That morning in the forest, a large figure and a small one were fighting. The former
was a monster called a rock troll, a two-meter-tall humanoid creature with a thick
skin as hard as a stone. The rock troll held a club in its right hand and bared its fangs
to intimidate its opponent. Its weapon was made of lead instead of iron, which was
odd.
The monster was engaged with Mogrim. He was edging closer, ax in hand. "Raaaah!"
he roared as he leaped onto the rock troll and slammed his weapon down. The ax
Mogrim had forged himself easily split the troll's rocklike skin, and it fell with a
pained cry.
"Ha-ha! Didjya see that?!" Mogrim shouted, waving his weapon around. To be honest,
there probably weren't many adventurers in Zoltan who could defeat a rock troll.
"I thought you might have a little trouble fighting since your blessing is more craft
oriented, but you're stronger than I would have guessed," I conceded.
"Wa-ha-ha! 'Cause I've got no talent for any of that magic stuff! I gave up on it and
poured everything into forging and combat skills! Watch this! Throwing Mastery:
Ricochet Toss!"
Mogrim hurled his ax at the monster, and it bounced off.
"Graargh!" a rock troll's dying cry filled the air. The rebounding ax had arced and hit
another rock troll that was hiding nearby and taking aim at us.
"Wa-ha-ha! They don't call me the drake slayer for nothing!"
"Uh-huh. You might really have managed to kill a drake," I said.
"So you finally believe me!"
Mogrim guffawed exuberantly as he pulled his weapon out of the back of the fallen
monster. At this rate, he was liable to launch into another one of his stories, so I
hurriedly clapped my hands.
"That was the last one. Let's keep moving," I urged.
"Yeah, a drake slayer like me— Wait, what were we doing?"
"The drake slayer's job is gathering firewood," I stated, gesturing to the logs I was
carrying on my back.
"Welcome back."
By the time Mogrim and I returned to the meeting point, Rit and Ruti were waiting
for us.
"Looks like you two gathered a good amount," I remarked.
"Yeah, about three days' worth. Not bad for just an hour's work," Rit replied.
"We gave it our all," appended Ruti.
Mogrim and I had only gotten about two days' worth, but we had also run into a
group of rock trolls.
"See, this is what happens when you get caught battling monsters, Mogrim."
"I—I mean, they were all around us. What was I gonna do, leave them alone? Plus,
you were the one saying there was no telling when they might try to attack us."
The dwarf tried to shift the blame as we set our gathered firewood down.
"That's about five days between us. The plan was to reach the gem giants' village
tomorrow, though," Rit stated.
"Yeah, but this is as high as the land can support forest growth. We won't be able to
gather any more firewood past this point."
I tied up the logs and packed it away into my backpack. One day's worth weighed
about seven kilograms, bringing the load to thirty-five for five days. It would have
been nice to use an item box, but they registered each log individually, which meant
imagining each one when retrieving them later. It was challenging to recall every
piece in a large bundle, and it wasn't that uncommon to forget and not be able to get
everything out, so for consumables like this, the surer thing was to lug them like
normal.
"All right, shall we be off?" I asked.
"Yeah! It's nice weather today! This is turning out to be a pretty nice trip!" Rit
exclaimed as she looked upward.
The sky was breathtakingly clear, and there was a gentle breeze blowing. It had
threatened to snow last night, but we'd gotten lucky. Today was even warmer than
we'd expected. Rit was right to say this journey was proving very enjoyable.
Beyond the forest line, the scenery changed.
Without trees to block the view, we could see far off into the distance in all
directions. The sky especially felt wider and closer. Overhead, there was nothing but
blue.
"Okay," I said with resolve.
"Hmm? What is it?" Rit questioned. Then I plopped down on my back and gazed at
the heavens.
"Eh? Uh? Are you okay?!"
"The sky is gorgeous."
"Ah-ha-ha. Ohhhh." Rit laughed and then sat down next to me. "It does feel nice to sit
and watch it."
"Right?"
"What in blazes are you two doing? You realize this is the Wall at the End of the
World, right? The great mountain range feared by all travelers?" Mogrim questioned
with a dumbfounded chuckle.
"We've come all this way, and it's not like you have a lot of opportunities to see sights
like this, so it'd be a waste not to enjoy the scenery, don't you think?" I argued.
"I can't say there's not some logic to that, but—"
"You and Ruti should try lying down like this, too. The grass doesn't feel bad,
either…?" I trailed off. Something odd had caught my attention.
Is the ground shaking?
"What is it, Red?" asked Mogrim.
"It's just it sort of felt like the ground was shaking a little bit."
"An earthquake?"
"It felt different from that."
Mogrim's face went pale, and he put his ear to the ground. Then Ruti looked up at the
mountain with a grim expression.
"Is it an avalanche?!" the dwarf cried.
I shook my head. "No, there's not enough snow for an avalanche… This is…"
We leaped to our feet. The ground seemed to be melting farther up the mountain,
like a wax sculpture held to flame.
"It's a landslide!" I exclaimed.
A plume of dirt whipped up into the air as the wave of sediment bore down on us
like a dragon hunting its prey.
"Wh-what do we do?!" Mogrim shouted.
"Rit!" I called.
"No. I can only maintain my Levitate for a few minutes, and the flight speed is slower
than walking. I can't get us all out of the path."
"Forget me! I'm sure y'all can do something to take care of yourselves!"
Rit grimaced at Mogrim's words.
Ruti, however, kept her calm. She grabbed Mogrim and Rit. "A few minutes is
enough."
"Eh? Ah? Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"
Ruti hurled the two of them about a hundred meters into the air.
"As for me—" Ruti hopped into my arms. "We can escape using your Lightning
Speed."
I started sprinting, cradling Ruti in my arms like a princess.
"I'm the lightest of the three of us, so this is the logical choice. Mhm." My sister
looked extremely satisfied as she wrapped her arms around my neck while I dashed
out of the path of the landslide.
The dirt and rock buried the grassy field as it passed. Yet even that violence, that
terrifying sound, died into silence after a mere ten minutes.
I breathed a sigh of relief as I lowered Ruti to the ground.
"It's over now."
Curiously, Ruti looked a bit disappointed. Looking around, I saw that Rit and Mogrim
had made it to a spot with higher elevation.
"There they are. Looks like they're okay," I observed with relief, sighing.
"Are you okay, Big Brother?"
"Yeah, just a little tired is all."
"Tired? But you shouldn't be able to get worn out."
"Normally, yeah. But being high on a mountain isn't really a typical situation."
Ordinarily, Lightning Speed demanded tremendous amounts of stamina. I
compensated for that with Immunity to Fatigue, but that wasn't enough to cover it
with the thinner air up here.
"It's nothing too bad," I assured her. "It's just been a while since I felt a little
exhausted, so I was surprised."
"Okay. Next time I'll carry you, then," Ruti decided.
"Hmm? Okay, if the time comes, I'll be counting on you."
"Please do."
Ruti looked to be in a good mood as we made our way to Rit and Mogrim.
Fortunately, neither of them appeared injured.
"Are you two all right?" I asked.
Rit nodded. "Yeah, just a little surprised."
"I'm a lot more than just a little surprised! What kinda arm strength do you have to
throw us that kind of distance?" Mogrim yelled.
"I made sure to control it so you didn't fly too far," Ruti stated flatly.
"Wait, that wasn't even full strength?!"
"My Ruti's amazing, isn't she?"
"Why are you bragging?"
"Because she's my sister."
"Yeah, I'm Big Brother's sister."
Mogrim was at a loss for words as he looked at Ruti, while Rit just shrugged and
laughed.
"Okay, now that we know everyone's safe, I'd like to keep heading up, but…" I
stopped there to have a look around.
The landslide had left a trail of mud and rocks of all shapes and sizes in its wake.
Walking through that would be a challenge.
"I guess we'll take a detour."
We found the traces of their camp before noon. The blackened firewood was still
warm to the touch.
"It's been at least ten years since I came out this far, but the scenery's still just as
breathtaking. What do you think, Yarandrala? Nice view, isn't it?" Mistorm asked as
she turned to survey things behind.
I didn't bother to look back, though.
"I'll enjoy the vista after I've met with Red and the others," I replied.
"I see."
I continued pressing forward. I was aware that my tone was sharp, and I knew full
well it was upsetting the party's mood. However, since we'd started hiking through
the mountains, I'd been gripped by a sense of unease. The foliage was cowering.
Something was happening on these peaks. I had no clue what was scaring the plants,
but I was worried for their safety.
"You guys sure are tough," Godwin remarked as he brought up the rear. "We've been
attacked by rock trolls, what, five times since this morning? I'm beat."
"We left while it was still dark, so that was bound to happen," I responded.
As a general rule, monsters were more active at night. Rock trolls could see in the
dark, so they were right at home from dusk until dawn.
"Still, that's the first time I've seen a rock troll with a lead club," Mistorm muttered.
Rock trolls were fairly primitive beings, but they were capable of building small
furnaces and tempering iron. Perhaps out of pride in their tough skin, they did not
craft armor or shields. Instead, they focused on clubs, throwing spears, and other
weapons that suited their powerful arms.
I had never heard of them creating armaments from lead before, either. Perhaps
some other monsters were keeping the trolls away from the iron veins they typically
used.
"Red, Rit, Ruti…"
I knew how capable each of them was. They weren't the sort to be caught unawares,
but…
"I'm going to pick up the pace a little bit," I decided.
"Wait, really?" Despite his complaint, Godwin matched my speed. Tisse silently sped
up as well. She had been largely silent during our trip. Mistorm didn't fall behind,
either, muttering, "Dearie me" and shaking her head. For a woman old enough to rely
on a walking stick, that was no trivial feat.
The boots Mistorm was wearing had been made by a dwarf. They were likely
enchanted to decrease stamina consumption.
Everyone's doing well to keep moving… I really should apologize once we meet up with
Red's group. But for now, I hope they'll excuse my selfish and haughty high elf behavior
for a little longer.
After we pushed on for a while, there was an audible tremor from farther up the
mountain.
"It's a landslide. It won't hit us directly, but there is a chance the rocks and dirt will
cross our route," Tisse said.
"Oh, I've never seen a landslide for myself before," Godwin offered.
We pulled back a bit, and before long, the wave of soil passed with a thundering
sound. Our trail was buried in dirt and stone. It was fortunate we'd left the path
when we had.
"Well, ain't that a mess."
Mistorm was right. The slope of the peak we were trying to climb was blanketed in
loose earth and rock.
Godwin looked pale. "Wait a minute, what about Red and the others? They're ahead
of us, right?"
"It's okay," Tisse assured him, her expression unchanged as she touched the ground.
"There's no trace of anyone buried."
"You can tell something like that?" Godwin questioned.
"I can. Sensing presences is a specialty of mine."
"I checked with my magic, too. There isn't anyone I know beneath the surface,"
Mistorm assured.
"The plants confirm the same," I added.
"…Well, aren't you guys handy to have around," Godwin said with a sniff.
Red and the others were heroes who had battled the demon lord's army. Mistorm
had compared me to a hurricane, but if anyone could stop something like a landslide,
they could.
"This is rather problematic, however," Tisse remarked.
"What do you mean?" Godwin questioned.
"We don't know how they avoided the landslide or where they may have detoured,"
she responded.
I took a step out into the churned soil.
Godwin gawked at the action. "W-wait a sec. You're gonna walk through that?
Finding a way around has to be a better choice, right?"
"If we do, we'll lose their trail. Let's continue," I said.
"But look at the path…" Godwin looked nervous. It was undoubtedly dangerous to
march through the wake of a landslide. Mistorm seemed to be mulling something
over.
"You can communicate with plants, right?" she asked.
"Yes, as you've seen."
"How exactly do plants see things?"
"It's difficult to express in words. Perhaps it would be closest to say that they detect
the flow of the atmosphere and mana."
"I see. Then if I conjured a spirit raven, we should be able to have it carry one of your
plants up into the air to scout from above. I can only maintain my summon for about
ten minutes, but we might find some clues about the path Red and the others took
around this."
"That's an excellent idea. Thank you!"
I believed that Red and his companions were okay, but I couldn't shake my
anxiousness, the uncertainty of what if, so I was genuinely grateful for Mistorm's
suggestion.
"Heed my call, O sable-winged friend, and hasten thy flight. Summon Spirit Raven."
Mistorm signed a seal, and a raven appeared on her shoulder. The summoned bird
cawed at me and stuck out its left leg. I entwined a small berry vine around it.
"Go."
"Caaw!"
At its master's instruction, the raven took off. Spreading its wings, it rode the wind in
a wide spiral, rising to a high altitude before slowly gliding out in the direction of the
summit. I closed my eyes and focused my senses on the vine around its leg.
The world that plants saw was one of vitality. Yet in the wreckage of the landslide,
the scene was one of life fading. Countless lives lost or dimming. It was a distressing
scene, and I could feel the burden growing on my heart. Still, I scoured the
wasteland.
And then my eyes snapped open.
"He's there!"
I started running immediately.
"W-wait!"
Godwin tried to call me back, but I wasn't going to stop. I hurried through the mud
without any concern for my clothes or shoes, grabbing rocks to pull myself forward
despite cutting my fingers. I cut diagonally across the swath of the landslide's
destruction and climbed a slope where small white flowers were growing. The hill
would have provided an excellent refuge for anyone caught in the deluge of earth—
an island of soft grass amid mud and stone.
I frantically sprinted the last hundred meters to the top of the mound, and there he
was. He was lying comfortably on the ground, eyes wide as he looked at me.
He was still alive. I had finally found him again.
"Gideon!!!"
I should have said Red, but I couldn't help myself. The name flew from my lips before
I understood I was speaking it.
I was shocked at the wholly unexpected reunion with Yarandrala. Fortunately, Tisse,
who had accompanied my old friend, helped to smooth things over. Plans being what
they were, we decided to keep moving until evening, when we would set up camp
and have a real conversation.
Tisse and Godwin intended to accompany us until morning, when they would return
to Zoltan.
With Mistorm and the others around, Yarandrala and I couldn't discuss what had
happened after I left the party, but thankfully, she seemed to understand that. She
hadn't probed at all while we were walking together.
Currently, she and I were sitting across from each other at the campfire.
"I always thought our reunion would be more dramatic than this," Yarandrala
admitted quietly.
The tripod and a small pot of water were sitting over the fire.
"Dramatic how? I definitely wasn't expecting to see you here," I replied.
"Like… you showing up while I'm fighting a horde of dragons. Or battling back-toback against the demon lord's army!"
"Ah-ha-ha. Yeah, I think I'll pass on that."
"Hee-hee. You've always been that way, though. Remember when we met in
Loggervia? When I was fighting the demon lord's army there?"
"I was shocked when I heard you were in Loggervia. And I will admit I did rush over
to help. But I couldn't help the villagers get to safety, so I wound up having to leave
everything to you and go back."
"That just means you trusted me, right? Loggervia is so far from the capital, yet you
still came to save me… I was thrilled."
"Calling the whole thing fortunate seems wrong since the village where your friends
lived was under attack, but yeah, I can't deny it was dramatic."
Yarandrala's strength had been decisive during Loggervia's counterattack; her
guiding us through the bewitching woods that were thought impassable had allowed
us to break through the enemy's siege and plead for help from neighboring
countries. There's no telling what would have transpired had Yarandrala not been
there.
"This time, however, you were taking a nap and enjoying the view when I found you,"
the high elf said.
"We stopped to enjoy the view in a very conspicuous and clear spot. It's not
astonishing you happened upon us when you did," I replied. Yarandrala poured a cup
of tea from the pot. I paused to enjoy the fragrance as I took a sip. "Amazing as
always."
Yarandrala's evening tea had just a hint of bitterness and left a refreshing sensation.
It was a very relaxing flavor. The tea leaves had been blended with several herbs, just
a few of many that Yarandrala carried on her.
"I've always sought to match this flavor," I remarked.
"It's a blend I've been crafting all my life. Even if you are my favorite pupil, it will still
take you at least eighty years to figure it out."
"Eighty years, huh? That's so long."
"It will pass before you know it."
Yarandrala sipped from her own cup and then exhaled a white puff that drifted into
the cool night air.
"Picking up where we left off there…," she began.
I cocked my head to one side. "Hmm?"
"I'm glad I could have such a tranquil reunion with you."
"Ah… yeah. Enjoying tea in peace is nice."
"You've always been fighting, heroically determined to set out on a journey to save
the world someday. I bet the old you never would have been able to imagine such an
idyllic reunion."
"Back then, I spent every waking moment battling, trying to get even the tiniest bit
stronger. If we were to meet again, it would have been dramatic, in the middle of
combat… You're right, I probably wouldn't have thought something like this
possible."
"Yet here we are in such a calm setting. I always wanted you and Rit to live for
yourselves. To enjoy the sort of life where you could exist happily with the person
you love."
"Yarandrala…"
Her face looked beautiful in the fire's glow.
High elves possessed well-proportioned features, but Yarandrala's wild and free
expression darkened with shadows of grief and loneliness from time to time. To me,
that allure was Yarandrala's alone, something altogether different from the flawless
beauty of her kin.
By my own estimation, Yarandrala was fairly old, even for a high elf. I had never
heard an actual number, but it had to be greater than one hundred. She had run away
from Kiramin at a young age and spent several decades as an adventurer. After all
her old companions fell in combat or died of old age, she retired. While she visited
Kiramin occasionally, Yarandrala had elected to continue living in human society.
The other name for high elves was urban elves, and, true to that name, they had a
tendency to gather in a single town or group. Yarandrala was likely a bit of an odd
case among high elves, but that was part of her unique charm.
If things had been different… If I had been a little more aware of what was going on
around me back when I was in the capital, maybe…
"If we had met under different circumstances, do you think we might have ended up
together?"
Yarandrala's sudden question put me at a loss for words. After a moment, however, I
shook my head and brushed the ponderings aside.
In the end, so long as I was still myself, no matter how many lives I lived, I still would
have prioritized guarding Ruti. That had led to my meeting Rit and leaving her in
Loggervia, getting pushed out of the party by Ares, and finding Rit in Zoltan. It was
going through everything that had made me ready to settle down for a peaceful life.
I don't think I could have lived any differently.
"Probably not," I replied.
"Yeah."
Before I realized it, my cup had run dry, and Yarandrala was pouring me a new one.
"That's for the best. Having to watch someone I love die right before my eyes again
would be awful. I'll be praying for your happiness, and when the day comes for us to
part ways, we can do so amicably."
"I'm still working on proposing to Rit, and you're already worrying about farewells?"
"Humans live their lives in such a rush. If I stop to look around a bit, they vanish,"
Yarandrala said.
"Like children growing up."
"Indeed, just like children. And yet, from time to time, there are moments when they
can seem so much more mature than I with all the years I've lived. A glimpse of
wisdom that dwarves and orcs don't ever exhibit. That is probably why we high elves
are capable of falling in love with humans."
Yarandrala leaned in to peer at my face. Getting a little bit embarrassed, I glanced
away. Her cheerful laugh sang in my ear.
"Red's given my tea high praise, so would the two of you like to try it?" Yarandrala
called.
There was a rustle in the underbrush as Rit and Ruti peeked out from the shadows.
"Eh-heh-heh. Caught us, huh?" asked the former.
"I couldn't trick the plants," the latter stated.
"Indeed. Even if you deceive me, you cannot fool my friends. So don't sit out there in
the cold. Come here and have some warm tea."
Rit and Ruti sat down next to me as Yarandrala got two more cups and filled them.
Then she removed the tea leaves from the empty pot and added some fresh ones and
hot water.
"I'm sure you'll want a second cup," the high elf said confidently.
Ruti and Rit each sampled the brew.
"Delicious… This is sort of like the tea that Big Brother makes."
"Yeah, Red makes a kind with a similar taste."
"Hee-hee. Naturally, since I'm the one who taught him how to make it."
Rit took another sip and nodded, while Ruti partook of hers much quicker, evidently
enjoying the flavor. A kindly smile crossed Yarandrala's lips as she watched.
"Ruti, do you like my tea?"
"Mhm. It's delicious—just like Big Brother's."
"I've made tea for you before when we were traveling together," Yarandrala recalled.
"Mhm, I know. But back then, I…" Ruti trailed off, looking troubled.
The Hero blessing's many immunities and resistances had heightened Ruti's sense of
taste to enable her to detect the slightest trace of poison. In exchange, she had grown
incredibly numb to typical flavors. What's more, she was always in peak condition
and never required food. Thus, while she had been able to recognize the taste of tea,
she'd never understood it as being delicious.
Seeing that Ruti was troubled, I tried to explain, but Yarandrala gently stopped me.
"I'm glad you're finally able to say you enjoy my tea, Ruti. It feels like we've finally
become friends."
"Friends?" Ruti questioned.
Yarandrala nodded. "The Hero and I trusted each other, but you couldn't describe our
relationship as amicable. But things are different now, right?"
"Mhm."
"That's why I'm glad. I like you how you are now."
High elves weren't the sort to open up to just anyone, but once they did let someone
in, they expressed their affection physically. Yarandrala softly embraced Ruti and
laughed melodically.
"I have a proposition for the three of you," she said.
"What is it?" I inquired.
Still hugging Ruti close, Yarandrala answered, "Would you like to move to Kiramin
with me?"
Rit and I were shocked.
"Delicious."
Ruti, however, was unmoved, standing there in Yarandrala's embrace as she drank
the tea.
The Kingdom of Kiramin was the high elves' country, and the only nation on the
continent of Avalon ruled by nonhumans that could lay rightful claim to being a
kingdom.
"The weather in Kiramin is similar to Loggervia. It's a city-state established in the
cold northern plains. Magic keeps the weather springlike within Kiramin's borders.
It's the largest settlement on the continent—a beautiful place inhabited by countless
high elves and their friends. The great temple is studded with crystals, and the inner
sanctum rivals the Last Wall fortress. Kiramin's walls are constructed from eternal
boulders and are an absolute defense against frost giant invasions," Yarandrala
detailed, taking Rit's hand and mine. "High elves are by no means perfect—they have
their share of flaws. And Kiramin isn't some utopian paradise, but… we will never
betray you."
"W-wait a minute there. Could you elaborate a bit? We've hardly spoken about what's
happened to us since we last met," I said.
"You were betrayed by Ares and pushed out of the party, and no one even attempted
to find you," Yarandrala summarized.
"That's…"
"And as for you, Rit, you saved Loggervia. You fought countless battles for your
homeland, lost your master and comrades, but still battled to the bitter end. Yet
despite all your efforts, you wound up leaving Loggervia alone."
Yarandrala's grip tightened on my hand. She probably did the same with Rit's, too.
"H-hold on. I did leave Loggervia, but I was the one who suggested it. That wasn't
anyone else's fault."
Rit was the hero who had saved her homeland. Even during the reconstruction after
the fighting, she had given her all for the sake of the Duchy of Loggervia, using both
her royal authority and everything she knew about the townsfolk from her time as
an adventurer. Her endeavors had given hope to the people, from the lowest rungs
up to the nobility.
There was nothing wrong with that, of course, but she had gotten too famous—she
was too heroic. Some had started to wonder if she was better suited to rule than the
current successor. The idea quietly began to spread throughout all of Loggervian
society.
"My younger brother had already been chosen to be crowned the next king, and I
didn't want to get in the way. That's all," Rit stated.
"I wouldn't have let you set off alone like that. Were it up to me, you would have been
allowed to remain in your homeland, no matter what rules needed to be bent. Just as
you saved Loggervia, your country should have saved you. That's the high elf
perspective on the matter, anyway."
"Yarandrala…"
There were tears in Yarandrala's eyes. She looked heartbroken.
"From the very beginning, Red always did everything he could for the party. Yet no
one bothered to look for him."
"It got to a point where I couldn't keep up in battle anymore. Ares certainly had his
own agenda, but I definitely saw logic in his decision. So I don't think Theodora or
Danan can be blamed for not immediately chasing after me," I said.
"Can't be blamed?! Not you, too!"
Yarandrala drew so close, our faces were almost touching.
"I—I only mean that I don't think less of them…"
"Even if you really had become just a hindrance, I wanted to travel together with you!
If you were suffering, I wanted you to lean on me! To cast aside someone who
supported you for so long just because he stopped being useful? I can't accept that! I
don't want to! We were comrades, weren't we?!" The high elf's response was so
earnest and heartfelt that I was at a loss for what to say. "I would never betray you."
This was how Yarandrala genuinely felt. It was such a mass of emotion that I didn't
know how to respond.
Rit spoke up in my stead. "But, Yarandrala…"
"Are you going to tell me they're guiltless for what they did to him, too?"
"No, on that point, at least, I completely agree with you. No matter how much Red
might think otherwise, I can't forgive that. They were absolutely wrong to cast him
out."
Huh?
"I knew you'd understand!"
"Of course!"
"Umm, Rit?"
I hadn't anticipated her taking Yarandrala's side. The two of them bore down on me,
pressing against me until I was about to fall over. Yet before I could, Ruti pushed up
against my back.
"I'll support you, Big Brother."
"Uh, ummm."
Rit and Yarandrala were shoving me from the front while Ruti was clinging and
supporting me behind.
"W-wait, you're all a little close…," I protested feebly.
Hemmed in on all sides by three beautiful young ladies—Yarandrala looked like a
young lady at least, even if she was technically getting up there—I started to falter.
"Anyway, when we get back to Zoltan, we can explore in detail just how much you
helped the party and just how wrong Ares was to push you away."
"Uh, yeah."
"Look, Yarandrala." Rit turned her attention from me to the high elf. "You are right
that forcing him out was wrong. And yeah, maybe Loggervia should have done more
to accommodate me. But even so, we aren't going to go to Kiramin."
"Why?"
"Because we're happy living here in Zoltan," Rit stated bluntly. "If you had found Red
right after he had been pushed out, or me right after I left Loggervia, or Ruti before
she reunited with Red, then we probably would have gone with you. But we've
already made a home for ourselves here. Right, Red?" Rit smiled at me.
That expression was always so stunning.
"Yep, Rit's right. I have a great life here in Zoltan. For the first time, I'm living for
myself. The same goes for Rit, Ruti, Tisse, Mogrim, Mistorm, Gonz, Tanta, Nao, Mido,
Al, Dr. Newman, the craftsman Stormthunder, Mink, Oparara, Moen, and even
Godwin. They're all living for themselves. I have lots of friends in Zoltan, and I'm glad
to reside there. The original reason I chose Zoltan was that it was a place where I
could live in peace without worrying about anyone discovering my true identity. Still,
it's grown on me, and I want to spend my days there."
Yarandrala still looked unsure. "…But you might get betrayed again…"
"That's true. There's no guarantee we won't be wronged again. Our friends in Zoltan
aren't heroes by any means. They're just normal people. I doubt they'd be willing to
maintain their friendship no matter what the cost if it came to that."
"Then you should come with me!" Yarandrala pleaded.
"Our current friendships and happiness are still real, however."
This time Yarandrala fumbled with how to reply.
"When someone waves me down in the evening and suggests going for a drink, if I
say I can't go without Rit and Ruti and them, they'll tease me for it, but they
immediately suggest we have a family dinner party. I'm plenty happy with that kind
of relationship."
"I'm just… worried you'll get hurt…"
"I know. I never expected you to accept this right away," I responded. "So how about
you stick around in Zoltan with us for a little while?"
"Eh?"
"There's no real rush for us to head to Kiramin, right? Why don't you wait to decide?
That way, you can spend some time with us and see the sort of lives we have in
Zoltan."
"…Hee-hee…" Yarandrala giggled gently. "The old you would have chosen on the spot.
You used to be so vehement about how bad it was to put things off."
"Different times call for different measures. And, well, I've grown more open to a
relaxed pace."
"Humans keep changing by leaps and bounds. I'm always getting left behind."
Yarandrala placed her hands on my cheeks.
"Okay, we can return to this discussion later. In exchange, I'll stay here in Zoltan for a
time. Does that work for you?"
"Fine by me."
Yarandrala and I both grinned.
That reminds me, we used to get into arguments from time to time back in the capital.
"This conversation is done."
Ruti pulled me backward, and Yarandrala's fingers left my cheeks. Ruti kept hugging
me, still a bit annoyed.
"The answer was obvious from the start anyway," Ruti muttered.
She had a point. Were it only Rit and I, that would have been one thing, but Ruti was
with us. Unlike tiny little Zoltan out on the frontier, Kiramin was a vital member of
the allied forces. If the Hero was there, it would weigh heavily on the power balance
among the allies. There would be no way to maintain an easy, slow life like that.
"Yeah," I said as I caressed Ruti's head.
Her eyes narrowed happily as she leaned against me.
Our decision was already made. If Ruti couldn't go to Kiramin, then I wouldn't be
leaving Zoltan.
"Have you finished your conversation?"
"Wah?!"
A small figure appeared from the darkness. Rit and I were obviously surprised, but
even Yarandrala was caught off guard despite her ability to detect invisible beings
through the surrounding plants. The only one unmoved was Ruti.
"T-Tisse, don't scare me like that," Yarandrala insisted.
"My apologies," she responded, her expression unchanged. No, there was the
slightest trace of an impatient air to her.
Perhaps this was her way of getting some revenge on Yarandrala.
"Then next up is my business," Tisse stated.
"Your business?" I questioned, glancing over at Yarandrala. Even though they had
come out here together, she didn't seem to know what Tisse was talking about,
either.
Tisse slapped a handmade chart down in front of us.
"What's this?" I inquired.
"It's a map put together using all the information I gathered from the zoogs."
I looked the chart over. "Hooo, it's pretty filled out, even down to the gem giants'
village. So what is this symbol marking?"
"A hot spring."
"Ah."
Right, that rumor about a hot spring at the Wall at the End of the World. Tisse had
evidently managed to get some info about it from the zoogs.
"It is about a fifteen-minute walk from here." Tisse remained expressionless as she
spoke, but her eyes were gleaming.
So the reason she'd accompanied us to the camp instead of leaving once we had met
up was that she wanted to visit the hot spring? Well, I imagine she was probably
worried about both us and Yarandrala, but…
"We should go check it out," said Tisse.
"What?!" Yarandrala's expression lit up. "If you had critical information like that, why
didn't you say anything sooner?!"
"Oh, are you also a fan of baths, Yarandrala?" Tisse questioned.
"But of course!"
Yarandrala was always a bit of a stickler for cleanliness. Even during our travels, she
washed her body every day without fail, and if there was a river around, she often
bathed in it. That a hot spring enticed her was no surprise.
Tisse nodded. "Then Yarandrala and I are going. How about the rest of you?"
"Count me in," Rit declared.
"If Big Brother is going, then I'll come, too," Ruti added.
Four sets of eyes fell on me.
"A hot spring, huh? I mean, I'd like to take a dip… but it's a natural one, right? It might
be being maintained by monsters…" There were creatures besides humans and elves
that enjoyed relaxing baths. Many natural hot springs were tended by monsters. This
meant there was a caveat: "I doubt they have a divide for the men's bath and
women's bath."
Monsters didn't feel shame when it came to males and females exposing themselves
to each other.
"So how about you all go first, and any men who want a dip can go after," I suggested.
"Ehhh? I want to enjoy it with you, though," Rit complained.
I frowned slightly, arguing, "Yeah, but Tisse is here, too, and all."
"You don't have to mind me. I'm going to go into my own little world while enjoying
the hot spring," the Assassin replied.
"Wait a minute. This isn't just me we're talking about. What about Godwin and
Mogrim?" I reminded them.
"Ahh, yeah, that would be a little…," Rit admitted.
"See what I mean?" I said.
However, Rit shook her head. "We still need a lookout while we're in the hot springs.
So you alone can come."
I suppose she had a point. I doubted any monsters could win against Ruti, even if she
was naked, but I'd like it if they could relax and forget about being on a mountainside
crawling with dangerous monsters for a while.
"In that case… fine, I'll tag along," I conceded.
"Hooray!" cheered Rit.
"All right, you all get ready. I'm going to let Mistorm know."
It was charming seeing how excitedly Tisse and the others prepared their toiletries
as I got up and headed over to Mistorm. She, Mogrim, and Godwin had sensed we
were going to talk about the past and had thoughtfully set up camp out of earshot.
Heading toward the glow of the fire, I saw Mistorm sitting cross-legged on a mat and
meditating.
"Is that you, Red?" she asked without opening her eyes.
Mogrim was polishing his weapons, and Godwin was eating what looked like a hard
candy made from roasted sugar.
"Apparently, there's a hot spring nearby. Rit and the others were planning to go take
a dip, so I came to see if you wanted to join."
"A hot spring, eh? Ah, that would be nice, but I'm currently recovering my magic
power, as you can see. When you reach my age, it just doesn't come back like it used
to. Once I'm done, I'm planning to go straight to bed. Thanks for the offer, but I'll have
to pass."
"Okay."
I glanced over at Mogrim and Godwin.
"I'm already beat. I don't wanna take another step," Godwin groaned, turning me
down.
"I love a good sauna, but I'm not much for large baths," Mogrim responded evasively.
Oh yeah, he can't swim.
"It's not like you're going to drown in a bath."
"Yeah, but humans and dwarves can't breathe underwater, either. That means we're
not meant to be submerged."
"I see…"
Mogrim washed his body and kept himself clean, so I suppose it didn't much matter.
"Way back, I used to think washing my body maybe two times a week was enough,"
the dwarf admitted.
"That's a little too infrequent…," I remarked.
"Yeah, before long, the missus started giving me a good scrubbing every day."
"Sounds like a pet dog."
"Ha-ha-ha. A pet, huh? You're not too far off, in a way. Regardless, thanks to her, I've
gotten right used to keeping clean. It's to the point where I feel off if I don't wash up,"
Mogrim said with a cheerful, toothy laugh.
Godwin and I joined him, and Mistorm grudgingly chuckled as well while telling us
not to mess with her concentration.
"It's your fault she got mad at us, Red."
"My fault? Anyway, you've got yourself a wonderful wife."
"Damn straight. My lady's the best in the world… She's wasted on someone like me."
"She caught you trying to sneak out to gather materials, huh?"
I had heard from Mistorm that Mink had asked her to lend Mogrim a hand. He had
attempted to leave without giving her reason to fret, but finding out that she knew
what he was up to had made Mogrim's small, stout frame shrink in embarrassment.
"There's nothing wrong with that," I assured him, patting his back as I sat down next
to him. "You were trying to do everything in your power to help Mink, and because
she wanted to lend you a hand, she asked Mistorm for aid. You have a nice
relationship."
"Hmm," grunted Mogrim.
"Had you been honest with Mink outright, Mistorm wouldn't have had to chase after
you, but she caught up without too much trouble. I think that roundaboutness is a
nice thing, too. Validating, in a way."
"…Yeah! You're right! My wife's the best!"
"You've been married for so long, but you're still hopeless romantics at heart," I
remarked.
"Heh, you could learn a thing or two from us, Red."
"Yeah, yeah… We're going to be hopeless romantics, too, no matter how many years
pass."
There was a loud crunch, the sound of a hard candy shattering.
"Gah! What is this conversation?! Put yourself in my shoes for a minute and have a
bit of self-control!" Godwin cried.
I cocked an eyebrow. "What? Is something bothering you?"
"Is something bothering me? Damn straight something's bothering me!" Godwin
threw some dirt at me. Sheesh, what an awkward guy.
Hoping to change the subject, I inquired, "Say, what are you going to do after this,
Godwin?"
"I'm going back down the mountain with Tisse."
"I meant beyond that."
Godwin was a wanted man, having escaped from prison and all. Mistorm had helped
him out this time, but it would be a one-way trip to the gallows if he got caught again.
"Heh-heh-heh. All that's behind me now." Godwin smirked. "The deal was I help
Master Mistorm investigate the dangerous Wall at the End of the World and bring
back the records of those investigations, and in exchange, she sweeps the whole
Devil's Blessing thing under the rug."
"Whoa there. We're not just talking about the Zoltan judiciary here. This involves the
church, too, right? Even for her…"
I glanced over at Mistorm. She had one eye open and was smirking.
"The head of the Zoltan church is an old friend of mine."
Back when Mistorm had been an adventurer, one of the members of her party had
been a bishop named Shien. In the time since, he had risen to run the local sect.
"I've got enough clout to push that through," Mistorm declared.
Unsure if that was really on the level, I merely laughed nervously. Well, it was Zoltan.
That sort of lax, easygoing method was appropriate.
My name is Tisse Garland. At present, I'm a steely-eyed hot spring hunter.
It's twilight on the untrod mountain range known as the Wall at the End of the
World.
I slipped my body into the water, soaking in the hot springs.
"The temperature is a little on the warm side. A bit too much for children, perhaps,
but it would be difficult to come here with kids anyway."
The Wall wasn't a volcanic range, so perhaps the bones of a red dragon lay buried
beneath the ground nearby.
Red dragons were a species that no longer existed. The strongest of monsters, they'd
once established an empire spanning the world. Legend had it that they were neither
good nor evil, and thus during the battle between Demis and the demon overlords,
they'd made no attempt to side with either faction. This had led to them being split
in half, the split giving rise to the radiant dragons of light and the ash dragons of
darkness.
I could not speak to the veracity of that, but it was a documented fact that hot
springs and unique kinds of plants appeared in areas where red dragon bones rested
beneath the ground.
"I don't know what sort of battle may have occurred out here, but if that is why we
are able to enjoy this hot spring now, then may blessings be with the dragon's soul."
While the water felt quite good, it was indeed just a little too hot. Fortunately, stones
that were just the right size for someone my height had been placed around the edge
of the hot spring. I could maintain a perfect position by sitting on one—my upper
body was exposed to the cold air while my lower half was submerged. I smiled
comfortably as the mountain breeze blew.
"Truly superb. High marks indeed. And this view…"
The sunset bathed the sky, ground, and sea in red. Night's approach was clear to see.
It was a breathtaking sight.
"Ninety-five points. The only issue is the distance from Zoltan."
It was a four-day hike out along a mountain path inhabited by monsters far stronger
than those near Zoltan. It was so secluded that even I was considering coming only
once every six months.
"Such a shame."
Yet in the moment, it was undeniably a perfect one-hundred-point hot spring
experience. I was brimming with satisfaction, totally content with the bath.
"Maybe I should bump it to once every five months…"
"Tisse," Ruti called out to me. Turning my attention away from the vista, I saw Ruti
and Yarandrala approaching me through the water. Rit seemed to be calling for Red
to come over. He was typically not shy about flirting with her, but he possessed an
oddly strong sense of virtue when it came to certain things, so he likely wouldn't
approach.
"Tisse," Ruti said again.
"Ah, sorry. What is it?"
"I heard that you and Yarandrala fought."
"Ah… umm, it was just an unfortunate situation beyond our control. I'm sorry for
having pointed a weapon at your comrade, Ms. Ruti."
Ignorant of Yarandrala's relationship with Ruti, I had been fully intent on stopping
the high elf, even if it cost me an arm. Who knows what would have happened if
Mistorm hadn't helped?
"It's not that." Ruti shook her head. Then she tugged Yarandrala's arm. The high elf
woman moved right in front me, standing there with a serious expression.
"Umm… yes?" I asked.
"Ruti told me more about you… so I'd like to say something again."
And then one of the Hero's comrades, one who had saved countless people, lowered
her head to me apologetically.
"I learned just how precious you are to Ruti. My attempts to hurt you were wrong,
and I'm truly sorry."
"I-it's okay. Besides, in the end neither of us was injured."
"I also learned just how much Zoltan matters to Red and Rit. My attempting to
destroy it was as good as seeking to wound them," Yarandrala continued without
looking up. "If you hadn't stopped me, I would have done something unforgivable. I
am truly grateful to you. Thank you, Tisse."
"The residents have forgotten all about it, so it's fine."
Yarandrala was genuinely atoning and offering her gratitude. I understood that was
important, but… we were in a hot spring and she was naked. Her large chest and
narrow waist, the curve of her hips, and her smooth thighs… Yarandrala's sculpted
high elf body was posed before me like a work of art. She did not attempt to conceal
anything.
Having made a living as a hired killer, I was used to being hated, but apologies and
gratitude were new. That was why, well, even if I had been used to such things, I
probably still would have been at a loss as to how to respond.
"I understand. I will gladly accept both your remorse and your appreciation. So,
please, raise your head."
"Thank you." Yarandrala smiled in relief as she looked up.
She indeed was the sort of person Red and the others would put their faith in.
After that, we enjoyed the hot spring and chatted about the adventures Ruti and I
had experienced after Yarandrala left the party.