Because I'd been using Appraisal on everything I passed along the way, the sun set before I even reached the mountain.
I mean, come on.
When you're inside a dungeon, the Appraisal results are all "Dungeon Wall" or "Dungeon Floor" and stuff like that.
Having every single thing you look at actually display a proper result? That's seriously refreshing.
I could've reached the mountain in no time if I'd just powered through, but I kept Appraising every random weed and whatnot growing around me, and before I knew it, a surprising amount of time had passed.
I even Appraised individual blades of grass, for crying out loud.
Some of them turned out to have flowers that could be used as alchemy ingredients, but sadly, none of them were in bloom.
Seasonally, they just weren't flowering yet, apparently.
Still, I was genuinely surprised that even herbs with no special use had their own distinct names. I figured Appraisal would just lump them all together as "weed" or something, but no — each one had a detailed, separate name.
Well, when you think about it, "weeds" encompasses all sorts of species. Treating them all as the same thing would be like insisting a pig and a wild boar are identical.
And so, while I was busy having these pointless thoughts and Appraising every flower and blade of grass in sight, the sun went down.
Not like this is a race, though.
I probably should be leveling up as fast as possible, true, but a day or two isn't going to make or break anything. A little leisurely detour should still leave me with plenty of time.
Things are definitely urgent, but the window of crisis is razor-thin.
Well, from that razor-thin perspective, maybe taking it slow is exactly what they'd want.
Seriously, what a hassle.
I do want to move quickly, if I'm being honest. But whether that impulse is truly my own? It's… complicated.
I'm being influenced mentally, after all. The way I think has shifted a bit between who I was before and who I am now.
Not that I think that's a bad thing.
Whether my thinking changes or not, I'm still me.
It's just that the feeling of "what a pain" and the feeling of "but I have to do this" are all tangled up together, making for a rather complicated headspace.
On top of that, in my case, I'm getting hit with two sources of influence simultaneously — the Ruler Skill's effect and the effects of having consumed Mother.
The Mother thing especially hits hard.
Well, I knew what I was getting into when I started eating it. Consider it a necessary expense.
Anyway, once the sun set, it got pitch dark all around.
I've got Dark Vision, so it doesn't bother me much, but I had no idea it got this dark without any light.
It really drives home just how bright Japan is with all its streetlights.
I've been holed up in dungeons, so this is literally my first night experiencing the outdoors. Kind of exciting, actually.
Maybe I should camp out under the stars tonight?
Since it's my first time being outside, why not savor a night in the open air?
Inside the dungeon, there was no distinction between day and night, after all.
My base is still in the dungeon, anyway. I can teleport back any time. Right now it feels more like I'm out on a day trip.
The real thrill of travel — overnight camping!
So there I was, setting up camp. Weaving a simple shelter out of thread.
And that's when I sensed it through Spatial Perception.
Something was teleporting in.
Oh crap.
I'd seen those beautiful spatial ripples once before.
A man stepping through the fabric of space.
Sleek armor that seemed fused with his slender frame.
Black, covering him head to toe.
Just as I'd predicted, it was the administrator — Guerrier di Stolstice.
You're fast.
I haven't even had time to mentally prepare.
Besides, I don't speak the Otherworld language, so I can't even hold a conversation.
I can't even talk, period.
Nope. No way. Absolutely not.
What the hell do I do?
If it comes to a fight, I'm dead.
Running's pointless when the other guy can teleport.
Frankly, the instant this guy decides to end me, my life is over.
In that case, I might as well steel myself and face it.
Guerrier di Stolstice stared at me in silence for a while, then let out a deep sigh.
"Can you understand me now?"
Without warning, a voice resonated directly inside my head — not through sound, but straight into my mind.
It was like the Voice of Heaven. Kind of.
And I could hear it clearly — in Japanese, no less.
I nodded silently.
"I interfered with the translation function of a Skill created by D. Now, my thought-speech should sound to you in your own language, and your words should come through to me in mine."
Huh.
You can do that?
If you could apply that somewhere, you'd basically have real-time translation, wouldn't you?
"For the record, I'm forcing this function to work manually. It's not an inherent feature of the Skill, so you'd find it very difficult to replicate."
Oh, really? Too bad.
"Now then — let me state the reason for my visit. I'm asking you to cease your current activities immediately and refrain from causing any further trouble for the Human race."
Mmm.
This is better than being silently executed on the spot, but as expected, they've come to shut me down.
"I've heard a rough outline of your circumstances from D. I offer a sincere apology for involving you in this world's affairs against your will. I'm sorry. Beyond that, I'm asking that you not involve yourself any further in this world's matters. I'm well aware this is an impertinent request. I understand why you're doing what you're doing. With all of that in mind, I've come here to make this request personally."
My goodness, this man is more of a gentleman than I expected.
Also, he's really bad at this.
He doesn't give off the vibe of someone who'll attack regardless of my answer.
Did D threaten him into this or something?
"Might I hear your answer?"
Hmm.
When someone comes at you this honestly, you kind of owe them a proper response.
Back when I was dealing with D, she could just read my thoughts at will, so it was actually easier. Speaking my own words to another person of my own volition — it's been so long.
Wait, is this the first time since I was born?
Getting a little nervous.
"I decline."
It took a long, strained moment to finally squeeze those words out. Guerrier di Stolstice fell into a troubled silence.
My heart was pounding.
In more ways than one.
Just putting that one sentence out there felt like it shaved years off my life.
"So you refuse no matter what?"
Guerrier di Stolstice, who had been deep in thought, asked — as if making one last confirmation.
I nodded in return.
"I see."
Guerrier di Stolstice looked up at the sky.
"From the perspective of someone from another world — does what I'm doing seem absurd?"
He asked with a furrowed brow.
That face — it belonged to a man who looked ready to break into tears, who was exhausted to his core, who was drowning in anguish, and yet had steeled himself to keep walking forward no matter what.
I couldn't answer that question.
It's not my problem, after all.
But there is one thing I can say.
"Do as you believe you must."
That's really all there is to it, isn't it?
Forge ahead on the path you believe in.
When faced with a problem that has no right answer — that's all you can do.
"So it is. Yes… that's right."
Guerrier di Stolstice looked slightly surprised for a moment, then murmured those words.
"Then I shall do what I must. That said, D has warned me to leave you be. For the time being, I won't harm you. But remember this — if what you pursue leads to an outcome incompatible with me, then I will stand in your way."
I'm sure it will.
But I hope, sincerely, that it won't come to that.
"For today, let's leave it here. Farewell."
And with that, Guerrier di Stolstice teleported away.