"Now then, what should we do..."
I looked up at the rocky cliff.
The rocky mountain that had caught my attention on the way here.
Tall cliffs spread out to the left and right.
It was like a wall blocking our path.
"Unless we can fly through the sky, it is impossible to cross that height."
It was obvious that even turning Pigi-maru into a rope would not work.
Eve placed her palm against the rock wall.
"I never expected to run into a wall here."
I checked both sides.
The cliffs continued endlessly.
I had no idea how far they stretched.
When I shifted my gaze, I spotted a hole gaping open in the wall.
It was big enough for one person to pass through.
However, when I checked earlier, it was a dead end inside.
It could be used for shelter from rain or rest, but...
"It does not look like there is a convenient straight passage cutting right through this rocky mountain."
Eve's map only showed our "current position" and "distance."
It did not tell us the terrain.
Naturally, it also did not show that such a rocky mountain was blocking our way like a wall.
Considering the mental fatigue of the three of them, I wanted to reach the witch's place as quickly as possible.
I wanted to avoid a major detour if possible.
"Once, I will go with Slei to check ahead along the cliff."
For route exploration, fewer people were better.
There was still the possibility of encountering a humanoid type.
In that case, status abnormality skills would be the most suitable way to deal with it.
If necessary, I could transform Slei and escape.
I left the three to rest in place and decided to scout the area.
Of the cliffs stretching east to west, I first tried heading west.
The west side felt like the rock wall continued endlessly.
If I followed it, I could not imagine how many days it would take until it ended.
Fortunately, the east side ended surprisingly quickly.
From the impression, it seemed we could circle around nicely and head toward our destination.
I returned and told the three about it.
Everyone looked somewhat relieved.
After finishing our preparations to depart, we decided to take the eastern route.
Eve, who had been watching the surroundings from the front, relaxed her vigilance.
"There are still no signs of monsters."
Seras beside her also relaxed her vigilance.
"This scarcity of monsters... could it be related to the fact that we are close to the witch's dwelling?"
"Or perhaps the habitats of the monsters are concentrated more on the outer edges than the central area."
"I see, that is possible."
"..."
Along the way, there were several groups of ruins.
It was possible that the underground ruins said to be where monsters had taken refuge existed.
There might be cases where large numbers were hiding there...
When I thought about it that way, I could not let my guard down.
I was currently at the rear.
The reason I had temporarily left the front was to speak with Liz.
This was the Golden-Eyed Demon Zone.
Moreover, we had even encountered a humanoid type.
Liz was still a child.
It would not be strange if she was mentally exhausted.
"..."
She was a very patient child, after all.
"Are you all right?"
"Ah, yes."
"?"
No... she seemed perfectly fine.
There was no sign of forcing herself.
If she was hiding her emotions and deceiving me, it would require considerable acting ability.
"Were you not scared of the humanoid type?"
Liz gently intertwined her fingers in front of her chest.
"It is not that I was not scared, but... I was all right."
"Do not say something silly like 'staying alive in Monroy is worse than dying here with Eve,' okay?"
"I-it is not entirely untrue, but..."
Liz smiled wryly.
"But I do not think we will die. Um... after coming here, I talked with Seras-sama several times."
Liz looked at Seras walking ahead.
"Seras-sama said this: 'As long as Touka-dono does not lose his life, we should be able to reach our destination safely.'"
I also shifted my gaze to Seras's back.
It seemed Seras had not said "as long as we do not give up."
She probably knew that I was the type who would pretend to give up in order to deceive and ambush the opponent.
"Her trust in me is a bit excessive."
Liz smiled gracefully.
"But thanks to that, I have come to feel that as long as Touka-sama is alive, I am not that scared. Even when the humanoid type was there, I just thought about not getting in the way of Touka-sama as he planned and fought... That was all I was thinking about."
Liz stroked the back of Slei, who was trotting beside her.
"There is also reliable Suu-chan."
"Pakyu~n."
For now, I was in a position similar to the commander of this group.
Seras, Eve, and I often waited for my instructions.
They believed that following my instructions was the best course.
And Liz also placed complete trust in me.
Heavy responsibility.
What it produces is heavy pressure.
Normally, one might be crushed by that pressure.
"..."
No problem.
I will see it through.
I have no intention of turning that trust into an illusion.
▽
From the way she spoke, Liz seemed to be all right.
So I returned to the front and switched with Seras.
When I reached the front, I called out to Eve, who was listening carefully.
"How is it?"
"I still do not sense any monsters... It might be related to what Seras said about being close to the witch's dwelling."
Eve stroked her chin.
"However, Touka, I was surprised by Seras."
"Hm? About her being bad with earthworms?"
"Muu, well that was unexpected too—but what I am talking about is her talent as a warrior."
While advancing through the Demon Zone, Eve had been training with Seras early in the mornings.
They used their own swords for training.
But if they clashed blades, there was a risk of attracting monsters.
So the two trained without letting their blades touch.
It was like shadow sparring with controlled strikes.
I recalled the scenes I had seen several times.
"Now that you mention it, that might be true..."
It felt like the sharpness of Seras's movements had increased.
She looked completely different.
It had probably been since around the time we entered Ulza's royal capital.
Seras had visibly changed.
No—more accurately, she had "returned."
The Mils ruins.
Back when she fought as my escort...
At that time, Seras had not been at 100%.
Due to the accumulated fatigue from her life as a fugitive, she had not been in perfect condition.
Even in the Black Dragon Knight Order battle, she probably had not been able to show her true strength.
"Fufu... After getting proper sleep for a long time, she is finally able to bring out her original power... But is she really at a level that makes Eve Speed, once called the strongest in Monroy, click her tongue?"
"Umu. It does not seem like she was just a decorative Holy Knight Commander in Neah who was only there for her beauty. Seras's ability as a warrior is quite something."
When I thought back carefully...
Even Sibito had said "I wanted to fight her."
"By the way, is she stronger than you, Eve?"
"In arm strength, I have the advantage. In speed and technique as well, I am still superior. However, I see her as having greater talent."
"That much?"
Moreover, could she even tell that?
Was it something only the strong could understand?
"If the power of that spirit equipment is added on top, most warriors would not stand a chance."
Seras had probably not been in good condition and had not faced suitable opponents.
Most likely, ever since she met me.
The Holy Guardian White Walker.
The Black Dragon Knight Order, boasting the strongest on the continent.
When facing these, she had been in a state of extreme exhaustion due to the price paid to the spirits.
The giant skeleton king.
The giant monsters of the Golden-Eyed Demon Zone.
The humanoid type.
These were difficult to fight properly due to the size difference.
It could be said she had not had the opportunity to show her full ability.
"Hmm... So there is a reason why her name comes up as a powerhouse of a country."
"The names of the strong spread naturally whether one likes it or not. Among them, Sibito Gartland of Bakos was on a completely different level."
Eve folded her arms and gave me a sideways glance.
"Yet the man who defeated that Sibito is here... It is strange."
"My way of fighting is not fair and square. I just dragged him onto my own turf, set a trap, and ambushed him."
Eve did not seem to understand the word "turf" I just used.
But the nuance seemed to have gotten through.
"Even if not as much as Sibito, other countries also have representatives who could be called their strongest, right? I know the names of the knight orders and war bands they possess, but..."
"Fufu, you are a man after all. You are interested in the strong."
"...Well."
Previously, I had dismissed it as unnecessary information.
I had thought that as long as I could crush the shitty goddess, that was enough.
However, through my interactions with Seras and Sibito, I had begun to feel the need for it.
When Seras fled into the Dark Forest, I immediately understood "dangerous people are chasing Seras" because I knew the name "Black Dragon Knight Order."
So I quickly realized.
Knowledge is better to have than not.
You never know when it might come in handy.
Eve, who had misunderstood that I had a boyish desire to know, began to speak.
"First, in the northwestern Yonato Duchy, there is a female hero called the 'Saint of Yonato.' Her name is Kyria Gilstein. Currently, she leads the Annihilation Holy Force and is said to be the strongest in Yonato. And the one rumored to eventually take the seat of that saint is the four siblings called the 'Four Holy Saints.' Especially the eldest son and eldest daughter are said to be quite powerful."
"Hmm."
"In the southwestern Mira Empire, the strongest is probably the Mad Beauty Emperor."
That guy with the ridiculously long name.
"So that means he is the emperor, right? Is the emperor the strongest within the country?"
"It seems very few people have actually seen him fight, so the truth of his strength is uncertain... but he is a man who pushed aside the other imperial heirs at such a young age to become emperor. Moreover, the first and second princes who once competed with him for the throne are now serving as the arms of their younger brother, the Mad Beauty Emperor. He is definitely no ordinary person."
"Heh... So, is the strongest in Ulza still Eve Speed?"
"No, there is the 'Dragon Slayer' of the Demon War Knight Order. If the rumors are true, I probably would not stand a chance against him."
He might be stronger than Eve.
Well, there is probably some modesty from Eve in that statement too.
"And... the former Holy Kingdom of Neah is Seras Ashrain, and the Bakos Empire is Sibito Gartland. What about the northern Magnal Kingdom?"
"For Magnal, it would have to be Sogyud Sigmus, who serves as the commander of the White Wolf Knight Order."
The commander of the White Wolf Knight Order...
Ah, the opponent Sibito said "I want to fight someday."
"There is a famous story that from the moment he was appointed commander, he has never once been sarcastically told 'you only got the position because you are the king's younger brother.' Even before taking the commander's seat, his ability was already well known both inside and outside the country."
Was that commander not present during the rumored fall of the Great Oath Wall Knightwall?
Well, I would set that aside for now.
This was the main topic.
"—What about Alion? Besides the heroes from another world, are there any strong ones?"
The country whose military strength I most wanted to know about.
Alion was essentially the country where the shitty goddess's pieces were gathered.
"The Sixth Cavalry of the 'Alion Thirteen Cavalry,' which boasts unparalleled strength even among them, is famous... but for individuals—ah, I often hear the name of a person called Nyantan Kikikappu. I heard she was dispatched to Ulza, though I do not know the current situation."
The Sixth Cavalry of the Alion Thirteen Cavalry.
Nyantan Kikikappu.
I would make sure to remember those names.
"As for those not belonging to any country but still famous, the mercenary band Sword Tiger Corps is well known."
I have met them.
"Besides that, there is a group of four mercenaries called the Holy Guardian White Walker."
I killed them.
"Other than that, there is someone called the 'Sword of Valor.' He is from the Hero Blood clan and apparently works as a mercenary. I do not know much about him."
I do not know that one.
"I see, that was informative."
I had a general grasp now.
Would those people get involved in the future?
If they did, could they become obstacles to me?
Or could they become useful pieces?
I did not know.
But if they became enemies that posed a crisis—
I would simply trample them all.