Chapter 84

At the hot spring resort, two tents were set up near a communal, simple kitchen area. I had heard that there were hot spring guests from the village of Clarence at the foot of the mountain, so these must be their tents. It was already starting to get dark, but there was no sign of anyone around. In the distance, the sound of insects could be heard. Over the past few days, the mornings and evenings had become cool, as if the previous heat was a lie. The hot spring guests might still be relaxing by the river where the hot springs emerged.

"Hello."

Al called out loudly just in case, but there was no particular response. They would probably come back soon. Al had hunted a wild deer on the way for camouflage and placed it, along with a barrel he had obtained in Clarence village, on a stand next to the kitchen area. The deer had already been gutted and skinned, just like the last time.

This time, what Al was concerned about was the reason for staying at this hot spring resort. He had heard from Orson that it was common for guests to stay at this resort from autumn to winter. Orson had visited this place for recuperation from injuries even before discovering this Alnite. Given his age, it wouldn't be unnatural for him to stay here under such pretenses. However, it was difficult to come up with a reason for Al, who was much younger, to visit the hot spring resort.

The reason Al, who had finished his shopping, came up with on the spot after learning that there were already guests at the resort was the deer meat. He had asked if there were still many deer causing problems and suggested hunting a few. He then obtained permission to make dried meat at the resort as a side task.

Al lit a few lights near the kitchen area using light magic and used a transportation spell to hang the deer carcass for processing. As he was working, a light from a lantern appeared on the path leading to the river. The light gradually approached. Two people arrived. Both were elderly men, slightly overweight, and dressed in loose clothing. They had swords hanging from their waists, which seemed to be for self-defense. From their build and muscle tone, they didn't appear to be merchants but rather well-trained in martial arts. They were likely guards from nearby, mercenaries, or perhaps knights or squires from a nearby garrison. One had a ruddy face and white hair, while the other had a thick beard but was quite bald.

"Good evening, I'm intruding."

Al stopped his work and bowed slightly.

"Hey, good evening."

The man with the ruddy face replied with a friendly smile. The bearded man behind him also nodded and greeted Al. Both seemed to be gentle and kind.

"We noticed the light here a while ago, but we didn't expect a young boy to be here. Did you hunt a deer?"

"Yes, it seems the deer population has increased around the Nash Mountains, and the fields in the village at the foot of the mountain are being damaged. I'm a traveler, but I had a conversation with the vigilante group in the village, and we agreed that I would hunt a few deer. Right now, I'm preparing the dried meat as a reward."

"I see," the two men said, impressed, and looked curiously at the deer carcass hanging from hooks created by the transportation spell, its legs spread and floating in mid-air.

"Is it floating without a dissection table because of magic?"

"Hehe, yes. I'm using a transportation spell to hang it."

Al scratched his head.

"Hmm, there are many kinds of magic, I see. I have friends who are mages, but I've never seen this kind of magic before. It's called a transportation spell, right? I'll let my friends know about it."

The two men watched Al's work for a while. To make the dried meat, he carefully cut off the fat, which would interfere with the process, sliced the meat thinly, and placed it in a barrel of saltwater with garlic for flavoring. The fat would be sold as deer fat for ointments or candles and placed in a separate barrel. The organs and fatty parts that couldn't be used for dried meat were planned to be used as food for the next few days.

As he worked quickly, the pot of meat and herbs he was cooking on the side began to emit a delicious aroma, and the two men's stomachs growled.

"Ah, sorry. I had eaten, but the smell got to me."

"I made extra with the intention of sharing, so don't worry about it."

Al smiled at the two men, who were blushing. He had planned to share the meal from the beginning. In fact, he was glad they had shown their hunger so clearly. Since he would be staying in the same place for a few days to collect Alnite and make the dried meat, it was better to be friendly from the start. The ingredients, except for a few seasonings, were mostly gathered from the mountains. The meat around the organs, in particular, would go to waste if not used.

"Is that okay?"

Both men looked delighted. The timing of their growling stomachs and their reaction showed that they were quite similar in this regard, despite their different appearances.

"Sure, there's a lot of meat that can't be used for drying, so please help yourselves. If you want it grilled, I have salt and skewers, but you'll have to do the grilling yourself."

"Oh, that's great. I'll do the grilling."

"I'll get the wine."

The two men leaned forward and started moving eagerly. The bearded man took the plate of meat from Al, skillfully skewered it, and placed it around the fire. Despite his thick fingers, he was quite dexterous.

"Um, what's your name?"

The ruddy-faced man, holding a wine bottle, asked Al for his name.

"My name is Al. I work as a scout and a mage."

"Ah, an adventurer, I see. You're from the Odysseus city adventurer's guild, right?"

Al had nothing to hide. Lying about his identity could complicate things.

"I usually stay in the frontier city of Lester. I heard that Parker could be earned here, so I came to check it out..."

He added a lie at the end to hide the fact that Alnite could be found here.

"I see, I see. We are on duty at a nearby fortress. We finally got some time off this week, so we came here to rest. The young ones go out to Odysseus city, but we're too old for that kind of energy."

The ruddy-faced man laughed heartily. Despite his age, he looked energetic with a wine bottle in hand. Being on duty at a fortress suggested they were part of the knight's order.

"Does that mean you are both nobles? I apologize for my informal language."

Al stopped slicing the meat. They seemed friendly, but it was better to clarify. He had been recalling and getting used to the manners and etiquette he had been taught as a child.

"Hehe, don't worry about it. Since you asked, I am Sir Duran Ferdinand, a knight. This bearded man has been my squire for a long time, Heath."

Sir Duran Ferdinand. He looked to be over fifty. Al remembered that Eric had once told him that a mage who served the border lord had used a legendary illusion spell, and that it might have been his grandfather. He hadn't had the chance to ask his father about it yet, but a knight of this age might know about it.

"Sir Ferdinand, do you happen to know my grandfather? He has passed away, but he was actually a knight in the border lord's knight order."

"Ah, what was your grandfather's name?"

"Yes, his name was Dean Channing."

Upon hearing the name, Duran and Heath widened their eyes in surprise and looked at each other.

"Oh, what a nostalgic name. Of course, I know him. So, he passed away? You are the grandson of that mage?"

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