“…….”

“What are you looking at?”

“Nothing.”

I glanced at Rene, who was following me, and looked forward again.

I had no good reason to refuse Rene's company, so I decided to go with her for the time being.

Let's just think positively.

Although it was mentioned in the description where the beautiful scenery was located in the Demon Realm, I didn't know how to get there, so it wasn't a bad idea to get help from Rene, a resident of the Demon Realm.

The problem was...

'I have to get out of this mansion without being noticed by Crete.'

If I went out through the main gate, Crete would be informed right away.

The back door would be guarded by the Bares family soldiers as well.

I was racking my brain trying to figure out how to get out of the mansion when

“Ah.”

Rene stopped following me and halted her steps.

I also stopped moving and looked back.

“I can't.”

“……?”

“I'll get scolded if I go out.”

To add to the previous sentence, it meant that Rene could be scolded by Crete if she went outside the mansion.

For some reason, Crete hated it when Rene went outside.

I tried to use that as an excuse to get rid of Rene.

“Then how about not going?”

“It's okay.”

“But if you get caught…….”

“I know a secret passage.”

Rene ignored my worried voice and nodded.

I sighed inwardly and had no choice but to follow Rene.

How many minutes had passed since I started following Rene?

The servants who had been all over the mansion started to disappear.

We had reached a place where the servants' feet did not reach.

“Here.”

Rene pointed her index finger at a wall.

There was a small hole in the wall that a grown man could barely fit through.

However, Rene and I were only 17 years old, so we should be able to fit in it.

I narrowed my eyes and looked at the hole and Rene alternately.

“You seem to be quite familiar with this place.”

“…….”

Rene kept her mouth shut and exercised her right to remain silent.

That silence implied that she had already been out through the hole countless times.

At first glance, I thought she was just cold and stiff, but she had a surprisingly bold side to her.

I turned my gaze away from Rene and pointed to the hole, saying,

"Let's go for now. If we delay any longer, we'll definitely get caught."

"Yeah."

Rene and I hurriedly passed through the hole and emerged outside.

We had successfully escaped the Bares family's territory without much difficulty.

"Where are we going now?"

"It's not far from here. We should be able to get there by today."

"Where is it?"

When Rene asked, I thought for a moment before answering.

"The territory of the Undead."

"......That place."

"You know about it?"

"I do."

Rene nodded with a face that had grown heavy.

The territory of the Undead.

During the Human-Demon War over a decade ago, there was a family that was annihilated by the human side.

They were originally a clan of 'necromancers' who wielded death, and when they died, they were returned to their family's territory.

The ghosts that remained in the territory became soldiers for the family.

'The strength of those soldiers is far weaker than when they were alive, but their numbers are too great......'

They weren't just one or two.

The entire family had been wiped out.

Without a sorcerer to control them, their power would have been halved, but their numbers would have increased.

It was probably a mid-level dungeon, just short of being a high-level dungeon.

In that sense, it was right to have Rene accompany me.

A dungeon dangerous enough to make Rene, who easily conquers mid-level dungeons, nervous.

However, if I made good use of my traits and Rene, I would be able to conquer it sufficiently.

The traits and talents I possessed were well-suited to that dungeon.

"I'll take the lead."

"Yes, please do."

Rene, with her movements sluggish from thinking, stepped forward, leaving me behind.

I started walking behind her.

......We had been walking like that for about ten minutes.

However, our destination was nowhere to be seen.

All that stretched out before us were still bizarre trees and grasses.

I sighed in frustration and asked Rene.

"How long will it take to get there from here?"

"......?"

Rene looked at me with a puzzled expression.

Her gaze seemed to say, "You're the one who suggested going there, so why don't you know?"

I wondered what to say, then came up with a good excuse.

"Due to my circumstances, I have never left the Bares family's territory, so I lack knowledge of the surrounding area. I am only doing this on the orders of Lord Crete."

"Ah."

Rene nodded as if she understood.

The priests never showed their faces outside.

That also meant that their words did not spread outside.

That was why it was easy to deceive Rene.

Swish.

Rene scanned the mountain we were climbing.

"We're almost there."

"Really?"

"Yeah, we just have to get over there."

Rene said, pointing her finger.

My gaze followed Rene's finger and stopped at a certain point.

...Didn't she just say 'almost'?

The place Rene was pointing at was quite a distance away from here.

It was at least twice as far as the distance we had climbed.

"W-We'll be there soon, right...?"

"Yeah."

Rene nodded.