After three days of a long journey, Zelda and Maria arrived in the forest of Endomiya.
Maria gazed into the forest. It was dense, with thick trees packed closely together, their towering crowns weaving into a vast canopy that hindered much of the sunlight from filtering through. The deeper parts of the forest seemed almost swallowed by shadow.
"Where should we look first?"
She noticed a few slimes nearby, but they quickly fled as soon as they caught sight of Zelda.
"I don't know. I've only been to this area two or three times in my entire life. The forest has certainly grown larger than it was two hundred years ago," Zelda answered as he walked toward a nearby tree marked with deep claw scratches. He ran a hand across the grooves in the bark. "These claw marks—they belong to a Wilderbeast."
"A Wilderbeast?"
Maria had never heard the name of such a monster before.
"They are somewhat like kobolds, only more pig-like in appearance. They have sharp claws and lack any form of rational thought. Their instincts revolve almost entirely around killing and forcefully breeding with females of other races due to the lack of their own."
"So, no better than goblins."
Zelda nodded.
"A Wilderbeast should not be roaming this forest. Their natural habitat is caves and caverns, and there are none here—or at least there weren't two hundred years ago. Unless the landscape has changed significantly, no monster native to this region should possess the strength necessary to create a cave or punch through a giant hill to make one."
His eyes swept across the darkened woods, following the trail of claw marks as they disappeared deeper between the trees.
"Which means something is very wrong."
Hearing his words, Maria found herself wondering just how serious the situation was, especially when someone like Zelda was saying it.
"Is this anything to worry about?"
"It is. Where there is one, there are usually many more. It's entirely possible that this forest has already been infested by them, and they are naturally much stronger than most of the weaker monsters that inhabit these woods."
"But you can easily deal with them."
"You are forgetting why we're here," Zelda replied. "We're here to recruit monsters for our army. If the Wilderbeasts are already established in this forest, then they have likely wiped out most of the monsters they would consider threats or competition."
Maria's expression darkened as she glanced back toward the endless sea of trees. The forest suddenly felt far less welcoming than it had moments ago.
"So the problem isn't the Wilderbeasts themselves."
"No," Zelda said. "The problem is what they may have already done."
Before she could ask any more questions, she stopped when she noticed Zelda's grip tighten around his staff.
"Wilderbeasts," he said suddenly. "Lots of Wilderbeasts. A little north of us. And someone is fighting them."
Maria blinked.
"Someone?"
Zelda narrowed his eyes, focusing on the distant sounds beyond the dense forest.
"Likely an elf. A female elf wearing armor."
"Huh?"
Confusion spread across her face. She listened carefully, but all she could hear was the rustling of leaves and the faint whispers of the forest.
Then she remembered.
"Oh, right. I keep forgetting that demons have exceptionally good hearing."
Zelda gave a small nod, his gaze never leaving the northern part of the forest.
"The battle doesn't sound one-sided either. Whoever she is, she's still alive."
The distant clash of steel echoed faintly through the woods, too subtle for Maria to hear but clear enough for Zelda's ears. The grip around his staff tightened once more.
"Come on," he said. "Let's see who is causing such a commotion."
The two dashed toward the source of the noise, weaving between the thick trees and tangled roots of the forest. As they drew closer, the sounds of battle became more distinct.
It did not take long before the scene came into view.
A beautiful elf stood amidst a circle of fallen Wilderbeasts.
Her fair skin seemed almost luminous beneath the dim forest light. Emerald-green eyes shone with fierce determination, while long golden locks flowed behind her with every movement. A sword rested firmly in her hand, its blade stained with the blood of her enemies.
Another Wilderbeast lunged at her with a savage roar, only for her sword to flash through the air. The creature's body collapsed to the forest floor before it could even touch her.
One by one, the monsters fell around her, unable to break through her graceful yet deadly swordsmanship.
"Amazing!" Maria exclaimed in awe. She could never imagine herself accomplishing such a feat alone.
The elf's eyes immediately fell upon her, then shifted toward Zelda. The remaining Wilderbeasts soon noticed them as well.
"A human? Together with a demon?!" the elf exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief.
Several of the Wilderbeasts abruptly turned away from her and charged toward the newcomers, their claws raised and their snarls echoing through the forest.
Zelda reacted instantly.
Without a word, he raised his staff and unleashed a torrent of flames. The fire surged forward like a blazing wave, swallowing the charging monsters whole. Their roars lasted only a moment before they were consumed by the inferno.
Within seconds, nothing remained but scorched earth and drifting embers.
The sudden display of power caused the battlefield to fall silent.
Even the elf stared at Zelda, momentarily stunned by how effortlessly he had incinerated the monsters.
"Now listen carefully to me, you inferior beasts," Zelda said, his voice cold and commanding as he turned his gaze toward the remaining Wilderbeasts. "Go back to whatever hole in the dirt you crawled out of, or I'm going to eat you."
The surviving Wilderbeasts froze.
For a brief moment, none of them moved. Their savage expressions twisted into fear as they met Zelda's crimson eyes.
Then panic took hold.
They turned and fled into the depths of the forest, trampling over one another in their desperation to escape. Within moments, they had vanished among the trees.
"Were you really going to eat them?" Maria asked.
"No. I already ate one before, and they taste awful."
Maria stared at him for a moment.
Before she could say anything else, the elf suddenly raised her sword and pointed it directly at them.
"Who are you two?!" she demanded. "And what are you doing here?! Explain yourselves, now!"
At once, Maria raised her hands in a placating gesture.
"Calm down! We mean no harm!" she said quickly. "Well—er, I certainly don't! Zelda is... complicated, but trust me, he's a good demon."
The elf's expression remained skeptical.
Maria winced inwardly.
That was a lie.
According to Zelda himself, there was no such thing as a good demon. Demons were demons, and most of them took pride in that fact. Still, it seemed like the best thing she could say if she wanted to prevent the situation from escalating into another fight.
Beside her, Zelda simply remained silent, apparently content to let her handle the conversation.
"There is no such thing as a good demon," the elf said sharply. "All demons are predatory monsters that need to be eradicated."
Her grip on her sword tightened.
"And yet you're still alive, which should not be possible..."
Maria blinked.
The elf's emerald eyes narrowed as she studied her, as though trying to uncover some hidden trick.
"Why hasn't he eaten you yet? Humans are prey to demons. They don't keep company with them."
Her gaze shifted toward Zelda, filled with suspicion and hostility.
"What are you planning, demon?"
For a moment, Zelda simply stared back at her.
Then he let out a small sigh.
"At the moment?" he replied. "I have some work to do here with Maria. Run along, or I will eat you."
The elf's eye twitched.
The moment she moved to swing her blade, Zelda reacted.
A sharp crack echoed through the clearing.
Before the elf could even complete her attack, Zelda's hand struck her across the face with such speed that neither she nor Maria saw the movement. The force sent her stumbling to the ground, leaves and dirt scattering beneath her.
For a brief moment, the forest fell silent.
The elf stared up at him in shock, one hand pressed against her reddening cheek.
Zelda looked down at her with an expression of complete indifference.
"Learn your place, woman," he said coldly. "I have tolerated your insolence long enough."
A chill seemed to pass through the clearing as his crimson eyes met hers.
Maria swallowed nervously.
It was easy to forget how dangerous Zelda truly was when he was calmly walking beside her. Moments like this served as a stark reminder.
"Zelda, I think that's enough."
Zelda gave her a look but said nothing.
Maria let out a quiet sigh of relief before walking toward the elf and extending a hand.
"Forgive him. He's usually calm, but there are times when he gets a little offended."
The elf glanced at the offered hand before waving it away. It seemed she did not need the assistance.
"I-I don't understand what the hell is going on here..." she muttered, still trying to process everything that had happened.
Maria lowered her hand.
"Can you tell me about yourself?"
The elf slowly rose to her feet and brushed the dirt from her armor.
"My name is Vivian Woodgreen," she said. "I am an elf from the Elven Kingdom of Grisad. I am currently on a mission to hunt down the demon who killed my sister."
"Hm? So, a revenge quest."
Vivian nodded, her expression hardening.
"My sister was pregnant," she said quietly. "Yet the demon showed her no mercy. Whoever it was... it ate her."
For a moment, silence settled over the clearing.
Even the sounds of the forest seemed distant.
Maria's expression faltered as she looked at Vivian, though not out of sympathy. She had no personal connection to the elf, and her sister's death meant little to her.
No, what caught her attention was something else entirely.
A demon.
A pregnant elf.
Eaten.
Her eyes instinctively drifted toward Zelda for the briefest of moments before returning to Vivian.
A troubling thought suddenly surfaced in her mind.
Is it possible that the pregnant elf Zelda ate... was Vivian's sister?
The question lingered in her thoughts.