I was momentarily blinded by Ariane’s dazzling smile as she thanked me.
My reaction must’ve puzzled her, because she tilted her head.
Clearing my throat a little, I tried changing the topic by asking her a question.
“So are these really Haunting Wolves? Their tails don’t seem to emit much light……”
While I was speaking, I looked at the tail of one of the haunting wolves and noticed that it was emitting a slight shine.
“That’s because this forest doesn’t contain much mana. The tails will emit a pure blue light once they are taken into the Canada forest.”
She knelt down and inspected the tails while she spoke. Once she was certain that the battle had ended, Ponta uncoiled herself from Ariane ‘s neck and shook out her fur.
“Arc, I’m sorry but could you use 【Transfer Gate】to send these back to Raratoia?”
“Hmm, I don’t really mind, but……”
I looked around as before I continued to speak
“If I use 【Transfer Gate】here, we’ll have to go back to Cellist before we can travel to Hoban again. That’s the closest place with easily memorizable features.”
While 【Transfer Gate】was a long-distance transfer magic, it was a spell that could only connect to places that the user can clearly visualize. Since the scenery of the surrounding forest was rather ordinary, I couldn’t set a clear transfer destination.
“Then, while I bleed out the Haunting wolves and collect the tails, could you go search for a more suitable place to transfer to, Arc?”
“Well, I suppose it will eliminate future troubles…… I’ll search around the edge of the forest for a while.”
I pick up the cloak I had threw on the ground and dusted it off before putting it back over my shoulders.
Sensing the changed atmosphere, Ponta hopped from Ariane’s shoulder to the top of my helmet. Seems like we’ll be doing this together.
For now, let’s search the terrain for a structure or marker that can be set as a return point for 【Transfer Gate】.
If I simply wandered around the forest, I wouldn’t be able to find my way back to Ariane, so I picked a direction and traveled straight ahead.
Occasionally using 【Dimensional Step】, I looked around for a suitable location.
However, there was no suitable place since the only things I found were just more trees, rocks, and dirt.
Ever once in awhile I would spot a bloodstain in the undergrowth. That, and the paw prints on the ground, probably meant that the Haunting Wolves had gone in this direction.
Since I was traveling at a considerable speed, it might not be long before I catch up or even surpass them.
When I look at the sky through the tree branches, I saw that gray clouds were filling the sky, causing darkness to permeate the forest.
When I looked back, I could no longer recognize the forest’s scenery or locate Ariane’s figure at all.
While I had been looking for an appropriate location, I would occasionally break off a branch and stick it into the ground. If I made the amateur mistake of not marking my path while searching for a transfer location, I would have lost my way the instant I started.
Ponta would cry out from atop my helmet whenever she found some forest nuts. If I tried to follow Ponta’s directions, I’d have immediately lost my way.
While soothing Ponta, I suddenly heard a someone’s voice.
I stopped and listened to my surroundings.
The sounds of rustling leaves, animals barking at something and humans were carried on the wind.
The origin of the human sounds were only a short distance away from the path I was on. I’d have to mark my current location here if I decided to take the detour.
I broke a few branches and create a flashy circular marker out of them.
I can’t afford to waver here.
Putting Ponta back on my head, I turned in the direction of the life signs.
There’s a chance that this path could lead to an inhabited building, so with that thought in my mind, I double-time it.
Eventually, the sounds carried by the wind began to grow louder.
However, rather than the sound of people working, it was the sound of fighting.
The screams of people have emanated from the forest ahead as the unpleasant smells of blood and burnt objects began to fill the air.
Ponta sensed the unpleasant atmosphere and wrapped herself around my neck while I took a deep breath and took a hesitant step in the direction of the fight.