Chapter 92

"There is... one more person with severe injuries."

I sit in front of the fallen survey team member and check their condition.

Their face is pale, lacking any color.

They occasionally groan but keep their eyes closed, seemingly unconscious.

They show no reaction to my approach.

While examining the other survey team members, I noticed that the wounds had something like poison attached to them.

It's a colorless liquid, but it seems to react to magic.

It's likely that this is causing the disorientation.

There are individual differences, though, as some with severe injuries were still able to speak.

I have Mia flip the survey team member, who is lying on their back, onto their stomach.

The injuries are on their back.

According to the story, they were stabbed by a tree root while trying to escape.

I lift the fabric of their clothing.

A blood-soaked bandage is wrapped around the wound.

I cut the bandage with a wood-carving knife and peel it off, revealing the injury.

The flesh is torn, and dirt is mixed in.

I remove the lid of Hyottor and pour the water inside onto the survey team member's back.

"Ugh, ugh..."

The male survey team member lets out a pained groan.

"Unclean Purification"

As I chant, the water I poured begins to swirl, forming a small vortex.

It mixes with blood and dirt, carrying them away from the wound and into the ground.

This should have washed away that strange liquid as well.

I continue to wave my staff.

"Coagulation"

Blood platelets rapidly gather and form a clean scab.

The man's expression relaxes, and the tension in his shoulders seems to ease.

Observing him, I notice he starts to emit a faint, steady breathing, like a soft snore.

I press my staff against the wound and gently channel magic.

This allows the magic that was repelled to return to the staff, giving me a faint sense of the body's condition.

"Is, is Elma going to be okay?"

Allen leans in and asks me.

This must be the name of the fallen survey team member.

"She should regain consciousness soon. Probably."

I can't say for certain, as I'm mostly self-taught and have limited practical experience.

But I think she'll be fine.

"Thank you... I feel bad, always being helped. I didn't realize you could use medical magic as well as analysis."

"Huh? Oh, just a bit, really."

I thought I used a fair amount of attack magic in the ruins, but the survey team members seem to only recognize me as an analyst.

Maizen was the one who fought on the front lines, and I was put to sleep by Eberhard halfway through.

"Still, it's best to have a proper doctor look at her when we get back."

"No, no, we really appreciate it! If we had left her like that, who knows what would have happened. We underestimated this situation. With such monsters around, we need to plan better and bring more teams..."

I wondered if they would call for adventurers to help, but then I remembered that the private army of the nobles is mainly composed of former adventurers.

If they can't handle it, it would be difficult for adventurers as well.

"In the worst case, we might have to burn part of the forest."

"Wait, shouldn't we wait a bit before doing that?"

"Anyway, let's head back to town together. We'll offer you a reward again..."

Ah, so it's going to be like that.

I don't want to turn back now, as the future Oathem is right here.

"I just arrived, and I want to explore a bit more... I'll avoid the area with the monsters and explore the western side, so don't worry."

"Is that so? I won't force you, but please visit the lord's mansion. We welcome you anytime. If you tell us where you're staying, we'll..."

"No, no, that's not necessary..."

I wave my hands, a bit embarrassed.

Being invited to a rich person's house is something that rarely happened in my previous life.

I don't know the etiquette, and it's a bit out of my league. Besides, I don't intend to get too involved.

"Actually, Mr. Weygner wants to see Abel again... We called the adventurer support office, but Abel isn't registered there, right?"

"No, no, really, that's fine."

I don't have good memories of that barcode guy, so I'd rather not get involved.

It just smells like trouble.

"I see..."

I'm glad I registered under a pseudonym.

Thanks, Mr. Mountain. You always help me out.

"But please come by if you feel like it! Definitely!"

"Ah, yeah, sure..."

I'm not sure if he means "if you feel like it" or "definitely."

After parting ways with the survey team and heading west, I change my course and head towards the area with the monsters.

I activate the Oathem of the World Tree and switch it to magic detection and navigation mode.

The Oathem moves forward with a thudding sound.

"Are you really sure this is okay? I'm starting to get a bit nervous. Maybe we should leave it to the experts..."

"It's fine, it's fine. If it's wood, I can cut it with a wood-carving knife."

"If you want wood, I can buy it for you! Actually, the owner of 'Chimera's Tail' said he'd buy horns..."

"No, no, seriously, stop that. Are you joking?"

That shop owner said that when I wasn't around, huh?

I turn and glance at Mia's head.

...Is it really that good of a material?

I don't plan to use it, but I'm a bit curious about its potential uses...

On the way, I find a small purple flower.

It's a Popolga flower.

After the petals fall, it releases cotton-like fluff to carry its seeds far away on the wind.

However, the petals are usually red.

They must have changed color due to abnormal magic.

"Should be close now."

As I say this, the Oathem of the World Tree stops moving.

I notice how unusually quiet the surroundings have become.

"Glory to the Deity"

Words are imprinted in my mind.

A presence seems to be emanating from a black tree in front of me.

That must be the rumored monster.

"Grant Death in Another Way"

The tree has a face-like indentation.

There's a gnarled branch where the nose should be, and the eye sockets are hollow.

It looks like it's smiling with droopy eyes.

It's more like a demon-possessed tree than a monster.

I've read about demon-possessed trees in the chieftain's book.

They are generally called Iber Boun.

It's my first time seeing one, but I'm almost certain.

Demons often have obsessions.

The survey team wasn't killed, perhaps because the demon wanted to spread its influence and be revered as a deity.

In fact, demons often become the start of small cults.

Even if the demon dies, the faith and rituals can persist, making them quite troublesome.

The Kudor cult's fanatics have significantly reduced their numbers by thoroughly suppressing them.

The tree must have been growing for some time before the demon possessed it. I can sense the demon's attachment to the tree's appearance.

However, I can't determine its value until I investigate it.

I've never heard of anything being made from Iber Boun material.

It's usually burned due to superstition.

However, the roots are kept for use in curses and medicine.

A demon is a single entity formed from a collection of spirits.

Sometimes they are called spirit beasts or great spirits, but there's no clear distinction.

When a demon dies, it disperses and returns to being just spirits. Therefore, preserving the remains requires careful magical protection.

While Iber Boun won't disappear since it's possessed by a demon, it's important to preserve it quickly to maintain its quality after the demon is gone.

"Are You a Human Puppet?"

The Iber Boun's thoughts reach me, and the trees in the forest begin to shake and rustle.

It's a unique provocation, mimicking human laughter. I'm a bit moved, as I've only read about it in books.

Mia tugs at my sleeve.

When I turn, her face is pale.

"What's wrong, Mia?"

"A-Abel... Could that be one of the Oathems you carved in the past?"

Mia glances back and forth between the Oathem of the World Tree and the Iber Boun.

The forest suddenly becomes eerily quiet.

Demons have strong egos.

While they may not fully understand human language, they likely sensed the comparison to the Oathem from my gaze.

The tree bark writhes, and the expression changes.

"I Am Not a Puppet!"

"What!?"

I point my staff at the Iber Boun.

The Oathem of the World Tree, which had stopped in front of me, charges at the Iber Boun.

It leaps into the air, spinning vertically, and strikes the Iber Boun's prominent nose.

"Wha!?"

With a crack, the part that served as the Iber Boun's nose is broken.

"You dare to call my masterpiece a mere puppet! I'll make you take those words back!"

I point at the Iber Boun.

You'll regret those words.

"What did you just say? Can it actually communicate!?"

Mia, perhaps feeling guilty about her earlier provocation, speaks in a hushed tone, clearly surprised.

Many magicians only learn the necessary parts of the spirit language for casting spells.

However, understanding the entire language deepens one's understanding of spirits and, by extension, magic.

Additionally, memorizing the spirit language allows one to recognize unknown spells by their incantations.

The Iber Boun's branch-like hands move, pressing against the broken nose area as it glares at me.

"I Am the True Form"

Black roots begin to extend from the ground.

As the survey team members described, manipulating roots is its primary attack.

It can also summon strong winds after raising its hands.

Knowing its tactics makes it easier to deal with.

"Destroy the Toy!"

The Iber Boun seems to view the Oathem as its enemy.

That's exactly what I want.