Chapter 61 – Friends, Allies, and Enemies (7)

Friends, Allies, and Enemies (7)

We are walking up a mountain near Myluman. We keep climbing the mountain.

It feels like my head is vibrating, tightening around me.
Should I say I feel feverish? In any case, my head is buzzing.
I also feel a bit dazed.
All of this is a side effect of using Mind’s Eye for too long. I wondered if one could get used to the pain if it continued, but unfortunately, the headache only intensified, showing no signs of improvement.

Yet, I do not stop.
The pain is not important.

Myluman, called a natural fortress, is surrounded by mountains on all sides. Thanks to this, one can comfortably climb the mountain without hiding and simply circle around to reach the passage.
Of course, finding that passage is no easy task.

The fact that it’s surrounded by mountains might make one think that if the surrounding high ground is taken, Myluman would be rendered defenseless. However, Myluman has never been conquered by an external attack, not even once.
This is because, apart from the main gate used by most people, there was no suitable space for an invasion from the inside.

Except for the secret passages used by the Forest Keepers, it was impossible for anything else to infiltrate Myluman.
That’s why the Demon King’s army was desperate to find the Forest Keepers’ passage.
And they never found it.

And now, I have to find it.

It’s tough.

Two hours after arriving near Myluman, I still haven’t found a single clue and am just circling around the surrounding mountains.

I have no idea how much longer I need to move. Even I don’t know the exact location of the Forest Keepers’ passage.
I would have to have heard the correct location to begin with.

“But how do you know about this path?”

“…A friend told me.”

I trailed off.
I hadn’t yet mentioned to her that we were heading for the Forest Keepers’ passage.
Climbing is tough. She seemed curious about where we were going.

Cecilia doesn’t seem particularly bothered, though.
When was it that she wanted to stay in the lodging so badly? Seeing her face brighten up like that, it seems she enjoys climbing the mountain. I wonder how she endured being in the Holy Imperial Court before joining the hero’s party. It must have been suffocating.
And where does she get that brimming energy from? She’s even older than me.

Looking at Cecilia, I could really feel how broken my body was.
I’ve only walked for a few minutes, but I’m panting so much that someone would mistake me as someone past their sixties.

She carries Valkvogel on her back up the mountain without a hint of strain.

“How much longer do you think it will take?”

It seems it’s not all pleasant for her after all.

“We should be getting close… but it still seems a bit far. Look, if it’s too tough, we can take a break. I’m starting to reach my limit too.”

We’ll reach Myluman quickly enough, but the accumulated strain from using Mind’s Eye was significant. If a battle like the one with Aeon were to happen, I couldn’t guarantee victory.
With Chloe, a battle is certain, and Cecilia could betray us. The fact that she hasn’t done anything so far greatly reduces the chances of betrayal… but I still need to be prepared.

I can’t use the demonic sword anymore.
The holy sword, at least, has its origins in the goddess’s power, so the side effects are minimal, but the demonic sword is different. If a normal person used it, their body would literally melt away. Not figuratively—physically, their entire body would dissolve.
If it’s used just once, maybe it’s okay, but continuous use would not end well. Still, I’d like to leave a corpse behind, so I have to stop using the demonic sword here.

“Let’s rest here then. I’ll carry Valkvogel now.”

It was time to switch carrying Valkvogel.
I grabbed the wings hanging off Cecilia’s back and hoisted them onto my shoulder.
As expected, they were heavy.

Valkvogel is still asleep.
It’s become so normal that it doesn’t need mentioning… but I still need to keep up with the status reports. Who knows how long I’ll be alive.

It’s funny to be preparing for death at this age.

Really.
It’s a funny thing.

“Aren’t you going to rest?”

Cecilia had found a tree to lean against at some point.
Without realizing it, I had walked a bit further.

“No… I’ll rest.”

I turned off Mind’s Eye and slumped to the ground. I could feel the damp earth on my backside. It’s a dirty feeling, but what does it matter?

And then I closed my eyes for a moment.
Rest is always sweet.

*

The soft sound of rain had long since disappeared. As the chirping of the birds began to quiet down and the sun was crossing over the mountain peaks, we finished our rest and walked a bit further. Fortunately, we were able to find the Forest Keepers’ passage.

The Forest Keepers’ passage was surprisingly simple in appearance.

A tree.
There was a slight gap in the bark. If you gently push that gap, a nearby rock opens. Enter through that rock, and you’ll see the passage—that was the Forest Keepers’ passage.

I hadn’t seen any Forest Keepers during our approach.
I don’t know where they are, but judging by the lack of movement, it’s likely that no one is near the passage. It was a careless assumption.

Really careless.

As we made our way through the passage, I sensed someone’s presence.
They were standing in the direction of Myluman, watching us.

“…Ah.”

I didn’t have much information, but one thing was certain: it was a Forest Keeper.
Judging by the voice, it would be an elf with blue hair and clear blue eyes.
Their face would be that of an ordinary elf.

And the name was.

“…Rahi.”

“Do you know her? The atmosphere doesn’t seem too good.”

“Yeah, and we’re not on good terms.”

At my words, Cecilia seemed a bit tense.

The face I met in the passage was a familiar one.
Since I couldn’t see the face, should I even say it was someone I knew?

Well, it’s not a good relationship, so it doesn’t matter how I call them.

My relationship with Rahi is, how should I put it, hard to explain.
If I had to make a comparison… it’s complicated.
There’s nothing quite like it to compare to. To put it simply, it’s like the family of an enemy. To be even more precise, it’s fair to call them just an enemy.

“……”

She maintained her silence.

“I don’t particularly want to talk either. I’d appreciate it if you’d just step aside.”

“……”

Even though she was pointing a bow at me, I wasn’t particularly afraid. It wasn’t because Cecilia was with me.
As a Forest Keeper, it’s her duty to deal with intruders who find the passage. But she couldn’t attack me. More accurately, she wouldn’t attack me.

Thanks to an old grudge.

That doesn’t mean I couldn’t attack her, though.

“Really, what a hassle.”

There was no time to waste. The goal was to meet Chloe as soon as possible.

I drew the holy sword. In my other hand, I grasped a dagger.
Seeing this, Cecilia hid behind me and started to get ready.

“I’d be very grateful if you’d step aside… but if you won’t, I’ll have to force my way through.”

It seems I never have a pleasant encounter with anyone I know.
That must be my problem.

Rahi quietly opened her mouth.

“…Go ahead. Talking to you is a waste of time.”

Rahi put away the bow she had been aiming at me. But I still had my sword raised.
I pointed the hilt of the holy sword at her pocket. Inside her left thigh, where Forest Keepers usually keep their swords. She’d be carrying a knife too.

All risks must be eliminated.

I looked at her with a triumphant smile.
I couldn’t see through Mind’s Eye, but I assumed she’d be wearing an angry expression.
Before long, Rahi drew the sword from her thigh and threw it to the ground.

As expected.
Such an ungrateful wretch.

“Thanks a lot. Go ahead and report me later if you want. Oh, and just so you know, I have no intention of getting caught quietly if you do.”

“Let’s stop this, Flan. Let’s move on. …And later, tell me what happened.”

Chloe, a member of the Hero’s party. Chloe’s friend, Rahi. Rahi’s younger sibling, Rapi.
Women with a bad history with Troka. It would take too long to explain, so I have to keep it brief. Besides, I don’t fully understand the whole story myself.
Well, even so, I don’t exactly have a good impression of them. So in this situation, it’s best if we all go our separate ways. My goal isn’t to seek them out, but merely to deliver a letter to Chloe.

I move past Rahi.
It was a relief that the Forest Keeper I encountered was someone I knew.

Now the major hurdle has been cleared. Just a little further and I can enter Myluman. Then, after I face Chloe and hand over the letter, all that’s left is the final letter.

Once I’ve delivered them all, I can finally rest.

That’s what I was thinking when it happened.

“Why are there so many people here?”

A familiar voice came from the direction of the entrance.
The familiar tone. It was similar to that of the woman who used to grate on Troka’s nerves.

A bad feeling crawled up my back.

“Rahi…? Long time no see?”

I knew I shouldn’t turn my head towards the source of the voice. The best thing to do was to quickly leave this place.
But I had to look back.
Because Cecilia was looking behind us.

It was clear she had followed me with the intention of causing trouble.

“…Cecilia? Why are you here?”

Sigh.
So this is how it’s going to be.

“And… Tro, ah, Flan.”

There stood Chloe, the archer of the Hero Party.

Chloe’s voice turned icy.
It started when she referred to me.

I hadn’t expected to meet her now.
At least, I shouldn’t have met her while she was with Rahi.

“It’s been a while. Really, a long while.”

Despite the warm words, her voice was chillingly filled with a dangerous edge.

“…Flan?”

“Cecilia, can you run?”

I whispered as quietly as possible so only Cecilia nearby could hear.

“What?”

Cecilia responded loudly.

Damn it.
Is there a way to escape?

…There is.

I made my decision quickly.

I aimed the holy sword at the wall and generated a blade. Then, I swung forcefully.
There’s only one passage here. So if I bring down the wall, I can put some distance between us and them.

The holy sword touched the wall.
Then, with a loud bang, the wall began to crumble.
In that moment, two objects approached me. Probably Rahi and Chloe.
Sorry, but I’m not ready to be caught yet. Even if it’s a bit reckless, I need to strike again. Ignoring the blood ominously trickling from the corner of my mouth, I swung the sword once more.

Bang!

Boom…!

A massive sound reverberates. It’s the noise of rocks falling from the ceiling, blocking the passage. This should buy us enough time.
As for my body… well, Cecilia will take care of that.

“No, but if it comes to this…!”

She must be wondering what we’re going to do later.
I have a plan for that too.

“I’ll explain later, for now, let’s just get the hell out of here.”

Escaping through the dust-filled tunnel was the priority.

Cecilia didn’t seem pleased with my answer, showing some sign of complaint, but there was no time to worry about that now.

After a long run, following a journey that felt endless, we finally made it to Myluman.

As expected, it wasn’t an easy path this time either.