We had entered the Golden-Eyed Demon Zone.
From the outside, the Demon Zone had looked like a vast forest region.
Even after entering, the surroundings were still nothing but trees for now.
Because it was early morning, the wind brushing against our skin felt cool.
The air carried a refreshing quality.
There was also a strong, rich scent of grass and trees.
Occasionally, cries of something sounded in the distance.
Were they from monsters?
I made a visor with my hand and looked up.
I could see the sky through the gaps in the branches and leaves.
We had only just entered the Demon Zone a short while ago.
This area could not yet be called the depths.
For now, it still felt like a pleasant forest bath.
Eve, who was leading the way, spoke while staying alert to our surroundings.
"So far, I do not sense any presence of monsters."
That was right. There was still no presence of monsters nearby.
It was not zero, but the presences were far away.
Our formation had Eve at the front.
Next were me and Pigi-maru.
Behind us was Liz, and Seras brought up the rear.
"You and Liz have been to the Demon Zone before, right?"
"Yes... though we fled back before long."
Even if it was only for a short period, they had experience spending time in the Demon Zone.
That was a major advantage.
"We only have knowledge up to the place we reached, but there were water sources where we could obtain drinking water. As expected of the area called the Great Ruins Zone, there are also scattered old structures where we could hide ourselves."
"What about food?"
"The meat of golden-eyed monsters sometimes contains toxins. Moreover, it is not by species but varies from individual to individual. That is the troublesome part... It is said that in most cases you cannot tell whether there is toxin until you eat it and take it into your body."
Someone with knowledge could recognize poisonous mushrooms at a glance.
But golden-eyed monsters were different.
You could not tell until you ate them.
It was also impossible to distinguish by smell, apparently.
In that case, we could not touch them unless we were in a state of extreme starvation.
The monsters in the Ruins of Disposal had already been impossible at the acid stage...
"That said, there are some nuts and mushrooms that can be eaten safely. Whether they exist in the depths as well, I do not know."
"Well, the food problem should work out somehow."
We had that leather pouch.
First, the leather pouch was not difficult to carry.
Basically, we did not have to worry about preservation either.
The safety aspect of whether it was edible or not was also cleared.
In a place like this, it was an item that made a huge difference whether you had it or not.
"So the biggest reason you and Liz fled from the Demon Zone was—"
"Obviously, the monsters."
The biggest bottleneck was indeed that.
But conversely—
If we could defeat the monsters, we could aim for the depths without problems for the time being.
I looked back.
"Are you okay, Liz?"
Liz was walking while carrying a large backpack.
She was carrying the most luggage among the four of us.
"I am fine, Touka-sama!"
"If you get tired, do not hesitate to say so, okay?"
"Yes!"
She had wanted to carry as much luggage as possible herself.
Before entering the Demon Zone, Liz had offered that on her own.
When she had offered,
'I want to respect Liz's will.'
Eve's single statement had silenced me and Seras.
'The less luggage Touka-sama and the others have to carry, the higher my own survival probability should rise. I cannot be of help in battle. Therefore, it would be safer for me in the end if Touka-sama and the others could move more lightly.'
Logically, she was not wrong.
"Liz."
"Yes."
"You are already a proper member of this mercenary band."
"Ah—"
Liz's expression brightened.
"Y-yes!"
Taking horses into the Demon Zone was difficult.
Even the experienced Eve had said so.
It would make it easier for monsters to detect us.
Because of the location, the horses would also become stressed and restless.
That meant we had to carry the luggage ourselves.
"Is it scary here?"
"I-it is all right. Thank you for your concern."
"..."
There was a faint tension visible.
But it did not reach the level of extreme fear.
Was it thanks to having come to the Demon Zone with Eve once before?
Or perhaps...
Liz looked down slightly as she spoke.
"It is a strange thing to say, but... I was more scared when I was at that White Foot Pavilion than when I was in this Demon Zone with my older sister..."
Liz's eyes softened.
"As long as I can be with my older sister... I am happy no matter where I am..."
"I am sorry, Liz."
From behind, Eve apologized.
"It is because I was foolish."
"People like that do it without letting it show on the outside."
In Liz's case, there had been no visible external injuries.
I had also confirmed it with Seras, who had helped her change.
They had cornered her only mentally.
Liz herself was the type to endure.
She had probably acted cheerful when meeting Eve.
Therefore, it could also be said that Liz's kindness had brought about the tragedy.
"..."
It was shit.
The idea that kindness brings tragedy left a bad taste in my chest.
I was glad.
I was glad I had been able to finish off that female owner after making her suffer.
The female owner who had deeply wounded Liz's heart.
Even if I were criticized for using the wrong method.
Even if I were denounced as nothing but selfish.
If that woman had continued living casually with a straight face after we left Monroy, my emotions would never have been satisfied.
That was why—I had no regrets about sending her to hell first.
"It is also poisonous to worry too much, Eve."
"Muu..."
"Above all, your very existence has become Liz's salvation. Because you chose to flee from Monroy, we are here now. You were able to make that decision. For now, that is enough."
Eve let out a breath as if to say good grief.
"I cannot win against you, Touka."
▽
We stopped once.
I poured magic essence into Eve's arm.
The usual map appeared.
The distance between the two glowing points had shortened compared to before.
"It looks like we are getting closer to the destination."
Seras beside me leaned in even closer to peer at it.
"However, it is unclear whether we can go straight like this..."
"The map does not show detailed terrain either."
I pulled away from Seras's shoulder, where we had been pressed close, and looked toward the other side of the forest.
"Depending on the terrain, we might have to take detours..."
Seras started to say something.
But I immediately covered her mouth.
"Nn, u...?"
Seras showed a question mark.
I met eyes with Eve.
Eve nodded silently and drew the sword at her waist.
So Eve had noticed as well.
I conveyed it with eye contact.
"According to the plan."
Eve nodded once more.
She held her sword ready and focused on the depths of the thicket.
Seras and Liz seemed to have realized what was happening too.
The two of them lowered their postures.
"――――――"
The presence of a monster.
I thrust my arm toward the direction of the presence.
It looked like our first encounter in the Demon Zone was about to happen.
The corner of my mouth twisted naturally.
What kind of creatures were the monsters of the Demon Zone?
"..."
Come on. Bring it.