Chapter 97: Anecdotes in the Mountains

Anyway, when encountering problems, one must resolve them. Human carriages truly aren’t suited for moving through the mountains; taking detours will inevitably lengthen the journey several times over, which is indeed a hassle.

If it really comes down to it, I might as well help Tilysha a bit.

The Priestess put the carriage into her backpack for emergencies. As for the steed pulling the cart, while live animals couldn’t fit in the item pouch, this was a special war horse trained by the military. Just letting it go on the official road would have it return to Demon Town, so it wasn’t a concern either.

With everything prepared, Vilyric and the others began their ascent.

Most of the United Kingdom’s territory is flatland; although mountains exist, they’re far fewer in number compared to here, with most being only a few hundred meters tall and at most a thousand meters of hills.

But the Mountains of Ten Thousand Demons are different; the peaks here are steep and high, almost connecting one after another. There are no paths for people to walk on, and in many places, they need to clear out thick underbrush just to pass through.

Thus, after climbing over the third peak, the relatively weaker blue-haired girl collapsed.

“V-Vilyric! Can we take a break… let me catch my breath… ha… ha…”

“Um… alright.”

Standing atop the misty peak, seeing Tilysha beside her looking pale and gasping for air, the Priestess could only nod helplessly, signaling everyone to take a momentary rest.

I knew this wouldn’t work…

Actually, Tilysha wasn’t in bad shape; it’s just that Vilyric had been a Divine for quite a while, and with everyone around her not being ordinary people, her concept of normal human stamina had become increasingly muddled over time, leading to this misjudgment.

Each nearby peak is at least three thousand meters high, combined with the undeveloped and rugged mountain paths, as well as their inefficiency in moving at such high intensity, Tilysha had done remarkably well to persevere in silence this long, especially with Edwina always supporting her.

“I’m sorry, I should have considered things more carefully…”

“Eh? No, no, no! It’s clearly my fault for being useless and dragging everyone down! I-I can just rest a little longer and then…”

Tilysha, who was sitting on a rock chugging water, was startled and nearly sprayed it everywhere. She hurriedly stood up, shaking her head frantically. Seeing this, Leila pondered and suggested from the side.

“Lady Vilyric, how about we just fly over? Even though Edwina and the others lack wings, as long as we help with ropes like before, we can at least get over these peaks to find the Mountain Wolf Clan, even if we can’t land directly in the Moonshadow Clan’s territory.”

“Flying again?! And I’m not the only one who can’t fly, right? Why am I singled out for example…?”

Deliberately ignoring a certain Holy Knight’s quiet grumbling, Vilyric thought seriously for a moment but still shook her head.

“This is different from last time. Including Aiste and Noviya, nearly half of us can’t fly. Besides, mountainous areas differ from flatlands; here, the peaks are steep, and if we get too high up, it’s easy to get injured from scraping or bumping. If we ascend to a higher altitude beyond the peaks, at least six to seven thousand meters high, the air pressure and temperature would be too low for everyone to handle.”

“Although I can solve those problems, it’s just about speed; there’s no need to go that far, right?”

“Exactly! I agree!”

Edwina eagerly nodded along, trying to raise her presence, and Leila, after her initial shock, slightly inclined her head.

“You’re right; I was being presumptuous. So, what now? Should we proceed as originally planned?”

“Well…”

The Priestess looked up at the sky.

It had just passed noon, around two in the afternoon. Although they had climbed three peaks in less than an hour, considering the need to reach the Mountain Wolf Clan’s territory before nightfall, Tilysha definitely wouldn’t last; it seems they would need to use some auxiliary means.

“Fly.”

As the girl softly chanted, wing-like phantoms quietly blossomed behind the Priestess, enveloping all nearby companions in a layer of ethereal green light, including the Little Wolf Cub being carried by Aiste.

“Eh? This is…?”

The effect of Holy Light’s Ten Radiance had been experienced by Renée, Leila, and Edwina during their battle with the Southern Disaster, and the Little Dragon Daughter didn’t need to be mentioned. However, for Tilysha and a certain Mage Wolf, it was their first encounter with this power known as a Halo.

The blue-haired girl stood up from the rock, gleefully bouncing in place like a child who discovered a new toy, excitedly looking toward the Priestess.

“Miss Vilyric, what’s this? It’s amazing! I felt completely exhausted just now, but suddenly, my waist doesn’t ache, and my legs aren’t sore anymore! I could climb ten more mountains!”

“Indeed, truly worthy of being a distinguished guest chosen by Tiyelu. This power… my speed has increased by at least fifty percent, and most importantly, the burden of physical exertion is greatly reduced, as if an invisible wind is surrounding me and lifting my body…”

Aiste, standing furthest away, also displayed a look of surprise and admiration. Initially troubled about the problems caused by the suggestions she made, she now relaxed and seemed to become more spirited.

“Is this magic? But I didn’t see any chanting or similar process; it feels more like a natural ability from our Magical Beasts… They say there was a powerful magical beast called a Wind Whisperer in the mountains that could use similar abilities, but with the Source of Magic going out of control, many ancient and rare species have gradually disappeared. I’ve only heard about such legends from elders.”

The Source of Magic going out of control?

Aiste’s comment was clearly a very shallow probe, but Vilyric was certainly nothing like a Wind Whisperer. The effect of “Fly” could elevate speed by fifty percent for allies within the Halo and grant the “Lightness” status—nothing more.

Of course, Vilyric didn’t plan to explain so much.

“Just a small trick, nothing major. I’m not a Magical Beast; what you see now is my true form. Alright, now that everything’s fine, let’s continue on our way.”

Thus, with the aid of Holy Light’s Ten Radiance and the “Fly” effect, the group’s pace increased instead of decreased, even Tilysha could now follow effortlessly behind the team.

Smoothly, they eventually reached the outskirts of the Mountain Wolf Clan’s territory, just before dusk.

Though called Mountain Wolves, this race doesn’t actually live in the mountains; they prefer the hilly areas between peaks and plains, which is precisely why this Mountain Wolf Clan settled nearby.

The communal living of Magical Beasts is exceptionally diverse; some live in water, some build nests in trees, and some dig tunnels underground. There are even those like the Ghost Clan, which are Magical Beasts that build houses just like humans, but mostly, due to environmental constraints or habits, they live directly in caves.

After all, magical beasts are essentially intelligent magical beasts; the beings that can turn into human forms, known as Magical Generals, are simply in the minority. Rather than forcing themselves to build with claws they aren’t adept at, it’s better to choose a more leisurely way of life.

And the Mountain Wolves evidently belong to this type.

   

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