Chapter 74

Waiting for morning, I used the "Transfer Gate" to come to the "Village of Ranches." It feels strange to be acting alone after so long.

Kent and Cocoa set off for my homeland, the "Kingdom of Fabulum," to change their jobs. After Kent's job change, they plan to head to the "Forest Village Leaf" for Cocoa's job change.

Tart, Tithia, Roi, Blitz, and Mimosa are heading to the "Snow City Snowtia." This is a move to register the gate. By the way, I asked Tart to do various things like buying materials in Snowtia and to make a lot of "medicine" for me. We'll be using a lot of recovery potions from now on.

This village, which engages in livestock farming, wakes up early. It seems that many of the residents have already started working, and the lively voices are echoing.

"Hmm, according to what Kent said... they mostly take care of the cows in the morning, right?"

I wandered around the village to find my first quest target, Kent's mother, Mollie. I found Mollie milking a cow.

She's working so hard even though she has a sore foot...!

I didn't want to disturb her work, but if I could heal her, it would be easier for Mollie and her work would go faster. So, I called out to her.

"Good morning, Mollie!"

"Huh? It's Sharon, isn't it!"

It seems Mollie remembered me, and she smiled, saying, "I'm glad you're doing well!"

"Kent and Cocoa are apparently forming a party with you. I heard they finally came back the other day."

"Kent and Cocoa have become full-fledged adventurers. I'm relying on them."

"That's great. It makes me happy to hear that. He may be a silly son, but please take care of him."

It seems that Mollie was very happy about Kent and Cocoa's return, and her machine-gun talk wouldn't stop.

"I was worried if they were eating properly, but it seems they're eating more than when they were at home. They say food is important for building their bodies!"

"Indeed, Kent eats a lot."

I remember how he ate a lot of meat to build his body. Meat is rich in protein, so it's good to eat a lot after training or hunting.

...Maybe I should at least do some strength training?

We got sidetracked talking about food, but what I should do is treat Mollie's sprain.

"By the way, how is your body, Mollie? Kent was worried about your sore foot."

"Oh, that boy. It's not a big injury... but I twisted my right ankle a bit."

Mollie touched her right ankle and smiled wryly.

"It's fine; I can walk normally, and it will heal in a while."

"But it must still hurt, right? I'm a 'Healer'... can I use a recovery spell?"

"Right, you're a 'Healer.' But is it okay? Mana is important, right?"

"It's fine."

I smiled at Mollie's worried look. In this world, when using skills, you consume your own mana, which is invisible. Therefore, it usually costs a certain amount to receive recovery spells from 'Healers.' For minor injuries, it's not uncommon to let them heal naturally.

"I'll do it... 'Heal.'"

"Ah, the pain is gone. Thank you, Sharon."

"You're welcome."

The moment Mollie thanked me, the quest window popped up, and a check mark appeared next to her name.

Now, only Pico from the "Holy Capital Tzile" and Maril from the "Snowfield" are left.

"Okay, I'll be going now. I'll come back to play with Kent and the others next time!"

"Wait a moment. I don't know if it's a thank you, but take some cheese and milk we made at home."

"Really!? Thank you so much!"

Cheese and milk made on a farm must be the best...! It's definitely going to be delicious!

When I eagerly accepted, Mollie blinked and then laughed heartily, saying, "I'm so happy!" and gave me a lot of cheese and milk.

I used the gate to return to Tzile and did a little shopping in the city. Then, I waited until after noon and headed to the central square.

...Pico, the quest character, appears after noon.

After a while, several children ran into the square. One of them, a girl with twin tails, was Pico.

The children were running around and playing, looking very energetic. It made me nostalgic, thinking about my own childhood.

If I had been watching them, Pico would have fallen and hit her forehead. That must have hurt! I hurriedly ran to Pico.

"Ow ow ow ow ow!"

"Are you okay!? 'Heal'!"

When I used my skill, Pico's injury was immediately healed, and her tears stopped. That's good. In the game, it's just a simple scene where someone "gets hurt," but in reality, it's quite stressful.

Pico touched her forehead to confirm there was no injury and then smiled brightly.

"Thank you, big sister!"

"You're welcome. Be careful when you run."

"Okay!"

Pico and her friends said, "Thanks, big sister!" and ran off again. Yes, children are at their best when they're energetic.

After seeing Pico and her friends off, I thought about what to do next. The last person left is Maril, who is in the "Snowfield."

This "Snowfield" is to the northwest and northeast of Snowtia, which is to the west of my current location. It's too broad to find, but there is actually a specific location where Maril appears.

"I'll try going from Snowtia...?"

I used the gate to move to Snowtia.

Maril is a researcher who travels around the world to study it.

"So, the places where Maril is often found are historical buildings, unusual climates, and such."

First, I headed to the snowfield southeast of Snowtia. To the east, there is a place called Aurora Hill, which is a tourist spot. However, the monsters there are quite strong, so you need a certain level of skill or a guard.

Maril, who wanted to see the Aurora, is found just before Aurora Hill in this snowfield.

I decided to go and check it out.

I borrowed a horse and rode down the road into the snowfield. Right away, I found a "Dog Rental Shop." This shop rents out large, rideable dogs instead of horses. Incidentally, they also temporarily take care of the horses you've been riding.

"Welcome!"

"I'll take one, please!"

"Sure thing. Kotaro, come here."

When the shopkeeper called, a dog with a patterned towel wrapped around its neck came over.

It looked like an Akita Inu, with white and brown fur and big, round eyes. It was about two meters tall, so two people could ride it. It had a saddle and stirrups, making it easy for beginners to ride.

"Woof!"

"Good boy, you're so cute! I'm going to the hill and back. Please take care of me for a little while."

As I petted Kotaro, he nodded, as if to say, "Leave it to me!" He seemed to understand human language to some extent.

"Whoa, it's so fast!"

"Woof!"

Kotaro ran at full speed through the snowfield, where the sun's light sparkled. I leaned forward while observing the surroundings.

There was no path in the snowfield, but it seemed that people had been coming and going, so a faint path had formed in the snow. When I exhaled, white breath appeared, and my eyelashes froze. --The snow country is formidable!

After about thirty minutes, I arrived at the Maril spot, but unfortunately, he wasn't there.

"Drat, it's not going to be that easy."

I stared at the place where Maril might have been lying, and then I looked further ahead.

There was a large rock, and beyond it was "Aurora Hill."

...Beyond this point is a hill with strong monsters. As a "Healer," I can't defeat them, but maybe it's okay to just take a peek?

I cast "Body Strengthening" and "Guardian of the Goddess" on myself. If I can see the Aurora for a moment and return quickly--I can do it!

"Kotaro, I'll be back in a moment. Please wait here."

"Woof."

Kotaro nodded enthusiastically, so I decided to step beyond the large rock. The mystical Aurora spread out in the sky before me.

"Wow, it's amazing..."

It was daytime, but the Aurora was layered in deep colors, like a fantastical dress.

I was so moved that I forgot to breathe, but then a shock jolted me. Something had been deflected by my barrier. I saw that a "Snow Hunter" was aiming an arrow at me. If I stayed, I would be attacked again.

"Run for it!"

I quickly returned to the snowfield where Kotaro was waiting.

Suddenly, a fluffy...