I learned that the White Witch was an albino Dark Elf.
The next morning, we thanked Sarakka and departed. Kia and the others had completely settled into the village atmosphere. It seemed they wouldn’t cause trouble for a while.
Alright, our destination is Shindo. According to the map, there’s still quite a long way to go. It would be best to stop by towns along the way.
“Hey, you. What did you talk about with the Witch?”
“Huh? Well, it was about why she helped us, I guess.”
Nina’s sudden remark made my heart skip a beat.
“Helped? She didn’t help us at all; it was a mess because of her.”
“No, I can’t say that. She could have killed all of us back then.”
“Mmm, that’s true, but…”
We continued walking as we talked. The trees grew denser, and the scenery changed into a rainforest. We were likely walking near where the Quetzals were. Ahead of us lay a village of Dark Harpies. I heard they weren’t very friendly, so caution was needed.
Just usual casual conversation with the usual members. It was still muggy, but I felt happy being with everyone. I hoped we could reach Shindo without any further incidents.
We stopped to rest by a stream. Even though we were used to traveling, I could feel our stamina draining rapidly. Paths had been made for people to pass, but the vibrant green life aggressively pushed its leaves forward, making our progress slower than expected.
While taking a break, I suddenly spotted a figure huddled near the stream. A large backpack lay beside them. Could it be a lost tourist? If so, we had to help immediately.
“Excuse me, are you alone?”
“Oh, meeting someone here…”
The man who was huddled stood up abruptly. Judging by his appearance, he was likely a Satyr.
“I’m researching Bugfolk. I heard there are several species around here. There might even be some I haven’t seen yet.”
Bugfolk… Did he mean Pauline or the Giant Centipede? It wasn’t strange that such a researcher existed.
“I see. I thought you might be a tourist.”
“Haha, are you guys perhaps a university club or something? Be careful, this is Worker Ant territory. There are also rumors of giant centipede-like Bugfolk.”
“W-well, then…”
Should I say we defeated them? Would he get angry if he knew we were responsible?
“Huh, a-are you a Honeybee? Why are you here?”
The man spotted Pauline and hurried over to her. Pauline looked confused by the sudden attention from someone staring intently at her.
“Uh, hello.”
“M-hmm! You’re clearly a Honeybee. But why are you alone here, and wearing clothes? This means…”
He muttered to himself. Just then, Nina stepped in front of the man.
“What do you think you’re doing? Do you need something from my friend?”
“Y-your friend? You’re a Naga, aren’t you? Are you possibly living with these people? Is that… possible?”
The man started muttering again, and Nina took a step back.
“I apologize. I am a researcher of Bugfolk. I was surprised to see you alone, separated from your swarm. What happened to your original home? Your other companions? And those clothes?”
“I… I left my original home.”
“Was that your choice? Or were you kidnapped?”
Pauline looked bewildered by the man’s aggressive questioning. Was it that unusual to live outside of a swarm?
“I left by my own choice. I wanted courage, like all of you.”
“Did your companions agree to you leaving the swarm?”
“What are you talking about? Pauline is troubled. Stop staring at her!”
Though Nina pushed him back again, the man’s eyes sparkled with interest.
“Pauline? Is that your name? Did you give it to yourself? Or did your companions give it to you?”
“I received it from Hiroaki. We don’t usually emphasize names.”
“I see. By the way, you don’t have wings, are you perhaps of a different race?”
“I was born this way. That’s why they called me Hanenashi.”
The man clapped his hand, saying “I see.” He had intended to be friendly, but it had been a failure.
