Chapter 19: Encounter at the excursion to the mountain
Two days after the taming class was my day off. After I finished my morning training, I went with Lucas to eat breakfast, which was my daily routine now.
“Tsuchio-kun, are you planning on going out today?” - Lucas
“Yes, I am going to do so. I'm going for a little excursion” - Tsuchio
“Oh, so you aren’t going to the forest nearby? ” - Lucas
“Ah, because I'm taking Ruu and Rin this time, I'm going to a place where stronger monsters appear. It’s because Lime also became slightly stronger” - Tsuchio
“Is that so…. Be careful you guys, don’t get hurt. You shouldn’t go to the place with monsters that are too strong okay ?” - Lucas
“Of course. Because it is a place where even Ruu alone can go after all, you do not need to worry so much” - Tsuchio
“That’s good. Then ,where is the place you are going?” - Lucas
“It’s Mt. Maronma” - Tsuchio
Mt. Maronma. Near the academy, it’s a considerably big mountain where you need to ride a horse for 2 to 3 hours to get to. It isn’t a mountain range, it’s the only mountain poking out over there. As for the mental image, perhaps it’s close to Mt Fuji.
The area around the mountain is covered with forest, but there’s a road going to the mountain’s foot. Monsters appear in the forest, but it seems they are not that strong. Rather, because medical herbs are gathered in this forest, it’s an ideal place for novice adventurer to earn money. But that has nothing to do with me.
Although the mountain was dangerous because of the monsters inhabiting it, it seems among those monsters there’s one that dropped a precious gemstone, so it’s a popular hunting ground among D ~ C rank adventurers. A village, or rather a base-like place, is made at the base of the mountain and I hear that even the adventurer guild had to open a branch over there. By the way, the recommended rank of Mt. Maronma is for a party above D rank and C rank in case of going solo. There doesn’t seem to be a problem if it’s a skilled adventurer, but a little carelessness and one can easily be killed. Even for people who aren′t adventurers, if they pay it is possible to climb up. There are also thieves who aim at parties who finished hunting and frequently appeared, so it’s better not to stay for too long.
Because the mountain is considerably wide, a scramble between adventurers for hunt spoils rarely happens. It may be better to search while avoiding those things as much as possible. (well I’m not really sure with this line :9 )
After finishing my breakfast, I rode Rin’s back who brought all of the luggage along. I borrowed all of my harnesses from the academy. If I buy them, a large amount of money is necessary….Even if I got some from Mr. Kisato, as expected, I didn’t have that much money. I want a craftsman to make it for me someday. But ,if Ruu and Rin become humans, it’ll lose its purpose. What should I do, it’s really a problem.
This time, I decided to ride Rin to get used to horse riding. Even in this world, horses are livestock which are usually used for errands. Even at the Survival class at the academy, horse riding become a popular subject. Why do you learn it at the Survival class….
(Note: maybe it’s like, when you go to a wild to doing “survival”(?) usually you only bring a little food and little stuff, because if you have a horse then the “survival” thing will become meaningless since you can just go to the nearby village to buy a supply)
Thanks to the class, I can at least do cantering without falling from the horse. Whatever it is, experience is the greatest teacher. After I already learned it in class, not making the best use of it is wasteful. If I get on Ruu, only Rin runs on the ground, so I also have my worries for that. Well, sometimes it will be good too this way. Although Ruu seems dissatisfied.
“Alright, Rin, let’s depart. Canter forward with a speed that doesn’t tire you okay!”
“Buru”
If I exclude the practice, this became my first excursion. I will be careful enough so that I will not to get hurt.
After about two hours of Rin running at full speed on the highway, we finally arrived at the village at the foot of Mt. Maronma. On the way I played with Lime, or fiddled with magic to kill time but still … it was a long journey.
Before I enter the village, I decide to have Ruu wait somewhere on standby. Because Rin already attracts too much attention, if I also bring Ruu along then it will draw even more attention. For now I didn’t want any problem, as I came over here only for hunting.
The entrance of the village didn’t have any gatekeepers and had the feeling that everyone can go in freely. There are fences and towers, so maybe they're for the sake when something happens. Also because the road is pretty much crowded, it would probably become a hindrance even if there is a gate.
I enter the village while riding on Rin. A big street leads to the center of the city and various shops are standing in a row on the sides of the road. Although everywhere is only a shop that sells things which are useful for adventuring like an inn and pharmacist, arms shops or second hand stores. Since I already prepared all of the supplies and my weapon`s care is perfect, I will enter the mountain quickly. There seems to be the entrance ahead.
Riding on the flow of the people, we keep advancing. The gazes of the surrounding at first turn towards Rin, then they move toward me who is riding on her. Well, it’s not really a good feeling. They are absolutely looking down on me, “that kind of brat?” stares keep appearing…. How old do I look in the people’s eyes, I wonder.
As we keep advancing without minding those gazes, several young men block my way. All of the members have weapons and are tough-looking guys who have a scar here and there. Ugh, although I thought that this would happen, it is quite scary when actually facing it.
“Brat, I don’t know your face. Why did you come here?” - tough-looking guy
“It’s nothing, I intend to climb the mountain. Is there something wrong?” - Tsuchio
“The mountain, huh….With that equipment?” - tough-looking guy
More or less, I am equipped with a sword and leather armor….By no standards do I think they are good equipment.
“Let me see... Because I am a tamer, I don’t really fuss over about my equipment” - Tsuchio
“Hoh, quite a tamer we have here, eh? ” -tough-looking guy (Tl note: He is making fun of Tsuchio if it isn’t clear for someone)
GYAHAHAHA! The young man laughs. Yep, it seems they really looked at me as a child. Before I’m aware, people start to gather around us as spectators…. Since returning also takes some time, I would like to go to the mountain quickly.
“Well, do you have anything I can do for you? Though if there isn’t anything, I want to hurry to the top of the mountain” - Tsuchio
“Of course I have business with you. There is need for an admission fee to climb Mt. Maronma” -tough-looking guy
“Yes, but it seems to be taken at the entrance” - Tsuchio
“it’s different from that, to enter this village you also need to pay money. I don't think that you've paid yet” -tough-looking guy
“No, if that’s true then it should be taken at the village entrance ….” - Tsuchio
“Don’t worry about the small things. So, I want you to lend me your face for a moment. Of course, you will follow me right?” -tough-looking guy
“What if I refuse?” -Tsuchio
“Then, we have no choice but to use force you kn~ow” -tough-looking guy
The other young men who are waiting behind, taking a stance which looks like flaunting their prey. Now, what should I do. Clearly, this feels like that newcomer bullying-thing…. It isn’t necessary for me to accompany them. If this continues, I will taken somewhere and get beaten up. Though I think that I do not have a problem because Rin is here ,but there will be a various restriction if we make quarrel here. That’s troublesome….haah, though it will become an uproar, it can’t be helped. Though I didn’t particularly need to bother about this thing after all.
“U~mm, because I think there is a formal person who takes the money, I'll pay it if I meet that person. If I meet with him tough” - Tsuchio
“…Oh, is that so, is that so. Then, I think that we have no choice but to use force against you!” -tough-looking guy
The young men who were waiting behind surrounded me. The people who see it from a distance,
“Oi, isn’t this dangerous?” “Can he return safely?” “Get a guy from the guild!” “Even though it will be alright if he just obediently…”
Or so they say. If a person from the guild comes it will be troublesome in various ways, so let’s run away quickly. It was good that the people who saw us scattered.
“Ah, then, may I call one other familiar?” - Tsuchio
“I don’t mind, because the result is same whatever you do after all.” -tough-looking guy
“Even if you have many unicorns, it’s helpless with this number of people!” -tough-looking guy
“Hehehe, I’m itching! ” -tough-looking guy
“Then, I will accept your kind offer. Ruu!”
Ruu comes flying from the sky and she lands with vigor behind me. Although she tramples some of them, they probably won't die. It seems she already strengthen herself with magic.
“…Heh?”
“Then, come over here no matter how many of you guys. They’re the one who will accompany you”
“Gururururu…”
“Bururururu…”
Both Ruu and Rin are already prepared for the fight. There’s electric current flowing through Rin’s body with a crackle and Ruu greatly inhales. Oh, Ruu intends to threaten them with a roar. She makes her magic concentrate on her throat and then.
『Graaaaaaaa!!!』
“”””””Hi,hiiiiiii!!!???”””””” (There are 6 people who are shrieking)
The roar of Ruu, strengthened by magic, makes the enemy feel fear as if they are fighting an enemy they can′t beat. Though Ruu′s dominance has no effect on creatures equally as strong or stronger than Ruu, the effect is enormous for a weaker enemy. The young men who lost their nerve by Ruu′s appearance, with that one attack scatter to all directions. The only one that stayed here is the young man who talked to me, because he is unable to stand up and can’t move.
“A, a, a…”
“…Even if you tried picking a quarrel with me, I don’t have any intention to accompanying you guys you know?”
“I ,is that true?”
“Yes, but, since I intend to come here frequently from now on, if you do this again….I will feed you guys to her you know ?”
After Ruu give a Chomp!-like gesture of eating something, the young man fainted while his eyes turned white and has froth come out from his mouth. Oh, it seems I have gone too far? Well ,this will become his lesson. If he learns his lesson from this , I hope he will live righteously from now on.
“I’m sorry, for intentionally calling you”
“Gururu”
“Is it so. Ok then, let’s run away before more trouble occurs. Ruu should wait for us somewhere again, I will call you when we enter the mountain”
“Guru”
I see Ruu flying away as I head for the entrance of the mountain.
??
“Uwa~h, that was dangerous~. To think that it could be heard until there ….”
“Guruu”
“Bururu”
“Well, at any rate, it’s good that we were able properly enter like this, let’s work hard to exterminate the monsters with enthusiasm”
“Kokukoku!”
From the person who takes the entry fee at the entrance of Mt. Maronma, “I think I heard something like a monster’s roar from the direction of the village …. Is there something happening?” he asked. “No, I don’t know. Perhaps, there are several idiots who asked for a quarrel with a tamer from somewhere maybe? ” and thus I give a vague answer and somehow get away without being suspected. I was able to climb the mountain safely. … I’m a little worried about the trip back.
After entering Mt. Maronma, the rocks are scattered around and I could see the red clay, it was a feeling like something called ‘The’ mountain path. Because there was an easy path, we advanced to the side and moved away from the path, then calling Ruu at a place where there is no people. Though we will be seen by someone when we are fighting, we made a big fuss in the village. I’m in trouble if someone discoveres it was me and report it to the guild.
We are fired up, and start searching for monsters. But even after we searched for about ten minutes, we encountered no monster. …Give me a break, if it’s like this then there’s no meaning for us to come here.
“Why won’t some come out….Perhaps, they ran away when they heard Ruu′s roar”
“Gururuu…”
“Ah, I’m not saying it’s particularly Ruu's fault. If I want to blame someone, it’s all those guys that picked a fight with us”
“Buru, burururu?”
“Yes, is that so…. Maybe we should look at a higher place. It seems that stronger monsters live in higher places. Possibly the monsters which were in this area ran away to the top”
“Buru”
Many adventurers were descending from the mountain when I looked at the mountain path. Perhaps because they heard the voice of a monster from the village, they decided to come back? I thought that they wanted to hear the story… but their atmosphere said something different. Yep, it’s somewhat suspicious…. Well, shall I advance toward the top first. I will understand it soon.
Although I was thinking we will encounter some monsters as the altitude rose ….No matter how high we advance, they don′t appear. No matter how you look at it, it is too strange. Ruu’s roar can’t reach all the way up here. Strangely, there have been many adventurers who descended from the mountain and fewer monsters…It is proper to think that something has happened.
“All members, watch it. Though we will advances as it is, make it so we can always turn back”
“Guru”
“Buru”
“Puru”
We climbed carefully while looking for any presence in the vicinity. And then suddenly that fellow appeared before us.
I don’t know whether if Ruu sensed something, she looked at the sky. As I was also looking at the sky, there was one dot there. That dot gradually becoming bigger, eh it’s intend to descend over here!?
“Everyone prepare, it's coming!"
I saw the silhouette of a guy who descended rapidly. It had thick limbs and a long tail. With just one flap of it’s big wings, it's descending at a speed which counterbalanced and it lands. I endure as my body is nearly blown away by the gust which arose from the flap of it’s wings.
He has blazing vermilion scales, the king of the sky who is leaking a sigh of flame from between his sharp fangs which are the size of my head. It was a red dragon, who is also called the strongest of it’s kind. His size is twice as big as Ruu, and his overflowing magical power is also not ordinary. With that alone , it makes my knees shake and I’m about to lose consciousness.
“…Give me a rest, are you serious….Why is there a dragon at such a place”
“Gu, gurururu…”
Ruu is also completely overpowered. It can’t be helped, his magic quantity is weird. It’s better to call this fellow a monster. ….It is absolutely an A or higher ranked monster of the city destroyer class. (Usually a “monster” written with Mamono = Evil being , this one is written as Bakemono thus also means monster )
『…fumu*. To think that it was noisy and when I come to look at it….To think that there is a lower dragon, moreover it is a familiar』
“!?”
He is a monster that can speak the human language!? It’s confirmed that he’s a high A rank monster, or rather he may be beyond that….If I am not mistaken, there seems to be a culture to worship a dragon as God, if I’m not wrong that dragon who is considered as a god can also speak human language like this guy.
It’s impossible for us to win if we take on this guy. Damn, even if we try to run away there is no shielding anywhere. We will immediately be burned to charcoal ah~ … Not good, there is no escape no matter how hard I think about it. There’s no way to fight, running is also impossible. Aah , we’re already checkmated ….
“Damn…I’m sorry, making everyone to die in such a place … “
“Guruu…”
“Buru…”
“… ” Purupuru
『Why are you guys already thinking to die as you please, I still haven't decided yet right 』
“Even if you say such a thing, you wouldn’t let us go right.”
When it comes to this, I have no choice other than talk and find any means of survival. If I’ll die in the end, I’ll die after I grasp for a possibility that I can live until the end!
『Of course. But it’ll be unreasonable to get killed just because we meet by chance right. Let’s give you guys a chance to survive』
“Chance?”
『Yes, since you guys already met me, I can’t let you guys go just like that. If you could get over a trial, I’ll let you go. Prove it to me that you’re worthy with this trial 』
He's giving a chance to survive to me…I don’t really understand what the dragon thinks. For what reason is he doing this?
“Then, how many of the trials do you have?”
『There are 3 kinds. One’s power, one’s wisdom and the last one is courage. Well, which will you take? I am good with any』
…First of all, power is completely out. No matter how I think, he will absolutely make me fight him. The remainder is wisdom and courage, but both are too rough and I can only make a guess. Courage is declared a victory in the meaning clearly when it seems to be dangerous. Because it’s a trial that tests one’s courage, I’m certain that he’ll make me to do a dangerous thing. Though only wisdom is left then…I’d have no choice but to wish that it is knowledge that I know that come out. If I cannot solve the question, I want to ask his forgiveness.
『Have you decided? if you don’t decide quickly, I will burn you to death』
“… It is the wisdom trial”
『…Houhou, the wisdom trial. Is it okay? You cannot change it you know』
“I don’t mind.”
『I see. Then follow me. I will guide you』
He has brought us to the top of the crater. Apparently, Mt. Maronma seems to be a dormant volcano and we can enter the crater. Even until this day, no adventurers have entered this place yet.
In the center of the crater, there was a small red dragon. Probably it is the child of this fellow or something. The scales that usually shine brilliant red became dull, there is something like purplish poison in several places encroaching on it.
“This is…some kind of diseases?”
『Probably. But I totally don’t know what kind disease it is. When I tried to give this kid meat, this child threw it up immediately. Recently, this kid doesn’t even try to put it in its mouth. At least I intend to make a better environment for this kid, so I brought this child here that was rife with the salamander*….There is no sign of this kid’s condition improving at all. 』
“So, the trial of wisdom is to cure this child”
『No, I want you to investigate the cause of this illness. As long as I can understand the reason of this illness, I can somehow cure it』
Cause of illness…shit, this is dangerous. That kind of thing , there’s no way I will know about it.
『If you do not understand…I will make you cheer up this kid with your own body』
In short I will become feed for this child. I understand. …Well now, what should I do….If I die doing nothing and get eaten, I wonn′t die in peace, so I’ll try all the things which can be done.