Inside the rocky cave, a cool breeze filled the air, a stark contrast to the outside world.
It had been at least two weeks since we began living outdoors. Unlike when we escaped from Galal Blue, there was no stress this time, but the longing for a hot bath grew stronger with each passing day.
But Regres’s strength was unbelievable. Despite the presence of high-level monsters, there was no sense of unease. While I understood that my speed with Iaido was likely faster, Regres’s balance and extraordinary intuition were remarkable.
In the world of swordsmanship like Iaido and Kendo, there’s a technique called “Metsuke”. Reacting after seeing the opponent’s sword movements is too slow. Therefore, it’s crucial to anticipate the opponent’s movements by sensing subtle preparatory movements of their muscles while focusing on their chest area to perceive their overall movements.
Somehow, Regres seemed to possess this sense in all directions.
Even if I were to suddenly attack Regres as we walked ahead, he would effortlessly dodge. That abnormality in itself was intriguing.
“Your magic power seems to have recovered, huh?”
“Yeah, it’s mostly back.”
“Shall we aim for the 10th Ladder Step today?”
“Huh? Um, well, we just reached the 9th Ladder Step not long ago. Isn’t it too soon?”
“It’s alright. If you do it with determination, you’ll manage somehow.”
“Determination… But isn’t it supposed to take more time to climb up the Ladder Steps? Are the monsters here unusually high in experience points?”
“They are high, but it’s more about strength. Sensei is just abnormal.”
“If you say that, then so are you, Reg-san…”
Regres’ Spartan demeanor elicited a wry smile from me as I rested my hand on my hip.
◇◇◇
This was a mine located beyond Galal Blue, towards the mountains. While rumors had circulated among the state army that the Monster Parade originated here, Regres casually affirmed it.
“Yeah, this is the source. We can enjoy the freshest monsters here.”
Regres was truly an enigma. It was pointless to dwell on what he might be, but he was undeniably mysterious.
I had wondered how far we would go after parting ways with Kimishima and the others, but we swiftly made our way to Galal Blue while hunting monsters. Jenuin moved at a considerable speed, as if it had been hiding its true strength until now. We covered the distance that Kimishima and I struggled to traverse in a matter of days. Moreover, encountering high-level monsters made nighttime ambushes rare.
We bypassed Galal Blue and proceeded further into the mountains to reach the mine. However, that’s when things got tough.
Due to the nature of my Iaido focusing all my abilities, it rapidly depleted my magic power. So, Regres pulled out a ring and a necklace.
“Both of these are magic tools that have the effect of speeding up the recovery of magical power.”
“Magic tools, huh?”
“Yeah, I’m not giving them to you, just lending. I borrowed them from a friend for this trip to Dudur Valley. Felt like we might need them.”
“Huh?”
“Just had a hunch, you know? And my hunches tend to be right. Hehehe. So, you’ll have to return them later.”
“U-understood.”
Indeed, wearing those accessories, I felt the speed of magic recovery. With both on, the effect was boosted. But hearing that they were scarcely available on the market and priced beyond what most people could earn in a lifetime filled me with anxiety.
Yet, having a friend who casually lent out such precious items was remarkable.
Faster recovery meant I could hunt more monsters. If things got dicey, Regres would promptly assist. Watching the students struggle to increase their Ladder Steps, I was amazed when we reached Step 6 so easily.
“Sensei, the way you ascend after reaching a step is a bit… off, you know? Some of the students really struggle with it.”
“Well, I’m aware that the increase in ability when reaching a step is modest.”
“Yeah, your Spirit is special, Sensei.”
“Special?”
“Yeah. So, I’m aiming to quickly reach Step 10.”
“Um, ‘special’? Is it not just about calming effects?”
“Eh, sort of. It’s like I know but don’t know?”
“Hey, tell me!”
“Oh, a monster!”
“Oh, come on!”
As far as I remember, I never told Regres my spirit’s name. Yet, with no idea of what he knew, I simply had the conviction that “following him should be fine”.
◇◇◇
“Huff… huff… huff… We made it…”
“Oh, congratulations on reaching Step 10.”
“I can’t believe we actually made it…”
Unbelievably, as Regres said, I was struck with a fever associated with the Ladder Steps ascent that same day. I had reached Step 10. After finishing the battle, I steadied my slightly erratic breathing. The coolness of the cave was comforting against my overheated body.
“Is this it then? I’ve been starting to miss a bath.”
“Yeah… That might be it…”
“Hm?”
“Well, you see, Sensei, you’re still going to ascend the Ladder.”
“Huh?”
“Yeah. You know, your spirit is of the ‘Zen’ type, right?”
“Uh? Well…”
“It’s the type of spirit that wasn’t fully categorized, like the ones ranked by the Fehlraben. You know about that, right?”
“Yeah. Wasn’t he the one who founded the Wilbrand Church? And his guardian spirit was GS?”
“Exactly. He couldn’t categorize all of them, especially those with low abilities, so he grouped them as ‘Zen’ spirits.”
“I see…”
Leaning against the cool stone wall, cooling my heated body, I listened to Regres’ story. It seemed like an incredibly daunting tale was about to begin.
“Well, it’s just a hypothesis of mine. Probably, among those ‘Zen’ spirits, there are also spirits from other worlds.”
“Eh? From other worlds?”
“Yeah, I mean, people like us, humans, came to this world due to distortions from other worlds, right? So, can we really say that beings like spirits wouldn’t come?”
“S-sure. But-”
“It might be a rare occurrence for holes big enough for spirit-like beings to fall through to appear. But. We can’t deny that possibility.”
“J-So, is my spirit from such a different world?”
“Well, it’s just because your spirit is special, Sensei, so maybe.”
It’s just a hypothesis.
Huh? Special? Still ascending the Ladder?
“But how do you know my spirit is special? Is it true that I’ll keep ascending the Ladder? But why?”
“Yeah. Well, once another step is ascended…”
“Are you really going to tell me?”
“Yeah. I’ll tell you. So let’s leave the mine and rest for today.”
“…Alright.”
Even after more than two weeks together with Regres, he remained a man shrouded in mystery.
