The Ultimate Sage Who Faked Incompetence and Was Disinherited Just Wants to Enjoy His New Life! - Episode 88: What the Treasure Map Reveals

Episode 88: What the Treasure Map Reveals

We kept comparing the map with the exact spot Elise pointed out. There didn’t seem to be any mistake. Something was there. Of course, that’s assuming no one else had taken it already.

“No need to even ask what we’ll do.”

“Exactly. We can’t turn our backs now, not with a treasure map right in front of us.”

“Lilia’s right. If it’s served to you, you’ve got to eat it all.”

Those two sure get along in strange ways. They seemed completely blinded by the treasure. I just hope it’s not one of those situations where they end up disappointed afterward.

Please, let there be something. I’d hate to see Lilia drooping like a withered flower.

“Well then, let’s go treasure hunting. First, we need to gather information about that forest.”

“Right. It’d be reckless to head out without doing any research.”

“If we’re going, it’ll probably be on foot. We’ll need to calculate how many days it’ll take. If it takes too long, we won’t be able to pick up the mithril sword in time.”

“That would be terrible!”

And so, we split up and began gathering information. We talked to merchants, shopkeepers, carriage drivers, and the like. Thinking older folks might know some old legends, we focused on asking them especially.

After gathering information, we met up at the inn just before noon. We planned to organize what we had and gather anything missing in the afternoon. While eating lunch, we started exchanging what we’d found. Everyone had bought their own food from street stalls.

I opened a leaf-wrapped bundle and bit into a rice ball. Of course, I shared some with Lilia. Apparently, it had something called “okaka” inside. Hmm, not bad at all.

“Alright, I’ll go first. That forest is called the Forest of Lost Paths, and it’s feared in this area. People avoid going near it.”

“The Forest of Lost Paths… is there some kind of trick to it?”

“Supposedly, it’s always covered in mist. And the terrain is really similar all throughout.”

Elise added some extra details. The forest was filled with trees, and the scenery hardly changed. So even under normal conditions, it would be easy to get lost without clear landmarks. If it was covered in mist, then even those wouldn’t help much.

“It’s not considered a magical danger zone. And apparently, there are hardly any wild animals. Maybe the constant fog keeps the creatures away.”

“My info was pretty similar. Supposedly, there are places where compasses stop working. That’s why people get lost and can’t find their way back. They say it’s always dark inside the forest. It takes about a day and a half to walk there from here. And there are no nearby villages.”

“A day and a half… and then we’d need to head deeper into the forest.”

If we were really going to look for treasure, that’s how it’d be. If Auto-Mapping worked like usual, we wouldn’t get lost. So it should be fine. Judging by the distance from the edge of the forest to where the treasure was marked, it’d probably take a full day. Then again, since we’d be moving through forest, maybe it’d take even longer.

“So we still don’t know what’s actually there. Well, let’s first go to the forest’s edge. Whether we go further depends on what we see when we get there. Since there don’t seem to be any monsters, the only real concern is the Forest of Lost Paths itself.”

“If we can use Auto-Mapping and Analyze, then there shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

Elise tilted her head and looked at us.

“I think it’ll be fine. But what do you think, Lilia?”

“Yeah. As long as there aren’t any traps or mechanisms, we should be okay.”

“What if there are?”

“Then we just have to disable them and keep going. If it’s me, it’ll be a piece of cake.”

Lilia crossed her arms with a smug “hmph.” She was full of confidence. For a Fairy, who’s basically a prank specialist, dealing with someone else’s traps seemed like another form of entertainment. She’s got quite the personality, that one.

The plan was set. Today we’d prepare, and then head out in the morning. We planned to reach the forest before sunset that same day. It’d be a bit of a forced march, but Elise’s enhancement magic would help us make it.

This time, we weren’t climbing mountains but crossing relatively flat, hilly terrain. So Elise should be fine too.

—

We finished preparations and, as planned, reached the Forest of Lost Paths before sunset the next day.

There was still some time before nightfall. So we decided to step a little ways into the forest.

Just like the information said, thick white fog blanketed the space between the trees.

“This place gives me the creeps.”

“Like it’s haunted or something?” 

Pii-chan tilted its head as it asked. 

It really did feel like that—like something eerie crawling down my back. It wasn’t mentioned in the information we’d gathered, but maybe a powerful monster had taken up residence here?

“Yeah… my back feels weird. This is a first for me.”

“You too, Jill? Same here.”

“Oh? You as well, Ardan? Me too. What’s going on? I’ve never been scared of Ghosts before.” 

The three of them were tilting their heads in confusion. Being raised in the Hero Village, they were tough since childhood. So this strange feeling seemed hard for them to accept.

“Hmm… there’s definitely a spell cast here.”

“Did you figure something out, Lilia?”

“Yeah. I recognize this spell. It’s one we Fairies use.” 

What? There are spells only Fairies can use? This was new to me… Ah, but now that I think about it, Lilia does have plant-type spirit magic only she can use. Maybe it’s something like that.

“What kind of magic is it?”

“A spell that generates mist and blocks vision… and one that gives you the chills down your spine.”

“What kind of magic is that? Where the heck would you even… Oh, I see. So *this* is how it’s used.” 

It sounded completely useless in a fight. No doubt, it was created just for mischief. Maybe it was meant to scare visitors for fun—like tapping someone on the shoulder from the mist…

“So this weird feeling is just because of magic. I didn’t know there were spells that could affect people’s emotions. That’s kind of scary.” 

Ardan had an unusually tense look on his face. He was confident in his body, but maybe not so much in his mental fortitude. Meanwhile, Jill and Elise didn’t seem too bothered.

For today, we decided to camp just outside the forest. There were no monsters nearby, and wild animals wouldn’t approach people easily. So we set up tents to spend the night.

As soon as the tents were done, I used earth magic to make a sturdy stove. I’d gotten used to doing it lately, and even Ardan approved of how they turned out. Because of that, he didn’t bother making his own anymore.

Ardan happily used the completed stove. Looks like he liked it again this time. That meant we were in for a tasty dinner. Oh—was it curry tonight? It goes great with rice. Though it’s also good with bread too.

While eating around the curry pot, we talked about the next day. First up was the forest’s magical traps.

“Lilia, can you disable the magic?”

“I can, but I think we shouldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“I mean, it’s hidden this thoroughly, right? That means something important is being concealed. Something they absolutely don’t want others to see.”

Something no one is meant to see… Could it be… a Fairy village!? Yeah, the odds seem good. After all, the spell in use is a Fairy-exclusive one, and the location is deep in a forest. In all the stories I’ve read, Fairies live in forests.

I wonder if Lilia is thinking the same thing. If so, then we definitely can’t just remove the trap.

“So, that means we’ll have to move forward with that creepy feeling the whole time?”

“Looks like it. Ardan, this isn’t your strong suit, huh?”

“Oh? Looks like we’ve found an unexpected weakness.”

Judging by their tone, it sounded like Ardan hadn’t shown any real weakness before now. His face grew even more grim.

“Then why not have Elise use a Relax spell? If it calms your nerves, that creepy feeling might go away.”

“Yeah, just like Fel said, the Relax spell should ease that discomfort.”

Lilia agreed with my suggestion. If disabling the magic was a no-go, then neutralizing it with another spell should work just as well. For an ordinary mage, maintaining a spell while walking would be tough, but Elise wouldn’t have any problem.

“Alright then. Tomorrow, I’ll keep the Relax spell running the whole time. I’ll leave the route and surroundings to you and Lilia, Fel.”

“Leave it to us!”

“Well, if I have to…” 

Even though she said that, Lilia looked pretty happy. She probably liked being relied on. That might even be why Pii-chan calls her “Boss lady”.