10-3 The Prince And Mountain Climbing

The aircraft landed safely at the destination, and everyone got off.

Since I had it land while floating it a little with Levitation magic, it could not have gone more smoothly.

I had embedded a golem magic core into this aircraft as well, so it could handle simple actions on its own.

Even looking up from the foot of the mountain, this mountain was truly magnificent.

It did not have a beautiful shape like Mount Fuji, but it had a divine air, as if some immortal sage might be living there.

It somehow felt like a stage for training, you could say.

Rather than a place like the strange rock regions of America, perhaps it was closer to some secluded valley out of an old Chinese tale.

It might actually be well suited for martial-arts training.

It almost made me feel like I had become Sun Wukong.

And today, Tripitaka himself was here too, putting on just the right atmosphere.

Even in terms of numbers, it was a perfect Journey to the West.

Though the horse was a strategic bomber.

Everyone, too, was looking at the scenery with an impressed sort of “Oooh.”

I glanced at His Highness, but he did not seem particularly intimidated.

Well, there was one S-rank with him—no, one S-rank and one SS-rank.

And there was also a lady who looked like some kind of dungeon queen, the sort of woman who seemed to have inhuman horsepower.

It would be a bit much if he were still scared while being together with a lineup overflowing with powerhouses like this.

He had probably originally planned to come alone anyway.

“Your Highness, it is already lunchtime. Let us get something in our stomachs before we go. I cannot offer anything too grand, though.”

Saying that, I started setting out picnic tables.

I brought out two aluminum tables, and then enough chairs for everyone.

Rather than putting them face to face, I arranged the chairs in alternating positions so there would be more space.

Well, how should I put it, it was that kind of relaxed atmosphere.

Then I took ready-made food out of the item box and started laying it out.

Consommé-type cup soup, and salad packs with thinly sliced ham on the side.

Slices from canned bread, and half-size Wagyu sirloin steaks already grilled to the perfect doneness.

For dessert, fruit resembling oranges from this world, and then ice cream and after-meal coffee.

After the meal, we took a lunch break for a while to let our food settle, and then set out around one o’clock.

I was at the head of the formation, then His Highness, then Mari, and Ars brought up the rear.

Then, matching His Highness’s pace, we slowly climbed the mountain slope.

The ground was rather rocky, so we proceeded with care.

I could have smoothed the path with magic as we went, but since this was a place used for a trial, that would rather ruin the mood.

From the way she spoke, Mari clearly understood the circumstances well.

There was probably nothing particularly dangerous.

In the first place, it was not that kind of event, and Mari herself was the partner of the person who started this event.

Our combat strength was excessive to the point of absurdity, and even if something did happen, we had flying magic and teleportation magic.

If this were not a trial, we could have just used line-of-sight teleportation or Fly magic or an airplane to go straight to the top.

It was really quite easygoing.

It was not like we were dealing with the people from the Empire or anything.

Even if it were the Empire, depending on their numbers, would it not be an easy win?

Though that fellow called Balan would be a different story.

It was about ten kilometers to the summit, and there was a path, more or less.

It was a winding mountain trail, and somehow it felt like climbing Mount Fuji.

Though the elevation was nowhere near that high.

In Japan, was this not just the sort of mountain elderly men and women would normally climb on a day hike starting early in the morning?

It seemed like the sort of mountain that went from an elevation of eight hundred meters to, at most, around a thousand meters.

But as expected, it was no mere picnic road.

It was a rough path full of stones, and at times there were even sections where we had to climb large rocks.

Well, the only thing in Japan with a trail this rough would probably be climbing Mount Fuji.

Though because of the altitude and the density of the air, it did not leave us nearly that short of breath.

We were climbing slowly at around two kilometers per hour.

At this rate, we might not reach the destination today.

Well, whatever.

It would not particularly cause any problems.

And then, by three o’clock, His Highness was already worn out.

Well, that too was within expectations.

Judging from His Highness’s slightly plump build, this was about what I had expected.

It could not be helped, since he was someone with a lot of desk work.

“All right, break time~”

I brought out a bungalow so he could rest properly.

We would have a discussion on whether to stay here overnight or go on by car.

For His Highness, I even brought out bedding so that he could rest well.

“So, what are we going to do from here?”

Ars asked, but I answered leisurely.

“Well, we can decide that sort of thing as it comes. We are only attendants, after all, so that part depends on His Highness. This is not a dungeon, after all. If we stay overnight, the question is what to do about keeping watch at night. Or else, we could just go by car. Though if we do that on a day meant to be a trial like today, that would be a bit questionable too.”

“What is a car?”

“Ah, had Ars never seen one? Then how about a test ride right now? Mari, could you look after His Highness for a bit?”

Leaving behind Mari, who had a face like she was saying, “Oh, come on,” I immediately brought out the car and put Ars into it.

After fastening him in properly with a seatbelt.

I only drove it around the rough mountain path nearby a little, but Ars was already wildly excited.

“Amazing, amazing! Why are we not going by this?”

“Then it would not be a trial. Even if we walk, it is not all that far. If we started from the morning, it is an easy enough place that we could make it back by evening. And on the way back, there would be no problem with just teleporting straight back to the royal palace.”

“That is true. But on the way back, I want to go back in this—”

Good grief, what was he, a child!?

By the time we got back, His Highness had already gotten up again.

Though he was understandably dumbfounded by the car.

“Yes. Since it is a trial, I must go on my own feet. However, I do not think I can go any farther today. I am sorry, but could I ask you to prepare camp for the night?”

“Understood.”

For the time being, I brought out a bungalow for the toilet, a bungalow for showers, and then two bungalows for ourselves.

As for keeping watch at night, Mari, who had no need to sleep, said she would do it.

She always stayed awake at night and made rounds to watch over the children anyway.

I also set a warning alarm on the radar.

If anything happened, Ars would probably wake right up.

He was usually so carefree, but unlike an amateur like me, he was a genuine S-rank adventurer.

After His Highness the Crown Prince enjoyed beer and such after his shower, I prepared dinner for the evening.

Because he had properly exercised by mountain climbing, perhaps it was the best that alcohol had ever tasted to him.

For dinner, I served potage soup made at the Beast-Ear Garden, chilled beef with aromatic vegetables and a special sauce made in town, piping-hot ginger pork, and pancakes.

His Highness was also delighted with the red wine from a campground in Japan that I had brought over, saying it was delicious.

No doubt that was helped by the fact that it was alcohol from the country where his distant ancestors had lived.

After the meal, we finished with an assortment of fruit, orange sherbet, and coffee.

Well, it was a decent enough menu.

Normally, if you came to a place like this, it would be hard bread and dried meat.

And yet His Highness the Crown Prince had actually carried those in his pack.

As expected of this country.

No matter that it was a trial, to make the Crown Prince, of all people, climb a mountain alone carrying nothing but that.

If this had been the neighboring Empire or something!

Come to think of it, what were those people from the Empire doing about now, I wonder.

Once the meal was over, His Highness made this proposal.

“Well then, thank you for the meal. It was delicious. I shall rest now for today. I, too, must train my body a little more. Even if I become king, I will not be able to spend all my time merely sitting. Well then, good night.”

With that said, he disappeared into the bungalow.

I had put in heating equipment and explained how to use it, so it should be perfectly comfortable.

Come to think of it, I forgot to have someone taste the prince’s food for poison.

Well, too late now.

In the first place, there was nobody here so insolent as to try and poison His Highness the Crown Prince.

Or rather, there was not a single other person here besides us; it was, in a sense, just a mountain.

More importantly, I hoped that dragon fellow was actually going to be there.

That part was starting to feel more unreliable.

Because if the dragon was not there, it would not count as His Highness’s trial.

I did not really understand what this thing called “when Kamakura calls” was, but for him to be formally recognized by the country as Crown Prince, he had to bring that thing back to submit to the officials.

“It is rough for a prince with so much desk work. Maybe when we get back, I will make him some kind of exercise equipment as a present.”

“That is fine and all, but let us eat too.”

Ars pressed me for it.

“Yeah, true. Then let us just throw something together. I have most things, so if there is anything you want to eat, just say so.”

The rest of us all ate together noisily.

Enjoying ready-made dishes casually, or lightly grilling some things on the barbecue grill.

Something easygoing like this was not bad once in a while.

Lately it had been nothing but bloody business, and frankly I was getting sick of it.

This man called Ars had a special sort of atmosphere that blew that kind of mood away.

He was a fitting match for my second partner.

Though I did not think that even he was always doing nothing but carefree work.

Well, whatever the case, he was a man with a mysterious atmosphere.

Mari also looked like she was having fun today, and even joined us properly for the meal, though as an artificial life-form she did not really need to eat in the first place.