A day and a half since Eris and her group had set foot in the Great Forest.
They had somehow made it to just short of the old frontier settlement marked on the ancient map.
If Viktor was alive, he would most likely still be somewhere in this area.
That said——
“……I find it very hard to believe anyone survived in a demon frontier like this.”
Sarmat muttered it with a sour expression.
The massive hammer on his back was wet with blood, dried to a dark red.
They’d been attacked by monsters three times just reaching this point.
Their numbers had been enough to drive the monsters off each time, but several of the accompanying adventurers had already taken injuries.
Surviving months in this Great Forest — Sarmat simply couldn’t picture it.
“But this density of monsters might be temporary. Chili — you definitely saw the Crawler swarm and something consuming it, yes?”
“Yes, more or less.”
Chili said it with a look like she’d bitten into something unpleasant.
Clearly not an experience she wanted to revisit.
Eris nodded to herself with satisfaction.
“My best guess — monsters displaced by the Crawlers are just running wild. If so, it’s probably only a few days’ phenomenon at most.”
“Even granting that, survival seems deeply unlikely.”
“Viktor is said to have taken a large number of golems with him when he was exiled. It’s possible he used them to build a secure base.”
The golems Viktor had taken were said to include combat and construction types.
Eris hadn’t seen them herself, so this was pure speculation — but if they were capable enough, building a base with them was entirely plausible.
Golems needed no rest, after all. Perfect for manual labor.
“Hmm — seems too convenient……”
“We’ll know soon enough. The old settlement supposedly has a water source, so if he’s alive he wouldn’t have strayed far from it.”
A few more minutes of walking.
The game trail ahead abruptly changed.
The trees had been cleared to a wide span, the earth firmly packed underfoot.
And at regular intervals, something like street lamps had been installed.
A road as well-maintained as any major route in the kingdom — if not better.
“What is——!!”
“What is this……!?”
The unexpected sight threw Eris and the whole group into confusion.
Even Chili — who by profession almost never showed her feelings — couldn’t keep her eyes from going wide.
“……This is going to be something else.”
Whatever lay ahead was extraordinary.
That was Chili’s instinct.
But there was no stopping here.
Eris and her group moved forward slowly, watching their surroundings with extreme care.
Then, ahead of them, a solid wall of stone came into view.
“……Eris. Could we have taken a wrong turn?”
“No, that can’t be right……We’re definitely in the Great Forest, and the direction is correct.”
“But what is this……?”
“Walls of this scale……”
Beyond the heavy walls, several rooftops were visible.
Among them, something that looked like a proper stone manor.
In the midst of an untamed forest, the sight was plainly wrong.
“This might be one of the legendary demi-human kingdoms……!”
Deep in the Sariel Great Forest, there were said to be kingdoms of demi-human races.
Eris recalled the legends she’d once read about.
Goblins and Orcs aside, Elves and Demonkin had intelligence on par with humans.
The idea of them building a nation wasn’t impossible.
“Either way, this place is too suspicious. Let’s pull back a little and observe.”
“I agree.”
Eris went along with Sarmat’s cautious suggestion.
They eased back from the wall.
But at that moment, soldiers in full armor appeared from inside.
Spotting Eris’s group, they came toward them immediately.
“……No choice!”
“I’m using high-tier magic! Someone hold the front line!”
“Leave it to us!”
Eris ceded the front to the adventurers and stepped back.
She began her incantation, building up her magical energy.
As a large sphere of light formed in her palms, a humanoid figure covered in soft, fluffy fur emerged from the gate.
They moved like dogs walking upright.
“Please stop! You’ll damage the town! Let’s talk!”
“……What is that?”
The sudden appearance of the mysterious fluffy creature brought Eris to a halt.
She let her gathered magic disperse and stepped through the line of front fighters.
“I’m Eris — the one in charge here. And you are?”
“I’m Mamum! One of the guards protecting this city of Isvall!”
“The city of Isvall. Is this a city you built?”
“No! My lord built it using golems!”
“Golems!?”
Eris seized on the word without thinking.
As she suddenly closed the distance between them, Mamum let out a small squeak of alarm.
The way she pressed forward, her eyes had the look of a starving animal.
The intensity was beyond words.
“That lord — don’t tell me his name is Viktor? Is it!?”
“Y-yes, it is.”
“Incredible!! To build a city like this in just a few months!! That’s beyond incredible!!”
Eris’s voice rose with excitement she couldn’t contain.
She began spinning in place, right there on the spot.
As if the joy was too much for her body to hold——.