Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Gale (1)

#54

Benden Kradil!

It was the third playable character met since coming to this world.

The epithet on the character selection screen is [Explorer].

Although he achieved several brilliant feats befitting that name, a person who met an end counted as terrible even among playable characters.

‘The original is unexpectedly neat. It would be before getting the curse.’

The reason Bran did not recognize him at once was also because of that.

Because the appearance of the playable character staying in the Hall of Heroes reflects the appearance at the time of meeting the end.

The face of Benden who died wearing dozens of curses was quite distant from now.

In a very very bad direction.

Nevertheless the reason he recognized was thanks to the unique glibness and my pace.

“This is a very interesting composition. Two young humans and a dragonblood! Although a bit shameful words for a person who claims to be an explorer actually I am seeing a dragonblood for the first time since birth. What great blood did you inherit? Fire Dragon? Thunder Dragon? Or if not the explosion dragon series?”

Benden who sat next to Bran on his own was moving his tongue without rest.

Ilark said as if sighing.

“···Fire Dragon.”

“As expected so! The red Fire Dragon is the dragon among dragons, the incarnation of death that is violent and greedy! Wanting to leave a record, if not rude may I touch that beautiful tail just once?”

“If you want your wrist cut try doing it.”

Ilark growled.

Seeing the appearance of the pupils narrowing thinly like a reptile Benden froze.

Shak!

Hurriedly withdrawing his hand he knelt on the seat.

“S-sorry. I’ll hand over all the money I have so please forgive···.”

“Damn. It is not a matter to be that sorry about.”

“No, I committed rudeness. I’ll stay like this until you forgive.”

“Ah.”

Ilark tightly closed her eyes.

Even the most cheerful her in our party was completely drained of energy.

Leaning her upper body forward Ilark whispered in Bran’s ear.

“Bran. Are you really going together with this dwarf?”

“Although he talks a lot he is an okay person.”

“Hmm. If you say so then it is so but···.”

Ilark narrowed her eyes.

Although the behavior was frivolous he did not seem a bad guy.

Thinking of the dwarf average he is rather very excellent.

She said.

“Haa··· I’ll forgive so please get up.”

“Th-thank you! Really thank you! By the way how about wearing gloves? If it is unpleasant to touch barehanded it seems it would be an okay solution···”

Ilark smiled.

If Bran did not say “endure” with his mouth shape a fist would have flown suddenly.

The damn dwarf’s head would have exploded like a watermelon and the train would have been dyed with blood.

Huu. Thinking this kind of thing the heart becomes a bit comfortable.

Just as Benden who sensed killing intent again was preparing to kneel.

“Uuu··· here is···?”

“Oo, woke up Kale!”

“W-who are you?”

Kale shrugged his shoulders.

Just woke from fainting and if a fluffy dwarf is sitting opposite most would show that kind of reaction.

Hop!

Benden who jumped down from the chair extended a hand full of calluses.

“Benden Kradil! Although I roughly heard information from your friends let’s shake hands. Come, nice to meet.”

“Uum, uh··· nice to meet?”

“By the way it was a person! Just seeing the sleeping appearance at first I thought it was a doll. Hehe, even the highest grade items the central nobles collect would not have face molding as delicate as you!”

“D-doll?”

Although bewildered Kale shook hands with Benden.

Although talkative basically a good person so it seemed they would quickly get close.

With this he greeted all three.

Confirming that a notification window does not appear Bran raised an eyebrow.

‘With this much Weed’s Pack does not activate.’

He wondered if it might be automatically accepted into the pack just in case.

Although naturally not rising now is correct.

Because the condition for forming a pack was a strong bond.

If fortunate then fortunate.

Although Benden was a capable person, the member needed to clear the next destruction was decided.

Looking outside the window Bran turned to Benden again.

“So. Your goal is stealing the relic the king left?”

“Ahem, if possible I hope you use the expression excavation.”

The story that was briefly interrupted resumed.

They were in the middle of exchanging about what the purpose of coming to the Kargai Plateau is.

“But I won’t completely deny. I am aiming for the king’s relic.”

Benden pointed at Bran’s fairy tale book.

“Since you read my book you would know. The story of the great king who ruled the country of wind.”

Cursed Plateau.

Bran’s was with a signature he did not even request largely engraved on the cover.

“That is actually not a fairy tale but history. Information found out at the end of flipping all kinds of books and ancient documents. The king is still alive, and is roaming the Kargai Plateau.”

It was fact.

“So I believe the treasures the king handled also exist. Things like a bow that exerts legendary power or a bead that causes wind. If there were no such things enduring for several years against the overwhelming empire does not make sense.”

“That kind of thing was not written in the fairy tale book though.”

“I deliberately did not write it. In case someone who dreamed a vain dream enters Kargai.”

“Aha.”

As expected an okay dwarf.

Anyway, this was also mostly fact.

“But I am not aiming for the king’s relic simply for wealth and honor. Of course those two being there is good, but it is only incidental income.”

“Then what do you want?”

“Knowledge!”

Tak. Benden strongly closed the book.

The playfulness disappeared from the face long ago.

“I want history and truth. I want not only the king’s relic but all traces existing in Kargai to be revealed one by one. Like a bird flying to the sky, a fish crossing the current, I am a person designed from birth to pursue this kind of thing.”

“You are looking for a clue to undo the curse that descended on the plateau.”

“Haha, surprisingly quick at noticing. Correct.”

Benden smiled.

“Your words are correct. What I ultimately wish is the extinction of the curse. If the curse that descended on this land is lifted everything I want would be achieved. The souls of the people possessed by the evil king, suffering even after death would also attain Buddhahood.”

This was different from fact.

“And I think that clue is in the item the king left. Almost a guess close to conviction. Because my intuition in this side has never been wrong even once. I would be able to obtain even information about the ritual that cast the curse.”

“I hope it goes well.”

“Thank you. Since I went in and out of that ghost-possessed land more than ten times now it is time to discover something. This time the feeling is good.”

It was a remark where one can know why his epithet is explorer.

Visiting Kargai more than ten times and still alive with limbs intact.

If a greenhorn claiming to be an adventurer he would have died before even entering the plateau.

Benden stroked his beard.

“Ahem, by the way sorry that I only talked about my story too much. Why are you going to Kargai?”

“Because one friend lives there.”

Bran answered calmly.

Benden let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded.

“Nonsense. There is no one living on the plateau.”

Instead of answering Bran only showed a meaningful smile.

The friend he will meet was definitely residing on the Kargai Plateau.

Just as Benden was about to say more then.

Kiiiiik···!

Along with a metallic sound the train stopped.

It was dawn with a bit of blue mixed like when leaving Valkeros.

Outside the window an empty station was unfolded.

“Arrived. Everyone get off.”

“···Tseup! What, already arrived?”

Ilark rose while rubbing the corner of her mouth with her sleeve.

The difficult conversation of the two had power equal to the lullaby Freude used to tell in childhood.

Kale was looking around outside the window with a face that turned pale.

“B-Bran··· here the feeling is a bit strange.”

“It can be so. Because it is ghost-possessed land.”

Definitely whether because Divine Power is high it seemed he detects spiritual existences well.

Bran tapped his head.

“Don’t be scared Kale. Kargai is your stage. What god is protecting you?”

“······Lady Rawiena.”

“Right. What god is Lady Rawiena? The goddess of morning. In front of that brilliant light what power would ghosts who just graze on grass exert?”

It was not wrong words.

Suddenly a message rose before Bran’s eyes.

『The morning goddess Rawiena shows slight interest in you.』

Really likes praise.

I thought I was completely forgotten but it seems she is still watching.

Suddenly, Kale clenched his fist.

“Th-that’s right. Your words are correct Bran···!”

“Oh.”

“That is my mission. I’ll try, yes.”

The appearance of burning with enthusiasm unlike Kale was admirable.

Soon the group got off the train.

Huuuuung-!

A strong wind incomparable to when in Valkeros covered the four.

“Kraa··· this wind I can’t adapt every time I come···!”

“Cool and good what.”

“Haha! Moving so it feels a bit alive?!”

Bran and Ilark quite liked this weather.

The stuffiness accumulated from not being able to move for two days seemed to fly away at once.

Whether because the yin energy is thick it also seemed cooler.

“How, you also good Kale?”

“U-uung!”

Kale nodded.

Actually it was cold enough to want to tightly wrap the cloak right away, but because he put on air earlier he could not.

Spirit, have to gather spirit Kale!

Just as Kale who recited that inner words was about to move his steps following the group.

“Oh.”

His gaze touched the platform on the opposite side of the railroad.

A woman in white uniform was shaking her hand while holding a smile.

Judging from the large height and attire it seemed a station attendant of Havelga station.

Kale who shook hands together in greeting pulled Bran’s sleeve with a poke.

“Bran. Even in this kind of station there is a station attendant.”

“Station attendant?”

Bran raised an eyebrow.

“Havelga and the previous station were closed long ago. It just formally stops. There is no way there is something like a station attendant.”

“Yes? But clearly there···”

Turning his head Kale froze.

The woman in uniform had disappeared without a trace.

Even though not even footsteps were heard.

In the place she was only one tall signpost was erected.

Creak.

Creak.

The signpost creaking in the wind, shaking left and right as if greeting.

Kale supported his forehead and staggered.

“···Aah.”

“Doing all kinds of things.”

It seems he saw a phantom again.

Since it is a phenomenon that occurs because Divine Power is high he does not know if he should say this is good.

“Gradually let’s depart! Although it is said there is no curse until crossing the boundary of the plateau, still it is ominous land so there is nothing good about staying long.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

“Since it would be the first time I’ll take the lead until the boundary. Where can your friend be met?”

“Wherever going he can be met.”

“Mm?”

Benden tilted his head.

Although it might sound strange he only said the fact as is.

Because the guy wandering the plateau like a wolf chases both the living and the dead.

Furthermore, Bran was also quite interested in the king’s relic Benden is looking for.

“So just go as you want. I’ll accompany until discovering the king’s tent.”

There was no particular strategy for finding the king’s tent.

Originally the plateau is wide and it was a building that moves without rest 24 hours.

The method of raising the possibility of finding was only moving while bringing a character with good insight like Benden.

“My god. That cannot be!”

“Why?”

“Because you don’t know how dangerous Kargai is you can say that kind of words. The nightmares that appeared in my book are only a very small part! I can hide and go around because I am alone, you guys will unconditionally die!”

Benden was serious.

Common sense wise it was correct words.

Kargai is originally an ominous place with many variables.

Even in the game if not particularly high Mental Power, or possessing a special character it was general to raise specs higher than the recommended clear level.

“It’s okay. Because I have no thought of hiding and going around.”

“What?”

“If it was going to be like that even here I wouldn’t have come from the beginning.”

But we had both.

Crouching Bran turned to Kale and said.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes. I thought it would become like this somehow.”

Sighing deeply Kale was piggybacked on Bran’s back.

Still being piggybacked was better than being carried on the shoulder.

Benden’s face contorted with perplexity.

“W-what are you doing now?”

“We delayed time too much. Ilark. I’ll ask.”

“Kehehe, good. Let’s go.”

Saying that Ilark lifted Benden and carried him on her shoulder.

“Huff!?”

Benden was astonished.

There was not even time to argue what kind of ill-natured act this is.

Boooom!

With one leap Bran and Ilark who exited the station began charging toward the plateau.

“Kyaaaaaak!”

Benden’s scream echoed on the field.

Unlike Benden who was struggling like a fish just scooped up, Kale was stably lowering his head while hugging Bran’s nape.

'This would be the difference in experience.'

The distance that would have taken three days if Benden’s original steps was narrowing in only several hours.

Around the time the dark sky was brightening, the boundary of the Kargai Plateau appeared.

"Th-if crossing there you must not!”

Seeing the fence made of beast bones and ropes Benden screamed.

The moment crossing there it was cursed land.

A demonic realm where ghosts swarm, and ghost warriors pop out suddenly.

But Bran and Ilark did not stop.

Boooom!

The moment the two who leaped over the boundary entered the plateau.

“Shaaaaaa!”

“Oo··· oh. Ooooo···!”

Tearing the land where short grass grew black forms surged.

Although fluttering like gas they resemble people.

The evil spirits of the Kargai Plateau.

Souls bound to this land and suffering until the moment the curse is lifted.

Benden gasped.

“Hik.”

Whether ancestors of distant Kargai, or the souls of travelers who lost their lives unfairly there was no way to know.

Only the fact that they hate life was important.

Just as the ghosts who casually caught up with Bran and Ilark were about to cover them.

Hwaaaaaak!

Bright light burst from Kale’s staff.

A light that is cozy yet bright like the morning sun rising beyond the ridge.

The widely ripened light formed the shape of a sphere.

『The tranquil morning light blesses you!』

A notification flashed before Bran’s eyes.

The vitality unique to Morning’s Blessing was spreading inside the body.

However today’s use of the blessing was not a buff.

Puhwaaaak!

The evil spirits touched by the light tore as if exploding.

“What.”

Benden’s eyes widened.

Ferocity contrasting with coziness.

Rawiena’s light was decomposing all evil spirits it contacts.

“...Wow.”

Surprised was the same for Kale.

He was watching the ghosts perishing in the morning light with eyes wide open.

Every time taking a step evil spirits rushed but none could pierce the barrier made of light.

Bran smiled.

“I told you not to be scared.”