". . . Get off me."
"Demon, your head is mine."
"I'm not a demon. I was waiting for you guys to arrive."
Damn him. I wouldn't hit him because I can't even walk.
This time, I thought I was really going to die.
I need to confirm something.
I have legs.
I have arms.
Breasts...
Anyway, everything is normal.
". . . No, I can't believe my cart broke and only the bottom is left."
Donkey was trying to fix the part that remained.
"Why are you complaining?"
Dorian handed him two bolts.
"How am I supposed to work now?"
"You don't like working."
". . ."
"AAAAARGH!"
The cart debris was thrown far away.
"Boom!"
The debris was thrown far away.
"Dorian, for the first time I..."
Donkey took a slow step, placed his front hooves on the rock, and stared at the horizon.
I swallowed.
"For the first time, I have become an irrational animal."
I thought he was going to have a fit and pass out. What a disappointment.
"My friend, your words are beautiful. I've been through that too."
"Waaaaah!"
They hugged each other and cried like babies.
Animals really do understand each other...
"Ah! Stop strangling me. Someone get this piece of junk away from me."
"Eat some dirt, demon."
"Lyra, don't do that."
I need to stop her because I...
"Lend me that piece of wood. I'll kill this bastard myself."
"Are you guys crazy?"
"Got him!"
"Poin!"
". . ."
"Ah, my forehead. At least you're finally calming down."
For now.
"Damn, when you guys climbed up and came down the mountain, I almost went insane watching such elegance."
"You think so too?"
Lyra grabbed the traveler's hands.
"Yes, I do."
"So, which part did you like the most?"
"Hmm..."
The traveler placed his hand on his chin and scratched his beard.
"I liked it when you whipped that girl in the bunny outfit across the back."
"Hahahah, that's how I treat my slaves."
"Poin!"
"Kaela, why am I always the one getting hit?"
"Why do you think?"
Lyra curled up in a corner and started sucking her index finger.
"Anyway, sorry about my friends' behavior. Sometimes they act like wild beasts."
"It's fine. I'm already used to it."
"Hahaha!"
Used to it?
The hair on my body stood on end in places I didn't even know existed.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course. What do you want to know?"
The traveler picked a booger from his nose.
"Want some?"
"I don't want your boogers. Just ask me."
Disgusting. Who eats boogers?
"Why did you climb the mountain?"
Huh? That's what he wants to know?
"We followed your directions."
If I had known there was a mountain the size of Mount Everest, I never would have followed that route.
"Burp!"
He burped...
"I never told you to climb any mountain."
"What are you talking about? I didn't hear you properly."
Donkey joined the conversation.
"Oh, how could you not?"
I stood up.
I put my hands on my hips.
"I merely described a route."
What? Described...?
"Straight ahead."
"Hatred."
My head began spinning.
"After five kilometers, turn right."
My body started hurting again.
"River."
"Revenge."
An armadillo rolled past me.
"Upward."
With every word the traveler said, a flashback appeared in my mind.
"Downward."
Everything we went through.
Everything we suffered.
"End."
Does this world hate me?
"How did I end up in such a degrading situation?"
"Hahahah."
"And you know what's even funnier?"
He lay down on his back.
"What!!?"
What is this feeling? After Donkey asked, I had already felt it once.
"Beside this mountain, there's a sign that says: Shortest Route."
There was no other choice. I started beating the traveler up, slapping him across the face.
It was then that I saw the abyss about to emerge, filled with hatred and fury, waiting for the right moment.
"Why are you telling me this now? We almost died."
"I thought you chose to climb the mountain willingly, even after seeing the sign beside it."
That's a lie. I don't believe him.
"If there had been a sign the size of a truck, I would have seen it."
I'm going to rip his ears off.
"How do you suppose I got ahead of you? I would never climb that mountain even if you paid me all the money in the world."
I'm going to fry this useless bastard in a pan and eat him.
"If you don't believe me, I'll show you the sign. It's nearby."
Let's go see this sign.
"Dorian, Donkey, Lyra, and..."
Weren't there more people with us?
"Kaela, the demons devoured them."
Lyra pouted.
"Why are you angry?"
"My dream was for demons to devour me, but they preferred two pieces of wood."
"Hah!"
I held back my laughter, but Lyra dealt me a fatal blow.
"Hahahah!"
Wait, this is serious.
"No, my first love might be dead."
Dorian's back was completely scratched and bleeding.
"Kaela, we need to rescue Mortar."
What should I choose: the girls or going to see the sign first?
I've never had to deal with two dangerous situations at the same time.
"No, we're not going after the girls. I want to see the sign first."
Damn it. What did I just say?
"Kaela, are you choosing to look at a sign instead of helping my love?"
Dorian, don't bother me.
"Hee-haw! Hee-haw!!!"
My ears are going to explode. What happened to Donkey?
"Shut up!"
Silence.
Everything around us became cold.
I could hear my own heartbeat.
What's happening?
"Yee-haw! Yee-haw!"
That isn't Donkey's voice. It's much deeper and more oppressive.
"Seraphine, the noblest and bravest horse in this world will save you, but only after we look at the sign."
"Yes."
Everyone agreed.
Something changed in Donkey.
It looked like a villain was about to appear.
He raised his left hoof.
And rubbed the hair on his head.
"When you force a horse to work, you must die."
Donkey entered fury mode.
He wasn't going to let all the suffering he had endured go unanswered.
So we walked along, almost shitting our pants.