Ch.164The Road to Maximus Gorge (3)

“What day is it now?”

“The third day.”

“Isn’t it the fourth?”

“It’s the third.”

“Well, I guess that’s what it is then.”

“What’s with that ambiguous response…?”

I sighed, reminding myself once again that today was indeed the third day since the merchant caravan had departed.

The most common symptom adventurers experience is the loss of time perception.

In cities or villages, there are clocks and clock towers, and since work is done on a daily basis, there’s little chance of losing track of time. But adventurers frequently spend nights in places like caves or swamps where neither sun nor moon is visible.

Moreover, fighting with all sorts of drugs and potions to overcome extreme situations makes one’s consciousness hazy, making it impossible to distinguish whether a week or a month has passed.

Considering that miners who live underground complain of similar symptoms, it seems that seeing sunlight is essential for humans.

Damn. I’ve realized the greatness of the sun again. I must worship it.

“By the way… where are you all heading after Maximus Gorge?”

“Hmm?”

While I was mentally engaged in my habitual and sudden sun worship, Felice suddenly rode up to me and asked a question.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t mentioned that we were going to Meredia after Maximus Gorge.

“I’ve already done everything I needed to do on this Miriam continent… Once I recruit the dwarf brothers you introduced, we’ll head straight to Meredia.”

“Oh ho! So you’ve already explored this entire continent?”

“We’ve been wandering around for months. Had several near-death experiences too.”

“Yes. Otherwise, you couldn’t have awakened your Aura.”

Saying that, Felice brought her face close to mine.

“Victor.”

“Hmm?”

“How old do I look?”

“Older than me.”

“Pfft!”

When I said that, Raisha, who was nestled in my arms, couldn’t hold back her laughter and let out a snort.

Felice’s brow furrowed slightly, but what could she do about it? At this distance, I could kill her just by reaching out my hand.

“Haha… I’m over 300 years old. I’ve seen so many things, both worth seeing and not, during that time.”

“…I see.”

“I’m tired now. Being an archmage doesn’t matter much to me anymore. I just want to find a suitable place to settle down, meet a steadfast man like you, and get married.”

“There are probably very few men who can handle a 300-year-old woman.”

When I said that, Felice nodded readily.

She probably felt it when she started passing 100 years of age. Living for so long means there are fewer people who can understand you.

This is why, even though humanity has conquered aging, dying of old age is considered the greatest blessing.

What meaning is there in surviving alone?

In the end, we all have a mortal fate to fade away under the sun…

“Still, I might find someone if I keep looking. Who knows? Maybe an elf man will sweep me off my feet?”

“Is that so?”

I replied while pinching Raisha’s cheek.

“Good luck with that.”

*

“Grooooar!!!!”

Boom! Boom!

“It’s a troll!”

“Those who can’t use Aura, fall back!”

On the seventh day of the first week, at noon.

As we were traveling along the main road, we were suddenly attacked by a troll and got separated front and back.

Fortunately, everyone in our party was at least Metal rank, which meant that the lone troll was good prey.

“Lucia, Casia, and Raisha. You three handle this. You need to get used to your Aura.”

“Yes!”

“Leave it to us!”

I left the troll to the three women.

There was no need for us to step in with other Aura users around, and the three needed practical experience more than anything.

Besides, they had already fought trolls in life-or-death situations.

Since they had learned at least the basics of dealing with trolls, it would be good for them to get a feel for how to use Aura in a safe environment now.

With that in mind, Simon and I quietly stepped back to watch them and the other adventurers coordinate to kill the troll.

“Die!!!”

“Revenge for my arms and legs and eyeballs!!!”

And naturally, they had suffered humiliation at the hands of trolls that made their teeth grind, and they unleashed their Aura with such hatred and anger that it frightened the other Aura users.

“Gueeeeeh!!!”

I never knew a troll’s voice could sound so pitiful.

Every time the Aura-infused glaive blade cut the troll, its blood boiled, and every time an Aura-imbued arrow pierced it, its bones and flesh melted away.

“Uuurgh….”

And so, the troll lost its life in just 13 minutes and 27 seconds, with no one dead or injured.

This made me realize the importance of hiring skilled adventurers. I embraced Raisha as she came to me, saying she had used up all her Aura.

“I’m exhausted~”

“Everyone’s like that at first. I was too.”

I still vividly remember how I would collapse after a big battle when I first awakened my Aura and failed to control it. Back then, it was fine because we were in a city or village, but this was completely wild territory, so collapsing here would be quite troublesome.

Fortunately, she had me.

“It’s okay if you collapse, I’m here. I’ll carry you.”

“Really~!”

Raisha said that and then covered my face with her large breasts, rejoicing like a young girl.

…Ah. Is she still a young girl?

No… if she’s married, she’s a married woman, right?

But she’s not even twenty yet, so calling her a married woman seems…

I can’t call her a virgin since I’ve already broken her hymen… but if I call her a married woman, my wife might suffocate me to death with her breasts…

I have no idea what to call my wife…

And at times like this, the best thing to do was to avoid the situation.

“Let’s get back on the horses, we need to get going.”

“Ah. Yes.”

Good. I’ve managed to survive another day.

*

Night of the third day of the second week.

We were sitting around a campfire, having dinner and chatting.

“Why are dwarves so obsessed with their beards? It’s not like they’ll die if they shave them.”

When I casually brought this up, Simon finished adding butter to the frying pan and began to explain.

“For dwarves, beards mean more than just body hair. It’s one of the few means by which they can feel a sense of belonging.”

“Belonging?”

“Yes. You might not have noticed it with the dwarves in the Crusis Mountains since they’re at a transportation hub, but dwarves are a race that strongly adheres to lineage. And beards serve as proof of that lineage. Depending on how they grow, braid, and maintain their beards, dwarves can recognize each other’s bloodlines.”

“Similar to how we distinguish ethnicities by speech patterns and habits?”

“It’s not just similar… there’s virtually no difference. In those pitch-black caves, they tenaciously grow and maintain their beards. For them, beards are evidence of lineage, a tradition of their race, and a family heritage.”

“Hmm…”

I groaned and looked at the elf sisters.

Lucia’s facial features had already become petty, and Casia couldn’t meet my eyes either.

“Well, we’ll think about it when we get to Maximus Gorge. They said they’re somewhere else anyway.”

“Right. What’s important to us now is how well these pancakes cook, not dwarves far away.”

With that, Simon skillfully flipped the pancake with a swing of the frying pan.

I applauded the well-cooked, golden-brown pancake, and Simon grabbed the back of his neck and shed tears.

“These women don’t know the first thing about cooking, so here I am at my age, still making pancakes! Ah! What’s the point of living longer!”

“Don’t die, old man! At least make us beer can chicken before you go!”

“HAH!!!!”

Simon struck Lucia’s head with the frying pan.

Clang!

A clear, crisp sound echoed through the campfire site, and Lucia began to get hit with pancakes while screaming.

“If I had saved the money you all spent on alcohol, I could have hired a dedicated chef! If you don’t learn to cook by this time, I’ll make you eat nothing but lobscouse (hardtack and salted meat stew) until you leave the party!”

“Kyeeek! The old man’s gone crazy!”

“You’re all older than me, so you should be cooking from now on! I want to eat food made by my elders too!”

Simon cast a strengthening spell on the well-cooked pancakes and began to beat the elf sisters with a whapping sound, while I blankly watched the scene while eating the army stew Raisha had made for me.

This is why men need women.

As I enjoyed the texture of beans crunching with ham, I wondered what it would feel like to be beaten with pancakes, but soon turned away.

Not because I felt sorry for the elves being whapped, but because it was time to add the ramen noodles.