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Chapter 6
Clang. Thud-clank.
Metal and leather luggage landed on the far side of the gorge, each making its own sound. The distance was so great that the noise was faint.
I couldn’t close my mouth.
“…What the….”
What kind of strength is that?
Had I been underestimating knights all this time just because I only knew trainee knights?
No. That wasn’t it. He probably wasn’t just a knight.
I asked Noel with near certainty.
“Are you… a fighter?”
“Oh, yes. That’s right.”
Noel answered a little awkwardly.
I had heard about “fighters” before. Humans born with exceptional physical strength and toughness.
I’d heard the rumors enough times that my ears were tired of them—but seeing it up close was something else entirely.
The width of the gorge—there was no way to measure it by eye, but it was clearly a distance that no normal person could ever throw anything across.
If I threw something small with all my strength from here, like an apple, it would definitely fall short and roll down halfway.
I honestly expressed my thoughts.
“That’s amazing.”
“Ah, it’s nothing. I’m a bit embarrassed showing such an unrefined method in front of you.”
Noel laughed. He tried to be modest, but it actually looked impressive.
Still, if strength solved so many problems in life… I felt a little envious.
After throwing luggage over ten times and catching his breath a few times, Noel tightly wrapped the final sack of food like a cured ham, binding it with rope.
I spoke up without thinking.
“You’re throwing that too?”
“There’s almost nothing soft left that could get damaged. Don’t worry.”
Ah. So that’s why he had been feeding us water and stew carefully along the way.
It seemed the guide wasn’t just acting randomly. That eased my mind a little.
The tightly bound food sack flew through the air one last time like a circus act.
Let’s not treat food like that.
Thankfully, none of the luggage Noel had thrown like a catapult fell into the gorge. Everything safely made it across.
Despite his absurd display, Krad said nothing.
To him, this must be normal.
If I had to travel with these people for a month, maybe I’d have to get used to it too.
When I looked across the bridge, I noticed someone else.
Noel spoke.
“Oh. Looks like someone from a nearby village. A kid, maybe?”
It seemed a child had come after hearing all the thudding noises from the thrown luggage.
As Noel said, it was a small child.
The child on the other side also noticed us and kept peeking in our direction. Then they quickly looked down at the scattered luggage.
I had a bad feeling.
That kid was definitely not going to just look.
“He’s going to steal those….”
Before I could finish, the child quickly ducked their head and ran off into the bushes, both arms full of goods.
My heart dropped.
Of all things—he took the food bags!
“Uh?”
Noel panicked, clearly never expecting to be robbed right in front of his eyes. He looked torn between chasing and staying put.
Krad finally spoke after a long silence.
“Noel. Go after him.”
“But—”
“If we leave it, the journey will become inconvenient.”
Noel didn’t hesitate any longer. He sprinted onto the bridge.
With the force of a fighter’s steps, the long-quiet suspension bridge began to shake violently like waves in a storm.
He crossed more than halfway in an instant, then leapt powerfully to the other side of the gorge.
“…!!”
The impact of his landing echoed all the way here. Noel immediately ran in the direction the child had disappeared.
Rustle. Rustle. Whoooosh…
All that remained was the ruined suspension bridge, torn and broken in places by Noel’s terrifying leg strength, and the wind that sounded almost like screams.
Old wooden planks were full of holes. Even the unbroken ones creaked and groaned, revealing cracks. The ropes were frayed and dangling.
I broke into a cold sweat.
Is that how a knight crosses a bridge while shouting “safety first”?
The worst part wasn’t even the destroyed bridge—it was the sudden cold atmosphere that settled over the area.
Our only combat strength just left.
A lonely mountain path. Just a patient and an incompetent healer. It was chilling.
Monsters were smart in their own way. Some people said they were dumb because they acted on instinct, but their sharp survival sense was no weaker than wild beasts.
For example, monsters would not attack a group with a fighter unless they were certain they could win.
Even in a forest full of hiding places and no people around, they would wait silently, suppress their presence… and strike at moments like this.
A low growl, just barely within hearing range, sounded near my ear. Goosebumps rose on my back.
Against the bright sky, the blue monster revealed itself, and my thought was simple.
We’re food now.
Which is worse… being thrown into the gorge, or this?
* * *
At the sight of a wolf-like monster with sharp fangs and blue fur, the word “Lycan” briefly crossed my mind.
But I shook my head immediately.
Focus. There’s no way it’s a wild lycan.
It was unlikely to be a runaway from a nearby Lycan territory. It had no collar, it was smaller than a lycan, and above all, it looked different.
The monster in front of us was quadrupedal. About the size of a large wolf, entirely blue.
Its ears were strangely long and pointed, stretching backward. Its tail, however, was short and stubby.
Could it be a hornless giant rabbit?
Its ears and tail looked like a rabbit’s, but its body and snout were like a wolf’s, and its fur was a color I’d never seen before…
My confused mind suddenly sparked.
A chimera.
Ah—it’s a chimera!
I must have panicked earlier. Now I could finally see the situation clearly.
One wolf-type chimera. It was in an attack stance like a predator ready to strike.
Thankfully, it didn’t seem to be part of a pack.
On our side: one patient, one healer with no remaining healing uses.
No sword. No armor. No shield.
We had to run. But where?
I couldn’t jump across the broken bridge like Noel. I couldn’t run into the gorge either.
Should I roll down the cliff with Krad and try healing mid-injury? But I didn’t even have healing charges left.
Or run into the mountain? Wild monsters would be even faster there.
Which option gives the best chance of survival?
Uoooo… uuuuuu…
The chimera’s howl made me shrink my neck. My body shook uncontrollably.
It was a fear response caused by the monster’s natural intimidation aura.
How am I supposed to die in a less painful way?
Is this how normal people feel every day? Living with zero healing uses… afraid of dying every single day?
Ridiculous.
Calm down. These thoughts are because of the howl.
My teeth rattled as I glanced at the rope Noel had left behind.
Could I block it with rope if it charged?
No, focus, Shu Grande. Not rope—my axe. The hatchet hanging from my bag.
If I don’t land a fatal blow, I’ll die!
Then I saw someone’s back.
Krad had stepped in front of me.
The chimera growled and slowly circled us counterclockwise.
“……”
Krad stared directly at it, matching its movement as he circled as well. I could only see his back.
He was already a patient. Breathing itself was painful for him.
Even with painkillers, he barely ate anything.
He was in no condition to fight monsters—or even resist a light push.
But strangely, the chimera didn’t attack him.
“Healer.”
Krad spoke calmly while keeping his eyes on the monster.
“Do you know how to use a barrier spell?”
“N-no… I don’t.”
My voice shook miserably. The fear aura had completely broken my composure.
Useless!
I tightened my grip on the hatchet with both hands.
I couldn’t use swords, I was scared, I couldn’t even heal. How could a person be this useless?
Fine. The axe it is.
I’d never learned swordsmanship, but the hatchet felt more usable than a sword.
If it tries to eat me, it’ll have to swallow this metal first, you bastard chimera!!
Krad replied calmly.
“I see.”
What do you mean “you see”?!
