“Ah, what a marvelous sword, rare to find in a village like this!”
“Is it repairable?”
“I’ve been eating knife porridge for 30 years. Just trust me with it.”
Elden left his sword at the blacksmith’s and borrowed a substitute, which would take about two days to prepare. While it was modest compared to his own, the replacement wasn’t bad for a temporary fix.
Next, the three of them headed to the herbalist shop next door.
“Do you have any herbs good for recovery?”
Lacking any knowledge about herbs, Ariel directed her question to the shopkeeper.
“Recovery, eh… Are you okay with something a bit pricey? There’s one herb that’s quite effective even if you just brew a single root.”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
“Alright then, let’s see…”
The shopkeeper, whose beard hung down to his belly, swung his long beard behind him like a traditional propeller and began rummaging through the herbs displayed.
After tossing things about and humming to himself for a while, the herbalist eventually clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“Ah, darn. Looks like it’s already sold. Grandma! If you’re going to sell something, at least announce it!”
Perhaps embarrassed by his earlier confident statement, the herbalist scolded someone off in the back of the shop.
Undeterred, Ariel pressed him with another question.
“Don’t you have any stock left?”
“As you know, with winter fast approaching, it’s getting tough to climb the snowy mountains, so herbs are in short supply.”
“Is that so… Are there no other herbalist shops in the village?”
It was unlikely there would be more than one herbal shop in a place without a city, but Ariel asked, just in case.
Though not quite as desperate as Elden, she earnestly hoped for Lumia’s recovery. After all, she had always found it remarkable how passionately Lumia approached her studies in class, often staring at her out of admiration. Sometimes, she even felt a twinge of envy towards Lumia’s pure enthusiasm.
Above all, Elden wished for Lumia’s recovery. If Lumia regained her energy, Elden would definitely be happy, and that alone would be reason enough to search for and brew the herbs.
To restore her health, they truly needed effective herbs. They couldn’t get a proper diagnosis from a doctor as they wanted to avoid unnecessary exposure to outsiders until they understood Lumia’s true intentions and thoughts.
Mana healing scrolls could only treat minor wounds, after all.
That was why Ariel hoped for Lumia’s recovery, but the only response she received was another shake of the head.
“There’s only this shop in Lugen village.”
“Is that so… Well then, have a good day.”
Ariel slowly turned away with a disappointed expression. She completely understood the meaning of the shopkeeper’s words about the struggles of climbing the snowy mountains with winter approaching.
With predators hunting with fiery eyes and the thick layers of snow making visibility nearly impossible, herb hunters wouldn’t have a chance during November in the Northern Regions, where nature itself seemed to reject them.
Even if they’d been offered quadruple the price, it would still be hard to obtain anything.
As she attempted to leave the shop, Elden, who had been silent until then, suddenly spoke up, forcing her to halt.
“Is there any other way to obtain that herb you mentioned, the ‘remarkable’ one?”
“Excuse me?”
“Didn’t you just say, ‘In Lugen village, this is the only place?’ I was asking if there’s someone else in the vicinity who deals with herbs.”
“Ah…”
Taken aback by Elden’s sharp inquiry, the elderly man stroked his long beard, displaying a flustered expression.
Clearing his throat awkwardly, the old man fumbled his words.
He seemed to possess a high level of trustworthiness in his dealings, as he didn’t seem adept at hiding things.
Elden, with a faint smile, flicked a silver coin towards him, and with a cheerful ‘ping’, the coin landed neatly in the elderly man’s hastily gathered hands.
“…?”
“I hope you won’t feel shortchanged for the information.”
“Ah.”
Understanding the meaning of the silver coin, the old man gave an awkward smile as he slipped it into his back pocket. It seemed like he was pleased with this unexpected windfall, glancing slyly behind the shop.
With a single silver coin, he could indulge himself at the best tavern in the village and have a grand time.
The old man, now with a noticeably fuller pocket, approached Elden, rubbing his palms together like a shady character with a sly grin.
“Hehe. Actually, there’s someone I often send to buy herbs. They’re not much interested in the mundane world, so they set their prices according to the buyers.”
“Oh? So there’s a place that rips people off for herb prices… is that the case?”
“Ah, haha. Well, it’s a world where we help each other out, right? That person should definitely have the ‘Red Leaf Mandragora’.” Just don’t tell them I sent you.”
At the old man’s worried expression, Elden nodded sagely as if he fully understood.
“So, they’re not interested in outsiders, and if they find out you’ve told me, they might not give you a good deal anymore.”
His words pierced the hidden meaning with precision.
The old man, caught completely exposed by a younger fellow who could be his grandson, erupted with a shy laugh.
“Haha! It’s nice that you’re so straightforward.”
“And where is it?”
The old man, smoothing out his chuckles, gestured for Elden and his friends to come closer. Following his lead outside the shop, they found themselves looking at a snowy mountain about 3 kilometers northeast of the village.
It wasn’t that far, but it was definitely quite a high mountain.
“If you walk about fifty steps west from the entrance of that mountain, you’ll see a marked wooden post. I set that up. Follow it up, and you’ll find a large cave. Most people believe there are huge monsters lurking inside, so they don’t dare step there, but there’s a herbalist living in that cave.”
Elden shaded his eyes from the blazing sun and gazed at the distant mountain.
Hmm.
A large cave, huh.
For a moment, Elden felt a surge of trepidation creeping in.
“Thank you.”
Of course, he had no intention of leaving the silver coin as a donation, so he headed straight toward the snowy mountain.
Thud, thud.
Fortunately, the clear sky and gentle wind made travel easy.
The snow on the path wasn’t deep, so it felt no different than walking on solid ground.
However, there was one thing that felt a bit awkward.
“It’s really nice out here.”
“Hey, going alone would be boring.”
It was the fact that he was walking this path with just Ariel.
He had sent Rendler to inform Rachel that they might be late returning.
Naturally, it wasn’t uncomfortable.
With the cheerful and lively Ariel, there was never a dull moment.
Yet, having been just the two of them for this “long” journey for the past six months was a bit strange.
Isn’t it sometimes the case among friends?
When you usually hang out with a group of four, being with just two can create an inexplicable awkwardness.
Though he understood that it was the quiet that filled the space between the lively chatter of four and the calmer rhythm of just two, it still felt like the air was thickening.
In short, he simply hadn’t adjusted.
For six months, they had always been a group of four.
“Are you sure you’re okay? I could have gone by myself.”
“Yep! I have a duty to record the great journey of the Blood-Sucking Young Master!”
“……”
How could he respond awkwardly to Ariel’s bright and cheerful answer?
Ariel’s tiny, determined face, utilizing every muscle to express “Let’s go strong!” evoked a chuckle from me.
Was it even a duty? I mused, thinking that without her, our culinary expedition might have been quite dull.
Perhaps that’s why…
Out of a sudden reflection, it struck me—
I hadn’t expressed my gratitude lately.
I decided to share this sudden thought:
“Thank you, Ariel.”
“Huh? For what?”
“For, you know, everything you do.”
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that she, the precious daughter of a count, made my dreams of a culinary journey come true. Moreover, she not only took it upon herself to be the monster culinary artist but also to document my adventures—a role that made her a veritable benefactor.
I couldn’t help but think how different my life would have been if I hadn’t just happened to meet her in the library.
I conveyed that feeling, and for a moment, Ariel gazed at me blankly before swiftly turning away.
Despite the relatively mild temperature, her cheeks bloomed like ripe apples.
“W-what? I’m just doing what I enjoy!”
“By the way, hasn’t Count Elrond said anything? He must be worried.”
“Well… when I told him I made a precious friend, he seemed quite happy about it!”
“Really?”
“Yep! He asked if my friend was a guy, and when I said yes, he mentioned wanting to meet him sometime, saying he’d talk about it if an opportunity arises nearby.”
It seemed that Count Elrond unexpectedly maintained frequent communication with his youngest daughter.
I hadn’t anticipated he’d be quite so unconcerned about family expectations.
‘Was his indifference actually a complete respect for her autonomy?’
Well, it seemed more like a reckless respect, but it was fine.
Thanks to Count Elrond’s regard, I had the pleasure of going on a culinary adventure with a wonderful friend named Ariel, so there was no reason to refuse.
“Sounds good. You mentioned Count Elrond is in the Eastern Region, right?”
“Yep!”
“Perfect. After we finish our travels in the Eastern North, we can head down to Silion’s East. If we pass by, we can stop by.”
“Really?”
Clap!
Ariel clapped her hands in delight, and that gave me even more reason not to refuse her.
After all, I should do what makes Ariel happy.
Thus, we arrived at the entrance of the snowy mountain that the herbalist had guided us to, and just as he had said, we began to follow the marked tree.
And then…
We got lost.
Meanwhile, late into the night, Rachel stood by the window, anxiously gazing up at the moon as she worried about the two who had not yet returned.
She desperately denied the increasingly vivid imaginations that kept creeping into her mind.
This was the first time she could remember that Elden and Ariel had not come back late at night during their six-month journey.
Additionally, it was the first time the two had moved about alone for such a long period.
‘…Surely, that can’t be.’
Perhaps that was why.
For the first time, a strange wariness crept into the obsidian-like pupils reflecting the moonlight.
And…
‘Just come back.’
There was also a strange (?) hatred lingering.
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