I arrived at the meeting point designated by the old man, Lazares, to board the carriage bound for the Regrif Territory. It seemed everyone else was already there.
"Ah, Master is finally here! You’re late, Master!"
Carol, who was already waiting at the gathering spot, called out with a complaint the moment she spotted me. The appointed time was still a few minutes away, but pointing that out would have been boorish. Judging by her voice, she wasn't actually upset.
"Sorry, sorry. I had a few things to take care of."
"Are you Orun?"
As I approached the members of Twilight Moonbow, a middle-aged man standing nearby addressed me. He wore a military uniform bearing the crest of the Count Eddington House. This was likely the guard Lazares had mentioned. A younger man in the same uniform stood beside him. Only two guards?
"Yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Orun Doura."
"Well, aren't you polite. I’m Elvis Terry. And this is my subordinate, Henry Person."
After introducing himself, Elvis gestured to the young man.
"I’m Henry. I look forward to working with you, Orun-san."
"I assume you’ve already heard the gist of it, but the two of us will be escorting you to the Regrif Territory. Sorry there are only two of us. We came as a pair because we were originally told we’d only be guarding you," Elvis explained, averting his gaze awkwardly.
He sounded apologetic, but I didn't blame them. Lazares had only requested the Labyrinth investigation five days ago; Elvis and his partner must have started their journey to Tsutrail immediately. Since they had initially expected to escort only one person, a small guard detail was inevitable.
I felt a bit bad for Elvis, who probably only learned his workload had quintupled after reaching Tsutrail. Still, leaving my disciples behind wasn't an option.
"No, it's not a problem at all. I look forward to the journey."
Sophie and the other three seemed to have already finished their greetings before I arrived. After a brief explanation from Elvis regarding our route, we boarded the carriage and left Tsutrail behind.
◇
"The se~a♪ The se~a♪ I can't wa~it♪"
Ever since the carriage had started moving, Carol’s energy had been through the roof.
"Carol, we’re going to the Regrif Territory on clan business. We aren't going there on vacation," Log chided her as she finally broke into song.
"I know that, but still..." Carol pouted at his words.
"Fufu, a Labyrinth investigation isn't something that finishes in a day. We'll need to set aside rest days, and there’s no harm in enjoying ourselves when we're off the clock. Right, Orun-san?"
"That’s right. Summer is just around the corner, and it is a famous tourist destination. It would be a waste to spend every waking moment cooped up in a Labyrinth."
"Really?! Yay!"
"Carol, have you ever actually seen the ocean?"
"Hmm? Nope! That’s why I want to see it so badly! What about you, Sophie?"
"I haven't seen it either. My hometown is to the east, so I grew up in the part of the country furthest from the sea. I'd love to see it, too."
"I see, I see! What about you, Big Sis Ruu? Have you seen it?"
"I have. I had the chance to see it while traveling to Labyrinths outside of Tsutrail. I remember being quite moved the first time I saw the horizon."
The three girls were having a lively conversation. In contrast, Log’s expression seemed slightly clouded.
"Log, what's on your mind?"
"Eh? Ah, no, sorry. I shouldn't have said something to spoil the mood..." Log apologized, his voice trailing off dejectedly.
"Don't worry about that. Besides, you're not wrong. We are headed to the Regrif Territory for a mission."
"...Yes."
I wonder what’s eating at him.
Ever since Luna and I conquered the 30th Floor, Log had seemed troubled. I had no doubt he was shocked by our performance, but it felt like more than just that. He was his usual self most of the time, but occasionally, he would lapse into this gloomy atmosphere. It didn't seem like it would escalate into a crisis immediately, but it was concerning.
To be honest, I didn't have much mental energy to spare for others right now, but that was just an excuse. I needed to find the time to sit down and talk with him properly.
◇
Eight days had passed since we departed Tsutrail. We were making progress exactly as scheduled, favored by clear weather and a lack of trouble.
"Alright, we're camping here tonight as planned. Orun, do you have tents? If not, I can lend you our spares."
As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, Elvis called out to me.
"We brought our own, so we're fine. Thank you for the offer."
Camping was a common necessity during long-distance travel. We had made sure to pack tents, sleeping bags, and portable rations.
"I see. In that case, do you mind setting up your own tents? We’re going to scout the perimeter."
They were likely checking the terrain and setting up simple early-warning traps. Over the last few days, I had come to realize that these two were exceptionally capable soldiers. Soldiers trained for interpersonal combat operated on a completely different logic than us Explorers; there was a lot to learn from their conduct and movements.
"Understood."
"Wait, camping!?"
Carol cried out in surprise upon hearing our conversation. For the past eight days, we had stayed at inns in towns and villages. While that was the ideal way to travel, there were inevitably stretches of road where we couldn't reach a settlement by nightfall. I had warned them this might happen, but perhaps she was still resistant to the idea? She likely had no prior experience with it.
"Yay! I was actually looking forward to sleeping outside! We’ve been at inns this whole time, so I was starting to think we wouldn't get to camp at all. We’re all going to huddle together inside the tent, right?! How exciting!"
My worries about Carol were misplaced. When I looked toward Sophie and Log, their eyes were sparkling too.
Come to think of it, I remembered feeling that same indescribable sense of exhilaration the first time I camped out with Oliver and Luna. I had completely forgotten that feeling. Luna must have been thinking the same thing, as she watched the three of them with a nostalgic smile.
"Camping isn't all fun and games, you know. Securing a bed, preparing meals—you have to do it all yourselves. Though, we're just having portable rations tonight, so it won't be that much work."
Once we reached a slightly open area away from the road, Elvis and Henry immediately went to check the surroundings. While Sophie and the others struggled with their first time pitching a tent, Luna and I gave them a lecture, and we all worked together to finish the task.
By the time the tents were up, the two guards had returned, and we shared a simple meal. After chatting as a group of seven for a while, it was time to turn in.
Usually, camping required rotating shifts for watch duty, but the guards insisted on handling it themselves, so I decided to accept their kindness. I had brought a large tent, so there was plenty of room for the five of us to lie down without feeling cramped. Even after we crawled inside, the disciples were too restless to sleep immediately, and their chatter continued deep into the night.
◇
Long after the other four had finally talked themselves to sleep, I slipped out of the tent. I told Henry, who was on watch, that I was going for a short walk, and then found a large rock a short distance away to sit on and watch the moon.
"......"
Gazing at the moon like this always helped me settle my mind. It was the perfect atmosphere for contemplation. I felt like the time I spent lost in thought had increased lately—a testament to just how much had happened in such a short span. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
As I was immersed in thought, I heard footsteps behind me.
"Luna?"
"...You realized it was me."
"I recognized the sound of your footsteps."
"As expected. I can't tell the difference between people's footsteps at all."
"I can't distinguish everyone's. There just aren't many people out here right now. So, Luna, why are you out here?"
"I woke up a moment ago and noticed you weren't in the tent, Orun-san."
"I see. I made you worry, didn't I? Sorry."
"No, Henry-san told me you were here when I stepped outside. I’m the one who should be sorry. I’ve interrupted your thoughts."
"It’s fine. It's not the kind of thing where thinking will lead to a concrete conclusion anyway. But... I can't help but dwell on it."
Indeed. Thinking about it was likely pointless. I could form various hypotheses, but I lacked the evidence to confirm any of them. It wouldn't be unfair for someone to say I was just letting my imagination run wild.
"If you don't mind, would you like to tell me what you're thinking about?"
"It’s truly a futile topic, you know?"
"That's fine. Besides, Orun-san, rather than agonizing over it alone, you might see something different by talking to someone else."
Luna spoke to me with a gentle smile.
"It might just result in two people agonizing over it instead of one."
"Fufu, if that happens, then so be it."
"...Then, I'll take you up on that. This is a really far-fetched idea, so don't take it too seriously."
"Understood."
"What I was thinking about... was the Six Basic Types of Support Magic."
"The Six Basic Types... you mean the buffs?"
Just as Luna said, the Six Basic Types of Support Magic consisted of spells that improved the physical and mental capabilities of a target: Strength Up, Vitality Up, Magic Up, Resist Up, Technical Up, and Agility Up.
"Yeah, those. Luna, what do you think about those spells?"
"I've never thought about it deeply, but aren't they indispensable for combatants nowadays?"
"Right. That’s definitely true. Using the Six Basic Types to apply buffs during combat is common sense now. However... I suspect these Six Basic Types are actually magic designed to make humans devolve."