Chapter 11: Garden Frontier #4

Chapter 11: Garden Frontier #4

Inside the barracks.

The captain’s adjutant handed us two heavy coin purses.

“This is a token of encouragement to commend the contributions of both adventurers.”

「Acquired 5,000 Gold.」

It’s convenient that I can tell how much I received without counting it one by one.

“And there’s more. Please follow me.”

Flora and I followed the adjutant.

Creak-

The door to the underground storage of the barracks opened.

The adjutant lit a torch and stuck it into the wall.

“This armory stores the equipment used by our guard unit. While they may not be expensive, they are all Imperial-made equipment, so they should be sufficient for use.”

Swords, spears, armor, and shields were neatly arranged on each shelf.

Flora, perhaps seeing so many weapons and armor stored for the first time, looked around the warehouse with a curious expression.

“Please choose one piece of equipment you like and tell me. You have plenty of time, so take your time to look around. Then-“

The adjutant bowed his head and stepped back.

“Wow! You said we can take anything, Estel! What should I choose? What would be the best choice?”

Flora stomped her feet in excitement, unable to hide her joy.

Her innocent look, like a child at their first buffet, brought a smile to my face as well.

“Do as you please, senior. Be careful not to hurt your hand while taking out the equipment.”

“Wow- They all look so nice… I’m having trouble deciding-“

I let Flora choose on her own, and I looked for the item I had my eye on.

The Imperial Steel Sword and the Marksman’s Bow stored here are great items for the early to mid-game, but…

I already had a rough outline of Estel’s growth direction in mind.

The Lich, upon reaching full growth, is a powerful mage ranking among the top five on the continent.

Naturally, walking the path of a mage would be the most efficient.

In other words, it’s like a lottery ticket with a guaranteed first prize in the future.

“This helmet is cool! Heh heh… How do I look, Estel? Do I look like a soldier? Ahem-“

Flora, wearing a helmet that was too large, tilted like a tumbling toy due to its weight.

She looks happy.

Yes, as long as she’s happy.

“Uh, it’s nice.”

I answered perfunctorily while looking for items.

It doesn’t matter what she chooses.

We’re not going to see each other for long anyway.

“How about this? Shoot magic from afar, and when the enemy gets close, use this sword like this, swoosh- or a spear? Pew pew?”

…It doesn’t matter. Really.

“Or maybe? Hide behind a giant shield- Oh, it’s so heavy! The world’s first giant shield mage! Wouldn’t that be cool?”

“⋯Senior, put that down.”

Oh, really.

I tried not to care, but I couldn’t stand it anymore.

I really want to give her some advice.

“Listen carefully, senior. It’s good to use those, but you’re a mage. If your strength is weak and you force yourself to wear heavy equipment, what will happen?”

“Uh… it’ll be hard?”

“It’ll be hard. Of course. Your movement will slow down, and it’ll even interfere with casting spells. If you just pick up anything that looks good without thinking, senior, you won’t be a mage, nor a warrior, but a useless human being who is neither.”

As I spewed out the words, Flora blinked her big eyes in bewilderment.

“Come here.”

I took Flora’s hand and led her to a shelf in the corner of the warehouse.

“Among the equipment you can choose from here, the most useful for a mage is this. Imperial Silk Gloves.”

It’s a wrist guard with a thin metal plate attached to the back of the hand.

I came here specifically for this from the beginning.

Most wrist guards in the mid-game have no significant additional options.

However, the “Imperial Silk Gloves,” despite being obtainable very early on, come with excellent options.

In particular, there’s a high probability of getting the “Mana Boost” option, which is the lifeline of a mage.

I carefully examined several pairs of gloves and handed one to senior.

「Imperial Silk Gloves

-Armor Item

-Durability 15/15

-Increases physical defense when equipped

-Soft and durable gloves. Crafted with exquisite Imperial technology, they boast superior defense compared to most leather gloves.

-Additional Options: “Mana Boost” “?”

-Mana Boost: Increases mana by 12% when equipped

-Contains an unknown ability.」

The gloves were engraved with a subtly glowing pattern.

A light green hue. This means it’s a mid-tier rune.

These gloves are already effective with just a low-tier rune like “Mana Boost,” so having a confirmed mid-tier rune on top of that…

It’s a shame to give these to Flora.

I could have licked my lips and taken them for myself…

‘If she didn’t take these gloves, I would have.’

Leaving the delighted Flora behind, I suppressed a laugh.

I also held the same “Imperial Silk Gloves” in my hand.

However…

「-Additional Options: “Mana Boost” “?” “?”

-Mana Boost: Increases mana by 14% when equipped

-Contains unknown abilities. This item emits a particularly strong aura.」

These ones have two unidentified runes.

Moreover, one is a light green rune, but the other is a purple rune.

‘Crazy. A purple rune appears here? That means it’s a confirmed high-tier rune.’

My luck is unbelievably good.

I desperately wanted to identify them right away.

There’s no NPC in the frontier who can appraise items, so I’ll have to learn the “Appraisal” magic myself.

Wait, magic.

Perhaps…?

“Senior.”

I called out to Flora, who was engrossed in her new gloves.

Flora, wearing the gloves, wiggled her fingers towards me.

“Estel, these gloves are amazing! Especially the design, it’s exactly my taste.”

“I’m glad you like them. But by any chance, senior, do you know how to use appraisal magic?”

“Not yet.”

Damn it.

I knew it.

I’ll have to find a magic book and learn it myself.

***

The captain was inwardly curious.

What kind of equipment would the two adventurer ladies choose from the armory?

When he learned that the equipment they chose was just gloves, he felt a bit disappointed.

“It’s not a bad choice, but are you sure that’s okay?”

He wanted to subtly give them a hint.

They looked like novice adventurers, so they might not know. Perhaps they should reconsider, as there might be valuable items with low-tier magic runes among the unappraised equipment…

Perhaps it’s due to their lack of experience. Their ability to recognize the true value of items seems to be lacking.

“It’s okay, Captain. I like these.”

“Well, if that’s what you say. Do as you please.”

The captain shrugged his shoulders.

“More importantly, I have one more request. Could I possibly borrow the key to the underground waterway for a moment?”

“⋯Underground waterway? Why?”

“I accidentally lost something, and it seems to have flowed into the waterway through the water current. It’s a precious item, so I want to look for it myself.”

“Hmm-“

He pondered for a moment.

The waterways, intertwined along the underground of the frontier, are like a maze.

Even soldiers who know the way often can’t find their way out, so the entrance is usually sealed.

In principle, adventurers should not be allowed in.

“I understand the situation, but monsters appear in the underground waterways. It’s too dangerous.”

“It’s okay. I won’t go deep inside. I’ll just look around the entrance and come back out.”

He thought that would be acceptable.

“And what if monsters appear? Captain, we are adventurers too. It’s our job to face danger head-on instead of good citizens. Isn’t that right?”

“⋯That’s right. You are correct.”

The captain was deeply impressed by Estel’s words.

Although she was small enough to reach his shoulder and inexperienced-

The girl before him was already a full-fledged adventurer.

‘I should learn from her.’

The captain handed the key to Estel.

“Still, remember this. Never push yourself too hard. If things seem dangerous, run away immediately. Understand?”

“Yes, I will.”

After the two adventurers left, the captain turned his chair and gazed out the window for a moment.

Gloomy sky. The unchanging landscape of the frontier.

“I hope nothing happens.”

Although no one else was in his office, the captain muttered as if speaking to someone.

“Honestly, I liked both of them.”

He wasn’t talking about romantic attraction.

He felt a pure human fondness.

Most adventurers, regardless of their abilities, were self-serving…

The two young ladies were different.

Flora’s pure and bright demeanor was pleasant to see.

Estel, despite her small size, was blunt and spoke informally at first, which was surprising, but also funny and cute.

And she could even make that delicious dish, what was it called, oh right, curry-

“And also, those children resemble you, Yuria. You might have gotten along well if you had met them.”

The captain looked at a photo in a small frame placed on the windowsill.

A moment of silence followed…

Then, his shoulders began to tremble slightly.

“Yuria… Please send me some news. Where are you now…”

***

The first night at the rest area.

Fortunately, there was no one snoring in our tent, but for some reason, I couldn’t fall asleep easily.

I went outside, leaving Flora sleeping soundly.

‘It’s a tent for female adventurers, so nothing should happen if I leave her.’

Walking in the cool night breeze can also be quite pleasant sometimes.

Today went smoothly as planned.

The quest “Corruption in the Mess Hall” was also cleared without a hitch.

I was happy with the money and equipment I received as rewards, but my intended goal was the key to the underground waterway.

The captain was right. The underground waterway is dangerous.

But at the same time, it’s a great hunting ground.

‘There aren’t many hunting grounds around here where monsters are gathered in such a narrow place as the underground waterway.’

The frontier and surrounding areas are vast.

Monsters are scattered sparsely, two or three at a time, like scattered rice grains on the ground.

It takes a lot of time to find them one by one, and the competition among adventurers is fierce.

On the other hand, the underground waterway is a hunting ground that only I can monopolize.

‘It’s like a hyper-burning hunting ground, so I can never give it up.’

However, what I’m contemplating now is a different issue.

Now, what should I do?

Should I take Flora to the underground waterway or not?

‘She would definitely be helpful.’

Although she seems like a kind-hearted girl for now, Flora is a mage.

It would be difficult to find such a companion in the frontier.

And most importantly…

‘We’ve built up a certain level of trust.’

Even if a companion is competent, there’s no guarantee they won’t stab you in the back at a crucial moment.

No, it’s more accurate to say that the more competent the companion, the higher the risk of betrayal.

In that regard, Flora was trustworthy.

Based on observing her throughout our time together today, I have a general idea of what kind of person Flora is.

‘A girl with a mind full of flowers.’

She doesn’t know how to deceive others.

In fact, I’m worried about her being taken advantage of.

I wonder if she gets ripped off and treated like a sucker wherever she goes.

Yes, I’ve decided.

I should tackle the underground waterway with Flora.

As I walked with that thought, I found myself at the mess hall tent without realizing it.

‘Come to think of it, a different chef will be in charge of the mess hall starting tomorrow.’

Well, the quest is over, and the aftermath is none of my business now.

I’m sure they’ll handle it well.

However, the trash bags lined up outside the tent strangely caught my attention.

I felt a strange pull towards the trash bags, as if drawn by a magnet.

I walked towards the trash bags as if possessed by something.

‘What’s in here?’

There’s nothing to see. It should just be trash from cooking…

Why do I have a premonition that my soulmate is buried in here?

What is it?

Potato peels?

Dirty tissues?

…No, this is it.

The empty can that held the curry powder.

This thing was calling me.

The next moment, a message popped up.

「A candidate for a Reliquary suitable for a new soul has been discovered.」

「Would you like to replace the Reliquary?」