Dark Knight Kroki

　We leave Coona and the others and enter the land of Luvania.
　Luvania is surrounded by a warding that detects intruders.
　Coona's butterflies will allow you to slip through the barrier, but if you go with many people, they will notice you.
　Therefore, the only way to get there is with the smallest number of people.
　In addition, there is a magic inside the wards that prevents transference. Once inside, it will be difficult to escape using transference magic.
　Accompanying them are Tiber, the Dark Fairy, and a clown doll with a will.
　They hurriedly head to the dead city of Modugal, where Zarxys is likely to be.
　They must not fly in the sky because they might be noticed.
　Therefore, we would have to run on the ground.
　Fortunately, the land of Luvania is much smaller than Gypseal.
　With my own feet, I would be able to get to Maudgal in a short time.
　That's how I'm running through the land where the snow remains now.
　The land of Luvania is in the northern part of the continent, close to the icy sea.
　Right now it's windy season, so it's okay, but when it's ice season, I'm told it's covered in snow.
　And the snow gets deeper inland where the mountains are closer to the mountains than in the coastal areas in the north.
　So it's not uncommon for snow to remain in the next season after the ice season, the wind season.

Are you okay?　Tiber?

　Ask Tiber, who is in his own bosom.
　The Dark Fairies live in a forest rich in life force.
　And Luvania is a land of dense miasma, the exact opposite of life force. The miasma of miasma can be a bit harsh for the dark faerie Tiber, don't you think?

He's fine. He's fine for now. Master Kuromi~. I'll be fine when I'm near you, Mr. Kuroki, with your strong vitality.

　Tiber says happily.
　What does it mean to be okay with being on your side?
　However, as far as I can see, she looks fine, so I'm relieved.

''Master~. This area is still fine~. You saw the people living here~. Creatures can still live~. The hard part is just after this~

　The clown explains with a laugh.
　Indeed, on the way here, we found a place that looked like a human settlement.
　Sometimes it's surprising that there are people here, even though it's a land ruled by the Grim Reaper.

It's true. I didn't expect there to be people here.''
They're cattle. They're cattle, kept by a dead nobleman.
'What?　Yes.

　I can't hide my surprise.
　If it's true, should I help him? And I'm lost.
　But as long as it's for the purpose of being undercover, it can't be noticed.
　Luvania is difficult to live in, but it is by no means an unlivable land.
　To the north of Luvania is the land of Alemania, which is bordered by the sea and is home to several human-controlled countries.
　Also, the clown explains that the village we passed is called Sanshos, and the lord is a vampire.
　That's quite a detailed explanation, I think.
　How does this clown know such things?
　And it feels like it has a high level of magical power for a doll.
　It's not just a doll.
　Who is the creator of the doll?
　The one I can think of is Herkert.
　It seems to me that Herkert, the Great Witch, would be able to create a doll with such a great will.
　And would she have given the doll to her apprentice, Kuna?
　I'll ask him when I get home.

'Well, the Forest of Sorrows is almost here. I'm here, so I'm sure you'll be fine, Tiber, but please prepare a disguise spell.
Hmm. You don't have to tell me, but I know what you're thinking. I'm a clown.

　Tibel sticks her tongue out at the clown.
　As a Dark Fairy, Tiber excels at concealment and disguise magic, and, like Kuna's butterflies, she can transfer to any place where transference is blocked.
　But the same is true for the short distances they can transmigrate.
　And what I'm wondering is why is it okay to have a clown around?
　As I'm running along thinking about this, I see a creepy forest.
　The trees in the forest are leafless, dead and oddly twisted.
　It's not the kind of forest you want to be in.

'I can see it. That's the Forest of Sorrows, baby," he says. If you're not careful, the forest will steal your soul!

　The clown lets out a creepy laugh.
　Tiber in his pocket makes a really disgusting gesture.
　I know the feeling.
　Couldn't Herkert have been a bit more decent in character?
　I wholeheartedly agree.
　However, there is no use in thinking about such things, so I decide to enter the Forest of Sorrows.
　The Forest of Sorrows is like a forest made of dead trees, and there are no leaves on any of the branches.
　However, the branches are well-grown, and they are intricately tangled overhead, darkening the forest.
　It seems that the Dead City Mode Gal is located in this forest, and you must pass through this forest whenever you go to the ground.

''What a creepy forest~''

　Tiber looks at the forest and shudders.
　Indeed, Tiber is right, this forest is spooky.
　Every now and then, a grunting, eerie voice spires through the forest.
　Perhaps these grunting-like sounds are made when the wind blows and passes through the cracks in the branches.
　Perhaps this is the origin of the Forest of Sorrows.
　This creepy forest must be passed quickly.

'Oops!　No, you can't~. Mister~. If you leave me alone, the forest will attack you~. Kekekeke~

　I tried to speed up my run and was stopped by a clown.

'Woods attacking?　What do you mean?
'Just as I said. Sir~

　I don't know what that means.
　I look again at the trees in the forest.
　The trees are very eerie. A bump has appeared here and there on the trunk of the tree.
　Inside the bump, I can see several things that look like human faces.

''What?!''

　I couldn't help but gasp.
　The human-faced bump has moved.
　The eyes are moving and the mouth is open.
　I move closer to the bump.
　It was unmistakably a human face.
　It has vacant eyes and occasionally moans.
　The moaning coming from earlier was not the sound of the wind.

'This is ....... What does it mean?
"Hmmm, sir. This is the end of the line for those whose souls have been sucked by this tree.
The end of the line?　What do you mean?
This forest will not tolerate the living. "This forest will not tolerate the living. Look at him, sir. I bet he has a body like that~. hahahahaha.

　The clown points to a human corpse tangled in the branches of a tree.
　The corpse has dried up and is not moving.
　From the way it is armed, it must have been a warrior in life.
　The clown explains that anyone who enters the forest, other than the death's attendants, will be grabbed by the tree branches and their souls taken away.

''This armament belongs to the Northern Alemanians~. It must be Bo ......, one of the warriors who came to defeat the noblemen of death?　It's stupid! I'm deliberately making it easier for humans to come here, and yet they come with a sneak attack.

　The clown pokes his finger on the cheek of the dried up corpse like a fool.
　The words bother me.

'Making it easier to come, you say?'
Yes. If they wanted to, they could make it impossible for humans to enter the land of Luvania. But we haven't done that, have we?

　That's true.
　That Zarxys could have made it impossible for humans to enter.
　But that's not the case.
　Looking around, I see a number of dead human warriors.
　Perhaps they are the ones who have come to defeat the Attendants of Death.

''Why? Are you doing this?
That's why... It's to torment~. To torment Elyos' family. Baboon.
'Is that why you're doing this?　How can we save their souls?
''That's right! If you burn the tree you're capturing, you should be able to free your soul~. But if you do that, they'll notice you~. Maybe we shouldn't do that now~

　Surely the clown is right.
　If we burn this forest, Zarxys will notice us.

All right. You're absolutely right.
'Thank you. I'm glad you understand!

　With that, the clown pulls the corpse out of the tree's branches.
　The tree is no longer interested in the corpse, or perhaps it is simply surrendered.
　The clown takes the corpse's hand and dances and sings, "Brave Alemanian warrior.

'Brave warrior of Alemania!
　"We must avenge the Lord of Death.
　♪ Overcoming the crowd of the dead ♪
　We'll never get to the woods of sorrow
　The warriors are going to the city of the dead
　But a branch caught my foot and I was just sitting there
　And the rest, as you can imagine
　Branches wrapped around my body
　Warriors will be part of the forest
　I wondered why I came to these woods
　Warriors mourn and weep every day.

　The voice of the clown is accompanied by a wooden spirit of sorrow.
　I can feel Tiber trembling, I can tell.
　It's not a song I want to hear either.

'Cease and desist, clown. Let's move on. The City of Death is almost here, isn't it?'
Okay. Okay. So long, soldier. We're going to the City of Death.

　The clown lays the warrior's corpse gently on the trunk of the tree where his face is.
　I sense something unpleasant in this clown.
　But at the same time, he is also trying to help himself.
　So I meditate on his actions.
　Let's pass this kind of forest quickly.
　And then we ourselves were going to Modugal.