Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 144: The Green Corridor
Brother Cain had visited the Green Corridor before, but I doubted he knew the area better than an actual local. I decided without hesitation to take the turtle with us.
“Lake Spirit, we’ll be counting on you.”
“Mm. An excellent answer. I like you more and more.”
Apparently, I had earned another point.
I supposed I should be happy about that.
Yay.
Meanwhile, Brother Cain still looked troubled.
“What’s wrong, Brother Cain?”
“Father told me to keep a very close eye on you. I’m wondering whether I should stop what you’re about to do.”
“What?! Brother Cain, are you going to abandon the Lake Spirit?!”
“Are you going to abandon me?!”
The two of us turned sparkling eyes on Brother Cain at the same time.
“Ugh…”
He looked deeply uncomfortable.
Just one more push!
Convert that power into a sense of responsibility!
“Brother Cain, this all started because we humans polluted the lake. Are you really going to pretend you didn’t see anything just because we weren’t personally responsible? Is that what a noble—and someone who stands above others—ought to do?”
“Stop, Julius. That’s enough. Don’t blame Cain any further. Cain has a promise he must keep, just as I promised to protect this land… Though it seems I may soon be unable to fulfil that promise.”
“Lake Spirit…”
The two of us turned our backs on Brother Cain and comforted one another.
From behind me came an exasperated voice.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake!”
“All right. I understand. We’ll go to the Green Corridor. Lake Spirit, please guide us.”
“Leave it to me.”
“Thank you!”
Exactly as planned!
The Green Corridor wasn’t very far from the lake.
That made sense. If it were far away, it would be difficult for a turtle to travel back and forth.
Just as Brother Cain had said, a beautiful boardwalk ran through the forest. Rows of trees cast dappled sunlight across the path as if they were shielding us from the lingering summer heat.
“It’s bright and comfortable here. I like this place very much.”
“Isn’t it lovely? You can enjoy fresh greenery in spring, sunlight filtering through the leaves in summer, and autumn colours in fall. There’s something to enjoy in every season.”
In winter, the entire area would probably be covered in snow.
Would it still be crowded with people coming to soak in the hot springs?
If so, then letting those hot springs dry up would be disastrous.
Lush trees grew on both sides of the path, and thick green moss covered the ground around their roots.
Perhaps the scenery had survived precisely because people didn’t normally walk through those areas.
“You won’t get angry if I leave the boardwalk, will you?”
“It’s fine. There’s nothing in the rules that forbids it.”
“Then I can search for ingredients without holding back.”
Our party proceeded along the boardwalk carrying a turtle.
Naturally, one of the knights was carrying the Lake Spirit. If we let a turtle guide us on foot, night would fall before we got anywhere.
Even while we walked, I continuously searched for ingredients with my Search skill.
Apparently, adventurers didn’t come this far to gather materials. I quickly found not only medicinal herbs and detox grass, but mana grass as well.
This place was a natural treasure chest of ingredients.
“What sort of ingredients are you looking for, Julius?”
“Lizards, frogs, and shed snakeskin…”
“…”
Huh?
Brother Cain had gone silent.
Those were all things boys were supposed to like.
Could it be that Brother Cain didn’t like reptiles and amphibians?
“Hmm. I’ve seen lizards and frogs around here before,” the Lake Spirit said. “I can’t say I know where to find shed snakeskin, though.”
“Don’t worry. I already found some.”
Brother Cain looked at me as if to say, What?
I smiled back and stepped a little way off the boardwalk.
One of the knights hurried after me in a panic.
“Lord Julius, I’ll gather it and put it in the bag, so please just tell me where it is!”
“All right. But I really don’t mind picking it up myself…”
“I can’t allow you to dirty your hands.”
The knight said it with a completely serious expression.
Hmm. This was awkward because these weren’t the usual easy-going people around me.
The knights currently serving as my escorts belonged to Brother Cain. They probably didn’t know much about how I normally behaved.
Would they faint if they found out?
I suspected Father had deliberately excluded the knights who were close to me so I wouldn’t cause trouble in the royal capital.
If he was that worried about me, why not simply refuse to let me go there in the first place?
…Father probably couldn’t refuse.
It was hard being caught in the middle.
When I returned to the estate, I’d give his shoulders a massage.
“It’s right there.”
“Yes, my lord! I’ve secured it.”
The snakeskin looked like a good specimen, but the knight immediately tucked it safely into the bag.
Oh, there was a blue mushroom growing in just the right place too.
That could also be used as a magic-potion ingredient.
“Please pick those blue mushrooms as well.”
“Understood… They’re safe, correct?”
“Yes.”
The knight still didn’t seem to trust me very much.
Well, I didn’t particularly mind.
When I returned to the boardwalk, Brother Cain asked in surprise, “How did you find that so quickly?”
I wasn’t sure whether he knew about my Search skill, so I gave him a vague answer.
“Julius, over there,” the Lake Spirit said. “There’s a small marshy area in that direction. Frogs live there. You may find the kind you’re looking for.”
“Let’s go right away! Brother Cain, are you coming?”
“Uh… I’ll wait here.”
“Okay!”
I found it!
Brother Cain’s weakness!
As soon as I caught a frog, I’d come back and show it off to him.
I was grinning wickedly when Brother Cain gave me a strained smile.
“You don’t need to come back just to show me one.”
My evil plan had been discovered.
Brother Cain was more perceptive than I thought.
I headed towards the marsh with a knight and the turtle.
There was a little pool of water there, surrounded by moss and tiny white flowers. It looked like a miniature natural biotope, and the sight made me smile.
“This is nice. I want something like this in our garden.”
“Oh? Julius understands what makes this place so pleasant? Mm-hmm. Excellent.”
The turtle seemed pleased about something.
Looking over the wetland again, I realised there were lizards nearby as well as frogs.
I immediately tried to catch them, but once again the knight stopped me.
Wasn’t this a little too overprotective?
“I can catch them myself.”
“No, we’ll catch them. Please just tell us which ones you need.”
Apparently, every knight here was stubbornly serious.
Or perhaps this was normal.
Maybe the people around me were simply far too lenient.