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TL: ALT
Chapter 79 – Day 24 of Exploration
After a good night’s sleep and rest in the water tent, we looked south. Night was beginning to fall, and we could clearly see the white cliffs.
“This is strange. I can see the cliffs.”
“From the cave to the mountain range to the north, we should be able to get there in a day or two, right? If we really run, we should be able to reach the East Coast at that time as well. The desert doesn’t seem to have changed much either, does it?”
“No, even that giant earthworm monster would take five days, wouldn’t it?”
“We were fast enough to ignore that earthworm.”
In fact, we had left that earthworm monster behind on this expedition.
“So the Bird Tribe’s country is surprisingly close?”
“It is not close. There’s just a gap between the map and our own movement speed.”
Chel is unusually reliable. Already anticipating an encounter with the birdmen, we began disguising ourselves with bandages on our faces and wrists where our skin was visible.
“We have a lot of extra food, so we need to check the trade goods. Also, watch your head. And what else?”
“We need to infiltrate the bird people’s country somehow and gather information about the demonic land. That’s what Hel told us.”
“That’s right. How will we infiltrate? Shall we pretend to be peddlers?”
“Be resourceful. It’s probably better to walk from here. You never know where they might be watching, so just act normal.”
“Chel knows a lot. Have you ever infiltrated anywhere before?”
“I used to hide the fact that I was a noble and play with the kids in town.”
For now, I disguised myself as a peddler and pulled the haze turtle shell to the white cliff while Chel pushed it as a slave.
As we approached the cliff, we were attacked by shark monsters swimming in the sand and vulture monsters, but Chel burned them with magic and buried them in the sand.
“You are so skilled.”
“It’s not that difficult since it’s fire magic and earth magic.”
When I was asked to try it, I did, but in my case, when I hit it with magic power, it disappeared like a magic trick.
“Even if Makyo kills people, you won’t get caught because the bodies will disappear.”
Chel said with a straight face.
“The monsters in the south of the desert must have little magic power. No, it must be like that.”
The monsters around the cave are not that weak.
There are also a lot of bones near the cliff, so it must be a hunting ground for the monsters of the demonic land. The weak ones become meat, and the strong ones eat them.
“It’s the usual demonic land.”
“But aren’t these bird people?”
Chel picked up a skull half buried in the sand and showed it to me.
“You mean they were thrown from the top of the cliff?”
Just as I said that, I heard a scream from the sky.
“Aaahhーー!!!”
A young man who looked like a birdman fell with his arms tied.
I kicked him from the side to lessen the impact.
“Did you kill him?”
“No, I saved him. Didn’t you see?”
The young man was buried in the sand dunes and didn’t move.
“How about that?”
“I didn’t use any magic, and he’s still in one piece!”
“Let’s see if his neck is broken.”
I pulled the young man up by his legs, and he was barely breathing.
“Chel, heal him.”
“Let’s charge him for the treatment.”
Chel healed the young man with healing magic. I watched the cliff for the next victim, but no one fell. It seems that people falling off cliffs is a rare occurrence.
“Hah!”
The young man, whose arms were tied, stood up and looked around.
“Welcome to the demonic land.”
Even though I was disguised as a peddler, I greeted him like a lord.
“For the treatment and trespassing, 800 gold coins.”
Chel, disguised as a slave, threatened him.
“Wait, wait, he’s scared. Young man, you look like you’re tied up. What happened?”
“No, this is… Huh? Where am I? Where is this?”
We seem to be able to communicate with him.
“This is the demonic land desert, on the border of the Kingdom of Estinia.”
The young man looked up at the cliff in front of him, and it seemed he finally understood his situation.
“I fell, didn’t I? Why am I alive?”
“I kicked you.”
“I healed you.”
We explained it simply.
“Huh…”
The young man didn’t look like he understood.
“Well, just accept it.”
“There’s no point thinking about it. It’s a shame.”
The young man nodded deeply, looking frightened.
“Well then, young man. Is the country of the Bird Tribe on that cliff?”
“Yes, the country of the Bird Tribe, Cliff Garuda, is there. Um…”
The young man tried to continue, but I interrupted him to ask a question.
“Is there somewhere I can sneak in?”
“Sneak in? If you’re planning to climb that cliff, I think you should think twice. The vulture monsters are waiting for you.”
“The cliff and the monsters are not a problem. Is there any way I can sneak into Cliff Garuda without being noticed?”
“Well, no, there is, but…”
“I see! Show me the way.”
I lifted the young man up and helped him stand.
“Eh? Now?!”
“Do you have other plans?”
“No.”
“Then show me the way.”
“If you go west from where I was dropped, you should reach the forest, and I think you can climb up from there to get to the land.”
The young man began walking unsteadily toward the east.
“That way is the east. The west is the other way.”
“I’m sorry.”
The young man changed direction and started walking again.
“Young man, you seem to be walking slowly. Are you still injured?”
“No, I’m fine. I’ll run!”
The young man began to run, but he kept falling down.
“Are you doing this on purpose?”
“No, I’m not! It’s just that my arms are tied, so it’s hard to run!”
When Chel cut through the rope binding the young man, he reacted well and said, “It’s hot!”
“Damn!”
The young man swore and started running, but his running speed didn’t change much. His breathing was heavy, and he was sweating profusely, so it looked like he was running as fast as he could.
“Makyo, don’t you think it would be faster if you kicked him again?”
Chel asks as we continue to follow him.
“Hmm, well, he’s doing his best, so let’s wait and see. We have plenty of time. Besides, if you look closely, you’ll see that the young man is wearing striped clothes.”
“He was probably a prisoner. Maybe they dumped him in the desert because they couldn’t feed him in prison?”
“I see. Young man, have you been exiled from your country?”
I ask as we walk alongside him.
“Y-yes! Hahaha!”
“You are fit for the demonic land.”
Chel smiles. I don’t want anyone to be fit for it.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“What is it?”
“What exactly is that big shell you’re carrying?”
“It’s a bag. It also contains trade goods.”
The young man asked no more questions.
After that, we walked until almost noon, but the young man’s stamina must have reached its limit because he suddenly collapsed.
“Young man, is this the way to climb up? Right?”
I asked the young man, and he nodded vigorously.
“All right, let’s climb up.”
“How are we going to do that?”
“I think we can walk up a wall like this. Chel, you carry the young man.”
“Eeehh!”
“There is no choice. Young man, wait for me in the sky for a while.”
Without waiting for the young man to answer, I threw him as far as I could into the sky.
I ran up the cliff with the turtle’s shell. If it’s not a cliff with chains, it’s easy to climb. Chel follows without any problems.
At the top of the cliff, there is a forest. The trees in the forest look like the plants in the demon land, but there is no sign of them attacking.
“Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!”
Just as I thought that, the young man fell down, so I caught him. He was leaking juice from every hole, so I threw him into the nearby stream and washed him.
Then we took a break for lunch.
“My name is Lipa! Nice to meet you!”
As we ate the dried meat for lunch, the young man suddenly introduced himself.
“What’s with you and your sudden introductions?”
“I’m Chel. This is Makyo. If you want the dried meat, you can roast it and eat it as you like.”
“Yes! Thank you, Chel-neesan!”
Lipa said, took the dried meat out of the haze turtle’s shell, and ate it.
“Oh, so you were just hungry.”
“We are merchants from the frontier, and we want to go to the city to trade. So, can you let us through?”
“Yes, I understand! I’m unemployed! I’ll go with you!”
I’ve got a new unemployed companion.
“You’re hopeless.”
Lipa is a birdman with black feathers growing out of various parts of his body, and he doesn’t have any special powers. Just because he’s a birdman doesn’t mean he can fly, use magic, or have any knowledge. If anything, he’s just unlucky.
“That’s the worst.”
“Yes, the orphanage I grew up in went bankrupt, and the pawnshop I worked for burned down. I was saddled with the debts of a bankrupt liquor store, and I got fired for cleaning a blimp. I joined a band of mountain bandits, but they were wiped out by an epidemic. The walls of the prison I was imprisoned in crumbled from decay, and I was nearly buried alive. I was banished from the cliff because I brought so much misfortune…”
“We were there when you fell. That’s why you’re still alive, so you’re lucky, right?”
“Yes!”
Lipa stuffed dried meat into his mouth while tears welled up in his eyes.
“Do you want some bread?”
“Yes, please!”
Lipa ate the bread Chel had made while crying.
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