Chapter 17

When Frey saw the "Dewdrop of Paradise," he widened his eyes. Slowly, he alternated his gaze between the "Dewdrop of Paradise" and me.

"Sharon, why..."

Why do you know about such things...? Frey, who couldn't hide his surprise, made me chuckle.

My knowledge comes from the game, so I know things that people in this world wouldn't know. Perhaps I shouldn't share this knowledge with others, but I can't help but want to help my companions when they're in trouble. Besides, I like Frey and the others.

I thought about how to explain it, but I decided to laugh it off, thinking I might dig myself into a hole.

"...I'm quite knowledgeable about herbs. Come on, let's start gathering them!"

"Ah, ah...!"

Frey looked like he wanted to say something, but he quickly decided that gathering was more important. He hurriedly started gathering herbs with Luna. They were being careful not to damage the roots, gently digging up the surrounding soil. Torte took out a bag and started putting the gathered herbs inside.

The "Dewdrop of Paradise" is a herb that can only be found in the herb garden of "Paradise of Erngore." It has light blue leaves and flowers that gradient from blue to white, containing water. It's a legendary herb used not only for potions and universal medicines but also for adding special effects to equipment.

I don't know the condition of Torte's sister, but with the "Dewdrop of Paradise," we should be able to make most potions and medicines. Since I don't want to disturb them while they're gathering seriously, I'll gather some for my own use. First, I'll gather the "Dewdrop of Paradise," followed by the "Rainbow Herb," "Fire Flower," "Water Flower," "Earth Flower," and "Wind Flower." I won't use them immediately, but it's good to have them on hand for later.

There's one thing I mustn't forget. I started putting it into a large bag I had prepared. It's quite heavy, but the "Adventurer's Bracelet" has an inventory function called "Bag," so it's not a problem. It can store as much as I want.

While I was working diligently, I suddenly felt someone's gaze.

"Sharon?"

"Hm?"

Frey and the others looked at me with puzzled expressions.

"I'm... going to take some soil back with me!"

"What!? Why would you take soil...?"

"It's not a herb, and it's just heavy, isn't it?"

Frey was surprised, and Luna looked confused. I shook my head at them.

"This soil, where such high-quality herbs grow, can't just be ordinary soil."

"Wh-what!?"

That's right, this soil is of the highest quality available in the game. Everyone who comes here takes some soil back. I was worried it might run out, but it never did, so I didn't worry about it during the game. By the way, players can create even higher-quality soil, but it's very difficult, so only those who specialize in it do it.

"Torte, do you have a large bag!? We should take some soil back too!"

"Sure thing, nya!"

Torte quickly brought out a bag, and Frey started filling it with soil with incredible speed. What incredible power... he's definitely a hero. Keep it up...!

While I was cheering for Frey, Torte came over to me.

"Sharon, would you like to... come to our Ketsi village?"

"Eh...!?"

I was taken aback by the sudden invitation.

The Ketsi village was a mythical village that could only be accessed through certain quests in the game. Most players thought it was just a quest map.

—It really exists!

It's not just a quest map! Amazing!! This is a great discovery.

I immediately thought about contacting my friends to share the information, but then I remembered that I had been reborn as Charlotte and was standing here. In the game, I could easily contact my friends through the "Friend List" on the "Adventurer's Bracelet," but now, there were no names on that list.

Perhaps because I didn't respond, Torte looked worried and peered at my face. Her mountain-ash-colored eyes stared at me intently.

"Please, nya—"

"Of course!"

I nodded eagerly, dispelling Torte's anxiety.

Frey, I'm sorry. I'll go to the Ketsi village alone and enjoy it first.

"Alright, I think we've gathered enough for now."

Frey dropped the bags filled with herbs and soil with a thud and took a breather. We gathered quite a bit in a short time.

"I want to rest for the night and leave early tomorrow morning... Sharon, are you okay? I made you push yourself quite a bit to get here."

"I'm fine."

It's true that we didn't rest much on the way here, but I have healing magic, so I can easily recover from fatigue or blisters.

When I nodded with a smile, Frey bowed his head in gratitude.

"Hey, don't do that! Really, I'm not pushing myself. I'm a hired guide, so I'll follow Frey's schedule!"

"...Thank you."

I understand that he wants to return with the "Dewdrop of Paradise" as soon as possible. Considering the physical condition of me and Luna, he's probably decided against a quick round trip. Frey could easily make the round trip in a day, but...

***

—That night, we were assigned rooms on the second floor of the Erngore mansion. Frey and the others were probably already asleep.

"I should go to bed, but just for a little while..."

I sneaked out of my room and decided to explore the Erngore mansion. We gathered herbs and soil, but I might have forgotten that this place is a—dungeon.

What's in a dungeon?

—That's right, the final boss.

"There's a boss monster called the 'Erngore Ghost' in the basement of this mansion."

It's not very strong, but it has a variety of gimmicks, making it difficult to defeat if you don't know about them. On the other hand, if you know about them, you can defeat it even alone.

"It might be a bit tough at my level, but considering the location, I might be able to manage."

I went to the storage room on the first floor of the mansion and pressed a switch hidden in the wall. This revealed a staircase leading to the basement. However, I won't go straight to the final boss. Even knowing the gimmicks, it's impossible for a healer with all support skills.

...I don't have any attack skills.

I can heal when attacked, but if I can't defeat it, it's meaningless. I'll just end up facing it forever.

The basement had a corridor with several rooms. One of the wooden doors had a potion mark on it. This is my first destination, the "Erngore Alchemy Room."

Here, anyone can craft items! Crafting is the specialty of the "Alchemist" profession, but with the right tools, other professions can do it too. Some players used this place, but the success rate is low, and it's difficult to craft complex items. However, I only need simple potions, so it's fine.

The large workbench was equipped with all the necessary tools for crafting, such as a scale, pot, and mixing stick. The bookshelf, which was just an object in the game, now held real books that could be taken out. I wanted to read them, but unfortunately, I don't have the time. I should come back when I level up.

"The tools are all here, and I have the materials from the backyard, so no problem!"

I laid out the items stored in my "Adventurer's Bracelet" on the table and got to work.

"Alright, let's make a 'Skill Reset Potion'!"