Chapter 158 (1/2)

We continued running through the forest.

My tiredness had already reached its peak, and I fell at the slightest bump.

”Wait～, don't leave me～”

”Isabella, stop.”

”Yes, ma'am.”

Isabella-san stops at Soara-san's command.

Approaching me, Soara-san, who is riding on Isabella's back, looks at me with a dumbfounded expression.

”Are you sure you're a demon? You lack stamina.”

”I don't want to hear that from you, Soara-san.”

”Well, let's take a little break, we're out of danger now.”

Soara-san slid off Isabella-san's back and put her feet on the ground.

I'm really tired～

Are we going in the right direction～?

I turned over and went from being on my stomach to lying on my back.

After escaping, we made it this far without being able to rest satisfactorily.

It was the first time in my life that I had to escape from an army of demons, as well as fight ferocious beasts, and escape from a prison with hardly any food or water. And still the misfortunes continued to add up.

I want to cry. I don't care if anyone sees me anymore.

I'm so looking forward to meeting all the girls and getting my fill of good food.

Please, God, help me. Help me get back home.

”Don't worry, God will make your wish come true.”

”Sorry, but the god I prayed to is not an evil god.”

”Are you saying I'm the follower of an evil god!?”

”Hueeeeh!”

Soara-san pinched my cheek.

That hurts. Stop doing that.

No sane priest would do something like this.

”I won't forgive you for this.”

”Take it as a love whip. I'm a priestess, so I'm punishing you in the name of God.”

”You clearly think anything with the word 'love' in it is acceptable.”

”Isn't it?”

”No! That's not how it works!”

I recognize Soara-San less and less.

When I first met her, she seemed like such a nice and kind person.

But the reality is that she is a very violent and horrible priestess.

A priestess shouldn't behave this way. But strangely, I don't hate her for that.

”Let's keep going to Isabella's hometown. We'll be safe there for the time being, right?”

”Yes. It's the land where the ancient demon king rules. Once inside, Rudra will never be able to find you, but my family is rather poor, so we won't be able to afford to keep you both...”

”We'll talk about it later. For now we have to get out of here alive.”

Hmmmm~, they leave me out of their conversations.

Are they forgetting that I am a noble of the demon race?

I puffed out my cheeks to show my dissent.

”Break time's over. Let's continue.”

”I can't keep running～”

”Then we'll leave you behind.”

”Wait!”

I stood up and chased after Isabella-San and Soara-San.

A few months later.

Gatsun, gatsun, gatsun

I drive my pickaxe into the dimly lit hole.

I wipe the sweat from my face with my arm and let out a sigh.

”Why do we have to dig again?”

”No time for questions. Keep digging. I don't want people who would rather talk than work.”

”Sorry.”

I don't dare say anything when I see my partner's eyes shine so brightly.

We are in a town called Yellowhawks, in Ursprina.

There are several mines in this place, and mostly rare stones are dug up.

Sometimes relics are found, but they don't seem to attract much attention, and I often see them discarded as scrap on the corner of the mine road.

”It's time to take a break.”

”Thank you, Isabella-San.”

Isabella-San appears with a bottle of water and a basket.

I was thirsty, so I took the water bottle and soothed my aching throat.

”Soara-Sama, come rest and have some water.”

”Not yet. Something is about to appear. God has ordered me to dig.”

Soara-San tapped the pickaxe against the wall relentlessly.

She has great persistence, but at the same time a fierce and greedy hunger for wealth.

She had a creepy grin on her face. And with a pickaxe in her hands, she looked even scarier.

”There it is!”

Something shot out of the rock wall.

It was a rectangular box.

The surface was light brown and grainy like wood, but when touched, it was cold like metal, and when you hit it, it made a hard sound that was distinctly different from wood.

”It's another relic... Here Pione, I'll give it to you.”

”Are you sure? It could be worth a fortune.”

”I'm not interested in relics. A relic is a horrible object that drowns out the majesty of God, and I, as a priestess, can't be distracted by something like that.”

”And yet you still let yourself get distracted by money.”

”Shut up!”

Soara-San pinched my cheek.

”I've been thinking this for a while now, but your cheeks are nice and soft.”