Chapter 190 – Village of the Beasts
Surprisingly, Demon King and Master were old friends.
No, it would be even weirder if it wasn’t a sphere.
It seems that the Demon King was serving as the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King’s Army when Master was in active service.
When I asked her before, she said that she had never met her, so it seems that she never imagined that Esmeralda White, the owner of the Emerald Tower, and Baek Yeo-ok, the wizard of the warrior party, were the same person.
“Wow! You’ve grown up a lot! It seems like yesterday that you were beaten and flirting with me, but now you’re the devil!”
Haha.”
Demon King, who always showed a dandy appearance, couldn’t stand the fact that his dark history was exposed.
Demon King’s younger days, to be honest, he can’t imagine well.
I whispered to Dorothea, the former Four Heavenly Kings.
“How does it feel during the days of the Demon Lord’s Four Heavenly Kings?”
Then Dorothea shrugged his shoulders and said:
“It happened before I was even born, so I don’t know exactly. I only know that he was called the strongest of the Four Heavenly Kings, just like the current Balter.”
“Like you were called the weakest?”
“Do you want to go back?”
I hurriedly hid behind Camilla to avoid Dorothea’s hot temper.
According to what I heard before, the title itself of the demon king was inherited by the strongest young demon tribe of the time, so it is certain that the demon king in the era of the Four Heavenly Kings was also incredibly strong.
It’s strange that the teacher treats it like shit.
“Rather than that, you’re not old at all. That was already 100 years ago, but I can’t believe you’re still maintaining your youthful appearance.”
“Well, this and that happened. I didn’t become this way because I liked it.”
“Whoops, you sound like a blessing. Even I, a demon, couldn’t help it over the years.”
Although he is the Demon Lord who wields omnipotent power in the Demon Castle, Master is talking casually with a nonchalant expression.
Anyone who sees you will know that you two are friends.
“Anyway, let’s stop talking nonsense. Today isn’t the only day.”
Fortunately, the story of the two, which seemed to be infinitely long, was finished by the King.
Master also resigned without saying anything, probably agreeing with the Demon King’s opinion, and thanks to that, preparations for the delegation’s departure, which had been delayed for a while, began to proceed again.
“Hey! Put this box on the empty seat over there!”
“Tie it tighter! It’s a big deal if it comes loose!”
Soldiers from the Demon King’s Army busily run around to load the wagons with food, luggage, and gifts for the delegation.
Eventually, after another 30 minutes, all the final preparations were completed.
“Then I will go.”
As I said that and bowed down, the Demon Lord patted my shoulder with a serious expression.
“I’ll leave this task up to you.”
“…I can’t take responsibility if I ruin it?”
“If so, I must have lacked the human eye.”
It’s ironic.
To receive the gaze of trust that he had never received while working for humans from the demon king, the head of the once-enemy enemy tribe.
“The Demon King is a very special person.”
I said that and smiled wryly, then got on the carriage that was waiting in the back.
Then he looked around and shouted in a loud voice.
“Depart!”
The Demon King’s delegation, which consisted of about 100 people, began to move towards the Elven Wood beyond the Great Forest.
***
The Great Forest is a huge, unexplored area like the Amazon when compared to Earth’s nature.
It was a world of weak-knowledge, where the sunlight didn’t shine all year round because of the densely built trees, there were swamps everywhere, and all kinds of wild beasts ate each other.
That’s why the beast tribe living in this place had no choice but to become stronger on their own.
Otherwise, they will be eaten by top predators living in the forest.
“It’s been a while. Patlash.”
It was around evening when the envoys departed from the Devil Castle in the afternoon and arrived at the entrance of the Great Forest.
And the one who personally met us was Walter Leonhart, one of the four kings of the demon king’s army, the right hand of the demon king.
“It’s been a while. Mr. Walter.”
First of all, Balter was the second strongest demon after the demon king because he was ranked second in the overall ranking of the demon king and was a demon of the previous generation.
As a beast of a lion, he strode towards us with his plentiful mane waving at any time.
“I didn’t expect you to be the representative of the delegation to Elven Wood. It’s late today, so stay in our village for a while and go to the store. The delegation is coming, so I’ve prepared food and lodging in advance.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“This much. Rather, it’s been a long time since I’ve had a guest, so I’m worried that the young people in the village will have an accident.”
Saying that, Walter grinned and patted my back with a thick palm with a meatball on it! Knocked
“Then let’s go. If you procrastinate here, the food you prepared will get cold.”
“Ah yes!”
Walter and the Beasts confidently take the lead.
The others, who had not gotten out of the carriage and watched the situation, calmly went back into the carriage, realizing that they still had to go further.
I, the only person in charge, who was outside, looked into the darkened sky and the forest, realizing that I had come to the Great Forest once again.
***
Originally, beastmen did not unite unless they were from the same tribe.
Lions with lions, wolves with wolves, coyotes with coyote.
However, such a trend disappeared, and everyone began to live together in one place because of the great eruption of Phoebus volcano, which is said to have occurred about a thousand years ago.
Originally not in the Great Forest, but in an affluent land where milk and honey flowed, the beastmen lost their livelihood due to a volcanic eruption and, like nomads, wandered the lands of other tribes and barely took root in this Great Forest.
The environment in the Great Forest was too harsh to live in tribal units as before, and as a result, the beastmen united with each other to form a single village.
“This is the village of our beastmen.”
“Wow-“
I was in awe of the scenery I had never seen before.
A village literally ‘assimilated’ with nature.
Just like the village in the forest where the elves lived in ancient times, the village of the beast tribe was not artificial, but a form of using natural objects as they were.
There were as many types of houses as there were types of beasts, such as houses dug out of dead trees, houses made of twigs on top of large trees, and houses made by digging tunnels.
Normally, if there was no unity in this way, it would be normal to look chaotic, but what looked harmonious was the mystery of nature itself.
“Walter! Who are these people?”
Beast tribe children who ran around the village rushed over and looked at the delegation as if they were mysterious.
Then, Walter crouched down and spoke in a kind tone to the beastmen.
“These are important guests from outside the village. Go home now so that you don’t get scolded by the adults for making an accident while fooling around.”
“”Yes!””
The little beastmen shouted in unison and nodded, then scattered and returned to their homes.
Walter, who got up again, cleared his throat and said, perhaps he was bothered by the strange stares from our party.
“Ooh, then let’s go. My house is in the middle of the village.”
‘The lion’s head says “Oh-heung” When he clears his throat.’
Having written down my new knowledge in a corner of his head, I casually changed the subject so he wouldn’t be shy.
“Rather than that, Mr. Walter, can I ask you something?”
“What do you mean?”
“If I get the help of the Demon King’s Army, I’ll be able to live outside the Great Forest, but I’m curious about why I’m still living here.”
“Ah, that’s what you mean.”
Said Walter, scratching his cheek with his fingernails.
“To be honest, it’s because I can’t imagine leaving this place.”
“…You can’t imagine?”
“Certainly, according to the records of our ancestors, the land we lived in in the past must have been a better place than it is now. But the beasts who grew up in the Great Forest from birth are satisfied with their lives here. The same goes for me. After leaving the Great Forest, now “It might be possible to live a better life than that. But if the current solidarity disappears because of that, it would be a huge loss to the entire beast tribe from a distance. Ironically, the beast beasts, who were always at odds every time, started to cooperate for the first time in the great forest. After moving.”
“In other words, are you willing to endure some inconvenience in order for the clan to unite?”
“You’re right.”
“…Thank you. Thanks to you, my curiosity has been resolved.”
“I’m glad it helped.”
Saying that, Walter shrugged his shoulders and asked as if he had remembered it belatedly.
“How’s Ozma?”
“It’s too healthy to wear.”
“Ozma is like a daughter to me. She please make me happy.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
After such a brief conversation, Walter finally stopped in front of a house.
Perhaps you have reached your destination.
“Then let’s go inside.”
Our party followed his advice and set foot inside the huge tree house.
