Chapter 53
#53. Why Is This Town Full of Nothing but Monsters!?
The orcs' nightmare. The pride of the South. The ruler of the skies.
'It feels like ages ago that I was called that.'
Galad stood at one corner of the parade ground at Winterwald Grand Ducal Castle and let out a sigh deep enough to make the earth cave in.
"Haaah……."
He took out the receipt he had carefully folded and tucked inside his coat, then unfolded it.
His stomach, which had barely settled down, began to ache again.
- A claim for repair costs due to property damage.
- Compensation for the day's lost sales due to disruption of hot-spring resort operations.
- Compensation for defamation and emotional damages suffered by the orc bath attendant ‘Krok’.
And so on.
They were the endless list of charges Grand Duchess Eleanor had recited in her clear, ringing voice in the interview room.
As a result, Galad's pay for participating in this expedition had been reduced not merely drastically, but to rock bottom.
'Still…… isn't this an adventure to an unexplored hidden realm alongside a legendary Swordmaster?'
Galad forced himself to think positively.
What did it matter if the base pay was a mere 99 silver?
If this was truly a hidden realm no adventurer had ever set foot in, vast quantities of gold, silver, and mysterious artifacts would surely be sleeping there.
The Grand Duke had firmly promised that he would pay a generous success bonus according to each person's contribution.
'That's right. All I have to do is go there and distinguish myself. With my aerial skills and spearmanship, it's obvious I'll make the greatest contribution on this expedition!'
The mithril sword had been sold off by the hot-spring resort employee to cover the repair costs, but his true specialty was spearmanship.
Galad steeled himself by imagining his triumphant return to the South, with a hefty sum in hand even after settling all the damages.
Tap, tap.
Just then, someone lightly tapped him on the shoulder from behind.
When he turned around, a man wearing a brown cloak and turban was looking at him with a bright smile.
"Well, look who it is, Qasim!"
It was Far-Sighted Qasim.
"Galad. I knew you'd pass too."
Galad warmly embraced Qasim, delighted to see him.
In the adventurer business, where backstabbing one another was routine, Qasim was the one friend Galad could truly trust.
"Let's make introductions! This is Galad of the Sky, the Mithril-rank adventurer who will take us all the way to the farthest reaches of the high heavens."
Kylan had approached at some point and introduced Galad to the expedition party.
This expedition party was small and elite.
It consisted of Kylan, the Grand Duke of the North; Grand Duchess Eleanor; Aria, Master of the Green Tower; Lumiela, Master of the Mage Workshop; and three adventurers, including Qasim and Galad.
That's right. There were three adventurers.
Galad's gaze naturally shifted to the other adventurer.
'I've never seen that face before.'
The adventurer world was one where everyone was constantly sizing each other up.
Especially at Mithril rank, one's name was bound to become widely known across the continent, but Galad could not recall ever seeing this face.
Just then, Qasim slipped up beside Galad and whispered into his ear.
"That fellow apparently soloed an ogre not long ago and ranked up to Mithril."
Thanks to his characteristic sociability, he seemed to have already gotten acquainted with the other expedition members.
Galad snorted inwardly.
'Hmph. He may be big, but he doesn't look like anything special.'
A true expert gave off a completely different aura.
Yet this man named Hans or whatever just looked like a simple, good-natured young man from the countryside.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Galad of the Sky."
Galad extended his hand with a relaxed smile.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Hans."
Hans grinned as well and clasped Galad's hand in his large one.
'!?'
Galad flinched at the sheer weight of it.
The hand was heavy and solid as a rock.
It was enough to make him wonder if he had grabbed an orc's hand.
Galad pulled his hand away, pretending nothing was wrong.
The back of his hand was throbbing.
"Hans, huh. I take it you don't have a moniker?"
Galad of the Sky. Far-Sighted Qasim.
Once an adventurer built up enough fame to reach Mithril rank, they naturally acquired a stylish moniker like these.
But Hans only scratched his head and smiled affably.
"Haha. Nothing that grand. The younger guys do often call me Big Brother Hans, though."
Galad barely held back a laugh.
You could earn a moniker like that just by drinking and fooling around at the guild.
'Big Brother, my ass… He really is nothing special.'
"Really? What weapon do you mainly use? My specialty is aerial combat using a wyvern and a spear. I'll need to know what you're good at so we can coordinate later."
At Galad's subtle probing, Hans thought hard before speaking.
"Hmm……. If you ask what I'm best at, it's probably wielding an axe. I've never missed a shot with a bow, either, and I can swing a sword a bit. Oh, I'm also incredibly good at hauling rocks and lumber. You can assume I know how to do just about anything."
Galad's expression curdled.
'Axes, bows, swords, and manual labor too? Is he kidding me?'
A single weapon.
Even in an age when devoting yourself to a single weapon or school of magic was not enough to make reaching Mithril rank easy,
being able to do a bit of everything also meant, in other words, that you had mastered nothing.
Galad was certain.
'No doubt he's a fluke who reached Mithril by getting lucky and landing the final blow. I'll be taking the biggest share of the success bonus from this expedition!'
Shortly afterward, the entire expedition party began wyvern flight training.
Galad, serving as the flight instructor, watched Hans intently with his arms folded.
'You can do just about anything, huh? Let's see if you can ride a wyvern too.'
Wyverns were savage, proud monsters by nature.
Even veteran adventurers needed at least two days, and sometimes more than a week, just to establish rapport with a wyvern and climb onto its back.
That remained true even with Galad's help.
At first, everyone invariably tried to climb aboard, only to get smacked by a tail and sent flying.
"Kyaaaah!"
"There, Tower Master! If you're scared, you'll only scare the wyvern too!"
It was while Galad briefly took his eyes off things to calm Aria.
"Huh?"
Galad rubbed his eyes and looked toward where Hans had been.
Something impossible was happening.
- Whiiiiine…….
The wyvern was lying flat on the ground, taking a posture of submission before Hans!?
It was unbelievably docile, even though a complete stranger was vigorously ruffling its head.
And they had not even formed a mana contract.
"Oh. This one's cuter than I expected."
Hans laughed heartily and lightly climbed onto the wyvern's back.
Then he grabbed the reins and shot straight into the sky.
"N-No, this can't be!"
Galad could not close his mouth.
If he had not propped it up with his palm, his jaw might have dropped all the way to the ground.
'W-What is that monster?! Is that even possible?'
It had really happened in the blink of an eye.
Hans guided the wyvern with perfect composure, leisurely circling above the parade ground.
'It took me over a month just to establish rapport with a wyvern…!'
He had needed to invest that much time even to befriend a small wyvern separated from its pack.
Hadn't he fought for months with Zephar?
"Th-This isn't your first time riding one, is it……."
Hans's evaluation in Galad's mind changed.
From a fluke who had reached Mithril by luck to a swaggering fraud.
A week later.
Kylan entered the parade ground to check on the condition of the expedition members.
"Looks like everyone has been working hard. How is the flight training coming along?"
Kylan asked Galad.
"Yes, Your Highness! Everyone's doing well and……"
It was just as Galad was about to give his routine report.
Stride.
Kylan casually walked up to one of the wyverns.
"……?"
It was a fierce one that had never let anyone other than Galad ride on its back.
On the day it had first been released into the parade ground, three knights had been struck by its tail and sent flying.
Galad hurriedly opened his mouth.
"Your Highness! That one hasn't been tamed yet……!"
Thump.
Kylan reached out and lightly stroked the wyvern's nape.
- Grr……rrr…….
The enormous monster swished its tail and lowered itself.
"……."
Galad could not understand for a moment what he was seeing.
Kylan climbed onto the wyvern's back with utter naturalness.
As though it were a partner he had spent his entire life with.
"Hmm. Its back is fairly broad."
"Your Highness…. Have you ever ridden a wyvern before……?"
Galad asked in a trembling voice.
Kylan answered nonchalantly as he took hold of the reins.
"No. This is my first time."
"……!"
Galad froze on the spot.
Taming wyverns.
It was the pride he had built over his entire life.
And yet…….
Ever since coming to the North, Galad's self-esteem had been steadily declining.
***
Lumiela, who had not shown even the tip of her nose until the day of the expedition, claiming she was too busy.
When even she performed aerobatics from the very first day, Galad gave up on everything.
"The wind is absolutely incredible!?"
She set her feet on the ground, brushing her tousled hair and goggles back.
"H-How……?"
"Hehe. Are you curious about the secret?"
Lumiela apparently quantified every movement and pattern of the wyvern and entered them into her mind.
She calculated the flow of the wind, the angle of each wingbeat, and the lift, then performed aerobatics from the very first day.
'……Nothing surprises me anymore.'
Galad stared blankly up at the sky.
Once again, he had to feel it in his bones: Winterwald was a gathering place for monsters who had transcended human common sense.
"Big sis! Why don't you just ride behind me?"
"Uuugh…… I-I suppose that would be better……?"
In the end, Aria gave up on taming a wyvern and clung tightly to the back seat behind Lumiela.
What on earth had Galad's week of hard work been for?
In effect, it had been training just for her.
"D-Do we have to fly slowly?"
"Let's go! Wyvern! Giddy-up!"
- Grrrrrrrr!
Swoooooosh!
"Kyaaaaaaaaaah! I said fly slowly!?"
"Kyaaaaaaaaaah!! Screaming is fun too, isn't it? Kyaaaaaaaaaah!"
As the two women's screams echoed through the sky.
Clomp. Clomp.
The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess's party, having finished preparing for the expedition, could be seen walking toward them side by side.
***
The front courtyard of Winterwald Grand Ducal Castle.
The wyverns, ready to depart, waited while snorting clouds of hot breath.
"I can wait patiently! Munch, munch! I shall guard the contractor's nest perfectly!"
The guardian deity of Hot-Spring Town, Yongyongi, shouted valiantly with both cheeks stuffed full of banana cake Eleanor had baked herself.
But clear tears had gathered around its round eyes.
Seeing this, Eleanor bent her knees and hugged Yongyongi tightly.
"Our Yongyongi. We'll be back soon, so eat lots of yummy things and listen to the orc uncles, okay? And no starving yourself just because I'm gone, or you'll get a scolding!"
"Hiiing…… Understood! You must come back quickly!"
Yongyongi sniffled as it gripped the hem of Eleanor's dress with its short forepaws.
"M-My liege……! Sob!"
As always, Cedric fawned behind Kylan as well.
"An unexplored realm, you say! Why must you once again throw yourself into such a perilous place! Let this old servant be your shield!"
"Even if it's only a short journey, can the commander of the knights simply leave his post? I entrust Winterwald to you while I am gone."
"S-Sob. I shall accompany you at the cost of my life!"
"I shall lay down my life!"
Sez, who was on leave today, was standing beside Cedric as well.
Marie, Eleanor's personal maid, also sobbed until her handkerchief was soaked through.
"Your Highness! You must return safely!"
"Hehe. Get plenty of rest while I'm away, Marie."
"Now, now, we'll be back soon, so everyone stop making such a fuss."
Kylan dismissed his retainers and lightly leaped onto the wyvern's broad back.
Though he had not practiced at all since that day, he looked perfectly proficient, as though it were his own wyvern.
Of course, Grand Duchess Eleanor claimed the seat behind him.
"We're off!"
At Kylan's signal, the wyverns all beat their enormous wings in unison, kicked off the ground, and soared into the sky.
Kuaaahaaaaah!
"Your Highness! Your Highness the Grand Duchess! Please return safely!"
"Have a safe journey!!"
The retainers and Yongyongi continued to see them off long after the wyverns had receded into the distance.
Amid those wyverns, Kylan wore a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.
'Considering what we'll bring back from this hidden realm…… funds for expanding the new city will be laughable by comparison.'
A treasure known to no one else awaited the expedition party, known only to him.