Into the Fog (3)
We started walking toward Fog Village.
Breakfast had turned into a festive family meeting vibe, delaying us a bit, but according to Parlen, it wouldn't throw off our schedule much.
The schedule in question was reaching our next campsite.
Since we'd camped in a dry spot yesterday, we planned to camp near a river tonight.
We needed drinking water for ourselves, but the horses needed it too.
Off in the distance, those four-legged beasts circling the sky looked closer than yesterday.
Even from afar, I could make out their sharp eagle beaks. That must be the infamous griffon.
Shouldn't we be on guard?
"It's fine when you can see them like that. You really watch out when you can't see them."
Having someone like Parlen with his wealth of experience made all the difference in unfamiliar territory.
"The scary thing about those bastards is they always strike first.
They can spot us from way up high, so we can't hit them first—but they can swoop in whenever they damn well please.
No good drawing their attention, so let's stick to the shadows under the trees as much as we can, Captain."
We took Parlen's advice and veered from the open plains into a path cutting through the forest.
As we entered a stretch of tall trees with thick branches, my hunter instincts screamed a warning.
The grass and tree placements looked perfect for hiding a carnivore.
They say environment shapes a person—and the same goes for dangerous beasts drawn to their perfect habitat.
And then...
"No bird calls for a while now."
"Chiria heard leaves rustling without any wind."
"Eek... Should we use Embrace?"
"Keep positions and stay alert on all sides."
We halted briefly. I grabbed my crossbow from the horse and loaded it.
Then I positioned Parlen, Chiria, and Ragi—our vanguard—at front, rear, left, and right, with me bringing up the rear.
If I could pinpoint where something was hiding, I could use my ability to close in and take it out first.
But with who-knows-what ahead, I planned to conserve my mana as much as possible.
It was still morning; the road ahead was longer than the one behind.
Monsters aren't idiots. They target safe, sure prey—not risky hunts.
As long as we didn't look careless, they wouldn't attack recklessly.
We all fell silent, scanning our assigned directions as we pressed on. I kept watch with my crossbow, rifle-style.
We trudged like that, tension strung tight, for about thirty minutes.
Mental fatigue had cold sweat trickling down my back.
A sudden gust swept through us midway, cooling the sweat like a merciful wipe.
A refreshing breeze carrying the scent of grass.
"Grraaaaaahhh!!"
Was the wind the signal? From the brush opposite the gust's direction, a massive beast lurched to its feet.
First impression: a black saber-toothed tiger. Standing as tall as a man, its fangs looked like pickaxes, and it had a razor-spike tail.
The moment it stood, it coiled that tail tight... and bolted!?
"Groooaaah..."
"Kroooaaah..."
It wasn't alone—they hunted in packs like lions.
Three more rose from hiding elsewhere and scattered in the opposite direction from us, fleeing every which way.
Why!?
"Why'd they freak out and run?"
"Who knows. But they bolted right with the wind—maybe it carried some pungent scent our way.
First time I've seen saber-leopards that spooked."
So that's what they call them—saber-leopards.
Another monster fleeing because of a smell?
"Sniff sniff... Do I smell weird or something?"
Parlen shrugged, gesturing he had no clue.
"Sniff sniff... Captain Kirgil smells like... Dad."
Chiria gave her honest take. Probably meant "familiar," but hearing "old man scent" hit a little hard.
At least it didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary.
Huh? Damish's reaction was off.
"Damish, you smell something weird too?"
"Um, Captain Kirgil. Sorry. It's just... sometimes I get chills. I don't know why. It's... around you, Captain... I feel a bit scared."
"Oh? Is that right?"
For some reason, Paradilan seemed more intrigued by Damish's words than I was.
He started jotting something down again.
With the saber-leopard pack fleeing en masse, we lowered our guard and walked easy.
Their hunting grounds were now basically a safe zone.
We exited the forest without incident.
High sky opened up again, plains stretching wide. Ragi went ahead first to scout for anything distant.
She waved that it was clear.
Time to mount up on the plains, I thought, glancing skyward.
"It's gone!?"
The same fierce wind from the forest blasted my face.
A massive sense of dread hit me. I triggered Happy Moment.
And bolted straight for Ragi.
A griffon!
The one that had slipped our view with high-altitude flight was just revealing itself.
Aiming right for us!
Looking around in stopped time, it wasn't alone.
Three flew in formation, one after another.
One skimming dangerously low over the treetops. One spotting us and pulling up sharply. And...
One diving straight down, talons poised to smash right onto Ragi's head.
I raced through frozen time and sliced off those head-crushing talons.
Then scooped Ragi up and hurled us both clear of the spot.
Time resumed.
"The bountiful branches of this land shall embrace your bosom!"
⟨ Earth Embrace ⟩
The griffon targeting Ragi panicked at the sudden mess, botching its landing with a screeching kee-yaek!! as it scraped and crashed.
I tumbled holding Ragi and yelled,
"Finish it before it flies again!!"
Thwack!!
Chiria's spear flew, embedding in the griffon's gut. The impact spun it mid-air like a top.
"O spear of light that rends the heavens, pierce the darkness and strike the foe!"
⟨ Lightning Spear ⟩
Rumble... Boom!!
Chiria's spear acted as a lightning rod, drawing a magical bolt crashing down.
Kieeeaaaaahhh!!
The downed griffon didn't even resist—tongue lolling, it slumped dead.
The other two, prepping their follow-up dives, saw their buddy drop and fled sky-high.
Crisis over in a flash.
This was why they called it demon territory. Two monster packs targeting us before noon.
Any average adventurer would've ended up forest fertilizer—or lost a few comrades.
"Captain's a total pro at sweeping girls off their feet. When'd you even knock me down? Am I just done for? Sneak attack in the chaos—kyaa~ outdoors style?"
"You sound fine, so no need to worry."
I glanced at the griffon, then back at Ragi.
She struck an exaggerated pose, hands shielding her face and chest, peering up at me.
Not role-playing or anything—she was just... I flicked her forehead lightly to snap her out of it.
Couldn't stay pinning her, so I stood first and offered a hand. She ignored it, still clutching herself.
"What? Hurt yourself falling?"
"N-no! D-don't get the wrong idea! I'm just a little shocked is all! Shoo! Go away!"
Why the sudden tsundere mode? Head injury?
I stared, puzzled. Then it clicked.
She was trembling. The shock had just hit— she'd nearly died.
Her arms hugging herself shook visibly.
Ragi's probably a natural-born coward, feral-animal level.
That made her hyper-sensitive to danger, honed at evasion.
She'd joined the guard for her own reasons, but scouting suited her talents perfectly.
A born scaredy-cat who'd just brushed death. She'd need a minute to settle.
I turned away casually, back to her, and checked on the others.
Parlen approached the fallen griffon shield-first, ready for any death throes, delivering the coup de grâce.
The rest covered for potential counterattacks with bows and staves.
Moments later, Parlen drove his blade into its nape. The eye-rolled griffon twitched once more.
Area clear.
"Ragi."
"...Yeah."
Shaken from the near-death scare, but she was a soldier—adventurer at heart.
Her voice from behind had steadied.
"Whew~ Gotta pull it together. Little bros waiting."
She slapped her cheeks with both hands, steeling herself.
Dusted off too, checked for injuries, then flashed her usual cheeky grin and patted my back.
"Thanks, Captain."
I'd expected her usual flirt. Surprisingly straightforward gratitude.