Chapter 5: Water Magic is a Lifeline
I felt my knees buckle, and I barely managed to catch myself with my hands as I landed on the ground. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in the midst of a dense forest. Standing up and glancing around, all I could see were plants surrounding me.
“What the hell is this?”
I had expected to end up in the middle of the city or at least near it. Instead, I was in a dimly lit forest, thick with foliage.
“Kyah!”
Just as I was processing my surroundings, another figure appeared. However, it seemed they had miscalculated their landing and tumbled to the ground spectacularly. Brushing off the dead leaves clinging to her clothes, she slowly stood up.
“…Yuzuki-san?”
It was Yuzuki-san, the princess who had been standing apart from the group when we were summoned to the basement.
“Why are you here, Yuzuki-san?”
She was draped in a loose black robe and carried a wooden staff about fifty centimeters long.
“Um… well, I’m kind of useless, so…”
From what I gathered, Yuzuki-san had ended up with a rather unfortunate class designation and was treated as the lowest tier among our classmates. Apparently, she had only just managed to activate her basic Water Magic.
In contrast, Nagai and Manaka, who held the titles of Great Sage and Great Mage, could use all elemental basic spells from the start.
“Ah, I see…”
If she said she wanted to escape, I had no retort. But considering our current situation, I couldn’t help but think that maybe it would have been better not to jump out at all. Well, at least I wasn’t alone. Being in this forest by myself would have been terrifying.
“I-I’m so sorry…”
Yuzuki-san looked anxious, her brows furrowed. But I was just as lost as she was. I had no survival experience, and I doubted that staying put would bring any rescue.
“Ah, right.”
I decided to check the leather pouch I had received. Inside, I found five dull coins and ten larger coins of the same color. There was also a brooch featuring a crossed sword design against a pentagonal shield. The Demon King had said to bring this brooch to the Royal Castle once he was defeated, promising that it would allow me to return to my original world.
I wondered if that was really true. The brooch was oddly captivating, but it was just an accessory after all. I had found myself staring at it, but at least—
“It doesn’t seem like it’ll be of any use in this forest.”
“Yeah…”
“Let’s move for now.”
“…Where to?”
Even I didn’t have an answer to that. But it was clear that standing around doing nothing wouldn’t help. I felt a sense of fatigue creeping in, and I hadn’t expected the forest to feel this eerie.
“We need to find a place where we can at least secure some water or food.”
“Ah… right.”
With that, the two of us began to walk.
We had been walking for about two hours, aimlessly pushing forward without any change in scenery. Strange insects and beastly sounds echoed from all around us. Sweat clung my shirt to my skin, making me feel uncomfortable. Occasionally, the loud roars of beasts gnawed at my nerves.
“Damn it, they never intended to keep me alive from the start, did they…?!”
“Th-That can’t be…”
“Then why are we wandering aimlessly through this jungle?!”
Frustration bubbled over, and I snapped at Yuzuki-san. I knew I was taking it out on her, but—
“…I’m sorry.”
“…No, it’s okay.”
This wasn’t going to solve anything.
“Let’s take a break for a bit…”
After walking in silence for a while, I realized we couldn’t keep going like this and turned to Yuzuki-san.
“Okay.”
My legs were starting to feel like lead. My throat felt dry, and I was beginning to feel hungry. I found a fallen tree and sat down, and Yuzuki-san joined me.
“Haah…”
I rested my elbows on my knees, staring at the ground. I had been searching for any edible fruits while walking, but I hadn’t found anything.
“Um, Mizumoto-kun.”
“Yeah?”
“I can use Water Magic to summon some water, so could you, um, hold out your hands?”
“Oh, right.”
I extended my hands as instructed. She had mentioned being able to use basic Water Magic. Yuzuki-san raised her staff towards my hands and closed her eyes to concentrate.
“…Water!”
With a triumphant declaration, water began to pour from her staff, spilling over my hands.
“Whoa, that’s amazing!”
So this is what magic looks like…! I had never seen it before, but it was incredible. It felt like something gathered softly at the tip of her staff before bursting forth as water!
“Quick, drink before it spills!”
“Oh, right!”
I had almost forgotten my thirst in my excitement. I brought my hands to my mouth and gulped down the water.
“Ah, this is delicious!”
Even though it was magic-created water, it tasted great.
“Thank you, Yuzuki-san.”
“Yeah.”
She smiled happily at my gratitude, but then her cheeks flushed shyly. Surely, she wasn’t embarrassed just because I complimented her… I wasn’t that self-conscious, was I…?
“Um, I’d like to drink some water too, but I need the staff to use magic… so, can I borrow your hands, Mizumoto-kun?”
Oh, I see.
In response, I quickly extended my hands again, and with a grateful “Thank you,” she activated Water Magic once more.
I carefully brought the water to her, but as she leaned closer, her lips brushed against my hands. I could hear the soft sound of her throat as she drank, a quiet gulp echoing in the stillness of the forest.