Chapter 20
Apparently, Jenny's packed lunch really was lucky.
After the first battle...
The expedition continued far more comfortably than expected.
Monster attacks were much less frequent than on ordinary expeditions.
The guide mercenaries did not get lost.
And thanks to the capable people leading the group...
Travel went smoothly.
The knights did not understand monster behavior very well.
Still...
Their superhuman strength gave them overwhelming combat power.
The Rangers knew monsters extremely well and acted as the expedition's final line of defense.
And more importantly...
The expedition had a mage.
"Freeze!"
Amber pointed her staff straight ahead.
Frost immediately began spreading across the enormous scorpion charging toward the group.
SKREEEEE!
The scorpion's fast-moving legs became stiff and awkward.
Its pincers, which had been swinging violently in every direction, slowed with a creaking sound like rusted doors.
It was a Third Circle spell that froze its target.
Freeze had struck the scorpion.
Because the monster already contained mana inside its body...
The spell could not freeze it completely from the inside.
Still...
Stopping its movements for a moment was more than enough.
"Its shell can't be cut!"
A Ranger shouted.
"Aim for the joints!"
The knights and Rangers immediately rushed in.
Their mana-filled swords cut through the scorpion's leg joints one after another.
Because the Rangers understood the monster's weaknesses...
The opportunity was not wasted.
The difference between an expedition with a mage...
And one without...
Really was like the difference between heaven and earth.
"As expected, mages are the best."
Jessica had completely recovered from her earlier worries.
She gave Amber, who looked somewhat exhausted, a large thumbs-up.
It was not exactly an elegant compliment for a noblewoman and mage.
But to Jessica...
That was the highest praise she knew.
"This expedition turned into easy work compared to what I expected."
Jessica pretended to wipe away tears.
"Thank goodness."
Then she put an arm around Jake's shoulder.
"What a shame."
"I wanted to teach you properly, but we came here way too easily."
"Coming comfortably is a good thing."
Jake shrugged.
"Mercenary work is only part of the process anyway."
"Ah."
Jessica suddenly remembered.
Jake had adapted so naturally that she had almost forgotten their real purpose.
"Ugh."
She looked at him.
"Why don't you just become a mercenary?"
"It suits you."
"No."
Jake answered immediately.
"It doesn't suit me."
"I prefer waking up in a bed, eating in a dining room, and drinking black tea."
Jessica sighed.
"Who doesn't like that?"
She shook her head.
"That's not what I mean. You adapt to mercenary work really well."
Her eyes brightened.
"Exploring unknown places."
"Finding hidden treasure."
"Doesn't that sound amazing?"
Jake already knew what treasures he intended to find.
And he had experienced places far stranger and more dangerous than the Great Forest.
Jessica's words did not affect him at all.
Still...
For practical reasons, he might need to think more seriously about continuing mercenary work.
"Let's finish this job first."
It was not a complete rejection.
Jessica's face immediately brightened.
In her mind...
She was already imagining herself and Jake forming a party and sweeping through dungeon after dungeon.
Leaving Jessica smiling by herself...
Jake looked toward the valley ahead.
Only dead trees filled the landscape.
The Valley of Dead Trees.
After several days of travel...
The expedition had finally reached its destination.
After crossing several hills and forests...
They arrived at a valley where every tree stood with bare, skeletal branches.
Exploration teams had investigated the strange phenomenon before.
But after discovering only that the area contained less mana than other places...
The valley had mostly been abandoned.
Several years from now...
A group of adventurers fleeing from monsters would accidentally discover a huge dungeon above that valley.
That future probably doesn't exist anymore.
This was no longer a matter of a butterfly flapping its wings and eventually creating a storm.
Jake had created a massive storm from the very beginning.
He intended to use only events that seemed unlikely to change.
But even those were becoming difficult to trust.
If Jake had not joined this expedition...
Perhaps the dungeon he wanted would have been discovered by this group instead.
After finishing off the scorpion body that was still struggling without its legs...
The expedition entered the valley.
Fortunately...
The valley was not filled only with dead trees.
Grass reaching their ankles grew thickly.
Vines covered parts of the ground.
Nature had not completely died.
"Still, apparently no monster claims this valley as its territory."
Jessica explained.
"They say it's because there isn't much mana."
"There's even a saying that if something goes wrong nearby, you should escape into this valley."
Apparently...
The expedition in the future had not entered the valley entirely by accident.
"Does that happen often?"
Jake asked.
"No."
Jessica answered firmly.
"If you're going to run away, you should run out of the Great Forest."
"What are you going to accomplish by hiding in there?"
She pointed into the valley.
"Just because no monster claims it as a territory doesn't mean monsters can't enter."
"If something chases you in there, you'll probably just get eaten."
Jake looked awkward at her absolute answer.
"It's just an old saying."
Jessica shrugged.
"One of those useless legends."
"But dungeon exploration often starts because of rumors like that, so you can't completely ignore them either."
After entering the valley...
The expedition did not follow the stream flowing along the bottom.
Instead...
They followed the northern ridge and climbed above the valley.
The slope was extremely steep.
They had not climbed very far...
Yet the valley floor was already far below them.
As the drop became more like a cliff...
The expedition gradually moved farther from the edge.
After walking a little longer...
They found a flat clearing.
The sun had already gone down.
Darkness was beginning to settle.
So the expedition decided to camp there.
They finished setting up camp.
Dinner was noisy.
The evening routine followed.
Afterward...
Jake and Jessica finally prepared to enjoy tea for the first time in a while.
That was when Amber approached.
"Could I have some black tea too?"
Perhaps because of everyone else's attention...
She had avoided approaching them during the journey.
Her sudden visit was a little surprising.
But Jake could hardly turn away someone who had come for tea.
"Your timing is perfect."
Jake smiled.
"We have plenty."
He brewed another serving for the new guest.
The fragrance of tea leaves steeping in boiling water once again filled the area.
