The NPC sets out to defeat the demon king-Chapter 17

We made our way toward the cave.

"I'm surprised you actually managed to find one," I said to Cecilia, casting a glance her way.

"Fufu~! Of course I did!" she beamed, her face glowing with a bit of smug satisfaction. "It was sticking out from the forest like a sore thumb, so it was easier to spot than you'd think."

She puffed out her chest a little, clearly pleased with herself.

"Well, I guess this place should work for a rest," the Goddess said, her voice calm but tinged with a hint of fatigue. "That's alright with you, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "And more importantly, we should stay put here until tomorrow. If we head out now, we might unknowingly walk into something dangerous."

I wasn't just being cautious

It genuinely felt like something was wrong. The eerie absence of monsters in these woods was unsettling. Almost like the forest itself was holding its breath.

"Is it really that serious?" Cecilia asked, frowning as she looked around.

"Well... at first I thought it might be just a normal case of magic beast migration," I said slowly. "But the more I think about it, the less that makes sense."

I turned toward the Goddess. "What do you think could cause a mass movement like this?"

She raised a hand to her chin, thoughtful. Her white eyes narrowed slightly. "Hmm... Well, beasts wouldn't just migrate because of being hunted. That kind of pressure doesn't usually affect them all at once. I think the destruction of their habitats is a more likely cause... or maybe a severe loss of resources. Either of those could definitely throw the whole monster ecosystem off balance."

She paused.

"But..." she added, her brows furrowing.

"But what?"

"You said this was a large migration, right? And that they all seem to be heading in the same direction?"

"Yeah," I confirmed. "And not just a few—it's a lot. More than I've ever seen at once."

"Hmm..." She tapped her fingers against her chin in a slow rhythm. "Then it's not just a migration. No way. Think about it... hunters and prey don't travel together. If they were all moving, and sticking close, that breaks the whole predator-prey chain. Doesn't that seem weird?"

"Right... I think the Lady Goddess has a point," Cecilia said. "I don't think a group of meat-eaters and grass-eaters would travel together. Those that eat grass would be eaten by those that eat meat, right?"

Her logic was blunt... but sound, I guess.

Surprisingly, it made sense coming from her. And I couldn't argue with that.

Which only made everything more confusing. Whatever was happening wasn't just some natural event.

It was on purpose, maybe even orchestrated.

"Well," I said, shaking the thought away, "let's just focus on the present. We'll stay here for now. I'm going to head out and look for food before it gets dark. We're completely out, and I doubt either of you have the strength left to go hunting."

I glanced up at the sky, now dimming into late afternoon. "Though with how bizarre things have been, I honestly doubt we'll even run into a single beast out there."

I figured we might at least find some wild plants. Something edible. Maybe enough to put together a soup... though we didn't have enough water for it either.

"I'm going with you, Sirius," the Goddess said firmly, standing straighter.

"Me too," Cecilia added, stepping forward. "It's not fair for you to go by yourself and do everything. I'll help."

Well, I guess that'd make things easier for me.

"Alright. That'd be a big help."

With that, we set off, searching the surrounding area for anything edible.

...And after a good stretch of walking and combing through the underbrush, all we found were fruits.

Only two kinds, in fact—Tharnix and Kelvore.

Usually, those were considered food for beasts. But at this point, beggars couldn't be choosers. It was either that or nothing.

Tharnix had a certain reputation. Adventurers and mercenaries used them before heading into battle, saying they helped calm nerves and settle the mind. Others used them after battle, claiming the fruit helped heal emotional wounds from combat. If the rumors were true, it was like nature's own remedy.

Kelvore was stranger. It grew in tightly packed clusters and had a unique shape, like silver cones pressed together. The skin had a matte, metallic sheen, but if you so much as brushed your fingers against it, golden bruises would bloom across the surface like spreading ink.

I drew my blade and carefully peeled away the thorny outer skin of the Tharnix, revealing its deep red flesh and rows of small jet-black seeds inside.

It looked intense.

Almost too intense to be a fruit.

I sliced a piece and handed it to Cecilia.

She took a bite, chewed once, and immediately grimaced.

"Bleh... it's bitter..." she whined, sticking out her tongue.

The Goddess tilted her head curiously, her face blank. She didn't flinch or react at all. It was like the concept of "bitter" didn't register in her mind.

Did this goddess seriously not have a sense of taste?

I looked down at the piece of fruit in my hand.

So much for something that was supposed to relieve stress.

Well, as I said before—it was either this, or we starved.

So, I took a bite of the Tharnix.

And immediately regretted it.

A wave of bitterness burst across my tongue, like chewing on raw bark soaked in spoiled herbs.

It was so intense, my face twitched involuntarily.

The taste clung stubbornly, refusing to go down cleanly.

It scraped its way across my tongue, dug in like it didn't want to let go.

But then... something strange happened.

After the bitterness began to fade, a subtle shift rolled in.

A mild sweetness, hidden beneath the foul surface, gradually surfaced.

It wasn't strong, but it was enough to ease the torture into something—barely—tolerable.

Maybe... this could actually work. Not pleasant, but edible.

We chewed through the rest of that small batch, stomachs leading our hands.

With the bitter edge slowly becoming familiar, we decided to keep the Kelvore for tomorrow.

No need to burn through everything just yet. Better to ration.

Later, we set up our camp inside the cave.

The deeper we settled in, the more we noticed it that there was moisture. The air was damp, clinging to the skin with a sticky chill.

Water dripped intermittently from the cave's jagged ceiling, echoing softly in the hollow expanse.

It felt colder in here, but maybe... there was water deeper inside. That gave us a little hope.

"Goddess, you can use fire magic, right?" I asked, glancing at her over my shoulder.

She had used it back then, so I was sure she could.

"Well, yes," she said, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Only fire magic though. Nothing else."

That was good enough. She extended her hand, and with a flick of her wrist, a light appeared.

A small flame flared into existence, hovering just above her palm. It danced, casting warm golden flickers across the walls. The cave stretched deeper beyond the glow, its shadows forming jagged shapes across the rock.

"Should we go in?" I asked her, staring into the dark.

"I think we can," she replied, the fire reflecting in her eyes. "It looks safe enough."

I turned to Cecilia. "You can guard the cave entrance if something comes, right?"

"Yes," she said with a firm nod, hand resting confidently on her weapon. ƒrēenovelkiss.com

"Then do that."

"Roger!" she said, grinning like a proud soldier.

And so, the goddess and I moved forward, heading into the depths of the cave while Cecilia stayed behind to watch over the entrance.

The path sloped downward, gradually at first, then steeper as we continued.

Our footsteps echoed softly, mixing with the steady drips of water above.

The air got cooler as we went further, and the silence grew heavier.

The flickering fire cast a warm glow ahead of us, but everything behind was swallowed by blackness. We were walking into the unknown, one careful step at a time.

The cavern grew wider with every turn, its walls stretching further apart than expected.

I could barely make out the jagged stone outlines as the firelight revealed more of its massive size.

Then the goddess spoke.

"You're not going to ask?" she said suddenly.

I glanced at her, unsure. "Ask what?"

"Why I can only use fire magic," she said, her gaze fixed ahead. "Even though I'm supposed to be a goddess."

I kept walking, my steps steady beside hers. "I don't think I should ask something that personal," I said. "Especially if you're not offering to share it. If it's something you want me to know, then you'll tell me when you're ready."

She stopped briefly, glancing at me like she hadn't expected that answer.

"...You're a better person than I thought," she muttered, as if genuinely surprised.

"What did you think I was?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well," she said, looking away, "after that punch you gave me... and everything that's happened at night... I kind of assumed you were just a bad person. And a pervert."

"Hey, you're the one who started all that."

"What?! No way." She pointed at me accusingly. "You were the one who pressed your member against my butt. I didn't do anything."

"You're the one who crawled into my sleeping bag in the first place."

"I couldn't sleep, alright?" she snapped. "And it's not like I could just lie outside and freeze to death."

"If that's how it is, then you're a pervert too," I smirked. "Don't act like I was the only one enjoying it."

"Hah! As if I'd ever enjoy anything like that with you!" she scoffed, blushing furiously. "Not in a million years! Do you seriously believe someone like you could ever make someone like me feel good? Don't get cocky, mortal. Know your place."

She turned her face away, but her ears—red as fire—betrayed her.

"You're pretty cute when you're like that, Goddess," I said with a chuckle.

Her head snapped toward me, wide-eyed. "Hah?! Where the hell did that come from?!"

But before either of us could escalate the banter, I spotted something ahead.

The firelight shimmered faintly against a surface that rippled.

"Oh, look," I said, pointing.

She turned her attention forward—and gasped softly.

"There's... underground water," she said.