Chapter 25
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: 5. The Most Beautiful Thing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After carefully harvesting the Clean Mush with pristine precision and sealing it in a pack to keep it uncontaminated, I turned to the students behind me.
Good. This should be enough practice for them to try it themselves.
I'd been worried since this was the first time putting book theory into action, but it turned out well enough to teach the students.
"...That's an incredibly clean technique."
At that moment, Teacher Rasen spoke up in admiration.
It really had gone smoothly with my focus dialed in.
Clean Mush was a bit tricky, so I'd been a little tense.
"If everyone learns it properly, they can pull this off too."
"......"
Something about Teacher Rasen's expression felt off.
Ah, I get it.
He's already a veteran adventurer, so he doesn't need lessons.
It might have come across like I was showing off a bit.
I'd originally wanted the students to give it a shot too, but time was tight, so I'd save it for later.
"If we had more time, I'd have the students try it. Too bad."
"Let's get out of here first."
As Teacher Rasen said, we tossed the goblin corpses as far away as possible and retraced our steps out of the forest.
I was a little curious about whatever was going down in Greenback Forest... but I could just ask at the Adventurer Guild later.
Right now, safely returning with the students was what mattered.
"......"
Saella blinked, wondering if he'd just seen wrong.
'What the hell did I just witness?'
He'd been tailing Edin the whole time.
When Edin and Rasen led the students into Greenback Forest, he'd slipped in after them.
They'd run into goblins, fought them off.
Seemed like they spotted some anomaly and were pulling back.
'They just leaving like that?'
It was disappointing.
To nitpick an alchemist's skills, he needed to see potion-making.
If they botched the harvesting here, potion prep would get delayed again.
He'd planned to judge based on teaching the students harvesting—catch him slacking there.
But they weren't doing jack and just bailing. Figures.
'Such a pain. Should I just wipe them out?'
Saella glared at whatever was lurking deep in Greenback Forest, daring to mess with his plans.
The forest was elven domain.
They could hear the whispers of trees and grass.
Especially for top-tier talents like Saella, beloved by spirits—he could pick up a forest's tales even in unfamiliar woods.
That's how he'd clocked the anomaly in Greenback Forest the moment he entered.
Trivial stuff for an S-Rank adventurer like him. Not even a warm-up.
He could clear it all in a heartbeat.
But it was a hassle.
No point wasting time.
Monitoring Edin took priority.
That's what he was thinking when—
"Mind if I harvest some herbs real quick? Two minutes tops."
"...Fine."
"...!!"
On the way to dump the goblin corpses, Edin spotted Clean Mush growing from tree roots.
'Clean Mush, huh. Only grows in prime forests.'
As one with the woods, Saella knew wild flora and fauna inside out.
Of course he knew Clean Mush's traits and how tough it was to harvest.
'Hmph, clueless fool messing with it. Ruin a bunch of innocent Clean Mush.'
He figured Edin would screw it up.
Clean Mush ranked high on the harvest difficulty scale among forest life.
Blindly grabbing it dropped quality fast—or ruined it outright in bad cases.
From Saella's low opinion of Edin, failure was obvious.
But as he watched—
'Well, well. At least using tools... huh?'
Something was off.
He seemed to focus up for a sec.
Then from his hand... an unprecedented radiance poured out, blindingly beautiful.
Not literal light, but that's how it looked to Saella's eyes.
Arm, wrist, fingertips—every motion.
Each muscle fiber severed the connections with zero margin for error.
'Impossible.'
Skilled technique? Experience? Luck?
None fit.
Couldn't explain it.
Others might chalk it up to "good skills."
But Saella, who heard the forest's whispers, knew how absurd it was.
'The Clean Mush doesn't even realize it's being harvested.'
Made no sense.
Like someone not noticing a blade slicing them.
Sure, a swordmaster's blur-speed strike might do that sometimes.
But this was different.
Not a quick kill slash.
Gently peeling bit by bit to avoid damage.
How delicate and precise...!
And not luck—over twenty stalks, flawless repetition of that finesse.
No deviation whatsoever.
'How...'
Error was inevitable in living things or machines.
Just a matter of degree.
But zero.
None in Saella's senses or the Clean Mush's perception range.
'No way.'
This transcended human—or any living being's—skill.
'First time... I've never seen anything like that...'
For the first time, Saella felt his hands tremble watching someone.
Overwhelming talent.
Overwhelming beauty.
Every gem and statue he'd admired before looked drab.
Just a rock at a glance.
Nothing more, nothing less.
But grasp its essence, peer closer—
It revealed itself as the world's most beautiful, priceless jewel.
"Beautiful..."
Saella murmured without thinking, voice quivering.
Dampness tinged it.
'What... what was I even doing?'
Reason for tailing Edin.
Forgotten.
'Ah, right.'
Lunarin.
The most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.
Tailing Edin to dig up dirt and boot him, claim her.
No need now.
Lunarin Brettis was stunning, worth having.
But paled next to Edin.
So he wanted Edin instead?
'No, that's not the feeling.'
Encounter something beyond a threshold, and desire fades.
Only awe remains.
You want to own a gem, but a masterpiece? Admire, protect, preserve it.
Same principle.
'Gotta follow.'
Whatever.
Saella resolved to keep tailing Edin.
Jealousy and rage before.
Awe now.
A subtle shift.
The Myos Empire's small village of Odel.
Twenty-seven years ago, two baby boys were abandoned there.
The villagers took pity and raised them as their own.
They named one Claude, the other Edin.
The boys grew fast, developing starkly different personalities.
"Kuhahat! Take the hero's sword!"
"Village chief, can I get books instead of pocket money?"
Claude became the rambunctious alley boss leading the kids.
Edin grew into a quiet book lover.
Their paths diverged from here.
Not just temperament—Claude, at ten, already outmatched adult villagers in strength and combat sense.
His swordplay was downright genius; at twelve, he soloed a goblin raid on the village.
"Claude's adventurer material."
"Our village's gonna produce a hero!"
Villagers heaped praise, predicting he'd earn the Hero title.
He lorded his talent over other kids a bit, but his gifts were undeniable.
Edin, meanwhile, was bright.
Loved books; even in a small village, he amassed more knowledge than elders or the chief.
Self-taught reading from childhood, nailed any task assigned.
But that was it.
No explosive talent like Claude's.
Helping with farmwork or village chores.
Occasionally uncanny skill, but nothing more.
Then he took up alchemy.
If Claude became the hero, he'd support from behind.
Tinkering with potions and ingredients—
Something stirring inside him finally bloomed.
"...?"
Perusing alchemy books, gathering materials, experimenting—
A subtle unease crept in.
But he couldn't pinpoint it.
He had talent too.
Not flashy like Claude's; even he barely noticed.
The subtle kind.