To the Sage's Forest (2)
“There’s a pretty useful potion, but…”
Hori trailed off mid-sentence, eyeing me suspiciously, as if asking just what I planned to use it for.
Considering everything I’d done up to now, I couldn’t really blame her, but it still stung a little not to have her full trust.
“I’m grounded, so I can’t even go to the academy. Figured I’d sneak out for a bit.”
“Sneak out?”
“Yeah. You ever hear of the Sage’s Forest?”
Hori pondered for a moment, not seeming too familiar with it, then nodded.
“I don’t know the details, but I’ve heard it’s where some great magic swordsman named Pier drew his last breath.”
“Oh yeah?”
I’d assumed the Sage’s Forest had something to do with mages, given the name, but it was a magic swordsman after all.
Still, the fact that it was called the Sage’s Forest suggested this Pier guy was probably more confident in his magic than his swordplay.
“So, what’s the deal? Why head to that forest?”
“There’s supposed to be a ridiculously strong magic beast there. I’m going to hunt it down.”
I gave her the short version, and for some reason, Hori lit up with a pleased expression as she rummaged through her desk.
“In that case, I’ve got just the thing!”
What she pulled out was a vial containing small red pills.
“What’s this?”
“Pills that massively boost your muscle strength for a short time! The duration’s brief and there are some side effects, but the effect is insane! When I tried them, I could move giant boulders!!”
“Sounds good. What kind of side effects?”
“Well… it’s not like lingering aftereffects or anything. Just a bit of muscle pain all over…”
As Hori trailed off again, I snatched the vial from her hand and fished out one pill.
Then I opened the cage on her desk and dropped it inside.
“Squeeee!!”
The moment the pill hit the floor, the white lab rat let out a scream like a shell-shocked veteran and bolted to the corner of the cage, huddling with its head covered, trembling violently.
Its reaction was less rat-like and more human. Stunned, I just stared blankly at the vial.
“A little pain?”
“Um… Specimen 1,291 is just a bit of a drama queen.”
“……Specimen 1,291?”
“It’s just a name!! Just a name!! I haven’t killed 1,290 of them or anything!”
“……Right.”
Whatever. It wasn’t like it had killed people—just a few rats. Even if she really had offed 1,290, I wouldn’t bat an eye.
Hell, I’d killed way more humans myself. Getting worked up over that would be ridiculous.
“Anyway, I’ll take these. Got anything like a stamina recovery potion?”
“I’ve got some extras from the batch I made for delivery.”
They weren’t anything fancy like what you’d buy on the market, but they’d work fine for first aid.
I pocketed the finger-sized potion vials and the suspiciously potent pills, then told Hori,
“I’ll pay you when I get back. If I don’t return in a month, just take all the money from my dorm room.”
“No, the money’s not… But you’re planning to be gone a whole month?”
“Nah, I might die. If I do, I won’t need the money anyway—take it all.”
“W-what? Huh?”
With that, I leaped out the window the same way I’d come in.
Classes were well underway by now, so hardly any students were wandering around. No one spotted me as I slipped away.
I dashed to the wall like a ninja, vaulted over it, and left the dorms behind. Only when I reached the shattered fountain did I look up.
It’s gotten pretty dark.
Glancing at the sky, I saw the sunset hues clashing with deepening twilight along a sharp boundary.
I could still navigate without lights for now, but it wouldn’t be long before full darkness set in.
If I head back to the dorm, grab my pack, hitch up Silence, and head out, the timing should be perfect.
Unlike before, I strode openly back to the men’s dorms. That’s when I spotted a familiar roll-bread hairstyle in the distance.
“You…!”
Jessica’s rolls were shorter now, thanks to me slicing her hair mid-duel, and she was panting hard—probably from training.
She didn’t look that worn out, though. Did she really think this level of training would let her beat me?
Shaking my head at the thought, I waved enthusiastically, like I’d run into my best buddy, and approached her.
“Hey, Jessica!! Out for a stroll? You don’t look beat at all!”
“…No, I was training. So I can smash that ugly mug of yours ASAP.”
Compared to when we first met, Jessica’s mouth had gotten a lot filthier.
A few more months like this, and she’d be a delinquent roll-bread lady dropping f-bombs left and right.
That could be fun, but a roll-bread noble lady suited refined speech better than crude trash talk.
“Anyway, you look ready for a rematch soon! You’ll lose again, of course.”
“Cheap taunts like that don’t work on me anymore. Just watch—I’ll drill some manners into that thick skull of yours in a few days!”
“A few days? That’s a problem.”
My unexpected reply made her tilt her head.
“What? Don’t tell me you’re scared now?”
After that brutal defeat just days ago, for her to talk like this… it was less funny now and more impressive.
“Not scared. Just got nothing to do while I’m grounded, so I’m off camping.”
She snorted derisively, taking me at face value.
“Unbelievable…! Is that even house arrest? Someone might think you got a vacation as a reward.”
She kept rattling on about how I’d get caught and overtaken if I slacked off like that.
Hearing that from someone who was already heading home after barely breaking a sweat? It was too absurd for words.
“Oh yeah, I heard you challenged Sir Peter without knowing your place and lost?”
“…The fuck?”
I couldn’t let that slander slide. The curse slipped out before I knew it.
Seeing my reaction, Jessica smirked smugly and pressed on.
“That face tells me the rumors are true~ I always knew you’d bite off more than you could chew someday! A mere student taking on the former captain of the Royal Knights? Talk about not knowing your place?!”
“……Urgh!!”
This insolent bitch of a roll-bread lady!!
I barely kept my hand from the hilt as I shot back,
“…You believe that bullshit?”
“Oh? Trying to say you didn’t even challenge him?”
“No. I’m saying I won.”
“You won? You?”
She covered her mouth and burst into loud, unladylike laughter.
“Ohohohoho!! That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard lately! I’d sooner believe a dog bit a magic beast to death!”
With that, she mocked me outright and turned to leave.
Just as she started walking away, I drew Yoroi-doshi from my waist in a flash and cracked it across her ass.
“Kyaa!!”
Jessica toppled forward, face-planting into the dirt. She clutched her rear—apparently more painful than her face—and slowly lifted her head.
“You bastard…!! Have you finally lost your mind?!”
“You showed me your back. That’s on you. So defenseless—I couldn’t help but draw.”
Unable to refute my perfectly valid reason for drawing, all she could do was tremble with rage.
“You crazy psycho…!! I’ll make you regret this!!”
“Then I’ll make you obsessed. With Battōjutsu, that is!! Battōhahahaha!!”
I laughed loudly, just like she had, and heard her grinding her teeth behind me in fury.
Music to my ears. If I had a smartphone, I’d record it for my morning alarm…
*****
Back at the dorm, I grabbed my pre-packed backpack and headed to the stables.
Silence greeted me with a bored look, as if sensing some annoying chore ahead.
“Silence, we’re heading to a dangerous spot!! Don’t worry too much, though! If your leg breaks, I’ll put you down right away!”
“……”
As if understanding, he refused to leave the stable, but there was no way a mere horse could resist a man who’d mastered Battōjutsu.
I dragged the reluctant Silence out and made for Otar Goldsmith’s forge.
By the time we arrived, he’d given up and plodded quietly beside me.
As I reached for the door, Otar emerged first, as if waiting.
“You’re here.”
With that curt greeting, he revealed two katanas wrapped in cloth.
I took one, unwrapped it, and slowly drew the blade from its sheath.
“…This is a good one.”
Nothing particularly special, but it was so beautifully crafted I itched to test it on someone.
I checked the edge, sheathed it, and strapped it to my waist.
The second one, I unwrapped without drawing—just secured it the same way.
“Not checking the edge?”
“Didn’t want to get tempted to slice someone up. Anyway, I’m off.”
“…Fine. Though the world might be better if you didn’t come back. Still, return alive. Chances to forge a blade from fangs rivaling a young dragon’s don’t come often.”
“…Pardon? Whatever—got it. See ya.”
Wait, of course the world benefits from me being alive. What’s with him?
Was the old tsundere embarrassed or something?
His gruff act was gross. Shaking my head, I mounted Silence.
“Alright! Let’s go!!”