Two days after the taming cla.s.s was my day off. After I finished my morning training , I went with Lucas to eat breakfast which was my daily routine now. Lucas also came along with me.
“Tsuchio-kun, do you planning going out today?” -Lucas
“Yes, I am going to do so. I go for a little excursion” -Tsuchio
“Huh,so you don’t go to the forest nearby? ” -Lucas
“Ah, because I take Ruu and Rin this time, I go to a place where stronger monsters appear. It’s because Lime also becomes slightly stronger” -Tsuchio
“Is it so…. Be careful you guys, don’t get hurt. You musn’t go to the place with monter that’s too strong okay ?” -Lucas
“Of course. Because it is the place where even Ruu alone can go after all, you do not need to worry so much” -Tsuchio
“Then It’s good. Then ,where is the place you go?” -Lucas
“It’s Mt. Maronma” -Tsuchio
Mt. Maronma. From the academy, it’s a considerably big mountain where you need to ride a horse for 2 to 3 hours to get to that place. It isn’t a mountain range, it’s the only mountain poking out over there. As for the mental image, perhaps it’s close to Mt Fuji
The mountain vicinity is covered with forest, but there’s a road going through the mountain’s foot. Monsters seem to appear in the forest, but it seems they are not that strong. Rather, in this forest where medical herbs are gathered, it’s an ideal place for novice adventurer to earn money. But that has nothing to do with me
Although the mountain was dangerous because of the monsters inhabiting it, but it seems even among those monster there’s even one who dropped a precious gemstone, so it’s a popular hunting ground among D ~ C rank adventurers. A village or rather a base-like place is made at the base of the mountain and I hear that even the adventure guild also had open a branch over there. By the way, the recommended rank of Mt. Maronma is for a party above D rank and C rank in case of going solo. There doesn’t seem to be a problem if it’s a skilled adventurer, but a little carelessness and one can easily be killed. Even for people who aren´t adventurer, if they pay it is possible to climb up. There are also thieves who aim at parties who finished hunting and frequently appeared, so it’s better not to stay for too long.
Because the mountain is considerably wide, a scramble between adventurer for hunt spoils is rarely happened . It may be better to search while avoided those thing as much as possible. (well I’m not really sure with this line :9 )
After finishing my breakfast, I rode Rin’s back who brought all of the luggage along. I borrowed all of the harness from the academy. If I buy it, a large amount of money is necessary….Even if I got some from Mr. Kisato, as expected I didn’t have that much money. I want a craftsman to make it for me someday. But ,if Ruu and Rin become humans, it’ll lost its function. What should I do, it’s really a problem.
This time ,I decided to ride Rin to be used to horse riding. Even in this world, horses are livestock which are usually used for errands. Even at the Survival cla.s.s at the academy, horse riding become a popular subject. Why do you learn it at the Survival cla.s.s….
(Note: maybe it’s like, when you go to a wild to doing “survival”(?) usually you only bring a little food and little stuff, because if you have a horse then the “survival” thing will become meaningless since you can just go to the nearby village to buy a supply)
Thanks to the cla.s.s, I can at least do cantering without falling from the horse . Whatever it is the experience is the greatest teacher, after all I already learn it in cla.s.s, not making the best use of it is wasteful. If I get on Ruu, only Rin runs through the ground, so I also have my worries for that. Well, sometimes it will be good too in this way. Although Ruu seems dissatisfied.
“Alright, Rin, let’s depart, cantering forward with the speed that didn’t tire you okay!”
“Buru”
If I exclude the practice, this became my first excursion. I will be careful enough so that I will not to get hurt .
For about two hours Rin ran at full speed on the highway, we finally arrived at the village at the foot of Mt. Maronma. On the way I’m playing with Lime ,or fiddle with magic to kill time but still … it was a long journey.
When I enter the village, I decide to have Ruu wait somewhere on standby. Because even Rin already attracts much attention, if I also bring Ruu along then it will rise a hateful stare. For now I didn’t seek any problem. Although I said that I come over here only for hunting.
The entrance of the village didn’t have any gatekeepers in particular and had the feeling that everyone can go in freely. Because there are fences and towers, perhaps it’s for the sake when something happen right. Also because the road is pretty much crowded, it might only become a hindrance even if there is a gate.
I enter the village while riding on Rin. A big street leads to the center of the city and various shops are standing in a row on the sides of the road. Although everywhere is only a shop that sell a thing which useful for adventuring like inn and a pharmacist, arms shops or a second hand shop. Since I already prepare all of the supply and the weapon`s care is perfect. I will enter the mountain quickly. There seems to be the entrance ahead.
Riding on the flow of the people, we keep advancing.The gazes of the surrounding at first turn towards Rin , then they move toward me who is riding on her. Well, it’s not really a good feeling. They absolutely looking down on me, “that kind of brat?” feelings keep appearing….how old I look in the people’s eyes I wonder.
As we keep advancing without minding those gazes, several young man block my way. All of the members have weapons and are tough-looking guys who have a scar here and there. Ugh, although I thought that this will happen, but it is quite scary when actually facing it.
“Brat, I don’t know your face. Why do you come here?” -tough-looking guy
“It’s nothing, I intend to climb the mountain, is there something wrong?” -Tsuchio
“Huu, the mountain….With such equipment?” -tough-looking guy
More or less,I am equipped with a sword and leather armor….By any standards, I don’t think they are good equipment.
“Let me see. Because I am a tamer, I don’t really fuss over about my equipment” -Tsuchio
“Huh, what a quite tamer we have here, naa? ” -tough-looking guy (Tl note: He is making fun of Tsuchio if it isn’t clear for someone)
GYAHAHAHA! The young man laughs. Yep, it seems they really looked at me as a child. Before I’m aware, people start gather surrounding us in distant….since there’s returning is also take a time, so I would like to go to the mountain quickly.
“Well, do you have anything I can do for you? Though if there isn’t anything, I want to hurry to the top of the mountain” -Tsuchio
“Of course I have business with you. There is need for an admission fee which is necessary to climb Mt. Maronma” -tough-looking guy
“Yes, but it seems to be taken at the entrance” -Tsuchio
“it’s different from that, to enter this village you also need to pay money. Apparently, I think that you haven’t paid yet” -tough-looking guy
“No, if that’s true then it should be taken at the village entrance ….” -Tsuchio
“Don’t worry about a small thing. So, I want you to lend me your face for a moment. Of course, you will follow me right” -tough-looking guy
“What if I refuse?” -Tsuchio
“Then, we have no choice but to use force you kn~ow” -tough-looking guy
The other young men who are waiting behind, take a stance which look like flaunting their prey. Now, what should I do. Clearly, this feel like those newcomer bullying-thing….It isn’t necessary for me to accompany them, if this continue, I will taken somewhere and got beaten up. Though I think that I do not have any problem because Rin is here ,but there will be a various restriction if we make a quarrel over here.That’s troublesome….haah, thought it will become an uproar it can’t be helped. Though particularly I didn’t really need to bother about those thing after all.
“U~mm, because I think there is a formal person who takes the money, I pay it if I meet that person. If I meet with him tough” -Tsuchio
“…Oh, is that so is that so. Then, I think that we have no choice but to use force against you!” -tough-looking guy
The young men who were waited behind, surrounded me. The people who see it from the distant,
“Oi, isn’t this dangerous?” “Can he return safely?” “Get a guy from the guild!” “Even though it will be alright if he just obedient…”
Or so they say. If a person of the guild comes, it will be troublesome in various ways, so let’s run away quickly. It was good that the people who saw us withdrew.
“Ah, then, may I call 1 other familiar?” -Tsuchio
“I don’t mind particularly, it’s because the result is same whatever you do after all.” -tough-looking guy
“Even when you have many unicorns, it’s helpless by this number of people!” -tough-looking guy
“Hehehe, I’m itching! ” -tough-looking guy
“Then, I will accept your kind offer. Ruu!”
Ruu comes flying from the sky and she lands with vigor behind me. Although she tramples some of them, it is likely that they will not die. It seems she already strengthen herself with magic after all.
“…Heh?”
“Then, come over here no matter how many of you guys. They’re the one who will accompany you guys”
“Gururururu…”
“Bururururu…”
Both Ruu and Rin are already prepared for the fight. There’s electric current flowing through Rin’s body with crackle and Ruu greatly inhales. Oh, Ruu intends to threaten them with a roar. She makes her magic concentrate on her throat and then.
『Graaaaaaaa!!!』
“”””””Hi,hiiiiiii!!!???”””””” (There are 6 people who are shrieking)
The roar of Ruu strengthened by magic, make the enemy feel fear as if they are fighting an enemy they can´t beat. Though Ruu´s dominance have no effect on creature stronger or have same strength as Ruu, but the effect is enormous for a weaker enemy. The young men who lost their nerve by Ruu´s appearance, with that one attack scatter to all direction. The only who stayed in the place, is the young man who talked to me because he is unable to stand up and can’t move.
“A, a, a…”
“…Even if you tried picking a quarrel with me, I don’t have any intention to accompanying you guys you know”
“I ,is that true?”
“Yes, but, since I intend to come here frequently from now on, if you do a similar thing again….I will feed you guys to her you know ?”
Ruu give a Chomp! Like gesture of eating something, that young man has fainted while his eyes turning white and has froth come out from his mouth. Oh, it seems I have go to far? Well ,this will become his lesson. If he learns his lesson from this , I hope he live righteously from now on.
“I’m sorry, for intentionally call you”
“Gururu”
“Is it so. Ok then, let’s run away before trouble occurs. Ruu should wait for us somewhere again, I will call you when we enter the mountain”
“Guru”
I see off Ruu flying away ,I am headed for the entrance of the mountain.
“Uwa~h, that was dangerous~. To think that it can be heard until there ….”
“Guruu”
“Bururu”
“Well, at any rate, it’s good that we were able properly enter like this, let’s work hard to exterminate the monsters with enthusiasm”
“Kokukoku!”
From the person who take the entry fee at the entrance of Mt. Maronma, “I think I hear something like a monster’s roar from the direction of the village …. Is there’s something happening?” he asked, “No, I don’t know. Perhaps, there are several idiots who asking quarrel with a tamer from somewhere maybe? ” and thus I give a vague answer and somehow get away without being suspected, I was able to climb the mountain safely. … I’m a little worried about the way back.
After entering Mt. Maronma area, the rocks are scattered around and showing the red clay, it was a feel like something called ‘The’ mountain path. For one, Because there was an easy path, and then we advancing to the side and moving away from that path, then calling Ruu at the place where there’s seem no people. Though we will be seen by someone when we are fighting, but we already make a fuss in the village. I’m in trouble if someone discovered it was me and report it to the guild.
We are fired up, and search for monsters. But even after we went all around for about ten minutes, we encountered no monster. …Give me a rest, if it’s like this then there’s no meaning for us coming here.
“Why won’t some come out….Perhaps, they ran away when they heard Ruu´s roar”
“Gururuu…”
“Ah, I’m not saying it’s particularly Ruu are wrong. If I want to blame someone, it’s all those guys fault who picked a fight with us”
“Buru, burururu?”
“Yes, is that so…. Maybe we should look at a higher place. It seems that stronger monsters live in higher places. Possibly the monsters which was in this area run away to the top”
“Buru”
Many adventurers were descending from the mountain when I looked at the mountain path. Perhaps because they heard the voice of a monster from the village, they should be in the middle of coming back. I think that they want to hear the story… but their atmosphere said something difference. Yep, it’s somewhat strange…. Well, shall I advance toward the top first. I will understand it soon.
Although I was thinking we will encounter some monsters as the alt.i.tude rose ….No matter how high we advance, they don´t appear. No matter how you look at it, it is too strange, as expected Ruu’s roar can’t reach until this place. There have been strangely many adventurers who descended from the mountain and fewer monsters…It is proper to think that something has happened.
“All members, watch it. Though we will advances as it is, make it that we can always turn back”
“Guru”
“Buru”
“Puru”
As we climbed carefully while looking for any presence in the vicinity. And then suddenly that fellow appeared before us.
I don’t know whatever if Ruu sensed something, she looked at the sky. As I also seeing into the sky, there was 1 dot in the sky. That dot which gradually becoming bigger, eh it’s intend to descending over here !?
“Everyone prepare, it comes! “
I saw the silhouette of a guy who descended rapidly. It had thick limbs and a long tail, with just one flap of it’s big wing , it descending at a speed which counterbalanced and it lands. I’m endures as my body being nearly taken by the gust which arose from the flap of it’s wings.
He has blazing vermilion scales, the king of the sky who are leaking a sigh of flame from between his sharp fangs with the size of my head. It was a red dragon, who is also called the strongest of it’s kind. His size is twice bigger than Ruu, and his magical power which overflows is also not ordinary. With that alone , it make my knees shake and I’m about to lose consciousness.
“…Give me a rest, are you serious….Why is there a dragon at such a place”
“Gu, gurururu…”
Ruu is also completely overpowered. It can’t be helped, his magic quant.i.ty is weird. It’s better to call this fellow a monster. ….It is absolutely an A or higher rank monster which a monster of the city destroyer cla.s.s. (Usually a “monster” written with Mamono = Evil being , this one is written as Bakemono thus also means monster )
『…fumu*. To think that it was noisy and when I come to look at it….To think that there is a lower dragon, moreover it is a familiar』
“!?”
He is a monster that can speak human language !? It’s confirmed that he’s an high A rank monster, rather he may be beyond that….If I am not mistaken, there seems to be a culture to worship a dragon as G.o.d, if I’m not wrong that dragon who considered as a G.o.d can also speak human language like this guy.
It’s impossible for us to win if we take on this guy. d.a.m.n, even if we’re trying to run away there is no shielding anywhere, we will immediately burned to charcoal ah~ … Not good, there is no escape no matter how hard I think about it. There’s no way to fight, running is also impossible. Aah , we’re already checkmated ….
“d.a.m.n…I’m sorry, making everyone to die in such a place … “
“Guruu…”
“Buru…”
“… ” Purupuru
『Why are you guys already thinking to die as you please, I still didn’t decided yet right 』
“Even if you say such a thing, you wouldn’t let us go right.”
When it comes to this, I have no choice other than talk and find any means of survival. If I’ll die in the end, I’ll die after I grope for a possibility that I can live until the end!
『Of course. But it’ll be unreasonable to get killed just because we meet by chance right. Let’s give you guys a chance to survive』
“Chance?”
『Yes, since you guys already meet me, I can’t let you guys go just like that. If you could get over the trial, I’ll let you go. Prove it to me that you’re worthy with this trial 』
He give a chance to survive to me…I don’t really understand what the dragon thinks. For what reason he do this.
“Then, how many the trial you have?”
『There are 3 kinds. One’s power, one’s wisdom and the last one is courage. Well, which will you take? I am good with any』
…First of all, power is completely out. No matter how I think, he will absolutely make me fight him. The remainder is wisdom and courage, but both are too rough and I can only make a guess. But courage is declared victor in the meaning clearly when it seems to be dangerous. Because it’s the one which tries one’s courage, I’m certain that he’ll made me to do a dangerous thing. Though only wisdom is left then…I’d have no choice but to wish that it is an knowledge that I know that come out. If I cannot solve the question, I want to ask his forgiveness.
『Have you decided? if you don’t decide quickly, I will burn you to death』
“… It is the wisdom trial”
『…Houhou, the wisdom trial. Is it okay,you cannot change it you know』
“I don’t mind.”
『I see. Then follow me. I will guide you』
He has brought us to the top of the crater. Apparently, Mt. Maronma seems to be a dormant volcano and it seems we can enter the crater. Even until this day, no adventurers have entered this place yet.
In the center of the crater, there was a small red dragon. Probably it is the child of this fellow or something. The scale that usually shining brilliant red become dull, there is something purplish poison-like in several place encroaching on it.
“This is…some kind of diseases?”
『Probably. But I totally don’t know what kind disease it is. When I tried to give this kid a meat, this child throw it out immediately, recently this kid doesn’t even try to put it in its mouth. At least I intend to make better environment for this kid, so I brought this child here that was rife with the salamander*….There is no sign of this kid’s condition to improving at all. 』
“So, the trial of wisdom is to cure this child”
『No, I want you to investigate the cause of this illness. As long as I can understand the reason of this illness, I can somehow cure it』
Cause of illness…s.h.i.t, this is dangerous. That kind of thing , there’s no way I know about it.
『If you do not understand…I’m will make you cheer up this kid with your own body』
In short I will become feed for this child, I understand. …Well, now what should I do….If I die when I did nothing and eaten, I can´t die in peace, so I’ll try all the things which can be done.