Today was the day. We were going to head to straight to the capitol of Therngo.

Katsu was still getting some things ready for the trip. While tossing a few bags in

the bac of the carriage, he looked at me.

"This is going to take a while. There's a few more things I need to grab from my place."

There were already serval bags of his inside the carriage. If I didn't know any

better, I'd say he was moving away from this town.

I wondered what all this stuff was.

"That's a lot of bags. What is all of that junk anyway?" I asked.

"It's not junk. Far from it." Katsu patted one of the bags, "These bags contain useful items and equipment. We'll need it for what we'll be doing in the capitol."

This was just like him. He couldn't go anywhere without with bringing an entire

arsenal.

"If you're this prepared, you might as well bring a rocket launcher too." I said sarcastically. Though, I wonder how effective a rocket would be in this world.

Maybe the explosion would be worthy of S-rank.

"Very funny, Amaya." Katsu sighed, "Honestly, I should consider making one."

"Seriously?? Do you know how??" I gasped.

Even if I was only joking about it, a rocket launcher would be a pretty cool thing to have. I could just imagine a group of monsters being blown to ash.

'That would actually be so cool.'

Breaking the subject, Katsu left for the direction of his home.

"Alright, that's enough talking for now. I'll finish packing. Do what you want until then. I should be back in about twenty minutes."

Twenty minutes should go by quick, but I wouldn't be able to sit still for that long.

I looked at Emi, who was slouching in carriages seating. Boredom was written on her face with a frown.

Minutes passed; my legs were shaking with anxiety from staying still without

anything to do. Emi was in the same boat as well. She was sitting upside down, kicking at the air.

"Eighty-nine, eighty-eight, eighty-seven, eighty-six." she counted backwards to pass the time.

"Wow. Looks like you know your numbers." I said with a smile.

"Eighty-three, eighty-two, eighty-one."

"What are you counting down for?"

"It's how long until I die from boredom." A breath flew from her lips.

Same here. I felt like I was going to drop dead from boredom as well. Before that could happen, a sight came to view. My whole posture rejoiced.

Katsu steadily walked in our direction, two sacks over his shoulders. Each step he took, he grunted and huffed. As soon as he was close enough, he let the weight off his shoulders, tossing the sacks in the back of the carriage.

Emi had to jumped aside as one of them almost squashed her.

"Ahhhh!"

Heavy breathes flew from Katsu's mouth while hunched over. His stance made his

exhaustion very obvious...Hufff Hufff Huff...He was a strong adventurer, but he was no match for the weight of those sacks.

What kind of equipment was he bringing? Felt like we were getting ready to fight a small army.

'Now that I think of it, he never told me what he was going to investigate in the capitol.'

Maybe there was a chance that our reasons for going we connected somehow.

"Alright... that should do it." said Katsu, "Let's get going." he hopped in the front seat of the carriage, taking the lead of the horses.

From there, the horses took off, leading us on a road through the forest. It was

going to be a long ride, so I laid on a pillow taken from the Inn.

['Analyze']

[Estimated Time Until Destination: 14 hrs.]

According to the estimate, we'd make it to the capitol by sundown. That's if

nothing gets in the way. There was a lot of time to spare until then.

This was a good time to start a conversation.

"By the way. You never told me what we were going to investigate in the capitol." I said.

"You're right. I never did." Katsu replied, keeping his focus on the road, "...Let's wait till we get to the capitol. Then we'll talk about it."

That didn't make very much sense. There was still a long trip ahead of us. Wasn't it the best time to talk about this now?

"Huh? Why wait till we reach the capitol?" I asked, my head crooked sideways.

"Listen. It's just that...." For the very first time, a hint of emotion could be heard from his tone. A tremble was clear in his voice. He paused, almost like he was having flashbacks about something. Katsu quickly regained his original tone and played it off, "It'll be easier to explain everything once we're there." After finishing his sentence, he completely went quiet, maintaining his focus on the road.

This was honestly very surprising. This was the first time I heard emotion in his voice. Sadness, at that. Katsu wasn't a weak guy, but to make him quiver like that... this investigation must've been about something terrible.

______________

(Valley of Life)

Four hours into the trip....

We long passed the forest by now. Our carriage was pulling us through a giant valley. It was lovely sight all around. The hills were covered in bright grass, along with white dandelions.

Emi's eyes were gleaming at scenery. She lived he whole life in town, so, all of this was new to her.

"Wooowwww. So pretty." She nearly leaped out of the carriage.

Good thing I was there to grab the back of her shirt and pull her back.

"Yes. It's very pretty. Just don't go jumping out."

To the side of our carriage, was the calming blue river, moving throughout the

valley. It was so close that we could see the fish racing downstream. And even if it was late afternoon, the sunlight still made the water glimmer.

The day was practically over, and nothing had gone wrong. If there was ever going to be a day where my bad luck didn't strike, today would be that day.

Here, I was able to sit back and watch the beauty of the valley, all without any

problems.

'Today is going great. So great that it's kinda strange. Oh well, guess I better enjoy it. while it lasts.'

Hah...I felt myself sighed in relief as I gazed out from the carriage.

"I never realized it. But this world is actually sort of beautiful." I said.

"World??" Emi asked, "You make it sound like you're not from this world."

Right. I never told her about my situation. And I also don't know how she'd react.

Not sure how to answer, I stumbled over my words.

"W-well. You see...What i mean is...Umm."

What do I say?

In the nick of time, Katsu talked over me.

"Correct. This world is beautiful....too some degree."

"Right." I replied, knowing well what his words meant.

Like my home world, this place still had its fair share of evil. Monsters, killers, and people like those cultists. This world was bright and green if you never gave it a second thought.

"I love the world." Emi smiled, "There's pretty things like flowers and nature." but there was something she loved more than that, "The snacks are great too. There's cake, chicken, cookies. And Amaya's special pancakes."

It was funny. Regardless of the hand that life dealt her, Emi still had a pure

outlook on life. Obviously though, there was much more to life than food.

Grrrr...A rumbling came from Emi's tummy as she held in pain.

Hunger, I assumed it was. Maybe talking about food got to her.

My guess was pretty far off.

"Ughh." Emi groaned, "Can we please stop for a bit?"

"Motion sickness?" I asked.

GRRR...This time, her tummy sounded like it was bubbling from the inside.

Aggressively.

"No...I need the restroom." she cried.

"This would actually be a good time for a break." said Katsu.

Without wasting much time, he pulled the carriage aside.

Emi rushed off behind some tall grass to handle her business. Meanwhile, I sat here next to the river, my hand swooshing through it. The water was ice-cold, freezing the bones in hand.

"W-woahhh...That's cold." My voice quivered. As I pulled my hand back, droplets of water followed behind, splashing me in the face.

AaaH!

I turned to look At Katsu, who was sitting at the top of a boulder. His gaze was focus on the soft blue sky above. There was no way guessing what was on his mind, like always. But it was a nice thought to assume he was admiring mother nature. After all, his mind was always in a dark place. He needed to lighten up from time to time.

I walked over to the side of him.

"Hey, Katsu. Soo..."

"--No. Amaya. Don't ask me about it," Katsu interrupted, "I'll tell you everything when we're at the capitol."

Gosh. Rude. He didn't give me a chance to finish my sentence.

I wasn't even going to ask about the investigation.

"Oh...alright..." I was forced to pick up where my words were cut off, "I was just going to ask. You said this place was called the valley of life. Why is that?"

There were fluffy bunnies leaping over the grass, and there were flocks of birds flying overhead. There were even tons of flowers everywhere you looked.

I could make a guess and say that valley got its name from all the life that thrived here, but it felt like there was more to it.

"Oh." Katsu went on to answer me, "It's because this very valley was created by the goddess of nature and health. This valley came to be, around a thousand

years ago. At least, that's what the legends say."

Cool. Sounded like this world had a more history than I thought.

One thing from Katus words caught my attention. He mentioned a goddess of Nature and Health.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Was that the goddess I talked with in my dream?

No. I believe that goddess went by another name. 'The Goddess of Creation'

Huh, There might be lots of goddess then. I wonder just how many.

Jumping down from the boulder, Katsu landed gracefully, almost without a sound.

"Despite its name, this is where a very bloody battle once took place a battle between the humans and orcs."

"Did the humans win?" I asked.

"Obviously. This valley is still alive, isn't it?" he took a breath then looked to the other side of the river. A spot where a hundred different rows of sunflowers stood, swaying in the breeze, "That position was where both forces clashed. five hundred knights fought against fought against two-hundred hundred high-orcs. Though we outnumbered them, the losses on our side were heavy. At the end of the battle, more than half of the nights were dead."

It was interesting, but Katsu managed to make the atmosphere gloomy, even in a beautiful place like the valley.

He pointed at the rows of sunflowers, "You see those flowers?"

"Yeah. What about them?" I asked.

"When a living creature dies in this valley, their body decomposes, and they are turned into a flower. The flowers remain until they are torn from the ground. Each of those flowers were once a living orc or knight."

As I looked around, I started to realize how many flowers there really were.

Dandelions, lilies and sunflowers. I had a new perspective of this place now.

'Does that mean of all these flowers were once living creatures?? All of them??

Yeah... That's kind of scary...

The thought of it freaked me out.

Sure, this valley was beautiful and was probably a good place for a picnic. But it was a freakin' GRAVYARD.

"...Can we please leave now?" I asked, trying to hide how disturb I was.

Emi finally came back from behind the tall grass.

"Guys! I made a friend!" she shouted joyfully, a bright grin on her face.

Wrapped in her arms was a slimy blue creature, shaped like a ball. The moment I looked at it, I recognized what it was.

A slime. They were supposed to be a beginner-type monster that you fought in video games. But this one didn't seem hostile at all.

"Oh, cool." I walked over, patting the slimed on its head, "You're a friendly

creature. So cuteee."

Emi jumped up and down, holding the slime tightly.

"Amaya. Can I please keep him??" she asked, "I already have a name for him. I will call him Bloo."

A pet? That was a nice idea. I wouldn't mind having a friendly slime, but how

would we take care of it. I had no knowledge on what slimes ate or how to take care of one.

Were they like dogs?

Would we have to take the slime on walks every day?

And would we have to play fletch with it?

Hmmm. Does sound like a lot of work.

But, I'm all for it.

"What do you think, Katsu?"

Out the corner of my eye, I saw Katsu freeze up, his hand on the handle of his blade.

"...W-what the hell are you guys doing?!" He shouted. Katsu leaped forward, snatching the slime out of Emi's arms. With all the possible force he could muster, Katsu punted the slime off into the distance.

Boing!

Its round blue figure launched over the hills, leaving behind a trail of goo.

"Noooo!!" Emi cried, falling to her knees.

"Wahh! KATSU! What was that for??!!" I shouted.

I could hear Katsu's heavy breathing through his helmet.

Huff...Huff...huff.

He looked down at his trembling hands in shock, acting like we just faced a

dragon. It was just a poor helpless slime. Then Katsu came and kicked it across the world.

What the heck!!

He acted like he just dodged a tactical nuke or something.

Whie trying to catch his breath, Katsu raised his voice at us.

"...Never...NEVER pick up a slime. Don't even get close to one."

"But why???" I asked.

That poor slime didn't look harmful at all.

"They are not friendly creatures...they act that way on purpose. It's a tactic they use to get their prey to lower their guard."

Even if that was the case. We could've just demolished that slime ball easily. What was the worry?

"It's just a slime though..." I muttered.

"Slimes are not weak monsters." Katsu sighed, "Sometimes, even S-rankers find it hard to deal with them."

But he kicked the slime a thousand meters like it was nothing.

I wasn't buying into all this talk that slimes were dangerous. Truth be told, K Katsu had a burning hate for monsters. So maybe that was the real reason.

Whatever... I just went along with it.

"Okay...noted..."

We all got back in the wagon. Our trip continued.

Still, Emi couldn't get over the fact that her slime friend was kicked away,

further than the eye could see. She was sobbing without end.

"Bloo...come back."

Five minutes later...

The carriage came to stop once more. A girl stood in front of us, blocking the

way. She had her thumb stuck out, like a hitchhiker would. The appearance of this girl was sort of unique. The left side of her hair was grey, and the right side was white.

Reminded me of an ice-cream swirl.

Her eyes were a soft baby blue. Aside from that, she was a mess. Her clothing was all beat up, like she fought a bull, minutes before.

"E-excuse me. Are you by chance headed to the capital?" she asked.

"We are." Katsu replied, "Why do you ask? More importantly, why are you blocking the path?"

"Ah. S-sorry." she stepped aside, "You see, I'm an adventurer, also heading for the capital. I was hoping that I could tag along?"

"You came all the way out here without a ride?"

"Well, it's...it's a little more complicated than that." The girl stated. Her eyes turned to the side, avoiding contact.

"Go ahead and explain. I'm listening." Katsu crossed his arms and gave his fullest attention.

"Umm...well...funny story actually..." The girl giggled, "I was on my way back from a small village not too far from here. I did have a wagon to get me from place to place, but..."

"But what?"

"About five minutes ago, a slime came flying through the air and landed right on me. And...umm...it ended up destroying my wagon. Also, I nearly died..."

Katsu nodded as he stroked his chin.

"Mhm. I see."

I'm sure we all knew where that slime came from. You didn't need to be a genius to know that was the same slime Katsu kicked.

I was surprised, however. If that slime was able to destroy a whole wagon and nearly kill that girl, then it was a good thing we got rid of it.

'Woah...I guess slimes really are deadly. '

"Alright. Get in." Katsu sighed, "We'll give you a lift."

"Yess. Thanks so much." the girl climbed in the back of the carriage, taking seat beside me, "Ohhh. I and by the way, my name is Lily." she smiled.

Katsu didn't seem to care much about her name. He gave a dry reply.

"Okay." he set the carriage in motion again.

We were back on the road. Except, there were four of us now. Honestly, I didn't mind. At least there was someone new to talk with.

Before I could start a conversation with her, Lily jolted out of her seat, her eyes went wide.

"W-wait! I forgot to mention, that slime is down this way. Maybe we should take a different route. It would be a whole lot safer."

"A different route?" Katsu shook his head, "This is the only way through this valley." He glanced at a sack that rested right next to him. He reached in and pulled out an orange crystal that sparkled under the sunlight, "I wanted to avoid using equipment. But this should be enough to deal with a slime."

"T-that's an explosive crystal." Lily gasped, "You're equipped with such an item??"

"And I have many more."

Boing!!

All of a sudden, blue ball blasted into Katsu's rib cage, throwing him off the

carriage.

With nobody to control the horses, they started to go wild, shaking the carriage in every direction. The entire thing nearly flipped over a bump.

Just in time, I grabbed ahold of the lead, bringing us all to a safe stop.

"Phew..."

My arm dragged across my face to wipe the sweat from it.

"Aha. Nice quick thinking." Lily complimented, giving me a thumbs up.

"Well, I try my best."

Boom!

The ground shook as the sound of an explosion reached my eardrums.

Emi hid underneath a bag or two, while me and Lily rushed outside. Far behind us, we could see Katsu standing next to a part of the ground that had been blow apart.

"What happened?" I asked.

"That slime tried to devour me. So, I blew him up using that crystal."

That easy? Awesome. I wish I could've seen the explosion.

"Cool. So, we're good to go?"

"Seems so." Katsu replied. As he started to head back in our direction, another slime appeared.

Boing!

It launched itself against Katsu's back, tossing him across the air.

Crapp...Another one??

"Oh. Right. I forgot to mention...I sort of made a mistake." Lily muttered, averting her gaze, "When I fought that first slime, I casted a wind blade to slash it apart. As a result...the slime multiplied."

If a single slime could destroy a wagon, then it was bad news if there was more.

"So. Just how many are we talking?" I asked.

"Ehe...Well...quite a lot."

My jaw dropped. At this point, I realized the group of slimed headed our way.

They bounced up and down, coming closer with each passing second.

[Analyze]

[Number of Slimes: Eight]

That's not good. Sooo NOT GOOD.