Chapter 68

14

The route over the Kitrus Mountains is treacherous.

To minimize the elevation changes along the way, the road winds around the mountains in a serpentine manner, making the journey several times longer than the straight-line distance.

Even so, in some places, the gradient cannot be sufficiently reduced, and the magic-powered vehicle we are using lacks the power to handle the steep inclines, often requiring us to get out and push.

The only saving grace is that the road is wide enough, perhaps a remnant from the war between the Empire and the Alliance, where the road was maintained.

Even so, fallen trees blocking the road are a common occurrence. Some areas have been eroded by trees, and in many places, the road has been cut off by landslides over the years.

If we were traveling on foot, in the worst case, we could rely on the physical strength of our followers and cut through the mountains. However, with a vehicle, that is not an option.

It would be nice if there were a detour, but if such a convenient route existed, our journey would not be so difficult.

On the other hand, abandoning the vehicle is not a viable option.

The vehicle we are riding is borrowed, and even if it were not, there are those who must hide in the vehicle after we pass through these mountain roads.

If this were the world we originally came from, we might have had no choice but to turn back.

That day, we encountered another section of the road that had been cut off, the number of times we had done so since entering the mountains was beyond count.

Looking at the trees that had fallen with the road when it collapsed, they were rotten and hollow inside, with moss growing on the surface and poisonous-looking mushrooms sprouting here and there.

It must have been a long time since the collapse, and it had not been repaired.

If there are few users, it makes sense that the maintenance effort would be reduced.

To pass through, at least some basic repairs were necessary.

“Lord Lili, I have finished checking the area ahead.”

Shiran, who had gone ahead to scout, returned at a quick pace.

Since entering the mountain road, she had donned the armor of the Alliance Knights, giving her an even more dignified appearance. She stopped at the other side of the cut-off road.

“There is no sign of anyone, as usual. We can proceed at any time.”

We had not encountered anyone else on the road, but this was not a completely unused path.

In other words, if we were to do something that required avoiding attention, we would need to be extra cautious.

Hearing Shiran’s words, Lili, who had been kneeling to examine the collapsed ground, stood up.

“Okay, let’s go.”

Lili extended her right hand forward.

A yellow magic circle unfolded at her fingertips.

Second-tier earth magic. One of the two elemental magics Lili obtained by consuming a large number of monsters at Fort Cheria.

Clumps of earth began to rise from the road cut off by the landslide.

By repeating the same magic several times, Lili skillfully filled in the gouged-out ground.

The earth magic Lili had learned was very useful in such situations.

Throughout the journey, Lili had been practicing her newly acquired magic, moving obstructive trees and making simple repairs to the road where holes had formed.

However, there was one problem.

It was that Lili’s earth magic could not perform technically advanced work.

Only a highly skilled magician, or one specialized in civil engineering, could handle earth magic for such purposes.

For example, the military has specialized magicians who belong to the engineering corps.

In Lili’s case, while she could pile up earth to fill in the cut-off road, she could not create a hard, level surface like the original road.

With such a bumpy surface, it would be impossible to drive a vehicle designed for flat terrain, and there was a risk of damaging the vehicle if forced.

However, we are a team.

If one person’s strength is not enough, others can lend a hand.

Thanks to Lili, the road was already open.

There were no obstacles like trees, and the necessary footholds were in place.

It was just that the road was not suitable for vehicle traffic.

“Alright, Gerbera. The rest is up to you.”

“Understood.”

Gerbera, nodding, crouched down and extended her eight legs to secure the foothold.

Her hands, extended toward the vehicle, grabbed the protective plate at the front, designed to prevent mud from splashing.

The sound of the vehicle creaking echoed.

Without much effort, Gerbera was lifting the vehicle.

It was a scene that made one doubt the sturdiness of the vehicle, but the weight of the vehicle, which had been reinforced by Rose beforehand, was evident from the creaking sound.

I recalled a photo from an encyclopedia I had seen as a child, showing an ant carrying something several times its own weight.

What about spiders, I wondered, as I watched Gerbera, who had lifted the vehicle, start walking cautiously.

Gerbera’s multiple legs maintained stability even on bumpy ground.

With minimal vertical movement, the vehicle was carried smoothly in a horizontal motion.

Gerbera’s physical abilities far exceeded those of humans.

Her sense of balance was also excellent.

With repeated practice, she had improved in the handling of the vehicle, and there was no hint of any danger.

“…But, carrying a vehicle around seems a bit backwards, doesn’t it?”

“Indeed. That might be true.”

Hearing my mutter, Kato-san chuckled.

Rose, who had been watching the situation, called out to Gerbera.

“Gerbera, you’re leaning a bit to the right. Be careful.”

“Understood. However, with Rose’s work, I don’t think it will break with just a little effort.”

“Yes, as long as you don’t get too careless, it’s not a dangerous task. …But, if it can be done with less strain, that would be better.”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

Gerbera, who had been wearing a mask, nodded with a laugh in response to Rose’s caution.

Gerbera, who is carefree and a bit absent-minded, and Rose, who is serious and meticulous, are an unbalanced pair, but they surprisingly get along well.

Gerbera, who had been carrying the vehicle without shaking it, smiled and suddenly looked up.

“Be careful. Kay is in there too.”

“I trust you, Gerbera-san.”

A girl’s voice replied from inside the vehicle.

It was a bright, childlike voice.

“What’s the view like from there?”

“It feels a bit strange. But it’s fresh.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”

Kay was inside the vehicle Gerbera was carrying.

This was Gerbera’s idea.

A tedious task turned into an impromptu attraction. A fun atmosphere is contagious, and it made the journey less boring for us as well.

…Now, as we have gradually established a routine for dealing with such situations, we have the time to create such ‘play’ moments, but at the beginning of our journey into the mountains, we struggled with the rough roads and it was quite difficult.

To be honest, based on our experience traveling through the forest, I had somewhat underestimated the journey through the mountains.

On poorly maintained mountain roads, we ended up having to carry the vehicle with Gerbera for most of the journey.

While this allowed us to transport the vehicle, the severe shaking made it impossible for humans to ride inside.

When we had to walk, the steep inclines drained our energy more than expected.

For me, who had learned to use magic since coming to this world, and for Kay, who was a young knight-in-training, it was manageable, but Kato-san, who had the least physical strength among us, had to be carried by Rose at times.

Sometimes, it took us hours to ensure a path wide enough for the vehicle to pass.

There were times when the vehicle almost overturned, and when a wheel broke, it took half a day to repair.

Occasionally, we encountered monsters, which, in addition to the threat of an attack on the narrow mountain road, required us to protect the vehicle and the road from damage during the battle.

Since we were not in a hurry, we proceeded slowly, and before we knew it, nearly ten days had passed.

If the village chief’s information was correct, we should soon reach a tributary of the Aralia River, which flows through the Kitrus Mountains. At that point, we would be about halfway through our journey.

We had become accustomed to the troubles on the mountain roads, and the remaining half should be completed more quickly.

We still had enough food, as we had resupplied at the last frontier village.

It seemed we could cross the mountain road without any problems.

I thought so.

But I realized I was wrong the next day.

***

An ominous presence can apparently be sensed even in sleep.

In the morning, as I lifted my heavy eyelids, I saw a pair of melted red eyes peering at me.

“…”

It wasn’t Lili.

I often wake up to find myself face-to-face with her, usually after we have embraced in our sleep.

Because I am a poor sleeper, I can sense the slightly cool body of the girl I am holding in my arms during the long moments between sleep and wakefulness.

Therefore, I am not surprised to see the girl I love in front of me.

However, this morning was different.

Without any warning, there was a beauty so stunning that even a goddess might run away barefoot, right in front of me.

Her melted expression froze the moment our eyes met as I awoke. It was a bit funny, and I thought, “Ah, that’s like her,” with a hint of escapism.

“Ah, uhh…”

The girl exhaled a sigh, having swallowed a breath in surprise. The breath tickled the sensitive skin around my mouth.

This sensation acted as a switch, and my consciousness, which had been in a state of suspension, restarted.

“…What are you doing, Gerbera?”

The white spider was in a position as if she had pounced on me as I slept, her upper body, which was that of a girl, with one hand touching my chest and the other hand touching my cheek.

Her dazzling white hair hung down, a strand of it intruding into my shirt from my chest.

The legs extending from her spider lower body were planted on either side of my head, supporting the girl’s forward-leaning body.

It was a situation that seemed to say, “I’m about to steal a kiss.”

“Not at all, my lord.”

Gerbera, who had been frozen, spoke.

“What do you mean, not at all?”

I think this is a situation where there is no excuse.

In response to my question, Gerbera answered a bit quickly.

“I, I endured properly.”

She endured.

I won’t ask what she endured. I would be in trouble if she answered.

“Seeing you sleeping soundly, in a situation where we were alone, from just after dawn. Isn’t that remarkable?”

Judging from the amount of light, it was probably about an hour after dawn.

She confessed that she had been looking at my face without getting bored for that long, but she didn’t seem