## Chapter 714 – Paladin Kim Kat

After coming inside, I showed my women the orders and informed them about the situation. We leisurely prepared and then set off.

After driving the carriage day and night for several days, we arrived at a city called Sheldon.

According to the paladin’s report, this was his last base of operations. Of course, it was just an assumption. Since contact was lost, we couldn’t know for sure. He might have established a new base elsewhere.

But one thing was certain: he had been gathering information around here.

As soon as we arrived in the city, we rested for a day to recover from the journey. Then, after buying several maps, we went to the Adventurers Guild to gather information.

“Ah, yes. Certainly. It was quite a buzz. Whether it was a monster or a demon, anyway, there were many rumors that a remote village was massacred, shifting cultivators disappeared, and small merchants went missing. Similar things happened in other areas, so it is presumed that the monster is moving around.”

The Adventurers Guild employee spoke while touching his chin.

“Is that so? That’s a frightening thing… By any chance, did a paladin come looking around?”
“A paladin, you say? I’m not sure about that.”
“Thank you for the information.”

What the paladin was chasing was this unidentified monster.

The Adventurers Guild employee’s words were not much different from what was written in the report. The paladin was also moving from place to place, tracking it. It seemed to be a monster that appeared from outside.

Adventurers, city garrison, mercenaries. None of them knew its identity, and the pursuit had completely failed. Only rumors were rampant.

But what’s important now isn’t that monster.

It’s the safety of our paladin.

“Hmm.”

Then let’s follow the paladin’s trail.

Driving the carriage again, we searched the nearby villages.

When we went to the villages and asked, sure enough. They said that a few months ago, a paladin came and investigated it. The village chief testified to me, a paladin, that he had cooperated very well with the paladin.

When I asked if they had suffered any damage from the monster, they said that there were missing people, but they couldn’t be sure if it was the monster’s fault.

In fact, whether it was the unknown monster, a monster living in the mountains, or some crazy killer, killing people was the same. So it was impossible to specify. Anyway, I continued to drive the carriage like that, visiting the surrounding villages and following the paladin’s trail.

“What did the Darkie say?”
“They said a paladin came here a few months ago. It seems likely that he went missing somewhere around here.”

Since the paladin’s report was cut off, the whereabouts of the monster became unclear… Where on earth did he disappear? It seems clear that he visited all the villages.

Anyway, just going around the villages took quite a few days.

“Give me the map.”
“Here. Sis.”

As I was thinking, Karin came next to me and said.

“Here, the place in this corner is the farthest village from Sheldon, right? And if you go straight along the side of the village, there’s a big mountain range.”

As soon as I handed her the map, she pointed to the map with her finger and explained.

“If you’re done investigating on this side, you might have crossed this mountain range. There will be villages beyond the mountain range.”

Karin was a seasoned mercenary.

“If it’s a paladin investigating and tracking a monster, he’ll probably keep moving along the damage situation. And since the missing person cases happened along this line… the mountains are a good point.”

As Karin said, I had been recording the number of deaths and missing people in each village while investigating the villages. She drew a line along that line with her finger.

Certainly, this mountain range is possible enough.
It would be good to investigate.

“As expected of a mercenary sis.”
“Well, I’m more of a specialist in fighting than this kind of thing, but I have experience living, you know. Let’s go once. Anyway, if it’s a monster, it tends to go to the mountains.”
“It’s so reliable that you’re older, sis.”
“There’s not much age difference, you little shit.”
“?”
“Wanna die?”
“Ah, no. Actually, you look like you’re in your late teens.”
“Kehehe, yeah. Know that.”

So, according to Karin’s words, we moved to the village closest to the mountain range.

ㅡThe village was a very quiet place.

As soon as I arrived, I reassured the residents and then looked for the village chief to ask for information.

“Because the mountains are so rugged, it’s rare for people to come from or go to the mountain range. But it’s definitely faster than going around the mountains, so there’s demand. Sometimes people pass through the village to cross over, or those who come from that side pass through the village.”
“I see. By any chance… have you heard about the monster?”
“I know there are such rumors.”
“Then a paladin must have come looking around.”
“A paladin, you say? I don’t think that’s ever happened… I don’t think he’s ever come.”
“…Is that so? Anyway, thank you.”

Well, the paladin might not have stopped by the village.

It’s the closest village to the mountain range, but it’s not right in front of the mountain range. If you use another road, you can go to the mountain range without going through this village.

Then shall we search that mountain range for a while?

There was nothing about beyond this mountain range in the report. If we can find a clue by going there, we can somehow wrap up this matter.

We stayed for a day and drove the carriage to the mountain range early in the morning.

ㅡIt was a sparsely populated and high mountain.

After arriving, we parked the carriage in a suitable place and got off. Let’s do some hiking for a while. There wasn’t a big road, so we couldn’t drive the carriage up.

At best, it’s a hiking trail, so the carriage can’t go in.

Anyway, monsters tend to go into the mountains. And people like shifting cultivators might live in the mountains. Shall we take a look around?

“Heung…”

As soon as we entered the entrance of the mountain, Aria began to look around busily with shining eyes. After looking around, she squatted down to check the flowers or touched the trees.

ㅡFlutter flutter.

Butterflies gathered around her.

“Come to think of it, it’s the first time I’ve brought Aria into the forest like this.”

This was the first time Aria had entered such a full-fledged forest. Is it because she’s an Alraune? She must be feeling good because she’s surrounded by nature.

“Yes. I feel like my heart is pounding.”

She was clearly excited right now.

“More than when you’re in my arms?”
“Hehehe, Father. Are you asking such a thing? Of course, you’re the best. You’re the only meaning of my life.”
“My heart.”

Aria seemed to be communicating with the plants in the forest.

Aria, with her long, rose-red hair, was feeling nature with her eyes closed, so the atmosphere was alive.

“…”

Wow, but the queen of flowers is really the queen of flowers.

Is it because her race is Alraune? She goes very well with the lush green surroundings. Can she freely control the plants here? If a forest spirit or dryad appeared, they might bow down to Aria as soon as they saw her.

“I feel like… the plants are telling me something…”

A voice filled with wistfulness.

“Hehehe, then do the plants tell you where the monster or paladin went? Or can you find out if there’s a village where people live nearby?”

While saying that lightly, I gently stroked the back of Aria’s neck, who was touching the bark of the tree. I feel good to see her so excited and happy.

“…?”

But Aria, who heard my words, looked at my face once and then tilted her head.

“Aria?”
“Monster or… paladin… just a moment.”

Then she put her hand on the bark of the tree again, and a light green light emanated from the back of her hand. I wondered what she was suddenly doing… Could she be trying to communicate now?

“…Father?”
“Hmm? Why.”

Aria, who opened her eyes again, opened her mouth while looking at me.

“Um…”
“Um?”
“I think I can hear it.”
“What?”

She can hear something?

“The beings of the forest… are telling me.”
“Huh?”

What is she talking about.

“It’s certain. The flowers, the trees, the grass. They are very welcoming to me. And they are telling me. Father. Please explain in more detail. So that I can convey it properly to the plants.”

Aria’s eyes were bright.

“Hoo, can you really communicate with plants? Hurry, hurry and tell me. I need to confirm that Aria is communicating with plants.”

Risha said with interest.

“…”

Aria… can she really communicate with plants now?

It’s not unbelievable.
Because she is an Alraune.

Good.

“…A paladin wearing metal clothes. A place in the forest where humans live together. And… a being bigger than a person. Creatures that live in the mountains. Can you ask if there is such a thing? Aria.”
“A paladin wearing metal clothes…”

Aria, who repeated my words, put her hand on the tree again and closed her eyes.

“…”

We looked at Aria with interest.

“Heung… communicating with the forest… it’s certainly amazing. Usually, this is something that can’t be done even with magic. Right? Risha?”

Liz asked Risha.

“That’s right. This is… something that only certain beings can do.”

It seems that Risha can’t communicate with the forest either.

“Kat. If Aria can really communicate with the forest, can we solve the problem more easily than we thought?”
“Beyond easy, it seems like it will be done right away?”

If the forest tells us information, all the grass in the mountains and rivers is no different from our informants. Then, well, there’s no need to ask people one by one. What crazy flower would dare to lie to the queen of flowers?

“Darkie. You should have tested this a long time ago. Don’t just suck on tits all the time. Huh?”
“Ah.”

I didn’t have a chance to bring Aria to the mountains, so.

“I should have brought her out sooner.”
“Eung, but Kat. Even if it’s not this mountain, haven’t there been any signs of that in the backyard usually? Like hearing the words of the weeds?”
“Really?”

Hilde’s question was reasonable.

Aria, who used to grow weeds every day, never heard their words. Is it because there’s so much natural energy here that she can hear it? I’ll have to find out about that later.

As I was looking at Aria, she soon took her hand off the tree and turned to us.

ㅡgulp.

I swallowed.
We focused on Aria.

“…Um.”

Then she points to the road.

“That way… no, I’ll guide you. Please follow me. That will be more accurate.”

What on earth.

“Aria? Did you hear something? Did the beings of the forest tell you something?”
“Yes… I think so. But it’s a bit unclear. But it’s like the will is conveyed… It’s my first time, so I don’t know how to express it. Just.”
“Just?”
“The plants are worshiping me.”

Worshiping.

“They are all sincerely trying to answer the questions I ask. First of all, they told me about the place where people live… The rest is a little difficult to interpret.”

Oh my god.

Aria actually communicated with the forest.

“…It’s an interesting thing. The power of Alraune, you can hear it now, but is it a little difficult to `interpret`? Or is the will cut off and conveyed intermittently?”
“It seems like I can hear it… but I think it’s accurate that I can’t figure it all out with my abilities yet.”

Risha asked Aria this and that.

This is the power of Alraune.

“Then Father. Let’s go. They’re telling me where the humans live.”
“Do you feel any consumption of energy or stamina right now?”
“I don’t know that either. But if my energy runs out… you can inject it into my pussy, so it doesn’t matter.”
“Ah.”

That’s how it works.

“Uhuhu, Kat. Most problems can be solved with Kat’s semen for me and Aria.”
“What the hell is my dick?”

The racial characteristics of Succubus and Alraune are too lewd.

“Um… should I call it a lovely stick? You’re having a hard time, Kat’s dick.”
“Sis?”

Liz, who smiled brightly, patted my crotch gently. In that atmosphere, we followed Aria, who was going up the road. Just in case something happens, we were thoroughly guarding the surroundings.

“Heeya. If I had that ability when I was a mercenary.”

Karin was sincerely impressed by Aria’s ability.

“You just smashed everything?”
“If the whole forest is an informant, you can’t lose. But it’s really amazing.”
“Me too.”

It’s amazing, but it might have been a natural thing.

Aria was the queen of flowers.