Chapter 96

"That's not a peaceful story, is it?"

At the sudden and ominous declaration, Thor scratched his chin and thought. If the map Salissa showed him was true, it would indeed be difficult to pass through this troublesome plain by the end of the day at their current pace.

Naturally, this would make it harder to secure a place to camp. In this strong wind, the tent would easily be blown away without a windbreak. Even if they managed to set it up, it wasn't hard to imagine what would happen if those rolling rock beetles attacked in the darkness of night. The repellent scent that kept monsters away would be meaningless in this wind.

On the other hand, if they continued without resting, it was clear that Yuril and Muu's stamina wouldn't hold up. Fatigue would also affect the recovery of their magic power. While Yuril, with her abundant magic power, might manage, Sora's magic power, though increased, would still be a strain.

The most straightforward solution to this would be for Thor to use <Restoration>. However, while this would allow them to walk for hours, it would be too unnatural and impossible to explain away.

Thor didn't want to reveal <Restoration> unnecessarily. He had secretly noticed that the guide and her stepbrother Galwood were probing them. When his arm was cut off, he had tried to bluff his way through it. Their intentions were unclear, but revealing his cards carelessly could invite trouble.

"Sorry, but I need to talk to you. Is that okay?"

Salissa silently shook her head and returned to her usual position at the rear. Her behavior seemed normal, and there was no sign of any ulterior motives. Thor called Sora and Yuril over and briefly explained his concerns.

"Hmm, I think Salissa is a good person, and I don't mind if she finds out a little bit."

"I also feel that way. However, if you are concerned, that is also a valid point."

"No, I might be overthinking it."

Given that they were already using water freely, they were probably already suspected, so trying to cover it up might be a bit too late.

"However... I am hesitant to say this, but I agree with the idea of turning back."

"Is there something that concerns you?"

"Yes, from our journey so far, Salissa must have a good idea of our capabilities. Yet—"

"I see, there might be something else besides what I thought."

"I hope it's just a groundless worry, but considering the worst-case scenario, we should avoid taking risks."

Thor nodded in agreement with her cautious words. While he had a desire to push forward, it wasn't a desire to court more danger.

"What about Sora?"

"I want to keep going, but I don't want to burden Thor-chan."

"Understood. Then let's call it a day here."

Indeed, if something unexpected happened, he was confident they could handle it. However, if Thor pushed himself too hard, it would also cause pain to Yuril and the others, a situation he wanted to avoid.

Deciding to retreat, Thor and the others turned back in the direction they had come from. This time, the wind that had been a strong enemy was now at their backs, making the walk much easier. However, being vigilant for any threats from behind was a bit of a hassle.

They returned to the rocky hill where they had camped the previous night in about half the time it took to get there. It was already past midday, so they decided to have a late lunch. The smell of a delicious soup woke Muu, who had been sleeping soundly.

"Good morning, Thor. Is it breakfast?"

"It's already past noon. And you already had breakfast."

"Mmm. Ah! I recognize this place, Thor!"

The child, looking around the rocky hill where they had camped last night, exclaimed in surprise. Sora, with a playful tone, teased him.

"Hehe, can you guess why?"

"Oh... I thought it was yesterday, but it's still today, right?"

"Wait, no, we arrived here yesterday, but today is today."

"Was it all a dream? It was quite fun!"

"What kind of dream was it?"

"Um, the morning sun was really beautiful, and there were rocks everywhere. Then..."

"Uh-huh, what happened next?"

"Yuba's ice was really beautiful! And Sora-neesan was being mean to Muu, I think."

"Hey, you're leaving out my part! And I wasn't being mean, I was being nice!"

"You were sleeping so soundly, but you remember quite a bit."

After finishing their late lunch, Thor and the others set out for the Thousand Blades Plain again. This time, with the wind at their backs, they froze the root-rock beetles one by one, collecting hard white stones as they went. However, there were no signs of anyone else passing through, and the carcasses of the beetles they had killed the previous day were nowhere to be found.

By early evening, they reached a safe area surrounded by central spires and began preparing for the night. Thanks to the surrounding rocks, there were no rock beetles, and the wind barely penetrated.

Interestingly, there were other occupants here. Not humans, but silent plants that had rooted themselves in the ground.

These plants had thick stems like green pillars, with thick, strange leaves protruding from all over. Covered in small spines, they were known as Thousand Spine Flowers.

"Hey, I recognize this, Thor!"

Muu, immediately approaching the spiky plant, touched its stem happily.

"Hehe, it's prickly. Prickly."

"Me too, me too!"

"Hey, let's set up the tent first. You two help out."

Calling the two who were engrossed in playing with the Thousand Spine Flowers, Thor quickly set up the tent. After that, they hunted a few more rock beetles before sunset, had dinner, and went to sleep. The next morning, Thor was woken by the two making a fuss again.

"Hey, good morning, Thor."

"Thor-chan, look. Isn't it beautiful?"

Admiring their ability to find interesting things, Thor looked in the direction they were fussing. There, the Thousand Spine Flowers had bloomed with small, delicate white flowers.

The small, delicate petals were peeking out from all over the green stems. Thor's face relaxed at the sight, but he suddenly remembered something.

"Didn't Oudel ask us to collect these if we found them?"

"Oh, right!"

During their visit to the apothecary a few days ago, Yuril's old friend, the alchemist Oudel, had given them various requests for collecting items. However, what they needed to collect was not the petals of the Thousand Spine Flowers.

Thor hurried back to the tent and brought out a bundle of small spiral shells, handing them to the two. He then immediately placed the uncapped shells under the white flowers.

Dewdrops, mixed with nectar, began to drip from the white petals. They carefully collected the droplets without spilling them. As the sun rose, the flowers quickly withered and closed. Although it was a short time, they managed to collect enough for three spiral shells.

After breakfast, Thor and the others continued to hunt the surrounding monsters. The third day was spent entirely on this task. The next morning, they collected the dew from the Thousand Spine Flowers again, packed up the tent, and headed for the carriage stop.

On the way, they hunted the rock beetles they encountered, but since the sled was already full of hard white stones, they left them behind. Despite the considerable load, the tailwind allowed them to reach the stop by noon.

The place, which they hadn't visited in four days, was a bit lively with new arrivals. One of the people standing by the central wooden box table noticed Thor and the others and spoke.

"Oh, you're back just now. Dull hero—"

"Hey!"

"Ouch! Why do you hit me, you brat?"