Chapter 5

The rustling of the forest can be heard.

Bird-like sounds, animal cries, familiar yet unfamiliar.

The situation evokes memories of the mountains where her grandfather took her, and her unease grows.

"Where am I...? Ah, I'm late. I had a perfect attendance record."

She looks around with a sense of escapism.

"Hmm. The vegetation is Japanese... This is probably a Kashi (Quercus serrata). Acorns are falling, too. This must be a Konara (Quercus acutissima)."

Because her grandfather was a farmer and part-time hunter, she has been going into the mountains since she was a child.

Therefore, she never mistakes the types of trees.

"Is this somewhere in Japan?"

When firewood is densely packed, it is likely that the forest has been managed by humans.

If so, there should be a residential area nearby.

"First, I need to find a house. Let's check my belongings first."

Since it is unclear how much she needs to move to find a house, she first checks her belongings.

"Three notebooks, five ballpoint pens, two lighters, two towels, one 500ml water bottle, three portable meals, two solar chargers, two smartphone batteries, and a tool set."

Because she often skips lunch, having portable meals has been fortunate. Additionally, due to her job, her smartphone often runs out of battery, so she has a well-equipped charging system.

"The phone signal... no good. The compass works. What rural area is this?"

In a rural forest, there are also many dangerous creatures, so self-defense tools are necessary.

"If I encounter any, it will probably be snakes and wild dogs. The tool set includes a large cutter knife. I'll have to make do with that for now."

She processes the tip of a thick branch about 120 cm long into a fork to pin down snakes and use it as a walking stick.

"I hope I don't run into leeches and ticks. This suit leaves me too vulnerable."

She wraps a towel around her neck for protection. To check if there is a path, she finds a nearby tree that is easy to climb and ascends.

"It's been over 20 years since I climbed a tree. I hope it's sturdy."

Aware of her metabolic syndrome, she wants to avoid a serious injury from the branch breaking under her weight.

After about 20 minutes, she climbs to a spot with a good view and looks around.

"What is this?"

She is speechless. The forest stretches as far as the eye can see.

Clearly, this is not the terrain of Japan. If there were this much flat land, it would have been developed.

“……From this side to that side……”

She recalls the words spoken by the interface.

"Hey, this isn't Japan... Where am I, then?"