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Editor note: Did Chloe seriously think Julius would let her fight all alone and stay on Helios’ back…
A Walk in the Skies and the Underworldly Gate - 4
The Sacred Nation of Rashid bordered the opposite side of the Northern Demon Mountain of Astoria Kingdom. Beyond the Demon Mountain to the north, laid the Ilzario Kingdom, and inland, the vast Dystiana Empire extended over a large area and surrounding it, was an expanse of sea.
The capital was situated approximately in the heart of the country. The Astoria Kingdom, which I had only seen on maps, appeared elliptical when viewed from above.
As we approached the border near the Demon Mountain to the north, Helios suddenly changed direction towards the opposite side. I sensed something eerie beyond the horizon on the other side of the Demon Mountain, but even after straining my eyes, I couldn’t see it clearly.
“Julius-san, did you notice anything strange about the Dystiana Empire…?”
“...Hm?”
As I inquired, Julius lightly pulled the reins.
Helios circled once again, getting closer to the border. Although I had never been to the Dystiana Empire, I could see multiple layers of wooden horse barricades and several forts guarding the frontier, constructed to protect the border.
To avoid being spotted by the border guards, Helios ascended in altitude.
Flying within the cover of the clouds, beyond Helios’ long neck, I caught a glimpse of something like a dark spot in the sky above the Dystiana Empire’s territory.
“Was it just my imagination? …I feel like there was something in the sky.”
“Chloe, we can’t get any closer. Let’s head back.”
“Alright. …It was probably just my imagination.”
A strange sensation ran down my spine, as if I were peering into something I shouldn’t.
“Chloe, when you peer into something dangerous, an equally dangerous thing might see you, so if you ever feel scared, run away. Remember that, okay?”
Gentle words echoed in my mind. Suddenly, the words my mother spoke to me long ago came back to me, and the feeling of her petting my hair resurfaced. My father was reserved, but I couldn’t recall any conflicts between them.
Why am I remembering this now? Is mother warning me not to get close to the Dystiana Empire?
Helios circled widely, following the border of the kingdom. We had been flying for quite a while, so perhaps Helios was getting tired. Wanting to head back to the capital.
I wanted to stay in the sky forever, but that wasn’t possible.
As we attempted to pass through the snow-covered summit of the Northern Demon Mountain, I panicked and pulled on Julius’s clothes.
“Julius-san!”
“What is it this time? Did you see something?”
“At the summit of the mountain... There’s a large gate to the underworld!”
“So what? According to your stories, monsters emerge from those gates, right? Are we going to close it? To help people, or to gather materials?”
While I was in a state of panic, Julius’s voice remained remarkably calm.
On the snow-covered summit of the Northern Demon Mountain, a structure resembling a door appeared. It was a door that suddenly emerged in the empty space, with nothing before or after it, just an ordinary landscape.
From high above the sky, it was clear that it was a door, and it seemed quite large.
Since it was a clear day, we could see it vividly against the white snowy background.
“To close the gate to the underworld, we have to face the Gatekeeper, a dangerous monster. I won’t do anything so drastic... But Julius-san, there are people lying on the ground!”
“Yeah, I can see it... Were they killed?”
In front of the gate, several human figures could be seen. Some were lying down, creating red stains on the snowy landscape.
“What... What should we do? Julius-san, what should we do?”
“There’s nothing for us to do. It has nothing to do with me or you. We just happened to pass by.”
“B-But you see... We can’t just ignore it, can we?”
I’ve been on many expeditions to defeat monsters to gather materials, but encountering a gate to the underworld was a first.
My body felt uneasy, as if it was warning me not to get any closer. Those who usually confront these gates are either specialized extermination squads formed by mercenaries, members of the knight orders, or adventurers seeking bounty rewards.
They must be conscientious individuals wishing to minimize the damage caused by monsters for the kingdom. But if I were to witness that and simply ignore it, wouldn’t I be considered a heartless person?
_We should help them._However, it would put Julius and Helios at risk. Ordering them to do such a thing would be wrong.
“Julius-san, please drop me off at the summit! I know that they’re strangers, but I need to help them. It’s okay, I’m strong, and the alchemical items I made for combat are the strongest in the kingdom!”
Yes, this is a good plan.
Having Helios take only me to the summit and having Julius wait with Helios in the sky is the safest option.
That way, neither of them is in danger, and I should be—probably, hopefully—fine.
“What are you talking about, you idiot? Why are you the only one dropping off?”
“B-But it’s dangerous! I may know about monsters for gathering materials, but I’m not familiar with the gatekeeper. If we go together, Julius-san and Helios might get injured!”
I looked up at Julius as I spoke.
I feel a sense of reassurance when it comes to fighting monsters targeted for material gathering, as I have knowledge about them. But when it comes to unknown entities, it was frightening. I wasn’t strong enough to protect Julius while fighting against something unknown to me.
“Listen, Chloe. I’m your slave. …Just order me to kill the monster at the gate. That’s all you need to do.”
“But... I can’t do that, I...”
“You said you wanted to expand your alchemy shop, buy a house big enough to keep three dragons, right? ... The Gatekeeper of the gate to the underworld should drop valuable materials. It’ll be profitable, Chloe.”
“Julius-san, you don’t have to say such things at a time like this...!”
It felt as if Julius’s mindset had been taken over by my greed.
Julius, who spoke with a smirk on his face, was surprisingly reliable, and I could feel my heart racing.
—What the hell am I thinking in this kind of situation?
“Chloe, stop hesitating. Cling onto me so you don’t fall behind.”
“Huh…?”
Julius grabbed the neckline of my clothes from the front and casually tossed me over his shoulder towards his back.
A light sensation of floating and a jolt ran through my body. While fearing the possibility of falling from Helios’s back, I desperately clung onto Julius’s back.
As I held onto him tightly, the effects of the harness fixed my position again. Feeling relieved for a moment, Helios began a rapid descent towards the summit of the Northern Demon Mountain.
Julius then pulled out a black spear from the spear holder on Helios’s back, and held it effortlessly in his right hand. Made of a high-quality eternal diamond, it was a long, slender spear, as tall as me, with a black handle and a pointed tip.
Julius, the dragon knight, must have fought in this manner for a long time.
Clinging to Julius and trying not to be a hindrance, I gazed at his back.