Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 447: Paradise of Medicinal Herbs
Dinner was a luxurious barbecue. Well, of course it was. There were two high-ranking nobles present. Saying “let’s gnaw on some dried meat” wouldn’t really be appropriate. Leon was happily eating, but I hope he doesn’t think this is what camp food is normally like.
“This really is good meat.”
Axel smiled as he ate. The others nodded in agreement. It really was high-quality meat. The more you chewed, the more flavor came out—a taste full of wild richness. Definitely not the kind of food you’d expect while camping.
“It’s a three-day round trip, after all. With that distance, we can still guarantee the freshness of the food. That’s why we can eat meat this good.”
“That makes sense. If it were a longer trip, we’d be eating preserved food, I guess.”
“Is preserved food not tasty?”
Leon, intrigued, asked the question. We probably won’t be eating it during this expedition, but trying it back at the estate might be a good idea. It would give him a taste of what real travel is like.
“It’s tough and salty. Though, the more you chew, the more flavor you get.”
“Hmm, that doesn’t sound very appetizing.”
“Just having food at all is a blessing, you know.”
I wonder if Leon understood that this is what travel is really like? As long as you’re mentally prepared, traveling isn’t so difficult. But if you set out without any resolve, your spirit can break pretty easily.
Naturally, we weren’t assigned as night watch. The children all slept together in a tent. Axel seemed a bit dissatisfied—maybe he wanted to try standing night watch. I soothed him as we went to sleep.
The next morning, we departed right after breakfast. According to the plan, we were supposed to make a round trip to the source of magical stagnation. Of course, we were prepared to set up camp on-site if needed. But ideally, we’d like to return here. The area around the magical stagnation might be dangerous, after all.
Rocky terrain came into view. Up close, it was bigger than I expected. Naturally, there was no path. The knights searched for passable spots, and we simply followed behind them.
After climbing a little, Leon was already out of breath.
“How long is this going to go on?”
“We’ve still got a long way to go. And don’t forget, we have to come back, too.”
“How are you still so energetic…?”
Leon’s weak voice made me chuckle. I thought he’d built up at least some stamina, but clearly I was too optimistic. Time to bring out that. I pulled out a beginner stamina recovery potion made specially for Leon from my backpack.
“I made this special potion just for you, Leon-sama.”
“This… is a beginner stamina recovery potion, right? But the color looks darker?”
“As expected of Leon-sama—you noticed. I made it more concentrated to enhance the effect.”
Leon stared at the beginner stamina recovery potion I handed him. Curious, Axel and the others came over. None of them seemed out of breath, as expected from people who train every day.
“That’s a beginner stamina potion, right? Makes sense to drink one when you’re tired. But… isn’t it a little early for that?”
“Axel is right, but I feel like waiting until he collapses would be too late. At this distance, it’d be faster to go back.”
I looked back. The place we had camped was still visible in the distance. We’d definitely have to send a small group of knights to escort him back. That would reduce our numbers, and with the dangers ahead, we want to avoid splitting our forces.
“Yeah, you may be right.”
“I’ll drink it. I said I’d push through no matter what. I can’t afford to hold everyone back.”
“It’s a bit spicy, so be prepared.”
Leon nodded solemnly. He probably wasn’t expecting it to have a flavor. He must’ve assumed it was like the sweet improved version. Though he hesitated a bit, he gulped it down. Everyone watched.
“Spicy! Though, it’s still way more drinkable than the old potions… Huh? Whoa! I’m fired up!”
Leon’s energy suddenly spiked. The rest of us instinctively stepped back. Maybe it was a bad idea to let him drink the undiluted original version of the beginner stamina potion.
Reinvigorated, Leon energetically moved forward. He soon joined Marquis Mulan and Margrave Draken up ahead and started chatting with them cheerfully.
“…Julius, if I start feeling like I can’t go on, could you share some of that potion with me?”
“I don’t mind, but…”
Looks like Isidore might be next. Though maybe he should try the improved version first.
With that little episode behind us, we finally reached our destination.
Beyond the rocky area, the landscape turned into forest again. A little way into the forest lay our destination.
“So this is the place with the magical stagnation. It’s just grass.”
As Axel said, the area was overgrown with grass about shin-height. Strangely, no trees were growing in just this one spot. Could it be related to the magical stagnation?
“Yeah, it’s just grass, but all of it can be used as ingredients for potions.”
“Master is right! This place is a paradise for herbs!”
Leon shouted excitedly. True, it’s not a sight you see every day. Using my “Magic Sense” skill, I could detect the magical stagnation. The closer you got to the center, the denser it became. Why it’s like that is unknown. Maybe it’s related to the ley lines or something?
The knights were checking the surroundings and exchanging information with those who had been monitoring the area before we arrived. Looks like it’s not my turn to act just yet.