#634 Otherworldly Hyaku-meizan

My world has something similar.

“Hyaku-meizan” is a book that contains the most splendid mountains in Japan and presents them to the public. I remember seeing them on posters, pamphlets, and the like.

I thought it was a scheme from the tourism association, but one day, I looked it up online and found out that an individual had compiled it.

It was a crystallization of the overflowing love of a hardcore mountaineer.

After coming to another world, I assumed everything was different, but the mountaineer’s love for mountains has remained unchanged across dimensions.

Who would’ve thought someone would try to do the same thing in this world?!

“Hyaku-meizan? Oh, one hundred famous mountains... I see. That does have a nice ring to it.”

On the other hand, Golden Bat is unexpectedly smitten by the phrase ‘One Hundred Famous Mountains,’ which I blurted out.

“I haven’t decided on the project’s name yet, but that one doesn’t sound half bad. As expected of the person they call the Saint. I just shared with you my rough ideas, and you immediately came up with a name that would capture its essence!”

“Oh, it’s nothing...!”

I’m actually surprised you know how to praise others...

“Do you mind if I use that name? Starting today, I’m going to write a list of famous mountains titled One Hundred Famous Mountains and share it with the world!”

“If possible, tweak it a little so it’s distinguishable from the original.”

“The original?”

“How about One Hundred Otherworldly Famous Mountains?”

“If you say so.”

All right...!

This should make things less confusing!

“But the question is, can my precious mountains be contained in a mere list of a hundred...?! What if I widen the scope a little more and make it a Thousand Famous Mountains?!”

“Please do your selection properly.”

Well, that brings us to the beginning of this story.

To summarize, Golden Bat first said that his “life’s work” was to select and document the good mountains from the ones he had climbed so far!

Pouring your heart and soul into something is nice, and as long as it doesn’t bother people, all I can do is cheer them on.

But...

“...What brings you here, really?”

Golden Bat’s purpose for visiting the farm is still unclear to me.

He’s free to write and compile his own One Hundred Otherworldly Famous Mountains, but I don’t see how my help is relevant.

Besides, I’m just a humble farmer who only knows how to plow away his fields, so why me?

...This is suffocating.

What in the world is he trying to get out of me?!

“Isn’t it obvious?!”

Then, Veil appears.

She’s a dragon who pops up everywhere.

“I heard everything about your plan to pick out the best mountains in the world. In that case, it won’t take a genius to understand why you’re here!”

Huh? Veil?

Did you already see through Golden Bat’s plan?

“You’re going to add my mountain dungeon to your hyaku-meizan or whatever, right?!”

“Oh, I see!”

Dungeons, a subspace of spatio-temporal distortion and mana stagnation, can arise even on mountains of this world.

So, if you want to document otherworldly famous mountains, you’d inevitably add dungeons to that list.

After all, mountains can be dungeons!

“We dragons often dwell in mountain dungeons, after all! And you have good taste to list the dungeon where I, the most wonderful of all dragons, dwell!”

“I recall thinking how unique the farm’s mountain dungeon was when I first climbed it. Both the altitude and difficulty level are moderate, and the area is rich in variety, divided into four seasons. At the same time, there is a wealth of loot.”

“Mhm, exactly! Someone knows what they’re talking about!”

Veil is an honest dragon who feels flattered as much as she is praised.

“If you know so much about my mountain dungeon, I can’t say no to you! Very well, I’ll give a special service this time to introduce you to my nest! You will never hear the end of me if you don’t write about it in the coolest, most extraordinary way possible!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Huh?!”

Just when she was sure her dungeon would be included, she was declined.

Veil is bewildered by this unexpected twist.

“I won’t deny how marvelous this farm’s mountain dungeon is. It’s already wonderful as the mountain itself. A dungeon as good as this would easily rank in the top ten, not just the hundred.”

“Right? Right?!”

If so, why the refusal?

“This dungeon’s biggest flaw is its inaccessibility. It’s in an unexplored region isolated from human habitation, and just getting here already makes for an exciting adventure. Even if I were to add this mountain to the list of the One Hundred Otherworldly Mountains, if people can’t access the place to check it out themselves, they might say I’m lying or writing about an imaginary mountain.”

So you only publish verifiable articles to preserve the work’s credibility?

He usually only listens to his instincts, but when it comes to mountains, he becomes cautious, huh?

“And so, it pains me to say this, but I won’t be including the farm’s mountain dungeon! I’m sorry, but I hope you understand!”

“Boohoooo!!!”

Veil breaks down in tears as Golden Bat bows deeply.

“I’m so frustrated, Master! To think the unexplored nature of this place would backfire on me like this!!!”

“There, there. It can’t be helped.”

I’ll register your mountain dungeon on my personal cultural heritage list, so cheer up.

“Then what in the world did you come here for?”

I had almost convinced myself that he wanted to register Vei’s mountain dungeon near my farm as one of the One Hundred Otherworldly Famous Mountains.

If that’s not the case, this mystery will not escape this never-ending loop!

“Well, now it’s time to get down to the business of what I’m asking you to do...!”

“Sure.”

I was ready to listen to what he had to say.

“When compiling One Hundred Otherworldly Famous Mountains, what concerns me the most is this world’s imperfection.”

Imperfect?

The world is? Not you?

“The world of the demons and the humans is still divided, and both sides cannot travel freely.”

“Ohh, that.”

Even so, the Human-Demon War ended a long time ago, and under the rule of the victor, the Demon King, traffic between the two nations has gradually picked up the pace.

The ban has not yet been fully lifted, but it is speculated that within another year or two, adventurers will be able to freely explore the dungeons in the Demon Kingdom, right?

“But at the moment, you can’t traverse through both nations without permission from the Demon Kingdom. Naturally, the mountains in the Human Kingdom alone aren’t enough to complete my One Hundred Otherworldly Famous Mountains. It will only be possible if I also cover and introduce all the steep and sacred mountains in the Demon Kingdom!”

Makes sense.

Since Golden Bat is an adventurer operating in the Human Kingdom, I can easily imagine that his scope of activities is limited within its borders.

I bet the mountains he had found and climbed up to this point were all from the Human Kingdom.

If he were to select the best mountains, it wouldn’t be the One Hundred Otherworldly Famous Mountains, but simply One Hundred Famous Mountains of the Human Kingdom.

I think that’s fine in itself, but Golden Bat’s pride probably won’t allow it.

Pride not only as an S-class adventurer but as well as an unrivaled mountain lover, that is.

“Hm, I think I understand now.”

Eureka! And I slap my knee.

“I’m friends with the Demon King and have strong connections in the Demon Kingdom. You’re asking me to help gain access to the mountains of the Demon Kingdom so you can sort your compilation, is that it?!”

“Not really...?”

“Huuuuuuuuuh?!”

Then why are you here?!

What are you here for?!?!?!

“You shouldn’t underestimate Golden Bat, the S-class adventurer. No law or military affair can bind me. I’ve crossed the border between the Demon Kingdom and the Human Kingdom as often as possible with Bestial Release!”

“An illegal immigrant! They call you an illegal immigrant!!!”

As well as an illegal emigrant.

“I’ve been sneaking into the Demon Kingdom unnoticed for years and have climbed most of their major mountains! I have information on the Demon Kingdom’s mountains stored inside my head!”  

“What in the world are you doing?!”

A man who eliminates every obstacle to satiate his desire to climb mountains!

An enthusiast of all enthusiasts!

Not that I want anyone to follow his example, though...!

“Haa... You already have everything you need to compile and publish One Hundred Otherworldly Famous Mountains yourself. What more do the invincible likes of you still need help with?”

Especially our help?

“I’m invincible and the best, that’s for sure. But there is one mountain I have yet to summit.”

“Oh?”

“That mountain is the only one my love for mountains cannot conquer. The guardian who lives there is too formidable. I’ve been to a multitude of mountain dungeons and escaped dozens of times while being chased by the dragon guardians, but I doubt I can pull off the same thing against the guardian there...!”

Just how savage of a mountain is this to make Golden Bat, the embodiment of confidence, so timid...?!

The name of the mountain he has deemed impossible to summit on his efforts is...

Mt. Eternity, home of the Lifeless King Sage.

Author’s PS.

The mountain where the Sage lives has a different name in one of the previous chapters, but I changed it when I revised the plot.

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back from the long absence! things have finally calmed down, so ill be uploading chapters regularly till we catch up again. thank you so much for your patience as always :)