Chapter 32: On the Way to the Fort

Before sunrise the next morning, everyone gathered in the center of the camp.

They sat around a large fire, eating monster meat roasted over the flames while reviewing the plan for the day’s march through the snow.

“The route to the fort is the one we already shared,” Meidas said on behalf of the adventurers. “Because we must force our way through this snow, we estimate two or three days before we arrive.”

“That means spending at least one night inside the Baldor Mountains. Everyone should inspect their supplies before departure.”

“No problems here.”

“We can leave as soon as breakfast is finished.”

Meidas nodded at the answers.

A Clausel knight then addressed the group.

“We must assign people to carry the supplies, others to clear a path at the front, and enough fighters to respond immediately if monsters appear. Sir Meidas, please organize the adventurers.”

“Understood. Leave them to me.”

One after another, the members of the party rose and returned to their tents.

Ren finished the meat he had been eating and went to prepare as well. Inside his tent, he summoned the Wooden Magic Sword and concealed it beneath his coat, ready to use Nature Magic at any moment.

“Let’s go.”

When he stepped outside, the morning sun had begun to shine against the Baldor Mountains.

The normal road was completely buried, but they had no choice except to advance one step at a time.

Several dozen minutes later, the party began forcing a path through the snow.

They had known the journey would be difficult. Even so, the conditions were worse than expected.

Any trail left by Kai’s party had vanished beneath fresh snowfall. The mountain path was poor even under normal circumstances; now the endless slopes and deep snow made it almost unbearable.

Monsters occasionally appeared, but they caused little concern. With so many knights and adventurers together, the ordinary creatures of the Baldor Mountains were no threat.

“The sun is almost down!” Meidas called from the front. “There is a somewhat flatter area a little farther ahead. We’ll spend the night there!”

Everyone agreed.

A knight walking near Ren looked over at him.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m still fine. Compared with fleeing through the mountains with Lady Licia, this is nothing.”

“…You certainly appear well.”

“Sir Ren may be more robust than any of us,” another knight said.

“Hmm. A humiliating thought.”

Ren traded lighthearted remarks with them until, roughly ten minutes later, they reached the place Meidas had described.

It was only slightly flatter than the surrounding slope. The ground beneath the snow was uneven and inclined, so setting up tents remained difficult.

No one complained. Ren had expected far worse, and even a modest improvement was welcome.

They cleared the snow, raised the tents, and prepared another fire. By the time meat was roasting, everyone had begun eating and talking to ease the day’s exhaustion.

“I need money for my younger brother’s treatment,” one adventurer said.

“That’s admirable. It feels awkward to say this after hearing your reason, but I simply like money.”

“Ha! There’s nothing wrong with liking money.”

“You two are saints compared with me. I borrowed money to gamble at a casino, lost all of it, and became an adventurer to pay the debt.”

Every adventurer had a reason for accepting dangerous work.

Some stories were surprisingly grim, but Ren listened with interest.

“I’d rather hear about the Hero than any of you,” one of the female adventurers said.

“Exactly. A cute boy is much better company than these rough men.”

The others laughed and readily agreed.

The rescue remained urgent, but the fact that everyone still had enough composure to joke made the night in the Baldor Mountains feel less oppressive.

Ren was quietly relieved. At this rate, they should be able to reach the stranded party without suffering casualties of their own.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

They departed again at sunrise the following morning and marched through the snow until shortly before nightfall.

The second day passed so smoothly that everyone believed they would reach the fort as planned.

On the morning of the third day, the group arrived at a long suspension bridge spanning a canyon not far from their destination.

The bottom could not be seen.

The blizzard reduced visibility, and the bridge stood so high above the gorge that the depths would have been difficult to see even in clear weather.

No one needed to be told what would happen if they fell.

“The gorge below is part of a dormant volcanic region,” a knight told Ren as the bridge swayed beneath them. “There have been times in the past when lava flowed through it.”

Ren already knew that from the game, but he nodded.

Looking into the canyon brought back more memories.

(That’s right.)

In the game, Asval’s mana had affected the depths of the gorge, producing streams of lava throughout the area. On the remaining patches of ground, countless undead had gathered amid an abyss filled with miasma.

Miasma formed when mana leaking from dead monsters accumulated until it became a dense gas. Innumerable corpses lay beneath this bridge in the game, creating a horrific landscape worthy of the final stage.

While Ren was remembering it, the bridge suddenly lurched beneath his feet.

“Everyone! Grab the handrails!” Meidas shouted.

The entire party obeyed at once.

A violent blast of snow struck Ren’s face and pulled at his whole body. The wooden planks swung from side to side.

“Sir Ren! Do not release your grip!”

“I know!”

The wind was powerful enough to tear away anyone who lost focus. If Ren let go, he would be thrown directly into the gorge.

He tightened his gloved hands around the rail.

(This bridge is incredibly strong.)

That was only natural for a structure built in such a place, but the thought occurred to him as the gust weakened and visibility gradually returned.

Meidas raised his voice from ahead.

“Is everyone safe?”

“We’re fine!”

After the adventurers answered, Ren checked the nearby knights. No one had fallen. Relieved, he exchanged smiles with them and continued across.

Once the entire party reached the far side, they stopped to recover from the strain. After approximately half an hour, they resumed the march toward the old fort.

Shortly before noon, their destination finally came into view.

A signal fire was rising again, as though the people inside were desperately waiting for rescue.

“Everyone, let’s move!” Meidas called.

The party quickened its pace. Their knees sank easily into the deep snow, but they pressed forward as rapidly as possible.

(Almost there.)

Ren wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand while looking toward the fort.

Then the adventurers ahead abruptly stopped.

Meidas, who had been leading, raised one hand to demand silence.

“Monsters.”

They were not nearby yet.

His wolf ears twitched as he pointed toward the distance.

“I can hear people and monsters near the fort. The monsters sound like a large group.”

“So what are we doing?” a female adventurer asked.

“Isn’t that obvious?”

Meidas smiled fearlessly. The other adventurers followed his example and broke into a run.

“The fort may be under attack! Hurry!”

Ren and the knights exchanged a glance and reached the same conclusion. They ran with all their strength despite the terrible footing.

Ren soon realized that he could hear several different kinds of monsters—not a single herd, but a mixed swarm—along with the unmistakable sounds of someone fighting them.

Another blizzard swept across the mountains.

By the time visibility had become almost useless, the party had reached the area around the fort.

“Sir Ren! Do not take unnecessary risks!”

“I understand!”

After answering the knight, Ren examined the battlefield.

Some monsters were familiar from his life in this world. Others were creatures he had never seen before. A great number had spread around the fort in a chaotic mass.

Ren initially felt relieved, believing the adventurers guarding the merchant had survived and were fighting back.

(Why…?)

The people battling the monsters were not the escort party.

They were unfamiliar boys and girls.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter