第１０３２堀：友との約束から大山脈へ (Part2)
"Furthermore, having a vehicle alone isn't enough; you can't maintain it without the proper facilities. If you don't set up a proper workshop, you won't be able to perform adequate maintenance, and it'll break down in no time. Only when maintenance, fuel, and the vehicle itself are all accounted for can you truly operate it."
"Haha, I am well aware of that. But between Weed's permits, licenses, maintenance, and fuel... it seems the introduction of these vehicles is still a long way off."
"Yes, yes. It's fine to want a car, but what are you going to do from here on out?"
"Yes. First, after paying our respects at the Adventurer's Guild, I intend to follow the path that Geen is said to have taken. It would be ideal if we could gather as much information as possible beforehand."
I’ve made it known that I only know of Geen as a famous adventurer. My plan is that by tracing his footsteps, we might be able to survey the mountain peak. Naturally, I haven't reported to the Zurable Empire that Geen might be a Dungeon Master, nor have I mentioned the dungeon we secured in the Forma Kingdom. I don't want to deal with their misplaced expectations, and there are territorial issues to consider as well.
"Huh. This is a surprisingly sturdy Adventurer's Guild."
When I turned my gaze to where Milly was looking, I saw a building so grand it could be called a mansion.
"Yes. After all, this is the frontline Adventurer's Guild tasked with defending against monsters attacking from the Great Mountain Range. We have equipped it accordingly."
Fortunately, thanks to the presence of Shau, our greetings at the guild went smoothly, but...
"Forgive me. In the last hundred years, no one has been eccentric enough to head into the Great Mountain Range," the Guild Master replied apologetically.
"What with the ongoing wars, we’ve been hard-pressed just to maintain this place. Thanks to the Guild Master of Zurable and the Great Emperor, we’ve had a bit of breathing room over the last decade, but we still don't have the surplus strength to survey the Great Mountain Range."
Ah, I see. I recall hearing that Emperor Yupia had offered aid and placed them under his protection. So, until then, they had been cooperating with the nation that governed this area to keep the monsters flowing down from the mountains in check.
"No, thank you for maintaining this place so well until now. On behalf of Zurable, I offer my gratitude."
"To hear such words from the Great Emperor is humbling. However, are you young ladies going to survey the Great Mountain Range all by yourselves?" The Guild Master looked at us, clearly perplexed.
Well, that’s to be expected. Among our current group, only Shau and Milly look like proper adults. Even Agil, while an adult, looks like a young girl in every sense. I wonder how Shau will handle this?
"Yes. Despite appearances, they are all highly capable individuals. I can vouch for that. Besides, if we were to hire a large number of adventurers as escorts, wouldn't that risk unnecessarily provoking the monsters of the Great Mountain Range?"
"Ah, that is true. It is said that ten people or fewer is the ideal size. One hundred and fifty years ago, we sent a survey team of twenty into the mountains, and only six returned alive. And they brought a horde of monsters back with them as a parting gift. I heard the damage from that incident was immense."
Oh, so that’s what happened.
"Ah, that makes sense. The foothills are home to Orcs, and they share the area with large monsters like Giant Boars and Grizzlies that the Orcs prey upon. If a large group were to barge in, the monsters would surely think their homes were being invaded."
"Ho. You’re quite something, young lady. You know a lot about monster ecology."
"Hehe~"
As expected of Aslin. She is a princess of monsters, after all. She knows more about their ecology than anyone else. Well, it helps that she hears it directly from them.
"Anyway, that’s what happened. Then, there was a time when we thought fifteen would be safe, so we sent a search party, only for them to retreat two days later, bringing monsters right back with them."
"It’s a miracle they were safe. We didn't receive any such reports here?"
"Ah, we managed to handle it without any fatalities. The number of monsters that appeared that time wasn't that high. Besides, I had ordered them to return immediately if there was even the slightest sign of trouble. That time, it was at most a group of thirty Orcs and ten each of Giant Boars and Grizzlies."
"Under normal circumstances, that’s a group large enough to devastate a town. If the previous military forces had tried to fight them, it’s doubtful they would have won."
"Exactly. And they managed to repel them without a single death. I am truly grateful to the Zurable Empire. Now, having heard this information, do you still intend to go through with your decision? We have absolutely no information on the Great Mountain Range, you know?"
The Guild Master spoke with a touch of humor, but it was clear he was genuinely worried about us. However...
"We will not change our minds."
We stated it clearly. There is no reason for us to stop for something like this.
The women step into the forest that has seen so much! What awaits them there? What has become of Geen? They now set foot into the uncharted Great Mountain Range.