Chapter 21

"I imagined the Demon Realm to be a much more desolate place."

Elysia said, looking around.

We had been traveling for a few hours after leaving Roburion and finally entered Tiars.

Most of the cobblestone roads were covered with grass, and parts of them were cracked or sunken. It was clear that they were completely unmaintained.

Still, the surroundings of the road were filled with forests and plains, rich in nature. It was not the eerie scene one would expect from the term "Demon Realm."

As Elysia and I rode our horses, Yuri walked ahead of us.

Yuri was wearing light leather armor that covered her entire torso and protected her waist with a skirt.

She had chosen a mace as her weapon, the closest to the hammer she was used to.

Yuri shook her short, black hair with a bluish tint and turned back to us.

"But I've heard that not only monsters, but also many demons live here. My parents were also brought here by the Imperial Army from the northern frontier..."

Yuri's parents were likely uncontrolled demons.

In the Imperial frontier, there were demons who resisted the Empire's rule and had fled from human society. They lived deep in the forests, out of sight.

However, in this Demon Realm, such demons were rarely seen.

This was because there were many powerful monsters here.

When Yuri noticed something, she immediately bowed to me.

"I'm sorry for speaking out of turn."

Elysia must have taught her something like what a servant should do.

It was a basic rule for those serving the nobility that a servant should not speak until the master did. Unless they were very close, servants rarely spoke about their own affairs.

I shook my head.

"Don't worry about it. There are no other nobles here. In fact, I'd appreciate it if you spoke your mind more often."

"Master Alex... Yes, sir!"

Yuri replied cheerfully.

As we continued down the road, I asked Yuri,

"By the way, Yuri, what is your crest?"

"Mine? I can't read it. My companions can, but I can't."

Yuri said, taking off the mittens on her hands.

There, black, writhing letters appeared.

Elysia gasped.

"This is the Crest of Darkness..."

"Yes, it's the same Crest of Darkness as mine."

I nodded and stared at Yuri's hand.

"【Necromancer】... It grants benefits in dark magic and lightning magic. It also benefits blacksmithing, especially in the dark. Wow! I've seen many Crests of Darkness, but this one has quite significant benefits!"

"Does it have such effects? But... I've never used magic, yet I've felt that I can make better things at night. So it was the power of the crest?"

"It's a benefit, but it might also be a feeling. Anyway, you should try practicing lightning magic. If you want, I can teach you the basics."

"Definitely!"

Yuri replied with a happy face.

From behind, a voice echoed.

"Ah, I want to learn lightning magic too..."

"Of course, if Elysia wants to learn, we can do it together."

"Huh? I was just talking to myself... Master Alex, you're so kind! Thank you!"

It was a bit exaggerated... and please don't hug me so tightly.

Given Elysia's behavior, I have no intention of criticizing anyone's speech or manners.

It's best if we can spend time together happily and amicably.

However, such peaceful times didn't last long.

I noticed the movement of magic power around us.

"...Yuri, stop."

"Huh? Yes, sir."

Yuri tilted her head at my words.

But I knew.

Monsters were lurking in the surrounding forest, as if chasing us.

From the snake-like shape of the magic power... they were Death Snakes.

The first monster we fought after leaving the capital.

A single one could destroy an entire village. There were more than ten of them hiding around us.

With such a large number of Death Snakes... we should use 《Teleport》 to regroup.

"《Teleport》──!"

I teleported to the front of the road.

But there were already several Death Snakes there.

They must have caught our scent and gathered from all directions. This road was their hunting ground.

The Death Snakes paused for a moment at our sudden appearance but quickly turned to attack.

Yuri was startled by the Death Snakes and fell on her bottom.

"Ah!"

"《Dark Slash》!"

I released dark magic and bisected the Death Snake that appeared in front of Yuri.

"Are you okay, Yuri!?"

"Y-Yes! T-Thank you, Master Alex!"

Yuri seemed to have lost her footing and couldn't stand up. Her shoulders were shaking.

"I'll help Yuri!"

Elysia dismounted from Helwhite and cut down the approaching Death Snakes with her sword.

I also defeated the Death Snakes and supported Elysia in helping Yuri stand up.

"Are you okay, Yuri?"

"Y-Yes!"

We managed to defeat the nearby Death Snakes.

But a large number of new ones were approaching from the road.

"There are so many... let's use 《Teleport》 to shake them off."

We didn't have time to dismantle the Death Snakes.

It was a waste, but we could leave them... or could we use 《Pandora Box》 to collect them?

I tried to collect a nearby defeated Death Snake. Fortunately, I could do it without touching it.

"Alright, everyone, gather... 《Teleport》."

We repeatedly used 《Teleport》 and continued down the road.

Looking back, the Death Snakes seemed to be left behind.

But from the sky and the forest, other creatures that looked like monsters were gathering. They must have caught the scent of the blood from the Death Snakes we had killed.

Seeing the diverse monsters covering the ground and sky, we turned pale.

"S-So many monsters..."

Yuri was stunned.

"This is the Demon Realm... let's keep moving as far as we can. Can you do it, Yuri?"

"Y-Yes! The clothes you gave me are a bit... but I'm fine!"

Yuri's face turned red. I considered returning once, but since Yuri insisted, we continued down the road until it got dark.

However, we couldn't spend the night in such a terrifying place.

So we returned to the Roburion base using 《Teleport》.