Chapter 34 Bridge Monster (Part Three)
The next morning, all nine of us left the town together. We headed northeast, crossing the mountains towards "The Witch of the Valley."
Before leaving the town, we stopped by the adventurers' guild. The reason was to accept a quest request to obtain a defensive barrier magic stone from "The Witch of the Valley." The adventurers' guild receives various requests related to the area outside the town, such as collecting medicinal herbs, guiding the collection of ores and magic stones, escorting caravans, and exterminating monsters.
In this world, defensive barriers are frequently erected to prevent monsters from entering towns and villages. However, in this town, there is a situation where "whenever someone goes to 'The Witch of the Valley,' they never return." Therefore, we cannot obtain the defensive barrier magic stone. Fortunately, most of the violent monsters around this town have been exterminated, so it's not currently a problem. Nevertheless, having a defensive barrier would still be preferable.
The one who introduced us to this quest was Martha, the mother of Gina, the landlady of the inn.
"If you're going to The Witch of the Valley, why not take on a quest from the guild while you're at it? It's a request from the authorities, but it's been left unattended for over fifty years, so it'll fetch a pretty penny."
Upon hearing that, I agreed without hesitation. Opportunities for raising funds should never be missed, no matter the circumstances.
To be honest, Aoki Runa, Nemoto Reiko, and Fukui probably don't want to go. But if they were to stay here, this place would come under attack from monsters, and they would meet a gruesome end. But if they go to 'The Witch of the Valley', they can at least move on to the next stage.
It will take about two full days to reach the valley where the witch resides. Along the way in the forest, we encountered various monsters. Not only goblins and wyverns, but also earth spiders the size of calves, moth-like creatures that seemed to be a fusion of moths and humans, and man-eating plants called Hitotorishida, among others.
However, Morimura, who can use attack magic, and Tsubasa, who wields the long-range attack-capable Anti-evil Bow, easily exterminated these creatures. Thinking ahead, this forest is just right for gaining experience.
When the two of them, who are not good at fighting up close, get too close to the enemy, it's my turn. After fighting the enemy several times, the three of us somehow came up with a plan. If we see an enemy in the distance, Tsubasa will defeat them with arrows. If there are multiple enemies, Morimura will use magic to reduce their numbers.
Even so, I feel like I can handle any enemies that come near me. And if there are enemies that are hard to hit with arrows or not affected much by magic, I ask Morimura and Tsubasa to protect everyone and focus on defense, while I go out and fight.
That's how we continued on the path without any danger. Shuichi Kondo also guides the girls to a safe place. Honestly, I'm more thankful for him leading us like this than trying to fight poorly. As for Fukui... well, I won't say much.
And while camping that day, I caught a fish that looked like a catfish from a nearby river, and Tsubasa caught a bird the size of a chicken. We cut the catfish into three pieces and grilled it, and we made skewers with the chicken and cooked it as yakitori. We also had some bread that Gina brought, so it was quite a feast. We smoked the remaining fish and chicken meat over an open fire to make dried meat. Now we have dinner secured for tomorrow.
After the meal, when everyone was feeling relaxed for a bit, Morimura suddenly spoke.
"Akito-kun, you said you dreamed about this world, didn't you?"
Inside, I thought, "Here it comes." Morimura asking me about the loop was almost always at this timing.
"Morimura-kun, that's..."
As Kondo Shuichi tried to interrupt, Morimura didn't stay quiet.
"I think it's about time everyone knew, right? There are only nine of us left alive here. Moreover, if we are going to the Witch of the Valley, someone might have to be sacrificed. So, I think it's better for everyone to know around here."
Everyone listened to what Morimura said.
"Akito-kun really knows a lot about this world. You said you saw it in a dream before, but isn't there more to it? Because going to The Witch of the Valley was a revelation to Midoritani-san. How does Akito-kun know about that? Did you see it in a dream, too?"
I feel everyone's gaze on me.
(Well, it might be time to talk now.)
Thinking that, I sat up straight again.
"A dream is just a play on words. I've experienced this world transport multiple times. It's called time looping."
Everyone's eyes widened in surprise.
"Time looping? So, does that mean Akito-kun knows everything that will happen in the future? Like who will die tomorrow?"
In response to Morimura's question, I shook my head from side to side.
"I don't know everything. Because each time I loop back, slightly different things happen. The surviving members aren't the same every time."
Kondo Shuichi leaned forward.
"So in previous loops, were there times when we died?"
"Yes, there were such times. However, in terms of combat, what is necessary is not just me. There's Morimura, who can use offensive magic, Midoritani Tsubasa, who can use the Anti-evil Bow with magic attributes, and Akamine Alice, who can use healing magic."
Alice looked surprised and said,
"Huh? I can't use healing magic. No way, absolutely not!"
I looked at Alice, who spread her hands and shook them left and right.
"You'll be able to use it from now on. First, at the next location, The Witch of the Valley."
"What about the roles of the other people?"
"I don't know. But as long as we are still alive, there must be some role for each of us. The three I mentioned earlier are not just necessary for combat. To the extent I know, Alice seems to have an important role in escaping from this world. I don't know what it is exactly."
"Speaking of not understanding, it means you haven't seen the ending," Kondo Shuichi said.
"Yeah, because I've died many times. I know up to a certain point, but I don't know everything. And if our actions change, the results, events, and order that occur will also change. That's why I said it's like a 'dream.'"
Next, Morimura asked.
"When did you obtain the power of time leap?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but... I think it was when I first encountered The Witch of the Valley. At that time, there was a scroll with magic power, and everyone chose one. I believe that's when the power of time leap was bestowed upon me."
There was a moment of silence. Everyone must be contemplating what I just said. Then, Morimura looked up.
"In the place we're going to, The Witch of the Valley, it was said that someone would become a sacrifice, right? Akito-kun said there was a way to avoid that. What kind of method is it?"
I was troubled. But in the end, I decided not to say anything for now.
"I haven't tried any evasion tactics yet. All I can say is, during the first loop, I was the one who became a sacrifice."
I remember that time. I was just a shy introvert without much confidence, and I was made into an experimental subject for the 'Bridge Monster' by some of the arrogant kids in the class. Even now, recalling that time makes me feel sick.
"Did Akito-kun die back then?"
"No, I was able to overcome that trial. It was someone else who became the sacrifice."
"What on earth is going to happen?"
I carefully chose my words as I answered.
"Just as Gina said, The Witch of the Valley lives in a place surrounded by deep valleys, like a solitary island on the land. To get there, you have to cross a single suspension bridge. But there's a monster called the 'Bridge Monster' there."
"What kind of creature is the Bridge Monster?"
"I can't tell you its appearance. It's usually invisible, and by the time you see it, it's too late."
"But then there's no way to fight it!"
"Fighting is impossible. The Bridge Monster is there to imprison The Witch of the Valley. We can't stand a chance even if we become a little stronger."
"So what should we do then?"
"We may not be able to defeat it, but we can outsmart it. That's all I can say for now."
With that, I lay down.
"I think we'll arrive at the entrance of the ravine tomorrow evening. So everyone, except for the lookout, should rest."
By closing my eyes, I knew there was nothing more to say. Everyone started preparing to sleep in silence. Only Kondo Shuichi and Akamine Alice, the lookout for the first two hours, remained awake.
The next day went smoothly. I panicked only once when a Salamander appeared, but since it was just one, we were able to repel it. As I expected, we reached the ravine where the witch lives in the evening.
"It's an amazing valley."
Kondo Shuichi peers over the cliff. It must be at least a hundred meters high. Below, water flows fiercely, making a roaring sound.
"If you fell from here, you'd definitely die."
Morimura opined, to which Fukui expressed doubt.
"But if it's water down there, isn't there a chance of survival?"
Kondo Shuichi replied.
"At this height, it's the same whether it's water or concrete below. The impact would be just as fatal. And even if you survived the fall, you'd likely drown in that current."
Fukui fell silent, visibly dissatisfied at my words. Then, Alice pointed ahead.
"Is the towering structure in the middle of that river the dwelling of The Witch of the Valley?"
This deep valley river had a single stream, but there was one spot where a column rose like a tower, almost like an island, but more like a rocky pillar standing in the river. A suspension bridge led to it. Before I could respond, Tsubasa did.
"Maybe. It feels the same as the image I got from the bow."
"Are there monsters that Akito-kun mentioned on this bridge?"
I nodded in response to Kondo Shuichi's question.
"What should we do?"
After thinking for a while, I opened my mouth.
"It's already late today. Let's do it tomorrow."
That's all I said.
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