The Ultimate Sage Who Faked Incompetence and Was Disinherited Just Wants to Enjoy His New Life! - Episode 89: The Forest of Lost Paths

Episode 89: The Forest of Lost Paths

We moved forward through a forest that felt like it was covered in endless white mist. I didn’t feel anything unusual because I was using magic to keep track of our position. But without that, the unease would’ve probably crushed me.

“Fel, are we there yet?”

“Not yet. At this pace, it’ll take a few more hours.”

“…Let’s take a break.”

Even Ardan was starting to feel mentally worn down. This was yet another rest stop since entering the forest. And they were coming more frequently than usual. Each of us sat slowly on a fallen log. Ardan, Jill, and Elise were all silent.

“Look—this is where we are now.”

They seemed really on edge. So I projected the Auto-Mapping image on the ground for everyone to see.

A pale blue light spread across the green and dark brown land.

“What the heck is this!? Is this what you and Lilia have been seeing?”

“Yeah. In our heads. Elise probably would’ve seen the same thing too if she weren’t using Relax.”

“That might be true, but… how are you doing this?”

Elise squinted at me while pointing to the map on the ground. Now that she mentioned it, I don’t think I’d ever taught them how. I started sweating nervously inside and glanced at Lilia. She’s the one who taught me Auto-Mapping, right? It wasn’t me, right?

“Ah, whoops—totally forgot. Tehe.” 

Lilia stuck out her tongue a bit and made a small apologetic gesture toward Elise. Cute. Elise pressed her finger silently to her brow. Looks like she’s letting it slide. Thank goodness.

“Lilia-chan, you’ll teach me how to do it later, right?”

“O-of course I will!” 

*Don!* Lilia thumped her chest. Hard to see clearly, but it looked like she was sweating too. Seems like she knew she messed up. Looking away awkwardly, she hopped onto my shoulder.

“Fel, can you move around while keeping this magic active?”

“I can, but it really stands out, you know?”

“Still, if possible, could you keep it going and let us all see it? If enemies show up, we’ll handle them. Even with Elise using Relax, this place still really weighs on you.”

Ardan pressed his thumb into his brow. He must be more mentally strained than I thought. If this magic could ease that even a little, I’d gladly do it.

“Got it. I’ll keep it displayed ahead of us while we walk.”

“Elise’s Relax *is* working, though, right?”

Since Lilia could see the flow of mana, she must’ve noticed the spell was active. She tilted her head curiously.

“Yeah, I think it’s definitely working. But when the scenery doesn’t change at all like this…”

“Exactly. With this little variation, your brain just starts shutting down.”

Ardan and Jill looked around. Sure enough, every direction looked basically the same. No wonder everyone was starting to feel gloomy.

From that point on, thanks to me displaying the Auto-Mapping, everyone’s mood visibly brightened. They all kept saying, “That spell’s totally unfair.”

I mean, they’re not wrong. With this magic, not only do you never get lost, but you can navigate dungeons easily too. The only downside is that it’s super flashy. If any monsters were nearby, we’d be their first target.

—

A few hours later. 

We arrived at the location described in the ancient text. Suddenly, the mist cleared, and there stood a small rocky hill.

“What is with this obviously suspicious-looking hill?”

Lilia looked puzzled. I felt the same. Since it was so carefully hidden with Fairy magic, there had to be something here. I tried using Analyze on it, and what I found out was shocking.

“It’s a dungeon! There’s a dungeon entrance hidden in this rocky hill!”

My first dungeon ever. I was so excited, I shouted. Kinda embarrassing. I glanced at Lilia and saw her covering her mouth. She was giggling with a smirk.

“A dungeon! I’ve been waiting for this moment!”

Jill’s energy shot through the roof. The lifeless expression from earlier was completely gone. His eyes sparkled, and his arms trembled with anticipation. He looked ready to charge in right away.

I was probably making the same face as Jill… No wonder Lilia reacted like that.

“It’s true. Just like Fel said, there’s a dungeon beyond here. Though it looks like the entrance is blocked,” 

Lilia said as she tapped on the rock with her knuckles.

Now then, what should we do? Everyone turned to Ardan. Well, we didn’t really have a choice.

“Alright then, let’s get ready to explore this dungeon. But for today, we’ll make camp here and begin the exploration tomorrow.”

“Understood.”

Everyone started moving at once—pitching tents, building a stove, and preparing for the night. It seemed like the magical mist didn’t reach this area. In the sky, blue and red hues slowly blended, changing shades as they mixed.

“Looks like there’s no magical influence around here. Elise, you probably don’t need to use Relax anymore.”

“Glad to hear that. I thought I’d have to keep casting it until everyone went to sleep.”

She was probably half-joking, but Elise’s face had gone a little pale. She still had some stamina. But clearly, it wasn’t easy for her.

Everyone got ready for tomorrow’s exploration. Lilia and I began our magical investigation.

Using Analyze and Auto-Mapping together, we began to examine the dungeon’s internal structure. While we were doing that, dinner was being prepared.

“Smells good.”

“Curry always tastes better on the second day.”

Tonight’s dinner was curry again, just like yesterday. No one complained. We slowly enjoyed the meal, letting the day’s fatigue melt away.

“We checked the inside of the dungeon using magic. There are a lot of monster signatures. They don’t seem that strong, though.”

“It looks pretty deep. From here, we can’t see all the way to the bottom level. There seem to be some small rooms along the way. But we won’t know what’s in them until we get there. There’s a good chance we’ll find treasure.”

Lilia spoke excitedly. This was my first dungeon exploration. But it seemed like the rumors about dungeons holding treasure were true. Especially this one—nobody had apparently been here before. So hopes were high.

“Do you think we can check everything in a single day?”

Lilia and I tilted our heads, thinking it over. Factoring in our walking speed and how long it would take to defeat monsters………

“If we’re going to check all the side rooms too, it might take two days. But that would give us time to check what the lowest level is like as well. If we’re not in a rush, taking two or three days might be the best option.”

Ardan nodded in agreement with our assessment. If we were going to explore even the dead-end side rooms, it’d naturally take more time. But there was no specific time limit. Taking our time wouldn’t be a problem.

“We’ve come this far. It might end up being a waste, but we should take our time and examine things thoroughly.”

“Yeah. Even if we spend three days here, we’ll still make it back to town before my sword is finished. Sounds good to me.”

“True. We can’t go further until Jill picks up his sword anyway.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. It was settled. A dungeon hidden this well had to contain some kind of treasure. Whatever it was, I was already excited to find out.

If the entrance was hidden, maybe someone had sealed it on purpose? If that’s the case, there might be a powerful monster waiting on the bottom floor.

But that’s strange. If there *was* such a monster, this kind of seal seems too weak. Why hasn’t it broken out?

“Hey, why don’t dungeon monsters ever come outside?”

“Allow me to explain!” 

Pii-chan spread its wings wide. Once it had everyone’s attention, it gave a little cough.

“You may all call it a dungeon. But in truth, this was originally a secret base built long ago!”

““W-what did you say!?””

Lilia and I shouted in surprise, just to play along. Pii-chan looked quite pleased, while the other three just gave strained smiles. Thank goodness. If no one had reacted, Pii-chan might’ve gotten sulky.

“A secret base? Who built it?”

“The ancients, of course! They built secret bases all over to hide their valuable possessions. And now, those places are what we call dungeons.”

“I didn’t know that. So all the dungeons left in the world were made by ancient people. No wonder we can find items from ancient civilizations inside.”

Elise nodded repeatedly, apparently satisfied with the explanation.