Chapter 111
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: The Restless Compass
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Of course, it was a story I had no interest in, but this dwarf porter seemed to love chatting, prattling on without even taking a break.
From the looks of it, the other porters had already distanced themselves quite a bit.
Luna and Head Maid Misha's faces also looked faintly drained, as if they were getting fed up with his nonstop chatter.
"Leon, that dwarf is so noisy."
"Just bear with it a little longer. We'll only have to deal with him for a few days anyway."
We were disguised as ordinary porters, so no one knew we were actually a noble young master or the head maid of a great house.
Soon, the gate opened, drawing everyone's eyes.
The massive red rift that tore open in midair carried an overwhelming presence that awed all who beheld it.
"Enter!!"
At the mercenary leader's booming shout, people began pouring through the rift one after another.
The moment we stepped inside, Luna flinched in surprise and pulled a compass from her bosom.
It was a compass that pointed toward the direction of whatever item one desired.
And the target she'd set on it was that ordinary ring she'd been searching so desperately for.
The Fate Road.
"L-Leon."
She spoke to me in a flustered tone.
"Why?"
"Th-the ring... it's here. Right here!"
True to form, the instant the ring came up, all her composure vanished. She desperately clung to my arm like a child throwing a tantrum.
The mercenaries hunted the deep-layer monsters with impressive skill.
Not just crushing them with raw specs, but with thorough knowledge of their weaknesses and seamless teamwork.
The injured received treatment while those with spare capacity attacked the enemy.
If anything seemed off, they'd abandon the pursuit, only going for the kill when the opportunity was certain.
They moved with the confidence of long-time comrades, giving off a truly professional vibe.
Well, they wouldn't be called a great mercenary corps if they couldn't handle this much.
In the end, the expedition proceeded smoothly.
All we had to do was carry the luggage, trail slowly behind them, hand over whatever items they requested, or pack away the precious materials and ores they harvested here.
I'd expected porters to be run ragged, but it wasn't quite that hectic.
On the other hand, Luna kept fidgeting restlessly.
She checked the compass every three seconds, whipping her head this way and that.
Her eyes trembled faintly, her anxiety plain as day—she just couldn't calm down.
"Lady Luna, please try to relax."
"I-I'm relaxed."
"Let's start with some deep breaths."
Head Maid Misha gently stroked her back like a mother soothing a child, patting her reassuringly.
But it was clear she wasn't settling down easily.
"Luna."
"......"
"Just hang in there a bit. From the schedule, we're only going as far as the base camp. Once we unload and set up, we'll mostly be resting. We can go look for it then, just the two of us."
At my suggestion, she looked up at me like a rain-soaked puppy and nodded.
"We have to... we absolutely have to go."
"Who's saying we won't?"
She picked up her pace again with a determined huff.
None of us—Misha, Luna, or I—felt any fatigue from the weight.
"Huff... huff... You young folks sure are strong... Carrying all this heavy stuff without even breaking a sweat."
He was wearing a robe that should've been stifling, yet he showed no sign of it as the dwarf porter came huffing over to chat.
"How far is the destination?"
"Almost there. Same terrain as before."
"It's quieter than I expected. Is that why there were so few volunteers?"
I voiced my question without holding back.
"Good question. You seem like an outsider—am I right?"
"Yes."
"Well, there's been a weird rumor circulating in Levela lately. Some strange phenomenon in the deep layers."
"Strange phenomenon?"
"Heard the Ares mercenaries—Heracles' rivals—had an accident during a deep-layer expedition. All twenty porters they brought got wiped out."
Ah.
No wonder people were anxious if something like that happened recently.
"Rumor has it there's trouble from that deep-layer rift we cleared not long ago. But with Heracles' reputation, we're not likely to get hurt, so don't worry."
He let out a hearty laugh, looking utterly unconcerned.
About thirty minutes later.
After trudging along, inhaling the musty swamp air for a while, we reached a suitably dry clearing. The mercenaries smoothly claimed the spot and began directing camp setup.
Porters' main job was just transporting supplies.
I helped a bit with setup and secured a spot.
"They say the expedition proper starts now and will last about three days. In the meantime, we'll just stand by here or sort supplies when ordered."
"More laid-back than I thought."
The moment Head Maid Misha relayed the info she'd just learned, Luna latched onto my arm like a koala.
"Leon."
"Just a little longer."
"Aaaah... Leon."
She whined in a way she probably didn't even realize was coquettish.
Her cuteness made me ruffle her hair, only for her to tug at my arm.
"Just a quick look. Only a hundred meters."
"......Fine, got it."
We had nothing left to do anyway. From here on, it was just waiting—the chatty dwarf porter was already boozing it up with his buddies.
They said no monsters came to this area, so it should be fine.
"Head Maid Misha."
"Leave it to me. I'll cover for you."
"Thanks."
We needed that catalyst anyway.
I took Luna's arm and activated my necromantic mana.
Shadows swirled around us like a cloak, hiding our forms.
"Let's go."
The catalyst was important, but this fidgety girl took priority.
"Leon! West!"
She pointed west and yanked my arm.
Her slender frame didn't look strong, but her pull was surprisingly forceful.
"Hey, hey! My arm's gonna come off!"
"Hurry! Come on!"
She bolted off excitedly.
Of course, we'd snuck out, and this wasn't a safe zone.
So...
-Grrrrr... Kraaaang!!!
It was only natural that grotesque lizards burst from the swamp to attack.
But before they could reach Luna, who was leading the charge, dozens of sword beams sliced them to pieces.
"Watch where you're going."
"I'm fine. Hurry!"
She dashed off again like an excited kid.
Chasing the compass needle as it twitched every which way, we ran for a good while.
Then Luna suddenly stopped.
"......"
"What? Why?"
"Direction changed."
Her expression twisted oddly.
"Suddenly heading east."
We'd run all the way west, and now east? We hadn't sensed any movement on the way here.
The only explanation was some spatial transfer or the like.
"Leon! East!"
She grabbed my arm again, and despite my reluctance, I followed—then paused.
"What's wrong?"
"Hold on."
Something just moved, didn't it?
Where we'd arrived was a swamp half-submerging a massive stone statue.
It looked like just a buried monster statue, but something felt off.
No signs of life, though.
"Nah, probably nothing."
Still, just in case, I slipped my hand into my shadow.
Muyoung poked his head out, looking around.
Squish!
But my real target wasn't him—I pulled out one of the reptilian undead I'd farmed on the way.
I balled it up and splatted it onto the statue, then hurried after Luna.
In the end, both quests failed.
I didn't find a mana core up to my standards, and Luna didn't locate the Fate Road either.
"West again... Something's weird. It keeps moving."
Luna muttered with a furrowed brow, visibly baffled.
Unable to hide her anxiety, she gnawed her nails and stamped her feet.
The Fate Road was supposed to be an ordinary ring with no special powers.
For it to keep moving like this, some external factor had to be at play.
The mana cores left me a bit unsatisfied too.
The ones I wanted formed only in special environments with intense mana condensation.
Places thick with monster energy from heavy mana buildup.
Most pointed to rifts, but ordinary ones couldn't match what I needed.
That's how I learned of this place—Levela's dungeon deep layers—where powerful forces constantly condensed.
To be precise, I did find mana cores.
Just not high-quality ones packing the output energy I wanted.
Still, no teeth? Use gums. I gathered the scattered lesser cores around; concentrated strongly, they might not be perfect but could serve. So I didn't discard them.
I'd prefer intensely condensed ones if possible, but...
This would have to do for now.
"Let's head back. We've been gone too long."
It wasn't just today; we'd scout elsewhere next time.
At my call, Luna followed reluctantly, unable to tear her eyes from the compass.
For some reason, the Fate Road was randomly teleporting around the deep layers irregularly.
She stared at it wistfully, only slumping onto my back when I piggybacked her.
I didn't know her expression now, but right before, she'd looked on the verge of tears—which left me oddly uneasy.
"We'll find it tomorrow."
"I hope so."
I just nodded at her quiet words.
It seemed we'd need to go deeper for what we wanted.
Conveniently, Luna's compass was now pointing further in.
Of course, the expedition was pushing inward, making it tricky for us.
As I bided my time...
A girl with crimson hair—Rebecca, whom I'd seen a few times—approached the porters.
"Everyone. Is anyone here up for joining the expedition work?"
"Expedition work?"
I murmured, and the chatty dwarf explained in a knowing tone.
"Extra gig. Following the expedition deeper in. Camp's here, so not staying long-term, but the monsters inside are way tougher, from what I hear."