Chapter 10
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Translator: MJK
Chapter: 010
Chapter Title: Yohan Grass
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Andy and Dario made their way up the mountain.
"The types of herbs I told you about yesterday. You memorized them well, right?"
"Yes. I memorized them thoroughly."
"Good. Then I'll search the east side. Andy, you check the west. Let's meet back here around sunset."
At the mountainside, Dario and Andy decided to split up. To make their herb gathering more efficient, they divided the search area between them.
Andy headed west as instructed. That's when Dario called out.
"Oh! And whatever you do, don't go into the wolves' forest! I hear there's a spirit beast there!"
Dario cautioned him against entering the wolves' forest, worried about the spirit beast that had appeared recently.
Andy nodded.
"Got it!"
He set off toward the western woods to begin his search.
The early winter mountain was bitterly cold. Every breath sent a faint plume of white mist into the air. His hands felt numb.
Andy huffed warm breath onto them to chase away the chill. He muttered under his breath.
"It's cold..."
Even bundled in his ragged clothes, the cold seeped through.
Winter had barely begun, yet it was already this harsh. This year promised to be even tougher than the last.
Rustle. Rustle.
Andy pushed through the underbrush, weaving between trees as he scoured the forest. His dark eyes darted across the ground.
"The herbs are really standing out."
This was his first time gathering herbs, but it wasn't as hard as he'd thought. He spotted and collected all sorts of varieties with ease.
Herbs for anesthetics, sleeping aids, wound healing...
Numerous types caught his eye, and soon his sack was filling up. For a beginner, it was an impressive haul.
The reason this novice could gather so many? His sharp eyes helped, but it was also thanks to Dario's meticulous teachings.
'He didn't just describe their looks—he told me the spots where they're common and what plants grow nearby. That's why I found them so easily.'
Dario had shared all sorts of herbalist's tricks with him. Thanks to that, even as a total newbie, Andy managed a substantial collection.
He hadn't let down Dario, who had so generously passed on his knowledge. Andy felt quietly pleased about that.
On the other hand, he felt a twinge of regret.
'No sign of Yohan Grass...'
Yohan Grass. It was the name of a herb infused with mana.
A rare herb with a vivid green glow, prized by mages for mana potions because of the mana it contained.
'I wanted that one for myself.'
For an ordinary person, eating Yohan Grass did nothing. Normal folks couldn't store mana in their bodies, so it just slipped away.
But Andy was a mage.
A beginner without a single circle, sure—but one who had succeeded at mana circulation, harboring a tiny amount of mana in his heart.
He could absorb the herb's mana and store it, dramatically boosting his mana capacity.
That's why Andy planned to eat any Yohan Grass he found himself.
Assuming he found any, that is.
'Not a single one in sight. Then again, it's supposed to be really rare. No surprise it's hard to find.'
Yohan Grass was far rarer than he'd imagined. Every other herb popped up easily, but not a trace of this one.
No wonder it fetched the highest prices.
Putting aside his hopes, Andy focused on gathering what he could. The black-haired boy hustled through the brush, his sack steadily filling with various herbs.
Time flew by until sunset approached.
Andy returned to their meeting spot, sack heavy with his harvest, and found Dario waiting.
"Whoa...! Andy! You've gathered a ton. Hard to believe it's your first time."
"It's all thanks to your great instructions, Mr. Dario."
"Thanks for helping out so eagerly. Come on, let's head down. I'll treat you to a meal at my place."
Andy followed Dario home with his herb sack and enjoyed a hearty dinner.
The food Dario prepared was leagues better than anything at Gavory's inn.
Three days passed.
In that time, Andy helped Dario gather herbs every day.
He'd rise early each morning, head to Dario's house, and climb the mountain with him to collect.
Andy covered the west side of the mountain behind the village, while Dario took the east.
Over those three days, Andy roamed the vast western area. The mountain wasn't huge, so he managed to scout most of it in that short span.
And now...
'Not many herbs left to spot.'
Andy looked at the sack in his hand with disappointment.
It felt light. After hours of wandering, he'd only found a handful. He'd already picked all the obvious ones.
The sack's empty spaces made it feel hollow.
He shook the lightweight bag and muttered.
"This meager haul... I can't face Mr. Dario with it."
Andy wanted to help Dario.
The man had always treated him kindly.
He never saw Andy as just some worthless orphan. He'd share food or snacks now and then, and even stepped in when the other kids bullied him.
On top of that, he'd taught him about herbs.
That was no small thing.
Herb knowledge was Dario's livelihood.
Sharing it was like paving a path for Andy to become a herbalist himself.
Helping an orphan survive this harsh world by giving away his precious expertise.
'He's a good man. I want to repay him.'
Andy was deeply grateful.
Sure, he had no intention of becoming a herbalist—he was set on the path of magic. But Dario's guidance was still pure kindness.
Andy wanted to return the favor. That's why he'd been working so hard.
But despite his will, no more herbs were catching his eye. He'd already cleared out most of the easy ones.
He pondered.
'Should I check the wolves' forest?'
Though he'd combed the west side thoroughly over the past few days, he'd avoided the wolves' forest.
It was the domain of the spirit beast, the white wolf.
No one in the village dared enter. Who would challenge the turf of that massive wolf?
But Andy was different.
'It might remember me and not attack.'
The white wolf he'd faced during the wolf incident before.
It had already submitted to him once. Even after a few weeks, it might still recall him and hold back.
Any other beast, maybe not—but this one was smart enough to understand human speech.
Besides...
'If it attacks, I'll just subdue it again.'
Thanks to steady mana circulation practice, Andy had built up a little mana.
He couldn't sustain a long fight, but he had enough for one or two lightning spells dormant in his heart.
He could handle the wolf if it came to that.
Resolved, Andy turned his steps toward the wolves' forest.
Andy entered the wolves' forest.
He murmured softly.
"The vibe... it's different."
Upon stepping in, he felt an otherworldly atmosphere unlike anywhere else.
The forest was eerily silent.
No rustling wildlife or chattering birds like in other woods—just a quiet, serene hush enveloping everything.
Not ominous, but dreamlike, almost.
No animal presence, yet the vegetation thrived lushly, as if early spring had come only here amid early winter.
'Weird. Are all spirit beast territories like this?'
Same mountain, yet this forest stood apart. Andy gazed around in wonder.
And the differences didn't stop there.
'The mana density is way thicker.'
The air's mana concentration was much richer, like blessed ground. A denser mana haze blanketed the woods.
Mana in the atmosphere was usually scant, but here it felt two or three times stronger.
Had the spirit beast altered the environment?
Or was this a naturally blessed spot that the beast claimed?
No way to know. He wasn't some beast scholar.
After glancing around, Andy checked the sun's position and muttered.
"Better scout quick. Sunset's coming soon."
He'd already burned time exploring other parts of the mountain before coming here.
Sun would set in an hour or two. He aimed to gather here before then.
Rustle. Rustle.
He hustled about, hunting herbs.
Darting between trees, behind rocks in damp soil, through thick brush—the boy moved fast.
His sack grew heavy in no time.
"So many herbs!"
Andy beamed.
Coming here wasn't a waste. He gathered rapidly, his sack filling as if the earlier lightness had been a lie.
Thrilled by the bounty, he roamed every corner of the wolves' forest.
As he immersed himself in gathering...
"Huh?"
In the shadows between unnoticed rocks.
A spot herbs that loved dark, damp places favored.
There, Andy finally spotted it.
'Yohan Grass!'
The mana-infused herb. Yohan Grass. Material for mages' mana potions. Nestled deep in the rocky shade.
Gulp.
Andy swallowed in anticipation.
'If I eat that...'
He'd gain a huge mana boost, easing his chronic shortage.
Carefully, he reached out and dug up the Yohan Grass from between the rocks. He loosened the soil, extracted the roots, and gently brushed off the damp earth.
At last, the herb rested in the boy's hand.
He inhaled its scent slowly. A refreshing trace of mana lingered.
Andy smiled happily.
"This makes me glad."
After days trekking the mountain, he'd finally got it. It felt like reward for all his recent toil.
A content smile spread across his face.
That's when it happened.
-Thud, thud, thud, thud.
Footsteps echoed.
Heavy steps that shook even the soft earth.
Andy whipped his gaze toward the sound. Through the thick brush lumbered a massive figure.
Gleaming white fur. Bigger than a horse. A mystical horn on its forehead.
Andy knew exactly what it was.
'It's him.'
The master of this wolves' forest. The white wolf. It had appeared before him.
Tensing, Andy summoned his mana.
He channeled lightning-attuned mana into his right hand, ready to counter if it lunged.
'I've got mana for one or two lightning spells right now. Need to subdue it in one go if possible.'
-Crackle! Zap!
Blue sparks danced from Andy's hand.
Electrified mana surged wildly, its azure flashes illuminating the dimming forest.
As Andy locked eyes on it...
-Woof!
The wolf let out a small bark and approached slowly. Its steps were utterly unguarded.
Andy met its gaze. Affection brimmed in the wolf's blue eyes.
It reached right up to him.
-Rub, rub.
The wolf nuzzled its cheek against Andy's shoulder, like reuniting with an old friend.
His tension melted away, and Andy burst into a hearty laugh.
"You do remember me."
Luckily, the wolf hadn't forgotten. It recalled how he'd spared it and greeted him warmly.
Andy dispersed the mana from his right hand.