70 – The Ultimate Weapon
After several camps and a long wait, we finally arrived at the village of Hilda, where Aldera Mountain is located.
“Is that Aldera Mountain…?”
I exclaimed while looking at the massive mountain behind the village.
According to the map, Aldera Mountain formed a mountain range that stretched vertically across the eastern continent.
Aldera Mountain represents the largest peak in that massive mountain range.
“Ugh… I’m already exhausted, senpai.”
Sylphy said, patting her waist and buttocks as soon as she got off the carriage.
After sitting for a long time, it was only natural for her body to feel sore.
“Let’s take a break in the village for now.”
Sylphy and I found a place to rest inside Hilda Village.
Aldera Mountain was quite high.
It would be too much of a burden to climb it without any preparation.
There shouldn’t be any problem with an adventurer’s physical ability, but they might need extra food and camping equipment.
While preparing, should I also gather information that the village people should know when climbing Mount Aldera?
The village was so small that it couldn’t even compare to Kubele.
It was a rural village even smaller than Daina, where I had visited during the monster subjugation.
Since guilds are only found in cities of a certain size, it was natural that there was no guild here.
In every house, I saw long wooden racks set up in the yard, with meat hanging on them, tied with ropes.
It felt like seeing houses in the countryside of the world where I used to live, where every house would spread out mats and dry things like chili peppers.
There were hardly any young people on the road, and occasionally, elderly people would pass by, making it quiet.
Having always been in Kubele, where it was bustling with various people coming and going, this scenery felt new.
As I went a little further into the village, I found a tavern that was open and went inside.
Surprisingly, there were some customers in the tavern, including young people.
When Sylphy and I opened the door and entered, the middle-aged tavern owner with a sturdy build gestured for us to take a seat.
“The village is really quiet and peaceful.”
Sylphy said as she sat down.
I felt the same way.
“Yeah, sometimes this kind of atmosphere isn’t so bad.”
We ordered some food and drinks and waited. The owner came over and started a conversation.
Since it was a small tavern, there were no separate employees, and the owner did everything alone.
“I haven’t seen your face before. Are you an adventurer? Did something happen on Mount Aldera?”
There was a slightly worried expression on the tavern owner’s face as he asked me.
“No, it’s not a request or anything… I just personally need some materials.”
“Oh, I see! I was surprised, thinking there might be another demon problem here.”
“Do you have something to worry about?”
The pub owner’s face brightened again at my answer, but I asked because I was concerned about his expression just now.
“Well, they say these days demons suddenly become stronger thanks to the power of the Demon King. Our village sustains itself by hunting animals in the Aldera Mountains, so it becomes dangerous if the demons become stronger.”
“I see…”
“Still, it seems like the power of the Demon King hasn’t reached here yet, luckily. It would be great if a hero could defeat the Demon King before that happens.”
This area is further away from the Demon King’s castle, so the demons might be less influenced by him.
Certainly, if it’s a village that sustains itself by hunting in the mountains, it would be a big problem if the demons in the mountains become stronger.
Come to think of it, I don’t hear much about the hero these days.
There used to be rumors that the hero slapped the head of the Knight Commander in the capital or mocked the Central Church’s goddess, rumors that were like human trash. But suddenly, I don’t hear those rumors anymore.
Well, it’s the hero, so they’ll handle it themselves.
It’s not something that concerns me right now.
“By the way, what do you need that made you come to this rural village?”
The pub owner asked while bringing out a table full of food.
When I asked for the recommended menu without hesitating, a warm soup dish with thick pieces of meat came out.
Sylphy was gathering her hands and admiring the food with sparkling eyes.
“I came to hunt the Steelheart Dragon. They say it’s in the Aldera Mountains.”
“Hmm? That… is it true?”
The pub owner’s eyebrows twitched at my answer.
“Is something strange?”
“No, it’s true that the Aldeira Mountains are inhabited… but are you planning to hunt with that sword?”
“Yes, that’s the plan.”
“Well, those guys won’t come down from the mountaintop unless you provoke them first, so unless it’s a special case, adventurers don’t come to hunt them. Their bodies are so tough that it’s not worth it. It’s not like the meat is delicious or the skin is useful.”
Algot also said.
When asked if they were strong demons, the answer that came back was “strong.”
If the locals say such things, it makes me even more curious about how tough they are.
“Well, be careful anyway. The top of the Aldeira Mountains is extremely cold. Make sure you don’t freeze to death before hunting that creature.”
The tavern owner said that and chuckled as he returned to the kitchen.
* * *
From Noble mtl dot com
After filling our bellies at the tavern and getting enough rest at the inn, we set off for the Aldeira Mountains early in the morning.
The mountaintop is said to be much colder than here, so I bought two fur coats in the village.
We climb the mountain with dried meat as emergency rations and minimal camping gear.
“Sylphi, are you… okay? You look cold.”
I asked Sylphi, who was following closely behind me.
Sylphi’s usual attire was so short that her thighs were exposed.
No matter how much she wore a fur coat on top, it seemed like it would still be cold because of what she was wearing underneath.
“I’m fine. It wasn’t that cold even in the village. It’s not a northern city, so it should be fine.”
Is she really okay…?
The village did feel cool rather than cold, but it would be extremely cold to climb up to the top of such a high mountain.
If the owner of the tavern is telling me not to freeze to death…
Well, since he says I’m fine for now, I hurried my steps.
The mountain path was quite treacherous.
Animals like deer and wild boars were frequently seen leaping around.
If it weren’t for my body trained with magic, I wouldn’t have been able to climb half of it and would have collapsed.
Even though I was climbing the steep mountain path at a fast pace, I hardly felt out of breath. It made me realize once again how amazing the power of magic is.
“Senior, I have a favor to ask…”
How far had we climbed when Selphee spoke to me first.
“Yes?”
“Can you teach me how to control magic later?”
I involuntarily stopped my busy steps at the unexpected request.
Selphee wants me to teach her how to control magic?
I’m in a difficult situation myself because I can’t control my own magic…
“Are you talking about magic transformation and such?”
“No, I’ve already finished magic transformation. It’s just that I have trouble infusing and maintaining magic in my weapons during battles.”
It was a statement that I couldn’t understand.
Infusing and maintaining magic in weapons… isn’t it just a matter of blowing magic into the weapons?
Isn’t that what all the other adventurers are doing?
“Yunoa didn’t even consider her own frivolous thoughts and couldn’t understand Selphee’s sincere concerns.
The ability to manipulate and control magic requires a high level of concentration.
Even a slight loss of concentration during battle would cause the power of the mana being wielded to scatter.
This problem was not unique to Silphy alone.
Experienced adventurers excelled in minimizing the dispersion of mana and maintaining focus.
But there were plenty of adventurers who couldn’t do so in this world.
At that moment, the narration in my head spoke.
So, was what I had been doing all this time actually quite difficult?
I couldn’t believe the words of the narration.
“Where did you learn to manipulate mana, Senpai?”
Silphy asked me, momentarily lost in thought.
Well… even if she asked like that… I never learned.
The only thing I can say about learning anything related to mana in this world is that I learned the basics of mana conversion from my old friend Oren during my novice days.
Since then, I occasionally received hints from the narration and naturally tried to imitate or apply others’ techniques.
“I think it’s more accurate to say that I was drilled through endless training.”
I evaded Silphy’s question for now.
I hadn’t thought about it at all until now.
I thought it was a natural thing to handle mana like me, as long as there was a sufficient amount accumulated in the body.
“Um… Senpai? If it’s burdensome, you don’t have to teach me…”
“No, if the opportunity arises, I’ll do my best to teach you.”
I quickly answered Silphy, who was trying to look gloomy.
I felt the need to see and confirm it with my own eyes.
Under the pretense of teaching Silphy, I wanted to see the difference in the way she and I handle magic and our respective abilities.
“Really? Wow!”
Silphy jumped up and down, laughing happily in response to my answer.
I started walking towards the top of the mountain again.
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