Chapter 118: The Witch’s Hut Part 8

"So, you don't know the current state of Tondra either, Didier?"

"Mm-hmm."

Didier took a bite of a cabbage roll, munched it, and nodded her head. She must have really liked the cabbage rolls because she was already on her fifth one. A glutton who rivaled El's appetite had appeared.

I placed a cabbage roll on my plate, added some melted ice moss and black olives, and took a bite. The juice of the snow pork filled my mouth, as did the sweetness of the snowy cabbage, the savory ice moss, and the perfect harmony of tomatoes and black olives. This would be perfect with red wine. Unfortunately, I no longer had any red wine I could drink. All the alcohol I brought in my space ring was reserved for other purposes.

"In that case, there is a possibility that the awakened Tondra would be angry."

"Mm-hmm."

"Hmm…"

On this point, Didier and Khalid agreed. The anger of an awakened dragon would be beyond human imagination.

Do I have no choice but to use that method…?

The method that old woman sometimes used. I don't know whether it would work on a dragon though …

Maybe using black opium instead of water lilies would work…

While I was lost in thought, Aquila who had finished eating early and went outside to check the stars returned and spoke to me.

"I've got the direction and found the path."

"Oh, then…"

"We can leave immediately when the sun rises."

"That's good news."

Aquila nodded her head slightly and went to a corner of the hut to prepare her sleeping area. I finished eating my cabbage roll and got up to check on Ayla and the goats.

– Crack, crunch, crack!

Ayla was engrossed in chewing on a snow pig bone. I patted her head once and then counted the goats. Good, we brought every single one. Ayla, you're really impressive.

Next were the two mules. Fortunately, the mules were safe, but a few of their loads were missing. A bag of grain, a bag of fruit, and a bag of vegetables were gone. What a shame.

I divided the remaining grain, fruit, and vegetables into three space bags I received from Didier. Fortunately, they held a considerable amount. Starting tomorrow, Lloyd, El, and I would share the load.

"Alright, you two can go back now."

The mules can't go beyond the mountainside. I untied their ropes and gave them a pat on the rear. The two mules looked at each other in bewilderment before eventually disappearing. They would find their way back to the village.

"Ayla, take good care of the goats for the night."

– kuung!

After entrusting Ayla with the goats and returning to the hut, I ran into Lloyd at the door. Today, he was on the first watch.

"Lloyd."

"Theodore."

"Are you feeling better? Or should I ask if your mind is alright?"

"Both are fine."

"That's a relief. It was really a strange experience, wasn't it?"

"Sometimes witches do unsettling things. It was an unpleasant experience."

"Really? I heard the illusion in the hut was supposed to be 'happy'…"

"…"

Lloyd remained silent. Could a "happy" dream be anything but "happy" for him?

"Well, I didn't have a pleasant dream either."

"Is that so."

"My parents appeared. It was as if they knew how much I missed them."

"…"

"Come to think of it, happiness doesn't have to be something special. It was just an ordinary day. Eating with my parents, working, just…"

"…"

"Living, I suppose."

"…"

"That must be what happiness is."

"I agree."

"You don't have to tell me about your dream. Everyone's happiness is different."

"Ha, is that so."

A faint smile appeared on Lloyd's lips.

"What I'm trying to say is, don't ignore happiness. There's no harm in it, right?"

"…"

"For now, I plan to think about my parents and home-cooked meals more often. Thinking happy thoughts doesn't cost anything, after all."

"Good advice."

"Is it?"

Instead of answering, Lloyd just smiled. I returned his smile and then went inside the hut.

El and Aquila were asleep. It was hard to tell if Didier was sleeping or not, and Khalid was tinkering with his golem.

Maybe it's because I'm inside a building for the first time in a while, but I'm feeling really sleepy.

I found a spot in the corner, rested my head on my arm, and closed my eyes. A deep sleep overcame me. I had a good feeling that I might have a happy dream.

The next day.

Our serious mountain journey began. Once we were ready, we started moving under Aquila's lead. It wasn't much different from before. Except that the difficulty level has risen sharply.

From then on, due to the risk of falling, we each wore a magic rope around our waists that allowed us to float. The narrow mountain path had a sheer drop beside it if you turned your head. On top of that, the wind and cold were so harsh that taking a deep breath felt like my lungs were freezing.

"Be careful!"

"…Huff."

"It's a good thing we're connected to the golem."

As expected, Khalid and Didier had no talent for mountain climbing. Should I say as to be expected of wizards? Despite the golem's assistance, their stamina was so low they were on the verge of collapse. They drank so many stamina potions that I worried they might die from potion overdose later.

Even though we reduced our rest periods while traveling, our speed did not improve. The terrain was much more rugged than I had anticipated. Moreover, the higher we climbed, the worse the weather became. Even though it was midday, the sky was dark as if a snowstorm would hit at any moment, and the distant thunder beyond the clouds made the hair on my body stand on end. It was an instinctive fear felt when confronting the great forces of nature.

However, Aquila was different. There was no hesitation or fear in her. She walked confidently as if she truly owned the Silver Mountains. It seemed that only Aquila and the goats were making any real progress in this party.

"Huff, huff, huff…"

"Haa, ha, haaa…"

The pair of wizard and witch were on the brink of collapse. We took advantage of a lull in the wind to catch our breath near the cliff. To prevent any accidents, I tied everyone together with snow lotus stems and secured the rope to a nearby sturdy rock. The snow lotus quickly took root.

"Alright, let's take a short break."

While I started a fire, El milked the goats. There was enough milk for everyone to have a drink. I poured the goat milk into a pot over the fire and began to boil it, then broke some hard chocolate into it.

"Where was the honey…?"

I took out the organic honey we had bought in Lysette and mixed it into the boiling goat milk. Soon, the bitter aroma of the chocolate and the sweet scent of the honey began to blend. Ah, just the smell alone made me feel rejuvenated.

-Bubbling.

-Bubbling.

I slowly stirred the pot with a wooden spoon while waiting for the chocolate to melt completely…. it felt incredibly peaceful, almost making me forget we were in the midst of the harsh Silver Mountains.

I handed out cups to everyone and poured the thick, rich hot chocolate into each one. It would have been nice to have whipped cream and marshmallows, but just thinking about that was a luxury. Instead, I crushed some dried strawberry chips and sprinkled them on top for a bit of a kick.

"Phew…"

"It's, it's delicious!"

"…It is."

"Haaah…"

"It's warm."

Each person shared their impressions, but the underlying feeling was the same: it was delicious. I smiled happily and took a sip of my hot chocolate. It was warm, thick, sweet, bitter, and nutty. The tangy strawberry chips perfectly balanced what could have been an overly rich aftertaste.

My belly feels swarm, I feel alive.

I drained the hot chocolate in one gulp and let out a long sigh. There was still a long way to go.

"How is it, Aquila? At this pace…"

"We need to focus on our stamina rather than speed."

Aquila glanced at the witch and the wizard as she spoke. I suppressed a laugh and nodded.

"Still, I think our pace isn't too bad."

"Maybe so, but if the weather gets worse…"

Aquila looked up at the sky. Something was flashing within the clouds in the distance.

"We need to find a safe camping spot before sunset."

"We should move quickly."

We exchanged glances and stood up.

According to Aquila, there was a small cave not too far ahead. It was a place where Sherpas occasionally rested. Though it was small, it would be enough to provide temporary shelter.

If we reach the cave before the weather gets worse and block the entrance with [Forest Protection], we can spend the night safely.

We quickened our pace. There were moments when Khalid and Didier nearly fell off the cliff, but thanks to the golem's help, we avoided any serious incidents. The snow lotus stems also did their part, allowing the party to move safely. Without the sun visible, it was sometimes hard to find our way, so I sprouted ice moss trees to check our direction. Since the ice moss trees grow towards the south, we could confirm our direction and proceed correctly.

"There, the cave!"

Aquila who was in the lead shouted. At the same time, snowflakes began to swirl, and ominous rumbling sounds came from the sky. My anxiety grew. The snowflakes thickened, and our visibility started to blur. We tightened our formation and followed closely behind Aquila. Fortunately, everyone made it safely into the cave.

"Phew, everyone, you did great. I'll block the entrance now, so please step back."

I used [Forest Protection] towards the entrance. In an instant, trees, grass, and vines grew and blocked the entrance. Finally, we could catch our breath. To quench my thirst, I sat down and pulled out my canteen.

-Grrrrr…

Then, an unwelcome sound reached our ears.