Chapter 24
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Nardan Jungle (4)
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In games, drop items obtained from defeating bosses.
Usually, along with a massive amount of experience points, you get exclusive weapons, armor, or secret techniques unique to that boss, but occasionally, they drop quest items that can't be sold or used.
And Manlenesia was one of the representative important drop items.
However, that was just a phenomenon in the game. In reality, even if you defeat it and obtain weapons or armor, it wouldn't just drop items like that.
But fortunately, the text description of Manlenesia that I'd read in the game gave me a hint.
A flower that grew using the venom of the Venom Anaconda, which possesses a powerful poison, as its nourishment.
To avoid dying from the poison it uses as nourishment, it has developed the property of being able to neutralize any poison, and the Venom Anaconda enjoys eating it as well.
A flower that the Venom Anaconda loves to eat.
That meant there was a high probability it would be in places the Venom Anaconda passed through or stayed.
We followed behind it without being detected, and then we saw it entering a cave.
"That's..."
"Looks like its nest."
"Wh-what do we do, Your Highness?"
"For now, let's wait for it to come out, then go inside."
If there's nothing inside, we can just come right back out and follow it again.
And so, after thirty minutes of everyone except me taking antidotes and waiting...
The Venom Anaconda reappeared and began slithering out of the cave.
"Your Highness, it's leaving the cave."
"Let's go in once it's completely gone."
Once its tail had fully exited and it had moved away, we hurriedly entered the cave.
As it was a cave serving as a nest for such a massive creature, the interior was quite spacious.
Being a cave in the humid jungle, moss grew here and there.
"Ugh! The poison here is even stronger."
"Cough! W-we should search quickly."
Perhaps because it was the Venom Anaconda's dwelling, the concentration of poison was even thicker.
I didn't feel a thing, though.
Still, it's a relief that the notifications haven't kept popping up.
I'd been worried that after the first notification window appeared, it would keep noisily alerting me every time it neutralized poison, but thankfully, no more windows appeared after that.
Maybe because it was like a tutorial notification?
With that thought, we pressed deeper inside, where it began to grow darker.
"Amelin, light up the interior."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Amelin used a fire spell to illuminate the surroundings.
As we ventured further in, we discovered a flower bed.
In the dark cave, white flowers bloomed profusely, asserting their presence.
They were exactly like the item image I'd seen in Savior of World.
"Found it. That's Manlenesia."
"R-really?!"
"It matches what I saw in the literature."
"Ah, aah! Finally! Finally, Tenka...!"
"Save the sentiments for later. Let's collect the flowers first. The Venom Anaconda could return anytime."
As I approached the Manlenesia, Gillek said to me,
"Your Highness, allow me to pick them."
"No, I want to do it myself for this momentous occasion. It's just picking flowers, after all."
"Understood."
I reached out to the Manlenesia and uprooted one from the cluster.
Suddenly, smoke burst from the roots, enveloping my face in an instant.
"Ah!"
"Your Highness!"
Hearing the three voices from behind, I quickly extended my hand back.
"Everyone, wait. I'm fine."
"Are you really alright?"
"Yeah, doesn't hurt a bit. I didn't know the flower was this vicious, though."
Maybe that's why it's not easy to find— the person who finds it gets hit with a surprise poison attack the moment they uproot it?
"I'll handle the uprooting alone. You three, keep watch in case the Venom Anaconda returns."
"But, Your Highness!"
"If someone else does it and collapses, that'll be a problem. I've been fine without taking antidotes so far, so poison doesn't affect me."
"...Understood. But please stop immediately if you feel unwell."
"Got it."
I then uprooted thirty Manlenesia flowers from the bed and stored them in my inventory.
Of course, poisonous smoke billowed from the roots each time.
I was unaffected, but this poison seemed quite potent; after ten flowers, the three of them suddenly coughed in unison and hurriedly took their antidotes.
After finishing the harvest, I told the three to stay farther back.
Whoosh!
I used a water spell to create water overhead and rinsed my entire body once.
"Y-Your Highness? What are you doing?"
"Washing off the poison on my body. I'm fine, but I don't want you all getting poisoned just from being nearby."
But this would only wash away the poison on the surface of my clothes.
Since it came out as smoke, it had likely seeped inside and adhered to my body.
"Amelin, could you stand near me, please?"
"Pardon? Oh, yes!"
As soon as Amelin stood nearby, I used a wind spell to blow away the surrounding poison mist and began removing my clothes.
"Y-Your, Your Highness!?"
"Sorry. On second thought, the poison probably got inside my clothes too. Better to wash thoroughly."
"That does seem best."
"We'll stand guard."
Gillek and Kirigumo positioned themselves in front of me, guarding against any dangers.
"Wh-wha?!"
Amelin remained flustered beside me, still holding the light.
Well, of course—she was right next to me undressing.
Ridel was used to helping me change clothes, so she wouldn't bat an eye, but Amelin wasn't.
Still, even I couldn't have someone changing my clothes while illuminating the area, so Amelin had to provide the light nearby.
Besides, there's something enjoyable about flustered Amelin.
Knowing her seductive, glamorous side from Savior of World, seeing her current shy, timid flustered state was quite the sight.
"Amelin."
"Y-yes! Your Highness! I-I'll close my eyes!"
"Why close your eyes? Keep them open and cast the spell properly, just in case. And if you want to look, go ahead. I'm used to it."
For royalty, being seen naked by servants was commonplace.
"P-pardon?! I-I-I..."
"You've seen my chest plenty before, so look all you want. My body's in great shape, even if I do say so myself."
It was like how people admire and can't look away from a bodybuilder's muscular physique.
"Huh!? Th-that's... Uh, uhh!"
"From now on, I grant you the right to gaze upon my noble form freely. If you want to look next time, just say so—you've earned that right by helping so much."
After all, I'd seen her body too, so this evens things out.
"F-freely!?"
Amelin, mouth agape in shock, was adorably charming to watch.
In front of her gaze, I stripped fully, used water magic to wash my clothes and body.
Then I created warm air to dry them before dressing again and heading out of the cave.
"Uh, ah... Uhh... Th-there's a d-dragon... down there..."
Unable to tear her eyes away, Amelin's face had turned red as a ripe apple.
Seeing her like that, Gillek asked me,
"Your Highness, weren't you teasing her a bit too much?"
"But I couldn't tell her to close her eyes, right?"
"She could have just looked away."
"Oh, that was an option?"
"You've become quite playful, Your Highness."
"Was it a problem?"
"No. No matter what you look like or do, it won't affect my loyalty to you."
As expected of my devoted knight, Gillek.
A short while later, we exited the cave.
"Amelin."
"D-dra— Yes, yes! Your Highness! Th-that's enough for today!"
"Call Mikel. We're leaving right away."
During the search, we'd walked with Mikel dismissed since we didn't know where the Manlenesia was, but now that we'd found it, there was no need to trek out of the jungle on foot.
"Yes! Mi—"
It was then, as Amelin tried to summon Mikel.
Crack!
The sound of breaking trees rang out, along with something enormous rapidly crawling this way.
"This is...!"
I could easily guess what was making the noise.
"Does Manlenesia have some special scent?"
-Shaaaa!
The field boss of Nardan Jungle.
The Venom Anaconda let out its signature hiss as it charged straight toward us.
Vmmm!
"Mikel!"
The moment Amelin raised her mana and called Mikel...
-Groooowl!
Boom!
Mikel descended from the sky, slamming down onto the anaconda.
-Shaaaa!
"Looks like running away isn't an option anymore?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
I drew my sword and, as Mikel smashed it causing its head to rear up, fired a spell at the anaconda.
"Ice Spear!"
The ice lance flew toward the Venom Anaconda and pierced it.
Pffft!
"Gillek! Amelin! Kirigumo! We take it down here!"
"Yes!"