Argo's Hidden Stories

Chapter 1: An Adventurer's Final Diary: Part 1 (No.01)

  ――FOREWORD――

To date, I have published several biographies based on the diaries of adventurers, but this one is quite special; it is the final tale of the man I most admire. The reason
I never touched on this story was because I always knew it would be the final entry.

As you know, I myself am a practicing adventurer.
As I pen this foreword, I am planning the greatest challenge of my life. It is likely this book will be published in a world where I no longer exist. But as I prepare to venture into a dangerous and unexplored land, I must free myself from the anxieties of the future so I can place my life on the line.

This book must be published, for I firmly believe an adventurer's soul lives on through those who read their tales. In fact, I consider this to be the record of a soul that can only exist within adventurers. As such, I hope you read every word about this lofty man, and take his tale as deep into your heart as I have.

"Adventures are surprise and discovery. This is a universal truth—and why I cannot stop."

I guess you'd call that my catchphrase. At the very least, I've repeated the words so much I often feel a sense of exhaustion in them.

Why do I adventure? What is an adventure?

This is the answer I always give the rabble who do not understand adventuring—the ones who view me as a simple and shallow man:

"Surprise and discovery," I say. I have crossed the world and conquered unexplored lands in search of these things alone.

I have found deep lakes that slumber in the desert.
I have traversed mountain ranges so tall they kiss the very sky. I could go on and on—my accomplishments are many, and I have ventured from the haunted depths of caves to the abyssal black of the sea. There is no adventurer who does not know my name.

But though I have no interest in over-the-top fame and nominal awards, I take some small pleasure from inspiring a younger generation.

On that day, I ventured into unseen lands. I sought the Shimmering Falls—a waterfall of legend whose rapids were said to flow the color of gold. But when I arrived at the place said to be its origin, I found not golden falls, but a golden city.

As I climbed a sheer cliff to get a better view of the captivating sight, I heard a scream below me.
My gaze snapped down to see a younger man who had missed his footing and was dangerously close to tumbling o'er the cliff.

His youth had made him bold, but now his face was warped by fear. Sweat covered his body, brought on by the panic of his impeding fall. Were I to move on, his hand would eventually slip, plunging him into the unfathomable ravine.

An adventurer who dies by accident has only themselves to blame. I consider this a universal truth, yet felt ill at the prospect of leaving a valiant youngster to his imminent demise.

"Stay calm," I called to him. His attention immediately snapped to me, his eyes wavering with dangerous hope.

"Do not panic. I will come to you,"

He replied with a bite of his lip and a slight nod.
Careful not to spook the young man with bits of falling rubble, I descended and extended a hand. I was met immediately by his own—one with a sense of desperation in the grip.
The softness of his palm told me he did not yet know the full joy and pain that adventuring could offer.

Chapter 2: An Adventurer's Final Diary: Part 2 (No.02)

The wind is cold, and dry enough to crack my skin.

Having reached out to the young man who was in danger of falling, I found a nearby ledge where the two of us could take our rest.

His face was stunned and bloodless; staring death in the face will do that to a man. Yet he made no word of acknowledgement. No word of thanks. In fact, he seemed to be willfully ignoring me—and after a minute of silence, he reached for the cliff in front of us once more.

How interesting.

More emotional weaklings might have taken offense, but the adventurer's spirit inside me appreciated his recklessness.

Encounters between people in unexplored lands are rare— and usually fleeting. Even if we forge a kind of friendship in that moment, we never know what happens to the other once we part ways. But I sensed great potential from the young man—so much, in fact, that I feel a burning desire to know where his life might take him. Still, an adventurer needs more than calm presence of mind; they must be willing to risk all if they are to open the way to new lands.

"Let me show you the secret to rock climbing," I said as I pushed past him. The boy, who had been disinterested only moments before, began to follow me in silence. I took that as a good sign; he had pride, true, but was also flexible enough to accept advice. Still, I saw annoyance on his face that he was in this situation, and found it almost charming.

I'd generally taken on new challenges alone; solitude was how I found my satisfaction. But this is a hard life, and sometimes a lonely one. Perhaps, deep down, I'd been searching for a kind of apprentice all my life. If I could teach what I knew to the young man—like pouring water from one vase to another—it might give greater significance to the rest of my accomplishments.

With that thought, I felt a new zeal for what little remained of my life.

I patiently taught the boy tricks to climbing. He absorbed them earnestly, and immediately began putting them into practice. Courage and skill? Yes, he was a rare find indeed. I wondered if I would even have anything to teach him by the time we made it up the mountain and down again.

Once he had a plethora of skills under his belt, we reached the top of the cliff and hauled ourselves over the edge— and what awaited us there was a sight more beautiful than my meager words can possibly describe:

The Golden Falls.

They shone with a brilliant light the color of treasure.
It was intense enough as to blind a man if he stared at it for more than a few moments. But the boy cared not for the sight before him. Instead, he just looked around briefly before turning to me and asking a single question:

"So where's the gold?"

I burst out laughing before informing the boy there was no actual gold to be found here—the color of the falls came from how sunlight reflected off the water. He looked genuinely disappointed; he'd apparently heard a rumor that real gold had been buried at the source of the falls.
After learning he couldn't reach them on his own, he'd been planning to split the treasure with me instead.

His greed made me burst out laughing again. But not in anger or disgust. Oh no. This was no chance meeting, you see—for greed is a lifeline to the survival instinct.

I knew then and there my instincts about the boy had been correct.

He gave me the evil eye as I guffawed, no bothering to hide his dissatisfaction. Then, sparing not even a single moment to appreciate the sight before him, he hurriedly turned to leave.

But I stopped him.

Few places within the entirety of nature are so grand as the Golden Falls, and the men who gain the chance to see them are even fewer. The true treasure there was not gold or wealth, but the view itself.

The boy scoffed when I told him as much, but his expression finally loosened just a bit.

"You're a real idiot, aren't you?" he said.

And he was right. Because I would do anything— anything—in the name of adventure.

Chapter 3: An Adventurer's Final Diary: Part 3 (No.03)

Things took a bad turn in this part of my tale, and I found myself in a predicament more distressing than any I'd encountered in all my years of adventuring.

Years had passed since I traveled to the Golden Falls, and I now had my heart sent on conquering a jungle teeming with large serpents, deadly insects, and ferocious beasts.
It had been easy going at first—so much so that I let my guard down. But the moment I did, I brushed up against some brambles and scratched the back of my hand, drawing a single bead of blood.

That faint smell was invitation enough.

The next thing I knew, I was face-to-face with a starving, ferocious tiger. It bore its fangs and claws, eyeing me like a hunk of meat on the dinner table. Then, as a chill ran up my spine, it leapt toward me with murder on its mind.

I could not block it. I could not even move.

Claws rent clothes and skin. Blood poured from wounds on my chest. Though it hit no vitals, the intense pain was enough to steal away all rational thought.

I should have run, you see. That would have been rational.
Instead, I grabbed my weapon and readied for battle.

A single wounded person against a mighty tiger?
It was absurd. I had a one in a million chance of victory, if even that. The thought of death passed through my mind like a chilly breeze in the early morning dawn, and I felt my eyes close in spite of myself.

To the tiger, this was an invitation; there is no easier prey than one who has surrendered, and the beast saw straight through my despair. Before I knew what was happening, it leapt upon me a second time.

If you're going to eat me, make it fast.

I thought those would be my last words before oblivion.
But no matter how long I waited for death, it never came.

I slowly opened my eyes and beheld the tiger lying on the ground, its life stolen away. Standing on the hillock above was the boy I'd met all those years ago on the cliff.

I was shocked. My mind reeled. It took agonizing seconds to recognize who he was, and even longer to realize he'd saved my life. The gallant young lad had ended the tiger in a skilled ambush, keeping me and my frozen resignation ever in the corner of his eye.

He was larger than I remembered—thicker and more stalwart.
Countless ordeals had hardened him as a forge tempers iron, turning his once-weak body into the ideal physique of an adventurer. To be honest, I was more impressed by this than the fact he'd saved my life.

"We're even," he said curtly. Clearly he'd not forgotten the day I reached for him on the cliff. More to the point, he remembered it so well that he'd been searching for a chance to repay his debt for all of these many years, following me in my journeys while simultaneously honing both body and mind.

Perhaps some of you—perhaps many—would find such a thing unsettling. But all I saw was an earnest, focused lad who wanted to do what was right.

A great feeling of fondness for the boy passed through me in that moment, and before he could turn to leave,
I mustered all my remaining energy to give him both my earnest thanks and my praise.

Sadly, these words only caused his cheeks to redden and his eyes to drop. It seemed as though he'd spent his entire life without ever receiving a word of thanks, and had no idea how to take mine.

Gods, but it was so like him.

I laughed then. I couldn't help it. I roared with laughter, and his expression quickly moved from shame to rage.

"I saved you!" he snapped. "Stop laughing!"

Of course, this only caused me to laugh all the more.
And after a few moments, a smile slowly crossed his face.

From that point on, we traveled together at my request.
It took a while to convince him; he was crabby, bashful, and reluctant to trust. But his fate was sealed the moment he started taking to me.

I knew that together, we would face ever more challenging and fascinating adventures. We would find surprises and make discoveries that set any previously untrodden areas to shame. We would find miracles not begotten by God, but created by us.

My life—and my future—was now filled with light.

Chapter 4: An Adventurer's Final Diary: Part 4 (No.04)

The young man and I conquered numerous lands after that.
Though his logical mind was a bit lacking at times, he was able to overcome even the worst of predicaments by way of his superior physical strength. And as I watched him grow into a strong and dependable companion, I found myself harboring more fondness for him than I ever expected.

Ah, but it's true. This proud woman finally fell in love.

The boy—no, a man now—seemed to favor me as well. He told me he'd suffered greatly after we'd parted ways at the Golden Falls, and couldn't dismiss my face from his mind.
I wasn't sure how to respond to that—I've never been much for compliments, and my speech is hardly what you'd call elegant. Thankfully we each saw through the others' faults and pursed a relationship with single-minded stubbornness.

We eventually married, and soon thereafter were blessed with a child. To ready for the birth and my subsequent motherhood, I abandoned the adventuring life. But though
I was no longer climbing mountains or tromping through woods, I somehow felt more adventurous than ever.

Adventure is wanderlust, you see. And to my great surprise being a mother satisfied that itch. I found that raising a child was a journey filled with more surprise and discovery than any I had ever before undertaken.

I am satisfied with my new life.

As I write these words, my husband is out on another adventure. I while I wish he would spend more time at home, I gave up trying to convince him long ago. Whenever I ask, he what he always says to anyone who questions him:

"That's just how I am."

Oh, but he can be an infuriating man! And yet, I know the passion that drives him, so I always forgive him.
I was the adventuring idiot who invited him on a journey and asked him to be my husband, after all. I was the one who changed his life.

And I must also be the one to send him off.

That's why I want to end my diary here. I want to enjoy the present instead of reminiscing endlessly about the past.
My present is my future now, and it is filled with light.
So together, my daughter, husband, and myself will venture down the crooked, wonderful path that is a life.

  ――AFTERWORD――

There's no adventurer I look up to more than my mother, so I modeled this record after her diary.

Mom's diary does indeed end there. Despite how much she complains about Dad being stubborn, she's the exact same— she never changes course once she's made up her mind.

People experience all sorts of meetings, but I believe my parents' union was inevitable—maybe even a kind of fate.
Even so, I still find being the daughter mentioned in the diary to be a bit embarrassing.

But even though the diary ended where it did, there's more to the story. There's a second diary, you see. But it isn't very good, and the handwriting is so bad that it's almost impossible to read.

It's Dad's.

I inherited the habit of writing in diaries from both of my parents. And even as I write this afterword, I find my thoughts changing. I thought this would be the last chapter, but now I think I should write Dad's biography too—both for the sake of little brother, and for my parents. I mean, it's sad to think his story might never survive, right?

All right. It's decided. I'm going to write a sequel.

My next work won't be about an adventurer I look up to, but an adventurer who deserves love—the same love that pushed me to adventure myself. It might be a bit more slipshod than the work you just read, but I promise to make it enjoyable nonetheless.

And to do so, I will cross the threshold into that land.

Surprise and discovery.

I survive so I might keep these things alive.

So please. Wait for me.

So please. Pray for me.

Let's continue our adventure together.

Chapter 5: The Obstinate One (No.05)

Hee hee! Are we gossiping here? I hope you don't mind if I join in, because Mama has a juicy little morsel to share.

So when I went to check on that adventurer the other day, I found him moaning and groaning as he hung from a cliff by one hand. His arm is as thick as my entire body, and yet there it was, just slip, slip, slipping away!

Well, I was so shocked, I yelped in surprise! And I knew his record didn't end there, so it was all quite embarrassing, let me tell you.

...Hmm? What happened next?
Well, just as he was about to fall, I heard his wife yell.
She was cradling their little girl and staring at him with THAT look, so I knew he was in real trouble. Then she demanded that he stop training and come play with his daughter!

Can you believe it? The man was just training! And right after she yelled at him, he switched hands and started humming to himself! I swear, some people...

Chapter 6: Mountain Folk’s Ballad (No.06)

Mother's Ballad

Sturdy scoundrels descend
from mountain peaks.

Screams startle from sleep.
Hide all the swaddled babes
in the house, quick quick.

I was born by the sea.
Raised on the blue.
If I stay on the mountain,
I'm naught but a cosset's dam.

Blustery snow.
Swelling courage.
All who protect, embrace rage.

They are coming, quick quick.

They are coming.

They are here.

All who protect, stand ready.

Father's Ballad

When home I drink. I brood.
I gaze out windows and wish
for cliff and ash and bone.

I thank mother earth.
How she battles for me.

I was born at the foot and
raised at the peak, and if
I descend I'm just another
worthless old man.

A lion's fate.

Unknown stars.

All who are valiant,
rise, rise to the zenith.

I must go quickly.

I must go now.

All who are valiant,
rise, rise to the sun.

Chapter 7: Notes on a Lovable Adventurer (1) (No.07)

How did you two meet?

In the mountains, naturally.
We met when I attacked him.

Sorry. You attacked him?

Yes. I was a bandit then. What, I don't look like it?
I was abandoned by my parents at a young age, so I had to do what was necessary to survive. It was so easy to take things from climbers; they never think a woman could do them harm.

Was he one such climber?

Yep—and I don't think I worried him for a second, either. I approached while he was in the middle of a climb, pretending to be a frail little girl before trying to stab him, but it didn't work. He just sort of...slid out of the way.

Did he know how to fight?

Who knows? I had the same question, but he just laughed and said: "I fight mountains.
Of course I can handle at least this much." He then said to me, "Quit banditry and try adventure instead!" ...Heh.
He laughed, too. He had this big, infectious laugh, and it started me laughing as well.
It's such a nice memory for me now.

Anyway, I stopped attacking climbers on the mountains after that, and we had two kids together. I'm really thankful for all he did.

I'm so glad you're happy.
Thank you for your time.

Chapter 8: Notes on a Lovable Adventurer (2) (No.08)

Where did you meet him?

I ran an inn out of my house in the harbor, and he showed up one night looking for a room. He was so filthy, I could barely tell he was human at first

You ran an inn?

Yes. It's closed now. There was a little island nearby that was impossible to access due to the tides, but various foolhardy folk kept showing up to try their hand at the challenge anyway. They kept me in the black for a few years, but then...

But then?

He reached the island. Can you believe it? Well, once that happened, the shine was off the whole idea, and our stream of adventuring guests dried up. I had no one to take over the business, so I just shut it down and walked away.
Still can't believe someone like him pulled it off...

Did he leave a bad impression on you?

Oh, the worst. The worst! He came in covered in mud—the only thing you could see were these two beady little eyes shining in the dark. Like a child's. My brother and sister were adventurers, you see, and I recognized those eyes right away. I hate adventurers—the whole lot of them. To think we'd end up as family! I still can't believe my rotten luck.

Ha ha! Well, thank you for your time today.

Chapter 9: Notes on a Lovable Adventurer (3) (No.09)

So where did you two meet?

In the tavern where I worked. One of our more inebriated patrons was bothering me, so he stepped in to save me.

He saved you?

Oh yeah. He picked up the drunk with one hand and tossed his ass right out the door! I remember noticing how the muscles in his arms flexed, and also how he didn't seem phased by any of it. He just went back to his seat without a word and continued as before. It was... Well, it was hot, I guess. And gallant. I couldn't stop thinking about how wonderful he was, so I—

Um...

So I gave him a pint to thank him, and he threw it back in a single gulp. But he was already a few ales in, and that put him over the top. His went all red, then put his face down on the table and started to snore, so—

Hello?

So at that point, I thought about how wonderful and cute he was! He had a charm about him, you know? The kind of thing you wouldn't expect from looking at him, but that—

Excuse me! Sorry, but I think we're good here. Thank—

No! I'm not finished! I can talk about him all night!

Chapter 10: Notes on a Lovable Adventurer (0) (No.10)

Where did you meet Dad?
Hmm... I forget.

You're kidding.
Heh. I'll let you read my diary once you're older.
It's all in there.

But I want to read it NOW!
We all want things, kiddo.

Okay, fine. Why did you marry Dad?
Oh, I think I treated it like a little adventure. I wanted to conquer someone who only ever thought about adventuring, you know? Your aunt didn't approve at all, but it's kind of exciting to have an obstacle to work through.

You sound like him.
Do I?

Are you happy you married him?
Of course I am. Because that's how I got to meet you.

Hee hee!

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