Chapter 38

Hearing that they were in need of a large amount of herbicide, we hurried to the village...

Thanks to Filo's quick feet, we approached the area in just a few days.

"Master!"

"What is it?"

"Well, the plants are amazing!"

"Huh?"

Raphatalia and I looked outside the carriage. There, vines-like plants were spreading across the road, almost covering it.

"What the heck!?"

The progress was slow, but the plants were gradually and surely expanding their territory.

"The village..."

Looking around, we found a place where people had gathered, like a refugee camp.

"Filo, go there."

"Okay."

We reached the camp and started our peddling.

"Well, how much should we sell the herbicide for?"

They must need it to get rid of those invasive vines. I see, that's why he said selling accessories would make a fortune. I can understand that. I wonder how much we can get for it.

"There might be specialized buyers for herbicide."

"Yeah."

We got out of the carriage and asked about the situation. By the way, I changed my shield to a Book Shield and held a book behind my arm, pretending to be a peddler. Without a conspicuous shield, I wouldn't be recognized as the Shield Hero.

"I heard you buy herbicide at a high price."

I asked a person in the camp who looked important.

"Oh... Are you a peddler? We're glad to have you."

He answered as if he had been waiting for us.

"But, what happened here?"

I muttered, looking at the land being invaded by the plants.

"Well... Our village was suffering from a famine."

Ah, I remember hearing about that. But didn't Motoki solve it?

"But the visit of the Spear Hero brought us a miraculous seed that had been sealed in ancient times, and the famine was resolved... But could that miraculous seed be the cause of this?"

I looked at the invasive vines. Upon closer inspection, various fruits and vegetables were growing from the vines. It seemed that the people in the camp were not lacking in food, as there was no food distribution. It appeared that potatoes could be harvested from the roots, and farmers were digging the soil in the direction of the invasive vines. In other words, they could get food from the plants, but the over-proliferation had forced them out of their homes...

Are they crazy?

Upon further thought, there must be a good reason why it was sealed. If there were no problems, it would still be around. What was Motoki thinking when he did this?

"Moreover, the outskirts are still fine, but as you go towards the village, the plants have become monsters."

Mutated plants, huh.

Are they crazy?

Why do I have to feel this way in such a short time? He really is a genius at making me uncomfortable.

"So you want herbicide?"

"Yes."

Farmers should know methods to get rid of plants...

"At first, everyone was happy with the abundance. But the plants grew from the fields into the houses... We tried to cut them down in the whole village, but we couldn't keep up..."

"By the way, when did this start?"

"After the Hero left, there were no problems for two weeks. But about half a month ago..."

"I see. Did you report it to the country?"

"Yes. But it seems that the busy Hero will take some time to come, so we are trying to stop further invasion with herbicide."

Sigh... I couldn't help but sigh.

"Can't you just burn them?"

"We've tried everything..."

"Ah, you've already done that."

They probably asked adventurers to get rid of them. I could see people who didn't look like villagers, carrying weapons.

"Uaaaaaah!"

A scream came from the direction of the village.

"What!?"

"They went in despite our warnings to stop them from leveling up."

The villager answered as if he had given up.

"Damn! Filo!"

"Okay!"

I pointed towards the village, and Filo, who was eating the fruits from the plants, ran off. She sped through the plant area and brought back three ragged adventurers.

"How was the village?"

"Well, the plant monsters were wriggling around. Some were spitting poison and acid, which was interesting. But it was stupid of them to go there when they were so weak."

"The last part was unnecessary."

"Okay!"

Filo's fluent speech surprised the villagers.

"Are you the saint who rides the divine bird carriage that has been rumored recently?"

The villager finally put his hands together and asked me.

"Well... I don't know if I'm a saint, but I own the carriage and the bird."

"Please! Please save us! Some of us have been invaded by the plants!"

They even have parasitic abilities...

I entered the tent with the medicine and herbicide. There, several people were lying down, half of their bodies turned into plants.

"I can't guarantee if it will work. Also, I'm not a philanthropist, so you'll have to pay for the treatment."

"Yes..."

People sighed quietly, thinking that this wouldn't have happened if the Spear Hero hadn't come, and I felt a bit better. I approached the nearest child, who was lying down and breathing heavily, and gave him the medicine. A faint light appeared, and the child's breathing calmed down. Then I sprinkled the herbicide on the affected area. The child suffered for a while, but the plants withered and fell off, and he seemed to be fully recovered.

"Oh..."

"Sure enough, you are a saint."

Voices of admiration were heard. I continued to give the medicine and herbicide to the other patients. When all the treatments were done, the atmosphere in the camp had brightened. Well, if there's even a little improvement, it will brighten up.

"Thank you! Thank you!"

People thanked me.

"First, the payment for the treatment."

I asked for a slightly higher amount than the market price. Here's the thing. If they've already requested help from the country, the risk of encountering other heroes increases. If that happens, there's a high possibility that my identity will be revealed and their attitude towards me will worsen. The villagers handed over the money with smiles.

"Well, now I'll sell the herbicide. Buy it, and then I'll have no more business here."

"Um... Saint, could you please save this village?"

"What!? Why don't you ask the country's hero?"

"Well..."

Ugh... The villagers all gathered and pleaded with me as if they were praying. I'm not a person who can do everything, and I have no obligation to them.

"I refuse."

"Please. We can somehow arrange the money."

"Prepayment, and... no complaints afterwards, no matter what happens. And answer any questions I have about the seal the Spear Hero broke."

The villagers collected money from their own pockets and gathered their assets. During this time, I gathered as much information as possible. According to the story, the seeds of the plants were sealed in a nearby ruin and guarded by a sturdy guardian. Didn't they suspect that there was something wrong with the seeds that such a guardian was protecting?

I had an overwhelming urge to point out the obvious, but I managed to hold back. The only other information from the Spear Hero, Motoki, was that the seeds were one of the masterpieces of an alchemist who had made this area his base in ancient times, but they were sealed. According to the records, this area was once dominated by plants...

"If there's such a legend, why did you break the seal? Didn't anyone notice?"

Everyone averted their eyes. They probably thought it was safe because the Hero brought it.

No other information was found. After talking for a while, the donations were collected.

...It's a considerable amount. If it's prepayment, I can escape even if my identity is revealed.

"Alright. I'll give it a try."

I changed my shield to the Chimera Viper Shield, which is for battle.

"Th-The Shield Hero!?"

I ignored the villagers' voices and proceeded into the vines. Raphatalia and Filo followed me. I walked towards the land invaded by the plants, with a bag full of the money I received hanging from my waist.