Chapter 143: Reuniting with Thaddeus and the Others
When Mother returned that evening, she was surprised to see the House Arkwright crests. After I explained everything, she accepted them. Then Father came home, and I had to explain the entire story all over again.
Since they knew people had been coming specifically to see me, they agreed that the crests were worthwhile if they could serve as protective charms against troublemakers.
Because I held Count Arkwright’s identification through my connection with Duke Barland, they didn’t question the matter too deeply, which was a relief.
* * * * *
My sister had begun making potions in earnest using herbs she purchased from the Adventurers’ Guild, but it would still take some time before the shop could open.
The front of the store had curtains drawn, and no signboard was up yet, so no customers came. Still, the shelves behind the counter were gradually filling with potions for treating illnesses.
Though “potions” might be overstating it—they were mostly medicines that kept for long periods: pain relievers, treatments for cuts, and remedies for runny noses.
The back of the shop served as a rest area for employees, but herbs meant to be dried were hanging from the ceiling, filling the room with the smell of hay.
Farther inside was the Potion Compounding room. Containers filled with powdered, dried herbs lined one wall.
When I first saw the properly stocked room, it reminded me of the old apothecary shops in movies or anime—or perhaps a traditional herbal-medicine shop.
I’d never seen my sister at work before, so I had imagined an apothecary’s workplace filled with beakers and flasks, slowly stirring bubbling pots…
Maybe I had mixed it up with the image of an old witch from fantasy stories.
* * * * *
After breakfast, my sister handed me a sheet of paper.
What’s this? It’s just a bunch of unfamiliar words.
- Carlandas
- Arenhes
- Handrina
- Violens
- Shraunda
- Grancia
- Maclandis
- Lucianju
- Martinkas
- Octanble
- Enbes
- Seraphins
“What’s this supposed to be?”
“A list of herbs that can’t be obtained around here. If you visit Claudins, ask where they can be gathered. The first row contains herbs used to cure illnesses, the second herbs used in wound-healing potions, and the third herbs that enhance the effects of other ingredients.”
“What about the last one?”
“That’s a poisonous plant. I want the bulb.”
“Planning to assassinate someone?”
“Some potions require poison to kill toxins in the body and cure illness.”
Right… medicine can be a small dose of poison.
“You seem pretty free lately, so I’m counting on you.”
“Free? I go hunting with everyone and bring back delicious meat, don’t I?”
“Speaking of which, we’re running out of Sham aspic. Give me some from your Magic Bag.”
“I still have meat, but the aspic is already gone. I love it too.”
“Then give me some meat. And some Golden Goat as well.”
It looked as though I might need to buy a Magic Pouch with a stronger time-delay effect solely for long-term food storage.
* * * * *
I decided to travel to Korché to meet Claudins.
During the dragon subjugation, I had flown all around the area near the city, so I landed near town and headed for the gate.
Then I heard someone calling my name from far away.
Running toward me were Thaddeus and the others—and it looked as though they had gained another member.
“Leon! I heard the rumors!”
“They say you were one of the dragon subjugation members!”
“I heard you even flew into the sky and threw a dragon down!”
“Were you drafted for the emergency summons?”
“It’s been a while. Thanks to you, I’m finally able to use magic properly.”
“Have you kept practicing?” I asked.
“Yes. Whenever we stay at an inn, I sometimes even run out of mana. I can also make a large water sphere and stick it onto things now.”
“Thanks to Leon, our earnings increased, so I bought a Rank 3 Magic Pouch,” someone added.
“We weren’t strong enough to be drafted, but we were promoted to Bronze Rank.”
“You’ve got a new member?”
“This is my cousin Murad. Are you heading to the Adventurers’ Guild?”
“I actually have business at the Apothecaries’ Guild, but I would like to see Regina’s magic. Would you like to go hunting together tomorrow?”
“Really? I want to see the tornado you used against the Armor Buffalo and the dragon!”
Murad said excitedly.
“I can’t do that one. It causes too much destruction. Let’s meet at the west gate tomorrow morning.”
* * * * *
After Leon passed through the gate and headed to the Apothecaries’ Guild, Thaddeus and the others went to the Adventurers’ Guild.
“So that’s Leon the Breeze? He still looks like a child.”
“He might have some elf blood. He hasn’t changed since we first met him.”
“Still, he’s a powerful mage. Judging by the rumors, he must be extremely skilled.”
“More importantly, did you see that? He had a gold card.”
“Really? Well, he was part of the dragon subjugation group, so I guess that makes sense.”
“B-rank, huh… We’re stuck as first-class Bronze.”
“I also heard that he knows members of the dragon-slaying parties Kreis’s Flame and Shield and Earth’s Shield.”
“Seriously?”
“I overheard some adventurers from Roxanne talking about it.”
“Tomorrow’s going to be exciting.”
* * * * *
“Oh? It’s been a long time. I heard you performed quite heroically,” Claudins said.
“Well, I was caught in the emergency draft and ended up serving as the defensive member of Strongarm. But I actually came to ask you about some herbs.”
“Herbs?”
“Yes. My sister is preparing to open an apothecary shop in Lynas. She wants herbs that can’t be obtained through the Adventurers’ Guild, but she listed names I’ve never even heard of.”
I placed my sister’s memo on the counter.
Claudins picked it up and studied it for a while.
“Arenhes, Handrina, Violens, Shraunda, Grancia, and Martinkas can all be gathered around Faranka. I don’t have fresh samples on hand, but Elder Kristinka can show you some.”
“Where do you obtain the others from…? Oh—and just so you know, I’m not planning to sell them through the Adventurers’ Guild. I only need them for my sister.”
“I know you don’t need to make money from herbs. Does your sister have one too?”
“She’s been blessed with Water Magic and the Potion Compounding skill, and the spirits seem fond of her.”
“Can she use water magic?”
“Yes. She can produce more than half a large ale barrel of water at once.”
“In that case, tell her that if she can infuse either magically produced water or distilled water kept in a clean container with mana, she won’t need mana water. Mana water normally comes from Octanble. As for Seraphins, it can be found only from late autumn through winter.”
That makes sense if it’s a bulb.
“Carlandas, Maclandis, Lucianju, Enbes, and Seraphins are gathered by specialists. They probably won’t tell you where to find them. Elder Kristinka, however, likely has samples.”
If they grow around Faranka, then they mustn’t appear near towns.
“If you’re going to Faranka Village, I’d like to send a gift to thank them for the herbs they provided earlier. It’ll make it easier to ask questions if you don’t arrive empty-handed.”
“Thank you. I’ll deliver it soon.”
He said he’d prepare the package and asked me to come back in three days.
That suited me—it gave me time to spend with Thaddeus and the others.
* * * * *
The next day we met at the west gate and headed into the grasslands.
Compared with before, their movements were more cautious. Thaddeus was serving as the scout now.
Toby had previously filled that role, so Thaddeus must have practiced considerably.
Regina made a faint chirping sound like a bird.
Everyone immediately stopped.
Nearby prey… probably a runner bird or red chicken hiding in the grass.
If neither Thaddeus nor Toby had noticed it, Regina might have acquired Presence Sense.
Once everyone had nocked arrows on their short bows, Regina extended her arm toward the grass.
With a shortened incantation, she fired a [Water Ball!].
The sphere burst in the grass with a splash, spraying water everywhere. A red chicken burst out.
Another [Water Ball!] immediately followed and burst nearby.
The bird, soaked mid-flight and wobbling, was quickly struck by arrows.
“Regina, your shortened chant and the timing for releasing the mana are perfect.”
“Thank you. I’ve been practicing the exercises you taught me and experimenting with different ways to use them.”
“Thanks to that, our income has nearly doubled. We even saved enough to buy a party Magic Pouch.”
“Is there anything I should improve?” she asked.
“The speed of your [Water Ball!] spells. If you can launch them faster, a hardened sphere could probably bring down dog-type monsters.”
“We can already handle Horn Boars by sticking water spheres to their faces,” she said.
“While Regina keeps the sphere stuck to them, the rest of us shoot arrows to finish them off.”
I examined their bows. They were short bows with roughly a two-man draw weight.
Standing about thirty meters away, I had Thaddeus shoot arrows into a tree.
I had Regina stand beside me and told her to watch the arrows as they passed in front of her.
She kept trying to follow them with her eyes.
“Don’t move your head—just feel how fast they pass by,” I advised.
Thaddeus and the others still relied mainly on herb gathering rather than Regina’s magic, so they avoided the forest.
But I wanted to see how much Regina’s magic had improved, so I led them closer to the forest.
Using Detection and Presence Sense at full strength, I searched for prey and found a suitable pack.
After a while, Toby noticed them, and Thaddeus soon did as well. He signaled for everyone to remain still.
“Leon… it looks like dog-type monsters.”
“Show me how you usually handle them. I’ll help if it gets dangerous.”
Thaddeus nodded, then pulled something from his Magic Pouch.
It was a thorn-wood shield structure—more like a barricade than a shield.
They connected several pieces together, forming a small hexagonal defensive formation about two meters wide and two and a half meters tall.
Then they took out their bows.