Tsuyokute New Saga (LN)

By the time the sun had begun to set, only a bit of light was left in the Western sky, Kyle and his group were sitting around a campfire, enjoying dinner. Usually, an outdoor dinner like this would be made of the bare minimum of ingredients. Dried bread, dried meat, maybe some cheese and nuts, anything that would provide necessary nutrients for the next day. It was usually plain and uninteresting.

However, tonight’s dinner was an exception to that, awfully luxurious and profound despite them being outside still. Just as Lieze had declared, inside the pot on the campfire was the fresh Wild Boar flesh, as well as various root vegetables like potatoes, boiling to a tasty scent that heightened everyone’s appetite. Erina added some fruits she found while searching through the forest during a previous trip, and they even had some raw vegetable salad as well as raw fish dishes lined up.

The last two were pre-cooked by Lieze. Normally, they’d go bad after a single day, but through the special magic [Preservation], they could be stored freshly for a much longer time. Although it wasn’t on the level of what you could eat in the streets of the Imperial Capital, there was still value to be found. In fact, they never had any problem with stuffing themselves during their travels through the forest.

Especially today, with the honey of the Killer Bees, they had a rare ingredient you couldn’t easily get your hands on. This nectar was thoroughly enjoyed by the group of women. Urza’s expression especially was distorted in joy and ecstasy, and she didn’t even bother to participate in any conversation. Naturally, they weren’t careless about their surroundings by any means, and they even set up a barrier that made it harder for monsters to approach them. Because of that, they managed to create a comfortable atmosphere in the center of a deadly forest.

“Still, these are some crazy trees.” Seran finished eating first and commented in such a fashion while looking around, his voice filled with admiration but also disbelief.

His gaze was focused on the giant trees growing in front of him. In order to fully surround a single tree, it would need several people to hold hands and create a circle, and this forest was full of these kinds of trees.

“We never saw a tree as big as this back in Rimarze…Must be hundreds of years old, no?” Lieze reminisced about her hometown, looking at the large trees in awe.

“No, they should only be a few tens of years old,” Shildonia said, while drinking some black tea with lots of honey inside of it. “You call this a magic tree, growing by absorbing the mana overflowing in the area. The earth veins of Eddos are especially rich, which leads to this growth…And because of the strong mana around here, which influences the plants and vegetation, eaten up by herbivorous monsters or mythical beasts, which are in turn eaten by the carnivorous monsters and mythical beasts, it creates a strong dynamic which results in this place being so deadly.” Shildonia delivered a detailed explanation while taking a satisfied sip from the tea.

“Huh, that explains a lot…” Lieze remembered seeing oddly large plants as they walked through the forest.

“You sure know a lot,” Erina commented, sounding a bit surprised, which Shildonia apparently saw as a reason to continue with her confident tone.

“From time immemorial, the flow of mana in the earth’s veins is the strongest here, compared to the rest of the continent. As a result of that, I had the Magic Kingdom Zaales build various magic research and experiment facilities here, acting as the foundation of Zaales’ remains, but…to think they would be relevant even until today. Although it is the law of this world, it can be so fleeting. The vicissitudes of fortune, you may call it.” Shildonia shook her head with a nostalgic smile.

It seemed like the delicious food made her a lot more talkative than usual.

“Um…you had them build them?”

“Don’t worry about that part…More importantly, I’d like to talk about how we proceed from now on.”

Erina seemed a bit concerned regarding Shildonia’s statement, but Kyle immediately changed the topic.

“Ah, yes…Um, I was guessing on six days in total, but with this speed, we might make it to the [Nest of Dragons] in three days.” Erina explained while taking out a map. “However, that would be the shortest possible route, and this would lead us into the area where the dark elves are active. In order to avoid them, we would have to take a large detour.”

“Hmmm…Assuming we went the shortest route, would it be possible for us to still avoid them?”

“It is their area, and because it is hunting season right now, their caution is relatively high, so I think it will be difficult at least. Personally, I would avoid them if possible.”

“Right…” Having heard Erina’s answer, Kyle started thinking.

In reality, there was no need to rush. In the event that they encountered the dark elves, it would most likely not end up in any positive way, and it would probably invite a more hostile situation. However, the most problematic part was the dragons after all. Kyle was awfully curious about the reason behind their activity. It might be best to rush ahead so that no negative development could happen in the shadows.

“Um…is there any problem?” Erina saw Kyle’s reaction and grew anxious thinking she might have messed up somewhere.

“…Let’s go with the detour. But, I’d like to get there as quickly as possible, so can we take the shortest route?”

“Y-Yes! I understand! I’ll come up with the shortest route!” She let out a voice of relief.

***

Pitch-black darkness filled the night. Besides the distant roars of monsters, everything was wrapped in silence as the campfire flickered ever so slightly. Although they set up a barrier, they wouldn’t want to take any risks, which is why they were taking turns standing guard. Right now, it was Kyle and Lieze’s turn, whereas the other four were in deep sleep. Of course, Shildonia didn’t need any sleep, but she was bothered by everyone sleeping so comfortably, which is why she joined them.

“Hey, Kyle, can I ask you something?”

They were sitting around the campfire, discussing whatever came to mind, when Lieze suddenly brought up that question.

“It’s about Erina…did you ask her why she needed money that desperately?” She glanced at Erina, lying a bit further away from them.

“I didn’t, no.”

“I see…Urza was curious about it as well, you know?”

There, Kyle remembered how panicky Erina was to not upset the mood in the group all day.

“…Well, I’d rather not overstep my boundaries when it comes to that. She probably has some complicated circumstances to deal with, but we all have our own personal reasons why we would need money. Maybe she also doesn’t want to talk about it…Honestly, she’s been a great help so far, so as long as I pay her the money later, there shouldn’t be any problem.” Kyle said as if he wanted to stay calm himself.

He didn’t know why, but he was oddly curious when it came to Erina. If this was romantic affection or simple sympathy, he couldn’t draw the line. That’s why he was trying to keep his distance. Lieze probably picked up on that and was curious.

“Hmm…Well, that sounds just fine then.”

Leaving up for debate if she knew how Kyle felt or not, Lieze’s gaze grew a bit sharper. Following that, an awkward silence reigned between the two. Unable to bear it anymore, Kyle spoke up and said what he had yet to say.

“H-Hey, Lieze…Well, you know…Thanks for everything.”

“…Where did that come from?” Lieze showed a surprised reaction, suddenly being thanked by Kyle.

“I mean, despite everything happening, you’ve always been supporting me, which is why everything is working out…”

The reason Kyle could focus on what was truly important solely resulted from Lieze’s support when it came to laundry, cooking, and everything related. Every single meal of the day was like a joy Kyle looked forward to.

“Haha…it’s thanks to Mom, I guess,” Lieze said with a faint smile, to which Kyle remembered her late mother Ety.

She always had a weak and fragile body, a woman you wouldn’t believe to be Lieze’s mother, but her smile was warmer than anybody else’s, and she always treated Kyle like her own son. Skilled at housework duties, she would always say ‘Everybody would start smiling while eating some delicious food, so the way to the heart of the person you like is through their stomach’, which is why Lieze was this skilled right now.

“I’m really thankful, alright…Not just you, but Urza, and even Seran…you’re tagging along with my selfishness.” Kyle said, but a shadow flashed upon his face.

It’s already been half a year since leaving Rimarze. It was a rough start, but even so, Kyle managed to pull through because Lieze and the others were with him. Of course, he felt happy about that, but at the same time, he felt apologetic for putting them through this. He did this to save the world, and he knew that it was the right thing to do, but he was unsure if dragging Lieze and the others into this mess was the correct choice, especially with the burden they had to carry.

Naturally, leaving this situation as-is would result in the [Great Invasion] happening, with humanfolk falling to ruin, and all of Kyle’s friends dying. However, wasn’t he getting his things backward if he pressed them onto this life-threatening journey? At times, Kyle questioned if he was right or wrong. He was considering telling everyone the fact that he was actually redoing his previous life, but he didn’t have the courage to do so just yet.

What…can I do for Lieze? How can I repay her?

As Kyle was lost in thought, Lieze suddenly stood up, approaching him.

“Eh…?”

Without uttering a word, she just sat down next to him.

“H-Hey…” Kyle tried to say something, but he saw Lieze’s expression as she leaned against him, and closed his mouth.

Amidst this chilly night, her warmth felt comfortable.

“…It’s fine. No matter what happens, I’ll be there for you.” Lieze’s voice sunk deep inside Kyle’s heart.

Obviously, Lieze didn’t know what exactly Kyle was troubled about. However, she understood that he was feeling weak right now, and she decided to do this. No matter what, she’d stay with him. Kyle could directly feel Lieze’s determination. If the others weren’t around, he’d probably hug her without a shred of hesitation. Instead of doing so, he gently placed his hand on her head, which rested against his shoulder, caressing it.

“Mm…” Lieze let out a comfortable sigh, like a cat being spoiled.

This situation continued for a short bit when Seran spotted the two flirting, and teased them for a while. The following morning, Lieze was in an awfully good mood, with an oddly displeased Kyle, and Seran was watching them with a bothered expression, met with a perplexed Urza tilting her head.