Chapter 98

Soaring through the sky with flight magic for about three hours, the vast Bacyuda Great Plain came into view.

From the air, it was a vast expanse with nothing to obstruct the view.

On the map, it was neatly color-coded, but in reality, it was just an endless plain.

However, far in the distance, a reddish-brown mass could be seen.

From here, it looked small, but considering the distance, it must be quite large.

Perhaps it was a mountain or a rock?

It seemed that this area was the place marked in black on the map.

It would surely be visible from anywhere on the plain.

It would make an excellent landmark.

"Hmm?"

I discovered what appeared to be a settlement on the ground.

There were simple defensive walls and moats surrounding it, and the figures of horses, cows, and sheep, which seemed to be livestock, were also visible.

There was no doubt that people lived there.

I descended to the ground and slipped through the gate, which had no gatekeeper, and entered.

The houses all looked like tents, and there were probably about fifty of them.

However, each one was quite large.

They seemed to be made of very sturdy material, and they wouldn't budge even in a moderate storm.

Still, if a large monster appeared, they would be no match.

Wasn't this area supposed to be a dangerous zone?

Still, it was unusually quiet.

I didn't see anyone at all.

Finally, I spotted the first person.

A woman in her forties.

"Welcome to the Bacyuda Great Plain. Are you here for the rare monsters that can only be found here?"

"Yes. ...What about this place?"

"Hehe, I bet you were surprised to find a settlement in such a dangerous place, right? But actually, the monsters of the plain never come this far, so it's safe."

I don't know the principle behind it, but the monsters that inhabit this vast plain become more powerful the deeper you go, yet they never leave their designated areas.

That's why the map can be neatly color-coded according to danger levels.

"Adventurers, hunters, and monster tamers visit here one after another. We do business targeting them."

The unusual quietness is because most of them are out in the plain at this time.

"Well, they should be returning soon."

Since I left the monster city in the afternoon, the sun was already beginning to set.

Some people camp out in the plain, but the danger level increases at night, so most return to this settlement to stay overnight.

Most of the tents are inns.

"I run a restaurant. How about it? It's quite popular in this settlement. It gets crowded quickly, and it's hard to get a seat."

It was empty now.

It was a bit early for dinner, but I decided to eat there since I was here.

Her restaurant was nearby.

I slipped through the unusually large entrance and went inside.

It was much larger than I had imagined from the outside.

The ceiling was high, probably over three meters.

It looked like a giant's home.

However, the tables and chairs lined up were of normal human size.

"The place is designed so that monsters can enter too. Of course, if they're too large or unclean, they're not allowed."

That made sense why all the houses were so large.

"The walls are made from the fur and bones of the monsters that inhabit this plain. They're very sturdy, so they can be this large and still be strong enough."

The restaurant seemed to be run by a family.

There was a middle-aged man, her husband, and a girl around my age.

As she said, it was empty now.

In fact, there were no customers at all.

I sat down at a random seat.

The specialty seemed to be dishes made from the meat of monsters hunted in this plain, so I ordered some at random.

While waiting for the food, I asked the tall, beautiful girl who brought the water.

She somewhat resembled Rina.

"By the way, I have a question."

"What is it?"

"There's a rock-like thing in the distance. What is it?"

She said, "Oh, that thing,"

"It's in the center of the plain and is called the 'Magic Rock.'"

"Magic Rock..."

"There's a rumor that an incredibly strong legendary monster lives there. It's said to be a giant monster that can even prey on Gigant Dragons, or a monster with fangs and claws sharper than Fenrir's. I support the theory that a fallen angel is sealed there. Did you know? Angels are supposedly incredibly handsome..."

She said it with a dreamy look.

It seemed her personality was quite different from Rina's.

"Has anyone ever been there?"

"To my knowledge, no one has. I've seen many people set out with high hopes, but most of them return in tatters before they even reach halfway. Not just me, but everyone in the settlement says they've never seen anyone reach that rock. So, it's probably that no one has ever made it. So, all those rumors might just be imagination."

"I see."

It didn't seem easy to even reach that Magic Rock.

"Are you aiming for that Magic Rock?"

"Yes."

I nodded and said,

"However, my goal isn't to reach the rock itself. My goal is to make the monster there my familiar."

"No way that's possible."