Chapter 4

Walking cautiously through the cave illuminated by the red light emitted from the sword, I could occasionally hear the growls of beasts from the surroundings, but I didn’t sense any of them approaching... or so I thought.

“After all, I’m not the type who can read auras or anything.”

If a regular Japanese person claimed they could read auras, they’d be met with a lukewarm gaze.

Therefore, there are almost no people who train such skills. I’m no exception.

“Still, I have a weapon and a light source. If it comes to a fight, I should be able to handle it somehow...”

I said this out loud to encourage myself.

Currently, I’m equipped with a two-handed sword that can cast the area-of-effect fire magic [Meteor Crash] and [Mist Freeze] through Auto-Cast, and a robe that prevents spell interruption.

Additionally, I have a set of a mantle and boots that significantly increase attack speed, allowing me to perform over seven attacks per second.

“The magic stones... would it be a waste? I can’t replenish them, after all.”

The greatest weakness of a Magic Knight is their endurance on the battlefield.

While there are various types of magic stones that provide the highest attack power for this class, one cannot possess more than a certain number of the same type. They have a property that causes them to repel each other, and if you exceed the limit, they will explode and kill you instantly.

In a game where endurance is a necessary attribute for leveling up, the Magic Knight can only unleash its maximum power momentarily.

This is one of the reasons why the Magic Knight class has become unpopular.

Before the nerf, the overwhelming attack power was its charm.

“If I can somehow open the storage... oh, is that it?”

Storage is a service where you can entrust items. You need to pay in-game currency, but it allows you to store over 1,500 items.

In MGO, where even food is a recovery item, this is an essential feature.

While grumbling, I continued forward and saw an iron door in my line of sight.

It was a heavy, steel door that looked like it led to something significant. It was a double door, sturdy, with a round orb embedded in the center.

Beyond that door should be a small room.

“If this were a tabletop game, I’d have a thief check for traps... but I don’t have that skill.”

MGO also has a Thief class, but they don’t have the ability to disarm traps.

This is just a reflection of the game’s combat tendencies.

I cautiously reached out to the door, and when I touched it, I felt a tingling sensation and instinctively pulled my hand back.

“Whoa!?”

I reflexively took a step back and readied my sword, thinking I was cowardly, but being cautious is not a bad thing.

After a few seconds with no changes—though the orb in the center seemed slightly dull—I decided to try touching it again.

The door then opened with a heavy thud.

I waited for a few more seconds, but nothing came out from inside.

It was pitch black inside, and I could only hear the sound of water trickling and a child’s cry.

I leaned in to peek into the dark room, sword in hand, ready to probe the darkness.

The small room was about ten meters wide and five meters high.

The floor was spotlessly clean, and there was a fountain attached to the back wall.

On the wall was a magnificent statue, more impressive than the Statue of David, with water leaking irregularly from its crotch.

However, the model was clearly an adult male, and unlike the little peeing boy, the statue’s member was proudly erect, pointing to the sky. The water spurted out irregularly, evoking something adult and designated.

“Who the hell designed this statue!?”

I couldn’t help but shout at the sight of the statue.

The child on the pedestal inside the fountain reacted to my voice.

A young girl was sitting naked on the pedestal, surrounded by a thin, film-like barrier that seemed to be restraining her.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah. Who are you, miss?”

I was at a loss for words when asked my name.

My name from Japan was clearly male, so it would feel strange to use it in this form... probably.

So, I should use my in-game name.

“I’m Yumiru. What’s your name?”

Using “I” felt strange, so I compromised with “I” (ボク).

I can normally refer to myself as “I” (私) in the office, but it felt odd here.

“...Alyusha.”

“Alyusha? That’s a nice name.”

I was relieved that she understood Japanese.

Alyusha had blonde hair and blue eyes, clearly not Japanese. But, was I even speaking Japanese?

Regardless, it seemed we could understand each other, and Alyusha smiled at my compliment.

“Hehe, thank you.”

“Can you come over here?”

“No, this shiny thing is in the way.”

“Just a moment.”

I took a short sword from my item inventory. This short sword has an effect that recovers a certain amount of MP on a successful hit, so I brought it for emergency recovery.

I didn’t know how hard the barrier was, but I didn’t want to use my two-handed sword and scare Alyusha.

I dipped my hand into the water to ensure it was safe, then stepped into the fountain.

When I touched the barrier lightly, it burst like a soap bubble and disappeared.

“Whoa!”

“Kyaa!”

I lost my balance and fell forward.

My sword, which I had intended to use to cut the barrier, now aimed at Alyusha.

I quickly twisted my body and threw the sword away, but I ended up falling into the fountain.

“Splat!”

Alyusha looked at me with a puzzled expression, probably not realizing how dangerous that moment was.

She pointed at me and burst into laughter.

“Haha, Yumiru, you’re so clumsy!”

“What! This, take this!”

I was irritated by being laughed at, so I splashed water at her. It might seem childish, but this level of communication is acceptable.

Alyusha, splashed by the water, jumped off the pedestal and retaliated.

A few minutes later, we were both drenched like wet rats.

The statue continued to spurt water irregularly, so we decided to use the fountain to wash off the sweat.

Alyusha joined me in washing our bodies.

Naked interaction can make people more open, so this was also a way to gather information.

Fortunately, we could close the entrance door, so I locked it with a sword to prevent any suspicious animals from attacking.

“Where did you come from, Alyusha? Do you have a mother?”

“I don’t know. When I woke up, I was here. My mom isn’t here.”

“I see. I’m sorry to ask such a question.”

“It’s okay.”

Alyusha looked about five years old, a classic beauty with long blonde hair.

Her skin was white, and she had no scars on her hands or feet, suggesting she came from a good family.

We used the torso armor I initially wore as a towel to wash each other’s backs.

I confirmed my face in the water, and I was indeed Yumiru.

“How long have you been here?”

“I don’t know. I can’t see the sun.”

“That’s true. There’s no clock either.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you know where this place is?”

This was the most important question I wanted to ask. I looked at her with hopeful eyes.

In my memory, MGO doesn’t have such a vast, open map, and there’s no such terrain in Japan.

So, this place must be somewhere other than Japan or MGO.

“I don’t know. I can’t remember anything.”

“You can’t remember... Could you have amnesia?”

I said this half-jokingly, but Alyusha nodded with a smile.

“Yeah, that’s right. You’re smart, miss.”

“Wait, really!?”

“I only remember my name.”

“No way...”

I washed my body and rinsed my head, feeling a sense of despair.

A child of this age would usually cry if water was poured on their head, but Alyusha was fine.

She must be a tough kid.

Still, I couldn’t fully enjoy the water bath... especially since I was in a girl’s body.

“Well, I can enjoy it anytime. And Alyusha is here too.”

“Hmm?”

The cave was dark, and the water bath was cold, even with the light from the magic sword.

The food I brought included fish, rice cakes, ice, and potions, but nothing to warm us up. I had some alcohol in the storage, but that was it.

It’s natural not to have hot food, as it would be difficult to eat in the middle of a battle.

“Oh, right—”

I couldn’t warm up with food, but what about equipment?

I changed my headgear from the item inventory.

The crown, which looked like a burning laurel wreath, illuminated the surroundings without harming the wearer.

The leaves emitted a warm glow, but they didn’t damage me at all.

“Ta-da, the Crown of the Holy Fire!”

“Wow, it’s so bright! It’s cool!”

“Let me... do this!”

I reached out towards the fountain.

The Crown of the Holy Fire increases fire attack power and resistance while decreasing water resistance. Most importantly, it allows the use of the [Fireball] skill.

I activated the skill from the skill window, which had been added by equipping the crown.

“[Fireball]!”

A circular magic array appeared at the tip of my outstretched arm and at my feet, with intricate patterns forming.

After about a second, the patterns completed, and a fireball shot out from my palm.

“Wow!?”

This was my first time actually casting a spell, so I was surprised by what I had done.

The fireball hit the water and exploded, sending water flying.

The heat instantly boiled the water, and the room was filled with steam like a sauna.

“Wow, that’s amazing! You’re so cool, miss!”

Alyusha, still naked because her clothes were wet, jumped up and down in excitement.

I should have done this from the start to make it a bath.

“Well, it’s too late now. Haha...”

I thought it would be nice if the room temperature rose like a hot spring, but it turned into a sauna.

The humidity would make it take longer for the wet clothes to dry.

“—Ah!”

I had an idea and took off the Crown of the Holy Fire.

As mentioned, this equipment has a burning effect but doesn’t harm the wearer.

But what about other things?

I cut off the hem of the torso armor I initially wore and placed it on the floor near the crown. The fabric immediately caught fire.

“Oh, it burned.”

“Yeah, this could be used as a fire starter.”

I don’t understand the exact mechanics of why it doesn’t harm me, but this is convenient.

It can be used like a lighter or a portable campfire.

I opened the item inventory, took out a few armors, and hung the clothes on them near the crown.

This way, the clothes should dry soon.

The room temperature was rising, so we wouldn’t catch a cold, and everything was fine!

“Alyusha, when our clothes dry, let’s get out of here.”

“Okay!”

And that’s how I met her.