WCMP 30

chapter 30

It was finally the fifth day since we started climbing the Esheet Mountains.

Being sore and tired had almost reached a level of enlightenment.

At least there’s some comfort knowing Rieli has a strong constitution—after a night’s rest, she’s somewhat better.

Even if monsters appeared, I no longer felt the paralyzing fear I had yesterday. I trusted completely that my companions would protect me. That was a huge relief.

Honestly… my mental strength felt drained, and I felt guilty for worrying my friends.

I gathered myself, summoned my energy, and pressed onward. Unlike yesterday, when we ran into monsters twice, today the path seemed smooth.

According to our schedule, we should have arrived in the morning, but for some reason, Kal had said we’d likely only get there by the afternoon.

We spurred our horses onward, eager to reach our destination.

The road became steeper, making the path rough, but soon I spotted what looked like the entrance to a magic stone mine.

Perhaps because it hadn’t been fully developed yet, the entrance looked like an ordinary cave.

If anything stood out, it was that the entrance was narrow, but inside it was surprisingly wide and spacious.

I hadn’t had high expectations, but even so, I felt a tinge of disappointment.

As we approached, a cool, refreshing breeze swept over us—even though there was no wind.

What’s this? Wind? That’s odd… it feels like it’s coming from inside the cave…

I felt a strange sensation but showed nothing and stepped inside.

As we walked, Rix and Seirin exclaimed in awe.

“Wow… this is incredible!”

“I can’t even imagine how much magic stone is stored here.”

Rix tried to go further in, but Seirin grabbed her to stop her. Still, she couldn’t take her eyes off the interior.

“…Is this coolness… magic?”

“Yes, exactly. I’ve never seen magic concentrated like this. It’s amazing.”

I nodded to Rix’s explanation and looked around.

It felt like breathing in the clean air of the countryside after being trapped in a smoke-filled city.

I couldn’t fully understand magic, but I could sense an enormous amount of magic stone buried here.

While I asked Rix questions, Arban and Kal quietly observed the surroundings, and Seirin pulled out a small notebook to jot something down.

But my priority wasn’t inspecting the mine. I returned toward the entrance and craned my neck to survey the area.

The writer had said it should be visible from here…

Aha!

I found it—a large conical rock!

It looked intentionally shaped, like someone had carved it into a cone.

Impatient as I am, I ran straight for it, trying to climb. But my feet kept slipping.

“Ugh…!”

Damn it. It’s only slightly taller than me, but I couldn’t get up and had to flop onto the ground. There was no way I could climb it with my own strength.

I calmed myself and decided to accept reality.

Looking back, I saw the knights staring at me strangely, and Arban’s unreadable expression made me wary.

I shot a glare at Arban, the closest one to me. Perhaps he read it as a signal to come over—or maybe he just felt awkward under my stare—but he approached.

“Please… help me up on the rock!” I asked.

He hesitated slightly.

“Do you really need to get up there?”

“Yes, I need to check the position.”

For some reason, concern flickered across his normally blank face.

Arban measured the rock and then asked politely,

“May I take the liberty?”

“Yes? Yes, go ahead.”

Before I could react, he grabbed me around the waist and leapt upward.

“Ah!!”

Crazy! This isn’t a stunt with wires! He should have warned me before lifting me off the ground!

In mere seconds, my feet were back on solid ground.

But that brief moment left a huge impact on me. My heart raced as I glared at Arban.

“Were you startled?” he asked, genuinely puzzled.

“….”

I had no words for that honest tone. But soon, I got frustrated.

Of course I was startled! How could he just lift me like that?!

“I apologize. I was careless,” he said calmly, looking down at me.

Huh…?

I realized how close we were. The rock was narrow—standing together was tight.

“Since you apologized, it’s fine… But…”

I quickly turned my head to look around before my embarrassment grew.

There were countless cliffs in this mountain range, but I was looking for one specific spot:

A unique cliff that seemed trapped between two huge bald baobab trees.

“That’s the cliff! We need to go there!”

I pointed, and Arban frowned slightly.

“Understood. May I… lower you now?”

“Yes.”

He lifted me with a firm grip, supporting my waist and knees.

“…!”

I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck. Coming down was just as fast, and my arms stayed around him as we touched the ground.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“…Yes.”

No, I’m not okay!

I gave the polite answer, but my body betrayed me. Riding and leaning on him wasn’t new, but this—directly facing him while holding onto his neck—made my heart flutter.

Reluctantly, I let go and stepped down, glancing at Arban.

“The mechanism should be at the cliff…,” I whispered.

Arban signaled the knights to wait, lowering his voice.

“Shall I have the knights wait here?”

“Hmm…”

I paused, then explained.

“If we operate the device near the cliff, it will reveal the passage where the sword is buried. The sword is inside, so they won’t notice if we don’t go together… What do you think?”

“…It’s best if we go together, then have them wait close to the cliff.”

Since the sacred sword is a long sword, hiding it would be difficult. Better to leave the knights behind.

“Let’s do that.”

We made our decision quietly, my earlier flutter replaced by excitement.

The summit was near—I could feel it.

Finally, we’re getting to the goal we suffered so much to reach!

Once we found the sacred sword, I wouldn’t have to worry about his arm being harmed. Then I could focus fully on guiding Amon.

I was often uncertain whether I could guide him well, but I couldn’t let my fears stop me. If I hesitated, no one would be there to care for Amon.

For now, I pushed all worries aside—first the sword, then everything else.

As we rode closer, the cliff came into view. Arban stopped the horses and instructed the knights to wait, then approached the cliff with me.

I directed him where to stop the horse.

“Please, as close to the cliff as possible.”

“Understood.”

Once stopped, he dismounted and helped me down. While he tied the horse nearby, I hurried toward the cliff.

Approaching, I took careful, deliberate steps.

We needed to activate the device here to enter the ruined goddess temple where the sacred sword rested.

I probably won’t fall, but better to be careful.

Looking down the cliff, the view was breathtaking. Luckily, I didn’t have a fear of heights.

The dense jungle below looked like something out of a documentary—majestic, awe-inspiring, and slightly overwhelming.

I swallowed nervously. One misstep, and it would be fatal.

Just as I crouched for safety, Arban grabbed my arm.

“…!”

My heart felt like it was free-falling off the cliff. I couldn’t even scream.

“What are you doing?!”

I was startled, but looking at Arban’s face—he had never shouted like this before—I was even more surprised.