Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Myriad Forms Dragon
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Right after arriving at one of the three peaks of Muradin Mountain, the entire party disembarked from the turtle golem. They had set out early in the morning and only arrived after noon had passed.
"This is the summit of Muradin Mountain...! The first peak!"
Alvern shouted excitedly, spreading her arms wide.
"Hmm..."
I shielded my eyes from the blazing sunlight and surveyed the surroundings. The mountaintop rose high but was surprisingly spacious. There was a stone altar that looked like it had been used ages ago, and stone pillars embedded here and there bore engraved runes, giving off an eerie atmosphere.
Mysterious traces remained. But they were mere fragments. Over the long passage of time, the mysteries they held had naturally faded away. If only we had come sooner.
A pang of regret made my lips twitch.
"No path to cross over to the other side."
I said, gazing at the far side of the peak. Muradin Mountain was characterized by its three towering peaks. The spot we had reached was the lowest and rightmost one, with progressively taller peaks rising sequentially beyond it.
There was no path. The protruding ridges shot up steeply, making it impossible to traverse on foot. Even with the turtle golem, it would be the same; to climb to the lofty peaks ahead, we would need to scale the cliffs.
"That's right. That area's so treacherous that we can't go by ordinary means. So I brought something special..."
Alvern rummaged through the bag she had packed and pulled something out. It was a long cylindrical object with a hook on the front, runes engraved along its length.
"It's inscribed with dispersion and control runes. Its name is... the Verneite Spear...! Don't worry, Master. I've got a way..."
Click. The moment mana flowed from her hand, the runes on the cylinder activated, and the hook on the front shot out at high speed. The long-extending hook was connected to a sturdy-looking rope.
Whirrr!
"You shoot the hook to a high spot like this, and it makes climbing the cliff easier by giving you something to hold onto. Heh... This is my first time using it in the field, so I'm a bit nervous."
"How do you retrieve it?"
I asked Alvern, staring at the hook launched far away. She had been confidently introducing her magic tool, but her expression faltered for a moment. Then she yanked hard on the rope connected to the cylinder. But despite her efforts, the launched hook didn't come back.
Because the hook that had flown far off had fallen to the base of the peak and gotten caught between massive trees.
"...Let's just investigate the lowest peak today!"
In the end, Alvern gave up on retrieving the hook and snapped the connecting rope.
After that, the full on-site investigation began. Alvern pulled a book from her bag and carefully wandered the peak, comparing her collected data with the actual site while scribbling notes.
"Master, this is the altar built for Rem Drain. What's strange is that this altar didn't exist back when Rem Drain—that is, the Myriad Forms Dragon—appeared. It was built just two or three hundred years ago. Why build an altar for a colossal beast that had already vanished? And now, no one's searching for it or maintaining it..."
"It is odd."
I nodded at Alvern's words and began jotting notes in my small notebook. If the Myriad Forms Dragon was a real colossal beast, its entry would make it into the colossal beast compendium I was compiling.
"By the way, this altar... it wasn't made with our Tenen Kingdom's techniques, was it? These traces look like they're from the Karadun Kingdom... Just a coincidence? Seeing it with my own eyes is definitely better! I'm discovering lots of new details not in the records!"
"You never came here before?"
"No!"
"Because it's dangerous? But from what I see, it doesn't look that hazardous."
I said, looking around in response to Alvern's answer. This was a mountain right next to the capital of the Tenen Kingdom. There were no bandits, and I hadn't spotted any dangerous monsters. Even though Alvern's magical prowess wasn't top-tier, she could have investigated the area alone without much issue.
She came prepared with all sorts of gear, so it's not like she hadn't thought about it at all.
"I thought the same at first. But I looked into it, and wyverns have been sighted around here. Several dwarves were even bitten by wyverns. That's why no one approached."
"Wyverns...?"
"Yes!"
"Why are you mentioning this now?"
"Huh...? Didn't I tell you? I said it was dangerous. With your skills, Master, even wyverns are no problem! You neutralized the Wolf Queen with my mighty all-purpose golem in one go!"
She had said it was dangerous, but not about wyverns. I frowned and rubbed my face. I could handle one wyvern alone, but if their numbers increased, I couldn't guarantee my apprentices' safety.
Is it because she's still young...?
Her knowledge seemed substantial, but she was lacking in other areas. I turned to Durel and Semo.
"Keep watch around us. If you see anything in the sky, let me know immediately."
"Got it."
"I'll watch the sky."
Even after sending off my reliable apprentices, I couldn't fully relax. Only after expanding the detection range of Gentle Wind to three times its usual size could I finally breathe a sigh of relief.
I recalled when I first met Alvern. What I had shown her was using the power of my fourth mana circle to neutralize a golem. Based on that alone, she had judged we could come here.
I had been concealing all my information with the power of concealment back then, so she couldn't have gauged my true level. Yet she made that call—either from overconfidence or blind faith in her own golem.
I need to ask Durel to keep an eye on her.
"If I could just restore the lost Erkamon in these runes... maybe I could reactivate this altar. Looking at this, it seems awfully similar to expressions for 'sky'..."
Alvern showed no concern whatsoever about the wyverns. After wandering the area for a while, she muttered in a voice full of regret.
"Too many human hands have touched this place. So much damage... not much info we can glean..."
At Alvern's words, I looked up at the sky. The sun hadn't set yet. Plenty of time left, enough to cross over and investigate the next peak. Turning my head, I spotted Semo lounging atop the turtle golem.
He looked utterly at ease. Durel too. No unusual movements in the broad detection field of Gentle Wind.
Should be fine for a short while...
After a brief hesitation, I called out to Semo.
"Semo!"
"Yes!"
"Glider!"
"On it!"
I raised one hand high and waited. But no matter how long, the glider didn't come flying. Glancing sideways, I saw Semo running over from the turtle golem, glider in hand.
I meant for him to toss it, but he was bringing it himself.
Thud.
"Here you go!"
It had been quite a while since I last held the glider. I pressed the center button to unfurl its wings.
Clank!
"Planning to head to the other side?"
"Just a quick trip. You and Durel wait here."
"Understood..."
For a short distance, I could have taken Durel and Semo along. But the next peak was quite far. Four people on the glider would be too much for it to bear.
Suddenly, the wind runes came to mind.
If I engrave runes on the glider...
There was no suitable spot to engrave runes on this glider right now. Its frame was too thin, and the wings looked like they could barely handle even one rune.
To inscribe runes powerful enough for flight, I'd need a specially made glider.
"A glider, huh. The one that lets you soar through the skies on desert thermals..."
Alvern approached, intrigued by the glider. I smiled lightly and told her.
"Hold on tight here."
"This? Got it... Wait, you're not thinking of crossing over on this..."
Why not? Confirming Alvern's grip on the glider, I lightly stomped my right foot. Bam—as my small leg struck the ground, a fierce gust erupted, launching the glider into the air.
Whoosh!
"Eek, eeeeek...!"
Riding the wind, I frowned. Runes, engraved magic, mana circles, golem cores. Countless mysteries swirled in my mind. Could it work? Could it not? No way to know without trying.
In that moment, a vague form of myriad scholarly knowledge coalesced in my head. A massive hull and wings, propellers slicing through the wind as it advanced slowly. Diving through the clouds, it evoked the image of a colossal beast.
An airship...
It might just be possible.