Chapter 178 – Rumors in the forest
When the call disconnected Fumiko sighed a heavy breath.
"Thank you, Ari." Said Fumiko glancing at a woman dressed in all black with her entire face covered with black cloth safe for the eyes. The woman bowed and stored the far-talking device into her pocket ring.
"Now someone just has to talk to Granny and explain my departure." Muttered the girl.
"I can speak with her if you want." Said Shadow Warrior, however, there was a tone of apprehension in her voice.
"No. This is my responsibility." Said Fumiko, shaking her head. "And you saw what happened when Trisha came to talk with her. I don't know what you guys did, but I can see her brimming with fury every time she sees you from a distance. She tolerates you from a distance but only as an agreement with Trisha. You better not try to interact with her by yourself if you are not sure that you can beat her as Trisha did. I'll speak to her myself."
The person in black did not answer, only nodding her head once and sinking back into the shadows.
Fumiko took a deep breath in, mustering up strength, and straightened before walking back to the camp in the forest with a heavy sigh
It was early morning and her teammates just started rousing, gathering around the campfire with groggy and displeased faces. Fumiko could not blame them for being in such dark moods. Her system allowed her to recover at an astronomical pace, yet even she felt tired and aching all over. These past few weeks were a real trial of their endurance.
Well, it was to be expected. Fumiko long since come to an agreement that her isekai trope was more of a second kind of two existing.
Her old world had many stories based on a character that came to another world to be a Hero or a savior of humankind. Many of them were quite similar, brimming with cliches and stolen ideas. Some were quite original and novel for a time until ideas were copied and plagiarized over and over again.
However, no matter how many stories there were, they all could be divided into two types. The first type were the ones where the main characters lived a carefree life depending on their cheat-like skills and all saving plot armor that allowed them to pass through life as a happy-go-lucky, as if the world was a joke or a fun story. A fairytale for kids type of story.
But in reality, such a situation wasn't possible. Great strength and ability did not come just out of nowhere and for nothing. There were prices to pay, so to say.
That's why the second type of isekai stories were a lot more interesting as it was based on a more realistic view of things. In them, the main characters usually had to pass through tough situations and decisions. Go through hard battles and training. This path was riddled with danger and pain. Cheat abilities in this type of stories were only a complement to the effort that MC put into becoming strong.
Even though Fumiko, deep in her heart, hoped to be an MC of the first type, she had no choice but to admit that reality was not so easy and forgiving to allow it.
Just the few months that she was in this world already proved how hard and tough was the path of a savior holding the fate of the world on shoulders.
It was just the period of training, yet she already wanted to scream, cry, and throw everything away to run as far as she could. How tough this life would be once she would be thrown into the real battles, she could only imagine with dread and trepidation.
But she could not back off. Not now that she was aware of the hardship that Lyra faced.
Fumiko's training was progressing fast in the white tower of Central Cathedral under the guidance of Lyra's best warriors. With passive skills that made her a real prodigy of a warrior, she quickly learned the basics of the martial arts that beginners would achieve in a year. But this was only that, the basics. It was nowhere near to the lifetimes of experience and skills that her teachers had. And these were the levels she had to surpass to be ready to face the Demon lord and his army. It was possible of course with her cheat skill, but… Here comes the problem. It seemed that she had no time.
No one said it. No one mentioned it to her. But she felt it. Nervousness and Haste. It could always be noticed behind Lyra's gentle demeanor. The Holy Lady never put pressure on Fumiko. Always rejoiced at her achievements. Always been grateful for the effort that Fumiko put into her training. But there was always that deep feeling that Fumiko saw within Lyra's and Trisha's eyes.
It was not enough.
Fumiko knew they were worried. But their actions spoke more of a franticness. Panic. Hopelessness.
Lyra was greatly surprised when Fumiko faced her with these suspicions, questioning her about the real situation of things.
The Holy Lady was startled by that conversation and lost her cool for a fraction of a second, proving Fumiko's suspicions right. The fact that Fumiko saw through her pretense of calmness and serenity so easily was very telling of the degree of anxiety that Saintess felt. Facing no other choice Lyra finally confessed.
With an apologetic demeanor, Lyra shared with Fumiko her concerns that day, revealing everything that she did not want to scare her with. Since then Fumikl had no doubts that she was on the path of the trope of the second type of isekai story. The one where she had to struggle every second because her life and the lives of everyone depended on it.
The story of a missing member of the Hero team with the Sage-type system was only half the problem according to Holy Lady's revelation. Another factor was that Fumiko seemed to come into this world too late.
Normally Sage was supposed to be born years if not a decade before the Demon Lord invasion. Hero would follow later but still with time to spare to get prepared. However, Lyra's latest divinations revealed that they may not have time enough for her preparation. If she followed the same speed of training, even if prodigiously quick. She would be far from ready to face the Demon army and its Lord.
Back then Fumiko made her choice. The training in the safe environment was too inefficient and asked Lyra to find a better solution.
This brought her to a current hellish situation where even her Hero recovery speed could not catch up with her exhaustion.
The best way to gain experience and skill was through real-life practice. Practice such as diving into the Labyrinth and fighting real monsters. However, it was way too early for Lyra's and Trisha's liking to let her dive into the Labyrinth.
Sending troops to protect her would have been counterproductive. Letting her dive alone with her team was too dangerous and slow-paced, they would have to start from the bottom just like every adventurer, and that would waste too much time.
The answer was that they needed experienced adventurers' help. Someone who knew how to set the pace, who knew the most know-hows, and who was experienced in teaching. Someone who could be guaranteed to teach them well. Adventurer for whom teaching others was not the first time.
After these criteria were listed Trisha's face scrunched in displeasure, which did not go unnoticed by the Saintess. After being pressured by Lyra's stoic gaze, Trisha confessed to knowing the best person for this job. However, just thinking about the idea ruined her mood and brought her a headache in an instant.
The memory of the event that followed after that brought a slight smile to Fumiko's lips as she walked back to the camp. It was quickly erased from her face of course as she knew she would instantly get a new bump on her head if her new teacher were to sense she was smiling at her expense. Granny did not like to lose or be reminded of her losses.
As she walked over to the fire surrounded by a group of people that was divided into two parties, Fumiko took place in the middle of the part that looked like a mere excuse of an adventurers team. In ripped clothes, dirty, stinky, and disheveled, which was no different from Fumiko herself, all together they looked like a bunch of homeless that were just through hell and back, rather than a Hero's party. They sat hunched, nodding their heads as if half-asleep while sitting and groaning as if just an effort of sitting brought them pain.
"What did they want?" Asked Paula Stormbringer from across the campground, where she sat surrounded by a pristine clean, healthy, and cheerful-looking team of older adventurers, calmly cooking breakfast as if they were having a friendly picnic or an outdoor barbeque.
Fumiko raised her eyes glancing Granny Paula in the eyes before sighing.
"We need to get back." Said Fumiko
"Oh God!" Cried a person on her left.
"Thank you, Lord!" Exclaimed the person on her right.
"Bless you Fumi!" Said the third person at her side.
"We are not done." Said Paula, her voice going colder.
"I know." Said Fumiko not tearing away her gaze from the older woman across from her. "But this is important. I need to be there." She added with a firm voice while in truth she did not feel any firmness inside as the gaze of the older woman felt as heavy as a mountain pressing at her.
"Something happened?" Asked the man sitting at Paula's side.
"They found a clue about our missing team member." Said Fumiko. "Lyra says it's important to find out what happened to him."
"She has enough sneaky bitches to help, why does she need you?"
"She had a divination." Said Fumiko simply. "I am needed."
"You all came to me, begging for help. Even that shadow bitch came out of her hole to have a one-on-one talk with me. And now you run away after just a few weeks?" Asked Paula, Her words definitely filled with anger as the temperature around the camp went freezing even though the fire burned in front of them.
"Talk? You two almost destroyed the city…" Muttered Fumiko quietly
"What did you say?" Asked Paula raising her voice.
Silence spread around them. After a dozen seconds, Fumiko managed to gulp, still staring back at Granny Paula.
"We will return as soon as we finish this task." Said Fumiko loudly clenching her palms pressed to the knees into fists mustering the last bit of her strength to reply.
"Tsk." Voiced Paula, turning her gaze away. At that time the whole team around Fumiko breathed out, slightly coughing as if they almost suffocated. "Fine. I was going to let you take a break in a day anyway."
The invisible force gradually rising in intensity and pressuring at the group of disheveled young people for the dozen seconds, that the older adventurer woman started to exude after their exclamations suddenly ceased. The group that could not even take a single breath from the pressure in the last few seconds finally could breathe with relief. While others almost lost their consciousness, the experience was twice as bad for Fumiko who held Paula's gaze. Seeing that the young girl bore through the wave of her intent without losing her consciousness or pissing her pants as they all did the very first time she threw this intent at them, Paula nodded in satisfaction.
Fumiko breathed out realizing that the older woman's scrunched expression meant that they had passed some kind of a milestone and gained her approval.
"Alright. You can go take a break before we start the training for real when you return." Said Paula with a sigh.
"For real?" Asked the voices of Fumiko's whole team.
"What did you think, brats? That all you experienced here was some kind of hardship? When you get back, I will show you what true hardship and suffering means." Said Paula, nodding accompanied by the groans of the young people. "Now eat your damn breakfast and prepare. Today's task is to get to Greenville town by the evening hour."
"Today?" Asked the whole team including Fumiko in astonished voices.
"Granny but that's imposs…"
"You said it's important. Now show me how much importance you put into your words, young Hero. You get there by the evening and rest in the inn. Or you don't and rest in the hospital beds." Said older woman not interested in their complaints.
"Fuck! We have to hurry!" Said the young people, gulping down their food that was too hot to eat without scolding their mouths, but no one cared one bit as they quickly stuffed themselves and rushed to pack their tents and belongings.
"By the way. Where is Ria?" Asked Fumiko noticing the ranger of Paula Stormbringer's team missing.
"Went to meet old pals." Said Paula not bothering to give an explanation as she calmly sipped from her steel cup.
Fumiko raised her eyebrows questioningly but seeing as Granny did not intend to explain, sighed and went to gather her things.
Just as she walked away the bushes rustled and the ranger woman walked toward the camp plumping down near Paula and taking the plate with porridge that the old woman immediately passed to her.
"It took you longer than usual." Said Paula quietly.
"Crocky was strangely overly non-compliant even after I hung his ass by the tail and beat some sense into him." Said Ria gulping down a spoonful.
Paula raised an eyebrow at that.
"Did you remind him how much I like the look of crocodile leather on my poach?"
"I hinted that we are thinking of opening a boutique and considering making our first collection out of crocodile leather." Said Ria, nodding.
"And?" Asked Paula.
"Still was reluctant to the end, but spilled the beans as usual. Said that word is going around, that forest bitches have been receiving a guest. A very important one. All of them seem as if in heightened moods, whispering to each other and giggling like teens all over the forest as if unable to erase the smile from their faces."
"Who?" Asked Paula.
"He did not say. Only knows that some Crocs overheard whispers of a male in the core forest and some Bigfoots mentioned hearing some kind of talk about candidating to be a mate. Also, Vine Sloths heard something about promises made between the guests and Dryads. Invisible monkeys heard some Dryads calling someone "Master" and discussed something about becoming servants. Every family heard just a bit, here and there, but if it's combined…" Said Ria.
"Alliance between spirit families?" Asked Paula, her question sounding more rhetorical from her thoughtful tone.
"Sounds like it. But I don't know with whom. Forest sluts are said to be able to mate with any being. But the little green bastard swore he did not know who it was even when I put a knife to his small reptile testicles." Said Ria.
"That's understandable. What they know is just what they overheard." Said Paula. "Dryads don't have friendly relationships with any of them."
"Want me to force him or some other family to spy a bit for us?" Asked Ria.
"No. Don't bother. No matter how good the relationship with the Labyrinth Lord these sentient monsters may have, they are still considered monsters. If they are found snooping into Spirit Family's business on purpose they'd be disposed of. They would not risk it even if it means souring things with me. Just telling this much is already worth a death sentence if he was to be found snitching on Labyrinth Lord." Said Paula, sighing.
"There's no more I can do then. Not what Raimond expects to hear." Said Ria.
"No, this is big news already. Now that he knows what to expect he can think up some measures. If there is really talk of an alliance there might be some delegates sent undercover, so if he keeps an eye on guests arriving in the city lately he might learn the rest from that clue." Said Paula.
"But why the commotion anyway?" Asked the ranger girl. "So what if they seek alliance? Why is it so important to know who they wish to befriend?"
"It's not who they deal with but what for is of importance. Above-ground Dungeons are the greatest block in our path right now, not because they are hard to deal with, but because there are not enough spirits that could take over them. Competition to gain favor and poaching other country spirit families is severe in nowadays political games. If we lose Dryad Queen, there will be no one to exchange her with. If it happens we will lose the entire area of Greenville town."
"That would throw us back for decades." Said Ria.
"Exactly." Nodded Paula and stood up. "Alright let's get moving, looks like all our tasks are done for the moment." She added dusting her pants.
"Wait? But what alliance between spirit families has to do with poaching?" Asked Ria.
"What happens when you are in high demand?" Asked Paula.
"The price on you rise?" Said Ria with uncertainty in her voice.
"And what happens when you cooperate with others to make the price rise intentionally?" Asked Paula another question.
"You can dictate the price." Said Ria nodding.
"Dictate." This is the main word. "Those who can dictate to you, gain power over you." Said Paula walking away.
"What if that is their intention?" Asked Ria.
"Let's hope not." Muttered Paula without turning back. "I'd hate to witness the repetition of Fae forest destruction."