Sven and his friends run into a half-destroyed and abandoned hut, and find a group of hunters gathered there.
Three parties, including a familiar alchemist named Talia, greeted Sven and his friends.

They look around to make sure that there are no demons or illusions in the area. The signal they heard was not a sign of a demon attack, but rather a signal that something had been discovered, but just in case.

'Sorry, we found something that's not on the map ......'.

'No, I don't mind. I just need a clue right now.''

Returning the apologetic hunter with a light tone, Sven looked at the half-destroyed hut.

It was a wooden hut. It was so small that a few people could fit in it, and it must have been here for a very long time, because the walls and roof were corroded and half-destroyed in places, and you could see completely through it from the outside.
It is not the kind of place that can be used as a dwelling, but at this rate, it must have long since fallen into disuse.

Indeed, I don't remember it being on the map.

When Gark lightly touched the wall of the hut, there was a slight creaking sound.

'Is this a remnant of the time when ...... the White Wolf's Den was not a treasure house?

The White Wolf's Den is a treasure house. The level is not that high, but even so, ordinary people - hunters, woodcutters, etc. - do not approach it.
Hunters don't bother to build huts, so this hut must have been built when the White Wolf's Den was not a treasure house, but a good hunting ground.

Peeking inside the half-destroyed wall. There was almost nothing in the room.
Only a desk with a broken leg and a large empty wooden box without a lid were left in the room. It too was dirty from exposure to the elements.

'It's still better to stay in the field in this ...... place, it can't even survive the wind and rain.

'I don't know who made this map, but even the maps published by the Empire are not perfect. ......'

One of the surveyors replied to Sven's words with a look of disappointment on his face.

This is the territory of the Zebrudia Empire, but the Empire doesn't know about the huts that have been built in the forest without permission.
I'm not sure what to do, but I'm not sure what to do.

And now is not the time to be bothering with one empty hut like this.
The elderly investigator continued in an irritated tone.

'How did you find it in the middle of the forest with no road? ...... Well, it has nothing to do with this case. Now that we've found the clue, we should leave. This is a matter for the Order to deal with. You have accomplished your job well.

The leader of the party who had informed them of the discovery of the hut looked annoyed for a moment, but held his tongue at the investigator's serious expression.
This time, the purpose of the hunters is to investigate. If the client approved the accomplishment of the job, then there is nothing wrong with it.

At that moment, Sven, who had been squinting to see every inch of the hut, turned around and asked.

'Wait, ......, did you guys go inside?'

'? No, we're not in.'

'............ That's weird. There are footprints .......'

As everyone squinted and watched, Sven stepped into the hut with a serious look on his face.

No need to go inside, it's an empty hut. Not only was there no proper furniture, but it barely even had the appearance of a hut.
No matter how adventurous a hunter you are, there are some things that will interest you and some things that will not. Even if a hunter happened to arrive at this place in this wide forest, he would not think of going inside.

However, Sven's enhanced vision caught the faint footprints on the floor even in the darkness. There was more than one.
Sven is not a Thief, but he is confident in his eyes. Even at night, he can never be wrong.

He looks around the room carefully. There is nothing inside the hut, just as there was when he checked from the outside.

'It's not an old footprint, is it?

'It rained a few days ago, didn't it? Footprints from that many years ago are long gone.

In the first place, Sven's skill as a Thief is not that high.
Among the hunters who gathered, there were some professional thieves, but they all looked at Sven with indescribable expressions.

To the casual observer, Sven's actions may seem foolish. But his long-time intuition was telling him that there was something going on here.

Best of all - Kry had apparently used his treasure to fly when he visited the White Wolf's Den the other day.
It would be hard to find this hut in the thick forest. However, this is just a hypothetical, but what if it was from the sky?

Sven had also heard of the Night Hiker. It is a treasure tool with a history of deaths due to its excessive speed, lack of brakes, and poor maneuverability.
It is impossible for an ordinary user to find a hut and even a few footprints in it while moving at such a high speed.
But if you're a level 8, you might be able to ...... do it.

The floor, unlike the walls, did not seem to have deteriorated that much, and it hardly creaked even under Sven's weight.

He frowned at the stale smell in the air. It really is a wilderness. It's not big enough for a hidden room, let alone anything valuable.
You crouch down to the ground and check the footprints. Human footprints. But you can't make out any details.

The table is also faded, and there is no message written on it. From the decay of the hut, it doesn't look like it was destroyed by a slime.
Sven sighed and casually grabbed a crate that had been left there and lifted it up.

'......!

Gurk and the others, who had been watching Sven from the outside and couldn't enter the small room with him, were in awe.

Sometimes the simpler the gimmick, the harder it is to see through. People don't usually think that there is something in such a small hut, which is not a treasure house or anything.

What lay beneath the box he lifted up was a staircase leading to the basement.



§Down the stairs.



Go down the stairs. There was a spacious passageway that was unbelievably wide from the hut on the ground.
The entrance was narrow, but once inside, it was wide enough for several people to stand side by side.
The passage did not have any particular branches, but simply continued straight ahead. There was no end in sight.

The walls and floor were earth-colored, but unnaturally solid, and made a high-pitched banging sound when tapped.

Talia rubbed the surface with her fingertips and looked up at Sven in dismay.

'It's a kind of alchemy. The potion is often used to make earthen golems--but I've never heard of it solidifying such a large space. ......'

'......It's not normal to be building underground tunnels like this in the first place.

We proceeded deeper, careful to be ready for whatever attacked us.

The basement was quiet. Only the hard footsteps of Sven and his group reverberated in the enclosed space.

Unlike the outside, the inside did not look deserted.
The luminous stones on the ceiling indicated that this passage had been used until recently.

A bandit from another party who was walking in the lead frowned.

'...... I don't hear anything. ...... The smell is still there, though. ......'

The passageway was straight no matter how far you went, there were no branches, no rooms, but it was just long.


It's a simple structure, but I can't imagine the effort it would take to dig this many passages underground. It would be difficult even with magic. At the very least, it's not something to be made by a drunk.

The view is clear, so there is no need to worry about a surprise attack. No, this passage was not designed for that purpose in the first place.

What if this is .......

As they walk, Sven comes to a conclusion and frowns.
Perhaps he was thinking the same thing, but Gark's face had lost its expression as well.

He simply walked on in silence, not saying much.
Without wielding their weapons, Sven and the others reached the far end.

At the far end was a magnificent wooden door. What lay beyond was a nondescript room.

The room was about ten meters wide on all sides. The ceiling was higher than the path we had taken, and the walls and floor were not bare of earth.
Since it was underground, there were no windows, but it could be used as a living space if we brought our own supplies.

The bandit who was in charge of searching for the enemy entered the room as if he was puzzled by the unexpected sight.

'What the hell is this ......?

But there was nothing there. Not a single person, not even a piece of furniture.
Or, to be more precise, there were traces of something having been placed there. There are traces of someone who used it just a few hours ago.

But now there is nothing.

After entering the room and checking around, Sven clucked loudly.

'...... d*mn it! I had a hunch that's what this was about.

What do you mean? What do you mean?

Sven's face is suddenly distorted as if he's bitten down on a bitter bug.
I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.

The bandits are checking the room for hidden passages, but they probably won't find any. Anyone who was here has been gone for at least an hour.

Sven sighed deeply as Henrik looked up at him with concern and ruffled his hair as if to hide his annoyance.

'They got away, you know. d*mn it, this formation wasn't meant to kill that slime bastard! That slime thing was just stopping us! I don't get it, d*mn it! There are too many clues! I'll be back.

Something's wrong with the White Wolf's lair.
The slime that appeared.
Gark Werther led as reinforcements.
Collars and bracelets found.
The hidden room connected to the abandoned house.

And a thousand trials that were much better than usual.

All the information fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

In all likelihood, the mastermind behind the release of the slime was here. He must have been still around when Sven and the others started fighting the slime.

The reinforcements that Kry sent this time were not to defeat the slime. It was to capture the mastermind behind it.

The slime monster could be dealt with by Gark alone. It would have cost him his life, but he would have been able to hold out for a while.
Gark would have dealt with the slime monster, and the others would have searched the forest to capture the mastermind. That was probably the best solution for this time, according to the Thousand Transformations.

I was wrong. That slime thing was a tough opponent. There was no way he was going to let a retired ex-hunter fight it.

No wonder it was better than the usual thousand trials. It wasn't even a test.

Sven roared, driven by an unfathomable urge.

'I don't care! Hey, what are you doing with this? We've missed it! I didn't hear there was a mastermind! '

'Sven, calm down!

Marietta patted Sven on the back to calm him down.
A blue streak appeared on Gark's tattooed head. He is not yet as distraught as Sven, which is a difference in experience.

'If that slime thing is artificially created, it's a very dangerous opponent, one that we must not miss. d*mn it, there's too few clues. You can't catch up with them even if you try now!

Sven hadn't even imagined the existence of a mastermind.
Treasure houses and illusions are natural laws themselves. To tamper with them was beyond the imagination of even a hunter with powers beyond human comprehension.

Perhaps we're dealing with amateurs. He's not a hunter. He couldn't even cover his tracks. It wouldn't have been difficult to capture him.
But the difficulty rises when you have to start from the search.

If they built such a large hidden room, they would be dealing with an organization, not an individual. And Sven doesn't even have a clue who it is.

That's impossible. This isn't a test for you! We're not you.

As if they understood Sven's words, the members of the footprints that were following behind them began to rustle.

At that moment, the room shook. Gark clenched his fist and pounded on the wall.
The roar quieted the murmurs. Pulling his fist out of the wall, Gark slowly took a deep breath and said.

'............ Well, calm down. Now is not the time to panic. Let's go back to town and question Kry. I don't know how much you know, but you're going to tell us everything you know.'

That's right. We're not done yet.
I'm sure that man knows who he missed. You can regret it later.

'--Akasha, it's .......'

Sven, who had been spewing out a thousand and one abusive words in his brain, looked up at the sound of the small voice.

It was Talia who raised her voice. Her face pale, she scratched her shoulders as if to stop herself from shaking, her eyes staring at the center of the room - the floor with a fist-sized hole in it.



'Akasha......, you say?

Gark's expression was clearly strained.
He looked down at the small alchemist with a swarthy look, as if he were looking at an enemy.

The expressions of the two investigators had also changed. They looked as serious as they had when they had found the bracelet and collar earlier.

Thalia, perhaps noticing for the first time the gaze that had been directed at her, made a panicked excuse. But her voice was trembling.



I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure you'll understand. There are people in the Imperial Capital who are violating the taboo. Someone is repeatedly experimenting with the manipulation of mana materials, which is forbidden all over the world. It's the biggest enemy of the Strange Glyphs that must be stopped.


§§.


It was shortly after joining the clan that Talia Widman became acquainted with the alchemist.

There are few alchemists among the treasure hunters.
Alchemists require a great deal of knowledge and research, and have little direct offensive power compared to the effort and cost.
Among hunters, alchemists are often ridiculed as degrading magi, and even those alchemists who are capable of overcoming this ridicule do not want to become hunters, as there are other jobs where they can earn money more quickly and devote themselves to research.

Talia has been a hunter for many years now, but she has never met another hunter who has studied alchemy.

The First Step has as many materials and facilities for practicing alchemy as any professional institution.
The young party that Thalia is a part of is one of the reasons why she decided to join the Footprints.

The Footprints had more equipment than Thalia had imagined. There were materials, expensive equipment, rare catalysts, and even a room to install them. It might as well have been one of the best laboratories in the Empire.

And it was all gathered and assembled for the sole alchemist of the clan.

Citri Smart.
That was the name of the alchemist who had once been celebrated by everyone in the Imperial City, but had somehow disappeared.
An alchemist, a hunter in a prestigious party, but a name that is rarely mentioned, overshadowed by the fame of the other members.

When I met her in person, she was a kind, humble, and very intelligent girl.

Her pink-blonde hair was cut unusually short for a mage, and she said with great regret, "I'm cutting it off because my sister wanted to grow it out.
Her slightly drooping eyes were gentle, and she always wore a plain gray robe, so she did not look like a great hunter.

Until then, he welcomed the new alchemist to the laboratory that existed only for one person, even though it was called freely available.

Although he was busy and only spent a few hours at the Clan House, Talia and Citri became fast friends.
She taught me many things when I visited her with trepidation. They even called her a friend.
She knew about the bad reputation that had been spread a few years ago, but she soon learned that it was false.

Citri was a hard worker.
He was a true mage, pushing forward in all areas of alchemy, and even conducting experiments (not illegal, of course) that even the most experienced mages avoided due to their difficulty and danger, without hesitation.

Her passion for magic overwhelmed that of Talia, who overcame the opposition of those around her to become an alchemist, and ironically, Talia could understand why terrible rumors were circulating about Sitri.

Perhaps her high passion and tireless efforts were one of the main reasons why her name had been disgraced.

Citri had been too outstanding.
Her enthusiasm and talent for alchemy were so great that even her peers were afraid of her. Also, for all his talent, he was too humble and too irresistible.
He was the kind of person who would smile and forgive anything that was done to him.

He attributed his bad reputation to his immaturity. He accepted all the sins inflicted on him by others and accepted the greatest disgrace of hunters, the level down, which he would never have received if he had been a normal hunter.
His character was too kind for a hunter, but if Talia were to ask him to name a true alchemist, he would name Citri without hesitation.

Thalia is not his apprentice. He does not take apprentices because of his inexperience.
But he's practically his apprentice.

I've heard a lot of stories.
He told me about the experiment he was working on, and about a research paper he had just read. He told me about the treasure house he had visited as a hunter, and what it took for Talia to make it as an alchemist hunter.

And, on rare occasions, he leaked information about an enemy that Citry and the others were pursuing.

A good hunter has many enemies, but as an alchemist, Sitri has an especially large number of enemies.

The gentle woman rarely told Talia about her enemies, but she remembered the few words she did say because she was determined to help him if anything happened to her.

Sitri was always alone. He had no one to turn to because of the bad reputation he had received in the past.
So he decided that he would at least be on his side if something happened to him.

As a respected alchemist's companion. And as a friend.

A room in the basement. The hole in the floor was familiar. A chain of events led me to the identity of the slime and the cause of the anomaly in the White Wolf's lair.

No, I had always had a hunch. It was simply Thalia's weakness that kept her from telling him.

I was scared. I didn't want to believe it. But now that she'd come this far, she had to say it.
It might help Citri.

The hair-raising research conducted by the man who had once stood at the top of the Imperial City's mages that Citry was talking about.
A forbidden magic device that was sealed away in the innermost recesses of the Imperial City's academy and was written in research materials that only a few high-ranking mages were allowed to view.

It must be the remains of a "concentrator" that intervenes in the mana material flowing through the earth's veins and gathers mana material of an impossible concentration.

It's an attempt to seize control of the world's laws.
The largest sorcerous society of mad mages who wanted omniscience even at the cost of the world's destruction.

--The Tower of Akasha.


Probably, the reason why the traces were left behind was because they thought no one would notice them even if they were found.

Talia hadn't seen the research material. She only learned about it during a conversation with Citri.
But now, Sitri, who knows more than Thalia, isn't here because of the high difficulty of the Treasure Hall.

The names of the two mages that Sitri had mentioned came to mind.
One of the names is easy to find with a little research, but the other is unknown. But both are said to be equally dangerous.

I've been chasing them for a long time, but I haven't been able to catch their tails yet.
I remember the apologetic smile on his face when he said that.

This is an enemy that Citri would have trouble with. It would be too much for me, a low-level alchemist, to handle.

Her throat was dry. Countless eyes were waiting for Talia to speak.
Most of them were eyes that didn't trust Talia's words. The failure of the slime potion must be lingering.

I'm afraid to even speak of it, Citri had said.
That man is the worst kind of mage, the kind who is mad for knowledge and could lead the world to ruin," he said.

Then Talia clasped her trembling hands and raised her voice in a hushed whisper.

'The great mages, Noto Cochlear and Sophia. That's the name of the two people that the Ghost of Sorrows is after.