Chapter 158 The Man Who Came to Gaze Upon the Demon Forest
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Even as I enjoyed intimate moments with the girls, I continued finalizing preparations for the plantation’s expansion.
I won’t be making any major moves until my Quester¹ level hits 10, though. For now, I’m working with Liliarette to map out the general scale of the project and the reconfiguration of the castle’s outer perimeter.
In the midst of all that, I made a quick trip back to Japan to deliver a fresh batch of stamina enhancers to Reika. When I collected the payment, it turned out to be a cool million yen including the previous delivery! Amazing! I feel practically invincible now…!
Reika even suggested I move into a secure, auto-lock apartment where she could drop by more casually. I think I’ll give that some serious thought.
Regardless, I’ve got more to do in the other world than in Japan for the time being. After stocking up on a mountain of snacks and supplies, I headed back to the other world to diligently resume my duties as a Dominator³.
Between managing the Dominion⁴ and grinding for Ego Points², it’s back-breaking labor. Eventually, as we all sat down for lunch, the conversation finally shifted toward visiting an Imperial town in earnest.
”We’ve confirmed two towns so far. They’re located to the north and northeast of our position,” Liliarette said.
”I caught sight of some beastmen as well, though it seems even the Empire considers this a frontier region. Humans were still the majority ~desuwa,” Ami-chan added.
The Empire, huh… I’d heard it was a beastman-dominated nation that’s been systematically conquering the surrounding human countries…
Truth be told, I don’t have some life-or-death reason to go there. I’m just curious about what towns look like in this world, and… well, I have a massive interest in beastman women.
I mean, come on—animal ears! I’ve heard they have tails, too! And apparently, the women look almost identical to humans otherwise!
You wouldn’t even need to make them wear those cat-ear headbands; they’ve got the real deal. I want to fluff them. And yeah, I want to have sex with them.
Man, I’ve really become unapologetically honest about my urges these past few months…
”Say, why on earth are you so set on going to a barbaric place like the Empire anyway?” Aris-chan asked with a pout.
I can’t exactly look her in the eye and say, “If the chance comes up, I’m hoping to bring a beast-eared girl home with me!”
Still, based on her reaction, it seems even those from the Republic view the Empire with extreme caution.
”Is the Empire really that barbaric?” I asked.
”Of course it is. They’re at war with someone all year round, constantly swallowing up human nations,” Aris replied.
”The Kingdom is currently at war with them as well. From my perspective, they are indeed a savage nation ~desuwa,” Ami-chan agreed.
”I believe it’s fundamentally a beastman-supremacist state. I’ve heard humans are treated as second-class citizens there,” Liliarette noted.
Between the Kingdom and Republic natives here, everyone clearly has a deep-seated aversion to the Empire.
”What actually started the war between the Kingdom and the Empire in the first place?” I asked.
”From what I know, it began when the Empire demanded the Kingdom become its vassal,” Liliarette answered.
Apparently, there used to be a different country to the Kingdom’s north. The Empire wiped them out, annexed the land, and then turned to the now-neighboring Kingdom with their demands.
The King and his nobles naturally refused. Princess Viorga, in particular, was reportedly the loudest voice calling for total resistance.
Well, she’s the one who went so far as to summon Heroes. I can easily imagine her resolve against the Empire is rock-solid.
”But, if you’ll forgive me for saying so… isn’t there a massive gap in national power? If they go for total war, wouldn’t the outcome be a foregone conclusion…?”
”Actually, at the start of the conflict, the Kingdom held the advantage,” Liliarette said.
”It did…?”
”It came down to the disparity in the quality of sorcery⁵ practitioners ~desuwa. The Kingdom boasts a higher density of sorcerers than other nations, including high-ranking masters known as Gurus⁶. By working in unison, they can unleash massive, strategic-scale sorcery,” Ami-chan explained.
It seems the Kingdom still holds the upper hand when it comes to arcane expertise. They were winning the war through powerful, wide-range annihilation spells that foreign sorcerers simply couldn’t replicate.
It’s like bringing modern missiles to a cavalry fight. Despite being outmatched in raw national power, the Kingdom stayed ahead through sheer magical superiority.
I’m sure their knowledge of the terrain helped, too. Plus, when you’re fighting for your country’s very survival, morale tends to be on another level.
”But then, one day, the Empire unleashed its strongest knight order against the stubborn Kingdom forces,” Liliarette said.
”Strongest knight order…?” I asked.
”Yes. A beastman knight order composed entirely of their own kind. Several exist, but it was the
Beastmen already outclass humans physically, but there are even tiers among them.
These knight orders are made up of tribes with the most exceptional physical capabilities and are feared as the strongest on the continent.
In short, they’re the elite of the beastman warrior class. Apparently, no nation has ever managed to claim a victory against an Imperial beastman knight order.
”The soldiers the Kingdom had been fighting until then were mostly knights from the Empire’s occupied territories. Naturally, their quality and morale were a world away from the beastman knights sent directly from the Imperial Capital,” Liliarette explained.
These elite beastman knights aren’t just masters of formation; they excel at solo guerrilla tactics. On the battlefield, they reportedly used human knights as bait to lure out the Kingdom’s sorcerers, then cut them down in an instant.
With the Green Dragon Knights leading the charge, the Empire finally began its deep push into Kingdom territory. They ransacked the lands of a certain High Noble⁸, looted everything in sight, and eventually captured a fortress specifically built to halt an Imperial invasion.
Liliarette mentioned that this was likely the catalyst for the Hero summoning.
”See? I told you they were barbaric,” Aris said with a smug, ‘I-told-you-so’ look.
I mean… it’s not like I was disagreeing with her…
(Still, knowing all this makes me wonder what the Heroes are up to…)
I still don’t have the full picture of the current war situation. I wonder if those normie Heroes from back then are out there right now, trying to reclaim that lost fortress.
Maybe it’s worth stopping by the Kingdom for a bit before I go wandering into an Imperial town. If Ami-chan can set a
(Either way, no matter how much ground the Empire takes, it shouldn’t affect my Dominion…)
Come to think of it, I haven’t noticed any intruders while I’ve been home. Though I’m still curious about who that invisible guest was.
Regardless, I now know everyone has a serious grudge against the Empire.
I’m still dying to see those beast-eared girls, but it might be wiser to gather more intel from the Republic or the Kingdom first.
I’ve already got the town’s coordinates, so I can go whenever. For now, I’ll hold off until my Quester level hits 10.
* * *
(Haaaah… why the hell do I have to fly over the Demon Forest¹¹, anyway…?)
Barnail sighed as he soared through the air, the orders from Princess Viorga weighing on his mind.
’Barnail. I have a mission for you in the Demon Forest.’
’According to recent reports, the Republic has begun trading with someone living deep within the forest… an entity they’re calling
’I want you to see if such a person actually exists.’
Naturally, you didn’t say no to the Princess. In a situation like this, he only had two possible responses: “Yes, leave it to me!” or “I shall not fail your expectations!”
But unless it was a matter of life or death, he had no desire to fly his partner over the Demon Forest. It was famous for pockets of toxic miasma, and the fear that a stray breeze might carry it up to his altitude was always present.
Besides, even from a bird’s-eye view, the Demon Forest was gargantuan. Asking him to find some ‘Magic Labyrinth King’ whose location was a complete mystery felt like a fool’s errand.
”Man… I wish I could just take my partner and fly off somewhere far away…” Barnail muttered to himself.
He wouldn’t be in this mess if he could actually do that, but he had a family back home. He made decent money, and they relied on him to keep food on the table.
At the end of the day, it was his home, and he couldn’t just walk away from it. Besides, thanks to the Princess’s efforts, the front lines against the Empire had been relatively quiet lately.
He figured he’d just do a few lazy loops and report that he hadn’t seen a thing. It was just as that thought crossed his mind…
”Wait, what…?” Barnail asked, after a pause.
He took pride in his sharp eyes. You didn’t last long as a scout riding a Skygoon⁹ if you couldn’t spot a needle in a haystack from a mile up.
And those eyes had just caught something highly unusual in a section of the Demon Forest.
”What… is that…” Barnail whispered.
He was flying much higher than usual to avoid the miasma, yet ‘it’ was unmistakable.
In the middle of a sea of endless trees, an unnatural clearing had been carved out. Right at the center sat undeniable man-made structures.
”Are those… castle walls…? A plantation… and actual buildings…? Are those tiny dots moving? Are those people…?!”
No way…?! Deep inside the Demon Forest… someone was actually living there…?!
”Is that… the Magic Labyrinth King’s headquarters…?!”
Maybe he should drop down for a closer look. If people were living there, the miasma probably wasn’t an issue. It was just as he prepared to dive…
”……Huh?” Barnail gasped.
Something was screaming up from the ground at terrifying speed. By the time he could make out what it was, he couldn’t believe his own eyes.
”A beautiful woman… with wings…?!”
She had dark silver hair that gave off a cold, metallic sheen. The only reason she could reach such a height was clearly the wings on her back.
She didn’t fly all the way up to his level; instead, she hovered for a heartbeat before skillfully flapping her wings to slowly descend.
But as she went, she kept her eyes locked onto him, leveling the objects in her hands directly at his position.
”……! Quinn!” Barnail yelled.
Sensing immediate danger, he banked his mount into a hard turn. Almost instantly, twin flashes of red and blue erupted from the beauty’s hands.
”Uwooooh?!” Barnail cried out.
He urged his partner, Quinn, to max speed. A barrage of red and blue lights trailed after them, relentless in their pursuit.
Dodging by the skin of his teeth, he threw the Skygoon into a series of sharp banks while gaining altitude. Finally, he oriented himself toward the Kingdom.
”Don’t hit, don’t hit, don’t hit~~~~~~~~!” Barnail screamed.
Flashes were still searing the air behind him. If he flew in a straight line, it was only a matter of time before they caught him.
He zigzagged frantically, putting as much distance between them as possible. After a while, the light show finally stopped, but he didn’t slow down until he reached the Royal Capital.
—
Author:
Barnail is back! Whenever he’s riding his Skygoon partner Quinn, he’s always bundled up. It gets freezing at those altitudes!
Also, a quick announcement~! I’ve just posted a new work titled “Academy of the Lustful Chains”! It’s a modern-day, hardcore school-themed story!
Actually, it’s my very first time writing something outside of the fantasy genre…!
For those of you who think, “Sweet romance is great, but I need something a little more hardcore sometimes! I hope you’ll check it out and enjoy it~!”
—
Summary:
The protagonist prepares for farm expansion while making a quick trip to Japan to collect one million yen from Reika. Back in the other world, the group discusses the brutal history and military strength of the beastman-led Empire. Liliarette explains how the Kingdom’s sorcery advantage was crushed by the elite Green Dragon Knights, leading to the Hero’s summoning. Meanwhile, a Kingdom scout named Barnail discovers the protagonist’s forest base and is chased off by a mysterious winged silver-haired woman.
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Character Insight:
The protagonist’s internal monologue reveals a significant shift in his moral compass, moving toward a ‘honesty with self’ that prioritizes sexual desire (beast-eared girls) over political caution. Meanwhile, the introduction of Barnail provides a needed outside perspective, framing the protagonist not as a hero, but as the mysterious and potentially threatening ‘Magic Labyrinth King’ that nations are starting to notice.
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Behind the Scene:
The author, known for the ‘King of the Labyrinth’ series, notes that this is their first foray into non-fantasy settings with their new modern-day hardcore work, signaling a desire to experiment with different genres of erotica.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Liliarette – The other Princess, who sacrificed her ability to walk and her sorcery talent to save her sister, Cleonora. She is imprisoned in the East Tower and is being used as a political and monetary pawn by Viorga. C-cup, true golden hair, waist-length hair, the fringe was a slightly blunt, hair on her left side was braided to the chest.
• Reika – A beautiful high school kendo student who is engaged to ‘The Handsome’ for what seems like familial or arranged reasons. She is a ‘guarded’ beauty. Sha has long black hair, intense eyes, and wearing kendo uniform.
• Ami – A palm-sized fairy-like being from a world separate from both Earth and the isekai realm. She has light blue hair tied in a ponytail, mischievous blue eyes, and tiny wings that flutter behind her. Her outfit consists of a provocative high-cut leotard and a short jacket that looks like a miniskirt from the back, leaving her legs bare. Despite her playful appearance, she is actively searching for a contractor who can protect her from dangerous pursuers in exchange for the powers she offers.
• Viorga – The First Princess of the Emmeld Kingdom. She is a beautiful, young woman with long golden hair and sharp blue eyes, always dressed in an elaborate crimson and gold royal gown. She is utterly ruthless, viewing all people—including the summoned Heroes and her own family—as disposable assets in her political games. Looks like Aileen Lauren from certain series.
• Barnail – The only man in the kingdom capable of riding the Skygoon magical bird. He is a crucial asset for fast information delivery between the capital and the frontiers.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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