Chapter 33

Already visible ahead was one of the Seven Great Labyrinths, the Haltrina Tree Sea, which also embraced the demi-human kingdom of Feiaberugen. Aiichi used his magic to drive the motorcycle, pulling two large carriages and followed by dozens of horses, speeding across the plain.

On the motorcycle, besides Aiichi, Yue sat in front and Xia sat behind. Initially, it was decided that Xia would ride in the carriage, but she stubbornly insisted on riding the motorcycle, ignoring Aiichi and Yue’s words. Yue had pushed her off several times, but Xia would always get back up like a zombie, persistently clinging on. Eventually, Yue was defeated by Xia’s perseverance. For Xia, they were the first "kindred spirits" she had met, and she had many things she wanted to talk about with them. Xia, hugging Aiichi tightly, looked very happy. In the end, Xia got her favorite motorcycle seat, behind Aiichi... (Depending on the situation, tying her up and dragging her along was also an option!) Yue silently resolved this in her heart.

Aiichi, sandwiched between the somewhat unhappy Yue and the delighted Xia, drove the motorcycle while staring into the distance, lost in thought.

Yue spoke to Aiichi, who was in this state.

"...Aiichi, why did you fight alone?"

"Hmm?"

Yue was referring to the battle with the imperial soldiers. At that time, Aiichi had stopped Yue from using magic and chose to fight alone. If Yue had joined the battle, the result would have been an instant kill. After Aiichi brutally defeated the imperial soldiers, he seemed to fall into a slight reverie, which Yue noticed and was a bit concerned about.

"Hmm~ Well, I just wanted to confirm something..."

"...What did you want to confirm?"

Yue asked with a puzzled look. Xia, looking over her shoulder, was also very interested.

"Ah, that is..."

Aiichi began to explain, summarizing his reasons briefly.

The first reason Aiichi stopped Yue and chose to fight all the imperial soldiers himself was for "experimentation." As a precaution, he aimed for their heads, but in reality, even attacking their armor would have been fine. Why? Because using an electromagnetic cannon against humans was excessive. If he fired a shot in the city, there was a risk of "a bullet drawing a line," so he couldn’t use it recklessly. Blasting criminals to pieces was no problem, but if he destroyed the houses behind them and wiped out a family, that would be beyond evil and into the realm of madness. Aiichi had no intention of becoming a killer who indiscriminately harmed innocent people. Therefore, it was necessary to practically calculate the appropriate amount of explosives. The results of his efforts were very good, and he was able to further study the fine-tuning of the power.

The other reason was to confirm whether he would hesitate to kill. Aiichi had completely changed, but he had no experience with killing. Therefore, he needed to test whether he would waver before and after killing. The result was that he "didn’t feel anything special." Indeed, the value of mercilessly killing enemies had become a deeply ingrained habit.

"But, to feel nothing special after killing for the first time, the change is really significant... I was a bit lost in sentiment..."

"...So... is everything okay?"

"Ah, everything is fine. In fact, it’s good to confirm that I can fight well in the future."

That cold and ruthless Aiichi had actually killed for the first time just now. Xia was surprised by this fact. At the same time, she was impressed by Yue’s insight (perhaps limited to Aiichi) in noticing his subtle changes. Then, once again, Aiichi and Yue fell into a world of their own, leaving Xia feeling a bit lonely.

"Um, um! Mr. Aiichi and Miss Yue, can you tell me about yourselves?"

"? We’ve already talked about our abilities, haven’t we?"

"Not about our abilities, but why, in a place like Narak? Or the purpose of your journey, what you’ve done so far, I want to know about the two of you."

"...What will you do after hearing it?"

"I don’t have any specific plans, I just want to know... I, because of this constitution, have caused a lot of trouble for my family. When I was a child, I hated it... Of course, no one ever said such things, but now, I don’t hate myself... Even so, I still feel like I’m alone in this world... But, I’m happy. Meeting the two of you has shown me that there are others like me in this world, that I’m not alone... I think I’m no longer alone... Though it’s presumptuous, I, I want to become companions... So, I want to get to know the two of you better..."

Xia, who started speaking, became increasingly shy, her voice getting softer as she curled up behind Aiichi. If she had spoken like this from the beginning, it would have been very pleasant. Aiichi and Yue, recalling Xia’s initial behavior, both had indescribable expressions. At that time, compared to Yue’s complex feelings, these were minor issues, and they were left unresolved. Immediately after, they were attacked by the monsters that assaulted the Horia, so they only talked about simple things like being able to use magic in the valley. Surely, Xia had been very curious all along.

Indeed, in this world, people with the same constitution as monsters are difficult to accept. Feeling a sense of camaraderie is not unreasonable. However, Aiichi and Yue did not have a direct sense of companionship with Xia. But since there was still some time before reaching the tree sea and nothing to hide, they decided to tell their story to pass the time.

As a result...

"Ugh, gah... That’s too much, it’s really too much... Compared to the two of you, I’m so fortunate... Ugh, my problems are nothing at all..."

She burst into tears, sobbing and saying, "I’m, I’m very happy," and "I won’t say anything discouraging anymore," in a low voice. Then, she casually wiped her face with Aiichi’s coat. It seemed that Xia had started to feel that her situation was very tragic, but now, knowing that Aiichi and Yue’s situations were even more tragic, she felt ashamed of her own self-pity.

Xia cried for a while, then suddenly raised her head with a determined look, clenched her fists, and declared energetically.

"Mr. Aiichi! Miss Yue! I’ve decided! I want to travel with the two of you! From now on, I, Xia Horia, will help you two, no matter what! There’s no need to be polite. We are companions. Let’s overcome hardships together and achieve our goals!"

Xia’s self-assured enthusiasm was met with quite cold gazes from Aiichi and Yue.

"What is a weak rabbit, who is being protected right now, saying? You’re just a liability."

"...Casually upgrading from 'kindred spirits' to 'companions'... Thick-skinned rabbit."

"What, what’s with those cold gazes... My heart is breaking... And at least call me by my name a little more often."

Contrary to Xia’s enthusiasm, the cold responses left her somewhat shaken. Aiichi continued his attack.

"...You just want a travel companion, right?"

"!?"

Aiichi’s words made Xia’s body tremble.

"Did you notice? To ensure the safety of your clan, the best way is to leave those guys. In this situation, the appearance of 'kindred spirits' like us was convenient, so you want to travel with us? A rabbit person with such rare hair color traveling alone is impossible."

"...That, that’s not all... I really want to be with the two of you..."

Aiichi’s words hit the mark, and Xia became incoherent. In fact, Xia had already decided that she would obtain Aiichi’s cooperation to ensure the safety of her clan and then leave her family. As long as she was around, her clan would always be in danger. This time, many clan members were lost, and next time, they might really be wiped out. This was a result she wanted to avoid at all costs. Of course, this was against the clan’s wishes. Xia knew that this could even be considered a betrayal. But she had decided, "Even so."

In the worst case, she would travel alone, but the possibility of worried family members following her was high. However, if she framed it as a way to repay the overwhelming strength of Aiichi and Yue, it would be easier to convince the clan to let her leave. Despite her outward behavior, Xia was quite "determined" even at this moment.

Of course, Xia herself was very interested in and attracted to Aiichi and Yue. As Aiichi had said, they were her "kindred spirits," which gave her an extraordinary sense of camaraderie. Considering the clan’s situation, indeed, her meeting with Aiichi and Yue was a "fateful encounter."

"Also, I’m not blaming you. But don’t have any strange expectations. Our goal is to conquer the Seven Great Labyrinths. Probably, like Narak, the true labyrinth will be filled with monsters. You would only end up being instantly killed. So, I have no intention of allowing you to come with us."

"..."

Aiichi’s harsh words left Xia in a dejected silence. Aiichi and Yue didn’t seem particularly concerned and didn’t continue their attack.

Xia sat quietly on the motorcycle for the rest of the journey, looking thoughtful with a complex expression.

After a few hours, the group finally reached the boundary between the Haltrina Tree Sea and the plain. From outside the tree sea, all that could be seen was a dense forest, but once inside, the forest was immediately shrouded in a thick fog.

"Then, Lord Aiichi, Lady Yue. Please do not leave our side once we enter. We will move with the two of you at the center, and it would be troublesome if we got lost. Also, is the destination the base of the great tree deep in the forest?"

"Ah, from the limited information, that should be related to the true labyrinth."

Kamu reiterated the precautions for entering the tree sea and confirmed the destination. The "great tree" he mentioned was the largest tree in the deepest part of the Haltrina Tree Sea, which the demi-humans called "Great Tree Ua Arut." It was a sacred place, so even the demi-humans rarely approached it. Aiichi had heard this from Kamu when they escaped from the canyon.

Initially, Aiichi thought the Haltrina Tree Sea itself was a great labyrinth, but upon closer consideration, if that were the case, the Haltrina Tree Sea would be a demonic realm filled with monsters of the same level as those in the bottom of Narak, not a place where demi-humans could live. Therefore, Aiichi speculated that, like the Orkus Great Labyrinth, there was a true labyrinth entrance somewhere in the tree sea. By chance, he had heard about the "great tree" from Kamu.

Kamu nodded at Aiichi’s words and signaled the surrounding rabbit people to surround Aiichi and the others.

"Lord Aiichi, can you try to conceal your presence as much as possible? The great tree is considered a sacred place, and although few people approach it voluntarily, there is no specific prohibition. We might encounter people from Feiaberugen or other settlements. Since we are being hunted, it would be troublesome if we were discovered."

"Ah, understood. Yue and I can move stealthily to a certain extent, so it’s fine."

Aiichi used the "Presence Concealment" technique. Yue also used the method she had practiced in Narak to make her presence faint.

"!? This, this is... Lord Aiichi, can you do it like Lady Yue?"

"Hmm? ...Like this?"

"Yes, that’s enough. The level of presence concealment just now would make even our clan lose track of you. Oh, this is really, as expected of you two!"

Originally, the rabbit people’s attributes were classified as inferior, except for their excellent hearing for detecting enemies and their stealth skills. Even on the ground, they could match Yue’s level, which she had honed in Narak, showing how skilled they were. They were at a master level. However, Aiichi’s "Presence Concealment" was on an even higher level. In a normal place, once recognized, they might not lose track again, but in the tree sea, even the rabbit people with their excellent detection skills might lose track. It was a high-level ability.

As a human, Aiichi surpassed the rabbit people’s only strength, causing Kamu to smile wryly. Yue, for some reason, proudly puffed out her chest. Xia’s face was a bit complex, perhaps due to the realization of the skill gap Aiichi had mentioned.

"Then, let’s go together."

At Kamu’s command, the group prepared and entered the tree sea, led by Kamu and Xia.

After advancing for a while on a pathless path, the thick fog immediately blocked their view. However, Kamu’s steps did not falter, and he accurately grasped their current position and direction. For some unknown reason, only the demi-humans could correctly determine their location and direction in the tree sea.

The group moved smoothly, but suddenly, Kamu and the others stopped and began to be wary of their surroundings. The presence of monsters. Of course, Aiichi and Yue also sensed it. It seemed they were now surrounded by several monsters. When entering the tree sea, Aiichi had lent the rabbit people knives and other equipment. In the past, they would escape using their excellent stealth skills, but this time, they couldn’t do that. Everyone’s faces showed the same tense expression.

Suddenly, Aiichi quickly swung his left hand horizontally. Weak shooting sounds rang out in quick succession.

Biu, Biu, Biu

Dosa, Dosa, Dosa

"‘‘Ki yyyyyyyyyy!?’’"

The sounds of three things falling to the ground, followed by screams. Then, three monkeys with four arms and a body length of about sixty centimeters, panicked and pushed through the fog, jumping over. Yue raised her hand at one of them and muttered softly.

"Wind Blade"

With the magic name, a high-speed wind blade flew out, slicing the monkey in half in mid-air. The monkey didn’t even have time to scream and fell to the ground with a thud.

The remaining two split up. One rushed towards the nearby children, and the other swung its four sharp-clawed arms at Xia. Xia and the children were frozen in place due to the sudden situation. The nearby adults immediately moved to protect them... but it was unnecessary.

Again, Aiichi swung his left arm, and with a Biu! sound, the monkeys attacking Xia and the children were struck in the head by numerous needles about ten centimeters long and fell unconscious.

Aiichi used the needle gun hidden in his left prosthetic arm. Inspired by the battle with the scorpion monster, it was a scatter-type needle gun. Although it couldn’t compare to Dona Shuraku’s [Lightning Wrap], it had a certain level of power. With a range of about ten meters, it was very quiet, and the needles were poisonous, making it quite convenient. It could also be considered a type of hidden weapon. In the tree sea, the sound of gunfire was too conspicuous, so Aiichi tried not to use Dona Shuraku.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Aiichi."

"Big brother, thank you!"

Xia and the child (a boy) thanked Aiichi after being rescued. Aiichi waved his hand dismissively. The boy looked at Aiichi with shining eyes. Xia, seeing herself freeze in a crisis, slumped her shoulders in disappointment.

Seeing this, Kamu could only smile wryly. At Aiichi’s urging, he resumed his leading role.

After that, they were occasionally attacked by monsters, but Aiichi and Yue quietly took care of them. The monsters in the tree sea were generally considered quite troublesome, but they were no problem now.

However, a few hours after entering the tree sea, they were surrounded by countless presences, and Aiichi and the others stopped. The number, killing intent, and coordination were far beyond any of the previous monsters. Kamu and the others frantically moved their rabbit ears to detect the enemy.

Then, they caught some information and their faces twisted as if they had eaten something bitter. As for Xia, her face had turned completely pale.

Aiichi and Yue also recognized the identity of the opponents and wore troubled expressions.

The true identity of the opponents was...

"You... why are you with humans! State your race and clan name!"

A demi-human with tiger-like ears and tail, and well-built muscles.