Chapter 110
Chapter 110
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Silver Mountains (5)
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Aquila, descendant of the Sherpas, had joined us.
She helped inspect our luggage and redistribute it for the climb. In the process, any useless items were discarded.
The thing Aquila found most absurd was the “climbing assistant golem.” She examined it from every angle with a look that said, What on earth is this?, then backed away as if it gave her the creeps.
“Don’t worry. It’s safer than it looks. And durable too.”
“I’m not worried. I’m just patheticized.”
“And please, never say that in front of Khalid.”
“Mages.”
Aquila snorted and headed toward the goats. I followed behind her.
“These goats…”
“I plan to bring them.”
“Goats climb well, sure, but is it necessary?”
“Dragons might not admit it, but they love fresh food.”
“What?”
“Anyway, the goats are for Tundra. We have to bring them.”
We had sheep, cattle, horses, pigs—plenty of meat—but the reason for choosing goats was simple. They had the highest chance of arriving alive at Tundra’s lair. They were beasts that climbed mountains well, after all.
That’s right. My plan was to bring live goats and prepare a meal to soothe Tundra’s anger. One might think, Why not just pack ingredients in the subspace ring? But as I said, it wasn’t about my convenience—it was about the ingredients’ “freshness.” Dragons would never admit it, but they loved live… no, “fresh” food. They were gradually changing their tastes, claiming it was inhumane, but…
On top of that, there was the subspace ring’s capacity issue. It was already packed with most of my luggage, leaving no room for a cow or pig. Grains, fruits, and my personal items had pushed it to the brink.
So, I’d made the best choice. In my own way.
“The goats will be fine, but the mules won’t make it even halfway up the Silver Mountains.”
“It’s okay. I’ll have them climb as far as they can, then send them back.”
The mules would carry the food we’d consume and other sundries up to the midway point. Temporary companions, you could say. Once we reached a suitable spot, we’d release them, and they’d return safely to the village.
“Then, shall we head out now?”
“…”
Aquila glanced distastefully at Khalid and the climbing golem, then nodded. Taking that as the signal, we left the inn and began moving toward the mountains.
“Master, that person…”
El couldn’t contain her curiosity about the sudden new companion and whispered to me.
“Aquila. She’s our Sherpa guide.”
“A Sherpa? I’ve only read about them in books…”
El peeked at Aquila with sparkling eyes. Aquila, leading the mules, didn’t notice El’s gaze.
“Get along with her, El.”
It was El’s first female companion, and she seemed inwardly thrilled.
“But don’t forget you’re pretending to be a ‘boy.’”
El’s shoulders slumped. Well, even if Aquila knew El was a girl, it probably wouldn’t cause any big issues, but caution never hurt.
As El trudged along with drooping shoulders, I approached Khalid. He was comfortably seated atop the climbing golem, reading a book.
“Khalid, the golem seems faster now?”
Indeed. The golem’s speed was much quicker than when I’d first seen it. It walked at about Lloyd’s pace—roughly three times faster than before. Khalid replied without taking his eyes off the book.
“Because I made it faster.”
“…Wow, such a curt answer.”
“I know you wouldn’t understand even if I explained.”
Agh, that smug jerk… Did he catch my glare? Khalid smirked and added,
“I researched it for a week. Swapped in a new magic stone too. One that synergizes well with the snow lotus.”
“So that’s why the snow lotus looked so healthy.”
“Is that so?”
“I can see it.”
The snow lotus rooted in the golem gleamed with luster. All thanks to the magic stone.
“Thanks to that, the bonding is stronger. I’ve learned it’s worth considering combining living things with golems.”
“…That sounds a bit chilling.”
“Which part?”
“All the words you just said.”
Ahem. I cleared my throat awkwardly, quickened my pace, and walked at the front with Ayla, herding the goats. My nape prickled, but I absolutely didn’t look back.
How much time passed like that? The sun was already dipping low. Mountains after dark were far more dangerous than rabid trolls. We found a campsite before the sunset faded and lit a bonfire.
Aquila had spread a map on a flat rock and was studying it intently. Her serious expression prompted me to ask jokingly,
“Are we almost at the summit?”
Aquila shot me a cold look.
“It’s a joke, a joke. Where I’m from, we’d say that on hikes. ‘Just a bit further to the top.’ When climbers ask descending hikers, ‘How much farther?’ they all say, ‘Just a bit more,’ or ‘You’re almost there’…”
“Isn’t that just lying, not joking?”
“Well, it’s to encourage them. Like, ‘Hang in there a little longer!’ A kind of cheer.”
“Your homeland has weird customs. We don’t lie about mountains.”
“…I see.”
My joke fell flat. I scratched the back of my head. Aquila said, dead serious, without a trace of playfulness,
“We’ve only climbed one-fifth of the way.”
“We’ve got a long way to go.”
“Yeah. When you hear golems fighting—that’s the midway point. Don’t expect anything until you hear thunder-like roars.”
“Yes…”
Thoroughly deflated, I returned to the bonfire to prepare dinner. Man, jokes don’t land here. Must be from growing up around elders. She had that old-soul vibe. Grumbling inwardly, I prepped the ingredients.
Tonight wasn’t a feast like yesterday—just simple stew. We’d burned a lot of energy getting here, so I planned a calorie-packed cream stew. I sautéed snow rabbit meat that Lloyd had caught nearby with onions, then filled the pot with goat milk. Extra broccoli and cabbage today. I set the pot over the fire, brought it to a boil, and soon a sweet aroma wafted.
“El, grab some rye bread.”
El, who’d been playing with Ayla, hurriedly fetched chunks of rye bread. I placed one on each plate and ladled thick cream stew over them. Steam rose invitingly from every plate.
“Everyone, dinner’s ready.”
We gathered around the bonfire and dug in. To maximize travel, we’d skipped a proper lunch for jerky and energy bars, so everyone was starving—only the sounds of eating broke the silence.
“At this pace, we’ll reach Golem Valley in three days.”
Aquila broke the quiet.
“Golem Valley?”
El asked, and Aquila nodded.
“Golem Valley. The golems’ habitat in the Silver Mountains. Never heard of it?”
“Hmm, maybe in a book.”
“Empire folk think it’s just legend. But Golem Valley is real.”
“Wow…”
“No rain falls in the Silver Mountains. No thunder, no lightning. But in Golem Valley, you hear endless thunder.”
“Why?”
“The golems have been at war for centuries.”
El’s eyes sparkled at Aquila’s words, her face brimming with curiosity, like hearing a living myth. Aquila, seeming to enjoy El’s interest, continued explaining Golem Valley.
“The ‘real’ golems are on another level from mages’ creations. Some house-sized, others mountain-sized. And every one is powerful.”
At that, Khalid snorted.
“So powerful they waste it all smashing mountains.”
Aquila bristled.
“That’s the golems’ calling.”
“Admit it, little one. The ‘real’ golems are just dumb enough to repeat it endlessly.”
“Mages think anything that doesn’t follow ‘orders’ is dumb, huh…”
“Now, now.”
Before a fight could erupt, I stood and intervened. I ladled extra cream stew into both Khalid’s and Aquila’s bowls, calming them.
“Wasting energy on pointless arguments gains nothing. Cool down and eat. Tomorrow’s climb will be grueling for sure.”
“…”
“…”
“It’ll be as tough as today, if not worse.”
Aquila huffed—a tiny gust of wind—and turned slightly to eat her stew. Khalid did the same. Good thing they both hated wasting energy. Common ground there.
After dinner, we set watch rotations (Khalid opted out as if it were natural) and prepared beds. As first watch, I stayed by the bonfire, grooming Ayla’s fur. Khalid, inspecting his golem by the fire, suddenly spoke.
“…What we really need to fear isn’t the golems.”
It was loaded. I paused stroking Ayla and looked at him.
“Then what should we fear?”
“…”
Khalid stared into the flames with inscrutable eyes. Feeling uneasy, I pressed him again.
“If you know something, tell us now, Khalid.”
He looked straight at me.
“Past Golem Valley…”
“…”
“The witch’s hut appears.”
“…Witch’s, hut?”
“Yeah. The witch.”