Chapter 72 – Tom

Ed was at the forefront of the group, riding his horse, and looked sideways. Next to him, Arin was riding her horse, and she looked like a scene from a painting.

She was so beautiful and had a subtle halo. Ed suddenly spoke to her.

“Thank you.”

Arin looked back as if she was wondering what Ed was talking about. Ed calmly continued to talk to the gaze.

“You accepted Brant as our group member.”

Arin smiled.

“It’s because of Emma. I thought I could trust Brant after seeing how well he raised his child.”

Ed smiled back at her. As for himself, Arin’s senses are incomparable to that of other people. Everyone could hear the conversation about Emma and Brant even though they weren’t paying attention.

This was because Arin felt a little more relaxed after accepting Diego as a formal member of their group.

“Plus, you wanted him to be part of our group.”

The words tickled Ed’s heart strangely.

“Thank you for trusting me.”

Arin smiled and asked.

“Will you be okay?”

“What?”

“You’re supposed to rest during the day.”

Ed was actually so strong that he wouldn’t get tired even if he slept an hour a day. His physical strength would allow him to stay up for a few days if he needed to.

This is due to his improved physical strength compared to before.

“I’m going to switch with Dex later.”

A simple film was built on the roof of the carriage, and Dex was sleeping under it. He couldn’t help it because day and night changed.

As they left the village, they had two horses. Dex and Ed took turns riding one and Arin decided to continue riding the other one. It was natural for Arin to continue riding one horse because she was responsible for the safety of the group during the day.

After accepting Brant as a member, Arin did not mind getting off the carriage. She couldn’t leave Thane alone inside until she fully trusted in Brant. But now that she had accepted him as a member, she trusts him.

Brant, Emma, Thane, and Diego are riding in the carriage together.

“He’ll be helpful.”

“That’s true.”

Arin turned her head and looked at the carriage. She was well aware of Brant’s ability.

Thane likes the thought of demons killing other demons, but Arin is still not sure if it is the right thing.

However, because she believes in Ed, she accepted Brant. Ed asked when Arin turned her head forward again.

“Until now, the bloodstone has guided us. Will that continue?”

Arin tilted her head.

“We’ve started encountering intermediate demons and higher-level demons, but I can’t tell the intensity of the force. But considering the number of higher-level demons, wouldn’t it be less likely to it’ll continue guiding us to higher-level demons?”

“I guess so”.

In particular, it is more difficult to find a higher-level demon that is not common. These demons are used to hiding themselves among people.

They are similar to Juan’s determination to hide among humans and not be found.

Arin said with a smile.

“But wouldn’t we be able to catch a higher-level demon now?”

“That’s true.”

Their power has changed again from when they first met Juan. Their level has risen, and their equipment has been greatly strengthened. And above all, the number of people in the group has increased.

Those who have strong power.

“I hope it’s a demon that can test our groups strength.”

Since the lower-level demon can be killed easily, it was good to have a chance to fight a higher-level demon and work together as a group, so they can study the members’ strong points and weak points.

Arin looked at Ed.

As Ed spoke, he had no concern about meeting an intermediate demon.

Perhaps that’s why Arin felt reassured when she was with him.

“I hope so.”

The group was finding a place to camp before night and prepare dinner. Doug cooks dinner, but now he has two hands to help him.

Diego and Emma rolled up their sleeves and helped him, but Emma, who fell in love with Doug’s cooking skills, was learning more about cooking these days.

There is always a limit to the food that can be made in the campsite, but after passing through Doug’s hand, the taste magically improved, so Emma was trying to learn it.

And Dex was standing and unable to sit because he rode a horse today. Since it was his first time riding a horse, his butt was sore.

Arin taught him how to ride a horse, but Dex, who has a natural talent for battle, didn’t know why he struggled to ride horses.

Looking at that, Ed thought God is fair.

Arin entered the carriage and was praying quietly, and Thane was talking with Brant. Whatever it may be, Brant thought it would be of great help if he could learn from the demon researcher.

Ed looked around the group and suddenly looked up at the moment he felt something. The sun is still setting, so it’s too early for a beast to appear, but Ed winked at Dex at the sight of something.

When Dex asked, “Why?” Ed quietly lifted his bow. And he focused on the place where he could feel something.

Something was approaching. But it’s very secretive. It seems like an animal approaching, but if left alone, Diego or Emma would be in danger, so Ed decided to catch it.

Ed set up his arrow, and it flew fast. The animal was turning its body like it felt something, but the arrow had already turned around and hit its head.

From his small but incoming experience, Ed went over and saw whatever fell from the tree.

It was a jaguar with a body length of approximately two meters. It had unusual in size. If this kind of animal had attacked them, they would’ve been hurt instantly.

When Ed returned with the jaguar over his shoulder, Doug pulled out a kitchen knife and asked.

“Shall we grill some meat today?”

Ed shrugged and put down the jaguar because it was an unexpected hunt. Then Diego approached and asked.

“Before you do that, can I command its spirit first?”

Ed looked at Diego. You got a rat spirit not too long ago, and he can already add one more?

Why is his growth rate so abnormally fast?

“Can you do that?”

“Yes. My dad also asked me to think about the next spirit command.”

Ed nodded at his words.

“Then try it.”

The summoning of the spirit was something that Ed did not know well yet, so he was curious.

Diego blushed slightly as everyone’s eyes were focused. In particular, Diego, who even coughed from Emma’s gaze, took the Orb out of his arms.

The orb belonged to the witchcraft man Isperto.

Diego held it and closed his eyes, and a mysterious green light emanated.

Diego put it on the forehead of the dead jaguar in that state and muttered low, but Ed didn’t understand what he was saying.

Seeing that he’s already learned the spirit command like that, he must be a really natural spirit commander.

When Diego cast a spell, a soul resembling a jaguar escaped the body and floated into the air. Diego reached out his left hand and put his hand on the head of the jaguar.

When Diego touched, the Jaguar opened its eyes and made eye contact. The two made eye contact for a while, and soon, the Jaguar lowered his eyes and put his forehead on Diego’s hand.

Then, letters on the head of the Jaguar appeared. The jaguar, which disappeared with light, reappeared next to Diego.

Diego sighed with relief when the two-meter-long jaguar appeared next to him. Until now, Jerry was the spirit he could command, and he wasn’t sure if it would be possible to spirit command an animal this big.

In particular, he tried not to make a mistake while Emma was watching. And Emma glinted.

“Diego! That was amazing!”

Diego smiled with a slight chin up at Emma’s compliment.

“I told you I was a spirit commander.”

“I heard it, but I didn’t know that spirit commanding was this great.”

Until now, Jerry was the only spirit Diego could command. And Jerry was so small that he could fit inside of Diego’s hand. So Diego didn’t expect much but felt great when he was able to spirit command a two-meter-long animal.

Diego asked as if he was being generous.

“Is there a name you want to give him?”

Emma strode up to Diego at the words.

“Really? Can I name it?”

“Of course.”

Emma looked pleased. Emma smiled and asked.

“Can we name him Tom?”

Diego’s eyebrows wriggled. It’s a manly name for a Jaguar spirit. Diego was jealous of whoever Emma was reminded of.

“Tom? How did you come up with that name?”

“It’s my maternal grandfather’s name. He really loved me. What’s the matter?”

“··Somehow, the name is familiar, easy to call, and it fits well. Tom! Good! Tom! He’s Tom from now on.”

Ed had to watch the funny situation in which the name of the two-meter jaguar became Tom.

“Tom and Jerry?”

Diego quickly summoned Jerry and put him on Tom’s head while Emma glared at him with doubt and smiled awkwardly.

“What do you think?”

Emma smiled at Diego’s efforts. It was even cute to see him restless.

“Cute.”

Emma didn’t even say who was cute.

And the group was smiling at the two.

The bloody man, who appeared in the wide underground cave, was riding a large rabbit with broken horns.

It may be ridiculous to see that, but there were no people who dare to say that when they see the bodies scattered around him. The bloody man looked down from the rabbit.

The man was looking at six other men and women sitting at a round table with a hexagram on it. He came down from the rabbit and opened his mouth.

“I think we’ve come to the right place.”

Among those who were wearing the robe, the old man stood up and opened his mouth.

“Are you Lagrox?”

The bloody man strode up to the round table and smiled quietly as he looked back at the people who gathered.

“That’s right, I’m Lagrox.”

All six people who gathered acknowledging that he was Lagrox were nervous. Lagrox looked back at them and smiled.

“I gathered you all here because I need the strength of the crossel.”

The moment the old man took out the orb from the inside of his robe, his head was cut in half. The other five swallowed their dry saliva when the old man’s head fell off.

They couldn’t even guess what the old man’s head was blown away with.

Lagrox said, throwing red jewels at a round table.

“I’m not saying I want to borrow it for free. I will give you the strength you’ve craved so much.”