248: You know, finding something unexpected just freezes your brain.

The hot spring was amazing, but that wasn’t the point.

Still, I guess some fatigue had built up that even a stamina potion couldn’t shake. Ended up just lounging around that day. The occasional distant roar made me twitch, but since it wasn’t coming this way, I just leaned into resting in the lodger wagon.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when Lilirily showed up in the middle of the night.

Apparently, she said it was a late-night visit. But showing up in those baggy sweatpants and top? Not exactly romantic. Honestly, I thought she looked way sexier the first time.

Also, Jitarou’s in the same wagon. You sure that’s okay?

I gave her a heads-up. She looked shocked. Staggered off like a drunk. So, in my head, it never happened.

Yeah. Nothing happened. So go to sleep, Leifan, Maina, Eva.

Managed to shoo the women off somehow, finally got some sleep.

So, nothing happened. No problems. The night passed.

After breakfast, we resumed exploring the ruined settlement.

From the foundation remnants, I’d guess there were never more than a hundred households.

Jitarou, Camille, and Chiyome would thoroughly examine structural elements. I, along with Professor Javir and Eva and Leifan, would thoroughly inspect physical objects.

Persia and Nobuna would take turns guarding Maina while keeping watch around the area. Ryuuko was quietly helping out nearby Maina. Though Maina kept sticking to me, really.

Lilirily kept running off to scream, then back to scream—so I just let her be.

Don’t say I’m just leaving her alone. She knows what she’s doing.

Sure, I called it a ruin, but this isn’t your average wreck.

Take a typical abandoned village—half-collapsed buildings swallowed by weeds, branches tangled through broken walls, leaves piled into soil, half-buried over time.

Not here.

No half-collapsed buildings. Not even full collapses. Just foundations left behind. Where walls still stand, they’re barely more than ankle-high, like someone took a hammer to them and didn’t stop.

No plants grow here properly. No animals mess with it. No natural decay.

High up—higher than the cloud sea, probably. Rain’s scarce. Weathering’s just wind and time.

It’s old, that’s for sure. Burn marks? Almost none.

I picked up a piece of rubble. Ran a quick “鉴定.” Predictable result.

“Alchemical-hardened rock,” I muttered.

Eva kept鉴定ing and nodded.

"Right. That settles it—this was almost certainly an alchemist village."

"Yeah. And the buildings were made of alchemically hardened rock. Natural disasters don’t leave it like this."

"Monster attack—"

"You don’t think that’s it, do you?"

"Extremely unlikely."

Given the state of things, natural disasters, monster attacks... even stampedes were out of the question.

I needed a clue. Desperately.

"What kind of person would go to such lengths to destroy this place?"

"Someone who held a grudge against the village?"

Makes sense. Internal conflict among the alchemists?

Trouble was, that was the most plausible of the three. Say an alchemist did something cruel—like experimental torture—then the subject didn’t just want to burn the village down. No, they’d go further. People. Buildings. Research. Everything.

"Ah."

Eva raised one eyebrow at me.

"Notice anything?"

"Actually, thinking about it—this is a alchemist village, right? So there should be tons of records and stuff."

"True. They might’ve stored things in a special way, though."

"No bodies. Maybe they just abandoned it and moved on?"

"Could be possible."

I ducked under my legs, and suddenly, a wiggly, slippery thing appeared.

The entrance!

"Sorry, but that possibility’s practically nil. If they left the World Tree behind, even if they abandoned the village, I’d think at least a few would head toward the hidden alchemist settlement."

"Why?"

"Even hermits studied the World Tree, right? They didn’t split up over a feud. If no one showed up at the hidden village, then they probably didn’t abandon it."

Feels a little weak, but the logic holds up.

"Anyway, Lilirily."

"What’s up, darling?"

"Evie’s glaring at you so hard I’m gonna stop hugging you. And you’re seriously pushing yourself, aren’t you?"

"Wha—!?!"

He’s got that ‘how’d you know!?’ look on his face, but his face is bright red. It’s obvious he’s forcing it.

Evie yanks Lilirily back with a single sentence.

"Reclusive nerd. What’re you gonna do by forcing yourself like this?"

"W-wait! I’m not forcing anything—nyaaah!"

"Your approach is just too rough. All around."

"Rough!? That’s—how about those thin books I collected from all over the kingdom, using my full rights to study the World Tree?!"

"Ah. So you’re talking about those personal creations from the ancient magic era? The ones that show up mixed in important texts?"

"You know about that, Evie!?"

You forget I’m from the Hermit’s Garden too, don’t you? Back then, making personal creations was just normal, I guess. It’s a rare document showing how rich that era was… but really, it’s just a bunch of men and women scribbling down their fantasies, their grudges, their damn obsessions.

“Fantasies?”

“Of course. You’re the one now treating your creations like they’re real, acting like a total pain in the ass.”

“W-What!?”

“Classic case of a sensitive fourteen-year-old. You’re just like those kids yelling ‘The evil dragon sleeping in my left arm will awaken!’ or ‘When I open my right eye, you’ll be cursed! By this hateful eye!’—no crest, no nothing.”

“Nyooooooowwwwwaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!?”

Ah, Lilily just ran off full speed. I get it.

I remember having a phase like that myself—goddamn, my chest hurts. Something like fourteen-year-old angst, I guess...

I’m trembling from the heat of it all when Eva gives me that cool, flat look.

“That’s just someone who wants a patron. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

“O-oh…”

Right. Not marriage. Just a patron. Could’ve just said that straight.

“Anyway, look at the rubble. It was burned down thoroughly, I’d say.”

“Yeah. Not much charred wood left—probably didn’t use much wood to begin with. But you can still see the marks in spots.”

“We don’t know what kind of life they lived back then, but I’d guess getting wood was tough. A fire from accident alone wouldn’t have wiped out the whole village.”

“Right. And if a village like that burned to the ground…”

"Yeah. Only a powerful spell could’ve done this. There’s still a chance it was some fire-based creature, though."

"Given how the village was destroyed, that possibility’s pretty slim."

"Yeah."

There are factions who hate alchemists.

That’s still the most likely explanation.

"If that’s the case, we should wrap up the search here and focus on finding the World Tree."

"Agreed. There’s definitely something up at the peak—on the other side of the waterfall."

"Is it the World Tree? A monster? Or both?"

"A monster’s a certainty."

I keep hearing roars coming from the summit.

"Still, we should probably build a sturdy room here and set up the gate."

"Yeah. Maina-sama should head back to the kingdom, at least."

I can’t take Maina to a place where we know damn well there’s something dangerous lurking.

If things get bad, we could call for backup from Van.

Still, I don’t even wanna think about a monster we can’t take down with this crew.

Jabir, who’d been intensely focused on his research, looked up.

“Then I’d like to return with you, if you don’t mind.”

“Having you around is like having a hundred strong men.”

“I’ve never been of any use in battle!”

“You’re standing there! That’s useful!”

“Calling that useless is a crime!”

“Craft, you always get weird when it’s about Jabir.”

“True enough. Not just useless—more like a burden, if you ask me.”

“I don’t think so. Just knowing you’re back there with alchemy potions? That’s a huge comfort.”

“Yeah, it is!”

Keep quiet, Craft.

"Yeah, uh-huh."

"Sure, it's a bit over the top, but it's damn useful in a real fight."

"Y-yeah, is that right?"

The teacher’s flustered, shy face is cute.

Still, we’re likely to face a strong enemy. I think it’s reasonable to evacuate. We’d be glad if you waited somewhere safe, away from the front lines.

Hmm, waiting somewhere distant, eh? I’ll consider it.

Thank you.

Damn right, Eva! You really get how awesome the teacher is!

First off, we gotta decide where to set up the portal—

Just as I tried to look around, Jitarou shouted, springing into the air.

Found the basement! A hidden room!

What!?

We scramble to gather.

From the remaining foundation, it looked like the basement of a larger building. A floor made of alchemical-hardened stone, and a lid made of the same material. Definitely a hidden room.

I moved the lid, hoping something might still be here…

“Ah. Looks like this one’s been burned too.”

While Jitarou scratched his head, Chiyome cautiously checked inside.

“Nothing like traps, seems. Pretty spacious, though.”

“I heard there was treasure!”

Ignoring us, who were acting like we were spelunking through a dungeon, Lilirily jumped straight into the basement.

“Noooh! Everything’s burnt! There had to be documents here!”

Thanks to Lilirily, we knew there was nothing dangerous inside, so we stepped in too.

“Hmph. This place was thoroughly burned, but since the wind and rain didn’t get in, there’s still some residue left.”

“Is this… a clump of melted glass?”

“Likely alchemical experiment gear.”

Me and the teacher carefully examine the surviving fragments. Unlike outside, there are enough recognizable shapes scattered around to give us a decent idea of what this place used to be.

Eva picks up a torn piece, looking disappointed.

“This looks like a burned scrap of paper. Probably part of a thick book.”

“Seems like there were a lot of books here.”

“Yeah. Maybe this was a hidden room where they kept rare texts.”

“Mm. And alchemical research was going on here too. A place where valuable studies were conducted, no doubt.”

"A lab hidden even within the alchemist's village... must've been some incredible research going on here."

"Such a shame it's all burned down..."

The fact that even the hidden room was reduced to ash ruled out the possibility of a monster's doing. No doubt about it—only malice was in the air.

We searched carefully, hoping to find something that had survived the fire, but all we found was ash and charred remains.

Then, as Leifan was examining the walls and floor, he suddenly gasped, voice trembling.

"Eh? What's this?"

"What is it, Leifan?"

"Here... eh? Why? Why here?"

His words were a jumble, face frozen in shock. He was staring at a single spot on the floor.

"What's there?"

I leaned in to look myself.

"...Huh?"

Tiny, tiny letters were carved into the floor block. So small you’d never notice unless you were staring right at it. Probably scratched in with something like a needle.

The problem wasn’t the method. It was the words themselves.

The others leaned in, eyes wide.

“What the hell is this?”

“Wait a sec. This… this can’t be…”

“Good heavens.”

“Could this really be happening? No… well, it’s possible, I suppose…”

Everyone stood frozen, then turned to me. Fair enough.

I read the words again, slowly.

“Craft… Walker.”

My name.

—— Chapter Eight End ——

Chapter Eight Complete!

I’d love to hear your thoughts!