Chapter 235 – Bandit subjugation – Part one

The next morning, we all pick medicinal herbs before we head back to Marte. We’re going to the place we saw when we entered the forest.

I think we picked a little too much around here already…

As for why we’re still picking herbs, it’s not because we don’t have enough magic energy herbs or anything like that.

“Doesn’t big sister Sera need to pick herbs too?”

Is what Hikari asked casually last night as we were having dinner.

And she’s right. It was the three childhood friends who accepted the quest to pick herbs.

Rurika picked them the first day, and Chris the second, but Sera hasn’t picked anything because she’s been with Hikari.

Hikari didn’t think too much of it, and was just asking something that popped into her mind, but Rurika and Chris agreed.

Sera wasn’t too happy with it. Maybe being close to Rurika means she thinks she’s not good at it either.

As for Rurika herself, she watched Sera with an awkward smile on her face, as Chris sighed.

And that’s why we’re all going to pick medicinal herbs.

“Master, what’s this?”

“That’s a vitality herb. It’s not withered, and its condition looks good.”

“And this?”

“This is a medicinal herb, but its color is looking a little weird.”

I’m picking herbs with Hikari.

Sera is with Chris, but after hearing a simple explanation, she’s doing a pretty good job picking herbs.

She said she wasn’t good with this kind of work, but I guess that was a long time ago. Apparently life in the empire hardened her a lot. Ironically…

Rurika looks really surprised to see Sera working so smoothly, and when her eyes meet Sera’s, Sera puffs out her chest with pride.

Well, they’re both messing with each other.

I’m sure it’s because they’re close friends, but Sera is showing more emotion and acting her age more than when she talks to me. It seems like a small difference, but it’s noticeable.

“We have what we wanted, so should we start heading back?”

I have more than enough for the alchemist guild too.

After hearing that, everyone stretches their bodies that were working in a position they’re not used to… Except for Hikari, who looks fine.

“Master, what about lunch?”

I guess it is getting to be that time.

“How about we eat near the lake? Can you bear with it until we get there?”

“Yes. I can.”

And so, we start moving.

Hikari holds my hand and pulls it on the way there, probably because she’s looking forward to lunch.

And when we do get to a spot where we can see the lake well, I lay down a sheet, and we start eating.

It’s so peaceful. It makes me feel like lying down and taking a nap.

But if I do that, we won’t reach Marte before the sun sets, and there’s a chance that we won’t even be able to enter the town. That’s a shame.

Watching the city on the lake from here makes it feel like it’s so close.

I felt like if we can’t get there by ship, I could probably create footing by continuously casting magic, but when I activate Magic Energy Detection I can see something that looks like a barrier around the island.

“We really do need to go through the proper channels…”

So close, yet so far.

After having lunch, we get back to the main road, and reach Marte as planned.

The gate is still completely empty except for the guard. They really don’t get many visitors.

I show my guild card, and the guard checks it, looks at me, checks it again, and then talks to me.

“Sora… Is that name right?”

Did something happen? Why is he checking it so many times?

“Y-yes. Is there a problem?”

“Don’t worry. I just received an order from the feudal lord to tell you to go see him when you got back.”

“…The feudal lord?”

I have two possibilities in mind… But still, he actually called me?

“Should I go there now?”

“Well… It’s kind of late. How about tomorrow?”

“We don’t really have plans…”

“Then I’ll have someone send a message. Where are you staying tonight?”

I tell him we’re planning to stay in the same inn where we stayed before, but that’s assuming they have rooms available.

After we enter the town, Rurika, Chris, and Sera go to the adventurer guild, and the rest of us go to the alchemist guild to ask Yan to relay a message to Bozen, who can then relay it to Will.

And when we get to the inn, they have rooms for us, so we stay here.

I’m curious about what the feudal lord wants, but there’s no point in thinking about it now. I’ll just prepare myself mentally for whatever it might be.

That said, we haven’t really attracted any bad attention or anything, so I can’t imagine he has anything to complain about.

I check with Chris too, and she tells me I didn’t do anything wrong when we talked. Not that I had much time anyway, because the meeting was over before I could really say anything.

And as I relax in my room, the owner comes up and calls me.

When I get downstairs I see the gatekeeper I met in the feudal lord’s mansion, who tells me to go there tomorrow morning.

　◇ ◇ ◇

They didn’t say anything about me going alone, so after we have breakfast, I go to the mansion with Chris.

We’re taken to the same room as last time, and a few minutes later, the feudal lord arrives with hurried steps.

“Will you accept a quest to go after bandits!?”

Is what he says when he sees me. With no explanation or anything.