Chapter 21: From the Forest of Enchantment to the City
“Shall we head out as well…?”
I called out to Rio, who had finished storing her items while gazing after our master as he departed. It was a rather unceremonious farewell, but I thought it suited him well.
“Yeah.”
I tucked away the only travel money and the pouch containing the brooch that had been on the table into the Dimensional Box. It might not be the royal insignia, but it could be useful for something. According to our master, entering the city requires either identification or money, so perhaps this could serve as a substitute. Regardless, there was no reason not to take it with us.
“Now, shall we take the game from the garden with us?”
“I have more space in my Dimensional Box, but make sure to store some food too, Shuu.”
“Got it.”
Following Rio’s suggestion, I collected the game I had bled out after hunting yesterday.
“Alright, let’s go.”
“Yeah.”
With that, we left the Forest of Enchantment behind.
The path leading towards the Arclight Kingdom was said to take about twenty days on foot. However, with our current abilities, we could use Gravity Magic to lighten our bodies and Wind Magic to soar through the skies. This should allow us to travel at roughly five times the normal walking speed.
“Oh, look! A Dodo Bird!”
That said, we weren’t in a rush. Spotting prey from above, we would descend to hunt, swiftly behead it, bleed it out, and then resume our journey. We didn’t have camping gear since we left it at home, but we could create makeshift walls and roofs with Earth Magic to sleep comfortably. It took us about a week to finally exit the Forest of Enchantment.
“We made it out!”
Before us lay a vast expanse of grassland. Scattered trees dotted the landscape, but it was predominantly open fields.
“It’s incredible, isn’t it?”
Rio seemed impressed as well. I had never seen such an expansive grassland in Japan. The grass grew tall, reaching up to our necks, obscuring our view of what lay beyond.
“Um, if we cut straight through this grassland, we should hit the highway, and if we head west, there’s the Trade City Zain, right?”
“That’s what our master said.”
“He mentioned it was knowledge from fifty years ago, though.”
“Surely a city wouldn’t disappear in fifty years.”
“Well, that’s true… Is the highway really just up ahead?”
“He said it was close, but who knows?”
“Hmm. Let’s put away any conspicuous gear.”
“Good idea.”
I stored my dragon scale shield in the Dimensional Box, and Rio followed suit, stowing away her robe adorned with scales and changing into a simpler one.
“Alright, we’re ready. From here on, let’s walk.”
It would be troublesome if we were spotted flying through the air. We decided to proceed on foot, cutting through the grass as we went.
“Wow, I can slice through this grass so easily! This feels amazing!”
As we walked, I unleashed Air Cutters from my feet, creating a path through the grass. I got a bit carried away and ended up making a mysterious circle, but I didn’t mind.
“…What are you doing?”
I turned to Rio, who was diligently stuffing the cut grass into her Dimensional Box.
“As you can see, I’m collecting grass.”
“…Are you planning to use it for something?”
“I don’t have any specific plans right now, but I thought it might come in handy.”
“Oh, I see…”
I wondered if Rio was a bit too frugal. While the grass could serve as fodder for herbivores, we had no plans to keep any animals. After about an hour of walking through the grassland, the grass began to grow shorter and more sparse. Eventually, we came upon a well-trodden path.
“Oh, this must be the highway. It’s my first time seeing a highway in the Otherworld.”
“It looks just like a regular dirt road.”
The compacted ground bore the marks of wagon wheels, indicating it was frequently traveled.
“Um, if we’re heading west, that means we should go right.”
I visualized the map in my mind to pinpoint the location of Trade City Zain. I wondered if I might develop a Map Skill… as I walked along the highway. So far, we hadn’t encountered anyone.
“Speaking of which, we haven’t run into any monsters since we came out to the grassland.”
“Well, that just shows how special the Forest of Enchantment is.”
It was called the Forest of Enchantment for a reason, after all, given the abundance of monsters within.
“…I wonder what the city in the Otherworld is like.”
“I hope it’s more advanced than our master’s home.”
“That would be nice.”
“…Are you feeling nervous?”
I noticed a hint of worry in Rio’s tone and instinctively spoke up. She looked down at me with a startled expression. Walking side by side, I couldn’t help but feel smaller in comparison.
“Maybe… I guess it’s natural to feel nervous about going somewhere for the first time.”
“Haha, I’m a bit nervous too, but it’s not like it’s my first time in the Forest of Enchantment, and we’re not going to die, so we should be fine.”
As long as we didn’t die, we’d be okay. I could say that with confidence, having nearly faced death a few times myself. I patted Rio’s shoulder to reassure her, but her expression didn’t seem to brighten much.
“How can someone who has nearly died be so optimistic?”
I found myself being scolded instead.
“S-Sorry.”
It seemed I had been a bit too flippant. After all, this was the Otherworld, and we had no idea what awaited us.
“But this time, I’ll protect you, Shuu, so don’t worry.”
Rio’s determined words gave me a sense of unease, but I steeled myself as well. I certainly didn’t want to come close to death again. I needed to be cautious.
As we continued our conversation and walked, we began to encounter more people. I was fascinated by the sight of adventurers from the Otherworld, and soon enough, we spotted what appeared to be the walls and gates of a city in the distance.