Volume 11, Chapter 2: Trying Out Going to the Newly Developed Southern Territory - Part 5

This chapter is updated by wuxiaworld.eu

While walking within the forest, Rem spoke.

「……Those ears and tails. I think that she is most likely a Kobold.」

Shera nodded looking impressed.

「Ahh, Kobolds! Kobolds are fairies, right?」

「……There are various theories. Like that the females have physical appearances close to the Races, but males are closer to animals.」

「I’ve heard stories saying that they’re friendly to the Races.」

「……I, have heard stories that they attacked a town of the Races.」

「But, earlier, she saved me, you know?」

「……Yes.」

Feneri turned around.

『Arrived, here!』

At a glance, it was a mere forest.

There was nothing different about it from the forest that they had walked through up until now.

There weren’t any huts in between the trees, nor were there any figures that were living above the branches.

Since the foliage were growing thickly despite it being the winter season, they acted like a roof, and most of the raindrops didn’t fall through.

At their feet, there were a lot of fallen leaves, and the ground couldn’t be seen.

Feneri dropped her waist, and shook her tail. Using it like a broom, she brushed away the dry leaves that piled at the base of the standing tree.

『Wet tail, dirty. Hate.』

Going “haa～”, she dropped her shoulders.

At the place where the dry leaves were brushed away, a hole opened up.

Facing the hole, she shouted.

『Returnedー』

Before long, another one came shuffling out.

It was a man with a fox head.

Seeing Diablo’s group, he tilted his head.

『Why, Races here?』

『This guy, can talk! Food, some, give.』

『A person of Races can understand words!?』

There were several more holes in other places, and Kobolds appeared from them. In total, there were about 20 of them. Surrounding Diablo’s group, they gazed at them looking curious.

『She say you can talk? Name is?』

「My name is Diablo.」

『Talkedー!?』

They opened their eyes wide, and raised voices going “Wah!”.

A majority of the Kobolds were women, and they possessed light brown hair, sharp ears, and bushy tails just like Feneri.

And then, as expected, since they were lightly dressed, Diablo was a bit troubled as to where he should place his eyes.

As for the men, just as Rem had said, they had fox heads. They had the impression of having supple and trained muscles, and fur grew on their backs. They only had loincloths for clothes.

『He really talked! What a surprise!』

A man whose fur had thinned to the point that his bare skin could be seen had raised his voice. His words were more fluent than Feneri’s.

「And you are?」

『Acting as the elder of this clan, I am the one called Yorda. To think that a person of the Races would understand our words.』

「Hmph……For me, it is something of ease.」

He didn’t know the reasoning behind it, but it was possible for Diablo to converse with them even though he didn’t learn the local language.

Similar to that, he was able to understand the Beastmen’s words.

He wasn’t able to converse with Demonic Beasts and wild animals but……

The Kobolds addressed Rem and Shera, but it seemed that the girls could only hear it all as the growls of animals.

Rem tilted her head.

「……Diablo, it sounds like you’re talking with them normally though.」

「Un! For us and the Kobolds, it’s mysterious how your words are getting through!」

Shera laughed sounding like she was having fun.

Diablo flourished his mantle, and curved his lips into a sneer.

「It is because I am a Demon King that came from a different world!」

The Kobolds had their eyes go round.

『Demon King!?』

After freezing up for a moment──

Dowa ha ha! One laughed.

『Whether he’s a person of the Races or a Demon King! This is real good! He’s an interesting guy!』

It wasn’t only the Elder Yorda, the others also held their sides with laughter.

Diablo was plainly disheartened.

Him not being trusted had happened a lot up until now, but this was his first time being laughed at this much.

It hurt.

Feneri mixed in gestures to make an appeal.

『This guy, food, want!』

『Yeah, that’s fine. We have quite a lot after all.』

When the Elder gave his directions, several of the women returned to the holes. After a while, they came carrying dried fruits, jerky, and dried sweet potato.

「Ugh……」

Within a basket, there were even dried up insects.

It was a high hurdle for someone raised in the city.

──Well, I guess there’s no need to force myself to eat the insects.

Carrying out a considerable amount of food, it looked as if it had turned into a banquet.

On top of the carpet of fallen leaves, baskets with food inside were lined up, and grape wine was poured into wooden bowls.

『Rather than rain water, this is much better, right?』

「That’s true.」

Actually, he was also bad with alcohol though……

However, unlike alcohol which was hard to go bad, water and juice couldn’t be preserved. Convenient things like preservatives didn’t exist here.

Even for Diablo who was bad with alcohol, while he reluctantly drank it, he ended up being able to drink it a little. Although it was called grape wine, the alcohol by volume was low.

「Nn? That is……」

It was an alcohol bottle with a form that he recognized. It was probably something created in the Lifelia Kingdom.

Yorda stroked the surface of the alcohol bottle.

『It was something that was at a Human race’s town.』

「So it would seem.」

Even the wooden bowl had an artistic impression applied to it. Despite digging holes in the ground and living in them, they had a cultured lifestyle.

The dried sweet potato and meat were delicious, but the dried leaves were no good. They were just leaves that were dried. It made the inside of his mouth dry.

Yorda, who sat opposite of him, threw an insect into his mouth. Maybe due to his fox head, it didn’t really feel out of place. He ate it making crunching sounds.

『──So? Where did you come from?』

I came from another world! Even if he said that, the talk wouldn’t exactly move forward, would it.

「From Faltra City.」

『I don’t know where that is.』

「Well, it is far enough that it would take more than ten days with a carriage after all.」

『You’ve come from quite far away, haven’t you!』

「This village, is everyone here all of the members of it? It looks like there are a lot of women……」

『The men are out. Since the day before yesterday. Some trouble had happened.』

「Fumu.」

『Even among the Races, the Demi-Humans are better. There are even guys that would trade things with us. The Dwarves that live in holes.』

「Rock Dwarves huh.」

In the past, he had visited that community.

Away from the towns of the Lifelia Kingdom, they were people that lived as if they were hiding. He felt like their shut-in nature was a bit similar to himself.

──Well, at that time, there was a bit of trouble with various things though.

『Then, there are also Grasswalkers. We don’t really see that many Pantherians and Elves.』

He turned his gaze towards Rem and Shera.

They couldn’t exchange words with those around them, but the girls looked like they were enjoying eating together with them without that much trouble.

To begin with, there was no need to forcibly talk with them when taking the food.

Yorda wrinkled his fox head brow.

『The Human race is no good! Whenever they find us, they shoot arrows at us as if hunting animals.』

「What did you say!?」

『Since long ago, we have lived in this land. The Human race came, and created towns. That is fine. But, they are trying to drive us out. Many of our companions were killed. We are absolutely unable to forgive them.』

「Why are the Humans hostile towards you?」

『Most likely, it is because we cannot understand the Human race’s words. Due to that, they do not recognize us as part of the Races.』

He said that as if he were spitting out.

「Such a ridiculous thing to do……」

『Do you think so?』

「Of course. As I can understand your words, I feel that way all the more. I don’t feel that there is any difference between you all and the Races.」

『Even if we have fox heads?』

「That doesn’t matter. Giving disadvantages for reasons of outward appearance and principles, that is called “discrimination”. Discrimination is not something that should be allowed.」

『You, are you really a person of the Races?』

「Hmph……I’m sure I said it. I am a Demon King that came from another world!」

*Gera gera* Yorda made another hearty laugh.

──Unless I show them some magic, it might stay like this.

Since Yorda’s figure as he burst into laughter surprisingly had some charm to it, although he was disheartened, Diablo didn’t feel all that bad about it.

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