We are riding to north under the grace of Sol that rises slowly to Wina. My comrades are awake from their long slumber as the gentle light touches their sleepy eyes, waking them from sweet dreams that will never become reality whenever they wished for it. They begin to greet each other and say beautiful yet meaningless word, hoping that they would receive or get something in return by just saying those pretty words. Then, they put their hands together, as a sign on "hope" and "powerlessness" in front of "The Gods" and chanting the divine words for "The Gods" while hoping "The Gods" can protect us in this journey. Even the unfaithful ones like those Dwarves begin to pray, seeking a "redemption" for their past sins that made them lost their magic a long time ago. What about me? I, myself chuckled, then followed their lead while riding my horse. I don't want to become an "ungrateful leech" that can only pilfer mercy and blessing from "The Divine Realm". Meanwhile, the Dark Elf with black horse over here didn't do anything, except staring at the people with disgusted look.
After I finished praying to the Divine Thrones, I opened my water sack, then I used my magic to make it float and let Nida drinks it. The Terra Elf with tired face and The Sylph Elf with gentle face followed my action. After that, I opened a water sack and bread sack for my own. I enjoyed this small piece of fortune that can fill my bottomless stomach and pour my dry throat for a slight of moment. Somehow, I'm still confused why there are people who can't say at least a word of gratitude to their Creators, who give them everything that they need without asking price in return. But, "they are they" and "me is me", we have different way of life and way of thinking. In the end, only our kindness and faithful prayers that can save us in the end of our lives.
*Cling* "Hmm…?" A message popped out on my face. I clicked it to open it.
[Haru-san, have you eaten your breakfast already?]
Ah, this must be Ayumi, a gentle woman that will become my wife for eternity. What a shame that I still couldn't marry her until now because of work. However, asking that whether I have eaten or not, what an adorable thing of her. Well, let's call her for now.
"I have, Ayumi-san. What's wrong? You haven't contacted me the past five daesh…"
"Nothing…I just want to know how you are feeling. Since the past five daesh are filled with deadly battle. Are you feeling well? Do you feel hurt or sick somewhere around your body?"
"I'm good inside out, thanks for asking. Is there something you need?"
"Umm…can you ride near the first carriage?"
Then, I am riding alongside the first carriage. Ayumi opened the window and gave me something, most likely a breakfast and lunch she makes a moment ago.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Ayumi-san. I didn't know you have prepared this."
"No, no…don't worry. It took quite a while to prepare this because it was quite wobbly inside the carriage haha…" She smiled sweetly when she gave the box to me then I opened the box and ate the content wholeheartedly.
"It's very good, thank you very much. I'll keep the lunch for later." She replies by smiling gently.
"Heeeh….." a voice came from behind Ayumi's.
"Oh-hoo…WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE A PAIR OF LOVEBIRDS DATING BEHIND THEIR TEAMMATES?!" Then Luna reveals herself and grabbed Ayumi's from behind surprising her.
"It's still morning you guys already act lovey-dovey?! How dare you forget about me here hah?!" Luna hugs Ayumi from behind and teases her body.
"Luna-chan! P-please sthawppp…!" Luna starts to tickle Ayumi's waist and stomach with her hands. She keeps doing that until Ayumi cries from laughing.
"I won't, I won't…just you see…!!! Bahahaha!!!"
"Kaichou! You should join to!"
"No, thanks." What kind of crazy invitation is that? Asking a man to tickle her girlfriend body from lower to above. I bet if Ayumi's father sees I'm doing that, he will definitely kill me for sure or throw me into Cathedral.
"Hey Kaichou, did you forget to turn off the broadcasting magic?! Everyone could hear you HAHAHAHA!"
"Heeeeeeeeeh?!" I am surprised by this revelation. Oh, shit not this again.
"Lass, don't you say it so easily, ye ruining this ol' Dwarf mood…" said Khazim while stroking his beard.
"Khazim-san?! Sorry, I—"
"How lucky…I really want to have a girlfriend as well…" said Toval from behind.
"Toval-san?!"
Arnold smirks, "Hey Toval, if you have a girlfriend, I will pity her forever…"
"What why?!"
"She will become your pervert toy…" said Yuna with disgusted face.
"Hey!"
Mikazuchi cleaned her glasses and said, "…especially if she is a young, innocent, devoted and pure maiden who just started to feel her "first love". Truly, how pitiful…"
"That's harsh!"
"…not long after that, Toval will become a young father and when his girlfriend's father knows that, he will beat him into pulp…" Tim joining the conversation.
"How rude! It's not like anyone can beat me!"
"I'll pity the woman who will become Toval's girlfriend or wife, poor thing…" Eliza added.
"Hey! Guys, that's rude!"
"Oyyy…! How dare all of you having fun by yourself!"
"Heck! Rania—KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Well, the situation inside the carriage has become worst and inappropriate…I chose to retreat from there by backing away.
"HEY DO NOT STARTS SCREAMING ON [BROADCAST] UGH, YOU DAMN GIRLS…!" said Arnold clearly feeling annoyed.
"Have you finished your flirting, Leader?" Jack smirked at me.
"Hey, now that's just rude Jack."
After that small ruckus, Jack informed me that we would reach the [Sixth Danger Zone] in 1 or 2 heverra from now. According from Guild Master's information, the area that we will passing through is a dead, vast grassland with dried rivers. The sky is redder from here and the smell will be more awful than before. Jack stated that the scenery on there will be more awful and we can see many Undeads roaming on there on a plain day, because the Sol itself covered by crimson clouds. The concentration of demonic mana on there will be higher that can make you feel a little suffocated if you don't have a blessing from Dragon Gods or Earth Mother.
However, few points that make me feel uneasy are the concentration of demonic mana, Undeads and dead grassland. Jack guessed a dragon might appears on there and I agree with him. Then, I mentioned to him about another possible threats that might have higher chance of appearing on there, such as high-ranked Undeads called "Skeletal Dragon", "Dragon Zombie", "Demonic Plants", "Blight Beasts" and "Blood Beasts." Without further ado, I ordered my party members to chance our caravan formation that suited for the incoming battles.
"Kaichou, are you—bfffpptttttt HEY RANIA CUT IT OFF WITH THIS STICKY WEB THING."
"Leader are you serious?!" asked Abel ignoring Luna.
"Leader, that was just my speculation…please don't change our formation based on mere speculation!"
"Better safe than sorry, Jack." I reassure him.
"Yo boy…this is the best trip ever...how about nice cold ale before I bashed a Dragon head?" said Khazim while waving a flask of ale.
Mikazuchi snatched the flask from Khazim, "Hey! No alcohol before battle you stupid drunk!"
"This is Vetto to Leader, the formation is complete. Everyone is prepared, we are ready for battle."
"Aniki, what if I'm brainwashed the Dragon so I can ride on its back?"
"No." I answer him in a stern tone.
On one of our adventures to [Fanka Hills], the Guild tasked us to subjugate a Lesser Dragon that had been snatching, killing and eating the livestock and villagers on there. We traveled through the vast grassland until we reached on a hidden cave behind a large waterfall and found a Lesser Dragon was sleeping on there. We ambushed it together and fought with it for three or five heverra long. We successfully made it cornered and Del put a sleep magic on the weakened Dragon.
However, the foolish thing when Robert climbed and sat on it, then he put his hand on there and activated [Brainwash] Magic on the unconscious Lesser Dragon, trying to conquer it. But because Robert's [Riding] Ability as well as his [Brainwash] Spell was still E Rank at that time, he failed to brainwash the dragon and made it surprised instead. Then, the dragon started to berserk and then flying to the village direction with high speed, while Robert still on top of its head. It destroyed the entire village and killed dozens of the villagers. Thankfully, we had stationed few of our party members on there as an anticipation after Zikiya told us to do, so they can killed the weakened dragon easily.
I arrived on there a heverra and saw a burned village along with its villagers. But the village chief and survived villagers thanked me while crying hard. They said the dragon went berserk and if there were no Robert and other party members there, all of the villagers would be burned to death. I suddenly knew from where those "reasoning" statements came from, so I excused ourselves from there with my party after I got seal for clearing the mission from the village chief and helped the villagers a bit. On the way back far from the village I, no we smacked Robert few times to punish him. Meanwhile, Zikiya and Yavia disappointed with Robert because he lied to the villagers and they wanted to return to explain the truth to them.
Of course, that would be stupid and ridiculous idea but thanks to Rania and Mikazuchi's words that somehow able to fool them, both of Zikiya and Yavia agreed to keep this matter as long as we help rebuilding the village and helping the villagers until they can back into track. After I returned to mansion and checked my savings as well as my party's savings, it didn't enough to cover all the expenses and my party members also don't have money to spend. So, in the first time in my life, I begged that SHOTA to help me and he solved this problem in instant after few movanth he stepped his foot on there. Now that human village has become our producer for wheat and special fruits from Human Race such as pomegranate, apple, watermelons, and so on.
"Kaichou, I want to use [Mete—" Tim is about to asked something stupid before I cut him off
"No Tim. We can't have you wreak mayhem here" Hearing my answer, I can hear Tim's disappointed voice.
[Meteor Shower] and [Meteor Rain] are a similar spell with different characteristics based on destructive level and range. Both of them may be useful when we are fighting countless enemies on open land, but to use them when you are riding a horse and leading a long caravan would be a foolish idea that can kill all of us along with the enemies in instant. Well, guess I need to discipline Tim later. Meanwhile, Erick suddenly said the he had done making dozens of explosive flasks inside the carriage. Of course, that made me surprised a lot and I warned him with angry tone. But he just that I don't need to worry with nonchalant tone that make me more worried.
We kept riding until we arrived at [Sixth Danger Zone]. Along the way, I witnessed an awful scenery. The land is barren and red-colored. I saw many rotten corpses or even skeletons from dead animals and even humans as well. The sky becomes darker and redder, the clouds become sadder and the wind becomes colder, as if trying to whispering death to our ears. Now, there was nothing left to remember except sorrowful memories and dust.
(I see…they were once live on this land. How sorrowful)
"Everyone, please activate your [Mental Debuff Immunity], we almost arrived at our destination. Please endure the sceneries like this for the next day."
"I had no idea the land will be this bad. I hope there will be survivors' here." Said Ayumi with a sad tone.
If an area was being ravaged by [Rain of Chaos], they need a very long time to recover, except if you purify the entire land. There is a high chance of the land isn't able to recover at all, making it eternally barren, smelly and releasing demonic mana. Slowly but steadily, the land itself will be transformed into an "undead land" and only the power of The Gods, Saints, Prophets, Apostles or Messengers that can restore the land itself it reaches that state. That is why, The Great Temple of Earth Mother, Sky Mother and Ocean Mother is trying really hard to purify and restoring the land into the normal state, even though their efforts are useless in my opinion.
"Survivors? From the human villages around here? Hell no, Humans are weak and fragile creature Ayumi-chan. They will seek protection from stronger people and worship them, making you blind and deaf. But, if they are threatened by someone far stronger than them or their guardians, they will betray you without fail. They will abandon you if you lost your power or authority and they won't even look back at people they left. Majority of the humans is bad and weak people, but I think the humans who have crushed by the power of nobles can be trusted a bit." Rania explained with hatred in her voice.
"Wow, easy there…Ye sure had bad times with humans, don't cha spider lady?" said Khazim.
"I did. It's better to befriend Elves and bunch of talking pebbles rather than groups of pervert thin meat."
"Hey, that is racist ya know?"
"Humans are foolish to break their relationship with Demi-Humans, Elves, Fairies and Dwarves. Since they themselves are far weaker and stupider than we are. Have they lost their mind?"
"You sure resent the Human Race, Rania-dono." Said Abel with calm tone.
"They broke the peace against other races outside their own race. Are they fool? Elves are Immortal beings and you can't kill them easily. Making them distrust you is similar to make yourself suffer for thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years. Did their ancestors even realized what disaster they brought upon themself? How annoying…On the first place, why are we tasked to save them anyway? Just leave them to rot in this land and our problem will be solved instantly."
"This is a Humanity Mission, Rania-dono. The Humanity Mission will not look whether they are good or evil."
"Yeah, yeah…just keep blabbering about your nonsense Paladin Teaching, Sir Julio The Meathead Knight."
I chuckled after hearing that. Yes, Rania's point of view on human is right. She is so straightforward that I can't find any faults in her words. Our parties normally opened for anyone who wants to join in, even humans are allowed to join. But, most of my party members consist of "the injured ones", that means they had an unpleasant experience with the humans, either from persecution, slander, wrong prejudice or false charges. We often traveled to Human Kingdoms back then, and not all of them were bad. Back then, I saw many people doing their business like usual, but I realized the other races outside of Human Race aren't eager to live there for long time. Except, the adventurers who stationed there or born there.
"I can say the humans also discriminate the "ugly" and "poor" ones, even the half-bloods are treated harshly in some Kingdoms. I saw them bullied the weak and poor people without any hesitation." Jack added.
However, our discussion about human suddenly interrupted by a message that popped out in my head.