Chapter 21

Continuous posting.

Today, I will post two episodes. The continuation is scheduled for 18:00.

※This story contains explicit content, so please be cautious if you are eating.

"Hey, I have something I want to ask."

"Huh? What is it, kid? What do you want?"

In the adventurer guild's tavern, Nod was beginning to gather information from the experienced adventurers. The price was the usual.

"I met a wyvern the other day, and I want to know some countermeasures."

"Hmm, that must have been tough. Listen, they are..."

"I want to hear about your heroic deeds."

"Hmph, well, I can't refuse. Which one do you want to hear? Ah, the wyvern! That was..."

"Can you tell me about the monsters in the snow mountains?"

"Huh? Yeah, it's about time the snow giants start appearing."

"I heard you were attacked by a wyvern the other day. How did you escape?"

"Oh, well, you know..."

The adventurers, their tongues loosened by alcohol, provided the information Nod sought one after another.

The subjects were varied.

Copper-class adventurers, Black Iron-class adventurers, Silver-class adventurers. Not only about combat and battles with wyverns, but also about how to survive or outsmart them. Nod gathered information from various perspectives.

What are the wyvern's weaknesses?

What is the wyvern's ecology?

What are the wyvern's behavior patterns and habits?

Gestures, locations, food, senses, predators, likes and dislikes, reproduction, dangers, safety, weaknesses—.

"Hmm..."

Nod closed the leather notebook where the information was written.

The knowledge and experiences passed down from predecessors were recorded there.

Nod closed his eyes for a moment.

He calmly organized and calculated the thoughts swirling in his head.

The time was already approaching midnight, and the party was coming to an end. The tavern was beginning to regain its tranquility.

The remaining adventurers were gradually leaving for their lodgings, one by one.

The tavern staff were busily cleaning up, the sounds of dishes being washed echoing through the hall.

"...Should I do it?"

Under the dim light of the deserted tavern, Nod muttered to himself.

His words of determination were unheard by anyone and disappeared into the night air of the tavern.

§

The iron tip of the pickaxe made a sharp sound as it pierced the rock.

The tip, caught in a slight depression in the rock, bore the weight of Nod's body.

The pickaxe on the other arm found another depression and hooked it.

Leaning on the pickaxes, Nod slowly climbed the cliff.

Once more...

Nod hooked the left pickaxe into another depression and leaned on it. Suddenly, the tip shattered the rock, and the pickaxe swung in the air.

Panicking at the sudden event, Nod held his entire weight with his right hand to prevent falling off the cliff.

Perhaps there was an invisible crack, or perhaps that part was weaker.

The stones rolled down the cliff face, making a loud noise, which soon faded and was eventually drowned out by the mountain wind.

"——Phew"

Sweat soaked through the back of Nod's armor and the fur for warmth.

Nod let out a deep sigh.

That was close, he thought.

The rock that fell off the cliff would have landed on the snowfield below, creating a large hole in the snow. If Nod had not regained his balance, he would have fallen and been crushed. Even if the snow was soft, the shock it could absorb was limited.

After several deep breaths, Nod put more strength into both arms, thrust the pickaxes into the cliff, and started climbing again.

How much time had passed since he started climbing?

Finally, he reached the middle of the cliff, a place where he could rest.

Dragging his body up to that spot, Nod sat down on the snow for the first time in an hour.

He regulated his heavy breathing. At high altitudes, the air is thinner than in lowlands. Nod knew that regulating his breathing was more effective than taking deep breaths to catch his breath.

Focusing on controlling his body, Nod realized that he was colder than he thought.

The cold air from above mercilessly blew against the steep mountain face.

Even with winter gear designed to keep him warm in the snow mountains, his body temperature was inevitably being drained.

Nod took out food from his backpack to replenish his nutrients.

He set a small pot on a portable stove and melted snow.

He wanted to save wood, but there were no trees on the middle of the cliff, so he used the magic stones he brought as fuel.

In the snow mountains, snow is abundant, but liquid water is a precious commodity. Melting snow or ice with body heat consumes a lot of energy, so a portable stove fueled by magic stones was essential for activities in the snow mountains.

The snow melted into water and then boiled in the pot, which was already steaming vigorously. Nod had already put tea leaves in the pot.

Swirling the tea bag in the small bag a few times, he made warm tea.

He soaked the dry bread he brought as portable food in the tea and ate it. The sweet honey added for calories stimulated his tongue and reached his brain.

Drinking the tea before it cooled, it went down his throat and into his stomach, warming his body from the inside and easing his fatigue.

Having quickly replenished his nutrients, Nod took a short break to aid digestion.

He also rested to recover from fatigue, enjoying the view in a relaxed posture.

The mountain range spread out in the distance, covered in snow.

The wind blew, lifting the snow and creating a snow flower in the sky.

On the snowfield, ice spirits danced, and snow giants roamed.

The view of the snow mountains from the middle of the cliff was incredibly beautiful.

It was a work of art in nature that he could have admired for hours, but unfortunately, Nod had something he needed to do.

Reattaching his backpack to his body, Nod carried the pickaxes in both hands and started climbing the winter mountain again.

After a while, Nod finally reached his destination and started working.

He took out iron stakes from his backpack and hammered them into the rock to secure them, or hung ropes from the cliff to make it easier to move back and forth. He also took out various other tools.

Then, with a lighter backpack, he started descending the cliff.

He gathered materials at the base and climbed the cliff again, then descended again.

This work continued for several days.

No, this work was not limited to this place.

He climbed other cliffs and transported materials in the same way.

These actions—construction—were quietly and single-handedly advanced by Nod.

Sometimes at the base camp at the foot of the mountain, sometimes on the cliff, sometimes without sleep, he pushed forward with the work.

After tremendous effort, Nod finally felt that the "preparations" were complete.

§

As a result of the information gathering at the tavern,

Nod judged that his plan—stealing a wyvern's egg—was possible.

Of course, numerous difficulties were expected.

However, even with these considerations, Nod believed it was doable.

First, Nod thoroughly investigated the location of the wyvern's nest.

He then purchased the necessary supplies and equipment, which amounted to a considerable sum of money. However, it was impossible to skimp on the tools needed to deal with a wyvern, so Nod spent a lot of money to prepare everything.

Wyverns build their nests on high, steep mountain peaks.

This is not inconvenient for wyverns, which can fly through the sky, and it also makes them less likely to be targeted by predators.

Predators—what are the predators of wyverns, which are dragons? The answer is simple: carnivorous small to medium-sized monsters.

For adult wyverns, it might be different, but during the juvenile stage or even as eggs, they cannot defend themselves.

Therefore, they build their nests in places where predators cannot approach.

Wyvern nests exist in various places on the Ilva continent, but Nod chose the closest snow mountain.

This was a choice made by process of elimination.

Other locations where nests were said to exist were either too far away, or were secret realms where powerful monsters roamed, or, in common with many of them, were places where the surrounding environment was completely unknown.

Of course, this meant that the locations where low-level adventurers were sent on missions were places where wyverns would not exist.

The exception was the snow mountain area, which Nod had visited several times during the winter.

This area, which is a frozen wasteland in winter, becomes a lush, fertile land at the foot of the mountains when spring arrives and the snow melts.

The wyverns that live in this snow mountain area feed on herbivorous animals that eat the vegetation.

Nod thought that the winter environment would be to his advantage.

Information about the wyvern's ecology, including its parenting, included details about its incubation period.

According to this information, wyverns not only warm their eggs continuously throughout the day but also go hunting once a day.

The wyvern that Nod saw in the snow mountain was probably out hunting.

This means that if the surrounding area has few prey, the wyvern would spend more time hunting, Nod thought.

Naturally, the time when the nest is unattended is an opportunity to steal the eggs.

If things go well, it might be possible to steal the eggs without encountering the wyvern.

This is what Nod was thinking when he was in the capital.

§

The winter season, dominated by cold and a lack of life, transforms the foot of the mountains into a snowy world.

Even the lush, fertile land that supports various forms of life in spring is now silent, waiting for the melting snow of spring.

At the top of the snow mountain, in a large cave, Nod was inside.

The wind blew in, and the path of snow that blew in extended to the back of the cave.

Nod had climbed the cliff and reached just before the wyvern's nest.

Since entering the snow mountain area, Nod had seen the wyvern several times.

Each time, he had to limit his movements to avoid being seen, but from these experiences, he had a rough idea of the wyvern's hunting intervals.

According to his experience, it should be the time when the wyvern goes hunting.

To avoid being seen by the wyvern, Nod moved quickly along the ropes he had set up in various places in the snow mountain.

The ropes, camouflaged to blend in with the winter landscape, were not easily visible unless you knew where they were.

Nod moved stealthily, following the ropes to the entrance of the wind tunnel.

He walked deeper into the cave, keeping his hand on the wall to avoid making noise.

He moved carefully, paying close attention to avoid slipping on the snow-free cave floor and to prevent sound from echoing.

The armor he wore, modified to muffle sound, did not hinder his stealth.

(......Is it not here?)

The sound of the wind made it difficult to hear clearly, but there were no loud sounds—such as the wyvern's footsteps or calls—coming from inside the cave.

Nod continued to move deeper, occasionally pausing to listen for any sounds from inside.

(...Surprisingly bright)

Eventually, Nod reached a large space.

Although it was in a cave, it was surprisingly bright.

Upon closer inspection, a hole in the ceiling allowed a little sunlight to shine in. However, the hole was not large enough to let snow fall inside, and the wind prevented it from accumulating.

Furthermore, the cave was unexpectedly warm.

The back of the cave, where the wind did not blow, was like a snow stove, designed to retain heat.

Nod cautiously peered into the cave.

It was not completely dark, but the majority of the cave was in shadow, making it difficult to see.

Still, he confirmed that there was no sign of the wyvern in the nest.

(—Good!!)

Nod inwardly rejoiced.

His thorough preparations were paying off.

If the wyvern was not there, all he had to do was steal the eggs.

(Okay, let's do it now... Where are the eggs...?)

The cave was dimly lit, but not completely dark.

Nod could not immediately see where the eggs were, so he began to search the nest.

He looked for the eggs amidst the remains of food, scattered bones, and debris from the cave walls.

However, the eggs were not easily found.

(Damn... I have to hurry... What is this?)

In the middle of his search, Nod's attention was drawn to something on the floor.

It stood out white in the dim light, almost like snow.

(Snow? No, this is... a sword? Why is it here... Oh no!)

Nod narrowed his eyes to see what it was and leaned in to get a closer look. At that moment, he realized it was the gleam of steel from an adventurer's sword and tripped, falling to the ground.

Splat

The sound echoed slightly in the unoccupied cave.

(What...? It's wet...?)

Sliding, Nod landed on his buttocks on the cave floor. The ground was soft, so the impact was not severe.

His hands, which he used to support himself, felt something like mud.

Trying to figure out what had happened, Nod brought his hand close to his face to examine it.

!!

Nod immediately recognized what it was and why the sword was there.

(It... It stinks! This is wyvern droppings!!)

The cave was warmer than the outside, but the temperature was still low enough that the smell was not too strong.

The smell of rotting food remains might have also masked it.

Nod, who had been standing in the wyvern's latrine, felt a sense of unease.

From the feel of it, Nod's entire body was covered in droppings.

As an adventurer, Nod had experienced being covered in mud and blood, but this was his first time being covered in droppings.

The sword was probably from an adventurer who had challenged (or been attacked by) the wyvern. It had not been digested and was excreted. Given this, there might be guild cards in the pile of droppings, which was as tall as Nod's height.

It was a tradition among adventurers to recover the guild cards of those who had fallen, but even Nod did not have the heart to search through the droppings in his current state.

(...Let's find the eggs and get out of here quickly)

Despite feeling disheartened, Nod quickly remembered what he needed to do: steal the wyvern's eggs.

(Where are they? Where are they...! Is it that...!)

Continuing his search, Nod finally found the eggs.

Fibrous material, perhaps from tree bark, was gathered like a bird's nest, and about five round eggs were collected there.

The wyvern's eggshells were dark in color, making them difficult to see in the shadows. They were larger than an adult human's head and heavy enough that they could not be held with one hand.

(Finally found them. Then, let's get this...!)

Suddenly, as Nod approached the eggs, an ominous sound reached his ears. Nod froze.

Was it a mistake—no!

Thud, the sound, accompanied by a slight vibration, was—.

(—Wyvern!!)

It was a sign that the owner of the cave had returned.

§

(What to do, what to do, what to do—!?)

Had he taken too long searching, or had the wyvern returned earlier than expected? Or was it just bad luck?

Whatever the reason, Nod was in a life-threatening situation.

The cave had only one entrance.

The ceiling had a hole large enough for an adult to pass through, but it was too high to climb. Moreover, there was no time for that.

The sound and vibration Nod had just heard were probably the wyvern landing at the cave entrance.

The cave passage was not very long, and the wyvern would soon return to the nest.

Head for the entrance—No!

Fight the wyvern—No, No!!

Give up—Absolutely, No!!

Faced with the greatest and most unprecedented threat to his life, Nod's mind quickly considered and discarded numerous options. The answer he arrived at was—

(—I have to hide!!)

The next problem for Nod, who chose to hide, was "where."

In a forest, he could hide in the shadows of trees. On a rocky mountain, he could hide in the shadows of rocks. Even on a beach