The Strongest Onmyoji and the Shikigami With AI are Unparalleled in Another World ~ A Second Life Properly Enjoyed Using Artificial Intelligence ~ - Chapter 130

“It’s so warm and cozy.”

Leanne, wrapped in a scarf, seemed to be in a good mood.

“Leanne, get on.”

With that said, Koma-chan approached Leanne .

“Get on? On this dog? Are you sure it’s okay?”

“Annie always rides, so it’s no problem.”

“Annie… you mean that woman who barely wears anything?”

It sounded like an insult, but, well, it was true.

“She’s not showing any skin right now.”

Only her face could be seen.

“Hmm… well, it is cold. May I get on?”

When Leanne asked Koma-chan, Koma-chan lowered his head.

“Alright.”

When Leanne got on Koma-chan, he stood up.

“Well then, let’s go.”

We walked through the town, heading toward the west gate.

After passing through the west gate, we set off across the Chiril Plains, aiming for the forest.

“There were so many monsters around here, huh?”

Leanne murmured as she looked around.

“Yeah. Goblins and orcs were everywhere. Even if we defeated them, more kept coming from behind, like waves.”

“I see… I’m glad the town of Celia didn’t fall. To tell you the truth, in the royal capital, the decision to abandon Celia was almost finalized.”

I had a feeling that might have been the case.

“Speaking of which, Pamela mentioned that the reinforcements were delayed.”

“That was because the discussions dragged on.”

Well, it couldn’t be helped.

Rulers have to make tough decisions, sometimes even cruel ones, prioritizing what matters most.

We continued walking, explaining the events of that time to Leanne.

When we reached the forest, we entered and headed towards the spot where that demon had been.

“Leanne, is it alright if I work while we’re at it?”

“Go ahead. I understand why.”

Leanne smiled as she looked at Lily.

“Sorry about that… and thank you as always.”

“Hmm, are you really an elf?”

Leanne asked Lily with a slightly puzzled expression.

“Yes, I’m an elf! I’m known as a friendly one.”

“Well… friendly, I guess?”

Ditzy more like. I wouldn’t say it out loud, though.

We decided to gather herbs and magic stones while taking care of any monsters we encountered.

While we ran into monsters at the usual rate, we couldn’t seem to find any herbs. Natalia and Lily tilted their heads as they searched the ground.

“No luck. How about over there, Natalia?”

“Hmm… not growing here either. There should still be some around this time of year, though…”

“I’ve lived in the forest for many years, so I know the signs. This is definitely winter. I think the temperature is going to drop sharply in about ten days.”

She must have a lot of knowledge and experience.

Lily in town and Lily in the forest are completely different.

“Master, a wolf-like monster is rapidly approaching.”

Is it a wolf?

“Everyone, stay back.”

I had everyone step back, transformed my talisman into a sword, and waited.

Suddenly, a wolf leaped out from the bushes, baring its fangs at me.

I stepped in and swung my sword at the wolf.

With ease, I sliced through the wolf, slamming it into the ground.

The wolf didn’t move a muscle.

“Hostile presence eliminated. Hmph, it’s no match for Master.”

AI-chan looked smug.

“Well, it’s not much different from a regular wolf.”

“Oh, magic stone, magic stone!”

Natalia crouched down by the wolf and began to dismantle it.

“A wolf, huh? I wish it were a deer or a boar instead…”

Lily murmured while looking around.

“I’d prefer a boar. I want to eat botan nabe.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a type of dish. Oh, right, there’s something I need to ask you to do. I’ll talk to you about it when we get back.”

“I’m not sure what it is, but leave it to me!”

Don’t agree to something without even hearing what it’s about.

Well, I guess that shows how much she trusts me.

“Yuuma, here, a magic stone.”

Natalia handed me the magic stone she had collected.

“Ah, thanks. But what are we going to do? There aren’t any herbs, right?”

“Hmm, should we go further in, to where the demons were? There might still be herbs deeper in the forest.”

Yeah, that sounds like a plan.

“Alright. Let’s do that. AI-chan, forget about monsters for now. Instead, look for any animals we could eat.”

“Understood!”

We decided to give up on looking for herbs for the time being and head deeper into the forest.

As we kept walking, we arrived at the place where we fought the demon named Sven.

There were still traces of the black flames that Sven had unleashed, and the ground remained charred black.

“This is the place… Just like the investigation team’s report said…”

Leanne got off Koma-chan, crouched down, and examined the scorched ground.

“The black flames of Sven, the demon. The fire was pretty intense, but since I’m immune to fire, it wasn’t really a problem.”

“As expected of Yuuma-sama. However, I sense a power similar to a curse. Are you alright?”

A curse?

Is she talking about sorcery?

“That sort of thing doesn’t affect me. My mother is a spirit, after all.”

“Ah… that fox lady, right? I definitely felt an incredible power from her, so this level of curse energy might not be an issue.”

Leanne nodded in understanding.

“Leanne, if you had to choose between the king and me, who would you choose?”

“Of course, Yuuma-sama.”

Leanne answered immediately, without any hesitation.

“I see… AI-chan.”

“Yeees!”

When I gave AI-chan instructions, she went over to Leanne and used spatial magic to produce a mirror.

“…Is this the mirror you mentioned?”

Leanne smiled faintly.

“Yes.”

“It was reported that you had destroyed it.”

That’s what I had told Pamela, indeed.

“You think I would do something so short-sighted?”

“Indeed. When I heard that report, I thought it was understandable given the need to stop the stampede. But after talking to you, Yuuma-sama, and getting to know you, I realized you would never destroy it.”

“If you thought that, then the king likely thought the same.”

Leanne gave a wry smile as she spoke.

“Do you understand?”

“The reason you came here was because of that mirror, right?”

It was an order from the king.

“Hehe, exactly. And I should report to my uncle that the mirror wasn’t here, correct?”

“Do that.”

“Understood. I’ll do as you say. And what do you intend to do with this?”

“For now, I’ll keep it. It’s not something humans should possess. That being said, it seems to be a rare item, so I’ll hold onto it just in case.”

I doubt I’ll ever use an item that can only transport goblins and orcs, though.

“I see… Natalia, Lily. You two are to keep this to yourselves. Understood?”

“Got it.”

“Seriously though, you’re always telling us to keep things secret, Leader,” Lily said.

As she did, Leanne smiled wryly again and returned the mirror to AI-chan.