As the time until dinner approached, Mr. Dolf spread out a large piece of parchment and began sketching what appeared to be blueprints.
He mentioned that with the help of other craftsmen from the village, they would spend the entire next day constructing a carriage. It was truly impressive, a testament to the skills of this artisan village.
“Hey… Mr. Dolf, Ms. Barbara, Miss Flora, listen up,”
Gilbert, who had been silent and deep in thought since earlier, finally raised his voice.
“The person I want to assist is the Commander of the Royal Knights Order… no, rather, the former commander, Lionel Orias Viniadel. He’s someone who has looked after me since I was a child.”
Mr. Dolf paused his drawing and looked up.
“Lionel has left the Knights Order…?”
From his tone, it was clear that Mr. Dolf was also acquainted with Lionel. I, too, knew the name. I had seen him from a distance during ceremonies, and I remembered him as a formidable and dignified man in his prime.
“Apparently, during the recent triumph, he was forcibly recalled by royal decree. I’m an outsider now, so I couldn’t delve too deeply into the matter, but he mentioned that the extermination of the Undead Beasts in the northern part of the kingdom was incomplete. He argued with the king and resigned from the Knights Order on the spot…”
“They didn’t completely eradicate them? How foolish of the king.”
Mr. Dolf sighed, looking exasperated as he slumped his shoulders. Not fully grasping the conversation, I watched as Gilbert kindly smiled and provided clarification.
“Undead Beasts are troublesome. If they aren’t completely defeated, they can cause serious problems if left alone.”
“Is that so…?”
“The wounds inflicted by Undead Beasts will fester if not purified. Do you know this?”
I nodded, and Gilbert continued.
“Now, what do you think happens if a creature other than a human, say a beast living in the forest or a regular magical beast, gets wounded by an Undead Beast?”
“Since there’s no one to purify them, the corruption spreads… and they die?”
“Most birds and animals would meet such a fate, but powerful beasts and magical beasts are different. If the corruption spreads throughout their bodies, they don’t die; instead, they become new Undead Beasts. That’s how they multiply.”
What Gilbert was implying was that in the northern part of the kingdom, the remaining Undead Beasts would continue to proliferate. If that were the case, the significance of the extermination expedition would be lost.
“Why would the king make such a decision?”
“Who knows? I can’t understand the thoughts of those in power. However, it’s not something that can be overlooked. I’ve heard that some Clergy have remained in the north, setting up barriers to prevent the damage from reaching human settlements, but it won’t hold for long… Former Commander Lionel has headed there.”
Then, Gilbert straightened his back and looked into the eyes of Mr. Dolf, Ms. Barbara, and me. His expression was very serious.
“…That’s why I’m planning to go to the northern kingdom. I’m going to fight the Undead Beasts.”
Gilbert took a deep breath and bowed his head.
“Mr. Dolf may have said otherwise, but it’s still a dangerous place to take you. However, there’s only so much I can do on my own. So, once again, I ask for your help.”
Upon hearing this, Mr. Dolf let out a hearty laugh.
“Honestly, you’re too modest or perhaps too principled. Once I decide to go, I’ll follow you even if you don’t want me to, so don’t worry.”
Hearing that, Gilbert smiled, looking somewhat troubled. His principled nature seemed to shine through.
As the sun began to set, preparations for dinner commenced, and other craftsmen and their families from the village gathered.
There were more people than I expected, and I worried whether the Duck Soup I had made would be enough. However, strangely enough, no matter how much I ladled out, the contents of the pot hardly diminished.
As I widened my eyes in surprise and checked the pot multiple times, Ms. Barbara chuckled.
“Oh, that pot? When my husband made it, I infused it with magic. But it’s a bit temperamental and rarely works, yet it seems to be in a good mood today.”
“Wait, magic…?”
Mr. Dolf let out a hearty laugh as he overheard our conversation.
“Didn’t I tell you, Flora-chan? It’s not a secret, but Barbara, despite her appearance, is a Sorceress.”
“Really!? So Ms. Barbara was a Court Mage!?”
In this country, there are very few who can use magic, and due to its rarity, most become Court Mages. It was a distant concept for me, so I was quite surprised. Ms. Barbara smiled brightly.
“Well, I’m a bit different from those Mages. But don’t worry, I’ll teach you slowly during our journey.”
With that, Ms. Barbara cheerfully returned to preparing dinner. Having never witnessed magic before, I found myself observing the pot from various angles.
Gilbert seemed to enjoy the Duck Soup, asking for seconds multiple times. It felt like a long-awaited, warm, and joyful dinner.
After finishing our meal, we all headed to the small Sacred Hall at the edge of the village to offer our gratitude and prayers to the goddess for the day.
Though it wasn’t a large building to be called a church, the small Sacred Hall housed an ancient Goddess Statue that had been cherished for a long time.
According to old teachings, the humble prayers of the people gather together to form the foundation of the goddess’s protection. When I was in the Royal Capital, I prayed only for my ex-husband’s safety, but that was all in the past.
Now, starting today—