Fenrir seemed to be planning to return to the capital quickly.
From his perspective, it was only natural. After all, he had been forced into battle almost like a banishment after incurring the Emperor's displeasure, and investigating the Forbidden Forest or protecting Vanessa's village was the Knights' duty.
However, Presepe's situation was a little different.
She had to find at least a small clue before returning, but the only fact she had found out was that Presepe's father was the dragon Nidhogg.
"The Demon King is gone."
Of course, she did hear stories about the Demon King, but...
"He might have found a way to disappear. As far as I know, he put quite a bit of effort into it."
She couldn't believe everything Vidar said. She didn't even see a shadow of the Demon King at the Monster's Umbilical Cord, in the northern part of the Forbidden Forest, where she had gone to such trouble to find it. She had just gone through hell for nothing.
Furthermore, Vidar said that the Demon King lived to the west of the Forbidden Forest before he disappeared.
She really wanted to go there. Whether fortunate or unfortunate, since Presepe has monster blood mixed in, he wouldn't be vulnerable to attacks.
However, sneaking out seemed completely impossible. This was because the surviving soldiers had returned to the Village, and Fenrir had tightened security even more than before. He himself had no intention of leaving Presepe's side.
'If what Vidar said is true, could it be that he could have died because that was the place he was born?'
The monster's umbilical cord he told her to visit seemed to be literally the place where monsters are born. This was especially true when she recalled what she had seen with her own two eyes.
'And... if the Demon King were alive, he wouldn't have just stood by and watched the Knights go all the way there.'
Fenrir told her that, according to Siegfried's story, the place he and the Knights had definitely set foot was as far as the center of the Forbidden Forest.
Their numbers were small because they only set out for an investigation this time; if they had led the maximum forces to the monster's umbilical cord
If they had approached, the Demon King would have been in danger. Finding a way somehow, the monsters keep being born. If you kill the fields and fill in the swamp, you will eventually be left alone, making survival difficult.
But does it make sense to just sit there and watch?
...Did the Demon King really die, just as Vidar said?
And all those concerns led to the same conclusion.
So what should I do?
Furthermore, since it was the first time in Secret Mode, it was impossible to know how Presepe in the game came to meet the Demon King in a situation where no bugs occurred.
[◆ Kill Siegfried.]
He even chose that damn option and went so far as to trample on Siegfried's feet as he hung from the cliff. There were witnesses; there was nothing good about the very fact that she was of monster blood becoming known, but since she even tried to kill Siegfried, who was praised for being born to protect Ateloia, one could not even guess what would happen.
However, absurdly enough, Presepe's worries turned out to be completely useless.
***
It was early dawn when Fenrir realized that something strange was happening.
Fenrir, who had been lying on the floor next to the bed, rose from his seat with a subtly distorted face. Then he approached the firmly closed window.
"..."
Presepe was just as unable to sleep. As Fenrir moved, Presepe also sat up.
"Grand Duke?"
Presepe walked toward Fenrir with a puzzled expression. Meanwhile, Fenrir opened the window, and at the same time, Presepe's face contorted violently.
"Smell of burning..."
What's happening all of a sudden?
Where and what did I accidentally burn? While cooking something like that.
However, Presepe immediately realized that this thought was wrong.
Beyond the window.
It was because of the gray smoke that was clouding the entire sky.
So, bloomed from the forbidden forest.
"Fire...?"
Presepe muttered with a blank expression.
She could tell at a glance that it wasn't just a small fire.
She could see the villagers rushing out here and there with panicked faces, as if they had also caught the acrid smell.
But this suddenly?
Why?
How?
And that big fire...
"Grand Duke Fenrir!"
Immediately afterward, Kevin's urgent voice was heard. Fenrir, who had been standing by the window, went straight to the door to greet Kevin, and Kevin looked at Fenrir with a stern face and parted his lips.
"A massive fire broke out in the Forbidden Forest."
"..."
"What on earth is going on now..."
Kevin continued speaking.
"I think it would be a good idea to go and check it out. We need to figure out how things are going."
Fenrir nodded briefly as if to say he understood. Then, he quickly draped his jacket over his unbuttoned shirt.
"Lady Presepe, Lady Presepe, please rest here a little longer..."
Presepe's movements were much faster than Fenrir could continue speaking. She had already put on a coat like Fenrir and was looking at him.
"I'd like to go with you."
"..."
"Please do that. It’s better than being left here all alone."
Fenrir wore a slightly troubled expression, but eventually nodded as if he understood.
"You must not leave my side. You understand what that means, right?"
“Yes. I promise.”
Only after receiving confirmation did Fenrir leave the lodging with Presepe.
***
Throughout the journey to the Forbidden Forest on the horse led by Fenrir, various thoughts incessantly swirled in Presepe's mind, all jumbled together.
Was that fire supposed to have started in the first place, too?
Is this also a bug?
So what about the demon?
"..."
Presepe, who was sitting practically in Fenrir's arms, frowned and covered her nose without realizing it.
The closer he got to the Forbidden Forest, the thicker the acrid smoke became. It was so difficult to breathe comfortably that Presepe struggled to hold back her coughs several times.
Near the entrance of the Forbidden Forest.
It was around the time they reached the place where Siegfried and the Knights were stationed.
"Grand Duke Fenrir!"
Just as Kevin had done earlier, Siegfried, with a grim expression, welcomed Fenrir and his party.
"..."
Siegfried, who had approached with the knights, stood in place with a slightly hardened expression upon confirming that Presepe was there.
Presepe reflexively avoided his gaze. Of course, doing so didn't mean she could escape the knights' suspicious stares.
"What's going on?"
Fenrir's red eyes turned toward the distance as he spat out the words.
The Forbidden Forest was still burning. There was a barracks at the entrance of the forest, so it seemed that Siegfried and his party had managed to put out the fire up to that point, and that appeared to be the best course of action.
"...I have no idea what on earth happened."
Siegfried let out a heavy sigh and parted his lips.
"Worried that monsters might attack again, I was posting guards and preparing. But then I heard that a fire had suddenly broken out, so I rushed out to take a look..."
There was no way Siegfried could know the cause. What he had just told Fenrir was all there was.
"The fire started in the western part and center of the forest and spread everywhere in an instant. We couldn't let the base be damaged, so we managed to put out the fire at the entrance, but we can't approach any further."
West and center of the forest?
At Siegfried's words, Presepe paused slightly.
They said the Demon King is in the west of the forest, too.
"There is a lake to the east of the forest, but not only is there no way to transport water... we will burn to death before we even reach the center."
Suddenly, a tearing scream was heard. It was impossible to tell if it was an animal or a monster.
"...As you heard, it seems the monsters are in chaos as well. In the worst-case scenario, they might escape the forest to avoid the fire, so it is best to monitor the situation from here for now. If the flames spread to the village, we must stop that as well."
"Has a fire like this ever happened before?"
"No, it has never happened. However, if the entire forest were to be consumed by those flames. If the monster population were to decrease as a result..."
Siegfried shook his head and continued speaking.
"There might not be any major difficulties in conducting the investigation."
... Investigation?
"In any case, the Forbidden Forest has been a long-standing burden to Ateloia, and even if it burns away completely, it will cause no harm. It would be a benefit, not a loss, to the villagers."
"..."
"However, we must verify this for sure. So, Grand Duke, I apologize, but could you wait for the flames to die down before coming to the forest with me?"
Then does that mean we can go as far west as where the Demon King was?
Perhaps we might be able to confirm. The whereabouts of the Demon King.
Presepe, having reached that point in her thoughts, looked at Fenrir with trembling eyes.
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