Chapter 53

July 4th.

The caravan, which had spent the night in Bowden Village, was scheduled to depart the village at 7:00 AM. Fortunately, there were no bedbugs, and I had a good night's sleep, feeling quite refreshed.

Today, we are heading to Thornblow, a town about 30 km away. The route to Thornblow will take us between the Fathas River and a forest. However, about 10 km north of Bowden, we will enter the Kalsch Pass, a difficult section. The Kalsch Pass is a steep and rough road, making it quite challenging for the cargo wagons. Especially for Norton's caravan, which has procured heavy items like swords, spears, and axes from the capital of the Kingdom of Caum, the burden on the wagons is significant.

Furthermore, since we will be far from any cities with guard units, the area is prone to bandits and monsters, making it a nightmare for caravans.

When we arrived at the assembly point, both the drivers and the mercenaries looked tense.

"Today, we will cross the Kalsch Pass. As you know, our caravan carries a lot of heavy goods. Make sure you stay on the road..."

Norton, who usually wears a friendly smile, was giving serious instructions to the drivers. Byron, the captain of the guard, was also giving stern instructions to his subordinates.

"Today, we will cross the Kalsch Pass. Be on the lookout for bandits and harpies. Not just around you, but also above! Once we get through here, there won't be any more difficult sections! Let's push through today!"

"Ou!"

After giving his instructions, Byron noticed us and gave us a warning as well.

"Today, I would like everyone to keep a close watch. Harpies are known to prefer the flesh of women and children. Please be extra vigilant of the sky."

As I listened to his words,

(Harpies... It's starting to feel like a real fantasy world. I might have to use my original magic today...)

Sharon seemed a bit frightened by the mention of children's flesh, and her hands were trembling slightly. I placed my hand on her shoulder and spoke to her with a smile.

"Don't worry, I and Guy will definitely protect you. Also, you can use the Swallow's Blade today."

Her face turned slightly red, and she replied with determination, "I'm fine. If harpies appear, I'll shoot them down."

The wagons creaked as they slowly moved forward. Our position was the same as yesterday, between the fifth and sixth wagons. Before departure, Guy had also given us some warnings.

"Please don't stray. Today, we will stick together as a group of four. Follow my instructions no matter what."

"Understood. But don't just think about my safety; consider the safety of the caravan as well."

Guy nodded at my words and discussed something with Ridi. When Ridi nodded, she took off her hood.

I was surprised, and she explained,

"Guy asked me to ensure a clear view."

The elf Ridi has excellent eyesight. Even though Rob, the hunter, and Guy, the scout, also have good eyesight, hers was even better. Therefore, Guy asked Ridi to remove her hood, which could obstruct her view.

"Is that okay? My eyesight is pretty good too. You don't have to push yourself..."

She smiled and said, "It's for your safety. Besides, it was getting annoying, so it's just right."

As soon as Ridi took off her hood, the mercenaries and drivers focused their attention on her. However, the impolite gazes quickly disappeared, and they returned to their tasks.

(They can't afford to be distracted by a woman in a dangerous pass. Plus, it might be good that Byron and Guy are respected by the others...)

We reached the entrance of the pass after the first three hours. After a 30-minute break, we started climbing the pass. Unlike the previous road, the pass had a rugged cliff on the left side, cut out from the Fathas River. The deep forest on the right side gradually turned into shrubs like pines, creating a desolate atmosphere. The gentle slope at the beginning gradually became steeper, and the wagons struggled on the rocky path with stones about 10 cm in diameter.

(This looks like a road cut into the rock. It's indeed a difficult section. The drivers don't have the luxury to be vigilant, and the guards need to focus on controlling their horses. With the added vigilance of the sky, it's impossible for someone with my level of horsemanship...)

In fact, Sharon and I were struggling just to control our horses, let alone be vigilant. Guy and Ridi, on the other hand, skillfully controlled their horses while keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings, but the tension was palpable.

The neighing of horses and the creaking of wagon wheels echoed through the pass. We had set off early in the morning, but as Norton had mentioned, the weight of the cargo was heavy, and we were overtaken by other caravans. By the time we entered the pass, we were at the end of the line of wagons.

After about an hour, the slope became gentler.

It seemed we were approaching the top of the pass.

"Just a little more to the rest stop! But don't overwork the horses!"

Norton's instructions were relayed through the mercenaries.

(He's well-prepared. Not only the captain's instructions, but Norton's as well, are relayed by the mercenaries...)

After another 30 minutes, as the sun reached its zenith, we crossed the pass. The top of the pass was a narrow path between cliffs about 10 meters high, with the Fathas River curving gently to the left and a dense green forest to the right. Looking along the road, a small, dark square shape was visible in the distance.

(The view is good here. The elevation difference is probably around 200-300 meters. It's a tougher road than I expected, but it's all downhill from here... The square shape in the distance is probably our destination, Thornblow.)

The rest stop was about ten minutes down from here, and I let out a sigh of relief. Just as everyone's attention relaxed, Ridi's high-pitched voice echoed through the pass.

"Cliff above! There are harpies!"

Everyone looked up at her voice. It was hard to see due to the rocks, but there were human-like monsters with brown, eagle-like wings, the harpies, perched on the cliff, waiting for us to pass.

(Are they targeting the rear, where the guards are the fewest? Clever!)

As I thought this, about a dozen harpies took off at once. I shuddered at the sight of the harpies taking off with such force.

(They're huge! Not even a raptor can compare... They're probably going to dive down and attack! If those sharp claws tear me, my leather clothes will be as good as paper...)

The mercenaries were shouting orders around us.

"Archers, intercept them! They'll target the drivers! Protect the drivers!"

"Stay calm and move forward slowly! Don't rush and break the wagons!"

Norton's and Byron's instructions were relayed by the mercenaries.

Harpies grab people with their sharp talons, fly up, and then drop them from a height. Once caught, a person is lifted several meters, and even if they manage to escape the talons with a sword, the fall damage is inevitable. The key in a battle against harpies is to avoid being caught. They often target unarmed drivers, causing panic and leading to the wagons running wild and breaking, especially in narrow roads. They seem to understand that if a wagon breaks, it will stop the progress of the following wagons. They usually start by flying low and targeting the drivers' heads.

In response to the harpies' attack, Guy calmly instructed us, "Mr. Zach, Miss Ridi, and Sharon, prepare for interception."

Seeing the dozen or so harpies with wings over three meters, I was about to panic, but Guy's calm voice helped me regain my composure.

(Calm down. It should be difficult for them to attack in this narrow pass. They're probably waiting for us to panic and stop moving...)

I began casting the Swallow's Blade spell.

"O god of the wind, ruler of countless breezes, grant me the blade of a swallow that dances in the sky. I offer you the power of my life. Dance! Swallow's Blade!"

Sharon was also casting the same spell, and two transparent swallows took flight. Guy positioned himself in front of us, protecting us, and started shooting arrows from his horse. Ridi, instead of the Swallow's Blade, was using her Air Hammer.

About ten harpies were threatening a driver on one of the wagons. Ridi aimed at the harpies and released her Air Hammer. A large mass of air hit the group, causing the harpies to lose their balance. Some managed to regain their composure and fly back up, but two harpies lost speed and crashed into the ground.

Seeing this, I thought I had made a mistake in my choice of magic. However, I refocused and concentrated on controlling the swallows that had already been cast. In response to the harpies flapping their wings desperately to regain balance after Ridi's Air Hammer, my swallows approached at high speed.

The Swallow's Blade spell disappears when it cuts through something with mass. Therefore, I aimed for the harpies' feathers. Losing a few outer flight feathers would make it difficult for a bird to fly. Even a monster like a harpy, flapping its wings desperately, would lose speed.

(Physically, it's impossible for a harpy to lift its massive body with just its wings. They must be using the power of wind spirits. However, the fact that they are flapping their wings so desperately suggests that the spirit's power is mainly for reducing weight or increasing buoyancy, with the wings being the primary means of flight. If I damage their flight feathers, they should lose speed like a bird... The key is to hit the feathers accurately despite their intense flapping...)

I carefully timed when the harpies spread their wings. When the target harpy spread its wings to catch the air, I cut off a few feathers on the right side. Brown, large feathers floated in the air, and the harpy, which had been flapping and ascending, lost balance and spiraled down. I mentally cheered, "Yes!" and aimed at the second harpy.

The second harpy, having seen the first one spiral down, glared at me in shock. However, with its height and speed lost, it couldn't attack or escape and flapped desperately to avoid my swallow. The magic swallow, faster than the harpy, cut off its feathers. Despite the intense flapping, the harpy fell to the ground.

(Yes, it's working. Just before the wings flap, the flight feathers spread wide, making it easy to cut them...)

I knocked down two more harpies in the same way, and the magic swallows completed their mission and disappeared into the sky.

Beside me, Sharon, with a pale face, was controlling her magic swallows to cut the necks of two harpies.

(As always, Sharon has better control. I should ask her how she does it later.)

I had the luxury to think this because only about five harpies were left in the sky. Guy had shot down two, and other archers had taken out a few more, so the battle was already turning in our favor.

The harpies we had shot down were still alive but injured. However, the harpies that fell to the ground were no match for the mercenaries and were quickly killed. Byron gave the order to stop shooting, and the archers stopped while remaining vigilant. The remaining harpies, reduced to a third, let out frustrated cries and flew back into the forest.

(It seems we managed to repel them. The mistake was in my choice of magic. Ridi, who is experienced in battle, chose the Air Hammer, which was the best choice this time... Although I shot down the most harpies, it wouldn't have been possible without Ridi's attacks... That's the difference in experience...)

The chaos of the battle subsided, and we arrived at the rest stop. Under Byron's orders, the guards increased their vigilance, and he came to us with a serious expression, kneeling on one knee.

"Mr. Zacharias, regarding the comment about being a burden the day before yesterday, I apologize again."

I shook my head, "I've already accepted your apology. No need for more."

Byron tried to continue, "But—," but I cut him off, "We're still in a dangerous area, and I'm not holding a grudge."

Byron nodded and handed me a magic crystal about 1 cm in diameter.

"Here are the rewards from the battle. You shot down four, Ridi three, Jake and Sharon two each."

"I didn't deliver the final blow. Shouldn't we discuss it?"

Byron smiled, "Finishing off the harpies on the ground doesn't count as a feat." In the end, we had shot down thirteen harpies, and the four of us had taken down eleven, earning respect from the mercenaries. Ridi had also shot down one harpy with her bow, in addition to the two with magic.

"Still, it's the first time we've repelled nearly twenty harpies without any injuries. It's also the first time anyone has taken down more than five... They are particularly difficult for us to deal with..."

The caravan's guards are balanced to handle various situations, with swordsmen, spearmen, and archers to cover both close and long-range threats. However, this balance makes it difficult to effectively counter aerial threats. Skilled archers and mages can deal some damage, but swordsmen can only fend off close-range attacks. Increasing the number of archers would make us vulnerable to ground threats. While more mages would help, they are rare and rarely part of small guard units. For wide-area protection like a caravan, increasing the number of archers has limited effectiveness, so the best strategy is to balance the team and use swords and spears to keep threats at bay.

After a one-hour break, the caravan set off again. I thought the speed would increase on the downhill, but it was almost the same as the uphill. This was due to the need to yield to southbound caravans and the need for caution on the downhill, as the wagons, even without brakes, required careful handling to avoid accidents.

(With such a bad road, brakeless wagons are dangerous. If they gain too much speed, there's no way to stop them. A derailment would affect the wagons behind... Controlling my horse is even more difficult. I should have practiced more...)

Around 2:00 PM, we finally cleared the Kalsch Pass. The remaining 15 km had better roads and no oncoming wagons, so we could increase our speed.

We continued north along the road, with the forest to our right. The road was a gentle downhill, and the horses pulling the wagons seemed more relaxed.

At 6:00 PM, we arrived safely at Thornblow, a town surrounded by impressive walls.

When I asked Sharon about controlling the Swallow's Blade,

"The swallows fly for food, so I tell them that the food is near the enemy's neck."

In other words, Sharon was using "lock-on" and "auto-follow" functions.

(I was thinking of it like a remote control, but Sharon has better instincts. She might be a genius...)

After learning from Sharon, my Swallow's Blade spell evolved into an autonomous tracking spell.