Mountain Road
A single road stretched out from the gate. An upward slope that led into the mountains.
It was a rather gentle climb, and there were even stairs in places that were made of stone. It seemed like they had been made in all the places that were a little steeper than the rest. And so things were quite easy for us. Perhaps it was because a lot of tourists came here. Otherwise, it was hard to see why anyone would put in the effort.
After we walked for some time, we started to see more and more trees. There hadn’t been many around the town, as they had been cut down. There was something oddly nostalgic about the way that the grass smelled here. Before I knew it, my curved back had straightened.
“…Ahh…”
“Old man.”
“Shut up.”
I didn’t want to be called old by someone who was practically ancient.
“Still, how much longer does this road go…”
“Are you tired already?”
“I do not like upward slopes…”
See. Old lady. It’s no wonder. But it can’t be helped. Not at that age.
“You are thinking about something awful, are you not?”
“No way.”
“You were.”
“No.”
“…”
I looked away as Daniela fixed her angry eyes in my direction. It was better to look at the road ahead. So, the Ogre Nest… How far away was it? And so I decided to use Eyes of the God Wolf to look ahead.
“Ohh…”
“What?”
“Uh, it’s just that my eyes seemed to have improved a lot.”
“It must be because of your equipment.”
“I see…”
It was as if all my fatigue had suddenly been wiped away. I didn’t feel tired at all when looking at something. I hadn’t felt like this in a very long time. It practically felt like the first time. I imagine my eyes may have been like this before I got into games and comics.
And like that, I moved across the terrain as if I were using Legs of the God Wolf. The winding road continued up the mountain. On the way, I could see the ruins of old buildings. Perhaps this was part of the nest.
“Ah, someone is fighting.”
Adventurers and monsters entered my vision. There were about five men and…hmm. Orcs.
“There’s a group of Adventurers who are being attacked.’
“Should we help them?”
“It doesn’t seem right to ignore them now that we know.”
“I knew you would say that. Now, pick me up and carry me there.”
“That’s what you were after!”
I stared her down until she looked away. Well, she was an old lady.
I sighed and took the Velnoir out of my bracelet and slid it into my belt. This time, I would use the sword breaker. The Black Emperor Sword. After all, the orcs were using swords as well.
Usually, they liked to fight with logs and clubs. They were professionals when it came to smashing things.
And yet these were using swords. They were likely taken from dead Adventurers, or found abandoned, but they had seemed to be sharp enough.
“So, what monsters were they?”
“Oh, right. They were orcs.”
“Ah… Well, it will be all the more awkward…given who we just met…”
“Yeah… But they’re not all like Arthur. It’s time to switch gears.”
“…Yes.”
Daniela squeezed her bow as I picked her up and a surge of energy went through to my legs. And then, platinum and jade wind that was more elaborate and powerful than ever before began to swirl around my legs.
“Alright, brace yourself.”
“Mm…!”
Daniela’s arms were tight around my neck. While we were headed to a battle, that didn’t stop me from noticing her soft chest pressing against mine as we soared into the air.
□ □ □ □
“Wooaah! It’s so much easier to run!”
“We-we are very high… Is this necessary?”
Perhaps I had gone too fast, because we were now so high up that I could look down and see the entire island.
I hadn’t meant to go so far. But my power had increased much more than I had imagined. But then again, the equipment was supposed to have made the flow of power smooth, so perhaps it was always in me.
I see…so I was part of the strong people club now… How very interesting…
“Alright, I’m going to use Godspeed to reach them all at once.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Did you forget? I have Jack of all Trades, Master of None.”
I had simulated it in my brain, and was able to figure out how much power to use, the angle, and how to stop. Now I just needed to try it out.
The mana welled up in me and flowed through my body. I felt like I was being enveloped in something. All I needed to do was rush forward and activate the skill. I would arrive in the blink of an eye.
“Daniela, you might want to surround yourself with wind magic. Maybe a few layers.”
“Hmm… Indeed, the enchantment only affects you, so it is only I that will feel the full brunt of it… Very well.”
“Thanks.”
The mana came out of Daniela and glimmered a green color. A wall of what looked almost like water appeared in front of us. There were ten of them, which seemed like overkill. But I supposed it didn’t hurt.
“Alright, here we go!”
Daniela didn’t answer, but just held on tight. And like that, I dashed forward, and in the blink of an eye, we had landed in the middle of the battlefield.
“Hello, there. Need any help?”
I put Daniela down and unsheathed the Black Emperor Sword, and then faced the orcs. Without a word, Daniela drew her bow and unleashed an arrow.
“Wh-where the hell did you come from!?”
“Woah, they already killed one!”
They were too stunned to move. However, orcs were never good at understanding the situation either. To them, their prey had increased, that’s all. And one swung at me mindlessly.
I blocked it with the side of the sword with teeth, and then used Legs of the God Wolf to spin in a circle, breaking the blade at its root. And with output losing momentum, I kicked the orc in the neck. Due to the platinum and green wind, the orc’s flesh was torn to shreds, and it flew through the air like a soccer ball.
“Do not just stand there!”
“Ah…ah!”
“Arrrghh!”
Daniela shouted, and the Adventurers were shaken into action. They raised their swords and axes as they charged at the orcs. Daniela supported them with her arrows.
I knew it would be fine at this point, but I might as well do what I can.
“Hmm…magic is smooth…”
There was a high-pitched ring as a Frost Sword appeared in my palm.
And with the black and white swords in my hands, I moved to annihilate the rest of the orcs.