Chapter of Magic Stone, Episode 1: It’s Gyoza, Ms. Elf

I’d heard that for English speakers, the Japanese language is one of the harder languages to learn. There have even been efforts by the Japanese to simplify the language over time, so it must have been even more difficult back then.

In any case, the view in my room had become quite interesting. And by my room, I meant my 1DK condo in Koto Ward, Tokyo, where an elf from a fantasy world was sitting on my bed.

Her long, white hair was always silky and damp even without applying any oils, yet she barely did anything to take care of it. It made me wonder if humans and elves differed even down to their hair.

Her eyes were full of intelligence, and they were a pale purple color, like two amethysts. Anyone who saw her wake up would surely be enraptured, as if witnessing the moment a colorful flower bloomed.

“A-I-U-E-O...”

But in that moment, it seemed some of her charm was missing. Her hair was a bit frayed, and the thin indoor clothing she wore was wrinkled all over. She wrote in her notebook as she listened to the sounds coming from the TV. Apparently, this was her way of studying Japanese: by learning pronunciation and letters at the same time.

I watched her aggressive study method as I returned home from work, and I loosened my suit’s tie.

“I’m home. I got some ground beef on sale, so I’ll make some gyoza. Do you want some alcohol, Marie?”

“Gyo, za? Hmm, I’m not sure. I actually get inebriated pretty easily. I’ll take something that’s easy to drink, if you don’t mind me spouting nonsensical things.”

I already had a feeling she’d be a lightweight...

Today was Friday, my favorite night of the week, so I was feeling pretty good. I put the ingredients I’d bought into the refrigerator, organizing the vegetable compartment as I thought about Marie’s request.

Something that’s easy to drink, huh...

I thought wine would be my best bet for alcohol that an elf from another world would be used to. White wine should go well with gyoza too, and I could even bring out some cheese.

Looking at her, she clearly seemed to be an underage, yet beautiful girl. But she was an elf who was over a hundred years old, which made her well over the legal drinking age... or at least I thought so.

Yeah, probably...

There were no special laws that applied only to elves, so there was no point in worrying about it.

As those thoughts crossed my mind, the elf in question spoke to me.

“Kazuhiho, I, am, Mariabelle.”

I was taken aback at her unsteady Japanese. I nearly dropped my pack of ground beef, but caught it mid-air in a fluster. Seeing this, the elf had a satisfied grin on her face.

“Didn’t you just start studying two days ago?! You’ve already started learning how to put sentences together?”

“No, I just learned lines that may come in handy first. My method is to learn a sentence first, then develop the language from there.”

The girl’s happy smile widened as my surprise grew. Her smile was more beautiful than the one I saw when I first met her, and it felt like a sword piercing through my heart when it caught me off guard. She, herself, probably didn’t even realize just how powerful her smile could be.

“Develop it from there, huh? I guess I see where you’re coming from. When I learn the language of another species, I begin by finding a starting point. Then, I sort of spread my knowledge outward and fill in the blanks from there.”

I poured some white wine into my glass to sample, then headed into my bedroom. The only thing dividing it from the kitchen was a low cabinet, so Marie noticed me right away and looked up.

“Oh, your clothes are so nice and gentlemanly. May I smell them?”

“What? You mean my suit? I was going to have you smell the wine... You have a bit of a smell fetish, don’t you, Marie?”

“How rude. There’s nothing strange about smelling things you aren’t familiar with. Now get over here so I can smell you.”

That sounded very much like a smell fetish to me... but I didn’t say that out loud. I walked over without any further protest, and she grabbed me by the fabric around my stomach and took a couple whiffs.

Hmm, being smelled by a pretty girl sure feels strange...

She buried her nose into my shirt, and I could feel the air on me as she breathed in and out. It tickled, but strangely, seeing her narrow her eyes contently didn’t make me feel bad at all.

“Thank you, I’m satisfied now. And... Right, the drink seems okay too. It doesn’t seem like there’s any additives in it, either.”

“Oh, you mean the stuff they put in to hide the smell? I can’t stand those, either. I’d rather just drink water than pay money for that.”

Marie nodded in agreement, then sat up from the bed. Together, we chose the collared, cherry-blossom-colored pajamas she wore, and she was quite fond of the fabric that didn’t irritate her skin. She’d been spending a lot of time laying around the apartment since.

I looked in the notebook on the bed, and it had various notes written inside, such as the alphabet and the greeting she’d said to me earlier. It seemed she wanted to learn all the basics first. I flipped through the pages and spoke some words I’d heard somewhere before.

“They say it takes over two thousand hours to learn a language that’s drastically different from the ones you know. Which means that even if you talk for ten hours a day, it would take over 200 days to learn one language.”

“Hmm. Then I suppose that means it would take me about half as long. Maybe even less if I really try. So I’ll set my goal to be able to hold a conversation within two months.”

I was surprised by her confidence, but then I realized where it was coming from. She had me to speak Japanese with, and so long as we went to the dream world together, she’d be able to study while she slept. Add her intelligence to the mix, and it was definitely plausible.

But at the same time, there was a question that came to mind...

“I’ve been wondering, why do you want to learn Japanese? It’s not going to be of any use in your world, and it’s not like it’ll get you any recognition from the Sorcerer’s Guild.”

“Because I think this country is so wonderful. It can be a bit noisy, but I love the beautiful scenery, peacefulness, delicious food, and how comfortable it is here. What more reason would I need to learn the native language here?”

I was glad to see she seemed to really like Japan. And if she really did learn the language, we’d be able to go out to movies or play games together. That sounded like a lot of fun, so I decided to do what I could to help her.

But as I began heading toward the kitchen, I froze. I’d just realized that her words meant she’d be living with me for at least two months. I could hardly contain the childish glee that was welling up inside me. It must have shown on my face, because she was staring right at me... but there was no way I was going to explain myself.

“A-Anyway, you must be tired. Why don’t you take a bath? I’ll have a nice meal ready for you by the time you get out.”

“Hehe, thank you. I’m looking forward to this ‘gyotzah’ food you’re making.”

I wanted to correct her and say it was “gyoza,” but I couldn’t say anything when she bumped into me and hugged me around the waist.

Boy, she is one adorable elf...

Though in about 45 minutes, the elven beauty would be shouting, “Delicious!” and stomping her feet around.

While I prepared bentos for our adventure, Marie leaned on the back of a chair with half her bottom hanging off the seat. She always had an intellectual vibe to her, but she seemed to be a bit above the clouds from the combination of tasty food and white wine. She sat there with a dreamy look on her face, then spoke to me with slightly slurred words.

“Hehe, that was delishious, Kazuhiho... I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart...”

“I’m glad it suited your elven palate. It’s inexpensive to make, so let me know if you ever want some again.”

The ingredients didn’t cost much, but the only drawback was that it took a while to wrap the fillings with gyoza wrappers. But I was in a good mood because it was Friday, and it was fun seeing her reaction, so I didn’t mind the extra work.

“Whaaa, that was inespensive?! I just don’t understand this country’s food... but tha’s okay, I’m very happy with it.”

She was partially getting up, but her body slouched down again. She wore quite a satisfied look on her face. I could see her bellybutton peeking out of her disheveled pajamas, but I decided not to call her out on it because she’d just given me a compliment.

The slurred way she was talking due to the effect of the alcohol was actually pretty cute, and it made me want to add more drinks to our dinner menu from now on.

As I mulled over the thought, the girl turned her eyes toward me while resting her head on the back of the chair.

“Kazuhihooo... Is it true you’re level 72?”

“Yep, it’s still the same as when I told you before. I never actually asked you this, but what level are you, Marie?”

“...27... Listen, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. It’s just very hard to level up while learning both Spirit Magic and Sorcery. This makes me a class known as Spirit Sorceress, which can only be attained by a select few. I even heard my predecessor had already passed away long ago.”

Something I said must have bothered her, because her eyebrows were creased together. She was speaking pretty quickly now, but it almost sounded to me like she was making excuses.

“A Spirit Sorceress, huh? Sounds impressive. I could take you to a recommended hunting spot, if you’d like. With your skill, I think you could raise your level by five or so within the first day.”

I posed this suggestion to her, but she didn’t reply for a while. As I waited for her response, I packed the leftovers from dinner into bento boxes and let them cool down. I began washing the dishes, and eventually I saw the elf getting up out of the corner of my eye.

“...You know, it took me about seventy years for me to get this level. Even if it’s you, I’ll be angry if you’re just saying that to mess with me.”

“But I just need to pull in mobs and let you finish them off, right? I thought it’d be easy if we started off with some monsters around level 40 or so.”

I thought that would be a simple task, but I might be wrong. I turned to the elf and tilted my head questioningly, and I found her looking at me with slightly widened eyes.

Marie joyfully got under the blankets in the room dimly lit by the downlight, and I entered the bed after her. I understood how it’d look to an outsider, but we needed to do this to get to the other world.

Today, I had the additional duty of helping her level up. If I wasn’t able to do that, I’d probably be demoted to just a sleepy-looking guy that couldn’t keep his word.

But... I did admit there was probably no need for me to stare at her butt as she got into bed. I didn’t want to make excuses, but as a man, I had no choice. Yeah, that was it.

“I’ll just put the bento here... Hmm, but it may smell a bit because it’s gyoza.”

“There’s no need to worry. We’ll only be thinking about how delicious it is when we’re eating it. Though it is a shame it won’t be as crispy as it was when it was fresh.”

“That is a shame, but nothing can beat freshly cooked food. I did make some fried rice, which is still good when cold, so you can look forward to that.”

The girl smiled in the darkness. She must have really been looking forward to the bento, because she put her arm around my neck and scooched closer to me. I pulled her closer too, and we listened to each other’s heartbeats.

Maybe it was the warm body next to me, but I’d been falling asleep much faster as of late. I wondered if I’d still be able to sleep like this if she was ever gone... but that was probably just the cowardly part of me speaking.

I could hear her softly thumping heart and felt her slender arms and legs intertwine with mine under the blanket. My eyelids grew heavier from the comfort of her warm embrace.

Zzz...

As if sinking into water, my consciousness soon fell into a dream. Still embracing each other, we traveled deep into the world of dreams... or rather, to another world. All while hoping for another day full of fun and joy...

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Chirp chirp, chirp chirp.

I groggily opened my eyes and found a little bird hopping around a field of grass as if on a little stroll. It was a bird known as Lupil, and its main diet consisted of bugs found in trees. They weren’t that uncommon, but it was rare to see them up close because of their timid nature.

I reached into my pocket for some bread crumbs as usual, then scattered them toward the little visitor while still laying down. It gave me a quick chirp in thanks, then picked up a crumb with its beak and flew off.

Maybe it’s because we had so many drinks last night, but judging from the angle of the sun, it seemed like morning time was about to be over.

“What a cute bird... Weren’t you feeding a bird before too, Kazuhiho?”

I heard a whisper in my ear, so I rubbed my sleepy eyes and turned toward the source. There, I saw a pair of lips open up and yawn cutely. She was small in stature, but her lips were vibrant and attractive like a flower, and watching them made my cheeks heat up.

That’s right, we wake up in the same way we fall asleep...

I needed to keep my guard up, or my heart would skip a beat in surprise. The sight of the elf in the morning was so beautiful it woke me right up.

I secretly took a deep breath, then replied to her.

“I tend to feed them whenever I see them nearby. But anyway, good morning, Marie. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, of course. Hehe, though we did just fall asleep on the other side.”

I moved the brand-new blanket off of us, then took her hand to stand up together. I looked around to find the grass fields stretching all around us, and there was a farm in the distance. There must be a village nearby.

“Oh yeah, we decided to sleep here when it became dark. I seem to be developing a habit of camping out from all the time I’m spending with you...”

“And to think, you used to laugh at me for it. Here, Marie, your drink and bento.”

She thanked me as she took them in her hands, and we each put our meals into our bags. We’d repeated the process several times now, so it seemed we’d gotten used to the routine.

With our luggage neatly packed, I pulled out a somewhat simple map and spread it out in front of us. It was a cheap one that could be bought anywhere, so I didn’t mind if it was slightly inaccurate.

“The hunting spot I mentioned earlier is over here. They’re the ruins that are about two countries away, called Ujah Peak.”

“Don’t tell me you plan on having us walk there? That would take at least a week, even by carriage.”

“No, I’ll use a mobility skill. As you know, I travel all the time. I’m pretty good at these things.”

Put simply, my mobility skills could be divided into “long-range movement” and “short-range movement.” Long-range movement allowed me to travel once a day by chanting the god of travel’s name to his monument. Then, the time it took to get to the destination would change depending on the distance there. Short-range movement traditionally allowed movement to a point within one’s field of view, but I’d heavily modified it to suit my needs, so it wouldn’t be of much use this time around.

“Huh, you’ve been leveling quite the unusual set of skills. Most people would opt to train skills more suited to combat. I suppose people who spend all their time traveling tend to be strange in some way.”

“But I think mobility-type abilities are pretty strong. It does seem to have a bad reputation because it’s mostly acquired by traveling merchants though. The movement is restricted by weight, but we should be fine because you’re so lightweight.”

I stroked the bracelet on my wrist, and a status screen appeared before me. It was probably because of these game-like effects that I didn’t think this could possibly be a world that actually existed somewhere. The residents here were used to it, but I had a feeling this whole world was being managed by some entity. I didn’t question it since there wasn’t much I could do to find out more, but I would have liked to solve the mystery some day.

My focus for the day was to help the elf level up. With that thought, I reached my hand out to Marie, who was all ready to go.

“Okay. Let’s go, Marie. Hold on tight.”

“Yes, I’m ready. But I must say, I’m surprised you can cover the distance of two countries. You could probably use your skill to make a large amount of money if you wanted to.”

“That’s okay, I’d prefer not to work in my dreams. Okay, here we go... Trayn, the Journey’s Guide.”

The moment I activated the skill, the scenery blurred into a vague image. The grass fields warped and became translucent, and the ground beneath us disappeared.

“Kyaaa!”

I heard Marie’s high-pitched scream, and we fell down a layer to a world underneath...

The world had darkened around us. I stood, holding Marie sideways in my arms, and eventually landed on solid ground. The sudden descent must have scared her, because I could feel her trembling as she clutched onto me. I softly tapped her shoulder to let her know it was okay now.

She timidly raised her head, and I suspected our surroundings may have surprised her. It was almost like a giant cave, but we were enveloped in complete darkness, except for the occasional holes from which vegetation could be seen.

As I looked up to the sliver of blue sky that was still visible, our surroundings slowly began accelerating. The light up ahead flowed away behind us, and Marie followed it with her eyes.

Voooooom...

The sensation of traveling through complete darkness with extreme speeds felt somewhat similar to riding a train in the subway. But seeing how Marie’s hair was barely being rustled, it seemed the wind and acceleration was quite mild. She seemed to finally get accustomed to it as she loosened the tight grip of her fingers.

“Wow... Incredible... It’s pitch-black, but it feels as if we’re moving a city a minute. Do merchants see this scenery all the time?”

“I’m sure some of them do. It takes a long time to learn this skill, so they’d probably need to decide to become a traveling merchant at a young age.”

As I spoke, I put the flower I picked earlier into my inner shirt pocket. It was customary to offer a flower picked during one’s travels upon arriving to the monument, and I secretly found the practice enjoyable.

As I mentioned, those who decided to become a traveling merchant at a young age were very likely to learn this skill. But there were many who disliked traveling due to its strenuous nature. As a result, there were only a few who actually put the ability into practice.

Marie seemed to be out of it from the unusual sight, then finally seemed to realize she was being held up sideways. She whispered that she was fine now, so I finally lowered her to the black ground.

“Stay close, just in case. It seems we’re okay on the weight limit, but I don’t know what would happen if you stray too far from me. I usually travel alone, after all.”

The elf nodded.

There was darkness all around us as we drifted at high speeds. Light occasionally filtered in from the outside, but immediately drifted back behind us with a vooom!

The girl seemed used to the sight already, and her robe wavered as she turned around.

“I never knew long-distance movement was so useful. So, how long will it take us to get to the other side?”

“Hmm... With this distance, I’d say about twenty minutes. It varies a lot, and I hear there are some people who have spent about a year in here.”

She seemed a bit spooked by my comment. Gods tended to be fickle, so there wasn’t much you could do about that. But the round-eyed expression on her face was pretty hilarious, and I had to cover my mouth to hide my laugh.

“That’s nothing to laugh at... Though I do suppose we’re a special case. If something does happen, we could simply go back to Japan. There’s that phenomenon that changes our waking location if necessary, too.”

“Exactly. Now, could you show me your status screen, Marie? I want to be efficient with our leveling.”

“I suppose, but promise not to tell anyone about it. You may not know this, but I have many rivals that I’m forced to deal with.”

The Sorcerer’s Guild apparently has a ranking system based on levels. With Marie’s valuable Spirit Sorceress class, she was sure to get plenty of negative attention from those around her. They must have based it on levels because they couldn’t beat her in importance or abilities. This also seemed to be the reason why she was always telling me how busy she was. But boy, the Sorcerer’s Guild sounded pretty scummy and scary. It made me glad I avoided settlements in general, and I mentally sighed in relief.

Marie stroked the accessory around her wrist, and a blue-white monitor appeared in the darkness. She was navigating the controls to grant me viewing permissions. The blurry light eventually turned into letters, allowing me to read Mariabelle’s abilities.

“Kazuhiho, I’d like to see your abilities too, if you don’t mind. I’ve never seen anyone who’s level 72 before, so I’m very curious. And, about forming a party...”

“Of course, I don’t mind. Oh, but we don’t need to form a party. My experience gain was way more efficient while I was solo.”

“But aren’t we going to fight together? I couldn’t possibly do it by myself, and we wouldn’t even be able to chat through a mind link without forming a party.”

It’d probably be easier to teach her by showing than telling, so I held off on answering her for now and aligned our status screens side by side, comparing them.

“Advanced Chanting, Improve Accuracy, and Improve Memory, huh? Looks like you really are specialized for Spirit Magic and Sorcery. Oh, and once you level up, you should learn this skill called ‘Grand Experience.’ It’ll increase the amount of experience you gain.”

“Hmm, but as I mentioned earlier, I have many rivals to compete with. Keep in mind, I need to increase my abilities right away.”

“But if you come to a point where you don’t need it anymore, you can just reset it when you level up. I’ll leave the decision up to you, but that’s my recommendation.”

She still seemed hesitant, but looked me in the eye for a moment, then nodded.

I was actually a bit excited to go leveling up with someone. I’d never played online games before, but I imagined this was what it must have felt like. Cooperating with each other, having discussions, and losing track of time in the game...

As I thought about it, Marie pointed at the status screen and looked at me with a questioning expression.

“Hey... What is this ‘Illusory Swordsman’ showing under your class? I’ve never heard of it before.”

“Oh, really? I guess it’s like... a swindler, kind of. It’s a bit unorthodox, but really fun.”

As soon as I replied, she burst into laughter. I could only stare blankly as she giggled while holding her stomach.

“Ahaha! What kind of vague class description is that? You always look so sleepy, so I thought it meant you fight while snoring in your sleep!”

“I was born with this face, you know... but I am technically in my dreams, so I can’t really say that’s wrong, either.”

I played along with her, but then we couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst into a fit of laughter together.

Now, according to Marie, the advanced classes that stemmed from Knights were the most popular. Magic Knights and Holy Knights in particular tended to be in positions of importance, and there were countless applicants for the roles every year. But whether or not they’d be suited to those classes was a different question altogether. Being a Knight didn’t mean one would own land, but it allowed them to be employed by the kingdom, providing a steady source of income.

Due to their proficiency in coordinated attacks, they tended to shine in wars against monsters and humans alike. As for me, I avoided environments that would teach me those types of skills, so I may have leveled up quite strangely by their standards. I’d never even fought someone of the same level as me, so I didn’t know how strong I was.

As for “Sorcerer” types like Marie, they lived to unveil the mysteries of ancient secret arts and were often hired by the country in an effort to stay ahead of the game. When it came down to it, they were also the ones who boasted the highest firepower during a war.

“War... What a scary thought. I’ve joined in a few of them before, but now that I know this world is real, it’ll be hard for me to participate again.”

“I don’t want to participate in a war, either. If I was ever forced to, I would leave the Sorcerer’s Guild.”

I was slightly taken aback by that. Leaving the Sorcerer’s Guild came with great risks. Any highly-ranking individual was that much more conspicuous, and there would be an effort to prevent their secrets from leaking to other countries. She’d probably be able to resolve any such issues with money at her rank, but...

“Oh, I guess you have that dragon’s scale if that happens, so you’ll be okay.”

“No, that would be a waste. In any case, what’s this? ‘Fishing Level 59’? And you have ‘Speak Language’ taking up one of your precious skill slots? You’re not taking this world very seriously, are you?”

“Ah! Uhh, well, you see... That’s actually one of my few hobbies... I can say with confidence that fishing is the best way to enjoy the great Mother Nature to the fullest. And language is an important ability to widen your world.”

Uh oh, it sounded like I was blubbering excuses now. But it was true that I’d just been playing around all this time, and I did feel a tinge of guilt when questioned about it. And, as expected, Marie gave me a look that said, “Men really are stupid.”

I mean, I could remove the skills, but I couldn’t bring myself to. They really saved my butt in the past... but I figured now wasn’t the time for that. I decided to talk about more important matters, but not just because I wanted to change the subject from fishing.

“I know, why don’t we travel around Japan together? I have some consecutive days off next month because of this thing called Golden Week. It doesn’t have to be super fancy, but what do you say to a little domestic tour?”

“Oh, that sounds nice! But I’m still not very used to cars. I would be happy if we could keep it somewhere close.”

She had a point there. She’d barely spent any time in cars so far, and her first ride tired her out so much that she fell asleep. It’d probably be better to go for a drive around the city, then pick a farther destination if there weren’t any problems.

But that left me with the issue of money. I was just a humble salaryman, so I couldn’t just go on a vacation whenever I wanted. I told her as much because there was no reason for me to hide it, and Marie sighed.

“Aww... It’s a shame we can’t simply bring the money from this world over to Japan. If I could also bring magical tomes, that would have been the perfect way to study.”

Yikes, she was planning on studying even in her dreams? Even if it was possible, I’d think it would be insane to bring work from my company over to this world.

Elves lived for a long time, so I thought they should just separate work from play and live a laid-back life. The money issue could be resolved if I advanced in my career, so there wasn’t much point on discussing that further. I spent the rest of the time helping Marie learn Japanese and trying to teach her the joys of fishing, but my efforts for the latter ended in failure.

I started to feel a rumble, signifying our destination was close. We closed our status screens and checked to make sure we didn’t leave any of our belongings behind. There was obviously no lost and found here, so anything we forgot would probably be lost forever.

Ujah Peak, the ruins I recommend for leveling up, was about an hour’s walk away now.

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The Ujah Peak Ruins...

This place was once a quarry. It had gained attention due to the fact that magical stones used for making magical items could be mined here. A fort was built, and the surrounding area was secured to protect the yields from other countries. But for some reason, magic stones stopped being mineable there, and the ruins became progressively more dilapidated over 200 years. Those who still visited this place could surely feel the presence of the ores resting beneath the land, for magic stones never ran out by their very nature.

Most people will light up with curiosity after hearing folklore such as that, and the elf was surely no exception. At least, that’s what I thought...

“It’s hot...”

That was her only response.

To be fair, the sunlight was coming down hard on us, and there was nothing but brownish-red, burnt rock, sand, and parts of the crumbled fortress around us. Beyond the haze of heat shimmering in the distant sands, there were pyramid-shaped mountains. We’d been walking toward them for around an hour, and her mood only seemed to be getting worse.

There was a divide in the tall mountain as if it had been cleaved with a giant kitchen knife, and we were heading straight for the hole there. Remnants of what seemed to be the fortress were scattered here and there, but the worthless ruins had been abandoned long ago.

Since she clearly wasn’t enjoying the desert, I thought it’d be best to get through them as quickly as possible.

“There’s an oasis beyond that divide up ahead. It should be much nicer once we get there. Try to endure it just a little longer, Marie.”

“Yes... Of course... I will try my best to endure you right now.”

Why did I feel like crying...?

I knew drab-looking places like this weren’t popular with women, but I didn’t realize she was this intolerant of the heat.

I see, so women and elves dislike extreme weather...

It made me worry about how she’d handle Japan’s summer, though that was still several months away.

We continued walking on the rough sand with those troubled thoughts on my mind, then stepped foot into the ruins. We finally had shelter from the intense sunlight, and it seemed she was at last able to take a breather. The air carried by the wind was still as hot as ever, but there was now a sense of relief in her expression.

Maybe I was sort of hanging on to her smile, but what could I do? Men were destined to have their lives swayed by the wills of women.

The elf must’ve been curious about the layout of the area that was sandwiched between two cliffs, because I looked over to find her glancing around.

“It looked like a mountain from afar, but this place is very different from the inside.”

“Yeah, I hear this place was basically a coal mine, but it had its own unique culture. The remnants all over the place really make it feel like some sort of ruins.”

It felt like we were starting to get used to the area, and we observed our surroundings as we began walking with lighter footsteps. The winding path led further beyond, and there was just enough clearance for several adults to walk side-by-side. This area seemed less weathered, and we were greeted with vestiges of civilization as we continued on.

“There’s someone’s home, and even an altar here. It looks like this wasn’t just a quarry, but people actually lived here for a long time. So, can magic stones still be obtained here? I’m curious about them now that I know they can be used to refine magical items,” the elf inquired as she put her hands together at the altar. But all I could do was tilt my head questioningly.

If there was news that magic stones could still be found here, this place would surely be filled with those who wanted to get their hands on them. The country that owns these ruins even released it for adventurers to freely enter. It seemed to me that the country was banking on the slim chance of someone discovering magic stones for them.

“But maybe there really is something here. Maybe I’m imagining it, but I just have this feeling. Our goal for today is to raise your level, but would you be interested in staying a couple nights to investigate?”

“Hmm, I don’t think so. I never realized how important climate is. Personally, I’m more concerned about getting dried up than finding some ores.”

Yeah, I had to agree with that. I was pretty insensitive to pain in this world because it was a dream, and I wasn’t actually taking damage in reality. But hunger and thirst were a different matter, and they could be extremely troublesome. Just as eating in this world filled my actual stomach, being hungry here would obviously make me hungry on the other side. That was one of the reasons I avoided areas that became dangerous over an extended stay, like deserts.

“But up ahead, there’s the oasis I mentioned earli—”

I stopped before I could finish my sentence. In that moment, I sensed what felt like multiple pairs of eyes staring at us. It was the stare of a hunter eyeing and looking down on their prey. I heard hushed whispers and the faint sound of clinking metal, but they stayed still, perhaps waiting for the right time.

I let out a soft breath just quietly enough so Marie couldn’t hear.

Bandits were common everywhere, and I’d dealt with plenty of them ever since I was young. At first, I played their game and begged for my life, but there was just no end to them. I eventually decided to just run away from them, and by now, I’d mastered the art of vanishing like mist as soon as they showed up.

Oddly enough, the people who appeared in these hunting spots were always high level, which meant that they shouldn’t be easy targets.

“Is something wrong, Kazuhiho? Maybe it’s the lighting, but you look a little scary right now.”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing.”

It seemed I had a rigid expression from focusing so much on sharpening my senses. Marie squished my forehead with her finger, which actually felt pretty nice.

Because of the unforgiving heat and lack of anything like an underground labyrinth, the Ujah Peak Ruins I knew had been fairly deserted except for the hunting area. Could it be that it had changed since the last time I was here?

In any case, it wasn’t like I was worried. I was sure I could get us out of any trouble coming our way, so I decided to proceed with helping Marie level up for now. Besides, I’d already used Trayn, the Journey’s Guide for the day, so it’s not like I could have used it to go back.

I decided to forget about it and change the subject.

“So, Marie, how does your Spirit Sorcery differ from normal magic?”

“Well, let’s see... When you hear ‘sorcerer,’ you imagine someone shooting offensive magic out of a staff, right?”

I listened to her speak as we walked through the rough sand, and nodded along. Most sorcerers I’d encountered were pretty much just as she described. They’d mumble some incantation, then shoot out some fire or ice spell. Marie also had a staff, so I was sure she used some means to convert magic into damage.

“With Spirit Sorcery, I act as a medium to make pacts with certain spirits. This allows us to summon spirits, like this...”

A low rumbling noise could be heard, and then a ball of fire appeared at her feet. A mouth suddenly emerged from it, and it writhed around as if in protest. Next, what seemed to be a short tail, hands, and feet grew out, forming the shape of a lizard.

“Oh, a fire lizard? Heh, it’s so cute and round.”

“Right. First, I form a pact with the spirit, then I can transfer my magic to it...”

Marie lightly tapped the lizard’s head with her staff, then uttered an incantation in the language of spirits. The lizard was enveloped in a pale light, and it let out a “graawr.” I looked at its forehead to find some sort of crest inscribed there.

“There, now I can release my magic with the fire lizard as a medium. The definitive difference between us and sorcerers is that we can stock magic preemptively. Apparently, I have good compatibility with spirits, so depending on the amount of magic required, I can keep several of them at a time.”

I let out an impressed “oooh” and applauded her. Marie raised her head with a proud expression. I didn’t really notice it before, but I was beginning to find these childlike mannerisms of hers cute.

But now that I knew what Spirit Sorcery was, it did seem quite useful to be able to prepare magic beforehand. They could be activated without incantations with the proper set up, and if she could summon several of them, they could provide some reliable firepower as she leveled up. I’d always heard it was a valuable class, but now that I saw what they could do, it really made me realize how much potential they had.

I gave Marie a smile full of such expectations.

“Well now, Ms. Elf-With-a-Promising-Future, let’s raise your level as much as possible today.”

“Yes, I look forward to it, Kazuhiho.”

I was always one to only think about myself, but I was genuinely happy to be able to help her out. Thinking about it, no one ever really depended on me. It was also exciting to think about just how much she could grow in the future.

But before we get to the hunting spot, there was something interesting I wanted to show her as a reward for enduring the hard trek there. It was a privilege reserved only for travelers.

As we turned along the road, it became brighter, as if we were emerging out of a tunnel. Our destination was an open area the size of a schoolyard with sunlight reaching down thanks to the lack of a ceiling, except it wasn’t nearly as hot as it was before. A green oasis awaited us, and the elf let out cheerful cry.

“Ahh, it’s so cool and refreshing! I never expected something like this to be here!”

“Hehe, this is the oasis I was talking about. Look, there are even water veins in the walls. These overflow like mist and create vapor in the heat.”

I pointed at the moist, black walls, and a gentle breeze blew toward us. The elf jogged over, then basked in the mist and spread her arms gleefully. She seemed childlike in her joy, but anyone would be happy to be here after such a rigorous journey.

I walked up alongside her, then pointed directly above us. “This is the center area of the mountain, and there’s a gaping hole up there. Maybe this place was made by chance when someone in the quarry struck a water vein and all the water exploded out.”

“Nnh, it’s still sunny, but it’s nice and cool here. I didn’t realize how incredible a misty heat like this could feel. Maybe I could achieve something like this with water spirits?”

“Oh yeah, you may be able to make any place cooler if you could control vaporization.”

The elf showed me a truly haughty expression with a “hmph!”

I’d personally love for her to learn it, just so she could make Japan’s summers more bearable. I told her as such, and she gave me a troubled look for some reason.

“About that... I still feel a wall between me and the spirits over in your world. There’s a sense of distance to them, as if I went back to when I was a child.”

“Oh, I get it. It’s probably different between here and there, just like in my case. You must be the equivalent of level 1 while you’re in Japan.”

It was nothing more than conjecture, and still left many questions unanswered. For example, why am I able to speak Elvish in both worlds? Though, since that was a simple matter of language, it may be entirely different from fantasy-like abilities.

“Man, if only I could use my long-distance movement in Japan. Not only would I get to work quicker, I’d get to keep the comp for my commute, too.”

Yeah, that comment would probably get me in trouble with the HR department...

Anyway, since Marie could speak the language of spirits, I thought there’d be a chance she could control them even in Japan someday.

“Yes. I don’t know if I can do it, but I’ll try my best to communicate with the spirits over in Japan. It’s not as if it’s going to cost me anything.”

But I had to admit, it was hard for me to imagine her controlling spirits in the middle of Koto Ward. I was tilting my head and struggling to do just that when I felt her put her arm around mine. Her eyes were glimmering, and I could tell she wanted to go to the oasis full of palm trees.

“You’re a bit strange. Just a little while ago, I was always cooped up in the study with my nose in a book. But lately, I’ve been out enjoying tons of food and scenery, and even seeing the culture from other worlds with my own eyes. I feel like I’ve been so fortunate lately.”

“Same goes for me. Every day has been really fun, and I’ve been lucky to see so many sides of you.”

In response, she made an expression that said she wasn’t sure if she should be flattered or not. She then looked a bit troubled as she blushed a bit, but in the end nodded wordlessly.

As we continued on, I noticed the ground underfoot was now moist and much greener, forming the perfect walkway for Marie and me to stroll on hand-in-hand.

You could learn so much about Ujah Peak by walking along the trail. The oasis could be considered a place of rest and recreation, and civilization must have developed around this spot. Bits and pieces of former buildings could be seen surrounding the area, but they were now partially engulfed by plants and caked with moss. It seemed what was once civilization had turned to ruins, eventually transforming into a plain oasis.

I stepped onto some low plants and headed toward the plateau near the outer walls as the gentle breeze blew around us. I lead the girl by her hand, standing at a position where we could look down to the oasis.

“They even made buildings on the surrounding cliffs... Hey, how do you think they climbed all the way up there? I don’t see stairs anywhere.”

“I heard they used to use ladders back then. Wood degrades faster than other materials, so only the buildings are left hanging here. If those wore out, they’d fall and take out the lower parts with them, so there are some sections that are cleanly missing in vertical strips up top.”

The elf wiped her sweat and nodded in understanding.

The stone stairs were just barely in tact up until this point, but they were in pretty bad shape, so we had to climb with caution. But it was only a little more than two stories high, and the ground below consisted of sand, so falling wouldn’t be too big a deal.

“So, why aren’t we supposed to go near the water in the oasis? It looks so pretty.”

“Oh, because monsters appear from there. You still remember that we came here to level you up, right, Marie?”

A few seconds passed, and then she nodded.

Yeah... She definitely forgot about that.

This was something anyone who visited this area should have known already. The monsters spawned endlessly, so this spot became well-known as a place for farming experience.

“We’re lucky there isn’t any competition nearby, because I don’t really want people to see my method. Anyway, wait on this plateau, okay? Shoot your magic when I give the signal.”

“Wait a minute! You do know that I won’t get any experience if I steal your kill without us forming a party, right?”

“Yeah, I know. That’s why you need to wait for my signal. It’ll be much quicker to just show you than explain.”

Marie tilted her head questioningly.

The tropical-looking trees around us provided plenty of shade, so we could relax even away from the water. The climate-sensitive elf seemed relieved by this and smiled at me.

“Well, off I go!”

“B-Be careful, Kazuhiho!”

She looked a little worried, but the monsters in the area were around level 40, far lower than my level 72. I waved my hand and told her it was all right, then hopped off the plateau. I slid down the rocks and headed toward the oasis carelessly, completely forgetting about the warning I’d mentioned moments before.

It was said that monsters in this region stayed in hiding to wait for adventurers to feed on. Maybe it was just me, but it seemed like there was more to it than that at times. It felt like they attacked people who approached not because they were hungry, but to defend...

Vshaaa!

Just like that, an infamous Koopah appeared. The opponent that came into view along with a big splash of water was a round, bipedal dinosaur-looking creature. The name Koopah wasn’t very intimidating, but the thick skull protecting its head was more than ten centimeters thick, and the sharp, jagged teeth growing out of its beak were simply horrifying. They were unfortunately not very intelligent, so I couldn’t enjoy a conversation with this particular monster.

“Level 42, huh... Not bad, I guess.”

It made a threatening croaking noise, then began kicking the sand as it advanced toward me. For a creature that was over two meters tall and weighed over 300 kilograms, it was surprisingly nimble. As for me, I was thankful for its speed, because that meant I could get back to the plateau where Marie was waiting for me all the quicker.

First, I needed to damage it just enough so it wouldn’t die...

Hmm, let’s try attacking it once.

I kicked the sand and swiftly flanked the monster, which coiled back in surprise. It immediately realized it was outclassed, but still turned to me in an attempt to bite me. The open beak was full of sharp little teeth, so one bite from that thing probably would’ve shredded my flesh.

“Hup!”

I took a swing with my blade to test the waters. It cleaved into the monster with one satisfying blow. My attack turned out to be fatal due to the level gap, and the monster waddled a few steps before perishing on the ground. Blood began pooling on the ground, and then, after a few moments, the Koopah vanished in the typical monster-like fashion.

“Hmm, looks like I need to angle it a bit more. Just enough to expose the heart...”

I swung my sword in front of me, adjusting my form as I repeated the motion. Executing a perfect swing every time could be a pain, so I decided to activate my primary skill, “Reprise.” I had about twenty skill slots, and three of those were currently unused. And this was...

Vshaaa!

A sand column rose up just beside me, and another Koopah that was a bit bigger than the previous one appeared. I’d forgotten that they had a tendency to attack anyone standing still from underground. They chomped on any seemingly unsuspecting bystanders like me and tried dragging them underground, but...

“Oh, good timing. Hmm... maybe like this? Ya!”

I avoided the hard bones and sliced cleanly through its muscles. It seemed to turn out pretty well this time. The flesh was cut wide open, revealing its weak point inside... though it wasn’t a very pretty sight.

Reprise, the ability I activated earlier, was a skill that allowed me to repeat a certain action. I could memorize a certain attack pattern as I did earlier to perfectly replicate a previous attack.

“This is more of a beginner skill, but it’s pretty useful to have.”

I just liked how it let me level up even while zoning out. But I’d added a whole bunch of skill slots, so most people probably wouldn’t find it as... Oh, I should finish it off first so it didn’t needlessly suffer. I dealt a finishing blow to the Koopah’s heart, and it easily perished.

“Now that I’ve memorized the motion with Reprise... Hehe, it’s time for the leveling fest to begin.”

It was as if the Koopahs were drawn to my smile, because several more popped out from the sand. But they were akin to dishes being served on a conveyor belt, and the ensuing battle could hardly be called exciting.

I breathed out in a steady rhythm as I jogged across the sand. There were few things I hated more than running marathons in Japan, but my stamina was far greater in this world, so I didn’t mind running here.

I was heading toward the plateau where Marie was waiting, and I looked over my shoulder to confirm the Koopahs were still following me. I mentally praised them for still trailing after me, and I almost wanted to give them a treat for doing so.

“Too bad for them. They’re getting the stick rather than the carrot.”

I suddenly stopped and turned around. I no longer ran out of breath as a level 72, and I easily weaved out of the way of the mouths full of teeth as I sliced their bodies with my blade. I cut them open with a satisfying slash, and the Koopahs fell with heavy thuds and rolled down the sandy ground.

“Hey, are you all right?!”

It seemed Marie wasn’t very accustomed to battle, and she was cautiously peering over the plateau. I waved to show her it was okay, then pointed at the incapacitated Koopah’s open wound with my sword.

“Aim here, Marie!”

“But I won’t get any experience since we’re not in a party together!”

“Just give it a try, trust me!”

“If you say so... Flame Spear!”

As she shouted the command, the fire lizard opened its mouth and launched a spear-shaped fire bolt at the dying Koopah. Like she’d pointed out, defeating the monster normally wouldn’t grant her any experience. The trick was for me to disappear right now as if I was never there to begin with.

“Well, see you later. Over the Road.”

In that moment, I activated my second primary skill, an ability that allowed me to instantaneously move myself to another location. I didn’t feel any wind or sense of acceleration during the movement, so it seemed to work similarly to teleportation. However, the way the view changed in an instant could be nauseating until you got used to it.

“Oh, looks like it worked. Good.”

As I thought, the Koopah’s body emitted a faint white light as soon as I moved far away from it. That was the light that indicated I exceeded the distance limit, and the monster was no longer in combat with me. I’d used the skill as a means to escape in the past and thought it may be useful for helping others level up, so I was glad to see my hunch seemed to be right.

This Over the Road skill’s main purpose was to help one pass through particularly dangerous routes during travel. It allowed me to move to any spot within my field of view, so I could even bypass a giant boulder that may be blocking my path. I’d modified this skill to be castable in an instant, but the travel distance was limited to fifty meters as a trade-off. There were many other limitations to it, and I couldn’t even wear most armor because of the strict weight limit restriction.

Fwooosh!

Marie’s magic struck the Koopah’s heart, and its interior was engulfed in a bright red flame. The monster cried out as it perished, and its experience reward was wholly granted to Marie. And so, after removing myself from combat, I was free to go search for the next batch of fodder to the sound of monsters exploding in the background.

Efficiency was crucial when it came to leveling. Though, to be honest, I got sleepy when working in silence for long periods of time, so seeking efficiency must have been my brain’s attempt at keeping busy.

The sun was slowly beginning to set.

At first, Marie had been raising her staff, taking aim, and shouting “Flame Spear!” with a serious expression, but her voice was becoming quieter and quieter from the lack of challenge. After repeating the same situation over and over, she eventually squatted down in the shade, stifling yawns as she periodically issued commands to her spirit without a word. It seemed she’d fully settled into the role of a conveyor belt operator.

There was a big difference in levels between Marie and the Koopahs to begin with. She was level 27, while the monsters’ levels were in the 40’s. She was defeating enemies that should be nearly twice as strong as her in one hit and reaping the experience rewards for herself, so I was able to frequently enjoy the level up music as she fought.

One by one, again and again, she would finish off a monster with its heart exposed. She seemed bored out of her mind, but efficient leveling was typically repetitive and unexciting. Though, this method wouldn’t be possible without something like my mobility skill, so maybe what we were doing wasn’t very typical at all.

She was defeating a monster about once every minute, as expected, and leveled up after about twelve minutes. Twenty-four minutes later, she leveled up again. And another level thirty-six minutes after that. Forty-eight minutes later, then sixty-two minutes later... Eventually, she flashed a symbol of two hands forming an “X” at me from atop the plateau, indicating she’d run out of magic power.

Or, judging by her expression, maybe it meant she was too sleepy to go on any longer.

Whichever it was, I sheathed my sword and returned to the plateau to find an exhausted elf sitting there.

“Hey there. Looks like you gained exactly five levels, just as I planned.”

I spoke to her in a cheerful tone, but she gave me a look as if she’d just eaten something bitter. I wasn’t really expecting that, and I stood there with a bewildered expression...