Super Regeneration (1)
Taking Ashel along as an escort proved as straightforward as I'd expected. When I mentioned it to Kaylen, she simply said she understood, without asking a single question — just as she always did. I wasn't sure whether this counted as a personnel transfer, but she would handle the details without any trouble.
After that, I prepared to leave for Enrok, the 7th Lord Territory, without delay. The reason I hadn't set out even after wrapping up my plans was a hidden piece I could pick up along the way. I'd been debating whether to skip it — the area was a monster-infested wilderness — but now that Ashel was my escort, that problem was solved.
Why are there so many people here?
I looked at the ornate carriage parked at the castle entrance. This was what I'd be riding all the way to Enrok. Around it, a great many people — knights included — were already mounted and waiting. Personnel from the Grand Lord Castle. When they'd asked how I wanted things prepared, I'd told them to handle it themselves. The procession they'd assembled was far beyond anything I'd imagined.
"Then I wish you a safe journey, Seventh Lord."
Daypon, the Chief of Staff, offered his farewell. The Grand Lord happened to be away, so he had come to see me off in her place.
Good timing.
I glanced at Ashel standing beside me. I'd been quietly worried that she might catch the Grand Lord's eye, so this was actually a relief. It wouldn't have been surprising if the Grand Lord had gauged Ashel's caliber the moment she laid eyes on her. After all, I was essentially poaching talent from the castle. I couldn't help feeling a little guilty about it.
Given the Grand Lord's personality, she probably wouldn't even care...
Even so, even if word reached her later, the best move for now was to take Ashel away quietly.
"Should you change your mind regarding the coronation, please inform us at any time. Barring any special circumstances, I shall see you at the next Lord Council."
The coronation. I'd already made it clear I had no intention of holding an official one. It would have been a pointless hassle, and I had no desire to find myself wedged among the other Lords again. I probably wouldn't see the Grand Lord or the others until the next Lord Council — and even then, I planned to avoid them if I could.
I need to raise my specs enough by then.
At the next council, there was a high chance I'd be assigned some unavoidable task, if only so they could properly assess my abilities. I had one year. Until then, I needed to pour everything into raising my specs as high as they could go.
"We'll be departing now."
I boarded the carriage, and the procession set off with a clamor. The real hardship was only just beginning.
From the capital of Dragor, the Grand Lord's domain, to the capital of Enrok, the 7th Lord Territory. In practical terms, it was a journey from the heart of one nation to the heart of another. Naturally, it was an enormous distance, so the trip would take a considerable amount of time, with many cities along the way. It would have been convenient if we could teleport in one go, the way we had during the escort mission — but teleportation in this world wasn't a convenient spell that could take you anywhere you wanted.
Humans are creatures of adaptation, so the novelty of the carriage lasted only a short while. The ride on this world's unpaved, rugged natural roads left much to be desired, but it wasn't unbearable. Beyond that, the servants prepared meals and lodging with such efficiency that there was little to complain about. I adapted quickly, killing the boredom in that confined space however I could — gazing blankly at the scenery outside, reading the books I'd brought or the notebook where I'd compiled my information, reviewing and refining my plans.
Having someone to talk to would have made it far less tedious, but unfortunately, I didn't. More precisely, it wasn't that I didn't have anyone — it was that I might as well not have.
I closed the book I'd been reading with a soft thud and looked across at the opposite seat. Ashel sat in perfect posture, one hand resting close to her sword hilt. Unlike me, who at least had various things to occupy myself with, she spent nearly the entire day in the carriage doing nothing but sitting like that. I asked her.
"Aren't you bored?"
Ashel answered with a peculiar expression, as if surprised I'd asked such a thing.
"I am not bored."
"I could lend you a book, if you'd like to read."
"That will not be necessary."
A firm refusal, as if she intended to remain fully devoted to her escort duty. And that was the end of the conversation. I sighed inwardly and looked back out the carriage window.
I might as well talk to a wall.
Part of the reason I'd had Ashel ride in the carriage with me was so we could talk a little. There were more than enough escort troops outside, after all. The result, as you can see, was this. No matter what I asked, I got nothing but short answers. Keeping a conversation going was no easy task. I was grateful for her dedication to protecting me, but it felt like sitting next to a statue. I'd known this was her personality from the start, but building any kind of rapport with her was clearly going to be a considerable challenge.
My train of thought drifted elsewhere — to the hidden piece I needed to collect before reaching my destination.
Setting aside the Holy Sword as the sole exception, three kinds of power existed in this world: Mana, Racial Traits, and Mysteries.
In actual gameplay, these distinctions weren't made — everything was unified under the skill system. In terms of the world's lore, however, this was how they were classified.
Mana was the foundation of this world, the most common and far-reaching form of power. In principle, anyone could wield it with enough effort, though differences in innate talent and race naturally existed. Setting aside certain races like demons, humans were the most attuned to mana.
Racial Traits were, as the name suggested, the characteristics inherent to each race. For humans, that meant their affinity for mana; for beastfolk, physical prowess; for dwarves, craftsmanship. There were also unique traits possessed by a race and a race alone — not merely excellence in a given field, but exclusive abilities. The spirit magic of the elves, the Blood Arts of vampires, and the white mana of the White Moon Clan, currently sitting right across from me.
And lastly, Mysteries.
Mysteries were unidentified powers whose origins remained unknown. They were exceedingly rare — so rare that few people possessed them at all — and some were so powerful they defied all reason. On Earth, mana and racial traits would all qualify as superpowers beyond common sense. By this world's standards, however, Mysteries were the equivalent of superpowers.
And this was the most important part: Mysteries were extremely difficult to find, but once found and acquired, anyone could use them without condition. In short, they were the most suitable — and practically the only — means of rapidly improving my abilities. The hidden piece I planned to find and claim on the way to my destination was also a Mystery.
Super Regeneration.
A recovery-type Mystery that amplified the body's regenerative power. The Mystery of Super Regeneration was located deep in the Luthers Mountain Range, on the frontier of the Grand Lord's domain, where Xenix City stood. We hadn't even reached the first city yet, so Xenix was still a long way off. Passing through it was a bit of a detour, but if I could obtain a Mystery, a delayed arrival was a small price to pay.
I probably don't need to worry too much...
I glanced at Ashel once more. Until we found the place where Super Regeneration was hidden, keeping the mountain range's monsters from so much as touching a hair on my head was her job as my escort. Given her level, there shouldn't be any issues. Even in a situation like this, where it would have been easy to let her guard down, she remained fully focused on her duty. Her attitude wasn't a concern either. That didn't mean I could guarantee perfect safety, of course — but this was the kind of risk I'd have to keep taking going forward.
Still, if I start by getting Super Regeneration, maybe I'll be a little harder to kill.
A defensive ability would have been even better, but well — I had to take what I could get first. I turned my gaze to the window. Far across the vast plains, a mountain range stretched like a painting. A magnificent vista of nature.
A considerable amount of time passed, and after passing through numerous cities, the carriage finally arrived at Xenix City. Situated at the foot of the mountain range, Xenix had more of a fortress feel than the other cities we'd passed through.
"It is an honor to welcome you to Xenix, Seventh Lord."
The mayor of Xenix was a middle-aged human man. He seemed far more composed and dignified than the mayors of previous cities, who'd grovelled while spouting every flattering phrase they could think of. I walked alongside him and asked.
"Who in this city knows the geography of the Luthers Mountain Range best?"
The mayor pondered with a puzzled look, then answered carefully.
"I regret that I cannot say who knows it best... but when it comes to the mountain range's geography, I believe the adventurers of the Adventurer's Guild would be well-informed."
"I need a guide who can accompany me deep into the mountains. Find a suitable person — an adventurer or anyone else."
I remembered where the Mystery of Super Regeneration was hidden. But whether I was confident I could find my way there without getting lost was another matter entirely. There was bound to be a vast difference between the map I'd seen through a computer monitor and the real world.
This world was a game, but it was also reality. The scale of the field itself was different from when I'd played the game. In most games, the overall map size is unrealistically small compared to reality — small enough that you can walk from one region to another in no time. That was an obvious game concession, a design choice so players wouldn't spend ages just traveling. I needed to always keep this difference in mind.
Just as it had taken a long time to get from the Grand Lord Castle to Xenix, the actual size of this continent would easily be thousands of times larger than in the game. I had no idea what terrain and objects filled the gaps in between, which was why a guide was absolutely necessary.
Still, surely the location of the hidden piece itself hasn't changed.
That was a matter of the game's lore, not merely geography. I added to the mayor.
"And if anyone knows of a massive hourglass-shaped rock located deep in the mountains north of the city, bring them to me without fail."
Hourglass Rock was a sure landmark for finding the place where Super Regeneration was hidden. It was a fairly distinctive shape, so if someone knew of it, finding the way would be much easier. If not, we'd have to rough it a bit.
The next day, the mayor brought an adventurer as I'd requested — first thing in the morning.
He was a man named Kahn who looked every bit the adventurer at a glance — and remarkably, he claimed to know about Hourglass Rock. I honestly hadn't expected much, but the mayor had found someone matching the criteria in a single day. When I asked about the environment around the rock, Kahn answered falteringly, looking thoroughly nervous.
"I remember it as a gloomy forest, thick with darkwood."
That description told me everything I needed to know. I'd found the perfect guide to take me where I wanted to go. How could I possibly be this lucky?
"Do you remember the location accurately?"
"Yes. If I set out to find it, I can find it."
"How long will it take to get there?"
He hesitated, and I realized my question had been too vague, so I added:
"At a normal walking pace."
"In that case, I believe it would take at least a full day."
A full day, huh. Round trip, that would be about three days, give or take.
Looks like I'll be camping in the mountains whether I like it or not.
I'd found an excellent guide, so there was no reason to delay any further. After promising him a generous reward, I immediately took Kahn and left the city, heading for the mountains to the north.