The mountain summit. From there, the sun could be seen rising in the eastern sky.
Illuminated by the morning sun, the aftermath of the "deadly struggle"—though it was more a one-sided massacre—was revealed.
Near the mountain summit lay a cave surrounded by barren earth. Across the entire area, what looked like black, charred sand was scattered everywhere.
These were the remains of over twenty Harpies that had managed to flee their sleeping quarters after Rei launched a barrage of fireballs into the cave. Driven by confusion and rage, they had tried to swarm the party, only to be met by Rei’s large-scale magic, Dancing Flames. Their bodies, reduced to cinders, had shattered against the ground upon falling.
Under normal circumstances, Harpies were D-Rank monsters, meaning their combat power was lower than that of the two members of the Crushing Warriors, a C-Rank party. They stood even less of a chance against the outliers, Rei and Seto, and the proof of that fact lay spread out before them.
"...It's getting light out," Phron muttered, looking at the surroundings as the morning sun made the devastation easier to see.
"Indeed. Regardless, let’s harvest the materials before we turn in. I’d love to just pass out right here, but if other monsters are drawn in by the scent of blood and devour the Harpies in the meantime, it'll all be for naught."
Brasso gave a heavy sigh as he looked down at a Harpy he had crushed with his Earth-shaking Hammer.
The nighttime surprise attack had been successful with almost no trouble, but they couldn't afford to rest yet. With the surroundings still shrouded in darkness and the scent of Harpy blood wafting through the air, they had to remain alert for scavengers.
Additionally, while the possibility was low, there was a chance a surviving Harpy was hiding somewhere nearby. Generally speaking, they weren't particularly high-rank monsters, meaning they weren't a threat unless they attacked in a flock; however, the ability to fly was a massive advantage in itself. One could never be too cautious.
They had to ensure they didn't suffer the embarrassment of being ambushed themselves right after completing their own surprise attack.
"...I want to have a drink soon," Brasso groaned. Rei spoke up, resting the Death Scythe's shaft against his shoulder.
"In that case, do you want me to put the Harpy corpses into my Misty Ring for now? We can take a break first and then harvest the materials, Proof of Subjugation Parts, and Magic Stones once we've rested."
At Rei's suggestion, a grin spread across Brasso’s bearded face, as if he had only just remembered that was an option. Phron had rested the previous afternoon, but staying up all night had clearly taken its toll. She also offered a tired smile.
"That's a good idea. It would be a bad joke if we were attacked by other monsters because we were too sleep-deprived to pay attention while harvesting. I agree with Rei's suggestion."
"I certainly have no complaints either."
With that decided, they gathered the three sentries they had defeated in the initial surprise attack along with the Harpy corpses that Rei’s magic hadn't completely incinerated. Rei then stored them in the Misty Ring one by one.
Fortunately, enough time had passed since the battle for natural blood draining to occur in many of the corpses, so Rei didn't end up covered in gore.
Once he finished storing about ten Harpy corpses in total, the three finally breathed sighs of relief.
"Guruuuuuuuuuu."
Watching the humans, Seto let out a long stretch, moving like a giant cat.
"Well then, let's move away from here. We can check the state of the cave after we wake up."
"...Are you sure about that?" Rei asked, wondering if they should verify the nest's status before resting.
Brasso nodded, shouldering his Earth-shaking Hammer with practiced ease. "To begin with, considering the power of that flame magic you used, I'd say the ones who attacked us were likely the only survivors. Even if some lucky bird managed to survive inside and stayed hidden for some reason... there couldn't be more than a few of them left."
"Probably. At the very least, I can't imagine staying alive inside a furnace like that," Phron added in agreement.
"Well, this is a request that you members of the Crushing Warriors accepted, and I'm just a temporary member, so if you're fine with it, then I am too..."
"That's the spirit. Come on, let's put some distance between us and this place. The scent of blood might draw in something bold enough to attack even with Seto around."
Brasso pulled on Rei's arm and led them toward the thicket where they had previously hidden.
Phron and Seto followed close behind, eventually reaching a clearing that was relatively open despite the surrounding trees.
"Right, time to sleep. Things will get busy once we wake up, so make sure you lot get some proper rest. We can leave the guard duty to Seto, right?"
Brasso had heard plenty about Seto during their journey. When Rei nodded, Brasso immediately leaned against a nearby tree trunk, closed his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep almost instantly.
"..."
While Rei was stunned by how quickly the Dwarf had gone under, Phron also leaned against a tree with practiced ease.
"For an adventurer, sleeping is part of the job. Being able to drop off in seconds like Brasso is a talent. It's a certainty that we'll be busy later, so you should sleep quickly to recover your strength too."
After saying her piece, Phron closed her eyes and fell asleep within minutes.
Even so, both Brasso and Phron slept while gripping their weapons. It was the mark of experienced adventurers—they were prepared to respond the moment they sensed danger.
"...You're right, I'll sleep too. Seto, I'm counting on you."
"Guruuu."
Seto, who didn't require as much sleep as a human, was the perfect sentry. While it sometimes napped while waiting for Rei in the city or in the Dusk Wheat Inn stables, that was merely a form of leisure; the gryphon only needed a few hours of sleep every few days to function at peak capacity.
Rei patted Seto's head and gave it several pieces of bread he had received as a bonus when buying stew back in Gilm. Then, he leaned against a tree trunk and closed his eyes.
He made sure the Death Scythe's shaft was within easy reach, preparing himself to act in an instant... and within ten minutes, Rei drifted off.
"Guruu."
Seto watched over Rei, then lay down on the ground and closed its eyes, munching on the bread while making sure not to disturb its partner's sleep.
Among monsters, there were those like the Mantis they had encountered on the way to the dungeon that used optical camouflage to vanish. Others used mimicry. In the mountains where the trees were thick and visibility was poor, Seto instinctively understood that hearing and smell were far more effective than vision. And then...
Seto stood up without a sound and leaped. It swung an Eagle Claw down onto the Goblin head that had been peering at the camp from the brush.
A wet crack echoed as the Goblin's skull burst. After confirming that the sound hadn't woken the others, Seto left the Goblin corpse where it lay and returned to its original spot, lying down and closing its eyes once more.
The gryphon would do anything to protect its kind partner. Seto remained on the ground in the middle of the mountains, eyes closed, monitoring every sound, scent, and shift in the air for any approaching monsters.
Fortunately, no other notable monsters approached after the first Goblin—most creatures sensed Seto's presence and steered clear—and several hours later, all three adventurers woke up.
"...Mm..."
Consciousness returned rapidly. Rei opened his eyes and found Brasso building a campfire nearby.
"Hm? You're awake. Good timing. Could you take something out of your Item Box? Preferably some ale..."
As Brasso started to ask with a hopeful grin, a piece of withered wood flew from the brush and smacked him in the back of the head.
The collision between the wood and Brasso's dwarven hardheadedness resulted in the stick snapping in half.
"Don't be stupid. Honestly, I turn my back for one second and you're asking for booze. I won't say you have to wait until we're back in the city, but at least hold back until we're off the mountain."
The one who emerged from the brush was, unsurprisingly, Phron.
"Here, wipe your face with this."
Rei's eyebrows twitched at the coldness of the wet cloth Phron tossed to him.
Since it was already autumn, the temperature was surprisingly low compared to the climate near the dungeon. Being near a mountain summit only added to the chill, and the water was even colder than he had expected.
(I slept for several hours in this cold... but I don't feel sick at all. I suppose I should be grateful for the constitution of the body Zephyle made for me.)
Rei looked toward Brasso. Being a Dwarf, the man was likely far sturdier than a normal human. He certainly looked the part.
(But...)
He turned his gaze toward Phron. She was tall for a woman and had the sturdy build of a warrior, but she was still a normal human. It was hard to imagine she was completely unfazed by the biting cold.
(Well, it's another world. Her resistance to things like viruses must be high.)
Rei moved toward the campfire while wiping his face.
"Ah, Rei. Do you have a small pot or something? There's a river a little further down. I'll go draw some water so we can boil it and warm ourselves up..."
Phron started to suggest, but she immediately stopped.
Without a word, Rei had produced a pot. It wasn't empty, either; it was filled with Freshly Made Vegetable Soup.
It was a different batch from the stew they had eaten the previous night, but the sweet, savory aroma of vegetables immediately whetted their appetites.
"What's wrong, Phron? Here, it’s chilly on the mountain, so drink this and warm up."
Because the Item Box’s time-stop feature preserved whatever was inside, the vegetable soup Rei poured into the cups was piping hot and steaming as if it had just come off the stove.
Phron accepted the cup and spoon with a wry smile. She scooped up some vegetables and took a bite.
"Ah... this is amazing."
"Umu. It’s not ale, but this is quite good in its own right. The sweetness of the vegetables and the salt of the bacon are perfectly balanced..."
Brasso grinned through his beard, clearly enjoying the soup as he ate.
"Still, looking at how convenient Rei's Item Box is... I wonder if Brasso and I will be able to manage as just a two-person party once this is over."
"It's often said that once you grow accustomed to luxury, it's hard to go back to the old way," Brasso agreed.
"Well, we can team up occasionally like this. If there's a request you're struggling with, I'll lend a hand," Rei offered.
"...Does that mean you've truly decided not to join the Crushing Warriors?" Brasso asked, pausing his spoon to look at him.
Rei met the Dwarf's gaze and gave a small, firm nod.
"Yeah. I’ve thought it over, but being solo suits me best for now. I know I might not be able to do everything alone forever, but I want to see how far I can go on my own. Besides..."
Rei reached out and stroked Seto’s back. The gryphon was happily plunging its beak into a large dish of vegetable soup.
"I've said it before, but I'm not really alone as long as I have Seto. You’ve seen for yourself what he can do, haven't you, Brasso?"
"Umu. That... I have."
Brasso nodded. After all, they had been able to sleep soundly knowing Seto was on guard. One of the greatest hurdles of solo adventuring was the inability to take turns sleeping. With Seto, that concern vanished. In fact, Seto was more reliable than most human party members.
Having witnessed Seto's abilities and his loyalty to Rei during this mission, Brasso had to concede.
"I see. It's a shame, but I won't push. Just remember: if you ever run into trouble, come find us. It would be a waste for a talented young man like you to get himself killed."
"Hmph. And here I thought we'd finally found a way to make our jobs easy," Phron added with a huff, though her tone suggested she was hiding her disappointment with a joke. Rei couldn't help but smile at them both as he returned to his soup.