Chapter 631: Defense
I had planned to set off the next day, but Haulon and Retze asked for about four or five days to prepare.
We all shared the materials about the Land of Ruin and studied together. The documents were collected by Haulon previously. Right now, they’re stored in Kanum’s rental house, available for anyone who wants to read them.
Retze seems determined to read through all the materials, spending all his time in the living room on the first floor. Ash, too, is buried in his reading from morning until late at night, his scary expression deepening as he concentrates, furrowing his brow.
Dean doesn’t seem to enjoy being cooped up for too long, so he occasionally disappears to the Demon Forest for some light exercise against the demon beasts.
Chris is busy reporting to the Guild about our requests and handling aftercare, squeezing in reading time whenever he can. Dinoss has also started coming by to read when he has free time. It seems he’s begun teaching the children the language of the Era of Fire, leading to a separate study session within the family.
Ah.
The Spirit of [Storage] is a squirrel, huh? No, that squirrel seems to be more of a “Spirit of Accumulation” type rather than something related to warehouses… As long as it can [Store] anything, I guess it’s fine. Should I look for a hamster spirit instead?
Haulon comes by at night, answering various questions and engaging in discussions. While I serve coffee and snacks to everyone focused on their reading, my main purpose is to accompany Haulon back and forth since his teleportation is a bit inconvenient.
“I see now why sages are all about physical strength,” I think, finally understanding Haulon’s muscular build.
I had imagined sages as those who are buried in books and hardly move, but the Great Sage is constantly working and debating—it’s impressive. I’m surprised.
“Whose fault do you think it is…?” Haulon stumbles over his words.
“Come to think of it, back in the day, it was more about giving hints and letting us figure things out ourselves,” I say.
“The stance was to choose the correct information from a plethora of materials,” Dinoss and the Butler chime in.
“It’s because I have to rewrite the materials I’m aware of! Where do you get that knowledge from…! Even if what Jean says is more accurate than the materials, I still need verification!”
The documents Haulon brought in have parts that are clearly altered from the fragments I read in the Spirit Library… What should I do? I was hesitating whether to say something when Retze set me on a course to be scolded, telling me to be honest while I still could, so I spoke up.
Sorry, Haulon. I wanted to introduce you to the Spirit Library, but Rudil was shouting and made it impossible. He had come to check on me a few times when he was with me, using his retainer to peek instead of coming himself.
“There’s so much to investigate and consider!!!”
Haulon seems to be happily losing his mind somewhere.
Once he calms down, I plan to have Rudil assess the situation again, but I wonder when the Great Sage will settle down.
“Mmm… Delicious,” Ash says, bringing a piece of chocolate I left nearby to his mouth, sounding blissful.
I’m glad he likes it, but he’s so focused that he doesn’t even hear Haulon’s shouting. Please, release that furrow in your brow.
And so, the departure day arrives.
“Rishu, I’m off,” I say after finishing my morning walk, giving Rishu a quick hug as a farewell.
I’ve packed a lunch, brought a lantern, and have the magic circle and talismans ready. Even if I forget something, I can return quickly.
I teleport to Kanum’s place.
“I’ve read a lot, but honestly, it might have been easier not knowing. There seems to be almost no countermeasures,” Dean grumbles.
The materials Haulon has mostly conclude with something like, “Once you step into the Land of Ruin, there’s no escape,” so I understand his feelings.
“I’m nervous! But my Spirit Sword might come in handy!” Chris lightly taps the sword at his waist.
Now that I think about it, it does seem like it would be quite useful in the Land of Ruin, even if it only dazzles.
“By the way, everyone, step on this.”
I present the magic circle, a transfer version for each of us.
“What is it?” Dean asks, stepping on it before I can explain.
Everyone follows suit, stepping on it one after another, the magic circle transferring onto the soles of their shoes.
“This is a type of ghost repellent, right?” Haulon reads the magic circle as he steps on it.
“Whoa! It lights up when you step!” Dean exclaims, bouncing on his feet.
“The faster you step, the more it lights up. We have a ghost-repelling lantern, so the light will reach the shadows, but just in case. I heard we should be careful about our feet too.”
It’s a type of ground defense that pushes away opponents by stepping on it.
Seeing everyone’s feet glowing looks a bit strange. It reminds me of those shoes that lit up when kids walked back in Japan…
“Who is it for? Should I not ask…?” Haulon murmurs, looking troubled.
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On April 10th, the 13th volume of “When I Transferred to Another World, I Found Myself in the Mountains” is released!
Thank you for your support!
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