The Daughter of Evil - Volume 3 - Chapter 4.1

Chapter 4-Time and a Forest and a Song; Scene 1
Praeludium of Red, page 208-212

♣ Yukina ~In the country of Elphegort, “Millenium Tree Forest"~

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There was a vast forest between Lucifenia and its neighboring country to the north, Elphegort. There was no maintained road in it, so it was dangerous for people unused to it to venture in unprepared. It was said that, assuming you weren’t looking to get yourself killed, you ought to have a guide with you who knows the area.

Fortunately for me, Yukina Freezis, my companions for this journey were both acquainted with this forest.

“That being said, I’m only familiar with the Lucifenian half,” Germaine Avadonia, the red-armored swordswoman, said with a shrug inside this forest that was dark even during the day.

I looked towards the signboard in front of me. The crude wooden sign buried in the weeds had a sentence that indicated this was the border between Lucifenia and Elphegort.

“I will lead on, from here. This way.”

My other companion, the sorceress Gumillia, led us through the trees without hesitation. The wounds she’d sustained two weeks before hadn’t fully healed yet, but she didn’t show that it hurt in the slightest.

I had no fear of getting lost, but even so there was another problem. Unaccustomed to the forest as I was, traveling on this roadless path was extremely harsh.

I had been bitten by bugs all over, and my clothes were torn from being caught on branches. Frankly, I was starting to regret coming along with the two of them.

Though there was no way that I could stay behind in the Lucifenian palace, the way things were.

The king of Marlon, Kyle Marlon, had vanished from the palace after that night… Naturally, having caused such a ruckus in the palace at that time, we were the subject of suspicion. To make a long story short, Gumillia, Germaine, and I all ended up becoming wanted people.

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The vessels of deadly sin, and demons…I had proof that they existed. I had seen it with my own eyes. I had seen the man who was my father’s best friend, a kind-hearted king, change to having swarthy skin. I had seen him grow sharp claws and fangs. And I had seen him sprout black wings from his back.

My thirst for knowledge had been satisfied. But even so I was pretty depressed.

“What’s wrong? If this is too much we can rest for a little bit?” Germaine asked as she walked ahead of me, likely worried at seeing the dark expression on my face.

Farther on ahead, Gumillia kept going in defiance of the vegetation that stood in her way.

“…No, I’m fine.”

“According to Master Gumillia we’ll come out to a more open place a little ways further, so just try to make it until then.”

As though to back up her words, I came to see a brighter spot up ahead where the light was shining through. A sign of a place where the density of the trees blocking out the sun was lower.

“…I just hadn’t really wanted to see someone that I know turn into a demon.”

I wasn’t saying that to anyone. Only murmuring to myself. But evidently Germaine heard me.

“So that was really Kyle after all?”

Germaine hadn’t been in the stables, so she didn’t see Kyle’s transformation. But she had witnessed his grotesque form as he was flying away somewhere after she had managed to shake off the Special Maneuvers Task Force and escape the palace.

The monster had headed northwest–she’d told me he was flying for here, the Millenium Tree Forest.

“…Yeah. There’s no mistake–that demon was Mister Kyle.”

“Good grief, there’s still some things in this world that I have trouble believing,” Germaine muttered as though talking about someone else’s problem, pushing her way through the foliage. Hearing her tone, I grew miffed.

“That’s a little cold, don’t you think!? Didn’t Mister Kyle fight with you once, long ago?” My tone abruptly turned harsh.

“–Sorry, sorry. That’s not what I’m trying to say. It’s just…The way things have gotten, if I think about it too seriously, it’ll all start feeling futile.”

“Futile?”

“Doesn’t it feel that way? Dealing with demons… We’ve already gone well outside the scope of my understanding. So I’ve come to think that I’ll just leave all the specifics on this whole thing to Master Gumillia, and do as she says,” she remarked, chuckling.

I had wanted to see a demon. But I hadn’t wanted to see an acquaintance become one.

I knew that was a selfish complaint. But if, for example, there was a person who wished to know about “death”, then would that person wish for the death of themselves or a relative?

I had gone on this journey wanting to know more about the world. Even now I didn’t think I was wrong in my decision. However, maybe there were some parts that someone like me ought not to experience.

“Are we treading in a domain that we shouldn’t?”

By that of course I didn’t mean the forest we were walking in now.

“Maybe we are. But in the end–it’s clear we have to do what we can do, isn’t it?  We have no choice, yeah? You and me both. …Oh, looks like we’ve come out to the clearing.”

There was a break in the vegetation, and my view for up ahead opened up. Seemed we’d come out onto a more spacious path. I could tell it would be an easier walk from here.