Chapter 13

Until dinner time, Mr. Dorf spread out a large piece of parchment and began to draw something like a blueprint.

He said that with the cooperation of the other craftsmen in the village, they would spend the whole day tomorrow building a carriage. I can't help but be impressed by the craftsmanship of this village.

"Hey... Old man Dorf, Barbara, Flora, listen up."

Gilbert, who had been silent and seemed to be in deep thought, finally spoke up.

"The person I said I want to help, is Lionel Orias Vinayadel, the former captain of the kingdom's knights... No, he's the former captain now. He's a benefactor who has taken care of me since I was a child."

Dorf stopped drawing and looked up.

"Lionel left the knights...?"

From his tone, it seems Dorf also knows him. I am also familiar with his name. I remember him as a brave and imposing figure, whom I have seen from a distance at ceremonies.

"It seems that the recent triumph was actually a forced return by royal decree. I'm an outsider now, so I couldn't get much detailed information, but he said the extermination of the undead beasts in the northern kingdom was incomplete. He opposed the king and resigned on the spot..."

"Didn't they completely exterminate them? The king made a foolish decision."

Dorf sighed and slumped his shoulders. Gilbert then smiled gently and explained to me, who was struggling to follow the conversation.

"Undead beasts are troublesome. If you don't completely destroy them, they can cause serious problems."

"Is that so...?"

"Are you aware that wounds inflicted by undead beasts will rot if not purified?"

I nodded, and Gilbert continued.

"Then, what do you think happens if, for example, a forest animal or a regular beast is wounded by an undead beast?"

"Without someone to purify the wound, the rot will spread... and it will die?"

"Most birds and animals will die, but powerful beasts and regular beasts will transform into new undead beasts when the rot spreads throughout their body. That's how they multiply."

In other words, Gilbert is saying that the undead beasts left behind in the northern kingdom will multiply, rendering the expedition meaningless.

"Why did the king make such a decision?"

"I don't know. The higher-ups' thinking is beyond me. But this can't be ignored. Some clerics are still in the north, setting up barriers to prevent the spread of the problem to populated areas, but it won't last long... Former Captain Lionel has gone there."

Then, Gilbert straightened his back, looked at Dorf, Barbara, and me, with a very serious expression.

"...So, I'm heading to the northern kingdom to fight the undead beasts."

Gilbert took a deep breath and bowed.

"Even though Old Man Dorf said that, it's still a dangerous place. But I can only do so much on my own. So, I'm asking you again. Please help me."

Hearing this, Dorf burst out laughing.

"Truly, you're either too serious or too formal. I've decided to go, so you don't have to worry. I'll follow you even if you don't want me to."

Hearing this, Gilbert smiled, looking a bit troubled. His character is indeed as formal as it seems.

By the time the sun set and we started preparing dinner, other craftsmen and their families from the village had gathered.

I was worried that the duck soup I made wouldn't be enough for the unexpectedly large number of people, but strangely, the pot never seemed to run out, no matter how many times we served from it.

I opened my eyes wide and checked the pot multiple times, and Barbara laughed.

"Oh, that pot. I enchanted it when my husband made it. But it's quite stubborn and doesn't work often. It seems to be in a good mood today."

"Enchanted...?"

Dorf, who had been listening, laughed heartily again.

"Flora, you didn't know? It's not that she's hiding it, but Barbara is a sorceress, despite appearances."

"Really! So Barbara is a court magician!"

In this country, there are very few people who can use magic, and most of them are court magicians. Since I have no connection to them, I was surprised. Barbara smiled.

"Not exactly a magician, but I'll explain it to you on our journey."

Barbara said this cheerfully and returned to preparing dinner. I had never seen magic before, so I observed the pot from various angles multiple times.

Gilbert seemed to enjoy the duck soup and had several helpings. It felt like a warm and enjoyable dinner, something I hadn't experienced in a long time.

After dinner, we all went to the small chapel at the edge of the village to offer our thanks and prayers to the goddess. The small chapel had an old statue of the goddess, which had been cherished for a long time.

According to the old teachings, the collective prayers of the people form the foundation of the goddess's protection. When I was in the capital, I used to pray for my ex-husband's safety, but that is now over. So, from today onwards—