Chapter 177

This was probably what they meant by “untrodden path” .

Currently, the demons had cut off all relations with other races, and that had remained the case for several hundred years .

The place within the beastmen territory that was the closest to the demon territory was overgrown with trees, and even in the surroundings, there was not a single paved path as if no one ventured within and was avoided .

We traveled along the uneven paths even though we had yet to enter this forest .

The fact that there weren’t even any animal trails was rather suspicious .

It seems the vanguard Kurou was advancing straight toward the meeting point, moving forward without any hesitation .

There were traces of the struggles of large monsters everywhere within the forest, but it was dead silence as if other animals did not exist .

That was probably also, the main reason why humans and animals didn’t approach it .

Remarkably, the annoying bugs that buzzed around your face did not make their appearance either .

We stepped foot into such a place, but as we went deeper into the forest, getting closer to the demon territory, the more monsters there were .

Since Ria put up a barrier the entire time, it wasn’t as tense and we didn’t put our guards up, but even so, the stress accumulated as we were overly sensitive .

Unlike the dungeons, it required a lot of effort to be cautious of everything around you .

The hero and the others who went ahead were probably stressed as well .

Did they arrive safely .

No, did they even come this way?

There were no traces of human footprints on the ground .

There were only large claw marks, and it wasn’t even small like the ones that small animals made .

As I surveyed the surroundings, I remembered something .

Commander Saran was basically the one who was assigned to train me, so I’m not too sure just how strong Zeal-san was .

In the dungeon, he had easily performed a superhuman feat by running along the walls while wearing heavy armor, so I knew that he was considerably agile, and he completed part of the complex coordinated technique by himself, but was he strong with the sword .

He had Kurou’s approval, so I left the hero and the others to him, but was it really ok?

No, leaving aside their fighting strength, they wouldn’t get lost or something, right?

At times like these, I wanted cell phones that we could use to exchange messages and talk .

「Akira-sama, can I have a moment?」

As we hurried towards the place where we were meeting up with the hero and the others, Ria called out to me and I slowed my steps .

Kurou was the vanguard, then it was Amelia, Amaryllis, and Ria, and I was the rear guard, so distance-wise, it was easy to talk to each other .

Unexpectedly, Amaryllis could keep up with our speed .

I thought that she would not get enough exercise because she had been imprisoned, but it seems that while staying in that narrow cage with everyone, she tried to keep up with her health as much as possible .

There was a physician among them, among other things .

Be that as it may, she didn’t have a combat-oriented occupation, so it seems that her stamina was not as good as Ria’s, and when Amaryllis slowed down, Ria or Amelia would carry her as they moved forward .

I never get tired of watching the elven princess and the former beastman princess happily arguing over who would be the next person to carry her, and the human who felt ashamed .

After leaving Uruk, Ria didn’t say anything else after I spoke to her for a bit regarding Amaryllis, but perhaps she was gathering her thoughts .

Kurou and Amelia glanced over at us, but they tactfully moved further away so that they wouldn’t be able to hear our conversation .

They probably judged from the look on RIa’s face that it was better for them to not listen in .

Kurou too, if he could be this considerate, I would like him to do so on a regular basis, by all means .

「Well, what is it?」

After confirming that the two people were far enough away, Ria looked down .

She tightly gripped the staff that she held in front of her chest, and then looked up at me as if she’d made up her mind .

「It is strange to say something like this, but as a beastmen, there’s something that I want to say to you . 」

I gulped .

If it was something that she had to say at such a time, it was probably about Gram .

There was a commotion in the morning and it was hectic .

Eight or nine times out of ten, it’s about the person that I killed… .

My heart was pounding .

As if, I was afraid of what Ria was about to say .

「Oi, it’s coming!!」

Just as Ria was about to speak, Kurou’s voice resounded within the forest .

Due to the habit I developed after spending long periods of time in the dungeons, I immediately readied myself, but that monster promptly fell victim to Amelia’s『Gravitational Magic』 .

It seems that, Amelia and Kurou thought that RIa and I should talk properly .

I raised my hand and thanked Amelia, and after giving me a sweet smile, she stood next to Kurou .

These guys, after becoming teacher and student, they often talked with each other .

Amaryllis’s eyes were sparkling, looking everywhere at the rare medicinal herbs that grew in the forest .

Maa, Kurou was watching them, so it should be alright .

「Akira-sama, is it alright with you?」

It seems that she wanted to continue our conversation .

I, wasn’t good with having such serious conversations though .

「A, aah, sorry . Continue . 」

「Well then, once again . Akira Oda-dono, as the former princess . I would like to apologize for the great trouble that my race had caused you . Not only did we cause nothing but trouble for the other races, but we trafficked and confined them, and despite being a part of the royal family, they concealed what happened . And the reception towards the hero-sama who helped us with the crisis of the overflowing of the dungeon . This list goes on and on . I sincerely apologize . 」

Not knowing what I should do, for now, I patted Ria’s head that she lowered towards me .

「Raise your head . I don’t really mind it . In the first place, when I came to this world, outrageous things happened one after another . 」

There was no reason to apologize for what I did for myself .

「Aside from that, what is Ria’s own opinion? Including Amaryllis’s matter as well . 」

When I explained Amaryllis’s matter, and how we would be travelling together from now on, there was no reaction from Ria .

「I can not forgive what my uncle…former uncle, had done . As a fellow beastman, for the the human trafficking up until now, and for what happened with Kurou-sama’s younger sister as well . And Amaryllis-san’s matter too . It was a matter of course that he died, that’s what I think . However… . 」

Ria said this and hung her head .

「However, Akira-sama taking on Kurou-sama’s enemy, no matter what, I can not consent to that . I understand that Akira-sama too had a reason for it . However, as things are, Kurou-sama would have no reason to live on . Do you not think that I know, what a person who had wished for something for several decades would do after it had been granted?」

That should’ve been something that I knew as well .

The current Kurou was considerably unstable .

It wouldn’t be strange for Kurou, who had taken care of his younger sister’s enemy through me, to die at any time .

In the first place, it had been a long time since he started aging .

In this way, when Kurou completed his task of guiding us to the demon territory, what he would do afterwards, it wasn’t hard to imagine .

「That’s true . Neither Kurou nor I were really thinking . However, please understand that it was a decision that was made because I too was quite worried about Kurou . 」

When I said this, Ria nodded, her eyes blurred with tears .

「I know . I understand . …however, Kurou-sama said this to me . ‘When I was planning my sister’s revenge, when I foisted it onto the young man, I would inevitably fall into hell . ’ When this is over, Kurou-sama will not find happiness nor will he live on, he intends to head towards hell . That, … . I would not be able to bear with that . 」

Her tears overflowed, dripping down, and onto the ground .

I, did not have the qualifications to wipe those tears .

…really, what was he doing, Kurou .

I sighed and looked up .

And then, I used『Shadow Magic』to quickly remove the head of the whale monster that was drifting by as if it were swimming in the sky and obtained food .

「For now, let’s eat . Then, let’s think about how we can convey that to Kurou . I cooperate with you as well . Of course, Amelia and Yoru too . 」

I didn’t know what Amaryllis would do, but she would probably help as well .