第１２１１堀：調査隊の様子 (Part2)
Neither of them seemed to have any concerns for the moment, so we didn't need to turn back. Still, I told them that if they spotted anything noteworthy from here on out, we’d stop to investigate, so that settled that.
With that brief exchange, the lunch break came to an end, and we resumed our sprint through the forest.
The scenery remained as monotonous as ever, a blur of green rushing past. While I did worry about how much we could actually observe at this speed, our primary goal for now was to confirm the route and assess threat levels. Any areas of interest would be left for a more thorough examination at a later date.
"Still, it’s surprising how easy this Great Forest is to run through," Comet remarked, even as she used magic to sweep away the brush that threatened to impede our path.
She had to; otherwise, we’d be forced off our planned route. If the obstacles proved too time-consuming to clear, we were supposed to look for a detour, but as it stood...
"That’s partly because our own capabilities are so high, though," I added, mirroring her actions by blasting away the trees that blocked our trajectory.
Rather than pounding the earth with every step, we were sprinting across platforms of solidified mana I’d conjured in mid-air.
"The biggest reason it’s so easy, though, is that we don't even have to set foot in the overgrown areas," I noted.
"Yeah. Honestly, I never even thought of it until you mentioned it, Yuki, but it really is the ultimate way to travel."
Exactly. We weren't trudging along the ground. By fixing our mana in place, we were creating a path about a meter above the forest floor. This allowed us to bypass the uneven terrain, the mud, and the thickets entirely, maintaining high speeds without ever losing our footing.
"Though, I do wonder if this counts as a 'proper' survey," Comet mused.
"Maybe. But it’s not like trampling through the undergrowth is the 'correct' way, either. That would definitely impact the local ecosystem."
"That’s a tricky subject. I mean, we’re already affecting the ecosystem just by cutting down the trees in our way."
"Well, the moment a person enters—or even observes—a place, they’re bound to have some impact. Some would argue that makes 'pure observation' impossible anyway."
"If we start down that rabbit hole, we’ll never get anywhere. We’ll just do what we can. Fortunately, both Wazfi and Nilua have mastered this movement technique, too. It’s made us incredibly fast."
Indeed. It was a shock to learn that those two had managed to master mana fixation as a result of their training with Deryu. I knew Deryu had been struggling with my own technique and was brainstorming countermeasures, but the idea of using it to create footholds? That hadn't even crossed my mind.
It was brilliant, really. It consumed less mana than full-on flight, and even for Wazfi and Nilua, who weren't accustomed to aerial combat, it allowed for movement just as fluid as if they were on solid ground. They only needed to create their own platforms, giving them a fair degree of aerial mobility. Combined with their boosted physical stats, they could even traverse the sky just by kicking off the air itself.
Of course, that wouldn't be enough to defeat Deryu, and certainly not me. Man, the people in our circle are just too strong.
"Still, even though we're running along the perimeter, we haven't encountered a single monster," Comet noted.
"It is strange. Though, the lower spawn rate on the outer rim is likely a factor."
It had been three days of running, and even though we were on the outskirts, we had covered half the circumference of the Great Forest without a single wild monster encounter. I had expected at least some activity, given that this forest was the only place on the If Continent known to harbor truly powerful beasts.
As I was pondering this, Wazfi spoke up.
"Ah, about that—it’s rare to encounter monsters on the perimeter. The word is that the deeper you go into the Great Forest, the more powerful the monsters become. The weaker ones are driven toward the outer rim by the stronger ones, but those are usually culled by students like us or the monster-hunting guilds from the towns."
"…Wazfi, I hate to be the one to point this out, but doesn't this count as the 'deepest part' of the Great Forest?"
Nilua was right. From the perspective of the Lancer Magic Academy, we were as far into the forest as one could possibly get. While it might be the "outer rim" in terms of the forest's total geography, it was a place where no ordinary person could ever hope to tread. It wouldn't be strange to find powerful monsters here.
"That’s not something I can determine right now. That’s exactly why we’re conducting this survey."
"True enough. But you have a theory, don't you, Wazfi?"
At Comet’s prodding, Wazfi nodded.
"Yes. It’s just a guess, but I suspect it has to do with mana density."
"Ah, I see. The concentration of mana is the source that gives rise to monsters, after all."
Wazfi’s brief explanation made immediate sense. The mana density on the perimeter was naturally lower, making it difficult for powerful monsters to manifest.
As these thoughts drifted through my mind, we continued our dash through the woods. If this hypothesis held true, we’d finish surveying the perimeter sooner than expected. I just hoped the rest of the survey would go as smoothly. After all, the real main event was the situation in the center.