Ch.144Midnight Escape

April 23rd, 10:00 PM.

With about 33 hours left until the dungeon entrance opens, we left Atelier and headed toward the canyon of the Corkas Mountains, crossing the northern swamplands.

I had anticipated being followed from the moment we left our lodgings with Ancestor.

Rumors that we knew (or might know) the conditions for opening the dungeon entrance had spread throughout Atelier, and many adventurers and newspaper reporters were constantly hovering around trying to catch even the smallest clue.

Pretending not to notice these followers, we went to the Adventurers’ Guild and accepted all the moonlight moss collection requests posted on the quest board.

This moonlight moss is a plant that grows in secluded corners where human eyes rarely reach, and it has the characteristic of mimicking the color of surrounding objects when exposed to sunlight or strong light.

Therefore, to find moonlight moss, one needs to search in the dark of night, without directly shining a lantern on it.

Searching the swamp at midnight, without lanterns.

This was precisely the kind of request perfectly suited for “an adventurer party with an elf member.”

With Phyllis, an elf, on our team, our actions of accepting numerous moonlight moss quests and heading outside the city were given sufficient legitimacy.

Both the receptionist at the Adventurers’ Guild and those secretly following us would think that our goal today was to collect plenty of moonlight moss and earn money.

“But they’re dead wrong. The dungeon first clear is ours~”

“No need to rush. The moonlight moss collection finished faster than expected.”

“I didn’t expect it to end this quickly either. This moonlight moss plant has good compatibility with night vision.”

It took less than two hours to find the required amount of moonlight moss.

For an ordinary adventurer party, it would have been arduous work to find silver moss growing in corners while being careful not to shine direct light on it.

But apparently, to Phyllis with her night vision, it appeared as faintly self-luminous in the darkness.

I thought it might be nice to earn some extra income from moonlight moss collection quests whenever we visit Atelier in the future.

Despite suffering from the acrid smell and attacks from nocturnal animals, we proceeded at a leisurely pace, eventually setting up our tent in a suitably secluded spot and casting barrier magic.

The current time is 5:50 AM, just as the eastern sky is gradually brightening.

“Alright, let’s sleep for about six hours here and then move again.”

“Won’t adventurers from Atelier come after us?”

“They probably will. Whether they can meet us is another matter.”

It sounded like we were fugitives, but the “pursuit of adventurers” referred to those who would notice we were heading to the dungeon and follow us to get a piece of the action.

The fact that we went out to collect moonlight moss and hadn’t returned by morning would quickly become gossip.

Once that happens, even the adventurers who had dismissed their suspicions last night would guess we were heading to the dungeon, and might hurriedly begin pursuit, thinking the entrance was already open.

But I can guarantee that no adventurers rushing out of Atelier will catch up to our party.

That’s because our current location is far removed from the route connecting Atelier and Northern Fortress.

“The adventurers stationed in Atelier know well how dangerous the swamplands are. They’re also accustomed to earning money within their capabilities without taking excessive risks.”

“So?”

“They wouldn’t choose to cut through the inner swamp when there’s a relatively safe route to Northern Fortress. They’ll leave in the morning, arrive at Northern Fortress late in the afternoon, and discover that we never showed up there.”

Hastily packing their belongings and arriving at Northern Fortress, only to find that not only did they fail to catch up with us, but we never even came there.

In such a case, the adventurers’ behavior patterns would largely fall into three categories:

Teams that return to Atelier, thinking they barked up the wrong tree.

Teams that wait at Northern Fortress for our arrival.

Teams that, having come all the way to Northern Fortress, go to check out the dungeon entrance.

The first and second options are irrelevant, and we don’t need to worry much about the third either.

No one would be crazy enough to push through the canyon in the middle of the night with bodies exhausted from forced marching to plunge into the dungeon.

By the time they rest well, depart in the morning, and reach the dungeon entrance, we will have already been rummaging through the dungeon for several hours.

“For that reason, we don’t need to worry about other adventurers. Let’s rest well and start moving again in the afternoon.”

“Hmm~ Then can I ask a favor?”

“What favor?”

“That leg massage you gave me the other day, could you do it again?”

“Oh, I want one too.”

“Me too.”

“Hooo…?”

If they liked the foot massage that much, perhaps I should show off my skills again.

As a thank you for the cosplay event too, I’ll knead until they’re completely melting.

“Hyaaang!”

The moans of beautiful women echo across the swampland as the morning sun rises.

~ ~ ~ Riverside ~ ~ ~

Anastasia Yuria Asmad, Queen of the Succubus tribe, was reading the newspaper article about Will’s group that occupied the front page of the morning paper with a satisfied smile.

“Eliminated a band of outlaws and discovered a dungeon… As expected of those who brought me out into the world. Truly remarkable individuals.”

Among the human artifacts she was experiencing for the first time in hundreds of years, Anastasia particularly liked this thing called a newspaper.

How convenient it was to access news about the world without having to go to the trouble of footwork or sifting through the drunken ramblings of men.

For Anastasia, who had been cut off from news of human society due to her long seclusion, it felt like rain after a drought.

“Hmm hmm… An explosion at Zemest’s brewery, the dwarves must have shed tears of blood. Huh? The sheriff accepted bribes and let outlaws into the city? How foolish to kick away a lifelong job for a few coins…”

‘Whirr-‘

“Hmm?”

Anastasia, who had been exclaiming over the various news items in the paper, raised an eyebrow at the strange flow of magical power she suddenly felt.

She had been staying in the pioneer city for two weeks now.

Anastasia was already well aware of how closely magic was integrated into the pioneers’ lives.

Even in the house where she was staying, they used magic-powered lanterns and ignition devices, so she had grown accustomed to ignoring the faint magical vibrations felt in daily life.

But even she couldn’t ignore the alien magical vibration she had just felt.

That’s because the source of that magical power was none other than the “Book of Adventure.”

“…I need to check what’s happening.”

Anastasia closed the newspaper, got up, and left the room.

Her residence was the mansion of McLain, a wealthy man of Riverside who had commissioned Will’s group to investigate the dungeon.

Initially, Anastasia had no intention of living in that McLain’s house.

But to monitor the Book of Adventure, she needed to maintain a close relationship with him and have access to the archive where the book was kept, even when he was away.

As a means to solve this problem, Anastasia cast a suggestion on McLain and his employees to recognize her as “McLain’s adopted daughter from childhood.”

Additionally, she implanted a charm effect on McLain himself to “want to grant any request his daughter makes,” resulting in Anastasia gaining free access to the underground archive where the Book of Adventure was kept.

“Hello, Miss Anastasia. Are you going to the underground archive?”

“Yes, Grayson. Is Father downstairs?”

“The master left early this morning. Shall I accompany you?”

“It’s fine. Please continue with your work.”

Leaving the bowing employee behind, Anastasia opened the door to the underground archive.

Faint magical power was flowing from the Book of Adventure placed on the luxurious bookstand.

“This is…!”

Anastasia’s bare white feet, wearing neither shoes nor socks, stopped in front of the bookstand, and her small, delicate hands opened the hardcover.

The brief sentence written on the first page is the spell to open the gate to the White Tower where Anastasia had been staying.

But now, a new sentence was trying to appear below that magical spell.

A collection of squiggly lines and dots that had not yet formed into letters.

However, Anastasia was certain that if these letters were completed, a second destination would be added to the Book of Adventure.

“What on earth is this Book of Adventure…?”

There probably isn’t anyone who could answer that question clearly.

Before discussing the depth of knowledge, there are only a handful of people who even know of the existence of this grimoire.

“…I need to contact that man called Will.”

Those adventurers who were most deeply involved with the Book of Adventure might be able to find something out.

With that thought, Anastasia carefully closed the book and scurried out of the underground archive.