Chapter 16: Townsperson A Gets Lost in the Forest of Bewilderment

"Course clear, launch OK, takeoff!"

I pulled on my handmade goggles and activated the Wind Magic Engine, launching my vertical take-off and landing Wind Magic Glider—the Vuitol. The name, of course, was simply the acronym VTOL pronounced as a single word.

With me aboard, the Vuitol accelerated as if sliding down a sheet of ice. Once I’d gained enough speed, I pulled up and soared into the sky.

Wait, what happened to the vertical take-off?

Well, it devoured far too much mana and was honestly exhausting, so I didn't bother with it unless absolutely necessary. Of course, the Vuitol was perfectly capable of it; I’d spent the last two months of research and development proving as much.

While this new Vuitol looked similar to my previous Wind Magic Glider, it represented a massive leap forward in engineering. The propulsion engine was still located beneath the belly, and I still piloted it by lying prone on top of the frame. However, the craft now featured a double-layered structure. Beneath the main propulsion unit, I had installed two additional Wind Magic Engines.

These auxiliary engines took in air from the front and exhausted it directly downward through ports near the nose and tail, providing the necessary lift for vertical maneuvers. Furthermore, I had added winglets to the tips of the main wings. I even incorporated a mechanism that allowed those winglets to transform into supplementary attitude-control engines during takeoff and landing.

For the uninitiated, winglets are those little fins at the tips of an airplane's wings that curve upward. In my previous life, even the HondaJet—produced by that major Japanese automaker—featured them.

Regardless of the magic involved, the Vuitol still operated within the realm of physics, and I couldn't simply ignore those constraints. Using the wings to generate lift required far less energy than trying to defy gravity using nothing but raw wind power. It was the same reason why real-world fighter jets rarely used their VTOL capabilities during standard operations.

My current destination was the Forest of Bewilderment. My prize, the Chantless Scroll, lay dormant just outside the entrance to the Infinite Corridor located deep within those woods.

In the original game, the lore went something like this:

Once, there lived a benevolent sage who helped many people by wielding powerful magic without the need for incantations. One day, the sage traveled to the Elven Village within the Forest of Bewilderment to gather medicinal ingredients. However, he lost his way and perished.

Because he died with his mission unfulfilled, his soul could not find peace. He transformed into the "Chantless Scroll," waiting for someone to inherit his will and use his power to help others.

Obtaining the scroll hadn't involved a boss battle or anything of the sort. One simply had to find his remains and give them a respectful burial. The game mentioned that because his body was found just before the Infinite Corridor, he must have been trapped within the loop, managed to escape through sheer power, and then finally collapsed from exhaustion.

Additionally, once you passed through the Forest of Bewilderment, you would traditionally find the Elven Village. I had no business there, however, so I didn't plan on visiting. You couldn't even enter the village without an elven escort anyway, and there wasn't anything particularly valuable there for me at this stage.

In the game’s story, a forced event would trigger during the summer of the second year. You would run into an elf in town who would beg for help because monsters had overrun their home. After saving the village, the Elf Queen would grant you a Fairy Hairpin—an accessory that served as a permanent pass to their lands. If I went now, the monsters wouldn't even be there yet, so nothing would happen. The scroll was technically just something you were supposed to stumble across while on that quest.

Getting to the Forest of Bewilderment from Luluden usually took about two weeks by carriage, as it lay far beyond the northern mountains. Since I was traveling by air, I figured I’d arrive by evening, so I settled in to enjoy the flight.

By the time I cleared the mountain range, the sun had begun to sink toward the horizon. According to the vague map I’d purchased from the Guild, I should have been closing in on the Village of Linzea, but I didn't see anything resembling a settlement.

Linzea was the closest village to my destination; in the game, it served as the jumping-off point for any excursion into the forest. Unfortunately, things weren't looking good. The forest canopy was so dense that I’d lost sight of the main road, and I no longer had any idea where I was. In short, I was lost.

I needed to hurry before the sun set completely. I desperately wanted to avoid a situation where I was forced to look for a campsite in total darkness. Strong monsters prowled this region. While I’d brought weapons, I didn't want to take unnecessary risks. My ability to defeat monsters relied entirely on landing a surprise attack from Stealth; I was under no illusions about my own raw strength.

I flew aimlessly over the woods for a while, watching as the sun began to dip behind the peaks.

This is bad!

As I scanned the horizon in a panic, I spotted a small, clear opening in the sea of trees.

"Wait, is that a village?" I muttered to myself, banking the craft toward the clearing.

Even if it wasn't a village, a natural clearing would at least give me a place to land and set up camp. As I drew closer, my hopes were confirmed. It was a village. I could see wooden houses and even a few tiny figures moving about.

Luckily, I noticed another small clearing about fifty meters away from the houses. Landing right in the middle of town would cause a massive scene, so I decided to set down there instead. I began to circle the area, gradually bleeding off altitude.

"Vertical engines, activate."

Once my speed and height had dropped sufficiently, I engaged the VTOL system. The intake and exhaust ports slid open, and jets of air began to blast downward. This was the most delicate part of the flight; I had to manage my attitude while simultaneously killing my forward momentum.

"Attitude control engines, activate."

The auxiliary engines on the wingtips hummed to life. I funneled mana into all four engines at once, using the main thruster to stabilize my descent. I could feel my mana reserves being steadily siphoned away, but I kept my cool, recalling every hour of practice as I manipulated the controls.

Finally, the Vuitol touched down safely.

I unbuckled my safety harness and climbed off the craft, feeling the solid earth beneath my boots.

"Man, I am wiped..." I groaned, stretching my stiff limbs.

I was just about to hide the Vuitol and head toward the village when a voice cut through the air.

"Don't move!"

A group of men emerged from the treeline. Every one of them had a bow drawn, their arrows leveled squarely at my chest. But what truly caught my attention was the shape of their ears. They were long and pointed.

Wait... why are they here? How did it come to this?