107 – 35. A mirror that reflects me.
I felt it on the way, but there were surprisingly various types of trees here.
“I guess you have a lot of interest in plants? Are your eyes looking down? Is it okay to see things like natural ecology again? But here, the trees are thick, so even if there are some tough weeds and mushrooms, pretty plants and flowers are rare. If searching is a hobby, that would be nice too.”
“…… ?”
Ases talks as if he saw himself looking around while moving ahead.
“On the right is a tree belonging to the birch family. And a little farther from the left, there are a lot of things belonging to the oak family. It’s easier to get there because the road is wider than here. And further ahead from here, to the southwest of our line, there is a tree belonging to the maple family. So in the fall, the color of the leaves will turn red and it will be quite nice to see. Hey, these birch trees also grow well, although their bark may turn white and their leaves may grow thick depending on the region. The area here is okay, so it has a healthy brown color like normal trees, but….”
She was surprisingly talking about this as if she knew it well.
“Even so, I don’t know if these are the same trees I know there. That’s why it’s called a twig. The birch tree is the same depending on the region or environment, but it also takes on a different appearance.”
“Well, you know.”
“I heard it. I remember what I heard. A witch was researching herbs, and she thought that trees could also be used as medicines, so she researched them in various ways. As a result, she often told me about their ecology and characteristics.”
“Is that so?”
“As you know, our bodies are our property. It’s not my destiny to carry emergency medicine, it’s my destiny. I don’t know if even a white mage can accompany me, but I can’t always do that, right? So, naturally, you have to build a network with that person so that you can get help later.”
The potion Ashes gave her when Kariel lay down was also the crystal.
The medicines that Kariel herself was carrying were just simple medicines for internal injuries, including trauma, so they were useless.
And.
It didn’t look like anyone said anything.
To Kariel, who passed out at the time and couldn’t swallow something of hers, it was Ashes who took her potion and put it in her mouth and pushed it up to her tongue so that it wouldn’t spill out. Peel.
“This result came about because the treasured emergency medicine was still well used, but the bottom was not a business.”
“… ….”
Even though she talks so well alone, she walks lightly through the forest without a road for dozens of minutes.
“Is this enough?”
Among the growing trees, a bizarrely gigantic boulder stood as if it were stuck to the ground.
There was a surprisingly large entrance sloping into the ground.
It is not appropriate to call it a crypt, so it would be more appropriate to call it a stone cave.
As Seth walked casually into the darkness, Mines followed her, clearing her mind.
I wondered if there should be a torch, but when I went inside and my eyes got used to the darkness, I heard the faint sound of running water again along with the not small hollow-like interior space.
Inside the cave, a mysterious place spread out like another underground passage.
Even if it’s not a maze, it’s large enough to get lost in if you enter without knowing it.
Above all, even though it is a space without a single light, for some reason, the outline of the interior can be grasped somehow.
It’s because some of the vines clinging to the ground and walls were emitting light like those of fireflies.
Maybe it was because it was a sight he had never seen before. Minnes was half mesmerized by the sight.
“Are you curious?”
“This is… something?”
“I don’t know.”
“… ….”
As I entered like that, unexpectedly, another hollow with sun shining and a large tree nestled there, to be exact, the roots growing like pillars and standing up caught my attention at once.
“Here it is.”
“… ….”
Follow where Athes points his hand.
As if leaning against the roots that grew like pillars.
No, the figure of someone clinging to it as if relying on it caught my eye.
She was skinny before, but now she’s even skinnier than that.
His unique black hair was bleached white or gray due to the placenta being discolored.
Really… It didn’t look normal.
“I, I… why are you doing that… No, why did it happen like that?”
My lips trembled at the gruesome scene, and I couldn’t speak properly.
“What did they say? Didn’t I say that I had to lose all the muscles I had previously formed?”
“Yes? What is that, sound?”
“They say that they take out all the muscles that were built the other day and build them again. And bones and skeletons and blood… What did you say? Cellular organization? It’s a strange expression, but you said that even those things should be completely replaced, right?”
“… ….”
I don’t know what you mean.
Just to predict in context.
“… Does that mean you’re building a new body?”
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“You manage to understand. That’s right.”
But.
“Before that, what if I die? No matter how you look at it, it doesn’t seem normal.”
“What about that?”
“Yes?”
“A boy can risk his life in order to become strong. I never asked him to do it, and he said he would do it, but is there any reason for me to hold him back?”
“That….”
That’s true.
That’s not to say it’s just right….
“Being strong means, after all, pushing your will and beliefs into the world. I guess you could say that I did it.”
“… What does that matter?”
“It doesn’t matter. Others constantly try to use us and try to pamper us. How to avoid being swayed by it? It just needs to be something they can’t touch easily. They will intimidate and placate us with food, and they will intimidate and coax us with gold. If you have no strength, there is no solution other than to surrender or obey in the end. But what if you have power? The initiative is always with us. Power here includes both force and knowledge, so don’t get me wrong.”
Well, that’s what I am. I don’t know what other people think.
After finishing her words, she headed in the direction where Kariel was.
Mines hurriedly followed after Minnes.
The sound of the water became a little clearer, so I did something, and on one side of the cavity, a small stream of water flowed endlessly like a small river.
It started from the wall and flowed back to the floor to form a small waterway.
It’s faint, but the water flow doesn’t leak or protrude through the sides, it must be because of its subtlety.
“Looks like we still have a long way to go.”
“… Is he still staying here?”
“Uh. I’ve been here ever since I came here. He never leaves his seat.”
“… Aren’t you dead?”
“In that case, I would have buried it somewhere or burned it.”
Sometimes.
Even though it’s clearly in front of my eyes, it’s like a trace sometimes. Sometimes I miss sitting.
It’s something that rarely happens to Ases himself, but after actually going through such an experience several times, he now believes it is.
This was a strange experience as well.
“Ah, come to think of it, you know where this place is, right?”
“… It is called the Valley of the Lake Dragon.”
If you look closely, there is no valley, but a topographical subtlety called a quasi-valley.
I would rather go to the canyon, but thanks to the gigantic lake that is openly located, I can’t say no.
The lake now seems isolated, thanks to mountains and mountains, with no openings anywhere.
However, it is said that this place was once really a valley, a long time ago.
And the one who is called the owner of this place, and the many minority tribes that serve the owner in this area, do not doubt that fact at all.
“Yes. Then why is it called the Valley of the Lake Dragon?”
“Did you say it was the home of one of the few, representative dragons on the continent?”
In the past, when dragons were prosperous, it is said that they expanded their territory to almost the entire continent, other continents, and even islands.
The dragons at this time meant most fantasy species or divine beasts.
“That’s why no country can invade or overrun this area.”
Even if you search the continent, there are no more than five lands that are openly abode and nest for dragons and occupy a certain area.
Those who are called lake dragons here, however, are mostly quiet unless you touch them.
Even at the time of the invasion of the demon king’s army, it was quiet enough, so it was obviously getting antipathy from the neighboring countries.
Nevertheless, the reason it’s still quiet here is probably because you know that the country will be destroyed in an instant if you provoke it prematurely.
In the first place, dragons are stories, and they are far more cruel and selfish than in fairy tales.
It’s not just that warriors and heroes kill and slice dragons in old stories.
Nevertheless, the reason I want to resemble them is because their mightiness and strength are objects of envy.
… Of course, there were dragons that were friendly to mortals.
A representative example is the golden dragon, which is considered sacred in the empire.
The Golden Dragon Knights, to which the nine heroes and great warrior Rueld belonged, were, in a way, the most elite knights formed to honor and praise the existence.
“Then, is there a reason you came here other than the place you originally intended to go to?”
“Yes. First, it is not easy to track, and it is a place where you cannot recklessly enter even if you know the location. Then….”
Asses was watching Kariel’s figure.
He said this.
“If you search the world, there aren’t that many places where you can stay in a quiet place without any disturbance for a while.”
Not to mention, he had no choice but to be a fugitive and branded as the culprit of all sorts of bizarre rumors.
No, because he felt that way, Ases dared to persuade him and lead him here.
“Looks like not today. Are you looking for the next opportunity?”
“When did you wake up?”
“I don’t know.”
Ash shook his head.
“Still, sometimes I open my eyes, so if I have something to ask at that time, I ask.”
“… ….”
That’s too vague.
“If you want to stay here, stay. Or, if there is no other way, you can do some work for me and be beholden to my cabin.”
“Are you okay?”
“What else wouldn’t be okay?”
As I turned around and came out of the cave again, Ases mentioned the requirements.
“Hunt once a week. So that the two of us don’t get in the way of eating. I’ll do the cleaning. Anyway, with your skills, hunting isn’t difficult, right? What about the rest, like securing firewood? It’s not allowed to hit any tree, mostly just fallen trees or some branches. Or you just have to deal with the trees I designated.”
“That, I understand. It’s not that difficult.”
It is not difficult.
As she said.
“I’m starting to get tired of hunting these days. I’m tired of setting traps.”
While listening to Ases’ grumbling words, take a moment to listen and ask about the surroundings and things to be careful about.
By the time the cabin came into sight, she spotted several personnel there.
One is a Beast with a huge body.
Looking at the face, it reminds me of a deer.
All three looked human.
One is a long-haired middle-aged man with a moderately grown beard.
The other two were a boy and a girl.
“Have you been there again?”
The deer sniper came closer, making a loud stomping noise to match its large body.
“I have nothing to do, so I have to be diligent about this.”
“… There is nothing else to be diligent about.”
The fur dyed in a dark color, like brown and white spots, was harmoniously located.
They say they are wearing clothes, but in terms of human beings, both the top and bottom are actually half sleeves.
All clothes in dark green colors.
Even the small luggage bag hanging from the waist was like that.
There were no shoes, but they looked like horse hooves, but very heavy, and looked very sturdy like steel boots.
It’s a healthy black color that stands out and exudes a strong presence.
“You are still a nephew, right? Isn’t your attitude too harsh?”
“Then you accepted the fact that everyone died and came this far? Was it because recognition was persecuted?”
“Of course you did that by looking at my face, right?”
“Anyway, he looks like an impudent guy.”
A prisoner who sticks out his tongue.
“By the way, it looks like you broke out? Where did you leave the horns again?”
“Because my head itches. And, since there is nothing I can give to that nephew or something, I have to give that at least.”
“He only grumbles on the outside, but in reality he is kind. The horns of the one called the Nine Heroes. I wonder what kind of expression he would make if he knew.”
“… ….”
Mines, who had been listening quietly, tilted his head for a moment.
Nine heroes?
Then, when the deer beast’s gaze turned to Mines, Ases reacted with a wink.
“Oh, don’t you know this one?”
“Even if it’s not the case, I came because I was told to ask about it and come. I have something to pass on to you.”
“He also feels good. But what are you passing on?”
“… It would be more enjoyable than doing nothing. And, she’s a girl who radiates such vicious energy, and if you don’t know, that’s abnormal.”
Mines At the words of the deer beastman staring at her, she struggled to correct her mind.
What she sees in herself, what makes her predicate.
To the extent that even he couldn’t guess, she wasn’t an idiot.
“I….”
“You have nothing to say to me. Since there is a geek next to a geek, the geek will take care of it. Isn’t it? Acerat?”
“Well? What should I do?”
To Ashes’ attitude with her mischievous cheerful smile, the deer beastman responded with her snort.
“That, over there… Did you say nine heroes earlier?”
Aseth giggled and laughed out loud.
“Didn’t I introduce myself? I didn’t have time to introduce myself, so it’s natural? I had no intention of doing it.”
“You really….”
With her eyes closed, the deer beast with her tongue stuck out, thrusting her huge body in, said to her Mines.
“Yes. The only beast that I went back and forth with the great Emperor of the Empire, Rueld, and the crazy gang. Gadef is right. So the lady just… Gadef. Yes, call me Mr. Gadev. It must be a young human female, right?”
“Yes. . I’ll call you that if you like. I have no complaints either.”
“Good. I won’t ask about your inner circumstances. Anyway, we don’t have business, it looks like he or Kariel have business, so unless you’re making a fuss, we won’t provoke you either. So it seems like we are not there, and then when we run into each other, let’s smile happily and stay calm. Got it?”