Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: Silver Mountains (2)
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“This should be usable enough.”
Khalid looked quite satisfied with the eye lotus golem. I offered him a few suggestions. Delicate hand movements might be impossible, but since it was an ‘Ascent Helper Golem,’ we should embed spikes in its hands and feet, and attach rings to its shoulders and knees for hanging ropes. Khalid seemed reluctant to add all sorts of things to the golem but soon agreed.
“It’s true that you know nothing about the Silver Mountains.”
I muttered with a sigh. Tundra had personally taken him to the lair, but that didn’t seem to be a lie—Khalid truly had zero knowledge of climbing. He seemed to think there wouldn’t be any problems with the ascent helper golem and his own magic skills.
‘The biggest issue is that he doesn’t know how terrifying mountains can be.’
Thanks to our hiking enthusiast section chief back home, I had some mountain climbing experience and knew very well that hiking was no joke. Falls and missteps weren’t rare occurrences. The most important things in mountaineering were safety, safety, and safety again.
That’s why I inquired about the old Sherpas living at the foot of the Silver Mountains. Apparently, their numbers had sharply declined recently due to the ominous atmosphere around the peaks. No one responded to the notices, and even after asking Katarina to help, there was no word. In the end, I had no choice but to go look for them myself. I returned to the inn with only a vague address in hand.
We’d acquired nearly all the items available in Solen. We headed to the village at the entrance to the Silver Mountains, on the border between the Barak Empire and Lüset. It was about a week’s journey by carriage. Fortunately or unfortunately, Khalid said he’d come to the village using a ‘portal’ in a week and didn’t depart with us. When I asked if we could use portals too, the answer was ‘NO.’ He didn’t want to waste mana before climbing the Silver Mountains? What a cheapskate. Portals cost a fortune with their massive mana consumption and elaborate tools, so we decided to stick with horses and carriage. Lloyd’s horse was swift, and Storm was in top condition too.
“What about the mage uncle?”
“We’ll meet him in the village. And Elle, absolutely do not call that man ‘uncle.’”
“But he is an uncle.”
“Call him Sir Khalid. Mages hold grudges, and it’s a headache.”
“Such a hassle.”
“I think so too.”
The night before arriving at the village, we stopped the carriage and set up camp. While Lloyd patrolled the surroundings and Elle built the fire, I tied up the horses and stared at the distant mountains for a long time. The range, with a thin crescent moon hanging precariously, was beautiful yet rugged, like a sculpture carved with utmost care. The biting cold only accentuated its sharp beauty.
I could see why Tundra had stayed here.
‘The closer we get to the mountains, the colder it’s getting. It’ll really turn frigid starting tomorrow. Time to pull out the winter clothes. Need to fully recharge the warming stones too.’
As I circled the carriage to head back, a flickering shadow beneath it grabbed me.
-Hey.
Dimakushel—no, Kusukusu’s voice carried a lazy drawl.
“What’s up, Kusukusu.”
-Something feels off.
“Off how?”
The shadow gripping my ankle trembled. Under the faint moonlight, the boundary between shadow and darkness blurred, making it look like the shadow was melting into the dark.
“What do you mean?”
-I mean, oh! Ohhh...
Kusukusu’s voice sounded like a weary uncle sighing in a vibrating chair. What was with this guy?
-I mean, what, what, what do I mean!
“Calm down and explain.”
-I can’t calm down. The closer we get to that mountain, the weirder my body feels. Like cheese melting over a fire!
Kusukusu practically screamed it, shaking his shadow dramatically. The shadows and darkness rippled like waves crashing.
“...It’s the Silver Mountains.”
The mana waves were destabilizing the shadow Kusukusu inhabited. And this was just near the mountains, not even inside yet? Damn, no relying on Kusukusu’s help in the Silver Mountains. I should’ve thought of this sooner...
“No helping it. Kusukusu, you’ll have to rest for a bit.”
-Oh, oh, oh, that’s exactly what I was hoping you’d say.
The shadow stretched out like taffy, elongating about five meters, then snapped back and vanished under my foot. Kusukusu had shrunk himself to the size of a footprint and hidden beneath my sole. If he compressed himself and stuck close, he could endure somehow. Though I’d look like some weird shadowless guy for a while...
“Unexpected issues cropping up already.”
I returned to the campfire and started boiling stew. Packed with lamb, potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes, it was perfect for warming the body to withstand the night’s chill.
“How are you two holding up?”
“What do you mean?”
“We’re closer to the Silver Mountains now. Khalid said it emits unbalanced mana waves. You’re not mages, but you’re sensitive types, right? Just checking if you feel anything.”
“No issues.”
Elle nodded too. Huh, their thick, sturdy muscles must be repelling the mana waves!
I ladled another bowl of steaming stew, chewed on the tender lamb, and said,
“Good to hear. But my situation’s different. Khalid and I will prepare somewhat, but... unexpected things could happen.”
“Like?”
“Hard to use my druid abilities.”
“That would be troublesome.”
“Or in severe cases, I might even lose consciousness.”
“...”
“Hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Elle mumbled something around a mouthful of stew. Something like, Even if that happens, I’ll protect you, Master! That sort of thing. I smiled lightly and nodded.
I wasn’t unprepared either. On the way to the entrance, I’d been carving a totem inside the carriage. Made from eternal ice from the northernmost glaciers, which supposedly never melted even in the Roshan Desert’s heat—it was so hard the carving knife barely bit in, taking two extra days than expected.
‘Well, should be done by tonight.’
After eating, I stood watch by the fire while continuing to carve the eternal ice totem. The incantations etched into the crystal-clear ice glowed under the moonlight.
[Totem: Frozen Heart has been completed.]
I slipped [Frozen Heart] onto my pinky finger. Cold, yet not cold. [Frozen Heart] spun around my finger, sparkling transparently.
[Frozen Heart] was an item that shielded the wearer from surrounding mana flows. The frozen mana accumulated in the eternal ice enveloped the body in protection. ‘Unyielding Heart’ might suit it better. Anyway, wearing this would offer some defense against the Silver Mountains’ mana waves.
If overwhelming mana surged, [Frozen Heart] would shatter, forming a defensive barrier for a limited time. Use that window to escape or find another way...
‘Best if the totem doesn’t break at all.’
I gazed again at the distant Silver Mountains shrouded in darkness. What could it be harboring to intensify these phenomena? Just a sleeping dragon shouldn’t unbalance the mana this much.
‘Then maybe it’s Earte’s fragment?’
I couldn’t rule that out. If it lay untouched, buried in eternal snow, that would be ideal...
But if someone had gotten hold of Earte’s fragment, and this was all a precursor...
“Whew...”
Think positive, think positive. If disaster had struck, it wouldn’t stop at this. If it’s a precursor, there’s still time to stop it—lucky us.
“Theodore.”
Lloyd approached from behind with footsteps. Already time to switch? I stroked Ayla’s head—she’d been dozing off by the fire where I’d sat—then stood.
“Mr. Lloyd.”
“...You look worried.”
“That obvious?”
“Obvious enough.”
“Embarrassing.”
I scratched the back of my head with a grin. Lloyd sat in my spot and looked up at me steadily.
“I understand.”
“Hm?”
“Meeting a dragon... it’s my first time too.”
Well, it wasn’t just that I was worried about, but... no need to make Lloyd awkward. I nodded casually.
“Yeah, it’s nerve-wracking. The opponent’s a dragon, after all. Even if they’re benevolent toward humans...”
“I agree. They’re great beings. Which means we can’t predict what might happen.”
“Not scared?”
“It’d be a lie to say I’m not.”
That ‘he,’ Lloyd, admitting fear. Dragons really were something. The pinnacle of this world, naturally. A single flick of a dragon’s finger could topple a nation.
“Hahaha. Don’t worry too much. If the dragon tries to kill us...”
“...”
“We’ll take hostages.”
Right. We’d hostage the dragon egg. If they smashed an egg whose parentage they didn’t know, it could spark strife among dragons. Even an enraged Tundra woken from slumber wouldn’t risk shattering another’s kin egg. That was my last ace.
Of course, best if it never came to that.
“Just kidding. We have plenty of other options.”
“...”
“First thing tomorrow in the village, we’ll buy some mules and a herd of goats.”
Lloyd stared at me, utterly baffled.
“Gotta prepare Tundra’s meal.”