CH 264

I continue to watch the scenery flowing with a rumbling sound from inside the dimly lit carriage.

If this were Earth, I might spend my free time fiddling with an electronic tablet, but the only thing I can fiddle with here is this fluffy thing.

That might be a little boring in a situation like this, but it’s not a bad thing to spend time like that.

With that thought in mind, I patted Shion, who was sleeping on my lap.

“We’ll be at the checkpoint soon.” (Coachman)

The coachman turned around as he said this.

Through the opening in front of the wagon, a stone building and a tower-like structure could be seen.

We had cleared the dungeon of Aluppo, and after several days of traveling from the town of Aluppo, we had finally made it to the border.

Now that the dungeon in Aluppo was closed, there was no reason to stay in that town, so I decided to move on to another place, but the question was where I should go.

To put it bluntly, I had done a lot of things in this country, so I needed to go to another country until things cooled down. If that is the case, returning to Arnorn is not an option, and of course I do not want to head for the Duke Grespo’s side of the country. So, I continued to gather information as I headed west, and finally decided to go to a country on our side.

That country is the Kingdom of Zantz. It seems to be a mountainous country with a thriving mining industry, and it was the area around the mountain that we saw in the distance when we walked to Arnorn when we were in the Republic of Canadaira before.

Thinking about it, I felt that we had come a long way, didn’t I?

“We have arrived.” (Coachman)

I got off the train as the other passengers got off.

Dead trees, stone towers, and wooden fences.

Is it because the season has passed through autumn and is now entering winter? Or was it because we were approaching the mountains? Just getting out of the wagon, I felt the cold wind on my cheeks.

I watch the wagons make a U-turn and head back to the gate with the other passengers.

Thinking about it, this is the first time I have officially crossed the border like this. In the past, I had to go through some back roads to smuggle ourselves in… but this time I am entering and exiting the country in the typical manner, which makes me feel both happy and nervous.

While I was thinking about that, the line was advancing, and my turn was approaching.

Thank goodness. Looking at the people in front of me in the line, it seems that there is no strict policing, and that they are simply checking the faces and identities of passersby and collecting the tolls.

I knew this beforehand, but I couldn’t be sure until I saw it in person.

When the coachman of the wagon in front of us presented his silver card, the carriage was immediately let through without any particular check of our luggage. It seems that even here, people with a certain status are given preferential treatment.

“Next!” (Guard)

I presented my adventurer’s guild card, just as the previous person had done.

The soldier obligingly checked my guild card and said, “One silver coin.”

“Here is one silver coin.” (Rook)

“Okay, go!” (Guard)

I quietly pay the money and pass through the checkpoint.

I don’t know if one silver coin is cheap or expensive, but if I think of it as the amount of money to eat one or two meals, it seems reasonable. I have heard that in the old days in Japan or in medieval Europe, the price was much higher than this.

After passing through the barrier, we walked a little further and came to another one.

“Oh, that’s right.” (Rook)

Since this is the border between countries, each country has its own checkpoint to protect its borders.

So, I paid one silver coin by showing my guild card at the customs gate on this side of the Zantz Kingdom.

Finally, I entered the Kingdom of Zantz, the third country I have been to in this world.

“Alright! Shall we take a walk?” (Rook)

“Kyu!” (Shion)

I put Shion down on the ground and walked toward the town I could see in the distance.

The horse-drawn wagons that take you to the border gate return just before the border because they don’t want to cross the border, and they don’t wait at the borderline for passengers who may or may not arrive. It seems that we will be walking except for the time when you visit.

Traveling from town to town is dangerous in its own way, but traveling across the border is even more dangerous.

I braced myself, kept a wary eye on our surroundings, and headed west toward the mountains.

As far as I could see, the mountains to the west were so high and wide that crossing them seemed impossible. If I were to move to another country from here, I would need to head north or south. I haven’t decided which direction I will head in the future, but I need to gather information about my next destination in this country.

“Hmm?” (Rook)

As I was thinking, I heard a rustling sound coming from deep in the forest on the left side of the road, and eventually caught a very large presence from [Magi Location].

“What is this reaction?” (Rook)

I think as I tighten my grip on the Mithril Alloy Cudgel.

The wide area of the [Magi Location] did not allow me to get a detailed image of the presence’s shape, but it looked to be about two meters long. But I am sure that none of the monsters I know of have ever been large like that.

A few seconds later, a large tortoise emerged from the withered, brownish forest.

It was a large tortoise with thorn-like rocks protruding from its shell, and its arms, legs, and head were covered with something like a carapace.

At this point, a merchant-like man walking in front of me finally noticed something was wrong, and upon seeing the mysterious tortoise, he changed color and ran toward the town at full speed.

Hey! It’s terrible that he ran away leaving such a weak little boy behind! I think it’s a bit much… but it’s a world where everything is your own responsibility, so it can’t be helped.

“Shion stay back. Don’t use your breath or magic until the last minute.” (Rook)

“Kyu!” (Shion)

There are still many eyes here. I don’t want to expose Shion’s breath & magic.　I don’t want both of us to be exposed.

“Uuuu!” (Tortoise)

“Woah.” (Rook)

The mysterious tortoise charges forward. I avoid it with Shion. The mysterious tortoise, having lost its target, hits a tree on the opposite side of the road with a “bam”, and is slowly turning around.

Probably, because its body is heavy for carrying the rock-like thing on its back, it seems that it is not able to turn even if it can move fast.

Naturally, I didn’t miss the opportunity and swung my Mithril Alloy Cudgel at the vulnerable rear leg.

“Ha!” (Rook)

“Guua!” (Tortoise)

The armor of its leg feels as if it is cracking, and it falls off with a thud.

This might work! Just as I saw that the mysterious tortoise retracted its limbs and head into a completely defensive posture.

“As if!” (Rook)

I swung the Mithril Alloy Cudgel with all my strength and slam it against the shell where its head should be.

If it’s like this, it’s up to me!

“Gaaan!” Along with the sound of smashing, a part of the rocks on its shell pops and tumbles. But that’s it.

“Then another one!” (Rook)

With a dull thud, more rocks pop off.

Again and again, “Gaaan! Gaaaan!”, the rocky shell is hit from above, from the side, and from different places.

The rocks on the shell pop off and the armor on its sides crumble.

“Hey! Come out!” (Rook)

Like a debt collector somewhere, I continued to hit the opening for its head, but even though the shell was dented and cracked, I was unable to destroy it.

In the meantime, I was getting drained of my strength.

“Too hard! There’s no end to it!” (Rook)

If this is the case, why don’t I get into this guy’s head and throw a [Light Ball] instead?

“Hey! What are you doing! Hurry up and turn it over!” (Adventurer)

“Eh?” (Rook)

Apparently, while I was smashing it, a party of adventurers walking behind me caught up with me.

“What kind of a person would hit a Rock Tortoise head-on? If you have no fire magic, we’ll do it!” (Adventurer)

Hmmm… I have no choice.

It seems like I can’t deal with this Rock Tortoise, so I decided to give it to them and grabbed Shion, and stepped back.

Perhaps taking it as an acknowledgment, the two men in armor among them closed the distance with Rock Tortoise immediately and put their fingers under its body.

“Ready, set!” (Adventurer)

“Go!” (Adventurer)

And then, the two men lifted it up at once, in perfect timing, and flipped the Rock Tortoise over with a thud.

“Do it!” (Adventurer)

“Let’s go! Move back! Fire, burn [Flame]!” (Adventurer)

As the female adventurer raises her hand and activates her magic, a small ball of flame shoots out from her hand and strikes the shell of the Rock Tortoise, sending up a pillar of fire.

“Goooo!” (Tortoise => Rock Tortoise)

It was like a clay pot in a kiln.

Rock Tortoise flapped her arms and legs and struggled to get up, but soon stopped moving.

“So fast…” (Rook)

“Kyu…” (Shion)

Even though it was so hard and troublesome when against fire attribute magic, it would die from a single shot…

Right now, I can’t use fire attribute magic, and it’s difficult to flip that huge body. I don’t think using [Light Ball] would have made much difference. A [Holy Ray] might have worked, but it might have been useless in this situation.

This may be a compatibility thing, but it could also be simply a lack of firepower. If it were Mr. Borok or Mr. Gordo, I have a feeling they would have simply crushed it with their power.

“Oh?” (Rook)

As I was thinking this, light swirled around me, and I received the Goddess’ Blessing.

This would have been the thirty-eighth time. In terms of level, I would be level 39.

I feel like I’ve improved a bit, but when I see monsters like this that I can’t beat, I still feel like I’m not strong enough yet.