Kays Translations

Chapter 446: The Forest and the Rocky Mountain

Our objective this time is to plant a World Tree seed at the centre of a mana stagnation in the forest. The task itself is simple. Reaching the site, however, will not be.

“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.”

Margrave Draken intends to take the direct route to our destination. If everything goes according to plan, we will arrive in two days, which means camping outdoors for at least two nights. Will we be all right? I am beginning to feel a little uneasy.

“We will have to sleep outdoors. Will you be all right with that, Lord Leon?”

“I-I think I’ll be fine.”

He did not sound very confident, but since this expedition concerns magic potions, I am sure he will do his best. I wonder whether Axel and Ijidol have ever camped before. They both look quite composed.

“Hm. I trust you, but I will keep watch just in case. Anyone who struggles during the first day’s march will be sent back immediately. Is that acceptable?”

“Of course. We greatly appreciate your consideration.”

As I bowed while saying that, everyone else followed suit. Margrave Draken nodded in satisfaction. For the moment, it seemed that he had accepted us.

Margrave Draken said it would be unacceptable to plant the World Tree seed without anyone responsible present, so he and Marquis Mulan will accompany us. Lady Hilda is remaining behind, though she did not seem especially upset about it.

“Julius, take care of Leon, alright?”

“Leave it to me. I have a special magic potion prepared for Lord Leon.”

“You mean that basic stamina-recovery potion? If it works that well, I wish I could have tried it too.”

Lady Hilda looked a little disappointed. Still, Leon will be making the potion himself from now on, so she should have a chance to try it eventually.

The adults handled the detailed planning. Meanwhile, Lady Hilda led the younger members of the group on a tour of the estate.

The next day, we completed our preparations and entered the forest accompanied by the territorial knights of House Draken. We could ride horses for part of the journey, but once we reached the mountain trail, we had to continue on foot. The knights carried most of the luggage, leaving us with only our emergency rations.

“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.

“Lord Leon, you may turn back if the journey is too difficult. I am sure Margrave Draken chose this place for our first camp with that possibility in mind.”

“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 unsure what to do. When I mentioned that he would have to cross the rocky ground again on the return journey, Leon’s face turned pale. Even so, he did not say that he wanted to give up. He has some grit after all. I had worried that the potions I prepared might go unused, but they may actually prove useful.

The knights quickly set up tents and built a stove with practised ease. I considered helping, but they politely declined. In that case, I would take their advice and relax until dinner was ready.

“Lord Leon, if your legs hurt, you should drink an elementary healing potion.”

“It feels like a bit of a waste, but… I guess I’ll do that.”

Leon drank the elementary healing potion. It was a little extravagant, but he had made it himself, so it should be fine. As we talked, Axel and Ijidol came over, apparently worried about him.

“Lord Leon, are you pushing yourself too hard?”

“I am fine. I just drank an elementary healing potion. Looking back, I really should have taken the academy’s outdoor-training 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 may be times when you must travel far to gather magic-potion ingredients. It would be wise to become accustomed to journeys like this.”

“Ugh… if Master says so, maybe I’ll take the outdoor class next term…”

We all nodded in agreement. What Leon lacks, without question, is rugged toughness. If he develops that, he will surely become more self-assured. At present, there is still something a little fragile about him, and Axel and Ijidol seem to have noticed it as well.

“Julius-sama! Dinner is ready!”

“Understood, Giles. I will be right there. 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.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter