Chapter 36

It had been five days since Rain and the expedition team had departed from the village.

With Zarda, Lafetti, Drova, and Stagna leading the team, the group was able to advance through the dangerous forest with ease. Magical Beasts of any animals and beasts, and there were even strange but adorable ones Rain just couldn’t name was easily taken down. According to Syphy, each of them is enough to take an entire party of high-level human adventurers to defeat, and yet two or three Lamians was enough to deal one of them.

Although Rain had yet seen human adventurers fighting, he somehow was able to ascertain the difference between Lamians and Humans in terms of power.

A single Lamian was perhaps enough to fight against a high-level party of human adventurers?

They are really strong, each of them even. Whether they use swords, polearms like spears, bows or magic, they excelled everything. Looking at them fight, Rain was still kilometers away from even the weakest and youngest of them. Though, despite realizing that, currently Rain was wearing an expression as if he felt like the world had betrayed him.

His face extremely depressed like he was about to cry… just a mere sight of him could induce sympathy and pity. While having such expression, he turned towards Lafetti hoping that she would grow some heart and let him do what he wants.

If this was Pokem*n Legends, a prompt would certainly show up like this;

Rain used hurt-puppy expression!

It was super effective!

Lamias now felt pity and would cuddle you lovingly.

Still, Lafetti pretended she didn’t see anything and walked beside him, staying double the vigilance that she would have normally. Her piercing red eyes gleamed ominously as she looks at every direction and corner of the road they took. To the small insect to the largest Drakon, nothing bypassed her eyes and she would then immediately kill it in the shortest time possible.

Despite her hardliner character, she was actually feeling down inside her as the charm from Rain’s expression hits her harder than any monster could. However, she would rather endure it than watch Rain fell in danger. Although she wanted to let him enjoy this trip, she knows the extent of Rain’s ability and even the weakest slime of the forest is just a bit inferior to him in terms of strength. Hence, most monsters in here can actually pose a threat to his life.

This is the reason why Lafetti was reluctant on making him join the battle. Of course, it's not like she would let him fight. She had already given her word, and she would take them back. But not now.

However, the others didn’t have much of Lafetti’s immunity in regards to Rain as most Lamians, aside from Zarda who was enjoying the situation, felt as if they were doing something wrong—especially when they fight and defeated monsters. The eyes that struck them from behind caused them greater damage than monster’s claws, as their heart feels as if it was being squeezed by invisible hands.

The group through the trip was silent as if in a funeral parade.

The one who broke the strange atmosphere, however, was Zarda who instead of feeling sympathy was rather amused from the current situation.

“Why wear that kind of expression? You should raise your spirit; we’re going on a fight.” remarked by her with a mischievous grin. Her tone and attitude seemed as if she didn’t know the cause of Rain’s down-hearted expression.

“Did you see I’m feeling down? No, I’m not, I ain’t feeling down,” Rain replied brusquely. “Just that I felt somewhat betrayed more than ever. My very own love couldn’t even believe in me, it hurts. My heart is bleeding right now. Look at my wrists; it had shackles on it like I’m some sort of prisoner, my freedom is taken forcefully.”

Some other expression played upon Rain’s features then. Sadness, disappointment, perhaps, and one Zarda could empathize with after knowing her younger sister for a very long time. Lafetti has always been stubborn and would want to persist in her thoughts despite other people’s advice. But like his sadness, his sorrowful expression was gone just as quickly, replaced by something more mischievous. It was quite fast, something was done after considering the people’s feelings around him.

Was he trying to act playful in order to hide his own emotions?

Actually, although Rain was somewhat disappointed by Lafetti’s overprotectiveness, he was not one who doesn’t understand the reason. It was only a personal disappointment, not affecting the love he has for her at all. In fact, it was somewhat growing even more. The feeling of being cared for, and protected is never a bad thing.

But this is this and that is that.

“Say NO to Tyranny, Say YES to Diplomacy!”

He cast a glance at Lafetti but she was ignoring him big time as if she didn’t hear it at all…

“ – One man, alone, betrayed by the woman he loves. But who knows, he might be the last hope in their final hour of need…”

He even quoted Seymour Simmons from Transformers, trying to gain some sympathy but Lafetti continued to ignore him.

Looking at Lafetti’s aloof expression, Rain was very helpless and fell into depression again.

This was also the idea that Lafetti had come up with which she felt was the best way to handle him. No matter what he said or did, she would just give him a cold emotionless face, so that the rascal wouldn’t reach out for a yard after taking an inch*. She would never let Rain do something dangerous that might take his life.

To her, if she let him have everything he wants, despite the knowledge of danger, he might grow up a spoiled and might, in the future disregard the notion of danger to do what he wants. Of course, in this expedition, she was planning of helping him get stronger, honing him into a great warrior just like what he wanted. However, now, it is still too early.

He needed to have patience, and learn every corner of the forest by himself.

Zarda didn’t say anything while knowing everything. She knows that despite Lafetti’s stubborn personality, she was actually quite soft inside. Hence, she was already aware of her intentions of agreeing on Rain’s participation. Though, she wouldn’t say anything and just watched Rain with great amusement. She was doing this since the beginning of the trip – though at first, she did it just to observe him, trying to see his real character, after all, although she liked the youth, he was still a human, a race veiled by betrayal.

Naturally, this also one of the reasons why she let Rain comes with them. Just like the saying goes, one’s real character can be seen in their precarious situation, she wanted to see even a bit of Rain’s true colors through this expedition.

… But now, that had become a second priority as she watched Rain with full interest.

His every action and word greatly interest her… her prior assumptions of Rain’s identity had somehow been strengthened as she watched him.

If she wasn’t mistaken about human beings in the human world, Rain’s bearings and character wasn’t that same one lower class humans called commoners possess but that of a higher class called nobles – considering the surrounding people’s feelings, possessing a certain self-respect— never touching upon self-esteem, and far removed from self-conceit – Though that was only for an ideal good nobles—those families from the past age. But there were still some of them left among them in the current era. Glorifying the teachings of their ancestors.

Most nobles nowadays had already forgotten the teachings of the old…

Like those famous and well-known families in ancient times, Rain formed his opinions boldly while expressing them gracefully. When in action, he was brave - of course, while not forgetting to be gentle. He was always anxious to please, and always willing to be pleased. He was full of courage but free from ostentation. He is dignified but not too haughty and firm but not also impracticable…

Zarda listed all she could think upon seeing Rain’s actions up till now. And lastly, the image of Rain playing and interacting with children, talking happily with each other appeared inside her mind

– And most of all he is kind to his inferiors. Even to those that were ostracized by society, and discriminated by the world. She thought. He never hesitated to reach a helping hand, without any bias opinion.

His intelligence, his character, his perception, his gestures, his every movements and etiquette were strange – not that of a lower class that lack pride and grace. Even now when he was walking, his every stride, his stand - dignity, and pride can be seen from it.

… What a mysterious human. If what he said was true about his memories being lost, then his life before should be that of a noble, maybe he was a scion of a high-class family, a young master of some sort.

But never did Zarda expect that Rain was from another world… such absurdity didn’t even cross her mind even once.

As for Rain’s noble qualities, of course, it was due to him living in a society much progressive than this world. He wouldn’t act like a barbarian due to him living in a civilized world where etiquette was valued and respect is necessary though a lot of people had already forgotten this back in the modern world.

However, since Rain had received good education, he, of course, would be extremely different from this backcountry world!

But Zarda didn’t know that, so her views were completely different.

His memories must not be recovered!

At this moment, Zarda made an oath to herself that the moment there was a sign of regaining his memories; she would do anything to prevent it. Rain must not regain his memories in that way; he would stay with them and would never leave them!

Rain didn't know anything.

He had no clue of the frightening plans being formed inside Zarda’s mind that was walking behind him.

He was, while was restraining his depressed feelings, was silently following behind Lafetti without a care in the world. It was as if he was just on a school trip, or a picnic--no danger whatsoever. However, he was starting to enjoy the journey as well.

He had never been this far deep in the forest, and all the things found and seen were all novel to him. Despite being dangerous, they were beautiful. Something that could never be found back in Earth. A beauty of nature that struck the heart and soul.

The Desolate Forest, at the very center of the Desolate Cave, was a vast, endless landscape with blue skies and drifting clouds. And the forest all around him was like a boundless sea of verdant green.

Within the forest stood giant trees, that were comparable in size with mountains. Groups of Magical Beasts and Monsters would fly above the forest as their sharp cries echoed throughout the world. Even further away, there would be massive Magical Beasts and Monsters fighting against each other occasionally. Their thunderous roars came from far away.

This land was like an ancient prehistoric land where no person had ever set foot on.

And he was at the very center of it.

Rain felt he was being embraced by nature, welcome with all its heart.

And he loves the feeling.

… …

While walking, Rain scans the surroundings.

He never stopped paying attention around him.

Of course, he wasn’t frantically swiveling his head around him but his eyes were swimming towards different directions from time to time. However, as he walked through the woods, feeling the atmosphere, and constant bout and conversation with Lafetti, Zarda and the others such as Drova and Stagna, somehow prickled a part of Rain’s memories.

After a few minutes of thinking, he finally recalled it.

It was the school trip that he had gone on in his middle-school, with the theme of ‘Wild Life’. The destination had been a mountain near the City he was in. The purpose of the school trip was for the students to have the experience living in the wild, let them procure their own foods and cook it, as well as plant trees at the end of the school trip for nature’s preservation.

The School trip lasted for a week, and it’s mandatory.

At that time, his classmates’ excitement from suddenly being within the forest, having the mind of adventure, had been through the roof, and their revelry had continued wherever they went.

Even if the situation was entirely different—to that point, it was the only common feature, the atmosphere among the forty-odd people walking down the path beneath the trees bore a strong resemblance to that time with his classmates.

The endless chatting, the frequent explosions of laughter; the only difference was that monsters would occasionally attack them from the forest on either side. However, all the monsters that came close were instantly slain by the skills Rain couldn’t help but envy.

At this moment, as Rain was recalling that time, Zarda who was walking contently beside him suddenly furrowed her brows as she saw a shadow move in the distance. She stared hard but everything was still. Sometimes the light played tricks in this part of the world. There were even monsters whose abilities are strange and still unknown. However, her confusion was only for a moment, as once she saw the shadow.

“TO ARMS!!” screamed Zarda.

Rain snapped out of his thoughts and took a deep breath. Instead of panic, he calms his nerves. It was not his first time on a fight, so he was able to immediately compose himself. He then walked in front of Zarda while his hand was on the hilt of his sword.

Zarda who noticed Rain’s actions was confused. She saw Rain and noticed his body was slightly trembling but he was calm and was standing in front of her as if trying to protect her. Her lips curled into an amused, but affectionate smile. Although his actions were like a fool's behavior depending on the difference of his and her strength, still, Zarda felt ecstatic just by the tender emotions and feelings of being protected by someone. Especially to this mysterious, human youth; Rain Revert.

Perhaps it's a subconscious action that he had stood in front of her, Zarda mused as he saw the bewildered and then feeling embarrassed expression he had after a few seconds, and his hand left the hilt of the sword. He's still weak...indeed, but it doesn't mean he is contemptible. If someone mocked him for being weak, Zarda would be the one to reduce them to ash.

He knows he is weak, but he was eager to advance forward--and that's the most important. He accepted his weakness and do everything he can to move forward, and become strong. Not all people can do that. And during this trip, she would do everything she can to support him and help him in his endeavor.

As for the others, after hearing Zarda’s voice, the Lamians, battle-hardened and veterans, drew their weapons without any hesitation and took up battle positions as over fifty giant ant-like monsters jumped from the bushes and charged in with annoying grating noises.

The stupidity of rushing in without thought hit them hard as they were immediately met with giant serpents lying in ambush. They are the magical beasts that were taken care of by several Lamians, which Rain took in as Herders, Shepherds or the like. These Magical Beasts are extremely strong and seemed to be with the Amani Tribe long before the Tribe’s existence.

They are like partners of several Lamians, strong and powerful. According to Sylphy, the giant serpents with scales that look like glittering gems; [Najahara] were Lv3 or Lv4 magical Beast, with the weakest of them at Lv2.

The enormous serpents, coiled around them, crushing giant ants to a pulp, biting and whipped their tails uncontrollably, injuring and killing many giant ants before they could even begin their skirmish. Though a few slipped through, and their weapons clashed.

As Rain had expected, he wasn’t needed.

When the giant ants slipped through the group of magical beasts that were numbered eight (deemed as enough for the expedition), red-dyed and with the size of a Ferrari, came rushing, all the Lamians engaged as if they were the Avengers in the battle against the armies of Chitauri.

They were really strong. Although Lamians prefer a single type of combat, whether ranged, melee or magic, however most actually used all of them to adapt in a situation that calls for it. They used weapons such as sword or spear in close-quarter combat and magic or magic-enchanted arrows for ranged combat. In addition, most creatures that get closed get enveloped by their tail and can’t break out from it, eventually being crushed or stabbed to death.

The ones to rush in first in the front row were a group of Lamians led by a Lamian with an amazing muscle build, holding a large battle-hammer that seemed to be as tall as Rain. It was an incredible sight to behold when her muscle flexed as she mowed down enemies one after another.

With her tanned dirt-colored skin, her biceps and abdomen almost looked as if they were packed with rocks. Every hit of the hammer was followed by crushing sounds, and the monsters were blown away like a baseball hit by a bat. Rain wonders, if there would be left of him if that kind of attack hits him.

Gigantic silhouettes appeared from the air, landing on the ground with a booming sound of the earth caving in. Then there was also another group of red-colored giant ants appearing from deep underground, causing the earth to rumble. They came rushing like a flood trying to drown them.

After that, they opened their horrifying mandibles wide and shrieked.

"Giyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"