CH 96

Mountain Pass Crossing: Blue Sky

I could hear sounds. And someone’s voice.

(Hmm…what is it?)

My consciousness slowly stirred, and then in a moment I was completely awake.

I sat up suddenly and looked around.

The gray sky and moving people. I looked down at my own body, but there were no wounds. Apparently, I had been treated.

“Oh, you’re finally awake.”

It was Gunat who talked to me.

“What happened to the queen? And the other harpies?”

“The queen was defeated by that attack of yours. See?”

I looked in the direction that he pointed. The remains of the queen lay on the ground. I sighed with relief.

“Even after the queen was defeated, the other harpies continued to attack. But they quickly started to scatter, and some even fought each other. Eventually they left.”

“So, what is the situation now?”

“Well, calm down. I will explain it to you. Right now, they are repairing the broken carriages. We will have to stay here for the night.”

“Here? Isn’t it dangerous?”

“The queen is dead. They will not attack for some time. Besides, there was the killer mantis. It had likely been driven from its territory by the harpies. And I’m sure there are others like it outside of the mountain pass. In other words, this whole area should be free. If anything, it would be dangerous to move now.”

“I see…”

I relaxed and lay down again, before sitting back up.

“And the damage? Are there any wounded?”

“Two Rodon Guards, and one from Northwind Peak were killed. But the wounded have all been treated. There are just the horses left, but we ran out of MP.”

“Three killed. And what of Mul… Is my horse safe?”

“Five horses were killed, but I don’t know if any were yours. Shall we go see?”

“Please!”

I jumped to my feet, and we went over to the horses. I saw that Mulze was there, without a scratch on him.

“Thank goodness, Mulze.”

I petted him and he neighed happily. It was amazing that he had been alright amidst that chaos.

“If you have MP to spare, could you treat the wounded horses?”

“Aye… I can do it twice.”

And so I went around to the horses. They had regained their calm and were drinking water. All of them had wounds, some big and some small. I casted healing magic on a horse that was the most badly wounded, and it seemed happier after that.

It was then that I suddenly remembered something, and turned to Gunat.

“By the way, why was the light effective against harpies?”

“Who knows? However, I’ve heard of someone being attacked by harpies when using a sphere of light during the evening. I remembered it after seeing their surprise. And while I only meant for them to be distracted by it, it was even more effective than expected.”

“So you weren’t even sure!”

“Aye, to be honest. However, they are sensitive to light. And so if you wear something that shines, they will target you even from afar. I think perhaps that they are too sensitive, that when they charged into the light, it stunned them.”

They were like crows. It was like being blinded after having a flashlight directed at you.

“Well, in any case, it is a good thing that we have another way of dealing with harpies now.”

“If only there was a priest who would be fine while being a target and the focus of their attacks… Equip him with a tower shield and full plate armor and have him sit in the back of the carriage…”

Gunat started to think. Had I helped him in creating a very miserable priest?

“Leliane is the healer in our party. So she can’t do it. Also, what party could afford to waste their healer on such a thing? Not to mention acquiring the expensive armor.”

Said Lodoz, putting an end to that line of thought. The other members of White Snake Scale came as well.

“Ajifu. You really saved us during that fight. As the leader of the party…no, the caravan, you have my thanks.”

He said as he took my hand.

“No, we helped each other. All of us risked our lives. And some even lost theirs.”

“All the more reason to be grateful. We could not have allowed the queen to escape there.”

Indeed, we would have been lost if that happened. The Adventurers who had held the harpies back, Lodoz’s repeated help, the magicians with the support fire. We couldn’t have done it without everyone.

“I wish I could say that all is well, since it was killed. However, three people is a heavy loss.”

Gunat’s tail drooped.

“Aye. But at least there will not be many harpy attacks for some time. A queen like that is quite rare. Had we not won, this whole mountain range might have been closed off until it was hunted down.”

What!? So if we just waited, someone else might have done it?

“Ajifu. You’re thinking that you should have delayed your trip, aren’t you?”

“Do-don’t be ridiculous, Mr. Gunat. I am thinking no such thing.”

He glared at me, and so I looked away. Come any closer and I’ll pet those fluffy ears of yours!

“Hey, Ajifu. This place wouldn’t have been sealed off unless someone was attacked first. You should think it a good thing, that it was this caravan, and not one that was more defenseless.”

Said Leliane sternly. That was true. I shuddered at the thought of the same attack coming down on a smaller caravan.

“Aye, you are right. I am sorry.”

“Ajifu! You’re suddenly acting differently!”

“You’re imagining things.”

We had gotten through such a trying battle together. And I felt as if I had gotten closer with the members.

There was much to do in the camp. Most of it was the repairing of the wagons. As for the harpies, the most we could get from them were feathers and the magic stones. Their meat was not edible.

It was the same with orcs. Even if a monster looked similar to humans and walked on two legs, you could show no mercy. Both during and after battle. Still, I left all the carving to the veteran local Adventurers.

While the wagon repairs continued on until the night, they were ready to run by the following morning. They had used parts from one wagon that had been destroyed completely.

And like that, we took off at a more leisurely pace than usual.

As there were not enough horses, they had to use one of the Adventurer’s horses, and the Adventurer sat in the back of the wagon.

“I wish you could have seen it, Mr. Ajifu. How I stabbed the harpy. I pierced it with my spear like this!”

“Yes, yes. You appeared just in time to save Gunat.”

Naros had talked of little else since yesterday. And while Gunat had thanked him at first, he was starting to get tired of hearing about it. And so with a slightly annoyed expression, he pretended that he could not hear him.

“Ajifu. Don’t encourage Naros too much.”

Jirot said, as he came close to me on his horse. I had heard that Jirot had also killed quite a lot of the harpies, but he did not boast about them, and remained calm.

“Aye, sorry. I couldn’t help but be amused.”

“Hey? Mr. Ajifu!?”

“Boasting leads to arrogance. Don’t forget that there were three Adventurers stronger than you who fell victim to the harpies.”

“…Yes.”

His face became serious and he looked a little more mature.

The caravan continued on. There was not much distance left until we would reach the Pamar Mountain Pass.

Everyone would occasionally glance up at the sky, but there were no harpies in sight.

All we could see was a sky that was blue, unlike yesterday, and white clouds.