Chapter 88

Felice and Albert just came to a forest outside the capital for their outdoor training.

Accompanying them is Austin and Blake.

Blake promptly told them today’s plans.

「Today, we will put up a tent and we will be teaching you the locations of herbs, animals, monsters and their searching methods from there. If we come across a monster, don’t attack unless it’s an emergency situation」

「「Yes, please take care of me!」」

When the two gave a cheerful reply, Austin took out two tents from his item ring.

「Alright! The tents come first. I will set up the first one, so you guys watch me and try to set up the other one」

「Got it」

「This tent is smallish, isn’t it?」

「This size is too heavy for you, so it wouldn’t be possible to set it up」

The two found it curious seeing the tent they were given, but understanding Blake’s words, the two tried setting up the tent while watching Austin.

Austin also progressed while watching the two’s state, so they were able to set up the tent smoothly.

Blake confirmed the state of the completed tent and because he didn’t find a problem, Austin took out five cone-shaped things next.

Four of the five were white and one was red.

「We will install this next」

「What is that?」

「Is that some kind of a magic tool?」

「Correct. This is called a『Barrier Pin』and it’s literally a barrier magic tool. Blake, please」

「Yeah…… you stick the white pins into the four corners of the site you want to put up the barrier in. You then stick the red one within the barrier and pour magical power inside」

Blake put up the four『Barrier Pins』with the tents in the center and poured magical power inside the red one once the four whites were set up.

Austin explained while watching that.

「Like this, the red one will memorize the magical power that has been poured inside, allowing you to freely go in and out, while not letting those who didn’t register inside. You guys pour your magical power inside as well」

「Touch it with your hand and just a small amount is fine」

「Yes」

「Does everyone have this?」

When Albert asked while pouring his magical power inside the red pin, Austin answered.

「We have bought it ourselves in the past, but currently, when you become E-cla.s.s adventurer, the guild will give them to interested parties」

「The guild will? Why is that?」

When Felice asked, Blake cast his eyes down and replied.

「To increase the survival rate of adventurers. The death rate of low-ranked adventurers was too high in the past」

「Magic tools are expensive, so the adventurers of low rank can’t quite get their hands on them. It’s not the only cause, but the guild prepares them to raise the survival rate if by even a little」

「Well, it’s not free though. If you received it, two copper coins will be deducted from your rewards」

「Still, it would generally cost about two gold coins to buy it. In the guild, it will cost you one gold coin in total and you don’t have a payment deadline, so there are many people who use it」

「「Hee~」」

The barrier has been set up without a problem, so they departed to search the forest.

Felice and Albert advanced while careful of their footsteps and presence as they were told.

On the way, they found a place where herbs were growing en ma.s.se, Albert defeated a slime, and a lot happened when Felice screamed after a bug landed on her face, but they somehow managed to get to a resting place.

「Zee~…… zee~……」

「Feli, are you okay?」

「You would get tired after shouting like that」

「You will get used to it. You will calm down after experiencing it a few times. Angela also often shrieked in the past, but she now slaps them off in silence. Haha!」

「I…… don’t want to…… get used to it」

「Anyhow, sit down」

「Un」

Albert prompted Felice who finally put her breathing in order to sit down at the nearby stone and he sat on the stone across her.

Then, they heard a noise from somewhere.

――Goto

「「N?」」

「Did you say something?」

「Austin, I heard a strange sound, so be careful」

――Gakon

When they heard the noise again, the stones Felice and Albert were sitting on sunk down.

「Wa!」

「Hoeh?」

「「Wha!?」」

――Gakun

While startled by the sudden happening, the stones tilted and a hole opened behind the two, sucking up Felice and Albert who were sitting on them.

「Hey!」

「What is this~!」

「「Felice! Albert!」」

Austin and Blake rushed over, but the hole closed before their hands could reach.

「s.h.i.t! The communication tool isn’t working either…… Blake! Return and notify them! I will try looking for the entrance!」

「Got it!」

While Austin and Blake were starting to move, Felice and Albert were enveloped by darkness.

「Feli, are you unhurt?」

「Un. Because you protected me. Are you alright?」

「I’m fine. I put out a barrier too」

「It would be better to contact the two, right?」

「Un. But the communication tool isn’t connecting, the telepathy is not reaching too. Since I can use both skills and magic, there must be a communication interference with outside. I’m unable to use transfer as well」

「That can’t be~」

Albert used『Light』and looked around their surroundings.

They were surrounded by walls and there was one door.

「Let’s take a look」

「U, un」

Albert opened the door and there was a pa.s.sage when he looked. When they stepped inside, the lamps installed throughout the pa.s.sage lighted up.

「What is this place~」

「Hee~ it became interesting. Let’s go」

「Ehh~」

Taking the hand of the unwilling Felice, Albert advanced forward.

After walking for a while, they found another door.

「It’s a door」

「It’s a door~ We have to open the door, huh」

While saying such, Albert opened the door and the lamps inside the room lighted up and they saw many wooden planks and flat stones in a disorderly cl.u.s.ter.

「Uwaa…… so dirty」

「Indeed. But, it seems that the things in this room are quite old」

「How can you tell?」

「Take a look at this, there are words written on the planks and stones, right? They are a replacement for paper」

Albert took a nearby plank and stone and showed it to Felice.

「If I remember correctly, it was about 300 years ago that something like paper was invented, and it became possible to ma.s.s produce the cheap paper of present about a hundred years ago, right?」

「Yeah. Using wood and stone was way before that. It appears they were doing a magic research」

The two decided to search the room for a way out, but they didn’t find anything in particular, so when they decided to search through the planks and stones, Felice screamed out.

「Kyaakyaakyaakyaa-」

「Hey!? Feli, what’s the matter? Calm down!」

「T, t, that! That, that!」

When Albert looked where Felice was pointing at, he saw bones among the scattered planks and stones.

「Are they perhaps human bones? Let’s remove the things at the top first. Feli, give it a try」

「Ehh~……『Float』」

When Felice activated her magic, the planks and stones floated up, so they put them away.

The bones they were looking at were undoubtedly human bones, but they were able to see door under them.

「What to do? They are in the way of opening the door, we should move them」

Saying such, Albert touched the human bones and received an impact between his brows.

「Ouch…… what was that!?」

「Ahh~ my body can move~」

「……………」

「Eh?」

「N? …… Who is it?」

After Albert and the bones were staring at each other for a while, the bones looked at Felice.

「Gy, gy, gy」

「Gy?」

「Gya――――!! O~ba~ke~!!」

「Eh!? Obake? What is an obake!?」

「Gya――――!!」

「What is an obake――――!!」

「Hey, Feli and…… Bones, calm down」

The screams of Felice and Bones resounded around the room and Albert waiting for Felice to calm down while holding his ears.

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