In this world, there are dangerous places that we should avoid entering.

Treasure hunters tend to forget this, but for the average traveler, mountains and forests that are not under the control of the government are the most common.

In the mountains and forests that are not under human control, there is an abundance of food and valuable resources that can be taken to towns for a high price. However, there are dangers that overshadow these advantages. There is a reason why the items you can get there are sold at a high price.

They are demons. Carnivorous wild animals and harsh terrain are also troublesome, but they pale in comparison to the dangers of the former.

Compared to the plains, where people can easily see them, the mountains and forests far from the towns are hidden from people's eyes, and have their own ecosystem of troublesome demons that would immediately become a priority target if discovered near human settlements.
In addition, the veins of the earth, which are the pathways for mana materials, often run under mountains and forests, and research has shown that demons living there tend to grow more powerful than ordinary species.

The Garest Mountains existed within the Empire's territory, but they were almost completely untouched.

The roads that barely exist were built long ago and have not been maintained for a long time, and are only wide enough for a single carriage to pass through.
The ground was uneven compared to the streets, and just sitting still in the carriage I could tell that this road was what you would call a bad road.

In the midst of the violent vibrations, I thought with a sense of escaping reality that this road would eventually disappear.

Outside the carriage, there was a lot of shouting. The curtains were closed, so I couldn't see what was going on outside, but I could tell that they were fighting a demon.

I heard the strange cries and screams of the demons, and the carriage shook violently. The horses neighed, and the sound of metal overlapped them.
Liz rolled sluggishly onto her back, rubbing her bare stomach and smiling nervelessly.

'Hey, hey, Crye-chan. What should I say to them next? Is there a good provocation? Something that will make them want to jump right away! Let's think together, shall we?

...... Incidentally, treasure hunters tend to forget about the dangers of forests and mountains because one of the most dangerous places in the world, even more dangerous than mountains and forests, is the treasure house we are always exploring.
Compared to the phantoms that appear almost infinitely and in most cases leave nothing behind even if you defeat them, the demons that leave flesh and blood behind and are easily turned into gold are probably better. I can understand the logic, but I think we should be wary of both of them.

I changed my gaze from Liz, who was lounging around without paying attention to what was going on outside, to Sitri, who was sitting next to me.

'You know, ......, are you okay outside?

'I think it's fine, sir. The layers are still young. Is there anything that worries you?'

Citrie, who had been sitting on the floor with his hands on his knees and smiling, looked thoughtful for a moment, but answered quickly.

'...... Heh. No, that's fine. ......'

He nodded plausibly and frowned.
A few hours later, I changed course. I immediately suspected that I had made an error in judgment.

...... There are too many demons on this road, aren't there?



The incessant sounds of fighting and shouting are not good for mental health, to say the least. It was all I could do to pretend that I was fine.

The Garest Mountains seemed to be more inhabited by demons than I had imagined.
The carriage came to a sudden halt every so often, and the shouts and screams coming from outside indicated that the three of us were not enough to protect them.

However, we had expected that demons would appear in the mountains and forests. There seemed to be a few too many of them, but I had thought of that possibility as well.
The most unexpected thing for me was...

I rolled over and looked at Liz, who was sitting on my lap with her cheek pressed against mine.
I see Cicely reading a book with a smile on her face.
You'll be able to see Tino holding his knees and getting into his own world.

............ Hey, why don't you guys fight?

It's obvious that you don't have enough help, no matter how many guards you have hired. And Liz is definitely stronger than the guards. Sitri is also a rearguard, but that doesn't mean he can't fight.

I took the mountain road rather than Arnold because I thought that with them, I would be safe.

The usual Liz would not have stayed put when there was so much noise outside the carriage.

I was wondering when he was going to go, and I lost the chance to point it out. Is there any reason for this?

The carriage shook loudly again, and I could hear a faint shout of abuse from outside.

I've been thinking ...... that Black and the others ...... are pitiful, aren't they?
I'm not sure if there is a purpose for this, but it's very uncomfortable for a sensible person like me.

I'm not sure if I'm the only one who doesn't understand what's going on, but no one is talking about it.
I hesitated for a moment, but then made up my mind and checked with Citrie.

'...... Hey, Cicely. What's going on outside? ......'

'Yes, sir. We can test the performance of the three of us together, and it's very efficient! That's Kry-san!

With an embarrassed smile on his face, Sitri replied in an off-handed manner.
Maybe that's the right attitude for alchemists, and I admire their pursuit of efficiency, but I don't think it's too much.

'............ Maybe that's their job, but ...... what if they die?

'? Well, ..................'.

Hunters are always facing death, but not in this situation.
Citry thought about it for a few seconds, as if puzzled, and then put a finger to his lips and tilted his head.

'Do you want to find ............ the next one?

'Apparently you don't understand what I'm trying to say, .......'

'What ......? I'm sorry. Do you have any other use for ......?'

'......'.

I took my gaze away from the unique sensibility of the citrine and looked at the lyss lying on the floor.
The iris of light pink color without cloudiness was looking up at me curiously. She is dressed in her usual battle attire, and on both of her thrown out legs, the "Highest Roots" she always wears shines dully.

'What? I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure you'll be able to do it. Here.

Liz ran her fingertips over her exposed, tanned skin, but she didn't ...... stroke it.
I asked her straightforwardly.

'......Liz, do you want to fight?

'Hmm ............, of course I want to fight. It's nice to lie down, but I feel like my body gets tired when I'm like this.

Then why don't you--

Liz lay back, raised her head a little, put it on my lap and smiled.

'But I'll put up with ...... it. It's a no-violence policy, right? Is that right? Hey, am I good? Isn't that great?'

...... I see. I just remembered what I said a few days ago.

No, I did forbid violence. I forbade training.


But,......, it was to enjoy the vacation--I invited Liyes and the others because I wanted to travel with them, but half of it was to protect them.

'......No, it's an exception when you're dealing with demons.'

'......What?'

Liz rolls her eyes.

My decision to ban violence is violence when dealing with humans.
Or rather, what I wanted to ban was simply put--fighting. Don't pick fights with civilians, hunters, or apprentices, that's what I said.

It's true that we want you to enjoy your vacation, and it's also true that we don't want you to do anything dangerous, but it's against our purpose to have you stay in your carriage with a small group of hired guards when you've been attacked by many demons and are (probably) outnumbered.

Not only Liz, but also, unusually, Sitri was looking at me with a puzzled expression.

I'm not sure if I've said enough, but I think it's common sense,......, hmm? I'm sure you'll be able to figure out how to get the best out of it. That's not possible. What kind of s*xuality is that?

Tino raises his head and stares at me. I put my flaws aside and said hard-boiled.

'Defeating demons is not violence. It's extermination. Isn't that right?'

As if to show that I was right, the carriage stopped and shook dramatically. Lise's eyes lit up.

'! I love you, Cry-chan! I'm off!

She forgot to take Tino with her, as usual, and jumped out immediately.
The carriage creaked loudly just from the movement, and then a voice echoed from outside that was just as rude as the cursing that had been going on.

'Hey, you little bastard! Don't play dumb, stay back! Just protect your horse!

'...... Cry, I'm sorry. I think my sister was ............ feeling a bit resentful.'

The sounds coming from outside are much more intense than before. I'm sure it's Lizzie going wild.
Sitri looks a little embarrassed. Well, I've given some strange orders too. .......

You might be able to get some materials, and there are some materials that rarely appear without ...... Kry's help.'

'Yeah, sure, sure. Go ahead.''

Citry bowed and jumped out of the carriage, looking as happy as his sister.
Now, it will soon be quiet outside. I sneezed and made eye contact with a pale Tino.

'Mastaa, could it be that ...... this is where it all starts?

'? No, there's no real show, but ...... you're right, Tino really should get some sleep soon. It's not easy when something happens to you.

'? ..................Yes......'

A trembling voice was heard and Tino closed his eyes while holding his knees.
Are you sure you want to be in that position? It seems that Tino has a lot of reservations when he is with me.

There must have been something in the luggage to hang it on.
With the constant sounds of battle coming from outside as background music, I put my hand on the luggage piled in the corner.

But what is it about these materials that rarely come out without me? .......

In the end, Liz and the others did not return to the carriage until the sun went down and they reached a place that Citrie judged to be suitable for camping.