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“Where have you been, and what were you doing that you’re only showing up now!”

As always, Ono burst out angrily and demanded.

Rupert answered, flustered.

“I had to go looking because no one came…”

“Thank you!”

“Sorry… huh?”

Rupert blinked.

Ono had said thanks.

Daniel, beside him, looked at Ono with an expression that said it couldn’t be true.

But Ono did not seem inclined to repeat the same words.

There simply wasn’t time for that.

─Kiiiiik!

Two more chimeras charged in.

Rupert and Daniel took one, and the rest of the party dispatched the other.

─Scrape

It didn’t even take a minute for the chimeras’ heads to hit the ground.

The problem was that chimeras kept swarming even now.

“We must keep running!”

At Hamel’s shout, the group all began to run.

They could not stop.

Hamel kept his eyes on the sky as he ran.

Whenever chimeras caught up, they were quickly dealt with, and they resumed running.

They reached about the middle of the mountain.

The number of chimeras following had greatly diminished.

Several slow, heavy ones couldn’t keep up.

At most, about ten remained.

Daniel, seeing this, shouted.

“Hamel, wouldn’t it be better to catch them all here and go?”

“No.”

Hamel shook his head and didn’t stop running.

It would surely be better to clear them out than to run into enemy lines with a tail on you.

But what Hamel worried about was not those creatures.

“If we stop here, the one will…”

Just as Hamel was about to continue.

─The mountain trembles, the earth breaks.

─Rock falls, snow collapses.

A voice chanting a spell echoed from the mountain’s summit.

A familiar voice.

‘David.’

Hamel reflexively clenched his fist tightly.

The one was here.

The possibility had become reality.

Hamel was certain he had to get up the mountain as fast as possible.

─My power moves the mountains.

Rena, hearing the voice, shouted, her face drained white.

“Priest! Press against the wall immediately!”

“…Against the wall!”

They didn’t catch the reason, but it was clear the situation was dangerous.

Hamel stopped and pressed his body to the cliff face.

The chanting from afar reached its climax.

─O ancient sacred mountain, crumble majestically.

The next moment.

─Krrung

It sounded as if lightning struck from the summit.

The snow piled across the mountain began to collapse with a screech.

“…”

Hamel was momentarily speechless, staring at the sight before regaining his senses.

He immediately drew his sword, plunged it into the cliff, and gripped the party behind him tightly.

“Hold yourselves tight!”

At Hamel’s shout, the group grabbed each other and braced together.

And finally.

─Kwarrrrrk!

A thunderous avalanche swept the area like a massive wave.

Thanks to pressing against the cliff, the group avoided a direct hit from the avalanche.

Even so.

─Kwavegagagak

Snow and earth pounded their bodies from all sides.

They had to rely on Ono and Rena’s shields to protect themselves.

‘Ugh.’

Hamel gritted his teeth.

Bones cracked and flesh tore.

If not for the sword jammed into the wall, they’d have long been swept over the edge by the avalanche.

Still, magic was not infinite.

─Krrrrr

The mountain’s rage, rumbling low like a subdued beast, gradually subsided.

After treating wounds with Azure Flame, Hamel tapped Ono, whom he was holding.

Fortunately, Ono responded by twitching a hand.

‘He’s alive.’

Hamel climbed up through the snow that had buried him, still holding Ono.

Thanks to the firmly planted sword, it wasn’t hard to tell which way was up.

Hamel climbed onto the piled snow and pulled Ono’s arm up from below.

Ono revealed himself, then grabbed Rupert’s hand and pulled.

Rupert grabbed Rena.

Rena grabbed Daniel.

Seeing the party rising up in a line like sausages, Hamel exhaled in relief.

“Are you all alright?”

In response to Hamel’s question, Ono squinted his eyes and shrugged.

“As you can see.”

“That’s a relief.”

“…It was more like ‘I nearly died.’”

“…Ah.”

There was a brief miscommunication, but it was a minor issue.

Fortunately, no one was gravely injured.

To have ended with this level of damage after a direct hit by an avalanche was close to a miracle.

Then.

Suddenly the snow behind them shifted and moved.

Surely everyone had gotten out.

If so…

“Meeeeee!”

A beast with a mountain goat’s head suddenly lifted its head from under the snow mound.

A chimera had chased them all the way here.

“…That’s a remarkable creature.”

Was it possible because it took the form of a mountain goat?

Most of the chimeras would have been swept away by the avalanche, but that one had stubbornly followed Hamel.

Hamel shuddered, drew his sword, and approached the beast.

Perhaps dealing with that one would finish it.

He held on to that hope.

And that hope ended with a whistling sound coming from somewhere.

─Wheeeee!

The sound cut through the wind.

Hamel immediately looked up.

He saw a black dot in the sky.

In the blink of an eye, it drew close to the ground and spread its wings wide.

“A gargoyle!”

At Hamel’s shout, the party immediately crouched down.

─Whoosh

At the same time, the gargoyle’s axe-spear swept over the party’s heads.

Then it slammed down onto the goat chimera that was just about to climb onto the snow.

Beneath it, something snapped and broke as red blood spread over the snow.

─Thud!

The gargoyle drove its axe-spear into the ground and silently looked down at Hamel and the others.

Perhaps it realized Hamel and the others were not easy opponents, for it did not move readily.

But contrary to expectations, it looked no different from when they’d seen it before.

It hadn’t sustained any wounds even in the battle with the chimeras.

“Disgusting…”

Ono muttered, repulsed.

Hamel kept his mouth firmly shut.

Because what he feared most had come to pass.

‘I tried to avoid a fight with it if possible.’

Unlike the monks, this watcher wasn’t made to be fought with.

It had no clear weakness.

Its combat ability, close to super-class, was clearly something to avoid.

Probably, if they had just reached the summit, it wouldn’t have chased them further.

‘That was the rule.’

They were so close.

Hamel clenched his teeth.

What should he do?

Was there no choice but to capture it here and then go to the summit?

‘If so, we won’t finish in time.’

It was already past midnight.

If they reached the summit, it would be dawn.

Considering the remaining fights, they couldn’t afford to waste time or stamina here.

Even so…

‘There’s nothing to be done.’

Hamel couldn’t find another way.

He reluctantly reached for a flask.

To borrow the dragon’s power.

Just then.

“Wait.”

Daniel grabbed Hamel’s hand.

Hamel looked at Daniel in puzzlement, and Daniel said calmly.

“You can’t use that here already. There’s not much left, is there?”

“No, but…”

Hamel recalled the image of the dragon he’d met at the lake.

If they had to face that thing… then indeed only dragon’s blood would do.

Hamel couldn’t answer easily and trailed off.

Daniel gave a short laugh and lightly nudged his shoulder.

“Go up. With the others.”

“…”

Hamel understood Daniel’s words at once.

“I can’t do that.”

What meaning would it have if they climbed this path on someone’s sacrifice?

Hamel shook his head.

Then Daniel said with a cold expression.

“Don’t dishonor me, Hamel.”

“I only…”

“I swore to serve you, if only briefly. And you promised those wild folk below that if you bought them time, you’d save them.”

“…”

Hamel stood dumbfounded, at a loss for words.

Daniel scolded Hamel.

“Do you intend to make me a knight of a man who lives by lies?”

“…No. I’ll keep my promise to them.”

“Then move. I’ll keep my vow and honor here as well.”

Hamel was silent for a moment at Daniel’s words.

There wasn’t time for long deliberation.

The gargoyle wouldn’t stand guard forever.

Hamel steeled himself.

Courage to move toward the goal.

Trust in his comrades.

Resolve for his convictions.

─Sseuruk

He lifted his bowed head.

A certainty not seen before shone in Hamel’s eyes.

Hamel answered in a steady, unwavering voice.

“I will.”

“Good.”

Daniel smiled, pleased by the reply.

Hamel etched Daniel’s resolve into his bones and turned his body.

It was then.

Completely unexpected people spoke up.

“I’ll stay as well.”

“Miss Rena?”

“I feel the same.”

“…Sir Rupert too?”

Hamel paused and looked at them.

Rena shrugged her shoulders and spoke beside Daniel.

“Honestly, I don’t have the strength to run further. I’ll stay here and rest.”

It was a clumsy performance.

Exaggerated gestures and a creaky tone unlike her usual self.

Above all, her aimless gaze betrayed that her words were a lie.

Still, Hamel had nothing to say.

“…I see,”

Meanwhile Rupert also gave a bitter smile and stood beside Daniel and Rena.

The sleeve of his severed left hand fluttered in the wind.

“I, too, swore before my father and the gods. To give my life.”

“…”

“Please save the North.”

There was not a hint of hesitation in his voice.

Hamel realized only now the resolve with which he had undertaken the journey.

From the start, he had steeled himself to give his life if necessary.

Hamel stood dazed behind Rupert as he spoke.

Then he nodded.

“Hold on just a bit longer.”

Daniel snorted and smiled at those words.

Then he drew up the corner of his mouth fiercely and said.

“You’re underestimating us. We’ll handle them quickly and follow. Hamel, you keep holding on.”

“…Yes. I’ll count on it.”

Hamel nodded.

There was nothing else he could do but play along with their bravado.

---

─Bang!

On the path toward the mountain’s summit.

Endless thunderous sounds echoed from behind.

Each time Hamel simply bit his lip.

He knew the fastest way to help them was to reach the summit quickly.

Hamel climbed the mountain at full speed.

Ono followed, gritting his teeth.

How long had they climbed like that?

Just then, the thunderous sounds from behind grew faint.

─Hwaaak

Hamel finally arrived at a place he could not climb any higher.

An open mountain summit.

Only rocks and snow stretched across the vast terrain, greeting Hamel.

Among them, a massive artificial stele stood out.

In front of the stele, a man stood in a relaxed posture.

As if he had been waiting there for Hamel for a long time.

Hamel trudged forward.

At neither a fast nor a slow pace.

As the distance between them closed and they took each other’s faces in.

─Standing tall

Hamel stopped walking.

Hamel fell silent for a moment at the identity of the man he had expected.

‘Finally.’

A swirl of emotions shook Hamel.

Betrayal and anger, and even doubt and sorrow.

Hamel’s expression subtly changed under the intensity of those emotions.

The man watching Hamel smiled and spoke.

“Long time no see, Hamel.”

David Gilmore.

His brother, whom he had searched for a long time, stood before him.