TEOCH 42

Though floating in midair without a single support, the islands were settled in place even more stably than if they were floating on the sea.

The sizes of the islands were all different. Among the islands, which numbered over 50 by a rough estimate, only twenty at most looked fertile enough to be habitable for living creatures. More than half of the islands were too cramped and insignificant to even house a small village.

I looked at the twelve islands where a dark red forest grew as dense as a net. Those places were the actual stage for this round. The islands, each boasting a size equivalent to dozens of the other islands combined, were so massive that each one could comfortably accommodate two or three large cities. It would take at least five days to explore a single island, which just went to show how large they were.

“The guardians of this area will be staying on the central island. For now, let’s go around the surrounding islands to find the things we need, and once we’re sufficiently prepared, we’ll go face the guardians.”

“I see… But you said guardians? Don’t tell me there are several?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. It’s probably five sisters. That’s what I know.”

The reason I specifically added ‘probably’ was out of concern that the number of bosses might have increased now that the difficulty had gone up. Considering the last battle, the number of bosses might have remained the same with only their patterns changing slightly, but there was always a ‘what if.’ This was the kind of game that would present a difficulty level exceeding even the most pessimistic predictions.

What if the number had increased from five sisters to around seven sisters? What if their attack patterns had become much more difficult? As I was terrifying myself with visions of seven bosses attacking simultaneously, Rikiel’s uncomfortable clearing of his throat brought me back to my senses.

“Ahem, Rohan.”

“…”

“Rohan, I have something I’d like to ask.”

“…Yes? What is it?”

“I’m just asking, just in case… but is there a way to move between the islands?”

Rikiel wore a sour expression, which was unusual for him. I was wondering why he looked so anxious, but a moment later, I realized what was going on. All of my companions, except for me, were staring at Rikiel’s back. To be more precise, they were likely looking at the wings that were neatly folded within his back.

Once I realized what they were imagining, I couldn’t help but smile. Of course, I didn’t want to laugh at Rikiel, so I couldn’t burst into laughter, but the image my companions must have been picturing was so naive that it felt almost cute. I managed to suppress the urge to let the corners of my mouth rise and began my explanation.

“You don’t have to worry. There’s a much better method than you carrying each of us one by one.”

“I-Is that so?”

“Yes. Didn’t I tell you before? It’s best not to use the parasite on your back unless absolutely necessary. The battle with the Queen Spider was an unavoidable situation, but if you have to spread your wings every time we move between islands, your body won’t hold up. You need to take care of your body as well.”

Only then did my companions avert their gazes from Rikiel. The strategy of ‘Rikiel carrying his companions to move between islands’ was certainly interesting, but its feasibility was practically nonexistent. Setting aside the issue of Rikiel’s own stamina being depleted, there was a problem with stability.

About half of the monsters roaming this stage were avian in form, and naturally, most of them were more skilled at flying than Rikiel. Rikiel, stumbling through the air with companions tucked under his arms, would become easy prey for those monsters.

‘But… should I have tried egging him on to give it a try?’

Seeing Rikiel’s openly relieved expression, a strange sense of disappointment welled up. If I had lied and said something like, ‘It’s for the sake of your companions, so it might be good to at least try,’ that stubborn man would have fallen for it in an instant.

Of course, due to safety issues, I wouldn’t have actually made him do such a thing, but if I hadn’t been on good terms with Rikiel, I might have subtly encouraged that man to get him into trouble. I might have even enjoyed watching Rikiel’s face turn pale with anxiety. But…

“How unexpected. Are you worried about me?”

“Of course. No matter how good your stamina is, this is the demon world. It’s not a place where you can afford to wander around in an exhausted state.”

As I looked into Rikiel’s green eyes, which tilted in a curious way, my desire to play a needless prank vanished in an instant. When he made that kind of expression, that man looked a little bit like Tristan. Well, it was true that Rikiel was a pretty decent person as long as he wasn’t being needlessly stubborn. Come to think of it, his looks were also passable…

“Ahem, well, anyway! You don’t need to worry. There’s a much safer method. Though it will be a bit tough, of course.”

“A method that’s tough but safe? How strange.”

“It’s a method that’s a bit physically demanding, but I can definitely guarantee its safety. You can trust me.”

Just as I finished speaking, a long cry began to echo from somewhere in the distance. The sound, as loud and sonorous as an eagle’s cry, was impossible to miss. It was about time. I immediately gathered my belongings and stood up.

As my bewildered companions scrambled to follow, I ran to the edge of the meadow and looked down below the cliff. It didn’t take very long to find what I was looking for. How could anyone possibly miss those wings, so vast they looked like something out of a myth?

While my companions, who had run after me, stared at the giant bird with their mouths agape, I calmly gauged the distance and backed away.

“Rohan, don’t tell me the means of transportation you mentioned is…?”

“Yes, that bird. Are you ready?”

“Ready for what?”

“Ready to jump, of course.”

Tristan’s eyes widened at my words. To safely land on the back of that giant bird, one needed to have rather precise timing. If you carelessly landed on its wing or head, you would throw it off balance and risk falling with the bird. Therefore, you had to land as precisely as possible on its torso to minimize the impact on the bird. ‘Dying because of a botched landing after finally defeating the Queen Spider’—if something that absurd happened, I wouldn’t even be able to laugh.

“Now, is there anyone here who suffers from a fear of heights? If so, I’ll offer a special service and cover your eyes. I can provide that much consideration.”

“You, this isn’t a matter of acrophobia… Won’t we die if we fall wrong?!”

“Yes, you will die. But if you fall well, you’ll live. Don’t worry, if you just get the timing right, you can land safely without dying.”

“Should I spread my wings?”

“Do as you please, Sir Rikiel. It should be fine if you land well, but you never know.”

Spreading his wings, Rikiel picked Tristan up in his arms as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I thought about getting a little angry but decided against it, because in a situation where one could fall to their death with a single misstep, a certain degree of caution was essential. Instead of needlessly nagging, I dragged Damian, who was loitering in the distance, and presented him to Rikiel.

“Here, while you’re at it, hold Damian too.”

“Huh? No, I’m fine.”

“If you fall, you’ll die just the same as His Majesty, won’t you? And you still haven’t gotten used to teleporting. Now, hurry.”

“Your judgment is certainly correct.”

Rikiel nodded awkwardly and lifted Damian with one arm. Only then was I satisfied, and this was absolutely not because I was jealous of Tristan being held by that man alone. It was purely a matter of safety. Yes, that’s right. That’s what it was.

Anyway, once the two people I was most worried about were moved to a safe place(?), Rehas approached me with a strangely slick expression. …Something feels off. As I tilted my head, Rehas smiled brightly and opened his mouth.

“You’re not going to hold me?”

“I don’t have wings.”

“I know that much, but still, I feel somehow anxious. Isn’t this a situation where I could fall with the slightest misstep? My, my, to do something so dangerous so casually, you certainly have nerves of steel!”

“Are you a child? Do you want to hug a teddy bear to find some peace of mind?”

“Even when you get old, falling from a high place is still scary. Yes, it certainly is!”

This is strange, it doesn’t seem like this man is genuinely afraid of falling… Don’t tell me this sly old man is teasing me right now? I glared at Rehas with a very skeptical expression, but he just stared back at me with a brazen face.

“Is there something you want to say to me?”

“No, not at all. I just came over with good intentions because your side looked so lonely.”

“You should at least wet your lips before you lie. Saying something like that with a look that says you’re determined to mess with me isn’t very convincing.”

“Hey now, that’s a hurtful thing to say. Are you saying you don’t like an old man like me?”

“What do you like so much about a swarthy man like me that you’re clinging to me? Don’t tell me you have this kind of taste?”

I rambled off a response while glancing down the cliff. …Isn’t it about time to go down? I looked back and forth between Tristan, who was watching our argument with an amused expression, and Rehas, who was trying to trade jokes without missing a single beat in response to my answer, and let out a deep sigh. Well, shall we get going?

“This kind of taste, you say? I was merely expressing pure camaraderie…”

“Ah, yes. Then let’s just say it’s pure camaraderie, and I’ll accept your camaraderie as well. Now, let’s go!”

“That’s a great idea… W-whoaaa?!”

As soon as the timing was right, I grabbed Rehas by the waist and immediately jumped off the cliff. The weightless feeling of flying through the sky was brief, and a dizzying vertigo washed over me along with the rush of air against my entire body. Nyo-ho-ho-ho, watching Rehas, tucked under my arm, let out an unidentifiable cheer, I finally burst out laughing. What? Scared of falling from a high place? Feeling anxious?

Fortunately, the timing of my jump was perfect. Just before landing, I let go of Rehas’s waist, and we landed safely on a soft surface that felt warm to the touch. Rikiel, who jumped after us, perfectly balanced himself with a light flap of his wings and landed steadily on both feet with Tristan and Damian under his arms.

“Whew, this is pretty fun! Will we have to do this every time we go between islands from now on?”

“Weren’t you just making a fuss, saying you were scared and frightened?”

“Did I? I don’t remember. Anyway, if it’s this fun, I won’t get tired of it no matter how many times we do it.”

“Come to think of it, Rohan. Didn’t you say earlier that it was ‘safe but tough’?”

“Yes, I certainly did.”

Looking at Tristan, who spoke cautiously with a worried voice, I drew my sword. Tristan, who had been looking around with a bewildered expression, was startled and drew his own sword, while Rehas, who had been grinning from ear to ear just moments ago, looked around with a pale face. To my companions, now faced with the realistic and annoying problem that arises when you land on the back of a large bird, I shouted in a cheerful voice.

“Now, be careful not to get your blood sucked! And grab onto something tight so you don’t fall off!”

It was something you could figure out easily with a little thought, but wild animals are not that clean. This giant bird, looking like it had popped out of a myth, was no exception as it was still a living creature. This bird, which flapped its wings while maintaining a noble appearance, wasn’t an animal that cared as much about cleanliness as one might think, and thanks to that, pretty much every bug imaginable was clinging to its body.

Fleas and lice the size of small pet dogs swarmed us in search of new prey. Anticipating the hardship we would have to endure for the next few hours, I swung my sword with all my might at a flea.