第１０３３堀：大山脈の冒険 (Part2)
"Well, isn't that fine? Your swordsmanship isn't being used for killing, but for something useful. You should be praised, not criticized. Though, is it a bit awkward for you, Labyris, since the sword is your main weapon?"
"No, I praised them properly. I'm just happy that Aslin and Firia's skills have improved. Now, let's grade the trees."
As Labyris said this, she casually swung her sheathed tachi with a flick of her wrist. A gust of wind erupted, and the trees we had cut all shifted and collapsed in unison.
*Thud-thud-thud-thud.*
"Wh-what!?"
"Really now. Show, you could probably do at least this much, couldn't you? Why are you so surprised?"
"No, Milly. You don't usually expect Aslin or Firia to be able to do something like this. Even I was stunned when I first saw it."
"Yes. Honestly, I never imagined Aslin-dono and Firia-dono could do this much. If anything, I couldn't fell them this quietly. If I used magic, it would be much flashier."
Yeah. I thought about that, so I made sure to do it quietly. Besides, if I spread my magical power carelessly, it might lead to a monster stampede, so I kept the range to an absolute minimum. That’s why I focused the wind magic into the blade to create a *kamaitachi* effect. Experts seem to be able to do it with just "sword intent," but I don't really understand what that is yet, so I haven't mastered it.
"Still, even though the trees made a fair amount of noise when they fell, it’s strangely quiet. Aslin-dono, what about the scouts in the sky, Ig-chan and Fe-chan? Any reports from them?"
"Um, it doesn't look like it. They said there aren't any monster swarms nearby."
"I see. If there are no swarms nearby, it’s only natural there’s no reaction. Milly-dono, what is your assessment as an adventurer?"
"Well, I don't think there are any monster groups nearby either. We humans have a rather distinct scent, you know. Monsters pick up on that and come from quite far away. They’re sensitive to sound, too. Given that both of those factors are present, and yet we haven't been attacked despite chatting so leisurely, it means there’s nothing nearby."
"Then let's move on. It’s a shame no monsters are coming, but I want to get through the foothills and reach the middle slopes by the end of the day."
Just as Agil-onee-chan said, investigating the monsters is just a side task; moving forward is what's important right now. Yuki-oniichan told me that as long as there isn't an enemy dungeon near the Great Mountain Range, I can turn the area into a dungeon for rear-guard security, so there's no need to investigate in too much detail. First, I need to confirm the Hydra mentioned in the information. And hopefully, find the footprints of that person named Gaeen.
"But it's strange, isn't it? The road is in tatters and barely retains its original form, but the fact that a road was laid here means there was something deep inside here in the past, right? Show, haven't you heard anything about that?"
Labyris is right; if there’s a road, there must be something ahead. Does Show-onee-chan know?
"Yes. I received a report from the Guild Master that a village was carved out here in the past for development. And using that as a base, they explored further in..."
"And then a swarm of monsters appeared, I take it."
"Yes. Therefore, in a sense, as long as this road exists, we haven't reached the real challenge yet. Let's find that village first. As Agil-dono said, it would be good to reach the middle slopes, but I’m hoping to recover some information at the village."
"So, if we follow this road, we'll see that village. Though, it was a long time ago, so it’s bound to be a ruin."
"Yes, that is certain."
"That's fine, too. If we see the traces, we might be able to tell what kind of monsters did it."
Huh, so there’s a village. As I thought that, I caught the eyes of Firia-chan and Labyris-chan.
"I'm looking forward to it."
"Indeed. This is, in a sense, our first time doing something that feels like a true adventure, so it should be fine to enjoy it a little."
"Oh, so this is an adventure!"
"It's an adventure!"
"That's right. When Yuki-san is around, he’s so overprotective that it never really felt like an adventure until now."
"Ah, you're right. Exploring in a small group—this is definitely an adventure."
"Haha, well, that is one aspect of it. Then, let's do our best and have an adventure."
" " "Yeah!" " "
And so, our adventure into the Great Mountain Range began. It was our first adventure as a party. What kind of experiences would Aslin and the others have?