*

　The evening of the next day after we left Rockwell, the forest suddenly ceased to exist and our vision became brighter.
　The fields of wheat spread out in front of us for miles.
　The wind blew and the ears of wheat swayed.
　Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the ears of wheat were swaying.
　The wind blew and the wheat field undulated like a wave.
　Makoto was reminded of his hometown, a rice field near his parents' house.
　The ears of rice swayed like this every time the wind blew.
　Makoto squinted at the comfort of the breeze on his cheek.
　It was as if her frozen heart was thawing.
　As she was thinking about this, Yuka tapped her second arm with the back of her hand.

'Is a field of wheat that rare?'
No, I'm not a rare case.

　His hometown is Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture, which is located in the middle of the countryside, where there is only one bus every hour.
　A business trip to a local factory reminded me that my town is only the beginning of the rural life, but aside from that, wheat fields and rice fields are not unusual.

'Are yuccas rare?'
....

　Yuka doesn't answer.

'I knew you were from outside the Twenty-Third Ward?
'What?　It's not!　I'm from the 23rd district!
Why are you claiming to be from the Twenty-Third Ward so loudly?

　Are they saying that if you are not from 23 wards you are not a resident of Tokyo?
　Even Okutama is a great city of Tokyo.

I don't know why you want me to be from outside the 23 wards. You live in Saitama or Gunma and you don't know where you are from, so you want a friend.
Why do you want to discount Gunma?
I'm trying to disrespect you!　Eat a grilled bun or something!
You know a lot of local stuff, don't you?

　I was impressed beyond my anger.
　By the way, a yaki-manjuu is a baked bun with no bean paste in it, coated with sweet and spicy miso sauce.
　It is said to be a local cuisine of Gunma Prefecture, and they sometimes set up a stall for yaki-manjuu at the festival in Kumagaya City.

"You're not from Tokyo, are you?
I told you I'm from the 23rd arrondissement.

　Yuka turned away with a pouty face.
　She's acting as if this conversation is over.

''Oh come on, it's almost a village, stop fighting.
Yeah.
I wish it had stopped a little sooner.

　Makoto blurted out quietly.
　Well, few people try to get involved in trouble themselves.
　In that sense, my teammates are normal people.

''Well we're already there?''

　I would have liked to have enjoyed the scenery a bit more, Makoto said as he pulled to the edge of the road.
　There was a wall rising at the end of the road.
　As they got closer, details gradually became clearer.
　The wall appeared to be a five-meter high wall made of hammered logs.
　Although some of it was damaged, only the roof and the watchtower could be seen because the logs were adjacent to it.

'It looks like a village, or rather a fortress,'
It's the biggest village in the neighborhood.

　Liv crossed her arms and nodded repeatedly as she replied.

'I knew you'd have to do that much?
'Oh, no, most villages are a bit saltier.'
...salty.
It's not a fence, it's a fence. It's a lattice of wood. Some of them are even made of bamboo.
Hmm, I'd like to go see that sometime.

　If I can see it while I'm commissioning it, that's all well and good, but if not, I'd like to go and see it when I have more time in my life.

'No, maybe I should force myself to go and see it.
'It's not like you're going to be forced to go see it, is it?　It's a fence, fence.
I feel like if I didn't, I wouldn't be going to see it for the rest of my life.
I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about.

　If it's work, I'll be forced to do it because it's a fire in my ass, but if it's a personal matter, I can put it off as long as I want, and I'll lose interest in it eventually.
　The idea was that if I wanted to see it, I should force myself to work it into my schedule, but Liv didn't seem to understand.
　The troop merchant stopped moving, and Mako stopped too.
　After a while, parts of the fence began to slowly fall outward.
　If you look closely, the area around the wall is surrounded by a moat.
　Perhaps they were digging down around it to make it higher.
　It looks like overkill from Makoto's point of view, but...

''I knew I'd have to do this much.
The undead will come to you if there are too many humans around. At the very least, you need a fence.

　Fene muttered sincerely.

'Speaking of which...'
What's up?
Don't they have goblins or orcs or something?
I've heard of people hiding out in the woods.
I don't know if he's ever seen one in person.

　Apparently, neither of them have ever seen a goblin and an orc before.
　I think they're famous villains in fantasy works.

'Why?'
Because there are undead people out there.

　Fene has a look on her face that says she doesn't know why she's asking that.

''Can you get rid of them so easily?
I don't know what you're talking about.
In tribal lore, goblins are the weakest monsters.

　When Fene turned his gaze to look for help, Liv took over after him.

'I knew you were the weakest monster.
They were monsters who attacked people and kidnapped human girls and, well, impregnated them.

　Liv stammered in the middle, embarrassed.

''Can you ... impregnate a human?''
Why are you reacting to that?
It's not responding.

　Makoto said back to Yuka.

'Can I continue?'
Yeah, please.
Goblins are also a metaphor for locusts. In short, they're a race of raiders. They can't even make their own tools, and because they drag each other down, they can't easily grow a flock.

　The goblins in this world fit Makoto's image.

'If a monster appears that kills creatures at random like the undead, it's only natural for such creatures to perish.
Well yes.

　If you die with unrequited love, you will become undead, and if you are killed by the undead, you will suffer the same fate.
　The speed of breeding is unparalleled.

'I heard the orcs were a bit more sane, but it seems that living as a pack unit has taken its toll on them.
Were the Bison Horns all right?
Why'd you have to talk about my tribe?
It's a tribe, isn't it?
Our tribe is not isolated. We get along well with the other tribes. We have ties to the Kingdom of Veris.
...I see.

　The bottom line would be that goblins with weak cohesion and orcs that acted in pack units were unable to resist the undead.

''Why haven't the other monsters been destroyed?''
The reason for this is because they are fast to run away and the undead have poor judgment. Look, you didn't see any monsters in the forest.
Well, come to think of it.

　The only monsters I've seen in the forest are sword deer (Thors Dire) and demon brown bear (Evil Grizzly).

If the undead are in the middle of chasing their prey and see another one, they will go that way.
You're an idiot.

　Makoto let out a small gush as he pictured the skeleton going this way and that way repeatedly.

'But the ghouls were pretty quick, man.
There aren't many undead like ghouls.

　We've already been in phase twice, and I wonder if the dungeon has a terrain effect that encourages the growth of the undead.
　As the troopers started to move, Makoto moved forward as well.
　Once they cross the drawbridge, they are inside the village.
　There is a well in the center of the village, with thatched houses surrounding the well.

''This time it feels like the Middle Ages.''
Window pane.

　Yuka paciously tapped Makoto on the second arm.
　Certainly the houses' windows were made of glass.
　When the wagon stayed near the well, the adventurers sat there or rushed into the tavern - where a mug sign hung in the eaves - as the wagon stayed near the well.

'Now we're halfway there at last,'
I'll be home by the time I get there.
I know!

　'You're a school teacher,' muttered Yuka, letting out a sigh in disbelief.

'What am I supposed to do now?'
We won't leave until tomorrow morning, so we'll have to wait until then.
Where do I sleep?
'You can negotiate with the villagers to rent a barn, or you can sleep around the well, or miscarry on the floor of the tavern.
Is there no other option but to sleep with a small fish?
Nope.

　When Liv denied it, Yuka let out another sigh.

'I'll go negotiate!
Wait.
"Gahhhhhhhh!

　When Mako grabbed her tail, Fene let out a colorless scream.
Sorry.
"I hope you don't grab my tail all of a sudden.

　When Makoto let go of her hand, Fene held her ass - her tail - with tears in her eyes.

'Is your tail sensitive or something?'
'It hurts to have your hair pulled out, too, doesn't it?　I mean, that's what I mean.
I'm sorry for pulling you out of the water.

　Makoto bowed again.

'I was just a little surprised. I want you to tell me in advance when you're going to touch it.
I've got a tail, you know.

　Liv turned back and moved her tail.
　Well, unfortunately, it looks like Paleo is only moving.

'I'll let you touch it when we're alone,'
"The tails of the Bison Horns are stringy. Touch it, Foxtail, Foxtail tribe.
I'm taking care of my tail!　Don't get me started with the skinny fox!

　They began to argue with each other.

'Why do we have to fight?'
It's your fault.
So why?
Do you think you're pretending to be some kind of light novelist?

　Yuka scowled uncomfortably.
　It looks like she might spit at the petticoats.

''No, well, I'm not that much of a Parkinson's man either.
I don't know.

　What am I supposed to do?

'Enough of that, both of you.'

　When I had no choice but to call out to them, Fene and Liv obeyed in silence.

''Fene.....
Fluffy is the best.
That's okay.
Is that okay?

　Fane hangs his head and tail without effort.
　I take out a magic stone from the pouch and give it to her while the sight of it inspires my guilt.

''Magic stone?''
'I picked it up when I defeated the Skeleton Warrior. I don't think anyone would let me stay for free, so use this.

　It's possible that Fene will misrepresent the difference, but even if that happens, I can agree that it's a hassle fee.

''Well, I've got some business to attend to,''
'All right. I'll do my best to rest under a roof.

　Oh!　Fene raised his fist.

*

　Mako headed over to the girl sitting near the well.
　She was a calm-looking girl in a young grass-colored robe.
　She must be an elf because her pointed ears are pinged out to the side.

''Ah~, can I ask you something?''
Yes, what is it?
Didn't you use some sorcery yesterday?
Yes, I'm a sorcerer.

　'Ehem,' said the girl, puffing out her chest.

'Um, can I sit down?'
Yeah, go ahead.

　Mako took the girl's word for it and poked her knees in place.

'I'm a spiritist too,'
''Yes, I know. It was the first time I've seen the Seven Evil Users, and it took me by surprise.

　The girl put her hand on her chest and gave a sly smile.

'You were calling out to me when you were using the spirits but...'
''Spiritists use magic by calling out to the spirits. Calling on them like this, concentrating on the area between their eyebrows, makes them tense.

　The girl pointed between her eyebrows and knit her brows together.
　Then the red glowing particles suddenly appeared and began to swirl around her.
　I'm not sure if they are sending out radio waves when they say they are tingling.

''Thank you, Spirit,''

　As the girl thanked him, the glowing red particles diffused and disappeared into the air as they melted.
　A bit like the magic of a demon bear (Evil Grizzly).

''Is that what all spiritists are like?''
''Yes, I call out to the spirits, and I'm sorry to say it, but I'm going to increase the things I can do little by little, like training them. I'm not quite there yet, but when I'm at the level of the village chief, I just call out to them and they start to do things for me.

　Hmmm, Mako groaned.
　It's not helpful.
　What is a spirit in the first place?
　Do they constantly drift around the surgeon?
　Or do they have a network of sorts and share their experiences?
　I don't even know if it's like a program.

What do you know about the seven evils?
...the seventh evil?

　The girl raised her eyebrows quizzically.
　Well, it's not unreasonable to ask her to tell me about the spirits she's using herself.

''The seven evils are binge eating, color lust, greed, rage, laziness, arrogance, jealousy... the spirits that control human emotions and greed.
...the seven deadly sins.
?

　Mako muttered and the girl tilted her head in wonder.
　'The seven deadly sins are the emotions and greed that are said to lead humans to sin in Christianity.

'What kind of spirits are the seven evils?'
Oh, so you're a guest.

　The girl nodded, finally getting the point across.

'You know exactly what I mean,'
'Anyone who tells me they don't know about the seven evils would think so.
Really?

　Apparently, the lore of the seven evils is so major in this world that it would be strange if you didn't know about it.
　I should have done my due diligence in gathering information, Makoto scratched his head.

''The naming of the seven evils is incredibly disturbing, is there any harm in it?
'Yes. There's a lot of sinister lore about the seven evils--
What kind of lore is this?
There are famous tales of a wolf of misfortune, a bandit stealing a kingdom, a goblin king with a million sons, a fox with nine tails, and a demon of war who continually challenges the gods.
As far as I'm concerned, none of this sounds like a good idea.

　Mako moaned half-eyed.

'Don't worry so much. They call it evil, but the bottom line is that excessive lust and emotions will destroy you.
As the priest said, I'm not so sure about that.

　Makoto scratched his head boringly.
　He even wondered where the trust in that priest-sama in particular came from.

''Huh, the seven evils dwell in everyone's heart. Total denial would lead to a denial of humanity, right?
Is that so?
Yes, no desire or emotion should be denied.
Well, come to think of it...

　It's simple, even for me, and I'm not sure if it's that simple.

Is there anything else?
''Hmm~ Also, you said you were calling out to the spirits when you use spirit magic, but I'm not calling out to them. Why is this?
Magic and spirits are an external force, but the spirits you use are an internal force. Wouldn't it be strange to ask for help to use your own power by yourself?
...I see.

　Mako looked down at her hands.

'So that means you're in charge of my desires and emotions, not all of humanity?
Yes, that's what I mean.

　The girl nodded in satisfaction.

'Is it possible to provoke and manipulate other people's emotions?　For example--
Is it the s*x drive?

　The girl smiled seductively and said.

'No, no, no, no.'
Just kidding. Just kidding.
Irritating people, that sort of thing.
'Hmmm, I've heard stories of people getting jealous and getting their s*x drive up...'

　The girl crossed her arms and snorted with difficulty.

'I don't think it's a power you can use without being aware of it.
Okay.

　Mako let out a small sigh.
　If Yuka's personality was his fault, he was going to fix it, but that seemed to be his nature.

''Thank you.''
No, no, I'm young, but I'm glad I could help.

　When Makoto bowed his head, the girl bowed lightly as well.
　She stands up and turns on her heel.
　I heard a voice saying old lady~ from behind me, but I dare to ignore it.
　Just as I was about to return to my companions -.

''Hello, there?''
What is it?

　An old man stops me and stops me in my tracks.
　He is an old man who is balding and smooth to the top of his head.
　He is wearing well-tailored clothing.

"If you have any potions, would you be willing to give them to me?
What do you need it for?

　I thought it would be rude to reply to the question with a question, but I can't just hand over the water potion (potion) that I only have two bottles of, saying yes so?

''Well actually, there is an injured knight in arms.
How did you get hurt?
''He was attacked by powerful undead on his way back to King's Landing, and he was badly injured and had to stay in the village to recuperate.

　The old man replied, wiping sweat from his handkerchief.

''A village of this size should have at least some water pills, don't they?
'Since the night the Knights were here, a giant undead attacked this village.
'I think the fence was broken, by the way?

　I remember that the wall surrounding the village was partially broken.

'It was destroyed by the giant undead. The church had cleansed it, so we managed to get rid of it, but the men of the village couldn't be unharmed either...''
'You mean you don't want to use water potion on a knight who's going to be gone when his wounds heal?
That's right.

　The old man grunted.
　''I can understand why you want to save the water pills for emergencies.

''Do powerful undead come out often?''
There's no way we'll ever be able to settle such an undead land.
Well, sure.
'I suspect it has something to do with the capture of the Wrecking King's dungeon...'

　Ugu, Makoto grunted.
　Suddenly, what passed through his mind were the countless magical stones that had been left in the dungeon.
　What if those magic stones were absorbed by the surviving undead and powered up?
　Such an uneasiness arose.
　Makoto took out a bottle of water medicine from his pouch and offered it to the old man.

''Oh, thank you.''
'I bought it at 500 A a piece, so I'll take 500 A. If you don't have the money, a bag of flour will do.
Oh, no, no, no, no, the village is not in need. I'll pay you with money.
'I'll be in the village until tomorrow, please.
Thank you.

　The old man received the water potion and ran to the house - the largest house in the village - and ran to the house.