Translated: Sei, MTL-sensei-tachi
Edited: Sei, Grammarly no Danna
Source: Syosetu
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TL Notes:
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Chapter 332
It's annoying, but we have no choice but to survive in this forest.
As long as there’s a possibility those devils are watching us, trying to escape could result in even harsher punishment, so we can’t leave the forest.
The immediate problems are the lack of food and securing a place to sleep.
I can start a fire thanks to my camping experience, but this is a forest where ferocious monsters lurk.
There’s no way any place here could be safe.
What’s important now is that none of us act recklessly on our own, and that each of us fulfills our role.
First, let’s make effective use of the notebook that devil left behind.
Day 1 of Forest Survival
Checking Supplies
・Knives ×6
・Water canteens ×6
・Food: about 3 days’ worth
・Cloth
Even with the most generous estimate, we only have enough food for three days.
That idiot in the white coat stuffed rocks into the bags to fake the weight.
At this point, his actions are unbelievably vile, but I wonder if he's even aware of it.
I can guess he's thinking something like, "Let's see how well you can act in a desperate situation," or "Let's train your teamwork," or "Let's try to sow discord amongst yourselves."
Today ended with us merely finding a place to serve as our base from now on.
It’s near a river with clean flowing water.
The view is open, and even if monsters attack, it’s a place where we can respond immediately.
Tomorrow, we’ll gather food and scout the surrounding area.
We’ll split into two teams and explore the area around the river and deeper into the forest to identify any monsters that could pose a threat.
That aside, Lynn is cute.
Looking over the journal together with her is strangely calming.
Day 2 of Forest Survival
It seems the guys exploring the forest encountered a savage monster.
A large creature with a roar like a bear’s.
Suddenly appearing in their field of vision like smoke, it seemed to leave the scene without paying any attention to Kevin and the others' attack.
And there are apparently three of them.
Honestly, I thought we could defeat most monsters with our current strength, but Kevin and the others were incredibly flustered.
Their attacks passed right through it and didn’t hit.
This is troublesome.
I’ve never heard of a monster like that before, and could that thing really be the trial Usato wants us to overcome?
The real problem is that it wouldn't surprise me if he threw some kind of impossible challenge at us.
We were able to find fish in the river normally enough, but there aren’t many of them.
If we catch too many, they might flee and stop appearing, so we can’t really call it a reliable hunting ground.
Fortunately, Nono is apparently knowledgeable about wild plants, so we’ll be relying on her for that.
I can hear the growls of monsters.
Sometimes they sound close, other times far away.
I can't sleep.
With a terrifying monster lurking nearby, there's no way I can sleep peacefully.
Day 4 of Forest Survival
Lynn was sneaking bites of the fish we had for food.
There was no reason to be angry, and in fact, everyone, including myself, felt cheerful and amused by the situation.
I was surprised by how much she could eat.
Day 5 of Forest Survival
I saw that monster.
Nono and I encountered it during the day as well. The terrifying beast glared at us as though sizing up its prey, then melted into the darkness of the forest and vanished.
What in the world is that thing?
It doesn’t feel like a living creature of this world.
No one says it out loud, but everyone is getting exhausted.
We still haven’t run out of food, but none of us are getting proper sleep.
If that terrifying beast attacked us, even with guards posted, we wouldn’t stand a chance.
No one is injured.
We still have enough food.
But our spirits were definitely weakening.
Day 6 of Forest Survival
I've reached my limit.
We should search for that monster and kill it.
Otherwise, we’re the ones who’ll fall apart.
Day 7 of Forest Survival
We searched for the monster yesterday and today as well, but couldn’t find even a trace of it.
It doesn’t make sense.
A monster that large and terrifying should be easy to find.
Even though we can’t see it, that frightening roar continues to echo through the forest.
This might be the first time I’ve ever felt this afraid of a monster.
Day 8 of Forest Survival
Always
Always, always, always—the roar won’t leave my mind.
From far away, from nearby, even now, I can hear it.
I'm afraid to close my eyes.
I’m sleepy, but I can’t sleep.
I can’t stop shaking at the thought that if I fall asleep, that monster from the darkness might appear and tear out my throat.
Will we even be able to see morning?
——— read on seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
●
"That’s how it is."
"Thanks for the report, Nea."
It was around the seventh day of the training exercise.
Nea, who had been infiltrating my subordinates as a cat until today, had returned to me to report.
It's quite late, so the other three besides Koga are probably asleep by now.
"Do you think they’ll notice?"
"I’ve left clues for them to notice. Whether they can find them or not depends on them."
Even if they don’t find it, I suppose that can’t be helped.
I guided things that way anyway, and even so, the results are more than satisfactory.
While heating water in a pot placed over the campfire, I explained one of the purposes of this training to the two of them.
"They lived a life closer to that of ferocious monsters than we do, so I think somewhere in their minds they tend to underestimate monsters."
"That’s true. They were also a bit optimistic, thinking that at worst, they could just defeat them somehow."
"Well, we did use monsters as part of our fighting force, after all."
As Koga said, during the attack on the Lingle Kingdom, they had treated monsters as part of their fighting force.
In that sense as well, they needed to correct their perception of monsters.
Since the place we're heading to is in an area inhabited by many monsters, it's only natural that the monsters there would be on a different level than those in areas inhabited by humans and demons.
"It’s truly a battle against oneself. Whether they are crushed by the monsters they imagine in their own minds, or overcome them... either way, it should be a meaningful exercise for them."
"I've thought this before, but you're really good at doing wicked things by inflicting emotional pain on others."
I’ve said it many times, but the soldiers here already have relatively well-developed physiques, so as a result of prioritizing mental training, this kind of policy was decided.
Well, it’s not like I’m completely unaware of it either.
"I'm aware that I've done some pretty terrible things in this training."
"So you're aware of it..."
"This is also necessary. I don't want anyone to die."
The territory of monsters is a dangerous place, so no matter how much preparation is made, it will never be enough.
And above all, if that “thing” from one of the Demon King’s requests is there as well, I’ll need to be fully prepared.
"Since they should be getting used to life in the forest by now, Nea, I want you to guide them at an appropriate time."
"Roger."
Then, for some reason, Nea, who had been in the form of a girl, transformed into a black cat and curled up on top of the folded uniform placed beside me.
"What are you doing?"
"This way I don’t have to sleep on the hard ground. Also, I permit you to pet me."
"Why?"
"Because I’m a cat right now."
No, what kind of logic is that?
Given that I’ve been asking her to do fairly unreasonable things, I can’t really refuse, so I lightly pet her with a hand wrapped in healing magic, and she purrs contentedly.
"Well, are you really a cat now?"
"You don’t look like a vampire at all, oi."
Koga looked slightly exasperated as well, but Nea seemed satisfied.
Well, while I didn’t stop my hand, I spoke to Koga while warming myself by the campfire.
"I’m thinking it’s about time to go. Can I leave things to you?"
"Yeah. I roughly know what needs to be done. You just go take care of the Demon King-sama’s request."
Personally, I don't want to leave this place, but this is the only time I can do it.
"A region where poison is rampant, huh. I wonder what’s waiting."
One of the Demon King’s requests.
It was to retrieve one of the powers that had been taken from him by Hero Hisago.
Of course, this wasn’t solely the Demon King’s decision; the information had been shared with Lingle and Miarak as well, so it is an official mission... though only a limited number of people know about it.
It is a mass of dangerous power that must be recovered because it would have a negative impact on the Demon King’s territory... but the problem is the place where it lies dormant.
"In any case, simple healing magic won’t be enough."
"It's a dangerous zone that's impossible for demons without a healing magic users to enter. Even though I'm the only one who can go, the Demon King is asking for something pretty crazy."
This is also one of the reasons this land was chosen as the training site.
"Are you really planning to go alone?"
"I need Nea to look after the subordinates. I wish Ferum could’ve come with me, but that kid is currently in the Lingle Kingdom."
"Ah, with the assimilation ability, poison and stuff like that wouldn't matter."
So I have to go alone and retrieve it, and I’ve even been given a magic tool for that purpose.
I know the location, so I just plan to go there quickly and come back.
"Then why not take Keira with you?"
"No, that won't work."
Seeing Keira sleeping while leaning against Blurin’s body, Koga suggested that, I immediately shook my head in response.
"She can slip into the cloak made from her own dark magic, and she won’t be affected by poison either."
"There’s no way I can take this kid to a dangerous place..."
As someone entrusted with her by Gref-san, I can’t let her be exposed to danger.
"You really don’t get it."
"What don’t I get..."
"People like this want to be relied on at times like these. Being too overprotective isn’t always a good thing, you know?"
It’s true that Kira wouldn’t be affected by poison, and even if she were, in her cloak form she could continuously receive the effects of my healing magic.
But still...
"I'm going."
"Oh, you were awake?"
Keira, who had raised herself up from Blurin’s body, rubbed her eyes as she spoke.
It seemed she had been listening to our conversation earlier. She still looked sleepy, but I could sense a firm determination not to back down.
"If I can be of use, please let me go with you...!"
"But..."
"Is it... not allowed?"
Seeing Keira looking dejected, I felt troubled.
At this rate, she might end up following me in secret... and above all, what Kōga said wasn’t entirely wrong either.
Ferum also told me this, but I might be a bit overprotective.
And sometimes, that kind of thing can turn into unnecessary interference for the person involved.
"Make sure you listen carefully to the instructions, okay?"
"Y-yes!"
"If I tell you to run, you can fly away and let Koga know. If you can promise that, you can come with us."
"I understand...!"
There shouldn’t be any danger other than poison, so there probably won’t be any fighting...but still...
"I hope nothing bad happens."
"Whenever you say things like that, something usually happens. In your case."
"...I regret saying that now."
I guess this is what they call a flag.
Anyway, if I'm taking Keira with me, I absolutely have to make sure she doesn't get into any danger.
——— read on seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Author's Notes:
Living while constantly feeling the presence of monsters nearby, the group gradually became cornered mentally.
There was no actual danger, but their mental state was steadily worn down; subtly harsh training.
The reason only Usato could go was because the place he was asked to reach was a space filled with poison.
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