As we stepped out of the jungle, we saw the monkeys that helped us sit behind us. It looks like they waved goodbye to Kim. Except for one which hesitated following us as it looked frantically at its kin and Kim. After we had walked around a hundred meters away it rocketed towards Kim across the open field.
In one smooth motion the monkey which was the size of Kim’s head got up and sat on his right shoulder. Kim got startled but then calmed down when he saw it was just a monkey.
”You want to join us?”
Kim asked the monkey. The monkey did its best to smile and patted his head. I think it means yes. I can’t speak monkey after all.
”Okay! Do not get hurt though!”
He then scruffed the monkeys fur and smiled. Our party grows again. I hope Kim will be able to take care of that monkey when we get home. Only pet I ever had was a cat on Earth, and even then it was mom which mostly took care of it.
”You will take care of that monkey when we get home.”
Izumi said without any nonsense. It looks like he did not plan our family to grow either, but oh well. The monkeys survive fine just in the wild.
”No worries! I will be the best caretaker in the world!”
Kim cheerily replied. The yet-to-be-named monkey looked smugly back at Izumi. Izumi looked annoyed by that.
After walking across the plains for eight hour, we finally arrived to a hotspring near a waterfall elevated up from us, and a temperate forest grove. It was a quite serene ambiance which was enough to make me feel sleepy. It was still in the middle of the day but in four hours the sun will probably set. So why not use this as an excuse to take a dip in the hot spring? Always wanted to go to one in Japan on Earth. But because my family had a shitty economy it was a dream I could realize.
As we setup camp the monkey which Kim had now named Tail, helped us to stretch our rations even further by botanizing for edible food in the area. Looks like today we will have spices in our food today. Tail had scrounged up herbs which looked and smelled like parsley and dill.
After we had a delicious dinner made out of cooked meat jerky with cous cous, we exploited the hot spring which we camped nearby.
”Ahhh~”
I moaned with pleasure as my naked body submerged into the warm hot spring. After being with Izumi for so long, I have stopped being embarrased about being naked.
Izumi and the girls made similar noises as they submerged naked as well. Obviously he sat between all them three while using Nino as his seat. They certainly prefer this amount of skin contact.
Kim on the other hand was reluctant at first. He is still very uncomfortable about his body. From what has been told he never wanted to be like this. He had cursed gods named a lot while talking about it. But he jumped in after Tail, the monkey joined us.
Laurel the prince looked he wanted to join, but in the end he declined. I guess he do not want to show off his noble body to us. At least yet. He just sat beside the campfire with his bodyguards trying to pass time.
”After twenty days in the mosquito hell of a jungle this is lovely...”
Izumi calmly said as he let the hot spring heal his soul and body.
”For some reason the mosquitos do not go near me.”
I said to add to the conversation. Guess since I am technically dead my blood would not be good for them.
”Me neither~”
Butted Kim in with his girly voice. You would instantly take him for a girl as long as you can just see his bust. I guess his animal magnetism works to a certain degree on insects too.
”I hate em! They get into my ears!”
Cried Nyaya out as she itched her ears. Poor thing. Being a beastman is hard.
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”They don’t seem to come near me...”
Added Seris into the conversation. With all perfume she wears it is no wonder. Make me wonder why she use it while adventuring. Is it not a waste because she gets dirty?
”Hmmph. I just swat em.”
Said Nino coldly as she embraced Izumi from behind. I guess she got crazy reactions for it be possible after all.
”I wonder...”
I then said.
”What is so special about this land, for the gods anyway?”
I followed up with, and looked at Laurel which was behind me. He then looked at me, and saw my fully exposed breasts as I looked upside down at him.
”...uhm... *cough* R- Right. ”
His face got red for a second as he tried to explain for me.
”It is said that somewhere under a waterfall here, is a divine artifact in the form of a machine. According to legends can this machine when powered by a god, create anything from mundane objects to even avatars of the god.”
He then droned on.
”Deus ex machina.”
I blurted out.
”Eh, what?”
He looked confused at me.
”Latin for: god out of the machine. How fitting...”
I replied to his question. I kicked my feet around in the hot spring a bit and closed my eyes.
”Latin? Never heard of that language before.”
Laurel questioned me further.
”Latin is an ancient language from my world. Was used by the nobles and clergy before the common man rose up against the tyranny.”
Calmly I answered him. I heard a cough from him.
”Tyranny? What do you mean by that?”
Yet another follow up question by him. I then opened up my eyes.
”To put it short; Nobles and the church was in it together to oppress the commoners. Revolutions happened and the entire governmental and beliefs systems got replaced over time. Was it justified? Who knows? In the end I got to live in a world mostly free of suffering.”
Talking about this made me feel dreamy and nostalgic. He looked deep in thought.
”I see...”
He quietly said and then admired my body for a bit. You are such a pervert, prince. I then stopped looking at him, and only the back of my head was visible to him again.
”I now understand why these factions want to take over this holy land for their god. Getting to see their god in person is truly a privilege.”
I observed the hot spring while I told everyone about my little insight. Everyone just went ”Ok” and continued their relaxation. Kim was from the looks of it playing with Tail. Looked very cute.
After about an hour so I walked out of the hot spring and exposed my completely naked body. No reaction from Izumi and the girls obviously, they are used to it. But Kim and Laurel looked on in awe as I started to put on my clothes again. Tsk, enjoy the view while you can.
I then sat for the remainder of the day together with Laurel drinking tea, chatting and reading books. Everyone fell asleep at roughly the same time today.
The next day we set off to the town where the Horekesa faction lived. It was next to the road which took the long way around the jungle toward Port Jaranoa. It would take us fifteen more days to travel if we used the road, so a guide through the jungle was essential!
Along the way conversation struck up between prince Laurel and me.
”So who is this Horekesa, War god of the Sun?”
I was deep in thought as I asked Laurel.
”According to the clerics in the capital; Competitive, passionate and result driven. While Harjan is not a nemesis of him, they are not on good terms. Ever since the myth of the moon bringing sunlight at night. Relations has been shaky.”
Laurel answered to me with.
”Huh, gods sure know how to hold a grudge.”
I said and shrugged.
After a six hours trek we finally arrived at the outskirts of the town. From the distance we could see a structure which looked like a temple. On top of it shined a metal object brightly in the sun. When we got closer to the town could we see a wall made out of stone bricks and evenly supported with wood pillars. It looked like something made in Tibet, with the architectural style in this village.
Outside the town are rice paddies with the ocassional house as far as the eyes could see. The stream which came from the mountains calmly flown beside the western town wall. The people which worked the fields was mostly humans, with a few beastmen with horns strewn among them. The horned beastmen looked like Nino in race. Nice to see more of her kin.
We approached the disciplined guards at the gates.