She Becomes The Hero In Another World 18 She Learns About Demons

Even though they'd arrive at that place with plenty of time to spare, they still kept up a pretty fast pace, despite Christian stumbling into things every now and then due to hidden roots, or dips in the shadows. Even if they were trying to be stealthy at that point, Christian would have revealed long before they reached their destination.

It was a good thing they didn't meet with any demons on their way there.

"Come to think of it...how come we haven't met with any demons yet?" Robin asked Gerard, puzzled.

"It's because I'm walking on the border between the demons' territories." Gerard replied. "Some demons aren't hostile, just territorial. So if we avoid them, they won't seek after us."

"Hmm? Then what about those orcs that I killed?" Briar asked.

"Well, not all demons are territorial. Some are nomadic, like orcs." Gerard answered.

Robin recalled a doc.u.mentary about locusts in America, and how they would pick an area clean of green, growing plants before moving on to a different area.

'So that's how it is.' She realized.

"Then, which kind of demon is the stronger kind? The orcs that the Hero defeated, or the territorial demons?" Keith asked, glancing around behind them with a practiced eye, on the lookout for any strange activity.

Gerard gave Keith an odd look. " Which is more dangerous: a man that has something to protect, or a man that has nothing left to lose?"

"The one that has nothing left to lose?" Christian put in his two cents.

Robin looked up at the stars through the black, leafy canopy overhead.

"It depends on the man." She lowered her head. "Having or not having land doesn't change anything. What makes something dangerous is it's abilities to attack and defend. This goes for an orc as well as a nine-tailed fox."

"...I see. So that's how it is." Christian's eyes glinted with recognition. Comparisons were all very well, but Robin preferred to handle each fight on a case by case basis.

"Then, could you tell me about this particular demon? Strengths? Weaknesses? Even likes or dislikes would be fine!" Robin asked.

"Well, it doesn't capture its victims to eat meat." Gerard said. "It tortures them for entertainment. The only food it does eat is fruit. I can't tell you how many sheep have been ruined just for its 'entertainment.' It also seems to dislike water and sunlight. And is very cautious. It took me over a year just to find out where the boundaries of all the Demons were, but that thing manages to dance into and out of whichever demon territory it likes, unharmed."

Gerard grit his teeth at that.

"I have a very large grudge to settle with this one. It's a shadow monkey."

"Oh? And were you planning on dealing with it alone, if we didn't show up?" Robin asked.

Gerard tapped his pouch hanging off of his belt. "I did. I was going to bait a Slasher Bear into its home while it was out, then when it came home-" He swiped a finger across his neck. "Dead faster than it could say 'eep!'"

"Well isn't that particularly vicious of you? But I'm afraid to say that it wouldn't work." Keith replied. "You said that it was exptremely cautious. But Slasher Bears aren't known for being the most careful of demons.

How would you get it to enter without leaving any tracks or scent? If any of those are on the scene, that shadow monkey might just decide not to risk it and leave to find some other place to have him some entertainment."

Gerard sighed. "Then it's a good thing that you guys showed up!" He replied, shaking his head. If only he had done so earlier, that shadow monkey might have thought better and run away before any of this had happened. He clenched his fist feeling a little guilty, and apprehensive.

"Okay, so we know he doesn't like sunlight or water. I just so happen to have not been trained in the magic arts at all," Robin a.s.serted with a wry smile. "But does anyone here know how to cast light-based magic?"

Gerard, Christian and Keith all shook their heads.

"Then, we can only go with water." Robin replied. "Gerard, are there any large bodies of water close by the shadow monkey's lair?"

"There's a small stream that runs past it, why?" Gerard asked.

"Perfect." Robin smiled slyly. "Then, tell me when we get there. I think I might have a plan."

Along their fast-paced travelling through the forest, Christian seemed to be getting better at walking through the forest. At least, he was able to keep up with Robin.

"Incidentally," Christian asked her. "When you said you knew 108 ways to save a person in the forest, those were all physical ways not involving any magic whatsoever?"

"Yup~!" Came the cheerful reply.

"...At this point, if you said you weren't the Hero, no one would believe you." Christian noted seriously.

"Does it matter if someone is a Hero or not? isn't it common sense to lend a helping hand to those in trouble?" Robin asked.

Keith, walking along behind them, had his face spasming in contortions, his shoulders shaking as he laboured to keep from laughing out loud. It had been a long time since he had seen Christian being shocked. To see Christian become perturbed by the Hero was so hilarious that Keith could probably laugh for a week straight, given enough time.

"We're here." Gerard said, stopping in the middle of the forest.

"Okay, we're here." Christian a.s.serted. "But where's its den?"

Robin rolled her eyes. "It's a shadow monkey. Where do monkey's usually live?"

"In caves on the ground?" Christian said. "Isn't that where all Demon's live?"

"Sure! If you can a.s.sert that tiny dirt houses are where all n.o.bles live." Robin replied with a snicker. "Don't make a.s.sumptions based upon general information. There are always going to be special cases. This is a monkey, not a mole. Monkeys live in trees!" She looked at Gerard. "Am I right?"

He nodded. "Uhn! The Hero's right! Blackey's den is right here!" He patted a rather large tree. If one only glanced at it, they might think that it's a conglomeration of several trees, but the circ.u.mference of this tree could easily have a diameter of 10 feet.

"Blackey? You even named the thing?" Keith observed.

"What do you know! I had to call it something when I didn't know what it was!" Gerard blushed in embarrasment.

"But still, Blackey?" Keith teased.

"The original name was 'Black Devil'." Gerard huffed. " Blackey's just easier to say."

"Oh really?" Keith smirked.

Robin, ignoring the two of them, looked up. "So, does this mean we'll have to climb?"