Strange happenings in the forest?
After checking the quest given by the useless god, I leaned back and crossed my legs.
It wasn’t that I had no idea what was going on.
In fact, it was the opposite.
There were so many things that immediately came to mind that my head was spinning.
In the game Soul Academy, the forest is a place where many events are waiting to happen.
The place where I met the clueless fox was also in the forest, wasn’t it?
The forest, with its ruler and various other beings lurking within, is the center of numerous incidents and quests. Therefore, it’s nearly impossible to make any assumptions based only on the clue of "the forest."
The useless god must have known this too, which is why he told me to ask the clueless fox.
The problem, however, was that I didn’t want to talk to the fox who was sulking in front of me.
Think about it. The moment I ask this pervert something, it’ll probably start wagging its tail in excitement.
It might even make a strange request, thinking I need it.
...But what else can I do? I have to follow the quest.
"Clueless fox. What have you been doing until now? I doubt it’s something that would delay you, considering you’re the type of pervert who can’t stand the absence of air."
"...Hmm. Well..."
The fox hesitated, and my eyebrows furrowed naturally.
Could this be something that could break the current deadlock? And yet it’s not telling me?
That means it’s either something too disgusting to tell me or something really important.
Considering the usual behavior of the clueless fox, the former seemed more likely, but if the useless god gave me this quest, it could be something serious.
Hmm. I guess I won’t know until I confirm.
"Hehe~ You don’t seem very desperate, do you? You’re rebelling against your master, are you, puppy?"
"U-uhh."
"I thought you were a beast with no intellect, but now you can’t even act like a proper beast? Hehe, how pathetic~ Spending time on something like you is a waste~ I’d rather have the perverted apostle by my side."
"Why is that bastard’s name coming up?"
The clueless fox barked loudly, but when it met my cold glare, it tucked its tail.
"Now you’re even defying me? Even beasts living in the forest know the meaning of submission, don’t they? How do you think it feels to be called a worthless beast?"
"..."
"Apologize! Apologize to the poor creatures under you! Say you’re sorry for being such a pervert, and bite your tongue and die!"
The clueless fox’s face turned bright red, and it trembled on the ground, covering its face with both hands.
So the provocation worked on the fox, huh?
If I do this properly, I can play around with this damn pervert.
"Thank you so much..."
Hearing the flirtatious voice, I froze, but the fox was just gasping under my cold stare.
Did I really have to keep talking to this thing? I thought about kicking it out, but the clueless fox quickly cleared its throat and tried to regain composure.
"Well... Don’t misunderstand. The reason I held back is simply that it was something too trivial."
"...Trivial?"
"Yes. It wasn’t something that could be said to have a dignified reason for wandering around collecting Art Guild trinkets, was it?"
From the moment I heard about the Art Guild’s trinkets, the clueless fox explained that it had been wandering around collecting them, even going to the Art Guild’s headquarters to harass the perverted apostle.
I felt my mind going blank.
Where do I even start with this?
So now, it’s saying it wanted to regain its dignity?
The ruler of the forest left the forest just for trinkets?
And even threatened the creator of them while looking for them?
Sigh. That’s why I saw so many Art Guild trinkets on the fox.
I barely managed to hold onto my thoughts and kept calm, trying to speak again.
"Nothing happened in your gloomy forest?"
"Forest? Why are you bringing up the forest now?"
"Don’t talk back. Beast."
"Your eyes... Hmm. What could happen in the forest that I protect? My true form is there, after all."
Nothing happened, huh? Then why did the useless god give me this quest? The useless god may be a perverted idiot, but he wouldn’t play around with something like this.
"Oh, right. I did hear there was a problem in another forest. Two children guarding a small forest were sacrificed to a dark ritual."
"...Keep going."
"I don’t know the details. It was just something the northern wolves randomly came and told me about."
The story about the children guarding Mebida and Dermogle during the vacation getting sacrificed made me chew my lips.
That area... It’s where the dark sorcerers are.
If they’re left unchecked, they’re the kind of pests that trigger troublesome events.
And if those guys handled the two forest rulers, this is a big deal.
Ding!
[Quest updated!]
[Things that are trying to swallow the forest]
[Dark sorcerers, in league with the evil gods, are plotting something! Stop them!]
[Reward: ???]
[Failure: GAME OVER]
Seeing the familiar message that signals the end, I let out a long breath and closed the window, looking at the clueless fox with a serious expression.
Seeing my change in demeanor, the clueless fox seemed to catch on and its face became serious.
"The northern wolves are already moving to resolve this, so I thought there was no need to worry. But I see that’s not the case."
The same thought crossed my grandfather’s mind. Knowing all the things I had done up until now and understanding why I did them, he muttered quietly with a tone of resignation.
<So the prophecy has been triggered.> ‘It’s alright, Grandpa. It won’t be as dangerous as it seems.’
The most dangerous time when dark sorcerers are involved is during the third year.
The events that occur at that time are ones the dark sorcerers put everything into, making them particularly tricky.
The second-year events are troublesome, but they aren’t as dangerous as the ones in the third year.
If I know about this situation in advance, it’s even better.
<Why don’t you just leave it to the church? If it’s about dark sorcerers, even the corrupt church will have to act.>
‘That will take too long.’
The subtle schemes of the dark sorcerers are hard to detect.
They hide in the shadows, evading any notice, and are experts at covering their tracks.
Even if the church sends people, things won’t be resolved quickly. It might even give the sorcerers a chance to act.
But if I go myself, it’s a different story.
As a filthy thing, I can easily crush the schemes of the dark sorcerers.
I already know everything about them, so I can outmaneuver their tricks.
And more importantly, I can’t rule out the possibility that the forest rulers are still alive.
If I don’t move and they die, I won’t be able to sleep properly for a while.
‘It’s alright, Grandpa. I’ll prepare and go myself.’
This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.
I’m not going to just recklessly act.
The enemy doesn’t know me, but I know them. There’s no reason to rush headlong into it.
I’ll prepare for the worst-case scenario and move carefully.
Since the northern wolves are already moving, I’ll ask for their cooperation through the clueless fox.
I’ll also call the perverted apostle to reinforce our forces.
And I’ll bring Adriel to prepare against the dark sorcery.
<...Are you sure?>
‘I value my life too much.’
The only times I’ve risked my life are when unexpected crises occurred, or when I had no other choice.
I’m not the kind of person who risks my life to save the world. That’s the job of noble people like Phaby, not someone like me.
<Do your best to prepare.> ‘I will, even without your telling me.’
After a long discussion, my grandfather finally accepted my decision.
Really. He’s so stubborn. How many times have I made it through danger? I wouldn’t fail here.
But thinking about it, the situation wasn’t bad.
The quest related to dark sorcerers needs quick action, and now that I’ve cleared the dungeon, I have the authority to move at any time.
I also have decent forces ready.
The only thing that’s bothering me is that at least four people need to be together to leave.
Ah, but there’s a decent dungeon nearby.
I could tell my friends to clear it, and then I’ll go off on my own.
This could work. I can make up a reasonable excuse, and if that doesn’t work, I can use my wish token.
In the worst case, I can always ask Phaby for help.
I was satisfied with the plan I came up with and nodded, just as I heard a knock at the door.
“Lucy Allen. Are you there?”
As soon as I heard Arthur’s voice, a smile crept onto my face.
They’ve finally come out of the dungeon! They must have realized they lost and are feeling down!
Heh! Why did they fall for the provocation?
If they thought they couldn’t win, they should have held their pride even if they were humiliated.
Huh?
I smiled and jumped off of Cal’s back, ready to open the door.
“...That lady.”
“Why, clueless Erin?”
“Is it okay to show this situation to our friends?”
What? The situation?
Turning my head in confusion, I soon understood what Erin meant.
Cal, who hadn’t even moved after I got off.
The clueless fox, bleeding from the nose after seeing me jump.
The trinkets from the Art Guild scattered across the room.
“Lady?”
“Lady, are you doing something?”
“...Wait. You pathetic losers. Why are you so impatient?”
I nearly made a huge mistake.
This is too much to show to my friends.