“To search for Wulcrow, a high-ranking officer of the Demon Nation, you’re heading to the area where the elves are gathering…? How reckless…”
Rose let out a heavy sigh, clearly exasperated after hearing our objective.
From what we had gathered in our conversation, it seemed that the three units—including the rescue squad to which the severely injured magic rat we encountered earlier belonged—had been wiped out, not by Anemone or Rose’s group of elves, but by yet another group of elves.
“There are over thirty elves currently mobilized for the operation to subdue Wulcrow. The place you’re headed to is definitely a high-risk zone—the red zone. The closer you get to that area, the higher the likelihood you’ll be surrounded from all directions,” Rose warned.
“Hm… In that case, even if we manage to scout effectively, we might lack the means to respond to everything, is that what you’re saying?”
“Exactly. And if even one of them spots you and escapes, a horde of elves will swarm in immediately. No matter how strong your soldiers are, you won’t be able to handle that.”
“Hmm… That would indeed be problematic.”
Rose’s words were precise, and she provided us with plenty of useful information. Thanks to her, we were able to grasp the details of the elves’ operational strategy to locate Wulcrow, as well as the associated risks.
“Still, we can’t just abandon the search. Is there no clever way to handle this?” I asked.
“First, you must avoid getting too close to the red zone and maintain a safe distance. On top of that, you’ll need a method to search for Wulcrow without alerting the elves,” Rose replied.
“Hm… That sounds difficult. Or perhaps, a shift in perspective—what if we made Wulcrow notice us instead?”
“…Oh, I see. That’s an interesting approach. There might indeed be messages a magical beast like Wulcrow could pick up on, ones the elves would miss.”
Since her surrender, Rose had been incredibly cooperative, helping us plan our strategy in earnest. She was likely very serious by nature. Moreover, her sharp mind was evident—her knowledge and quick decision-making were impeccable. She responded promptly to our questions and ideas, making her a highly competent ally.
“…So this is what they call individual differences,” I murmured.
“Hm? What? Is there something on my face?”
Anemone, leaning against the trees with Calendula, tilted her head quizzically at my gaze.
“No, nothing at all.”
I had simply been musing about how much individual personality differences could arise among long-lived elves, who had likely spent centuries honing their craft. It wasn’t a bad thing; in fact, such differences often lead to varied research methods and intriguing results.
…At least for now, I was grateful for Rose’s contributions.
“I feel like you’re silently judging me unfairly,” Anemone remarked, noticing my expression.
She frowned but quickly straightened up, pointing confidently at Rose.
“I’ve been listening, you know? I’ve got a brilliant idea too,” Anemone declared.
“Rose specializes in researching the holy art of ‘seeing the future through the stars.’ It’s like a highly accurate form of astrology. Why not try using that to search for Wulcrow?”
We navigated through the forest, avoiding other elves as best we could using detection magic, until we reached an open area where the stars were visible.
“Astrology, huh…? Quite fascinating.”
Though I had never put much stock in conventional fortune-telling and its reliance on the Barnum effect, the idea of combining celestial movements with holy magic to predict the future was undeniably intriguing.
“Are we seriously doing this…?”
Rose seemed reluctant, her hesitation evident.
“Let me just warn you—it’s still in the experimental stage. Don’t expect high accuracy.”
“That’s fine. We should use whatever tools we have available.”
We were also pursuing other methods to locate Wulcrow in parallel, relying on our magic bear and vampire beast soldiers to carry out their tasks. With that in motion, I could focus on this.
“Come on, come on! Let’s see it in action!” I urged.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Rose asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I’m merely doing my best to maximize our chances.”
Though admittedly, I was enjoying it—a fact I kept to myself.
“Don’t worry, I believe in her,” Anemone said, puffing her chest with pride.
Rose hesitantly raised her staff to the sky and began her ritual. A white, glowing six-pointed star appeared before her, facing north. The question posed was simple: Is Wulcrow in the north?
Anemone added, “By the way, Rose is hesitant about using her astrology because it accidentally turns into a love compatibility reading. Apparently, she once embedded the function as part of her research, and now if she tries to remove it, the entire spell stops working properly. She’s been stuck with it for a hundred years.”
“ANEMONE!!! Stop spilling nonsense, or I’ll knock you out!!!”
“Pink light means perfect compatibility. Purple light means terrible compatibility.”
“…You’d better watch your back later.”
Despite Anemone’s teasing, the six-pointed star began to glow a deep red—an ominous, almost blood-like hue.
“This… this color… It’s dangerous. Red is the color of danger. The north is no good,” Rose said, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
We tried again, this time facing west. Red.
Then south. Red.
Finally, east—the path back to the Demon Nation. Still red.
“All directions are red zones?! What in the world…?!”
Desperate, Rose performed the ritual once more, this time focusing on our current location. A six-pointed star appeared above her, glowing the same blood-red hue.
“This is bad. Very bad,” Rose stammered, turning to me with a pale face.
“We need to leave immediately. No matter where we go or if we stay, unimaginable danger is—”
Her words were cut short as a thin white beam pierced through her from behind, striking her abdomen.
