Chapter 23: The Ruins of the Forest, an Egg, and a Furball

 

Having defeated the Ancient Plant, we began disassembling it and putting the parts into my magic bag.

“I won’t be surprised no matter how much stuff will go in that bag anymore.”

Liliella-san muttered to herself as she watched me put one of the Ancient Plant’s branches into the bag.

“The amount of things magic bags can fit inside them is based on how well-done they were made.
This one should be able to fit around a mountain’s worth of things.”

“Mountain.”

I didn’t have all that good materials to work with, so I had only been able to make one of this size.

“Ah, I can make you one too, if you want one.”

“I do!”

“Alright.
I’ll slap one together later.”

“How can you just ‘slap one of those together’…”

Making them isn’t that difficult.

◆ ◆

“That should be it.”

Having finally finished storing the Ancient Plant and then all the Elder Plants, I sighed.

I had thought that just the Ancient Plant would be enough, but Liliella-san had strongly insisted that the Elder Plants were also worth taking back with us.

Although I kinda doubt they’ll sell for much.

“Let’s go back after I’ve finished clearing the land around here.”

“Riiight, I’ve had enough surprised to last a whole lifetime today, so I want to go back quick.
…I have this strange feeling I’ll be getting a couple more lifetimes’ worth of surprises in the next few days.”

Ahaha, she’s exaggerating.

“Still, I was quite surprised that there was such a large monster here in the centre of the forest.”

Liliella-san said, staring at the hole where the Ancient Plant had been until shortly before.

It was the hole that had been made when the Ancient Plant had begun moving and pulled all its roots out of the ground.

And since that was how it had been made, there would be nothing inside it.

On the contrary, there was the danger that it might cave in on us if we were clumsy.

“It’s a pity, but with something like that here, there’s no way there’d be treasures here in the centre.”

Yeah, I guess so.

One of the reasons we came here in the first place was treasure hunting.

But what we had found wasn’t treasure, but a huge tree monster instead, so it wasn’t surprising that she was a little disappointed.

“Ah, speaking of which, I’ve got to level the ground too.”

If I wanted to make the centre-point for all the roads here, we couldn’t have a hole made by a rampaging Ancient Plant blocking the way.

“Earthshaker!”

I used ground-levelling magic to smooth the earth in the area.

“Uwawawa, another earthquake!?”

“No, I’m just flattening the earth.
It’s only like an earthquake because I’m filling up the holes left by the Ancient Plant’s roots.
They stretched quite deep into the ground.”

I explained what I was doing to the surprised Liliella-san.

“O-okay, I get that, but isn’t it basically the same as an earthquake anyway, if the ground shakes this much?”

“Ahaha, maybe, if you say so.”

“Why are you laughing…”

At that moment however, I spotted something strange in the ground.

“Hm? What’s that?”

I stopped my magic and ran over to it.

“What’s up?”

Liliella-san asked, following me.

“I saw something white over there.”

“Eh? Where?”

“Seems like it got buried again.”

Having arrived at the place I had seen the white thing at, I found it half-buried in the ground.

“This is it.”

I pushed the earth covering it aside with my hands, revealing the white object.

“What is it? An egg?”

“Seems like it.”

We had found an around thirty-centimeter-large egg.

“It’s pretty big, isn’t it.
Is it a monster egg?”

“Since this is the Forest of Magic Beasts, the probability of that is quite high.”

What should we do.
If it really was a monster egg, we should probably break it.

Right as I thought that, the egg suddenly shook.

“Eh!? What!?”

For a second I thought it had lost its balance and would fall over, but I seemed to have been mistaken.

The egg continued to shake.

“It seems like it’s going to hatch.”

“Is that okay!?”

“It’s basically just getting born, so don’t worry so much.”

I understood Liliella-san’s concern, but it would be easy to defeat any monster if they had just been born.

If it were a Dragon, it might attack us out of hunger the moment it had hatched, but Dragon eggs weren’t this small.

This was probably the egg of some different monster.

Cracks appeared on it even as we talked, and in the next moment the egg’s shell was popped off from inside.

“It’s actually unexpectedly strong.”

Eggs were also armour, there to protect the chick inside.

I mean, it was completely normal for chicks to hatch from their eggs, taking some time to break out, but this thing had just one-shotted the egg.

Thus, I came to the conclusion that it would turn into a strong monster in the future, whatever it was.

“Back away.”

“R-right.”

We kept up our guards as the small monster hatched.

“…Kyuu”

“Eh?”

The thing that had hatched was a small, fluffy, ball of fur.

It wasn’t frightening at all, and at first glance seemed like a long-haired breed of dog or cat.

“I-it’s so c-cute!”

Came Liliella-san’s voice from behind me.

“No wait! What do we do with it!?”

Uhh, good question.

Since it had been born near the centre of the forest, it would very likely grow up to be a very dangerous monster in the future.

So the logical thing to do would be to exterminate it here and now, but…

“Kyuuu”

For some reason I didn’t feel any danger from it at all.

Now that I think of it, I’ve never even seen such a monster.

“Kyuukyuu!”

While I was lost in thought, the furball rubbed up against my feet.

My feet got entangled in its fur and I nearly fell over.

“Watch out!!”

Liliella-san shouted.

“I’m all right.”

The furball pushed itself against my feet.

“Wait, does it think I’m one of its parents or something?”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“Y’know, like with certain types of birds, they think the first thing that they see that moves is their parent.
Apparently there are some types of monsters like that too, there’s even a whole profession based on rearing such monsters from the moment they hatch to obey you.”

“Hee, so something like that exists too.”

“Gyuu~”

The furball was wrapped around my leg, chewing on it.

It’s definitely just playing.

“It’s not necessarily dangerous, so we’ll just have to wait and see.”

“So we’re keeping it?”

“Why not? It seems to like me.
And if we train it not to attack humans while it’s still little, it should be fine.”

“Is it really okay?”

“Gyuu~ Gyuu~”

While I was talking to Liliella-san, the furball started scratching my shoes on top of chewing on them.

“What’s up?”

I pried the furball off my shoes and hugged it to my chest.

As I did so, it began chewing my hand.

“Hey, does it think you’re food or something?”

“No way, it’s bite force is way too weak.”

Ahaha, if something as weak as this was actually attacked in this forest, there was no way it would survive.

Although, it was true that it might be hungry.

So wait, was it chewing on my asking for food?

“Perfect timing.
Let’s get some food.”

As I looked around, I saw occasional movements in the shade of the forest.

They likely belonged to monsters that thought it was safe here now that the Ancient Plant was gone.

“I’ll go get you some food, so hang on a sec.”

“Kyuun?”

Still holding the now-startled furball in one arm, I pulled out my sword and ran into the forest.

I then sliced the shadows in the forest, and some Killer Plants, into pieces.

A whole bunch of Killer Plants all fell over like dominoes with a series of loud crashes.

“Kyuuuuuun!?”

Oops, seems like I scared the furball.
Sorry sorry.

I looked around and found a pack of Ogre Bears cut in half now that all those Killer Plants weren’t blocking my sight.

“Mm, that went well.
Food time.”

I put the furball down next to the Ogre Bears.

“Kyu, kyuuu…”

Then, the furball, slightly trembling for some reason, began to pee.

“Huh? So you wanted to go to the toilet, not food?”

“…I feel like that’s not the case.”

◆ ◆

“Kyuun”

I have awakened.

I am a supreme being, born in this place to be the king of the world.

The king of all beasts and the predator of all beasts.

I understand by instinct that that, is what I am.

“***********”

I hear a voice.

It is not the voice of my family, but the cries of my food.

Humhum, to be able to eat a meal directly after being born, I am indeed in luck.

Nay, this is proof that I was born the king.

Even heaven offers its everything to me.

I shall break this bothersome wall and step outside immediately.

Hmm, it does smell burnt, but not a bad breeze, all in all.

“*********”

I can hear the voice again.

I have just been born, so I cannot see it clearly, but I recognize the sound as the cry of my prey.

I tremble a little at the thought of the first struggle in my life.

Mine body desires battle.

I am trembling slightly too much though.

Aha, I have just been born, so naturally it is still difficult to move.

However, that is of no matter.

For there is nothing my fangs cannot penetrate, and nothing my claws cannot shred.

Now, my first prey, you have the great honour of becoming my nourishment!

Nomnom… nomnom…

I cannot bite through it!?

Uoooo! What is the meaning of this!?

There should be nothing my fangs cannot penetrate!

I shall use my claws then!

Scritch-scratch… scritch-scratch…

Uwaaaaa! It is not being torn apart!!

Why!? How!? I’m the strongest predator, right, mama!?!?

No, I must calm down.

This prey must possess terribly hard scales or hide.

So, I shall attack a weaker point!

It might be a tough enemy, but it is not invincible.

My instincts say so!

And with perfect convenience, my prey lifted me up.

Fool! Exposing yourself to your enemy!

This is your weak point, you bastarddddddd!

I launched an attack at my enemy’s weak point, following my instinct.

Nomnom… Nyamnyam…

It’s no gooooooooood!

Ooooh… What shall I…

“*******”

My prey is saying something.

And at the same time, my senses pick up the presence of other prey in the vicinity.

Ugh, they are mighty strong prey.

It might be a hard battle for the newly-born me.

As I was thus analysing the situation the prey holding me began moving towards the other enemies.

What is it planning on doing, I wonder.

And just as I thought that.

My prey suddenly extended a single long and sharp claw.

Then, it cut the other enemies nearby to pieces in a mere instant.

In an instant, a mere blink of the eye, if you so will, the enemies nearby disappeared.

And I was put down on the scene of the slaughter.

Ah, will I be killed too?

I’ll die?

“******”

The beginning of my execution was announced.

Splish-splash…

Ah, I wet myself.