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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuzio
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Since Nirva was quite a distance from the Demon Realm Forest, the journey took some time.
It was enough to make me long for the royal family’s exclusive carriage.
“It feels like we’ve been riding horses all day, ever since winter break started.”
“Ugh, everyone else is out having fun, and what are we doing?”
It wasn’t easy to keep a straight face in such a serious situation, so we grumbled and complained.
“What should we eat for dinner?”
“We have those instant meals we bought earlier.”
“This is the perfect time for some meat. Wait here, I’ll catch something good.”
We camped out in the mountains, gathering around a bonfire and roasting wild game that I’d hunted.
“Look, when using dual swords, the most important thing is…”
“Isn’t that way too focused on your own strength? I don’t have that kind of power.”
“You can’t do this?”
“You can do that?”
Every night, I taught Hayun, now equipped with two swords at her waist, how to wield them simultaneously.
She sat across from me, wrapped in a blanket, watching me feed the crackling fire with twigs.
She wasn’t quite convinced by my instructions, but I had no choice but to give in.
“Alright, alright. You win. Maybe swinging the swords like that was a bit much to ask.”
I thought that if I could do it, then anyone could, but Hayun’s rare outburst and her logical arguments had forced me to reconsider.
“That’s not why I was quiet, you know?”
Her response caught me off guard.
It wasn’t?
Then what was bothering her?
“Wait, were you sulking because I drank all the peach juice without asking?”
“I wasn’t sulking before, but now I am.”
“……”
Well, I dug my own grave there.
But she wasn’t actually sulking?
“Then why were you staring at me?”
“……”
Hayun buried her face in her arms, refusing to answer.
I figured that was her way of saying she didn’t want to talk about it, but after a moment of silence, she couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“I really want you to end up with Eris.”
“What?”
The sudden change in topic caught me off guard, but seeing her earnest expression, I realized that was the reason she had been so quiet.
“Hmm.”
I had already told Hayun about how I had been wavering, feeling drawn to Rin and May.
At the time, she had scolded me, telling me to stop being ridiculous and stick with Eris.
‘Wait, could that be why?’
Was she upset because I was developing feelings for other girls besides Eris?
Well, she might feel betrayed.
After all, she had spent so much time helping me get closer to Eris, believing it was what I truly wanted.
Now that I thought about it, I felt a pang of guilt.
“I want to end up with Eris too.”
“……Really?”
Hayun tilted her head slightly, her eyes searching mine for any sign of deceit.
With her, I could be completely honest.
I stirred the bonfire with a long branch and nodded.
“Yes, really.”
“Then I’m happy for you. Forget about those delinquents like May or crazy girls like Elise. You deserve to be with someone beautiful and kind, like Eris.”
The sincerity in her voice warmed my heart.
“I’ll do my best.”
As I smiled and replied, Hayun burrowed into her sleeping bag.
“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Hayun’s face was unusually tense as we approached the Demon Realm Forest.
It was understandable.
The Demon Realm Forest was known as a cursed land, a living hell that swallowed anyone who dared to enter.
Only foolish adventurers or those seeking death would willingly set foot in this place.
Or those who were desperate, driven to seek refuge within the forest’s depths because they had nowhere else to go.
But in the end, it didn’t matter how they ended up here.
They all met the same fate.
At least, that was the case before I, the Sherpa, settled in the heart of the forest.
“Don’t worry, guiding you through the Demon Realm Forest is as easy as taking a stroll through the Aios Academy garden.”
“I believe you, but… my feet aren’t moving.”
“Take a deep breath and just follow me.”
I stepped into the Demon Realm Forest, and Hayun followed closely behind, her grip tightening on her sword as she inhaled deeply.
‘Considering Sharcal was there, we have to go deep into the forest.’
If it became too much for her, I could always leave her at the witches’ village while I searched for answers.
“Remember what I told you? Repeat it.”
“Don’t treat me like a child.”
“I was going to help you find some valuable herbs along the way…”
“Rule number one: Always stay within Daniel’s sight.”
See, she perks up as soon as I mention money.
Was it really possible for someone to be so motivated by profit?
“Rule number two: Don’t touch anything.”
“Rule number three: Don’t scream.”
“Rule number four: If anything happens, find Daniel first.”
I always made sure my clients memorized these four simple rules before entering the Demon Realm Forest.
Of course, many of them, even those who could recite the rules by heart, failed to follow them.
But they were necessary precautions.
They had to stay within my range if I was going to protect them.
“The air feels heavy here.”
“It’s always like this. The deeper we go, the harder it will be to breathe.”
It was essential to acclimate to the oppressive atmosphere slowly.
Otherwise, the thick, suffocating air would trigger panic and ultimately lead to death.
I had once seen someone reach the deepest parts of the forest, having miraculously avoided all the monsters, only to die from suffocation because they didn’t know how to breathe properly.
“Take deep breaths, in and out. It’ll help your body adjust to the air faster.”
“Alright, alright. Hooo! Haaa! Hooo! Haaa!”
As I listened to Hayun’s deep breathing exercises, I suddenly stopped in my tracks.
She had learned to recognize this as a sign of danger, and she immediately quieted her breathing.
A group of Demina, monsters with the heads of goats and bodies of pure muscle, were lumbering towards us.
“Tsk, Demina.”
Despite their goat-like appearance, they snorted like angry bulls.
They pawed at the ground with their hooves, ready to charge.
“Demina? Those monsters are notorious for their bad tempers! We need at least a few knights to…”
“No, it’s fine. Hop on my back.”
“……Seriously?”
Hayun looked at me as if I had suggested something utterly ridiculous.
“Remember what I said before we entered? There might be situations where I have to carry you or sling you over my shoulder.”
“Yeah, but I thought you were half-joking.”
Half-joking? Please.
I had carried clients like this many times in the past, especially when there was only one person to protect and we needed to avoid confrontation.
Eris, for example, had figured this out quickly.
She wouldn’t even wait for me to offer, she’d just jump on my back at the first sign of danger.
Hayun climbed onto my back.
The Demina charged towards us, but I simply sidestepped, moving out of their direct path.
With furious snorts, they tried to adjust their trajectory, lowering their bodies and using their hooves and horns to change direction.
Demina were notoriously difficult to deal with because of their speed and agility.
But this time…
Crack! Crack!
Giant teeth and tongues erupted from the trees surrounding the Demina, swallowing them whole.
“Eek!”
Ah, right.
I forgot to explain.
“They’re Cannibal Trees. They’re common around here, but they won’t bother you if you don’t touch them. We’ll be sticking to the path with these trees, so whatever you do, don’t touch anything.”
Ignoring the Demina, who were now struggling against the Cannibal Trees, I continued walking through the forest.
Hayun, startled by the sudden appearance of the trees, clung to me tightly, her arms wrapped around my neck.
She was squeezing so hard that I could barely breathe.
I caught a whiff of her unique scent, but…
“Hey! Choke… Hey! I can’t breathe!”
“Ah… S-sorry.”
She loosened her grip slightly, but she was still clinging to me rather tightly.
But it was fine.
In the Demon Realm Forest, it was best to abandon any sense of shame and trust the Sherpa completely.
“Every inch of the Demon Realm Forest is a predator’s territory. There’s danger everywhere. But that also means that if you understand how those predators behave, their territory can become your safe zone.”
Just like now.
As long as we avoided contact with the Cannibal Trees, they would remain disguised as ordinary trees, posing no threat.
Thinking back to my past self, who had learned all of this through trial and error, I realized how reckless I had been.
Learning through experience had its merits, but it also came with a lot of pain.
“Stay close to me. If you so much as touch a single leaf, these trees will come alive and attack.”
“Are… Are you trying to scare me?!”
“……”
Was it that obvious?
It was rare to see Hayun so flustered, so I couldn’t resist teasing her a little.
However, even as she complained, her grip on me tightened, seeking comfort in our close proximity.
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[Your Text Here]
There seems to be two chapters in one here :s