Mental Rebirth: The World's Savior Was Not Me, but My Childhood Friend and Stalker - Chapter 6: Defiled Great Forest

“Then, good night.”

After the meal, we prepared to sleep for the next day. Mei efficiently set up a simple barrier, a remarkable device that keeps monsters out and sets off an alarm if a powerful one approaches. Touko and Mei quickly fell asleep. I stayed up longer, enjoying the night in this world, something I hadn’t done since arriving. Since being celebrated as the Savior, my days have been hectic.

“Haah… haah… I want to go home… go home!! This is just like being a slave! A slave elf! They’re doing the same thing as elf hunters!!”

Rubure’s complaints shattered my sentimental mood as she sat beside me, pouring out her frustrations.

“Calm down, Rubure. You’ll wake everyone. We’re not that bad.”

“You are! Forcing an unwilling elf to taste for poison? That’s monstrous! I’ll die of stress before we even leave the forest!”

“Just relax. I was also surprised about the poison tasting, but think about it. What ingredients were used in the cooking? The herbs you helped gather and the food we brought, right?”

Indeed, Mei had mentioned her ability to distinguish edible plants. Additionally, Rubure herself had identified and gathered plants from the forest, some of which were unknown to Mei, which she had proudly shown off.

“And if you’ve ever cooked, you’d know that today’s meal was extremely high-level. Could you make such a dish without tasting it first?”

“…I couldn’t, and I was checking to make sure I didn’t gather any poisonous plants. Then why did that sadistic maid say such things? Is she a psychopath who enjoys torturing elves?”

“My guess is she’s just being considerate in her way. To be honest, we all had a terrible first impression of you. Even if you could guide us through the forest, we wanted you to stay away. So Mei probably thought it’d be better to take you along if you could do more than just guide.”

Whether Mei’s suggestion stemmed from understanding the difficulty of traversing the Great Forest without a guide or simply caring for Rubure, it was clear she harbored no ill will.

“I see… That makes sense! Yuusha, you’re so smart! I almost mistook someone’s kindness for malice!!”

That was a relief. Though I wouldn’t mention it, agreeing to the Contract Mark in the first place indicated a lack of trust in Rubure, but I’d leave that unsaid.

Now, it was clear that Rubure meant no harm. Mei had described her as naive, suggesting that perhaps even Mei no longer saw Rubure as a threat like when they first met.

Nodding in agreement, Rubure quietly went to her bed and fell asleep. It was time for me to do the same. Despite the hard ground and the slight discomfort, the day’s fatigue soon lulled me into a deep sleep.

Our journey through the Great Forest was going smoothly. We had plenty of food, and Touko easily defeated the monsters that attacked.

“Hmm…”

Rubure seemed puzzled, deep in thought.

“What’s wrong? If we’ve lost our way, it’s fine. We can just go back the way we came.”

“No, we’re on the right path. It’s just that… you’re the Savior, right? A hero who came to this world to defeat the Demon Lord?”

Technically, that’s not true, but I see no need to clarify that now. I plan to reveal the truth only after securing a safe living space and a stable life.

So, I just silently nodded in response.

“Why is it that Touko has been doing all the fighting so far? I haven’t seen you, the Savior, fight even once.”

The deeper into the forest we go, the more monsters there are. Yet, only Touko is fighting. Objectively, it does seem strange. I might even be seen as a coward for letting a woman do all the fighting…

“Touko is capable when necessary, so this is fine. She can handle the vanguard. She’ll take care of any pests… right?”

As I hesitated to answer, Touko interjected. She is intent on upholding my status as the Savior. I don’t understand her motive, but I’ll go along with it for now. Our interests align, after all.

“Hmm, if it’s a Demon Lord’s commander, it might be tough for Touko-san. Yuusha, you’ll join in then? Judging from the monsters we’ve seen, they’re unusual… It seems like the Demon Lord’s influence is increasing. Perhaps one of his commanders has set up camp deep in this Great Forest.”

“It’s a plausible strategy. The deep parts of the Great Forest are uncharted even by Elves. However, humans must pass through it for trade with the port city. Setting up a base there and ambushing humans would cut off trade between the port city and our town, Ludon, leading to our decline.”

A tense atmosphere builds between Mei and Rubre, but Touko and I remain optimistic. The female commander we defeated earlier, Shukure… Touko took her down in an instant. Given Shukure’s rank, she must have been powerful, but Touko is clearly out of their league if she is the standard.

If the trade between the port city and Ludon is cut off, it might be advantageous. I plan to reveal in the port city that I’m not the Savior. But with the Great Forest in between, this news won’t reach the Lord of Ludon. A perfect plan.

“Hey, about that Demon Lord’s commander in the forest, what if we just avoid fighting them?”

“Why would that be? I’m sorry for speaking out of turn as a servant, but could you explain your reasoning?”

Though a servant, Mei is a victim of the Demon Lord’s army’s attacks. Naturally, she harbors deep resentment against the commanders, even those she hasn’t met.

“It’s simple. We just arrived in this world. We don’t know if the Demon Lord is right or wrong. So, unless they attack us, let’s avoid unnecessary battles. Maybe they’re nice if we talk to them?”

“125,632 people.”

“Eh, what’s that?”

“The number of people killed by the Demon Lord’s army, as far as we know. The number of injured is uncounted. The Lord is always pained by this. Why can the Demon Lord’s army be so cruel, playing with human lives? We once sent an envoy for a dialogue. The reply came back with the envoy’s severed head.”

“Ah… that’s… but the Demon Lord’s army must have casualties too.”

“By the way, that killed envoy was my brother. His body is still missing, and only his head could be buried in human lands.”

“…”

I’m speechless. This world seems more dire than I expected. It’s a mystery how humanity has survived this long, but now I understand the frenzy when I appeared. Everyone wants to escape this desperate, suffocating environment. They’re desperate to cling to anything. Hence, they created the hero known as the Savior, destined to defeat the Demon Lord.

“I’m sorry… I got a bit emotional. As for your opinion, Yuusha-sama, it seems valid. Taking down the top leader can weaken the organization. Avoiding pointless battles and focusing on the leader is a strategy. My apologies for being naive. If you think I deserve punishment, please slap me.”

“No, it’s okay! I appreciate Mei’s help, and I should have different opinions to consider what’s right!”

Although I don’t know what kind of being the Demon Lord is, the encounter with the female commander Shukure was terrifying. It’s probably justified for the people of this world to want the Demon Lord defeated. But… I wish they wouldn’t leave it to others. It’s bothersome to be put on a pedestal and then let down by their expectations.

“Touko, that’s why we should avoid encountering the Demon Lord’s commanders as much as possible. If we see them, let’s slowly back away without them noticing.”

“Understood, I’ll try my best.”

Rubre’s prediction was correct. Deep in the Great Forest, the Demon Lord’s commander, Ganof, was stationed with his troops. His aim was exactly as Mei speculated. Cutting off the supply route between the port city and Ludon to weaken Ludon for an eventual assault.

The Great Forest is home to many native creatures. Monsters don’t naturally exist in this world; they are creations of the Demon Lord. Ganof spreads a parasite-like entity among the native creatures, transforming them into monsters. Thus, he has turned the deep parts of the Great Forest into a monster-infested area, with orders to kill any humans on sight.

Additionally, there’s the matter of Shukure’s death. Spies in Ludon had reported the birth of a Savior, but there had been no contact from Shukure. Either she was killed by a cowardly surprise attack or slain instantly before she could react. Ganof couldn’t believe that a human capable of instantly killing Shukure existed. In his heart, he quietly seethed with anger, convinced she had been killed by treachery.