Me, the Weakest Member of the Hero’s Party? I’m the Villain Though? - Chapter 96
As soon as we left the forest and entered the snow mountain right in front of it, snow suddenly began to fall as if it were a lie.
“Funny how it starts snowing the moment we go into the mountain. We only moved a few steps, that’s strange,” I muttered to myself.
“This snow isn’t falling naturally.”
Elonen came over beside me and answered. I turned to him with a puzzled expression.
“Then is this magic too?”
“That’s right. It’s because of a spell cast long ago by the White Mage who settled in these snow mountains.”
I had asked Elonen, but Gerard answered instead. It was interesting enough that I found myself listening closely.
“You’re saying all of this was created by magic?”
The snow mountains were so vast that it felt like you couldn’t fully grasp their scale unless you saw them in person. And all of this was magic.
“Yes. The Mollarod Mountain Range itself is terrain created by that White Mage.”
For a human, even if they were a mage, to have created an entire mountain range… It really made me realize again just how extraordinary mages were.
“That’s even possible? What kind of person was that mage?”
“The White Mage is a legendary figure who is said to have used magic that was nearly god-like.”
And yet Gerard’s insulation magic only lasted a day. It felt strange.
As far as I knew, Gerard was one of the most accomplished mages among present humanity, to the point that he had been offered a professorship at the Academy. It was surprising that there had been mages who surpassed even him.
“That White Mage was also a Great Sage. So that means Lysian Felix was a mage comparable to the White Mage.”
At that moment, hearing my name made me flinch.
“Come to think of it, Lysian used to be a Great Sage. I completely forgot.”
Kyle muttered as if he had just realized something. Then he pressed his lips together and began walking a little apart from the rest of the group.
What was wrong with him? It was completely different from his usual bright, carefree demeanor. I watched Kyle walking silently by himself, then quietly moved closer.
“Is something wrong?”
As if he hadn’t even realized I was following behind him, Kyle visibly startled and turned to look at me.
“…No, it’s nothing. I just had a really bad dream last night. I couldn’t sleep at all at dawn because I had a bad feeling something would happen today.”
He looked unusually worried. The Kyle I knew was someone who feared nothing.
For someone with the personality of an ideal hero, it was rare for him to be this anxious. Maybe the nightmare had really been that terrible.
“It’s just crossing a snow mountain.”
I tried to encourage him as best I could. Usually Kyle was the one comforting me, so taking the opposite role felt a little strange.
“Yeah, you’re right.”
Kyle answered with a smile, but it didn’t take long to realize that wasn’t true.
The higher we climbed the mountain, the more violently the snow began to fall. By the time the snowfall had grown so heavy that we could barely see ahead, the party stopped walking.
“Kakaros, are we sure we’re on the right path?”
“Grrr.”
Communicating with Kakaros in wolf form wasn’t easy. It sounded like he was getting annoyed, as if asking whether we were doubting him, but I couldn’t be sure.
As I watched Kakaros, I suddenly felt a strong presence brushing against the back of my neck. As I had said before, I was better than most at sensing magical energy.
This powerful sensation was definitely…
“…A monster?”
“Lysian, what did you say?”
Kyle, the only one who heard me, turned to ask. And at that exact moment, the ground began to rumble violently.
“Huh? Wait, what is this?”
Kyle muttered as he staggered. Gerard was the first to act. Raising his staff high, he shouted,
“Everyone, don’t scatter. Gather under my shield!”
But before Gerard could even finish speaking, the ground split apart. Of all places, the crack was opening between the party and me.
“Watch out!”
Kyle, who was right beside me, wrapped an arm around my shoulders and shouted. At the same time, the ground suddenly collapsed beneath us, and with nowhere to step, our bodies began to fall.
“Kyle! Lysian!”
Gerard’s shout faded behind the raging snowstorm. Together with Kyle, I fell down the cliff.
“Ah!”
I squeezed my eyes shut and let out a small scream without thinking.
“Lysian, hold onto me tightly!”
Kyle shouted, but in the middle of falling, I didn’t have the presence of mind to grab onto anything.
