I changed my travel plans.
First, I'd buy a horse.
Then ride double to the forest where the teleportation magic circle was. Use the circle to reach the Begaritt Continent.
According to
Apparently, though, it was a pretty brutal desert.
Nanahoshi had been completely out of it and had to be carried by
So she told me to prepare thoroughly.
Well, I had magic. I could create a massive block of ice right in the middle of the desert if I needed to.
I'd manage.
I didn't have a map to the bazaar. But Elinariase was apparently confident about her sense of direction and offered to handle it.
The long-eared folk supposedly never lose their bearings, even in deep forests.
When I pointed out that forests and deserts were different animals, she got annoyed — "And just how many years do you think I've been traveling?"
If she was that confident, then it'd be fine.
Once we reached the bazaar, we'd hire a guide from there.
About a month north to Lapin. According to Elinariase, she could handle direction alone, but hiring someone would speed things up.
Once we arrived at Lapin, we'd rescue
I was worried about someone finding out about the teleportation magic circle, but there was no way around it.
It wouldn't make sense to send Paul and the others back via the normal route while I went another way.
There were, what, six of them over there? Including Geese, that made seven.
I'd have to make absolutely sure everyone kept quiet about this.
As it happened, I'd already gotten
I told them that someone capable of instantly killing
---
I prepared according to my plan.
Basic equipment was already taken care of.
My companion.
Plus the robe Sylphie had picked out for me.
After that, I'd bring the summoning scrolls Nanahoshi had given me. Not sure what they were for, but I'd take about ten sheets.
I could make the plates in a single day. I'd bring the paint too — if I ran out, I could print more. I could sell them for money as well.
Speaking of money, I didn't have any currency from over there. I didn't even know what kind of money they used.
I'd prepare something for exchanging currency, just in case.
After that, I just needed to stock up on preserved food.
This was my first time traveling to the Begaritt Continent, so I wasn't sure what special items I'd need.
There were probably plenty of things better obtained on-site.
The Begaritt Continent had deserts. Should I bring a coat to shield myself from direct sunlight?
No, I had the robe. Just pulling up the hood would do.
I could handle the rest with magic.
For a month-and-a-half journey, I had plenty of room for luggage. I could even bring a few unnecessary items.
That said, I couldn't bring absolutely everything. No point dragging along superfluous stuff.
Apparently it only took a week to reach the bazaar from the teleportation point, and it wasn't uncharted territory. I'd figure out what I needed once I got there.
Still, as insurance, I decided to bring a book that detailed the teleportation magic circle. Even though Orsted used it, I was uneasy about operating it myself.
I headed back to the faculty office, asked Genous for permission, and got the book approved for a long-term loan.
While I was at it, I borrowed one book on Fighting God language from the library — just in case communication became an issue.
"Labyrinth Exploration of the Teleportation Ruins" and "The Begaritt Continent and the Fighting God Language."
Those two books should be enough.
---
Ginger was apparently the expert on horses.
So I asked her to accompany me to the stables.
I also stopped by to say goodbye to
"I see. You'll be back in about half a year?"
"Yeah. I can't really go into the details, though."
"In that case... would you like to take Ginger with you?"
"Don't be ridiculous."
The last thing I wanted was Ginger holding a grudge against me.
"I see."
"More importantly, look after Sylphie and the girls for me."
"Need you even ask? If you'd like, I can assign Ginger as their guard."
I couldn't help but laugh.
"Dude, why are you always trying to push that woman as far away as possible?"
When I asked, Zanoba glanced at Ginger, then whispered to me:
"She's rather... nagging. Ever since I was small, she'd go on and on about every little thing. Lately, with
She was a nag, so he didn't want her nearby.
It sounded exactly like a college student griping about his mother.
Zanoba was still only in his mid-twenties, so I sort of got it.
Still, Ginger had it rough. She was young herself, yet here she was wasting her precious twenties looking after this oversized child.
"What does Julie think?"
I asked Julie, who had tagged along. Before I left, I'd tell her to make sure she didn't skip her daily training.
I'd make the Ruijerd doll after I got back.
"Master Ginger tells me about all the things I'm doing wrong."
"See that? Zanoba, you need to fix your bad habits. Set a good example for Julie."
"Hmm..."
It was like a mother barging in on a pair of siblings who'd been enjoying the freedom of living on their own.
That was the vibe, anyway. Truly heartwarming.
"Oh, right. Julie — even while I'm gone, make sure you do everything I assigned you."
"Yes, Grand Master! I'll do my best!"
Julie's common language had improved a lot. That had to be Ginger's teaching paying off.
Just then, Ginger returned from the stables, leading a horse by its reins.
"Lord
"Oh."
It was a big horse. The horses around here were tough overall — built to trudge through snow without breaking stride. They were like Ban'ei racehorses scaled up another size.
Apparently they lacked speed but had endurance — you could run them all day and they'd be fine.
Horses in this world were monstrous things.
I'd name it Shamu, after the pine wind.
"Thank you, Ginger."
"Not at all. No need for thanks."
"As a reward, should I have Zanoba do something for you? Back massage, maybe?"
"...Lord Rudeus. However close you may be with Lord Rudeus, I must ask that you not trouble the royal family too—"
"Ah, sorry, that was a joke."
She had actually glared at me for real.
Anyway, I'd bought the horse, and I'd said my proper goodbyes to everyone at the school.
...Wait.
Was I forgetting someone?
No, I'd said goodbye to every acquaintance I knew.
Baradi-Gardi wasn't around, so that was fine...
Yeah, I was good.
Everyone I'd told about the teleportation magic circle had been thoroughly warned to keep quiet.
No issues there.
---
Day of departure.
Final farewell with my family.
I stood at the entrance, seeing off by my wife and two sisters.
"Sylphie, I'll be back soon."
"Rudy..."
Sylphie's eyes brimmed with tears as she hugged me. I'd gotten used to the feeling of her embrace over the past six months. Small, but firmly warm — like a little animal. Her shoulders trembled.
"Sniff..."
Sylphie sniffled silently, tears streaming.
Getting this kind of reaction made me not want to go.
— Maybe I should just stay home.
— Orsted would probably handle Paul's rescue just fine even if I waited until after the birth.
— Come to think of it, a one-way trip normally took close to a year.
— I could stay home for another seven months, watch over a safe delivery, and then set out.
— The trip itself was only a month and a half. That would still leave plenty of time.
Thoughts like these flitted through my mind.
But Geese had gone out of his way to send an express letter. A high-speed courier meant for cross-continental communication that arrived within a single trip. You could only send extremely short messages, and it was expensive — not something you could reuse.
He'd gone out of his way to send a letter that way.
This was urgent.
The situation was clearly a race against time.
That said, I'd still make it back in time for the birth.
It was basically a short business trip.
I wiped the tears from Sylphie's face.
Then I turned to my two sisters standing behind her.
"
I wasn't even sure what I was asking them to take care of. But both sisters nodded solemnly.
"Brother, please don't worry about anything. We'll manage."
"Got it! Big brother, stay safe out there!"
I nodded quietly at their words.
"Anyway, both of you — don't fight."
"Yes."
"Yes."
I smiled wryly at their serious expressions.
"Sylphie!"
Elinariase rode up on horseback. The horse carried two weeks' worth of luggage, yet its movement hadn't slowed one bit.
That was our Shamu, all right.
"Don't worry — a woman can give birth without her husband present. I know what I'm talking about, so you can trust me."
"...Yes. And grandmother, please take care as well."
"No need to worry. Everything will work out fine."
Elinariase swept her hair back with a dash of style.
So cool. She was like a female knight out of a fairy tale.
Which made me wish I hadn't witnessed her throwing a tantrum the other day. It cut the drama in half.
Well, it just showed that even the perpetually composed Elinariase had her weak spots. Everyone had moments of doubt.
"Then — I'm off."
I hopped onto the horse.
Behind Elinariase.
She was slender, but her back was reassuring. Warm too.
Sorry,
"Hm?"
Sylphie tilted her head slightly.
No, it's not what you think. I just need to hold on tight or I'll fall off.
"Off we go."
Departure.
---
Five days southwest from the magic city Sharia.
We reached the forest.
Over those five days, I'd hired a man from the Adventurers' Guild to accompany us — so he could take the horse back.
Horses were a nuisance in the forest, and we didn't know the size of the teleportation magic circle. Having a beast of burden for the desert might be handy, but we were better off acquiring one on-site. Each region had animals suited to its terrain.
So the horse would go back. It wasn't cheap, so I'd have it taken to my house.
I couldn't ride, so I clung to Elinariase's back the entire way.
Of course, I wasn't idle — not in a dirty sense.
I'd spent the whole day infusing that diaper-shaped magical tool with mana. I had my hands around her waist, so the adventurer who'd accompanied us kept shooting envious glances our way.
We parted ways with the horse at the forest's edge, having the adventurer take it back home.
Farewell, Shamu. Live well — Aisha will probably be taking care of you, so get along with her.
Now, the southwestern forest.
What was it called again?
Something like the Rumen Forest, I thought. It translated to "stomach forest."
If I had to describe this forest in one word: "impenetrable."
The tree density was absurd. The trees were tall and thick. Their dense foliage blocked out sunlight, leaving everything dim. The ground wasn't so much ground as a maze of swollen roots — the footing was terrible. Big trees meant big roots, and the elevation changes were dramatic. In places, the roots formed natural steps.
It was a natural dungeon.
Even someone experienced with forests would get turned around easily.
And then they'd be attacked by monsters, or lose their footing on the high roots, and die. Their bodies would feed the forest.
"Stomach" was an apt name.
Foresters probably didn't come around here much. Either monsters showed up frequently, or they were somewhat tough, or the other forests were better logging sites. Some combination of those reasons.
Oh, but don't underestimate the foresters of this world. They were tougher than your average adventurer and highly organized. Sure, the forest had abundant timber, but it also had monsters. Even cutting trees meant risking your life. They formed teams, sometimes hired adventurers for firepower, and went on expeditions that involved genuine combat with monsters while felling trees.
The Foresters' Guild was no joke.
If the foresters didn't come, the trees didn't get cut. If the trees didn't get cut, mighty treants would grow.
"Rudeus, as we discussed — same formation as before."
"Roger."
For veterans like us, this was nothing to sweat. We entered the forest without any tension.
Elinariase took the vanguard; I covered the rear.
Elinariase truly lived up to her long-eared heritage. Her way of moving through the forest was elegant. Her ears were sharp too — she spotted enemies incredibly fast.
"Three of them, to the right!"
"Got it."
I fired a rock bullet toward the direction she indicated.
Far off, a green boar exploded in a spray of blood. The other two scrambled to flee.
Search and destroy. Elinariase found them; I finished them with magic. The monsters died before they could even close the distance.
Easy money. Honestly, it barely counted as combat.
Elinariase could navigate around the territories of pack-hunting monsters. That wasn't so much a long-eared trait as a result of her own experience.
"I've found it — this stone marker, I believe."
After walking for a while, Elinariase spotted the landmark. A stone stele engraved with a crest, standing before a wall of densely overgrown ivy.
I'd been mentally preparing to wander the forest for two or three days, but we found it in short order before the sun even set.
Elinariase definitely had a "Hidden Door Discovery" skill or something.
The stele bore the familiar crest of the Dragon God — the same one carved on the monuments of the Seven Great Powers. A design of interlocking triangles, sharp and angular.
Somehow it resembled the crest that appeared on my forehead when I unleashed overwhelming power. The details were completely different, but it was clearly modeled after a dragon's face.
But... this crest.
I'd seen it somewhere before.
Oh, right. It resembled the crest on the automaton research documents I'd found in my basement.
Still, the fine details were different. It just had a similar atmosphere.
Maybe the creator of that doll had ties to the Dragon God...
Well, there were probably countless similar crests out there. Even the flags of nations in my old world shared plenty of designs.
"Is something the matter?"
"No, nothing."
Elinariase asked, and I shook my head. No time to dwell on that.
"For now, let's break the barrier."
"Please do."
After a brief exchange, Elinariase began keeping watch.
I placed my hand on the stele and checked the note. The cheat sheet Nanahoshi had given me. It contained an incantation.
"That dragon lived solely by conviction.
From those vast and noble arms, none may escape.
The second dragon to die.
The Dragon General of green-silver scales with the most ephemeral eyes.
In the name of the Sacred Dragon Emperor Sirard, I now shatter this barrier!"
The instant I finished, my arm began draining mana into the stele. At the same time, the space before it began to distort.
Beyond the warped space — where thick foliage had formed a wall — a stone building materialized.
"Whoa, holy crap."
"I've never seen magic like this..."
We both let out sounds of amazement.
But this sensation of having mana drawn out felt familiar. It was the same feeling as when I used magical tools.
The stele itself was probably a type of magical tool.
Come to think of it, the monuments of the Seven Great Powers might be magical tools too. Smash one open and there'd be a magic circle embedded inside, probably.
But this incantation...
It had the ring of something the Dragon God wrote himself.
The Sacred Dragon Emperor Sirard — that name showed up and all.
This was one of those "Five Dragon Generals" from the legends, wasn't it?
The incantation didn't include a spell name, so it was probably incomplete. But if you knew the whole thing, could you replicate this stele's effect? Something like dispelling all barriers?
That was exactly the kind of thing that would be useful to have and dangerous to consider.
"Shall we?"
"Yep."
Ideally, I'd yank the stele out and take it home. But if Orsted found out, he might kill me.
Better leave it.
"Still, this really does feel like exploring ruins."
"Every now and then, dungeon entrances look like this."
What appeared was a single-story stone building, ivy crawling across its walls, sections crumbling into ruin.
"Rudeus, this is your first time in a dungeon, isn't it?"
"That's right."
"Try not to step on anything outside of where I've already stepped."
"Roger... but this isn't actually a dungeon."
"Just being cautious."
Traps were scary. But Elinariase wasn't exactly a thief — could she handle them?
Maybe she just toughed it out if she triggered one.
I had my magic eyes active, though. If anything happened, I could respond immediately.
"Then let's go. Provide support if something comes up."
"Roger."
Together with Elinariase, I stepped into the ruins.
The interior was stone as well, with ivy and tree roots poking through from every direction. It truly felt like ruins buried deep in the forest.
That said, it wasn't a particularly large building. Just four rooms.
We'd go through them one by one.
The two rooms near the entrance were empty — bare spaces roughly the size of a four-and-a-half tatami room.
The third room had something like a closet. Inside, we found men's cold-weather gear, showing signs of use.
Someone had changed here. The only person I could think of was Orsted.
The destination was supposedly a desert, but this area became a heavy snow zone in winter. Cold-weather gear wouldn't be available in the desert, so it made sense to have some stored here.
Hmm. If I'd known about this room, I could have brought more luggage. Oh well — too late now.
"What's wrong? Why are you staring at those clothes so intently?"
"I was thinking that if we'd left luggage here, it might have come in handy."
"...You'd be abandoning it here anyway."
Well, I doubted they'd store food supplies. Even with a barrier, bugs could probably get in.
"Shall we?"
"Right."
The last room had stairs. Stairs leading underground.
"Oh my, how suspicious..."
Elinariase thoroughly examined the area around the staircase. Her movements were like someone clearing a room in an FPS. Staircases were apparently trap-heavy zones.
"Seems clear."
Nothing came up, though. If you were going to set traps, you'd put them at other spots too — like the entrance.
"Going down. Cover me."
"Roger."
Elinariase descended carefully. I followed in her footsteps, watching her feet and stepping exactly where she stepped.
Even though we were going underground, the surroundings were surprisingly bright. The reason became clear once we reached the bottom.
"...Found it."
At the foot of the stairs lay a massive magic circle. About the size of a four-and-a-half tatami room — roughly the same size as the one I'd seen beneath the Shirone royal palace. It pulsed with a pale blue glow.
"So this is the teleportation magic circle?"
"Most likely."
I pulled out a book from my luggage and compared. It closely matched the description of a bidirectional teleportation circle. The fine details differed, but the characteristics were unmistakable.
If Nanahoshi's story was true, stepping onto this circle would whisk us to the Begaritt Continent in the blink of an eye.
Elinariase stood gazing at the teleportation circle.
"What's wrong? Let's go."
"I... have some unpleasant memories involving teleportation."
Unpleasant teleportation memories? Something must have happened back in her adventuring days.
"I've got unpleasant memories too, you know."
"So you do."
Elinariase shook her head and looked at the circle with resolve.
"If we get sent somewhere weird, we'll just have to punish Nanahoshi."
"Indeed. I'll grab both your arms, and you can punch her right in the—"
"Nope, I'm not touching that."
"I didn't say anything lewd! I was going to say poke her in the nose or something! How does your mind jump there so fast — you're lewd, you know that?"
"Getting excited about poking a girl's nose? That's pretty weird."
"Oh really? Perhaps I should have Cliff try that with you."
"I take no responsibility for that."
We kept up the banter as Elinariase took my hand. It was slender but firm — an adventurer's hand. Warm, and slightly damp.
My heart skipped a beat.
I had Sylphie. She had Cliff.
What would happen if I made a move?
Not so much cheating as... an affair?
Neither of us was particularly interested in the other, though.
"You seem to be under some kind of misunderstanding, but for teleportation to work, parts of both our bodies need to be touching. We can't go together otherwise."
"Ah, right. My apologies."
Get it together. I wasn't a virgin anymore — I shouldn't be getting flustered by stuff like this.
"Oh, what a sinful woman I am — even seducing my own granddaughter's husband!"
"Pay for your sins by becoming a divorcée."
"Ack — d-don't say things like that!"
Hmm. If we kept it at this teasing level, we wouldn't cross any lines.
Elinariase's ability to read the room really was impressive.
"All right, shall we?"
"Yes."
Together, we stepped onto the teleportation magic circle.