Follower of Misfortune (4)
Two days had passed. I was lingering in the same spot a full day longer than the one day I'd promised myself.
If I had to explain why I was staying even longer than I'd planned, it was because of my calculations about that ragged woman's pace without a carriage. I figured a single day would be more than enough to catch up.
The image of that adventurer from last night—sobbing and sniveling as she fled from me—kept flashing in my mind. Her body trembling in terror at the mere sight of me, her eyes wide with dread. Laughably, just like our first encounter, I could picture the dampness between her legs where she'd lost control again.
For those reasons, I was still hunkered down in the forest today.
Truth be told, there wasn't much to do, so I'd hidden the carriage in a thicket and ventured deeper into the woods. I erased every trace of the imperl, and unlike before, I dispatched the beasts with clean, efficient kills.
I'd said there wasn't much to do, but hunting beasts was necessary for me all the same.
You see, the fresh meat I'd stocked up on back in the Empire was long gone by now. All that remained were things like jerky that I'd have to gnaw on forever.
So I hacked away at the beasts' carcasses with clumsy knife work, skinned them, gutted them—splattering blood on my face in the process—and packed away as much meat as I could.
Otherwise, my dinner tonight would be stew stuffed with nothing but grass. Or chunks of jerky that'd ache my jaw from chewing.
Gazing at the ragged lumps of meat mangled by my amateur butchering, I was momentarily at a loss for words. But hey... meat was meat.
Freezing it solid with magic and stowing it in a wooden crate filled me with a profound sense of satisfaction.
And right now, there I was in the heart of the forest, kneeling quietly and munching on grass.
There was a plant in my hand that looked just like one illustrated in the thick Compendium of Flora and Fauna. I'd popped it in my mouth to test it out.
"…."
My verdict? Yeah. Bitter.
A few chews, and my whole mouth was filled with that astringent tang, numbing and sharp.
So it matched the entry in the compendium, but... was this really something a person could eat? I spat it out with a pthoo.
Idrin. Even if it's good for you, you should've told me if it was actually palatable.
What good is a component that helps suppress emotions if the taste is so vile I can't even swallow it?
I spat out the entire bitter clump that had filled my mouth and plopped down on the ground.
Thinking back, as a child I'd wolfed down spoiled food without a second thought. I'd crammed my mouth with foul-smelling scraps and swallowed them down, grateful for anything at all.
Yet here I was, grimacing and spitting out a mere handful of bitter grass. It was a little ridiculous.
A slight change in my circumstances, and suddenly my tastes had grown finicky. Absurd.
But I didn't like how that thought crept into my head, so I flipped open the compendium again, comparing the drawings to the forest around me.
Glancing about, I spotted another plant that matched an illustration. I yanked it up, dusted off the dirt, and shoved it into my mouth with a crunch.
Staring blankly at the sky, I chewed the green wad slowly.
"…."
Yes. Definitely bitter, with a strong herbal pungency rising up.
But if I shifted my mindset... it actually tasted a bit good. At least compared to the one I'd spat out earlier, this was downright delicious.
Yeah, this would do just fine as an ingredient for tonight's stew.
With that in mind, I gathered more of the same herb and stuffed them into my pouch.
Man, with nothing to do, a person resorts to all sorts of things. Still, broadening my knowledge and gaining experience was important.
Especially for a dimwit like me, too ignorant to learn anything without crashing headfirst into it.
And so the second day slipped by.
It was time to move on again.
This endless road was starting to wear on me. The same path repeating, the same scenery over and over.
The same breakfasts, lunches, dinners. What had once thrilled me with excitement now barely stirred a ripple, even if I glanced its way.
Before long, my mind filled once more with Ain.
I wondered: Had he pushed through landscapes like this? Amid all this repetition, had he ever found it boring?
I wanted to know if somewhere along this road—or in the Saravati Duchy I was heading toward—his traces lingered thickly.
And where was he right now?
"Ain…."
Of course, I wasn't completely in the dark. I hadn't set out blindly without any preparation.
For now, I was bound for the duchy where he'd said he was staying. Once there, I'd read the echoes of his presence.
My magic could track his traces, but I had to physically reach the spots where they'd been left behind.
My magic was still too weak, forcing me to endure this inconvenience and risk.
So... I wanted to see him soon. To run to him, bury myself in his arms, and pour out my feelings.
I adore you, Ain. I like you. I love you, without a doubt.
I wanted to whisper all those emotions into his ear.
And with those thoughts, I twisted my body restlessly.
"Hnn…."
Lately, thinking of Ain made my body heat up like this. Ever since realizing the nature of my emotions, my breaths came short, my belly felt tight and pressed.
I'd twitch involuntarily, my face flushing, saliva pooling as if it might spill over.
Ridiculous—awakening to love had sprouted this other feeling tied to it. And since I couldn't identify what it was, it tormented me endlessly.
"Haa…."
In the end, I let out a ragged breath and cracked the reins hard, urging the horses onward.
The intensity of my emotions was growing thicker, fiercer—but it was fine. Meeting Ain would let it all pour out, solving everything.
It had to.
And so, after traveling some distance, small villages came into view beneath the mountains bathed in sunset.
At the road's far end, distant lights flickered diligently, evoking human warmth.
Orange hues shifting to purple, then to a deepening curtain of night—the flames grew sharper against the darkening sky.
Naturally, I steered the carriage toward one such village.
As the humble, peaceful scene drew near, coloring my surroundings, I halted the carriage. My eyes, now clouded with doubt, fixed on the sight.
"…."
It was laughable, but the ragged adventurer named Eileen came to mind.
Even though I'd driven slowly and it had been nearly four days since we'd parted, her silhouette flickered hazily in my thoughts.
In other words... just as I'd marred that adventurer's laughter-filled face, what if I ruined this peaceful scene too?
It had warmth and people, but nothing else I needed—did I really have to go in?
Hesitation gripped me. It was a small village; no one would recognize me. But the face frozen in terror at my approach wouldn't fade.
So I guided the carriage to a low hill a short distance from the village.
I parked it properly, gave the horses heaps of hay, and sat on the dirt with a pouch of jerky, gazing at the village lights.
As night deepened and the lights shone brighter, warmer, I kindled a fire with a gesture.
Tiny figures huddled together, heading somewhere—the sight made me stroke the horses that had drawn close and settled beside me.
Equally warm. Equally together.
So... yes. No need to enter the village tonight.
I'd gotten meat from the forest, herbs too. And sleeping rough was familiar to me anyway.
No need to wedge myself into that scene and risk disturbing those shy colors.
I'm fine. Thinking back to my childhood, this was nothing new.
I absently picked up a piece of jerky and chewed.
The salty, savory flavor swirled in my mouth, washing away the faint sadness.
So yeah, I'm fine.