Kays Translations

Chapter 403: The Surrounding Situation

The knight who had gone to gather information at the Adventurers’ Guild returned. His expression was somewhat clouded. It seemed like he had some bad news.

Even so, I needed to hear the report. If countermeasures were necessary, we had to act immediately.

“How was it? Don’t hold back.”

I made an effort to sound cheerful. Fabienne’s face was also clouded—she must have been worried.

Everyone present turned their eyes to the knight. Although his face remained dark, he began to speak about what he had seen and heard.

“It seems there are no medicinal herbs in this area. Apparently, the guild has posted a large number of collection requests for them. If we really want some, we’ll have to go deep into the forest.”

“Where does the magical zone begin?”

“I’ll explain that part.”

Lionel cleared his throat with a small cough. It seemed he had already investigated the magical zone and the creatures inhabiting it to ensure our safety.

According to him, this entire region was a magical zone.

When I heard that, I couldn’t help but raise my voice. However, he clarified that although it was a magical zone, it was one where very few monsters lived.

“A magical zone with few monsters? A place like that exists?”

“So it seems. If it were a magical zone as we typically know them, large-scale subjugation forces would need to be sent regularly. But it seems that wasn’t necessary here.”

“So just hiring adventurers was enough?”

That must have been the reason the monster outbreak this time had caused so much damage.

The region had simply never needed to remain vigilant.

Since adventurers rarely ventured into the depths of the magical zone, monsters must have been steadily increasing in number. Looking at the map, this area seemed to be a vast, lush forest.

That said, the map might no longer be reliable.

“This is troublesome. The subjugation force seems to have eliminated the monsters in the area, but there could still be some lurking deeper inside. And we can’t obtain any medicinal herbs. At this rate, even if we go to the Mulan Marquisate, there might not be any herbs there either.”

“I hope the Mulan Marquisate has managed to secure some…”

“That may still be a problem, Lionel. Harvested herbs lose quality over time. Freshly gathered ingredients are always best.”

Even if they had gathered some already, old herbs could not produce high-quality healing potions.

Of course, herbs would keep longer once compounded into magic potions. But unless House Mulan possessed an icehouse, storing fresh ingredients would be difficult.

After gathering a general understanding of the situation, we took a proper rest before heading towards the Mulan Marquisate.

Since we had confirmed that this whole area was a magical zone, security had been tightened. Because of that, our pace had slowed.

I wanted to say, “I’ll handle the scouting, so let’s move ahead without worry,” but that would make the knights look bad.

Being in a position of responsibility was difficult. I could have used some stomach medicine.

The road was still as rough as ever. Then suddenly, it became smooth.

It seemed that some areas had suffered more damage than others.

“Hm? Lionel, there’s a village ahead, right? It looks like it’s under attack by monsters. Hurry over there!”

“What?! That would mean this area is also in danger. We can’t just leave you here, Julius-sama—”

“It’s fine! There are no monsters around here. Even if some show up, I’ll take them down myself. Or would you rather I go instead?”

Lionel’s eyes widened slightly, and his mouth opened just a little.

When I flashed him a grin, he immediately sent a few knights forward.

Fortunately, the number of monsters was small.

But for mere villagers, they would still be too much to handle.

“We’re moving at full speed too. Advance!”

“Oh, but if we go full speed, the carriage will shake too much, and Fabienne’s backside will hurt. It’d be a problem if it split in two…”

“What are you even worried about? People’s lives are at stake here. And besides, it’s already split in two.”

Fabienne looked worried, so I tried to reassure her, but she merely narrowed her eyes at me. Did that mean she was feeling better? I called Nero, Giles and Christopher, who were running beside the wagon, inside.

“What happened?”

“I was thinking of increasing the wagon’s speed. A child cannot match a knight’s stamina, after all. Fly.”

The wagon rose gently from the ground. Startled by the floating sensation, Fabienne clung to my arm. Before I could enjoy that small happiness, questions began flying at me. The three seated opposite stared wide-eyed, while Mira alone remained calm on my lap.

“Julius-sama, you’ve done something again, haven’t you?”

“Ah, well, you see, when you speed up, the carriage shakes a lot, right? So, I just…”

“Julius-sama! What is happening?! The carriage—it’s floating!”

Lionel, his face pale, leaned through the window. His shout set the knights outside murmuring. I had meant to lift the wagon only slightly so no one would notice, but the effect was apparently obvious. Adjusting invisible magic was difficult.

“This way, there won’t be any shaking, right? And it should put less strain on the horses. Come on, don’t just stand there—move forward.”

At my command, House Heine’s party advanced at full speed. We were clearly moving faster than before and would reach the village in no time.

“Julius-sama, I assume you understand, but this is the first time I’ve seen magic like this.”

“Really? Flying magic is pretty useful, you know. Ahaha…”

“So, Julius-sama, you were capable of flying on your own. No wonder you were completely unfazed when riding on Mira’s back.”

Fabienne gave me a slightly exasperated look. Ugh… I had done it for her sake, but had I somehow lost points instead?

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