Chapter 65
I looked up at the sky and gave a single yawn.
Ninety percent of what occupied my thoughts was Win, whom I had left at the dojo in the capital; the remaining ten percent was the shortcoming Kaeha had pointed out to me the other day.
Well, Kaeha's mother was looking after Win, and Kaeha, her children, and the other disciples were all looking out for Win, too, so there was no danger as long as Win stayed at that dojo.
But when it came to my shortcoming... even after being told that I lacked fighting spirit, I had no idea how to fix it.
"Eisa-sama, are you feeling all right?"
The question came from Airena, who was handling the horse in front of me.
She knew that I disliked riding in carriages, so she was probably checking to make sure I wasn't feeling sick even now.
That said, this time, we weren't traveling by carriage but on a single, enormous horse, one large enough for two people to ride without feeling cramped, and probably a fine steed at that.
Apparently, its name was Kairon.
"Mm, no. If anything, the breeze feels nice, and it's making me a little sleepy. Other than that, it's pretty embarrassing, though."
However, I had no experience riding horses, so Airena was the one handling the horse in front while I rode behind her.
In other words, it was hardly a picturesque sight, the two of us riding double.
Kairon was a good boy, and perhaps I could have ridden him myself after a little practice, but the truth was, we didn't have much time to spare right now.
"Hehe, I'm enjoying it a little myself, but please bear with me a little longer. We don't have time to travel on foot this time."
Just as Airena had said, Kairon was running along the highway even now—not at a full gallop, but at about a light trot.
At this speed, we should reach our destination in northern Loodria Kingdom—and the mountains beyond it—within a week.
The assistance Airena had asked me to provide this time concerned a serious crisis in Loodria Kingdom.
Specifically, I was to stop the invasion of the Fordor Empire, the country beyond the mountains north of Loodria Kingdom.
Ordinarily, an elf—and least of all a High Elf like me—had no reason to get involved in a war between humans.
Loodria Kingdom's strength had declined somewhat as a result of political instability and a change in rulers.
And although Loodria Kingdom had brought this situation upon itself, the elves had been deeply involved in it.
If that led to northern Loodria being occupied by the Fordor Empire, or even to the kingdom's destruction, all the negotiations we had pursued until now would become meaningless.
To put it more bluntly, the elves were better off having neighbors who already understood how the world worked than having complete strangers move in next door.
Thus, the elves had decided to stop the Fordor Empire's invasion, placing Loodria Kingdom deeply in their debt.
Of course, I was the one actually going into action, not Airena, but I had not the slightest intention of complaining about her decision to stand in the line of fire as the elves' representative.
Airena never relied on me unless it was truly necessary, and there was no one else who could take over her role.
That was why I couldn't bring Win along.
Even though we weren't always together, I had grown so accustomed to having that small figure nearby that not seeing Win anywhere still made me feel lonely.
Of course, even though I had said I would stop the Fordor Empire's invasion, I had no intention of annihilating the invading army and killing everyone.
Rather, to avoid having to do that, we were hurrying so that we could reach the site before the invasion force left the Fordor Empire and set foot in Loodria Kingdom.
Still, that didn't guarantee that things would end peacefully without a single casualty.
I didn't want Win to see me kill anyone, nor did I want to be seen doing it.
Well, yes, the conditions were favorable this time, so things would probably end peacefully.
After several days on Kairon's back, we reached Loodria Kingdom's northern frontier: the mountains farther north than Galaret, the town I had visited before.
These mountains were generally far too harsh for people to cross, but they had carved paths through the mountain valleys and gradually improved them until they had completed a road wide enough for carriages to pass.
Yet because this made travel between Loodria Kingdom and the Fordor Empire possible, the two countries had each built a fortress in an open area of the mountains, glaring at one another and repeatedly engaging in minor skirmishes.
I thought it was truly foolish.
After all, it was as if they had connected the road specifically for the sake of fighting one another.
The first person who started clearing a path through the mountains surely never imagined anything like that.
Then I thought I no longer needed a road like that.
That way of thinking probably denied the efforts of many people, but frankly, I hadn't done any of the work myself, so it wasn't my concern.
They tried to force armies through it because a road existed; because the other country was within reach, its wealth looked like tempting fruit.
That was why I would seal the road off.
If it couldn't be seen, if it were cut off, then any country on the other side would be as good as nonexistent.
I dismounted from Kairon, left Airena there, and entered the mountains. At a spot where I could see both countries' fortresses, along the border they had designated, I pressed my hand to the ground.
O spirit of the earth dwelling in these majestic mountains... Wake up and heed my voice.
What I was calling out to was the earth spirit that had been dozing in an environment with little change.
To the earth spirit dwelling in these majestic mountains, the gap between them was like an open mouth.
What I asked of it was to close that mouth, slowly, ever so slowly.
An ordinary elf's call might not have awakened this earth spirit at all, but I was a High Elf, after all.
The awakened earth spirit stirred its body, shaking the mountains, and slowly began to close that mouth just as I had wished.
The sudden natural disaster sent both fortresses into an uproar, and the soldiers hurriedly fled to their respective countries.
Slowly, ever so slowly, the two mountains pushed toward each other. At last, they crushed and swallowed the fortresses, and did not stop until they had merged completely into one.
The road humans had carved through the mountains... could never be used again.
Of course, a new detour could be carved out, but that would require a great deal of time and effort.
At the very least, an invasion by the Fordor Empire, taking advantage of Loodria Kingdom's weakness, was no longer possible.
The people of Loodria Kingdom probably never imagined their own fortress being crushed and the road becoming completely unusable, so they would learn not to rely on the elves so readily.
I had demonstrated my power once again, and as far as I was concerned, everything had worked out perfectly.
As for the rest, Airena would surely take care of the aftermath.
There was just one thing I wondered: if I had possessed a stronger fighting spirit, would I have wanted an outcome like this?
Perhaps I would have wanted to face the Fordor Empire's soldiers head-on and unleash my power against them.
Even after thinking it over again, though, I still wasn't suited to that sort of thing.
If it were absolutely necessary, I would accept the minimum necessary casualties and wouldn't hesitate, but...
Then I suppose it can't be helped.
If I couldn't move forward without a fighting spirit and a sword meant for battle, perhaps it was all right to stop here.
I liked Kaeha's sword, was captivated by its beauty, and wanted to wield one like it.
That was all there was to it. I wanted nothing more.
Besides, that wish was already half fulfilled.
At last, I understood.
In short, I had no purpose—or motivation—for becoming stronger.
So I found myself thinking that, for now, it was all right to be less than a swordsman—merely someone who liked swinging a sword and was fairly good at it.
If I may put it arrogantly, I was already more than strong enough as I was.
I probably wouldn't become a swordsman in the true sense until something appeared that awakened my fighting spirit and I took up a sword to defeat it.