【Adventurer Mitran】Advancing Through the Ruins, Onward and Onward

“Wh, where are we......!?”

“‘The 20th Trial’...... also known as the ‘Trial of Wisdom’, it seems.”

After we broke through ‘The 19th Trial’ by ignoring its gimmick, what awaited us was a small room, the complete opposite of the last one.

But it's not just small!

Along the walls stand statues shaped like all kinds of monsters, and on top of that, there's a big cage in the middle.

Inside the cage is a glittering pedestal, and on it sits a splendid key under a transparent case.

“That key is......”

“Without a doubt, it must be what we need to go on beyond this room.”

Leseida-san and I nodded to each other, then looked over at the door leading out of this room.

Unlike the doors so far, this one has a big lock fitted to it, and anyone can see that to open it, you need the key shut away in the cage!

But......

“Then how are we supposed to open that cage?”

“Now, that is the question. I imagine that is why it is called the ‘Trial of Wisdom’.”

Seeing me groan, brow furrowed and head tilted, Leseida-san gave a wry smile.

Then, Leseida-san took out a notebook and began jotting something down.

“Leave this to me. I shall now investigate this room and find the way forward. You two, rest for a while, and......”

But it was then.

“Raaaaaaaaah!!”

The cage and key in the center of the room!

The meaningful-looking monster statues!

And even the hint secretly written in the corner of the ceiling!

That Emi-chan completely ignored every last bit of it, punched the exit door to pieces, lock and all, and opened a huge hole leading to the next room!

““EHHHHHH!?””

DOGAAAN!!

To the roar of the door being blown apart, Leseida-san and I screamed in sheer astonishment!

As for Emi-chan, amid the billowing clouds of dust, she puffed out her chest smugly.

“Hmph.”

She gave a snort, and then:

“The truly wise, do not fight on the opponent's terms.”

......That's what she declared!

“I mean, that might be true, but......”

The words ‘In your case, aren't you just forcing your way through with violence because the gimmicks are a pain?’ were right on the tip of my tongue, but I somehow managed to swallow them.

Because, as it turns out, Emi-chan's violence is a huge help to us.

“Come on. Onward. Moving.”

“Right......”

Pushing through the dust that had yet to settle, the three of us moved into the next room.

And this time, what greeted us was a long, narrow little room.

The walls all around are densely covered in something that looks like patterns......

“Wh, where are we......!?”

“‘The 21st Trial’...... also known as the ‘Trial of Singing’, it seems.”

Once again, Leseida-san answers the question I murmured by deciphering the explanation set into the wall.

In other words, these pattern-like things are...... musical scores!?

“Raaaaaaaaah!!”

DOGAAAN!!

But Emi-chan, glancing at me as I pondered, walked straight to the exit door, and as expected, smashed it to pieces, opening a giant hole that led to the next room!

““............””

Leseida-san and I were just...... tired of being surprised.

Without a word, we just follow along after Emi-chan as she forges ahead.

The next thing awaiting us was a small room.

The exit door was shut tight.

Beside it, there was a container designed to hold some kind of liquid.

Surely, if we put something in this container, the door would open.

Yeah, surely, yeah, that must be the gimmick.

“Raaaaaaaaah!!”

DOGAAAN!!

But since Emi-chan is with us, it doesn't matter what kind of gimmick there is!

As she stepped through the giant hole she had smashed open, Emi-chan muttered.

“Awfully easy, these trials......”

It's not that they're easy; you're the one making them easy, Emi-chan.

I mean, we aren't even taking the trials, Emi-chan.

◇ ◇ ◇

DOGAAAN!!

DOGAAAN!!

DOGAAAN!!

As you can tell from the roars echoing through these ruins, after that, Emi-chan's violent trampling of the ruins...... I mean, her conquest of the ruins went on smoothly.

Athletic-style trials were all brushed aside by her physical abilities!

Trials that tested knowledge or skills were also, as expected, all brushed aside by those physical abilities!

There was no longer any gimmick in these ruins capable of stopping Emi-chan's rapid advance!

Forcing everything into submission with violence, Emi-chan presses on!

DOGAAAN!!

“Um, the room we were just in was ‘The 30th Trial,’ right?”

“That is correct, Mitran-kun. We have come quite far.”

Leseida-san, briskly jotting down the layout of the rooms in his notebook, follows along with me after Emi-chan, who has gone on ahead.

But.

““Ugh......!?””

The moment we stepped into the next room, our bodies locked up, as if we'd been paralyzed!

Why!?

It's because of 【Intimidation】.

An 【Intimidation】 far beyond the ordinary is pouring out of someone in the next room!

“Wh, what on earth is this......!?”

Leseida-san is trembling all over, pale-faced, desperately gasping for breath.

He's so terrified that even breathing is hard for him!

“Emi-chan! What on earth are you doing!?”

On the other hand, I have the cheats the god gave me!

At this level of 【Intimidation】, my body adapts after a little while and I can move again.

That's why I called out that question.

To Emi-chan, who had gone on ahead into the next room.

......Yes, the one emitting this 【Intimidation】 was Emi-chan.

“............”

Emi-chan is silent.

That air she had until a moment ago, expressionless and eerie at first glance but somehow easygoing, is gone from her now without a trace.

All that's there is pure malice.

You could even say that right now, she's murderous intent in the flesh.

What on earth had happened to her?

That became clear once the dust kicked up by the blown-away door settled.

She was squaring off.

Against three of the villains who had dropped us deep into the ruins earlier!

In other words, we.

......have finally caught up to them!!