Once I got a good look at the town, I went to the bar where I was supposed to meet with Count Tusk.
The moment I entered, some eyes glanced in my direction but I didn't look out of place in my current form so they didn't pay me any mind.
I went straight towards the bartender and took a seat before taking out three transparent coins that reflected a rainbow light.
"A drink. I need to travel after this so don't make it too strong."
These coins were the most common form of currency used in the Demon Lands and were called universal catalysts. Whether it was alchemy or construction, these coins were likely involved. However though it had many uses, there were other materials that were better than it in every other field that it could be used in so it was mainly only good for small purchases.
After accepting the coins, the wolf-headed bartender quickly poured out a drink and served it to me in a wooden mug. Before bringing it to my mouth I subtly checked it for poison and it passed the test so I took a sip.
As was normal with the mainstream alcohol here, there was a kick to the gut followed by the pleasure that came after a hard day of work. From what I could tell, alcohol no longer had an effect on me so it was just juice for adults, but it was a necessary prop to fit in.
While talking intermittent sips, I listened in on the conversations filling the bar.
"Hey, how did the hunt go?"
"Was she impressed by your strength?"
"Did you hear what happened in that town?"
"I told she was cheating on you."
"With you! Why didn't you say anything?"
"You didn't ask."
"Whew~, I need to go back to the wife after this."
Majority of what I caught was useless information, but I also learnt about incidents in nearby areas as well as a few interesting details.
As I passed the time mulling over what I was gathering, a certain customer entered. Every time the door opened it was like a ritual that the patrons would look at the newbie, but this time they actively looked away. The demon with the head of a bull wasn't particularly scary looking, but there was a wild aura about him that introduced fear to those who weren't confident in their strength.
I sighed in my mind since the only thing different about him was the colour of his skin and absence of his scars, but I made sure to stay unflustered.
The brown minotaur sat down beside me and ordered a strong drink while throwing out five crystal coins. While he waited for his drink, I spoke to him in a barely audible voice. Telepathy was also an option but the spell required for that would be obvious to any experienced mage.
"Is this the best you could do?"
"I didn't want to risk it being easily seen through. But it looks like you don't have that problem."
"I have my ways. Are you alone?"
"That's right. It took some trouble convincing my wives and advisors though."
"I can imagine. Did you bring our rides?"
"They're at the east entrance, you can't miss them."
"I see."
I then finished what was left in my mug and left the bar. I was confident that I didn't act suspicious at all, but once I left the bar I was sure I was being followed.
'One, no two. They're skilled but, not exceptional, so they're likely being paid by the real assassins for this. '
Since I knew where my stalkers were, it wouldn't be a problem for me to knock them down, but then it would make any others too wary to slip up and reveal themselves.
'I'll let them keep following me until it's time to leave.'
I continued towards the east entrance to see our rides, aware that I was being tailed. When I got there, I realized how correct Count Tusk was. Right outside the entrance, I noticed that a pair of ravenous horses had attracted a minor gathering.
It seemed that they were rare around these parts, but still appeared frequently enough in folk tales for them to be afraid of them.
Ravenous horses looked like normal horses but bigger, more ferocious and had an extra pair of legs near the middle of its body. Its blood-red eyes made demon children uncomfortable, while the adults were scared because of the superstitions associated with it.
'Then again, maybe some superstitions could be true if demons believe them.'
These monsters would be our mode of transport this time since they were fast but not overt.
I could apparently beat it into submission, but I didn't think that would be necessary.
As I got closer to the ravenous horses, those watching them focused on me instead.
"Oi, what are you doing?"
I couldn't tell if it was out of good will or malice, but I received multiple warnings as I approached. Ravenous horses were well-known characters in scary children's stories, so I knew that even demons who liked to act tough would flinch before them. However, I also knew that some among the crowd were likely looking forward to me being eaten.
As I stopped in front of one of the two monsters, I looked it straight in the eyes. Perhaps the most characteristic feature of this creature was the fact that it could literally sense fear. And it wasn't just fear either. Hatred, disgust, contempt, it was sensitive to all of these dark emotions, and grew more fierce as it sensed them.
Interacting with it in a crowd like this with a mix of intentions floating about wasn't the best idea, but I wasn't worried. I didn't believe myself to be a saint void of negative emotion, but apathy was well within my abilities.
"Nnrrr..."
When I reached for its silver mane, the ravenous horse made a low growl but it stayed still as I began petting it.
"Wow, he did it!"
"Impressive."
"Tch."
Once they saw me pet the monster without any trouble, the people realized that there was nothing to be worried about and quickly dispersed. I enjoyed this peace and quiet until a brown minotaur showed up.
"Hahaha! I knew you would be able to connect with it."
"I really don't know where you got that confidence from. What if I wasn't able to make it accept me?"
"Then you could just punch it until it did."
"...True."
The tiny animal lover inside me had some things to say about this, but we didn't have the leisure for that kind of small talk. With both of us present, we climbed onto the horses and rode away from the town.
"By the way, I don't think I've asked before but, why do you place so much trust in me?"
"Oh, that's because I can tell that you're a really determined guy."
"Huh?"
My tone was much more disrespectful than usual, but considering our circumstances I purposefully ignored it.
"It's a power I inherited from one of my ancestors. I can tell the purity of people's souls."
"The purity?"
"Yes. It's not about good or evil, but about how resolved you are to walk the path that you've chosen. You could say it's the strength of your will."
"Hmm, but that doesn't explain why you trust me? What if killing you is necessary for me to reach my goal?"
It was a dangerous question that I wouldn't normally asked, but I really wanted his answer.
"Then that's that. I wouldn't give up without a fight, but I wouldn't hate you either. After all, I really like people who can keep moving forward no matter what."
The smile on his face was so genuine that I felt bad just trying to come up with a reason to doubt him. I would have liked something more detailed but I knew this was the best I could get.
"I see."
"By the way, Lady Queen is about the only person I've seen with a soul as pure as yours."
"For some reason I don't like the sound of that."
Dead Seilez Forest was to the east of the town we left and to the west of Asura, making it the place at the centre of Lambda. While getting there required breaking through regions with high monster concentrations, this wasn't the dangerous part of our journey.
After three nights, black trees with scarlet red leaves blocked our path. Here was where the true danger started.
Dead Seilez Forest was named as such because a saint among demons had died here in order to stop a brutal war that had split the demons into two factions. However, some theories call her a true demon rather than a saint because of what happened to the land here after her death.
One particular text said that her blood completed a ritual for a curse that would last for all eternity. While no one knew what that specific curse was, it was undeniable that this forest had a high affinity with curses.
The moment they entered the forest, they would be afflicted by a random curse that only a holy saint could lift. Furthermore, a new curse would be added for every night spent inside the forest and the place was crawling with strong creatures who were immune to these curses.
Those who were confident in their strength would laugh at these curses, but even putting aside an instant death curse, a curse of confusion here was enough to drive a man crazy and eventually to the brink of suicide.
Fortunately, the curse would wear off soon after leaving the forest, but any damage it caused would remain.
Neither I nor Count Tusk could look confident before this forest, even though we both prepared to face the curse mechanism.
"Are you ready?"
"I'm up for anything if it's for my daughter."
"Not what I was looking for, but okay."
We took a step forward at the same time and felt-