[Sinseki Era – Year -21]
[Northern Nations · Schwer Mountains]
"Whew—"
"Teacher, move just a bit—higher."
"Like this?"
"Mm, this spot is way more comfortable."
...
Gut carried his exhausted teacher Serie on his back, climbing steadily up the rugged mountain path.
Sometimes, due to the wide movements required to ascend, Serie would slip down a little on Gut's back. Because of this, he would occasionally pause after a stretch to let his teacher readjust her position before continuing.
In times like these, when climbing through high mountains was required, the advantages of a warrior's strong physique were on full display.
Originally, according to Serie's estimate, the two of them would have to camp outdoors in the wilds of the Schwer Mountains for one or two nights before reaching the midpoint lodge.
But with Gut's support, the circumstances changed. Now they were likely to reach the lodge by the latter half of the night.
Since getting a good night's sleep while camping in the wild was difficult, Serie hesitated only briefly before agreeing to the plan of pressing on through the night on her disciple's back once her strength ran low.
Aside from a brief midday stop for rest in a sunlit clearing, Gut didn't let his feet stop the entire way.
Thanks to this, they arrived at the mountain lodge even sooner than expected.
After carefully lowering his teacher off his back, Gut stepped forward and pushed open the wooden door.
Thankfully, the lodge was unoccupied, and the previous guest had cleaned up before leaving—there was even a vase of half-wilted flowers set neatly on the table.
"A female adventurer, maybe... how romantic and thoughtful."
Standing in the middle of the lodge, Gut opened the magical equipment suitcase and laid out their bedding and blankets across the rug to ensure a warmer sleep.
Just as he was finishing up, Serie entered the lodge from outside, traces of magic still lingering on her hand.
Gut closed his eyes and sensed it.
"So that's what it was—Teacher cast a ward around the lodge that only reacts to demons and monsters. No wonder you took so long."
As Gut murmured to himself, Serie used magic to light the lodge's fireplace.
As the dry firewood crackled and snapped, the entire cabin quickly filled with a pleasant warmth.
"I'm going to sleep. You should rest soon too."
After the reminder, Serie hung her coat on the rack and slipped into her blankets.
Gut, not yet sleepy, pulled over a chair and sat beside the fire, lost in thought in the cozy warmth.
Wait a second... this mountain lodge—wasn't this the one that appeared in the story?
He was talking about the one where Frieren and Kraft the monk met, not the one where Stark got sick and Fern "healed" him.
As for how Gut could tell with certainty...
Besides the geographical cues, the biggest reason was simple—there was no oversized "healing" bed for couples in this lodge.
"Why'd I suddenly think of that..." Gut chuckled, shaking his head and banishing that spicy fan-edit from his mind.
After sitting by the fireplace a while longer, the flush from carrying Serie uphill gradually cooled, and his energy calmed down.
Crackle—snap—crackle—
The fire's occasional pops and sizzles weren't distracting—they were calming, like white noise.
After all, the safety brought by fire was something wired into living beings by instinct.
In this warm Hearth Home, it seemed tonight promised a peaceful sleep.
With that thought, a wave of drowsiness washed over Gut.
Shrugging off his coat, he crawled under the blankets and, after whispering a soft "good night" toward Serie beside him, quickly drifted off to sleep.
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Powerstones?
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