Chapter 177 – Ep.12 – Start Again
In an unknown forest, a space that still has a strange feeling even though it is quite far from the elves and the world tree.
We keep making our way through the forest where the road is not properly laid out. Of course, I don’t wander like I used to. Perhaps it was thanks to the gifts of the elves and the leaves of the world tree.
It feels like the trees of the elven forest are opening a path for me. That feeling of reluctantly giving way to me even though I am standing there as if I would stop a stranger at any moment.
However, even though the journey has become easier, our steps are heavy. My feet are light, but it feels like something is pressing on my shoulders.
Everyone just walks in silence without speaking. Only the sound of footsteps stepping on grass and stones can be heard in succession.
With those sounds, the sun starts to sink little by little. I left in the morning, but it was already evening.
It will be dark soon. To prepare for the night, Kaede carefully wags her tail here and there, then gathers all her strength and leaps high.
Kaede, who had risen high, twisted his body gracefully, inspected his surroundings, and landed very lightly. She is always easy to locate thanks to her phenomenal jumping power.
But this time, Kaede’s expression is unusual. It seems that she is not happy with the scenery she faces after leaving the dense forest for a while.
“Um… I almost got out of the woods. By the way, there are only deserts lined up on the side we are going to.”
Desert.
I stop for a moment while thinking about that strange echo.
A place I’ve heard of many times but never been to myself, and a place where I feel a strange sense of alienation now that I’m heading to the sea.
“We are almost there.”
Putting my doubts to shame, Helen in a black nun’s uniform speaks kindly to everyone.
As if comforting us who have been caught up in all sorts of incidents. As if he understands the suffering.
“I will not be involved in any more commotion. Don’t worry everyone. Also, since you’ve worked so hard, I hope you will be rewarded for it.”
There is comfort in her words. I think it’s a necessary consolation in the party atmosphere.
“Now we will go to the Demon Continent. Everyone has suffered. It wasn’t always a good trip, but with the end approaching like this, we overcame everything in the end.”
When Helen had finished her words, she smiled and walked over and put her hand on my shoulder. I was surprised for a moment because of the afterglow from the elven village that hadn’t left yet, but I soon felt infinite warmth at her fingertips.
I was stunned for a moment by the warmth that contrasted so well with everything I had been through in the past few days. Unknowingly, I even put my hand on top of Helen’s.
“Is there an ocean beyond the desert?”
And, holding Helen’s hand like that, I couldn’t hold back the question and spat it out honestly. Also, I thought it was a good thing to ask the question. All the women besides me were waiting for Helen’s answer.
“The fine sands of the desert are rolling into the sea.”
The land of the elves begins with forests and ends with deserts and seas… Helen said so.
No one asked how they knew the topography of this place. Helen said she always knew a lot, and no one doubted her words anymore.
No, I would doubt it, but I had no choice but to believe the words related to our journey.
Aren’t Helen and us moving towards the common goal of being the [Demon King]? Until we get there, there is no need to cheat or keep each other in check.
Helen needs our strength, and we need Helen to act as a guide. She is all that She’s such a deal.
“… Helen also worked hard.”
Nevertheless, I added a few words to Helen. It didn’t have much meaning, but it took courage to say it at this moment when everyone was silent.
Helen looked at me blankly for a moment, as if my words were quite surprising. Her droopy eyes and strangely decadent face stared at me like that,
“It was nothing.”
It ended with a short murmur. A quiet and kind smile lingered on Helen’s lips for a while, and then disappeared somewhere as if she had just brushed them off. Her smile, which I hadn’t seen in a long time, was still vague. Nothing had changed about her.
The only thing that changed was us. Helen’s smoky cigar smoke and strong alcohol remained the same, only the environment around me and all my relationships were changing.
It felt like the atmosphere had softened a little. Rather than talking about my affairs, my sisters seemed relieved to have me back.
Of course, if I recall the things I did with the other elves or the World Tree, they would all be in tears, but it wouldn’t be like the old days of scuffles or biting each other.
We may be gradually adapting to this kind of life. In the current life that gets caught up in incidents and moves forward while resolving those incidents.
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A short break is given. It is a rest to loosen up the knotted legs and wash away the fatigue of the arduous journey.
They clear the land, gather a pile of firewood, build a fire, and build a temporary shelter near the fire to spend the night.
It is a fairly familiar procedure now, so everyone has a good division of roles. Of course, my role is to sit still and get as much rest as possible.
It’s been a long time since I sat around a campfire. Maybe it’s because of the memories of being dragged around so far, I even feel comfortable and cozy when I’m surrounded by my older sisters and basking around a bonfire.
However, as I look at it with my eyes focused on the shimmering flames, a new thought arises again.
When I sit still and look at the fire with my chin resting, I feel as if I am being thrown into the midst of that fire.
When this happens, thoughts that have been put off for so long come to mind one by one. Memories from the Earth, which have gone too far, and memories experienced here, everything.
“Pooh-“
And, all the memories that came up in that way flicker in front of her eyes again, using Helen’s smoke as a drawing paper. The acrid yet warm smoke drifts over the bonfire and into the night sky.
It sounds like you’ve been through a lot in the meantime. If I were to write a book about my experience, I can be sure that about five volumes would be filled.
I fell into this world without knowing why, and after meeting Riko in that state and getting beaten up so badly…
Meet Neva, meet Chichi, meet Kaede, be taken by the Queen, meet Helen… ? Is not it? Have you met Eva before that?
It’s hard to remember right now. Anyway, I met all kinds of people and broke up, and I met new people again…
The experiences that I have built up so many layers now weigh me down. The hectic life here is so much that it is burdensome when I look back after having some time to spare.
As I was looking into the past, someone came up to me and offered me his arms.
The arms that carefully embraced me from behind were Rico’s arms. Even if I didn’t look at the coppery, healthy color, I could notice it.
The soft breasts touching my back, the head lightly resting on my shoulder, and every breath inhaling deep into the nape of my neck.
I can feel Rico in all of them. It’s not just Rico. If it wasn’t Riko, but Neva or Kaede hugging me, I’d be sure to notice right away.
We got used to each other. Now I know who it is just by hearing the sound of walking.
“Please.”
Even so, Riko muttered quietly as she hugged me. It was a voice I wasn’t used to, so I couldn’t help but be a little taken aback.
“Just stay by my side. Got it.”
She was Rico, who always growled and argued, with a bad mouth, except for the first few words she uttered after they were reunited.
Rico’s voice was limp, like that of a child after a lot of crying and her uproar. She felt a little sorry for her.
“All right.”
No further answer was required. Long, dazzling, rhetoric-laden sentences like that were just a luxury.
I just caressed Rico’s arm wrapped around my chest with her short words that she just knew. I don’t have the kindness that would comfort someone like Helen, nor the strange atmosphere that makes me feel at ease, but I still tried to comfort Rico a little bit.
I was always being swayed here and there, beaten, scolded, and forcibly raped, but I couldn’t ignore Rico, who leaned on me and breathed heavily.
Why? To me she felt like a small, pitiful child. She only felt much younger than Chichina, Nevana, and Kaede, who were watching the two of us from a distance.
I sat and stroked Rico for a long time, as if to calm a frantic child. Rico didn’t like my touch so much, she immediately let me cross her arm and over her own head.
Her hair was surprisingly soft. Her dark brown hair, which always tickled me while enveloping me, was more suited to this silent moment than the moment of her intense kiss.
