## Chapter 387 – Color From the Cosmos
“Hehehe.”
“Kukuku.”
“Hoohoohoo.”
Laughter never left us during the entire trip.
We did kill some people, but that was something we had to do, and we acquired a great fortune as a result. Even the cultists we met at the end provided us with unconditional happiness.
Of course, our mouths would be hanging open with glee.
Above all, we rested comfortably in the empty village, so our bodies and minds were light. It felt like we were just starting our journey.
—Gwaek. Gwaek.
Quitus also laughed happily.
This little bastard almost got us into trouble by crying earlier, but it doesn’t really matter. After all, we couldn’t have avoided the conflict with the cultist traffickers anyway.
If we just let those guys go, something troublesome might happen later. They even gestured as if they were going to leave without a fuss, but who knows if that was a trick?
No, it’s 100% a trick.
Cultists are creatures who die if they don’t deceive and inflict pain on people for even a day. Of course, they must be killed in the name of the Heavenly Demon.
“Hehehe, somehow only good things have been happening lately. This is almost like we’re making the world a more beautiful place.”
Lately, I’ve only been doing good things.
To be honest, the old me, Kim Kat, wasn’t a very good person.
Back then, I was too busy trying to survive on my own, so it was only natural.
But recently, having gained peace of mind, I’ve been living a life of mental and physical stability by giving to others and doing beneficial service to the world. It’s so much fun. A life stained with struggle is purified by the joy of service.
In addition, my pockets are getting thicker, so I can’t help but think that I should continue living like this.
I guess this is the kind of mindset that holy knights have when they devote themselves to religion. Faith, which I couldn’t understand before, now feels somewhat natural.
In fact, when you think about it, I’m also a proxy of Hwanung, a champion of Buddha, and a true descendant of King David, so I’m not that different from a holy knight.
“Hoohoohoo, that’s right. Doing good deeds everywhere we go, just like I heard before, Kat is indeed a saint.”
“Khehehe! A saint, that’s a good sound!”
“Kukuk. Our Darkie is about to die of happiness.”
“Of course, I’m happy!”
—Clang!
If you see this bag full of coins, even a depressed mood will fly away in an instant. Maybe this meteorite fell to give our family great happiness.
Anyway, we moved on through the Misty Plains with lighter hearts.
Honestly, I don’t really know the direction, but if we go straight, we’ll reach the end of the plains. Then we can find our way from there, so there’s nothing to worry about.
“Cloudy. Winia. What should we do with the money we earn when we get back?”
“Hmm… Nothing in particular? I guess my wish is for Kat to do whatever he wants?”
Wow!
“I want to practice some new magic at a leisurely pace.”
“You’re a mage after all.”
It was quite enjoyable to walk while thinking about such things.
But still, the fog never stopped.
—Thududududu!
—Thudududududu!
“These damn bastards are relentless.”
And from beyond the fog, as if they smelled blood, monsters kept rushing at us. The main ones that appeared were small monsters called Lesser Drakes.
—Kwerelelerelek!!!
These were small drakes whose height was shorter than Winia’s, and they weren’t particularly strong, but they were numerous and extremely aggressive, making them annoying little shits.
I heard that clumsy travelers sometimes encounter large groups while traveling and get eaten whole, but they’re no match for me.
“Real Sword Style Dejaaaah!!!”
—Kweeeeek!!!
I swing my sword wide and lightly cut down the rushing guy with a jump. —Chwajak! Immediately, the Lesser Drake, scattering blood and guts, is cut in half and crashes to the ground.
This black iron longsword I received from Karin is a pretty good sword.
It’s crude and heavy, but that’s why my mana-enhanced power is fully realized, allowing it to cut through even bones.
What can these small monster bastards do to harm me?
We slaughtered the Lesser Drake pack more lightly than doing after-dinner exercise.
“Hoo, Darkie. We caught these guys anyway, so let’s eat here.”
“Sounds good!”
They are monsters that taste pretty good. We simply skinned them, cut out the flesh, stuck it on branches, and grilled it like skewers over a bonfire.
It’s tough and dry, but it’s delicious enough.
I decided that if I ever travel long distances again, I must bring spices and such.
Anyway, since we hunted and moved on the spot like this, we were able to greatly reduce the consumption of dry rations. The appearance of edible monsters is something to be welcomed.
Today, we worked diligently to escape the Misty Plains in that way. It was getting dark, so we set up a tent. I was already starting to miss the blood-soaked inn.
“Oh. Winia, Cloudy. Look at the sky, that thing.”
“Oh.”
“Hmph.”
—Flash!
A brightly shining meteor falls.
Shining in various colors, they were all heading in a similar direction. It seems we didn’t get the direction wrong.
If we just keep going in the direction the meteor fell, we’ll be fine.
“Looks like we can just keep going. Winia. How much further do you think we have to go?”
“Once we get out of the plains, we just have to cross a small mountain range. I heard that many meteorites were found in that area.”
“I see.”
Meteorite iron… rare metal… Will we be able to get our hands on it? I pondered such questions and finished the day.
* * *
It was late morning the day after that when we escaped the Misty Plains.
“Wow, goddamn, we finally got out of this.”
At some point, the fog that had been so thick began to thin and then disappeared completely.
I’m glad to see the sunlight again after a long time. People need to live in the sunlight. It wasn’t for nothing that the teachers in my school days were obsessed with opening the curtains like paranoid patients.
Anyway, it was a truly terrible plain.
Criminals, cultists, monsters, and the cold of the night all mixed together in an inhuman hell.
If I ever come here again in my life, I’m not human.
“Ugh, it’s warm.”
“It was so long.”
Cloudy and Winia also took off their hooded cloaks and stretched. Unlike the chilly interior of the plains, warmth was felt as soon as we came out.
It’s almost summer now.
We took a short break and checked the map. Cloudy and I went behind Winia, who was unfolding the map, and rested our chins on her shoulders to listen to the explanation.
“Okay, if this is the end of the Misty Plains… you see this mountain range here? If we cross this, we’ll reach our destination. If we go fast, we might be able to cross it before sunset.”
Then we should go quickly.
This Philoran Mountain Range is said to be long and straight, but the height of the mountains that make up the range is generally low and gentle. Looking at it roughly, it seems like we can cross it quickly.
It’s not noon yet, so there’s plenty of time.
Let’s increase the marching speed a little.
“Then let’s speed up a bit. But is there a village nearby?”
“It’s not on the map. But there must be one. Well, even if there isn’t, we have a tent. Let’s go.”
We ate dry rations while climbing the mountain.
It was such a low mountain that there was nothing special.
It was when we reached the top and were about to go down.
“Kat, what’s that?”
“Looks like some people?”
People gathered down there caught my eye.
Are they all bastards who came to find meteorites?
It seemed a bit ambiguous to detour, so we decided to just go down.
The closer we got, the closer we got to them.
Roughly, they were all lightly dressed, holding sticks, and poking around. There were tons of those guys everywhere.
They weren’t really armed, and their clothes were pretty casual. They don’t seem to belong to any professional organization.
It seems highly likely that they are simply workers who came to find meteorites in groups.
—Glimpse.
They glanced at us and then focused on their work again.
They were mainly looking at the ground, poking around with sticks, or cutting grass with machetes. Are they hired workers?
“Looks like they’re here to find meteorites?”
“Hmm, did meteorites fall on this side too?”
Cloudy looked around and said.
“Maybe. They probably fell widely, so they might be here too. Darkie. Quickly grab anyone and ask if there’s a village nearby.”
“Okay.”
I’m glad we found people.
It looks like we can go into a normal village and sleep tonight. If it’s a trouble-free village, we can eat without worry.
Just as I was about to pick someone at random and talk to them.
“Who are you people?”
A middle-aged man dressed in relatively neat clothes approached and spoke in an unpleasant tone with a venomous expression.
Are we being guarded?
“We are travelers.”
They didn’t aim a weapon at me, and they didn’t seem to have any murderous intent, so I answered with a bright smile. Then the middle-aged man glared at me, pointed his finger, and said in a fierce tone.
“Don’t lie! You must be here to find meteorites!”
This fucking…
I guess I look weak when I smile.
“Hey, old man. Aren’t you being too aggressive for a first meeting? Well, we’re here to find meteorites, so what’s the problem?”
I immediately distorted my face into a fierce expression and said.
“I don’t care about that. This is our area. You are not allowed to find meteorites here. Get out of here right now!”
For a moment, I thought I heard something wrong.
Is he claiming this as his ‘spot’? I guess all places where people live are the same, even this.
“What? Get out? You’re being way too harsh. Who said we have to leave?”
Of course, I didn’t really plan to find meteorites here, but if you talk like a dick, I’ll want to do it.
“And why is this your area?”
Still, I don’t know the other party’s identity yet, so I can’t use violence recklessly.
“We came here first, so it’s our area. I hope you’ll leave now.”
The middle-aged man didn’t change his expression at all, as if he was stating an obvious fact, and said that it was their area because they came first.
“Are you the owners of this land? I don’t think so? Are you guys robbers? Huh?”
“R-Robbers? You’re the ones trying to rob us!”
“What kind of robber is a saint, you son of a bitch! Who are you, mister? Do you have the authority to declare this land as your area?”
“…”
At that, the middle-aged man, who had become a mute, looked around. Then, the workers who were searching in the vicinity gathered.
It seems like these are workers hired by this middle-aged man… Is he a rich man?
“You can’t reason with him.”
“No, so who are you, mister? Are you a noble? Or did you receive such authority from the lord of the area?”
“It’s not that, but there are rules. And if I may say so, I am a merchant of the Willadent Merchant Guild.”
With an authoritative attitude, he showed something like a ring with a seal engraved on it.
I don’t really know what it is.
Anyway, he’s not a noble, but a merchant.
No, is the meteorite so hot that a merchant would give up commerce and be here? Anyway, since he’s a merchant, I can’t hit him.
He’s protected not only by the law but also by the merchant guild, so if a dispute arises, it will be troublesome in many ways. Moreover, there are many witnesses nearby, so let’s just ask for the location of the village and move on.
“Sigh, fuck. What’s the point of talking if we can’t reason with you? Anyway, mister. Is there a village nearby? I’ll go if you tell me.”
“…Tell them the way to the nearest village.”
He withdrew his hostile attitude when I said I would go, and told a nearby worker, then turned and disappeared.
The approaching worker said to me.
“The nearest village is straight that way. It’s a village called Belton.”
“…I understand. But is that person really a merchant?”
“Yes. He hired us to find meteorites.”
“I see.”
We moved straight in the direction we were guided.
“What’s with that old man?”
Winia said, looking back.
“I don’t know. We don’t need to worry about it.”
We went on the mountain path like that. But throughout the trip, we encountered several meteorite exploration groups like the one we just met.
Every time we encountered them, we spent a lot of time arguing with the groups that approached us while being wary.
…It seems that various forces have gathered to find meteorites.
Surely this whole area isn’t like this, is it?
