Chapter 77 – The Forest Full of Magic Beasts

The weather was fine on the morning of our departure.

It’s a perfect day for hiking.

Liren was happily clinging onto Haith’s arm from the morning.

Me and his Highness bowed at them unhurriedly.

“Good morning Yuri and Roo! Oh my, aren’t you Miger! It’s been a while!”

“It’s been a while, Liren. I’m happy from the bottom of my heart to be able to meet you.”

When Miger formally greeted her, Liren started to pout.

“Miger, you’re treating me like a stranger! You used to speak more frankly in the past! I was moved deeply by your courage when you told me to get away from you because you thought I was a monster.”

Miger keeps on smiling.

“Liren, that was because you lifted him too high up in the air and got him angry.”

“Roo looked happy.”

“After that he couldn’t even hug his brother for a while.”

Liren swelled her cheeks and looked offended.

“I’m sorry Miger.”

“Haith doesn’t need to apologize! You’ve helped me a lot ever since then after all.”

Haith lightly hugged Miger with a bitter smile and tapped his back.

“Haith likes Miger, I’m jealous.”

“I like those with courage.”

While saying so, Haith crossed his shoulders with Miger

They are good friends.

“So, who are those people?”

Liren looks at my two escorts.

““Think of us as luggage carriers.””

The two of them said so and showed that they were carrying huge things such as a tent.

“Is that so? Then I’ll give you candy too.”

Saying so, Liren quickly pushed the candy into their mouths and forced them to eat.

The two were quite surprised, but it seems that refusal was not an option.

“Miger, do you want candy as well?”

“I’m okay because I have a lot of sweets.”

With that said, Miger showed Liren the candy wrapped in a cute wrapping paper.

“If you change your mind, do tell me!”

“Of course, thank you.”

Miger said so and bowed his head.

The place where we arrived with Miger’s guidance was a dense forest.

The high-pitched cry of a bird or something was echoing, creating an eerie feeling.

“Lady, the destination is the mountain in the depths of this forest.”

I can’t see anything but the forest where Miger pointed at.

We were able to ride a horse-drawn carriage to the entrance to the forest, but after that it would be difficult to reach only on foot.

“Ms. Yulius, if you’d like, I can carry you through the forest?”

My escort Bariga was worried about me.

It’s bad for Bariga who looks at me with anxiety, but we are in a place full of nature.

If I don’t walk on my own, I may overlook something that is profitable.

So to speak, this forest itself is a treasure trove for me.

“His Highness, there’s a rabbit there.”

When I pointed at the white rabbit that popped out, His Highness sighed as if he was amazed.

Did I play around too much?

While thinking so, I tilted my head, and Miger quickly caught the rabbit alive.

“Lady, this is a normal rabbit but a horn rabbit.”

If you look closely at it, the rabbit has a single horn.

“I saw a living horn rabbit for the first time. I usually see only the horns as material.”

The horn rabbit’s horn is a useful material because it can be used as a lucky charm or as an accessory.

“Its meat is delicious also, should we use it for dinner?”

The eyes of the horn rabbit that was caught alive got teary.

“Yuri, even if it’s cute, it’s fairly dangerous.”

It’s a dangerous creature?

“Yulius, we didn’t catch a pair for it, so it won’t be able to multiply.”

I was surprised when his Highness read my heart.

“If Lady desires it, I can catch one for you?”

When I was thinking about what Miger said, His Highness sighed.

“Our destination is far away, do it some other time.”

When his Highness said so ,I remembered our purpose for coming here.

Right, I can’t go home right away, and it doesn’t have a pair, so let’s give up for this time.

“Then, I’ll catch it next time.”

Miger said with a smile, so I smiled back.

“Then, I’ll double it and return it.”

Hearing my words, Miger sighed.

“I want to give a present to Lady!”

“I’ll give a present to you in exchange.”

“Not like that, I want to give it to you to make you happy.”

“I’m happy though?”

Miger swelled his cheeks.

“Young lady really doesn’t understand the male heart.”

It’s like I said something offensive, I tilt my head while wondering why it was bad.

I wasn’t aware that the two dragons were giggling when they saw us.

After that, I saw many demon beasts.

A squirrel with feathers and a huge snake.

“Look at this, young lady, there is something you may like.”

Miger was pointing at a sheep with golden horns.

“Miger, I already have that species.”

““Eh?””

Miger and even the two escorts looked in surprise.

“The finest blankets in our store use the hair of that creature.”

“I did not know that.”

My Highness grinned when Miger muttered as such.

“Miger, furthermore the person who’s raising those sheeps is Lamore.”

“Huh, why is it him?”

His Highness continued while grinning at the surprised Miger and the escort.

“Lamore seems to have had an agricultural talent. He now seems to be working like a carriage horse to pay the consolation money to Yulius.”

I also opened my mouth without worrying about the stunned Miger and the two escorts.

“After succeeding in breeding them, while I was wondering about what I should do with their horns that grow anew each year, I received a letter. I had never exchanged letters when we were engaged, but now we are penpals. It makes me laugh.”

I want everyone including his Highness to not be speechless when I talk.

“Yulius, I didn’t hear you exchanging letters with him.”

“Why are you talking as if I’m cheating behind your back?”

In addition, Lamore’s letter is written half about the work and half about his love affairs with Banache, and if he returns the letter with the daily episode of Banache, it’s a good deal in my opinion.

If it leads to profits, I’ll of course exchange letters.

“I can’t leave the employees who work hard.”

When I smiled, I saw His Highness holding his head.

“He’s not talking to you because he likes you, right?”

Miger grabbed my shoulder and shook me.

I’m starting to feel dizzy so I want you to stop.

“That’s okay! Lamore is tied to Banache with true love!”

I don’t think that Lamore, who has a strong prejudice, will notice the true nature of Banache, who is a schemer, and Banache seems to be as cute as a child, so it should be okay.

“Rucharu, Bariga, if he approaches Yulius alone, don’t let him get close to her.”

““I got it.””

Your Highness, please stop telling strange things to my escorts.

“Roo, jealous men are ugly.”

Liren, who was watching us in the distance, giggles.

“Look at Haith’s eyes and say the same thing.”

When his Highness replied so, Liren happily replied as.

“I love his ugly sides as well, so it’s okay.”

Hearing Liren’s words, I tried to not look at them when Haith hugged Liren.

Three days have passed since then, and we finally found the abandoned mine.

The hole is about the size of two doors and is reinforced with wood so that it doesn’t collapse.

However, the reinforced wood is also quite old so it looks dangerous.

Moreover, the inside is dark and you can’t see more than two meters ahead.

“I don’t know how deep it is. Is it okay to take a rest today and start tomorrow morning?”

I agree with His Highness’s proposal.

The fact that it is quite old and the inside is dark and invisible doesn’t stop other demon beasts from living there even though it’s a dragon’s home.

I would like to avoid taking a nap in there.

Everyone else agreed as well.

During the night, while chatting in front of the bonfire, Haith suddenly stood up.

“Haith?”

“There is a good thing nearby.”

Haith ran into the forest after saying that.

When I looked at Liren, thinking something was wrong, she giggled.

“Haith loves you guys too.”

When I wanted to ask what it was, Haith caught a bird that looked like a swan and came back.

“Oh, it looks delicious! How would Yuri like to eat it?”

“I’m sorry. It’s a bird I’ve never eaten.”

“Yeah, it’s a bird that you can rarely catch! But it’s not much different from ordinary chicken, so please tell me what you like most about chicken dishes.”

While Liren was talking to me, Haith dismantled the bird with quick movements, and the next time I saw it, I thought it was amazing that it looked just like chicken meat.

“Liren, we can’t cook elaborate food in a place like this. I’ll just stick it on a skewer and simply cook it.”

What surprised me on this trip was that Haith was a good cook.

The chicken meat turned into delicious skewers, and the bone soup was delicious as well and I happily ate them.

The next day, when we stood at the entrance to start exploring the abandoned mine, something strange happened.

The inside of the abandoned mine, which was pitch black until yesterday, was bright.

“Do you remember the bird you ate yesterday?”

Liren laughed happily like a child who succeeded in a prank.

“We call that bird a night-vision bird, it’s a bird that makes you able to see in the darkness for three days after eating it. It’s hard to find because it’s a bird that usually lives in dark places.”

She has heard that abandoned mines can explode if you use a torch because there are places where gas accumulates.

Considering that, the effect of this night-vision bird is really handy.

“Thank you, Haith.”

When I thanked him, he turned away as if he was embarrassed.

Liren was giggling when she saw it.

Because of the effect of the night-vision bird, we immediately entered the abandoned mine.