Published: September 10, 2025
Correction of typos made on 2017/6/25.
This chapter is not from Satou’s perspective again.
If you don’t know the explorer Yasaku’s group, please see the afterword.
This turned out to be strangely long, but please forgive me since this is a prelude chapter to Chapter 16.
“Fall, dragonfly!”
The arrow I shot pierced the enemy’s brow.
“Yasaku, a harpy is not an insect.”
“Besides, there’s no such thing as a dragonfly insect.”
The magic swordsman Tan’s demonic sword sliced the harpy that was right in front of him, and the priest Kyura’s pole mace smashed the fallen harpy’s head.
—Is that so?
No, didn’t the king ancestor’s old tales have a line like that when shooting down flying wyverns?
“That can’t be. Dragonflies do exist.”
As if responding to my words, several harpies perched atop the cliff sang in unison.
—LULULRRRUUULU.
“Yasaku, charm is coming!”
“Understood! ≪Distract≫, Blue Demon Bow.”
The Blue Demon Bow in my hand glowed red, and the arrow I fired shattered the harpies’ charming voices.
Honestly, fighting charmed comrades in such a narrow pass is the last thing I want to do.
“The map says there should be ruins around here...”
“Stop slacking off and help out!”
Despite being surrounded by a flock of harpies, the lightning mage Sheriona was leisurely spreading out the map.
“This is exactly the time for your flashy magic!”
“Ah, no, no. Yasaku, you really should listen properly.”
“You said the rocks in this canyon are flammable, right?”
My slip-up caused the two women to pile on the blame.
Even the harpies joined in, chirping and mocking together.
“Shut up, shut up, shut up already!”
With a divine-level rapid volley, I took down harpies one after another.
After scattering nearly twenty harpies, the rest fled at last.
“Ah, I’m tired.”
I sat down abruptly on the ground and took out the water bag at my waist to moisten my mouth with lukewarm water.
The dry canyon wind quickly dried my sweat, but an odd stench made it far from comfortable.
I channeled magic power into the water-making magical artifact to refill the water bag.
It’s an expensive magical artifact, but indispensable when exploring remote places away from civilization.
“Really, Marquis Kelten sure gives us troublesome quests.”
I bit into some salty, tough jerky, eating a bland and dry meal.
If only we could cook harpy meat, but trying to barbecue here would be suicide since who knows what powerful monsters might appear from behind the rocks.
Only eccentric nobles or reckless beginners would do such a thing.
“You talk big.”
“Yes. You were the first to jump on this quest, weren’t you, Yasaku?”
I pushed the memories of the past far into oblivion and gazed at the majestic canyon.
This is a great canyon located south-southwest of the Labyrinth City, at the boundary between the king’s direct domain, the Jade Domain, and the Great Desert.
We came here on the request of Marquis Kelten from the Royal Capital.
I should return to show my face at the Labyrinth City soon, or they might think I died somewhere on the road.
“Strange. According to the map, the entrance to the ruins should be around here.”
“Is there any kind of landmark?”
Sheriona took an ancient document from the bag on her shoulder and flipped through its pages.
Peeking over her shoulder, I reconfirmed that I couldn’t read the ancient language at all.
â—‡
“Do you hear something?”
Tan muttered suspiciously and looked around.
Listening carefully, I faintly heard a “meee” sound like a goat.
Looking down from the cliff, I spotted a kid goat stuck on a rock ledge far below.
My wire hidden in my arm couldn’t reach, so I took out a long rope from my backpack and tied it to a rock on the mountainside.
“What a reckless guy.”
“Isn’t it fine? We have time until Sheri finds a clue in the ancient documents, right?”
Also, if we rescue it now, it might grow up and come back ready to eat.
Wrapping the rope around my waist, I began to descend the cliff.
Halfway down, it happened.