Since this is only a collection of a few houses, it's quite easy to find someone. Especially someone who stands out as much as a couple that's quarreling. Or so it should have been. Instead, we find them kissing behind a barn. Ugh, just explode already...
When they notice us, they quickly separate and act as if nothing of the sort happened. Either they're consciously putting up an act, or really think they're getting away with keeping their relationship a secret. Whichever it is, both are equally annoying to me.
"Wh-what is it?" Luna asks with a flushed face. She wipes her moist lips on a sleeve and tries to maintain her countenance. But we already saw it, dammit!
"We wanted to get moving." Gram says while acting as if he didn't see it.
"Yes, we want to get back before nightfall." Rolan, more composed, quickly takes the opportunity to divert attention away from his girlfriend. I'm standing next to the bard, just behind Gram, to be out of sight. They will be the ones to tell their leader about me wanting to come along, so I better not initiate the issue with my noticeable presence.
"Miss Marcott wishes to join us on this request. She is too scared to remain alone in the village. After all, she only knows us here." I didn't expect the big man to be able to make such a nice argument. Usually you'd think the tanks are those with muscle for brains. But reality doesn't have min-maxing stats, so it makes sense.
"We should be fine. As dangerous as a Wulfar may be, if it is us four, it will not even have the freedom to consider attacking the lady." Flowery language as usual. But at least he's contributing. Good job, playboy bard.
Really though, you guys should be more concerned about protecting yourselves. If it comes down to it and I have to show my full power, you won't be getting away. I don't want any witnesses to my identity in the human territory. It'd only make it harder for me to get back home. Or rather, back to the place I woke up in after reincarnating, where I only stayed a couple of hours.
So, we walk for a few hours and come upon a forest. While I did say these were rolling plains, there's more forest than plains for the most part. It looks like Central Europe. Of course, I never went there, but I've seen photo books and paintings before. Actually, I always wanted to visit it, and maybe an opportunity would have arisen eventually if I hadn't died. When I think about it, this is basically a second chance at seeing the world. A world filled with fantasy and no smartphones to take pictures with. But wait, isn't this actually better? I can take pictures with my mind.
"Gram, prepare the bait. We'll be setting up camp here." Rolan sounds like a proper leader. Well, he is actually the leader, and I'm sure there's a reason he could gather these people around him, other than with just his good looks. Well, aside from Luna, that is, I'm sure she's mostly here because of his good looks. "Sigurd, try out your suggestion, we never know if it might work." Hm, he's trusting the bard to do something. Let's see how that pans out.
Gram places his massive shield on the ground, then takes out something wrapped in leather. It's the severed leg of a lamb. Classic bait material. I approach the shield and realize that it towers above me. This thing must be extremely heavy and will require two hands to carry. So the tank is really just a shield?
"What is your weapon, Mister Gram?" I'm curious how he fights when carrying that shield, but somehow I should have expected the response.
"My shield is my sword, Miss Marcott." He sounds proud. "It's enchanted to repel magic and most elements, and it's thick enough to block even ballista shots. I leave attacking to those I protect with it." So, just like a tank in MMORPGs, he's just there to soak up the damage in the squishy damage dealers' stead.
"And just in case, he can bash someone over the head with it." Rolan adds while setting up the camp with Luna. That girl's glaring at me for some reason. Ah, maybe you shouldn't be too friendly with another woman in the presence of your sweetheart. At least I'm not wearing my makeshift clothes anymore, which would stir any man's libido because it resembled a naked shirt look. The bard was kind enough to buy me a set of clothes from a farmer, and while the material is rough and somewhat itchy, I'm not naked anymore. Then again, I wouldn't really mind; it's society that minds.
The howling of a wolf interrupts us. Already here? That was fast. But it's really close. I look around and find that the sound came from the bard. He notices my gaze, smiles, and winks at me. Ugh, annoying. So he can imitate the call of a Wulfar. I hope that was actually its mating call and it'll come running to mount him.
If it was me alone, I'm sure it would have already found me and attacked me. Knowing my luck, it would have been in a pack, too. I already had such an experience before, so I know how to deal with it. Hedgehog Mode is waiting to be unleashed again someday! But for now, I'll have to play the helpless girl who can only watch as the humans go about their business. Maybe I can use this time to try out controlling the inside of my body. If my outside is so malleable, my insides should be, too. Aside from designating one part for storage and others for varying degrees of dissolving speeds, I should be able to make certain motions, too. Such as taking out objects from inside the backpack while it's still inside me.
An hour passes while I seemingly sit still, and the adventurer group finishes its preparations around me. I've been successfully taking various objects out of the backpack and put them back in. But since I can only separate them by touch, I can't be sure whether I guessed right or not without taking them out into the open. I'll leave that to when I'm alone.
Gram has set up the meat in something like a bear trap, while the bard has tried various interpretations of the howl. None got an answer yet, but maybe it's approaching? I want to believe that he serves a purpose, else I'd have to question Rolan's decision-making process in choosing his group. Unless it's because they're childhood friends or something. I seriously doubt that a predator is going to fall for a trap involving a piece of dead meat, and I'm fairly certain a wolf should be able to notice that the sounds are made by something that isn't a wolf, so the party will have to begin actively searching for it.
"How did you get to know these people?" I ask Rolan directly about his relationship with the other three. It should be interpreted as small talk, but I want to know why the bard is in this group. Yes, it's bugging me, anything wrong with that?
"Well, Runa is from the same village as I. We were neighbors before we decided to venture out." So that's how long they go back together. No wonder. It's the childhood friend route. My childhood friend thought I was a boy until the end of middle school, then he moved away with his family, and we lost contact with each other. I think he said he wanted to come back for university, but now I'll never know. "We met Gram and Sigurd during our travels. They accepted the same request from a village as we did, and it proved to be quite difficult for us individually, so we grouped up. We've been a team since then."
"It's been two years now. Time really flies..." Gram comments. He sounds like an old man. Well, he kind of looks like one, too.
"We're only getting started. We aim to take down the demon lord one day so that his corruption of this world stops and we'll have peace from monsters." Rolan, you just dropped a bombshell there. Careful what you say, you have that demon lord's daughter in your presence. So this guy wants to be the hero? Should I kill him and his party here right now?
"I do not think we will get the chance. The Alliance army under King Uther and Elven Queen Lillian should have reached the demons' capital a few days ago, and I am sure it has fallen by now." Makes sense that information doesn't travel that fast here. The bard just named the two people who I know for a fact are dead already. After all, a 'human king' was cooked and served to me, the 'elven queen' to my mother. Of course, I don't say that out loud. But how pitiful, these people believe that whatever army they sent would be able to do the job. From Maou-mama's behavior, I could tell that she only saw it as a minor inconvenience.
"Yeah, you're right. Well, I can't complain if that's the case. Even if we're out of a job then, it's better than having to live with this constant danger." Rolan seems quite easygoing about giving up his adventurer lifestyle. Must be because he can always choose to settle down with Luna.
From this conversation, I can gather that the humans and demons are irreconcilable in their existences. As long as demons exist, humans will face dangers in their lives. Not that that wouldn't be the case without demons; then they would just start tearing each other apart. During my previous life, I would turn a blind eye to such news when they appeared on TV, but I knew that the world was far from peaceful, and people suffered in wars for resources, ideologies, and profits.
"Shh, something is coming." The bard must have pretty good ears. I didn't hear anything. The party is instantly in alarm mode. Wow, they're quite disciplined in that regard. I act nervous since that's all I'm good for right now. We're behind a fake brush, created to camouflage the camp, and can overlook the clearing with the trap in the middle.
And there it is. Not far from us, it's approaching the trap. Hm, that's a Vularen. Or so I'd like to say, but relative to the severed lamb leg, I'd say it's smaller than the ones I know. Also, the color is different. While the Vularen I encountered were mostly dark brown with silver backs, this one has dark green fur. The forest on the Dark Continent consisted of taller and older trees than the ones here, and there was less undergrowth. I guess this one's better adapted to live in these parts. Must be a subspecies then.
In other words, humans are weak. If they consider one of them dangerous even when they're a party of four, then they wouldn't be able to fight a Vularen from the Dark Continent. Then again, Maou-mama also mentioned that they're dangerous to even well-trained soldiers among the demons. Wait, does that mean I'm just strong?
The Wulfar is almost in range to step into the trap but hesitates. Then it smells something in the air and turns its head towards our hiding spot. Ah, I'm sorry, it was me. It seems I have a very special smell about me. One that beasts hate. But actually, I'm not sorry for being born the way I am, so screw that.
"We've been spotted. Change of plans." Rolan whispers. Gram and Luna spring to action. Now, let's see their capabilities! Actually, what's the bard doing? He's not readying his lute or anything. Wait, is that a crossbow? Don't tell me he's an archer... I'm not sorry for doubting you since you acted like a bard all along! I won't stop calling you a bard, either!
Setting loose the bolt, the bard fires at the Wulfar. It hits the wolf square in the shoulder, causing it to yelp from the pain. That looks easier than I thought it would. How can this beast be considered dangerous even for a party of four? Well, compared to the wolves from my previous world, these would be regarded as huge. This one's almost as big as a lion. In other words, the Vularen of the Dark Continent are as big as brown bears. And if they have acid saliva as well, getting bitten anywhere should be quite dangerous. I still wonder what's up with a hunting predator having acidic saliva, but that's a fantasy world for you!
Gram jumps forward, shield at the ready, and Rolan follows behind him. Luna whispers words in a language I don't understand. Oh, so magic requires an incantation in an arcane language or something? Hm, it's taking a while for her to chant. The bard readies another bolt while the two melee guys engage in close combat.
The Wulfar attacks, but Gram bashes it with his shield. Oh, that was a nice hit. But it doesn't seem too affected, as it jumps back and circles around. Another crossbow bolt flies at it, but it dodges it. Using the distraction, Rolan jumps in for a two-handed slash with his sword, but the cut is shallow, as it's able to move out of the way. It lunges at the swordsman, but Gram's shield blocks its jump. Clearly, the tank is the MVP!
And what's up with you still chanting, Luna! A magician who takes a minute per spell is just useless in actual combat. Even the bard is more useful than you by at least providing a distraction with his crossbow. Actually, he doesn't seem to be a great shot, so he isn't really an archer after all?
Oh, that cut was nice, Rolan. It's bleeding profusely now. Ah, Luna seems to be finished with her preparations, as energy orbs swirl around her. One of them lights on fire, another creates sparks, one more turns into a sharp-looking icicle, and one more distorts the air around it. Four elements? Are you amazing, after all?
"Elemental Overload!" She's calling her attack! That's so embarrassing. But the power is real. The four elements fly out in arcs, each with a different effect, and attack the Wulfar. The sparks hit first, electrocuting it and causing its muscles to contract, so it can't dodge what follows. The fire sets its fur on fire, which is then fanned by the wind, causing its whole body to burst out into flames. As it draws back from the pain and stands on its hind legs, the icicle pierces its chest cleanly, ending its life almost instantly.
This is bad. I'm sure if I get hit by it, I'd not fare better. Well, then again, I wouldn't give her the time to chant in the first place. Still, they have pretty good teamwork. When she called out her spell, Rolan attacked it from the side to make it dodge towards Gram. Then the big man bashed its flank with his shield, causing it to try and fall back - stepping right into the path of the spell.
But they wouldn't stand a chance against me. I know that I don't need to dodge crossbow bolts since I can just take them inside my body. Furthermore, I would eat up the sword along with the human wielding it, and then the shield-bearer as well. Lastly, I would dodge the spell if it's even ready at that time.
I'll travel with them for a while. I think I can gauge their abilities compared to those of the average humans in this world this way. If I only use them as a reference and they're only rookies, I'd be getting a wrong picture of the war potential of humans. On the other hand, if they are considered strong, then humanity would be nothing to fear. I mean, I surely can't even be counted among the strongest of the demons, right? Maou-mama is obviously up there, but there should be others that are almost as strong as her. I mean, there's always a Four Heavenly Kings or something.
Hm, did I just call humans "their kind", as if I was apart from them? Is my mind slowly becoming more and more that of a monster? Well, I am a monster, so I am apart from them, but my mind should still be human...
Oh, I just realized something. The bard was quite useless, after all.
Since this is only a collection of a few houses, it's quite easy to find someone. Especially someone who stands out as much as a couple that's quarreling. Or so it should have been. Instead, we find them kissing behind a barn. Ugh, just explode already...
When they notice us, they quickly separate and act as if nothing of the sort happened. Either they're consciously putting up an act, or really think they're getting away with keeping their relationship a secret. Whichever it is, both are equally annoying to me.
"Wh-what is it?" Luna asks with a flushed face. She wipes her moist lips on a sleeve and tries to maintain her countenance. But we already saw it, dammit!
"We wanted to get moving." Gram says while acting as if he didn't see it.
"Yes, we want to get back before nightfall." Rolan, more composed, quickly takes the opportunity to divert attention away from his girlfriend. I'm standing next to the bard, just behind Gram, to be out of sight. They will be the ones to tell their leader about me wanting to come along, so I better not initiate the issue with my noticeable presence.
"Miss Marcott wishes to join us on this request. She is too scared to remain alone in the village. After all, she only knows us here." I didn't expect the big man to be able to make such a nice argument. Usually you'd think the tanks are those with muscle for brains. But reality doesn't have min-maxing stats, so it makes sense.
"We should be fine. As dangerous as a Wulfar may be, if it is us four, it will not even have the freedom to consider attacking the lady." Flowery language as usual. But at least he's contributing. Good job, playboy bard.
Really though, you guys should be more concerned about protecting yourselves. If it comes down to it and I have to show my full power, you won't be getting away. I don't want any witnesses to my identity in the human territory. It'd only make it harder for me to get back home. Or rather, back to the place I woke up in after reincarnating, where I only stayed a couple of hours.
So, we walk for a few hours and come upon a forest. While I did say these were rolling plains, there's more forest than plains for the most part. It looks like Central Europe. Of course, I never went there, but I've seen photo books and paintings before. Actually, I always wanted to visit it, and maybe an opportunity would have arisen eventually if I hadn't died. When I think about it, this is basically a second chance at seeing the world. A world filled with fantasy and no smartphones to take pictures with. But wait, isn't this actually better? I can take pictures with my mind.
"Gram, prepare the bait. We'll be setting up camp here." Rolan sounds like a proper leader. Well, he is actually the leader, and I'm sure there's a reason he could gather these people around him, other than with just his good looks. Well, aside from Luna, that is, I'm sure she's mostly here because of his good looks. "Sigurd, try out your suggestion, we never know if it might work." Hm, he's trusting the bard to do something. Let's see how that pans out.
Gram places his massive shield on the ground, then takes out something wrapped in leather. It's the severed leg of a lamb. Classic bait material. I approach the shield and realize that it towers above me. This thing must be extremely heavy and will require two hands to carry. So the tank is really just a shield?
"What is your weapon, Mister Gram?" I'm curious how he fights when carrying that shield, but somehow I should have expected the response.
"My shield is my sword, Miss Marcott." He sounds proud. "It's enchanted to repel magic and most elements, and it's thick enough to block even ballista shots. I leave attacking to those I protect with it." So, just like a tank in MMORPGs, he's just there to soak up the damage in the squishy damage dealers' stead.
"And just in case, he can bash someone over the head with it." Rolan adds while setting up the camp with Luna. That girl's glaring at me for some reason. Ah, maybe you shouldn't be too friendly with another woman in the presence of your sweetheart. At least I'm not wearing my makeshift clothes anymore, which would stir any man's libido because it resembled a naked shirt look. The bard was kind enough to buy me a set of clothes from a farmer, and while the material is rough and somewhat itchy, I'm not naked anymore. Then again, I wouldn't really mind; it's society that minds.
The howling of a wolf interrupts us. Already here? That was fast. But it's really close. I look around and find that the sound came from the bard. He notices my gaze, smiles, and winks at me. Ugh, annoying. So he can imitate the call of a Wulfar. I hope that was actually its mating call and it'll come running to mount him.
If it was me alone, I'm sure it would have already found me and attacked me. Knowing my luck, it would have been in a pack, too. I already had such an experience before, so I know how to deal with it. Hedgehog Mode is waiting to be unleashed again someday! But for now, I'll have to play the helpless girl who can only watch as the humans go about their business. Maybe I can use this time to try out controlling the inside of my body. If my outside is so malleable, my insides should be, too. Aside from designating one part for storage and others for varying degrees of dissolving speeds, I should be able to make certain motions, too. Such as taking out objects from inside the backpack while it's still inside me.
An hour passes while I seemingly sit still, and the adventurer group finishes its preparations around me. I've been successfully taking various objects out of the backpack and put them back in. But since I can only separate them by touch, I can't be sure whether I guessed right or not without taking them out into the open. I'll leave that to when I'm alone.
Gram has set up the meat in something like a bear trap, while the bard has tried various interpretations of the howl. None got an answer yet, but maybe it's approaching? I want to believe that he serves a purpose, else I'd have to question Rolan's decision-making process in choosing his group. Unless it's because they're childhood friends or something. I seriously doubt that a predator is going to fall for a trap involving a piece of dead meat, and I'm fairly certain a wolf should be able to notice that the sounds are made by something that isn't a wolf, so the party will have to begin actively searching for it.
"How did you get to know these people?" I ask Rolan directly about his relationship with the other three. It should be interpreted as small talk, but I want to know why the bard is in this group. Yes, it's bugging me, anything wrong with that?
"Well, Runa is from the same village as I. We were neighbors before we decided to venture out." So that's how long they go back together. No wonder. It's the childhood friend route. My childhood friend thought I was a boy until the end of middle school, then he moved away with his family, and we lost contact with each other. I think he said he wanted to come back for university, but now I'll never know. "We met Gram and Sigurd during our travels. They accepted the same request from a village as we did, and it proved to be quite difficult for us individually, so we grouped up. We've been a team since then."
"It's been two years now. Time really flies..." Gram comments. He sounds like an old man. Well, he kind of looks like one, too.
"We're only getting started. We aim to take down the demon lord one day so that his corruption of this world stops and we'll have peace from monsters." Rolan, you just dropped a bombshell there. Careful what you say, you have that demon lord's daughter in your presence. So this guy wants to be the hero? Should I kill him and his party here right now?
"I do not think we will get the chance. The Alliance army under King Uther and Elven Queen Lillian should have reached the demons' capital a few days ago, and I am sure it has fallen by now." Makes sense that information doesn't travel that fast here. The bard just named the two people who I know for a fact are dead already. After all, a 'human king' was cooked and served to me, the 'elven queen' to my mother. Of course, I don't say that out loud. But how pitiful, these people believe that whatever army they sent would be able to do the job. From Maou-mama's behavior, I could tell that she only saw it as a minor inconvenience.
"Yeah, you're right. Well, I can't complain if that's the case. Even if we're out of a job then, it's better than having to live with this constant danger." Rolan seems quite easygoing about giving up his adventurer lifestyle. Must be because he can always choose to settle down with Luna.
From this conversation, I can gather that the humans and demons are irreconcilable in their existences. As long as demons exist, humans will face dangers in their lives. Not that that wouldn't be the case without demons; then they would just start tearing each other apart. During my previous life, I would turn a blind eye to such news when they appeared on TV, but I knew that the world was far from peaceful, and people suffered in wars for resources, ideologies, and profits.
"Shh, something is coming." The bard must have pretty good ears. I didn't hear anything. The party is instantly in alarm mode. Wow, they're quite disciplined in that regard. I act nervous since that's all I'm good for right now. We're behind a fake brush, created to camouflage the camp, and can overlook the clearing with the trap in the middle.
And there it is. Not far from us, it's approaching the trap. Hm, that's a Vularen. Or so I'd like to say, but relative to the severed lamb leg, I'd say it's smaller than the ones I know. Also, the color is different. While the Vularen I encountered were mostly dark brown with silver backs, this one has dark green fur. The forest on the Dark Continent consisted of taller and older trees than the ones here, and there was less undergrowth. I guess this one's better adapted to live in these parts. Must be a subspecies then.
In other words, humans are weak. If they consider one of them dangerous even when they're a party of four, then they wouldn't be able to fight a Vularen from the Dark Continent. Then again, Maou-mama also mentioned that they're dangerous to even well-trained soldiers among the demons. Wait, does that mean I'm just strong?
The Wulfar is almost in range to step into the trap but hesitates. Then it smells something in the air and turns its head towards our hiding spot. Ah, I'm sorry, it was me. It seems I have a very special smell about me. One that beasts hate. But actually, I'm not sorry for being born the way I am, so screw that.
"We've been spotted. Change of plans." Rolan whispers. Gram and Luna spring to action. Now, let's see their capabilities! Actually, what's the bard doing? He's not readying his lute or anything. Wait, is that a crossbow? Don't tell me he's an archer... I'm not sorry for doubting you since you acted like a bard all along! I won't stop calling you a bard, either!
Setting loose the bolt, the bard fires at the Wulfar. It hits the wolf square in the shoulder, causing it to yelp from the pain. That looks easier than I thought it would. How can this beast be considered dangerous even for a party of four? Well, compared to the wolves from my previous world, these would be regarded as huge. This one's almost as big as a lion. In other words, the Vularen of the Dark Continent are as big as brown bears. And if they have acid saliva as well, getting bitten anywhere should be quite dangerous. I still wonder what's up with a hunting predator having acidic saliva, but that's a fantasy world for you!
Gram jumps forward, shield at the ready, and Rolan follows behind him. Luna whispers words in a language I don't understand. Oh, so magic requires an incantation in an arcane language or something? Hm, it's taking a while for her to chant. The bard readies another bolt while the two melee guys engage in close combat.
The Wulfar attacks, but Gram bashes it with his shield. Oh, that was a nice hit. But it doesn't seem too affected, as it jumps back and circles around. Another crossbow bolt flies at it, but it dodges it. Using the distraction, Rolan jumps in for a two-handed slash with his sword, but the cut is shallow, as it's able to move out of the way. It lunges at the swordsman, but Gram's shield blocks its jump. Clearly, the tank is the MVP!
And what's up with you still chanting, Luna! A magician who takes a minute per spell is just useless in actual combat. Even the bard is more useful than you by at least providing a distraction with his crossbow. Actually, he doesn't seem to be a great shot, so he isn't really an archer after all?
Oh, that cut was nice, Rolan. It's bleeding profusely now. Ah, Luna seems to be finished with her preparations, as energy orbs swirl around her. One of them lights on fire, another creates sparks, one more turns into a sharp-looking icicle, and one more distorts the air around it. Four elements? Are you amazing, after all?
"Elemental Overload!" She's calling her attack! That's so embarrassing. But the power is real. The four elements fly out in arcs, each with a different effect, and attack the Wulfar. The sparks hit first, electrocuting it and causing its muscles to contract, so it can't dodge what follows. The fire sets its fur on fire, which is then fanned by the wind, causing its whole body to burst out into flames. As it draws back from the pain and stands on its hind legs, the icicle pierces its chest cleanly, ending its life almost instantly.
This is bad. I'm sure if I get hit by it, I'd not fare better. Well, then again, I wouldn't give her the time to chant in the first place. Still, they have pretty good teamwork. When she called out her spell, Rolan attacked it from the side to make it dodge towards Gram. Then the big man bashed its flank with his shield, causing it to try and fall back - stepping right into the path of the spell.
But they wouldn't stand a chance against me. I know that I don't need to dodge crossbow bolts since I can just take them inside my body. Furthermore, I would eat up the sword along with the human wielding it, and then the shield-bearer as well. Lastly, I would dodge the spell if it's even ready at that time.
I'll travel with them for a while. I think I can gauge their abilities compared to those of the average humans in this world this way. If I only use them as a reference and they're only rookies, I'd be getting a wrong picture of the war potential of humans. On the other hand, if they are considered strong, then humanity would be nothing to fear. I mean, I surely can't even be counted among the strongest of the demons, right? Maou-mama is obviously up there, but there should be others that are almost as strong as her. I mean, there's always a Four Heavenly Kings or something.
Hm, did I just call humans "their kind", as if I was apart from them? Is my mind slowly becoming more and more that of a monster? Well, I am a monster, so I am apart from them, but my mind should still be human...
Oh, I just realized something. The bard was quite useless, after all.
