The Demon Saint is Missing, so I Ran to Another World

An Enemy at the Palatial Gardens (Part 2)

**Greg**

It was relatively quiet from when we started out of that wilderness and into our current location. I don't know; at first, the Beastman fox-girl guide said nothing outside the basic conversation we're having, nor am I inclined to speak to her about anything. It's as if she's embarrassed around me, or she did something that she's ashamed to bring up. Nevertheless, because of our small talks—no matter how routine and 'automatic' it was—made her open to me a bit more from time to time.

And it also got me to learn a few more things (or rules) about the Chersean language...though I was not yet confident to freely express myself properly.

"..."

Another result of those talks was that, I got to know more about my fox-girl companion. Apparently, her name's Kashca Telis of the Fox Tribe from Cherwind, and she was an agent of the Beastman Saint, Lady Ruro of the Wolf. Also worth noting was her additional words: 'a faithful subject of His Majesty the Lord Kuro the God-King'. According to what I understood, she was currently working with the Queens of Amaranth and Cherwind, as well as Lady Noir, in trying to save me as I saved her before.

'Save me from what?' I always asked. 'And I saved you from what?' Well, those parts were always left vague by my fox-girl companion, or maybe, we just couldn't fully comprehend what we're telling to each other.

"..."

In any case, when I tried to introduce myself to her, Kashca Telis told me that she already knew who I was. In fact, she claimed she witnessed the many 'great things' I did as the man named 'Kuro'. And, no matter how much I reiterate to her that I was Greg Santos—that I was just an ordinary human, not the powerful 'God-King' she was telling me I was, the fox-girl still refused to call me by my name. For Kashca Telis, I'd forever be 'Kuro'...and no one else would sway her respect and admiration for me.

Well, not that I mind it. I mean, it's kind of nice that someone is treating you kindly and with respect, though she's a complete stranger. Still, I'm kind of confused whenever she refers to me as 'Kuro'. You know, those moments when someone calls you another name, and you unintentionally ignore them? That's how it feels.

"..."

That 'Kuro' must've done something really great for this person to see me that way...

Ah, anyway, so much for that. I had no idea for how long we'd been traveling. We did sleep for around six, or seven, times...but the intervals were irregular, so I was not sure if that could measure the days of our journey. On a side note, whenever we'd stop to rest, we'd only eat and/or sleep. While we would talk for a few minutes or sometimes communicate by signs, the fox-girl always made me understood we shouldn't stay up long for an idle chat.

"We got plenty of time to talk about things while on the road," she would say. "For now, we should regain our strength for the journey ahead."

Well, Kashca Telis had her point. I mean, we're running away here, and while we had some opportunity for a breather, we're still not safe until we reached our destination. And also, it's not like I wanted to talk to her that much as well. I just like to know some news regarding the Human Saint, and my other friends back at the Holy Palatial Gardens. Somehow, after that sudden separation, I felt really bothered not seeing them for a long while.

"Focus on escaping," was her usual, curt, reply whenever I try to raise that matter. At that point, I realized it was useless to ask Kashca Telis, so I stopped bothering her about it anymore.

As for the journey itself, we stayed far from the forests bordering the Chersean northern wilderness, though we followed its entire stretch. The fox-girl explained that the wilderness where she found me was quite a distance from our goals; in fact, Kashca Telis made it clear to me that I was fortunate to stumble upon her. The 'Desolate North'—as that region was called—was a place very few humans, or other races, dare to enter. The fox-girl told me that it was once a great battlefield, dating back the 11th Human-Demon War, where the armies of the Demon Lord emerged and wreaked destruction over Chersea.