Eternal Adventurer (WN): Chapter 39

 

Chapter 39: Sea of Clouds

"Here it is"

The place Rumseil pointed to was a rock wall heavily entwined with ivy.

"I don't see anything, though?"

Wince and Sermus don't seem to notice.

"We don't want to be noticed so easily, you know. Alright..."

Rumseil pulled hard on the ivy, and at the end of the ivy was a hole that was just about the width of a person's shoulder.

"I don't find this one easy to get through. Can we get through it properly?"

"No problem. It's only narrow at first, but if you go a little further, you will come out into a wide space."

But

"Ouch..."

"T-the luggage got caught..."

"Ah, sorry. I'll hold some."

It's not easy for Wince with a lot of baggage and a long sword on my back.

"Ah, it's finally getting wide..."

"Why is it so bright even though it's deep in the cave... what is this..."

When I looked around, the walls were dotted with bright lights.

It was like a planetarium.

"Amazing..."

"It's called a luminous stone."

"I've heard of them. It's the first time I've ever seen a magic stone that glows in response to the mana around it!"

Apparently, Sermus knows about them.

"Is it rare?"

“It seems that if you have mana, you can use it as a light semi-permanently, and it seems that it is traded at a considerably high price in the royal capital.”

"Please don't tell anyone. It's very important. We can't even use fire in a place like this."

I wonder if I can buy it? Well, it's very convenient.

While having such a conversation, we went deep into the cave illuminated by the luminous stones.

"We are here. Please wait a moment."

We came out into a space with a huge vertical hole.

A light can be seen from far away.

"Shiro-san, imagine for a moment."

Wince suddenly speaks to me.

"What?"

"If that fissure is sealed with rocks. And the luminous rock disappears..."

"Stop it, it's scary"

"It's crazy, isn't it?"

Stop it. Don't make me imagine it.

I'm not good at that kind of thing. I'm serious.

While we were talking, Rumseil took out a string.

At the end of it is a short wooden tube.

"Is that a whistle?"

"Yes, but it's not something you blow with your mouth."

When he turned the string, it makes a sound.

"It's quite loud."

"It's the echo of the cave. The rocks are reflecting it, making it louder."

Rumseil makes the sound for about 30 seconds, then stops.

"Now we wait."

"Wait?"

'Yes, because they're coming to get us. Ah, I'll give this to you all."

"Is this... some kind of leaf?

Rumseil gave the three of us dry leaves.

“There are people who have climbed the Dragon Mountain in the past. They were not used to being on top of a mountain and died of severe headaches."

"It's scary. What happened?"

Altitude sickness.

"Is the village that high up?"

"Yes, higher than the clouds."

Is it Machu Picchu?

"Above the clouds... is it okay?"

"I'm used to it. No, the cold in the morning and night is very severe."

I thought you said you didn't like the cold.

"What should I do with this leaf?"

"If you get a headache or something, chew it, it will help. Never swallow it."

After a while

I heard a sound coming from above the pit.

"I can hear something."

"It's a big basket. That one."

An elevator.

Still, I'm afraid to get on it.

Isn't it just fishing with one thick rope?

"Come on, let's go."

Rumseil rides it without hesitation

Wince doesn't seem to mind either.

"Are you all right?"

"What?"

"...No, I'm good"

Sermus is also quite hesitant

"Sermus. Do you want to stop?"

"N-no! The lord's son can't be scared in a place like this! No! There's nothing to be afraid of!"

At least stop praying while saying it

"Then, let's raise it."

There was a bell in the basket

When Rumuseil rang it, the basket began to rise at a considerable speed.

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The basket stops.

There were two Lizardmen in front of us.

"Welcome, back"

"Umu, good work."

The basket's rope was connected to a water wheel.

Was it being reeled in by the power of the water?

And then, as we exited the cave...

"Whoa!"

Wince's voice echoes in the sky

"A sea of ​​clouds..."

"We are above the clouds... it's an unbelievable sight."

There were some places in the sea of ​​clouds where there were no clouds.

One of them was a forest surrounded by mountains.

I could faintly see the town in the center

"Can you see Kadaza from here?"

"It's far..."

"Did you remember some painful things?"

"Yes, but it doesn't bother me anymore."

"Did you get used to it?"

“My memories with Shiro-san are stronger. They are going to be even stronger from now on."

It looks like she's going to be okay

Well, that was three years ago.

There's a meadow above the sea of clouds.

It's like we're walking on clouds.

"There it is."

Rumseil pointed to a large settlement

There was a large settlement made of stone and earth