第１７５７堀：森の道中は危険 (Part1)

第１７５７堀：森の道中は危険 (Part1)

**Chapter 1757: The Perils of the Forest Road**

"And... that is the end of it."

With those words, Tsunai-dono drove his knife into the monster’s throat. A spray of fresh blood erupted as the beast collapsed, lifeless.

"Exquisite work."

Clap, clap...

As Yuki-sama offered his applause, we followed suit. To be perfectly honest, it had been a sluggish battle. The very reason Yuki-sama had chosen to return to the Royal Capital of Ohe by car, rather than utilizing a gate, was to witness this exact kind of skirmish.

We had requested Narjia-sama and her team to conduct a survey of the monsters, but their focus had been primarily on the southern towns; they knew next to nothing about the creatures lurking within the forest itself. Thanks to the intelligence gathered by Eris-sama and Kagura-sama, who remained at the capital, we knew that the local soldiers and adventurers were actively hunting in the woods. We had been receiving reports on the monsters they encountered, but it seemed the creatures were more numerous and formidable than anticipated. The casualties were mounting, and it appeared that our own people were having to step into the clinics to provide healing.

Frankly, I had been of the mind to leave the forest to its own devices, but the scale of the damage was such that ignoring it might eventually place a greater burden on Weed. Thus, we decided to travel by car to observe the state of the forest and the monsters firsthand. If we weren't doing this, I certainly wouldn't be sitting in a vehicle trying to manage paperwork.

Truly, the situation is chaotic, both within and without. With human coalitions and hordes of monsters outside, and the forest—Ohe’s own backyard—teeming with an increasing number of beasts, it is easy to understand why they have been so overwhelmed.

"Alas, compared to Yuki-sama and the people of Weed, my efforts surely pale in comparison."

"I wouldn't say there's any need to compare ourselves to our allies. Being able to successfully remove a threat to your nation is a magnificent feat in its own right."

"Thank you. Did you find the demonstration helpful?"

"Indeed, very much so. To be honest, I would have liked to observe the forest and its inhabitants for a while longer, but..."

"As you might expect, the King of Ohe is waiting with bated breath for your return, Yuki-sama."

Tsunai-dono offered a wry smile. It was true; it wouldn't do to neglect his primary duties—the things only Yuki-sama could do—but since we were already traveling through the forest, it was only natural to take our time. I agreed with that sentiment.

"It cannot be helped, then. And what of that monster?"

"Ah, right. This is a creature known as a Forest Jaguar, a hunter of these woods."

I see. It didn't look entirely unlike the jaguars I had seen in Earth’s animal encyclopedias, though its body was less yellow and more of a black base with pale green spots—perfect camouflage for the forest. Perhaps it was more akin to a living ghillie suit. But the most striking difference was its size. A typical jaguar on Earth is roughly 110 to 180 centimeters long, weighing between 50 and 95 kilograms—roughly the size of a human or smaller. This Forest Jaguar was easily twice that size. Its claws, too, looked specialized for nothing but slaughter.

"They usually stay deep in the forest and aren't often seen. But with monsters from the south encroaching on their territory, their habitats have been forced to shift."

"I see. So, for an ordinary person, repelling a monster of this caliber would be difficult."

"Indeed. Fighting them is a tall order. However, these creatures have keen senses of smell and hearing, so most people avoid harm by stimulating one of those two."

"Is that so? You did say they aren't often seen, but that doesn't mean they don't exist."

"Yes. It is still a manageable situation. Now, let us resume our journey."

Tsunai-dono urged us to return to the car immediately. I understood his desire to get us to the capital as quickly as possible. Part of me wanted to tell him to take it easy, but...

"Oh? Are you not going to harvest the monster's materials?"

"My apologies, but time is of the essence. We plan to burn it."

The materials from high-ranking monsters could fetch a high price from wealthy collectors or be used to craft fine weapons and armor. Yuki-sama wasn't wrong, but when we were in such a hurry, we couldn't afford the time to salvage them.

"I see. In that case, may I take them?"

"No, I don't think we can fit that in the car..."

"Have you forgotten? I possess an Item Box. See?"

With a flick of my hand, the monster's remains vanished.

"Ah, of course. I had forgotten."

"Having a specimen of the monster is helpful. But may I assume that the monsters have increased to the point where we are likely to encounter them on this road?"

"Yes. We must secure the roads from the capital to the northern and southern towns to ensure logistics remain functional. Our soldiers and adventurers are pushing forward with the subjugation, but the number of battles is only increasing. The number of injured is rising, and... forgive me, but we are currently relying on the aid of Eris-sama and the others."

"Do not worry. If many soldiers and adventurers are saved, the roads become safer, supplies can be transported, and the people are helped."

Yuki-sama’s words were factual, though I couldn't help but think that if we simply used the gates, such hardships would be unnecessary. Then again, there was the question of whether we should leave gate technology in Ohe’s hands, so perhaps it was better not to make it too easily accessible. And it was a fact that the monsters in the forest were dangerous; having the roads rendered unusable would be perilous in more ways than one.

But, setting my own thoughts aside, we climbed back into the car and resumed our journey.

"Regarding the increase in monsters in the forest, you mentioned you were cooperating with adventurers?"

"Yes. We have the adventurers handling monster subjugation in areas where our soldiers cannot reach, as well as attending to the requests of the citizenry."

Hmm. I hear about this often—the Adventurer's Guild of the New Continent—but their operations seem little different from those in the Rogali Continent where we reside. It is essentially a form of labor dispatch to areas where the military or the state cannot reach.

"In that case, when we arrive at the Royal Capital, could you provide us with information on the monsters one might encounter in the forest, including data from the Adventurer's Guild?"

"I don't mind, but does Weed plan to operate within the forest as well?"

"Who knows? Our main goal is to understand the differences between these beasts and the monsters from the south that have been encroaching."

Ah, that’s right. We were scheduled to conduct a survey of the monsters, centered around the southern towns. The plan was to deploy Tori-sama and Viria-sama as the leads, with support from Holly-sama, Kaya-sama, Claudia-sama, and others, while receiving assistance from Narjia-sama’s team to investigate the monsters in detail. The formation should already be underway.

"Ah, I see. Without knowing the differences, it would be difficult to make a judgment."

"Exactly. Or, there is a non-zero possibility that they are mutating within the forest."

"...Since they are monsters, I cannot deny that possibility."