Exploration (2)
The probe was a small sphere, just the right size to hold in one hand.
Its outer shell was forged from mithril, etched with intricate mana circuits and spell formulas.
A lens sat embedded at the center of the sphere.
“It looks like a billiard ball,” I said.
“A billiard ball?” Bellerin asked.
“Ah, it’s a thing. Anyway, can you show me how it works?”
“Yes! One moment, please!”
At my words, Bellerin held out a small mithril disk and another, even smaller sphere—the size of a ping-pong ball.
“With this, you can control the probe and share its field of view!”
“Oh, really?”
“Would you like a demonstration?”
“Sure.”
Bellerin placed the disk in front of her and gripped the smaller sphere in her hand.
Whirrr!
The device resonated with her touch.
Flash!
A holographic screen bloomed above the disk.
“Popo!”
“Chu!”
Popo and Chuchu let out startled cries at the sight.
“Wow. That’s amazing.”
The hologram displayed a vivid, real-time view of whatever the probe was facing.
Through Dragon Blood, I could sense the extremely high-tier magic formulas engraved within it.
“What circle is this spell?”
“It’s eighth-circle magic!”
“······!”
Good grief.
Eighth circle.
I’d read that elves were skilled with magic, but eighth circle was the realm of archmages celebrated across the world.
“What circle are you, by the way?”
“It’s embarrassing, but I’m only ninth circle!”
“······Ninth circle?”
“Yes! I’ve been so absorbed in blacksmithing that my achievements in magic, spirit arts, and archery are a bit lacking.”
“Hah.”
Bellerin’s appearance had fooled me.
So had the word “blacksmith.”
Arthur Bennett, humanity’s strongest archmage, was an eighth-circle mage.
Yet here stood a ninth-circle elf.
The moment Bellerin revealed herself on Earth, she would naturally ascend to the title of greatest archmage alive.
“How about your spirit arts and archery?”
“I can summon a highest-grade earth spirit, while the other elements range from upper to mid-grade. As for archery, I’ve barely reached the beginning of Bow Master···!”
“Haha… hahaha…”
A hollow laugh escaped me.
She really was a Dragon’s Lair guardian.
I couldn’t judge her by human standards.
‘Then again, her level is 256.’
The highest level among us.
No matter how much of a blacksmith she was, her base combat ability had to be formidable.
‘With this, I won’t have to worry too much even if Archeron is away.’
“You’re a reassuring one, Bellerin.”
“Hehe. Thank you, Master.”
Bellerin smiled brightly and turned to Archeron.
“Archeron! May I attach the probe?”
『Keron. No problem.』
Once Archeron gave permission, Bellerin picked up the probe and approached him.
I wondered how she would attach it.
Ziiing!
Clack, clack.
When she placed the probe on Archeron’s head, its lower half opened and settled over him like a hemispherical helmet.
It looked exactly like a silver hard hat.
“All done! Now I just need to raise the mana synchronization rate between Archeron and the probe! It’ll take a tiny~ bit longer!”
Bellerin led Archeron to a corner and picked up her hammer again.
Thud, bang, thud, bang!
She worked with intense focus, the sight strangely impressive.
“Popo!”
“Chuchuchuu~”
Meanwhile, Popo and Chuchu had already started their own tasks.
Popo hopped around, tilling the soil.
Chuchu scurried after him, scattering seeds from his pouch.
“Awooo-!”
Fenril toddled along behind Chuchu, dropping seeds into empty spots along the next row.
Already earning his keep.
Good boy.
Now, what about our Mandrian?
@Geueo-eoeoeoeo!
He was harvesting seeds from the fully bloomed mandragoras.
@Geoeoeo-
(I’ll remember this.)
Then he carefully tucked the mandragora seeds into the holes Chuchu had dug.
He had become a proper manager of the mandragora fields.
Thanks to them, our lair was developing an automated farming system that could till, harvest, and sow even in my absence.
A very welcome development.
They were all doing wonderfully.
‘Alright. Party time later!’
What’s on the menu?
Grilled nagatara meat.
It would taste far better than before.
Why?
‘Because we have green onions now.’
When you grill green onions, they release flavorful oil.
Meat cooked in that oil is incredibly savory.
The green onions grown here would surely taste even more special.
Grilling nagatara meat in that onion oil would be absolutely perfect.
I could tell without even trying it.
Slurp.
Just imagining it made my mouth water.
‘Good.’
I’d make sure everyone ate well later.
“It’s ready!”
Bellerin’s voice rang out just then.
“I’ve maximized the synchronization rate! We can head outside now.”
Whirrr, clack.
Archeron, now wearing the probe on his head, stepped forward.
『Keron. I’ll be off.』
“I’m counting on you, Archeron.”
Archeron knelt on one knee in a gesture of confidence.
Then—
Ziiiiing!
Archeron slashed open a dimensional rift with his hand.
The moment he stepped through, I saw the outside world for the first time.
“Whoa.”
A gasp escaped me.
Colossal tree spirits—Elatria ancient trees—rose majestically toward the sky.
Their branches intertwined, forming a vast dome that covered the heavens.
It was like a forest fortress steeped in ancient mystery.
‘These trees are the Elatria.’
Emerald light radiated from their trunks like frost, flowing through the leaves to bathe the entire forest in a soft glow.
『Archeron··· guardian of the great··· being···.』
『We offer our thanks··· to the great being···.』
『The Clearwater Herb··· was a wondrous and ecstatic blessing···.』
The Elatria voiced their gratitude to Archeron.
Clearwater Herb.
While delivering potatoes, sweet potatoes, and banto to the shadow wolves earlier, I had also given some to the Elatria.
I thought the water from its leaves might be a delicacy for them.
Apparently, I was right.
Countless Elatria were calling out for the Clearwater Herb.
“We could plant Clearwater Herb seeds among them later.”
“Oh! That sounds like a great idea!”
Bellerin agreed enthusiastically.
Seemed like a solid plan.
“Awooooooo-!”
“Awooooo!”
“Uwooooo!”
At that moment, figures of black mist rushed toward Archeron—the shadow wolf pack.
“Awoong-!”
Fenril, who had been sitting nearby, suddenly sprang up and howled.
“Awoong, awoooong!”
He toddled forward, trying to leap into the hologram.
“Oh dear. That’s not real.”
“Awoooong···.”
Fenril seemed to understand; his ears and head drooped as he let out a weak whimper.
‘He must miss his family.’
I couldn’t leave it like this.
Once Archeron returned, I’d have to let Fenril go outside.
He was still at the age where he should be spoiled in his mother’s arms.
I’d been neglecting him.
“I’ll let you see your mom soon. Just wait a little, okay?”
“Awoong···!”
When I patted Fenril’s head, his eyes lit up and he shook his head happily.
Then—
Lick, lick.
He began gently licking the back of my hand with his tongue.
Tickled by the cloud-like sensation, I smiled softly and pulled him closer into my arms.
『I will··· open the gate···.』
Meanwhile, Archeron had emerged outside Elatrium.
The view that unfolded was nothing like what I had imagined.
I had expected high-level elixirs, spirit herbs, and monsters to create a tense, predator-filled jungle.
Instead, a completely different landscape spread before me.
A mystical land stretching in four directions, like something from a dream, filled my vision.
“Wow···.”
“Popo!”
“Awoong···!”
『Kyuuu··· It’s beautiful!』
Gathered in front of the hologram, we all let out gasps of wonder.
It was understandable.
To the north lay a massive glowing canyon that caught the eye.
The Glowing Canyon itself was awe-inspiring, radiating grandeur and reverence as if facing a god.
To the west stretched an ice-covered ridge.
Sunlight made it sparkle pure white, like an exquisitely carved silver sculpture.
Transparent ice pillars lined the ridge, evoking the atmosphere of an ancient temple.
To the south spread a golden plain.
Brilliant golden grass and flowers stretched endlessly, rippling like golden waves in the wind.
It resembled a paradise crafted by nature, brimming with warmth and abundance.
And finally, to the east—
Rainbow-colored trees soared high into the sky.
Their leaves held light in every hue, and sunlight filtering through made the entire forest shimmer like a rainbow.
It felt like stepping into a fairy tale.
“Wow! The rainbow forest to the east is so pretty♥”
Bellerin gazed at the undulating rainbow forest with an enraptured expression.
“Popo!”
“Chuuu!!”
Popo and Chuchu raised their voices in agreement.
Then—
@Geueo-eoeoeoeo-!
Mandrian’s reaction was unusual.
@Geueo-eoeoeoeoeoeo!
He stretched his hand toward the eastern forest, his voice filled with longing, as if facing a long-lost lover.
“Don’t tell me··· that’s where you came from?”
@Geueo-eoeo··· Geueo-eoeo!
At my words, he let out a wistful cry, as if confirming it.
‘Huh.’
After hearing his answer, I made my decision.
The first place to explore—
The eastern forest.
There were two main reasons.
First, its breathtakingly beautiful scenery that felt healing just to look at.
Second, if mandragoras had grown there, there might be other elixirs of similar value.
‘Archeron. Head east.’
Following my will—
『Keron. As you command.』
Archeron began racing toward the eastern forest.
***
The Rainbow Forest.
Various monsters divided the area into territories.
Among them, the most beautiful race—
The Lili tribe.
They were fairies who lived in the Rainbow Forest.
They possessed wings of light made of mana and had small, adorable forms straight out of a fairy tale.
They helped the flowers and trees of the Rainbow Forest flourish.
Normally gentle, they never harmed others unless provoked first.
However—
“Aah···.”
“My mana···.”
Thud, thud.
Countless Lili were collapsing one after another.
Because the Lili tribe fed on the forest’s mana, and for some reason, it was rapidly diminishing.
If this continued, all the Lili might soon fall.
To make matters worse—
Foreign invaders were reaching out to prey on them.
“Li, Lili!”
“An attack···!”
“Aah···!”
Buzz!
The Lili trembled their small, fragile wings pitifully.
“Samaa-”
“Samaaaat!”
“Samaat!”
Insectoid demons with the form of praying mantises.
They surrounded the Lili village and began pounding on its barrier.
If this kept up, the barrier would break and a great tragedy would occur.
Normally, the Lili warriors would have stepped forward to repel the enemy, but now even they were crawling on the ground from mana depletion.
In this desperate moment—
Whirrr. Clack.
From one direction of the forest appeared a black golem slightly larger than the Lili, wearing a silver helmet.