(Attendances… plz…)
….
The journey from Blumund to Veldora's Cave was a long one, estimated to take xx days on foot, assuming they didn't run into any serious trouble.
For the first few hours after they entered the the Great Jura Forest, things were surprisingly calm.
The trio, who had been expecting the worst, were in a surprisingly good mood. They hadn't stumbled into any traps, and more importantly, they hadn't seen a single monster.
"Well, to be honest, this is a bit of a surprise," Kaval said, sounding relieved. "I was expecting we'd get jumped by something the moment we stepped into the forest. If things keep going like this, we'll be back in no time."
"And do you know what you just did?" Gido asked, his voice deadpan.
"You stupid bastard," Ellen groaned. "You just jinxed it."
As if on cue, a loud, guttural roar echoed through the trees, sending a flock of birds scattering into the sky.
"Ah… I'm sorry," Kaval mumbled sheepishly.
"Haha, it's okay," Reinhard said.
"It's not okay!" Ellen snapped. "I think we should vote for a new leader when we get back."
"Yup," Gido agreed.
"The hell are you two saying?" Kaval whined. "At least have that kind of talk behind my back, not to my face!"
"I think something is coming this way," Reinhard said, cutting them off.
A moment later, a large magical beast emerged from the dense undergrowth. It looked like a tiger, but with a long, blade-like tail, razor-sharp talons, and massive fangs. It stared at the four of them, a low, ferocious growl rumbling in its chest.
The trio froze.
This Blade Tiger was a known predator in the Jura Forest, a B-rank threat at minimum. They had either wandered into its territory or their notoriously bad luck had finally caught up with them.
Reinhard stepped forward. "We probably wandered into its territory," he said calmly. "Let me take care of it."
"Ah, okay, Reinhard," Ellen said, readying her staff. "Let me support you from the back."
"Yeah, we'll be right behind you in case it runs past you," Kaval added, raising his sword.
"Yup! Can't have your back open," Gido said, lifting his shield.
Reinhard chuckled to himself. They were trying to sound brave, but he knew they were just finding an excuse to stand behind him. He didn't blame them. It was actually kind of endearing.
The Blade Tiger saw Reinhard step forward. It saw a man with no weapon drawn, no threatening aura, and a face that looked like it had never been in a fight. To its predatory instincts, Reinhard looked like an easy, defenseless meal. It lunged.
Reinhard took a simple sidestep, and the beast shot past him. Its bladed tail whipped around, aiming straight for his heart.
But just as the blade was about to connect, Reinhard's hand shot out and grabbed it. With a firm grip, he used the tiger's own momentum to spin it around once, then launched it far away into the forest with a powerful heave.
They heard it crash through the trees in the distance.
Ellen immediately started cheering. "Hahahaha! Reinhard, I'll never get used to how strong you are! It makes these two look like weaklings we have to carry around."
"Well, it seems he won't be coming back this way again," Reinhard said. "We should continue our trip. Oh, and just a reminder, you didn't forget the key to the cave, right?"
"Now that you mention it, let me check," Kaval said, patting his pockets. "The guild master gave it to me."
"Wait, don't tell me you forgot it!" Ellen gasped.
"Don't be ridiculous," Kaval said, pulling out a small, ornate key. "Yup, I have it."
"Well, we should get moving then," Gido said. "Before more monsters show up."
And like someone's listened tk Gido warning…
They did encounter more monsters over the next few hours, Knight Spiders, giant Cave Bears, a swarm of Giant Ants.
Ellen insisted that Reinhard couldn't do all the work, so she, Kaval, and Gido took the lead on a few of the fights.
It took them some time, and they came out of it tired and a little bruised, but they handled the threats. It was clear they were, in fact, a capable B-rank party.
…
As night fell, they made camp by a small river. Kaval and Gido set up the tents while Ellen and Reinhard were on food duty.
Ellen waded into the river with a small fishing spear, but she didn't have to do anything.
Reinhard simply reached into the water and, with movements too quick to see, started pulling out fish one after another, as if he were just picking them up from a stall at the market.
"So you're an expert at catching fish, too?" Ellen asked, amazed.
"Haha, well, I wouldn't call myself an expert," he replied.
"Let's see," she said, starting to count on her fingers. "You're strong, you're a good negotiator, you can always pick the best fruit from the stalls, you can cook, you can fight… and so many other things."
"Hmm, those are pretty basic things, if you think about it," Reinhard said with a smile. "Well, let's go back. You should start the fire so I can cook the fish."
"Roger that, Mr. Perfect," Ellen said with a playful salute. As she went to the others to light a fire.
….
…
..
.
A Few Days Later:-
After a long and surprisingly monster-filled journey, they finally arrived. They stood before a massive, dark opening in the side of a mountain, sealed by an enormous, intricately carved stone gate.
This was it: Veldora's Cave. The four of them stared up at the entrance, a silent testament to a power that had been locked away for centuries.
"Finally," Kaval breathed, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. "We reached the damn thing."
"Hmm, this gate is… huge," Reinhard observed, tilting his head back to see the top.
"Well, what can I say?" Kaval said, a hint of nervous energy in his voice. "A dragon was sealed in there. A dragon that can destroy cities just by flying over them." He walked up to the gate, pulled the key from his pocket, and looked back at the others.
"Alright, be ready in case any monsters come rushing out. We don't know what's on the other side."
"Okay," Reinhard said simply.
Kaval inserted the key into the massive lock. He had to use both hands to turn it, straining against three hundred years of rust and disuse, but with a final, loud CLICK, the lock disengaged. Kaval then put his shoulder to the gate and pushed with all his might.
It didn't budge. Not even a millimeter.
"I think the gate is jammed," Ellen said, stating the obvious.
"Well, you did just say it hasn't been opened in three hundred years," Reinhard pointed out. "So that makes sense. Let me try."
He walked up to the gate, placed his hands flat against the cold stone, and gave it a gentle push.
Effortlessly, the massive stone door swung inward, its hinges groaning loudly from centuries of silence.
A wave of cool, damp air, thick with the scent of minerals and magic, washed over them.
Kaval just stared, first at the open gate, then at Reinhard, then at his own hands.
"Damn," he muttered, shaking his head. "I feel less and less like a man in front of him every single day."
….
A/N: well how was it?! Next will be reinhard catching rimuru peeking at them and all.
Melatonin thanks for beta reading this fic and not to mention suggestions too.
Hoped you all liked the chapter and all.
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