Chapter 122: Explorer Schmoth Aliburn
ㅤJust as I was about to continue the conversation, I sensed a presence outside the room.
ㅤAnd not outside the door, but outside the window.
ㅤMoreover, it was on the side where there should be a cliff below the window.
ㅤ
ㅤI drew my sword and raised my voice.
ㅤ
ㅤ”――Who’s there!?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Nuwah!?”
ㅤ
ㅤA surprised voice came from outside the window.
ㅤThen, there was a sound like something tumbling down the cliff.
ㅤ
ㅤI ran over and opened the window.
ㅤLooking down from the window, I saw a figure half-buried in the rubble about three meters below.
ㅤThey were wearing a white jumpsuit-like outfit and a white hat with a round brim.
ㅤ
ㅤ（It’s that. An explorer from those old games who would die from a small drop.）
ㅤ
ㅤHowever, the person currently curled up in a painful posture below the window seemed to be a girl.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ouch… Don’t surprise me like that!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well… I think that’s my line…”
ㅤ
ㅤI unconsciously retorted, being scolded by the person who was trying to peek through the window.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Miicha. What do you think you’re doing trying to eavesdrop on a conversation with an important guest!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe Village Chief stood next to me and said that towards the window below.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Um… who are you?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’m glad you asked!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe explorer girl below the window said in response to my question to the Village Chief.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I am Schmos, the only explorer of the Navel of the World! The one who will unravel the world’s mysteries!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe girl said so, puffing out her thin chest.
ㅤ
ㅤShe was an innocent-looking girl with flaxen hair and hazel eyes.
ㅤShe was probably the same age as me and Arsh, or maybe a little older.
ㅤHowever, she was even shorter than me, who was already short for my age.
ㅤ
ㅤ（I didn’t sense her presence until she got close to the window, so she might be surprisingly skilled.）
ㅤ
ㅤ”Miicha. There are many dangerous places in the Navel, and powerful monsters can appear. Playing explorer is fine, but――”
ㅤ
ㅤ”What!? It was me who discovered that guest!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ah, come to think of it, the explorer did say she found us.”
ㅤ
ㅤMiicha? Schmos? nodded vigorously at my words.
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s right! Explorer Schmos ・Alveran, who went out for a regular investigation of the sealed room, discovered that the sealed room, which should have been closed for decades, was open! Explorer Schmos, suppressing her rising excitement, peeked inside! And there she saw two lovely girls――Explorer Schmos, after rescuing these two beautiful girls who looked clearly unfortunate, returned to re-explore the sealed room――”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Clearly unfortunate…”
ㅤ
ㅤArsh was slightly depressed by the explorer’s words.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Well, I doubt if they are beautiful girls.）
ㅤ
ㅤShe could at least tone down the exaggeration.
ㅤ
ㅤ”So, you were the one who found us. Thank you very much.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You’re welcome! However, the arrogant chief of Hope Village detained the guests and shut out this explorer, Schmos, the first discoverer! How evil! How cunning! Why are uncivilized tribes always so cruel, ignorant, and uncultured!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Who’s uncultured? What are you talking about, skipping village school and wandering around the Navel?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”…Well, I kind of understand the situation… but I actually want to hear about the situation when we were found, so would you mind coming in?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Eh, really?”
ㅤ
ㅤThe explorer said, blinking in surprise.
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s right. I should have properly introduced you to the guests. Come on, wipe off the mud and come in quickly.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”In that case, right away! ――And so the explorer won the cooperation of the local chief and had an encounter with the mysterious girls discovered in the ruins――”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’ll shut you out if you don’t hurry.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ah, wait, I’m coming!”
ㅤ
ㅤAt the Village Chief’s words, the explorer jumped up, dusted herself off, and ran towards the front door of the house.
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ”I apologize for the late introduction. This is Miicha. She seems to have stowed away on a merchant ship that drifted to the Navel. An unlucky girl.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Stowed away…”
ㅤ
ㅤWhen I involuntarily looked at Arsh, she quickly averted her gaze.
ㅤ
ㅤ”What about being an explorer?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I am explorer Schmos ・Alveran!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Isn’t it Miicha?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s Schmos!”
ㅤ
ㅤI turned my eyes to the Village Chief.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I don’t know if she’s serious or not. According to her, she’s a rare explorer who came to this place to unravel the mysteries of the Navel of the World.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe Village Chief’s words were mixed with pity.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Ah… I wonder if she convinced herself of that to endure the harsh situation.）
ㅤ
ㅤI wonder if it’s better to play along with this kind of thing, or not.
ㅤ
ㅤHowever, it’s a fact that she found us.
ㅤThe thought of what would have happened if we had been found by the pirates first sends shivers down my spine.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Um, Schmos-san. Thank you very much for saving us.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes.” Explorer Schmos nodded magnanimously.
ㅤ
ㅤAh, that’s not a narration.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Could you tell us more about the situation when we were found?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That day, explorer Schmos was troubled. There are numerous unknown ruins in the Navel, and their style is different from anything in the East or West, past or present. The Navel is clearly deviating from the surrounding world. It’s as if only the correct history remains here, and the history of the rest of the world has been rewritten――”
ㅤ
ㅤI was startled by her suddenly saying something that sounded plausible, but it’s just a personal opinion.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Schmos’ attempts to enter the unexplored ruins of the Navel had all been in vain. But a true explorer never gives up. Schmos diligently carried out her routine patrol and investigation of the ruins.
ㅤAnd she was astonished. The sealed room was open! And what the explorer discovered there was――”
ㅤ
ㅤ”The two of us, right?”
ㅤ
ㅤI said it preemptively because I didn’t want her to emphasize how unfortunate we looked.
ㅤ
ㅤ”What was the situation in the sealed room?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well, uh, yeah. The sealed room was about… ten times the length of my arms spread out like this. The width, depth, and height too.”
ㅤ
ㅤSchmos said in a slightly casual tone.
ㅤ
ㅤ”The two of you were collapsed in the middle of it. There was a pretty big circle drawn around where you were lying, but it was charred black when I saw it.”
ㅤ
ㅤIt seems that the transfer formation connecting the outside world and the Navel was burnt out because Arsh made it go haywire.
ㅤOf course, we’re hiding the fact that the transfer formation was two-way.
ㅤBecause Arsh might be blamed.
ㅤ
ㅤ”There was no one else, right? Did you see anyone coming out of the sealed room?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, but… do you have someone in mind?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Eh, no, not really.
ㅤWas there anything else strange? Like any changes in places other than the sealed room?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Of course, explorer Schmos, who is meticulous in all things, immediately investigated that point. The investigation was extremely thorough, but――”
ㅤ
ㅤ”There was nothing, right?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”…Yeah, well, something like that…”
ㅤ
ㅤSchmos said, slightly deflated.