[Wow, are we going to meet our Mori?]
Zigor asked in an excited voice.
Dullahans were naturally happy when they found their comrades, but Zigor's current reaction felt somewhat excessive.
"I'm not sure if it's the knight you speak of, but it's certain that a Dullahan has appeared here. It seems Nadab also left the group to find that Dullahan."
Minte answered my words by transforming into a cat and wagging her tail.
[If Nadab went out, there's a high probability it's Mori.]
[Mori is Nadab's younger sibling!]
Following Minte's words, Zigor quickly interjected.
[But Mori was closer to me! Because Nadab is stuffy and boring, always nagging!]
Zigor, who had been flying around flapping his small black wings, shouted with a voice raised high.
[To think Mori is here! Mori!]
Of course, there was no answer to Zigor's shout. However, Zigor was already excited as if he had met the other party.
As I watched Zigor with curiosity, Minte quietly explained.
[Perhaps because Mori and Zigor are the same age, they relied on each other a lot.]
Being close to Zigor and the same age as him, the image of two troublemakers automatically came to mind.
Would Mori be young and cute like Zigor? But they said Dullahans know how to transform into snakes. A snake…….
I tilted my head.
"Zigor, don't snakes eat birds?"
[Huh? Well…… that's true?]
"But Mori might transform into a snake. If he turns out to be your natural enemy……."
[Gasp……! N-no way Mori would do that!]
Zigor denied my words but stopped flying around noisily as if shocked by something. Then he sluggishly settled on top of Bark's head, who had transformed into a bear.
Bark shook his head saying it tickled, but Zigor firmly held onto Bark's fur with his talons and buried his head in it.
[Our kind and cute Mori wouldn't do that…….]
Tristan, who clicked his tongue low while watching such Zigor, slowly flew toward me. Behind him, several hornets were following.
……Hornets?
At that moment, Tristan shouted.
[Captain, these hornets have a report to make!]
……Well, whoever's report it is, it's good to receive it.
I turned my back and approached them.
* * *
The hornets' report was brief. A rampaging crazy horse had intruded into the forest.
'A crazy horse…….'
I don't know what exactly Nadab is doing, but I certainly know I need to meet him quickly.
While moving to the location where the report was received, I felt that this forest was wider than I thought.
It was wide enough to feel strange that no monsters had appeared until now.
I muttered.
"At this point, it would be reasonable to assume there was an owner of this forest."
Otherwise, there was no way there were no monsters.
With such thoughts, I walked for who knows how long? Someone's voice was heard from ahead.
[……da!]
[This kind of …… is ……!]
This voice that seemed to be pressing someone was familiar to my ears. I pushed through the bushes and quickened my pace.
The first thing I recognized was the strong fishy water smell wafting over. Then the sound of trickling water followed. It was a small stream.
Around the stream, fallen leaves that were damply stuck to the mud were being trampled wildly, and the one who made such a mess was probably that black horse over there.
That is, Nadab himself.
"Nadab."
Whether he heard my voice, Nadab, who had been stomping his front legs wildly beside the stream, suddenly raised his head.
He turned his head so much that his mane, prettily tied with a ribbon, fluttered greatly, and discovering me, he jumped with surprise.
[Captain!]
I first calmly scanned Nadab. He seemed dirty with dust, mud, and leaves, but no particular injuries were visible.
After secretly sighing in relief, I continued speaking.
"I want to ask about the whole story, but let's talk about that later."
[C-Captain…….]
Nadab had a troubled expression.
"Is my knight there?"
Ignoring such Nadab, I asked while pointing with my chin at the place where Nadab had been stomping his front legs. Then he answered while awkwardly stepping back.
[Yes, that's correct.]
Hmm. I tilted my head with my arms crossed.
It was a spot where hoof prints were particularly deeply indented compared to other surrounding areas. In front of it was a huge rock, and under the rock was a small hole.
That must be a snake den.
"How about revealing yourself now that I'm here?"
At my words, the Dullahans looked at the snake den entrance with tension-filled eyes. As I concentrated on watching the den, I could see the soil faintly stirring.
And after a while, a snake head smoothly revealed itself outside the den. The snake, flicking its tongue and sliding out, raised its head to look at me.
But behind it, another snake came out. And another, and another again.
At the feast of snakes coming out connected tail to tail, Pallides grimaced and screamed.
"It seems to be a snake habitat!"
Even Minte, who was generally unbothered by most things, stepped back as if repulsed.
[Zigor, never come down from Bark's head. You'll get eaten.]
Minte, who instantly jumped onto a nearby rock, warned Zigor.
As soon as her words ended, Zigor seemed to put strength in his talons, and Bark let out a faint groan.
[But Minte! Even now she's pulling my fur with her talons, if I get hair loss from this……!]
[Sacrifice the hair on top of your head for your comrade.]
[Even if I get hair loss, you'll love me, right?]
[I won't love you even without hair loss.]
[Sob, Minte is cruel!]
Cute things.
A smile unknowingly formed at my lips.
The frustrated black bear dropped his shoulders and buried his head in a tree.
And the snakes, the culprits of all this commotion, were making shik-shik sounds while raising their heads to look up at me.
Nadab, who had been stepping back and watching the situation, carefully opened his mouth.
[Captain, among these…….]
"Move aside."
[Huh?]
I heard Nadab's bewildered voice, but I frowned while keeping my gaze fixed on the snakes.
"You lot, stop hiding my knight and move aside."
At my cold voice, the snakes flicked their tongues and hesitated for a moment. The snakes exchanged glances among themselves but didn't move easily.
Just as I was about to urge them again, a faint voice flowed from among the snakes.
[I-I'm sorry……! Th-these ones are just wo-worried about me…….]
Among the fierce-looking snakes, a very small black snake revealed itself wriggling.
"……."
At a glance, it was a snake so small one could believe it was an earthworm.
As the small snake stuck its head out, the other large snakes around it made shik-shik sounds and wriggled. Looking at their demeanor, they were clearly trying to protect the small snake.
[H-he, the big brother was too scary, so everyone was startled……!]
As I blankly looked down at it stumbling over words while busy protecting the surrounding snakes, I slowly parted my lips.
"Mori."
[Yes! I am……!]
"The fifth knight who wanders searching for his lost head."
Perhaps because I said the words he was supposed to say, Mori looked up at me with round eyes.
[Th-that's correct!]
I tightly closed my lips and looked down at Mori. The longer my silence continued, the more I could see Mori becoming anxious, but it couldn't be helped.
Surprisingly, Mori…… I could recognize Mori at a glance. Not only this, but memories related to him came to mind just from facing him.
Because Mori was different from the other knights.
「There was a knight who was temporarily granted a portion of the Captain's authority.」
A knight who was granted a portion of the proxy's authority.
Mori was the knight who had been designated as the successor to uphold the legacy after the 'Proxy of Death' completed his authority and disappeared.
* * *
Mori was a young man who loved all living things.
He was timid and particularly lacked courage. He liked taking care of small and weak creatures, and he felt more comfortable losing to someone than winning.
That's why Mori was a knight who had actively led the effort to free living creatures. Because he couldn't ignore their suffering.
It was perhaps natural that the Proxy of Death, who cared for all life in the world, took notice of Mori.
The proxy, after he disappeared, singled out Mori as someone to newly care for the creatures who had regained their freedom.
Of course, this was not an official declaration. Before the Proxy of Death could announce this, Samuel betrayed her.
Therefore, the knights did not know that the proxy had intended to make Mori his successor.
'Though the person involved might have noticed.'
[I-I'm sorry. Because I'm lacking, the Captain had to come all the way here…….]
Mori said while glancing at me and hesitating. Nadab looked at such Mori and just kept sighing deeply.
[I tried to persuade him and bring him along, so I was delayed. I'm sorry for acting without reporting. I thought I should stop him first before he caused trouble…….]
Watching Nadab who didn't know what to do out of guilt, Mori from the recovered memories came to mind.
That he liked caring for small and weak creatures also meant he sometimes took on unnecessarily much commotion.
"Looking at it, it seems it's already too late?"
[……I'm sorry.]
I quietly watched Nadab who was bowing his head deeply, then shifted my gaze. I could see Zigor had approached the sullen Mori and was quietly scolding him.
[You fool! If you want to help someone, you should meet the Captain first and get permission!]
[But Zigor…….]
[Tsk, you weren't unable to return because you got scammed like in the old days, were you?]
[S-scammed…….]
Seeing that reaction, I could know for certain. He got scammed.
After waking up, instead of waiting for me, he moved on his own and caused some kind of accident.
"So what kind of scam did you fall for?"
When I interjected with an indifferent voice, Mori was startled and quickly hid under nearby fallen leaves.
With his head slightly sticking out from under a large leaf, Mori flicked his tongue while watching my expression.
I spoke again.
"I need to know so I can either clean it up or abandon you."
[C-Captain!]
The bewildered Nadab called out to me urgently. However, I declared coldly.
"I don't need a knight who won't listen to my orders. If you have no intention of serving me first, I have no reason to take you in, so say it clearly."
What use is the past?
It was the past life's proxy who chose Mori, not me.
And I had no need for a knight who would put me on the back burner while getting held back by each and every weak, young creature.