Is it for real that I woke up and it's already the next morning?

It's great that my fatigue hit 0, but didn't I definitely set it to sleep for only 1 hour? Did I end up sleeping through like when you turn off your alarm and go back to sleep?

I pushed aside the fur blanket that I had no idea when I'd covered myself with—though someone else might have covered me with it—and stepped out of the building.

I knew a day had passed through the hole in the ceiling, but seeing the whole scenery made it feel different.

As the sunlight, which had turned into that of midsummer in just one day, pierced my eyes, it felt exactly like I was being exorcised.

"Ah, you woke up before it got too late."

Ugh, the sunlight...

A Vampire under the sun... no, Vampires here aren't affected by sunlight. Am I slowly melting like ice under the scorching sun?

The Archmage approached from the other side.

"Are you not hungry? It's about time to eat, so I brought some food."

There's no way I'd be hungry after eating before going to sleep yesterday... Wait, yes there is! Looking at my normally depleted satiety stat, I accepted what the Archmage handed me.

It was a vegetable stir-fry packed with spices. This was the most delicious thing I tasted yesterday, but I don't know how she managed to bring exactly this.

"Will you eat inside, or will you eat outside?"

Inside wouldn't be bad either, but it's a nice day out. Looking around, it seems like eating outside is a common thing, so I might as well eat outside too.

I sat on a chair made from a cut wooden pillar—it was the height of a bathroom stool—by the campfire set up near the tent.

The hunters who were eating earlier shifted their eyes nervously and drastically lowered their voices. I didn't mean to make them feel self-conscious, but I suddenly felt sorry.

"Tell me if it's not enough. They said they'll provide as much as we want."

"... There's no need."

However, I was already sitting down.

Feigning shamelessness, I ate the stir-fried dish. The Priestess had carved a personal set of cutlery for me yesterday, asking if outsiders didn't use them, so I felt no discomfort regarding the method of consumption.

The food is delicious.

"... I have, um, something to tell you."

As I conquered the heaped vegetable stir-fry layer by layer, the bottom gradually came into view. Bringing the bowl to my lips and pushing the last remnants into my mouth, only a bit of seasoning was left.

"First off, the Chief of Bigabol hoped to leave this afternoon."

CLATTER.

I put down the cutlery on the bowl. The Archmage held out a teacup as if she had been waiting. It was the same tea from yesterday. It still tasted good.

"However, if you wish... we can leave later. The Chief desperately wants your accompaniment, and he intends to respect your opinion."

Huh. I feel like I'm being bribed with food. Is this right? More importantly, how did the Archmage know?

"Of course, it's fine if you don't participate in this matter. I've requested personnel through the Magic Tower, and I've already told them I'll send them instead if you refuse."

But the tea was innocent. I sipped the tea water. As the warmth spread throughout my body, I felt drowsy.

"What will you do?"

The Archmage must have also felt quite uncomfortable with the bloody way things ended yesterday.

I half-lowered my eyelids at the proposal that heavily catered to my mood.

"Tell the Chief."

Whether to acknowledge the existence of the Mountain Lord or consider it a target to be killed, well. I've already accepted it, but I don't think it's a problem my concept can conclude in a single day.

After all, isn't it a matter of overturning a portion of the hatred, contempt, and disgust that had built up over a long time and changing one's values?

"That I will cooperate, but I have no reason to follow orders."

However, there is one thing for sure.

The Demon Knight will never back down when it comes to things related to demonic energy.

Whether he kills or spares it, his temper will only be satisfied if he absolutely sees it with his own eyes and makes a judgment.

"... Understood."

The Archmage nodded at the conditional acceptance. Her expression didn't turn serious, as if she had expected this much.

"Then when would be a good time to depart?"

"I have no time to waste on a mere power struggle."

"Understood. Then we'll depart as soon as possible. The Chief will be pleased."

The translator that worked perfectly as always was a bonus.

It was time to cross over into Bigabol's territory.

【I do not doubt that yesterday's unsavory incident will return as a deep friendship in the future. Please stay healthy until we meet again.】

【Of course. May Chief Atart also stay in good health until Katina.】

As soon as the message of departure was delivered, the Chief of Bigabol, Atart, hurried his subordinate warriors—the ones who hadn't betrayed him—and formed a party.

Since he didn't know what might have happened to his base, it seemed he wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"... Next time, please, vi... visit our tribe once again."

"Please, I hope the opportunity to host you again, Warrior, comes."

But on the flip side, there were also those who felt regretful about the early departure. It was the Chief and Priestess of Serhang, who couldn't even exchange proper greetings.

The Chief smiled awkwardly as if he had memorized a whole sentence, and the Priestess spoke sweetly with an experienced touch. Both were identical in explicitly urging a return visit.

They even held out the gift I had rejected once more. Of all things, it was the tea leaves that I had liked.

If I had it my way, I'd want to take it.

【I will carry it instead.】

【Ah, understood.】

【In exchange... please take care of the snakes.】

【Do not worry. I will make sure to hand them over to the person from the Hudelen Magic Tower.】

【Haha, thank you.】

However, the Demon Knight wasn't that kind of person. Holding back my tears, I looked away from the hand offering the gift.

But then the Archmage intercepted it again. Hmph.

"Please take care of it."

It was a bit sad and annoying, but I still wouldn't let it show.

I closed my eyes at Atart's greeting. Because of the angle and direction, the sunlight kept piercing my eyes, making it impossibly hard to keep them open.

【That bastard...】

【Stop. Do not force our ways on an outsider. He has the right.】

The sunlight, aaaaaah.

"I was wondering why the Boss was nowhere to be seen, and he took a quest in the meantime..."

"Why didn't you tell me? If you had told me, I would have helped..."

"I thought about asking for your help, Hero... but it wasn't related to demons, it was just simple ingredient gathering. Moreover, since I heard you were advancing to a new realm, Hero, I felt it was a bit much to interrupt that."

"Then why did the Archmage..."

"Because magic ingredients are tricky to gather. If I leave it to non-Mages, there's a high chance it turns into a substandard product, so I asked for a favor. Furthermore, since some of the gathering ingredients this time are wild beasts, tracking magic and the like is needed, and tracking magic isn't usually an easy task, you see? You have to be able to capture the scattered traces in the atmosphere, attach colored mana to them, and induce the mana to spread along the connected traces, but this is only possible if you're around the level of a Great Sage or a Mage."

"I see..."

"Haha! The Berserker has no idea what that means!"

"If that's the case, it makes sense why I wasn't called either..."

At Fierce White Wind's explanation, the three people each showed their own reactions.

Behind them were the Mages belonging to the Hudelen branch, which was full of academics, who had relatively intact bodies—meaning they could walk for more than 3 hours, at least. The high-ranking Priests brought along just in case were a bonus.

"By the way, is it okay to recklessly... enter the territory of the forest denizens like this? I heard they strongly dislike those who enter without permission."

"It's fine because it's the border up to here. Herb gatherers also frequently come and go up to this point. Plus, the Serhang tribe officially gave permission, so what could be the problem?"

Is that so. The Deathbringer scratched the back of his head as he listened to the Great Sage's words.

He knew a Mage had to directly gather them, but he was still confident he could play an active role in the tracking process. To think they left him out and went.

A slight feeling of regret and a subtle sense of deprivation faintly filled his heart. It was a sense of deprivation that came from feeling as if he was useless.

"More importantly, there should be someone coming out to meet us soon..."

He thought he had proven his worth by being quite active in Pa Enoch, though. Was he still lacking in their eyes after all?

"Hey, it seems like someone is over there."

In the meantime, the Berserker sensed the presence of an outsider before him. Where she pointed, there was a deserted forest.

Under the bushes, up in the trees, behind the trees. Even when they meticulously searched every spot where a person could hide, it was the same. No one was visible.

"It looks like there's no one there?"

"No, there is. You, you have excellent intuition despite not even being a Mage. How did you notice a barrier focused on concealment?"

However, there was someone. A person hidden by magic, a technique he couldn't even dream of attempting.

"I wonder if this is the party we're making contact with."

As the Great Sage stepped forward and hopped up and down, a change occurred among the deserted forest as well. The empty air distorted and rippled, and then revealed the figure of a person.

【Are you the ones from the Hudelen Magic Tower?】

【Yeees. That's right. I came because the Archmage called me.】

【Excuse me, but please provide proof.】

The Deathbringer scrunched up his face violently.

Magic... is truly overpowered. Warriors who deal with mana to strengthen their bodies have fixed applications and it's at least limited to the individual, but magic is truly...

【I don't know what she said would serve as proof. Will this do? Or this? Ah, maybe this?】

【... You have been proven at the point you showed several. You do not need to take out any more.】

【Aw. What a buzzkill.】

The Deathbringer's group looked away from watching White Wind chat as the representative.

The forest nearing night was truly dark, but having a single magic item made it not difficult to see its contents.

It was so convenient that it instilled a sense of shame. Magic is overpowered after all.

"Yaaawn. I'm slowly getting bored. Are there no strong ones?"

"It's not that there are no strong ones, but you must not recklessly cross weapons with them. The denizens of the Great Forest are strict towards outsiders."

"I was looking forward to the warriors of the Great Forest, but that's no fun..."

"... Even if taking out your weapon first is not allowed, I think it would be fine to ask for permission and have a sparring match."

However, regardless of how he felt, the situation was flowing by the minute.

After taking delivery of the snakes as planned, they dumped the snakes onto some of the personnel. Those people would return to the city's Magic Tower and begin their research.

And the Deathbringer himself, the nerds including White Wind, the Berserker, and several Mages and Priests moved towards the settlement of Serhang following the guide.

After spending the night here, they would head to the Bigabol tribe, where the Demon Knight and the Archmage had supposedly headed.

【Those traitorous bastards... they've made up their minds to kill me.】

The way back wasn't so smooth. It was because the Zatab warriors had settled into the return route.

【It seems they sold out the fact that the Chief was visiting Serhang in person as an envoy. Otherwise, there is no way they could be positioned right on that path...】

【Naturally, they would have.】

I stuck to the trees and bushes following the hand signals of the Bigabol hunters. Like a jungle forest, small trees and grass were densely packed between the trees, so there was no difficulty hiding my body.

It was just that there was no way forward.

"... Regarding the Zatab attack that happened in Serhang. It seems the information leaked from this side."

At that moment, the Archmage softly whispered in secret.

Well, no. It's not something I need to care about, but knowing it makes me feel a bit pitiful for them. Because Serhang ended up taking the blame in the end.

Of course, if the meeting place was accidentally attacked and they couldn't handle it, it would be the fault of the host of the meeting place, but if the attack happened because of the visitor, isn't that the visitor's fault?

【Is it possible to take a detour?】

【It will be difficult. They have placed people at every key point...】

【What about a frontal breakthrough.】

【There are too many of them. It might be possible, but the casualties...】

More importantly, that side keeps moving, so is it okay for us to stay here?

I observed those who were slowly walking this way while spread out. As if proving they were targeting us, every single one of them was holding a weapon.

"It's rough going right from the start. I really don't want to cause friction with other tribes if possible, though."

The Archmage also looked troubled.

"If possible, it would be best if we could pass by without our presence being discovered..."

Then, wait a minute. The Archmage's gaze turned towards me.

"You."

I suddenly had a premonition that I was going to be worked to the bone.

"... That thing you used to drive out the Zatab yesterday. Is it possible to do it once more?"

It hit the mark without fail.