Published: September 2, 2025
Revised the level-up values on 5/12.
Corrected typos on 6/11/2018.
This is Satou. I wish mysteries were the only things that called for puzzles.
Compared to harsh adventures, I prefer a laid-back sightseeing life.
â—‡
Zen—whether it’s “good” or “Zen,” I don’t know—but I was overwhelmed by his intensity and ended up dancing to his tune exactly as he intended. He’s probably satisfied, but for those caught in the mess, it’s a real nuisance.
Even so, despite having accidentally killed someone due to circumstances, I don’t feel much guilt. It’s not just because my MND is high; it’s probably also because his final moment was one of complete satisfaction, and because he looked like a moving skeleton.
Pulling myself together, I first checked Arisa and the others’ location. Liza seems to have a minor injury, but everyone is safe. They didn’t stay at the original campsite but moved closer to Seryu City.
It seems they interpreted “when morning comes” as “go to the handyman’s place first thing in the morning.” What I really meant was “depart after morning,” but language is complicated.
If only we had mobile phones, we could easily notify each other of our safety, but wishing for what we don’t have is pointless. Once we reach the Royal Capital or Labyrinth City, I’ll try to find something with a similar function.
Now, crossing five mountains in the dark is tough. Physically, it’s one thing, but mentally, the fatigue weighs heavily. I’d at least like some rest until dawn.
Shall we rest here until dawn?
I thought about that coldly, but then I remembered I can’t just leave Arisa and Liza and the others behind. If the slaves return alone, won’t they be treated as runaway slaves?
Knight Thorn, the person in charge of the main gate, is a generous man, but it’s doubtful whether that kindness extends to slaves or demi-humans.
Parameter-wise, my stamina is fully recovered, and I still have 90% endurance left. It’s a bit of a sports-minded way of thinking, but I’ll get through this with sheer willpower.
Of course, I’ll carry Mia, and I’ll bring No. 7 (the homunculus) along. If I leave them here and they become wolf food, then what was the point of bringing them out of the labyrinth?
I wrapped Mia and No. 7 each in thick sheets. Unintentionally, it resembled the style in which Red Helm originally brought Mia.
] “Packing skill acquired”
I placed Mia on top of No. 7 and lifted them both with my hands—the so-called princess carry. Normally, with average strength, I’d be down in minutes, but now I could hold them for hours. When I started walking, Mia nearly slipped, so I wrapped both of them together with another cloak to stabilize them.
Carrying them, I entered the mountain path.
â—‡
Only a few minutes after starting to run along the mountain path,
] “Rough terrain navigation skill acquired”
appeared, so I allocated points to the max and activated it. I also activated the “Sprint” skill similarly. It might be a bit of a waste of points, but since I still have nearly 90% left, it’s fine.
Until now, I had been taking things easy, but with that purple light and everything, I have a feeling I’ll get caught up in trouble like this again. Once I reunite with Arisa and the others, I’ll thoroughly review my skills and use about half my points to strengthen myself.
About ten minutes later, I passed what looked like the ruins of a rat tribe village. Could it be the village where Mia reunited with Red Helm?
I’m curious, but for now, I’ll keep moving along the mountain path.
Thanks to the rough terrain navigation skill, I can vaguely tell which bushes are okay to dive into and which aren’t. It’s not as clear as trap detection, but maybe it’s the difference between man-made and natural things?
With both rough terrain navigation and sprint skills, I’m much faster than a carriage. Plus, using the jump and three-dimensional maneuver skills, I dash almost in a straight line through the mountains. It feels like I’m a character from a ninja manga.