Chapter 13: Rescuing Ash, the Young Apothecary
“Hey, why are you wearing something like a collar?!”
The boy gave Servia a perplexed look.
“…That’s because Servia is a slave being abused by me.”
To deceive Prince Leon, I had to maintain the pretense that I was abusing Servia.
For that reason, I had Servia wear a collar with a chain.
“Yes, I belong to Brother Cain. The other day, he was kind enough to tie me up with ropes. It was a little painful, but I enjoyed it immensely.”
“No, don’t say things that’ll give people the wrong idea!? Though, it’s not exactly a misunderstanding, is ittt?!”
“W-What?! Making such a cute girl a slave? Y-You really are a corrupt noble, aren’t you?!”
“That’s not true. Brother Cain is the most handsome brother in the world. He’s not some corrupt noble. Please correct yourself!”
“Huh?! No, you’re being abused, aren’t you?!”
The boy was taken aback by Servia’s assertion.
Yeah, well, I don’t get it either… but this maintains the appearance of following Prince Leon’s orders, so let’s just go with it.
“N-No, more importantly! My older sister has been captured by the Magical Beast, Blood Bear! It’s a lord’s job to protect his people, right?! Help me!”
“His older sister, you say?”
Blood Bears are Magical Beasts that suck human blood.
If she’s not rescued immediately, she’ll be killed.
“Did you and your sister enter the forbidden forest?”
Servia gave him a reproachful look.
“Is that so wrong? We’re Apothecaries. If we run out of medicinal herbs, we can’t make ends meet. We at least know how to gather herbs while hiding from Magical Beasts. But its sense of smell was sharper than I expected… damn it!”
The boy gritted his teeth in frustration.
Then, he bowed his head to me desperately.
“If you save my sister, I’ll do anything! I’ll even become your slave or whatever! So please, save my sister!”
“There’s no need for you to become a slave. We originally came here to subjugate that Blood Bear.”
“That’s right. Please leave it to us,” Servia added.
“R-Really?!”
“So, where was your sister captured?”
I asked, handing the boy an 【Enhanced Recovery Potion】 (X-Potion).
I have Eris Onee-san too, so I understood his feelings all too well. They must have survived by helping each other as siblings.
In that case, I absolutely have to save her.
“A-A noble is giving me charity?!”
“You’re injured, so isn’t it natural?”
The boy had gruesome wounds on his body, torn by a Black Wolf’s claws.
He didn’t seem to feel the pain due to his current agitation, but he needed immediate treatment.
“Th-Thank you! My sister… about two hours ago, by the riverbank up ahead! I ran away all by myself, dammiiiit!”
“I understand your feelings all too well… but isn’t it rude not to even state your name to Brother Cain?” Servia interjected.
“S-Sorry. I’m Ash, and… huh?!”
When he drank the 【Enhanced Recovery Potion】 (X-Potion), Ash’s wounds vanished in an instant.
“W-What is this?! This intense healing effect… does it have Mandrake ingredients?!”
Being an Apothecary, Ash seemed to have identified the components of the 【Enhanced Recovery Potion】 (X-Potion) in an instant.
“That’s an S-rank acquisition difficulty super-rare ingredient! For you to just casually give something like that away… don’t tell me you have a large stock of Mandrake?!”
“You’re quite knowledgeable…”
Servia looked up at me, troubled.
I couldn’t possibly say that it was something summoned using the 【World Tree Saint】’s ability.
Ash was trembling with surprise and excitement.
“Of course I’m knowledgeable! I’m an Apothecary. It’s not a boast, but I have the 【Apothecary Level 4】 skill! So, where on earth did you get the Mandrake?! Does it grow in this forest?!”
“Well…”
This was troublesome. I didn’t expect him to latch onto that.
【Apothecary Level 4】 made him an expert, unbelievable for a child. Is that why he had such an extraordinary interest in medicinal ingredients?
“The ingredients in this recovery potion are amazing, but the crafter is completely hopeless! My sister and I could make a recovery potion with much greater efficacy! After all, we’re seasoned veterans with 80 years in this profession! So, please, save my sister at once!”
“Eighty years in this profession, you say? Don’t tell me… Ash and his sister are elves?”
Ash’s features were so refined they hardly seemed human, and the ears peeking from under his hat were pointed.
Those are characteristics of elves, a race that lives in harmony with nature in the forest.
“Ugh, ‘completely hopeless’… And I even made it with all my love for Brother Cain.”
Servia was slightly shocked.
“That’s right! My sister is even more amazing, she’s 【Apothecary Level 5】!” Ash declared.
“What?!”
If that’s the case, this was a stroke of luck. We’d be able to make the highest quality recovery potions!
Just then, a roar that made the forest tremble thundered out.
It was a roar I’d recognized since my game-playing days. The Magical Beast, Blood Bear.