Chapter 377 – On the Plateau and Rocky Mountains

We rested comfortably at Grand Duke Debonnis’s castle.

Perhaps because we had traveled south, it felt warmer than Termwills. The temperature at night was just right, allowing us to sleep soundly until morning. After having an early breakfast, we headed to the training ground to depart.

“Oh. Good morning, Saphir.”

“You came to greet us.”

The moment we arrived at the training ground and stepped out of the carriage, Saphir, Corulis, and the Wyverns poked their heads out and jumped down. The Knights watched with wry smiles. Princess Stephania welcomed them happily.

Lindwurm had also shown his face on the deck… but he came down after seeing the others descend.

“Good morning, Lindwurm.”

When I stroked Lindwurm around his nose, he twisted the corner of his mouth and let out a soft growl.

“Oh! Good morning, you lot.”

As Auria got out of the carriage and raised her hand in greeting, Corulis, who was being petted on the head by Princess Stephania, also raised his hand and returned the greeting.

Grand Duke Debonnis, who had come to see us off along with his eldest son and his wife, seemed a bit taken aback by the lively scene.

Even as a Familiar, Corulis was likely a rare sight, but when Grand Duke Debonnis saw Princess Stephania and Marlene enjoying themselves, he let out a small sigh and smiled gently. Then he turned to me and said,

“Well then, Ambassador. Please be careful on your journey. I may not be of much help, but at least take this with you.”

Grand Duke Debonnis showed me stationery bearing his family crest. On it was a message and signature written by Grand Duke Debonnis himself, addressed to the King—or nobles—of Baharzard.

To summarize the contents… it verifies our identities. It states that we are acquaintances of King Melvin and Grand Duke Debonnis, and asks for their cooperation.

After showing me the contents, Grand Duke Debonnis carefully sealed each letter with wax and handed them to me.

As a letter personally written by a prominent figure of Verdgar—and one with strong influence in the south… there was no doubt it would be a great help if needed at some point.

“I’m not sure how useful it will be in Baharzard, but I hope it can assist you if you encounter difficulties.”

“Thank you. I will use it carefully so as not to tarnish Your Grace’s honor.”

After accepting the letters and bowing, Grand Duke Debonnis narrowed his eyes and nodded.

“Grand Duke Debonnis, please stay well. As I mentioned last night, if any incidents involving Demons occur within your territory, please notify the Shrine Maidens of the Moon Temple.”

“Then, I shall head to the Temple shortly to deliver the notice directly.”

Hmm. With this, we’ve managed to establish a base for teleportation in southern Verdgar as well. It seems there is no large Moon Temple in the territory of the second son and his wife, but they promised to notify the Temple.

After Grand Duke Debonnis, Philip, and the others exchanged farewells, we boarded the Sirius. Alpha, who had been sitting near the pilot’s seat, recognized me, let out a bark, emitted a faint light, and disappeared.

Well then… let’s depart. I slowly lifted the Sirius into the air. On the deck, Marlene and Princess Stephania waved to Grand Duke Debonnis and the others, and they waved back in farewell.

“The scenery… or rather, the atmosphere is quite different.”

Ashley murmured as she looked at the outside view visible on the Crystal Panel.

“The plants don’t seem to have changed color, and the types growing are different too.”

“Indeed… there are many things we don’t see in the north.”

I nodded in agreement with Ashley and Grace’s words.

Geographically, we had crossed one small mountain near the southern border and were already within the Kingdom of Baharzard. It could be described as a plateau—a grassland spread across a highland area among the mountains, with scattered trees dotting the landscape below.

I heard that the southwestern part of the Kingdom of Baharzard is dry and covered with desert, but the northern part has high-altitude areas with many landscapes like this. Overall, Baharzard seems to have a rich variety of terrain.

Everyone seemed fascinated by the foreign scenery, more interested in the outside than playing cards. Seraphina, in particular, had her eyes sparkling at the view from the Crystal Panel, perhaps because the grassland scenery was so beautiful.

“Oh. There are people grazing livestock.”

Auria enlarged the view on the Crystal Panel and spotted a parent and child herding sheep, letting out a delighted voice. From here, the distance was considerable, so they didn’t seem to notice us… Yeah, indeed.

They wore surprisingly colorful clothing and were equipped with small, easy-to-handle Bows on their backs. Instead of horses, they seemed to be riding large goat-like creatures, keeping an eye on the sheep.

“Are they the people of Baharzard?”

“The tribal chiefs are said to be in a position to cooperate with the King of Baharzard. It is said that long ago, the King of Baharzard promised them protection from Demons, as they lacked Barriers or castle walls to defend themselves.”

“In return, the tribes agreed to gather Warriors from their respective tribes to assist the King if anything happened… or so the story goes. That’s why they can remain free.”

Princess Stephania answered Claudia’s question, and Princess Adriana added. Hmm. If they have a cooperative relationship with them, trade with Verdgar would be easier.

“Though there was a time when relations with the tribes soured due to a foolish king in the Baharzard royal family. Roy probably thought he could infiltrate Baharzard by skillfully winning them over.”

Rosemary hid her mouth with her feather fan and shrugged. I see. Since they live near the border between Verdgar and Baharzard… if there was discord, he must have seen an opportunity to exploit it.

Currently, the nomads are said to have bases in various places, moving according to the seasons. Soon, they will descend from the plateau and move to the southern plains… Well, they need to herd livestock, but they also require bases with Barriers to protect themselves from Demons.

“Then, that legend and promise must date back to the time they fought the Demon Lord.”

“It’s probably from after Barrier Magic became widespread.”

I nodded at Claudia’s words.

Once we pass through the mountainous and plateau regions, we’ll finally reach lands where the King of Baharzard’s influence is fully exerted. According to the map, crossing the plateau and one more mountain would bring us to the capital.

The Sirius moved over the grassland and entered the airspace above a rugged, rocky mountain.

While observing the narrow paths of the rocky mountain below, I checked the map and compass to determine the ship’s course.

“Theodore. Look at this.”

Sheila, who had been watching the Crystal Panel, spoke.

“Hmm…?”

I peered at the Crystal Panel from behind Sheila.

A winding path through the mountains. On a narrow pass above a steep path, I could see a group of armed individuals lying prone on the rocky ground. They were all lying on their stomachs, intently watching the mountain path leading to the other side—that is, toward the capital of Baharzard. Because of that, they didn’t seem to notice us.

But that wasn’t all. They had prepared rocks on the cliff, blocked with wood and planks. If they cut the rope, the planks would come loose and the rocks would fall onto the path. I couldn’t tell if they intended to drop them on passersby or simply block the way…

The rock-colored cloth covering something… from its shape, it was likely a ballista. It was clear they were aiming to handle whether their ambush targets came from the ground or the air.

So, who was waiting in ambush for whom, and for what purpose? Their appearance and atmosphere were different from the nomads we saw on the plateau… They wore curved swords at their waists, and their Equipment seemed uniform…

“Charlotte. Could you raise the altitude a bit?”

“Yes, Teacher.”

As Charlotte, who was piloting the ship, nodded, the Sirius ascended. With the increased altitude, our field of view expanded. In the distance, I could see a group advancing along the path leading toward us.

I operated the Crystal Panel to zoom in. Around a Dragon carriage pulled by an Earth Dragon, Knights and soldiers clad in Armor and Helmets of a different design from Verdgar’s were gathered.

The scale wasn’t very large. It was more of an Escort for the Dragon carriage than an army. The moment I enlarged the flag carried by the cavalry at the head of the group on the Crystal Panel, Princess Stephania let out a surprised voice.

“…That’s the flag of the Baharzard royal family!”