Gathering Information Is Common Sense For Monster Hunting, Part 2

After that, we ended up mountain climbing together with Filardo.

Misha was walking behind me together with Nyankoromochi at her feet. As for me, I was walking beside Filardo, shoulder to shoulder with him.

With the leader of that Lightblade, and the warrior I admired!?

We had been together when returning from the Brennen Tiger dungeon too, but now it was almost like walking one-on-one.

My heart pounded so much that I could not help it.

Ugh, the nerves….

I brought up a topic to distract myself even a little.

“Um, why mountain climbing?”

“It’s a preliminary inspection to defeat Largorin. We need to grasp at least the terrain.”

…Ugh, true…. It was so basic that it was embarrassing….

“Largorin appears somewhere on this mountain. However, its appearance location isn’t fixed, and even after it appears, it wanders around the mountain the whole time.”

“In that case, we need to know the mountain’s terrain well.”

So this entire mountain was Largorin’s appearance range. It was broad and would be hard to find, but conversely, that also meant there was a chance for me to outwit Twilight Lightblade.

“…Um, Filardo-san, may I ask something?”

Misha called out from behind.

“What is it?”

“Um, I feel like I saw that there was a way to reliably lure Largorin out.”

“You researched well. That should be information that isn’t very well known.”

“Nishishishi! Researching is my specialty!”

“That’s true, and there is indeed a way to lure out Largorin. You destroy a stone monument.”

“A stone monument?”

Filardo nodded at my words.

“It appears in a specific place on this mountain together with Largorin’s appearance. In terms of setting, I think it was a stone monument honoring a deceased king and queen. When it’s destroyed, Largorin, as a loyal guard, becomes enraged.”

“What happens if it gets enraged?”

“It chases the people who destroyed it. Until they escape outside the mountain.”

“…Conversely—”

There, Misha opened her mouth again.

“If you destroy the stone monument, you don’t have to search for Largorin, right?”

“Exactly.”

“Then destroying the stone monument is the standard… huh? I don’t think that was written anywhere… even though it’s standard…?”

“You really have been studying, Misha.”

Filardo said that in an impressed tone.

“That’s because it isn’t standard. It’s a forbidden move.”

“Huh? Why?”

“When Largorin appears, snow falls on this mountain. You know that too, right?”

We nodded.

I was pretty sure Misha had said something like that before.

“When Largorin gets enraged, that range expands, and the cold becomes stronger too. In other words, damage even reaches the town of Frast at the foot of the mountain.”

The town of Frast—so the town we were staying in.

“It would be easy if we could anger Largorin, but we can’t cause trouble for the town. So it’s a forbidden move. That’s why the matter of the stone monument is kept hidden. And even if you know it, a clean and proper adventurer doesn’t use forbidden moves. Got it?”

“We are clean and proper adventurers, so we won’t do it.”

“We are clean and proper adventurers, so we won’t do it.”

“Meow!”

The two of us and one cat swore so.

“Good.”

Filardo nodded with satisfaction.

At that moment, the view suddenly opened up. Until now, we had been walking up a slope dotted here and there with trees, but it seemed we had climbed to the top.

We were still halfway up the mountain, but even so, it was high enough.

When I looked down, the town of Frast looked much smaller. A green world spread out far, far into the distance.

“Wow, the view is great!”

Filardo responded to Misha, who said that pleasantly.

“Mountain climbing is fun. On top of that, there’s even practical benefit for defeating Largorin. Until the day of the decisive battle, you should take a general walk around the mountain.”

“Okaaay.”

“Meow.”

Misha and Nyankoromochi answered happily.

There, I asked Filardo the question I had been thinking about.

“…Um, why did you invite us?”

“Hm?”

“We’re fellow adventurers competing to defeat Largorin. You brought us along for a preliminary inspection of the mountain and taught us information about Largorin. Um… it’s like giving aid to an enemy.”

…Though it might just be that he did not think of us as enemies.

It might have been like a grandfather doting on his hardworking grandchildren.

Thinking that made me feel a little down.

That was why I had hesitated to ask until now, but still, I wanted to know. If he did not think of us as enemies, then someday I had to make him think of us as enemies.

But Filardo’s answer was different from what I had expected.

“…I was interested in you. I thought you might go along with me if it was related to Largorin.”

“In us…?”

“I heard your heroic tales in Piptat. At your age, you wore Blue Firebird chain mail, and with only two people, a warrior and a mage, you hunted monsters equivalent to B-class. That isn’t normal.”

Filardo stared fixedly at me.

It was different from his casual manner until now. They were eyes trying to judge something.

“On top of that, you toyed with the woman from the Company and even hunted a Brennen Tiger. You’re not ordinary users—I wonder what level you are.”

Apparently, Filardo seemed to think we were at quite a high level.

Certainly, level 27 was high for my age, but Filardo probably seemed to be thinking we were higher, around 50 or 60.

It was understandable.

He was missing several pieces of information.

First, it was not two people, but two people and one cat. Nyankoromochi’s combat strength was very large. On top of that, I was not a warrior, but a Sword Saint. In terms of stats, I far surpassed warriors of the same level.

…If I explained that part, the mystery would only deepen further, so I could not say anything.

For now, Misha and I were on the same page that “we won’t leak information connected to Schrödinger’s Cat.”

After thinking a little, I answered like this.

“Did you figure anything out?”

“I didn’t!”

Hahahahaha! Filardo laughed refreshingly.

“I’m not good at information warfare. I thought I’d try probing you in various ways, but no good. It doesn’t suit my nature.”

As he said that, Filardo drew the sword at his waist.

The Flying Dragon Bastard Sword.

“Ios, would you spar with me? As fellow people who wield the same sword, talking this way will let me understand far better.”

At the unexpected proposal—

My whole body bristled.

It was from tension and fear—probably, but that was not all. There was also excitement like fervor.

With Filardo, whom I admired!? I was going to spar with an active top-class user who would undoubtedly climb to the heights of S-rank!?

At the unexpected good fortune, I almost felt dizzy.

Yes, of course!

I wanted to say that immediately, but hesitation was also in my chest.

—As fellow people who wield the same sword, talking this way will let me understand far better.

Filardo had said that.

It was not just a spar. It was a spar to know me.

Just by crossing swords?

He might understand.

Filardo was a battle-hardened warrior. He might notice something. A part of the truth we wanted to keep hidden.

Please do.

I wanted to say that.

I wanted to say it, and yet—

“Ios!”

At that moment, Misha called my name.

“Do it! Just because he’s stronger doesn’t mean you can get scared!”

—!

That was consideration toward me in the form of encouragement.

You don’t have to worry about that! Do what you want!

That was Misha’s feeling.

Thank you, Misha.

I looked back at Filardo and said.

“Please!”