#1306 Junior’s Adventure – Ups and Downs 

First of all, we have to find Lord Belphgamilia, who’s supposedly living in seclusion somewhere on Mt. Eternity. 

From the biggest mountain in the entire otherworld? 
Isn’t that insane? 

“For now, let us head for the summit. We may discover some clue along the way.” 

There he goes again, reckless as ever. 

Well, worst case, climbing all the way up and then coming back down would still have some meaning to it. 
Mountain climbing is meaningful in itself… I think. 

Thus, my goal now becomes purely reaching the summit. 

Aim for the peak of Mt. Eternity. Something I’m still lacking surely awaits me there… probably. 

“All right! Then let’s go to Mt. Eternity’s summit!!!” 

I follow behind Demon Prince Goetia, marching ahead with high spirits. 

…But the anomaly bares its fangs at us almost immediately. 

“Hm?” 

I notice the strangeness first. 

“Haven’t we passed this path before?” 
“Have we?” 

Prince Goetia doesn’t seem suspicious at all. 

“You’re imagining things. Mountain scenery tends to look the same, does it not?” 
“No, there’s no way... The exact same tree, same branch shape, same leaves showing up four times in a row isn’t just coincidence.” 

A déjà vu feeling hits me. 
We’ve been...going around in circles. 
Thinking we’re heading straight to the top... but looping around the same place repeatedly. 

“…The Stone Sentinel Maze.” 
“What?” 

Yeah… it’s coming back to me. 

When I was little, Dad took me hiking on Mt. Eternity and we were blocked by something like this, trapped walking in circles. 

This is a barrier. 
It messes with your senses, warps space, and never lets you step onto the correct path forward. 
Once caught inside, breaking through or even retreating is nearly impossible. 
The barrier’s whole purpose is to trap you in an endless circuit. 

“Prince Goetia, please step back a little.” 
“Hm…?” 

I kneel down and press my hand to the ground. 
More specifically, to the path leading upward. 

If a path’s job is to carry people to their destination, then I push that function beyond its limits with my Hand of Ultimacy. 
By blowing away any distortion caused by the barrier. 

Full power, go!!! 

“Wh-whaaaaaaaaaaat?! What's going on?!” 

The fake scenery is blown away, scattering into nothing. 
Before the path powered up by the Hand of Ultimacy, the barrier that tried to mislead us is destroyed entirely. 

“It’s a completely different scenery… What’s happening?” 

When caught in the illusion, nothing feels out of place, but once the truth appears, the abnormality becomes obvious. 
That’s how terrifyingly the barrier hides its distortions from perception. 

“This is a barrier set by the Sage... The Stone Sentinel Maze.” 
“Sage? Stone… what?” 

The Sage is a Lifeless King who protects Mt. Eternity. 
Lifeless Kings are terrifyingly powerful undead, and the Sage is among the strongest, even said to rival Sensei. 

To keep anything or anyone dangerous away from Mt. Eternity, the Sage lays down layers of security using his secret arts. 

The Stone Sentinel Maze that traps intruders in circles is one such defense. 

“The Sage... To think there’s such a monster lurking in Mt. Eternity.” 

No, no, he’s actually a good person. 
He listens, is considerate, and always offers climbers a warm welcome. 

…But why would that kindly Sage put up a barrier to block us? 
Did we offend him somehow? 
Did we…? 

“Hmm, I’d honestly rather go home now.” 

Because if it’s obvious someone up ahead doesn’t want us here, of course I’m going to lose confidence. 
My mental fortitude isn’t nearly strong enough to keep approaching someone who clearly dislikes me. 

“No! A few obstacles are nothing before my grand dream! Come with me, Junior!!!” 

And here we have someone with extremely strong mental fortitude. 
I reluctantly follow behind Prince Goetia up the mountain again. 

“…But I grow tired. How about we rest for a moment?”” 

Low stamina is his critical weakness. 
And before long, we come across a shocking sight. 

It’s a training ground filled with many people! 
A training ground?! 

“Run! Run! Endurance training is the foundation of all foundations! Add another five laps to toughen your stamina!” 

A drill sergeant type barking orders, and trainees running for their lives. 

…Hold on. That drill sergeant looks familiar. 

“Mr. Golden Bat! Is that you?!” 
“Hoh? You are… you are…?” 

Nope, he doesn’t remember me. 
We haven’t seen each other in a while, so I guess that’s fair. 

“…Ahh, I remember now! The Saint’s son, right? Norito!” 

Close. 
Norito is my younger brother. I’m the eldest: Junior. 

“I see, I see. Quite rare to meet you here. Are you two climbing the mountain?” 

He asks like it’s the most normal thing ever. 
Which would be nice if that’s all we were doing. But unfortunately, there’s more to it. 

We’re searching for Lord Belphgamilia who’s living in hiding here. 

So, what exactly is Mr. Golden Bat doing here? 
An S-rank adventurer showing up in some remote wilderness isn’t that strange, but still… 

“Hm? You don’t know? I’ve already retired from adventuring. I’m not S-rank anymore. I’m now a guild-certified Super Trainer.” 

Super Trainer? 
That title feels generously embellished. 

“Heh heh heh! From my guidance, new S-rank adventurers will be churned out by the dozens! Honestly, that’s a greater achievement than being Guildmaster, don’t you think?” 

You’re still competing with the Guildmaster? 
The former S-rank adventurer once known as Silver Wolf… 

Golden Bat and Silver Wolf. 
Gold and silver; the two legendary pillars who defined the golden era of adventurers. 

But that was ages ago. Now, both work behind the scenes, passing on their skills and knowledge to the next generation. 
Their era ended peacefully and properly. 

Yet Golden Bat continues to nurture that old rivalry… Well, how should I say this… it’s very like him...! 

“I’m running an intensive boot camp for rookie adventurers right now. At the request of the Guildmaster… no, Silver Wolf.” 

You didn’t have to correct yourself there. 

“That stupid wolf… still can’t do anything without relying on me. Hard to believe someone like him can run a guild...!” 

He grumbles, but the proud smirk on his face betrays how pleased he is. 
I bet the Guildmaster knows exactly how to flatter and manage him. 

...Wait, hold on. 
So near the summit of Mt. Eternity… is an official adventurer guild training facility? 
Here? 

“Yes. This place is perfect for training. The high altitude and thin air make even small movements drain stamina fast. Ideal for building endurance through repetition.” 

Okay, fair point. 
I glance at Demon Prince Goetia wheezing beside me and nod. 

“And being so far from civilization means escape isn’t easy. In that sense as well, it’s the ideal training ground. I don’t know what you came here for, but since you made it this far, stay the night. I’ll give you food and a bed.” 

Right, a training site would definitely have lodging. 

Wait... That means... 
All the heavy camping gear I hauled up here, the tent, the sleeping bag, everything... 
Are completely useless...? 

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Stone sentinel maze- a historical/legendary tactical formation originating from cn military lore, often attributed to zhuge liang/kongming