The Pillow is a Mirage
Ichinose had initially thought it would be incredibly daunting and difficult.
Even with Noah along, tracking Rohan who had set out in the morning would be next to impossible.
But it turned out to be unexpectedly easy.
Just like the children in Hansel and Gretel leaving a trail of breadcrumbs, dead monsters were scattered along the path at regular intervals.
There were occasional ones crushed by blunt force alongside those cleanly sliced by a sword,
but the vast majority had their lifelines severed in a single, efficient stroke. Minimal waste—a masterful cut.
"Noah. What do you think?"
"Maybe he's training that underclassman of his? If he deliberately lured them in and took his time killing them, that'd eat up plenty of time, so we could close the gap easy."
Noah's intuition, combined with the scene laid out before them, strongly proved that Rohan had passed this way.
Any castaway wandering this dungeon would prioritize food, but there wasn't a trace of them taking any—the monsters had been left entirely behind.
And the discarded water bottles among them were definitive evidence.
"One, two! One, two!"
Noah led Ichinose, swiftly crossing the desert.
Rohan's trail stretched on relentlessly: he'd kept hunting nonstop to farm points.
Diligent movement, clear directionality, and no signs of monster encounters all came together, allowing the girls to close the distance to Rohan at an astonishing speed.
And then, they sensed a presence.
Noah poked her head over a sand dune and burst out laughing the moment she spotted Rohan.
"Ahaha!! Idiot! He got dropped into the dungeon again!"
Fools of a feather flock together, or so they say—ugly mugs recognize their own.
Rohan lifted the corner of his mouth at the sight of the lively Noah.
It hurt knowing his friend had fallen into the dungeon, but seeing her now filled him with such solid relief and joy.
"Aigoo, scary stuff. What's a tiger doing prowling the desert?"
"Hey! What happened to 'beautiful girl behind me'!"
Noah playfully pouted her lips.
Ichinose followed, peeking out just as Rohan had sensed.
"R-Rohan...! We meet like this..."
Overwhelmed with joy, she struggled to express it, merely giving a small wave.
Rohan gazed piercingly at the girl with her eyes closed, a smile spreading across his face.
"Yeah. Kinda funny running into each other in a dungeon, but how've you been over break?"
"Yes... I have so much to tell you. But the situation won't let me."
"We'll talk slowly once we're out."
He spoke of surviving the dungeon and returning to daily life as if it were the most natural thing.
Ichinose and Noah descended the sand slope, smiles tugging at their lips. Only then did they question the building where Rohan stood.
"But what's this place? A temple?"
"A curious spot."
"Nothing inside. Good for resting, so I figured I'd crash here just for tonight."
"Ah! Nose and I got dropped while heading to school together!"
"Figured as much."
Rohan nodded at Noah's innocent explanation, as if he'd expected it,
and urged the two girls.
"You'll stick with us, right?"
"Obviously! We tracked you all the way here."
"Tracked? Me?"
"Yeah. We ran into that loudmouth and the glasses guy with the weird speech. Left the others back there too."
"Ah, got it."
He'd met Gilbert and Dick.
From Ichinose's additional explanation, it seemed reliable academy students had joined up.
Good thing they stocked up on food before leaving.
His mind eased a bit.
Things had gone better than expected at the brick house Rohan had left.
"Rohan. What about that underclassman you were traveling with—?"
Speak of the tiger and she appears. Ichinose's curiosity acted like a spell,
and Lete emerged from the temple, having overheard the conversation.
"Sunbae-nim? Who're you talking to?"
"Perfect timing. Come here."
Rohan called her over—he'd been about to introduce her anyway—and gave a quick rundown of identities.
"You might've heard the names. This is Ichinose Yui and Noah Frozenheart. Classmates of mine."
"Of course I've heard of 'em! Nice to meet ya!"
Introduced as friends, Lete bowed her head eagerly.
"They probably don't remember, but we go way back to the dimensional rift at the shopping mall. Lete's enrolling in Orion Academy next year."
"...I see."
Unlike Rohan's casual intro, Ichinose clearly remembered.
"I'll do my best!"
"Looking forward to it."
As Ichinose returned the greeting, Lete closed the distance, her eyes sparkling.
"From afar back then, I was too flustered to realize it was really Ichinose Yui-nim!"
"What's real or fake about it? Just your average cadet."
Ichinose faced Lete and was impressed.
Pretty face aside, the girl's bright energy had a charm different from Noah's.
"Me and my friends all use that lip balm and shampoo modeled after you!"
"Th-thank you..."
The unexpected topic flustered Ichinose greatly, and Noah burst out laughing from behind,
while Rohan feigned ignorance with curiosity.
"You modeled too, Ichinose?"
"M-Mom begged me to help, so I had no choice...!"
"Gotta look it up later."
"Absolutely not! I'll really get mad!"
"Why? I bet it suits you. Wanna see."
"Don't look it up...!"
Baby Yui grabbed the hem of Rohan's clothes and shook it, her face flushing as she protested.
Rohan laughed, finding the sight adorable.
And in that instant.
"Hm?"
Noah, who'd been watching the two, furrowed her brows in question.
Without hesitation, she approached Lete. Noah sniffed, checking her scent.
There was an odd smell mixed in with the girl's sweet aroma.
"Sunbae-nim...?"
Lete froze in panic as Noah boldly leaned in close.
Noah kept sniffing, eager to solve the mystery.
Rohan and Ichinose paused their talk, watching Noah closely.
"What is this smell?"
"!"
Seeing Noah's actions, Rohan put it together.
Noah's keen senses wouldn't miss the sweet scent from Lete's skill.
Maybe even the smell of the combat rations.
Tricky.
Considering Lete didn't want her skill exposed, Rohan had only one move here.
"Let's head in and eat first. You haven't had a proper meal chasing after us, right?"
"Food!?"
Noah's nose pulled away from Lete.
Her beastly blue eyes gleamed bright even in the dead of night.
"Nothing fancy, but tastier than monsters."
"Rohan, serve this beauty a feast!"
"Told you, nothing fancy."
Noah's attention fully shifted from Lete to food.
A faint floral scent from some Samhwa Nation flower she'd whiffed somewhere meant nothing to her.
..
..
The four settled in the temple, sharing stories and situations over some rest.
Ichinose and Noah filled their bellies with the combat rations Rohan provided.
"Hng~"
Thanks to that, Noah naturally learned about Rohan's Shop skill and wasn't overly surprised—she'd suspected as much.
Still, she seemed envious of always having food on hand.
"We'll need to move diligently once we wake."
"Lots of people worrying about us. Gotta get back soon."
The group's goal was clearing the dungeon.
They took turns for short naps to rest.
...
Ichinose eyed Rohan's thigh pillow with longing,
but mindful of Noah and Lete, she settled into an uncomfortable sleep. Having the perfect pillow right in front of her made it far from ordinary discomfort.
Even Baby Yui herself couldn't guarantee how long she'd hold out.
And so morning came.
After a luxurious breakfast in the dungeon, they prepared to move.
Rohan's group timed their departure for sunrise.
Moving at cool night was good for condition, but night winds carried fierce sandstorms.
The desert was nearly windless under the sun—perfect for leaving footprints and keeping direction.
After some debate, they decided to push from morning today.
"Let's go."
Rohan and Noah took the lead.
Monsters appeared? They handled them swiftly, no signals needed.
At first, movements overlapped or clashed, but they gradually found distance and their own grooves.
Crossing the desert, they found a small oasis for a brief break.
Rohan claimed shade under a tree, and Ichinose sat right beside him.
"That Lete girl—she's impressive. Can't believe I didn't know her name."
"Right?"
"Her skills seem better than the rising stars from Sepia Archipelago who are already known."
Rohan affirmed without mentioning skills, surprised himself by Lete's movements.
Did she newly awaken how to handle mana?
Maybe some revelation in yesterday's last fight.
Lete's change was clear enough for Rohan to notice.
"Among next year's entrants, she'd top the practical exam, I bet."
"Baby Yui rates her high. Lete'll be thrilled."
"Eek, Baby?! We said only when it's just us! Someone might hear...!"
Startled, Baby Yui pressed fingers to her lips, shushing him frantically. Rohan grinned.
Her soft side contrasted nicely with her ruthless bladework.
"No worries. They're playing fine."
Rohan glanced over at Noah and Lete.
Lete approached Noah, seriously quizzing her on punches and kicks.
Noah moved by instinct over theory, so Lete's questions didn't get fully satisfied.
Still, they synergized well.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The sun high overhead.
The group discovered a new temple.
"Looks like yesterday's. Maybe a bit bigger."
As Ichinose said, it resembled their previous shelter—no major differences.
But Noah quickly spotted something off. She sniffed from afar.
"Not monsters inside. Smells like human blood."
The group gripped their weapons tight at Noah's certainty.
An injured survivor needing aid? Or someone drenched in blood?
They wouldn't know until they checked inside.