047. Almost at Our Destination, But My Chest Feels So Tight... What the Hell Is About to Happen?
We'd politely turned down the random trinkets the demona tribe tried to foist on us—our lifestyles, diets, and even the tiniest habits were worlds apart anyway—and pressed on toward the heart of the volcanic zone. The fact that the demona tribe had dragged off men from their neighboring Wyviewnia tribe on a whim and gotten their territory shoved into a corner as punishment suggested that Ifrit, the primordial flame spirit ruling this region, was at least playing the part of a proper overseer.
'Armband... now that's a nostalgic name. I wonder how those guys are doing.' Before Sylvia summoned me, I'd hung out a bit with some connections... the ones who "killed even the concept of time" and the "Spatial Ruler." Armband was just the casual nickname for the Spatial Ruler.
I could never go back to my original world now. I had a life here. Sylvia was by my side.
'They're probably fine. Is it just nostalgia because Sylvia lost her memories...? No, focus—figuring out how to break this curse on her is what matters. Now, where was I...' I snapped back to thinking about how Ifrit seemed to be handling her role as ruler of the area pretty well.
Considering what Sylvia had vaguely mentioned about the primordial flame spirit Ifrit—her otherworldly strength, her flawless perfection that didn't even need to kill to win—it was clear she wouldn't give a damn about the demona and Wyviewnia tribes' squabbles from her perspective. So why bother intervening at all? Either she was a dignified being just playing overlord for kicks, or despite her power, she was some gullible pushover stuck with the hassle of ruling.
Time to consult my ultimate life-ruining luck-o-meter. Is this bitch scary or a total sucker...? Eenie meenie miney mo, which one will it be? Ding dong dang~ ...Fuck! Scary bitch? Nah, no way this dumb game's legit, right? Yeah, can't know her personality till I see her myself!!
I ignored the verdict from my life-ruining luck and just groped Sylvia's ass instead. Softness that melted away all my worries. Perfect 100.
"Aaang... What if someone sneaks up on us again while you're doing this...♡"
"It's fine, trust me. Your slave's luck will carry us."
"Pffft—"
To quiet her amused snort, I rubbed up against her quivering body. Sylvia let out a proud, breathy moan and buried herself deeper into me, sniffing my scent right back like payback—sniff sniff.
Our mid-air lovey-dovey antics went undisturbed this time, and we reached the volcanic zone's core without a hitch. But the journey wasn't over yet. True to its name, the area was dominated by disgustingly high mountains. Suddenly, an endless mountain range loomed up, shrouded in thick fog that made it look utterly unclimbable.
The professors had warned it was dangerous, so maybe from here on, it was crawling with massive, ferocious monsters... But why hadn't we seen this huge-ass range until now?
[Indeed... this place is──]
Only Sylvia could clear up my questions! Someone had just spoken, but we were in the middle of a romantic mid-air date for two. Hallucination, maybe? I gripped her waist tight to steady us and waited for her to speak.
"Oh my god... She's exuding this massive mana without even trying... Her mere existence turns this whole space into a barrier."
"I don't get fancy talk. Say it simple."
"Hyaat!Haah... ahaah... hngg. Okay, stop tickling! I was being serious."
"Heh, my master's hot when she's serious, but her usual cute face is even prettier. Mmm~ That half-assed serious vibe you put on just to get tickled? Adorable."
"Hmmph... Every time you bring up stuff I don't remember, I just wanna break this curse ASAP."
Unlike before, Sylvia actually looked pissed for a split second. What was that about? She quickly softened and explained it at my level.
"I bet Ifrit, the ruler here, threw up this special fog to avoid unwanted attention from other creatures. You can't even see it unless you get close."
A fire spirit messing with fog? With a grand name like primordial flame spirit, maybe she could do whatever... Eh, whatever. Burning moisture in the air or some shit, who cares.
Not wanting to bug Sylvia with irrelevant questions, I just hinted at my curiosity about why Ifrit did it.
"Any idea why she'd go to the trouble?"
"No clue... But no one else could veil such a huge area with magic like this. So Ifrit's definitely somewhere in those mountains. Her presence is so huge, she's probably at the peak, but..."
Why? Tired of armband duties with locals bugging her for favors, so she went into sudden seclusion? Or maybe mid-fap and closed up shop? Wait, can spirits even masturbate? Nah, spirits might not be just fireballs—they could have bodies. Human form or whatever.
I ditched my baseless fantasies and looked up at the mountain again.
'We gotta climb this...? Even ignoring the assumption of super-strong monsters, just the climb looks insanely tough... Fuck.' Staring at the fog-shrouded extinct volcano, anxiety bubbled up.
"Sylvia, how the hell do we get up there? Can't see shit from the air. We'd probably smash right into something... Or a monster that sees through the fog jumps us... All scary assumptions... What do we do?"
"...Hmm. Guess we hike it on foot."
"No way. Can't fly, but let's ride."
"Good idea."
Horse Golem ground mode—activated. We landed at a safe distance and started the ascent.
I figured a volcanic zone in a fantasy world would be scorching hot, but nope, totally normal. Lush foliage, plenty of trees. Even kinda chilly. The fog hung faintly all the way to the summit, but boots on the ground improved visibility at least. Speed took a hit, though.
Clop. Clop. Clop. At this rate, when do we get there? Riding's no joke either.
I grumbled internally without even walking myself. Sylvia leaned back against me, scanning the fog beyond, while I... sorta... stayed alert? What? I'm no househusband. I'm, uh, the breadwinner in spirit.
Lamenting my useless lot inwardly when Dark Bringer's voice chimed in.
[Beware, boy... This mountain feels off.]
"Oh right, you exist."
[......This body knows how to read the mood... Heh... But don't forget my presence... Surely it's not because I'm useless...?]
"Nah, you're super helpful~ Why so down suddenly?"
As I bantered with Dark Bringer, Sylvia glanced back from her vigil, then faced forward again. Dark Bringer confessed anxiously.
[Really...? Then pay some attention to me too, boy. I didn't want to reveal it, but this body harbors tremendous power...!]
"Yeah, sure. The power you mentioned when you thought Sylvia wasn't around, right?"
[Believe the truth, boy...]
This thing's feeling left out and spouting bullshit outta nowhere. I brushed off Dark Bringer's words.
[Uneasy... You might need my true power, so keep it in mind, boy.]
"Yeah yeah."
My half-assed reply didn't help; the situation was too tense for even groping Sylvia, and boredom set in. Army vet or not, my standard-issue service didn't train me for sustained tension—I was just a regular guy. I endured the dragging boredom without whining about it. No more fighting. I patted myself on the back for not dwelling on grim thoughts even a speck.
Thanks to the tireless horse golem, our climb was still pretty quick. I started getting why Dark Bringer felt uneasy. Roaming around without spotting a single lifeform... Was the primordial flame spirit watching us? Nah, probably coincidence, self-consciousness overload. In this endless fog-wrapped expanse, Sylvia, me, and Dark Bringer reached higher ground... without encountering anything.
Sylvia's wariness ramped up. Dark Bringer's ominous vibes grew. And crucially, my life-ruining luck senses... weren't screaming "everything's fine" anymore.
'Nah, fuck, it's just Silent Mountain vibes or whatever. Why's the mood so shitty? This peak's atmosphere sucks. Ugh, killing the vibe.'
Ignoring the anxiety, hours of climbing later—without even walking—we were sweat-soaked at the summit.
"Phew. Ifrit's gotta be around here somewhere."
[Don't let your guard down, boy...]
"Huh? Oh, yeah... Got it."
My reply lagged a beat. 'Why's my heart pounding like this? We rode the whole way...? Long rides tire you out, sure...'
Me, Dark Bringer at my waist, and Sylvia stuck tight, searching without splitting up. No one suggested scattering—it was obvious we'd stay together. Dark Bringer couldn't go solo anyway, but whatever, including her.
Poor thing feeling left out... Sylvia wiped the cold sweat trickling from my brow to my eyes.
"Thanks."
"No prob... Ugh... Sorry. This curse is all my fault."
"Don't say that, Sylvia. If not you, it'd be me hit instead. No need to blame yourself."
"Still, if I'd been more diligent as your master, maybe I could've blocked it beforehand...?"
"Seris used some potency-boosting potion. Probably unstoppable."
"If I'd blasted her before she used it..."
"Enough, Sylvia? It's in the past. No point dwelling. Just focus on breaking the curse."
Sylvia was self-flagellating because my face looked sour, but it bugged me.
'Ugh, control your damn face, me. Master's reading my mood... Sigh, I don't wanna be like this, but why's my chest so tight...'
With knowledgeable Dark Bringer and genius master by my side, no big worries, right?