Ch.189189. I’m just going to quickly get the Devil’s Horseshoe herb and come back anyway.

“Hah…”

I pressed my palm against a tree standing beside me and let out a deep breath.

The seemingly endless incline.

And this untamed mountain path, where human footsteps seemed to have ceased, was nothing short of torturous.

“I can see why the Imperial family abandoned the Pandera territory.”

At that, Jawill Wilson, who had been leading the way, stopped and caught his breath, panting.

“It’s been a while since I’ve climbed this path, so I’m not used to it either.”

“Other people would probably meet a tragic end if they got lost here.”

“The good thing is that there are no magical beasts on the path leading here.”

“Of course not. Even magical beasts would curse and turn back if they tried to settle in this place.”

Jawill Wilson pointed to a rock and spoke.

“Let’s take a break.”

I sat down on the rock and looked at Jawill Wilson.

“Jawill Wilson, your stamina has improved more than I expected.”

“When I was young, I used to come down here and play with my friends. The Pandera territory isn’t very large, so there weren’t many places to play.”

“I thought you said you weren’t familiar with it because it’s been a while?”

“Still, experience counts for something, doesn’t it?”

Jawill Wilson wore a rather arrogant expression.

I wanted to give him a light knock on the head, but I had to admit he deserved some credit today.

After all, he had climbed this treacherous mountain path without rest.

“When will we arrive?”

In response to my question, Jawill Wilson pointed somewhere with his finger.

“Once we cross that peak, there’s a cliff, and the Pandera territory is right on top of it.”

“It’ll be a problem going back too. Do we have to climb the cliff?”

“No. The front side is a steep cliff that would be difficult, but if we go around to the other side, it’s just a steep slope that shouldn’t be too hard to walk up.”

Looking at the distant peak, I couldn’t help but laugh wryly.

I massaged my knotted muscles with my fingertips and sighed.

“How did people ever settle in a place like that?”

“I heard that territorial disputes were frequent in the old days. People probably came here while fleeing from wars.”

“Wow, you’re unusually knowledgeable today.”

“It’s about my hometown, so I should know at least this much.”

“I can go up alone from the cliff.”

“Yes, that would be best.”

I stared at Jawill Wilson intently.

His expression had been growing more rigid the closer we got to the Pandera territory, so I carefully continued.

“If there’s anything you’re hiding about the Pandera territory, would you tell me now?”

“…Pardon?”

“You’ve been making a face like a puppy that needs to pee for a while now.”

“N-no, it’s nothing like that.”

“I’m just asking you to tell me in advance what I’ll find out when I reach the Pandera territory anyway.”

Jawill Wilson listened to my words and sat on the rock, lost in thought.

I waited patiently for his answer.

After a short while, Jawill Wilson spoke.

“I told you that I lost my parents when I was young, didn’t I?”

“…Yes.”

“The Pandera territory doesn’t have a class system like other territories in the Eastern Continent. You could say it’s a place of equality for everyone.”

“I like that part.”

“However, while they pretend to strive for that on the surface, if you look closely, the wealth gap is severe.”

I asked with wide eyes at Jawill Wilson’s words.

“There’s a wealth gap even in such a small territory?”

“Yes, and there’s a lot of corruption too. Although they claim there’s no hereditary politics like I mentioned before, the village chief hasn’t changed for generations.”

“That can happen. When humans form societies, many issues naturally arise.”

“Still, I was relatively lucky.”

“Lucky? How so?”

“If I had shown talent in swordsmanship or magic, it would have been impossible for me to leave my hometown.”

I leaned my head forward toward Jawill Wilson to focus on the conversation.

“Are you saying they would have confined you?”

“It’s a kind of brainwashing. They need people to protect the Pandera territory.”

“So that’s why you were able to leave your hometown?”

“Yes, until I left home, my swordsmanship talent was terrible.”

“To be precise, your lack of talent in swordsmanship was only until you met me, wasn’t it?”

I made a light joke to lighten the mood, and Jawill Wilson chuckled.

“That’s right. I truly had no talent for swordsmanship until I met you, young master. I was at the bottom in terms of skill among the knights.”

“Hey, I was just joking. Why are you taking it so seriously?”

“Anyway, if you arrive safely at the Pandera territory with my face, you might be mocked for coming back.”

“…You’re telling me to endure that too?”

“Yes. It’s their society after all.”

“Alright, I’ll try to endure it for your sake. I’m just going to quickly get the magic grass and leave anyway.”

“Thank you.”

Having regained much of my strength now.

I got up from the rock and nodded at Jawill Wilson.

“Let’s go.”

*

“So if I climb up this cliff, I’ll reach the Pandera territory?”

I asked while looking up at the top of the cliff, and Jawill Wilson replied.

“There will probably be guards about halfway up the cliff.”

“Halfway?”

“Yes, if you don’t properly identify yourself, they won’t let you pass to climb the cliff.”

“What happens if someone forces their way up?”

“Unauthorized people become targets for attack. You’d probably be stopped by the guards at the very top of the cliff.”

“I see, understood.”

Jawill Wilson gave me a worried look until the end.

I winked at him to reassure him, and he bowed respectfully.

“Please return safely.”

“Thanks for coming this far with me. Head back to Lake territory right away.”

“Understood.”

He seemed to have more to say, but Jawill Wilson turned toward the path we had come from.

As he disappeared from view, I put on the transformation leather on my face and started making my way up the cliff.

“Whew…”

I was already out of breath by the time I reached the middle of the cliff.

I thought I was in good physical shape, but apparently my endurance was lacking.

‘They call it walking up, but it’s not much different from rock climbing.’

As I was taking a deep breath and trying to put strength back into my legs, I heard a voice.

“Stop right there!”

As I looked around, men appeared from all directions, as if they had been hiding somewhere.

They seemed to be the guards that Jawill Wilson had mentioned would be stationed in the middle of the cliff.

I immediately put on a naive expression and spoke.

“Thank you for your hard work!”

“Huh, you look familiar… Could it be, Jawill Wilson!?”

One of the men in the group approached me with a puzzled expression.

He had a nose as big as a fist and freckles scattered across his face that seemed out of place for his age.

Despite his short stature reminiscent of a dwarf, he had a sturdy build.

“Wortman?”

“Yes! It’s me!!”

Wortman came striding over and embraced me.

He was so strong that an ordinary person’s ribs might have been crushed.

“L-let go of me!?”

“You bastard!! You said you’d never set foot in your hometown again after Clara rejected you… I really thought I’d never see you again!!”

As Wortman welcomed me warmly, the other men with vigilant eyes seemed to relax as well.

I had thought it was unfortunate to run into Jawill Wilson’s acquaintance right from the start, but…

Perhaps it was a stroke of luck?

I struggled to detach Wortman from me and spoke smoothly.

“How’s Berik doing?”

“He’s doing well!! We’re supposed to have a drink together today. By the way, why have you lost so much weight? Did you have a hard time after leaving home?”

“It’s not hardship, I just naturally lost weight while training.”

“You’ve become so lean I almost didn’t recognize you!! I think if you confessed to Clara now, she might accept you!?”

“Don’t bring up embarrassing things from the past.”

“Haha!! Come on, let’s go up first.”

Even though I had brought many items to prove I was Jawill Wilson, I was able to enter the Pandera territory instantly, perhaps because I was Wortman’s friend.

This was definitely another effect of the transformation leather.

As I was feeling grateful to the Poison Lady, Wortman’s hand landed on my shoulder.

Looking at his expression, he seemed to be struggling a bit due to our height difference.

Yet his persistence made him look somewhat pitiful.

“Let’s go to my house and talk.”

“Your house? Let’s go there later. I have something I need to do right now.”

Wortman tilted his head at my words.

“What do you mean? Is there someone else you want to see in Pandera territory besides me?”

“N-no, that’s not it…”

“If it’s nothing urgent, just come with me first!”

I was planning to get the magic grass and leave immediately, but Wortman wouldn’t let me go.

As I was trying to think of a way out of this awkward situation, a woman’s voice came from behind.

“…Jawill Wilson?”

When I turned around, a woman in a white dress that accentuated her figure was standing on the green grass.

She had fair skin with a natural blush, black eyes, and a straight nose.

A small mole next to her right eye added a unique charm to her beautiful appearance.

‘Is this Clara?’

It hadn’t even been a minute since I set foot in the Pandera territory.

And I had already met two of Jawill Wilson’s acquaintances.

With my head bowed low, I muttered quietly with a sigh.

‘Jawill Wilson, it seems impossible to keep this visit quiet.’