Chapter 43 - Day of Departure

 

“Hey, d’ya hear?”

In Revel, a certain recent event sent the entire capital city into an uproar.

“Eh? ‘Ear what?”

It wasn’t the usual news of supposed Demon infiltration forces in the east, nor was it propaganda against the western Kalype Empire.

“See that newbie over there? Turns out she’s one of them ‘Otherworld Heros’.”

Rather, it was a celebratory festival to commemorate the official announcement of the Summoned Heroes as public figures.

“Pft, a Hero? Good one. I remember; that one’s only been ‘ere for no more'n three seasons, no? Not even a full rotation, anyway. ‘Sides, ain’t she just a student?”

Roughly 9 months had already passed since the Summoned Heroes were forcefully brought into this world, but it was only now that they were being openly instated in that position and officially recognised as such by the public.

“No, no, I’m telling you I saw her at the festival with my own eyes, man. Her ‘n all the others. You were busy taking that delivery request, so you couldn't make it.”

“...No kiddin’.”

“Yeah. Though, weren’t there similar rumours circulating before? About heroes or something like that.”

“Oh. No, you’re right. Who knows? Maybe it got too much ‘n they thought there wasn’t any use in hidin’ it any more.”

“Could be. Also, dunno if you’ve heard anything about it, but apparently, tensions are rising between us 'n the Empire. I’ve overheard some nobles mentioning a possible war during an escort just the other day.”

“I mean, it’s about time they made a move... You sayin’ we should book it before it’s too late?”

"Well..."

Of course, the purpose of the festival was not just to make the existence of the Summoned Heroes known, but details like those were only known to few.

“......”

Ashley Moore, overhearing various conversations and feeling the intrigued stares of countless adventurers around her, moved her feet with haste upon finalising the completion of her quest; the moment she pocketed a pouch of silver coins as a reward, she swiftly exited the guild building.

“Haah... Today... I’ll do it today.”

Clutching her fists with a mutter, she promptly left to find a certain classmate.

 

---

 

Later.

“Ryan.”

Stopping him in the middle of the palace hallway, Ashley looked at her classmate with a firm gaze.

“Huh... Well, well, well, would ya look at who we have here? It couldn’t be anyone but the Huntress of Y'g Al'brynh herself. And what, visiting a lowly mage like me? Well? What’s the big deal?”

Seeing the “guy with a rough appearance” who seemed to have mellowed out a lot over the past months for the first time in a while, Ashley felt strange. Although he started carrying himself differently recently, his ever-unchanging mannerisms and patronising tone remained the same, including that dastardly smirk he always wore. Having borne first-hand witness far too many times to what his past self was like, she couldn’t help but feel there was something odd about his recent character development.

“First off, don’t call me that; I don't even know why my Status calls me that in the first place. Also, what do you mean, ‘lowly mage’?”

“What about it? Did ya think I’d lie and boast to be some oh-so-magnificent S-class hero like I used to? Bah. I haven’t caused any incidents in a long time, right? And I don’t particularly stand out either as an adventurer or a student of the royal academy; to the public, what else could I be but a lowly mage? And yet, someone famous with a grand and exotic name like you is here to chat with me? You must admit, it only looks suspicious.”

“What, suspicious? What are you-- No, never mind. I’m here for the same thing as last time.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Ryan’s smirk completely disappeared.

“Last time? Didn’t I say it wasn’t possible?”

“Yes, but I don’t recall you saying it was always going to be impossible. Didn’t you say it would only take time to gather the necessary resources?”

”...I said I didn't know if it was impossible. And it's the same now. Give up."

"Isn't that the same thing? If you don't know if it's possible or not, that means there's a possibility it is."

"......"

The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Ryan clicked his tongue.

“Tch. You ain’t droppin’ this, huh?”

“How could I? This is a matter that concerns all of us in the class. Frankly, I don’t understand how you aren’t pressed about it.”

“...Whatever. I already gave you an answer. I’m tired. See ya around.”

“Huh? Wait! I’m not done!”

“Oh, but I am. Bye-bye now~”

Just like that, Ryan leisurely walked away, waving his hand slowly with a tone that clearly expressed his disinterest in the subject. Ashley, her eyes glued to his back as he went, could only stand in a dumbfounded silence as the confrontation went completely adverse to how she envisioned it in her head.

"......”

No way...

Was this really it? If she didn’t get Ryan’s help, Ashley had no idea what to do. He truly was the only person she felt comfortable approaching on the matter.

...No. I’m not done. I can't just stop now. It's possible; I can feel it.

If she gave up now, she wasn’t worth pursuing that goal to begin with. Reinforcing the determination to achieve her goal, she moved her feet; before she knew it, Ashley found herself standing in front of Ryan’s door.

Knock knock-!

Following a moment of silence, the door opened. Ryan peeked his head out rather slovenly, bearing an expression towards Ashley as if she had something wrong with her.

“...It’s you. I thought our conversation had already ended, but maybe I’m delusional. So, is that it, or are you just unable to accept denial?”

“I’m sorry if I disturbed your rest. I just want to have a proper talk.”

Staring at her, whose resolute expression betrayed her unwillingness to back down, Ryan was surprisingly quick to concede.

“Has anyone ever called you a pest? Ah, fine, I’ll talk to you about the damn relics...”

“Huh? Wait, what re--”

Before she had a chance to question him, Ashley was suddenly pulled into the room. Ryan, immediately locking the door and casting some kind of magic under his breath, turned to her.

“Took ya long enough. Though, it’s better this way.”

“Ryan, hold on a second. What did you mean when you said ‘relic’? I came here to talk to you about--”

“Ahh, I know, I know. Fuck. Never heard of a secret? I just made it up.”

“What are you...”

Did he...?

“Hm? Ah... Let’s just say, it turns out the palace has a hell of a lot of dirty rats scuttlin’ around. Anyway, I set up a barrier, so it's safe to talk here. You wanna hear more about the summonin’ magic that brought us here, right?”

“...Yes. Please, if you know anything, I would like to hear it.”

“Uh-huh. Didn’t I tell you everythin' last time? What makes you think I’d say anythin’ different now?”

“That... Well, it’s been a while, so I thought you might’ve found something new... Was I wrong?”

“No. But isn’t that a coincidence? Tell me what you heard and how.”

“What? Oh, no, I just decided to ask today on a whim... My Instinct skill recently levelled up to 5, you see. I just felt talking to you might result in something, so I came.”

“Wow. Now that sounds like bullshit. Sit down.”

“You don’t think I’m lying? I’ve never said anything about Instinct to anyone before.”

“I know you ain’t lyin’, don’t you worry your pretty little face about that.”

In a short period, the two classmates already managed to dig out a considerable amount of information about each other. Ashley, who had a hidden Unique Skill she never told anyone about, and Ryan, who seemed to somehow already know of that skill.

She also felt like he intentionally acted uninterested earlier in order to inconspicuously lead Ashley to a confidential place where secrets wouldn’t leak―a thought she could only entertain thanks to Instinct.

“Anyways. Point is, you chose a good time to talk.”

Each of them taking a seat on opposite sides of a far-too-expensive coffee table, Ashley couldn’t hold herself and burst out. “Did you figure it out!?”

“...Keep to that side of the table. ‘Course I didn’t; how would it be possible for me to figure anythin’ out when it involves undocumented magic I've never seen?”

“Oh...”

“Yeah. Anyway, I’ve more or less figured it out.”

“Wait, you did!?”

“Oi, chill out. Wait a sec.”

Pulling a scroll out from within his coat, Ryan unfurled it and passed it to Ashley. After a few seconds of examination, her eyes widened. “...What?! Ryan, this is...!”

“Whaddya think?”

Having glimpsed at the invaluable contents of the scroll, Ashley couldn’t contain her emotions any longer.

Bang-!

“Ryan.”

Slamming her hands down, she looked him in the eyes with an intense gaze.

“Tell me; is there any way to reverse engineer this? There has to be, right?”

“Oi. Don’t damage my shit.”

“Uh, sorry. Please give me an answer.”

Ryan, watching Ashley’s zealousness unfold right before his eyes, turned his attention down to the scroll laid out between them. What it contained was simple:

A blueprint to the Hero Summoning Ritual.

Recalling everything he had experienced since coming to this world, Ryan could only see the magic ritual through an odd lens. Otherwise known as the 'Interdimensional Summoning Ritual', and being something invented by the Great Sage himself, it was not something simple to understand in the slightest. Still, it was possible with the knowledge he had gained through being said inventor's “disciple”.

“Ash. I dunno if what you’re askin’ for is possible with this blueprint alone. Frankly, I doubt it.”

Ashley’s wish.

A method to return to Earth.

“And before you ask, I ain’t gonna put any effort into lookin’ for a way. It ain’t somethin’ I care for myself, so you can do that on your own.”

Despite (probably) being the only person who would be able to take the raw blueprint and modify it to his liking, there was no need to tell that to her and make her lose hope. Besides, there was no guarantee that Ryan couldn’t ever be persuaded to find a way―in fact, that was likely what she was banking on.

Sure, I'll research a way if I'm compensated enough. Just not anytime soon.

“So, there’s your answer. Happy?”

“...I’m not particularly satisfied, no. And to be completely honest, I simply don’t understand how you could be uninterested in a way to return home, but... For now, I’ll settle with the knowledge that it’s possible. Ryan, if you can do it, I’ll do anything.”

“Hah. Anything...? Now that’s a bold claim. If I need you, you'll know.”

“Thank you. I’ll help you to the best of my ability, no matter what. Then, I’ll see you later.”

“Oh, wait. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you the obvious, but you won’t get what you want if I find this conversation leaked.”

“Of course, I have that much sense after you already went this far to accommodate me. But, don’t you think the others deserve to know of the possibility at least?”

“...You really don’t know what a secret is, huh.”

“Hey! Fine, I won’t tell anyone. Just promise me to look for a way in the future. It doesn’t have to be now, but I want to know that you’ll do it.”

“Sure. Now go.”

“You know, that doesn’t sound convincing at all... Haa, oh well. Thank you again.”

After that, Ashley left, leaving Ryan alone... Or at least, it seemed that way. Waiting to make sure that she would be far gone, Ryan finally spoke.

“Nico.”

“Yo.”

As if he was present the entire time, Nicholas suddenly emerged from nowhere. Casually approaching the coffee table and taking a seat in the same place Ashley was just sitting, he chuckled.

“Haha, she’s very diligent, isn’t she? Even back then, she was always top of the class 'cause of that.”

“Too much.”

“Hey, about what she wants; is it actually possible to return to Earth?”

“If it was, would you leave?”

“Uhm... Well, at least for the moment, I prefer life here. It’s a lot more exciting than what I'd normally do at home, that's for sure. Even though certain things are quite inconvenient here, I think I'd be dying to come back after a month at most. Everyone would do just fine without me, anyway. Why, are you actually thinking of doing it?”

“I see... No, it was just a thought. As I said, that girl's gonna have to wait a bit. Everythin’ ready?”

“Oh, yeah. It’s taken a lot of effort over a long time, but we’ve finally managed to acquire all the necessary materials. Like you said, "trading" with the nobles helped speed things up a ton.”

“Hah, those guys cough up a lot when threatened with a risk to their social position, don’t they? Where's Kait?”

“She should be packing everything up now. I don’t think it’ll take too long thanks to the enchanted magic bags.”

“Good. Then, we leave tonight.”

“Tonight?! That’s real soon, isn’t it?”

“You said everythin’ was ready, no? What’s the use in dawdlin’ around? We've already been here too long. We ain't makin’ the same mistake as last time, so we’re gettin’ outta here as soon as we can.”

“Right. We didn’t expect the Sage’s blueprint to be so indecipherable back then, did we? Are you sure you’ve totally figured it out?”

“You doubt me?"

“Oh, no, of course not. Like you, I just want to make sure we can actually leave, is all... The longer we stick around this place, the more I find out about the depths of its corruption. The roots are so deep it’s disgusting. By the way, what’ll we do if they put wanted posters out for us like Jae?”

“They won't. It’ll take them a while to notice we’re gone in the first place, but even if they do, they're too focused on war with the Empire to deal with us.”

“Okay. I guess they’d think we’re on a guild quest, right?”

“That’d buy a couple of days, yeah, but there’s a reason I’ve been tellin’ you guys to lay low for the past months.”

“Oh...! I get it now. Then, that’s why you’ve been real quiet recently? Everyone seems to have adapted to the peaceful atmosphere, so when we’re gone, they’ll hardly notice any change. It definitely would've been different if you acted the same as before.”

“That’s about it.”

“Damn, that’s kinda smart... I don’t think I could’ve thought of that.”

“Heh, 'course you couldn't.”

“Hey...”

“Anyway, it’s all good. Tonight’s the night of departure. Relay it to Kait and make sure the horses are all rested up and ready to go. You guys have done a good job.”

“...Yes. Then, I’ll get going now. I’ll let you know when everything’s set.”

“Good. Now get your ass outta here.”

"Yes, yes."

Click-!

Closing the door quietly behind him, Nicholas was gone. Now, Ryan was truly alone. Lowering his gaze, he stared at the Great Sage’s blueprint, still unfurled on the table in front of him.

“......”

For the past seven months, painstaking preparations had been made.

Now, everything was finally in place.

Tonight, they would flee the palace.

And then.

“You better pull your weight when you get here.”

A new companion would join them.

 

---

 

Feeling his throbbing consciousness slowly begin to pull itself together, Jae woke up.

[So!? Wh-- -f he go-- int- - c-m- a-- n-ver wak-- u- a-ain!?]

Ugh...

[D-mbas-. I-’s c--led ---ep, n-- a -oma.]

[S--th! It’s yo-- f--lt, you b--st--d!]

Voices...? Oh, right. I cleared the Dungeon...

[My fault? What are you talking about?]

[It’s clearly your fault! If that fucker never wakes up again, how am I supposed to teach him a lesson?!]

As his mind emerged from its drowsy torpor, the words started making sense.

[That doesn’t sound like my problem.]

[You...!]

“...Hey.”

[You’re finally awake, you rat!]

“Stop screaming first thing in the morning, asshole. What happened...?”

Pushing himself up off the ground, Jae dusted himself off and picked up the scythe he had dropped.

[I can help with that.]

An unfamiliar voice spoke. Unlike the others, it sounded surprisingly human―perhaps because it was the voice of a Mimic?

“Oh? You’re new. You must be...”

[Sloth.]

“Right. So, care to explain?”

[Yes. Because you cleared my Dungeon, you acquired the Sloth skill at Level 10. However, as you must have noticed with the others, when the ‘Sin’ skills level up, they etch themselves on your soul. During this process, the influence overlaps with your emotions, causing you to feel overcome with whatever emotion that sin is related to.]

“That makes sense. I remember when I awakened Wrath I was pissed off at those knights who killed me, causing him to level up, but since he levelled up, I only got more angry. Same with Envy and Gluttony a few times. I don’t remember the emotion ever being that strong, though... Is it because I experienced all ten levels at once?”

[That is correct. You likely felt so lethargic after gaining ten levels of Sloth simultaneously that even with your mental nullification skill, you couldn’t resist.]

“Oh, wow. By the way, how long have I been asleep?”

[It’s been a few days.]

“Days!? It’s that powerful...?”

I didn’t know there was such a huge risk when it came to clearing the Dungeons. That could be troubling in the future...

“...Well, I guess I just need to be extra careful and think about the consequences of clearing a Dungeon before I go in. Anyway, since I’ve got Sloth maxxed out, does that mean I automatically gain access to the two abilities?”

[That's right. The first is called Lazy Movement, and the second is Dimensional Porter. Because you already possess the Authority of Sloth, their use does not require my permission.]

“I see. Can you tell me what they do? I’m guessing they’re both skills you used to have, right? Just like the others.”

[Correct. For the first, simply focus on a place within your vision, and imagine yourself in that place.]

“That simple? Okay...”

Doing as he was told, Jae looked at a place just a few metres away. Then, to focus, he blinked.

“...Oh, shit. It worked.”

In that single instant, he had teleported to the latter location.

No, it really is a ‘blink’ skill, right? That’s strong... Very strong. Anywhere within my vision, huh... Wow.

“I can’t lie, that’s fantastic. I can feel it uses quite a bit of mana, but something like that doesn’t matter anyway. So, what’s next?”

[Next... Hm. Focus on the oversized scythe in your hand and imagine storing it away in an invisible box.]

“Oh...?”

Is this what I think it is?

Again, he did as instructed, and the scythe vanished. With a little bit of focus, he could pull it out of thin air, and after testing that, he stored it away again.

“...Sloth.”

With an unsuppressable smile plastered on his face, Jae called out.

[What?]

“You’re my favourite.”

[...Excuse me?]

“I love this. It’s literally the perfect timing. Now I don’t have to carry that whining WMD around with me everywhere and attract attention.”

[Oh. Then, perhaps that was the intention of placing it there.]

“Hm? I thought you put it there.”

[No.]

“...Then who did?”

[The God of Death.]

“......”

Recalling the exaggerated nature and evil appearance of the weapon, Jae could only nod.

“Name checks out... But, why’d he put it there? Is the God of Death related to the Dungeons or something?”

[Don’t ask me. If I were to guess, it's because my Dungeon was the safest place he could find for it. No one would be able to make it there, and I can’t wield a weapon, so I wouldn’t be able to use it. Anyway, is that enough? I'm going to sleep now.]

“Oh, sure...”

At least I know who its “master” is now, I guess. Haa, why does everything have to get so complicated...

Before he got going, Jae decided to move some things into the dimensional storage, dubbed the ‘Inventory’. Including all the enchanted items he looted from the Dungeon, the bag of various items he carried with him, and the tooth greatsword, everything unnecessary to carry on his body went straight into the box.

“Yeah, wow, that feels a lot better. Isn’t this the best pair of skills I could’ve gotten...?”

Stretching his limbs, he looked again at where he wound up after exiting the Dungeon; it was almost certainly a place located within the Plaentic Great Forest, but the combination of dead trees, holy magic barrier, and the contaminated magic energy all gave it a completely different atmosphere.

Something here is wrong. What was it Aphy called this kind of corrupted magic energy? ‘Miasma’ or something? That explains the holy magic keeping it contained, but what happened here for it to get contaminated in the first place...?

Knowing that he would have to find some sort of help to figure out where in the forest he was in relation to Bahgwud Village, Jae took a step in a seemingly random direction.

“Let’s see what’s going on here, then...”