The next morning, Xelloss left his tent for a nap and enjoyed the morning sunshine that lit up the grasslands, making him feel refreshed.

　Originally from a farming family, he was an early riser, devoting himself to working in the fields from early morning.
　That's why he goes to bed earlier than most people, but I guess it's a sign that he's leading a healthy life.

　The problem is that there is no field to plow here.
　The problem is that there are no fields to cultivate here. It's all well and good until he wakes up, but he's bored as hell.

"I'm bored. ...... What can I do?

　There's nothing to do.
　In the world he used to live in, he would be collecting eggs from the hen house and weeding the fields at this time.
　Breakfast was left over from the previous day, and I spent my time watching TV and playing online games in the afternoon.
　Even though he didn't work, he didn't have to worry about his livelihood as the rent of the rental house left by his parents was paid to him, and his daily cycle was to live a long and leisurely life.
　In a sense, he was living a healthy life in a blessed environment.

　But now he is a vagrant without a place to stay.
　The house and land were manageable, but he had no job.
　He has a job as a tutor, but after a month, he is just a vagrant again.
　He can sell materials by defeating demons, but it would be too bleak a life for him to do so.
　I don't want to work for the government, and I want to live a normal, free and relaxed life.

I want to live a normal, free and relaxed life.

　To be honest, I don't want to have a job with responsibility.
　To be honest, I don't want to work in a job with responsibility, especially when other people's lives are at stake.
　It was supposed to be a clean morning, but my mood became heavier and heavier.

"There's a ...... guy out there!
It's the white devil, the ...... guy who took my pants off!
Calm down, it's okay!　We're all here, okay?
You're lying!　You ran off without me!

　The night watchman seems to have encountered his enemy, Crazy Ape.
　The knights... no, the men couldn't help but think Crazy Ape was a demon.
　He attacked the knights without even looking at Celestina, even though he was supposed to be a male. 7 knights had their pants taken off, 2 of them even had their pants taken off, and the gentleman between their legs was rubbed.
　The horror is unimaginable.

　In a way, I might as well have run into a dragon.
　Crazy Ape had become dangerous in a different way.
　It left a huge psychological scar on the knights. .......

"I can hear his '♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡!

　They seem to be victims of being completely undressed: .......
　They seem to have been traumatized so badly that they can hear auditory hallucinations.

　The mournful cries of their souls echoed across the early morning plains.
　My mood is heavy in a different way, and for some reason I can't stop crying. .......

　The clean morning was ruined.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇　　


What a depressing breakfast. ......
You're good, because you're a woman: ....... Only a man can understand the horror of that thing. ......

　In the event that you've got any questions, you'll be able to contact us at our own web site.
　The breakfast that day was a true wake.
　To be honest, none of them could taste the food.

　They just chewed their breakfast in silence, their faces pale and expressionless.
　The atmosphere was not gloomy, but rather despairing of everything in this world, as if all dreams and hopes were completely lost.
　There were a couple of female knights in the squad, but they were both spared by Crazy Ape, and most of the male knights had almost fallen prey to the fearsome thing.
　There is no greater horror than that of being driven to the brink of a fatal mental breakdown.

A simple question: If males attack males, what about ...... females?

　It was a question that should never have been asked.
　It was a question that should never be asked, because it could lead to further tragedy for them.
　But once you start imagining it, you can't stop.

"He's going to attack the ...... woman, isn't he?
"Wait, isn't he going to attack a man while pretending to do so?　If so, there's ...... hell to pay!
Maybe they'll both ......
I don't even want to think about it!
Wait, let's say you're only going after women. ...... Do you want to see that?
I don't want to see that. It's not beautiful. ......
You're all s*xual harassers!

　It's a good idea to take a look at the actual information on the web.
　It is certain that they have a breeding season just like animals, but no one has ever confirmed the truth of it.
　Or, if there were people who have studied them in the past, it is highly likely that they are all dead because they have not been handed down to the present.
　The study of demon biology is such a difficult and dangerous research.
　Therefore, it is full of mysteries and mysteries, but it is highly doubtful that anyone would want to investigate Crazy Ape. It's too dangerous in another way.

What are your plans for today, then?　We're your guards, so your schedule will be determined by your actions. ......
I'm sure you're right. I'm not sure what to make of it.　I'm not sure what to make of it.
I don't like 「「「「「 ministry ministry ministry ministry 」」」」」
"・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

　Crazy Ape had too much impact.
　The scars on him are quite deep-rooted.



　After all, they'll all be going deep into the woods together.
　Because that is the job and role of the knights.

　Once you take on any job, you have to be responsible for it until the end.
　It is the same in every world.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　As the name implies, the Fafran Deep Green Zone is a vast forest.
　More than half of the continent is covered by this forest, and only about a third of it is inhabitable.
　Within this small area, many nations have sprung up, and during the Evil God War, a unified nation was even formed.
　Eventually, that great nation declined, and the situation returned to one of small nations controlling each other.
　The rise and fall of nations is a common occurrence in the world, but the fact that a unified nation declined in less than a hundred years suggests that it may be endlessly difficult to turn ideals into reality.

　This vast forest is a realm that has seen the world go through such a situation and has never changed.
　Only elves can survive in such a harsh forest, where many demons live in the order of the weak and the strong, and reject the wise.
　These elves don't want to have much to do with humans, and they don't show themselves to anyone but certain people.

　The reason for this is the unification of the nation after the War of the Evil Gods. At the time, the nation flourished as a benevolent nation that transcended race, but in the end, it became corrupted and divided by human desires.
　Ideals are high, but they are difficult.

　The elves have grown tired of the folly of men, and have entered this harsh forest to build their own kingdoms and become hermits.
　They lived so long that they saw too far ahead and despaired on their own.

　Now they do not know where the country is, and many are trying to find it and get it.
　Because of their superiority in magic, the greedy powers that be are trying to enslave the elves and incorporate them into their forces. There is nothing to be done about it.
　Occasionally we see elves, but most of them are the descendants of those who lived among men, not in hiding.

　However, while the Great Deep Green of Farfuran is a harsh forest, it is also a rich forest.
　There are many medicinal herbs and ores that lie dormant in this vast forest, and many people enter it in search of them.
　The efficacy of the herbs is higher than that of cultivated ones, and the price is twice as high for medicinal herbs, and ten times as high for special herbs such as mandragora.
　In addition, if you want to make a secret potion, its value will continue to increase endlessly.

This forest ...... has an unusually high concentration of magic power. That's probably why the demons are extremely strong. ......
"The trees are also very thick. The trees are also very thick. They must be highly nourished, and I've heard that they grow very fast.
I don't care what you say, but I don't suppose there's a ...... guy?　I'd rather not meet him in this place, to be honest.

　The knights all nodded.

I'm interested in the females. ......
「「「「「Don't say horrible things! 」」」」」

　All the knights cried out in their souls.

　No one wants to meet a demon with perverted habits.
　Celestina, who knows that she is harmless, says what she really means with a natural interest.
　It was nothing but fear for the men present.
　They are even more cautious than usual because of their fear.

「「「「「! 」」」」」

　Fortunately or unfortunately, they have sensed the presence of the demon.

　---Gwolololololololol .......

　It has a lion's body, a goat's head on its back, a scorpion's tail, and bat wings on its back.
　It is a famous chimera of the higher level demons.
　There is no uniformity among the individuals of this chimera, and the same chimera can have a similar appearance or a completely different appearance.
　Furthermore, each chimera has a different special ability, and it is difficult to defeat them without constantly changing your strategy.
　It is also one of the demons you don't want to meet in this vast forest.

　＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

　Chimera Lv124
　HP 2846/2846
　MP 3527/3527

　＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

It's a Chimera. Its level is 124. ...... It's a weaker individual than the one we killed before.
「「「「「Lv124!　Impossible, you'll never win! 」」」」」

　The level is about four times the average of the current knights, but the strength is much higher.
　They are so overwhelming that if they were to come at you, they would kill you instantly.
　Except for one. .......

"Don't worry, Binding Chains of Darkness.

　A jet-black chain entwines from the chimera's shadow, instantly sealing off its movements.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing. 「「「「「 What are you doing?
I'm not sure what to do.　I'm not sure what to do. I'm not sure what to make of this.

　It sounds like a joke.
　But Xellos was very serious.

"You're not going to attack me?　You have two heads.　Don't you use magic?
"It does a little, but that magic has another property that reduces its defense. You can defeat it if you try hard enough.
「「「「「・・・・・・・・・・・・・・」」」」」
I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.
「「「「「 How dare you, you bastard! 」」」」」



　They cried out...well, actually cried out as they drew their swords and rushed at the Chimera.
　There is nothing but fear, and the knights wield their swords to live.

　They wielded their swords in fear, wanting to live, and dealt steady damage to the chimera, which they did not know when it would break free and attack them.
　It no longer looked like a coordinated attack, but just a blind slamming of swords.
　To the casual observer, it looks like a group lynching, but the Chimera is vindictive and will come after them if they are not defeated here.
　If we are not careful, they may even come after us in Japan.

　There was a case where some nobleman entered this forest and tried to defeat the Chimera, but failed.
　As a side note, there is a bad example where the Chimera appeared in the territory of a foolish noble and killed many people.
　At that time, the Chimera's level was 200.

　The maximum level of the average high level player in this world is 250.
　Even Creston is level 243, so it is not surprising that a wyvern with level 300 would be a handful.
　Although they have the potential to become stronger, they are actually stuck in their current situation and have stopped growing.
　The people of this world should have been able to reach 500 at the highest level.

　After a while, the Chimera stopped moving.
　It took about 40 minutes.　After wielding their swords for so long, they were mentally exhausted.
　Even though their individual attacks were weak, if they attacked in a group, they would be able to accumulate damage to the chimera.
　In addition, a chimera that is deprived of movement and magic power is just a target, and should have been able to be defeated without much difficulty.

"Hahahaha ...... I'm level 43. I was 24 before .......
I'm also ...... heh heh, why is that?　I'm not happy at all. ......
My body hurts. ・・・・・・ Is this a side effect of my increased level?
"My skill level is going up ・・・・・ ahahahaha ・・・・
My level's 68. ......?
I'm ...... almost 50.

　But none of them rejoiced in their victory.
　More than that, fear was holding these knights back.

　Xellos, who had been watching from the sidelines, checked the Chimera's HP reduction and found out that the knights' attacks were only 2 to 15 per attack.
　Apparently, the current Chimera was a defense-focused type, and had more durability than its level.
　It seemed to have some kind of resistance skill and tended to resist even if its defense was reduced by magic effects or even if its magic power was taken away.
　Moreover, it seems that it had a special ability to heal HP, but it was meaningless in the face of the violence of mass numbers.
　It should have been difficult to defeat Xellos' magic, but since it was not zero, it was impossible to determine whether he was lucky or unlucky.

Let's dismantle it. Can someone help me?
『『『『『Wait a minute. ‼‼‼‼‼』』』』』

　The knights are furious with Zeroth for trying to dismantle it as if nothing had happened.
　Fear has turned to anger, and that anger has already surpassed its limits.
　Without a good reason, their anger would surely be directed at Xellos.

"What kind of man do you want us to fight, if he dies?
You'll kill us all!
Is someone dead?
No, I mean, what happens when the binding spell wears off?
Did you lose it?　Captivity spell.
「「「「「 ・・・・・ Oh, no!　」」」」」

　Xelloss said the captivity spell would wear off soon.
　But in fact, the spell remained in effect until the chimera died, and he felt uncomfortable about that.

"Zeroth, sir?　You didn't lie to us at ......, did you?

I'm sorry, but you're too weak right now, and when you're faced with a powerful demon, you have no choice but to run. I hope you can escape, but if you can't, you'll have to die. If you can't, you'll have to die. Then raise your body level, and your survival rate will increase.

Why did you do that? Just say the word: .......
I can't let my guard down and fight a strong demon. I'm not always by your side, and more importantly, if you're not prepared to take on a strong opponent, you're not going to get anywhere. This vast forest is inhabited by countless vicious demons.

　The strongest of the group was Xellos.
　However, his presence is a guarantee of safety for the knights, and they do not take it seriously enough to fight for their lives.
　Because of the security of having a strong man by their side, their minds unconsciously assume that they are safe, which may eventually lead to some sort of failure.
　It is too late to make a fatal mistake that could cost you your life.

I see, you've been training us as well. ......
You can upgrade your combat skills later, but for now you need to raise your physical level as much as possible. You can't be too careful in this forest. ...... In many ways...
"Does the security of Lord Xelloss make us weaker?

　These knights are nothing more than a liability to Zeroth.
　The only way to get rid of this is to force all the knights to become stronger.
　He had only captured them in order to improve their combat skills as well.

　Xellos' inner thoughts at this time were: ......

(They're weak, they're... they're useless. 　The only way to make them stronger is to force them to level up, but I don't think it's right to make them parasites, and I think it's better for them to get stronger on their own.
　The monsters in this forest have a maximum value of over 500.　There's no way they'll survive!　What kind of impossible game is this?
　I don't want to see people die, and it's hard on me if I don't make them recklessly level up. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do this, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it.　　　

　...... Here's how it went.

　I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but it's a good idea.


　Moreover, "Since we're going to level up the two of you anyway, it's okay to have a few more people, right?　If things go well, we might even be able to handle the demons around here! That's what I'm thinking.
　In short, I can't fully take care of these escort knights. I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.

　You'll be able to find a lot of people who are willing to help you out.
　If they run into a vicious demon during that time, the knights will be killed without a choice.
　Although he was concerned for their safety, it would still be troublesome if there were too many people to protect.

　As for Aref, ......

I've been thinking about this since we first met: ....... I've been thinking about this since the first time I met him. I'm sure he's not the only one!
　It's true that knights are elite protectors of the people, but there are plenty of powerful people in this world. What is a knight if he can't challenge the strong?　We must be brave!
　There are always opponents, and who is to say they are not strong?　Lord Xellos' way of thinking is reasonable, and I'm sure he took this harsh measure out of consideration for us above all.
　Let us accept this favor for now. If there comes a time when he needs our help, we must be strong enough to repay this favor. ......)

　Unbeknownst to Xellos, his stock had skyrocketed.

　The Order's strict discipline had made them hard men...no, brainiacs.
　More than that, they were active gymnasts.
　No matter how refreshing they looked, the Knights were a group of hot-blooded men.
　That's why they don't get along with the science-oriented Order of Magicians.

"Everyone, listen up!　We were certainly spoiled by Lord Xellos. You can see that from yesterday's battle against the orcs.
　But is that really the right thing to do?　We are knights protecting our people!　What can a knight protect if he is afraid of the strong?
　From now on, we will follow Lord Zeroth's instructions to strengthen ourselves and raise our level!　We will become a shield for our people in times of crisis, and become a knight that many will be proud of!


　They were really gymnasts who never faded away.
　And they too became Shura.

　They took the initiative to attack any demons they encountered and continued the bloodletting to become stronger than ever.
　Two hours later: ......

d*mn it!　Left, watch out!　He's on the move!
Shields won't stop him. I'm coming for you!
I'll cover you!　Fireball!
Lance corporal behind you, what are you doing?　Hurry up!

　They're dealing with a green Titan.
　They're muscular troll giants with short legs and unusually long arms.
　There were three of them. 　
　The knights are smaller than the giants and can move around more easily.
　Taking advantage of this, they were fighting well.

It's time to finish them off!　Knights beware, eat 'Volganic'!

　Zveit's magic attack.
　Zveit's magic attack. Flames erupted from the ground, enveloping one of the trolls.

　---....

　The knights who were battling the troll fall to their knees, screaming as they are burned by the high temperature, and point their swords at their next prey.
　The other two are slower, but their blows are not to be underestimated.
　The trolls were of a relatively high rank in terms of strength and durability.

I thought trolls were made of leather.
Yes, but?　You can't attack them from the front!　Attack it from the flanks and rear!
It's a great leather armor, but it's vulnerable to fire magic.
That's its weakness. If it didn't have that weakness, we could use it in the Knights. ......
Why?　Why? Doesn't it matter if it's weak against fire magic?
It's the mages from the nobility that cause problems. There are some decent people, but they can't go against the faction's wishes.

　I imagined that there are decent mages, but the mage faction is like a black company with a representative at the center.
　The representative at the top does nothing but seek power and try to make connections, leaving research to the lower mages, and when useful magic is created, they try to take credit for it and increase their own authority.
　For the lower mages, the higher-ups are a hindrance, but since they are noblemen from renowned mage families, they can't resist them. Moreover, their research results will be stolen.
　To make matters worse, the representative of this group is a very skilled mage.

　This is a problem for the knights who protect the security of the country.

I'm sure you're using a lot of flashy and powerful fire magic, aren't you?　I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out.
"Yes, and despite their bad behavior, they still threaten us with magic. What about the remaining trolls? I'll go with you.
I don't want to deal with them. Good luck, this is a service, 'Blessing of the Titans'.
Now go to ....... Don't let him get away!　I know you're tired, but this is the moment of truth!



　Aleph drew his longsword and ran towards the troll.
　He ducked under the troll's flailing arms and flashed his sword as soon as he reached its feet.
　He aimed for the troll's Achilles' heel.
　The knights now looked like raptors attacking a herbivorous dinosaur.
　I don't care how you do it, but I'd rather you didn't make small talk and lead the mission at the same time.

　The slash, enhanced by the effects of Zeroth's body-enhancing magic, the Giant's Blessing, sliced through the tendons in the troll's legs, and the seven-meter-plus behemoth collapsed.
　There, Celestina and Zveit concentrated their attack magic.
　Zveit used a lot of fire, and Celestina used a lot of lightning.

　The flames and lightning devastated the trolls.

　The troll was in agony as it stumbled around, and Arleph struck it in the neck with all his might.
　The giant's head fell to the ground, spraying a large amount of blood around it.

"Oops!　I'm up a level. But still, my body hurts. ......
"That's right. ...... Sensei, my level is over 50!

　Celestina is happy and excited.
　I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you've seen it before.
　I'm not sure if Zveit was suspicious of Celestina's joy, but he started asking her about the situation and was very unhappy and envious.

You're being too cunning!　It's my master's original magic!
"All that's left is the skill level, and at this rate, I'm almost there.
Tell me what kind of magic it is!
I don't know, sir. He said it was just for fun.

　I don't know. The teacher said it would be fun." After Xellos' guidance, the two of them rapidly became closer.

　The two of them seem to have never gotten along before, but to be honest, it was the attitude of the two duchesses that caused this, and Zveit himself has only changed his mind about Celestina.
　The reason why he was bullied as a child was because of the influence of his parents and his one-sided resentment towards Celestina's lack of talent, and he has an honest side that he will correct as soon as he finds out that he was wrong.
　This is not enough to shorten the relationship, but the training in combat with the golem has mended the relationship considerably in a short time.
　I don't know if he apologized or not, but I can see that his attitude has softened.
　There were more battles than words.
　Well, it's a lot more complicated than that for Luceris. .......

　I'm not sure what to make of this.

"Celestina, you're being sneaky!　I'm not convinced, so give me some magic too!
You have access to the family's magic, don't you?　You have family magic, don't you, Celestina?
・・・・・・・ Well, I'll teach him some magic, and you give me some magic.
・・・・ Well, if you want to use the same magic, that's fine, but only if she meets the requirements, okay?
"Whoa!　I'm getting motivated!

　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.

　The knights are dismantling the trolls, but it is difficult because they are so large and there are so many of them.
　Since they are not mercenaries, they are not very skilled at dismantling them, and since they are working in a group, they can dismantle the trolls quickly and efficiently, but whether they can be used as materials is not clear.
　Still, it's a good way to earn extra money, so the knights are happy to continue this work.
　This escort also serves as a training exercise, and a portion of the demons defeated in the forest goes into their pockets, while the knights are responsible for exchanging the rest for cash.
　The rest will be used for the maintenance of weapons and armor.

　It costs a certain amount of money for the Order to operate.

　As they worked frantically, Xellos muttered, "I'd love a beer ...... and some chicken wings.

　I miss beer more than I miss wine in this world.
　　.
　　.
　　.
　　...
　In the end, it was after dark when they came back to the base. 　
　They had killed orcs, goblins, and even parry snakes, and the last troll had used up all their strength.
　Their steps were heavy with hunger and fatigue, and they managed to make it back to the plains, but when they saw the camp where they were based, they were speechless.

　Their tents, where they were supposed to rest, had been destroyed and most of their belongings had been ransacked by someone or something.
　The most damaged was the food, almost all of which they had brought with them had been devoured.

What the ...... hell is this?
I'm not sure if it's a demon attack.　But this base must have been completely blocked by Lord Zeroth's magic.
Yes. What could have gotten in here?

　The perimeter of the camp was covered with a magical rock wall, and when we went to the forest, we had to break down part of it to get out, and then seal it again.
　The wagon they used to come here has already left the area, leaving only a carriage to store their belongings, to wait in a nearby village. Until then, they would have to make do with the food they had brought with them.
　But that vital food had been ransacked.

　Xelloss examines the area and finds animal hair.
　And it was white.

"I'd like to think that this hair ...... would not be ......
"It's a white hair ......, are you kidding me?
It's a coincidence. ...... It can't be him. ......
"If the killer is the owner of that hair, ......

　The evidence was enough to make the men's faces pale.

"Hey, there's ...... something in my va*in*, ......?

　The knights are all looking in that direction at the same time.
　There was definitely a moving shadow hiding behind the covered wagon that had been parked there as a luggage storage area.
　In addition, there is a faint sound of chewing, as if eating something.

　---Crack.

　Someone stepped on a dead branch, and a small sound was heard by their silent ears.
　Of course, the being behind the barrel mountain also heard it.



　It raises its head and slowly looks back at you.
　Everyone denied it, but the answer was right: it was a ...... crazy ape.
　And it was a female, apparently.
　The body is about two sizes larger than the male.

"Oh, it's a female ......, I don't feel safe yet, but maybe it's a .......
"Yeah, as long as it's not a ...... male, there's hope.

　In the event you're not sure what you're looking for, you'll be able to find a lot more information on the web.

I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this. 「「「「「 ---------! 」」」」」」

　The female crazy ape also loved the male.
　They recognize them as hungry beasts that they can attack.
　Of course, in a different way. .......

　Their habits seem to be no different from orcs.