Chapter 1032 – Because I Didn’t Know!

000

“S-sorry! I couldn’t believe that you, a human… Cleon, wouldn’t be a virgin!”

Uni bows repeatedly and apologizes to Cleon, who is sitting on the ground.

Cleon told her that she was fine, but she slowly moved behind her to get out of range of the horns extending from her head.

By the way, isn’t saying ‘I didn’t expect it to be a virgin’ to be quite rude?

[Phew, hehe! Well, it means that Cleon seemed sympathetic.]

No, what’s really rude is this guy hanging on his waist…

Cleon stood up from her seat, blaming Galatea for looking into her own head and laughing.

“… Ha. Anyway, I’ll just be grateful. It seems like climbing on top of you would be impossible due to your constitution.”

“Ugh…!”

At Cleon’s words, Uni puffed out her cheeks and turned into a tearful face.

“Well… Now, wait a minute…”

Cleon couldn’t help but be taken aback by her unexpected reaction.

[Ah~ah~. Cleon rang.]

Trying to ignore Galatea, who was not leaving her and lifting a word from her waist, Cleon bowed his body towards Uni.

“Why are you doing this all of a sudden…?”

“B-but… I’m not being of any help to the benefactor who saved her life…”

Looking at her shedding tears like chicken shit, Cleon looked embarrassed for a moment, but she took a deep breath and calmed herself down.

“Well, it’s not like I’m going to feel that much gratitude… Huh? Just calm down first…”

Cleon patted her on the shoulder while trying to sound as kind as he could.

“Huh!?”

A strange scream escapes Yuni’s mouth, and she steps back.

“Why are you doing this again!?”

Even Cleon would react coldly to her reaction.

“S-sorry! After I found out that humans weren’t virgins, for some reason, I felt repulsed even when they were touched!”

“Is it that bad!?”

Cleon reacted as if she was dumbfounded for a moment, but it was probably an instinct that she couldn’t help but act of her own will.

So, it could be said to be a genetic-level rejection reaction that is engraved deeper than the mind.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I know you’re not a bad person, but a kind person!”

She is crying quietly with her hands on the ground.

If this continues, I’m worried about dehydration.

Even Cleon understood well that she had no malicious intent.

Cleon himself doesn’t seem to understand why she is trying to return the favor to him.

[Cleon~ Is it okay for a moment~?]

And Caliburn, who was hanging on his belt, let out a voice.

“Ji, I’m a bit busy right now…”

Cleon answers like that, but Caliburn speaks without paying attention.

[She is a unicorn who is a magical beast but is also considered a ‘holy beast’, so she is probably a ‘good’ being who can be said to be a genetic unit.]

Caliban’s voice penetrates directly into Cleon’s head.

Of course, unicorns are strictly ‘demon beasts’ in terms of classification, but there are some who call them ‘holy beasts’ due to the sacred image they have and the perception that they are actually magical animals that can handle sacred magic.

Even if you don’t go far, some countries that existed in the past, such as kingdoms, used the unicorn as a national symbol.

[So, if you don’t properly repay the favor you received, that alone may lead to mental illness. As animals that do not believe in God or religion, should we say that this is the price of obtaining divine magic… They must maintain the perception that they are good beings.]

“Well, that is…”

Cleon, who was being persuaded by Caliban’s words, thought this at the same time.

What kind of troublesome race is this?

You have to restrict yourself to that extent.

“…”

Looking at Yuni who was crying, Cleon continued to shed cold sweat inside.

In the end, she opened her mouth as if she couldn’t leave her like this.

“Ah, okay. Then let’s does it like this.”

Cleon did not touch her, but clapped her hands to draw her gaze to himself.

“Uh…?”

Then, Uni, who was crying, would flinch and shake her shoulders at the sound and look up at Cleon.

“You’re saying it’s hard to climb to the top without your help, right? But it’s hard to climb up with you.”

“Yes…”

“But the only way you can help me is by giving me a ride, right? Just showing me a path that even humans can pass by is fine.”

“…”

At Cleon’s words, Uni said nothing for a moment and blinked her eyes.

And then—

“That’s right! Directions! There’s still a way to provide directions!”

“Wow!”

Cleon, who was nearby thanks to Uni’s sudden energy, got up from her seat and was frightened by her horn passing right in front of his eyes.

Cleon would sigh, calming her pounding heart.

Uni wipes her tears with her sleeve, and then she turns to Cleon and speaks.

“Because few people have climbed to the top of the Four Dragon Mountains, there is no proper path. The higher you go, the fewer trees and grass there are, and it’s mostly rocks.”

“Even if the road is somewhat steep, it’s okay.”

It’s not like Cleon has never climbed a mountain during his life as an adventurer.

And, she understands how difficult it is to climb a mountain as steep as the Sarong Mountains without any preparation.

So, I was planning to tell her that she was determined, but…

“Hmm… Should I say that it doesn’t mean that it’s difficult for a human to go up if it goes straight up…”

Uni tilted her head at Cleon’s words, looking a little skeptical.

“Then?”

“I’ll explain as I go. It will probably be easier to understand if you see it up close.”

Saying that, Yuni casually extends her hand to Cleon with a smile.

Cleon looked at the hand for a moment, then held her hand with a wry smile.

She’s a little anxious, but with her guidance, she’ll be much better off than if she goes on her own and fails.

The moment when Cleon and Yuni held hands with a ‘chin’.

“Yeah!!”

Whirrick!

“Ha?”

Cleon’s body flies through the air and falls back to the ground.

It was faster than the speed of lightning.

“Hot!? I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

[Ahahahahaha!!!]

001

Lila and Sasha, who returned to the front, continued to move forward while still being wary of the front.

Sasha looked a little disappointed when Artis said, ‘We will not go out and search Cleon,’ but she did not show it as dissatisfaction.

“When you get close, you never miss it. I’m sure Mr. Cleon is heading towards the sixth mountain, just like Mr. Cleon.”

So, we can meet again on the way─ or at the destination.

The sooner I joined, the better, but there was no need to rush.

After hearing Sasha’s answer, Lila patted Sasha’s head and then led her back.

Meanwhile, Lila is using her thin magic radar to monitor her surroundings differently than Sasha, but she still feels uncomfortable that there are beings that are not on her radar.

‘That one from before… It was similar, as expected. The appearance of the Black Giant that ran rampant in the brothel and forcibly fused the magic armor and wyvern.’

I remember how the man who managed to get into the brothel by setting fire to it transformed into a grotesque form using the elixir of evolution.

In that case, it must be the ‘regressors’ who are watching them.

He knew about Darwin being seriously injured and retreating during the battle with Amelia, having heard it directly from Amelia.

The reason Lillim didn’t happen was because of the battle at that time.

It was clear that there was a fairly intense battle.

So, I was prepared to attack this side right away with a grudge, but the other side seemed to be acting more cautiously than I thought.

‘Well, either way… It’s unlikely that things will be resolved peacefully when we meet…’

If you want to show up, show up whenever you want.

As Lila thought so, she held her wand tightly.

“Mr. Laila!”

At that time, Sasha’s voice rang out.

Lila comes back from her thoughts to reality, and she suddenly comes to her senses and looks ahead of her.

Then, Sasha was in a fighting stance, facing her with her bow drawn.

And, what you see beyond Sasha’s back is-

“… To, Ki…?”

“She has fought with Mr. Cleon before. … She looks a little different, but I think she is unmistakable.”

Bhopal Rabbit.

A strange beast controlled by Laplace.

The doll mask of the rabbit mother, standing on two legs, had strangely long arms.

Pink fur and a flaccid body as if it had no bones.

However, blood stains appear in the empty eyes.

And from the grotesquely torn mouth, teeth as sharp as a bear trap were growing out in a regular pattern.

… I couldn’t help but call it a disgusting creature.

It was simply standing there looking at us, and it didn’t look like it was going to attack.

“If he doesn’t come from that way, then from this side-“

“Wait a minute! Don’t be so hasty…”

At that moment, Lila concentrated her magic power on the tip of her staff and attempted to create a barrier behind her and fire in front.

From the rabbit, something unexpected from its appearance, a ‘human’ voice came out.

However, it was clear that it was not the rabbit’s voice.

Because my voice was echoing without my mouth opening at all.

What was heard was a male voice.

A voice I’ve heard before somewhere…

“─Is this Laplace…!?”

Laplace.

One of the executives of the regressors and an expert on magical beasts.

By repeating various cruel experiments, he created a powerful chimera that tormented the party, and was ultimately killed by Cleon in the ruins.

… It was definitely supposed to end that way.

“That’s correct. Those who were killed by you… To be exact, it’s a kind of ‘insurance’ left by ‘Laplace’. Using the leap of evolution without Darwin’s notice, part of the brain is removed and fused with the demon beast. It was hard, but thanks to you, I ended up looking like a monster.”

“Hey… That’s nice.”

Laplace mockingly responded to Laplace’s words, and Laplace closed his mouth for a moment, creating a tense silence between the two.

However, Laplace sighed, ‘Whew’ and then continued.

“But, those stories are in the ‘past’. I decided not to hold grudges anymore.”

“W-what do you mean!?”

When Sasha asked her rabbit a puzzled question, Laplace smiled.

“For ‘new humans’ like me, for the sake of a greater cause, we don’t care about trivial matters.”

‘… A new human race?’

Lila took a deep breath at the words that bothered her, but continued to speak while glaring at the rabbit.

“Ah, really? Then, did you come here to tell us that you will forget about your grudge against us and that you will not interfere in the future?”

“Hehe…”

At Lila’s words, Laplace just smiles meaningfully.

Although Lila snorted at that unpleasant attitude.

“Well, that can’t be possible. We are the ones that the Adam you serve wants to get rid of at all costs.”

“Ah, Adam… That’s right.”

Laplace pauses for a moment as he says that.

His attitude was still just unpleasant.

“The Returners are one of the external activity organizations of the Exiled Church… They are beings established by the Church to collect and investigate relics from the original world for Adam. So, it is true that we are the ‘chest of the chess’ of the Exiled Church. “

“What kind of external activity organization is this? These guys are hiding and carrying out terrorist attacks and making kickbacks by repeating unpleasant experiments.”

Lila counters Laplace’s words with facts, but at the same time, she senses from Laplace’s tone that she does not feel much respect for ‘Adam’ or loyalty to the church.

“Miss Lila, you asked, did you come to say that you would not disturb me in the future?”

“… But?”

“Depending on the flow of the conversation that will follow… I would say there is a ‘good’ chance that that will happen.”

“What is that—”

“I would like to propose a deal. Would you please pass this on to Professor Artis, the leader of the expedition who will be there?”

Interrupting Lila, Laplace speaks.

“If we are trying to excavate the hidden ruins of the Dragon Mountain Range – Leviathan in order to defeat Adam. I think we can probably ‘cooperate’.”

At the same time, the smile the rabbit showed was both eerie and full of madness.