第１１２３堀：安全を図るため (Part1)
Chapter 1123: For the Sake of Safety
Side: Yuki
Thanks to Kirika’s keen observation, the anomalies lurking within this academy have been brought to light, but delving into their root cause is a task for another time. For now, there is nothing to do but wait for the information Micos is gathering.
And so...
"Let's put the dead point issue on the back burner for a moment. Comet, Agil, have you finalized the survey schedule for the Great Sea of Trees?"
"Hm? Whoa, are you really bringing that up in the middle of this conversation?"
"Yeah. At this rate, we aren't going to make any progress on the other matter anyway. Oh, and don't go wandering off on your own, Comet. Who knows what’s in there? If you get pulled into some pocket dimension, it’ll be a nightmare to rescue you."
I decided to lay down the law, just in case. Comet has a penchant for ghosts and mysterious phenomena—or rather, she’s insatiably curious about the unknown. Whenever she encounters something she doesn't understand, she feels compelled to investigate. She is, in every sense, a true researcher.
Having been warned, Comet pouted, but replied:
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. It’s probably not as bad as those Japanese ghost stories, but even so, getting stuck in a place with no exit is something even I’d like to avoid. I’ve seen enough real-world examples to know better. I won't do anything reckless."
"See that you don't. That goes for you too, Agil."
"Thanks for your concern. I have enough self-control to keep myself out of trouble, don't worry. I spent quite a while at this academy in the past, and I never got into that kind of mess back then, either."
Agil puffed out her chest—or rather, the area where her chest should be—to emphasize her point. It seems she’s reliable enough. Comet, however, is a different story; despite her words, I can’t fully trust her, and she’ll need watching. I really can't afford to have her go missing right now.
"Getting back on track—how does the Great Sea of Trees survey look?"
More than anything, I needed to know the status of that survey. The rumors were merely a side project that emerged from Kirika’s unease; if I don't keep the main objective in focus, the rest is meaningless.
"Well, we don't know how long Wazfi’s training will take, but the route we need to take is set."
"Comet is right. We work fast. Here, take a look."
Agil handed me a document. As I scanned the contents...
"...A survey to pioneer a route? Isn't this a bit vague?"
As Kirika pointed out, the document essentially stated that they would simply head into the Great Sea of Trees to carve out a path. Under normal circumstances, one might call it lazy, but...
"Well, this is all we’ve got, isn't it? It’s an outer-rim route based on aerial reconnaissance data."
"Ah, I see. Aside from a few exceptions, surveys of the Great Sea of Trees have always been conducted from the air. This is the first time we’re attempting it by land; we don't even know what’s passable or what kind of obstacles we’ll face. In that light, this plan makes sense."
Upon hearing my explanation, Kirika seemed to understand that there were no guaranteed paths through the Great Sea of Trees. Ultimately, there’s no way to know until you actually go there. Complaining about the plan now would be pointless.
"So, we have no choice but to do it."
"Exactly. Challenging the unknown is always a process of feeling your way through the dark."
"If I could use my abilities at full capacity like I usually do, I’d just turn the place into a dungeon and extract the data via the call screen, but the Great Sea of Trees doesn't work like that. We have no choice but to do it the hard way."
As Agil said, usually I could just use my Dungeon Master powers to pull the data, but that’s not an option here. We have to earn our findings with our own two feet.
"I knew it would be a long process, but it’s still quite the undertaking."
Just circling the outer rim and returning is estimated to take about a week. That means Comet, Agil, and Wazfi will be gone for the duration of the survey.
"It can't be helped. Besides, you realize a week is an incredibly fast pace, right?"
"She’s right. Normally, you couldn't possibly circle a forest of that scale in a week. It’s a forest that no human has ever set foot in. We’ll be hacking through dense, overgrown vegetation, avoiding even animal trails, and creating a new path as we go, all while trying to minimize the use of magic."
"...I’m actually surprised you think you can finish it in a week, even with all that effort. Wouldn't just clearing the path take a significant amount of time?"
"It’s all about how you handle it. We aren't going to clear every single blade of grass. We’ll only cut what’s truly in the way. If we were doing a full-scale survey, a year wouldn't be nearly enough."
True. Considering the sheer size of the Great Sea of Trees, it would take an ordinary person months just to traverse it. To cover that ground in a week by relying on stats, skills, and tools is an incredible speed. In such a forced march, they’ll hardly have time to conduct a proper survey.
"But at that speed, won't you be unable to record anything even if you find monsters or interesting phenomena?"
"Kirika, I’m surprised you didn't think of how to handle that. We’re bringing small cameras."
"Exactly. We’ll be busy opening the path, but the cameras will record the footage. We’ll review it later and map out any areas of interest."
A common enough method. It’s like what people do when visiting haunted spots—or wait, is using cameras for real-time broadcasting the norm? Oops, I’ve been too influenced by these ghost stories.
"Well, if we find any rare monsters, we might try to capture them."
"Though, the rare monsters mentioned in the intel are in the deepest part of the center, not the outer rim. I doubt we’ll find anything like that on this survey."
"And the whole point is to find a safe route to reach that center, isn't it?"
"That’s right. The center of the Great Sea of Trees. What lies within? It really does feel like an expedition."
"That’s exactly what we are: an expedition team. Though, because of this, the one-week timeline might change depending on Wazfi’s progress."
That’s true. I highly doubt Wazfi, who has only just begun training, can keep up with the pace of Comet and Agil. Deryu is currently teaching her combat, but I doubt she’s focusing on that kind of endurance.
In other words...
"In that case, I’ll pass this on to Deryu. She’ll likely shift the training to focus on endurance and speed."
"Oh, that’s a blind spot. I didn't realize Deryu could teach that kind of thing."
"Deryu is surprisingly good at looking after others. She’s a great big sister."
As Agil noted, Deryu is unexpectedly skilled at teaching those kinds of things.