"Yaaawn..."

Huh? Why am I sleeping in a tent? Oh, right, I spent the night in another world. Last night, I used a teleportation spell in secret to return to the Great Mage's house, then went through a portal back home to check my emails before returning.

I thought about just sleeping at home and coming back to this world in the morning. But technically, I’m supposed to be on a trip with my friends, and it would cause concern here if my tent suddenly turned up empty.

I put on my armor, which I’d taken off before bed, and stepped out of the tent. It seemed everyone else was already up and preparing for the day.

"Good morning, Mr. Darga, Ms. Sara."

"Oh, good morning, Masayoshi."

"Good morning, Master Masayoshi."

Darga and Sara were examining something that looked like a map. They were probably reviewing today’s route.

"Did you sleep well last night?"

"Yes, thank you. Did you, Sara?"

"Yes, there was a soft bed in the carriage, so I slept comfortably."

"Oh, that’s good."

So, there was even a bed in the carriage? I guess they take care of those things properly for a princess.

To be honest, I couldn’t fall asleep easily last night. Besides the hard ground and the sleeping bag, the thought of being in another world with dangerous creatures around made me nervous.

My danger-sensing skill apparently works even when I’m asleep, but fear is still fear. Even though I inherited the powers of the Great Mage, I’m still a bit of a scaredy-cat.

"Alright, let’s get going once everyone’s ready. If we take a break and have a meal around noon, we should reach the town before nightfall."

"Understood."

It looked like there wouldn’t be any breakfast. I remembered that Japan used to have two meals a day too, so it’s probably a cultural thing.

In the first carriage, I rode with Sara and Gina, while Darga rode in the second carriage with the captured bandits. They planned to interrogate the bandits once we reached the town.

It was likely the work of either the First or Second Prince, but these bandits were probably just hired muscle with no knowledge of the mastermind. However, the man who infiltrated Sara’s personal guard for over a year might have some information, so they intended to question him thoroughly.

"Oh, by the way, is the forest in that direction famous or anything?"

I’d forgotten to ask this question last night, so I asked Sara and Gina in the carriage. The forest where the Great Mage’s house was located had lots of scary creatures, so I was curious if it was normal for such creatures to be there.

"Oh, Master Masayoshi, could it be that you don’t know?"

"Lady Sara, it seems Master Masayoshi is from a faraway country. Perhaps he simply didn’t know that forest is the world-famous ‘Forest of Destruction.’"

"That makes sense; many people don’t know the location of the Forest of Destruction."

What...did they just say Forest of Destruction?

"Every child hears about the Forest of Destruction at least once from their parents. When I was little, my mother used to tell me that monsters from the Forest of Destruction would come eat me if I misbehaved."

"Oh, Gina, me too. My mother used to tell me that. The forest is said to be a place where renowned monsters naturally gather, constantly engaged in fierce survival battles."

"It’s said that even a single monster from the Forest of Destruction has the strength of an entire army of a small country. If all the monsters in that forest decided to attack, the world would be doomed."

...Who would build a house in a place like that? No wonder I thought the creatures in that forest were terrifying!

"Oh, so that’s the famous Forest of Destruction! I’m so glad we didn’t head that way."

I played along. There was no way I could tell them I’d come from inside that forest.

"I once ventured within a kilometer of that forest, but the overwhelming fear prevented me from going any further. No one willingly enters the Forest of Destruction."

"I see."

...Though there is someone who built a house right in the middle of it. What was the Great Mage thinking, building a house there?

Come to think of it, is the Great Mage famous in this country? If he’s living in such a dangerous forest, he must be incredibly powerful and well-known.

"By the way, do you two know a Great Mage named Hardy Urnus?"

"Of course."

"Yes, everyone does. There are many mages, but Hardy is the only one revered as a Great Mage."

"I became a mage because of Hardy! He defeated the Demon King alone, stopped a massive monster rampage, and single-handedly held back an army of over ten thousand soldiers. He’s a legend! Oh, how I wish I could have met him just once while he was alive!"

...Wow, he was more famous than I thought. Taking down the Demon King alone is particularly impressive. Gina’s admiration for the Great Mage is almost intimidating.

"So, He was a renowned figure in this country too. By the way, what era did he live in?"

"He was born around 150 years ago in the neighboring country of Altanacia, and the last record of him is from about a hundred years ago when he defeated the Black Flame Dragon disaster. After that, he left on a journey, leaving behind many wives and children."

A fanatic, huh? And official records? Gina’s face lit up as she talked about the Great Mage, and I found myself a bit taken aback.

"...Many wives?"

"Yes, the Great Mage took many women as wives and had children with them. Among them were women from various races, such as elves, dwarves, and beastfolk."

A harem, huh? It seems this world allows polygamy. That Great Mage was really living the dream, leaving his wives and children behind to seclude himself in the Forest of Destruction for magic research. He’s too free-spirited!

"Actually, my mother is a descendant of the Great Mage."

"What! So, Sara, you’re his descendant?"

"Yes. My mother’s marriage to my father was possible partly because she inherited the Great Mage’s blood."

So that’s why Sara’s mother, an elf who faced discrimination, could marry the king.

"To be able to serve Lady Sara, a descendant of the Great Mage—what a blessing! Oh, Great Mage, I apologize. I will ensure that I protect Lady Sara, your descendant!"

"...Please leave her be for a while. Gina is a skilled mage, but she sometimes goes overboard with her admiration for the Great Mage."

"Oh, alright."

Gina gazed into the distance, silently praying to the Great Mage. Yeah, I’d better avoid bringing up the Great Mage around her again.