As soon as I read the letter from the vampire, everyone’s demeanor changed.
No matter how much we walked, we couldn’t see the next village. We must have gotten lost. Sharin usually adjusted our path using the compass, but we had no time for that now.
“Hey, Sharin, are we on the right path?”
“Of course, the path I walk is the right path.”
“Huh? Don’t just say whatever. Leave it to me, I’ll handle it! Everyone, this way!”
Faster than I could stop her, Nina grabbed me by the collar and sprinted into the forest.
“Wait up, Nina! Whoa!”
She suddenly stopped and threw me. With a mischievous smile, she approached me.
“Finally, we’re alone. Cecilia and Pauline were holding my hand the whole time, so I couldn’t get close. You like me, right?”
“I… I do like you, but please, wait a minute. We got separated from everyone.”
“We can just meet up with them later. More importantly, isn’t it our time right now?”
What was I supposed to say to that? I liked her, but not in that way. Besides, if we got separated in this forest, I’d be easy prey. I had to escape for now!
“Where are you going?”
A tail immediately shot out and tripped me. I was tightly constricted by the snake’s tail. I knew the power of the Naga Tribe. It would be terrible if I angered them.
“Now, I won’t let you escape!”
Nina’s arms went over my shoulders, and her lips slowly drew closer. Well, a kiss or two should be fine. The moment our lips were about to touch, Nina disappeared from my sight. Almost simultaneously, I was blown away by something.
“Guhhh!”
“Ouch! What was that for?”
It was Philiana and the other members.
“Honestly, I won’t forgive any sneaking ahead. Now, Hiro, let’s go. Please get on my back.”
She grabbed me by the collar again and tossed me into the air. However, my landing spot wasn’t Philiana’s back.
“Hahaha! Piyo got him!”
Piyo’s claws dug into my shoulder. I must have been caught mid-air. They probably intended to take me away, but my body was too heavy, and I kept falling.
“Kyaaa!”
I hit the hard ground and was dragged along.
“Ouch, ouch, failure!”
It wasn’t “failure!” My whole body was covered in abrasions. I had to stop this before I took any more damage.
“P-please, everyone, wait… Ugh…”
As I turned around, Sharin leaped at me. Her eyes, bloodshot with desire, were not sane.
“I finally caught you! Arisugawa, I’m the most important to you, right? How much time have we spent together? We are one, destined to be together!”
As Sharin pinned me down, Karubene charged in.
“Gah, you…!”
“Sorry, Brother, but I’m taking this one. Come on, let’s go on a romantic escape, just the two of us!”
Karubene grabbed my shoulder and pulled me along, running. Behind us, our companions were chasing us, their eyes bloodshot.
“Run if you don’t want to die,” Karubene said, looking back.
Alright, this time I had no choice but to trust him. In the setting sun filtering through the forest, I ran for my life. Before I knew it, I had reached somewhere near the next village I was aiming for. Or, I wasn’t sure if that was true. I had just been running blindly.
“Pant, pant, is everyone here?”
Karubene seemed tired and collapsed beside me. I was out of breath and in no condition to visit the village. Everyone behind us was the same. But the sun had completely set, and it was night. I had to find a place to stay.
I somehow managed to catch my breath and took a step forward. Perhaps because it was night, the village was silent. I was supposed to have Hunter Harpies living here. If that were the case, it wouldn’t be strange for them to be barbecuing meat and making noise outside.
“Good evening. A customer?”
Suddenly, a woman’s voice came from the side. I turned my head in that direction and saw a Harpy girl emerge from the shadow of a house. She was small, but her long-clawed feet were those of a Hunter Harpy. However, all the Harpies I had seen before had scaled, bird-like legs from the knee down. In contrast, the girl before me had legs covered in fluffy fur. Perhaps this was another variation based on the region they lived in.
Her skin color wasn’t brown either. Perhaps it was because she was close to Shindo.
“I’m sorry to bother you so late at night. We’re traveling and looking for a place to stay.”
“I see, then please come this way.”
The girl walked away without changing her expression. It felt a bit suspicious, but I had no choice but to follow. The building where she led us was no different from any other house. It was a warm building made of wood, illuminated by the orange light of candles.
As we entered, a man was sitting at a table reading a book. He slowly put it down and turned towards us.
“Hello, good evening. Welcome. Is there anything I can help you with?”
“Uh, sorry for the late hour, we’re looking for a place to stay.”
“I see, a lodging place. Yes, we have that. It’s small, but I believe there’s a room available. Please show them.”
The girl who had guided us gave a slight nod and left the room.
