Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 446: The Forest and the Rocky Mountain
The objective this time is to plant a World Tree seed at the center of a “stagnation of magical power” found in the forest. What we need to do is very simple. However, reaching the location doesn’t seem easy.
“There’s no road, of course. We’ll have to walk part of the way. Will that be okay?”
“I believe we’re prepared for that. Is the path that rough?”
“There’s a rocky mountain we’ll have to climb. We could take a detour, but that would take a considerable amount of time.”
It seems the Margrave Draken intends to go straight to the destination. If everything goes as planned, we’ll arrive in two days. That means we’ll have to camp out for at least two nights. Will we be okay? I’m starting to feel a little worried.
“We’ll have to sleep outside—will you be alright with that, Leon-sama?”
“I-I think I’ll be fine.”
He didn’t sound too confident, but since this involves magical potions, I think he’ll do his best. I wonder if Axel and Isidore have experience camping? They look quite composed.
“Hm. I trust you, but just in case, I’ll keep an eye on things. If anyone has trouble on the first day’s march, they’ll be sent back immediately. Is that alright?”
“Of course. We greatly appreciate your consideration.”
As I bowed my head saying that, everyone else followed suit. The Margrave Draken nodded in satisfaction. For the time being, it seems he has accepted us.
He said it would be unacceptable for there to be no responsible party present when planting the World Tree seed, so the Margrave Draken and Marquis Mulan are coming with us. Miss Hilda is staying behind. She didn’t seem particularly upset about that.
“Julius, take care of Leon, alright?”
“Leave it to me. I’ve got a special magic potion just for Leon-sama.”
“You mean that ‘Basic Stamina Recovery Potion’? If it works that well, I wish I could’ve tried it too.”
Miss Hilda looked a bit disappointed. But it’s fine—Leon will be the one making them from now on, so she should get a chance to try it eventually.
The adults handled the detailed planning. In the meantime, the children, led by Miss Hilda, toured the mansion.
The next day, we completed our preparations and entered the forest accompanied by the Draken household’s knight order. We were able to ride horses partway. But once we hit the mountain trail, we had to go on foot. Since the knights carried most of the luggage, we only had to carry some emergency food ourselves.
“From here on, we walk.”
“Ugh…”
Leon’s spirit seemed to break already. Is he really okay with that mindset? He might have to drop out partway through.
The mountain path grew increasingly steep. The lack of monster presence was a great relief.
We set up camp when we reached a large rocky area ahead. Apparently, we’ll be crossing that rocky terrain tomorrow. I didn’t miss the grimace on Leon’s face.
“Leon-sama, if it’s too much, you’re welcome to turn back. I’m sure the Margrave Draken chose this place for our first camp in anticipation of that.”
“It… it does look pretty tough, doesn’t it?”
“Well, yes. I think it will take a lot out of your legs and back.”
He seemed uncertain about what to do. When I mentioned he might have to go back and forth over that rocky area, Leon’s face turned pale. But he didn’t say he was giving up. He’s got some grit, after all. I thought they might go to waste, but those potions I prepared may actually come in handy.
The knights quickly set up tents and built a stove with practiced ease. I thought about helping but was politely turned down. In that case, I’ll take their advice and relax until dinner’s ready.
“Leon-sama, if your legs are hurting, you should drink the basic recovery potion.”
“It feels like a bit of a waste, but… I guess I’ll do that.”
Leon drank the basic recovery potion. It was a bit of a luxury, but since he made it himself, it’s fine, right? As we were chatting, Axel and Isidore came over. It seemed they were worried about Leon.
“Leon-sama, are you pushing yourself too hard?”
“I’m okay. I just drank a basic recovery potion. Looking back, I really should have taken the academy’s outdoor class.”
“They have classes like that?”
“Yeah, it’s optional though…”
I see—it’s not mandatory. That makes sense. If something were to happen to a noble daughter during a forced activity, it’d be a disaster. Even without that risk, the academy has a high percentage of nobles. There are probably a lot of students who’d complain about all sorts of things during the trip.
But if it’s an optional course, they can’t complain later.
“There’s always a chance you’ll have to travel far to gather ingredients for potions. It might be good to get used to journeys.”
“Ugh… if Master says so, maybe I’ll take the outdoor class next term…”
We all nodded in agreement. What Leon lacks is, without a doubt, manly toughness. If he gains that, he’ll surely become a more confident person. Right now, there’s still something a bit fragile about him. Axel and Isidore seem to have noticed it too.
“Julius-sama! Dinner is ready!”
“Got it, Gile. I’ll head over now. Come on, everyone.”
A delicious smell drifted our way. This is one of the joys of camping. Of course, food made by professional chefs is wonderful, but meals cooked roughly out in the wild have a charm of their own. I hope Leon will come to appreciate that too.