Chapter 39: Go the other way.

If I hadn’t used nature magic to hold onto the suspension bridge, we’d have been scorched by the lava flow that filled the canyon below.

So this was the only way to save Fiona.

Even though I knew we’d have to trundle back to the fort, I couldn’t risk our lives.

“I’m sorry…… It’s my fault.”

After returning to the fort, Ren and Fiona were on its rooftop.

They checked the surroundings and thought about what to do next.

“No, that wasn’t your fault, Fiona-sama.”

Ren was concerned about Fiona, but she was shaking her shoulders in frustration.

It wasn’t her fault, but she felt remorse that she had put him in danger by getting him involved.

Ren was noble in his integrity, but he was also concerned about what was to come.

(We got by earlier, but here’s the problem.)

Immediately after escaping from the suspension bridge, Ren tried to find a way down from the vicinity, but the surrounding lava flow informed him that it was impossible.

So he gave up and returned to the fort.　

(Those who crossed the suspension bridge should be safe. I hope everyone who held onto the suspension bridge are also safe)

The path taken by the parted knights and adventurers, plus the students, was safe, I thought.

If the lava flowed according to the terrain Ren knew, then the path they would use to climb the mountain would be safe.

On the other hand, the paths that Ren and Fiona could use to descend the mountain were fewer.

Furthermore, the only route left was the one that required a more circuitous route than the one they had started with.

Should they wait for rescue?　

(If we don’t do anything, this place will be covered by lava.)

The lava flows that are being seen show no signs of abating.

In fact, it seems as if the number of places where lava overflows is increasing.

“Adventurer-san, we are…..”

Fiona had noticed this as well.

Fiona knew that staying here wasn’t going to bring rescue.

It’d be no surprise if a lava flow would soon sweep in around the fort and swallow them both up.

“…..Our only option is to try to get down the mountain from a different road than that suspension bridge.”

In the meantime, there are several paths down the Baldor Mountains.

Ren pointed in one direction.

“The closest one is the one that leads to Viscount Given’s estate.”

“Yes…… it’s possible to go down from there as well.”

But it would take a lot more time than going down the mountain to the Clausel side.

No matter how much we tried to get down the mountain as quickly as possible, we couldn’t afford to be picky if there was no other way.

So Fiona didn’t seem bothered by it either.

(If this doesn’t work out, it’ll be very troublesome.)

In the meantime, there are no other avenues.

We can go down the mountain from the path that Fiona and the other students have taken.

But we don’t want to do that. It would take too long to get down the mountain, and we would have to stay in the Baldor Mountains for a long time.

“Still—-, I wonder if it’s the hero faction after all”

Ren muttered softly.

The series of disturbances were so inexplicable that I couldn’t stop suspecting the existence of a dark entity in the shadows, as I had done with Viscount Givens.

However, Fiona, who heard Ren’s mutterings, shook her head “No”.

“Among the students, there was a legitimate son of a family lineage linked to the British barons. Don’t you remember the boy who was being cared for by the adults before we crossed the suspension bridge?”

“Ah….. I think there was one for sure.”

“That boy is the one. So I have a feeling that the heroic group wouldn’t do anything to endanger his life.”

“I see. It’s true, when you put it that way.”

For the heroic faction, the people of the British barony are irreplaceable.

There’ll be men like Viscount Givens, but even then, the heroes’ faction should observe certain lines.

Therefore, as Fiona said, I don’t think it was the heroic faction.

Then the question becomes, who is it?

(An accident that happened because of the absence of the dean?  No, if anything, it was a disturbance aimed at the absence of the dean.)

The further question is Marquis Ignat.

If that man is in the picture, there’s no way anyone could easily cause such a commotion. Because even though he has many political enemies, on the other hand, I don’t think anyone would find it easy to get into a fight with him.

In other words, I doubt that a being with power equal to or greater than that of Marquis Ignat would try to get on his bad side.

Or —-

(Another power—)

The people who are plotting to revive the Demon King may have made some kind of move here.

However, searching for the culprits at this point will not help.

First of all, we had to take action to escape the Baldor Mountains in order to protect ourselves.

“Let’s leave the Baldor Mountains as soon as possible. We need to get ready and leave immediately.”

“Yes! I’ll go check the luggage right away!”

It wasn’t long after noon, so we could move while it was still light.

And now, with lava flowing everywhere, I could imagine that it’d be reasonably bright even at night.

So we had to make a little progress, and we both shared that goal.

We started to return to the fort at the same time, but Fiona suddenly stopped.

“—-“

She pressed her hand against her chest.

For a moment, her chest throbbed inexplicably and strongly.

“Fiona-sama?”

“N-No! it’s nothing!”

But it was only for a moment. I was worried that her body had reverted back to the way it was before she took the drug, but there was no sign of that at all.

Fiona immediately slapped her cheek and gave a dainty smile.

Her smile was exactly like that of an angel.

　

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

—- Lava flowed to the surface of the earth and down the sharp mountainside, turning the whole area bright red. Perhaps the terrain around the Baldor Mountains has also been eroded.

However, there are still some landforms that have not been eroded.

Ren, accompanied by Fiona, set out to descend the mountain by following such a path.

Two days had passed since they left the fort.

Night was falling again.

It was about that time of the year when, if one looked up to the sky, one could see the stars in the sky.

“—not good.”

Ren, who was sitting alone by the fire, woke up with a start.

He thinks back to what happened before he went to bed.

They had decided to camp around here today, and spent a busy time tamping down the snow on the ground and pitching a tent for two.

After dinner, Ren told Fiona to rest. She was tired.

Ren had taken over night watch for her, but he, too, was so tired that he dozed off.

“It’s alright, Adventurer-san.” 

Fiona’s voice came from beside me, even though she was supposed to be asleep.

I looked in the direction of the voice and saw her sitting in front of the campfire.

“While you had fallen asleep, no monsters attacked us.”

“I’m sorry ……. I can’t believe I fell asleep while I was supposed to be protecting you.”

When Ren apologized, Fiona shook her head immediately.

“I apologize. I’m sure you were on watch duty last night, too. That’s why you were a little sleepy today.”

“Don’t worry about that. It’s my job.”

“No—at times like this, let me help you.”

Fiona smiles.

She wrapped herself in thermal gear but was still cold and hugged her knees.

In her hand was a wooden cup that was steaming warm, and the faint aroma of tea was wafting through the air.

As if on an impulse, she handed the wooden cup to Ren, took a small one-handed pot from the fire, and brewed a pot of tea.

“Some of the Ignat family’s servants were serving in the imperial castle.”

“Oh….. as expected of the Ignat family.”

“—- but those servants laughed when they drank the tea I brewed for them.”

Again, I didn’t know what to say.

But Ren doesn’t have the option of not touching the tea.

Fiona said shyly, “If it doesn’t taste good, just throw it away,” but Ren smiled in a cool way and brought the cup to his lips.

(…… hmmm)

I woke up.

The tea is, what can I say, very bitter.

“It’s delicious.”

“You’re lying. Your eyebrows were twitching. Adventurer-san.”

“It’s just a habit, so don’t worry about it too much. It’s really delicious.”

“I’m glad to hear you say so, but please really don’t overdo it. It would be terrible if it upset your stomach…..!”

In fact, I didn’t feel that it wasn’t tasty.

It was bitter, but as for Ren, he felt she brewed it better than he did, and the fragrant steam was soothing.

Fiona secretly relaxed her cheeks as Ren swallowed another sip or two.

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