Chapter 82: A Gentle Strategy for the Valley of Mist Using My Cheat Skills
It took us less than half a day to reach the Valley of Mist on foot.
We left the horses with the merchant because we couldn’t use the wagon on the mountain road.
While activating Rita’s [Presence Detection] and Cecile’s [Magic Detection] at certain distances, we proceeded while keeping an eye out for people, monsters, and magical traps.
I cross-referenced the road with Rafilia’s memories and the Guild’s records. The data from both matched almost perfectly. On the contrary, Rafilia’s memory was even more accurate.
The newlyweds found a route that entered from an animal trail, an official route that had been forgotten in Rafilia’s memory. Thanks to that, we were able to proceed smoothly even on unfamiliar mountain, but…
At the entrance to the Valley of Mist, a huge iron fence had been set up.
You mean, “… so that no airheaded adventurers get in.”
The fence looked like it had been hastily built. It was about 3 meters high. It had a door, which was closed with a heavy lock. The coat of arms engraved on the lock seemed to belong to the Royal Family.
According to Cecile [Magic Detection], there were no magical seals or traps on it. It was a pure physical gate.
“Let’s see if we can’t break it with [Delayed Combat Delay Arts], Reggie.”
“It’s not impossible, but it’ll be a pain.”
“I know, right?”
“Can’t your little Demon wife blow this gate, Master?”
“We can’t do that. But what if we just pushed it and it opened by accident?”
“Oh, we can’t help it if it opens by accident.”
“Yeah, nothing we can do about it.”
Before I knew it, Reggie was in her loli form, smiling on my shoulder.
Reggie had seen Rafilia’s skills from my back yesterday.
“So, Rafilia, try pulling the lock.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Just be gentle and don’t break it, it’s Royal property. If it opens, it’s just an accident.”
“That’s all I need to know. Hmm. It’s a big lock. Let’s see… [Item Deterioration]. Oh, it’s open, Master.”
There was a cracking sound and the lock opened.
Sorry, Prince.
It’s a good thing that the Valley of Mist is a free zone and not forbidden to explore.
We didn’t break the lock, and we didn’t mean to tear it down, we’re just going to find Rafilia’s memories and a few items, and leave the gate as it is, so please let me off the hook.
We went through the fence.
In front of me, a rock face rose high.
And there was a gap where two people could pass side by side. The other side of the gap was filled with thick mist.
“Let’s confirm our strategy one last time.”
I unfolded the document that Rafilia had prepared for me.
‘The Valley of Mist is a narrow pathway that leads through the valley. It branches off in the middle, but beyond that it’s completely white. In other words, I don’t know.’
We were going to take a straight shot into the mist and see if Rafilia’s memories respond.
If we meet the shadow of Heavenly Dragon, that was fine, if not, we were just going to explore and go back.
I short, Rafilia, our colleague at work, forgot something in a tricky place, so we went with her to get it.
That’s what the quest was all about.
“Rita and Aine, you stay here. If anyone comes, just distract them so they don’t get too close to the valley. If anything happens to us, we’ll signal you with Cecile’s magic or Rafilia’s arrow. Then you can come into the Valley of Mist.”
“All right, Master.”
Rita held my hand and bowed.
Her ears were flattened and she looked worried.
“We will fine. We’ve taken precautions against the mist.”
The “Mist of Deception” disturbed one’s senses.
People who were not you turn into monsters and attack you. The only problem is that they were indistinguishable from real monsters.
“Rita, I want you to watch our backs.”
“If it’s something like… newlyweds trust, why not me?”
“Just in case, we are following the White lady’s ‘Ancient Blood’ advice.”
I wasn’t not sure. But I wanted to see if there was a connection between that vision and Rafilia’s memories.
“… un”
Rustling
I nudged her ear and Rita nodded, albeit reluctantly.
“Aine, please support Rita. And also be careful of your stamina and mana while using [Monster Cleanup LV2].”
“Don’t worry.”
Aine held up her “Mop of Steel” with a whimper.
“Because realizing your ‘stable life’ is the first step to making Aine’s dream come true.”
“The first step in your dream?”
“We’ll talk more about that later.
“Okay, see you later.”
And like that, we parted ways with Rita and Aine, and walked off into the valley.
Rafilia was in the lead. Behind her were Cecile and Iris. I was in the back.
The air in the valley was cool, and with each step we took, a thick mist enveloped us.
In case you were wondering, all four of us were holding on to a string so we wouldn’t get separated.
But before I knew it, my vision went blank, and the string I was supposed to be holding went somewhere else.
We lost sight of each other easily.
“Is everything going as planned?”
If the valley would be conquerable with a single string, adventurers wouldn’t be fighting each other.
“Reggie, you’re here, right?”
“Of course, Master.”
“Don’t go into your human form because the mist might react to it.”
“I know.”
Reggie was being treated as a weapon, so she wasn’t affected by the mist.
I predicted that if the mist was an invitation to fight each other, there was no way it would separate weapons from its user and it looked like I was right.
Well, now…
To fight someone, the most important thing is having someone to fight against. So, where is the ‘monster’?
Then, after stirring up a sense of crisis, a companion in the form of a monster would appear next… that’s the theory behind a game.
Squeak, Squeak!
They’re here!
A human-sized rabbit emerged from the mist. It had a horn like a unicorn.
It’s Horned Rabbit.
Horned Rabbit
A large rabbit with a sharp horn on its forehead.
Its attack power was not that high, but the instantaneous force of its hind legs was strong, and it’s charge causes serious damage.
Their meat is tender and delicious.
Sometimes they are even kept as pets by Nobles.
“It’s not a problem for Cecile and Rafilia, but it’s tough for Iris to deal with this guy. [Summon Slave LV1].”
Crap!
I heard footsteps coming from behind me.
A figure came out of the mist and jumped directly in my back.
Clinging to my back was a tiny Lizardman, a Lizardman with scales all over his body.
“Is… that a Lizardman?”
The Lizardman who came after I used [Summon Slave LV1] was definitely Iris.
[Summon Slave LV1]
A skill that allows Nagi to call one slave of his choice to where he is.
The summoned slave grasps the exact coordinates of Nagi and comes to him no matter what. And they can’t leave his side for a while.
Can only be used once a day.
“Gi, gigi, giga!”
“It’s okay now.”
I could feel the rough texture of her skin even from my back. Even my sense of touch was going crazy.
I had told Iris in advance that I would use the [Summon Slave LV1], so she knew that I was there. She was holding my hand like she was afraid of something.
First step, success.
Iris became a Lizardman so the Horned Rabbit in front of us had to be Cecile or Rafilia, or…
“Okay, yes.”
I threw a piece of dried meat and bread that Rafilia had baked for lunch in front of the Horned Rabbit.
“Activate, [Food Negotiation LV1]!”
“…We’re just here for a reason, we’re not trying to ruin anything, so please let us through.”
“…Kyukyu…Order…Order”
“Yeah. A monster.”
Negotiations were unsuccessful.
Well then, yeah.
composing haiku poems
“────!”
The blade of the cursed sword Reggie ripped through the skin of the Horned Rabbit.
The rabbit ran off.
“Gigiga!”
Iris, who was clinging to my back, was saying something.
“Reggie, can you translate?”
“… I can’t. Hey, stupid Shrine Maiden. Can you hear me? Can you hear me?”
Lizardman Iris did not answer.
She couldn’t understand Reggie. Reggie was my sword, so she must have been considered a part of me. Maybe that was why she couldn’t talk to me. My plan to get Reggie to translate for me was a failure.
“Gagaga.”
“Yes. I hope Cecile and Rafilia are okay too.”
I didn’t know what she was saying, but I answered Iris, the cute Lizardman.
If they were fighting, I would have been able to hear the sound of a bow being shot or see the light of the [Flame Arrows]. Since I couldn’t do that, then my hearing and sight had been tempered with.
Maybe the only thing that was normal about me was my thinking. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t have thought about protecting myself or even running away in the first place. It was a good sign that I could think to use [Summon Slave] and [Food Negotiation].
I pulled Iris’s hand and started walking thinking
What’s next? If it goes by the pattern in my previous world, the next thing I will see will be my companions turned into demons.
“Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!”
Oh, here it comes.
A girl who looked like a Fire Fairy appeared in front of me.
She had a crimson body - was naked - and covered in orange flames. Her hair was also on fire.
And… behind her came another Fire Fairy.
They were both trembling, pointing their fingertips at me. One of them was a monster, and the other one my companion.
“Activate, [Quick Analysis LV1]!”
A window appeared around everyone. Iris’ had “■■■■=■■■■■”. The Fire Fairies in front of me also had “■■■■■■■”.
[Quick Analysis] was a cheat skill, but it just increase the speed and accuracy of [Appraisal]. And since almost everyone had [Appraisal], it had been taken care of.
Then…
“Is one of you Cecile, by any chance? This is me and the Lizardman is Iris.”
I called out in my head.
“Oh, you’re Nagi? I am so surprised.”
A Fire Fairy came running up and hugged me.
It was kind of hot, but hot enough to burn my clothes.
“Cecile, you’re the one hugging me right now, right? Can you prove it?”
“Yes. I’m Cecile Pharott, Nagi’s slave. You are so cool even as a monster.”
I heard a reply in my head. It was definitely Cecile. Because before entering the valley, we were connected through [Mind Linkage LV1].
[Mind Linkage LV1]
A skill that allows Nagi to communicate with his slave for a certain amount of time.
He can also read the slave’s thoughts by concentrating on their consciousness.
To activate it, Nagi has to kiss his slave on the lips to prove their mutual trust.
“That means that… the other one is a monster? Or Rafilia?
“Reggie, check with me.”
“That Fire Fairy is showing no reaction to my skill at all… she is definitely not the airheaded Elf girl!”
“Then… yeah”
The Fire Fairy was fumbling with her hands in front of her like, “Uh huh?”.
But when Reggie grazed the tip of her nose, she rushed away into the mist.
We could go after her, but meeting up with Rafilia was higher on our priority list.
“”
““““““““ Uga ””””””””
And then, monsters appeared again.
And 8 of them at once.
“Cecile, can you use [Magic Detection] to find Rafilia?”
“I can’t. These monsters seem have mana.”
“They’re probably using that magic to change our shape.”
Maybe there was a doppelganger or a shapeshifter - monster that turned into people.
Surrounding us were large Ogres with twisted horns. All of them were holding large bows.
Are the bows real? Or are they illusion?
I couldn’t deflect arrows by using [Flowing Swordsmanship]. [Summon Slave] could only be used once a day. I had to kiss my target to use [Mind Linkage] with them. I couldn’t use any of my previous methods to find Rafilia.
“All right, Reggie, let’s stick to the plan.”
“Yes, Master. Activate, [Slime Bringer LV1]!”
Becha
Something soft fell from the horn of one of the large Ogres.
It’s Elder slime…
“That’s Rafilia! The others are fakes!”
“Yes! [Flame Arrow], [Flame Elemental]!”
Cecile’s [Flame Arrow]s stroke the limbs of all the Ogres except Ogre Rafilia.
In addition, a red lizard the size of a child appeared above Cecile’s head. That thing wrapped in flames was the ‘Flame Spirit Salamander’ that Cecile had summoned.
The Salamander flew through the air and clung to a large Ogre.
I took the opportunity to slash with Reggie. I had already activated my [Delayed Arts LV1] and swung 5 times, and the slash grazed the large Ogres around me. Rafilia also noticed and started attacking the Ogres around her with her bow.
Their figures blurred and turned into humanoid forms without faces or limbs.
That was the identity of the fakes that confused us.
“Are you all right, Rafilia?”
“Uga-u-ga-u-ga!”
She was pounding her chest like a gorilla., I was still worried.
“Elven girl! Flee, Master!”
Shake, Shake, Shake
The Elder Slime controlled by Reggie crawled up the Ogre Rafilia.
It got on Rafilia’s shoulder and, at the will of the Reggie, pinch around her face, and the big blue-skinned Ogre shook its inner thighs…
“No doubt. It’s the Elf girl. Because they have the same weakness.”
“Don’t check with that thing. I mean, when did you find out that?”
“Let’s go.”
But Rafilia seemed to understand.
She lowered her bow and lined up behind us.
‘Well, I found everyone. Is there anything more?’
“What do we do? The Mist of Deception doesn’t seem to work on us.”
Earlier, the Horned Rabbit said, “Orders” implying it was under someone’s order.
Then there definitely was someone behind the mist.
“‘We’ve been led here by a fellow who knows this place! If anyone is here, I need answers!”
‘No response. Let’s try this instead.’
“Iris, please.”
I patted the Lizardman Iris on her right shoulder three times, left shoulder twice and finally, I patted her back once.
This was a signal we had decided on before entering the valley.
“G-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga!”
(If there is anyone out there, please reply! We’re adventurers from Ilgafa!
Iris began to shout loudly.
It sounded unintelligible, but the content should be what we had previously discussed.
“Guru! GuruGuru──!”
(Shadow of the Heavenly Dragon! If you are here, please answer me!)
“Giga Giga Gaga Gigi Gigi Gigi! Giga Gaga! Gigi Gaga Gaga Giga Gugi!”
(We’ve come here to restore our companion’s memory! If there is anyone out there, please help her!)
We continued moving, while Iris kept shouting.
Based on the amount of time we had been walking for, we had to reach a fork in the road.
I didn’t know what happened but the mist had started to flow like it was trying to guide us.
As we proceeded, the pure white mist gradually became thinner and thinner.
Then a huge shadow appeared in front of us.
It was a Dragon with no wings.
No wings, that’s right, because they were stuck in a nearby town.
It had a huge body, a long neck and a head with horns.
The mist hadn’t completely lifted, so that was about all I could tell.
Beyond the white mist, I could only see the shadow of the Dragon.
“My name is Blansharka the Heavenly Dragon.”
A voice came from behind the mist.
“I understand that you are people who trust each other. I will give you your reward. Take this and leave.”
A small stone rolled under my feet.
It was a green gem.
‘So this is the jewelry that the rumored newlyweds picked up.’
“Gugagagaga! Gigogaga! Gugu!”
(This is not what we want. Heavenly Dragon, are you really there?)
“… You should leave.”
The owner of the voice that didn’t answer my call was responding to Iris’ voice.
It was the same with the Wyvern. It also responded to Iris, the Sea Dragon’s Shrine Maiden.
It meant that the shadow was related to Dragons. But I didn’t feel any pressure coming from it. Neither did Cecile nor Rafilia.
Iris kept screaming but the only reply we got was to take our leave.
There was no response from Rafilia either. She didn’t even seem to have regained her memory.
‘I guess we didn’t get it after all. We got one gem, though, and that’s enough of a reward. But since we’re already here, I’ll just check one last time.’
“Reggie. What’s Elder Slime… touching now?”
“It’s just a rock wall. It’s just…”
Reggie answered.
The Elder Slime, which Reggie was secretly controlling with [Slime Bringer] was touching the Dragon’s shadow.
That was part of our strategy.
Once we met up, Rafilia would split the Elder Slime that she was using. It was decided that Reggie would control it and use it as a radar. It was for avoiding monsters and mapping the Valley of Mist.
Our senses were confused, so we didn’t know exactly which way to go or what was around us. So we used the Elder Slime’s sense of touch to look for loopholes and hidden doors.
“It’s not a Dragon. It’s just a rock in the shape of a Dragon.”
Reggie said boringly, from my back.
“Where is the voice coming from?”
“Wait, …hmm. It looks like there’s a cave between the roc Dragon’s legs. That’s where it comes from.”
“Is there mist in the cave?”
“The slime’s body feels no dampness. There seems to be no mist there. What are we going to do?”
“I’ll take a quick peek. If it’s the entrance to a dungeon or something, we’ll leave.”
We continued on, and sure enough, there was a small cave between the Dragon’s legs.
The mist hadn’t made it this far. As soon as we entered the cave, the hallucination lifted and I could see Cecile, Iris and Rafilia.
“… Nagi was also very cool just now.”
“Though of course, the current you is the best.”
“Of course. There is nothing in the world that can beat real Master.”
“”Riight~~!””
‘It’s good that you get along so well, but be a little nervous.’
“So, Rafilia. Do you remember anything?”
“No… nothing concrete. I just feel like I’ve been here before.”
Rafilia crossed her arms over her large chest.
“Thanks, Reggie. Your skills have helped me a lot.”
“I’m glad the mist didn’t separate us.”
“A talking, moving, slime wielding cursed sword would be unexpected.”
“Isn’t it? Now, Master, promise me a reward.
“All right. Do you want to take a bath together or go run errands together?”
“Are those the two options? I want to see Master embrace on of the girls. No, I can’t leave out the bath and errands. No… Ah! Master, you know me too well.”
“That’s because I am your Master.”
While hearing Reggie mumble, we moved on.
Cecile’s [Light] was illuminating the rock cave. It had smooth walls, not a natural one by any stretch of the imagination. The Dragon-shaped rock and the cave were made by someone.
“Iris. Say hello first. And tell them about us.”
I knew we were dealing with someone who was related to the Dragons, and Iris was the best person to talk in those cases.
Since we had already come that far, I wanted to step in as far as we could.
“Do you hear me? We are the Ancient Blood and, he is our Master.”
Iris’s clear voice cracked in the cave.
“I have come here for my companion who have the same Ancient Blood and have lost her memories. And I speak with a voice that speaks to the Dragon. I mean no harm, nor do I wish to disturb this sacred place. If there is anyone out there, please respond to me.”
The cave remained silent.
“Cecile, say the words.”
“Yes. I will call your name in the Ancient Language. If you are here, please answer me, ‘Blansharka the Heavenly Dragon’!”
Cecile called the Heavenly Dragon in the Ancient Language.
Those were all the cards we had.
‘One minute left, if there’s no response, let’s go back.’
“‘Ancient Blood’, is it? You were summoned here by the residual thoughts of Lord Heavenly Dragon?”
We heard a voice.
The voice was muffled, as if it had half of its mouth covered.
“All right. Come here. I swear by the ‘God of Contract’ that I will not harm you.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m just a guardian.”
I pulled out Reggie. I had Cecile prepare the magic and Rafilia had her bow at the ready as well.
We proceeded slowly. We were only a few feet from the end of the cave.
At the dead end, there was small treasure chest and…
There was a mummy of a Wyvern that had shriveled up.
“I didn’t think I’d ever see ‘Ancient Blood’ again.”
In the depths of the mummy’s empty eyes, red light flickered.
“A Demon, a Sea Dragon’s descendant and… an Ancient Elf. I guess I have lived long enough.”
Ancient Elf?
“… me?”
Rafilia pointed at herself, looking as scowling as ever.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l