CH 57

Ep 57

◆Hariart Continent: Road to the Wizard Kingdom◆

It appears that the Wizard Kingdom is on top of a mountain. As such, it looks like we won’t be able to avoid climbing.

After passing through this flat highway, we have to go up a steep slope.

The highway was lined with rows of trees, so we weren’t able to see other people passing through. Of course, it has to be like that: the Wizard Kingdom is on high alert, so no one’s able to get in or out.

We searched around to see if there was a subjugation quest for the guy who attacked the Wizard Kingdom, but there weren’t any we could see.

It seems that the Wizard Kingdom has put up some restrictions on the information. If they are in trouble, they could’ve just asked an adventure to deal with it…I wonder why they didn’t?

However, I already know what kind of person the guy from the information we gathered is.

「I wonder if a golem is big?」

The ones that attacked the Wizard Kingdom seem to be a group of monsters called Golems.

Stone puppet, rock man — the descriptions from each person who saw it are different.

「Who knows, but it looks like neither magic nor weapons have an effect on it. From what I’ve heard, they are quite the tough enemy. I think it’s similar to the floor monster that Ritta defeated in the Mithril Mines.」

We were stretching out our imaginations over our unknown enemies.

But more than that, we have a much more serious problem — can we get in the Wizard Kingdom or not?

We don’t have any info, and even if we had some, we wouldn’t have any ways of get inside either.

But still, we have come this far, so I have no thoughts of giving up.

(f they don’t let us in, then we can just beg to be let in.

I don’t know why they won’t ask for help from other adventurers, but if I tell them with all my heart that I will cooperate in the golem subjugation, I’m sure they will understand.

「If I one-sidedly beat those golems up, the Wizard Kingdom will be relieved, right?」

「But we don’t know how many they are. Plus, doesn’t the boss needs to be defeated? Or else it wont work, right?」

The boss, that person with a stone arm. We only had one witness, so we don’t know where this guy might be.

We only heard that he saw that guy in the middle of the army of golems.

「Maybe it’s another one of the 12 Demon Generals.」

「If so, I won’t forgive him. Really, what do those Demonlord Army bastards even plan to do…」

「We don’t really know anything, do we?…….the King of Avangard and everyone won’t tell us anything.」

「That person, Sage Hust, might be able to tell us.」

「But before that, I wonder if we can even get inside the Wizard Kingdom……」

「If they don’t let us in, I will forcefully enter.」

「Eeh….」

Roel was lost for words. Half of it was just a joke though….it seems she took it seriously. But still, the enemies are golems, and we are human.

Even so, are we really not allowed to get in? If we explained to them our situation, they should understand?

And besides, Tolppo should be in there. She is sure to know about us, so she can explain it to everyone.

「I wonder how Tolppo is doing? Even though not many days have passed, I kinda miss her.」

「Me too. If it’s her, then we will be able to get in.」

From what we heard, it would take one day to reach Wizard Kingdom from the Prattz harbor.

Also, if we just went straight along this road through the mountains, we shouldn’t get lost.

Prattz and the Wizard Kingdom have a trade relationship which they had maintained beforehand….or so Bortom told us.

After passing through the flat high road, we will have to go up a steep slope next.

The highway lined with trees — we aren’t able to see other people passing through.

「Roel, I wonder how long this road will continue…」

「Wizard Kingdom is on top of that mountain, so if we reached the foot of the mountains, then it’s pretty close.」

After passing through the flat high road, we will have to go up a steep slope next.

The highway lined with trees — we aren’t able to see other people passing through.

「We’ve walked quite a bit, right?」

「Shouldn’t it take only one more hour?」

「Even so I don’t feel like we were nearing that mountain at all.」

「Geez, stop whining and walk.」

「Yes ma’am.」

I was scolded, so I had no choice but to shut up.

After passing through the flat high road, we will have to go up a steep slope next.

The highway lined with trees — we aren’t able to see other people passing through.

「Roel, isn’t this obviously weird?」

「Even if you complain it-」

「But that tree with a broken branch — it was there last time too, you know. Having said that, isn’t this the 4th time already?」

「Isn’t it just a coincidence?」

「There aren’t a lot of trees that has the same broken spot, you know. Roel, can you ride on my back for a bit?」

「Wh-why?」

「Just do it.」

I carried Roel, who had relucantly held onto my back, and instantly dashed towards the mountain.

We really are going forward, but despite passing through the trees, the wind doesn’t make them sway, and the leaves won’t scatter. It’s strange.

「Ryua-chan, why are you hurrying that much!?」

「Even though I ran this much, the distance towards the mountains is not shrinking at all! It’s really strange!」

「N-now that you say it….」

「Damn it, I made a mistake — why didn’t I notice it! Roel, hold on tighter!」

Now matter how much I ran, I couldn’t get close to the mountain on the way to Wizard Kingdom. It’s as if I am running towards a painting.

And then suddenly, the mountain blurred and disappeared like a fog, and bit by bit, as if the scenery was being repainted, the Prattz Harbor appeared before our eyes.

For me, whose jaw was hanging open, the harbor entrance seemed like it was welcoming me. “Welcome back”……as if it were inviting me home.

「Eh eh eeh eeeeh!? Why? Why did we go back?!」

「Yeah, we have not gone forward at all. And more than that, we had been forced to run in circles.」

「W-what do you mean?」

「The path we walked through was just an illusion, and that illusion makes it so that we continue to stray away from the path. And little by little, it make us curve while we think we are walking straight, toward the Wizard Kingdom that just disappeared.」

「U-umm. Then..we were caught in the illusion of the Wizard Kingdom and walked on a fake road? Then that Prattz Harbor we are seeing is because we made a u-turn? …But still, I wonder why the illusion of the fake Wizard Kingdom…..the illusion disappeared?」

「I think that they are saying to us that no matter how much we walk, it’s a waste of time, so give up.」

I don’t know why they did that. Illusion magic…..I haven’t seen it since leaving the Caves of Hell…..I was completely careless. I wonder where the monster was when it used it back then. I think that it was fairly close.

I put down Roel and drew my sword.

If he doesn’t come out, then I will attack randomly. First of all, I will appeal to that person.

The real Prattz Harbor in front, and behind me, the Wizard Kingdom on the top of the mountain.

I went silent for a while, but no one came out.

The caster is still inside the illusion. If possible, I don’t want to do something rough.

「I don’t know who you are, but please cancel the magic! Why are you doing this!?」

My voice resounded through the plains: no one replied. Somehow it’s kinda irritating me. Maybe it’s the reborn Demonlord Army. If then it is, then there is no need for mercy. I clenched the sword grip tightly and stood in a posture that allows me to fire a Sonic Ripper at any time.

First, I need to have Roel stay close beside me. Right now, the Sonic Ripper I am going to use is circular. There weren’t any oppurtunity for me to use before since it might hit unrelated people, but in the current surroundings, there is no one here.

That’s right, there is no one, so no matter what I do, there will be no problems.

Sonic Ripper is a skill that I made by myself to fight opponents that are trouble fighting at close range and also trouble trying to get close to them to take the advantage.

The skill was an immediate success, but its power was weaker than a usual slash, so I had my hardships at the start.

And thanks to those hardships, right now, it’s power doesn’t differ from when fighting melee. But still that Vandarushia’s “Catastrophe” was able to erase it.

「Since there is no one there, I will attack, okay? Since there is no one there!」

Just in case, I shouted to check, but there are no reactions at all. It’s quite a stubborn opponent.

Since I am curious as to what kind of person it is, let’s hold back so that we won’t kill it.

I set my sword horizontally and bent my hip: the stance for the rotation is ready.

【Ryua used Sonic Ripper!】

The slash cut down the surrounding row of trees.

The severed trees had leaned over and fell to the ground with the sounds of breaking branches. However, it was only that. This is fine.

「Just now, I held back considerably, okay! If you don’t come out now, then the next one will be for real! I can easily make it so that it’s power reachs the harbor, you know!」

This is my final warning. If it doesn’t come out then, then no matter who it is, I plan to seriously shoot it.

I can’t allow any more setbacks. But still I’d prefer to end it peacefully, so I had to do it in such a roundabout way.

It doesn’t matter if that person was a monster or a human, I don’t have plans to have mercy.

I was irritated to that extent right now.

「Ah, Ryua-chan look!」

It looks like he had listened to my warnings, since the surrounding scenery turned into particles, like sands in the air which scattered away. It was at that moment that the scenery that had covered the place disappeared. Just as I thought, the harbor is the real thing while the rest was all just an illusion…but even then, what we thought was real began to fade too.

Little by little, it all started to turn into sand and disappeared. The only real thing were the trees that I had just cut down.

In a direction that we hadn’t noticed was the real way towards the mountain where the Wizard Kingdom lay. We finally saw the real way towards the Wizard Kingdom.

I thought that the path from the harbor was just a straight walk, but in reality, it curved little to the right.

「Waah, it really was an illusion…..」

「Thanks for cancelling it.」

i said it to the person who timidly appeared from behind a real tree.

It was a boy who was wearing a pointy hat, same as Tolppo, with brown hair and very conspicuous freckles around the nose. And a muffler with a weird pattern was coiled around his neck. Light clothes and short pants that reached his legs.

It was the same type I was wearing.

He looks about the same age as Pratyu — compared to us, he looks a bit younger.

The boy had a scared expression while leaving a distance between us.

We never thought that our opponent was such a small kid, so both Roel and I were confused about what to say for a while.

「Are you the one that created that illusion?」

「…..What’s so bad about it.」

“It’ bad, you know” — I was holding back my desire to say that. It seemed that he still has some fear of me…you can see him shaking a bit.

「Why in the world are you doing this?」

「Ryua, he is still a kid, you know. Hello, what’s your name?」

「Lars…….umm….that is…」

It seems that there is something he wants — he is fidgeting and twirling his his fingers.

And then as if he had resolved himself, he kneeled down on the ground (dogeza).

「I have estimated big bro and sis’ abilites, and I have a request! Please save the Wizard Kingdom!」

「Are you a child from Wizard Kingdom? To save it, you mean that…」

「Umm, I don’t really know what to say, but I’ll apologize about the illusion! After all, the king and the adults — everyone said that they shouldn’t involve the people from other countries!

But I, I can’t just sit still, and I did something like this………and then Sage-sama said that it’s fine to take them with conditions…」

He was so agitated that I can’t really understand what he is saying, but Roel calmed him down and properly put things in order.

This kid is a wizard from Wizard Kingdom. And everyone in the Country won’t borrow help from anyone, but the damage from the golems keep spreading one-sidedly.

But Sage Hust told this kid to scout out people who are skilled enough, and with one condition, he allowed him to leave.

The condition was to find people who are good enough to see through Lars’s Illusion.

Going to the the harbor was fine and all; however, he can’t just talk to them and then test, so he ran out of methods.

Then we, who nonchalantly were headed to the Wizard Kingdom appeared. Something like that.

Nonchalantly….that part seems a bit cheeky, but I’ll ignore that for now.

「But, but…..Sage-sama gave me a condition……that, Onii-chan over there can defeat golems, right? Those bastards, most of my illusions and other magics didn’t work. And thanks to that, the castle walls and the magic barriers broke down.」

「Okay, that seems to be troublesome….eh, Onii-chan?」

「Lars-kun, Ryua-chan is a girl, you know…?」

「E-eh? But she has no boobs? His clothes are just like that of a guy…..」

To be insulted this much…this might be the first time ever since I was born.

But this one is still a kid, Roel said, so I’ll forgive him.

It’s because I am an onee-chan, after all. An adult, after all.