Between the capital and Sarosso, a not very high mountain range extends.
Although it is said to be not very high, a mountain remains a mountain. The winding gentle hills exhaust the travelers’ stamina and take longer than walking on flat terrain.
“Stone paving cannot be laid on a road like this,” Nox pondered.
Though the path was there, it was narrow, only wide enough for two carts to pass with difficulty, unlike the flat streets on solid ground.
As they passed by few figures of people, the two silently made their way towards the inn on the mountainside.
“Are you okay, Nana?” Nox inquired regularly.
Despite taking breaks and intermittently applying healing magic, the endless slope made them pant just from climbing.
Nox showed concern for Nana.
“Maybe it would have been better to use a carriage just for the climb,” Nox reflected.
He didn’t care much for carriages. They were cramped and swayed uncomfortably. If they weren’t carrying heavy luggage and the speed wasn’t much faster than walking, for Nox, walking was more comforting.
“I’m not bothered. It’s more fun than I thought,” Nana replied, deflecting Nox’s concern.
Despite the tenderness with which Nox touched her feet to apply healing magic, Nana resisted the urge to stroke his head when she saw his adorable nape as he bent down.
“Really? We’ll rest at the inn tonight, so let’s push a little harder,” noticing Nox’s soft smile, Nana struggled to resist the urge to pat his head.
“I’m sorry, did I tickle you?” Nox asked.
“…No, I’m fine,” Nana replied, suddenly regaining the tingling sensation in her feet and restraining herself once again.
At night, when nocturnal creatures become active, people begin to hurry along the road as dusk falls. However,
“Monsters!”
As evening fell and they were just ten minutes away from reaching the next inn, a shout echoed behind Nox and his company.
Turning around, they saw about three figures running towards them at full speed.
“Hey, you too, run! It’s a dracolich!”
They were adventurers slightly older than Nox and Nana.
“A dracolich? So close to the inn?”
Although dragons, even in their juvenile stage, have a certain level of intelligence, they do not feel affinity for inhabited places. By looking up and seeing the sky tinted red, they could indeed make out several black winged shapes flying.
“Hurry up and run, what are you doing!”
As the adventurers prepared their defenses, Nox watched the winged creatures closely, while Nana watched him.
“Hey! They might eat us!”
“Hush. That’s not a dracolich, it’s a bat.”
“…A bat?”
As they debated, the shape of the flying creatures became clearer, revealing them to be gigantic bats.
A flock of around five, with one notably larger than the others, with a body the size of an adult human.
“Spikybat. Anyway, it’s strange for a monster like this to be here,” Nox reflected.
By its name, it was known that Spikybats, gigantic bats with sharp spines, usually inhabited higher mountains to the west. With an inquisitive gesture, Nox pulled a bow from his magic bag.
“Well, whatever, I’ll find out,” he said.
The arrows shot from his relaxed stance pierced the black wings one by one, causing the bats to emit sharp screams as they lost balance and fell to the ground.
Faced with the sudden situation, the adventurers stood dumbfounded, forgetting even to flee.
“I’ll check on the fallen ones, you go to the city and inform the association,” ordered Nox, prompting the astonished adventurers to move hastily.
After watching the adventurers depart, Nox headed towards where the largest bat had fallen.
Although these beings usually act in groups, if there was clearly an individual that seemed to be the leader, it could be a mutation similar to the Dot Spider or even a superior species.
“But… huh?”
However, upon arriving there, he found no trace of the gigantic bat.
“No, my clothes are torn!”
A young blonde-haired girl, seemingly younger than Nox, was on the verge of tears as she saw her black cloak with a hole.
“You! You’re the one who shot that arrow, aren’t you?! It’s disrespectful to shoot without warning!”
The girl dressed in an excess of lace and ruffles pointed at Nox.
Nox and Nana were left puzzled, not understanding the situation.
“Hey! Aren’t you going to say anything?! My beautiful dress has been ruined by your actions!”
The blonde-haired girl shouted furiously. Although Nox had an idea of what had happened, he awkwardly responded with an innocent expression.
“…It’s strange… I supposedly only brought down the bats, how come there is a girl here?”
Suddenly, the girl noticed her slip-up and hurriedly covered her mouth.
“Oh, wait, I’m a lovely human living near this area! I know nothing about downed bats.”
Shifting her gaze, putting a fist near her mouth and simulating a cute laugh, the girl tried to downplay her mistake.
“You know, real humans don’t usually say they are humans.”
Preparing with a small compressed wind sphere ready to launch at any moment, Nox said this. The girl reacted by shielding her face with trembling arms.
“Why?! I was just out for a walk with a friend! I haven’t done anything yet!”
“Yet?”
The supposed human covered her mouth again, feeling the need to stay on guard amidst the strange conversation.
“Nox-sama, is she also a supernatural creature?” Nana gently intervened. Nox nodded.
“Probably. If she can turn into a bat, is she some kind of vampire?”
Then, the girl, still teary-eyed, serious, and proud, stood up and introduced herself.
“There’s no denying it anymore. My name is Ivy, a proud member of the vampiric lineage!”
