Early the next morning, as the sun was still barely cresting the horizon, we woke to find the shrine shrouded in mist, the forest still and silent.
After we said our goodbyes to the Dragon Lord, who was still lounging in the hot spring, I used Transport Gate to teleport us to an area near the Rhoden Kingdom’s capital. That was the closest place I knew to the Jinshin clan’s village. The dark, imposing forest vanished, and we found ourselves in the middle of a large, open field.
Off to the south, I saw the walls surrounding the city, and beyond that, the capital itself, illuminated by early morning light.
Ponta yawned lazily atop my helmet—probably still tired from waking at such an early hour—and nearly slipped off the side.
Behind us, to the north, were the Calcut Mountains, their peaks a sawblade against the sky. A massive forest sprawled at their base.
Chiyome’s village, and the Jinshin clan’s hidden base of operations, were located somewhere in those mountains. There was no road to speak of, so we let Chiyome lead the way. Thankfully, there were relatively few monsters in the area. The tradeoff was that there were plenty of bandits.
“Most of the area’s bandit camps will be gone soon, though,” Chiyome said.
She led us through the forest easily and confidently.
“You mean the Jinshin clan is pushing everyone out of their territory?” I asked.
Chiyome stopped and turned to face me. “What exactly do you think we ninja do?”
Her question confused me. “Rescue comrades abducted by the humans?”
The corners of Chiyome’s mouth turned up slightly. “We certainly do that. But we also hunt bandits. Blades and other metal objects are invaluable in our village, which makes the bandit camps ideal hunting grounds.”
Since the bandits probably didn’t want their pillaging and looting to draw too much attention from local nobles, they set up camp outside town. That made it even easier for the Jinshin clan to attack them and steal their supplies.
Judging by the physical prowess Chiyome and Goemon displayed during our assault on the Etzat Market, your run-of-the-mill bandit wouldn’t even stand a chance.
“If the Jinshin clan suddenly possesses stolen items, doesn’t that draw suspicion from the capital?”
“That’s what our informants are for. They make sure that any survivors returning to town claim that humans attacked them. We make it look like the bandits moved their base camp, wipe it out, and steal their supplies. That’s why so few bandits raid from the area around the Calcut mountains.”
Chiyome’s tail wagged confidently. She turned and led us deeper into the forest.
Those mountain people were a lot more rugged than I’d given them credit for.
✦ ✦ ✦
About halfway up one of the mountains, after a short journey through dense forest, we finally reached a clearing. The soil underfoot gave way to rock, and I saw that the way ahead was riddled with deep gorges. Between them, a mountain stream snaked downwards.
Chiyome pointed toward a peak across from the overhang where we’d stopped. “Once we pass this gorge, we’ll be in the Calcut Mountains proper. Humans rarely venture out here, due to the powerful monsters that make these mountains their home.”
I nodded. From where we stood, I had a clear sightline to a treeless patch of ground on the other side. Traveling there would be relatively easy.
“So, you’d like me to teleport us over?”
Chiyome nodded. She and Ariane put their hands on my shoulders in a now-familiar movement.
“Dimensional Step!”
An instant later, we found ourselves on the far side of the gorge. Looking backward, I could see the overhang where we’d just stood.
“The village is on the other side of this mountain. Let’s get going.” Chiyome was already several paces away.
This part of the Calcut mountain range was less a series of distinct mountains than an undulating mass of earth covered in dense foliage.
Just as Chiyome had warned before we teleported, we encountered much more dangerous monsters in this area, the likes of which we hadn’t seen on the gorge’s opposite side. They didn’t pose much of a threat to the three of us, of course, but any normal person would have been easy prey. Considering the sheer number of monsters we saw, it was difficult to believe that this place was suitable to live in.
Sure, the mountain people might not need to worry about humans infiltrating their domain, but simply surviving here seemed like a struggle—hardly what I’d call a peaceful existence. When I thought of the women and children we’d saved from the slave market and sent to this village, I got a little worried.
At one point, we killed a monster that Chiyome and Ariane called an “umbra tigris.” It was a massive, tiger-like creature with blood-red eyes, stiff purple horns, and a black-spotted pelt. It was about four meters long—five if you counted its tail—and the large fangs extending from its upper jaw gave it the appearance of a saber-toothed tiger. Felling an umbra tigris usually required several groups from Chiyome’s clan to work in unison.
Daytime encounters were practically unheard of, but we ran into that particular creature as we made our way through the dense underbrush. At night, it released a dark, mist-like gas to conceal its movements, but that only made it a larger target during the day.
When the umbra tigris came in to strike, we responded aggressively, ending the battle so quickly that your instant noodles would still be warm long after we finished.
“Are you okay, Arc? Isn’t it heavy?”
Chiyome had asked me to carry the umbra tigris back to her village. Apparently, the villagers would pulverize the monster’s horns and mix them with steel to make incredibly sharp and durable blades. According to Chiyome, the dagger at her waist was one such weapon.
The umbra tigris’s pelt also provided much-needed warmth up in the mountains, and its teeth were ground for use in medicines. If the villagers sold the pelt with the head attached, it would fetch a high price at the human markets, providing money for food, weapons, and other supplies.
“Honestly, it’s nothing compared to the giant basilisk I took down.” I laughed lightly and, to emphasize the point, hopped a few times with the umbra tigris still on my back.
Ariane, who trailed behind us with Ponta held firmly to her chest, butted in, her voice clearly annoyed. “You’re something else, Arc. You remind me of my mother sometimes.”
I laughed. “I’m not sure how comfortable I am with a compliment like that.”
Ariane furrowed her forehead. Apparently, she hadn’t meant it as a compliment.
As we reached another clearing, Chiyome stopped and pointed toward a mountain on the far side of a steep cliff. “My village is opposite this valley. At this pace, we should reach it just before sundown.”
I hefted the umbra tigris. “I’m happy to keep going. Ariane?”
“Sounds good to me.”
I teleported us across the valley.
✦ ✦ ✦
Just as the sun began to dip behind the mountains, we looked down on Chiyome’s hidden village.
Wooden posts formed its outer perimeter; an inner wall of spiked stone served as the second line of defense against would-be attackers. Honestly, it looked more like a fortress than a village.
A hinged door, like a drawbridge—which I assumed to be the entrance—was shut tight to prevent anyone from entering.
The buildings inside the village seemed to cling to the mountain’s slopes. Beyond the walls, I saw homes and windmills huddled close together near the summit. Farther down, crop-filled fields supported by stone walls covered the mountainside.
It reminded me of Machu Picchu.
“I can’t believe they’ve built a village on such a steep slope.” Ariane’s eyes took in the impressive sight.