Chapter 30

"Today, what kind of materials are we going to collect?"

Holding only a wooden sword and writing tools, I asked Senior Rio while we were on the shared carriage with my senior, heading to our destination.

In the carriage, there were a couple of other people who seemed to be well-equipped explorers.

"Hmm, I haven't decided on anything specific, but I plan to collect materials for healing potions, potions that assist in restoring stamina, and potions that assist in restoring magic power while investigating their distribution and growth conditions.

...You might have heard, but there are some unsettling rumors.

These materials, which are usually not in high demand, are now in short supply."

It's probably about what Godolphin mentioned, that a war might break out soon.

I was wondering if it was appropriate to share such important confidential information with students, but it seems that the information has already spread among those who are well-informed.

"The forest where we will be collecting materials is not far from the capital and is relatively safe, but there are occasional appearances of monsters.

Do you have any experience in combat with monsters?"

"No, I don't."

I answered honestly.

When I was at home, before my awakening, I begged my older brother Beck to take me along to cull nearby monsters, but I only observed for safety reasons.

In terms of practical combat experience, including human combat, I can say I have none.

Seeing me grip the wooden sword tightly, Senior Rio smiled.

"Don't worry, a monster that can outmatch someone who topped the practical exam at the Royal Academy won't appear.

Even in the worst case, you know how to run, so you'll be fine."

Hearing those words, I relaxed my grip on the wooden sword.

◆

The forest we arrived at was at the foot of the Grithes Mountains, which tower to the east of the capital.

We got off the shared carriage in front of a village on the outskirts of the forest, which serves as the capital's water source and is directly under the royal family's jurisdiction, and walked straight into the forest without entering the village.

"Since we're here, I'll tell you about the medicinal materials that can be found in this forest, to the best of my knowledge."

Saying this, Senior Rio pulled up a single plant from the side of the forest path.

"This is the Yew grass, a magical plant whose stem is used as a material for healing potions.

It is distributed throughout the kingdom's forests and can be considered the most popular material for healing potions.

When making a potion, you boil it in water to concentrate the medicinal properties and apply the liquid to the affected area.

In emergencies, you can crush it and apply it directly, which will have some effect."

"This black and white diamond-patterned mushroom is the Dramand mushroom.

It is a magical mushroom that contains magic power, and it is generally crushed and dissolved in water for consumption.

It assists in restoring stamina.

It also tastes good and can be eaten as food, but be careful when eating it outdoors, as fully opened caps can induce sleep."

"This orange-flowered magical plant is the Hinafushi flower, which blooms from now until the end of spring.

It is mostly found in the central to northern regions of the kingdom, so for you, who are from the southeastern Dragoon region, this might be the first time you've seen it in bloom.

The petals are often boiled and made into pills, which assist in restoring magic power.

As you may know, using potions that assist in restoring stamina or magic power can hinder the natural growth of your body's inherent strength.

So, don't use them in your daily training."

Senior Rio introduced many materials in this manner.

He also talked about materials not found in this forest, combinations that enhance the effectiveness of potions, combinations that negate their effects, where to collect them easily, and the best methods for collecting and preserving them, answering all my questions without hesitation.

I think most of it is general knowledge that can be found with some research, but it's very kind of him to share information about potion-making so freely.

The feeling of turning the 'knowledge' I had only read in books into something tangible and real within myself is invaluable.

This is what it means to learn and practice regularly.

Confucius said it well.

What makes me happiest is that this senior enjoys collecting materials and talks about it with enthusiasm.

This senior is fully enjoying the present.

It made me inexplicably happy.

◆

"Is it that interesting?"

We continued collecting materials throughout the afternoon without stopping for lunch.

Senior Rio, seeing me with shining eyes, asking endless questions, and taking notes, asked with a puzzled look.

"It's interesting, yes.

Just hearing the words 'magical plants' and 'magical mushrooms' makes me excited."

Senior Rio laughed at my answer.

"Ahahaha.

I think you're the only one at the Royal Academy who would say that.

...You're a strange one.

Do you plan to become a botanist or something?"

"You can call me 'Allen.'

I haven't decided on my future yet, but that does sound interesting."

I had come to respect this senior a lot in just one day.

"If it's that fun, how about we stay at the makeshift camp in this forest and continue collecting materials until tomorrow morning?

It's not much of a camp, just a dilapidated shack, and it's not a place where a noble from the Royal Academy would sleep without preparation, but..."

"Is that okay?!

I'd love to!"

I agreed without hesitation to the senior's invitation.

The senior smiled and suggested,

"Then we need to secure food."

◆

"There's a small stream ahead.

Let's get water there and try to catch some fish."

Saying this, the senior pushed through the bushes and stopped after a short walk, raising his hand.

"...There's a monster."

The senior whispered just loud enough for me to hear.

I cautiously looked ahead through the bushes and saw a rabbit drinking water and relaxing by the stream.

It had a thin, light blue horn about 20 cm long on its forehead.

"...It's a water-attribute horned rabbit.

It's usually a timid monster, but since it has an attribute, it could be aggressive.

It looks like it's alone, so I think we can handle it...

What do you want to do?"

"...I'll leave it to your judgment."

Personally, I want to test my strength, but I'm a complete novice in monster combat.

It's better to leave the decision to him.

"Then, let's have a barbecue with the high-grade ingredient, the horned rabbit, tonight.

I'll drive it towards you, Allen. I don't think your water magic is very strong, but be careful of its horn attack.

A bad hit could be fatal."

The senior said seriously.

I nodded and said,

"Then, I'll circle around to the top of the cliff behind it."

"Huh?

Have you seen a horned rabbit hunt before?"

"No.

But I remember reading about it in the Canardia Monster Encyclopedia.

It has strong hind legs and a habit of escaping upwards."

"...You're well-informed.

It doesn't seem like you need to worry.

Let me know when you're ready."

I carefully circled around to the top of a gently sloping cliff about 5 meters high and signaled to the senior.

Confirming my signal, the senior, holding a blade that looked like a cross between a hatchet and a knife, jumped out of the bushes and into the stream.

The horned rabbit immediately turned its horn towards the sound, shot water from its horn like a firefighter's hose, and then turned and fled towards me on the cliff.

I activated body reinforcement instantly and jumped down from the cliff, swinging my wooden sword at the horned rabbit as it ran past, breaking its magic organ, the horn.

With its weakness, the horn, broken, the horned rabbit couldn't climb the cliff and rolled down.

I stood with my wooden sword in a ready position, staring at the dead prey for a moment.

◆

"Excellent."

Senior Rio approached and confirmed the horned rabbit was dead. I relaxed my stance and exhaled.

It seems the senior had dodged the horned rabbit's water magic.

"Really, is this your first time hunting a monster?

You looked quite calm."

"No, I wasn't calm.

I was trying to relax, but I was gripping the wooden sword tightly, just like the first time I held it, and my aim was off.

I'm sorry for wasting the material."

I said, looking at the horn, which was broken right in the middle.

If the base of the horn isn't broken, the magic stone will be damaged, and the material will be worthless.

"Ahahaha!

Don't be so hard on yourself.

The goal was to secure food, and you did that perfectly.

I thought it was your first time, so I expected you to run away... or if you hit, to just knock it in the center and let it thrash around, damaging the meat...

But to land a critical hit while jumping down and passing by it, I'm impressed.

If I had been the one to finish it off, it wouldn't have been as clean."

"Thanks to Allen, we'll have a feast tonight."

The senior said cheerfully and started to bleed the rabbit by the stream.

"Is it okay to catch fish here?"

If we bleed it here, we won't be able to catch fish for a while.

"Yes.

This one is too big for the two of us, and we don't have much room to carry meat back, so we should eat it all.

If we don't process it immediately, it will become bloody, and if we move away from the stream to dissect it, wild animals or other monsters might be attracted by the smell."

The senior, who had been holding a blade like a kukri, cut into the belly and removed the unnecessary organs, washing the inside.

It was quite graphic, but I didn't look away and memorized the process.

After the preliminary processing, I took the heavy horned rabbit from the senior and walked towards the makeshift camp with the senior.