Chapter 251.1. Unrestricted Rules For Unobservable Place

A gentle spring breeze rustled by the lakeside. With her gray hair lightly floating in the air, Mii-chan was enjoying her lunch on top of a rock. 
She munched on her homemade onigiris, savoring the sweet tamagoyaki as a side dish. She ate the octopus-shaped sausages and sipped the warm miso soup.
Although I made a face as she swallowed a cherry tomato, finding them a bit challenging, I washed it down with a gulp of barley tea. Secretly, I regretted adding sugar to the tea.
After finishing my lunchbox, I closed the lid with satisfaction and let out a sigh.
“Thanks for the meal! Mama’s bentos are always the best, aren’t they?”
No gourmet dish could compare to mama’s homemade bento. I swung my legs happily. 
I gazed at the swaying grassy plains and considered whether she should take a nap. A soft yawn escaped her lips.
However, if I took a nap now, the rabbit might overtake her. And the competitor wasn’t a tortoise, but a wolf.
“Now, onto the 3rd checkpoint…”
Looking at the exit of the second checkpoint, I thought that Elizabeth wouldn’t show up anytime soon. Licking a grain of rice off her thumb, she shifted to a serious expression. 
Lake Biwa Race consisted of 5 checkpoints. Four were located around the lake, forming a course with various hazardous terrains.
Passing through these checkpoints would allow racers to circle the lake. However, the 3rd checkpoint was different.
The Misty Dungeon
A management dungeon located at the heart of Lake Biwa.
It had five levels, and the world inside was shrouded in mist. Upon entering, the mist was so thick that it reduced people’s visibility to just a few inches. 
Furthermore, the mist within the dungeon had a weak anti-magic effect, interfering with surveillance, teleportation, and detection magics.
Moreover, numerous magical creatures hid within the mist, capable of easily destroying surveillance powered by science. 
In essence, people couldn’t capture the dungeon’s interior on . The implication of this was…
In other words, it was a dangerous dungeon where rules and opinions didn’t matter, and foul play was encouraged.
Except for the Free Class, this Misty Dungeon wasn’t utilized. Only the Free Class had access to this potentially deadly course. 
In the original story, Elizabeth had cleared it effortlessly. But in reality, she wouldn’t likely do it like that.
Traps were undoubtedly present. It was common knowledge that this dungeon was laden with traps, prompting everyone to be on guard. Typically, battles would start from encountering these traps.
However, Elizabeth hadn’t caught up yet. Even though it wouldn’t be strange for her to push herself to catch up to Mii-chan.
Perhaps she hadn’t caught up because of the traps…
“Oh? She’s catching up.”
Just as I thought this, Elizabeth appeared in a cloud of dust, racing forward. 
Her drill roll had leaves and branches entangled, her face was muddy, and her fur bikini was tattered. Nevertheless, her battle spirit was still fully intact as she wore a ferocious grin.
It’s a bit different from what I expected, isn’t it? I thought it would be a course of laughter saying, ‘I fell into the trap.’.
“Huff, I’ve fallen quite far behind.”
After she confirmed Mii-chan’s position, she jumped off her float board and immediately started eating her lunch. 
She swiftly sucked down a tube of nutrition, opened her float board’s mana drive, efficiently exchanged magic stones, and settled into a meditative posture to meditate. 
She was healing her tired body and replenishing her mana. In this race, sheer determination alone wouldn’t lead to victory. We had to challenge the race while properly recovering their mana.
Mi-chan also had to take a break after eating her lunch. It wasn’t just because she wanted to enjoy her mom’s bento. 
Elizabeth, on the other hand, paid no mind to the jerky I waved and focused on regulating her breathing.
Her demeanor was that of a serious racer.
I reassessed Elizabeth’s evaluation while watching this scene with a wry smile. 
I had thought Elizabeth was cunning, but maybe her appearance wasn’t deceiving. Perhaps I should try getting a little closer.
“Elizabeth-chan, could it be that you end your break as soon as I start?”
“…Yes. Your power is remarkable. However, I sensed that you might exhaust yourself in a short-term battle. Wolves don’t let their prey escape once they’ve set their sights. I’ll stick closely and seize opportunities.”
“I see. Elizabeth-chan, you’re quite noble.”
When Mii-chan addressed her, Elizabeth answered with one eye open. She was like a wolf girl straight out of the original story. 
There was nothing but sincerity in her demeanor and not a trace of cunning.
Hmm, I might have to take back what I said earlier. Despite Elizabeth’s abilities, she seemed like a sheltered girl, simple and straightforward, easily swayed by her appetites.
Could someone have incited this faction commotion…?
If that’s the case… I can foresee the worst future, and it’s quite frustrating. 
The Night of Magic doesn’t show mercy, after all.
“Having had lunch and being full, let’s take a short lunch break!”
“Is this your way of evening the odds? I’ll let you know that your ease will become your weakness.”
Lying down on a boulder, I rested for about 10 minutes. During this time, Elizabeth regulated her mana and smiled motivated.
“Well then, let’s charge into the Misty Dungeon!”
“Hmph, I’ll discern whether it’s confidence or a scheme.”
It seemed even if we set off together. It didn’t bother Elizabeth. So she wasn’t the sly type, just as I thought.