Chapter 20
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Knowledge That Can Be Utilized (3)
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Mikel covered a distance that would have taken over two days on foot in less than two hours by flying through the sky.
"There! There it is, Your Highness! That's the cabin you can see down below!"
"Amelin, did you hear that?"
"Yes! Mikel, let's land!"
-Kruuuk!
As Mikel slowed down and began descending, a man emerged from the cabin.
Seeing him brought a smile to my face.
'He's dressed exactly like in the game. No, he looks even healthier than in the game.'
Kirigumo.
The NPC who wore ninja-like garb but only used his fists and feet, earning him the nickname "fake ninja" in the community forums.
A closer look revealed his hair wasn't gray—it was jet black, proving he was far younger than in the game.
Startled by the sudden appearance of the griffon, he had assumed a battle stance, but Chorak called out from behind him, calming him down.
Once Mikel had landed, we dismounted from his back one by one.
Kirigumo scanned us with wary eyes before turning to Chorak.
"Chorak, who are these two? I clearly turned down your offer."
"Hey, watch your mouth, friend! This is the 9th Prince himself, the one who wants to hire you! His Highness Aren Eldiad!"
"What? The prince in person...?"
"I get the shock, but show some respect first! You'll get us in real trouble!"
At Chorak's words, Kirigumo immediately dropped to one knee and bowed his head to me.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
"Yes. Rise."
Even after I told him to stand, Kirigumo remained in place and continued.
"I apologize, Your Highness. I appreciate the offer, but I cannot serve as your tutor."
"Kirigumo! How can you just blurt that out?!"
"My decision stands. I have a daughter more precious to me than my own life..."
"I heard. You're searching for Manlenesia to save her."
"That's right. As Your Highness knows, I must find Manlenesia. Please understand..."
"What if I know where it is?"
At those words, Kirigumo snapped his head up, his eyes widening as he stared at me.
"What did you just say? You know where Manlenesia is?"
"I know a very promising location. It's based on information from a book I read in the imperial library, so it should be accurate."
If anyone else said something like that, he'd doubt them—but when a prince like me said it, especially mentioning the prestigious "imperial library," it carried unmatched credibility.
"W-where! Where is it exactly, Your Highness?!"
Kirigumo sprang to his feet and pressed me urgently, his reaction proving the point.
"You know what I want in return, right?"
Kirigumo knelt before me again and cried out.
"If you help me find Manlenesia, I'll be your tutor—anything! No, I'll devote my entire life to you from this day forward. Please! Tell me!"
"I like the enthusiasm. So you'll do exactly as I say from now on?"
"What must I do?"
"First, come to my mansion. Ah, bring your daughter too, of course."
"My daughter is in poor health..."
"At the very least, wouldn't it be easier for her to hold on while we search for Manlenesia if she's in the mansion with maids tending to her and a priest providing holy magic? Am I wrong?"
"A priest as well?"
"It's the least I can do for the daughter of my future tutor."
The secret technique I'd learn from Kirigumo was one I'd relied on heavily during evasion playthroughs in the game.
It was a welcome feature for players who wanted to lower the difficulty without stubbornly sticking to dodges, so I felt a certain fondness for it.
"So get up and bring your daughter. We'll fly back on Mikel—it'll be quick."
"Understood."
Kirigumo rose immediately and headed into the cabin.
"Chorak."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"In that case, head back to the village on your own."
"So that's why you gave me the money."
"Exactly. But flying back feels nice too."
I pulled a gold coin from my pocket and handed it to Chorak.
"Don't worry about costs on the way—eat plenty of good food."
"N-no, a gold coin?!"
"You can make it back alone, right?"
"Of course! Score! Free fancy grub!"
Chorak hopped in place with joy.
It was a delight to see him so thrilled, just like when we'd first met.
"Mikel, hang in there a bit longer. I'll give you heaps of that meat you love once we're back at the mansion."
-Kraaak!
Mikel responded energetically and pitched forward again.
"I-I'll make a ladder!"
As Amelin cast a spell to conjure a ladder, the cabin door opened once more, and Kirigumo emerged.
"Cough! Father... does it have to be like this?"
"Just bear with it a little, Tenka. Flying means it'll be windy and cold."
He had his daughter bundled tightly in blankets with only her face showing, strapped securely to a back carrier.
'So that's Kirigumo's daughter?'
Unlike her father's black eyes, she had striking blue ones, and she looked gaunt and weary.
About my age, maybe?
As Kirigumo approached, Tenka on his back caught sight of me.
"Greetings, Your Highness... cough, cough!"
"Don't strain yourself—you're a patient."
We climbed the ladder back onto Mikel's back and returned to the mansion, leaving Chorak behind.
From the moment Kirigumo Kazuki heard about Manlenesia from 9th Prince Aren Eldiad, he felt hope for the first time in ages.
It wasn't just any prince—it was the merciful 9th Prince himself, known for his benevolence, who had come personally to see him.
He had no idea why the 9th Prince was so keen on making him a tutor.
But it was hard to imagine that the prince of such rumors had gone out of his way just to lie to him.
"Tenka! Rejoice! We can cure you now!"
"Father? What do you...?"
"The 9th Prince came in person! He knows where Manlenesia is! We're moving to his mansion for your health—hang in there just a bit longer!"
"The prince himself...? Eek! Father!?"
In a rush, Kirigumo strapped his daughter to the back carrier and joined the prince's group on the griffon, heading for the mansion.
Flying through the sky was a first for Kirigumo too, making it all the more wondrous—and with the hope of his daughter's recovery, it felt truly special.
"Ahh, it's so fast."
"Cough! It's amazing, Father."
"It is, isn't it? Once you're better, you'll get to experience all sorts of things, so look forward to it, Tenka."
True to the prince's word, they arrived at the mansion in under two hours.
And from that moment, Kirigumo's hope only grew stronger.
"Welcome back, Aren, Miss Amelin."
"Your Highness, are you unharmed?"
"We're home, Ridel, Gillek. There's a patient, so hurry and summon a priest. And we have a guest, so prepare a meal too."
"Understood."
"Oh, and a big haul of meat for Mikel."
-Kruuuk!
No sooner had they arrived than the 9th Prince issued orders to his retinue.
"This way, please. I'll show you to a room where your daughter can rest."
"Very well."
Instead of their shabby cabin, he could let Tenka rest in the prince's opulent mansion.
"To think she'd suffer such a vicious poison. Your Highness, I'll do my utmost, but a full cure is beyond my abilities."
"I'll handle finding the cure. Can you at least help her hold on longer?"
"If we gather herbs to neutralize the poison even a little, it should suffice."
"H-here, use these!"
"Oh! These herbs! Such rare ones—you've obtained them well. With these, she can easily last at least two weeks."
An elderly high priest arrived and examined his daughter.
The herbs he'd gathered himself might have lasted only a few days at best, but combined with holy magic, extending it to two weeks brought tears of joy to Kirigumo's eyes.
He'd begged the village priest for treatments time and again, but after a month of effort, even that priest had admitted his limits in the face of her worsening condition. The despair had been overwhelming.
"Leave the treatment to the priest and let's have our meal."
"I'd like to stay and watch over Tenka's treatment."
"Please follow His Highness's lead. Your daughter needs it, but you look unwell yourself."
"Father, you've barely eaten properly because of me. Please take care of your health! Cough! Your health..."
"Tenka..."
"To find Manlenesia, you need to be in top shape. Come on."
"Understood."
Convinced by their words, Kirigumo left his daughter's room and headed to the dining hall.
And for the first time in ages, he enjoyed a proper meal.
No— it was the most lavish and exquisite feast of his life.
"T-this thing melting so tenderly in my mouth... is this really meat?"
"Our head chef is exceptional, isn't he?"
After the meal, with color returning to his cheeks from the hearty food, Kirigumo turned to the 9th Prince.
"Your Highness, please tell me now. Where is Manlenesia?"
"Bring a map."
A servant brought the map and unfurled it. The 9th Prince pointed to one spot.
"Manlenesia is here. In the Nardan Jungle."
Nardan Jungle.
The perilous region also known as the Forest of Death.