Chapter 8: The Faraway Scenery
The method to create a party is very simple. As long as their palms are connected, and chanted in their heart, a red circle will appear on their right hand’s little finger.
The red circle seems like a ring, but it does not have a solid form so you cannot touch it with your hand. It feels like AR technology——that was what I thought. A certain remarkable sci-fi author seemed to said:「Over development of magic will be just like science」…… Wow～is that so?
「….Matching rings.」
Arisu looked up towards me, with a shy smile on her face.
That smile seems like an innocent flower, making swallow my saliva.
I do not know if she saw my nervousness. I observed Arisu who is full of smiles, and it seems that she is just purely happy.
Ah, forget it. Anyway, I found my companion. This is considered as taking a big step.
Now the urgent thing is……
「Let’s check out the current situation.」
I mumbled, asking Arisu to follow me, and then walked in the direction away from the main road. Arisu followed me panically.
「Where are you going to?」
「There is a cliff in front, from there we will be able to see the bus stop.」
Arisu gave a surprised expression.
Yes, it is ah. It is normal having such a reaction.
But now it is not an usual situation. Arisu and I must both acknowledge this, and confirm it with our eyes.
At this moment, what exactly happened in this mountain?
No, we have to know what exactly happened.
Our school —— Kitayama Private School, is situated in a mountain known as Kitayama by the natives.
More accurately saying, it should be that the entire mountain is the property of the school.
From the nearest bus stop through the fields until the foot of the mountain via car, will take you at least 30 mins.
From the foot of the mountain to the school building, the journey via car will also take 30mins, and the road condition is very bad, which is ill-suited for walking.
The building for the Middle School is at the South-west side of the mountain, while the building for High School is at the South-east side.
There are 2 roads connecting the 2 school buildings. Just now the road where we hunted the orc, is the further one, and we called it「South Road」.
If we take the north side road that connects the 2 school building, it will only take 10mins. But according to Arisu, after the earthquake, that road is covered by the landslide, and no longer functional. From the start she also use that road to escape, but after discovering that there is no way out, she is forced to escape to here.
Anyway, our current position, is at the longer route that connects the 2 school building, and also slightly south at the middle of the South Road.
We are currently heading south from here, so that when we reached the cliff and look down, we should be able to see the bus stop ad the nearby streets of the city.
We, who have reached the cliff, could really see the scenery from faraway.
But yet we could only stare at the vast gra.s.sland in front of us.
That’s right, it’s a gra.s.sland. At the horizon are majestic mountains, but directly in front of us is a big patch of gra.s.sland.
Not to mention the city, even a building or a field cannot be seen. Of course there is no human in sight.
The birds flew above us. But looking at them clearly, we discovered that they are different from the species that we know of.
The birds that we knew, are not that big. Don’t even mention about the existing birds, even the dinosaurs are not that big.
That huge bird landed on the gra.s.sland.
There is an elephant on the gra.s.sland. But the huge bird is bigger than that elephant, it used its sharp claws and lightly grabbed on the elephant, before spreading its wings to fly……
Then, it disappeared over the other side of the horizon like this.
「That, I want to ask a very stupid question now.」
Mmm, me too. I wish to say some very, very idiotic words, and I wish to say it desperately.
「Where is the bus stop?」
「I don’t know, it should not be far from here.」
Well that is true —— Arisu said, scratching the back of her head in embarra.s.sment.
Hmm～ that’s not it right? The thing that you wanted to say is not this right?
I lowered my head and looked at the girl beside me, while Arisu looked at me with a troubled look.
「Sorry, I do not know what kind of expression to make now.」
You can laugh—— I wanted to say that, but I do not wish to let her know that I am a nerd, so I mumbled over after halfway through the sentence.
It has already come to this, and I am still minding such insignificant stuff, I can’t help but feel that I am like an idiot……
I have already expected such a situation.
I have vaguely guessed our current situation. In that white room, I have asked many questions with this situation as an example, although the other party never gave me a clear answer, but once you chain all of the answers known to us, it becomes clear.
Hence the reason I came to this place, is actually just to confirm it.
I guess, this probably happened during the earthquake.
At that time, we……
No, it should be that the whole mountain is involved in a huge change.
I gently held Arisu’s hand. Her hand is very warm. Arisu held my hands tightly back, as though she found a driftwood in the sea.
「Arisu, let’s level up together, and then go back to ask the questions.」
「Yes, Kazu-senpai…… Let’s level up together.」
We cannot stay here aimlessly.
So we decided on our next target.
Level up. After leveling up, head to the white room, and ask the other party what is the situation.
We held hands together, returning back via the same route.
The crow scouted in the air, and found the orcs.
Those orcs seem to come from the top of the mountain. When they are heading down, the path they went through intersected with the road, and hence they splited left and right. The ones heading east will reach the high school building, while the ones heading west will reach the middle school building.
「What does the mountain top have exactly?」
Such a question appeared in my heart, but the me of now does not wish to rush into a bunch of orcs. We lure the orcs one by one to the forest on the north of the road, and waited until they reached deep in the forest where no sounds of fighting can be heard, then Arisu and I will work together to kill them.
Arisu’s spear skills is very good. More accurately speaking, it should be that the power of Spear Skill is very remarkable.
The Arisu from just now could not even stand firmly, and when she stabs, there is a lack of strength and she cannot even hit accurately. In short, it was bad. But now, she who have gotten Spear Skill Rank 1, is already like a soldier who is well-trained, standing firmly and stabbing with the spear, toying around with the orcs.
Just by ability alone, Arisu is about the same as the orcs.
But, Arisu has my support magic.
《Keen Weapon》,《Physical Up》 and 《Mighty Arm》.
These 3 support magic has been very helpful to me since Rank 1, and after it became Rank 2, the effect became even greater, supporting Arisu.
Thanks to these support magic, even if it is 1 vs 1, this girl who is smaller and weaker, is able to suppress the orcs who are muscular.
The orc swing its sword wildly, attacking from the front.
Arisu widened the distance from the orc with her nimble footsteps from 《Physical Up》, then focused her strength into her limbs enhanced with 《Mighty Arm》and using the metal spear sharpened with 《Keen Weapon》 to attack.
Arisu’s attack caused the orc to have a serious injury on his leg, and it fell down, groaning.
This moment, without a shred of hesitation, Arisu stabbed the spear in the orc’s body, and the humanoid creature with a pig face began to ooze blue blood.
The orc immediately tried to run away, but Arisu chased it without hesitation.
Thanks to 《Physical Up》, Arisu’s strides are faster than the orc.
Arisu caught up with the orc in an instant. With a scream, she stabbed again, and the orc shrieked.
The battle took roughly about 1 minute. Then the orc that has its throat stabbed by Arisu began to glow, and gradually disappear.
We intercepted the orcs from the front, and obtained victory.
「That’s great!」
Arisu is ecstatic. Although she is still panting from the battle that just ended, but she still jumped around happily with her spear, and then hugged me.
Her voluptuous peaks are pressed on my chest.
That softness and elasticity feel caused my words to become incoherent, and I lowered my head to look at Arisu…… She who recovered, began to blush and turn her sight away from me.
「Th..that, I am sorry.」
Arisu quickly let go of me, and turned to the side, but she will take peeks at me occasionally.
Just what is with this girl, that intelligence and nimbleness from just now, and the innocent and defenseless look now, isn’t the difference too big……
Suddenly the alarm in my heart rang. Could she be trying to win me over? Or making use of me?
No, actually this is not bad.
Currently we both need each other. If she does not have my support magic, when Arisu is facing the orcs, she could be in a tough battle. Even under the a.s.sistance of 《Mighty Arm》, her strength is still weaker than the orcs. When facing close combat, and a battle of strength situation, she will be suppressed onto the ground immediately. To escape from the opponent’s attack range, 《Physical Up》 that increases speed is essential.
Also removing the spear’s rust, and strengthening its attacking power, is also my magic. If an emergency situation occurs, I intend to use the crow to restrain the orc, to protect her. After all, my level is now 2, there are a lot of methods to use.
Hence, at least for now, our benefits to each other is the same.
The problem is in the future? She once said that she needs power, I should have asked her for the reason she wanted power for. I should have asked it earlier, that is really a miscalculation.
I lowered my head, disheartened. Arisu observed me carefully.
「Arisu, we know that we have the power to fight. Now is to determine our next direction.」
Saying this, my eyes met with Arisu’s. I stared straight into her obsidian eyes.
「What do you wish to do next?」
Arisu hesitated for a moment, and then nodded her head vigorously.
「I have a request.」
After she finished her words, she looked towards the West.
The other side of the forest, should be the school building for the Middle School. So to say, she was chased by the orc from there until here.
She said she headed to the north road to escape first, before changing route, and then reaching here; but before that, where was she? Where did she meet the orcs?
「I wish to save my friend. Kazu-senpai, will you go to the Middle School Building with me?」
Friend. She wanted to save her friend.
「You are saying…… to save your friends from the orcs?」
Arisu nodded.
And then she lowered her head, seemingly unable to speak.
Finally she decided, clutching her hands in front of her chest, and looked at me.
She spoke……
「I left my friend who was being chased by an orc, and escaped alone.」
And admitted her sin.