Character Introduction: Quentan: A talking sword and the Death Mage's partner.
After reporting the discovery of the mysterious box to the village, I moved a short distance away to relax. If I kept staring at that thing, I knew I wouldn't be able to resist the urge to open it.
I chopped down a suitable tree to make a makeshift chair and took a seat. As usual, Kuro and Yuki naturally claimed the spots closest to me. Kuroichi, Alice, Kuroni, Iris, Uno, Kurosan, Kuroyon, and Elis secured the next closest ring. I sometimes felt I should tell them to let the younger wolves have a turn, but they seemed to have their own social order. I decided not to interfere.
I spent the time patting their heads in turn. While we were idling, the High Ogre Maids arrived, likely acting as the village's advance party, escorted by several of Kuro's children. They had brought along ingredients and cooking utensils.
I suppose it was already time for lunch. Kuro's children wagged their tails in anticipation. They hadn't used to eat lunch in the past, but somehow they’d grown accustomed to joining us for the midday meal.
Wait... Was this why Kuro had put on weight? No, Kuro was the only one who had gotten stout. Kuroichi and the others were as lean as ever. It must be a difference in their activity levels.
As we were enjoying our lunch, Lu and the others arrived. She immediately began grilling me for information about the box. I could explain how I found it, of course, but wouldn't it be faster for her to just see it for herself? It was right over there.
When I suggested this, she looked hesitant. Was it that dangerous? She admitted there was certainly a risk of traps, but that wasn't her main concern. She felt its very existence was a threat.
First, she pointed out that despite being old enough for tree roots to entwine it, the metal wasn't rusted at all. That alone proved it was magical. Next was the question of why it was here in the first place. Historical documents suggested the Forest of Death had existed for about four thousand years, and it had been a place of death for just as long. A box sitting here in such an environment was a bad omen.
Lu's face was a bit pale as she explained that it reeked of danger. "Even if we're far from the village, we have to consider the worst-case scenario."
To Lu, the "worst case" meant an ancient devil or a dragon being sealed inside. Apparently, legends were full of stories about such entities being imprisoned within the Forest of Death.
"Most of those are just tall tales, though," Hakuren chimed in, speaking on behalf of the dragons. She explained that the Forest of Death was a convenient plot device for storytellers who needed a way to deal with an antagonist that was too powerful to kill.
That made sense. Perhaps people feared the forest more than necessary because of those stories. I felt a bit relieved by Hakuren's words, but Lu didn't share my optimism.
"...Most of them are fiction. That means some of them are real, right? Given our track record, I doubt we’ve stumbled upon a dud."
Lu was starting to sound like the Demon King facing a rigged lottery. And why was everyone looking at me?
"It's just the Village Head's luck," Donovan muttered in a resigned voice.
That didn't make me feel any better. I suggested reburying the box, but the group shot that down. Apparently, once you've acknowledged the existence of something like that, leaving it alone is the worst thing you can do. Dealing with it immediately was the only sensible choice.
So, the plan moved forward: we were going to open it. Preparing for Lu's "worst case," we summoned Dos, Giral, Guronde, and Rusty for backup.
Interestingly, Lu’s "best-case scenario" was that the box was actually a Mimic—a monster in the shape of a treasure chest. Even though Mimics were dangerous, she considered it "best" because we could just kill it on the spot and be done with it. I asked if killing an ancient devil or dragon would be different, and apparently, it would lead to all sorts of lingering headaches.
I really wanted to avoid any more headaches.
The box had a keyhole, so I asked if anyone knew how to check if it was locked. No one stepped forward. I wondered if I should fetch someone from the Adventurer Guild in Village Five.
"Um... Village Head," Galf said, "if you're looking for a locksmith, the Adventurer Guild isn't the place to go."
"Oh? I always pictured adventurers being the ones to handle locks."
"Picking a lock without authorization is a crime, so adventurers don't officially take those kinds of requests."
That made sense. But then how did they handle locked chests they found in the wild?
"They just smash the box."
I see.
"Anyway," Galf continued, "if you want a professional, you'd go to the Locksmith Guild. But they require you to bring the item to them. They won't come out to a place like this."
"So what you're saying is...?"
"The same thing the adventurers do: it's best to just break it."
So that was why Hakuren was already clutching a stone.
A stone-throwing attack commenced. With Hakuren's strength, a single direct hit would likely be the end of it. She threw, but the stone missed. I thought a more aerodynamic shape might help, so I used the Universal Farming Tool to shape some larger, rounder stones for her.
Wait, did the box just move?
"Aha! It's a Mimic!" Lu shouted happily.
So it was a monster after all? Hakuren grew irritated as the box continued to dodge her throws. She decided to close the distance so it couldn't move out of the way. But as soon as she took a proper throwing stance from close range, the lid of the box popped open on its own.
"Lu? What was that?"
"A surrender, I think?"
"Right. Whoa, Hakuren! Stop, stop! It's giving up! Don't throw that!"
I hurriedly grabbed Hakuren's arm.
The box seemed to be staring at us. It didn't have eyes, but it definitely felt like it was watching. I asked Lu if it really was a Mimic.
"Sadly, no. It doesn't have any digestive organs. It's just a box."
"Does a normal box dodge stones and open its own lid?"
"It's like Quentan. An 'Intelligence Box' instead of an 'Intelligence Sword.' Since it’s not a Mimic, it actually has contents inside."
Lu reached in and pulled out a large, ornately decorated book. She started doing a little victory dance, claiming it was a grimoire. I made a mental note to have her check it for safety later.
I turned back to the box. If it was an intelligent item, could we talk to it? Lu said verbal communication was likely impossible, but we could probably establish a dialogue using the lid.
I closed the lid and addressed the box. "Do you have the will to communicate? If yes, open your lid. If no, leave it closed."
The lid slowly creaked open.
Oh, wow.