Wortenia Senki (WN)

-Six days after he was summoned to another word-

*Zaza*

Within the forest, A sound indicating something pushed the plants can be heard.

A day and a half had passed since Ryouma went north from Aru town and entered the forest.

There’s no sight of Laura and Sara around him.

After they had finished the preparation for camping at Aru town, Ryouma alone entered the forest.

Darkness dominated the forest.

Even the blinking light of the stars and moon are being blocked by the leaves of the high trees.

“For now, nothing happen…”

Ryouma muttered such words while warming up his body under a tree after making a fire pit in front of him.

At most, he only starts to miss the face of the two sisters that he had stayed together for only about two days.

He thought, at least everyone can forgive someone for being sentimental if they had been summoned to a different world so suddenly.

He looked around while eating the dried meat he bought at the town.

Even though it’s only have been one day and a half, Ryouma have realized how terrifying to walked around strayed from the highway.

Of course, there’s no powerful enemy that Ryouma can’t handle.

Although he moved away from the highway, it’s not like he was taking that far of a detour.

Even so, he felt overwhelmed by the sheer number.

They say one can fall into a vicious circle where he was to kill a monster, due to the smell of blood of the monster he killed the other monsters would hunt him.

Although he doesn’t realize it when he hunted the wild dog, at the time, he can take some rest on the highway if he felt tired; naturally, it felt different when an attack will come at him continuously without much time left for him to take some rest.

(Finally, here they come?)

The skin on his body that is currently resting in front of a fire feels the air surrounded him change.

He feels a gaze from within the dark forest.

Not a gazes that comes from a monster. f𝓇𝘦e𝑤𝘦𝚋𝒏૦ѵℯ𝒍.c𝐨𝒎

It’s more like a gaze of someone that skilled in hiding.

It also not the gaze of an adventurer who passes through the forest just like him either.

In fact, if it’s them, they would immediately call out if they want to warm themselves.

And if one’s companion were to perceive of such a gaze, they might mistake them as a thief and receive the first strike.

Besides, they are not a thief either.

Since he does not feel any greed from the gaze.

He has no doubt that the gaze was appraising him; however, he does not feel the gaze evaluating him for his value or money. <Note: In short, a lady gazing at a man appraising him for how rich they are? that kind of a gaze.>

Ryouma put his hand on the sword handle.

No matter who they are he will retaliate immediately if he’s being attacked.

Then a voice of a man resounded.

“It looks like I’ve surprised you. I beg your pardon.”

Ryouma put a bit of power in his hand.

“Well well. No need to be cautious. I would like to borrow a little bit of your time, would you mind?”

Such an irritating way of speaking.

Although his voice sounds polite, there’s also pressure to make him unable to say no.

“That’s fine with me.”

*Gasa… Gasa*

Sounds of tree branches being pushed can be heard the moment Ryouma said those words.

A slight agitation appears on Ryouma’s face the moment he saw the face of the man that have emerged from the forest.

He has a 7:3 kind of hairstyle.

A thin oval shaped face.

With height approximately 170cm.

He has the appearance that won’t make him looks suspicious even if he were to walk on an ordinary street in Japan.

Although no Japanese salary man goes to work wearing an armor and also bringing a sword.

“Oh? What’s wrong?”

The man swiftly asks Ryouma when he saw Ryouma’s expression.

“No… I just feel surprised that it was not a thief…”

The man smiled at Ryouma’s remark.

“No no no. Please do pardon me. May I sit here?”

Without waiting for Ryouma’s answer, the man immediately sits down in the opposite direction of him.

“I don’t remember allowing you to sit down?”

Although the man heard what Ryouma had said, the man did not get daunted.

On the contrary, the man starts talking selfishly instead.

“Well~. I only want to ask 2-3 question after all.”

Ryouma urged him to continue after giving up since he felt that saying anything would be just a waste of time.

“You looks like an adventurer, but, what are you doing in this forest? are you doing some work?”

Then Ryouma answered the man’s question honestly,

“At the time I was in Aru town I heard that the border was blocked. Moreover, there’s information that it is unknown when the problem will be solved. Thus I decide to pass through via the forest. Well, since I was confidence with my ability, I’ve prepared to camp out…”

“Hou… Is that how it is? But still, You don’t seem to have much concern huh? No matter how much you are confident with your ability, but to think that you decide to cross the forest by yourself… Are you in lots of hurry or something? For example, are you being pursued by someone?”

The man’s eyes narrowed.

“No. I just thought that it was better for me to get some more experience rather than waiting the blockade to be opened again.”

“I see, I see…”

Ryouma then asked the man in return.

“So now, for what purpose did you ask such question eagerly?”

“Ooh. I’m sorry for being slow. My name is Saitou Hideaki. I serve as the deputy leader of Ortomea Empire Nightmare chivalric order [Succubus Nights]”

(I know it, so he’s part the pursuers… but Saitou? looking at his outward appearance he looks like a Japanese, but…)

Ryouma keeps on acting while holding back the question that appeared on his mind.

Since it would be better for him to pretend as an adventurer when he already knows who his opponent is…

“Why a deputy leader such as you been doing inside a forest?”

“I cannot say much. In fact, I was chasing after someone. I had thought that the man might escape via the forest and run away toward another country.”

“Hee? There’s such a man huh? What did he do?”

Saitou looked at Ryouma with bitter expression then answers him,

“No I’m sorry, I can’t say it… It was confidential information, see…”

This is something that Ryouma had expected. Saitou understands that he has no reason to tell Ryouma anything here.

However, until here Saitou understood that it felt dull when being asked back and answered as such.

“Ah, I’m sorry for being rude. By the way, what do you need from me? Did you perhaps, suspect me?”

Hearing that Saitou make an expression trying to deny.

“No no no. We don’t know the man in question face.”

“Huh? You don’t know his face, and yet you keep on pursuing him?”

(Fuu… As expected they don’t know my face huh… well, I guess it was to be expected. After all, I killed everyone who saw my face.)

Within Ryouma’s mind, he was proud of his judgment.

“Well, It was realistically something that is a pretty tough thing to do… I was being ordered by my superior to catch the criminal as fast as possible… Well, anyway, I have something that I like to ask.”

Saitou carefully cut to the case.

“A request is it?”

“Yes. I only have a little time; thus I want to confirm it. You don’t have to worry. This is only a formality. Since you may leave immediately if you can prove your birth and parentage. After all, we can only do this since we don’t know the face of the person we pursue… Thus we want all the cooperation of a male with a good physique that is going through the forest, see. Thus pardon me for being rude.”

Although he was smiling while saying sorry, Saitou’s eyes are not smiling.

“If I don’t cooperate with you then?”

Toward Ryouma’s words, Saitou lightly lifted his right hand.

“At that time, I guess there’s nothing can be done. I will make you cooperate by force.”

*Hiyu… Stab*

An arrow flew from inside the forest and stabbed the ground just right beside Ryouma.

“I see. So something like this huh.”

Ryouma said those words while shifting his gaze to the arrow that stabbed the ground.

“Yes. Thank you for your immediate understanding. Thus, would you mind coming with me?”

This is what people call hypocritical courtesy.

Like this, there won’t be any guy who will say no, after all, an arrow would fly toward them the moment they do say no.

“I guess, I have no choice huh? I will cooperate.”

Ryou answered reluctantly.

“No. It is good as long you understand. Well then, let’s walk toward our camp. It was right there.”

Like that, Saitou took out a handcuff.

“And that is?”

Toward Ryouma’s question, Saitou answered normally.

“Just in case, I need to restrain you. Well, this is just for something like a formality. A form. After we meet my superior, I will take this off. Please do endure it until then.”

This is something that cannot be rejected.

Ryouma give both his hands.

“Her highness. I’ve restricted him.”

Toward Saitou’s words, Sardina directed her subordinate lower their guard.

“Restrict? Who? The otherworld person?”

“Indeed. Without a doubt, he’s the otherworld person. To be more accurate, he’s a person from Japan of Earth.”

After Saitou brought Ryouma and assigned some guard, he meets with Sardina inside the tent.

“How are you able to understand that he’s from a different world? we even don’t know his face.”

Sardina asks Saitou while looking suspicious.

“That is because he’s someone from the same country as me. Furthermore, He just arrived in this world. Somehow I know a smell of newcomer.”

Listening Saitou remark, Sardina expression immediately broke into a smile.

“Is that so? If you said so, then I guess there’s no mistake. So? What should we do?”

“Her Highness order were to restrict and bring him or kill him, but…”

Sardina nodded toward Saitou words.

“Indeed. I ordered you that if you can’t catch him, then you may kill him.”

“Now that I manage to catch him, I guess we have to escort him to imperial capital huh?”

Hearing Saitou’s words, Sardina ask a question.

“Oh, my~? Is there a problem with that?”

Saitou’s expression turns cloudy as if something sensitive has been asked.

“Yes… I think it was better to take care of him right here and now without bringing him to the imperial capital.”

Although somewhat hesitant, Saitou said those words clearly.

He advises her to ignore the Emperor’s orders.

The firm pressure was beyond imagination.

Listening to Saitou’s advice, an expression of bewilderment floats on Sardina’s face.

It has been five years since she took the position of leader within Succubus Nights.

In those time, it was Saitou who supported her from the shadow.

His advice was always appropriate, and there are nothing wrongs happen.

Such Saitou advised such a thing.

If it has to be said bluntly, it’s not like she can’t do it; however, she could not ignore the order of the Emperor either.

“Tell me the reason…”

Toward Sardina’s question, Saitou’s mouth opened heavily.

“Reason is it?… If Her Highness asked me such a question, then the answer would be, it’s just my intuition.”

Sardina expression gets cloudy.

No matter how much of a trusted adjutant, she cannot ignore the order of the Emperor just because of intuition.

“Intuition is it… No matter how you look at it, it would be impossible for me to do it just because of that reason.”

“Please, I beg your pardon. However, at the time when I was talking with him, I felt that he was too dangerous. Although he puts on a smile on his face at the time I talk with him, we won’t know what’s actually inside his heart. Furthermore, he did not resist at all when I catch him. He did not resist excessively when I put a handcuff on him. As if convinced that he will be freed after we checked him.

Hearing Saito words, Sardina’s heart stirred.

(Certainly, that sounds worrisome… Especially for him not putting any resistance… After all, he’s the man who’s said to be merciless, the one who killed Gaies and burned the castle. I can’t imagine him to be caught without resistance even if there’s no escape for him.)

“Nee~. Is there any chance that he’s the wrong person?”

“No, I was sure that he’s the otherworld person. The problem is, I don’t know whether he’s the one who killed Gaies-sama, but judging from the situation, there’s no mistake. It’s impossible to even by chance that an unrelated otherworld person who’s not familiar with this world trying to pass this forest by himself.”

Sardina nodded toward Saitou’s words.

Indeed, looking at the situation, it was no mistake, although there’s no evidence for it.

“That’s mean, there’s only one way to know it huh…”

“And that is?”

Sardina stood up from her chair and walked toward the entrance of the tent.

“Please guide me. Isn’t that obvious? Since it comes to this, we have no choice other than to talk with him.”