Chapter 195 – Crossing the Line;
Today is the second day since we left the beast tribe village and started crossing the Great Forest in earnest.
It must have drizzled last night, or unlike yesterday when it was muggy, the weather was quite cool, so smiles bloomed on the faces of the soldiers of the Demon Army who were organizing the tent.
Since we couldn’t march at night, we ate a simple meal in the morning to move as much as possible during the day and went deeper into the forest with Hild, our guide.
Of course, the process of marching was not always smooth.
As if to prove that the word “Magic world” Didn’t come out of nowhere, the inside of the Great Forest was full of all sorts of magical creatures that couldn’t be seen from the outside.
A saber-toothed tiger that might have existed only in ancient times, a snake larger than a person, and a giant chameleon that mimics its surroundings and eats its prey.
There were only guys so threatening that a normal human would die soon.
Of course, most of the demon soldiers who accompanied the delegation were elite, so it didn’t matter much.
Anyway, it was about 5 hours since we started marching like that.
Right! Right! Right! Right! Right! Right!
A monkey’s cry was heard in the distance.
At first it seemed like a very small noise, but the regular cries that grew louder and louder were right in front of us before we knew it.
“You’re here.”
As I muttered that, Dorothea, who was next to me, muttered.
“It’s getting a little fun now.”
Yet,
Thud!!
A huge figure fell from a tree.
It was the same black-haired monkey I had seen yesterday.
Hild, who stood at the head of the party, opened his mouth.
“It’s been a while. Daruma. Did the master of the forest send you here?”
Then the monkey called Daruma opened its mouth.
“That’s right. The captain asked me to see his face after a long time.”
Unexpectedly, he knows how to speak human language.
Since it was said to be child-level intelligence, it would be possible to learn it, but it’s amazing that monsters speak human language.
Then, Hild looked back at her and asked.
“What are you going to do? Patrasche.”
“Huh? Ahh. Well, I have to follow you.”
Wasn’t there a choice from the beginning anyway?
“I see.”
“Then follow me.”
Daruma, who got an answer from us, cried out to the monkeys who were climbing on the trees around him.
Then the monkeys began to surround us as if they were watching us.
“This isn’t even an escape from the planet.”
As I live, there are things like this.
“Isn’t it fun and good?”
After Master said that, covering her mouth with a fan and laughing, Hild looked back at the party and spoke with her mouth.
‘Be quite.’
It seems that he is worried that he will go against the planting of the monkeys around him.
Well, there’s nothing wrong with being careful.
As Heald asked, I decided to keep my mouth shut.
***
The place where Daruma followed the monkey was a primitive village like a village of goblins or orcs.
As if proving that the long-armed monkeys of the Great Forest are very intelligent compared to common monsters, it seems that members of their own kind gather in one place and live a group life.
‘Only the appearance is a monkey, and the lifestyle is almost like a human.’
Perhaps the children are raised jointly at the tribal level, or females gathered in a corner of the village are gathering and feeding.
As I stare at it curiously, a baby monkey in her mother’s arms waves her hand at me.
It’s like a person who saw a rare animal in a zoo.
Feeling a strange awkwardness in his gaze, I turned my head to the front again.
“Then the soldiers wait here, and only the representatives of the party follow.”
After hearing Daruma’s words, Hild ordered the soldiers to stand by and gestured to us.
Just as there is a saying to follow the Roman law when you come to Rome, you must listen to the monkeys since you are in the monkey village.
Just before I followed Hild to meet the owner of the forest, I asked the two elves, who were in an ambiguous position in many ways to be called a party.
“Glinda, are you going to meet me?”
Then Glinda glanced at Margaret next to her and shook his head.
“I don’t think there’s any need to follow us to a place like that. We’ll wait here with the soldiers.”
“I see.”
Even during their travels so far, the two followed them as if they were present or not.
It was probably because they were worried that it would cause trouble for us, but it was hard to approach because it felt like they were drawing a line.
Having separated from the soldiers, we followed Daruma to the giant tree in the center of the monkey village.
***
Master of the forest.
According to Heald as we walked, it seemed to be the most powerful monster in the great forest.
In the past, Naga, a monster that is a combination of humans and snakes, and Wyverns, a subspecies of dragons, existed and built a three-power system in the form of checking each other, but as the Wyverns moved their residences as a group, the balance collapsed, and Jinnaga’s power in the power game As the forces left the Great Forest, it seems that they became the strongest force in the forest.
“Surprisingly, beasts aren’t included in the Three Rivers, are they?”
“We live at the entrance of the forest, so there’s not much chance of bumping into them. And since the demon king’s army is behind us, even the owner of the forest can’t touch it easily.”
Indeed.
Even a guy who lives with such a sense of self-proclaiming himself as the owner of the Great Forest is aware of that.
While chatting like that, the monkey-daruma walking in front looked back and said, as if he had finally arrived at his destination.
“Suddenly in front of the captain. Be polite.”
Hearing that, I turned my gaze to the front.
A giant tree that grew so tall that it covered the sky, and in front of it was a wooden throne, and sitting on it was a guy about twice the size of normal gibbons.
Shhh-
As explained by Hild yesterday, the snake’s head is attached instead of the tail.
The monkey, ‘the owner of the forest’, with a languid expression on his chin, stared at us and said.
“Welcome. Strangers.”
Gentiles, accredited.
At first glance, they didn’t seem hostile towards us.
I got down on one knee and said to him.
“Nice to meet you. Master of the forest. I am Patrasche, a magician belonging to the Demon King’s Army.”
“Well.”
The owner of the forest nodded leisurely.
“It’s nothing else, the reason I met a noble person today is to borrow the road to Elven Wood.”
“Why is the Demon King’s cousin going to Elven Wood?”
It was an unexpected question.
But I answered with a poker face.
“It is to strengthen friendship between the two races. In an era of peace, there is nothing good in blushing.”
After hearing my answer, the owner of the forest suddenly burst out laughing.
“Puhahahahaha! The word peace comes out of the mouths of the demons! It looks like the sun has risen in the west today!”
Blatant ridicule.
Actually, it wasn’t particularly wrong, so I calmly waited for his laughter to stop.
If he was a guy with high loyalty to the demon lord, he might have been angry, but I’m not particularly like that.
Then, as expected, when his laughter subsided slowly, I asked with an audacious expression.
“So, can you answer the question I just gave you?”
Then, the owner of the forest wiped the tears from his eyes with a satisfied expression and nodded happily.
“Okay. If you pay enough, there’s nothing we can’t lend you. From our point of view, demons and elves are the same guys anyway.”
Thank god. I was nervous inside because I was afraid that I would suddenly say no.
After a long time, I went into cross-sex mode and rubbed my hands together.
“It’s intentionally taking care of our convenience, but of course you have to pay. Since it’s your first time meeting, I’ll put it in without regret.”
“Half.”
“Yes?”
“Give me half of the wealth you brought here. If you do, I will lend you a way.”
“…”
At the unexpected request of the owner of the forest, I became a mute who drank honey.
Heald, who was next to him, was also quite perplexed.
“Well, wait a moment. Master of the forest. If you ask for half of the gift to Elven Wood…”
“If you don’t like it, go back. I have nothing to regret.”
As she said that, the way she snorted looked like she was very determined and ready to nibble.
Hey, are you a little too greedy?
Feeling a thousand dollars flying inside, I said with a smile in order to end it as well as possible.
“Why don’t you compromise with 20% of the total? No matter how much, I don’t think half is too much to ask for.”
However, the attitude of the owner of the forest was still confident.
“Here, there is also the option of killing all of your party and eating them all. Compared to that, I think it’s a fairly lenient treatment?”
“…”
Fuck? This bastard bastard?
I was furious and almost cursed, but I decided to hold it in one last time.
They say that having patience three times can save a person’s life, but isn’t it natural that the delegation’s general manager can’t ruin things?
“Okay. If you want that, I’ll give you half of it. Since it’s the first time we’ve met each other, I’m giving it to you, right?”
But maybe I underestimated the owner of this forest too much.
“No, I’ve changed my mind. In addition to half the property, hand over one of the females you brought with me. Then I’ll take care of it.”
As he said that, he smiled greedily, but if nothing else, he couldn’t stand the insult any longer when he was told to give up his woman.
“Fuck it. Who are you giving orders to. Monkey kid.”
I said that and proudly raised my middle finger.
To be honest, I put up with this a lot.
