Chapter 99

"Trouble! Maruiru has disappeared while I wasn't looking!"

Tart cried out in a voice like a scream, and Kent reacted to it.

Maruiru and we started traveling together, which was good, but she would disappear immediately. The reason was that she had discovered rare plants or minerals. She would vanish without a trace, and we would realize she was gone.

"Search for her! She must be nearby!"

Kent ran off in a panic to look for her. Although there weren't many monsters in this area, they were powerful and fire-based, making them quite troublesome to encounter.

As we were bustling about, an angel appeared next to me.

"Humans are such mysterious creatures, aren't they?"

"It's Maruiru who's special..."

I don't want to be lumped in with her.

"By the way, Angel. Are we on the right path? It would be great if you could give us more detailed directions..."

Actually, the angel only pointed in a direction, saying "that way," and didn't use any kind of teleportation magic to take us directly or provide detailed directions...! If she had given us proper directions, we probably would have already reached our destination.

Still, we couldn't just leave Maruiru behind, so this might be the official route.

"Oh, she's over here! It seems she found some minerals!"

Mimosa raised her hand to announce Maruiru's discovery. We were relieved to find her safe. We sighed in relief and formed a line with Maruiru in the center, then continued walking.

"Divine Judgment!"

Mimosa delivered the final blow to the Salamander and took a deep breath. Then she looked to the side and her face turned pale.

"Is there really a path here? It's just magma a little further ahead..."

Indeed, as Mimosa said, there was magma nearby.

We were following Maruiru's lead into the mountain's interior, heading for the "Village of Eden at the End of the World." However, inside this volcano, magma flowed like rivers. If we slipped even a little, it would be the end.

"Yes, so please be careful. No matter how powerful your potions are, you won't survive if you fall in."

"...You're right."

Maruiru's stance seemed to be that as long as she didn't fall, everything would be fine.

"Oh, I can see it. If we walk through that gap in the rocks, we should be able to get outside."

"The gap is more like a crack."

I could pass through it without any problem, but what about Kent and Blitz? Maruiru and Riroi are slim, so they should be fine, but...

Kent glared at the crack and frowned. "Can we get through?"

"Hmm... It's pretty narrow. What if we take off our armor?"

"Indeed, it seems we have no choice."

Kent tried to get through the gap with his armor on but quickly gave up. He took off his equipment and stored it in his "bag."

"Alright, I'll go first."

"I'll be at the back."

"Thanks! I'll count on you, Blitz!"

Kent and Blitz quickly made the decision, so we formed a line with Tithia and Maruiru in the middle and proceeded through the crack. Kent stumbled a few times, but the path opened up after a short distance, making it easier to move.

"Ah... I can hear the wind."

It seemed we were close to the exit. As I thought this, the light from outside became visible. Kent shouted, "It's the exit!" and peered outside, then gasped.

"...Wow!"

"Kent? What's... Oh wow, what an amazing view!!"

I don't think anyone could help but gasp at such a view.

When we emerged from the gap, we found ourselves on the side of the volcano. The suddenly open sky expanded my vision, and the sound of birds flapping their wings in the wind reached my ears. Looking down, I saw clouds, a sea of clouds that I had only seen on TV or in photos. Clouds covered the forest, and beyond them, a small village was visible. That must be Eden.

"Wow. The view is amazing. And you can only see it by adventuring, so being an adventurer is the best. Right, Sharon?"

"Right! Being an adventurer is really the best...!"

I think this is my calling.

As we were lost in the view, a thin voice came from behind. It was Maruiru.

"It's so high... We have to go down this rock mountain...?"

"Indeed, it's quite a height and steep like a cliff."

The path we climbed was gentle, but the slope on the other side was very steep. Without a safety rope, a single misstep could send us rolling all the way down.

"It's okay."

"Huh?"

Ignoring Maruiru's surprise, I blew the "Dragon's Flute" with all my might. Tart and the others did the same, and seven dragons flew over. Kent alone summoned his partner Sora and climbed on.

"W-What? Dragons!? What's going on!? Are we fighting them? No, wait, we're riding them!?"

Maruiru was in a state of confusion.

"Hehe, these are our dragons, so there's no danger. Maruiru, please ride with me."

"Huh? Ah, right. So everyone is a 'Dragon Knight'—no, the skill is different..."

Maruiru seemed to be starting to understand but then became even more puzzled, muttering to himself. Kent shrugged and pulled Maruiru's arm, forcing him onto Sora's back.

The view from the back of the dragon was also amazing.

"Alright, let's go! We need to head to that village, right? Angel?"

"Yes."

The angel flew beside Kent, using her wings to guide the way.

And so, we arrived at the "Village of Eden at the End of the World."

***

"Who are you!!"

As a result of dismounting from the dragons near the village, we were mistaken for invaders and surrounded by villagers with spears.

Kent quickly tried to explain.

"No! We're adventurers, and we didn't come to harm the village!"

"Y-Yes! I'm a researcher and just wanted to learn about the village...!!"

"What do you plan to do with the information about our village? That sounds suspicious!"

"Maruiru!!"

Thanks to Maruiru, we became even more suspicious!

"I'm not suspicious!"

"Those ears and tail are suspicious enough!"

"Meow!?"

It seems there are no Ketsies in Eden, and the villagers looked at Tart with fear, perhaps thinking he was some kind of unknown monster.

...But, this situation was problematic. We couldn't resort to force, as harming the villagers would only make things worse.

As I was trying to figure out what to do, the angel stepped forward.

"Fighting is not right."

"---!?"

The villagers' eyes widened at the sight of the angel. In the next moment, they all knelt before her.

What's going on!?

"Could it be the goddess Flodia!?"

"Those beautiful, pure white wings are proof of the goddess..."

"We have been waiting for you."

Ah, I see. This village must have a strong faith in the goddess Flodia. The angel, who possesses a divine aura, must be seen as equal to the goddess.

The angel smiled with kindness at the villagers.

"I am not Flodia. I am an angel who serves Flodia."

"You are an angel...!"

"Yes. These people wish to stay in the village and go to the island. Can we have permission to stay and a boat?"

"Of course!!"

Thanks to the angel, everything went smoothly. It's a good thing we had the angel on our side.

"The angel's destination can only be reached by boat."

"Yes. The sky is foggy, so it's dangerous to fly with dragons."

"I see."

Since the angel said it was dangerous, it's probably best not to go by air. I nodded and decided to ask for a boat to be arranged for the next day.

The "Village of Eden at the End of the World," where we finally arrived, looked like a ruin.

The residential area, which was originally white, had turned a yellowish-brown color due to long exposure to the elements. The walls were adorned with carvings of the goddess Flodia and angels, which explained why the angel was so readily accepted by the villagers.

One of the men who had pointed spears at us turned out to be the village chief, who offered to let us stay at his home.

"Since an angel has come, please allow us to hold a welcoming feast. The villagers will be very happy."

"Thank you. However, I cannot receive such treatment without Flodia. I will only accept your kind intentions."

"How humble..."

The village chief, moved by the angel's compassionate face, even shed tears.

As we were watched by the other villagers, we arrived at the chief's house, which was located at the far end of the village, near the sea. There was a pier next to the house with a boat moored.

"An angel's room... and, I'm sorry, but can the rest of you be separated by gender?"

"That's fine."

Riroi answered on behalf of the group, and the chief sighed in relief.

Once we gathered in the women's room, the angel sat on the bed assigned to me.

"Phew, I'm a bit tired."

The angel sighed but smiled, saying, "But we finally made it here." Flodia was just a little further away.

"Since we're going to the island tomorrow, please rest well today."

"Thank you, Tithia."

Even an angel can get tired after a day of activity. Tithia was considerate, and Tart prepared tea for us.

However, there was something I needed to ask the angel before we went.

"Angel, can you tell me more about where we're going tomorrow?"

"...The place we are going is where Flodia rests. That's all I can tell you."

The angel shook her head, indicating that she couldn't say anything more.