Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: The Witch's Cabin (8)
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"So, you mean you don't know what state Tondra is in right now either, Didier?"
"Hmm."
Didier nodded as she stuffed a cabbage roll into her mouth whole and chewed vigorously. She seemed to love them so much that this was already her fifth one. The arrival of a big eater who could rival El's appetite.
I put one cabbage roll on my plate, topped it with melted ice moss and black olives, and popped it into my mouth. The juices from the snow pig meat filled my mouth! The sweetness of the snow mountain cabbage! The nutty flavor of the ice moss! The harmony of tomato and black olive was perfect. This would go great with red wine. Unfortunately, I had no more red wine left to drink. The bottles I'd packed in my subspace ring were all reserved for special occasions.
"Then there's a possibility that the awakened Tondra could be in a ferocious state."
"Mmmph."
"Hmm..."
Didier and Khalid were in agreement on this point. The ferocity of an awakened dragon would be beyond human imagination.
'I guess I'll have no choice but to use that method...'
The method the old hag occasionally employed. Whether it would work on a dragon was questionable, but...
'Maybe if I use black opium instead of water lily...'
As I was lost in thought, Aquila returned from outside, where she'd gone early after eating to check the stars, and spoke to me.
"I've got our bearing. Found the path too."
"Ah, then..."
"We can head out as soon as the sun rises."
"Good to hear."
Aquila gave a slight nod, then headed to the corner of the cabin as if to prepare for bed. I finished my cabbage roll and stood up. Time to check on Isla and the goats.
*Crunch crunch crunch!*
Isla was gnawing away at the snow pig bones in a trance. I gave her head a pat, then counted the goats. Hmm, not a single one missing. Nice work, Isla.
Next, the two mules. Fortunately, they were unharmed, but a few items from their loads were gone. One sack of grain, one sack of fruit, and one sack of vegetables. What a shame.
I divided the grain, fruit, and vegetables into the three subspace bags Didier had given me. Plenty of room, thankfully. These were for me, Lloyd, and El to share starting tomorrow.
"Alright, you two can head back now."
Mules can't climb past the mountainside. I untied their leads and gave their rumps a smack. The mules exchanged bewildered looks before vanishing. They'd return to the village.
"Isla, take good care of the goats tonight."
-Woof!
After entrusting the goats to Isla, I returned to the cabin and ran into Lloyd at the door. He was on first watch tonight.
"Lloyd."
"Theodore."
"Are you feeling alright? Or should I ask if your mind's alright?"
"Both are fine."
"Glad to hear it. That was a bizarre ordeal."
"Witches pull nasty stunts like that sometimes. Not a pleasant experience."
"Is that so? I heard the cabin's illusions were 'happy' ones..."
"..."
Lloyd fell silent. Maybe for him, the 'happy' dream wasn't happy at all?
"Well, I didn't have a pleasant dream either."
"Is that right."
"My parents appeared. As if they knew I'd been missing them all along."
"..."
"When I think about it, happiness doesn't have to be something special. It was just ordinary daily life. Eating with my parents, working, just..."
"..."
"Living, that's all."
"..."
"That must have been happiness."
"I agree."
"You don't have to tell me what you dreamed about. Everyone's happiness is different, after all."
"...Haha, I see."
A faint smile crept onto Lloyd's lips.
"What I mean is, no need to dismiss happiness outright. It's not a bad thing, is it?"
"..."
"For my part, I'll try thinking of my parents and home cooking more often. Doesn't cost anything to think happy thoughts."
"Good advice."
"You think so?"
Lloyd responded with a raised corner of his mouth instead of words. I smiled back at him, then went inside the cabin.
El and Aquila were asleep. It was hard to tell if Didier was asleep or not, and Khalid was tinkering with his golem.
'Maybe because it's been a while since I slept indoors, but I'm so sleepy.'
I settled into a corner, rested my head on my arm, and closed my eyes. Deep sleep washed over me. It felt like I might have a happy dream, a pleasant sensation.
* * *
The next day.
The real mountain climb began in earnest. Once preparations were done, we set off following Aquila's lead. Nothing much different from before. Except for the dramatically increased difficulty.
From here on, there was a risk of falling, so we each wore magic ropes with levitation enchantments around our waists as we moved. Narrow mountain paths where a glance to the side revealed sheer cliffs. And the wind and cold were merciless. Taking a deep breath felt like it would freeze my lungs.
"Watch out!"
"...Huff."
"Good thing you're connected to the golem."
As expected, Khalid and Didier had zero talent for mountaineering. Wizard-like, I suppose. Even with the golem's help, their stamina was failing, leaving them on the brink of collapse. They chugged stamina potions so much I worried they'd die of potion overdose.
Even cutting rest breaks, our pace didn't improve. The terrain was far rougher than anticipated. And that wasn't all. The higher we climbed, the worse the weather got. Even at midday, the sky was dark as if a blizzard could hit any moment, and thunder rumbled from beyond the clouds far away, making my hairs stand on end. This instinctive fear when pitting yourself against the great forces of nature.
But Aquila was different. No hesitation or fear from her. She strode confidently as if she owned the Silver Mountains. At this point, she and the goats might be the only ones in the party making real progress.
"Huff, huff, heave..."
"Hah, hah, haa..."
The two wizards were on death's door. We took advantage of a lull in the wind to catch our breath near a cliff. To prepare for accidents, I connected everyone with snow lotus stems and tied them to a sturdy nearby rock. The snow lotus quickly put down firm roots.
"Alright. Let's rest a bit."
While I built a fire, El milked the goats. Plenty for everyone to quench their thirst. I poured the goat milk into a pot on the fire and brought it to a boil. Then I crumbled hard chocolate into it.
"Where's that honey...?"
I stirred in plenty of the organic honey from Lyset. Soon, the bittersweet aroma of chocolate mixed with the sweet scent of honey wafting up. Ahh, just the smell is melting away my fatigue...
-Bubble bubble.
-Bubble bubble.
Stirring the pot slowly with a wooden ladle until the chocolate fully melted, this moment felt unbelievably peaceful. Hard to believe we were in the heart of the brutal Silver Mountains.
I passed out mugs and filled them with the thick, rich hot chocolate. Would've been nice with whipped cream and marshmallows, but that's just wishful thinking. Crushed dried strawberry chips sprinkled on top gave it a nice kick instead.
"Whew..."
"So, so good!"
"...Tasty."
"Haa..."
"Warm."
Various reactions, but the underlying feeling was the same. 'Delicious.' I smiled contentedly and took a sip of mine. Hot, thick, sweet, bittersweet, nutty. The strawberry chips' tartness cut through what could have been a cloying finish. Perfect.
'Warming me up inside—feels like I might live.'
I downed the hot chocolate in one go and let out a long sigh. Still a long way to go.
"What do you think, Aquila? At this pace..."
"We need to worry more about stamina than speed."
She said, glancing at the witch and wizard. Heh heh. I nodded, holding back a laugh.
"Still, I think it's not a bad pace."
"Maybe. But if the weather worsens..."
Aquila looked up at the sky. Something flashed far in the clouds.
"We should find a safe campsite before sunset."
"Better move fast."
We exchanged looks and stood.
According to Aquila, a small cave was just ahead. A spot Sherpas used for breaks—small, but enough to shelter in.
'If we get there before the weather turns, block the entrance with [Forest Protection], and we can spend the night safely.'
We hurried. Khalid and Didier nearly fell off cliffs a few times, but the golem prevented disaster. The snow lotus stems did their job too, keeping the group safe. When clouds hid the sun and we lost direction, I sprouted ice moss tree buds to check. They grow south, so we followed their direction.
"There, the cave!"
Aquila shouted from ahead. Snowflakes began falling, and ominous rumbling echoed from the sky. Hearts racing. Snow grew thicker, blurring vision. We closed ranks and followed Aquila. Fortunately, everyone made it inside safely.
"Haa, whew. Good work, everyone. I'll seal the entrance now—step back."
I cast [Forest Protection] at the entrance. Trees, grass, and vines sprouted instantly, blocking it. Phew, now we can relax. I sat and pulled out my canteen to wet my throat.
-Grrrrr...
Then, an unwelcome sound echoed.