Chapter 510: The Barren 'Cursed Mountain”

Chapter 510: The Barren “Cursed Mountain” The Barren “Cursed Mountain”

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“Haaa...”

An eerie, reddish-black cloud covers the sky, and the wind blows fiercely, making a lonely sound—byuu, byuu.

I, Emi Rune, traveler, 11 years old... am walking through the mountains, sighing, my jet-black cloak, which I made by transforming my 【Black Tentacles】 or 【Black Arms】, billowing in the wind.

<I’m hungry...>

The reason I’m sighing—can be guessed from Extra-sama’s grumbling.

Right now, I’m traveling north, from the ‘Great Grassland of Beginnings’, where various things happened, crossing the mountains of the ‘Haigagadan Mountain Range’.

According to Extra-sama, if I keep going north, over the mountains, I’ll reach a big town called the ‘Old Imperial Capital’.

Speaking of big towns... they have a lot of gourmet food, right?

So I decided to make that Old Imperial Capital my temporary destination, and started walking.

...But.

<There’s not even a single blade of grass growing here... let alone any small animals...>

Right.

This northern part of the Haigagadan Mountain Range is a very barren land.

Well, the southern slope, bordering the Great Grassland of Beginnings, was a world full of vegetation.

There were a lot of big birds, big boars...

My stomach was very satisfied.

But as I crossed some mountains, and headed north... the plants became fewer, the animals disappeared...

The area I’m walking in right now... I don’t think it’s that high in altitude, but all I see around me is reddish-brown soil and rocks.

There aren’t even any dead bushes.

It’s a world covered in dust.

I can’t help but want to call it... “The Mountain of Death”.

That’s how desolate it is.

In other words, there’s no food!

“............”

So I picked up a stone, about the size of two fists, rolling on the ground, crushed it with my teeth, and swallowed it.

There’s almost no nutrition in soil and rocks... but they contain mana.

So... well, I’ve recently realized... that it’s not exactly ‘unsatisfying’...

Eating soil and rocks.

Well, I’d rather eat living things...

<But, ‘The Mountain of Death’? Close.>

Eh?

What do you mean ‘close’, Extra-sama?

So?

What’s that certain episode?

<Right, well...>

And then—

It was just as Extra-sama was about to tell me the story about Mount Desdadon.

BYUUOOO!!

“!!”

A particularly strong gust of wind, full of dust, blew across the mountainside... I involuntarily closed my eyes and held my breath.

For a few seconds.

And then, after the wind passed, silence fell.

This mountain is a world without even the sound of mice running around.

Naturally, when the wind stops, it becomes silent.

...Or so it should have been, but...

『Help me. 』

“!?”

I clearly heard... a woman’s voice!

Surprised, I opened my eyes.

And there, right in front of me.

A woman, wearing a tiara and a pure white dress... incredibly out of place in this dusty mountain landscape... a true ‘princess’...!

“Eh... !?”

『Help me.』

The princess, seeing me with my eyes wide with surprise, said ‘help me’ again, and then—

Silently turned around.

As if guiding me, she took a few steps ahead, up the mountainside, and then—

...Suddenly disappeared.

Her figure quickly faded, becoming completely transparent, and vanished.

“Ha... !?”

I was stunned, blinking my eyes repeatedly.

And I naturally looked at the direction the princess was heading towards.

And there, I saw...

...An old fort.

I wasn’t paying attention to the scenery, and thought it was just a large boulder... but—

Looking closely, a short distance ahead, it’s...

Certainly something that looks like it was built by humans... a stone fort.