“What an incredible carriage... As expected of Lady Neneva...”
Rag’s father, Garon, muttered as he leaned back in awe, staring at the carriage Graymond had brought to the entrance of the narrow alley.
He was clad in old leather armor, a mass-produced dagger hanging from his waist. Garon was strictly acting as a guide and didn't intend to fight any monsters in the Cave of Falling Shadows.
Still, considering our destination, he had geared up with equipment borrowed from his former mercenary companions just in case.
“Now, let’s get moving! To the... Cave of Something-or-other!”
“It’s the Cave of Falling Shadows. After you, Garon.”
I nudged Garon toward the guest cabin; left to his own devices, he would have stood there looking apologetic for the rest of the day. He stepped inside with a sheepish expression, followed by Neneva and then myself.
“Well, we’re off! Make sure you’re a good house-sitter!”
“I will!”
Beyond the cabin window, Rag and the old woman stood waving with bright smiles.
“Old Man, take us out!”
At Neneva’s signal, the carriage slowly began to roll. Leaning against the window, I watched Rag wave until he disappeared from sight.
“I still can't get over this interior...”
Garon said, sounding dazed as he looked at the curtains embroidered with gold thread. This level of luxury was likely foreign to his rugged life with the mercenary band. It was just as foreign to me, having been raised in a fishing village...
“Well, you see, a very important person from a certain country gave it to me!”
The truth was she’d looted it from the royal family of the Imuris Kingdom.
“As expected of Lady Neneva.”
Having become completely devoted to her, Garon accepted Neneva’s nonsense without a second thought.
We hadn't told Garon or Rag the specifics of our situation. We had merely asked for a guide to the Cave of Falling Shadows and an introduction to the Knight Order Commander.
As an adult, Garon kept a respectful distance. He didn’t go poking his nose into the nature of Neneva’s power. He simply carried himself with a sense of respect and gratitude.
Maybe that was just the mercenary way.
“I’ll be back for you, Asterion Sword Kingdom!”
Once we cleared the main gate, Neneva went out of her way to lean out the window and shout at the top of her lungs.
We were keeping Rag waiting. We had to finish our business quickly and get back.
“I just hope we can meet the Knight Order Commander right away.”
“Leave that to me.”
Garon gave a firm reply, then nodded several times as if to convince himself.
“Whoa, what kind of animal is that?! It’s got horns!”
Neneva pointed curiously at the carcass I was carrying on my shoulder.
“Apparently, it’s called an antelope. Garon pointed it out.”
“The red meat is delicious,” Garon added, returning to the campsite a moment later.
A tent had already been pitched, and Graymond was busy preparing the hearth nearby. Neneva drifted about, soaking in the camping atmosphere.
“Let’s butcher it before the sun goes down.”
I laid the antelope on the ground, and Garon pulled out a knife, wedging the tip into the joints of the legs. As he skillfully skinned the animal, the warm, gamey scent of the beast began to mingle with the air.
Before long, we had several large chunks of lean red meat.
“The fire is ready.”
Graymond, our hearth-master, had finished his preparations with his usual efficiency. I skewered the chunks with sharpened sticks and held them over the flames.
The meat hissed and sizzled every time the intense fire licked the surface, releasing an appetizing aroma. Antelope meat is very lean. I found myself mesmerized, waiting for those rare, clear drops of fat to hit the embers and flare into sudden blue sparks.
Once the surface was perfectly seared and the wild scent began to tickle my nose, I pulled out some rock salt from my rucksack. I sprinkled it lightly, watching the crystals dissolve into the meat.
As I began to slice the cooked antelope on a plate, Neneva stared at it with hungry, impatient eyes.
“You can eat.”
“Yay!”
Neneva pinched a thick slice with her slender fingers and took a massive bite.
“Mm-ph! It’f fo good!”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”
“But it is fo good!”
Everyone reached out and began to dig in. The more we chewed the springy red meat, the more the flavor seeped out.
It was a taste that made you feel the weight of the life you were consuming. Driven by instinct, I found myself reaching for more.
“Walt, hurry and cook the next one!”
Neneva commanded as a matter of course, pointing at her empty plate.
“You grill the next one, Neneva.”
“No! It tastes better when Walt does it!”
Apparently, my stint as a [Cook] made a difference even with simple grilling.
“Fine, I get it.”
I spent the next while simply grilling, slicing, and eating.
The sun continued to sink until the only light left came from the fire. The antelope meat was entirely gone, and everyone was relaxing with tea brewed by Graymond.
“Hey, Garon. What kind of place is the Cave of Falling Shadows?”
Neneva, who hadn't shown any interest in dungeons until now, asked as if the thought had just occurred to her.
The firelight played across Garon’s profile. His gaze drifted into the distance as if he were reliving a memory.
“The Cave of Falling Shadows is... a massive cavern yawning open in the side of a sheer cliff. The entrance is tall enough to stack ten men on top of each other.”
“That’s huge... What kind of monsters are in there?”
“Many humanoid monsters, like Goblins and Orcs. It’s a dangerous place because the deeper you go, the more high-tier species you encounter.”
After saying that, Garon went quiet, his eyes fixed on the fire. The only sound was the rhythmic pop and crackle of the wood.
He was likely thinking about the wife he had lost there.
“Our goal isn't the dungeon itself. We’ll avoid fighting monsters as much as possible.”
“I know that,” Neneva said, puffing out her cheeks slightly as if my reminder was unnecessary.
“I’ll take the first watch. Everyone else, go get some rest.”
Once she finished her tea, Neneva headed into the carriage’s guest cabin—her private bedroom. Graymond also slipped into the tent, likely exhausted from the day's travel.
Only Garon and I were left by the embers.
“Aren’t you going to sleep?”
“I don’t think I can right now...”
“Is it the Cave of Falling Shadows?”
Garon nodded, keeping his head down.
“Now that we’re actually close... memories keep bubbling up.”
“What was she like? Rag’s mother.”
“As far as I know, she was the finest female swordsman there was. She couldn't match a man for raw strength, but her speed and precision were unrivaled in the mercenary band. They called her ‘Lightning Flash.’ Even other bands feared her.”
Garon looked up slightly. His eyes looked red, though it might have just been the reflection of the fire.
“But that Monster Parade swallowed everything... So many mercenaries died, and my wife along with them. Even if each monster is weak on its own, when they surge forward like a tsunami, there’s no standing against them...”
“It should be fine this time, right? The Asterion Knight Order is there, and they’re supposed to be the strongest.”
“I suppose so...”
A long silence followed. Eventually, as if he had finally calmed his nerves, Garon retreated into the tent.
“A Parade, huh.”
Garon’s worry must have rubbed off on me. A strange knot of anxiety began to tighten in my chest.