Another World Reincarnation Chronicle

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To save pureblood Hairan, I must go to the Thunderbird Mountain Range.

I began looking for a carriage heading that way.

Fortunately, I found one just as it was about to depart.

On that carriage sat one knight and three adventurers.

“Are you trying to get on as well?”

“Yes!”

“Looks like you want to see Hairan.”

“No, I’m going to catch a horse.”

“What, you…?”

The coachman let out a ridiculous laugh at my response.

He extended his hand as if it was the most natural thing to do.

“One silver.”

It seemed that the Thunderbird Mountain Range was quite nearby.

I placed a silver coin in the coachman’s palm and hopped onto the carriage.

“Are you going to see Hairan?”

Was I staring too obviously?

The knight sitting across from me struck up a conversation.

I was taken aback by the voice coming from the shining silver helmet—it was a woman’s voice.

As I widened my eyes in surprise, a light laughter came from inside the helmet.

“Are you surprised that I’m a woman?”

“Um…”

While I hesitated to respond, the carriage started moving.

“You seem to have trained with a sword?”

The knight showed considerable interest in me.

Being a woman and a swordsman, I suppose that resonated with her.

Since I didn’t particularly dislike her, I continued the conversation.

Her name was Rosen, and she said she came to the Hairan Plateau to acquire her own mount.

Just like most knights who came here.

I asked Rosen, “Have you ever seen a pureblood Hairan?”

“I saw one from a distance when I was young.”

“What was it like?”

Rosen began to speak lightly with a smile.

I could tell from her voice, which seemed to fade into nostalgia, that she was recalling old memories.

“The characteristic of the Hairan is its size.”

“Size?”

“It was at least twice as big as a regular riding horse, if I remember correctly.”

“Wow…”

“Its stiff mane fanned out in all directions—it looked just like a lion.”

“Is that really a horse?”

Of course, it might be a horse. It was said that they could breed with other horse types.

She let out a gentle laugh at my reaction and continued.

“The most unusual thing is that they insist on being carnivorous.”

“They don’t eat hay or anything?”

“Not a chance. If you bring them horse feed, they’ll throw a fit and probably break the stable!”

“Whoa…”

Rosen continued talking about Hairan.

She said their long legs were strong enough to crush rocks, and that there was a tale of someone being ripped apart by its whip-like tail.

Putting her words together, it didn’t sound like a horse at all—it was more like a monster.

“Riding a Hairan would mean putting your life on the line.”

“That’s right.”

While chatting with Rosen, I glanced sideways.

The three adventurers sitting across from us had drawn nearer and were listening intently to her story.

When their gazes met ours, they awkwardly smiled and returned to their spots.

“We’ve arrived!”

That moment, the coachman’s voice echoed out.

At the same time, the carriage that had been rushing stopped abruptly.

I jumped off the carriage, looking around.

The towering mountains loomed endlessly, and the gray clouds hanging above gave off a strange ominous feeling.

The mountain was stark and desolate. It didn’t seem likely one could find living creatures around here.

“Hey, are we sure this is the right place?”

That was Rosen’s question as she stepped off the carriage.

She directed her query towards the coachman, who sat atop his perch and nodded with a light smile.

“Yes, this is the Thunderbird Mountain Range. A place where legends speak of giant birds appearing.”

The coachman said that as he pulled out a stubby cigar to smoke.

After puffing a few times, he continued.

“I’ll wait here, so if you feel like giving up, just come back. I’ll take you back for one silver as well.”

The coachman seemed sure of everyone’s failure here.

The adventurers frowned somewhat at his words, but didn’t voice their displeasure.

And so, the adventurers began to ascend the massive rock mountain first.

I too started climbing the mountain alongside Rosen.

Despite wearing heavy armor, she moved effortlessly, almost like a cat.

“Isn’t it tough?”

“I’m fine.”

I replied to Rosen’s question and cautiously climbed the steep slope.

Thanks to the ogre leather boots made by a skilled artisan.

The tough tendons and resilient leather kept my ankles from twisting in the wrong direction.

The adventurers who had set off before were soon caught up to.

They were panting heavily, leaning on the steep slope.

“Is there really a Hairan here?”

“I guess we have to believe what the author says.”

Rosen pointed down towards the base of the mountain as she spoke.

The coachman was still sitting there, puffing on his cigar.

The smoke wafting up looked just like the gray clouds hanging in the middle of the mountain.

Rosen and I continued climbing without taking a break.

Just how much time had passed? As I started to feel my breath becoming ragged, a heavy sound echoed from behind the clouds hanging on the mountainside.

Thud-! Thud-! Thud-!

With every passing moment, the sound drew closer.

At that instant, from between the fog, a gigantic something revealed itself.

Its wide mane evoked the image of a true lion, while its massive form appeared to transcend the very species of horse.

“Hairan…!”

The creature that made its entrance was indeed Hairan.

Charging out with its black mane flowing, it flashed its bright red eyes and sprinted off in another direction.

Thud-! Thud-! Thud-!

The way it bounded down the sloped mountainside seemed almost effortless, as though it were running on flat ground.

The heavy footfalls came from surely a wild horse unbothered by the ground beneath.

In that moment, Rosen took off running in the direction Hairan had gone.

Had she been matching my pace until now? She suddenly shot away at an incredible speed.

“It’s Hairan!”

I heard the voices of the adventurers below.

Had they spotted Hairan too? They started running, their excitement palpable.

With the situation turning this way, I had no choice but to run as well.

I infused my legs with mana and chased after Rosen.

My short legs pushed powerfully against the solid rock.

What replaced my frail muscles was the Starlight Mana coursing from my heart.

Although I had enhanced my body with mana, my running speed didn’t drastically increase.

This magic simply aided my body; to gain greater strength, I needed to train my physique.

Despite running quickly, I couldn’t close the gap with Rosen.

She vanished just like Hairan might leap over a mountain.

“Hah… Hah…”

I paused mid-mountain, where the clouds had settled, catching my breath.

The dense fog made it hard to see ahead.

Climbing a sloped mountain in this state was incredibly challenging.

I carefully placed my feet amid the clouds to continue my ascent.

“Hairan!”

“Catch Hairan!”

At that moment, the adventurers rushed in from behind, diving into the fog.

As they pushed through the hazy clouds, they vanished just like Rosen had done.

I couldn’t feel their presence, nor could I hear their footsteps. It was an extraordinary situation indeed.

Considering their speed, the idea that they had disappeared in just a few seconds seemed impossible.

I stopped walking, frowning.

Could there be a cliff ahead?

As I thought that, a massive shadow emerged from beyond the billowing clouds, moving as if it were flowing.

It was overwhelmingly huge, impossible to think of as Hairan, or even a person, and it made no sound as it touched the ground.

It simply drifted there.

They say when a person sees something beyond their comprehension, they feel fear.

That was exactly how I felt. The endlessly moving shadow asserted its existence and made me vaguely imagine what it might look like.

With such a colossal body moving in silence, it sent chills down my spine.

I cautiously turned to retreat.

At that moment, the gray clouds swiftly turned pitch black.

As if the shadow had devoured the fog whole.

Or maybe it was that I was being consumed by the shadow.

I gasped, taking rough breaths as I hastily drew my sword.

Swoosh-!

In that moment.

Flare-!

Light flashed.

What appeared through the instantly illuminated clouds was a massive wing covered in gigantic feathers.

The very second the light vanished, a brutal sound followed belatedly.

Boom!

The deafening thunder roared, as if to shatter my eardrums.

The enormous bird revealed itself, cloaked in lightning and dark clouds.

The silent-moving bird swept through the clouds.

I was so overwhelmed by its movement that I had no choice but to slowly step back.

Though I had my sword drawn, I couldn’t even think about swinging it.

Boom!

The harsh thunder erupted once more.

With the lightning flashing, the giant bird became even clearer.

Its colossal, feather-covered eyes seemed to fixate on me.

I couldn’t even muster the thought to cast magic as I moved my mana.

Overwhelmed by that presence, I continued to retreat endlessly.

As I was drawing back, I suddenly murmured, “Ah…”

My voice escaped absentmindedly, scattering into the emptiness.

With no foothold beneath my extended legs, they flailed in the air.

My balance was lost, and with a faint gust of wind, I felt a sense of floating.

I stumbled. I was falling.

Desperately, I flailed my body. But my weak struggles would only scatter the clouds wrapped in lightning.

“Graah!”

With a scream coming out, I heard a thud!

Pain surged late as I realized I was rolling down the ground.

I lost track of how long I rolled in a daze.

Finally, I noticed the thick clouds that had filled my surroundings had disappeared.

“Hah… Hah…”

I checked my body’s condition, panting heavily.

Aside from a twinge in my right ankle and a scrape on my forehead, I seemed to be fine.

What a relief! I exhaled a sigh of relief.

At that moment.

Something approached behind me.

Flap-!

A rough breathing sound and unmistakable presence.

I instinctively turned around in shock.

The enormous horse looked down at me, blinking its eyes before flopping down beside me.

With its mane spreading out like a lion’s and its massive body, and those bright red eyes, its identity was clear.

“Hairan…?”

It was indeed the Hairan everyone had been searching for.

Flap-!

Hairan came over and laid its massive body down next to me.

Contrary to the rumors of its ferocity, it appeared exceedingly gentle.

I cautiously reached out my hand to stroke Hairan’s back.