KENSHI
"Are you really going tomorrow?" Uncle Avidius asked before he took a spoonful of his dinner.
"The sooner, the better. We have to get to the artifact before they do," I answered, earning a nod from him telling me that he understood.
"But the journey to Suttoh Territory is quite dangerous," Uncle Avidius reminded.
"What makes it dangerous, Uncle?" Kana inquired.
"Aside from wild beasts that usually roam around by the foot of the mountain, the mountain itself is also a beast. Climbing Mt. Lancel is one thing, but climbing it while keeping yourself warm is a whole other story. The moment you reach a certain height, the air becomes thinner, making it hard to breathe. The tumultuous winds also wreak havoc at the summit, grabbing anything in its path. And lastly, you have to keep an eye on the summit beasts. They hunt in groups and they use the mountain's terrain and weather conditions to their advantage. Most adventurers who dared to climb that mountain never came back uninjured, or never came back at all."
It wasn't my first time hearing about Mt. Lancel. Father would tell me stories of their expedition on that mountain. All of Uncle Avidius' descriptions matched his claims, so I could confirm that what Father told me was true.
"I can already feel the chill just by listening to it," Shino commented, earning a laugh from Uncle Avidius.
"I will miss your jokes, Miss Shino!"
"And I will miss you laughing at them, Uncle Avidius," Shino replied.
"So what time do we leave tomorrow, Mister Kenshi?" asked Kana.
"The earliest carriage leaves at six. We will take that ride and make a stop at the Lancel Intersection. From there, we walk until we reach the kingdom."
"How long does it take us to reach our destination?" Shino asked next.
"Roughly five days. A one-day walk from the intersection to the base of the mountain, three days crossing Mt. Lancel, and another day from the mountain to Suttoh City."
"That's two to three days earlier than the usual route," Uncle Avidius added.
***
Morning came and all of us were ready to leave. We packed a lot of hot food to keep us warm while we ate. Uncle Avidius also bought us thick cold-resistant jackets to withstand the chilling cold of the mountain peak. Shino even hoarded a lot of mana potions in case we needed her magic to start a fire, build a house, or simply fight against the beasts.
The three of us stepped out from the elevator when it chimed, notifying us that it had reached its designated floor.
And just as we had expected, Uncle Avidius was already waiting for us in the lobby, and beside him was Tanshiro.
"The day has come for you to leave us," Uncle Avidius greeted when we approached them. "Are you sure I can no longer change your minds?"
"I was expecting you to say something else, Uncle," I jested.
Uncle Avidius laughed. "How I wish I could join you, guys."
"I'll see you again soon, Uncle Avidius. Please take care of yourself," I pleaded while giving him a warm hug.
"Same goes to you, Kenshi," responded Uncle Avidius.
"It was nice meeting you, Uncle, and thank you for everything that you've done for us during our stay here," Shino thanked and hugged Uncle Avidius as well.
"Such a small thing, Shino. Do come visit me again sometime."
"I will, Uncle, with a few friends of mine."
"Looking forward to that." Uncle Avidius then looked at Kana and knelt before her to match their heights. "You take care as well, Kana. I know you're strong, but please don't forget to rest, okay?"
"Okay, Uncle Avidius," Kana replied and dove in for a hug. After a minute, the two parted, and Uncle Avidius stood back on his two feet.
"You should go now before all of us get too emotional," Uncle Avidius joked, making all of us laugh. "The carriage is waiting for you outside."
After we bade farewell to Uncle Avidius, the three of us exited the hotel and approached the carriage that would take us to the intersection.
I let the two women get inside the carriage first, like a gentleman like me would do, and I was about to climb into it when a boy's voice caught my ears calling my name.
"Mister Kenshi!"
I turned my head to see, and discovered that it was Tanshiro. He ran toward us and when he reached us, he was still catching his breath.
"What is it, Tanshiro?" I asked.
"I—I just want to say that I'm really sorry for everything and thank you all for saving me!" Tanshiro exclaimed while bowing his head to show his heartfelt and sincere gratitude. "I know this request of mine might sound selfish, but if you happen to see my father and have to fight him, please do not kill him. I still have a lot of questions to ask him. I still want to know if he's telling the truth, because there are still parts of me that want to believe that he didn't just disown me for nothing, and that he has a reason for doing it. So, please, Mister Kenshi, Kana, Shino, please let him live for me."
I placed my hand on Tanshiro's head and caressed it like a father to his son.
"We promise," I declared.
Tanshiro burst into tears upon hearing those words. He cried so much as if he was planning to drain his eyes of tears. Uncle Avidius came and stood beside him, while I finally stepped inside the carriage. With one last gesture, we waved each other goodbye as the horse trotted and pulled the carriage away from the hotel.
"Looks like we have to change a little from our original plan," Shino said after I closed the carriage door.
She was referring to the part of the plan where we would kill Akihiko if he refused to help us for Daku. If Tanshiro hadn't made that request earlier, he probably wouldn't be able to see his father ever again.
"But we really can't ensure Akihiko's survival. The Dark Order might kill him if he is no longer of use," Kana suspected, and I couldn't agree more.
"That is something out of our control," I commented.
"Anyway, did you give Uncle Avidius the letter to the King of Thorn?" Shino ensured, which I responded to with a nod.
"I bet he's on his way now to order one of his men to deliver it," I guessed.
"What would their reactions be? I'm sure they'll be disappointed about what happened," Kana speculated as well.
"That's just normal. But you know what I pity most now? It's Daku. Imagine him sitting on his bed, looking out through the window, clueless about what happened to him or what is wrong with him. His mind is probably a mess right now, trying to figure things out and make sense of everything," Shino mumbled, and it invited a melancholic air inside the carriage.
The whole room fell silent as we all got reminded of the bitter truth behind our journey.
***
"Thank you for your service, sir," I thanked the carriage owner before giving him the sack of doquis.
"Thank you as well. Have a safe journey ahead of you," he wished, and notified his horse to start moving.
We had finally reached the Lancel Intersection where the road diverged into two different paths. The one on the right, the safest yet longest route, and the one on the left, leading toward the mountain where danger awaited.
One could tell from afar which of these roads was used frequently because of the severity of the bald patches of grass. Among the two, the one on the right was wider. Carriage wheel tracks were visible as well, implying its usage for transport and travel.
Unlike the one on the left, where the grasses remained and only a faint sign of utilization could be seen. Countless warning signs also decorated the entrance, notifying those who would dare to enter of the dangers ahead. Most of them had already been devoured by time itself, while the newer ones still had their vibrance.
"Abandon all hope if you wish to continue on this road," Shino read one of the signs.
"Go back! Danger ahead!" Kana read as well.
I read one too, "This way to the mountain of death, where the highest point leads you to the deepest part of hell."
"We're not even in the mountain yet, but I can already feel the cold," Shino said while embracing herself. "Even my hairs stood! Eek!"
"Shall we take the other one?" I suggested.
"But we won't be able to catch up to them if we take that road," Kana protested.
"Kana is right, Kenshi."
"Are you sure? I'm just worried about you two."
"Stop worrying about us. I just said those things to calm my nerves down. Talking helps me relax," Shino explained. "And besides, with the two of you beside me, what could go wrong?"
"Don't jinx us, Shino!"
"I'm not jinxing us! Can we just go already!"