We left the city and entered the mountains. After climbing for about an hour, we reached a somewhat famous cliff.
It’s one of those so-called sheer cliffs. When you look at it from the side, the ground and the cliff form a beautiful vertical line. I’ve heard that this is a pretty famous area and, merchants and travelers will usually take a break near this area to enjoy the view.
Trying to descend from the cliffside from the top is nearly impossible because the soil is difficult to grip. Plus, there’s a fierce river right below it, so if you happen to fall, things won’t end so nicely. In other words, it’s a dangerous place.
The quest that Sofia-san and I took takes place in such an area. The quest is called “Obtain twenty Queen Lilies growing on the sheer cliff!”
Queen Lilies are yellow lilies that grow on the side of this cliff. Their roots are large and can be eaten. In recent years, they’ve become quite a popular ingredient as they’re said to be very nutritious.
This quest had a difficulty rating of B, and the reward was thirty thousand gold. Considering the danger, it was a bit low, but since there was no need to fight any powerful magical beasts, the reward seemed reasonable.
“Hiee~! We’re so high up!” (Sofia)
Sofia-san knelt on the ground and cautiously peeked over the edge of the cliff.
“Sofia-san, please make sure you absolutely don’t fall off the cliff, okay? Absolutely.” (Wilhelm)
“Could you please stop setting up weird flags?” (Sofia)
“But I believe Sofia-san will definitely pick up the flag!” (Wilhelm)
“Nonono, picking up this flag is just asking for death. We need to be extremely careful, okay?” (Sofia)
“It’s okay. There’s a river below the cliff. Even if we fall, we won’t die. They often say that falling into water is a survival flag, so it’s fine.” (Wilhelm)
“That’s only in fiction! Falling from this height into a river would knock you out and you’d die. So, if I happen to fall, make sure to save me, okay?” (Sofia)
“I know, I know.” (Wilhelm)
“Why are you looking away? Say it while looking me in the eyes!” (Sofia)
Sofia-san tried to meet my gaze, but I deftly avoided eye contact. Sofia-san then pouted, saying I was being mean.
“Alright, let’s get going.” (Wilhelm)
“We just need to be careful of those monsters, right?” (Sofia)
Sofia-san looked up at the sky. Dozens of giant bird monsters were flying above us. They were called Giant Eagles.
Although they were C-rank and not very strong despite their size, being attacked by them while descending the cliff would make it impossible to counterattack due to the unstable footing.
That’s why we absolutely had to avoid being noticed by those monsters. This was the crucial part of the quest.
“That’s right. Let’s be careful not to attract their attention.” (Wilhelm)
I attached climbing claws to the back of my hands in preparation.
These were the claws of a rare wolf-like monster. This particular monster walked on two legs and had claws that kept growing, prompting it to approach humans to have them trimmed. It was quite a friendly monster. By processing those claws, we were able to use them as tools for descending the cliff.
Sofia-san and I lowered ourselves onto the cliff and firmly embedded the claws into the soil. They held firmly. The claws were designed to not pull out unless lifted, so there was little chance of us falling from the cliff.
“Hieeee! The footing is so unstableeeee!” (Sofia)
“Sofia-san, it’s better not to look down. You’ll get dizzy and end up falling into the river.” (Wilhelm)
“Yeah, I definitely think I’m that type. By the way, Wil-kun, aren’t you descending too fast?” (Sofia)
“Yep. Because if I descend fast enough, I might get a glimpse of Sofia-san’s panties.” (Wilhelm)
“Oh, so you’re thinking about such lewd things.” (Sofia)
Saying in a mischievous tone that she’d never let me see them, Sofia-san started descending at a considerable speed.
Even though she was scared, she moved quite briskly. It didn’t seem like she would fall that easily. It looked like there was no chance of triggering any flags.
With a clattering sound, the claws scraped against the wall as we descended. I reached out and pulled out one of the Queen Lilies near me.
The root of the Queen Lily was round. When I pulled it out, a sweet aroma wafted through the air. It really stimulated my appetite. Maybe I should take a few extra and have Anya cook something up for me. With that in mind, I placed the lilies in the magic pouch tied to my waist.
A little later, Sofia-san also managed to get a Queen Lily. She placed hers in the magic backpack on her back.
“It’s going well.” (Wilhelm)
“Yeah. But, you know, Wil-kun, not to brag, but I have a big chest, right?” (Sofia)
“Yes, I’m very well aware.” (Wilhelm)
“Why do you put on that gentlemanly face? Oh well. So, you know, because it’s hard to move when the cliff rubs against my breasts, I started thinking that maybe I’m not suited for this quest after all.” (Sofia)
“Wow, I’m really envious of the cliff.” (Wilhelm)
“Ahaha, that’s such a Wil-kun-like reaction.” (Sofia)
“Well, hypothetically speaking, if the force of your breasts caused you to bounce and fall off the cliff, wouldn’t that be really funny?” (Wilhelm)
Sofia-san smiled. It was impossible, of course, but it was amusing to think about. Well, I wouldn’t mind if it were possible.
We descended a bit further and obtained more Queen Lilies.
From here on, we decided to split into two to maximize efficiency. As long as we didn’t get too close to the Giant Eagles’ nest, we wouldn’t be attacked, so it should be fine.
Things were going smoothly. I managed to get eight.
A bit further down, there were two growing side by side. If I got those, my part would be done. I wondered if Sofia-san was doing alright.
“Noooooooooo!” (Sofia)
Doesn’t sound like things are going smoothly on her side. She’s screaming.
“Wil-kun, Wil-kun—!” (Wilhelm)
I looked over and saw Sofia-san being grabbed by the beak of a Giant Eagle. Its beak was firmly clamped around her waist.
How did this happen? Oh, I see. It’s a large chick from the nest. It’s leaning out to grab Sofia-san. Despite being called a chick, it’s twice the size of an adult man. Its beak is incredibly long, so it was able to reach her. Sofia-san, you let your guard down.
“Sofia-san, are you okay—?” (Wilhelm)
“Does this look okay to you—?” (Sofia)
“Yes—, you look like you’re having a blast—!” (Wilhelm)
“Wil-kun, you should go see an eye doctor as soon as this is over—” (Sofia)
“Really? But that monster seems to be having a blast too—!” (Wilhelm)
“That’s because it’s plotting to drop me into the river for fun—” (Sofia)
“Wow, that sounds like a lot of fun! I wanna try it too!” (Wilhelm)
“Hey, no need to be mean! You can’t just leave me here!” (Sofia)
“Well, I’ll ask just to be sure, but how did this happen?” (Wilhelm)
“…Do I have to tell you?” (Sofia)
“Of course.” (Wilhelm)
“…Giant Eagles, you see, have a habit of hoarding jewels in their nests. So, when I looked at the nest, I saw some gems that looked like they could fetch a good price.” (Sofia)
“I see. So, Sofia-san was aiming for those gems.” (Wilhelm)
“Y-Yeah. I really wanted some new clothes. It’s time to stock up on summer outfits.” (Sofia)
“Alright, chick, you can drop that person now.” (Wilhelm)
“Gueeee~!” (Giant Eagle)
With a grin, the chick agreed. And then it dropped Sofia-san.
“You’re terribleee! Don’t just throw meee! Ahhhhhhhhhhh! I’m falling, I’m fallingggggggggg!” (Sofia)
Well, of course she’s falling. She was tossed by the chick, after all. She’s about to plummet headfirst into the river.
“Ahhhhhhhhhh! Wil-kun, Wil-kun! This isn’t like bungee jumpinggggggg!” (Sofia)
“Sofia-san, your flag retrieval skill is truly remarkable! I admire you!” (Wilhelm)
“Wil-kun, don’t act like you weren’t involved! Save me before I hit the water!” (Sofia)
It can’t be helped. I can’t just leave her like this.
I hung onto the cliff, facing upwards toward the sky. The Giant Eagles were soaring gracefully with their large wings spread out, looking content. I couldn’t move freely in mid-air so I had no choice but to use them.
I quickly heightened my magic. My eyes turned increasingly red.
I have to use it. The ultimate magic of the Demon King. It’s a difficult spell, but I’ll show that I can master it.
“Oh great eagle that dances in the sky, submit to my will and be wielded by my hand! Complete Domination Magic, [Monster Control]!” (Wilhelm)
This spell allows me to dominate and manipulate monsters, bending them to my will by taking over their consciousness. The scenery captured by the Giant Eagle’s vision was sent directly into my mind.
The spell was successful. Alright, with my will, I can freely control the wings of the Giant Eagle.
I made the Giant Eagle dive down fiercely. I spotted Sofia-san falling. Can I make it in time?
“Aaaaaahhhhhh! It’s overrr! If I knew this would happen, I would’ve eaten more delicious fooddd!” (Sofia)
I spread the Giant Eagle’s talons and wings. Sofia-san entered the shadow of the wings.
“Eeeeeeeek! The Giant Eagle is chasing me! I’d rather fall into the water than become its prey!” (Sofia)
The Giant Eagle firmly grasped Sofia-san’s slender waist with its talons and soared into the sky.
“Wil-kun, Wil-kun—! I’m going to be eaten!” (Sofia)
“It’s okay! That Giant Eagle is under my control!” (Wilhelm)
“Really—? You can do that?” (Sofia)
“Heh, I’m pretty capable. Something like this is a piece of cake for me.” (Wilhelm)
I carefully brought Sofia-san back to the top of the cliff and then released the Giant Eagle from my control.
“Thank you, Wil-kun, you saved me~!” (Sofia)
I replied by waving my hand to Sofia-san from the edge of the cliff.
Now, should I collect the remaining Queen Lilies?
I quickly gathered them and returned to the top of the cliff. Quest complete. Huh, Sofia-san is grinning at a beautiful blue gem. It’s about the size of her palm so it must be quite valuable.
“You’re quite the opportunist…” (Wilhelm)
Sofia-san smiled happily as she tucked away the gem. Maybe she picked up even more gems from the Giant Eagle’s nest. She’s got guts, that’s for sure. That’s the mark of someone who’s been working as a guild adventurer for years.
On the way back from completing several quests, I stumbled upon a hunting ground that looked like it had been ravaged by human activity.
Since it seemed unusually man-made, I asked Sofia-san if she knew anything about it.
“Oh, right. Wil-kun, you weren’t aware yet, huh?” (Sofia)
“Did something happen?” (Wilhelm)
“Yeah, it’s information shared among fellow professionals. Lately, there have been incidents like thefts in the city, attacks on merchants traveling along the roads, and also some really nasty people causing havoc in the forests and mountains.” (Sofia)
“That sounds like outright banditry.” (Wilhelm)
“Yeah. The number of victims is increasing, and everyone is troubled by it. So, there’s talk about gathering together to repel them if we encounter such people… Oh, Wil-kun, if you happen to come across any bandits, could you defeat and capture them?” (Sofia)
“Well, of course. Even if there are dozens of bandits, are no match for a skilled individual like myself.” (Wilhelm)
“As expected of Wil-kun.” (Sofia)
Sofia-san smiled as I proudly puffed out my chest in confidence.
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
Sofia, you were really asking yourself for that one~
No, I didn’t drop this series. That’s never gonna happen. I was just preoccupied with irl stuff and the other series I was working on. It took forever to translate that one so I couldn’t find time for this one.
Footnote:
- None