Chapter 15:  “It’s not fake! An actual ruin”

「Good morning Kousuke-san」(Viare)

Since the troupe no longer required his a.s.sistance, Kousuke decided to fill the extra time he attained with more requests.

Right before he was about to leave, Viare called out to him.

Surprised by her sudden voice, Kousuke returned a greeting.

「Goo~ morn.. wait, why are you here? And who’s the person besides you?」(Kousuke)

Kousuke tilted his head at Viare and the unknown individual, not understanding why she came to the inn instead of waiting at their usual spot.

「The person besides me is someone like a brother to us. He grew up in our orphanage and is currently independent. On occasion, he returns with gifts while checking on the children」(Viare)

「Mhmm, so why is he here with you? Is it possible that he wants to observe you working?」(Kousuke)

「That’s not it, there’s no need for him to worry about me that much」(Viare)

She turned her head with a “Right?” face.

「Well.. You do worry me a bit though」(???)

The man denied Viare’s words.

「First things first, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m called Konsato. It seems Viare and the children are being taken care of by you」(Konsato)

「It’s no big deal」(Kousuke)

「Nono, I heard from the old man. You went into a dangerous territory to save the children」(Konsato)

「Ah.. Well anyone else would have done the same」(Kousuke)

Hence, the two continued to exchange compliments and modesty.

「We’re going off track here so let’s end it there」(Viare)

「Hmm, that’s true. Let’s cut straight to the point then. I came here today to ask you to accept a request」(Konsato)

「Request? You’re not applying it through the guild?」(Kousuke)

「I’ve already applied it through the guild, but I wanted to guarantee at least one trustworthy individual. When I consulted with the old man about this, both him and Viare recommended you」(Konsato)

「You told me yesterday that you don’t have to a.s.sist the troupe anymore right? So I was hoping you could help Kon-niisan with his request」(Viare)

Viare clapped her hands together and stared at Kousuke.

「It’s true I already told them everything and have more free time, but… I can’t help with anything that’ll take a while alright? I can’t leave them on their own for too long」(Kousuke)

「The timeframe is at most twelve days. The roundtrip is around seven days and the work is around three days. The request type is an escort mission. The destination is a ruin. My profession is a scholar and I plan on visiting the ruin to study it」(Konsato)

When Kousuke heard the word “ruin”, he a.s.sumed it was probably the guild giving him a training request again.

His a.s.sumption though was completely off the mark. The guild doesn’t have that kind of free time to prioritize on Kousuke’s development.

「Is it possibly that you want to explore a recently discovered pa.s.sage in a ruin?」(Kousuke)

「If we find one then that may be the case, but fundamentally speaking you’ll only be an escort. If it seems that doing so will delay the twelve day plan then I will not request that of you. This ruin is what adventurers would consider a “dried ruin” so I doubt we’ll find something like that though」(Konsato)

「If that’s the case then I accept」(Kousuke)

「Thank you」(Konsato)

Konsato smiled with a relieved expression. Viare did the same.

「When do we leave?」(Kousuke)

「This afternoon」(Konsato)

「So soon!?」(Kousuke)

「Sorry for the abruptness」(Konsato)

「Is there a reason for this?」(Kousuke)

「My scholarly spirit is demanding I rush over as soon as possible to study it!」(Konsato)

「…. I see…」(Kousuke)

Kousuke felt slightly exhausted hearing how overwhelming Konsato’s thirst for knowledge was.

「Where should I head to once I finish preparing for the journey?」(Kousuke)

「There should be a few carriages lined up near the main gate, you can’t miss it」(Konsato)

「Then I’ll meet you there later」(Kousuke)

「Yes. Thank you very much for accepting my request」(Konsato)

Saying that, Konsato lowered his head before leaving the inn.

「Viare, why are you still here?」(Kousuke)

「I want to help with the preparations」(Viare)

「Ah, thank you. Which reminds me, are you coming with us as well?」(Kousuke)

Viare shook her head. She already heard the details of the request from Konsato before and concluded that it was impossible for her.

「I plan on staying behind. I won’t be of much use on an escort mission. He also has someone hired to take care of the ch.o.r.es」(Viare)

「Is that so. So for the next twelve days are you going to just take care of the children at the orphanage?」(Kousuke)

「I plan on working at Kurosani-san’s place」(Viare)

Kurosani is a painter who’s on friendly terms with Viare.

While doing various tasks by following Kousuke, Viare found a work she’s exceptionally good at.

It’s related to colors.

When Kurosani was depressed due to a slump was when Viare and Kousuke delivered some paint to her. Kurosani asked the two of them about their impression of her current work and Viare’s answer motivated and reinvigorated her painter’s spirit. Ever since then, Kurosani would invite Viare for more consultations, thus allowing Viare to further develop her strong artistic sense.

The work Viare mentioned was probably to increase the variety of colors for Kurosani-san to use.

Finished with the preparations, the two left the inn. The preparation was light since all they did was re-organize his current luggage slightly. The two were leisurely chatting while prepping earlier since they had plenty of time.

The two didn’t immediately head to the gathering spot. Instead, they purchased some travel rations and had an early lunch before heading to the troupe. Viare separated right after the lunch.

He explained to the troupe that he will be gone on a request for some time. After, he headed to where Konsato was waiting.

「h.e.l.lo」(Kousuke)

Seeing Konsato seated on the coachman’s seat of the carriage, Kousuke greeted him.

「Oh? You’ve arrived already?」(Konsato)

「Already? I thought the departure time was this afternoon」(Kousuke)

Konsato slapped his forehead with an apologetic expression and lowered his head.

「The fault lies in my explanation, I’m terribly sorry. The plan was to depart after lunch. So the hired adventurers were told to come after they finished lunch. The rest of my crew aren’t finished eating either. It’ll be at least an hour before we depart」(Konsato)

「One hour huh… It’s a long wait.. And it’s not enough time to wander around the town… Maybe I’ll just relax until then. Oh yea! Konsato-san, would you happen to know the kinds of monsters we may encounter? If you do, please let me know」(Kousuke)

「It’s roughly the same as the monsters around here.  Lutz Monkeys and Killing Dogs, additionally Dive Hoppers and Needle Bushes as well」(Konsato)

「I’m not familiar with the last two, could you tell me more about them?」(Kousuke)

「Of course」(Konsato)

Dive Hoppers are giant gra.s.shopper monsters, roughly the size of a rabbit. They rarely travel alone and are commonly seen in groups of 5-10. Their head is the hardest part of their body and they use it to attack by jumping high and using the force of the fall to crash into their targets.

There was a case where a mercenary company was devastated by a group of around 100 Dive Hoppers in the past. Such a record was left behind.

Needle Bushes are bush shaped monsters that camouflages in with other greeneries.  They stay still until a prey comes into range and stabs out cogon gra.s.s-like needles to impale their preys.

【TL: Imperata cylindrica, also known as blady gra.s.s, cogon gra.s.s, kunai gra.s.s or j.a.panese bloodgra.s.s】

The area around this monster tends to have slightly withered gra.s.ses so it’s not difficult to spot despite it blending in well with the other bushes.

In addition to the monsters’ detail, Kousuke was also told about some of the hazardous zones along the way. A brief summary of the hired adventurers were provided as well.

While the two were talking, the people who were having lunch arrived and the preparation for departure began.

「Ah, the other adventurers have arrived. You should go introduce yourself, let’s continue this later alright?」(Konsato)

The hour conversation they had caused the two’s tone to become more informal toward each other.

「Okay, I’ll go do that」(Kousuke)

He gathered his luggage and headed towards the adventurers.

The total amount of adventurers amounted to five, including Kousuke. These five must protect Konsato and his crew of eight.

According to Konsato, the groups are set up as a three’s and two singles. The three-man group has two men and one woman. The group of three had a veteran while the younger two looked somewhat inexperienced. The solo applicant looked around 14 and had the appearance of a complete greenhorn.

「h.e.l.lo. We’ll be working together, my name is Watase Kousuke」(Kousuke)

The veteran from the group of three responded to hearing Kousuke’s name.

「Are you THE Watase I’ve heard so much about these days? I heard you were young, but I’ve always a.s.sumed you’d be over 20」(???)

「Despite how I look, I’m almost 18 you know」(Kousuke)

Kousuke took the initiative, a.s.suming he was being looked down upon. 【TL: His age, not his ability】

「Oh, I see, you look a bit younger though」(???)

「So I’ve been told…」(Kousuke)

「You have a baby face so I guess that’s why」(???) 【TL: WHO’S A GOOD BABY!! YOU ARE KOU-CHAN!】

Kousuke is not much of a baby face. As a j.a.panese, his face is within normal measures. This world views his face in a similar way Westerners would view his childish face.

「I’m Tony. I babysit these two, sort of. This boy’s Lyle, the gal’s Iris」(Tony)【TL: HEY TONY! I like the things you dooo~】

Tony introduced the two while pointing at them.

Iris didn’t show much expression and lowered her head while Lyle lowered his head with a discontent look hearing that he’s being “babysat” by Tony.

「Mhmm, and the other one isn’t part of my group, but since he looks like a greenhorn I figured I’ll help him out a bit while on this request. He’s called Horton」(Tony)

The introduced Horton looked nervous and stiffly lowered his head.

「Please take care of me」(Horton)

Kousuke turned towards the four and lowered his head once more.

「Small question, you mind?」(Tony)

「Go ahead」(Kousuke)

「When they were explaining the details of the request you weren’t around. Why?」(Tony)

「Explanation? When was this?」(Kousuke)

「Two days ago」(Tony)

「Then I definitely couldn’t be there. I was hired this morning. An acquaintance and the scholar there directly requested for my partic.i.p.ation this morning」(Kousuke)

「This morning… I’m surprised you accepted. Wasn’t it too sudden?」(Tony)

Hearing this outrageous situation, not only Tony but the other three were shocked as well.

「The scholar is something like a brother to my acquaintance so it was difficult to refuse. And I wasn’t taking any request at that time either」(Kousuke)

「I see. The client must have wanted a few more adventurers. As for me, I always welcome more helping hands」(Tony)

「I’ve never done an escort job before so I have no idea what to do」(Kousuke)

「Really? I heard you’ve been banging out requests left and right though」(Tony)

Despite hearing such rumors, truths and lies were mixed in, making it difficult to tell what’s actually true.

「They were mostly odd job requests. Almost all of it could be done without leaving town. Since I’m new to this I’ll move according to your orders. I have a ridiculous amount of strength and endurance so please don’t hold back since Tony-san seems to have some experience with escort jobs. It would go a lot smoother with someone experienced in charge right?」(Kousuke)

「That would help a lot. I won’t ask for anything impossible, but as you are it would have definitely been problematic if you moved on your own. Lyle, you too, you better follow orders when there’s an emergency」(Tony)

「I know that already!」(Lyle)

He answered while turning his head away angrily.

Kousuke wondered if they have a bad relations.h.i.+p with each other and asked, but Tony shook his head.

According to Tony, this request was something Lyle and Iris were supposed to take together. But the others were worried and made Tony come along as a precaution.

Lyle truly disliked that. He felt like he was being cheated since he was convinced that he was a full-fledged adventurer already.

Iris had mixed feelings about this. Relieved that Tony came, but also upset at not being completely trusted.

「I believe having someone reliable nearby is a wonderful thing though」(Kousuke)

Lyle heard Kousuke’s thoughts from the side and glared at him.

「Well, that person may have knowledge that you don’t have that’s helpful right? Don’t forget techniques and skills too that might be lifesaving」(Kousuke)

「Th..That’s true, but….」(Lyle)

「You have someone useful besides you, just think of it as being lucky」(Kousuke)

Tony gave a bitter smile hearing Kousuke’s opinion of him.

「I’ve done escort jobs before so just the two of us is enough!」(Lyle)

Lyle yelled and walked away. Iris lowered her head towards Kousuke to apologize and ran to Lyle to calm him down.

Since Lyle wasn’t unmotivated about this request, everyone decided to drop this subject for the mean time. He didn’t want to be a burden on the team, he’s a pro too after all.

When the preparation to depart concluded, one of the scholars called out to everyone.

「The formation will be myself and Horton as the vanguards and the carriages in the center. Lyle and Iris will get the sides. Watase-san, please guard the rear. Any objections?」(Tony)

Tony explained the formation to the group. No one had any objections.

「If you see anything unusual, call out to me. When you do, keep your voice down though. I’ll pa.s.s the message to Horton too, just make sure you let me know whatever it might be. The only exception would be if a monster is headed our way, just yell then」(Tony)

The four nodded and headed to their respective positions.

And thus, the group departed.

The journey was relatively smooth. The random monster encounters were expected so it didn’t delay the plan.

The monsters that did appear were all the ones that were previously mentioned.

Since Tony and Kousuke knew that Dive Hoppers may appear, they were vigilant toward the sky. When they did appear, the group was able to avoid a surprise attack.

The battles they had on their way to the ruin gave each other a good idea of the each other’s capabilities.

Except for Kousuke who’s never using his full power. Despite that though, Lyle would glance at Kousuke enviously since he was nowhere as strong as Kousuke.

The only ones that had no trouble during the fights were Kousuke and Tony. Those two were never troubled by the fights and would kill each monster with one swing.

Lyle and Iris were fine as long as they held control over the fight.

Lyle was a close-quarter swordsman while Iris was a mid to long range archer. The two grouped together often so they understood each other’s fighting style and would smoothly follow through.

For Horton’s case, it could be said that he did his best despite it being his first time. He stumbled around here and there, but everyone expected that. He was improving slowly with Tony giving him advices.

Horton used a sword while Tony used a spear, a long knife and a few magic spells.

Tony’s mana capacity was on the lower end so all of his spells had a relatively mild firepower. The spells he would use would usually restrain or break the opponent’s balance.

「Seems we’ll reach the ruin by tomorrow」(Tony)

「Seems so. I’m just glad there weren’t any real issues so far」(Kousuke)

「I agree」(Tony)

Kousuke and Tony were chatting while standing guard for the evening. Since everyone else was asleep they were whispering.

Originally, Horton was supposed to stand guard as well, but doing an escort job he was unfamiliar with left him physically and mentally drained. At the urgings of Kousuke and Tony, he hasn’t done any night watches since yesterday.

「The fact that you’re strong is one of the reasons for the safe travel. It allowed me to watch over Horton more, thanks. You’re already that strong at such a young age, I’m sure it’s possible you’ll become world famous in no time」(Tony)

「Not really interested in that though」(Kousuke)

「If you’re a man you should at least do one big thing, don’t you want to become famous?」(Tony)

「I’ve thought of that before, but…」(Kousuke)

When he was back on Earth he has thought of doing something big and becoming famous. That was mostly a delusion with no clear vision though.

But here, he coincidently attained something amazing and has the ability to become extremely famous.

Thinking of that actually happening, it made him incredibly nervous. It wouldn’t be fame through his efforts so he would feel guilty. It’s to the point that he has no pride in his current strength. For as long as he stays stuck with this mindset, he will most likely continue living on a peaceful lifestyle.

Kousuke has no complaints about living peacefully either.

「For now, I’ll just go with the flow」(Kousuke)

「Quite the peaceful one huh. I don’t see anything wrong with being a bit more ambitious. Like Lyle」(Tony)

「About that, it’s just a difference in preference. Let’s leave it at that」(Kousuke)

「I guess I’ll just go with that then」(Tony)

「Since we have some time, mind teaching me some magic? Like that blast of wind, looked very useful」(Kousuke)

During one of their fights, Tony used a strong blast of wind to change the trajectory of a Dive Hopper’s attack. With just that, the Dive Hopper’s attack became useless.

A magic that could disable an opponent without harming them, it was ideal and Kousuke wanted to learn it.

「Sure. I also want to learn some of the magic spells that you know. What can you use so far?」(Tony)

「Flight magic, teleportation magic, a penetrating beam magic, barrier magic, and healing magic. The others I know are mostly for day-to-day conveniences」(Kousuke) 【TL: And don’t forget, MAGICAL PURURIN YUI-TAN TRANSFORMATION magic】

「Is your magical apt.i.tude very high?」(Tony)

Tony had an astonished face hearing the list of magic Kousuke could use.

Not just ordinary people, but fledgling and third rate adventurers would not be able to use some of the magic Kousuke could use, being astonished was a given.

「My magical apt.i.tude is definitely not ordinary」(Kousuke)

「You could already do so much.. I still think you should aim to become famous. Just why are you doing odd-job requests only?」(Tony)

「I get asked that question a lot. I always answer that with “Safety is number one”. I don’t have to do anything dangerous to survive anyways」(Kousuke)

It’s something Kousuke noticed a bit too. He would unconsciously try to avoid any situation that would possibly threaten his life. He doesn’t understand why he’s like that, but he has no intention of stifling it. He felt that it’s for the best.

「Then why become an adventurer? Wouldn’t taking up a craft and working be a better idea?」(Tony)

「St. Beria isn’t my permanent resident」(Kousuke)

「I see, it wouldn’t make sense to do that if you’re constantly traveling. Still, becoming a traveling merchant or something similar would have worked though」(Tony)

「Well, the odd-job requests was the easiest thing to do for me. Even if you tell me I could become a merchant I wouldn’t be able to make heads or tails out of that profession」(Kousuke)

「With your abilities, making a living while travelling should be no problem, just hunt some stuff and sell the meat. There are some birds and deer that might be rejected in trades, but rare species like the bird “Yewel” could be sold at a high price.  When I had no money I did that. There are some requests to hunt for them too. I’m sure the butchers would be happy if they can refill their stocks from time to time」(Tony)

The butchers Kousuke knew never gave him similar personal requests because they didn’t know that he could do it. If they knew he was this strong and dextrous they wouldn’t have hesitated to ask.

「I see, so there were requests like that around. I’ve been too focused on doing requests that I could do without leaving town so I never noticed」(Kousuke)

The night watch ended as the two discussed other similar jobs and requests that could be done.

The two never realized that Lyle was listening to a portion of their conversation.

The next day, the group arrived at the ruin in the afternoon. Weeds blanketed the entire area and the buildings looked decayed. The place was very quiet, no traces of human beings could be found.

This place was abandoned a hundred years ago. It was abandoned because the drinking water became contaminated and caused a widespread disease. It was deemed hospitable again during an investigation ten years ago, but it remained abandoned since no one wanted to live in a ruin. The country’s knights would patrol nearby on occasion so the possibility of this place becoming a bandit’s nest was zero. If anyone could be found staying inside, it would be travelers using the buildings as temporary shelters for a night.

Similar to the travelers, Kousuke’s group chose a random building to become their base.

While the others were setting up the base, Kousuke and Konsato were talking with each other.

「The investigation begins tomorrow?」(Kousuke)

「I plan on taking a quick look soon, but we’ll begin the full investigation tomorrow」(Konsato)

「Will an escort be necessary inside the ruin?」(Kousuke)

「Yes. We probably won’t see any people, but there’s a possibility that monsters have snuck inside so I’ll have you come with me tomorrow」(Konsato)

「I heard on our way here that this place was abandoned a hundred years ago, but as a ruin it’s quite young isn’t it? Will the investigation of this place prove useful?」(Kousuke)

「It may have been only a hundred years since it was abandoned, but this town’s history is only about three hundred years old. so it’s a bit hasty to call it a young ruin」(Konsato)

「Ah.. is that so. I completely forgot about this town’s history」(Kousuke)

The group finished with setting up the base and dropped off their luggage. Before unpacking, they headed toward an abandoned temple. There’s a chance a monster may appear so Kousuke, Lyle, and Iris accompanied the scholars. The other two stood guard near the base.

This temple wasn’t maintained at all. It looked musty and rundown everywhere. It was smaller than the “practice” temple Kousuke explored with Borudosu.

「If it’s this small then the investigation should be fast right?」(Iris) 【TL: WOA, she spoke!】

To Iris’s word, Konsato rebuked.

「This place’s underground area is much larger than this. Because of that fact, the investigation may not necessarily finish quickly. I’ll lead you to the entrance down」(Konsato)

With the adventurers surrounding them, the scholars headed to the stairs.

After confirming the area, they continued to explore the temple. The scholars were pointing at various locations while chatting. The adventurers ignored them and stayed vigilant of the surrounding.

After making a round, the group returned back to the base.

The next day is when the actual investigation began.

Although, Kousuke and Horton were on guard duty near the base so he actually didn’t go into the lower levels.

「What was it like down there?」(Kousuke)

Before heading down himself, Kousuke asked Tony who went in yesterday.

「This might be obvious but it’s dark, visibility is low, and the direction of the air is difficult to discern. Something like that. Also, there were a few monsters in there. I could feel their presence, but they never appeared. They’re probably just cowardly monsters」(Tony)

「So nothing should happen as long as I stay alert?」(Horton)

「That’s about right. We were like that yesterday and nothing happened. Kousuke and I will be coming too so no need to get so nervous」(Tony)

Tony stated while patting Horton’s shoulder.

「Wa.. Wahii!」(Horton) 【TL:  A scream…?】

Kousuke and Tony laughed lightly seeing how stiff Horton was.

As they descended, Kousuke, with permission, casted《Light》to brighten up the immediate area. Ten meter radius brightened up, as if bathed in sunlight. Seeing how much light was being given off, Tony asked if Kousuke will be alright with using so much mana.

「Will you be fine using so much mana?」(Tony)

「I’ll be fine. I haven’t even used 10% of my mana」(Kousuke)

「You make me envious. If I tried the same I’ll end up using at least 30%」(Tony)

「This magic is supposed to be mana efficient right?」(Kousuke)

「I’m terrible with mana control so I end up using more than necessary」(Tony)

「I see. It’s like the saying “Even dust, if piled, can become a mountain”」(Kousuke) 【TL: j.a.panese proverb – Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru. “Small things add up” would be the English equivalent】

「Those two are about to move forward」(Horton)

While Kousuke and Tony were talking, Horton spoke up.

「Ah, sorry」(Kousuke)

「Thank you for letting us know」(Tony)

「It’s nothing」(Horton)

Tony and Horton took the vanguard and Kousuke was the rearguard. Today, the group once again began their investigation.

Their destination was a large room. It looked like it was used as a wareroom in the past. The room was littered with broken goods everywhere.

The broken goods looked like trash to Kousuke, Tony and Horton, but the scholars saw differently. To them, every piece was of great historical importance. The scholars immediately began their work and started to examine each goods, piece by piece.

「I’ll stand guard here, think the two of you could patrol the perimeter? There might be some monsters hidden in some places」(Tony)

「Understood」(Kousuke)

「Ro.. Roger that!」(Horton)

The still nervous Horton and Kousuke left the large room together and entered the hallway.

They began inspecting the other rooms. Since they had little understanding about the value of the remains, they were cautious not to wantonly touch anything.

In the fifth room they inspected, Kousuke spotted a pitfall trap and showed Horton its location. The two avoided the area around the pitfall.

But Horton tripped on a heavy table and fell into the pitfall. He screamed loudly as he fell.

「Are you alright!?」(Kousuke)

「I think I broke my arm」(Horton) 【TL: MY ARMS!!!!】

He sounded as if he was enduring a lot of pain. Despite that, he responded strongly.

Kousuke jumped down the hole as well.

Horton, who was covered in cold sweat, was leaning against the wall while grabbing the upper portion of his injured arm.

「I’m going to check the arm now okay?」(Kousuke)

「Yes」(Horton)

Horton gritted his teeth as he bore the pain.

The arm was swollen and burning up.

Kousuke immediately understood its condition.

「It’s definitely broken. No worries though, it can be fixed immediately」(Kousuke)

「Is that the truth!?」(Horton)

Seeing Kousuke immediately nodding, Horton’s distorted expression loosened a bit.

Kousuke began treating Horton’s arm using the knowledge Horun imparted to him.

To prevent the bones from healing improperly, it had to be straightened. Only issue was an immense pain would follow. Horton bit down on a thick cloth and gritted his teeth once more.

「I’m starting」(Kousuke)

Horton shut his eyes tightly and nodded.

The moment Kousuke pulled the arm, Horton gave out a loud, m.u.f.fled scream.

Hearing that, Kousuke grimaced. Using his spare hand he palpated the broken arm to confirm that the bones were set straight and then used magic to begin healing it.

After the treatment finished he exhaled loudly.

「It’s over now」(Kousuke)

「Tha..nk..yo..u..」(Horton)

「You’ll feel some pain for a bit longer. Just in case, please don’t move that arm for today. It won’t break again, but the pain might become worse」(Kousuke)

He shouldered the nodding Horton’s good arm and casted flight magic to leave the pit together.

Since the two finished with their patrol they headed back to Tony. After explaining about the Horton’s injury, they took him back to the base to rest up.

The rest of the day was without incident and the investigation proceeded on time.

The following day was similarly eventless, except for Lyle being restless. Kousuke and Tony were a bit confused at Lyle’s behavior but they didn’t dig deeper. Regardless, the reason was unraveled the next morning. When the group finished breakfast, no one knew where Lyle and Horton were.

「Something’s wrong」(Kousuke)

「Where could those two have gone? We’re preparing to leave soon too… And they didn’t eat breakfast either」(Kousuke)

「Iris, have you seen either of them?」(Tony)

Not expecting her to know, Tony asked anyways.

「Er.. that.. umm」(Iris)

She responded oddly, obviously knowing the answer.

If those two were just wandering around then she wouldn’t be acting like this.

Getting a bad feeling, Tony questioned further.

It seemed Iris was told to keep quiet about it, but she obediently answered.

「The truth is.. The two went into the hidden room-like place inside the temple last night….」(Iris)

「Huh? I never heard anything about a hidden room」(Tony)

The person who found it was Horton. He found signs of it when he fell down the pitfall trap.

When he leaned heavily onto the wall it produced an echo that indicated he was most likely leaning on a hollow wall.

Kousuke, at the time, never touched the wall so he never knew.

「I’m terribly sorry! Lyle told me to stay quiet about this! He told me he would come back after he quickly takes a look!」(Iris)

「He volunteered for the night watch last night for this I see」(Tony)

Tony was exasperated and sighed heavily.

「That IDIOT, doing things on his own!」(Tony)

The three explained the situation to the scholars.

They apologized for Lyle’s rambunctious behavior and requested permission to search for him.

「There’s no helping it. Please, don’t mind us and search for him」(Konsato)

「Thank you very much! I’ll make those two apologize as well when I drag them back! Scold them and reduce their reward as you see fit!」(Tony)

Tony lowered his head numerous times, showing his grat.i.tude for the permission.

「Kousuke, would you accompany me?」(Tony)

「Sure」(Kousuke)

「What about me?」(Iris)

「Iris, you guard the base. Leaving the scholars alone would be an issue. Plus, it’s difficult to use a bow in those cramped halls. It’s been safe around the base these days, but don’t drop your guard alright?」(Tony)

「I understand」(Iris)

With a motivated expression Iris nodded.

「Alright, let’s head down」(Tony)

「Please bring those two back」(Iris)

After seeing the two disappear into the temple, Iris climbed up onto a roof near the base to begin her watch.

With Kousuke leading, the two arrived at the pitfall containing the hidden room.

「It’s here. Looks like a tunnel was opened. There’s no mistake, the two went in here」(Kousuke)

「Let’s go」(Tony)

The two jumped into the pitfall and entered the tunnel.

The two whispered to each other as they traveled through the tunnel.

「That hole earlier, it’s definitely not a pitfall trap」(Tony)

「Really?」(Kousuke)

「Mhmm, there weren’t other traps around right? Just one trap like that seems peculiar. It was probably there just to cover up the hole. It most likely got old with time and ended up becoming a pitfall. This tunnel was probably left undiscovered because who would intentionally fall into such an obvious trap right?」(Tony)

「I guess that sounds about right. Ah, look, there’s an arrow on the floor」(Kousuke)

There was an arrow lying on the floor before them. When they focused more on their surroundings they noticed that there were quite a few scattered about. There were also spots on the floor that looked sunken as well. These clues pointed out that a trap was triggered here.

The two picked up an arrow.

「There’s blood on this. Seems like those two were injured」(Kousuke)

「….It’s dried and the efficacy of it dropped drastically, but there’s poison on the tip as well」(Tony)

Tony sc.r.a.pped off a dried, powdery substance from the arrowhead and examined it.

「Lyle can handle small injuries, but if it’s poison.. He has nothing against them. We should hurry and regroup with them」(Tony)

Kousuke nodded and the two hurried forward.

Suddenly, the two’s feet stopped. There was a fork in the tunnel up ahead.

They examined the floor, trying to find footprints to determine the correct direction.

「The right path seems to have more footprints」(Kousuke)

「Seems like it, most likely it’s a dead end so they had to turn back, creating more footprints」(Tony)

「So, left it is then」(Kousuke)

As the two travelled down the left path, they spotted a corpse of a monster.

It looked like a gigantic earthworm, Tony told Kousuke it’s a relatively weak monster.

Normally, earthworms are great for the field, but these monsters would devour the field and attack people. Its existence was pure harm. As long as the two are careful of an underground attack they won’t have any trouble.

「If these things are here.. It must mean that there’s a hole in the temple’s wall」(Tony)

The building’s walls and floors were made with stone and these monsters lack the strength to tear through them.

「Do you think the rest of the monsters that are lurking in here are similar?」(Kousuke)

「They probably entered in a similar way. There might even be abandoned man-made monsters in here, if so, they are definitely starving for mana」(Tony)

「Well.. There’s no one around to keep them fed」(Kousuke)

The two proceeded deeper while disarming traps that Lyle and Horton avoided and defeating monsters that they couldn’t defeat. This way, when they escape together no hindrance would appear.

In addition, the two saw signs of break-ins here and there and noticed various ornaments and decorations, that could be seen as valuable, were broken recently. It truly showed how inexperienced Lyle and Horton were.

When Tony saw all of this he couldn’t consider Lyle as a full-fledged adventurer just yet.

「That thing before surprised me」(Kousuke)

「Ending it with just “being surprised” is more astounding though…」(Tony)

Kousuke commented while laughing, but Tony could only smile dryly.

Just a while ago, the two fought against a “Hard-sh.e.l.led worm”. It rolled its body up and charged at the two like a steel ball. The attack that resembled a pillbug was something Kousuke expected, but it charged at an incredible speed and he was unable to avoid it in time and got smashed into a wall.

Tony became worried Kousuke got a heavy injury since he didn’t wear any heavy armor, but seeing him get up without any problems at all made him feel that his worries were unfounded.

「Huh?」(Kousuke)

「What’s wrong? Did you get injured somewhere?」(Tony)

Hearing Kousuke’s doubtful voice, Tony inquired.

「I heard a sound」(Kousuke)

「Really? I can’t hear anything」(Tony)

「Mm…. I can definitely hear it」(Kousuke)

When he listened carefully, he knew he definitely did not mishear anything.

Kousuke heard the sound of something very heavy moving.

「Which direction?」(Tony)

「Follow me」(Kousuke)

The two ran with Kousuke leading. They ignored the monsters and traps along the way. Five minutes later, Tony started to hear the heavy sounds as well.

「Something is making that sound on a fixed interval. It’s most likely extremely heavy」(Tony)

「It might be a large monster chasing after Lyle and Horton」(Kousuke)

「That’s a possibility. Let’s hurry.」(Tony)

Kousuke nodded and the two hurried their pace.

Three minutes later, they entered into the upper levels of a s.p.a.cious room. The drop down was about eight meters.

Down below, Lyle and Horton could be seen being chased by a four meter tall sculpture. That sculpture didn’t look like a brute, instead it reminded Kousuke of a king, with both intelligence and grace flowing from it.

「They seem sluggish, the poison probably circulated throughout their body already」(Tony)

「Enough talk, we have to save them!」(Kousuke)

「Just wait a moment. I want to avoid dropping in there without a plan and ending up in the same situation」(Tony)

Tony stopped Kousuke from jumping down.

「We just need to beat that thing right?」(Kousuke)

「….. You make it sound easy, but that’s unlikely. At least I don’t have the confidence to beat that thing」(Tony)

「I feel like I could do it though」(Kousuke)

「You sure?」(Tony)

「I know that I don’t feel like I could lose」(Kousuke)

Hearing how indifferently Kousuke responded, Tony couldn’t tell if he was just reckless or heroic. The sudden scream from Lyle and Horton pushed Tony to make a decision.

「… Alright! I’ll rely on you to distract that thing. No need to push yourself to beat it. I’ll drop a rope down from here and bring those two over. Once I got them to safety, I’ll yell, until then please endure!」(Tony)

「I can use flight magic so I could save them by myself you know?」(Kousuke)

「….That’s right.. You told me you could use it. Alright, I’ll leave it to you then」(Tony)

「Roger that!」(Kousuke)

Kousuke, using his magic, tried to fly over to where Lyle and Horton are.

But suddenly, he fell to the floor. The magic stopped working abruptly.

「Eh?」(Kousuke)

「Wha?」(Tony)

Kousuke couldn’t understand what was going on and Tony’s face twisted thinking “I thought he could use flight magic!”.

Hearing a loud thud from Kousuke’s fall, Tony immediately dashed to the edge to look down.

「ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?」(Tony)

「I’m fine, scared me though!」(Kousuke)

Seeing Kousuke dust off his clothes and wave back energetically, Tony patted his chest in relief.

「Let’s go with your previous plan alright!」(Kousuke)

Without waiting for Tony’s response, Kousuke dashed toward the sculpture.

In response, Tony stabbed the iron stake into the ground, tied a rope to it and lowered it down. He began climbing down while placing iron stakes along the wall to provide a foothold.

Satisfied with the preparations, Tony glanced at the slow moving sculpture chasing Kousuke before das.h.i.+ng to Lyle and Horton.

「Good, he’s getting the two. It’ll probably take a bit longer though」(Kousuke)

While avoiding the incoming punches and kicks, Kousuke glanced slightly toward Tony.

Kousuke had a lot of room to be complacent. The sculpture didn’t use any unusual attacks and would only wildly punch and kick. The speed of its attacks weren’t exceptionally fast. It couldn’t be called slow, but by observing its movements carefully, it’s not a difficult thing to do.

「I could just keep dodging its attack, but I really want to see just how far I could go against this statue」(Kousuke)

Unlike his encounter with the Violent Barbs that required him to protect someone constantly, Kousuke didn’t want to give up this opportunity where he could fight at his own pace so he stood his ground and took up a fighting stance.

「First, let’s compare our strength! COME AT ME!」(Kousuke)

He raised the arm not holding his sword and received the giant sculpture’s punch.

The weight of the punch caused him to slide across the ground a bit, but when he stood his ground he came to a complete stop. Kousuke was only pushed back slightly, no injuries could be found.

「Not much I can do about the size difference but I didn’t have to use my full power to stop it. Seems like my strength won’t lose out against this statue」(Kousuke)

Kousuke stopped pus.h.i.+ng back with his arm. The sculpture once again raised its arm to strike. Kousuke dodged the incoming punch and kicked the fist.

The strength of the kick was beyond the sculpture’s control and its own fist flew into its chest. The impact of the fist caused cracks to appear on its hand and chest. The sculpture had no sense of pain so it attacked Kousuke once more without pause with the cracked hand. With just dodging, the cracks grew and the fist was quickly becoming useless.

「Next, let’s see how well I can move!」(Kousuke)

Kousuke swiftly closed in on the sculpture, jumping from its leg to its arm and finally encroaching onto its shoulder.

Kousuke dodged the swatting hands by a paper thin margin by moving around the head and shoulders.

「Even with unstable footing, my mobility is pretty good」(Kousuke)

He leapt off the shoulder, doing a spin in the air before landing on the ground. 【TL: Of course Kou-chan.. you just had to spin..】

「No issues with my stamina either」(Kousuke)

Just as stated, no signs of shortness of breath could be seen on him.

Kousuke stared at the sculpture with composure as the cracked fist flew toward him.

In response, Kousuke gripped a fist and threw a punch at the giant, cracked fist.

The large fist and the small fist collided and not even a second pa.s.sed as the sculpture’s fist scattered.

Dodging through the flying rubbles, Kousuke charged at the sculpture and with both hands swung his sword.

Aimed at the upper s.h.i.+n, the impact let out an unpleasant sound as sparks scattered about. Regardless, the sword slashed through completely and almost dismembered the leg.

The sculpture attempted to attack once more and the weight placed on the leg caused it to break off.

Losing its balance the sculpture collapsed to the floor. It attempted to stand but ended up stumbling back to the floor.

「I wonder if I break the head it’ll stop moving?」(Kousuke)

Just because the sculpture is shaped after a human, its weakness is probably different, but since Kousuke had no way to find out he struck and decapitated the sculpture.

It seemed whatever was controlling the sculpture was in the head and its loss of it caused the sculpture to stop completely.

In the future, the scholars find out that the sculpture was moving by absorbing the nearby mana through its head. The sculpture was absorbing the mana from Kousuke and the others’ use of magic. This was the reason why magic would fail in this room.

Konsato tried to find Kousuke to inform him about this, but by then Kousuke was already long gone. In the end, Kousuke finds out about why his magic failed many months later instead.

「Oh…」(Kousuke)

Kousuke looked at his sword and raised his voice.

The edge of the blade that hit the sculpture was chipped. 【TL: AGAIN KOU-CHAN!?】

「I guess I have to get this repaired again」(Kousuke)

He sheathed his sword while sighing, knowing Clarice’s judgment awaited him. He soon headed towards the other three.

He ignored the rope and jumped up using the iron stake footholds on the wall.

「How are the two’s condition?」(Kousuke)

「Ah..Uhh.. I treated their wounds. They were poisoned with something that slightly paralyzed and drained their stamina so they’ll be fine even if we leave it. How are you doing though? Since.. you were going pretty wild down there」(Tony)

「I…. guess nothing’s wrong with me」(Kousuke)

After he confirmed that there are no injuries on himself he answered.

「This is just completely out of the norm… So the rumors of you defeating a Violent Barb was true」(Tony)

Tony’s face was contorted, he was simple too shocked.

Unlike Tony, Horton’s face was darkening with fear. The sculpture that almost ended his life was easily beaten by Kousuke and that planted a strong fear of Kousuke in Horton.

Lyle’s face was obviously expressing jealousy and envy. He wanted to be as strong as him since the two’s difference in strength was simply too big.

This envy was something Tony understood too. During his youth, he felt that his potential was endless and whenever he met anyone stronger than him he held jealousy and envy toward them.

Seeing how Lyle was, Tony was recalling his experiences and was bathing in nostalgia.

「Umm, sorry if I’m interrupting something memorable you’re recalling, but should we rest first or immediately set out?」(Kousuke)

Despite feeling a bit pained by Horton’s gaze, Kousuke asked. It was a shock to him since he’s never been feared like this before. Lyle’s jealous gaze was easier to deal with.

「That’s true, let’s rest up first. You and I might be fine, but these two are definitely tired」(Tony)

Kousuke nodded, sat down, and began digging through his bag. Finding what he wanted, he handed the items over to Lyle and Horton.

「It’s an antidote I got from an acquaintance. I’m not sure how effective it would be, but drink it just in case」(Kousuke)

It was something Horun gave him. Those antidotes were made by Horun who’s highly competent in medicine so there’s no possible way that they’re ineffective.

Five minutes after the two drank it, they felt the numbing sensation slowly fade away. After twenty minutes, they were able to move normally again.

「Those two are able to move normally again so let’s head back up」(Kousuke)

「Sounds good」(Tony)

Hearing Tony say “Yokkorasho” as he stood up, Kousuke threw a low blow comment “You sound like an old man”. 【TL: Yokkorasho is along the line of “Up I go” and it implies that the person has some difficulties standing up on their own, like an elderly】

「….. Like I’ll go back without results!」(Lyle)

「Wh.. WHAT!?」(Kousuke)

At Lyle’s sudden outburst Kousuke was surprised.

「I understand what you mean, but you charged in recklessly and made a mess. I have no intention of letting you continue that you know?」(Tony)

「But!」(Lyle) 【TL: b.u.t.t.. teehee】

「Hmm.. Alright, then you can search past that door, but that’s all」(Tony)

Tony pointed at a door near the pedestal the sculpture was most likely originally on.

「If you can’t accept this compromise then I’ll drag your unconscious body out instead. Even if it means I have to break a bone or two to do so」(Tony)

「…. I got it..」(Lyle)

Lyle reluctantly nodded and headed to the door. In the past, he was knocked unconscious by Tony before so he knew it wasn’t a bluff.

While Tony, Lyle and Horton were scaling down the wall with the rope, Kousuke jumped down and gracefully landed. 【TL: Show off…】

Lyle’s jealously grew more seeing this.

After this job, Lyle never worked with Kousuke ever again. But due to this experience he had, it would lead to him to developing and accomplis.h.i.+ng many great things in the future.

「I don’t think there are any traps. What do you think Kousuke?」(Tony)

「Hmm…. I feel that something’s a little off?」(Kousuke)

「I see, mind checking it out just in case? Horton, observe Kousuke carefully, it’ll help out when you search for traps on your own. Lyle, you too. I saw quite a few traps that were triggered by you two on the way here. If you can’t handle and disarm even those then don’t think yourself as a full-fledged adventurer」(Tony)

While Lyle and Horton observed, Kousuke began probing for traps. He wasn’t able to figure out what would come out if the trap sprung, but he figured out how to work around it and disarmed it successfully.

The door opened and Tony examined the dismantled trap and concluded that it was set to release smoke. The compound was mixed with some sort of chemical that would cause those that inhaled it to see hallucinations.

The reason why they found out was because Horton sneezed when they were examining the chemical and scattered it, resulting in Lyle and Horton inhaling it.

The two were giggling and smiling like idiots, it seemed the hallucination they saw was very pleasant.

While those two were dreaming pleasantly, Kousuke and Tony investigated the room.

「Oi, snap out of it already」(Tony)

Finished with investigating the room, Tony was smacking Lyle and Horton awake.

「Huh? Where’s Iris?」(Lyle)

「Where’s Iris-san?」(Horton)

The hallucination the two saw was obviously related to Iris. 【TL: Triangle relations.h.i.+p~?】

「Iris is standing guard near the base. She wasn’t here since the beginning. The two of you were just hallucinating」(Tony)

Hearing that they were hallucinating, the two hung their heads down in embarra.s.sment.

「Well… I don’t know what you two saw, but wipe it from your minds. And about the results of our investigation of the room…」(Tony)

Hearing that, Lyle stood up immediately.

「Was there something?!」(Lyle)

「Jewelries, decorated armors, and some old currencies」(Tony)

「That’s amazing! Doesn’t that mean we’re rich!?」(Horton)

Hearing the results of the investigation, Horton completely recovered.

「Well, the things we found belong to the country now. None of this will go into our pocket you know. This area still belongs to the country’s jurisdiction. If we found those in an undiscovered ruin then it would have belonged to us」(Tony)

「That… Is that the case?」(Horton)

The excitement in Horton visibly faded.

「Lyle told me that if we found any treasures it would be ours though…」(Horton)

「Well, I thought that would be the case」(Lyle)

When Lyle heard that a hidden pa.s.sage existed, he coaxed the information out of Horton by telling him of the possible riches they could attain if Horton would guide him to the place.

「Lyle, didn’t you study enough? I clearly remember teaching you about this though」(Tony)

「I forgot about it. Either way, mind showing me the stuff you found? Just looking at it won’t hurt right?」(Lyle)

「It’s over here. Don’t touch anything. The placement of these things might be important for the scholars’ research」(Tony)

The two were lead into the room and saw the jewelries and other treasures. Their faces were tinged with a sense of disappointment.

They were disappointed that the amount of treasures was smaller than they expected.

If the treasures here were converted into money then it would allow a person to live comfortably for only about three years. If the other valuables they saw on the way here were added then it would only increase that amount by two years.

「Your faces tell me you were expecting to see a lot more huh?」(Tony)

「This place had that kind of gatekeeper, this just doesn’t make sense!」(Lyle)

「That’s right! We almost died!」(Horton)

「I felt the same way too, but this is the reality. I think when the people abandoned this place they took most of their valuables with them. The stuff we found here were probably just things they couldn’t carry」(Tony)

「There might be another hidden pa.s.sage right?」(Horton)

To Horton’s question, Tony shook his head.

「From what I saw, there’s nothing like that left. Kousuke’s checking too, but don’t get your hopes up」(Tony)

「Mhmm, I didn’t find any」(Kousuke

Kousuke landed near them and agreed with Tony. He investigated the upper levels too, but found nothing like a hidden room.

「You finished searching I see」(Tony)

「I checked the ceilings too, I didn’t find anything. Everything of value in this area was probably stored in that room」(Kousuke)

「Then, let’s head back up」(Tony)

Lyle wasn’t satisfied but he knew he would be knocked unconscious if he complained any more so he reluctantly agreed.

Horton glanced at the treasures with regret, but his urge to leave was stronger so he agreed.

To those two, their exploration of the ruin was very unprofitable. They didn’t realize that the experience they gained, especially the encounter with a life and death situation, was priceless.

On the other hand, the things Kousuke gained was large. With the experience he had so far, he was able to determine more accurately what his limit was. While feeling elated with a sense of accomplishment, he reached the surface.

But despite finding out how strong he is, he has yet to realize his own weaknesses. In the future, his weaknesses may prove to be fatal.

「We’ve returned」(Kousuke)

「Welcome back, Kousuke」(Konsato)

Konsato welcomed Kousuke back. Tony and the others went into the base to discuss their findings and to apologize.

Even though Lyle acted on his own, his reckless actions allowed for new discoveries so they were able to avoid a pay cut.

「What did you find inside?」(Konsato)

「That was the first time seeing something like that so I can’t give an accurate description」(Kousuke)

The ruin he and Borudosu went into didn’t count in his mind.

「There were traps, monsters and even a gatekeeper」(Kousuke)

「Gatekeeper?」(Konsato)

「I’m pretty sure it was a gatekeeper as it was protecting a storage room」(Kousuke)

「…. But if it’s just a storage room a gatekeeper being there doesn’t make sense… Maybe this might have something to do with my research?」(Konsato)

Konsato was thinking deeply as he remembered something.

「Was this place very special?」(Kousuke)

「Special? I guess so. There’s a record saying that this temple had a storage room filled with all the valuables for safekeeping. But we never found that storage room so I a.s.sumed that it was mistakenly recorded」(Konsato)

「So the discovery of that gatekeeper was an evidence supporting that record?」(Kousuke)

Konsato nodded.

「…. Is it possible.. That the gatekeeper is also a valuable research material?」(Kousuke)

「It might be」(Konsato)

「…. Sorry. I broke the gatekeeper」(Kousuke)

「You broke it?」(Konsato)

「Lyle and Horton were being chased by it so I broke it to save them」(Kousuke)

「Well, if that’s the case then it can’t be helped. What’s the condition you left the gatekeeper in?」(Konsato)

Kousuke told him to the best of his memory. He also explained that magic can’t be used around it.

「You were unable to cast any spells I see. This is intriguing. The sculpture has its chest and a hand destroyed… and its head was lopped off…… Well, I’m sure it’ll be fine」(Konsato)

Konsato was imagining that the sculpture’s size was just a bit bigger than an adult male. He didn’t fancy the idea that the sculpture Kousuke defeated was four meters tall. 【TL: Kou-chan, I’m pretty sure that this information is IMPORTANT】

When he goes down to investigate the sculpture later, he’s shocked at its size and was even more shocked at how ridiculously strong Kousuke was.

The scolding toward Lyle, Horton and Iris was finished so the group headed back to St. Beria.

Konsato and his colleagues reported their findings to their organization and were immediately preparing to head out once more.

Konsato wanted to request Kousuke’s a.s.sistance once more, but Kousuke had his hands full with the “Hero Show” so he was declined.

In return, Kousuke provided Konsato with a detailed findings of all the traps, monsters and relevant room information to ease his investigations.

On the day Konsato returned to St. Beria, Kousuke already left on a long journey.