Chapter 265
A forest filled with giant trees tens of meters tall in all directions.
In Franz’s memory, there was only one forest that looked like this. The Great Forest, the elf settlement and the comfortable paradise for all living creatures.
Of course, it did not perfectly match the Great Forest. While fresh and clean mana could be felt in the Great Forest, this place was filled with a sticky and unpleasant mana that one would expect to feel from a monster.
Was that all? The giant trees had thrown off their clothes of leaves and stood gaunt and bare. Because of this, it even gave off a dreary feeling.
“Is it similar to back then…”
On the day the World Tree fell into the hands of a cultist, the entire Great Forest had once been tainted with an impure aura under the World Tree’s influence.
The sight before his eyes right now was similar to that time, no, it was even worse.
Was he not the only one who felt that way?
Arian looked around in bewilderment and asked.
“…Franz, may I ask you one thing?”
“Ask away.”
“The world beyond the gate, where exactly is this place I am in right now…?”
It was not a question that could be easily answered. He still did not know anything for certain.
But if what he was thinking was correct…
“The potential outcome for our world, I suppose.”
Franz’s thought was that the world, which had been only one when the two gods created it, had gone through various branching points and divided into different results, different worldlines.
Just like a tree starting from a single trunk and stretching out into multiple branches.
“…Then this place might really be the Great Forest.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
“To be honest, I don’t feel too good about it, but this isn’t the time to worry about such things. Let us move forward for now.”
Hera took in the ruined Great Forest with a complicated expression.
How would it feel to see the things she had wanted to protect even at the risk of her life come crumbling down?
He couldn’t say he understood all of her feelings, but it was certain that she would be upset. Even if it wasn’t something that had happened in reality.
Anyway, it would be best to get moving soon. It was the right thing to do for Hera’s sake, and for everyone’s sake.
Snap-.
Franz snapped his fingers. Mana stretched out from Franz’s body, erasing the impure mana in the area and expanding his territory.
Along with it, the expressions of everyone who had been frowning eased up a little. It was thanks to the unpleasant sensation given off by the impure mana disappearing.
“Are there about six monsters visible nearby.”
Four of the six were wolf-type monsters. Due to the influence of demonic energy, their size had grown and their appearance was quite bizarre, but they still retained the basic form of a wolf.
The remaining two were…
“Hera, let me check one thing.”
“What is it?”
“Can you kill Elves?”
The remaining two had the appearance of a human, but their long, pointed ears were unmistakable proof of an elf. They had probably defended the Great Forest until the very end before being encroached upon by demonic energy and meeting an ugly end.
To Hera, weren’t all elves family? Even if they had turned into monsters, he thought it might be difficult for her to raise her hand against them.
“Franz, do not underestimate me. I am not so foolish as to be unable to distinguish between public and private matters. And you seem to be mistaken about something, but if they have become like that, severing them is also something I must do.”
Hera’s demeanor was no different from usual. She was merely looking at the situation coldly and stating that she would do what needed to be done.
But why was it? That appearance felt a little precarious. It was as if she was forcing herself to pretend that everything was fine.
Pat-.
Franz placed his hand on top of Hera’s head.
“There’s no need to overdo it. If it’s hard, tell me anytime.”
“I don’t know who is saying such a thing to whom… Anyway, I will gratefully accept that sentiment.”
He didn’t know if it was just his imagination, but Hera’s expression seemed to have softened a little.
Afterwards, Franz began to advance toward the depths of the Great Forest with everyone.
The rustling sound heard with every step they took further heightened the already dreary atmosphere, and the sound of the wind blowing through the trees made goosebumps rise along their spines.
In addition, the sky was a reddish color for some reason, so it was safe to say it was a scene from a dark fable.
However, no one was trembling in fear. It was because this place was far too dangerous right now to care about mere ghosts.
“Four on the left, two on the right.”
Having grasped the movements of the monsters through magic power detection, Franz relayed the information to everyone.
Yuna, holding the holy sword, adjusted her stance, and Hera drew her bowstring. Arian also pulled out the short staff she had been wearing at her waist.
“Please dispose of them cleanly if possible.”
There was the reason for researching the monsters and the quality of the materials, but more than anything, it was to be considerate of Hera.
Even if her kin died, if they died cleanly, the agony would be a little less.
“If it is about six, I will take them on.”
Hera’s long ears twitched as she located the enemies' positions. At the same time, the surrounding light gathered to form an arrow on the drawn bowstring.
Soon, the bowstring slipped from Hera’s fingers and the arrow was fired. The blue arrow split into six branches and advanced through the dense trees.
The trajectory of the arrows bending and weaving was simply marvelous no matter how many times he saw it. It was even more so because it was Spirit Arts, which could not be interpreted with magic.
“Franz, which side are my kin on?”
“The right.”
“Thank you.”
Hera immediately stepped toward the right. It was the direction where two of the arrows had headed.
Her confidence in not even checking if the arrows had hit their mark was amazing. It truly felt like Hera.
Well, that was all because she had the skills to back it up.
In reality, the six arrows Hera shot were lodged precisely in the middle of the monsters' foreheads. The reason no sound was heard was because they had died instantly on the spot.
Franz maintained his mana detection and stepped forward, following behind Hera. Naturally, Arian, Yusti-ah, and Yuna were with him.
It was not long after that they discovered the corpses of the elves, no, what used to be elves.
Sharp and overgrown nails, skin dyed entirely black, grotesquely twisted bodies, and even yellow-dyed pupils. The elves, transformed by the influence of demonic energy, were bizarre.
Could they not bear to look at that sight with Hera in front of them? Yuna, Yusti-ah, and Arian slowly dropped their gazes downward.
However, Hera alone was facing those creatures.
“Franz, are these also used as materials for something…?”
“…Even if they are, I have no intention of using them.”
“I am sorry for making you make a pointless decision because of me.”
Just what did she think of him?
He would use anything if it had value for research and as a material, but even so, it was natural to be reluctant if it had an appearance similar to a human. It should be called an instinctive repulsion.
“I am sorry. For dragging out the time like this.”
Saying so, Hera brought her hand to the elves' necks.
Snap-.
“Necklaces…?”
“elves each receive a necklace when they are born. It doesn’t have any particularly great meaning, but…”
Hera trailed off and put the necklace ornaments she was holding in her hand into a small bag.
“Then let us go to where the other monsters were.”
Hera immediately stepped through the thicket. That action, which seemed to hold no lingering attachment, felt a little pitiful for some reason.
Franz followed her through the thicket, and it wasn’t long before they arrived at the place where the wolf-type monsters had fallen.
Unlike the elves encroached upon by demonic energy, the monsters on this side seemed to have been born as monsters in the first place. It was because the mana cores inside their bodies belonged to monsters.
“Come to think of it, the guild will need a professional dismantler too…”
In order to utilize the monsters caught by the hunters as materials, professional dismantling would be an essential process.
But how many such eccentrics would there be in the world? Franz had dismantled countless monsters for research purposes, but most ordinary people would not have even laid a hand on one.
“Should I just teach them from the beginning.”
One year? Two years? It might take even longer than that, but considering how convenient it would be later on, it didn’t seem like a bad choice.
Having organized his thoughts like that, Franz put the monsters into his Magic Bag. He could just dismantle them after returning to the Magic Tower and send them over to the guild appropriately.
“Then shall we set off again now.”
Franz stepped forward with everyone. Toward her, who might be waiting somewhere.
After that, they encountered a truly large number of monsters. It was the highest number of monsters they had encountered through any gate so far.
Because Hera’s preemptive strikes alone were not enough, situations naturally arose where Franz, Yuna, and Arian had to step in.
How much time had passed since then?
“Shall we take a short break before going on?”
There was no reason to force a forced march, so they were just about to take a short rest.
Suddenly, something was detected by Franz’s magic power detection.
“…It seems we’ll have to rest later.”
A group of impure elves, easily numbering in the dozens, was swarming toward them.