This was the third day since leaving Glafelden. I didn't know how far we'd come. What was clear was we were getting closer to the goal, namely Arnest City. By now, we had arrived at the mountainside after passing through the meadow.
According to an old map I bought from a roadside merchant, Arnest City should be behind the Northern Latitude Mountains. In a world without advanced technology like GPS, maps and compass were the most important determining direction.
The making of maps in this world was made with the ancient art of cartography. Usually, explorers drew places they had visited on paper. I was quite amazed when I saw a map of the Elvian region on sale. That means whoever made this map had come to Elvian territory. Either coming with permission or sneaking in like us, but we were on the right track thanks to him.
"This map is quite accurate," said Dimas as he looked at the compass and matched it with the map laid on the ground. "If we pass the top of this mountain, the city should already be seen."
My eyes looked at Dimas' index finger above the map. The dot that the man marked was where we were now. Based on the map, Arnest's location was parallel to our location. So that was right, we would see the city as soon as we were at the top of the mountain.
The problem was that the height of the Northern Latitude Mountains was so high. I couldn't even see the top because it was covered in thick fog. There were no gaps or valleys to walk through. The distance between mountains and hills was so close as forming a wall that protected a city. So inevitably, we have to climb to the top to pass it.
"Anggi, this is your share!" said Kak Shella while handing me a piece of dry bread. I immediately grabbed it and ate it.
The three of us are currently taking a break for lunch. A piece of hard Glafelden dry bread and water freshly drawn from the stream, those two menus were my lunch today. Not many supplies were brought from Glafelden. We deliberately did that so that the luggage wasn't too heavy. This wasn't a picnic, after all.
The supplies had almost run out. Maybe there were still left for another two or three days. For the rest, we had to find our own food. It wasn't a problem as long as there were wild animals around.
"What do you think we'll face in Arnest City?" I asked Dimas with a little worry. "I'm not sure everything will go smoothly without a hitch."
"You should have thought it before, Idiot!" replied the man curtly.
"I'm just asking."
"We'll know soon as we get there. That's why we shouldn't linger here too long."
After having lunch and resting for a while, the team consisting of Dimas, Kak Shella, and I continued our journey. Climbing the mountain under the hot sun was indeed difficult, especially with the increasingly steep terrain. This mountain had a fairly gentle slope at the foot of the mountain but got steeper from the middle of the mountain to the top.
After looking around, the scenery in this region wasn't bad either. The shady trees spoiled my eye. Mountain range crossed from north to south. Maybe that was why they named it North Latitude Mountains. This work of nature seemed so long that I couldn't see the end. According to the map I brought, this mountain range stretches and divides the West Elvian Kingdom right in the middle. Exactly the same as the Ural Mountains in my old world that split Russia in two.
After an hour passed, the leather bag I was carrying was heavier. It was like I was climbing a mountain while holding a ten-year-old boy. Like Cedric, maybe. The scorching sun made things worse. Our small team rested more often. Kak Shella, who wasn't used to adventure like Dimas and me, often stopped her walk.
The girl looked exhausted. Her body and forehead were sweating, her breath was panting. Her legs were unable to stand up, let alone to walk.
"Drink this!" I said at the girl as I handed her my drinking bag.
Kak Shella, who sat leaning on the trunk of a pine tree, took a large gulp of water into her mouth. "Thank you. Sorry, I'm just being a hindrance to you."
"How many times have I told you, I never thought of you as a burden."
"But at this rate, we won't make much progress," snapped Dimas, who couldn't read the situation. How could he say things like that in front of Kak Shella, who felt depressed.
"I'm sorry," said Kak Shella. She lowered her head to the ground. It was clear in the corner of her eye, a tear was about to fall down her cheek. "I shouldn't tag along with you."
Seeing her like that, I immediately turned to Dimas and shouted, "You idiot! Quick apologize to Kak Shella! Can you take a look before you speak?"
But the man didn't heed my words. He walked calmly to Sister Shella, then threw his sling bag to me. Still ignoring me, who protested, Dimas lowered his body and turned his broad and stocky back towards Kak Shella.
Kak Shella raised her head and was stunned. The expression on her face clearly hinted a big question mark.
"Leave your luggage to Anggi. Let me carry you," said Dimas, looking deeply at Kak Shella.
"Eh? Doesn't it bother you?" asked Kak Shella in surprise.
"I offered to help first, so I don't mind."
The girl looked at my face and Dimas alternately. Kak Shella was still unsure. Maybe feeling bad had made Dimas trouble. She bit her lower lip and took a step closer nervously. The girl with black hair on her back finally firmly hugged Dimas back from behind.
Dimas got up with one beat while carrying a girl on his back. He walked up the uphill terrain in the hot sun as if it was nothing. I was amazed to see it. I already knew his nature that he liked to help people in need. But still, I felt amazed to see it.
Not because of Dimas' character, but this scene was similar to the comic romance scenes I usually read in Letoon. The protagonist held the female character who couldn't walk anymore. Then the two began to develop feelings for each other, and a love affair was established. When their closeness was strong, fate tested them by adding a third person between the boy and girl.
Arghh, My Goodness! I guessed I read comics too much. Seeing that scene in real life filled my heart with all kinds of feelings. Excitement, awe, and shame mixed into one. That was from the point of view of an observer like me. I didn't know what the two of them felt firsthand. Maybe stronger than what I thought.
Thanks to Dimas, who carried Kak Shella, we didn't often stop anymore. Travelling became more effective. Even though I had to carry all their luggage.
Honestly, I was amazed by the physical development of my body. When I first came to this world, I was easily weak and tired. But now, I could climb the mountain while carrying Kak Shella's big backpack and Dimas' leather bag at the same time. Having physical work experience has made my physical abilities stronger for the past year.
Likewise, with Dimas. His physical was much different compared to one year ago. His muscle body began to harden even though it was still very far from Grussel.
The night sky was about to come. The fog descended from the top of the mountain and rapidly dropped the temperature. I looked up, gray clouds hanging so close mixed with thick fog that reduced visibility. The trees around seemed to be devoured by white cotton.
The wind blew and caressed my hair. The cold was bone-chilling and made me rub my hands to warm myself. But it was useless. The combination of the night atmosphere and mountain fog created a cold temperature that made the body shiver. Not to mention the raindrops that started falling one by one.
"We have to find shelter soon," I exclaimed, walking behind the couple. "Looks like it's going to rain soon. We'll freeze to death if it rains in this insane cold."
Dimas, still carrying Kak Shella, lifted his head and then looked around. "You're right. But we have no place to take shelter. There are only trees here as far as I can see."
"I have a tarp in my backpack," said Kak Shella, who was hugging Dimas tightly from behind. "We can use it to make a makeshift tent."
"You brought it here?" I pointed to the large backpack I was carrying.
"Yes."
After thanking Dimas, Kak Shella got off the man's arms and walked towards me. I put her backpack on the ground and let Kak Shella open the bag herself. A moment later, he took out a piece of tarpaulin measuring about 3 x 3 meters.
Dimas took the initiative to look for a short tree with shady leaves. The man tied the four ends of the tarpaulin to the tree's branches above our head. I helped while following the instructions he gave. Once finished, the tarpaulin formed like a canopy that sheltered anyone under it. If you peddled fruit in baskets, this place would be like a street stall.
Not five minutes after setting up the emergency tent, it started to rain, accompanied by thick fog. It created a bone-chilling chill. Somehow I got a bad feeling about this.