Chapter 73

"Welcome back, Al. From the look on your face, something good happened, didn't it?"

Orson, who was drinking at the dining table, called out to Al, who had returned to the Red-Faced Sheep Inn with a happy expression. Across from him sat a man and a woman, a couple he hadn't seen in a while. He recognized their faces, but who were they...?

"Yeah, I got my reward and bought a new spell book."

"Hey, you bought another one? You should save a bit, you know? You're still young, so you might not understand yet..."

Al walked over to the table where the three were sitting, listening to Orson's usual nagging. Looking at the man who was eating the meat with relish, he remembered. Ah, it's Madoc, and the woman is Nijela. They were a couple of adventurers who had stayed here when they first came to the Red-Faced Sheep Inn. They were supposed to have gone to the border city of Parker...

"We arrived here around noon. In the end, the mercenary work was just like being a guard. It didn't pay at all, so we decided to wrap things up and come back."

Al, who hadn't had dinner yet, joined the three at their table. Narish had just left for the border city of Parker. What was it like over there?

"There was a rumor that a war had started in the neighboring country, and they were gathering skilled adventurers in Parker. I thought it was a chance to make a big score..."

When the two arrived in Parker, the hills on the outskirts were filled with refugees who had fled from the neighboring country, living in simple tents. There were thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of them. When they visited the Adventurer's Guild, there were a lot of requests from the church, mainly for food distribution, security, and maintaining order.

"I thought I had been tricked. Well, there were some requests for skilled guards, and there was talk of a possible war. I watched for a while, but nothing changed. I couldn't take it anymore, so we came back."

Hmm, the war might still be coming, Al thought but didn't say it out loud. He had just talked about it in the store where he was trying to buy the spell book. If he was seen as loose-lipped, it might affect his credibility.

"How about you?"

When Madoc asked, Al told them about participating in the frontier expedition. He explained that he had connections with the second son of the lord, Narish, and the head of the Revi Trading Company, which is how he got the job. The two were quite envious.

"Ah, I see. Connections are important, huh... If there's any work, please let us know."

"Sure, I'll do that. But my current job is finished, so I'll be looking for work again from tomorrow."

If there was any work to be done, it would be more reassuring to work with someone they knew rather than a stranger. The two seemed quite skilled. However, it was unlikely that Al would be the one to assign jobs.

"Orson, is there any good work? Something we can do with these four?"

Nijela was drinking wine next to Madoc. Her face was already red, and she seemed to be drunk. Al also wanted to work with Orson again if he was feeling better...

"It's unusual for Nijela to be so proactive about working with others..."

Orson said, surprised. Madoc and Nijela had been childhood friends and had always worked together, but according to Orson, Nijela had always been the one who didn't like adding new members to their group.

"Well, when I heard about a mage, I thought it would broaden our range of work. It might also be good for future jobs if they know our capabilities."

Madoc smiled wryly at Nijela's words. Orson, who was asked, folded his arms.

"Hmm, it might be time to go for Raindrops. With this group, we might be able to do it?"

Raindrops, a material collected in the forest of the Rain March, are highly effective for neutralizing poison and are traded at high prices. They are long, thin, blue-white spheres about 5 cm in length, and are said to be a type of mushroom. They were named Raindrops because they were first discovered in the Rain March and resemble raindrops. However, the forest where they were found, which spreads to the east of the capital Rain, is managed and unauthorized collection is not allowed...

"Don't worry, Al. We won't go too far. Actually, there's a place in the Sipley Mountains where they can be found."

Orson must have noticed Al's worried expression and smiled slyly. The Sipley Mountains are a vast area covered in forests to the northwest of this frontier city, Lester. Al's hometown, Channing Village, is also part of the Sipley Mountains. Al, who grew up there and had experience in foraging, had never heard of such a place, but if Orson said it, there must be a place where they can be found.

"I was going to give up because of my leg, but Al, can I ask you to use that spell again? If so, I can guide the way. There are some strong monsters there, but with Madoc and the others, we should be able to manage."

The spell he was talking about must be the transportation spell. If he used it, he could carry Orson.

"Wow, that sounds good. Are we leaving right away?"

Madoc asked, and Orson shook his head.

"You just got back today. How about we leave in three days? Prepare for about ten days."

If they left in three days, it wouldn't conflict with his promise to Luella. Madoc and Nijela nodded.

"Did you have any good food in Parker?"

One of the joys of traveling is the food at the destination. Al, who had just received a dish from Iris, asked the two.

"Well, the border city of Parker is next to a lake called Jewel Lake. They catch a lot of fish there. There's one called Plauchon, I think. It's a pretty big fish, about 60 cm long. The salt-grilled version was quite good. There was also a popular soup called Gazpacho. It's a dish brought by the refugees. It's thick but refreshing, perfect for hot days. Both are said to be energizing..."

The refugees must be from Patricia's hometown, the Sennet March. If she ate it, would she feel a bit better? Plauchon, Iris murmured beside him. She seemed interested in the food.

"Do you know how to make that Gazpacho?"

The two tilted their heads. Is there anyone who knows? Al looked at Iris. She also tilted her head.

"Um, I'll ask Dad and Mom. Please wait a moment."

Iris hurried off toward the kitchen.

Thank you for reading.

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