Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/2912051601476634937
It’s been two weeks since I set out on my journey.
I’ll get straight to the point.
It was amazing.
“Mmm, so good!”
The words slip out before I know it as I take a big bite of the freshly grilled fish.
La Mer, a town by the sea.
It’s quite a distance from the capital.
The blue ocean stretches out before me.
The sea breeze blows.
All I can hear is the sound of the waves.
It’s the best.
“This is it, isn’t it?”
I mutter without thinking.
It’s a feeling I haven’t experienced in years since becoming Guild Master.
Waking up in the morning.
Going wherever I want.
Eating whatever I want.
I can take on quests if I want.
Or I don’t have to.
No one is rushing me.
No one is forcing paperwork on me.
I’m free.
I was truly free.
I looked out at the ocean.
I soaked in hot springs.
I climbed mountains.
I ate plenty of delicious food.
For the first time in a long while, I took on quests that felt like a true adventurer’s work.
Hunting down bandits.
Escort missions.
Gathering medicinal herbs.
They all brought back fond memories.
It reminded me of my early days.
“Travel really is great, isn’t it?”
A smile slipped out before I knew it.
Of course, I thought about my companions, too.
Leona’s probably still opposed to this, I thought.
Serena’s probably worried, I thought.
Lilia’s probably angry, I thought.
Mia’s probably crying, I thought.
Emma’s probably exasperated, I thought.
Even as I thought about all that, the journey was fun.
But.
“I guess it’s about time to head back.”
I muttered, gazing out the window.
We’d promised to be gone for a month.
Only half the time had passed, but I was thinking of gradually heading back toward the capital.
That morning.
It was while I was eating breakfast in the inn’s dining hall.
“Did you hear?”
The conversation of some adventurers sitting at a nearby table caught my ear.
“It’s a new dungeon, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I heard it was discovered yesterday.”
“And it’s unexplored.”
Unexplored.
I couldn’t help but react to those words.
I guess that’s just how it is when you’re an adventurer.
“Where is it?”
“Deep in the forest, about half a day’s journey from this town.”
“I hear it’s pretty big.”
“Even the top guilds are already on it.”
An unexplored dungeon.
Any adventurer would be curious about that.
I’m no exception.
“……”
I chewed on a piece of bread as I thought it over.
I’m on my way back to the capital anyway.
Just once.
Just once shouldn’t be a problem.
“Just one thing before I head back.”
Muttering that, I stood up.
Deep in the forest.
Sure enough, the dungeon was there.
A massive stone entrance.
It had the atmosphere of an ancient ruin.
It seemed to have only just been discovered, so there were few people around.
“This definitely piques my curiosity.”
Without hesitation, I stepped inside.
The interior was quieter than I’d expected.
There were monsters.
But they weren’t strong.
There were traps, too.
But I could disarm them.
The exploration was going smoothly.
In fact, it was going too smoothly.
A few hours later.
Before I knew it, I had reached what appeared to be the deepest part.
“Is this the end?”
A vast space.
A massive magic circle was engraved in the center.
On the walls were characters I’d never seen before.
Ancient script, perhaps?
“What is this?”
I approached.
I crouched down.
I stared at the magic circle.
It didn’t look particularly unusual.
“It’s not the dungeon core, after all.”
I reached out to test it.
I touched it.
It was at that very moment.
The world froze.
All sound vanished.
Even the wind stopped.
I couldn’t even hear my own breathing.
It felt as if time itself had stopped.
“……?”
Just for a split second.
It really was just a split second.
The next moment.
Everything returned to normal.
The wind blew.
Sounds returned.
As if nothing had happened.
“Was it just my imagination?”
I tilted my head.
There were no noticeable changes.
My body felt fine, too.
The magic circle looked like nothing more than a plain stone.
“What a strange ruin.”
In the end, nothing else happened.
Feeling a little let down, I stand up.
I’ll head back.
That’s what I thought.
I’ll be in the capital in two weeks anyway.
Leona and the others are waiting for me.
I’ve been worrying Emma, too.
It’s about time I went back.
“Well then.”
I readjust the pack on my back.
“Time to head back.”
Muttering that, I headed toward the dungeon’s exit.
In the end, it was a ruin whose true nature I never figured out.
There was that strange magic circle.
I’d felt a mysterious sensation for just a moment.
But that was all.
My body felt fine.
I wasn’t injured.
So there’s no need to worry about it.
Thinking that, I stepped out of the dungeon.
I instinctively squinted against the blinding sunlight.
“Hmm…”
I stretched widely.
The fresh air outside really does feel good.
It was hard to believe it had been several hours since I’d last breathed it.
Just as I was about to head toward the highway,
I suddenly stopped in my tracks.
“Huh?”
In the distance,
I could see a building near the entrance to the forest.
A grand stone building.
And lined up around it were what looked like shops.
“Was this here before?”
I tilted my head.
I had a feeling it wasn’t there before I entered the dungeon.
No.
Was it?
I wasn’t sure.
After all, when I was heading toward the dungeon, I’d been thinking only about the ruins.
Maybe I’d just overlooked it.
“Oh well.”
I stopped thinking about it too deeply.
I just started walking down the road.
After walking for a while,
I passed a few horse-drawn carriages.
“Huh?”
Another sense of something being off.
The shape of the carriages was slightly different.
They seemed more refined than the ones I was used to seeing in the capital.
The wheels looked new, too.
The decorations were unfamiliar, too.
“A new model?”
I muttered without thinking.
Well, new things are constantly coming out in the capital, too.
After traveling for two whole weeks, it’s no wonder I’d come across things I didn’t recognize.
I convinced myself of that.
I continued down the highway.
Along the way, I passed a few other travelers.
But.
“……?”
I wonder why.
I get the feeling everyone is wearing unfamiliar clothes.
Maybe fashion trends have changed.
As I walked along, pondering this, a small town came into view.
“I’ll stay here tonight.”
There’s really no need to rush to the capital.
I still have plenty of time before my one-month deadline.
I entered the inn and headed to the front desk.
“I’d like a room for the night.”
The innkeeper looked up.
“Are you a traveler?”
“Yeah.”
“Where are you from?”
“From La Mer, I suppose.”
The innkeeper nodded.
There was nothing particularly odd about him.
So it was just my imagination after all.
Just as I was thinking that—
My eyes fell on a piece of paper pinned to the wall.
The Royal Capital News.
I glanced at it casually.
Then I saw the date printed there.
I froze.
“…Huh?”
I blinked once.
I thought I must have misread it.
I looked again.
But.
No matter how many times I looked, it didn’t change.
The year printed there was—
five years ahead of the one I knew.
It indicated a time five years in the future.
–
–
If you enjoy our content, feel free to donate, Thank you in advance !
Bro got time travel