(Part 2)

“Though I joke around a lot, I don’t like lying.”(renji)

“Then you should have just praised her honestly.”(aya)

“But I’m bad with serious stuff like that too.”

“Fuh, well that’s true as well.”(elf)

Aya spoke in a fed up voice as Feirona agreed to my comment. Is that much fun to tease me eh? As my gla.s.s heart was getting wounded, Mururu pulled at my mantle.

“Did Fran do well?”(mururu)

“Yes, she did.”(renji)

When I honestly answered to Mururu’s question, Ms Francesca held her hands together in front of her chest in relief. Looks like she’s happy now. But because seeing such a reaction is embarra.s.sing is why I didn’t speak this directly before though.

I really have a troublesome personality if I say so myself.

Mururu seemed satisfied as well as she muttered ‘I see’ with a smile.

[You really need to learn being more honest Renji.]

“But wouldn’t such a me be too off putting?”

[I don’t think so?]

“………You are a tad too honest you know?”

I sighed at my partner reacting so honestly to my joke. Seeing us, Aya giggled. Mururu and Ms Francesca as well.

Even though we’re still in the middle of the job, these guys sure are carefree.

“Here.”

“………With me as well?”(elf)

And finally, I pointed my palm towards Feirona. He must not have expected it as he spoke that curtly. Since he’s normally acting all cool and calm, something like this might be embarra.s.sing to him.

His reaction was so amusing that it showed on my expression as Feirona just narrowed his eyes.

“There are still a few griffins left. Let’s hurry up and take care of them as well.”

“Sure………..”

Did he resign himself to it as Feirona finally raised his right hand as well.

And the sound of a high five resounded in the air.

The bare mountain near Merdiore wasn’t some sharp cliff but actually even had a proper paved path leading to the very top of the mountain. If I had to compare, it was similar to Mt Fuji of j.a.pan. Though it is definitely not as tall. But as compared to the scenery around it, the mountain didn’t have even a speck of greenery on it. Years ago, it was supposedly very lush green or so I’m told but due to the effect of the Demon G.o.d’s descendant that had been once living on this mountain, all greenery had slowly died away. By the time we had been summoned to this world, it had already become a bare mountain but from what I’ve heard from the people who had seen the green mountain before, it was apparently a very beautiful place to see.

Everytime I recall this, I think how much I wanted to see it that way. In this world where science and machines didn’t exist, the nature was pure and air was clean. It’s a beautiful world. And even in such a beautiful world, a place that the inhabitants called beautiful, I always wondered how pretty that place would be. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has this thought either.

While walking through the gravel path, so as to fix my slightly ragged breath, I slightly turned my neck around.

“fuu..”

Now then, I wonder how tall this mountain truly is. Unfortunately, there were no accurate markings either so I couldn’t tell but I think we have climbed at least a third of its height now.

Originally, there was no plan to be climbing mountains. The plan was to use goblin corpses as bait to lure out the griffins and ambush them to kill them all. It was the safest  and the easiest way to complete the subjugation in my opinion and if possible, I wanted to take out the remaining griffins and the Arch Griffin like that as well. But looks like it won’t go that easily.

After that, we were able to take down one more griffin but the remaining didn’t show up at all even after waiting for a long while. I had asked Dagram and minimised public travelling on the highway, but that was only till noon. And currently looking at the sky, in the cloudy sky, the gloomy sun was almost reaching its highest. Meaning, we didn’t have much time left.

Though I know rushing things won’t get us a good result but if we cross over the time limit, there really might be casualties.

So, though slightly dangerous, we decided to head towards the griffins’ nest ourselves. Even if Griffins were bird-type demonic beast, with their huge size, they won’t be able to make a nest on some small cliff or some weak tree top. If they did, they’ll be the ones to wall due to their own weight.

So they make their nests in wide flat open areas, where they could see any enemy approach from afar. Having already looked up the map of this mountain beforehand, it was all in my head right now.

“Renji, we there yet?”

“A little more to go. What, getting tired?”(renji)

“uun.”

When I asked that back, Mururu shook her head. She probably asked that not because she was tired but because Ms Francesca was clearly looking more and more fatigued.

I glanced towards her who was walking slightly behind us. Aya was walking beside her as well. Though far, I could hear her ragged breath here as well. Looks like its her first time climbing a mountain so her stamina was running out faster than usual.

“What’s wrong?”(elf)

I stopped for a while and waited for her when Feirona came back. He didn’t seem tired in the slightest as he climbed down from a few rocks with light steps.

“Got tired, so we took a break.”

“……I see.”

His gaze turned towards Ms Francesca instead of me. Looks like he understood who I meant when I said ‘tired’, so he didn’t say anything further.

“So, how was it?”(renji)

“Yeah. Like you had said, in an open spot slightly away from here, the griffin’s nest is there.”(elf)

“Then, we’ll be done once we kill those as well?”(mururu)

“Yeah. Let’s finish it up quickly and go back to our inn to sleep.”(renji)

“I’m hungry as well.”(mururu)

“……..You two, really don’t change do you?”(elf)

[Haah, could you be more focused……..How deplorable.]

Both Feirona and Ermenhilde spoke up in astonished voices at the same time.

While we were talking like that, finally Ms Francesca caught up to us as well. Her breathing was rough and heavy. And her hair was sticking to her forehead from sweat.

“You okay?”

“Ye, yes. I’m still…fine..”(fran)

As she gave a forced smile, I looked towards Aya who was walking with her supporting her.

She just gave a wry smile and shook her head. Looks like she won’t listen even if I told her to wait at the foot of the hill it seems.

“Well, let’s move ahead then.”(renji)

“Yeah. I found a place where we can see the enst without getting noticed as well, I’ll lead you there.”(elf)

“I leave it to you.”

I’m sure he’s also showing his concern by finding a place where she could rest while we can confirm the griffins nest at the same time. Seriously, this guy really knows how to take care of everyone. Once again, I looked up to the sky. The clouds were getting thicker and though the weather shouldn’t go bad out of nowhere, we still don’t have much time left. Well, if it rains, it actually would be advantageous to us since we’re fighting griffins.

“Is something the matter?”

Since I just stood there in a daze, Aya spoke up to me.

“Nothing. Looks like the weather could worsen anytime now.”(renji)

“So it seems. It’d make things easier if it rained though.”

Rain——-or rather, when the world is filled with water droplets, it was a situation fatal if trying to manifest Wind spirit Sylph’s spirit magic. The wind blade, and the wind barrier, both are very difficult to see from the naked eyes. But when its raining, you can see that invisible wind as well.

Just the difference of seeing and not seeing an attack makes a huge difference and would lessen the burden on us during battle. But………

“Ms Francesca, keep working hard for a bit more okay?”

“Ye-s.”

If it rains means that our bodies will get colder as well and you’d drain stamina faster.

And not just Ms Francesca, even Mururu and Feirona, though they weren’t showing it, they are pretty tired as well. Of course, it was the same for me and Aya as well. Fuumu, while putting my finger to my chin, I began walking.

Though fighting against an Arch Griffin is great experience, I don’t want her to overexert herself either. If things look like they’re going bad, It’ll be better to just ask on Aya to end it. The first attack will be a lightning strike. Literally. And that would end it.

While I was in such thought, we reached the place Feirona found where we could stay unnoticed while checking the griffins’ nest.

“Let’s rest up a bit.”(renji)

“Eh, but……”(fran)

“It’ll be noon soon. Here, drink some water and fix your breathing.”

Handing over the water bag on my waist to her, I put down two other bags on the ground. They contained some provisions, potions and medicinal herbs. Since I didn’t bring it in bulk, I divided the crackers and the dried meat between Feirona and Mururu.

Knowing that it wasn’t tasty, Mururu frowned but I can’t help that. If we even tried cooking something, the griffins would instantly smell it after all. Splitting some food with Aya as well, we tried to confirm the positions of the griffins.

2 remained. One was the same as the ones we had killed till now, with brown fur.

And the other one, was almost twice as bigger than the one by its side and its fur wasn’t brown but black. And though we’re pretty far—–

“It’s a female, eh?”(renji)

“So it seems.”

Underneath her black furred body, was a pure white……egg. The egg alone was bigger than any human and was placed right in the centre of the nest made of gra.s.s and branches.

I see. This is why me and Mururu didn’t get to see it no matter how many times we scouted out. It was always here at the nest, warming the egg.

That means, the other griffin must be her male partner.

“Seriously, it’s pretty depressing.”(renji)

Leaking a sigh, I looked up towards the sky. The dark clouds that seemed to have gotten even thicker felt like they were expressing my current feelings.

After killing so many monsters, and even killing many of them without feeling anything just a while ago, I still felt disturbed just by seeing a mother warming its egg.

I could only smile bitterly. How absurd.

Even though I’m about to go kill the mother, how can I hesitate over just an egg now?

“Aya, could you go back to Merdiore with Ms Francesca?”

“…….you know I won’t.”

“I see.”

Her voice seemed slightly angry because I asked such a stupid thing at such a moment.

I guess it was obvious. If she didn’t have even that much of a resolve, she won’t be travelling would she? The resolve to fight is the same as resolving to live and to kill. Even though I already know that Aya has it, I still asked such a thing.

That’s probably because I’m still treating her as a kid.

[Renji.]

“Hm? What is it, Ermenhilde?”

[…….Can you fight?]

Instead, I ended up getting worried for by her.

Giving a wry smile at that, I brought out the medal from my pocket.

“A little too late to ask that, don’t you think?”(renji)

I’ll fight.

Flipping the medal with my thumb, it twirled in the air with a dry sound. And I caught it with my right hand.

It was, Heads.

“It’s Heads. I’ll manage somehow.”