Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells (Light Novel) Vol. 2

by Kaoru Sinozaki

  Is this some sort of magic cloth?

  Piggymaru urged me on, so I continued unwrapping until I uncovered the object beneath.

  “An egg…?”

  It was about the size and shape of an ostrich egg, strangely colored with swirls of red, black, and white—more like a piece of modern art than something found in nature. I tapped it lightly with my hand. It didn’t sound hollow, and it seemed unusually hard, almost like the skin of the creatures from the Ruins of Disposal.

  Not heavy, though…I would barely feel this thing in my backpack.

  “Squee!”

  “You’re interested in this egg?”

  “Squee!”

  “Want me to take it with me?”

  “Squee…?”

  Do you mind? Piggymaru seemed to ask, hesitant but determined. The little slime had never been so persistent about something before.

  “All right, if you say so. Let’s take it with us.”

  “Squee~! ♪”

  Thank you.

  “You’re welcome. You’ve been a big help down here, after all.”

  I tucked the strangely colored egg under my arm and made my way out of the skull.

  “What was in there?” asked Mist, still standing guard, holding her sword. When I showed her the egg, her beautiful eyes lit up.

  “It’s incredible,” she said.

  “One of the humans inside the skeleton had it with them—it was wrapped in this weird cloth.”

  The cloth seemed to have lost its power—I tried pouring mana into it, but nothing happened. Does this thing only work once?

  “Have you ever seen an egg this color before?” I asked.

  “Nothing like that, no.”

  “Well, I just hope it’s not dangerous or anything.”

  “Squee.”

  Piggymaru looked apologetic.

  “Don’t worry about it, Piggymaru! If it’s dangerous, we’ll just get rid of it, that’s all!”

  “Squee!”

  Piggymaru turned green in agreement.

  “Right, then. Let’s head up to the surface.”

  Shortly before we arrived back at the entrance to the ruins, we decided to split up.

  “I don’t want to stand out,” I explained to Mist.

  Whoever brings that Dragon-Eye Cup out of the ruins is going to be famous—that’s the whole reason I gave it up. I’m lucky Mist accepted it—not that she wants the attention, either. I guess the reward money takes priority for her. But with her illusion trick, she should be able to keep her secrets long enough to collect the reward. She doesn’t have to worry about Monk anymore, after all.

  “We need to talk once we’re back on the surface. Can you meet me later tonight?” I asked before we parted ways.

  “Of course. I’ll do my utmost to make it happen,” she said, smiling easily.

  “I’d like it if we could meet alone, just the two of us.”

  “J-just the two of us?” She gave it some thought, then nodded. “Very well. Where should we meet?”

  “How about your room at the inn?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, but I no longer have a room there—”

  “Then what about my room? I’ll let the innkeeper know to let you in.”

  Mist smiled shyly.

  “You’re efficient, Sir Hati.”

  “Just cautious, that’s all. See you later.”

  “Oh, Sir Hati—”

  “I know, I won’t tell anybody about your powers.”

  “That’s not it.”

  She took my hand in hers and looked deeply into my eyes.

  “Thank you again for the Dragon-Eye Cup, from the bottom of my heart.”

  “What? You don’t need to thank me. Anyway, go on. I’ll wait a little before I head up.”

  When I arrived at the surface, there was a crowd of mercenaries at the entrance, talking excitedly.

  “The Dragon-Eye Cup?!”

  “That’s the real deal!!”

  “What? They found it?! Someone already found it?!”

  “D-didn’t you hear about the death fog? What?! You went down there anyway?! Whooaa! Who knew that pretty face hid such bravery!”

  “Incredible!”

  “Hey! Looks like the fog’s clear—let’s get down there and get us some treasure!”

  The Sabre-Toothed Tigers were nowhere to be seen—they were probably the first back in the ruins. The inspectors were falling over themselves to spread the good news.

  “Get word to Cred immediately! Go, now!”

  “But I’m not finished checking these bags, and—”

  “What does that matter now?! This is the Dragon-Eye Cup! Finish Mist Balukas’s bag check and get going!”

  “Y-yes!”

  I switched to humble mode and approached the inspector I’d met on my way in.

  “I’m back.”

  “It’s you! Uh…bag check? Right!”

  “Well, I found this egg-shaped stone thing and some bone powder—”

  “Hm? Oh, take them with you, ingredients are fine. The Baron will take these jewels and things off your hands for a good price, if you want. Way higher than the regular merchants’ prices. Okay, you’re all set! Sorry, someone found the Dragon-Eye Cup, so we’re gonna be real busy for a while. Hey, you there!” he called over to another inspector. “Go tell the mercenaries’ guild the good news!”

  “Yes, sir!”

  That Dragon-Eye Cup is great cover for me—he barely checked my bags at all.

  I looked toward the square, now bustling with returning mercenaries.

  “Guess I’m done with the ruins.”

  I sold off the small metal objects and jewels I’d gathered, and I received a bonus as a celebration of the Dragon-Eye Cup discovery.

  The Baron and his people must be happy. This money gives me a bit more leeway—I’ll have no problem paying for my room at the inn.

  “I want to find out more about that egg, too.” I thought there might be something about eggs in Forbidden Arts: The Complete Works—I decided to take a look when I got a chance.

  “Sir Hati!” Mist called out to me as I neared the town square.

  “That was some commotion back there,” I said.

  “It still doesn’t feel right to me. You’re the one they should be celebrating, Sir Hati,” said Mist, shifting uncomfortably.

  “I didn’t come here to be celebrated, I just wanted ingredients,” I said, motioning to my backpack. “Can’t make potions with praise, can I? But how did it go for you? Did you get your prize?”

  “I’ve been invited to the Baron’s residence tomorrow to receive my reward. I would refuse, but…he wishes to thank me personally.”

  “I guess he has a penchant for ceremony.”

  I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s trying to hire her.

  “I’ll be staying in Mils for another night.”

  “Where are you staying?”

  “The Baron offered me a room in his mansion, but I turned him down. With tomorrow’s three hundred gold pieces, I can afford another night at the inn.”

  “So, you have some free time before your meeting with the Baron?”

  “Yes, I do. It seems I’ll be around for a little longer.”

  I’d guess the Baron’s men are investigating if this cup is the real deal. Dunno how that’s going to work if they’ve never seen the real thing before, though.

  I looked at my pocket watch.

  “Why don’t we meet in my room around eight? You probably want to eat and rest beforehand, right?”

  “Yes… Thank you for being so considerate.”

  With that agreed, Mist headed for the inn and I continued to the square. I’d already bought all the equipment I would need to turn my bone powder into monster enhancement solution when Mist and I had gone shopping. The instructions were laid out in Forbidden Arts: The Complete Works, and I’d managed to get almost all of what I needed with only a few substitutions. The process itself was surprisingly simple once I had the necessary ingr
edients in hand.

  There’s one other thing I want to buy, though. I was so caught up in clearing the ruins that it completely slipped my mind.

  I headed to the main street, found the store I was looking for, and headed in. There were plenty in stock, and the prices were reasonable—no one was trying to cheat me this time.

  “Could I get this one?”

  I left the store, leaned up against its stone wall, unfurled my new purchase, and started to read.

  “Hmm, so the state of Yonato is…”

  A world map—exactly what I wanted.

  Right now, I’m in the Kingdom of Ulza. Looks like Mils is the southernmost city in the kingdom… Any further than that and you’re in the Dark Forest, near the Ruins of Disposal. The Great Ruins are in the Land of the Golden-Eyed Monsters in the center of the continent, and north of that, there’s the Kingdom of Magnar.

  “The Kingdom of Magnar’s on the front lines, fighting the Demon Empire, huh?”

  The Kingdom of Magnar stretched from the east coast of the continent to the west. The Nightwall, which people at the inn said had fallen recently, seemed to be in a bottleneck between two large mountain ranges. It must be in a mountain pass. I suppose that was the only way to cross the mountains from north to south, stopping invasion by the Demon King’s army.

  In the southwest was the Empire of Mira.

  The name came up in the inn…this must be the country that’s ruled by the Wildly Beautiful Emperor.

  To the southeast, the Bakoss Empire…and between the Bakoss and Ulza is the Holy Empire of Neah? I heard they were pretty much wiped out when the Bakoss Empire invaded—guess this map hasn’t been updated yet.

  In the northwest, I found the state of Yonato, where Mist told me she was going.

  “Wait a minute…”

  I scanned the map to find the Kingdom of Alion, home to that foul Goddess and place inextricably linked to me by fate.

  North—the Kingdom of Magnar.

  Northeast—the Kingdom of Alion.

  Northwest—the state of Yonato.

  Central—the Land of the Golden-Eyed Monsters.

  Southeast—the Bakoss Empire.

  Southwest—the Empire of Mira.

  South—the Kingdom of Ulza.

  So the continent is roughly split into six countries, with the monsters in the middle. At least now I have some idea of where everything is.

  Getting the map hadn’t taken long, and there was plenty of time before I was due to meet Mist.

  “Might as well head to the inn and try to make that monster enhancement solution.”

  Back in my room, I got to work.

  Only one main ingredient—this shouldn’t be too difficult.

  Piggymaru sat on the bed, swaying back and forth, curiously watching what I was doing. I spread my equipment—freshly washed in the laundry room—out on a clean blanket. I’d chosen my supplies to be as compact and easy to carry as possible. I might need these again.

  “Hmm, so first…” I thought aloud, leafing through Forbidden Arts: The Complete Works.

  Smash the bones, crush them into a fine powder with a pestle and mortar, then mix with water.

  As I mixed, the powder absorbed most of the water, changing it from silvery powder to a pale-blue translucent mush.

  “Next…”

  Pour the mixture into a flask and heat.

  I took out a small burner and began to heat the flask. The liquid slowly cleared until it was completely transparent.

  Feels like I’m cooking, almost…

  “Next, I need to filter it with this thing. But first…”

  Part of the filtration device was made of crystals. I poured mana into them and they began to glow.

  It uses mana to filter more thoroughly. This and the heating element were both pretty expensive—apparently all mana-powered tools are. They wear out, too, so you can only use them so many times.

  I poured my bone-powder solution into the filter and waited until it had all drained through.

  “All right.”

  It looked like I had so much powder, but…

  “Huh. Only ended up with about a coffee cup’s worth of this stuff in the end.”

  Anyway. Monster enhancement solution complete.

  I suddenly realized how tired I was and checked the time.

  “…I have a little time to nap.”

  Sleep is so important. I haven’t shaken off the fatigue from the ruins yet. Testing this stuff out on Piggymaru can wait until the morning. I don’t want to give it to the little guy, fall asleep, and then have something terrible happen. I’m pretty sure it’s safe, but it can’t hurt to be careful.

  “Your monster enhancement is gonna have to wait until tomorrow, Piggymaru.”

  “Squee. ♪”

  I asked Piggymaru to wake me up in a few hours, then fell asleep.

  I awoke to Piggymaru’s cry of “Squee!” as the little slime squelched over to my watch. I rolled over to look at it.

  Early.

  “More than enough time for dinner.”

  The food hall downstairs wasn’t as busy as I’d expected given the time. I took a seat at the counter.

  “Seems like a lot of the mercenaries have already moved on, doesn’t it?” sighed the innkeeper as I ate. “And did you hear? They even found the Dragon-Eye Cup the Baron was searching for! Just like that! Some mercenaries are still out searching for treasures on the lower floors, but…”

  The grand prize has already been taken, huh.

  “The other day we were full, but now the rooms are emptying out faster than I can fill them. Is this how it’s going to be until the next floor is discovered? The Baron will be searching deeper for sure, but…”

  The innkeeper was practically talking to himself—he seemed resigned to the comings and goings of the crowds based on the state of the ruins.

  It must be like a seasonal festival for these people.

  “Oh, but Mr. Hati?”

  “Yes?”

  “It’s not all bad! The one who found the Dragon-Eye Cup is actually staying at this very inn~! She had a room here even before she found the cup!” He lowered his voice conspiratorially. “And…she’s a real beauty.”

  Looks like Mist got her room back with no problems. I bet he’d be surprised that the discoverer of the Dragon-Eye Cup is meeting me in my room later!

  “The food’s great here—that’s probably what has her coming back,” I suggested.

  “The one who discovered the Dragon-Eye Cup staying at my inn! This is going to draw crowds, Mr. Hati!”

  After I’d eaten, I took a few pieces of meat and some salad for Piggymaru and went back upstairs.

  “Munch, munch~! ♪”

  As Piggymaru was eating, there was a knock at the door. The little slime quickly turned into its crystal ball form.

  “Sir Hati, it’s me.”

  I glanced at my watch. Right on time.

  “You wish to hire me as a bodyguard?” asked Mist curiously.

  “Yeah. I figured it’d solve your money problems—though I guess with that Dragon-Eye Cup, you’re probably not hurting for coin anymore. But still, it never hurts to have more, does it?”

  This is a mean way of getting her to help me, but mentioning the cup will remind her of how guilty she felt and give her a little push.

  “It is as you say…I need as much as I can get.” Mist sat stiffly on the edge of my bed—I was sitting off in the corner.

  “You’re headed for the state of Yonato, right?”

  “That’s correct…”

  I opened my world map.

  “As you’ve probably realized, I need to meet the Forbidden Witch—which means I need to venture into the Land of the Golden-Eyed Monsters.”

  “Yes,” Mist nodded. “That much I had already surmised.”

  “So if you’re traveling by land, you’ll have to cross through the Empire of Mira to the west or the Land of the Golden-Eyed Monsters to the north, right?”

 
“Yonato doesn’t accept boats from Mira anymore—the western sea routes are closed.”

  “Hm? You can’t travel by boat from Ulza to Yonato, you mean?”

  “It’s not feasible, especially not for a simple traveler or mercenary. Mira likely resents the gathering Holy Order applicants, and there are rumors of bad blood between the Yonato holy priests and Mira’s Wildly Beautiful Emperor.”

  “The Wildly Beautiful Emperor, huh? Ruler of Mira, right?”

  Wildly Beautiful Emperor Falkendotzine—I heard the name in the inn earlier and couldn’t help but remember the long, elaborate title and hard-to-pronounce name.

  “Yes. The sea routes to the east are too dangerous—they would take me close to the frozen sea and the Demon King’s armies.”

  “So there’s no choice but to travel by land?”

  “Unfortunately so.”

  “Which way are you planning to go?”

  “I…”

  Must be a difficult choice for her. The Empire of Mira really despises the Holy Order, but the other road sounds tough. I don’t know if Mist is really one of these Holy Order applicants yet, though…

  “After I’m done with the witch, I wouldn’t mind coming with you through the Land of the Golden-Eyed Monsters. I defeated that skeleton king, didn’t I? I’m pretty good at fighting these things.”

  “To be frank, that’s the path I’d rather take if possible. The road through Mira presents unique and plentiful dangers of another kind.”

  Mist fell silent.

  Going through the center of the continent, we’ll likely be attacked by groups of monsters regularly. I have Piggymaru to be the eyes in the back of my head, but the best it can do is tell me where the enemies are—not fight them itself. I don’t expect it’s going to get much stronger either, even with the monster enhancement solution. If monsters came at us from all sides, I don’t know if I could deal with them. It’d be a real help to have an experienced warrior with me.

  I was planning on hiring somebody, but in the ruins with Mist, I realized she’s the perfect choice.

  Mist looked a little overwhelmed as she considered my proposal.

  I guess there’s a big problem for her with this arrangement—and I have a good idea what it is.

  The silence dragged on as Mist thought, hesitation writ large on her face.

  I didn’t want to have to do this, but if this is what it takes to convince her…although I don’t even know if she’ll fall for it.