Chapter 91

The room turned colder than winter itself after the blunt question from Langwang. Everyone’s in disbelief, questioning if their ears are playing tricks on them.

It was a clear mistake—I should’ve anticipated Langwang asking something like that.

For the past hundred years, I’ve been wiping out as many demons in Demon Forest as possible to keep history flowing similarly to how it unfolded before. Naturally, Langwang was always at the heart of those battles.

In other words, from Langwang’s perspective, I must appear as someone who wants to destroy everything in Demon Forest—including humans, with no exceptions. When the tragic hero party came to Demon Forest, we killed them, after all.

So, from Langwang’s point of view, my question about whether we should take out the trolls might seem thoughtless—but only because he doesn’t know the full story.

“…S-S-Suoka-san? Did your friend just say…?”

“He clearly said ‘like last time’! Does this mean there were other humans you hunted besides us!?”

“Never trust appearances in Demon Forest! They could be demons in disguise!”

“A-Ah, no! I checked earlier! Suoka-san, you held a cross and were perfectly fine!”

The timing couldn’t have been worse. You insensitive human…

It’s an awkward situation, but I can’t let my panic show. My ability to respond isn’t so easily rattled by something as trivial as this.

“What? Y-You don’t mean… a murderer? Or maybe a cannibal?”

“Hiiieeeek…! C-Cannibal!? Are you serious, Suoka-san? Could you really…!”

The hero party’s gaze shifts between me and Langwang—half demanding explanations, half filled with suspicion.

I need to clarify this before things get worse, but there’s no rush. With a hearty laugh, I break the tension.

“Hahaha!”

The curious stares pierce through me now. Wondering why I’m laughing? Let me explain. Listen closely.

I placed my hand on Langwang’s shoulder and subtly pressed my thumb against his neck—out of sight from the hero party. It’ll look like we’re just good friends chatting casually.

“Yohan, you’re saying dangerous things! What if they misunderstand?”

“Hmm? Suoka? Was I wrong?”

“Snap out of it! They’re humans! Not demons! If you don’t believe me, I’ll give them this cross to hold!”

I tossed the rosary to Merlin, who caught it awkwardly. Pointing at him dramatically, I shouted.

“See! They’re humans! Not demons! So there’s no reason for us to ‘hunt’ them! Right?”

A rosary is key to distinguishing humans from demons. Earlier, it proved *I* was human, but now it confirms the heroes’ humanity to Langwang—for the benefit of the others.

Of course, Langwang knows they’re human; he’s the king of humans, after all. The important part is making sure the hero party understands.

“Ah, they’re human? Not demons?”

Finally, thanks to my constant hints, Langwang plays along properly. Thank goodness.

“Yeah! After hunting so many demons, you can’t tell humans apart anymore? Of course, we have no reason to kill them!”

“Hm, understood. Got it.”

“Sorry, Merlin. Our Yohan hunts demons every day and rarely sees humans in Demon Forest, so he assumed you were demons too. My bad for not explaining well.”

In short, Langwang asked if he should kill the hero party because he mistook them for demons. Still, this guy keeps causing trouble—I’ll need to keep a closer eye on him.

“A…? So, you’re not a cannibal then…?”

“Obviously! Why would my friend eat you guys? Right, Yohan?”

I tapped Langwang’s neck lightly with my finger. He nodded vigorously, getting used to following my lead.

“Of course!”

“Everyone hear that? We’re neither cannibals nor murderers. Just hunters surviving by hunting in Demon Forest. Right?”

“Phew… So that’s what it was… My heart dropped…”

Merlin sighed deeply, brushing his chest. His tattered robe fluttered slightly.

“Enough chatter. We don’t have much time. Since we know you’re not dangerous, let’s cut to the chase.”

From behind the hero party, a man stepped forward silently until now. A dazzling blonde with sharp eyes stood out instantly.

“Do you really intend to bring us to Dragon King Endros?”

This guy looks familiar despite never meeting him before. His hair color gives away his identity.

“Of course.”

“Then, that settles it. Since we’ve been assigned as your guides, let’s start introductions.”

His golden hair shone so brightly it almost hurt to look at. While many people have blonde or yellow hair, very few possess such radiant luster—only two kinds of beings, to be exact.

“I am hero Saleyr Dr. Siegfried. Acting under orders from the state, I’ve received instructions to exterminate all monsters in Demon Forest. Hunter Suoka, it’s a pleasure to work with you.”

A hero—and royalty.

Saleyr Dr. Siegfried hails from the same lineage as Frey Dr. Siegfried, the hero from one hundred years later—not direct descendants, though.

“Oh, who would’ve thought I’d meet a hero in my humble hunter life! We’re the ones honored to have you!”

Shaking Saleyr’s hand enthusiastically, I noticed his expression remained stoic. Come on, lighten up a little!

“I’m Katarina, the thief of this party.”

“Nya! I’m Igor! In charge of reconnaissance!”

“My name is Victor. I specialize in spear combat. Though it’s embarrassing to admit, I’ve won the national martial arts tournament five years in a row.”

The hero party introduced themselves. Merlin watched proudly, his smile brimming with pride for his companions.

“Victor, wasn’t that tournament rigged with bribes? Should you even brag about it?”

“What nonsense! Igor, are you insulting our family’s spear techniques?”

“Both of you stop it. Don’t start arguing again. And Igor, don’t tease Victor too much. He earned those victories purely through skill.”

The hero’s authoritative declaration made me glance at Victor, the tall man mentioned. Blue long hair cascaded down to his waist, and a long spear hung across his back.

Katarina, the thief, was a rare red-haired beauty. Several daggers and throwing knives hung from her waist. How many lives have fallen to those weapons? The death aura surrounding her isn’t insignificant.

Igor, who introduced himself as the scout, had cat ears atop his head. Likely a different species from Aru, but still a beastkin. Probably has some experience training animals. I waved cheerfully at Igor.

“Kyaaarr!”

But Igor simply bared his teeth at me. Cats truly are incomprehensible creatures. I clicked my tongue in response.

“Alright. Saleyr, Katarina, Igor, Victor, and Merlin. As you might’ve guessed, we’re Suoka and Yohan. We’re tasked with guiding your esteemed delegation to Dragon King Endros. And if you wish, we can join the fight as well.”

“Join the fight? Why take on such a dangerous burden?”

“You wouldn’t understand, but my friend here also holds a grudge against Dragon King Endros. He lost a comrade. Do I need to elaborate further?”

With that, I glanced back at Langwang. Even a dog trained for three years can recite poetry, and Langwang has gotten quite adept at reading situations. He chimed in immediately.

“That’s right! Someone precious to me died because of Dragon King Endros! Revenge isn’t desirable, but… I want to hunt!”

“Did you hear that? We’ve wanted to kill Dragon King Endros for a long time. But his overwhelming power forced us to stay low. Then we met you guys! Though Dragon King Endros is strong, with the hero party by our side, things change!”

Things are going smoothly. I allowed myself a small smile beneath my mask.

I don’t know exactly what happened in the previous timeline, but somehow the hero party defeated Dragon King Endros alongside Langwang—even without awakening separately in Demon Forest like they did a hundred years ago.

Now that I think about it, it makes sense. They’re stronger. Stronger than the hero party from the previous timeline. Merlin alone rivals a top-tier wizard, and the rest of the hero party surpasses their predecessors in skill.

I may have disrupted the timeline by inserting myself into it, but I’m merely a connector. Once I bring Langwang and the hero party to Dragon King Endros, they’ll handle the rest.

My only concern was how to guide Langwang, burdened with vengeance and trauma, smoothly to Dragon King Endros.

“Dragon King! Time for the hunt! Can’t wait!”

Langwang views Dragon King Endros not as an object of revenge, but as prey. Looks like fortune favors me today. Strange, considering how much the heavens despise me.

“Because of that…! We apologize for bringing up painful memories…”

“Hmm? It’s been a long time ago, so it’s fine. No need to dwell on it.”

“But still…”

It’s been nearly 200 years since then. They see us as ordinary people, so I won’t bring it up unnecessarily.

“Enough chit-chat. We’re busy. If you’re guiding us to Dragon King Endros, let’s depart now.”

That hero, Saleyr, keeps being prickly. Do you find our sudden hospitality suspicious?

If you act like that, I have no choice but to distrust you. If you want to reach Dragon King Endros quickly, I’ll take you through the shortest route. Though you won’t know it, that path leads straight to your grave.

“You’re a cold one, hero. Follow us! We’ll lead you to Dragon King Endros’ lair!”

Time for another performance.

***

“Grrr.”

“Why the restless mood, Langwang?”

“We need to prepare. They’re coming.”

A chilling wind swept across the vast plain. Standing there were a lone wolf beastkin and an angel.

“Approaching… probably two dragons, right?”

“Grrr.”

“Any other presences? Is everything proceeding as planned?”

“Grrr, just the two. Monsters are heading west, Nidhogg south.”

“Even a million scattered forces couldn’t defeat Meta, the goblin shaman. Still, Beatrix worries me. She insists on facing Nidhogg alone…”

“Don’t lose focus. Two dragons are tough. Young angel, you need to help me out.”

Aru and Uriel stood side-by-side, staring eastward. Soon, tremors akin to earthquakes shook the ground, and two massive shadows painted the sky. Both women observed them with cool gazes, swallowing nervously.

“Your assessment checks out. Only those two came from the east.”

“They’re stronger than all the monsters combined. I can smell it.”

Before blocking this path, the group sans Oscar and Yohan used Aru’s search skills and Meta’s intel network to understand the Seven Dragons’ strategy. Three separate attacks would come from the east, west, and south: two dragons, Nidhogg, and a horde of monsters.

Naturally, Meta took responsibility for the monster horde. Initially, Aru volunteered to face Nidhogg, but Beatrix insisted it was her duty. Thus, Uriel and Aru ended up handling the two dragons from the east.

“Is Oscar heading north?”

“Grrr. Young angel, hop on already.”

Aru whispered as she climbed onto Uriel’s shoulders.

“Tch, only you, Langwang, have the audacity to ride an angel.”

Despite grumbling, Uriel lifted Aru onto her shoulders without hesitation.

“Grrr, go.”

“Don’t mess up, Langwang.”

In an instant, Uriel soared toward the shadows at supersonic speed, carrying the fanged wolf girl perched on her narrow shoulders. Her white wings spread majestically, dominating the skies.

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