“Iriya, are you interested in Ambrosia?”
As I was walking along the road, I noticed Sieghart walking towards me alone from the opposite direction. As I greeted him and was about to pass by, he suddenly called out as if he had just remembered something.
“Of course, I am… Could it be that you’ve found a way to obtain it!?”
“I’m not sure. There’s a forest within my family’s territory where it’s rumored to grow, but it hasn’t been properly investigated yet. While we regularly hunt monsters there, it’s too dangerous for anyone to enter. My parents suggested that, if you’re willing, we could go look for it together.”
It seems like he’s still concerned about the past. Even though I was only lightly teased, I ended up responding in a way that might have seemed off, so I’m sure he’s just trying to be polite.
That said, a forest with Ambrosia growing in it is a treasure trove for item crafters!
Despite any dangers, I would love to go there, or rather, there are some who would be thrilled if the risks were higher.
“I’d love to go! Could you tell me where it is?”
And so, today, I’m visiting the forest managed by the Viscount Hægsted.
As expected, since almost no one enters, there’s hardly any real path. However, there’s a beast trail left where they must have passed during monster hunts. Ekvar, at the front, is pushing through the underbrush, with me and Belial following closely behind.
After walking for a while, we came to a place with little grass.
We take a short break to observe the surroundings. So far, there’s no sign of Ambrosia. It seems we’ll need to go deeper into the forest.
“No powerful monsters have appeared either.”
“Yeah. The hunting’s been ineffective…”
“The Manticore we just defeated is considered a fairly strong monster, though.”
As we moved deeper into the forest, the leaves overhead grew denser, blocking out much of the daylight, making it feel a bit darker even though it was daytime. The ground was covered mostly with short grass, which made walking a lot easier.
We still hadn’t spotted any rare herbs.
For some reason, Ekvar was enjoying mushroom hunting. Apparently, he learned it during his training in the mountains. What on earth is the personal guard being made to do?
Suddenly, we heard rustling from beyond the trees.
I’d been told this was a forest where few people venture, so I wondered if someone was nearby. Or could it be a monster? As the rustling sound grew closer, a tall figure emerged.
It was a Wood-Was, a beast-like monster with a human physique covered in fur.
Ekvar stepped between me and the Wood-Was, drawing his sword. Belial stood by my side, seemingly ready to leave the situation to him.
“There they are, over there!”
“Don’t let them escape!”
It seems they were in the middle of a monster hunt. To run into a monster extermination group like this…!
The voices drew nearer.
Then, a sound like wind rushing past, followed by the swift footsteps of a man who swung his sword at the Wood-Was.
The Wood-Was, who had been standing still, dodged and retaliated with sharp claws, striking at the man. He blocked it with his sword, but the man slashed at the monster’s exposed abdomen as it became vulnerable from the parry.
The Wood-Was screamed in pain as the man delivered the final blow and wiped the blood from his blade.
“…C-Captain… that was too fast…!”
Several soldiers, out of breath, appeared behind them. They seemed to be having trouble moving through the woods.
“You guys were too slow! Slacking off!!”
With light brown hair and deep green eyes like malachite, this man was likely one of the soldiers of Viscount Hægsted, given he was conducting an extermination here.
“…So, who are you? You’re not locals. This is the Hægsted family’s territory. What do you want? Why did you come here?”
The Hægsted family’s territory…
Could this man be the eldest son? He doesn’t seem to share much in common with the rest of the Hægsted family…?
“We’re here to gather Ambrosia. Sieghart-sama said…”
“Ambrosia, you say!? So, you’re thieves!!!”
Without listening properly, he marched straight toward us.
“Lord Rainerio, please wait! Let us explain first…”
His subordinates tried to stop him, but he ignored them, not even responding. Is he the type who doesn’t listen to others?
Sword drawn, he came up close to Ekvar, who was standing in front of me.
“Are you part of that woman’s group?”
I glanced at where he was looking: a woman, caught and bound by his men, appeared to be one of the prisoners. She wore a modest cream-colored outfit with a pale dry grass-colored cape, her long green hair reaching down to her waist, and her yellow-green eyes were trembling with anxiety.
“…She doesn’t really look like a thief, does she? What, do you make a hobby out of framing criminals?”
His words enraged Rainerio, who raised his sword in anger.
“What did you say…!”
He swung his sword down toward Ekvar, letting his temper take control.
Ekvar, with a disinterested expression, merely shifted slightly to the left and dodged the strike. The sword sliced through the air just beside him.
Rainerio quickly tried to strike again, aiming for Ekvar, but Ekvar swiftly adjusted his stance and used the motion to unbalance the man, causing Rainerio to stumble.
Just as Rainerio was about to lose grip on his sword, Ekvar’s blade was pressed against his neck.
“Not a good idea to swing your sword around in anger. What kind of training have you had?”
His voice was utterly bored. He casually tapped the man’s jaw with the flat of his sword.
Seeing this, Rainerio’s subordinates, who had been behind, turned pale and bowed deeply.
“We apologize! Lord Rainerio, this was your fault!”
“…”
The man reprimanding him appeared to be in his fifties, while Rainerio seemed to be in his thirties. He might be a kind of supervisor.
“…So, are you admitting fault?”
“…Yes, I admit it. I should have listened first.”
Wait, is he actually being sincere? Though his posture still looks somewhat sulky.
Ekvar, having defused the situation, sheathed his sword with a quiet exhale.
“What do you intend to do with the forest spirit you’ve captured?”
“The forest spirit?”
At Belial’s comment, I turned to look at the woman they had captured. She certainly appeared to be human.
“…Ah! The Waldgeister… the guardian spirit of the forest! How could you capture her!”
“…A guardian?”
It seemed like they hadn’t realized it. To someone unfamiliar, she might just look like a monster.
In the forest, she could move with a sound like the wind, her voice echoing, making it hard to pinpoint her position. If someone met her in a dark corner, she would surely appear terrifying.
Mistaking her for a thief seems a bit… too much.
“That woman… She’s a Wald… Gah… A guardian spirit?”
“Yes, she’s a Waldgeister. If there’s a guardian spirit in the forest, it’s highly likely that Ambrosia is present! You must release her immediately!”
The Waldgeister appeared relieved that I recognized her. It seemed that his subordinates were starting to realize something was wrong, and they too awaited orders to free her.
“How do you know this?”
“How could you not know?”
This is turning into quite the stand-off. I’m not sure how to explain it to them…
“How about guiding us to the Ambrosia site? The guardian spirit would surely know the way.”
“Ambrosia, huh? A few years ago, it was discovered deep in the forest, but after some people got lost trying to find it, we’ve issued a notice to avoid further expeditions. It’s unlikely anyone knows where it is. Even those who found it couldn’t reach it again.”
Rainerio stroked his chin, lost in thought.
At this, the Waldgeister spoke up hesitantly.
“I can guide you… but I have a condition. Please ensure the forest is properly maintained.”
It seemed like this might have been the reason she showed herself. What a shock it must have been to be accused of theft. How could Rainerio have made such a mistake?
“…Alright. If your statement is correct, I promise to take care of the forest’s upkeep.”
Thus, everyone set off toward the habitat of the ambrosia.
Leading the way, Valtgeist was walking lightly, making a small rustling sound like leaves brushing together. As expected of the guardian of the forest, he was so fast that keeping up was a struggle.
Perhaps because the guardian was with us, we were able to progress smoothly into the depths of the forest without encountering any monsters.
Finally, we arrived at the much-anticipated ambrosia habitat!
There were more than I had imagined. Large red flowers were proudly blooming all around. I carefully harvested them, making sure not to take too many.
While waiting, Ekvar was talking with Rainerio and the others.
“No, no, after that encounter, I really thought there would be much more conflict.”
“Lord Rainerio is honest when dealing with those who have defeated him with a sword. If you want to talk with him, just thoroughly defeat him, and then he’ll listen.”
“Bruno! What do you mean ‘thoroughly defeat’?!”
What an amazing subordinate. To suggest thoroughly defeating the commander… even Belial is laughing.
“It’s the truth. I’m always amazed. At this rate, I won’t be able to retire in peace.”
“Seems like he’s a man who won’t learn. Perhaps being hurt is a learning opportunity.”
“Exactly!”
Bruno nodded enthusiastically at Belial’s words before turning his body toward Ekvar.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to offer you a warm welcome! Please, thoroughly correct this person’s excitable personality!”
“It’s an intriguing invitation, but unfortunately, I’d prefer to live freely.”
Thoroughly correcting him, huh? Maybe that’s a bit much!
Ekvar politely declined with a bright smile, and Bruno gave a faint, ambiguous smile in return.
“Let’s just say that’s the case.”
He seems to have figured it out… I guess experience plays a part here.
After finishing gathering the ambrosia flowers, we parted ways with Valtgeist and left the forest. Rainerio and the others promised to take care of the forest and increase the number of hunts.
We also agreed that when harvesting the ambrosia, we would knock on the trees several times as a signal to the guardians. Those who didn’t signal would not be allowed into the ambrosia habitat.
If we could regularly harvest the ambrosia while protecting it, it could become a solid source of income.
That evening, we were able to stay at the mansion owned by the Hægsted family for forest management purposes.
Although it was a mansion for management, it was the residence of a viscount’s heir, so it was two stories tall and fairly spacious, though simple. It seemed like it could accommodate quite a few guests. When we arrived, the servants lined up to greet us. The adjacent building appeared to be barracks for soldiers, with even a training ground.
Ekvar was asked to train the soldiers at the training ground and agreed, having a cup of tea before heading there.
He seemed to be getting along quite well with his subordinate, Bruno.
But I’m a little worried. It’s famous that the training done by the Crown Prince’s bodyguards is the most rigorous in the Egdoarm Kingdom…
Belial and I chatted with the servants while enjoying some sweets.
At first, they seemed to be nervous, mistaking Belial for a high-ranking nobleman’s friend. Of course, he’s actually the King of Hell, but that’s better left unknown.
Rainerio, despite being quick-tempered, isn’t someone who acts arrogantly toward servants, and everyone was working with cheerful expressions. As long as Bruno is in charge, there’s no problem.
After taking a break, we were guided to the training ground by a woman who served us tea.
Around us, we could hear Ekvar’s angry shouts and the sound of wooden swords clashing.
“Too slow! Don’t sit down, or you’ll be struck down!! Next… what are you doing!!! With so many people, you’re letting me waste time?!”
Oh… military mode is activated. Of course, Rainerio is not a match for him.
On the side, Bruno, the subordinate, was watching the training with a smile. He’s quite a strict person, too.
“Are you sure that’s really the same person who just said, ‘I’m so grateful to be greeted by such beautiful young ladies’…?”
The woman who had been guiding us was shocked at Ekvar’s sudden change.
“…He likes to fight with women…”
What is this, this dilemma.
The soldiers, who were unnerved by his intensity, were forced to confront him, and he swiftly knocked them down, taking out five people in front of him before turning a sharp gaze toward Rainerio.
“Rainerio! Do your job as the commander!! You have a role to play beyond just fighting! Are you forgetting that you’re supposed to plan strategies and inspire your allies?!”
He’s finally addressing him by his first name. This is clearly getting him fired up.
“…Yes, sir!!!”
And without any argument, Rainerio responded. It seems it’s true that he becomes honest after being defeated. Ekvar glanced around briefly before resetting his sword stance.
“…Everyone, stop being so static! Think about your allies’ movements! Don’t forget your usual training!”
“Hopefully, this will make Lord Rainerio realize the importance of leading and guiding others,” Bruno murmured contentedly, nodding several times.
The training seemed like it would continue for a while…
When the training ended, the injured soldiers were treated with healing magic, and after a bath, we had a banquet for dinner. Ekvar, Rainerio, and Bruno were happily drinking together.
“Wow, there aren’t many strong men like this! I really learned a lot today!”
“Do you think Lord Rainerio’s temper will improve now?”
“He really hung in there, huh? He’s got guts. That was quite enjoyable!”
The soldiers who had been knocked down several times by Ekvar seemed a bit disheartened as they muttered, “Did they actually have fun?”
Belial was enjoying a comparison of different types of alcohol. It seems they served quite a few varieties.
I declined the alcohol and enjoyed some tea and sweets after the meal. I was happy to find that the Chenkaslar area had a lot of fruit-based sweets.
The next day, we left the mansion after being seen off by everyone.
“Thank you, Ekvar!”
Rainerio and Ekvar shook hands, both smiling widely and looking bright.
“Well, you’re quite a reliable man too. Keep it up, Rainerio.”
“Please come back and train us again!”
Rainerio waved goodbye with a look of reluctance.
Bruno, the loyal subordinate, was watching the two of them warmly.
Meanwhile, the soldiers were giving Ekvar looks that seemed to say, “Please don’t come back.”
“Keep it up”… but I think Ekvar might be a bit younger than Rainerio…?
It seems like a strange sort of friendship has formed.
