After leaving the A rank party, I aim for the deep part of the labyrinth with my former students
The Night Falls Quickly in the Dense Forest
Night falls early in the dense forest.
Or rather, in the thick and overgrown Amber Forest, even a slight tilt of the sun is enough for darkness to swiftly take over.
"We’re about halfway at this relay point."
Spreading out a now-useless map, I let out a small sigh.
On the makeshift table, my GoPro-kun G was in the middle of recharging its magical energy.
Since it consumed a lot of power while broadcasting by tracing faint golden signals, I had to turn off the stream while we camped.
By now, things might be in chaos back in Welmeria, but I trusted that Baron Gato and Benwood were handling it well.
Just in case, I had sent out a Mailbird, but the odds of it making it across the sea were about fifty-fifty.
"Still, that was pretty exhausting… I need to rethink our pace starting tomorrow."
Muttering to myself, I marked the route we had covered on the map.
The shifting terrain and vegetation along the way had cost us a lot of time.
Given the changes happening even on the outskirts of Vilmuren Island, I had suspected something similar in the Amber Forest, but the dungeon-like transformations seemed to be more extensive than expected.
Even Tymus and his experienced group, who were used to this forest, had moments where they lost their bearings.
And as we got closer to the depths—toward the World Tree—the transformations became even more pronounced.
At this rate, I could already foresee tomorrow being a grueling march.
"I finished setting up the tent!"
Marina suddenly rushed up from behind and wrapped me in a tight hug.
I let out a wry chuckle at her usual energy, but at the same time, I found her presence comforting.
The more the unease crept in, the more I appreciated her brightness.
"What’s up, Yuke?"
"We’re running a little behind schedule, so I’m reworking the plan."
"Oh? I thought we were making good time?"
She had a point.
We had successfully fought off a few unknown monsters we encountered along the way, and we had arrived at our intended destination before nightfall.
Maybe I was just stressing myself out for no reason.
The tasks were on schedule—there was no need to rush.
With that thought, I leaned back slightly against Marina.
"Thanks, Marina."
"Huh? Not sure why, but… you’re welcome?"
Even without meaning to, Marina had a way of easing people’s burdens.
"Rear guard unit, cleaning duty is done! …Wait, Marina? What exactly are you doing to Sensei?"
"Hehe, replenishing his energy!"
With laughter, the warmth of her embrace faded, leaving me feeling just a little wistful.
I turned toward the speaker—Silk.
"Alright, let’s eat. What about Tymus and his team?"
"I doubt they’ll eat our food. They’re ranger guards—they must have their own supplies."
I had hoped to build some camaraderie by sharing a meal, but I understood that communication wasn’t just about closing distance.
To be honest, aside from Silk, the rest of us weren’t exactly on the best terms with them.
Maybe it was best to keep our interactions strictly professional.
"I wonder what kind of soup we have today."
"As usual, it depends on Soup Stock’s mood. Let’s see..."
I tapped the enchanted pot with a ladle, and before our eyes, it filled with steaming soup.
A rich, spicy aroma filled the air—one that felt oddly nostalgic.
"Whoa! This… this is amazing!"
As I tried to recall what kind of soup it was, Rain crouched in front of the pot.
Sniffing the air, her artifact enthusiast eyes sparkled with excitement.
"I think… this might be the soup I had in La-Jo, Salmutaria."
"Ah, the goat meat one…"
If I remembered correctly, it was called Ryumisho.
A Salmutarian home-cooked dish, where goat meat marinated in spices was slow-cooked in a heavily spiced milk broth.
I had eaten it many times in Salmutaria, but this was the first time Soup Stock had ever produced it.
"Why do you think this happened? Did Soup Stock learn the recipe? Or was it just random?"
"Hmm, so you’re saying it might be memorizing soups from places we’ve visited? Interesting theory."
"Then maybe it’ll produce a Vilmuren Island soup someday?"
"I’d love to test that, but Soup Stock has a mind of its own."
I chuckled lightly and glanced at Soup Stock.
When we first found it in a dungeon, it was just a filthy, chipped old pot.
But now, it had become an indispensable companion to us.
"Alright, we’ve got the meat from the innkeeper grilled, and there’s bread too. Eat up and get some rest."
"You’re giving orders like it doesn’t concern you, but you’re resting too, got it?"
As I handed out the plates, Jamie gave me a sharp warning.
"Yeah, exactly. We already decided on the watch rotation, right?"
"That’s right, Sensei. Tymus and his group are here too, so you need to rest when you can. You were already overworking yourself before we even set out."
Nene and Silk backed Jamie up, both giving me unimpressed stares.
"…Sorry, Yuke."
"Huh?"
"Because of that surprise attack from Thunder Pike, you’ve been on edge, haven’t you?"
Jamie mumbled, her voice small and uncertain.
Marina wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pointed at me.
"Yuke made Jamie cry! That’s a no-no!"
"Not good, Yuke."
"No, no! That’s not what this is about—!"
Okay, sure, I’d been more cautious ever since that incident.
But more than that, I saw it as my job as a supporter to make sure everyone was in top condition.
Besides, back when I was in Thunder Pike, I was the one pulling all-night watches anyway.
"…Alright. Let’s do two shifts. Everyone, including me."
"The plan was three shifts, two people per watch, right? First up is you and Jamie, Yuke."
"Wait… do you not want to take watch with me?"
"That’s not it! Fine, fine, we’ll stick to the original plan! My bad, Jamie."
"Good. Let’s do our best together!"
Jamie beamed at me, leaving me slightly stunned.
Was she… faking that?
"You got played."
"Half of it was real."
"But if you don’t rest properly, we won’t be able to relax either—especially me."
Jamie whispered softly in my ear as she pulled me into a light hug.
"Jamie… you…"
She was still blaming herself for what happened back when she was in Thunder Pike.
But I—no, we—had forgiven her long ago.
If anything, we were grateful to her.
But the only one who could decide when she’d forgiven herself… was her.
If that was the case, then maybe the best thing I could do was accept it without denying it.
That, too, was for Jamie’s sake.
"Jamie’s got some nerve, huh?"
"Quite the performer."
"She might just win Sensei over at this rate."
"Yeah, classic Jamie move."
Hearing our teammates whispering among themselves, Jamie turned back toward them with a smile—and stuck out her tongue playfully.
"Hehe. I’ve been crushing on him for five years, you know? I don’t plan on losing that easily."
Comments
Post a Comment