Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Farewell to the Dull Forest
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Watching the retreating forces of Bazra Estate, Arsen heard Irenne's voice from beside him.
-Have they left? Did the talk go well?
"Yes, everything went smoothly."
-Then you'll come back now?
"As you wish."
After answering, as he headed into the forest, Arsen soon returned to the village as if he had teleported.
Being able to move like this in the Dull Forest, which was larger than most estates, was thanks to Irenne directly manifesting an illusion dream into reality to manipulate the distance. It was akin to a shrinking-earth technique.
They had arrived at the village quickly using the same method when they first came.
Seeing Arsen return, Irenne asked,
"Aren't you disappointed? If you'd gone with them, you probably could have received a great reward."
"I'm not that leisurely. It would have taken quite a while just to go to Bazra Estate and back."
Estates varied in size, but on foot, it usually took at least a week or more.
Going back and forth that distance for a reward would have been far too inefficient.
It would have taken several weeks just to go, get the reward, and return, and if they insisted on keeping their son's savior for a feast since they couldn't just let him go, it wouldn't have ended in a day or two.
"For the time being—perhaps for quite a long time—they won't enter the forest. Their son only lost his memories but is otherwise fine, so they have no reason to venture into a place long considered taboo."
"Let's at least clean up and talk."
Arsen looked down at his body and nodded.
Indeed, after being battered by the illusion dream attack yesterday and wearing armor splattered with animal blood, he looked a mess.
With a light snap of her fingers, the hardened bloodstains on the armor began to peel off softly.
"What spell is that?"
"I don't know. I just can do it."
Irenne said with a gentle smile.
"How will you repay this favor? You've even become one of the dead here, so you can't just come back carelessly now."
"It's fine. We're leaving anyway."
Arsen's group had no plans to return here in their journey.
Excavate more ruins to the west, pass through the secret passage, summon the library, and that was it.
Even if they ever came back, they just needed to avoid passing through Bazra.
"I'll reward you handsomely so you won't feel shortchanged. I've spoken to Gisharan, so go receive it. There will be quite a lot of goods, so don't forget to bring some people to carry them."
Now, Irenne treated Arsen almost like a grandmother.
Given that he'd resolved one of her major worries, it was only natural.
"There's one thing I want to ask of you. It might even be a gift."
"Please speak."
"Could you take Gisharan with you? To where Luden is, to your homeland."
Arsen was startled by Irenne's words and asked back.
"Why?"
"You can probably guess, but my lifespan doesn't have much left. At most, three to five years. After that, this forest will lose its guardian."
"That's true."
"Then Gisharan would have to live out her life in this forest without any blood kin. Do you know why that child never married?"
"Because she's your daughter?"
"Right. Gisharan grew up among the villagers, but they see her as the guardian's proxy, not as a fellow villager or family. I don't want my daughter to live her whole life without seeing the outside world and die lonely."
Arsen shook his head slightly at Irenne's words.
He couldn't take her just for that reason.
"I understand, but we can't bring someone who can't prove their worth to the group."
"Gisharan won't be a burden. She's a trained warrior who can hunt magic beasts alone, and at the same time, an excellent apothecary. I'm giving you rare herbs from this forest as a gift, and that child can turn them into wonderful medicines."
According to Irenne, the herbs of the Dull Forest were rare items unseen in the outside world, thanks to the immense magic slumbering throughout the forest.
Irenne explained enthusiastically about the types of herbs in the forest and the effects of the medicines that could be made from them.
After hearing that, Arsen had no choice but to nod.
"Then, if you pass away and Gisharan leaves too, what happens to the villagers?"
"They'll go back to living as they did originally. There wasn't always a contractor in this forest. The forest's illusion dreams persist without a contractor. It might become a bit more dangerous, though."
Arsen closed his eyes and pondered for a long time before reaching a conclusion.
"Very well. But only if Gisharan wishes it."
"Of course. I have no intention of forcing her if she doesn't want to."
"And I have a proposal regarding the contractor issue."
* * *
"I understand. When do you plan to leave?"
Gisharan's refreshingly straightforward response made Arsen momentarily doubt if she truly understood.
She acted more like someone going to visit the neighbors than leaving her lifelong home.
"Are you sure you understand properly?"
"I do. Join your wandering group for the next few months, maybe years, to see my father. And it's unlikely I'll return."
"That's quite an impulsive decision for something like that..."
Whether she caught the implication of recklessness in his words, Gisharan gave her characteristic awkward smile.
"I've been thinking about it for a while. That if an opportunity came, I'd leave this forest."
"Why?"
"Because I'm always an outsider here. No friends, no lovers, so no attachments. The forest feels too narrow and stifling anyway."
It was a curt explanation, but Arsen understood the meaning behind it.
He had already heard the story from Irenne.
"Understood. Then let's go greet the rest of the group."
He didn't need separate approval from the others.
As the leader of the troops, he could add or remove whoever he wanted.
However, as Gisharan introduced herself and bowed, Bazkal tossed out a word with unease.
"Can we trust her, bro? I'm not doubting her as a warrior. She looks plenty capable. But the apothecary part is a bit..."
As Bazkal said, Gisharan had a build that overwhelmed most male soldiers.
Not to mention her experience hunting dangerous magic beasts around the forest.
Arsen's soldiers had become quite trained by now, but none could stand toe-to-toe with her one-on-one.
What Bazkal doubted was her skill as an apothecary.
There had been plenty of such folk in his hometown of Narvik, but most were quacks peddling mashed magic beast dung.
Thus, Narvik folk called them not apothecaries but "herb hustlers" and scorned them.
Seeing the other Narvik-born soldiers, they too seemed skeptical of her apothecary skills.
At that moment, Gisharan stared straight at Bazkal and asked.
"If I may, knight, what is your name?"
"Bazkal."
Answering with a slight tilt of his nose as if to assert dominance, Bazkal crumbled at Gisharan's follow-up.
"Was that hairstyle intentional, by any chance?"
Laughter erupted from those around trying to hold it in, turning Bazkal's face red with shame and anger.
It had been quite some time since his hair had become like that, but Bazkal's missing center part hadn't returned.
Arsen suspected it was because the hair roots had been cooked by intense heat.
"You think I'd want this? This is a badge of honor from battling a powerful ma-in. Like a scar or..."
Excited, Bazkal even stammered, but Gisharan remained unflappable and calm.
"I'm sorry. No intent to insult. I was just thinking, if it's not on purpose, maybe I could prescribe a hair growth tonic..."
"Hair growth tonic—!"
Bazkal bellowed, cutting her off.
His shout was so loud that Eloise nearby grimaced and covered her ears.
"Does such a thing really exist?"
"Yes. It's reliable. No bald people in our village."
"If—if my hair really grew back!"
So excited, Bazkal even grabbed Gisharan's hands and shook them vigorously up and down.
He must have suffered greatly over his hair.
"Please, take good care of me!"
Beyond just hair regrowth, the magical herbs from the Dull Forest had endless uses.
Reducing pain, boosting strength, warding off sleep—they had highly varied and useful effects, sure to aid their travels immensely.
As everyone nodded in approval welcoming the new member, Arsen called Maroon aside.
"Sir Maroon."
"What is it?"
"Could you spare a moment? I have something to discuss privately."
Arsen and Maroon moved to a secluded spot at the edge of the camp.
Once sure no one else could hear, Arsen briefly explained the Dull Forest contract and made his proposal.
That one of the Beolburumi mages inherit it, and use the forest as a retreat for mages in the future.
"The forest's contractor?"
"Yes. The current contractor, Irenne, is quite old and needs a successor."
Since the Beolburumi's help had been crucial in sending Ilak back this time, it was also a way to reward them.
They had wanted a rest space for mages back in Exekia too, and seemed interested in mage welfare.
Irenne had readily agreed, as long as she could personally test the successor's character with a few trials.
"What do you think?"
Maroon scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Hmm... Sounds good on the surface, but I'd need to ask the elders."
"Of course. No one among us can become the contractor right now anyway. They're all too valuable."
From what Maroon had said, his subordinates were among the elite of the Beolburumi.
Among the scant dozens of mages, these were the only young ones without physical impairments.
Losing even one would be a huge loss, so he couldn't pick one now to inherit the contract.
Better to have the Beolburumi dispatch a mage later.
"The elders will probably view it positively."
"I hope so."
While telling Maroon to contact them, Arsen slipped in a question he'd been holding back.
"Sir Maroon, I have a question."
"Yes?"
"I want to ask about the successor."
Touching on a sensitive topic, Maroon quickly sucked in a breath and covered his mouth.
He seemed wary lately from leaking info too much.
To ease him, Arsen waved his hand with a silly smile.
"It's not a big deal. Something simple. About my own body, so I should know anyway."
"Well... true."
"It's not huge, but is this constitution hereditary?"
At Arsen's words, Maroon scratched his eyebrows.
A gesture full of ambiguity about whether he should say. Feeling he could coax it out, Arsen persuaded Maroon in a subtle tone.
"If this Dull Forest contract works out, won't you get praised plenty, Sir Maroon?"
After prodding like he was ungrateful for a good suggestion, or why hide such minor info, Arsen shook him until Maroon's eyes wavered.
Finally seeing that, Arsen was certain of success.
"It's said to be passed through bloodline, but the probability is extremely low."
"Probability?"
"Yes. Records and old oral traditions say it appears once every few generations or dozens. Otherwise, when they found a successor before, they'd have checked relatives or children right away..."
Maroon rambled more, but there was nothing useful.
Arsen mulled over the info he'd extracted.
The successor trait is known to be hereditary, but doesn't always manifest. And the odds are very low.
"Whew."
Arsen let out a small sigh.
* * *
As dawn broke, the group prepared to depart.
A large reindeer mount raised in the village was added, loaded with the large quantity of herbs they'd received.
And Gisharan rode a deer as well.
"You're really going, Gisharan?"
"Think it over again."
Some who looked like village hunters tried to persuade her regretfully, but Gisharan coolly shook her head.
"Then, farewell. Stay healthy, everyone."
After a brief goodbye, Gisharan turned away.
"Is that enough?"
"Yes. Enough."
Before leaving for good, Gisharan looked at the village and the forest.
She tried to glimpse the guardian permeating the entire Dull Forest, her mother.
-Farewell, my daughter.
Whether real or hallucination, a voice reached her.
Gisharan replied in her blunt tone.
"Please stay well, Mother."