The dense forest gave off a hint of a feeling as if it was rejecting intruders.
　Perhaps nine out of ten people would feel that it was an eerie forest. There was a feeling of pressure, something that kept people at bay.
　This forest is dangerous. Dangerous. Let's go around. The forest was spread out in front of Kuon's eyes.
　An ordinary person would follow his heart and take the path to bypass this forest. However, the prince of the small country didn't care about that and divided into the forest.
　It's not that Kuon is even more dull. He had felt a looming sense of intimidation, as if to tell him to leave, too.
　He felt it, but he just didn't want to bypass it.

''It's obviously a ward to avoid people, isn't it? And quite powerful. Does that mean this isn't an ordinary forest?''

　Hisato used the sword he had taken from the goblins to move through the forest with Zunzun, brushing away the branches and leaves of the shrubs that were in his way.
　It's a very strange forest, Kuon thought. A strange presence could be sensed flickering from earlier. A frightening atmosphere, or perhaps the air.
　At some point a fog began to drift into the dimly lit forest, and the visibility in front of him began to deteriorate.
　It's hard to judge things even just a few meters away, Kuon thinks in his mind, that's strange.
　Fog has a lot of moisture in the atmosphere and is more likely to form when the temperature drops. That's why it's more likely to occur when the temperature drops after rain.
　But this forest wasn't so cold, and it didn't feel as if the humidity was high. Plus the sudden flow of magic power that he felt.
　Kuon decided that this fog was man-made, nine out of ten. Although he had thought that there was someone's intentions at the stage of the wards that avoided people.
　Perhaps this was a fog created by magic. Did they intend to make Kuon get lost in the forest, or........

Stop right there.

　A voice that suddenly echoed in the forest caused Kuon to stop in his tracks with a snap.
　It was a voice like a wrinkled old man. It seems that someone is watching us. Apparently, this fog was meant to hide the figure on the other side.

''Child. You must turn back from there, or a terrible evil will befall you. Otherwise, a terrible evil will befall you. Now......
Oh, I don't care. We just want to pass through this forest.　I could give you some money if you wanted to.
"What?

　His wrinkled voice took on an upsetting color. This reaction was unexpected, as I thought a child would turn back with a few threats.

''Ka, I don't need money. You must get out of this forest as soon as possible. Do you want to be eaten by a demon?''
I beg your pardon. I want to get out of this forest and to the other side. I'm sorry, but I'm not going back, am I?
"Do not!　Go back!
I'm not coming back.
Oh, come on!

　As Kuon began to move forward again with a zing, a wrinkled voice began to grow impatient. At the same time, some sounds of leaf rubbing from the top of the tree reached Kuon's ears. Apparently, the owner of the voice is monitoring us from the top of the tree.

''.........What are you going to do about it!　You have no intention of going back!
'....d*mn, it's no use. Let's scare him some more.
"Oh?

　Instead of the wrinkled voices from earlier, the voices of a normal man and woman sounded slightly different. Apparently they had changed their voices. Judging from their voices, though, it was a young-looking man and woman.
　Kuon proceeded further through the fog while analyzing such things.
　A large shadow loomed in front of him.
　A small-headed giant with a four-meter-long head, made entirely of wood, appears through the thick fog. Every time it walked, the bark would crunch and peel off from all of its joints.
　It's a wood golem. Still young. A fully grown wood golem would be six or seven meters tall.
　But even so, compared to the six-year-old KUEN, it's still incredibly large.

''Goooooooo.......!

　Kuon silently looked up at the wood golem that roared in front of him. The owners of the wrinkled voices decided that they were indeed cowering and unable to move, and they felt better.

''If you don't want to be trampled, leave from here!　Now.

　Pow!　When I thought I heard something shattering, the neck of the wood golem was crushed, and the small head, unsuitable for its huge body, fell to the ground with a rumble.
　At the same time, ''Oooh........'', the wood golem fell backwards, its entire body falling apart from the impact of crashing into the ground.

''Eh!''
'Oh, so the golem isn't considered alive?

　Kuon's eyes as he muttered that, emitting a reddish golden light.
　[Crushing Magic Eye]. One of the seven demon eyes that Kuon possesses. As the name suggests, it is a demon eye that can crush matter just by glaring at it.
　Although it has some weaknesses when using it, such as it doesn't work on living things, it can't crush things that are too hard, and the range of its effect is narrow, it was a useful magic eye.
　The Wood Golem has a nucleus in its throat. This magic eye doesn't work on living creatures, but it was effective on skeletons and zombies, so I tried to crush the nucleus in its neck with no avail. Apparently, it worked.

'Wait, what's going on?
"It's not right!　This is no ordinary child!'

　Hisato smiled bitterly at the voice that no longer hid it.
　It's not normal, is it? That word has been exposed to Kuon since he was born. He's not the only one. The same goes for his sisters and sisters.
　I'm used to being seen that way. It's a little bit hurtful, but that doesn't mean I'm going to pretend to hide this power even more. This power is a part of me. It is an important power given to me by my father and mother.
　I'm going to be able to get over the fallen wood golem and proceed to the depths of the forest.

''Ah, ah!　Wait a minute!
"d*mn it, it's gonna be like this!

　With the sound of rustling leaves, two men and women jumped down in front of Kuon.
　Both had blonde hair and green eyes, both were dressed in greenish clothes, probably to avoid being found in the forest, and their ears were long.

''Are you an elf?''
'We will go no further!　Turn around and turn back!

　The male elf nailed an arrow to the bow the male elf was carrying and held it at the ready and said that to KUEN, who took aim.
　The female elf also pointed the tip of her magic wand at KUEN in the same way.

It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what to expect when you go to the beach. Isn't it possible that you won't let me pass through somehow?
No!　I warned you!

　An arrow shot out of the male elf. Next, a water ball the size of a human head shot out of the female elf's staff.
　It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. I turned my gaze to the water ball that continued to fly. Hisuon's eyes turn a bluish gold color.
　In the next moment, the water ball immediately disappeared as if it were melting into the air. The two elves looked at each other in surprise.

''Huh?''
What?
I'm afraid my magic isn't working on me.

　It's not that the magic doesn't work, exactly. It's just that it can be cancelled out. It's the [Magic Eye of Foggy Eraser] that can eliminate any magic effect.
　This also has a weakness, it has to capture everything that is exerting a magic effect in its sight. So it's difficult to see things that are spread over a wide area like this fog.
　Like the [Crushing Eye], this magic eye's area of effect is narrow. Even so, it's possible to always activate it from this distance.

''Ah, what?

　The female elf tried to release her magic again, but every time a water ball formed on the tip of her staff, it immediately disappeared.

''I, what on earth are you...!
My name is Kuon Mochizuki. Do you mind if I go now?
That's it for both of us.

　Just as a smiling Kuon announced his introduction, another voice interrupted him.
　Three new elves appeared from deep in the forest. One of them was dressed in a young grass-colored robe, and his mood was clearly different from the other elves.

''Elder!''

　Although he is called an elder, he is not much different from the other elves in terms of appearance. He was youthful and in all likelihood in his mid-twenties. A male elf with long blonde hair, called the elder, advanced in front of Kuon.

''Human child. I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I invite you to come to my elven village. You may relieve yourself of your fatigue.
'The home of the elves?　Thank you, but I'm in a hurry...
It's going to be dark soon. It's going to be midnight when you try to get through this forest without a second thought. You don't want to keep walking through the night.

　That being said, I looked up, and sure enough, the sky peeking through the gaps in the forest was starting to get dark. It's the middle of the night and I don't want to have to camp out in the field for a bit. Moreover, Kuon is alone. He might have to sleep in a tree to protect himself from wild beasts.

(I don't have enough food in mind, and I'll just be invited here with an open mind, shall I?　(And before that...)

　For a moment, Kuon's eyes shine with a platinum glow. 【Magic Eyes of Perception】. It's a magical eye that sees into the essence of people, which her own mother Yumina also possesses.
　Although the elves are cautious, they don't seem to have any malicious intent. However, I can see a bit of fear in their eyes. Is this against yourself or is it against something else...?

Then I will take you up on your offer. My name is Kuon Mochizuki. I will take care of you for the night.
'Hmm. My name is Wolfram, chief of the elven village. I can't offer you much in the way of hospitality, but I can at least provide you with a place to stay and some food. Corlett, show me the way.
Me?　Oh, yes......... ........then, this way.

　The female elf who had confronted Kuon earlier raised a startled voice, but lost her momentum with one of the chief's jittery glares.
　As Corlett disappeared into the depths of the forest with Kuon in tow, the remaining male elf let out a small protest to the chief.

''What do you mean by that, chief!　I wouldn't put a child of that dubious character in a village!
'I don't know who he is, but he's a child, and he's good at it. And that power.... It could be of help to us.

　Chou watched the battle between Kuon and Wood Golem, and the two elves, from a hidden position.
　Perhaps that power is the power of the 【Magic Eye】. With that power, perhaps........
　The chief began to return to the village with a feeling of clinging to the hope that God might have sent him.


　　　　　　　　　　◇ ◇ ◇


　The village of the elves existed without cutting through the forest.
　Houses were built on top of the trees to surround the great tree in the center of the village, and a suspension bridge extended the path from tree to tree in all directions. The village of the elves was a tree-top village.
　In the dim light, several lights were lit. Kuon thought they were lamps, but Kuon was surprised to find that they were fireflies trapped in glass.
　This is no ordinary firefly. It's a mascot firefly. It is a firefly that converts the magic in its body into magic and emits light many times more powerfully than normal fireflies.
　It would be easier to understand it as a firefly that emits light magic [light].
　Kuon thought that only in a tree-top village, lights that use fire like torches or lamps might be a bad idea.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this. No matter how you look at it, the two of them look like brother and sister.
　The long-lived species almost never change their appearance once they finish growing. Of Kuon's mothers, Lean and Sakura are the two.
　His mothers, however, do not age as they are all part of the Divine Family, though.
　As soon as we were ushered into the room, we were called to eat. When we went to the dining room, we were greeted by Wolfram, the chief, his daughter Corlett, and Ursula, who said she was Wolfram's wife.

'I'm sorry we couldn't give you much hospitality,'
No, I'm sorry for my unannounced apology. I appreciate it.

　When he reached a chair in the dining room, Kuon looked at the food on the table. Bread, a bean and leaf salad, vegetable stew, a bowl of soup with lots of ingredients, fruit, nuts, and chunks of grilled meat.
　An elf may seem like a vegetarian, but they usually eat meat as well. The meat on the table was just some kind of poultry meat seasoned with salt, but Kuon didn't dislike the simple flavor.
　The meal was more sumptuous than he had expected, and when Kuon was satisfied, the chief wolfram spoke to him.

''So, which way is Hisuon-dono going to visit?''
This is Brunhild. I'm here to see my family. We were heading for the Imperial City of Galalia, but we were thrown off the road. So we decided to go through the forest.
''The imperial capital, huh? It's true that it's faster to go through this forest than to go around it, but.... This forest was warded to avoid people, though.
Yeah, I guess so.

　Wolfrum's shoulders slump at the light words that came back. It's a powerful ward that has been passed down from ancient magical civilizations....... Seeing this figure, his daughter and wife also made an indescribable expression.

''Kuon-dono looks like he's trained a lot for a human.
''Huh, well.... My relatives were a hell of a lot of people...

　To be more specific, they were around the Sword God, the Hunting God, and the Martial God. In addition, though my mothers and sisters were also outrageous.
　Wolfrum hesitated somewhat about whether or not he should start the conversation with the somewhat distant looking Kuon, but he finally decided to start talking about his purpose.

''I have a favor to ask that Kuon-dono.
...What is it?

　Kuon, who had a dim feeling of that from the three of them, stuck his fork into the vegetable stew without moving.

''This forest was once called the 'Forest of the Zhengshi'. We are a member of that guardian's clan.
A township keeper, huh? I assume you're sealing or guarding something?
Sharp. Yes, this forest has been sealed with a fearsome magical creature created in the days of the Ancient Magical Kingdom. It is said that a legendary creature that ran amok and destroyed the entire area.

　Magical Creatures. The artifact creature, a magical life form created by human hands and magic.
　Its history goes back to ancient times, and if you trace it back, slime is said to be a magical creature that was created by someone else.
　Golems, gargoyles and chimera, as well as mimics and homunculi are magical creatures.
　Are these magical creatures sealed in this forest?

''The seal is already in tatters and is about to be broken. The miasma is already beginning to leak out...
Yeah, so. I think there's a sense of evil in the whole forest.

　The miasma that the magical creature emits is drifting in the forest," he said.

And what is this magical creature?
I can show you around. You'll find out for yourself.

　Kuon was a bit surprised that he could see it. I thought that these things were sealed deep underground and in sub-space.
　After finishing the meal, Kuon, the chief of the elves, Wolflam, and his daughter, Corlett, left the house.
　Illuminated by the magic light firefly lamp Wolfrum held in his hand, the night road is vaguely lit up.
　The location of the seal was a large tree in the center of the village, just a stone's throw away. It only took a few minutes of walking to reach that sealed place.

I'm sure that this big tree of the seal has been holding this guy down until now. But it's nearing its limit.
This is....

　What Kuon saw was a single sword, held down as if it were captured in the roots of a large tree.
　The blade shone white and silver, with an eerily glowing red treasure ball attached to the gold-colored guard.
　It's definitely a sword. But a sword is a magical creature?
　A small vindictive voice arrived in Kuon's ears as he tilted his head.


Oh, my God.

　Kuon frowned and stepped back. The vindictive voice is definitely emitted from the sword. Is it alive, this sword?　And Kuon's eyes widened in surprise.

''The Intelligence Sword. That is a cursed sword with an evil intent. It's a magical creature created by an ancient magical civilization five thousand years ago. It is sealed with the power of a great tree, but eventually it will be unleashed and bring disaster to this world...
No, I think I've already solved it.

　With a clatter, the sword moved, and the roots of the intertwined large tree were snapped and shredded. The clattering sound eventually became rattling, and little by little the great tree's restraints were released and pieces of wood began to scatter.

''Bah, silly, it's too soon!
"Kiracero ooohhhh!

　Bagan!　And breaking through Daiki's restraints, the demon sword flew out. It is a very good idea to have a good idea of what you are looking for.

''Sashikoro-oh!

　Like a released arrow, the demon sword flew towards Kuon at a furious speed. Neither Cho nor Corlett could move, and just when they thought Kuon was going to be pierced by the demon sword, the stalled demon sword suddenly fell to the ground and made an empty sound with a rattle.

''U, Ugokenu.......!　Nazeda.........?
''You were probably using magic to move yourself around, but........ Well, I can counteract that.

　Kuon's right eye emitted a bluish-gold light. It's the "Magic Eye of Extinction". It's a good thing that the flying spell was canceled and the magic sword fell to the ground without any way of escape.

You're not the only one. You seem to be a rambunctious sword, but........what should I do?
"Kisama.　Kirikizandejar...!
Oh. Very rebellious. By the way, that jewel. It's your 'nucleus', isn't it?　Can you retain your will if it is destroyed?　Let's give it a try.

　This time, Kuon's left eye emits a red gold light. [Crushing Magic Eye]. Kuon can release the seven magic eyes from either side, and like this, he can also activate two magic eyes at the same time.
　The red treasure ball of the demon sword made a sound with a gishiri as it was exposed to Kuon's demon eye.

''Madd, madd, mate!　No!　That's it!
'Wait?　Stop?　That's pretty uptight....

　The treasure ball creaks again with a gishiri.

''Gahhhhhhhh!　Maddie, maddie, maddie, maddie!　Onega, onega, onegay!

　The more the sword is turned upside down, the more impatient the magic sword becomes, the more it screams. For magical creatures, the nucleus is the source of their life. Like the Wood Golem earlier, if destroyed, it would scatter its life.
　Normally, the 'nucleus' of these precious magic tools have a certain amount of protective wards put up on them. These magic swords also have automatic repair functions and protective wards, but they don't work across the board. They are disabled by Kuon's magical eye.
　The Elf chief and Corlett are watching the exchange between the demon sword and Hisato with a puzzled look on their faces.
　They didn't expect that the sealed legendary demon sword would be so easily defeated. You can find a number of different types of products in the market.

"Um, Kuondo-dono...?
Oh, I'm sorry. I'll try to discipline you, please wait a little longer.
'Oh, I see...'

　From there, it was only repeated alternately with Kuon's threatening words and the demon sword's screams. The demon sword saw Kuon's opening and jumped out to escape, but it was immediately dropped by his demon eyes. And then the treasure ball giggled again.

''Boy!　Give me a break!　I won't resist you anymore!
'You're speaking much more fluently now. Almost there?

　Gishiri. Snap.

"Nigga~~~"?　No more than this, no more than this, no more than this...　You'll break!　You're going to break it!'

　The Demon Sword's exclamation echoed through the elven village. At some point, the red treasure ball had turned bright blue, just like the Demon Sword's complexion. The demon sword no longer had the slightest intention of going against Kuon.