Episode 127: The Forest
The development of the Baumgarten Territory was already slipping from my grasp. Even if I didn’t intervene in every little thing anymore, merchants and craftsmen would prepare the optimal things to meet demand.
The only thing I probably still needed to intervene in was the gold mine, or something like that.
Other than that, I was just instructing the prospectors to find other mines.
The rest was left to nature, or what you might call the “invisible hand of God.”
I had become a machine that just stamped the documents that came my way.
Speaking of the gold mine, when we examined the gold ore from the test dig, we found it contained a small amount of Mithril.
I was ecstatic at the appearance of a metal that could be called synonymous with “The Fantasy.”
However, it seems that if you own a mine, you have to pay a share to the country. That’s what the kingdom’s laws dictate, apparently.
Well, it’s not like they take everything, and the royal family, wanting their share, decided to cooperate, so I guess it’s reasonable.
I wanted to have them make Mithril swords and such as soon as possible, but it seems Mithril is mainly used for armor and accessories. Apparently, that’s more meaningful. I don’t really get it, though.
With all that going on, I found myself with some free time, so I went out to explore the forest with Cornelia, Lily, and the two princesses, Claudia and Eleonore.
“Shh!”
I used my Mystic Eyes of Intimidation to stop the Hobgoblin’s movements. Claudia exploited that opening. Her spear pierced the Hobgoblin’s heart as if drawn to it, and the Hobgoblin shuddered violently before collapsing without a death cry.
That concluded the group battle with the Goblins. There was no sign of monster reinforcements.
At first, there were some awkward parts, but now our teamwork as a party had become completely smooth.
It was a coincidence, but our party composition is good too. Eleonore as the tank, Cornelia and Claudia as physical attackers, Lily as the mage, and me as the healer. Cornelia can use water magic thanks to the power of her Holy Sword, and I can use fire magic thanks to the orb, so I think we’re a pretty solid and flexible party.
“Good work. Are you injured?”
“I am fine. I won’t be bested by mere Goblins. More importantly, let’s quickly collect the ears and move on.”
Eleonore, who had been fighting the hardest, didn’t seem to be injured either. Even though she’s a Princess, she drew the knife at her hip and took the lead in collecting the Goblins’ right ears.
Normally, she’s in a position where she doesn’t need to earn money, but apparently, earning it with her own strength is fresh and interesting for her. The money she earns is used for sweets for tea parties, equipment repairs, and the like.
Except for Eleonore and me, everyone else has an unidentified Gift, but their strength is guaranteed. We’d probably be the strongest party among the adventurers in the Baumgarten Territory.
Perhaps because of that, when we delve into the forest, we often go into the deeper areas that other adventurer parties haven’t reached yet.
“Now, let’s go!”
Eleonore said, her breath quickening, after she finished collecting the Goblins’ right ears.
Normally, letting princesses adventure in unexplored lands would be madness. If something happened, it would be a matter of responsibility. But, conversely, if you’re prepared to take responsibility, you can invite Eleonore and Claudia on adventures.
They’re starved for adventure, or rather, combat—forging a path with their own strength. I hope this serves as a bit of a breather for them.
Well, if anything happens, I’ll protect them with all my might.
Still, this party doesn’t just have me; Cornelia and Lily are here too. If we’re together, even if the Hydra, the master of the forest, appeared, it would probably be an easy win.
Thwump! Thwump!
The inside of an unexplored forest is dimly lit, with the sun blocked by branches and leaves, and the accumulation of fallen leaves and leaf mold makes it incredibly difficult to walk.
Eleonore, in her heavy armor, sank nearly up to her knees in leaf mold with every step.
“Hah, hah, hah.”
However, Eleonore walked at the head of the party as if she were enjoying even such hard labor. She probably really is enjoying it. Cooped up in the royal palace, she wouldn’t be able to have experiences like this.
I could imagine Claudia, walking right behind Eleonore, far from complaining, was probably smiling cheerfully even now.
Well, it’s good that the two princesses are proactive in monster subjugation. It trains their Gifts too.
Speaking of Gifts, about the dragon power I obtained, I don’t feel like it’s grown no matter how many monsters I defeat. Perhaps the method to grow it is different from ordinary Gifts. How does it grow…? Is it simply that the number of monsters I’ve subjugated is too low? The mysteries are endless.
“Orcs! Eight of them!”
At Eleonore’s gallant voice, everyone immediately entered a combat stance. It’s not like our members would be outmatched by Orcs at this point, but carelessness is our greatest enemy.
Still, I feel like our encounter rate with Goblins and Orcs has been increasing lately. Is there a village of theirs nearby, perhaps?
Well, that’s not something to think about right now.
Looking ahead, there was a brilliant Flash, and lightning struck the group of Orcs. It was Lily’s magic. Six Orcs remaining. No, Cornelia and Claudia each took one down, so there are four left.
All that’s left is a mop-up operation.