# 280
Helmut
Episode 280
[Why us?]
Igrel and Elaga looked at each other as if they had no idea.
“The forest of Pahe is huge. However, this place is divided into five regions: East, West, South, North, and Center, and is ruled by monsters representing each region. Why did it have to become like this? “How did you come into being and become the rulers of the region?”
Elaga and Ygrel felt a little shocked. It was a question I had never had in my life.
It was absolute and natural at the same time, like a child growing up to become an adult.
Elaga began to remember and opened her mouth intermittently.
[That’s because we were the strongest in that area? It’s a long time ago. I don’t really remember, but I was probably strongest in the central area. It’s not a huge difference, but it seems to be a bit stronger than other monsters.
This is what happened as I tried to kill and eat the guys that were attacking me. It’s nothing special. It’s natural in Pahe’s Forest that the strong survive and the survivors become stronger.]
[I thought so too, right? I don’t think I did anything in particular. As I killed and ate other people, the gap grew… and one day I realized it. [I am the strongest in the south.]
They both said something similar to saying that I was a genius from birth. It was a sound that would make anyone feel sick to their stomach if they heard it.
[We decided on our respective jurisdictions around the same time. At some point, I realized that I was the strongest in the region, and that’s how
it became.] “How long ago was that?”
[I think it’s been about 800 years in human time. The Forest of Pahe has been around for about a thousand years.]
Sarah and Susan looked at Elaga in astonishment.
I knew he lived a long time, but I didn’t know he was that old.
Elaga did not seem to have the maturity or wisdom of someone who had lived for a long time.
“Why didn’t you expand further in that area?”
[Because there were guys in other regions who were just as strong as me? After becoming the ruler of the area, we gradually became aware of each other’s existence.
Since the powers of the five were equal, I knew that if I fought, I would be destroyed. So they continued to exist together.
Well, we didn’t get along very well with each other. If you stay in your own territory, you won’t have to fight, right?]
Igrel glanced at Elaga.
Not only was Naho a person with a particularly bad reputation, but that didn’t mean he and Elagan and Igrel were on good terms.
To begin with, Pahe’s Forest is a world where the fittest is the law of the jungle. This means that it is natural to compete for strength and determine ranking. It was instinct.
However, the rulers of the regions, who felt that each other’s power was equal, decided on their respective territories and avoided conflict. This is because they have realized their demonic nature enough to suppress their instincts.
In other words, they had suppressed instincts. Therefore, it is inevitable that he will not like the ruler of another area who has the same strength as himself and who can threaten him.
‘The Forest of Pahe has been maintained without change for a long time, with rulers of five regions. Humans who came from outside had no significant impact on this huge ecosystem. Because they were just weak beings at the bottom of the food chain.
This forest is a sleeping lake. But Helmut’s appearance caused ripples on the surface of the lake. He was the first factor that changed the forest of Pahe.’
Area looked at Helmut and organized her thoughts.
‘Elaga saved him and raised him, and that led to the conflict between Naho and Elaga. And Luoho in the east disappeared.
As a result of this, a slight change occurred in the forest of Pahe.
I’m not sure what exactly that change is. Could it be that Helmut was able to escape the sacred barrier because of that change?’
It was a miracle that Helmut escaped the sacred barrier. Antiol and Area decided thus.
Of course, Helmut followed a plausible theory, but that theory was less complete than Archmage Antiol’s.
Archmage Antiol, who knew the most about the sacred barrier in the world, knew that Helmut had a seed of darkness, but he could not have imagined that he would have come out of the Forest of Pahe.
That’s because it was close to impossible in his theory.
Area, out of her thoughts, asked.
“Is it a coincidence that that happened?”
[Unless it’s a coincidence?]
“It’s the flow. And there are things that caused that trend. As I said, before the gates of the Demon World were opened, gods did not exist in the world.
However, when the world was on the verge of extinction due to the Demon King, the world created gods. lumen.”
Area asked a question.
“Then what does the existence of the ruler of your domain mean in this Forest of Pahe?”
Elaga frowned.
Steam was already coming out of his head. Ygrel, who was a little more intelligent than him, answered.
[Are you saying there is something related to the sacred barrier in these five places: east, west, south, north, and center? As a result of that repercussion, we, the rulers of each region, were created?]
Area answered succinctly.
“yes.”
Xian quickly intervened.
“Yes, just as the golem has a core, the core of the barrier is needed to implement the barrier. For a barrier this large, the core cannot be one.
Also, if the barrier is even slightly crooked, it cannot be constructed properly. Barrier magic is a really tricky magic. Antiol, an archmage who can create large-scale barriers, is not famous for nothing.
Since the sacred barrier is a perfect circle, cores with equal sacred power must exist in the correct location, and they are balanced to realize the sacred barrier.”
“East, west, south, north, four directions and the middle. Antiol assumes that.”
Ygrel countered.
[I’ve never seen anything like that in my area. How sensitive am I to divine power, so how could I not know if there was such an unpleasant thing?]
“Because it wouldn’t exist separately. The sacred barrier that God created cannot be so clumsy. “It’s probably right under the line barrier that divides half of the sphere.”
[Then what about the central area?]
Area’s finger pointed into the air.
“Lumen’s symbol is the sun. It exists at the center of the firmament. This is a fact that Archmage Antiol confirmed by risking his life while flying.”
Elaga, who was scratching the floor for no reason at the thought of a headache, asked.
[So what does that have to do with Helmut leaving the Forest of Pahe?]
“The sacred barrier is weakest underground in this central area. Because that is the furthest location from the core in the sky.
But digging out of the ground is close to impossible. You’ll have to dig into the ground for a really long time. Straight and sideways.
That is why we will penetrate the exposed nuclear area. To the sky.”
At those words, everyone looked up at the sky.
Gray, ominous sky. They will probably have to climb to great heights. So high that if you fall, your whole body will shatter into pieces.
[How do I get out into the sky? They say the core of the barrier is there. Isn’t it the strongest part of the sacred barrier?]
“To be precise, the central core connects the powers of the four directions and plays the role of building the barrier. Therefore, although the center of the sky is the strongest part of the sacred barrier, it is not a powerful core in itself. That’s why it has loopholes. “We will look into that loophole.”
Area concluded her explanation there.
There was work to be done to close that loophole. The task is also not easy.
Ygrel looked up at the sky and muttered.
[I don’t know. Although it is not the central area, I have flown from the southern area to where the sacred barrier is. It’s green and beautiful up there. It’s not a gray color stained with demonic energy.
But it’s hard to breathe up there, and the air is freezing cold. So much so that even I, a monster, feel burdened. But will these weak humans be able to endure?]
“There are two wizards here. It won’t be easy, but it’s possible. A much more likely method than the way Helmut escaped the Forest of Pahe. Antiol and I came to that conclusion.”
Area spoke in a calm voice and looked at Helmut. His black eyes were depressed and sunken.
Unless it is Helmut, there is no need for the party to take such risks and cross the barrier.
They were able to cross the barrier in a safer way.
If Elaga removes the demon energy, then you can pass through the sacred barrier.
However, Helmut cannot pass the sacred barrier that way, so he must take the risk.
‘Anyway, entering the Forest of Pahe is risking your life.’
There is no need to hesitate in risking your life again. Area was even slightly excited.
As a wizard, it is a matter of confirming your research results. The results of research conducted over a period of four years.
That’s why Antiol helped her. Because wizards are a race that never helps others for free.
“Okay so what do we have to do? “There must be a reason why you brought us here.”
Asuka asked.
He had only followed Area here and had never even swung a sword properly.
I felt very comfortable meeting Ygrel from the beginning.
They said he was brought here to prepare for a battle with monsters, but that wasn’t the only reason.
“I’ll tell you that tomorrow. “It’s safe here, so it’s best for everyone to get enough rest and recover.”
Everyone soon dispersed from there to prepare a meal or a bed.
Ygrel and Elaga were lost in thought, speechless.
Even for them as monsters, the new facts they learned about themselves as the rulers of the area and the Forest of Pahe were shocking.
Area approached Elaga and asked.
“I have one question. Elaga absorbed Naho’s core and became stronger. But why didn’t you try to expand into other regions?”
Elaga looked at Area as if she was asking a strange question.
[huh? So what do I do? Would there be any benefit to me if I defeated the others and ruled in Pahe Forest?]
“By having them as your subordinates, you were able to make the entire Pahe Forest yours. “It’s like becoming the king of monsters.”
[What do I do when I become the king of monsters? I have more fun raising humans. [You’re saying something strange.]
When Elaga replied sullenly, Igrel also snorted next to her. As if it were absurd that Elaga was the king.
But Area thought differently.
If a monster’s instinct is to eat the fittest, then it is also its instinct to stand on top once it has the power to climb to the top of the food chain.
Not following that means that Elaga was completely out of instinct.
Elaga grew by absorbing Naho. It is not physical growth or demonic growth, but demonic growth.
Elaga was able to do what Ygrel or the rulers of other areas could not do.
It has become something transcendent beyond the ruler of the region.
The emergence of a being with unique and unique strength in the forest of Pahe.
It was not yet known what consequences it would bring in the future.
