The next day, Sofia and I visit the Guild where Gilbert specified to meet. It was just after dawn, but he was already waiting for us.

“You came.”

He says, looking a bit happy. I greet him and ask him a question again.

“So, where exactly are these Ancient Ruins you’re talking about?”

“Don’t be so impatient.”

He stops me and glances at Sofia and me.

“Before I tell you the exact location, let’s decide on the most important thing.”

“About the distribution of rewards?”

“That’s right.”

Gilbert nods enthusiastically. He seems almost giddy.

“Should we just split it fifty-fifty? Or–“

“Are you assuming we’ll get the Artifact?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“Right… Depending on the treasures, but for us, we’re traveling, so we want to avoid bulky items.”

I used this phrasing to avoid explaining the Storage Box from Summoning Magic.

“For now, if we can get the Artifact, you can have all the treasures along the way. If there’s something good, we can talk about it again.”

“You’re generous… If that’s what you prefer, then let’s do that.”

During this time, Sofia said nothing. She seems to be generally following my lead.

By the way, I told Sofia that I would be in support as part of her training. Of course, I’ll act if necessary… Gilbert seems to have some idea of my abilities, but as long as I don’t go all out, I think he won’t realize my true nature, so it should be fine.

Well, this is my first time fighting with Sofia as well. I’ll probably continue fighting with her in the future, so I’ll make this a training exercise to learn how to act without standing out too much.

Sofia and I started moving, following Gilbert’s guidance. The direction was east. We proceeded along the Highway for a while, but eventually, we saw a Forest and entered it. By this point, about an hour and a bit had passed.

“Ah, by the way, I forgot to mention one thing.”

Gilbert, walking at the front, suddenly speaks.

“The place we’re going to is indeed Ancient Ruins… It’s a stone building in the middle of the Forest.”

Is it not a cave or a similar place…? As I remained silent, he continued speaking.

“It seems to have started appearing due to the influence of the Demon King’s or Demon Race’s magic power, but sometimes you can’t enter if you’re not feeling well. We need to figure out what to do if that happens.”

He seems to have investigated the Ancient Ruins somewhat, as he knows what they are. It’s surprising that they haven’t been explored until now, given their proximity to the town. Are the monsters in these Ancient Ruins strong, or are they neglected due to the Demon Race’s attacks…? Personally, I suspect the latter.

At that moment, a sharp jolt ran through my skin for an instant. It seems we’ve reached the vicinity of the Ancient Ruins and managed to enter the alternate dimension where they are located.

“We’re in.”

Gilbert also said. At the same time, I heard growls like beasts, the threatening voices of monsters, from the surroundings.

Gilbert stopped and drew his sword. Sofia also drew her sword. Then I also took the hilt of my sword… and at that moment, a monster came into view.

It was probably not a creature created by the Demon Race, nor a monster that went berserk due to miasma… It was a strange dog with blue fur on its right side and dark brown fur on its left.

—This is a monster that only appears in Ancient Ruins created by Angels. I remember it. Its name is, if I recall correctly, ‘Heavenly Watchdog,’ which is quite literal.

Its abilities are superior even to the monsters that appeared in the request Sofia completed alone. However, considering how quickly her level increased in that forest, she should be able to defeat it easily.

As monsters go in these Ancient Ruins, this is one of the lowest-ranking. The enemies that appear don’t seem to be very strong.

“They’re coming!”

As Sofia shouted, the watchdogs all started running at once. Monsters pressed in, surrounding us… If this were a game, it would be the kind of situation where one of your companions would shout, “We’re surrounded!” or “This is bad!”

Gilbert was the first to move. He unleashed a horizontal slash at the watchdog that approached him first.

The watchdog couldn’t stop, and Gilbert’s sword struck it. The next moment, he swung through, successfully sending the watchdog flying.

But it wasn’t defeated in one blow. As it tried to regain its stance, other watchdogs attacked us.

“Hah!”

Sofia then attacked. As she swung her sword, a Wind Blade was generated from the tip of the blade, striking the watchdog directly. It didn’t fall, but she succeeded in blowing it away.

That wasn’t a technique, but an additional effect from wielding Wind Spirits. Adding Spirits allows for some customization of attack methods, and the Sylphs’ perk is the ability to release Wind Blades by swinging a sword.

The range is about several meters. If that had been dodged, the blade would have disappeared in not much time… Now that it’s real, it seems capable of blowing away small monsters to keep them at a distance. This is convenient.

I shifted my gaze to see a watchdog lunging at me. I immediately swung my arm, blowing it away with simple Wind Magic, just like Sofia.

However, this has no power… It would certainly arouse suspicion if I kept defeating them all in one blow. I should think more about how to act so as not to be suspicious… With such thoughts, I fought the watchdog.

Gilbert defeated one watchdog with a flowing series of attacks. Sofia then defeated another watchdog with her ‘Gale Sword,’ whose power was increased by the addition of Sylphs. I, in turn, held back other monsters, occasionally defeating them, reducing their numbers.

The battle lasted less than five minutes. But we managed to defeat the monsters without a scratch.

“Alright, let’s move on.”

Gilbert said as he walked at the front. Sofia and I nodded slightly and followed him.

After that, there were occasional monster attacks, but we defeated them all without injury. Sofia’s movements were excellent, and her physical abilities were somewhat enhanced by the Spirits, so she moved better than before.

However, Sofia didn’t seem satisfied with her own movements. Dissatisfaction even showed on her face, as if it still wasn’t enough—

“Sofia, you mustn’t rush if you’re going to fight the Demon Race.”

“…I understand.”

Sofia nodded at my words. Then she gripped her sword and continued forward, looking ahead.

“I see it.”

Then Gilbert’s voice. When I turned my gaze, I saw a stone-built Ancient Ruin, the height of a two-story building, directly in front of us.

It was probably a fortress originally. However, perhaps because it’s in a forest, vines and various other plants are growing freely all over its exterior.

Furthermore, the building was quite dilapidated. An entrance was visible at the front, but it felt like one could enter the interior through gaps existing somewhere.

“Alright, this is where the real work begins.”

Gilbert walked towards the entrance, cautiously surveying his surroundings. Sofia and I followed his movements… It was at that moment.

A metallic sound reached my ears. Sofia and Gilbert also seemed to notice it, exchanging glances. I was the first to speak.

“…It seems everyone noticed.”

“Then it’s not an auditory hallucination… which means”

Gilbert looked up at the building and said,

“It means there are already people here… Is this bad luck to arrive at this timing, or should I see it as good that we got here before the treasure was snatched?”

“Should we join them?”

When I asked, Gilbert shrugged.

“It would be good if they responded to our call… Well, it’s fine. Let’s go in anyway.”

Gilbert started walking. Sofia and I exchanged glances—then nodded simultaneously and proceeded into the building.

If it were a simple fight, there would be no chance of losing. But this time, things were different… As I pondered how we should act, we entered the building.