𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠
One week had passed since parting ways with Ruberto-san and his group.
We safely reached our destination, the remote Celestial Mountains, where a dwarf village was located. After resting for one night, we began our mountain climb early the next day.
The sky was clear.
The air was crisp.
Looking down from the mountainside, we could see a breathtaking view spreading below.
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“Hnnnnnngh!”
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In such a serene place, a loud man’s voice echoed.
The owner of that voice is Blade Valkyrias, the 『Sword Saint』.
Normally, Blade carries a giant sword that’s taller than he is. Today, however, he is climbing the mountain carrying something else on his back.
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What Blade is carrying right now.
It’s the travel companion that brought our Hero’s Party all the way here.
A large carriage that could easily accommodate all of us.
Blade has been carrying this carriage on his back for several hours now.
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“Um. . . . . .should we take a break soon?”
“Not yet! I can still go on!”
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In response to the words of concern from Rin, Blade replied with a passionate line that seemed out of place in this context.
The rest of the party gave uneasy looks.
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. . . . . .Maybe I rushed things.
I had him carry the carriage as a part of his training, but I didn’t expect him to be so immersed in it.
Blade has exceptional physical strength and muscular endurance compared to other Holy Warriors.
With his strength, climbing a mountain while carrying a carriage is relatively easy.
That’s why we disguised this as physical training.
The real goal was to get the training-addicted Blade to take a little rest.
If he doesn’t take a break while looking so exhausted, there’s little point in it.
Moreover,
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“Ah, a monster.”
“Leave it to me! Haaa!”
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A monster native to the mountain range appeared in front of us, and as soon as Stella spotted it, Blade skillfully switched to holding the carriage with one hand, drew his giant sword with the other, and closed in on the monster to cut it down in an instant.
This has been happening for a while now.
Blade takes on every monster that appears and defeats them all with full force, which, combined with carrying the carriage, has him running low on stamina.
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One might think that someone else should take down the monsters, but that would make Blade mentally unstable.
Apparently, he maintains his emotional balance by torturing his body through training and by defeating monsters.
It’s a pretty serious situation.
What should we do?
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“Rooooar!”
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While we were pondering, another new monster appeared before us.
A lion-like monster about two meters long.
Although small for a monster, the pressure it emitted was intense.
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Ah, this is not an opponent to be underestimated.
These Celestial Mountains are actually home to a labyrinth near the peak.
Many monsters, including high-ranking dragons that exceed even demons in strength, are drawn to the labyrinth.
Although such high-level creatures seldom appear, there are plenty that are one or two ranks below.
The one in front of us is one of those.
Honestly, the Dwarves are crazy for building a village in a place like this.
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“Alright! I’ll take this one too. . . . . .”
“Hold on. The carriage will break. Besides, there’s more than just one opponent.”
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I often come to this mountain, so I generally know the types and characteristics of the monsters that inhabit it.
The name of this monster is Murder Lion.
It’s formidable on its own, but what makes it even more troublesome is that, true to its name, it tends to move in packs.
Moreover, they’re quite coordinated.
One will intentionally show itself to distract you, while the others sneak around to your sides or behind you and launch their attack. They even employ such clever tactics.
Depending on the size of the pack, even a hero would have a hard time dealing with these monsters.
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Right now, the only reason they haven’t attacked us is that we, except for Blade, have not let our guard down. I can feel numerous monsters lurking and watching for an opportunity from the shadows of the rocks.
Well, the fact that everyone except Blade is aware of them means they’re not a significant threat to Hero’s Party.
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The easiest and quickest way to deal with this would be with Auntie Elle’s magic, but. . . . . .
I glanced at Auntie Elle with that thought, and she shrugged and shook her head.
. . . . . .Oh well.
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“If you’re going to do it, put down the carriage.”
“Alright!”
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Blade gently set down the carriage and charged at one of the monsters in front of him.
It seems the only option now is to let him vent his frustrations.
I’d like to find a permanent solution soon, but honestly, I have no idea how to go about it, so it’s a problem.
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It’s more serious than when we could understand each other through body language during Rest.
Even if I were to do to Blade what I did for Rest, he would only lament his own powerlessness, grow impatient, and feel even more cornered.
It’s not just meaningless, but it would have completely the opposite effect.
And since my acquaintance with Blade is brief, and I don’t know him that well, advising him without the use of body language is impossible.
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At this point, there’s little I can do.
But I’m not heartless enough to ignore the situation, so I’m still contemplating various ideas, but no good ones come to mind.
There’s a saying that what’s impossible is impossible.
I’ve always been one to thoroughly deny such a phrase, but the fact that such words exist means that making the impossible possible is not that easy.
So, it looks like I’ll have to rely on someone else for a solution. . . . . .
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With those thoughts, I turn my gaze to the other party members.
The most likely to help would be Rin, who eagerly told Ruberto-san, “Leave it to me!”
However, she now looks quite tired after Blade completely ignored her devotion.
She’s currently bent over, looking sad, while Stella is patting her back.
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I won’t call it pathetic.
Truth be told, she’s been doing her best.
She’s been serving Blade as if she were caregiving for an elderly person.
The one in the wrong is Blade, who’s taken all her care and given nothing back.
I know he’s not in a state to do so now, but even considering that, I can’t help but blame Blade.
Once he’s recovered, I’ll keep nagging him for decades, ensuring he’s forever indebted to Rin.
He better spend his life under Rin’s thumb.
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While I was cursing Blade in my mind, he had already defeated one of the Murder Lions in front of him.
However, the moment he let his guard down after the victory, the hidden Murder Lions attacked Blade all at once.
That’s one of their troublesome traits.
They’ll willingly use one or two of their own as sacrificial pawns for the benefit of the entire pack.
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However, Blade, who had been aware of the hidden figures lurking in his words beforehand, showed no openings.
Besides, say what you will, Blade is a Sword Saint.
He’s in a different league compared to Murder Lion and the others.
Whether he’s worn out or his mental state is unstable, he won’t lose that easily.
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Making that judgement and opting to be a spectator, suddenly, a long-range attack that wasn’t from Blade made one of the Murder Lions’ heads explode.
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“What?!”
“Charge, let’s go!”
“””Roaaaaar!!!”””
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At the same time as Blade lets out a surprised yell, a group of stout uncles appear from the top of the mountain, attacking the Murder Lion herd with various uniquely shaped weapons.
Ah, so that’s the kind of day it is today.
I subtly stopped Stella, who had tried to help out in the spur of the moment, by placing a hand on her shoulder.
Getting involved would only make things complicated later.
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“Smasher!”
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One of them swings a metal object that looked like a giant prosthetic hand. When Murder Lion intercepted it, the prosthetic itself caused a massive explosion upon contact.
The blast immobilized Murder Lion, but the prosthetic couldn’t withstand the explosion and broke.
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“Red-hot blade!”
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Another one swings a sword with a red-hot blade at Murder Lion.
A blade of flame—or rather, heat. A magic sword, perhaps.
And it’s likely not a regular magic sword but an artificial one.
Although the Murder Lion dodged it due to the wielder’s lack of skill, the magic sword effortlessly melted a large rock in the vicinity with its missed strike.
Impressive power.
However, this magic sword also couldn’t withstand its own heat and melted after a single swing.
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“Holy Beam!”
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The next guy holds an incredibly hefty staff (?) and releases a beam of light from it.
It was the attack that shot a Murder Lion from a distance earlier.
That beam looks somewhat similar to the single-shot light magic that Stella and Auntie Elle occasionally use.
That must mean the staff (?) is a magical item that incorporates light magic.
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I’ve seen magical items that can cast specific spells everywhere, and even in my own home, fire and water magical tools are used to heat the bath. But I’ve never seen a magical item capable of defeating a monster like Murder Lion in a single hit.
Between that and the metal prosthetic that achieved the same result, and the heat magic sword that sliced a boulder in half, those mad craftsmen have done it again.
However, it seems like this magical light item can only be used twice, as it broke with a “pop” right after being fired.
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“””Roaaaaar!!!”””
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The others also use unique weapons and magically modified items that break after a few uses to continuously defeat the Murder Lion herd.
Blade, who has completely lost his prey, stands there dumbfounded.
Stella and Rin are also wide-eyed at the sudden turn of events.
Auntie Elle just gives a wry smile, perhaps somewhat familiar with these weirdos.
I felt a slight nostalgia seeing a scene that’s pretty much a regular occurrence in the Celestial Mountains after such a long time.
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“Hey, um. . . . . . “
“Tch! So the joint parts are still poorly made!”
“The blade isn’t strong enough. I need to create a more heat-resistant alloy. . . . . .”
“Yeah! Firing twice is progress! I knew I was on the right track!”
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Ignoring Blade, who seemed about to say something, the group of uncles became completely engrossed in tinkering with their own weapons, tripping into their own world.
Among them, there were some like perverts who rubbed weapons against their cheeks and kissed them, wearing a blissful smile.
In this danger zone, they seem to have no consideration for their surroundings or vigilance.
In a way, it’s impressive, but you must never imitate this bad habit of these people.
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“. . . . . .Hey, is everything okay over there?”
“It’s not okay.”
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Stella seems concerned about their lack of caution as she speaks, and that’s my response.
In reality, had we not been there, those people would have genuinely been in life-threatening danger.
Usually, there’s someone tasked with guarding them, but for some reason, they’re nowhere to be seen this time.
Even so, those people don’t stop messing with their weapons.
They can’t stop.
As if to say that this is an instinct that’s ingrained in their souls.
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It’s only natural that hunters targeting such defenseless prey would appear.
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“Whoa?!”
ㅤ
The one who reacted to that attack was Blade.
He parries the monster’s claws aimed at the defenseless perverts with a greatsword and confronts the monster.
It was the last one of the Murder Lions.
However, it’s completely different from the others.
Its fur, covering its battered body, is pure white, unlike the yellowish color of a typical Murder Lion.
It’s also twice as large, and the sense of intimidation it exudes is more than twice as strong.
Without a doubt, it’s the alpha of the pack.
Moreover, it’s a formidable enemy with the dignity of a seasoned warrior.
Most likely, it’s comparable to a high-ranking dragon in terms of strength.
I’d said that we wouldn’t come across such monsters so easily, but I take that back.
It simply appeared.
This mountain is definitely a treacherous place.
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