Kuro no Maou

"Doh, what to do Death..."

"Hmmm......"

In the middle of the night when the children were quiet, Leki and Ursula were facing each other with a chopped look.

The problem plaguing the two is that Lillian, a half-elf toddler, one of the children in care, was grabbed by slave traders and thinkers.

Already reported by Cruz as a guardian. Investigations will have been carried out by the gendarmerie, but the intrusion is one unaccompanied residual child. I don't know how far we're moving to search and rescue.

Still, they interrupted the adventurer's work and followed Lillian's whereabouts as they entrusted their hopes.

And today, decisive information was finally brought to us by the gendarmerie.

Lillian and a slave trader with children left the capital Damask and left for Carla Mara.

From that informant's testimony, the slave trader left the damask on the day he grabbed Lillian. If it was already nearly a week ago and we headed straight south, we would already be crossing the Adamantoria border.

And if you leave the country, the Adamantrian gendarmerie will no longer be able to help you. The gendarmerie had informed me of the closure of the investigation.

"I have to go find Lillian. You can't leave me alone, Death."

"Yeah, but..."

He abandoned this place where his life has stabilized, and he's headed to Carla Mara, relying solely on the faint information that he's going after him?

Also, take the kids on a journey that you never know will end.

It's not an easy decision to make. Leki and Ursula, of course, will know that even the little ones are still there. How much hardship you've come through to get your present life.

"At last, we can live in peace"

Ursula's crunch is filled with bitterness to abandon the land of peace.

"Well, then, about Lillian..."

Do you give up? Yes, Leki couldn't put it into words.

It's easy to abandon. I was unlucky, I had no choice, I couldn't help it.

In fact, you are right, and in a group without adults as a single person, there will be no recourse to responsibility or anything else.

It was an unfortunate accident. It is clear without thinking that it is best to cut it off and admit it.

I can't very well forget the little girlfriend who is the youngest, the infirm, and still healthy, turns a grin on me.

"Hey, Leki... at a time like this, if it's Lord Chloe, I don't know what's going on"

"No, absolutely, I'm determined to help you, Death!

The look of a man in love and admiration, far away now. Only in my memories, I have that big back I can count on.

I know, there's no hero here right now who can help us.

Then do you give up? Admitting that we're just impotent children, and that there's nothing we can do about it, are we going to abandon Lillian and continue our peaceful lives on our own?

"Ur, I'm going to help Lillian, Death!

"So, but..."

"If I didn't go here to help, I'd never see you again, Death!!

For Leki, the thought is just like intuition. Or maybe it's a reckless sense of purpose, held out of admiration for Chloe.

"Yeah, maybe... if I abandon you here, you don't have a face to match Lord Chloe"

At the end of the day, thoughts about him make two decisions.

Leki and Ursula were determined to embark on a reckless slave rescue journey because of their dazzling admiration.

Go help Lillian.

No one disputed the decision. The children were also worried about her, who was the youngest, and everyone was happy to raise their hands when they heard she was going to help.

As for Cruz, he had nothing to be honestly pleased with, but still did not disagree, as he was visibly going to be on a harsh journey with the children again. The capture of Lillian was his own fallacy, which, although slight, took his eyes off him, and above all, he did not want to expose Leki and Ursula, who had made a noble decision not to abandon their companions, to an incomprehensible kind of disagreement.

"All right, then, departure day!

"Ooh!

and with the cheerful Leki hanging, the kids get into the carriage.

I'm as ready as I can be. On the map to Carlamara, we also looked at the means to cross the desert. Then I can finish greeting all the people who took care of me. Yesterday was the Adventurer's Guild, and there was a grand farewell party.

So the children's journey began again after a loud, dirty, but people-filled damask.

First off, the commercial city of Sarawyn, located next to Adamantoria, is on its way. From there, prepare to exit through a deep dense forest area called the Varna Forest Sea.

If you leave there, you will reach Rockwell, the sandy harbour town that serves as the entrance to the Atlas Desert, and if you come this far, Carla Mara is at the end of your eyes and nose.

At the very least, only feelings are children who set out in an exhilarating manner. Now there is no chase from the original escaped slave traders, so we can run grandiose down the big streets, which will be safe and the shortest. Though only for children, the road went very well, with some experience running from Sparda to Adamantoria.

Almost as many days as planned, we were able to reach Sarawyn safely.

"Phew, that's a busy and nice town, Death!

Vibrant Sarawin is a thing that attracts the interest of the curious kids. There is a fascinating smell of street food in an outdoor restaurant that is so diverse.

Fortunately, there is some leeway for the Road Bank thanks to the money earned from the adventurer's life in Adamantoria. At a time like this, eating and drinking whatever he liked was a small luxury allowed to the children, as well as breathing.

Leki sits down in his seat, gripping a large skewer of meat in both hands, even greedy, and cheeks happily.

"But you should be careful. I just heard some bad rumors."

Cruz sitting next to him tells Leki as he twirls his chicken and bread.

"There's been a lot of crowding around here lately,"

"Mmm, fuck the story, Death"

"It seems that all we're after are beasts... because kids like us are easy to get targeted without anything"

Especially the more cautious these places are.

As things stand, when the kids have to leave the carriage that is turning into a home, they always try to be accompanied by either Leki or Ursula. But like Lillian, I don't know when or when something unforeseen will happen.

Undistracted situations persist.

"It's okay, Death, get out of this town soon too, go to the jungle of Varna, from Death"

"Right, we need to get to Carla Mara quickly. Lillian's waiting."

That way, we finish resting and replenishing and leave Sarawyn early.

The Varna Forest Sea, as its name suggests, is a rainforest as vast as a green sea with lush trees. The cooperation of beast races living on the ground is essential to get through here...... is an old story now.

Focusing on Meteophor, which is transforming itself into a famous tourist destination, the path is pioneered that stretches across the Varna Forest Sea, making it possible to pass through without any problems, even without any particular guidance. Most importantly, the path leads to the Atlas Desert, the southernmost part of Pandora, leading to Carla Mara, at its very end.

said, the capital of desire, said to be the most demanding slave on the continent of Pandora.

Without a path through this deep forest, or I guess Lillian would never have been caught, I go down the deep green road with complicated feelings.

"Ulu, it's time to take a break, Dace"

"Well, it looks like there's a place to rest just a little further."

On the first day of entering the Varna Forest Sea, it was when we reached our first resting place.

I had a client.

A big carriage, just like ourselves. That's two, they're stopping.

"Leki, that blue robe, maybe it's the rumored Arrow of Judgement."

A suspicious religious group heard in Sarawyn that is rumored to be the culprit of the Beastman kidnapping, that is the Arrow of Judgement.

The blue robe that the faithful can wear is distinctive and can be seen in one shot.

"Ur, what do we do, Death? You'd better keep going, Death."

"Suspicious, but only rumours. I want to think that even the table won't strike me any more than I do with grandeur"

"Uh-oh."

"It's okay, there are other merchants in the resting area over there, as well as people from the resident Beastman tribe. We can't have a fight."

Fortunately, the fact that there are other people makes me sure I'm safe and get into a break on schedule.

Pull over and stop at the corner of the dense woods as open as it is. There is also a beautiful water source that serves as drinking water here, so I will also keep it replenished.

Leki, proud of her strength, and as a help, took the two boys to a small fountain where spring water was coming out.

Leki gently lifts a barrel full of water and the little boy walks with a leather bag in his hands.

Thus, on his way back to the carriage, he saw the wagon, supposedly the 'arrow of judgment' of the example.

Large front with white cloth. For a moment, a large eye peered out of the gap that blinked in the wind.

"Huh!?

It wasn't my fault. Already, Leki, who has just the right amount of kinetic vision to accurately spot the attack of a brilliant monster, is indisputable.

Cat-like eyes belonged to an animal man's child.

That, too, is not alone. Leki realized that the children of many beasts were packed in that front carriage.

Could it be - I figured that out, the next moment.

"Oi, hey, look at this kid"

From the shadow of a front carriage, one man shows up.

Big man with black hair. But he was a horrible man to behold, wrapped up in a fierce beastly atmosphere, unlike Chloe.

"Mr. Gashley, here's a little rubbing. He's a child."

"Baka, don't be alarmed because you think you're a kid. There are so many strong guys in this world, even kids."

Before Leki said anything back, I guess he was one of them, the Blue Robe's 'Judgement Arrow' followers were in the big man's stop.

As Ursula said, he certainly doesn't want to make a scene over there either.

Thank you, should I think?

But Leki has already noticed. That front carriage is loaded with a lot of Beastman kids...

"Hehe, let the kid kill you just before. All right, lady, we're gonna deal with this, you care about this contents, huh?

With all the prospects such as Leki's mood, the big man comes with an obvious provocation.

Leki instinctively perceived that the threat of sounding his fists vacillated was a very dangerous opponent, although he felt an aura that should also be called his forged giant body and the fighting spirit emanating from it.

"Hih, ugh..."

"Shit, Leki sister..."

To the horrible intimidation of the big man, he looks completely frightened, and the two boys he brings turn to Leki.

Don't think of anything stupid. The presence that must be protected is right next door.

So don't think about it. You shouldn't think about those in that front carriage.

"Come on, I'll be back soon, Death."

Like nothing, Leki smiles at both of them and goes back to the carriage again. The boy also nodded in tears, followed by chocolate chocolate.

"Damn, I can't hear a dog's ears. If Temei was a beast, I would have caught him relentlessly."

Ignoring the voice of further provocation, which could be called on his back, Leki returned to the carriage biting off his back teeth.

"... Leki, what's wrong"

I meant to act normal, worrying everyone... but it was a prospect for Ursula, my partner.

Let the carriage depart from the resting area, then for a small hour. Ursula sat next to Leki, who held the reins as his lord, and so called out.

"In the carriage earlier, there was a beast man's child, Death... maybe a child caught, I think"

"If you say it's a kidnapped child, I won't put him in a front carriage. It should be properly concealed and carried."

No, that's not what I'm trying to say.

Oh, my God, Ursula knows.

"If you said you had a kid on you, maybe he's a slave you normally bought."

"Yeah...... child slave death"

For a moment, but I did have eyes.

And if you look into those eyes, you'll see right away. The colour of fright floats, those eyes. I had the exact same eyes when I first met the kids here.

"I'm glad Leki didn't go unscrupulous."

The gentle words of comfort, instead, pierce Leki's heart.

"Not good, not good at all, Death... because Leki abandoned Death"

"No, we can't help those kids now, no matter how."

"I know, Death!

I know that. So Leki couldn't do anything.

Not because I thought I couldn't beat that horrible big man.

Leki doesn't have a good minute on his own, but Ursula and I have a chance. The followers of the Blue Robe, too, were armed, but not much skill, could be perceived in a standing full of gaps.

If you were serious, you could have beaten them up and freed the children of the Beasts with strength.

But Leki didn't do it. I never even suggested we do it.

"Yeah, yeah... if I have more kids, I can't do anything about it."

Ten little children. That was the limit. No major dissatisfaction, no problems. Leki, Ursula and Cruz, I've always thought that this is where the limit is for the three of us to be looked after.

If there were even one more person... I'm sure they would have let the shepherds out by the time we got to Adamantoria.

The kids may not have noticed, but the three people protecting them were always critical to the limit.

"Hey Ur, what's the difference between these kids and those kids..."

Zero tears from the poles and red eyes, Leki asks her best friend to twinkle.

"Leki......"

There is no answer.

Ursula could only hold Leki's shoulder, just quietly weeping.