NOVEL NEXT Ch15 - A Trap...!
Chapter 15: A Trap…!
Several days had passed since Lena and the others set up their deception. They had been advancing smoothly through the forest and had reached the vicinity of the second village, close to the border. Naturally, they wouldn’t make the careless mistake of entering the village itself. They were wary that the first village was under surveillance by the kingdom’s army, so this one might be in a similar situation.
Maintaining a distance just enough to barely see the village, they took a moment to rest in the woods. They walked along the road, careful not to get lost, while also keeping an eye out for government officials, continuing their wild survival lifestyle as before. With Luca joining as a scout for the night, things had become a bit easier, but it was still hard mode.
…The village was unusually quiet. Even from afar, there was no one walking outside, and every door was firmly shut. It was dinner time, so perhaps everyone was gathered inside, but… if that were the case, it wouldn’t be strange to hear the sounds of lively conversation. The silence felt distinctly unsettling.
Something might be set up. …Though the reason for this was unclear, it was preferable not to know. They wanted to escape without incident.
Perched on a large rock, Lena let out a sigh. Sitting directly on the rock was uncomfortable for her bottom, so she wished to use the makeshift bed as a chair, but she was holding back, knowing it would cause delays if they needed to flee.
“Hah… I didn’t expect to be able to stay in a village, but I’m starting to miss a proper bed. If I could be greedy, I’d really love the fluffy white mushroom bed from Labyrinth Falls!”
Perhaps because she had been thinking about the makeshift bed, her first words were just that. Consistent as ever.
“‘I get it!’”
Her cheerful familiars immediately chimed in without missing a beat.
“‘It was so comfortable, right? When I jumped on it, I could bounce really high! It was fun!’”
“‘The surface was all squishy. I almost wanted to say, ‘Brother…!’”
“‘…It was so big, so it was easy to cuddle up next to Master. I’m glad…’”
“Such unwavering enthusiasm.”
Luca chuckled softly. It was hard to tell what had tickled his funny bone, but it seemed like he was finally able to laugh naturally. Until now, they had avoided talking as much as possible to prevent their voices from being picked up by any bears while traveling from the first village. It was quite something that the first topic of conversation, once they felt a little more relaxed and distanced from danger, was this.
It was rare. The way both the master and familiars looked at Luca was amusing.
“…Hehe. I’m sorry? I could only procure a makeshift bed for you. I probably should have just tossed a wastefully large bed for royalty into my magic bag. Oh. Or maybe after crossing the border, I could try taming a sheep monster…? Depending on the skills of the monster, it might make a nice bed.”
Luca joined in lightly on the conversation. …It was unprecedented for a monster to be tamed for the purpose of bed-making, but the fact that he casually suggested it to Lena indicated he was becoming somewhat accustomed to this master-familiar mindset. Since it was currently time for the scout change, Lily was keeping a watchful eye around them, allowing everyone to relax.
“What a wonderful idea…! Genius!”
Her master was quite taken with it.
“Hmm, that sounds nice. If we find a sheep monster with skills like [Growth] or [Body Transformation], we could end up with an incredible biological bed!”
“‘Fluffy!?’” “‘Mofumofu!? (Fluffy, in a cute sense)’” “‘A living bed. Slurp…’”
The familiars were gleefully excited at the thought of gaining a new companion.
“Be nice to your juniors, Lily. …Beyond the border, it’s open grassland, so there should be plenty of herbivorous monsters. If you’re seriously considering taming, I can help with selecting individuals, you know? I can use my magic eye to see their skills and gifts and find the ones that suit you.”
“Is it okay for you to do all that for us? Please!”
“It’s good to be honest with yourself. Well, consider it a thank-you. I’m really grateful to you all for helping me make it this far. Even though it’s just a little assistance, I’d be happy if my magic eye is used for such peaceful purposes. Let’s do our best to escape.”
“Yes!”
“‘Alright!!!’”
They all felt invigorated by the perfect support from their teacher! It seemed like everyone’s thoughts were aligned, and their motivation was high.
For their upcoming plans, once they crossed the border of the Galala-Jure Kingdom, they would aim to tame sheep monsters a bit further away. After that, they would likely separate, with Lena and the others aiming for class changes for their sheep familiars.
With their master’s qualities, it was guaranteed that they would evolve into a rare species after leveling up a few times. By raising their stats with class change bonuses, that little one would surely become a reliable companion.
The slimes twisted their bodies and asked Luca.
“‘What will you do after escaping?’” “‘Is there anywhere you want to go?’”
“Hmm… I don’t have any particular plans. I just don’t want the kingdom government to know my whereabouts, so I plan to save up money as an adventurer while going as far away as possible. …I’ve actually always had a bit of a longing to travel, so I’m looking forward to it. I want to explore various regions.”
It seemed he didn’t have any specific plans. Lena brightened as she encouraged him.
“Oh! It sounds fun to go on adventures while sightseeing. I hope it’ll be a wonderful journey!”
“Thank you. What are your plans, Lena and the others?”
“We want to find a place where we can live peacefully…! I’m so done with this fugitive lifestyle.”
It seemed they were searching for a place to settle down.
“Ah, that’s true; being filled with rare species makes you stand out. I hope you find a good spot as well.”
“Yes!”
They exchanged glances, looking at each other and chuckling softly, enjoying the thought of their future. Raising their motivation in this way was indeed important.
………
While they were chatting amiably, Lena suddenly caught a faint, high voice resonating through the forest.
Startled, she turned to look, but Lily quickly stepped in front of her, blocking her view. Hugging her master’s head, she covered both of Lena’s ears. Why was she doing this? Confused by the sudden action, Lena received a message through the small gaps of Lily’s palms.
“Don’t go. …That’s something bad.”
“!”
Lena’s eyes widened. …It seemed Lily knew what that voice was.
When she looked up at her, seeking a more detailed explanation, Lily quietly smiled to reassure her. At that moment, the cheerful smile only added to Lena’s unease.
Glancing sideways at the other members, she noticed the slimes were visibly startled, bouncing up and down, while Luca had a troubled expression on his face.
…Lena couldn’t stand being the only one in the dark! With a determined gaze, she fixed her eyes on Luca. He let out a long sigh. Surrounded by her pleading black eyes and the familiars’ accusatory looks of “Absolutely not,” Luca was clearly having a hard time.
…It seemed he decided to explain everything to Lena through [Telepathy].
“(That’s a trap.)”
“!”
“(…That lost voice calling for help is likely a trap set by the kingdom’s army to lure you out. They probably want to evoke sympathy and lead you into the village to capture you. The silence of the village is likely to make it easier for the voice to be picked up…? I think a child is being ‘used’ in this way as a trap in the forest.)”
“…No way…!?”
As expected, hearing about the kingdom’s scheme made Lena turn pale with pity.
“(It’s not your fault. The bad ones are the kingdom’s army, so don’t misunderstand that part. …But I thought you would be worried, so the familiars didn’t want you to know about the voice.)”
“Ugh…”
…It was indeed a painful story.
Yes. The government desired Jewel Slime so much that they added someone valuable like Luca to the search party. There was no way traps hadn’t been laid out already. In fact, everyone except Lena had heard or seen such a child’s voice near the first village. …They just hadn’t told her, considering her gentle nature.
The familiars looked at their master with worried expressions. They weren’t reckless enough to propose, “Let’s save the child!” but, just as Luca had said, they were concerned. How dangerous was the situation for the child in this dim forest…
“I’ll be okay.”
“Rena…”
“Master…”
“Thank you for trying to protect me. Don’t worry—I’m not going to act out of goodwill or a sense of justice anymore. I don’t want to lose you all because I misjudge my own abilities and reach out for help. People say I’m kind, but I also think of myself selfishly. I can be surprisingly thick-skinned, you know? I understand that there are things I can’t do. …Thank you, Luca, for telling me the truth.”
“Yeah. I’m surprised… You’ve really grown strong.”
Luca was genuinely astonished by her words.
“I’ve just become a bit brazen.”
Rena laughed awkwardly.
After that, everyone fell silent, and the two humans slung their bags over their shoulders, preparing to depart. They began to walk slowly. The children’s voices had faded into the distance.
Rena began to speak softly, almost as if she were whispering.
“…Indeed, if it were the me from a little while ago, I probably would have reached out to help without thinking, saying, ‘That’s so sad.'”
“Yeah.”
Luca chose to listen quietly, not interrupting her.
“…Even if I understood it was a trap, I might have gone to say, ‘Let’s escape together.’ But I learned to be cautious at the Danatsela Guild. In the forest, I was made painfully aware of how difficult it is to survive. By sacrificing the thief, I realized I have a hierarchy of priorities when it comes to life and emotions… More than anything, I value my familiars, myself, and my companions (you, Luca). So I won’t make the wrong judgment…”
“That’s impressive.”
With just that one phrase, Luca simply praised Rena.
Her eyes, which had firmly declared she wouldn’t make mistakes, were still sad but no longer wavering. The four of them breathed a sigh of relief, as if they felt reassured.
While circumventing the village, when Luca and Lily took a special look inside, they could see the villagers crammed inside their homes and soldiers threatening them. Some of the soldiers were casting sharp glances toward the village entrance.
…The child used as bait might be the biological child of one of the captured villagers. However, Luca and Lily felt it unnecessary to convey that to Rena and exchanged silent glances of understanding.
As they continued on, they started hearing some noisy voices nearby. …The voices were coming from within the village. Everyone gasped and hid behind a large rock that was nearby.
The voices weren’t those of children; they were deep and rough, belonging to adults. A large woman, likely the village chief, burst out from what was probably the largest house in the village—she was a member of the Danatsela Guild. She was shouting loudly.
“—They found the corpse of a Jewel Slime… is that true!? Damn it. I came all the way to this filthy village, and this is what I get!! Did those little girls die before they even got caught in the trap I set up? …What a useless kid they are! Ugh, it’s disgusting…! Come on, let’s go check out the corpse!”
Following her, some adventurers, mercenaries working with the government, also rushed out.
“Ah, sis!? Um, it seems like a band of thieves is causing a ruckus near the corpse… it’s dangerous! Apparently, they’re targeting the royal army for some reason. Even for you, sis, it might be better not to go now…”
“What did you say!? You think I’m going to lose to some stupid men? …Fine then, get my horse ready right now! I won’t be satisfied until I’ve killed those slime’s corpses again!”
“Sis!!”
They didn’t seem to consider that Rena and the others were hiding nearby, as their voices echoed throughout the forest.
The keyword “thieves attacking the royal army” rang alarm bells for Rena and her companions, and they exchanged worried glances. No way… Really…? Even the mastermind behind the disguise was left stunned, as the plan was going too smoothly.
…They continued to watch the village in hiding for a while. A guild member rode out of the village on a horse, and soon after, some bad adventurers followed on horseback. They must have borrowed the horses from the village’s assets. The stable connected to the chief’s house was already empty.
As the government officials finally left, the restrained villagers began to trickle out of their homes, glaring intensely at the road leading to Danatsela that the outsiders had just rushed down. Soon after, shouts of “We’re going to search for the children!” echoed. The adults formed squads and headed into the forest.
Seeing this, Rena and her group stood up again and began to talk in hushed voices as they walked.
“…I hope the children will be saved.”
“Yeah.”
“Should we pray?”
“Yeah!”
The familiars on their master’s shoulder began to mutter mysterious prayers. Depending on how you looked at it, it could seem like their usual joking, but this time they wore serious expressions, indicating that they were probably genuinely praying for safety.
Rena and Luca also prayed sincerely for the children to return safely to their parents.
After passing the second village where the trap was laid, they only needed to cross the border gate to escape.
It seemed the corpse disguise they had set up the other day had worked so well that everyone felt their steps lightening naturally.
“…I’m really powerless right now. But someday, if I can become stronger, I want to be someone who can save someone from the absurdities of this world… I wonder if I can atone.”
Luca spoke to no one in particular, glancing back at the village as he let those words slip out. Even as a royal, he was concerned about escaping alone from the government.
Rena and the familiars exchanged knowing smiles and then offered him their thoughts, trying to act as if they weren’t speaking to anyone in particular.
“…I don’t like the idea of forcing someone to bear a burden just because of their position by birth. They didn’t choose to take that seat. If they’re dissatisfied with the current situation, I hope they find a way to be saved. …That’s what I think as an ordinary commoner (Rena).”
“Life is only lived once! It’s important to enjoy living for yourself!”
“There’s no such thing as an all-capable person; it’s better not to get involved in things that don’t suit you! Life is often a struggle between what you can do and what you want to do!”
“Besides, Luca leaving the palace has already weakened the bad guys’ forces, right? …You’ve done plenty for the citizens!”
“Ah, we just mentioned a name…”
“Oops.”
Luca seemed surprised, his eyes wide open as if he hadn’t expected such a response.
He stopped in his tracks, astonished. That was rare.
…But he quickly rebooted, chuckling softly as he thanked Rena and the others.
“I might have spoken out of turn wanting you all to say that. I cheated a bit. But thank you… I feel a bit relieved now.”
“You’re welcome!”
“…Anytime.”
“Please, don’t let it weigh on your mind.”
“Yeah. You too, Rena.”
Firmly stepping on the ground, their immediate goal was the fluffy bed!
The group headed toward the border gate.
Objective: Cross the border!
Objective: Tame a sheep monster!