“This is the 『Mountain』 hah……”

We who were officially requested by Ranze-san, left the city immediately.

I set foot into the place called 『Mountain』 for the first time, but it looked just like a normal nature, which I couldn’t think of as a monster’s back.

“A,amazing …… this is the back of a monster ……”

“…… Nn, astonishing. I heard it when I was in the Kaizer Empire, but I thought it was a lie. But, it was true.”

“Well, I don’t usually believe it. I haven’t even seen it moving, let alone it’s entire figure, but because of this 『Mountain』 and the 『Sea』 is of similar existence, the Kingdom of Welmburg is less likely to be invaded by enemy nations.”

The more I listen to the story, the more I can’t believe it.

When I felt that way while listening to Al’s commentary, Saria stretched next to me.

“Hmm! It’s been a long time since I felt like this!”

“Speaking of which, you haven’t touched nature this much since you left the 【Forest of Endless Love And Sorrow】, right.”

“Yup! That’s why I feel nostalgic when I came to a place with a lot of trees like this.”

Aside from the dungeons, this is the first time I’ve come to a place with a lot of nature in the outside world since the forest near the Barbador Magic Academy.

The 『Mountain』 where we are now is rich in nature, and the trees are also lush.

Of course, it has no jungle-like atmosphere like the 【Forest of Endless Love and Sorrow】, and I feel the freshness that you can really enjoy a forest bathing.

“It feels so good ―――― fin’lly, I ret’rn to the wild”

“Don’t turn back suddenly!?”

All of a sudden, next to me, Saria in a gorilla state―――― she became Goria.

However, Goria in the wilderness looks good in the end. It suits her very much.

“Am I, beautiful?”

“What kind of question is that?”

She’s beautiful, but …… what do I say. I can’t say it, though.

Leaving behind such stupid exchanges, we steadily move on.

Perhaps because Saria became Goria, the monsters fled somewhere as soon as they found us. A,as expected of the Empress of the Forest ……

It was unexpected that there was no monster attack, but thanks to that, we were able to proceed smoothly, and Al stopped after we climb the mountain to some extent.

“It’s in sight. The 【God Mountain’s Cave】.”

A huge cliff-like rock surface was exposed there, and there was a gaping big hole in it.

It was given a fairly grand name, but there was no sign of people’s intervention in particular, and the other side of the hole was dark.

Then Al explained about it.

“As you can see from the origin of its name, it’s a cave on the back of the mountain, so it’s just named that way, and it doesn’t mean anything else. However, including what can be mined in the cave and so on, it’s simply a mysterious place.”

“Is that so?”

“As part of the country’s adventurer, I would like to explore it, but if it is strangely stimulated and the 『Mountain』’s body is hurt, it won’t like it. That’s why, we try not to put our hand on it.”

“Then …… the one who will fight inside this place ……”

“We need to be very careful. Especially Seiichi. If you attack with your outrageous power as usual, not only the man of the 【Demon God’s Cult】, but even the 『Mountain』 would be worrying. Be cautious.”

What kind of being cautious? I didn’t think that it will, but I can’t deny it, so I’ll keep that in mind.

If so …… it’ll be harder to fight than I expected.

If I can blow away the 『Mountain』 itself, there’ll be no problem, but the existence of the 『Mountain』 is connected to the national interest, so I can’t blow away the whole 『Mountain』.

I don’t know what kind of power the other person has, but I’m in trouble ……

Suddenly, I looked down at the ground I was treading on ―――― at the 『Mountain』, and I tried to activate the 【Advanced appraisal】 skill.

【Daidarabotchi’s spine Lv: ??? 】 (TN: It literally means ‘mythical giant’ – https:

/

/en.wikipedia.org

/wiki

/Daidarabotchi)

Daidarabotchi!? Eh, that’s Japanese!?

Rather than that, this here is its spine!? Ah, that part is where its bone is protruding!?

My tsukkomi can’t catch up, but it is its spine, not its back …… just how big is it!?

All the mountains in this Kingdom of Welmburg combined to form the back of the Daidarabotchi, right?

……Wait? That means ――――.

“It’s sleeping on its stomach ……!?”

“What are you talking?”

As I was surprised at the shocking impact, Goria tilted her head mysteriously.

“We,well…… I wanted to know what this 『Mountain』 was, so I tried to appraise it.”

“Ah, you couldn’t, could you? It seems that various countries have tried to do it, but it’s too big and a skill is ―――― ”

“Eh, I could do it, though……”

“How!?”

That’s what I want to hear too.

Or rather, if it couldn’t be, please tell me first. Otherwise, the normality I desire will go away ……!

“By the way, what is its name?”

“The monster was named Daidarabotchi……”

“…… I’ve never heard of it.”

“……Nn. Me too”

“I, I don’t remember hearing it before I was sealed in the dungeon……”

“Milord, that, can I eat it?”

“You will eat it!?”

Daidarabotchi is a humanoid, you know!? ……that’s right, isn’t it? I wonder if it’s different in this world.

Well, aside from Rurune’s usual reaction, it seems like it’s a monster that even Al and the others didn’t know.

If it comes to that, then I think it was really a long time ago that the kingdom of Welmburg also confirmed its whole story.

However, at the time many people visited here, they took some kind of action, so its existence was assumed……

“In the world where I came from, there was a youkai with the same name, but if they are the same, I think it’s something like a giant humanoid.”

“Seriously ……. isn’t it just a turtle, a dragon, or the back of a monster like that……”

“Al, it’s not its back.”

“Ah?”

“This place, seems to be its spine”

“…………”

Not only Al, but everyone was utterly speechless with my words.

That’s right, isn’t it……

“I wonder if it’s lying its face down, or unable to sleep well……”

“You’re not surprised there!? I was surprised at how big it was, you know!”

“……Nn. But, as Seiichi-oniichan said, it sleeps well.”

“Whe,where is its head? I wonder if it buried its face into the ground ……”

“Olga and Zora are already poisoned, aren’t they! They don’t care about that!? Rather than that, if a monster of such a ridiculous size rampages …… this country will be easily destroyed!”

As Al said, if the Daidarabotchi that is bigger than expected is in here, then far from the 『Mountain』 we are in now, all of the mountains of the Welmburg Kingdom will rise up, right? Please let it be a little joke.

It’s going to be tough if I push through with force alone as usual.

In the worst case, if Daidarabotchi really rose, I’ll have to defeat it, but …… it’s just sleeping, and I’d like to keep it that way if possible.

Besides, the existence of Daidarabotchi is also important for the defense of the Kingdom of Welmburg.

“……Nn. I don’t know how far the other person was thinking, but it’s an inconvenient place for Seiichi-oniichan”

“If it becomes an obstacle to Milord, should I erase it?”

“……Idiot glutton.”

“Why is that!?”

If you blow it off, Daidarabotchi will wake up. In the first place, I’m thinking that no damage should occur to Daidarabotchi.

While holding my head down to Rurune’s overly muscle-brained remarks, I regained my mind and stared at the cave.

“To be honest, I wish I had not appraised it, but…… it can’t be helped. I have to help Elemina-san as soon as possible …… Let’s be careful.”

When everyone nodded to my words, we entered the cave as it was.

Speaking of which, by entering the cave from the forest, Saria has returned to her human form. Since it seems that we’re not in the forest anymore, but…… I don’t really understand the feeling of being in the wild.

“This isn’t a dungeon, so we don’t have to worry about traps, but …… as long as the other person specified this place, keep your mind sharp.”

While listening to Al’s advice, we proceeded through the cave.

It was dark inside because there wasn’t even one light source, but we all don’t particularly care about that.

Al and Olga-chan had the skills they have acquired during their adventurer days, and they will be able to keep their eyesight even in the dark, and it seems that there’s no particular problem for Rurune and Saria, probably because they have animal-derived eyes. I don’t know if a gorilla and a donkey can see in the night, though.

What was surprising was Zora, who I thought that she had a good night vision like Saria and the others, but apparently, she grasps the surroundings in a different way.

“E,erm…… I, unlike other people, can see the ambient temperatures with my eyes. Besides, by spreading the magic power that naturally overflows from inside my body to the vicinity, it’s possible to grasp the surrounding environment ……”

By the way, I’ve heard that snakes have an organ that makes them able to sense temperature. Zora is also from a snake race and she probably has similar abilities.

Probably because of my 【World Eyes】, I myself am able to spend time in the cave with a normal view.

As we advanced while being vigilant inside the cave, Al tilted her head.

“It’s strange. I thought he’d set up one or two traps, but …… there’s no sign of that.”

“Hmm…… I don’t even sense any signs of monsters. It’s really just a cave.”

As Al and Saria said, there was no particular dangerous element as we proceed.

If I say one thing, the scaffolding is a little bad, I guess? That’s about it.

“……Nn. There doesn’t seem to be any special ore here.”

“Well, it’ll be hard to mine it even if precious things are in this place, and isn’t it fine that way?”

“It’s originally part of its spine.”

“…… I, still can’t believe it, but …… I’ve always thought that the forest on my back is the monster, but I don’t understand the meaning that it was only its spine more……”

“It may have grown during its growth period ……”

“What kind of possibility is that”

I’m not sure, but maybe, as Al said, in the past, his back could really be the forest, but as a result of its rapid growth in its growth period like that of human beings, it’s possible that part of its spine became a forest from the back ―――― or not. Maybe.

As we advance like this, we eventually arrived at a large space.

“This place is……”

“――――Hoo? Strangers have arrived.”

“!”

When we were looking around, we suddenly heard a voice.

As everyone responds to that voice and prepares for battle, a man emerges from the depths of the cave.

The man was wearing a robe with his face completely hidden by its hood, so this must be the mysterious man that Florio and the others were talking about; perhaps a deity of the 【Demon God’s Cult】.

But apart from that, I was shocked by something.

“I was wondering if the 【Sword Knight】 or 【Black Holy Knight】 would come, but …… I’m disappointed.”

“……”

“Does the Welmburg Kingdom taking a light look at the situation? No matter how much wait-and-see adventurer they send here, the result will not change……”

“……”

“? You’ve been silent since a while ago, but if you won’t say anything ――――”

“――――similar……!” (TN: LOL, they have the same getup)

“…………Ha?”

In my words, not only the other party man, but also Saria and the others tilted their heads, but…… I’m not that far from him.

“Why are you in a robe! You’re similar to me!”

“You’re snapping at that place!?”

“I hate this matching clothesssssssss!”

“Silence you”

No, Al-san. I said that, but I wonder if you can call it my identity, or something along those lines……

When I was thinking about how to explain it to Al, the other party man, who was taken aback by my reaction, agitatedly opens his mouth.

“…… It seems that you don’t understand the situation properly. What did you guys come here for?”

“That’s of course, we came to help Elemina-san.”

“Fuhn. The quality of the Welmburg Kingdom has also declined. I don’t know why they have move over people like these…… have they given up on the 『Thunder Empress』?”

“What?”

When the man snaps his finger while saying so, we saw several shadows of people gathering from his back.

We were standing ready thinking that it was the apostles of the 【Demon God’s Cult】, but――――

“Eh……?”

“Are you kidding me!?”

To my amazement, what appeared from his back, were adventurers with hollow expressions.

The appearance of Elemina-san which was our purpose isn’t there, but I found only a single person with a familiar face in them.

“That’s…… Gargand-san!?”

Surprisingly, one of the adventurers who came from the interior of the cave, was Gargand-san, an S-class adventurer!

As I was surprised by that, Al, while staring at the other party with a dreadful appearance, continues.

“…… It’s not just Gargand. All of them over there, are S-class adventurers.”

“Such!?”

“You bastard ……! To these guys …… What did you do to Nem……!”

Apparently, among the S-class adventurers, there seem to be an acquaintance of Al, and Al exploded with anger like I’d never seen before.

Speaking of which, when Al was still a disaster, she said that she was able to spend her time normally in Terviel because of the barrier erected by someone she knew ……

The person who put up that barrier, is probably Nem-san, an S-class adventurer.

However, now that all S-class adventurers seem to be in a state of being manipulated, no emotions are visible in their facial expressions.

“What, haven’t you heard from the King of Welmburg? That we are looking for fighting power. These here are the pieces that became that fighting power.”

“Pieces, is it!?”

“Ah. On the evidence of that ―――― look.”

“!”

When the man spreads his hands, the same S-class adventurers appear one after another from the interior of the cave!

“Wha,what’s going on!? Their figures are so identical!?”

“Seiichi! Everyone here, is unusual!”

“Eh?”

“How should I put it…… Luthia-chan’s father, Zefar-san, had his own body, with his spirit being different, but everything here is fake! On the contrary, I can’t even feel their vitality……”

“If you ask me that……”

By training with Zeanos and the others in the netherworld, I learned how to feel and manipulate life force to get rid of the evil spirits that were encroaching there.

Even from my perspective, I can’t feel the life force from the group of S-class adventurers in front of me.

And the same, can be said for the mysterious man.

“Are you also a fake?”

“!…… You seem to have noticed it. But rest assured. I will keep my promise. If you can survive this situation, I’ll return the 『Thunder Empress』―――― if you came out alive, though.”

“Bastard……! Wait!”

When the mysterious man said so, he disappeared as if melting into the darkness.

Al immediately tried to catch the man, but before that could happen, the fake S-class adventurers blocked her way, and he escaped.

“Dammit! That guy, where did he go!? As it is……”

“Al, calm down. It looks like, that guy is still in this cave.”

“Eh?”

“Saria told me to sense life force, but I could feel two signs in the back of this cave. It may be, but I think it’s the man’s real body and Elemina-san.”

“Is that so …… then we have to get rid of these guys ……!”

Fortunately, these S-class adventurers are like fakes, so we don’t have to hesitate to defeat them.

However ――――

“Take this! Blow away ……!”

『……』

“What!?”

When Al swung her ax with all her might, a male-ish S-class adventurer who seems to be of demon race easily received her attack.

If anything……

“!…… These people, strong”

“The,their movement is too fast to follow with my eyes!”

Olga-chan and Zora who were being attacked by a huge Afro man, and a woman with a somewhat noble-like atmosphere, are having a hard time.

Or rather, what’s going on with that afro? Every time Olga-chan throws a kunai, it’s absorbed by that Afro, but ……

The S-class adventurers with various other traits, have regrettably demonstrated their real abilities.

“These guys, are fake, but their abilities are exactly right!?”

“If that’s the case, it looks like it’s fine to be serious! ―――― Ey”

『!?』

When Saria smiled at Al’s words, she transformed into Goria for the second time today, and sent an approaching S-class adventurer flying.

Its power is tremendous, she erased not only one but several people at once.

“What a hassle. Disappear ”

When Rurune also lightly kicked an S-class adventurer, its aftermath alone had extinguished many people.

“If I fight, the cave will collapse, but ……”

Well, I think that I’ll disintegrate the cave somehow or the other, but we haven’t rescued Elemina-san yet, and I don’t even know how Daidarabotchi would react.

However, I couldn’t leave the fight to Saria and the others as it is, and I had to go and help soon, so I pulled out the 【Fine Sword of Overflowing Benevolence】.

“Everyone! Crouch down when I give you the signal!”

“! Understood!”

“Then …… now!”

『!?』

With everyone’s replies, I swung my sword while rotating in a circular motion, while adjusting it with all my might.

Then, despite me controlling its maximum force, slashes of an outrageous scale were released.

When it flew towards the surroundings around me, all the S-class adventurers disappeared as it was.

“…… Well, I thought it would be nice to reduce them a little, but for all of them to disappear……”

“Still unreasonable as ever, you”

And then, strangely enough, when my slash is about to hit the wall of the cave, that spot wriggles as if it’s clay, and it automatically avoids the slash as it was.

The world’s surmise is amazing.

“A,anyway! Let’s hurry down towards Elemina-san!”

When I said so in order to deceive them, we all headed to the back of the cave.

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