When I opened my eyes to the rustling sound, Myungho was already up, tidying up the stationery and papers he had taken out the night before.
“Oh, you’re awake? Sorry, I should’ve been quieter. Hmm… Anyway, good morning.”
He yawned, scratching his head, then greeted me. So, it was definitely night when I closed my eyes, right?
How long has it been since I slept this deeply without waking up once during the night? Come to think of it, I don’t remember ever sleeping like that. Not even when I lived in the mountains or with Mother.
I used to wake up startled by the cries of beasts in the early morning. I’ve never slept as peacefully as I did tonight.
“Anyway, I was going to get up. Hm… Tea.”
Stretching forward, I lifted my upper body, then returned to my original position. Then I stretched my lower body and returned to place.
Sleeping face down like this makes my chest feel so constricted. If I don’t stretch in the morning, my body feels unresponsive, so stretching after waking up is part of my routine.
After straightening my body that had grown stiff overnight and cracking my toes, I got out of bed. Thankfully, aside from a slight sag in the mattress, the bed was in the same condition as last night, meaning I hadn’t sleep-talked. Stretching fully and loosening my tail here and there relaxed my body.
Myungho seemed to have observed the entire process, as his face turned slightly red. Well, he is a man, after all. I understand it’s inevitable, so I didn’t say anything.
If he’d made some flimsy excuse, I might have been annoyed, but honesty doesn’t bother me.
Most importantly, while others’ gazes feel dirty, Myungho’s somehow seems cute. He’s just awkward in an endearing way.
“…Alright. Just… please don’t do that in front of others. I ask you. You can think what you want… people will interpret things however they wish.”
He only advised against such behavior in front of others, not in front of him, so he probably doesn’t mind.
His intentions were so transparent it was almost funny. Still… That’s true. There’s no need to cause unnecessary trouble, so I agreed.
“So… are we leaving now? We bought the map and supplies, right?”
“That’s right. But we still have some shopping left to do, and we haven’t decided on the route to the ruins yet, so there’s no need to pack yet. Let me freshen up quickly… Can you tell Yuna and Akashi to come down?”
He doesn’t know the language, but he said if I told them to “come down,” they’d understand, then left the room.
“To Mitro… come down.”
That’s wrong. Something feels off, but since I couldn’t pinpoint the difference, I decided to act confidently. They’ll figure it out eventually.
When I went to their room, Yuna was checking her steel arm, and the mage was examining a book and a map.
“Altera? ‘Where is Myungho going, and why are you here?'”
“‘Still snoring away upstairs, probably. Who knows. Anyway, what brings our barbarian princess here?'”
Yuna looked surprised, while the mage appeared utterly indifferent. That guy seems apathetic about everything. In fact, compared to him, Yuna, who rarely shows emotion, seemed more emotional.
“To Mitro, come down.”
After saying that much, I left and headed downstairs. If they didn’t understand, it’s not my fault. I clearly said it.
The Adventurers’ Guild was lively even in the morning—a scene I had never witnessed before. Sure, every time I visited the guild, it was crowded…
But back then, everyone was after my neck, so I wouldn’t call that normal.
In short, all kinds of people were gathered there. Some were punching each other in front of the bulletin board. A newcomer, perhaps, was cautiously looking around, and a woman who looked like a waitress was carrying drinks.
And there was a man pestering a woman, sticking to her annoyingly. This too must be one aspect of adventuring.
There were women he liked, women who pushed him away, and one guy who hit on the receptionist caught sight of me and immediately approached.
Hmm. Maybe I should teach him a lesson. As he approached, his expression brightened, and he started babbling something. I may not understand the words, but they sounded lewd.
So, I punched him in the chest as he tried to embrace me.
He obviously hadn’t expected this. His eyes showed shock instead of joy, and soon he toppled backward, disappearing from view.
I had no intention of catching him as he fell toward me, so I let him crash to the floor.
The guild quieted down for a moment, but well… It’s none of my business. Others can hit on women, but if someone tries with me, they’d better be prepared to risk their lives.
Someone burst into laughter, and the guild became noisy again. I kicked the guy sprawled on the ground a few times and moved him somewhere appropriate. After a short while, everyone came down from upstairs.
Myungho looked fresher than earlier, along with the rest of the party. I wondered why it took so long until I remembered what Myungho had told me.
“Altera, did you really tell them to come down? He was still in the room when I finished washing up…”
“I clearly said ‘Mitro come down.’ They should have figured it out.”
They didn’t understand. But I’m confident because I said it clearly. Myungho pressed his forehead and sat down in a chair. He shouldn’t have relied on me.
“‘Mitro’ isn’t right. It’s ‘come down below.’ I know it’s hard to pronounce… No, sorry. I’ll handle it next time…”
Good. I appreciate the attitude of admitting mistakes. Akashi sneered at something, and Yuna, still half-asleep, twitched her long ears.
“Teaching a lizard isn’t easy, huh? Keep trying. Anyway, after much thought, there are two routes. One is to cross the mountain range directly, and the other is to go around it. Which do you prefer?”
“The direct route is shorter, right? Then I’d like to take the direct route… Is it possible to cross the Jikur Mountain Range? Ssshh… Can we make it?”
Myungho glanced at me doubtfully. How treacherous could it possibly be?
“It can be done. You filled a river with strength alone, so you could probably fill a fissure too. Crossing takes two weeks; going around takes two months. What will it be?”
Myungho mulled over the terms “two weeks” and “two months.” Why does he seem so worried about how perilous it is? I should find out too.
“…Jikur Mountain Range? Is it a den of monsters? Or a very dangerous place?”
“Both. Actually, the monsters there are weaker than the transparent spiders… but the terrain is incredibly rugged. There’s a massive canyon cutting through the mountain range. According to legend, it’s the scar left by the swords of two ancient giants fighting… It’s truly that vast and deep.”
Both reasons explain why he was so hesitant.
Even though I understood his explanation perfectly, I couldn’t picture what it looked like, suggesting it must be quite perilous. Still, exploring a fantasy world sounds exciting, making my heart race a little.
…Two weeks. That’s somewhat concerning, but if I give it my all, I can clear it before then.
“Well, then the decision is made. Let’s cross the mountain range.”
“Altera votes for crossing the mountain range. What about the rest? I… would rather go around.”
“Coward. Just cross it. Didn’t you see what that lizard can do?”
“I also think crossing is better. We have sufficient equipment, and most importantly, I’ve heard rumors about a ruined city in that mountain range.”
“Hmm… Alright, let’s cross it then… Since we’ve decided on the route… I’ll go buy some potions. If anyone else needs anything, buy it now. We won’t be visiting a village for a long time.”
The meeting concluded with the decision to cross the mountain range. Since I didn’t have much to buy, I thought about returning to the room, but it would only be boring, so I followed Myungho.
“Welcome, adventurer. Are you here to buy potions? Or herbs and bandages?”
“Yes. Do you happen to have recovery potions made from refined troll blood?”
“No… The high-grade ones were all bought a few days ago by a dragon-hunting expedition team… Now that I think about it, we haven’t heard any news from them. I wonder how they’re doing…”
Myungho gave me an awkward smile. Fine.
“In that case… Please give me five of the best quality ones available. And two mana potions, please.”
“Sure, here… By the way, your companion looks beautiful. Are you interested in any cosmetics? It seems like you’re embarking on a long journey, and appearances can deteriorate quickly on such trips.”
“…Then just one, please.”
“Yes. That will be 1 gold coin.”
Myungho mentioned needing to save some money, sighed wistfully, and handed over a slightly faded gold coin.
After leaving the shop, Myungho gave me a small bottle. It looks like some kind of oil, and it doesn’t resemble a potion at all, so when I asked, he only said to apply it lightly every morning.
What a strange guy.
When we returned to the guild, the others soon came back with various purchases.
“Do you have everything? Then let’s pack and go. There’s a village on the way where we can rest one last time before crossing the mountain range.”
Myungho had a plan of his own.
Thinking about setting out on another adventure, I climbed upstairs with anticipation, wondering what wonders awaited me this time.
