Five days passed as we traveled by carriage through the city. Following Elisa's guidance, we arrived before a vast forest.
A mountain range marking the southern border of the Zebuldia Empire. At its base spread a great sea of trees. According to the map, it wasn't supposed to be that wide, but the thickly overgrown trees seemed to reject all human intrusion. There were gaps barely wide enough for a carriage to squeeze through between them, but calling them paths would be generous.
The ground was rough and uneven, and without a Treasure Weapon, even traveling by carriage would be far from comfortable. Besides, it was obvious that if we forced our way in, we'd eventually hit a dead end.
We'd climbed mountains during our vacation too, but those at least had proper trails, old as they were. This great forest didn't seem as dangerous as the one we'd passed through on vacation, but no doubt quite a few Monsters inhabited it. Ley Lines typically flowed through forests and mountain ranges. Mana Material strengthened living creatures, so untouched wilderness like this existed in virtually every country.
A trail rumored to house powerful Monsters, or a beast path with a moderate number of Monsters—which was safer?
The answer was... neither was safe!
I climbed down from the carriage and, hiding in Anthem's shadow, cautiously surveyed the area.
Actually, were we still in Imperial territory...? Was Yugdra actually located inside the Empire? There were stories of Yugdra having a giant tree—the World Tree—but as far as I could see from a distance, no such massive tree was visible— As I blinked in confusion, Tinno, who had been walking alongside the carriage catching his breath, looked up at Elisa timidly and asked.
"Um... Elisa. Was Yugdra inside Zebuldia? We're still within the Empire's borders, so..."
"Hmph... What a pointless question. Yugdra is a place that rarely even invites its own kind—Spiritfolk. There's no way it would be in a human nation."
Instead of Elisa, Lapis answered from behind, looking thoroughly displeased.
Tinno grimaced but held his tongue. As someone who'd been wondering the same thing, I couldn't just let that pass.
"No, I think that's a fair question. Yugdra is a legendary country, so not knowing where it is makes total sense."
"...You weak human, just how much do you even know?" Kruse interjected, furrowing her brow.
I didn't know anything. That was exactly why I was saying it made sense not to know the location!
Elisa let out her usual languid sigh and spoke.
"Yugdra isn't in the Empire. However—a path does exist. Without being invited—without a Spiritfolk guide—one cannot enter. A path."
"The 'Divine Tree Circuit'—after prolonged wars, Yugdra's royal family developed a new means of transport by harnessing the power of Ley Lines. An invisible path connected to every forest."
"...Harnessing Ley Lines—as expected of the people of magic, their magical technology is quite advanced. In the Empire, research using Ley Line power is completely illegal, you know."
Citry murmured, clearly impressed. An invisible path that only the chosen could traverse—the stuff of classic adventure tales.
The forest was dangerous and held no pleasant memories for me, but if our safety was guaranteed, that changed things.
"A picnic after so long wouldn't be half bad..."
"The Divine Tree Circuit is crawling with immensely powerful magical beasts and phantasms designed to ward off intruders. Monsters already thought extinct, and Divine Beasts that rarely appear on the surface. After all, they exist on top of Ley Lines. It's nothing compared to something like a Treasure Hall. Of course, as long as you follow your guide and stay on the correct path, there won't be any problems, but..."
You just had to say something unpleasant, didn't you? Could you have said that a little sooner? I'd already brought up a picnic!
Liliz's eyes lit up at Lapis's words. She seemed to be nursing some frustration from having missed the Demon King.
"Hmm. That sounds fun. Hey, Klye-chan? What if we deliberately went off the main path?"
"...Luke isn't here right now, so..."
"Without Luke, we'd get a bigger share of the loot. Right, Tinno?"
You were saying something absolutely insane. Granted, if we didn't hurry, Luke might never recover from his petrification, but Liliz seemed completely unconcerned about that possibility. ...Well, it was Luke, after all.
"So, Wanderer. You've already made contact with the guide, right?"
"...Of course."
Elisa answered with an expression that suggested something didn't quite add up, glancing down at her own long legs as she spoke.
I trusted her... Well, even if I didn't, having come this far, there was no option but to go forward.
Liliz and Citry were raring to go, after all. As for Lucia, she maintained her usual composed face, but I could tell her spirits were up—I was her brother, after all. Since I couldn't even make it back to the Imperial Capital on my own, we were all in this together.
Tinno would probably come along if I asked, but with the Demon King potentially showing up, that was a no-go.
Then, Elisa removed a small pouch from her belt and turned it over in her palm.
Out came a slender, rainbow-gleaming gem. A leather cord was tied around its middle.
There were six of them. Elisa handed the gems one by one to the members of the Mourning Specter, took one for herself, and passed one to me, saying: "That is the Guide. They should be providing us with a guide as well, but—with this, you won't get lost on the way to Yugdra... supposedly."
So this stone was the Guide. What kind of mechanism did it use to guide us?
As I blinked, listening blankly, Liliz picked up the leather cord and held it up.
The gem dangling from the cord was slowly spinning.
"Could this be... a compass...?"
"...Yes."
I see, so that's how it worked. Liliz was sharp as always.
It clearly wasn't made of magnet, but among my Treasure Weapons there were also items with mysterious powers that showed the way. Pointing that out would just be pedantic.
Lapis furrowed her brow and examined it carefully.
"So this is the rumored key to Yugdra. We don't get one?"
"...These only show the path. Follow behind and you won't get lost."
Surprisingly, the method for reaching Yugdra seemed straightforward.
At Elisa's words, one of the Star's Holy Thunder members who had been staring at the gem from behind muttered: "If only we hadn't offered our cooperation to that Knight Commander, we would have been the ones given these..."
"...Well, I don't think you lot could have persuaded the Spiritfolk Queen, so..."
"...Wh-what did you say?!"
The Star's Holy Thunder members bristled. But Elisa's success in persuading the Queen had been partly luck to begin with.
A word like "match" aimed at humans—proud Spiritfolk wouldn't have been able to say it, even as part of a strategy. Only someone as unconventional as Elisa could have produced those words on the spot. ...Come to think of it, being told you're someone's "match" and then having that person dismiss you was actually pretty rude, wasn't it?
Elisa looked troubled, her brows drawn into an inverted V.
Come to think of it, I'd heard Spiritfolk had strong in-group solidarity, but I'd rarely seen Elisa and the Star's Holy Thunder together. It wasn't that they were on bad terms, but... having the group fall apart here wouldn't be good.
I let out a small sigh and held out the compass I'd just received.
"Well, arguing about it here won't help. If you're fine with mine, you can have it."
I said it with good intentions, but Kruse looked at me with wide eyes.
The other Spiritfolk standing behind her had strained expressions. They were all beautiful, so their collective glares were quite intimidating—but as someone who got scolded by every kind of being in existence, being thin was all I could take away from it.
"...You weak human, you really are good at getting people worked up, you know."
"...Hmph. Thousand Transformations, don't misunderstand! Don't insult me! It's not that I want your pity. That stone is proof recognized by the royal family—receiving it from the likes of you would be meaningless!"
Lapis spoke in a voice that sent chills down my spine. It wasn't about pity or anything like that—I'd probably never use a compass again, and besides, we already had six of them.
But if she didn't want it, so be it. I tucked the stone into my pocket and brushed off my coat.
"Just say the word if you change your mind."
"...Wanderer, where is this guide of yours?!"
"In the forest."
"Then let's get to the meeting point immediately! We need to get Thousand Swords back!"
Lapis's commanding voice rang out with such clarity that it straightened my spine. The Star's Holy Thunder were fired up this time.
That reminded me—I had a Treasure Weapon on me that I'd never get a chance to show off at any other time. I cracked my fingers and had Mimmy spit out a Treasure Weapon.
"Oh right, speaking of guides, I have a Treasure Weapon like this too!"
"Hmm... Is that... a compass-type Treasure Weapon?"
What I produced was a compass-type Treasure Weapon that fit in the palm of my hand. From the needle to the outer rim, everything was made of black stone, and strange red patterns were etched onto the needle.
In high-level Treasure Halls, there were places where a human's sense of direction was completely useless. A compass-type Treasure Weapon that could show the correct path in such situations was one of the most in-demand items among Treasure Weapons—though they weren't always reliable.
"You still had that thing, Klye-chan?"
Liliz frowned at the Treasure Weapon I'd proudly held up. Citry also looked troubled, and Lucia was pressing her hand to her forehead as if nursing a headache. At least I couldn't see Anthem's expression.
Kruse's eyes went wide as she exclaimed in an exaggerated voice: "A compass-type Treasure Weapon... C-could that be the one famous for pointing toward the safe path—"
You were really getting into it. As expected of Tsuyonobu.
When it came to compass-type Treasure Weapons, there were several varieties.
Some simply pointed north with reliable accuracy, others provided the vague but extremely useful guidance of "the right path," and still others continuously pointed toward a specific item or location. Their prices varied enormously depending on what they pointed toward, but this particular one was unlike any other compass-type Treasure Weapon in existence.
I placed the still-spinning compass into Kruse's palm and grinned.
"Heh, you're too sweet. It's the exact opposite—"
"...Huh? The... opposite...?"
"It's a 'Fool's Guidepost'—it points toward wherever misfortune awaits."
In this world, there were countless compass-type Treasure Weapons, but artifacts that pointed toward dangerous paths were virtually nonexistent. If someone had the technical skill to make such a thing, they'd much rather make one that pointed toward safe routes.
In that sense, this Treasure Weapon—which showed you paths you absolutely should not take, whether due to accidents, Monsters, or Phantoms—could truly be called a rare find.
"!? Wh-what would you even use that for...?"
Kruse's voice cracked. Tinno had gone pale and was looking away.
"I just brought it along. It's not like I'm going to use it..."
I was just showing off, really. By the way, the reason the combative Liliz and the others looked so uncomfortable around this Treasure Weapon was that the first time they'd tried using it, they'd gone through a terrible experience.
"Hmm... W-well, depending on how you use it, it could be useful... As long as you don't go in the direction it points, right?"
Kruse did her best to offer a save.
Just then, the needle that had been spinning in the Treasure Weapon stopped dead. Its tip was pointing in the exact direction we were about to head.
"...O-oh, this is... that."
"...Just, you know, don't worry about it too much. If I avoided every dangerous place, I couldn't call myself a Hunter."
"Ah..."
I took the Treasure Weapon back. The truth was, the reason I didn't carry this thing around was precisely because its needle would invariably point in whatever direction I wanted to go—as if the thing had coordinated with itself.
Besides, the needle showed direction but not distance. When it said "misfortune," there were varying degrees and types—avoiding that direction entirely would leave you unable to do anything.
Besides... even without something like this, I was always unlucky.
Elisa kept checking her feet and spoke, sounding inconvenienced: "Klye, put that dangerous thing away and let's move. The meeting point is... quite treacherous to reach."
I see... So the Divine Tree Circuit itself was safe once you were guided in, but getting to it was dangerous. Got it, got it.
From inside the forest came a strange cry, vaguely reminiscent of a child's scream. A transparent trap. Everything was just so tiresome.
With the spirit of a man with nothing left to lose, I let out a small sigh and spoke: "It's not enough to warrant me getting involved yet. Kruse, Lapis, handle it. Ah, and absolutely no lightning techniques, please."
§ It had been a while since we fought together, but the Star's Holy Thunder's abilities exceeded what I'd expected.
The high potential of Spiritfolk was well known, but at the same time, they tended to hold back when fighting alongside humans.
This time, however, Lapis and her crew were clearly motivated.
They each had their strengths and weaknesses, but in terms of raw destructive power, they likely surpassed the Black Gold Cross, a top-tier Clan Party. This was a Mage Party at its finest.
Wind and water-element attack spells pierced through the trees without damaging the forest, all while accurately repelling the magical beasts that charged at us. I wished Lucia—who had focused solely on expanding power and range—would take notes.
"You're really fired up this time."
"Hmph... I don't like owing debts."
In response to my question, Lapis answered with a grunt. It seemed she and the others were a bit lacking in composure this time.
Citry, who had been following behind collecting materials from our kills, poked my shoulder and said with a bright smile: "It seems the ostracism over the Cursed Stone incident really got to them. It's because you won't grovel to Klye-san, you know."
...What was this kid even talking about? Nobody was ostracizing anyone...
During marches, the weakest among us—me—usually stayed in the back. Even with Anthem around, I couldn't afford to be on the front lines, Barrier Ring or not. That naturally meant the rear guard—Mages—ended up near where I was.
Putting aside Citry's words, it seemed Lapis and the others intended to repay their "debt" by supporting me. A human surrounded and protected by Spiritfolk—in all the wide world, there probably wasn't another like it.
"Get down, human!"
"You're only Level 8, stop wandering around! Human!"
"Human, don't block my line of fire!"
The Star's Holy Thunder members called out to me in their various gruff voices as they cast their spells. Getting this much attention from every member except Kruse and Lapis might have been a first since we'd met.
"Good grief, they're all suddenly sucking up to the weak human... These transparent tactics are useless, you know! It's unsightly—stop it!"
Kruse waved her arms and scolded her companions.
Sucking up to me? Were they really sucking up to me? Come to think of it... I actually didn't know... their names, that is.
"Pant... pant... But seriously, whenever I'm with the weak human, nothing but terrible things happen. Even in a forest, this many Monsters don't normally show up, you know. You're not doing this on purpose, are you!?"
"You think so...? It doesn't feel that different from usual to me..."
"You...! You've completely gone numb to it, haven't you!"
Kruse's face was bright red from the exertion of casting while walking. Her mana hadn't depleted yet, but that didn't mean she wasn't exhausted. The fatigue was visible on Lapis and the other Spiritfolk's faces as well.
Lucia, who had also been using magic, looked perfectly fresh as she let out a sigh.
"The leader is popular with Monsters, so..."
If I were popular with them, wouldn't they leave me alone? I was usually the first one targeted, though...
Elisa, who had been at the front with Liliz to sense danger early, turned back toward us. The constant responses from her Monster sensor had clearly taken a toll, and fatigue showed in her expression.
"Let's... take a break. I've used more magic than... I expected."
"You're so diligent, Elisa. Listen—if you're that tense when you're with Klye, you'll wear yourself out. You're going to get attacked no matter what, so you don't need to keep watch at a distance!"
"Klye..."
Being stared at with blank eyes didn't help me understand what she was trying to say.
I sat down on top of Mimmy for a short rest. Looking at it this way, the difference between our Party and the others was stark.
While the Star's Holy Thunder settled down properly to rest, my companions were as energetic as ever.
Liliz had dragged Tinno off to scout ahead, and Citry and Lucia had started sorting materials from the Monsters we'd taken down so far. Our Party got attacked more often than anyone else, so if we didn't use break time to organize our spoils, we'd have to leave most of it behind and press on.
"Klye, I'm going to scout ahead too. Keep watch."
Elisa headed off in the direction Liliz and the others had disappeared. Being told to keep watch when I had negative danger-detection abilities was a bit of a problem...
But this time, there were plenty of Spiritfolk who were both natural-born Mages and natural-born Hunters. Everyone was on alert, so there was nothing to worry about.
As I yawned widely and half-heartedly continued pointing the Guide in a certain direction, a voice suddenly came from behind.
"H-h-human... could I, um, borrow that?"
The voice, trembling slightly, came from a hooded girl. I didn't know her name or recognize her face, but she had to be one of the Star's Holy Thunder members.
In front of her nervous gaze was the gently swaying Guide.
So she wanted it after all. Honestly, Spiritfolk and their pride...
"Of course. It'd be far more useful in your hands than mine."
I tossed the Guide over. The girl I didn't even know the name of caught it hurriedly, gave a quick bow, and without a word, took off running back down the path we'd come from.
"Good grief... Even if you're used to it, going off alone is dangerous..."
She'd run back the way we'd come—was something out there? The Spiritfolk were every bit as free-spirited as the Mourning Specter.
Just as I was shaking my head in exasperation, Kruse, having finished tending to her companions, approached me.
"You weak humans are really carefree no matter the situation, you know."
"Well... I'm used to it. More importantly—one of your companions just ran off that way. Going off alone is pretty dangerous, isn't it?"
This might have been the first time she'd been directly confronted by me.
Kruse blinked at my words, then looked in the direction Lapis and the others were.
"Huh...? Everyone's over there. What are you talking about?"
...Wait, what?