After riding the slimes up the mountain for about thirty minutes, we arrived at a hut built near the summit. This was a site where the curse specialists responsible for the land’s maintenance stayed periodically, and it was still a fair distance from the source of the miasma. Since the area was free from its influence, I planned to use it as our base of operations for the upcoming experiments.
But before we could get started...
"First of all, we need to clean the place up," I said.
As Lord Rosenberg had mentioned that curse specialists only visited a few times a year, the hut had fallen into a state of neglect. Since this had officially become the experiment ground under my management, I decided to give it a thorough cleaning for the sake of our future comfort.
Securing a place to sleep was the top priority. I summoned the cleaner slimes and set them to work. I also had the sticky slimes surround the hut while sending spider slimes into the attic and crawlspaces to exterminate any pests or rodents that had taken up residence.
Standing around while they worked would have been a waste of time.
"Everyone, could I ask you to handle a few things while the hut is being prepared?"
"Of course," Welanna replied readily. "We’re here on the clock, so don’t hesitate to put us to work."
Since she was so willing, I didn’t hold back.
"For now, a light scout will be enough. Please patrol the immediate vicinity of the hut. I’ll need a more detailed survey of the environment later, but first, I want to make sure there are no undead, wild animals, or other hazards near the base."
"Understood! Leave it to us-nya!" Miya added with a burst of enthusiasm.
The adventurer team immediately began dividing up their patrol sectors. While they prepared, I asked for permission to coat their weapons with light-attribute mana. It would make things much easier for them if they happened to encounter any undead.
"Master Ryoma, we shall begin preparing lunch," Sebas said.
"I’ll get some retort food and sandwiches ready—nothing too complicated," Yudam added.
"I can help with the washing and prep work," Eleonora offered.
"Thank you. I appreciate it."
Sebas, Yudam, and Eleonora moved the supplies they had transported via space magic into a pile in front of the hut and started their culinary prep.
That left only Lord Rosenberg and me.
"If there is nothing else pressing, let us review the records to prepare for our work," he suggested. "In regions like this where a curse specialist isn't permanently stationed, the information in reports can often fall out of sync with reality as time passes."
I had already seen how situations could deteriorate beyond initial projections back in the Town of Ghosts. The most recent data I had been given was from six months ago, so I wanted to refresh my memory to ensure I could spot any anomalies.
The mountain was roughly oval, stretching from the northwest to the southeast. The miasma-blighted land was located on the west-southwest slope. As we had seen from the foot of the mountain, the vegetation there had withered, and there were visible signs of soil erosion and landslides.
The west-southwest slope was quite steep, whereas the eastern side was much more gradual. The ground on the eastern side was firm, making it the safer route for travel. We had taken a slight detour to approach the summit from that direction ourselves.
While we waited for the report from Welanna and her team...
"I’m curious about the source of the miasma and the state of the surrounding area," I noted. "At least we didn't run into any undead on the way up."
According to the records, a small settlement had existed there long ago. Its residents were people who had been exiled from their homes for various reasons, and they had eked out a living by acting as quasi-bandits toward merchants on the road below.
Apparently, as long as travelers paid a toll, the settlers wouldn't harm them. In fact, they would even serve as guides or bodyguards. During the era when the nearby roads were poorly maintained, their presence had been tacitly tolerated. Merchants likely viewed it as an acceptable trade-off to secure safety for a small fee.
However, once safer and more convenient roads were established, merchants no longer had any reason to take a path that required a toll. Deprived of the one advantage they offered, the settlers turned to full-blown banditry. Eventually, soldiers were dispatched, and the settlement was burned to the ground.
The inhabitants vanished along with their village, and the graveyard where they were buried had been neglected for years. Over time, it became the source of the current miasma.
"Undead rarely appear in blighted lands if they are properly managed," Rosenberg explained. "The real trouble is that the miasma kills the trees, which in turn leads to landslides. The risk of soil slippage is much higher than in ordinary mountains, which complicates both our surveys and the purification process."
"Regarding the survey, I can have my tamed monsters perform aerial reconnaissance if we just need visual confirmation," I said. "As for the purification, the terrain shouldn't be much of a factor with my personal magic. My main concern is the wind speed and direction."
"We shall have to test that magic of yours when the opportunity arises. I am quite interested. Aerial observation is also a valid tactic. Aside from that, we use specialized magic tools to determine the concentration and range of the miasma."
He reached into the luggage Sebas had left behind and produced a box resembling a long, black flute case. Inside was a metallic staff with a scale attached to the head.
He thrust the staff into the ground and held it steady with his hand to keep it level. Standing there, he looked exactly like a professional surveyor using a total station for a light-wave survey.
"This is the magic tool. Since there is no miasma here, it won't react, but if you channel mana through it in a contaminated area, the scale will tilt toward the highest concentration. By using this at regular intervals as you approach the source, you can map the boundary between the safe areas and the blighted zones."
"So the point where it first reacts marks the boundary," I said.
"Precisely. If you need a strict boundary, you simply adjust how often you take measurements. If the source is unknown, you follow the steepest tilt of the scale and search for the point within the miasma where the scale returns to a level position.
However, the most vital rule is to always protect yourself with spells or magic tools beforehand and never push your luck. Heading toward the source is essentially walking straight into the heart of the miasma."
He recommended approaching from multiple directions to triangulate the source safely rather than trying to reach it in a single push.
"That said, if the miasma is thin, it’s often faster to pinpoint the source in one go. Whether to finish it quickly or conduct multiple surveys is a judgment call based on the concentration. If you look closely, you’ll see the scale is marked."
Indeed, a fine set of markings resembling a protractor was engraved near the fulcrum, allowing the user to read the exact angle of the tilt.
"A tilt of up to thirty degrees is a Safe Zone. Thirty-one to sixty is a Caution Area. Anything beyond sixty-one degrees is a Danger Zone. I recommend turning back once the needle hits fifty degrees to maintain a margin of safety. You must never step into a zone above sixty-one degrees. Furthermore, you must never forget to purify your clothing and equipment after leaving a high-concentration area."
"So the procedures and safety margins are clearly defined by numbers," I remarked. "I imagine there are still people who cause accidents because they refuse to follow them, though..."
At my casual observation, Lord Rosenberg lowered his eyes slightly.
"...So, you've realized that as well. I was about to say the same thing. The vast majority of accidents involving curse specialists are caused by failing to follow established standards and procedures.
Because much of our work is tedious, young specialists often cut corners, and sometimes those who are supposed to enforce the rules disregard the procedures themselves. House Cashel periodically sends out reports on accident rates and safety warnings to every specialist, but the truth is that such negligence never truly disappears."
He looked a bit weary, as if he were reflecting on past experiences.
I thought I understood how he felt. Back in my previous life, whether it was part-time jobs at construction sites or factories, I had seen plenty of places that treated safety standards as mere suggestions.
I also found it refreshing to see a procedure manual that used specific numerical values. In my memory, manuals were often so vague that you couldn't actually figure out the procedure, or they were completely ignored in favor of 'efficiency' by supervisors who would scream at you for following the book. And then there were the places that had no manuals at all...
It seemed that such issues were universal, even in this world.
Observing my pensive expression, Lord Rosenberg nodded.
"It seems I won't need to explain the importance of these rules further. That is a relief."
He then moved on to the specific operation of the magic tool, lecturing me on how to read the markings and the recommended distances between measurements. The process wasn't particularly difficult. The people who developed this tool had clearly designed it to be user-friendly and intuitive.
"To get an accurate reading, focus on channeling your mana gently. Beyond that, it's just a matter of practice. I’ve prepared this tool specifically for you, so please, keep it."
"Wait, I can have this? Not just borrow it?"
"It’s an essential tool of the trade for any curse specialist. I can easily procure another through the main house, and they aren't prohibitively expensive. Think of it as a commemorative gift for your apprenticeship—albeit an irregular one."
"Thank you very much!"
Just as I accepted the gift with heartfelt gratitude, the sound of rustling grass behind me caught my attention. Having spent so much time in the Sea of Trees recently, my first thought was a monster attack, but...
"Oh, it’s just Mizeria and the others."
"Did we interrupt something?" Mizeria asked.
"No, not at all."
Mizeria and Silia had returned.
"You two are back early," I noted.
"If we were scouting the whole mountain it would be one thing, but checking the area around the hut doesn't take that long," Mizeria replied. "We split into two groups, after all."
"The other three should be back any minute now," Silia added.
She was right. Within three minutes, the rest of the team returned.
"The immediate area seems clear," Welanna reported. "No undead, and not even any large beasts. There were plenty of tracks from small animals and birds on the eastern side, so we can hunt for food if we run low."
"Ryoma-kun, you could probably even start a farm here," Mizeria suggested. "The soil looks rich, even if clearing it might be a chore since it's untouched. The ground is stable, and there’s a fairly large flat area to the southeast."
"I didn't see much besides insects to the south," Jeff noted. "There were plants, but the whole area felt... dreary. Lifeless. It was just too quiet. The west was the same way."
"We started getting a bad feeling right before we hit the ridge, so we circled back around the northern side," Miya added. "It felt fine over there—plenty of birds and animals. The lack of life from the south to the west is definitely because of the miasma-nya."
"So the atmosphere changes completely at the ridge line," I mused.
Considering the report, it was clearly the influence of the blighted land to the west-southwest. If the ridge marked the boundary...
"Lord Rosenberg, can we assume the mountain itself is acting as a physical barrier?"
"Indeed. The source here is the settlement's graveyard, and the miasma has accumulated primarily within the earth. While periodic purifications have been performed, a massive amount of contaminated soil and debris likely flowed down the western and southern slopes over time. That is likely what created this environmental divide.
Furthermore, we can infer from your report that the mountain's water source is still pristine. If the water were contaminated, the influence would spread much faster and more broadly. We would be seeing damage across the entire mountain rather than just the southwest."
He then took the opportunity to teach me about the relationship between miasma and different types of matter. Miasma erodes everything and has a tendency to aggregate—attracting and accumulating with more of its kind—but its behavior is heavily influenced by the fluidity of the substance it inhabits.
For instance, soil stores miasma easily but doesn't allow it to disperse quickly. Because it is also difficult to purify, the miasma can linger for long periods. This is why land reclamation takes so much time. Conversely, air has a low capacity for storing miasma and allows it to disperse rapidly, making it relatively easy to purify.
Water falls somewhere in the middle; it accumulates and disperses more than soil but less than air. However, because water soaks into the earth and transfers its contamination, a tainted water source or vein is incredibly dangerous. As he had mentioned, it causes the damage to scale rapidly across an entire region.
"Some describe this by saying that soil and water influence one another," Rosenberg continued. "Additionally, if the soil is dry enough to create dust, then much like a landslide, the wind can carry contaminated sand and spread the miasma further. That is an example of soil and wind interacting."
He explained that when assessing the range of miasma, one should always look at the three elements: soil, water, and air. Specialists often take samples of these and use reagents to determine exact contamination levels. Terms like 'geological survey' and 'water quality analysis' flashed through my mind.
The adventurers listened to the lecture with genuine interest, offering comments like 'I had no idea' as the conversation continued in a relaxed manner.
Eventually, lunch was ready. We continued our discussion as Yudam came over to lead us to the table.