"...... Oh, I think I figured it out.
Oh, that's great, Toya. I can count on you!　--I think I can rest now.

　It's really hard to stay focused enough to see through mimicry and stealth.

　Trent is the most troublesome, but Shadow Margay and Shadow Viper are also not to be underestimated.

But only if you hit them hard enough to get a reaction.　If you're asking me to notice you while you're walking, it's going to be tough, probably.

"d*mn, that's useless. I'm not going to call you Toya.

　I clicked my tongue deliberately, disappointed in my expectations, and Toya's eyes flashed at me.

"Hey. You've been calling me that all along.
I'm kidding. I'm just kidding. After a few encounters, you might learn to recognize it.

　I had a hard time finding it the first time.

If you're in mortal danger, you might start to recognize it. ......

What's the point if you're dead?

I know. Let's just try it. Let's see. ...... "Stone Missile.

　I wondered for a moment what I should use, then chose the safest magic.

　A stone the size of my fist flew straight from my hand and smashed into the trunk of Trent, but...

It's not moving. ......?
Isn't it?

　Oops, you're giving me the stink-eye, aren't you?
　You're in trouble, Mr. Trent.
　If you ignore me, you'll ruin my credibility.

"...... 'Explosion'
Hey!


"Hey!

　I thought I heard a panicked voice, but I must have imagined it.
　I'm fine. I'm cool.
　I'm aiming for the top of the torrent. I aimed for the top of the torrent, where the branches were thicker.

　It started to move when the explosion inside it blew away the twigs and sifted through the leaves.

I thought it would be too much ......, but it wasn't.

Explosions are explosions. It's pretty flexible, you know?　You can use less flame and more blast, or vice versa. There's a lot of freedom in magic in this world.

I'm not going to use it on the spur of the moment either.

　I'm practicing and verifying these things with Yuki.
　Using fire magic in the forest and causing a huge fire is not a good idea.

　The other spells such as 'Flame Missile' and 'Fire Jet' are flames no matter how you use them, but only 'Blast Flame' can reduce the flames and increase the blast.

　Although the damage would be reduced, it would be useful as a fire magic with a range that could be used in the forest with relative ease.

　I think it would be more appropriate for Haruka to learn wind magic as a ranged attack spell, though, in terms of her magical qualities.

You're so creepy!　Hahahaha!
I'm sure you'll be able to figure out how to use it.

　I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea.

　It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation.
　I feel an indescribable sense of discomfort.

　But if you're asking me if I'd be okay with tentacles that look like sea anemones, I think that would be more creepy.

But... Can I die now?　...... Then, "Plane Shift".

　I'm not sure what to make of it, but I think it's a good idea.

　I'm not sure what to make of this.

What, that's it?　It's so easy. ......



　Trent was killed without any effort, and Toya let out a sigh of disappointment.

You can't do that if you suddenly start moving in the forest.　If you try to run away and open the distance, you might find Trent there as well.

"Right. There are many other monsters that hide in the forest and attack, so once they start to run away, it will be very troublesome.

So it's because they attacked from outside the forest.

That's what I mean. So, don't underestimate them too much. If you're not careful, they can hit you over the head or come at you from behind, you know?

You get it!

Yes!

　Only Mitya and Mary responded, but Toya and the others nodded as well.

Now that you understand how troublesome Trent can be, where do you want to go with ......?

　Last time, our goal was to return home, so we moved towards the transfer point set up by Haruka and the others, but this time it's different.

　We're going to go through the forest, but there's no map, no roads in this area.
　It's hard to know which direction to go.

"This time, we have Yuki who can do [mapping], so it should be easier than last time. ......

I?　I can handle it to a certain extent, but if possible, I would like to take a method that is less likely to lead me astray.　I'd like to go along this rocky mountain or that river over there, right?　We can go along the river.

　If you're looking to make money, you should probably go into the forest, but with the current situation, you can't sell torrents. .......

I'm not sure if I'll be able to afford it, but I'm sure I'll be able to afford it. I don't know about the snake one, but I think Margay's fur will sell for a good price.

I've only heard of them, but I haven't seen them. Now it's .......

I didn't bring it, okay?　It's in the same magic bag that the torrent is in, so I left it at home.

Yeah. Well, I'm sure you'll get a chance to see it soon, if you're in the area.

Yeah. So, which way do we go?　It'd be a little easier to tell if we knew the terrain.



"Then why don't you look at it from above?

　I blurted out, and Toya, pointing to the sky, said something quite absurd.

"How?　Just so you know, my 'walk on air' isn't effective enough to get you to high places.

No, you don't have to do that. There are high places.

　No, you don't have to do that, there's a high place," he said, pointing to ...... behind him.
　I looked back and all I could see was a high, sheer cliff.

"...... I see. I can see it if I climb up here.

　I've been practicing rock climbing for a while now, and I've acquired the skills to climb, but I've never had the chance to climb.

"So, who wants to go first?

　As I said, my gaze went to Toya.
　He knew exactly what I was talking about, and nodded immediately.

"Well, I guess me.

　Once roped, anyone can climb, but it's a bit difficult at first.

　Since there was almost no difference in our [climbing] skills, Toya, with his physical strength, was the first choice when it came to who should go.

　Without complaining, Toya took out his rock climbing gear and started to climb the wall.

　The rest of us backed him up with a lifeline.

　We watch as he climbs, occasionally looking back to check the scenery.

　That lightness of foot is indeed that of a beast.

　In no time at all, he had climbed so high that his figure had become small.

How was it?

"You can see the whole thing when you climb that high. If you go up that far, you can see the whole thing for yourself.　It's hard to explain. I found it kind of interesting.

It's hard to explain.　Well, I'm going to go next time.

　"Well, I'll go up next time." When someone says something like that, you have no choice but to go up there.
　Since the rope was already in place, there was little danger.
　I followed Toya to the cliff, climbed to the top and looked back.
　The first thing I saw was a rather large circle of forest.



　The river that Natsuki and I fell into runs along the left third of it, and rocky mountains surround the entire area.

　The image is of a forest inside a caldera.

　However, the outer wall of the mountain is quite steep, and is not something that can be easily climbed over.

　There are only slits in the upper and lower reaches of the river where you can go out.

　There is one more place, slightly to the right in front of where we are climbing, that looks like a cut.

　In other words, if you want to go through this forest, you have to go down the river, through the cut, or risk going over the rocks.

　But as Toya had said, there were some very interesting things in the clearing.