Chapter 54

After lightly packing their belongings, the group led by Thor decided to head downstream.

Their destination was the campsite of Rorolf and the others.

"Well, it would be quicker if you saw it for yourself. Would you like to come along?"

"Yeah, we'd welcome you. It's been a while since we had guests."

"If we bring such cute kids and beautiful ladies back, they'll definitely be surprised, bro."

They were persuaded in this manner and ended up joining the group.

Of course, Thor didn't entirely believe their words.

However, the information they provided was useful, and he was also intrigued by the situation that required slaying slimes.

When he asked the other three, Yuril nodded, saying that helping people was important, Sora agreed with keen interest, and as for Moe—

"Hey, Thor."

"What is it?"

"Since Moe worked so hard today, can't I ride on O-hana丸?"

"We agreed on two hours a day, remember?"

"Aww! But Moe worked really hard!"

"You can't be so selfish, Moe."

"Aww! Then Sora, carry me on your back!"

"Here, Thor will carry you."

As he caught the child who had jumped at him, Moe, whose mood had improved, climbed onto Thor's shoulder.

By the time they set off, the sun had already begun to set.

Their destination was a small, uninhabited riverbank they passed twice, about forty minutes away.

A wide riverbank spread on the inside of a large bend in the river.

However, due to the significant curve, the entire area couldn't be seen clearly unless you got quite close.

"Wow, it's so wide, Thor."

"Oh... we've arrived...?"

"Are you okay? It's just a little further."

In response to Sora's innocent praise, Yuril, who had started to breathe heavily, reacted.

The exhausted woman, raising her tired face, seemed impressed by the magnificent view and tightened her grip on Thor's hand.

The first thing that caught their eye was the row of tents at the edge of the wide riverbank and the embankment.

They were made with sturdy wooden frames, and their construction was quite impressive.

This was a far cry from the simple cloth tents Thor and the others had.

What caught their attention even more was the hearth-like structure next to them.

Strangely, the only vegetation around should have been the spirit-absorbing grass on the embankment and the grassland, but black smoke was rising from the hearth made of stacked stones.

Noticing the puzzled expressions on Thor and the others, Rorolf turned around and explained casually.

"There's a surprising amount of driftwood around here. We can gather enough for dinner preparations."

As they stopped to look at the riverbank, Moe, who had been napping skillfully on Thor's shoulder, woke up.

The child, stretching cutely and looking around, touched Thor's face and pointed in the direction of the river.

"Thor, what's that?"

Thor, following her gaze, was at a loss for words.

Sora, having noticed it too, exclaimed in surprise.

"What's that! Are they stacking stones?"

"Pretty impressive, right?"

"It was a real struggle, bro."

"Hehe. That's the result of our hard work."

It was a small hill made of stones piled up haphazardly.

Its size easily exceeded not only Thor but also the tall warriors of the purple-eyed race.

However, the most notable point was not its size.

The issue was the location and number of the stone hills.

First, they were protruding into the middle of the river.

Moreover, they were lined up at regular intervals in considerable numbers.

From a distance, they looked like the unfinished piers of a bridge.

"I'm impressed. Could that be...?"

"Yeah, it's a bridge to the other side. All the complaints are about this side of the bank."

"Right. On the other side, there's nothing to complain about."

"You can choose any riverbank you want."

"I see. ...You must have worked hard to continue this."

The work was done in a river teeming with monsters.

The effort must have been extraordinary.

"Well, we almost gave up a few times, but we had these guys."

"Heh, don't flatter me too much. I'll get embarrassed, bro."

"That's what we call teamwork, Yuril."

The three, rubbing their noses exaggeratedly, were greeted cheerfully by Moe.

"Hey, hey, are all those stones stacked?"

"Yeah, did you change your mind about us, kid?"

"Good job. Moe can stack stones too, but maybe a bit less."

"Is that so? You're good at it too, kid."

"But at stone throwing, Moe might be better."

"Huh? Stone throwing?"

"Throwing stones at the stack and knocking it down is super fun. When are you going to knock it down?"

"Not a chance! Don't say such scary things."

"Then, can Moe do it?!"

"No way!"

Moe, jumping down from Thor's back, started running across the riverbank, and the trio chased after her in a panic.

Moe, who was quickly caught, was dangled by the big men and started giggling.

With her hands pulled from both sides, she enjoyed the sensation of swinging back and forth.

"What a rambunctious kid, this one."

"Thanks for playing with us. So, the reason I was called here is related to that?"

"Yeah, but first, let me introduce you. This way."

Holding the child, Rorolf and the others headed for a tent along the embankment.

The eldest son approached loudly.

"Hey, are you there?"

"Oh, maybe it's a guest?"

The man who appeared from behind the stone hearth was a male of the Deerhorn race, with horns on his head.

His eyes were hidden by his messy bangs, making it hard to read his expression.

However, his build was unmistakably impressive.

He wasn't particularly tall, but his width was considerable.

His arms, legs, and neck were thick.

He wore a reddish metal armor that seemed about to burst from the weight.

"This is Dyalgo. He's our pride and joy, a shield warrior."

"Nice to meet you. Ah, we've met a few times, haven't we?"

"Huh, really?"

"I often saw you in the Forest of Imps. Yeah, most adventurers from Dadan know you."

"You're quite famous. We're transfer students, so we're a bit clueless about that."

"Don't worry. It's all bad reputation."

"With those skills? The people here have no eye for talent. Hey, where are Tapa and Tari?"

"Probably taking a break. Haven't seen them since noon."

"Skipping work again. Nini, Gugu, take care of it."

"Sure thing."

"Right away!"

For some reason, Moe also enthusiastically responded with the brothers.

The two green-feathered men, who were half-asleep, were dragged out of the tent by the three of them.

They also had a somewhat plump build, but their faces were easy to remember with their narrow eyes and low noses.

Both of them had the same face shape and clothing.

The reason was soon clear.

"These two are twins. They form a party of their own, separate from us."

"...I'm Tapa."

"...I'm Tari."

Feeling a bit unnatural about the introductions, Thor and the others also greeted them.

"Right now, only these are here. We used to have a hammer user, but he betrayed us and joined an empty spot in a party upstream."

"I see. There's a lot going on."

"Then, before I explain about the bridge, can you swear to keep this confidential?"

Rorolf's tone suddenly became serious, but Dyalgo, who had been peering into the hearth, casually interjected.

"Hey, before that, how about dinner? The pot is boiling nicely."