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“Even without the fog, the mountain range is still treacherous, so be careful. Never step off the path.”

Fortunately, the fog didn’t last long and cleared up completely in just a few days. Having spent an unexpected amount of time, I made sure to prepare thoroughly so that we could set off immediately as soon as the fog lifted.

The paths of the mountain range bore traces of human travel, yet they were far from well-maintained like regular hiking trails. The terrain was so rugged that even if there weren’t dragons living in the mountains, climbing up on a foggy day would be an accident waiting to happen.

“Ah, watch your step there!”

As expected, while climbing the mountain alongside Frecia, she almost lost her balance and fell, but I quickly reached out to steady her.

The other friends, even Yuli and Mariel, had been trained on the battlefield for the past three years and had sufficiently minimal physical ability that it wasn’t a considerable issue for them. However, for Frecia, a pure wizard, ascending the mountain was undoubtedly quite challenging.

I lifted Frecia, cradling her in my arms in what is commonly called the “princess carry.”

At that moment, Gomtaengi, who had finally noticed his master’s discomfort, jumped out of Luna’s arms and transformed into his larger battle form, approaching us. He took Frecia from my arms, adopting the same princess carry position.

In the meantime, Tokki, another of Frecia’s golems, had turned away from her and seemed to be in distress as he was being held by Anne, unable to move. You’re in your own bit of trouble too, huh?

“Alright, let’s get moving again.”

With Frecia being carried by Gomtaengi, there was no need to delay, and we could climb the mountain right away.

Surely the other friends wouldn’t trip and fall, would they?

“Ah…!”

However, just when I thought we were safe, Yuli, stepping forward, lost her balance and fell towards me.

Luckily, she toppled in my direction, allowing me to catch her safely, but the inherently timid Yuli seemed startled, quickly burying her face into my chest.

How long has it been since I warned everyone to be careful? And here she was, just as careless.

Then again, even though she had been on the battlefield for three years, as a necromancer who mostly relied on the powers of ghosts rather than her own body, it makes sense that she might stumble. Still, Yuli isn’t that clumsy of a person.

“Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself anywhere?”

I briefly sat Yuli on a nearby rock and checked her ankle. Externally, I found no signs of swelling, but worried she might’ve twisted it, I decided to ask her directly.

In response, instead of examining her own ankle, Yuli scanned the area, glancing nervously at our other friends. Perhaps she was worried that reporting an injury would cause her friends trouble.

“Saint! Just in case, could you cast a light healing spell?”

In that case, since Yuli was hesitant, I jumped in before she could say anything. Even if she hadn’t been injured at all, Mariel’s divine power as a saint would be ample to heal any slight sprains without issue.

“Sure, just a moment….”

Fortunately, Mariel came over right away without showing any annoyance at my request.

“Ah…!”

However, perhaps out of urgency to care for the injured, Mariel tripped as she hurried and stumbled forward. I quickly rushed over to steady her before she fell.

“Hehe… Sorry, I got ahead of myself….”

Realizing her own clumsiness, Mariel looked up at me with a silly smile while being held in my arms.

It’s clear that being selfless is a good quality for a saint, but it’s hardly worth damaging yourself in the process.

“Okay!”

Using my body for support, Mariel adjusted her stance, checked Yuli’s ankle, and cast a light healing spell.

“Yeah. You didn’t seem to hurt yourself. But just in case, I’ll keep a healing spell on you.”

Then she winked at Yuli. This was her way of saying not to hesitate to ask for help anytime.

“Looks like we’ve lost some time unexpectedly. I’d like to reach a spot where we can camp before it gets dark, so let’s hurry a bit.”

Originally, I hadn’t planned on crossing the mountain range in a single day. Whether I asked the lord beforehand or checked the map, no matter how good of a climber we were, the terrain couldn’t be crossed in one day.

However, I had already checked the locations of simple campsites and shacks set up for travelers like us along the way.

If we walked diligently, I believed we could pass a few of those intermediate points before nightfall.

That thought was from just a moment ago.

“Whoa…!”

“Eek!”

“Hey, senpai!”

After just a few steps and a few minutes, several people kept stumbling, leading to much slower progress than I’d originally anticipated.

There was no exception to the slipping and tripping. Anne, Lilith, Luna, and even Selian, the Sword Master, who thrived on physical exertion, along with Lindy, the elf, all stumbled too.

The only exception was me, who was running around trying to catch them whenever they slipped.

It was even the case that friends were wobbling and falling in spots where there seemed to be no risk of slipping at all.

It wasn’t just one accidental stumble; it became a cycle of helping over and over again. I hadn’t managed to climb far up the mountain yet, but I was already worn out from assisting everyone.

“This is strange…. It’s a flat area with no rocks—how could they be falling? And not just once, but multiple times….”

And as I was helping the 21st friend back on their feet, I began to suspect something was off.

Yeah. Something’s definitely wrong. If they all had a clumsy nature, it’d be one thing, but the fact that everyone except me kept tripping was hard to ignore.

My mutterings were audible enough for everyone around me, and Selian, who was just nestled in my arms, flinched at my voice.

“Is… is that so…?”

“Hahaha…. It’s probably just a silly thought. People can trip while walking.”

Friends responded as if agreeing. But no matter how nonchalantly my friends spoke, my eyes couldn’t be deceived.

“No. There’s definitely something off.”

My sharpened senses as an assassin were telling me; this was no ordinary occurrence.

I should have questioned it sooner. Of course, it was believable that Frecia stumbled at first; her athletic skills surely made mountain climbing tough for her.

But everyone else? That’s honestly absurd. It was enough to make me feel like a fool for just realizing it now. Although maybe I should be grateful I noticed at all.

“Wait, Elysia. Let me explain. Don’t think it’s strange….”

“Of course….”

As I kept talking, Selian finally seemed to catch on, looking urgent to say something.

“It seems the effects of the fog linger on.”

“…What?”

“If it weren’t so, there’s no way everyone would be losing their balance like this. Right, Selian?”

“Y-yeah! Elysia, you really pick up on things quickly!”

“Wow, what?! I didn’t notice at all!”

Anne, typically a bit slow in these situations, exclaimed as if shocked that she hadn’t realized. But Anne didn’t need to fret that much.

I am the continent’s top assassin, and my sharp senses and quick thinking made it easy to notice, while the rest of my friends had no clue.

Only someone like Selian, who had been through reincarnation and had plenty of experience, caught on just at the end.

Fortunately, thanks to my sensitive senses, I unconsciously escaped the fog’s effects. If I’d been affected too, we all would surely be in great danger.

“We’ll have to do what we can. From now on, I’ll take point, so don’t lose sight of me and follow closely.”

Even if we’re still affected by the fog, it’s just residual scraps left behind. Naturally, its influence would be much weaker than when the fog was thick.

With that much of a difference, it should be easy enough for them to stick right behind me.

Moreover, it seemed that aware of the fog affecting their senses due to my warning, no one tripped or slipped after that.

“If we keep this up, we’ll start to reach the next resting spot….”

After we walked for some time, comparing the map with the terrain, I couldn’t help but stop.

Looking around, I noticed that just a moment ago, the sun was high in the sky, and the mountain path had been clear, but now it was completely shrouded in thick fog.

“Huh…?”

Before we climbed the mountain, I was told that once the fog lifts, we wouldn’t have to worry about it for at least a week. Yet we had entered the mountain range on the very day the fog disappeared.

This situation was entirely different than expected.

As the fog grew thicker, just as the lord had warned, I could barely sense my friends coming up behind me; my senses dulled considerably.

I tried to look back to see, but all I could see was grey fog.

And then….

“Huh…?”

As I turned to take a step back, I accidentally stumbled right on the edge of a cliff, and soon, I found myself plummeting downwards.