Ch.98The Crossroads Mountain Range. Crucis (6)

Three days later. I had recovered enough to get out of bed, and I left the inn to make my way to the Adventurer’s Guild at the foot of the mountain.

I was curious whether our share would still be available since it had been three days since the subjugation ended, but fortunately, the dwarves hadn’t pocketed our 200 silver coins. With our mutual trust strengthened, we headed back toward the mountain summit.

“Once we reach the peak of the Crusis Range, we’ll be heading to the Miriam continent.”

“Miriam…”

The time had come to journey to the second continent discovered by Earth’s refugees, but my heart remained calm.

Just as a full cup can’t create any more ripples, simply imagining how beautiful the view from the summit would be after literally surviving a brush with death was enough to fill my small heart with excitement.

My body, now able to use Blow and Maintain with my Aura, was ready to traverse the rugged mountain range, and the morale of my party members was high after each receiving a bonus of 25 silver coins from our 200.

“From now on, I’ll give you a portion like this whenever we complete a request, so keep that in mind.”

“Hehehe. Now that our boss can use Aura, we can take on more expensive requests.”

“Right. It’s time for us to play in deeper waters.”

Rangers were no different from Battlers who included ranged damage dealers, so they too would eventually awaken their Aura.

Though I wasn’t so sure about Laisha.

“Simon, you’ll be able to make it to the summit somehow, right?”

“Of course. I am a sage, after all.”

When I asked out of concern for his stamina as a mage, he made his staff float in the air and promptly sat on it.

“…?”

“It uses a lot of magical power, so I haven’t used it until now, but it’s finally time to use my flight magic.”

“Such an innovative method…?”

I couldn’t help but gasp at his ridiculous solution—if you can’t walk, just fly—like saying if there’s no bread, just eat meat.

But well, that was the essence of magic. My admiration as someone who couldn’t use magic was meaningless anyway.

And so, four walkers and one flyer began climbing the towering mountainside, and as if Master Saburo was helping me on my journey, the sky cleared beautifully.

“I have something to tell you all.”

“What is it?”

“When I was dying, I heard the voice of a god.”

“Ah… that’s not particularly rare. Especially for Battlers who cross the line between life and death.”

“No. It wasn’t the voice of the Four Great Gods.”

“…Which means…?”

Simon’s eyes narrowed.

I stopped walking for a moment and told the four party members following behind me that I had heard the divine voice of Nariakira Saburo.

“He sent me a message, and I received it. The sun was watching over me.”

“How remarkable. Does this mean even the sun looks down upon your life…?”

The sun shines equally on good and evil, but the results differ.

Sunlight that falls on the virtuous becomes brilliant light that reflects like a mirror to illuminate others, while sunlight that falls on the wicked creates flames of evil deeds, like focusing sunlight through a magnifying glass onto straw.

This was the so-called karma and reaping what one sows.

The Ancient Empire didn’t approve of Saburo’s ways, but I did.

“The sun watches over me. I have become a swordsman who wields the light of the sun, a knight of radiance. What wicked beings could possibly stand in my way?”

When I said this, all four stopped walking and looked up at the sun.

Naturally, they received no messages, and instead quickly averted their eyes, fearing they might be blinded by the sun’s brilliance.

“Why doesn’t it say anything to me?”

“Perhaps the sun doesn’t find your life worthy.”

When I said that, Lucia seemed to think for a moment, then went over to the floating Simon and asked:

“Is the sun misogynistic? Or does it hate elves?”

“It’s misogyny.”

“Hieeeek…”

“From now on, try praying to the moon, who’s female. Being women, you might have something in common.”

Simon said with a hearty laugh, and everyone except Lucia cackled at his wit.

“…This world is tilted!”

“That’s why the world keeps turning even when we do nothing.”

“Ah, damn. Is that so?”

*

Halfway up the mountain.

After climbing continuously for 20 hours, we found a suitable spot, pitched our tents, and lit a campfire to ward off the cold mountain wind.

Whoooosh!

“Oh my… the wind is so strong that the fire keeps going out… and we can’t light a fire inside the tent either…”

If we lit a fire inside the tent, we’d suffocate from the smoke.

With no other choice, I called over to Simon, who was discreetly sipping his alcohol, and asked him to help with the fire. After a moment’s consideration, Simon waved his staff and chanted a spell.

“Maxterna!”

Immediately, a translucent hemispherical dome covered our area, and the wind no longer bothered us.

It seemed to be some kind of barrier, primarily designed to isolate us from the surrounding environment rather than for defense.

“I’ve cast a spell to create a barrier. This should keep the wind out until morning.”

“Magic is so convenient… I wish I were a mage too…”

Laisha grumbled as she placed a large pot over the now steadily burning campfire.

In some novels, there’s a concept of “everyday magic” where even those without talent can use low-level magic, but in reality, except for sigil magic, no such convenient setting existed.

Magic was an innate talent monopolized by a select few, and those not born with that talent could never become mages.

“Maybe I should inscribe more sigils…”

“Don’t rely too much on such tricks. Using tools is wise, but depending on them is foolish.”

“Hmm…”

Hearing such words from a sage who used ‘real’ magic, my desire to inscribe more sigils instantly vanished.

After all, as long as he remained in our party, he could handle most magic we might need.

“Since this will be our last dinner in the Crusis Range, I’ll prepare something especially lavish.”

With those words, Laisha pulled an enormous chunk of meat from her spatial storage and began cutting it, making all of us salivate at the sight.

After a full two hours of waiting, we finally enjoyed a meat-filled dinner and gathered all our remaining alcohol for a small celebration.

“It’s unfair that only the captain awakened his Aura! We’ve been trying to awaken ours for 20 years!”

“Hahaha! That’s the compressed life experience of humans! If you’re jealous, become mortals yourselves!”

“Gyaaah! We’ll see if you can still say that in 100 years!!!”

And so, the pleasant and cheerful night passed, and before dawn, we reached the summit of Mount Crusis.

*

The summit was crowded with people, but thanks to the wide iron supports set up around the area, there was plenty of space.

The reason thousands of people gathered here was simple:

To witness the beauty of the earth from the highest point of the Faerun continent, blessed by the sun’s grace.

“Is the camera ready?”

“Almost. Did you pack the film well?”

“Don’t even ask. If we came all the way up here and couldn’t capture the sunrise, I might as well jump off.”

“Hahaha. I agree.”

Nearby, photographers were waiting to capture the sunrise, while vendors with colorful signs sold their goods in areas carved out of the ridge.

Having skipped breakfast, we couldn’t resist the temptation of the street food, and so we began to fill our empty stomachs, spending our money freely.

Crunch! Crunch!

I chose a pancake grilled with soy sauce, which was deliciously salty and sweet, making my mouth stick together.

Soon after, I stopped at another stall for a cool bottle of pilsner to wet my mouth, and as my mouth and stomach expressed their satisfaction, the mountain scenery gradually began to brighten.

“Ah…!”

And finally, as the sun rose and Saburo’s majesty illuminated the world below, thousands of pilgrims let out soft exclamations.

The word “beautiful” might as well have been created specifically to describe this spectacle.

From atop the windswept peak, witnessing the quiet and serene flow of the world below was an incredibly sentimental experience for both mortals and immortals alike.

“From the distant western port I have come, and at last, I have caught a cloud in my hand.”

I reached out and caught a small cloud that approached me.

The cloud—mist hanging in the sky—left only a slight dampness in my hand, but I instinctively realized that one of the promises I had made long ago had finally been fulfilled.