Chapter 33: foolish

My whole body feels heavy and my eyes close on their own.

If I had to recall when I last felt like this, it was probably during my first night watch duty in the army.

I distinctly remember dragging my exhausted, heavy body back, barely managing to lie down on the bed, only to find the day had already

broken when I came to my senses.

That’s how I feel right now.

My hair was sticking out wildly in all directions, and my eyes were puffy. Is… this the appearance of a Duke’s daughter? I yawned and quickly

tried to smooth down my hair.

I was a little worried after getting caught in the rain, but thankfully, my head didn’t hurt, and I didn’t have a fever.

“Ahem, ahem.”

My voice sounded normal too. It seemed everyone else had woken up before me, as there was no one lying down nearby.

[You’re awake?]

Teperi smiled and offered me her hand. I hesitated for a moment before taking it and getting up.

It’s not that I don’t resent her. But it’s not that I dislike her either. Caught in that ambiguous tightrope of emotions, I foolishly decided to run

away.

I know it’s childish, but throwing a tantrum and taking it out on someone innocent just because I dislike them is truly unbecoming of an

adult.

Instead, I decided to keep the fact that I know her secret hidden as well.

A secret about knowing she has a secret… our relationship seems hopelessly tangled.

‘I need to get stronger.’

Surviving the demons. That was my biggest goal.

In an all-ages novel, being gang-rped for a week and then meeting one’s end through impalement… does that even make sense as a plot

development?

The original novel, masquerading as a peaceful healing story, was actually a grimdark fcking nightmare when you looked closer. I’ve been

learning magic until now to prevent that.

Until I saw Teperi, that was my sole focus. But seeing her naturally created a new goal.

To surpass Teperi. Looking at that beaming face makes me feel a base desire to cruelly wipe that smile away.

Of course, I could crush her right now if I wanted to. Social status, knowledge, even my magic skills are still superior to hers for now.

But that’s not what I want. I want to beat the genius from the original story fair and square, not knock down a kind girl from the countryside

with lowly schemes or plots.

Beating her fair and square with skill, even two years from now. That, I think, is the proper revenge against Teperi, who is being considerate

towards me.

‘But how?’

Honestly, there’s a limit to how much I can improve through self-training.

Everyone has an innate upper limit to their talent, and I’ve been forcibly stretching mine until now. Continuing with the same methods likely

won’t yield significant results anymore.

Do I need to find some sort of lucky opportunity? But not everyone meticulously remembers every detail of the novels they’ve read.

The first method that came to mind was, naturally, the heart of a Dark Elf.

It’s like a precious elixir that greatly increases the user’s mana and output. Unlike other creatures, only Dark Elves accumulate and use mana

in their hearts.

‘Hmm…’

Let’s put this one on hold for a bit.

If it were as easy to obtain as pork or eggs, it might be different, but the fact that I’d have to cut open a living Dark Elf held me back.

It reminds me of Naier, whom I met in the black market. What might she be doing now? Maybe she returned to the Shadow Valley?

The next thing I thought of was Magi. An alien energy from the Demon Realm, its origin unknown.

Those who consume Magi transform into bodies most convenient for fulfilling their desires. To those who want power, immense strength; to

those who want knowledge, forbidden knowledge.

However, it has a major drawback: it clouds the mind and makes one aggressive. In game terms, it’s like a berserker who might even harm

allies.

Therefore, Magi is officially banned on the continent.

Truthfully, it’s hard to obtain even if you wanted to, but starting from the middle part of the novel, you see it sickeningly often with the

demons. Dealing with people tainted by Magi is the protagonist’s role.

It’s perfect for seeing immediate effects, but it’s like a drug that inevitably leads the user to ruin.

So, Magi is a pass.

No matter how much I desire power, some things are just wrong. Just because there’s someone annoying at school doesn’t mean you want to

shoot them with a gun, right?

Such shortcuts are dark arts practiced by sorcerers.

Hmm, besides those, no other useful knowledge comes to mind.

Dragon Heart? That was just a typical fantasy element mentioned in passing. I don’t even know if it actually exists. Without knowing the

power of a dragon, it’s just a gamble.

The Empire’s Treasury? The risk is too high. I don’t even know what’s inside.

‘There’s really nothing else I can think of.’

Ultimately, my pondering ended without much result as I was pulled outside by Teperi’s hand. Well, even if I worry about it now, it’s not like

I can obtain any of these things immediately.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

Outside the cave, Amiter was already up and waiting. Despite practically staying up all night, she looked mostly normal.

For some reason, she couldn’t seem to find a place to rest her gaze and was staring at the ground.

Come to think of it, yesterday with her… 

Embarrassment washed over me again. If only I had a blanket to cover myself with, I would have kicked it off forcefully.

The only consolation is that she seems embarrassed too? Seriously, why did she even start it then?

“let’s go quickly.”

Only Teperi, oblivious to everything, tilted her head and looked at us.

I pressed my lips together firmly and pushed her back forward.

Although it was called a forest, its vast expanse meant there were many high terrains, like cliffs.

Thanks to that, I ended up marching, something I never thought I’d do again in my life.

While crossing a high mountain ridge, Teperi almost slipped.

It was a moment where she could have fallen off the cliff, but luckily, I grabbed her arm before she fell.

“Be careful.”

[thank you.]

Ah, should I have pretended it was an accident and let go?

Teperi still hadn’t used any magic in front of me. Even for someone from a mountain village, this kind of hiking should be tough, yet she

didn’t even use a simple Haste spell.

It’s a body-enhancing magic learned at the introductory level because it has fewer side effects, but it seems she doesn’t want to use any magic

in front of me.

Whatever, it’s her own loss. Who asked her to be considerate?

She was sweating profusely but still smiling brightly.

“Are you okay? Maybe we should rest a bit.”

[Pant, no, it’s downhill from here, so we can walk slowly.]

Being that kind is practically an illness.

Amiter looked at me quietly as if waiting for my answer.

“…Let’s just rest for a little while.”

Even though it was annoying, seeing her trailing behind, drenched in sweat, made me feel a little pity.

While she sat down, panting and resting, I held up the map and looked beyond.

Since the Black Forest was untouched by human hands, the view from high up was quite spectacular.

Is this what the Amazon rainforest feels like in person? Strange sounds echoed from various places within the forest covered by gaunt trees.

“Are we still far?”

“Hmm… I don’t think we’ll arrive today, at least.”

Strangely, Amiter couldn’t read maps well. She was good at all sorts of miscellaneous tasks but surprisingly bad with directions. Thanks to

that, map-reading became my responsibility.

“But we’re starting to see it.”

Although the Black Forest was large enough to be marked on a world map, fortunately or unfortunately, our destination was located in the

east, close to the academy.

Aram’s Lair.

Amidst the diverse trees described in every imaginable color, there was one place emitting a particularly ominous aura.

The trees on its edge were dead and blackened, but conversely, those in the center grew more lushly and taller than anywhere else.

Since there was no established path, cutting straight through helped save time. Maybe we can arrive by tomorrow?

I turned around and said we should get going. Teperi still looked tired, but her breathing was more stable than before.

[Treya, you seem really fearless.]

What now? Flattery won’t work on me anymore.

Teperi brushed the dirt off her pants and stood up.

[Monsters, and heights too, you’re not scared at all.]

Although there were fewer monsters in the Black Forest than expected, it wasn’t like we hadn’t encountered any.

Just a moment ago, we fought a black Stonebug.

“Well, of course. There’s no reason to die.”

 If anyone’s likely to drag us into danger, it’d probably be you. And maybe the girl glued to your side too.

“Quiet, something’s coming.”

As expected of someone skilled in detecting things, Amiter sensed something approaching.

“Being scared of something harmless is just foolish…”

The blue sky was instantly dyed dark.

Ragged figures wearing brown robes were flying in the sky, and pale hands protruded from within them.

“…Ghosts?”

Teperi opened her eyes groggily and looked at me.