Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Foraging (2)
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To Felix, some of the results Carlyle brought back were so astonishing she wondered how he managed to pick out only these gems.
Right off the bat, the utility of the information network called 'Pale Moon' that this man had tossed her way was downright terrifying.
“...You guys are geniuses, huh?”
She said it while staring at the mountain of documents piled up before her.
He'd tasked them with investigating the group called the 'Ten Glyph Society', and their work was nothing short of mind-blowing.
He'd said they were a clan operating secretly in the Far East, and when he asked them to scrape together any related info, they'd collected this much detail in such a short time.
No wonder Carlyle had desperately tried to save these guys when their heads were on the chopping block.
“Genius or not, when can we retire?”
“We'll retire together when I do. You do the work too damn well to just toy with.”
“...”
As the other side mulled over the lesson that people are best off staying right in the middle, Felix slowly leafed through the reports they'd compiled.
'Definitely...'
The Far East was still full of unknowns to the continent, so much of the investigation relied on the 'characteristics' Carlyle had provided.
Ten Glyph Society. A group of 'swordmasters' made up of a tiny elite of combatants. A criminal syndicate that would take on any commission for the right price.
Also.
-They're crazy bastards. A clan founded by guys who picked up swords because they enjoyed killing people, so they won't even take a job unless it's an assassination.
...A clan composed entirely of deranged murderers.
They were the ones who'd wiped out the Haima Clan that Panhaima belonged to, or so the rumors went.
Since they always brought bloodbaths wherever they went, the tip was to track them via unusually dead 'corpses'.
And according to Pale Moon's investigation, the first location that matched that profile was...
“...”
Felix's expression hardened instantly.
She shot up from her seat.
“Bring me the magic engineering signaler.”
“Huh?”
“We need to contact Carlyle right now. Hurry!”
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Among the human nations on the continent, the Empire held the broadest territory—which meant that even within the Empire's borders, the atmosphere could differ wildly from place to place.
The capital brimmed with such frightening technological advancement that you might question if this was even a fantasy world, but head out to the Empire's borders like this, and you'd still find places relying on horse-drawn carts.
“Heh heh. You two married?”
The old man who'd kindly lent them his cart at the mountain entrance said it with a benevolent smile.
It was directed at Panhaima and Carlyle, sitting side by side in the back seat as she gazed at him.
[...This crazy old hag must be senile—]
'...Hero.'
What kind of terrifying thing was that to say to someone being kind?
Carlyle ignored the sound of Holy Sword grinding its teeth inside and smiled at the old man.
“No, we're friends.”
“That's how it always starts before you're calling each other 'dear'~”
“...Yes, thank you for the advice.”
Well, as that conversation showed, the vibe here was excruciatingly laid-back.
“Countryman. What did the old man say?”
“...Something like, aren't you tired?”
“I am tired. We've been traveling all day to get here.”
“Then why don't you rest your eyes a bit?”
“...”
Panhaima just stared at him quietly.
“...Well, I'm fine now.”
“...”
Ah, okay then.
'...Come to think of it, she might have that kind of personality.'
Having grown up so harshly in the Far East, she probably never let her sleeping face show to anyone she didn't fully trust.
Still, in a situation like this where nothing was likely to happen, being this vigilant felt a bit excessive.
“The herb field you mentioned is further in~. But you sure about this~?”
“Huh?”
Carlyle glanced back at the old man's words, and the man tilted his head with a puzzled gesture.
“This here's where they say the mountain spirit comes out~. Touch the wrong plant, and it pops out and goes 'you rascal'~”
“...Is that so?”
Just in case, he relayed it to Panhaima, who chuckled softly in response.
“Are you scared, countryman? Sure, mystical phenomena happen near where mana herbs grow, but you think either of us couldn't handle something like that?”
Well, fair point.
If two Hero Party members got done in while picking herbs, that'd be a whole other disaster.
As he mulled that over, the old man dropped them off midway up the mountain and slowly headed back down.
“Don't stay out too late~ Don't anger the mountain spirit~”
“...Yes, we'll be careful.”
With that, Carlyle turned his gaze.
“Hmm.”
Looking around, his view was filled with lush green foliage.
A pastoral, serene place.
“Reminds me of home.”
Panhaima stretched as she surveyed the surroundings.
“You found the right spot. Everything we need seems to be around here.”
“Really?”
Carlyle scratched his arm absentmindedly as he replied.
The scratched spot was swollen blue and a bit frightening...
'...Just remembered how brutal nature can be.'
On the way here, he'd been bitten nonstop by mosquitoes, ticks, bees, and leeches popping out from everywhere.
After the Hell invasion, there weren't even proper cities left to get used to it, but lately he'd been living so comfortably that he'd forgotten how harsh an untamed mountain could be.
Civilization really is the best...
But unlike his thoughts, Panhaima was thriving like a fish in water, rummaging through the natural grass.
“Look at this, countryman. A glowplant!”
“...Is that for the inner core?”
“No. But isn't it cute?”
“...”
“In the old days, my sibling and I used to pick these all the time.”
Seeing Panhaima beaming innocently, purely enjoying the foraging, made it feel wrong to say anything.
And watching her like that brought to mind.
“Ah, soldier's wort. The clan used it a lot in training. Nostalgic.”
“This one's... spices. We'd sprinkle it on field rations when fighting outdoors.”
No matter what she did, it always circled back to experiences with her clan and family.
It struck him anew how, for her, clan and family were irreplaceable treasures.
It showed plainly in how she used 'Panhaima—Clan Lord of the Haima Clan' as her name.
-Family is everything.
-Without them, I wouldn't even know who I am.
Mulling over the words he'd heard from her in every loop, Carlyle quietly watched her.
What to say.
The way she reminisced.
...It was all stories from the 'past'.
And that's precisely why.
“Panhaima.”
“Hm?”
“Later, let's go have some fun together.”
He'd blurted it out without thinking.
At Carlyle's words, Panhaima's eyes widened.
“...What do you mean by that?”
“Just... making memories or whatever. I want to give you that as a gift.”
“Suddenly? Do I look unhappy to you?”
“Not really.”
Carlyle sighed.
“...You just talk like the past was happier than right now.”
Family was precious to her, the foundation of her life.
But as far as Carlyle knew, she'd never even had the option to look beyond her family.
She'd cross an entire continent in a rowboat without hesitation to find her missing sibling.
Her life was shackled to the legacy of her long-dead family.
There was no sense she was enjoying the present.
So.
“I want you to be happy.”
This person.
Just like Gray, Vespa, and Drexler.
Was someone Carlyle wanted to see happy.
But.
“If you had to choose between past and present, you'd pick the past without hesitating.”
That wouldn't do.
-Can I call you oppa?
He knew all too well what happened to those trapped in ghosts of the past that had to be let go.
-Oppa, I, I, it hurts so much—
-No more, please...
Carlyle himself knew it excruciatingly well.
-No more, just make it stop...?
Better than anyone what awaited at the end.
“...”
Panhaima watched him quietly as he said it, then let out a soft chuckle.
“...Do you have a talent for spouting nonsense whenever there's a lull, countryman?”
“Yeah. Maybe I should cut back on coffee. Drank too much lately.”
“You actually drink that bean water.”
Panhaima sighed and shook off her hands.
“Anyway, enough drivel. Let's gather up and head back. Got everything we need.”
“Sounds good, then?”
Well, so.
In the end, it went off without a hitch.
Head back to the village like this, stay the night, then return to the capital. Done.
“...”
“...”
...Or so it should have been.
A few hours later.
Rain poured from the sky like a hole had been punched through it.
Carlyle and Panhaima were getting drenched without shelter on a muddy slope turning into a quagmire.
No matter how you looked at it, it didn't feel like they'd made it back to the village unscathed.
“Panhaima.”
Carlyle spoke in a flat voice.
“...Hm.”
“...We're stranded, aren't we?”
One thing was certain.
He was definitely camping overnight in these mountains with this woman.
Because.
“...No matter how far we go down the mountain, the village isn't showing up?”
“................”
“Feels like we're just going in circles...”
“................................................”
Mountain spirit.
Whatever you are, save us.
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