ellioden?”
“Hmm. Well?”
“Do you know where we are now?”
At Sean’s question mixed with anxiety, Levy smiled broadly and said,
“Of course not! It is here.”
“…So I mean, do you know where we are in this vast forest?”
A portion of the map that Levy points to with her finger. Elioden appears after passing through the large forest where the two boys and the girl are now.
“The forest is almost gone.”
At the resolute answer, Sean looked at the girl in surprise. Well, even if Levy looks erratic, she has a much wiser side than herself, so she must have been thinking about everything.
Sean felt a bit guilty for not trusting his childhood friend, but he tried to smile and talk.
“I am again. I thought you were just looking at the map blindly. Did you use any magic?”
“Magic? Come to think of it, it seems that there was magic to find the way…”
“…Is there really such a magic? But why didn’t you write it?”
Levy answered right away as if asking why he was asking such an obvious question.
“hehehe. I forgot because I had nothing to write about!”
“·······.”
I wanted to say something, but Shawn didn’t know anything about magic, so I decided to keep my mouth shut. If you think about it, shouldn’t it be interpreted as meaning that there are a lot of magic that Levy has learned? There were so many that I forgot about magic I hadn’t used before.
“Shaun. No need to worry? Even if you don’t use magic, you’re going well anyway.”
“Yes. Seeing that you’re so sure, you can see what’s going on.”
“Nothing?”
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
The conversation didn’t go well for a while, and after repeating the question like a fool, Sean asked cautiously.
“・・・・You mean you’re just going with your senses?”
“What are you talking about? Neither do I.”
“Then what the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m using this map and my excellent navigation skills to get there!”
In other words, it means that you are just going by your senses. Sean sighed. I didn’t doubt Shriegel, who gave me the map, but I couldn’t rule out the possibility that there was something wrong with the map. For example, the map is old and the roads and terrain have changed, or there is a possibility that there will be dangers in traffic.
“····It’s good though. Levi. Let’s use that pathfinding magic right now.”
“Eh? Even if you don’t use magic, this Levy-sama’s ability is enough…”
“There is no reason not to use magic. Can we see the great Levi’s magic?”
At Sean’s exaggerated tone, Levy laughed lightly, recalling memories of his childhood. In response, Levy covered his mouth with the back of his hand and answered in a smug tone.
“Ahem. Then you can’t help it. I’ll show you this Levy-sama’s great magic in particular. hehehehe!”
“Oops. Thank you lady.”
Soon after, Levi closed her eyes and concentrated her magic. Soon after Levy opened her eyes, Sean tried to find something had changed in her, but nothing had changed.
“Did you use magic?”
“Yes. In my eyes, there is a soft light running down the road.”
If you follow that light, you will arrive at Elioden. Shawn asked with a small admiration at the greatness of the magic.
“It’s amazing. How is this possible? I’ve never been to Elioden.”
“Hmm. It’s hard to explain… In other words, would you say that the route to Elioden seen on the map was written in reality?”
“····I think it’s more complicated after hearing the explanation.”
So Sean and Levy walked along the path indicated by magic and chatted.
“What if I keep forgetting and not using magic and then I lose my way?”
“A. Who gets lost in a place like this? I have a good road like this.”
“I mean we don’t know where we are. . . . Well, I don’t have to worry about getting lost in the forest because I only have to go out of the way.”
While walking and having a conversation, a growl suddenly cut off the two of them and jumped out. The source of the sound was none other than the belly of a girl. Shawn stared at Levy’s belly, and then Levy rubbed her belly, her face flushed red.
“····Shawn. You must be very hungry!? That’s how the belly button…”
“It’s already time for lunch. Levi. Shall we eat lunch?”
“····What. I can’t help it because Sean is hungry.”
If I had to pick one lucky thing right now, it was that the food situation was very plentiful. Thanks to the full support of the top of the Golden Carriage, it could be said that the two of them had a better meal than they did in the village.
Even though it’s a preserved food in case it goes bad, you can tell from the fact that they eat lunch.
It’s safe to say that lunch is a luxury that is usually not taken unless you are a noble or wealthy person.
The two of them were about to have lunch sitting in a wide and flat forest, but stopped just before putting the food in their mouths.
Because a sound from beyond the bush stopped them. As soon as he heard the unidentified sound, Sean muttered in a low voice.
“… Again?”
“What do you mean by ‘again’?”
“····No. Nothing.”
Sean, who had experienced the incident several times in the woods, muttered tiredly, but he didn’t have time to answer Levy’s question, so he roughly denied it and got up.
The choice of ignoring the sound and leisurely eating lunch was too careless, so Sean slowly approached the bush to confirm its identity.
Seeing Sean approaching, ready to draw his sword at any time, Levy, who was behind him, also followed Sean, preparing to cast a spell.
Sean, who finally got close to the bush, slowly and carefully uncovered the bush and tried to figure out the identity of the unknown sound. Over the bushes and in the woods, Sean was found. Sean looked at her silently and sighed.
“…Corpse?”
“uuu”
It wasn’t a corpse. The pale complexion and sunken cheeks naturally reminded me of a dead person, but there must be a living corpse…
Then Sean remembered a memory. Among the stories his grandmother told him when he was little, he tells of a corpse brought to life through the voodoo tricks of an evil warlock.
“Levy. Be careful! Zombies!”
“… Is that a zombie?”
“Go, goooooh…”
Watching out the girl who was spouting meaningless sounds, Sean drew his sword. Meanwhile, Levy, who was watching the situation from a step back, tapped Sean on the shoulder and spoke cautiously.
“Shawn?”
“Levy! Cover me from behind. I’ll draw your attention.”
“Um… That’s it. Shawn? It seems to me…”
Levy tried to say something, but as the zombies began walking slowly, Shawn stopped listening to Levy’s backstory and aimed his sword at the zombie.
“I don’t know why there are zombies in a forest like this, but she can’t just get over it…”
“····Gooooo····.”
The zombie’s cry is quite peculiar. However, the resentment and sorrow contained in it was so deep and intense that it touched Sean’s heart. It wouldn’t be strange since he became like that without being able to gain the peace of death. Shawn made his heart stronger to defeat the zombies by burning some sympathy for the zombies and anger toward the warlock.
“····Shawn. Listen carefully.”
“Huh? Listen carefully. What····?”
“······Goooooh. Phaaa…
Certainly, it was something strange to call it a mere cry. Sean soon realized. That this is the same word as the last will that the zombie’s heart is still trying to utter.
So Sean listened carefully and tried to hear the zombie’s last words.
“·····Bae-ae-ae-ae. Oh oh oh… Faaa.
“That zombie right now… Are you saying you’re hungry?”
Shaun put down his sword in dismay and looked at the zombie again. As if she didn’t have the strength to stand up any longer, the zombie let out her last words as she knelt down.
“Kkakkodak.”
“·······.”
***
Shaun looked at the girl in front of him with an indescribable look. He refers to a girl who mistook him for a zombie.
She was literally eating hard with her fighting stance. In that wonderful appearance, not only Sean, but even her gluttonous Levi, were busy watching without even having time to put food in their mouths.
After the stormy mealtime, the girl bowed her back in a respectful manner, just like everyone else, and thanked her.
“Thank you very much. You are the benefactors who saved my life.”
“····No. Because it wasn’t that difficult. However····.”
Sean checked the girl for a moment. The appearance of the girl, who had been diligently picking up food and regaining her energy, was so different that I wondered if it was the same person as before.
Basically, she appeared to be a girl of the same age as Sean and Levy. In particular, the fresh light green hair was impressive. Seeing this, she wondered in her own eyes why she was mistaken for a zombie.
Sean looked at the girl’s appearance and mentioned the first question he had.
“Why were you there?”
“Because she was lost.”
“·····Ah. Okay.”
Shaun and Levy exchanged glances. In both of their heads at the same time, the conversation they had just shared. It was because it reminded me of a conversation that there was no way I could get lost in a forest like this.
“Besides, I lost my belongings, so I thought I was going to die.”
“If you lost your luggage, did something happen?”
At Levy’s rather worried question, the girl nodded her head obediently in affirmation.
“Yes. While passing through the forest, I encountered a bandit.”
“…But it’s fortunate that your life is safe.”
“I will. Did you and Jim get lost while running away from the bandits?”
To Sean’s question, the girl shook her head this time in denial.
“No. All the bandits have been defeated.”
“Uh… Yes?”
“However, while chasing and finishing off the remaining remnants, I forgot where I left my luggage, so it ended like this.”
I sorted out what the girl said and tried again.
“Hmm. Therefore····. You met a thief and immediately defeated it, chased the bandits into the forest and got lost? I can’t even find where my luggage is…?”
“Exactly.”
Sean had a realization. Even if the girl in front of her is not a zombie, she is definitely not a normal person.
On the other hand, Levi might not have noticed her special strangeness, so she first extended her hand and greeted her favorably.
“Still, I’m glad. I am Levi.”
“I am sepia.”
“Yes. Nice to meet you. Sepia.”
After shaking hands, both girls’ eyes turned to Sean. Sean, who was embarrassed for a moment, eventually held out his hand and introduced himself.
“This is Shawn.”
“It is sepia.”
A little awkwardly, the two exchanged greetings and shook hands. Sean couldn’t help but feel that he was not compatible with the girl named Sepia.