We arrived at our destination exactly ten days after getting a ride in a cart from that village. Given how cramped the cart had been, it felt like time flew by.
It’s probably thanks to Akashi, but it’s more so thanks to Alterra. Whenever she was by my side, the cart seemed so comfortable and cozy.
When she wasn’t around, Akashi would cast a noise barrier and teach me dark magic. Though he did so without asking for anything in return, which made me somewhat suspicious… But given our situation, I figured I’d better use any card that came my way. I didn’t bother asking too many questions.
“Thank you so much for saving my life! If it weren’t for you kind souls, I might have rotted away by now. The village is just a little further this way, and Germodai Volcano is straight ahead over there.”
Though we tried to dissuade the merchants from giving us payment, they insisted on handing over a few gold coins and kindly gave us directions.
When we asked if they needed further protection, they politely declined, saying it was only a short distance to their destination. In that case, our journey ends here.
“To all of you, thank you very much for your hard work. May your path be filled with luck and riches.”
With friendly smiles, they waved goodbye until we were out of sight before heading toward the direction of Germodai Volcano.
Since it’s nearby, it shouldn’t take too long to walk. Following a path sparsely covered with grass and animal tracks, it seemed less like a road for people and more like one for animals. Even those tracks looked as though they hadn’t been used in quite some time.
“By the way, Yuna, didn’t you say the dwarf village where you were taken in was around here? How about stopping by for a visit?”
At the mention of the dwarf village, Yuna smiled wistfully and said it wasn’t necessary. I thought for sure she’d want to visit.
“Well, the reason I left was because the Forge Master who took me in had passed away. And… I think everyone I knew there has already moved on. Dwarves don’t live very long.”
She didn’t want to go because visiting would only remind her that everyone she knew was gone.
“…I see. Then let’s head straight to Crystal Canyon after looking for your parents. Akashi, stop staring at the rocks on the ground and catch up. At the pace you’re going, we might end up spending the night here.”
“What? Can’t I take a peek? What’s the rush? No one’s chasing us. Let’s relax, shall we?”
After silently glaring at his playful attitude, I sped up, leaving him behind. With a sigh, Akashi caught up.
The forest feels too dense for a volcano to be nearby. Is Germodai an extinct or dormant volcano? As far as I remember, it’s still active.
“Alterra, could you check how much farther it is to the volcano? According to what I know, there shouldn’t be such lush forests around an active volcano.”
Alterra readily agreed but instead of crouching down, she simply leaned her greatsword against the ground and rested her hand near the hilt close to her ear.
“Hmm… even if we hurry, it’ll take at least half a day.”
Ah, so the earlier estimate was based on traveling by cart. That explains why the forest seemed so thick. By the way, does she no longer feel embarrassed about using that detection stance?
“Oh, this? I don’t want to get my clothes dirty. They’re white, so any stain will show. I need to take care of them properly. Why are you looking at me like that?”
It wasn’t embarrassment that stopped her; she just didn’t want to soil her clothes. While it made sense in a strange way, her reasoning was completely unexpected, so I forced a laugh and replied that it was nothing.
“What’s with that skeptical tone? Sure, you can afford nice clothes that shrug off dirt easily, but I can’t!”
As Alterra muttered under her breath, she tapped the edge of her cloak with her foot to brush off some dust. True, dirt on white clothes can be annoying.
“If you’re upset, I apologize. Half a day means… we’ll likely camp out tonight. Let’s hurry, Alterra. If anything unusual approaches, let us know.”
“Aww, come on, can’t we slow down? Why the rush? There’s so much to see around here!”
Akashi, unable to resist, was already jotting something down in his notebook while examining another rock on the ground. Honestly, how does he find so much to write about just by looking at rocks?
When I followed Alterra’s gaze into the sky, there was nothing but empty air. She must’ve seen something.
“…No, it’s nothing. I just felt someone watching us. Probably just my imagination.”
If Alterra thinks it’s nothing, then it probably is. After brushing it off as a minor incident, we continued on our way.
Surprisingly, nothing happened until the twin moons—one blue, one red—rose into the sky.
Occasionally, we startled large snails by stepping on rotten branches, or saw root-walking trees slowly making their way along the path. Nothing threatening appeared.
“Good thing we stocked up on food.”
According to Akashi, none of the creatures we encountered so far were edible. Thinking about how we might have starved without these small chunks of meat makes me shudder.
Even Alterra, who initially stacked minerals next to her, only nibbled on them after taking a glance at the meat. Compared to her usual appetite, it was a pitifully small amount.
I’m hungry too, but… well, Alterra fights a lot, so she needs more energy. I handed her my share of the meat. After hesitating for a moment, she quietly accepted it with gratitude.
“Thanks, but really, you should give that kind of attention to your girlfriend.”
“Mother of mercy?! I didn’t mean girlfriend! I meant a female friend! It’s different! Different, I tell you!”
Alterra quickly denied any romantic relationship upon catching Yuna’s teasing tone. Though it stung a little, I decided to be patient. Maybe someday…
Compared to when we first met, things seem promising. Back then, she literally tried to kill me by jumping on top of me.
Thinking back, it was a pretty crazy thing to do. I wasn’t in my right mind back then, shortly after receiving a letter urging me to achieve something in my homeland.
Now, I don’t care what happens to my homeland. Let it fall or thrive—it’s none of my business. All I want is to win Alterra’s heart. To explore hidden landscapes together, taste the specialties of various cities, and create happy memories.
“Hey, why are you staring so intensely?”
“Ugh, Myungho seems to already have feelings for you, Alterra. Rejecting him too harshly might hurt him.”
Even when she’s angry, she’s adorable. The heat emanating from the crest on my palm—was it playing tricks on my emotions again? Or was she enjoying my reaction?
None of that matters. If she wants to use me for amusement, that’s fine. I just want to stand by her side—whether in battle, hardship, or joy.
…Did I stare too intensely? Her face turned noticeably red as she turned away, claiming she needed some fresh air.
Still clutching the meat and minerals tightly, she clearly left to avoid my gaze.
…I need to approach her more calmly.
—
That girl, Alterra, is she truly a monster? During the day, she randomly locked eyes with me floating high in the sky, and now she’s approaching my general location again, albeit vaguely.
Fortunately, I was observing through a telescope from a great height, otherwise I wouldn’t have guessed how vast her detection range is.
Is this almost akin to precognition? She’s certainly better than that archmage who was once on our side, but still… Every time I close my eyes, I’m haunted by nightmares of her.
Like the time in the plains when she split me into two pieces with a single swing of her greatsword while I was sneaking up invisibly, or when she overturned the entire swamp to bury me alive.
And then there were the humiliations I endured chasing after her group. Especially in the elven forest, where the tree trunks acted like tentacles, grabbing my limbs and trying to shove unknown objects into inappropriate places.
Why did His Majesty the Demon King assign me such a difficult task? Could it be a punishment? Yet thinking about His benevolent nature, that seems unlikely.
He mourns the loss of even the lowliest servant and willingly took in a mongrel like me, helping me become something worthwhile.
He undoubtedly trusted me with this mission.
I cannot betray His trust. Slapping my cheeks hard to drive away sleepiness, I refocused my concentration.
Adjusting my mana while fine-tuning the focus, I clearly saw what the girl was doing.
Let’s see… eating rocks and meat. Given how often she eats whenever she gets the chance, it must be important. But why eat rocks?
Just as I was about to add another line to the report for His Majesty, I erased it. I’ve written too much about her eating minerals already.
Rather, maybe I should clean up the notes I took when she laid the egg. Back then, I was so excited that I scribbled wildly, leaving the content a mess.
Yes, that would be better.
Her seemingly impenetrable fortress has one clear weakness: when she lays eggs. Though I don’t know the cycle yet…
I’ll figure that out later.
Using moonlight as my lamp, I revised the report.
