Harvest Festival?
Is she talking about the festival held in the territory in a few days?
She wants me to be her partner then?
Not understanding the situation, I looked at Sowol, who also seemed confused about what was being said.
“A few days ago, we received a request from the lord. He asked us to patrol during the Harvest Festival to ensure the territory’s residents enjoy the festival safely.”
“Ah, is that so?”
There was a similar event in the game too.
It’s probably better to do this, as the rewards are quite good if you do it properly.
“Yes. So we warriors decided to move in pairs. I was hoping you could be my partner then, Master Lee.”
“Hmm. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
I was planning to let Sowol rest a bit during the festival anyway.
I don’t have anything particular to do either, so patrolling shouldn’t be a problem.
“But can I snack a bit while patrolling?”
“Haha… It might be difficult for others, but for you, Master Lee, it should be fine.”
Good. Then let’s do that.
Having said what she needed to say, Laila took Sowol’s luggage and went inside.
“Will you be alright?”
“With what?”
“You’ll have to handle my training during the Harvest Festival too. Will you be able to patrol as well?”
“I was thinking of taking a break during the Harvest Festival. You should enjoy the festival too.”
“Aren’t we resting too often? We just had a break.”
“Don’t worry. I plan to pass on the second form of the Moonlight Sword technique before the Harvest Festival.”
“What? Already?”
She seemed surprised that she would be learning the second form soon after receiving the first form of the Moonlight Sword technique.
As Sowol stared at me with wide eyes, I gently pinched her straight nose.
“That’s why I’ve been busy preparing your tonic.”
Once she finishes taking the tonic, I can pass it on immediately, so there’s nothing to worry about.
After sending Sowol back to her room, I returned to my quarters to find Serin preparing to leave.
“Here. Holy water.”
“Ooh!”
Now, all the ingredients are gathered.
As I marveled at receiving the real holy water emanating faint holy power, Serin picked up her luggage.
It seems she’s about to leave now.
Thinking I should see her off since she has a long journey ahead, I followed behind her as she went out.
“When will we meet again?”
“Who knows.”
We might meet during the Religious War event in the main story progression.
That event is necessary to see the true ending, after all.
“By the way, you’d better be careful.”
It seems she investigated various things during her stay here.
Serin handed me some documents she took out of her bag.
Glancing through them, it was information about the cult targeting So Jung-yang.
“The cults’ financial situation hasn’t been good recently. As such, there’s a high possibility they’ll target the Eastern Merchant Group, which has profited greatly from trade with the East.”
So they plan to overthrow the head of the Eastern Merchant Group, then brainwash Sowol, the next in line, to use the group’s assets?
Things are flowing in the direction I expected.
Of course, I don’t intend to just let that happen.
“Shouldn’t the church look after them then?”
“That’s why I’m leaving half of the holy knights behind. With you here, too, I’m somewhat at ease.”
Serin was right.
With the powerful force of the holy knights and me included, we should be able to prevent So Jung-Yang’s assassination.
But it seems a bit much to rely solely on me when I can’t always be by his side.
“When I join up with other church personnel, I plan to target the cults in this area. The place indicated by the cult’s secret seal you gave me is also a gathering place for cultists, so I’ll start sweeping from there.”
A cold smile spread across her pretty face.
Right. If you’re going to catch cultists, do your best.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“No. Just participate when a large-scale battle breaks out later.”
That large-scale battle is the Religious War… I’ll definitely have to participate then. I answered by patting Serin’s shoulder.
“Well, I’m off then.”
Serin left with the holy knights after raising her hand lightly in farewell.
Watching her disappear into the distance, I put my hands in my pockets and returned to my quarters.
“Well then, shall I get on with my work…”
Now that I’ve gathered all the ingredients through my efforts, it’s time to make the tonic for Sowol.
Entering my room, I started preparing to make the tonic.
There wasn’t much to prepare. I needed to synthesize the ingredients I had gathered using my alchemy skills.
I placed the ingredients I had collected on the table.
The holy water made by Serin, the Healer’s Grace, and various other ingredients. As I started placing them one by one on the desk, it quickly became full.
Looking down at them, I raised both hands and magic circles began to form above them.
“Synthesize.”
A soft glow began to scatter from the magic circles.
As it touched the ingredients, they began to disappear one by one. When all the ingredients had vanished, a large water container appeared above the magic circle.
This is the tonic for Sowol.
The Moon Red Potion.
If taken consistently for ten days, it’s a medicine that increases physical strength, magical power, and muscle strength. It’s also essential for using the Moonlight Flash, the second form of the Moonlight Sword technique.
I picked it up and headed straight to Sowol’s room.
Just as I was about to knock on the now-familiar door, I heard voices inside the room.
“Hahaha~! Of course I have to check, who else would?!”
“No, why do you… Haah… Do you really have to go that far?”
“Don’t worry too much. There’s no chance I’ll fall for him. Do you think I’d have a love quarrel with the young lady?”
“… That’s not why I’m worried!”
I hear a cheerful voice and a voice tinged with embarrassment. Are they fighting?
Wondering what was going on, I knocked on the door.
“It’s me. Can I come in for a moment?”
“Kyaaah! Master?!”
“Wh-when did you arrive?! I’ll open the door right away.”
– Crash!!
“Ouch!!”
What’s that sound? Sounds like someone fell inside? The groaning sounds from inside the room made me hesitate whether to open the door or not.
“Ugh… Ouch… Welcome, Master Lee.”
The door opened, and a disheveled Laila appeared. Glancing inside, I could see an overturned chair.
“Ah. Ahahahaha…”
Seeing Laila laugh awkwardly as if she had created that situation, I tidied up her messy, short black hair.
Although she flinched when my hand touched her, she stayed still, apparently not feeling particularly averse to it.
“Ah… Th-thank you.”
“Did you fall? Your knee seems scraped.”
A wound on Laila’s snow-white knee looked freshly made. If left untreated, it will leave a scar.
We’re not strangers, so I should treat it.
“Eek?! What are you doing?!”
“Hold still. Oh my. That must hurt. What were you in such a hurry for to fall like this?”
“Ugh. Well…”
I placed my hand on Laila’s knee.
She tried to pull her leg away in surprise, but I held it firmly.
“Heal.”
Then, I used a recovery spell.
A soft light swirled around my hand, healing Laila’s wound.
Laila, who had been staring blankly at her long, smooth leg that had instantly recovered from the wound, looked at me in surprise and asked,
“Isn’t Heal a holy magic? I heard only priests could use it…”
“It’s possible with a holy relic.”
I showed her the bracelet on my wrist.
It was one of the rare items I had obtained before.
I acquired it because recovery magic is essential for daily life.
“Wow… Isn’t that amazing?”
She knew how precious a holy relic that allows someone who can’t use holy magic at all to use it was.
I proudly said to her as she stared intently at the bracelet on my wrist with wide eyes,
“The church said they would give me a bishop position if I gave them this. But what happened to you?”
“Pardon?”
“I could hear your voices from outside the door earlier. Were you fighting?”
“Ahahahaha! Fighting? What fighting? Right, young lady?!”
“Yes. We weren’t fighting.”
It seems like they were fighting, though?
But with both of them laughing and saying that, I had no choice but to let it go.
“But why did you come here?”
“Ah. To give you this.”
I placed the container filled with the tonic, the Moon Red Potion, on the desk.
Seeing it, Sowol tilted her head, so I poured some of the tonic from the container into a cup and held it out.
“What is this?”
“A tonic. It’s called the Moon Red Potion, and it will greatly help your growth.”
“Eh… Isn’t it bitter?”
“Medicine that’s good for the body is usually bitter. But drink it anyway.”
Although she grumbled, Sowol took the cup without hesitation and drank the Moon Red Potion in one go.
And judging by how she shuddered, it must have been really bitter.
“Ugh…”
“Here. Have a candy.”
Only after refreshing her mouth with the candy did Sowol’s scrunched-up face relax. Then, as if feeling changes in her body, she made a puzzled expression.
“Huh? Huh?”
“Young lady, what’s wrong?”
“My body feels…”
“This is something you can’t buy even with money, so drink it daily.”
“Is it that precious?”
“It is.”
Do you know how much the ingredients for the Moon Red Potion cost?
It used up all the salary I’ve received so far, plus the precious herbs I had obtained during the preparation work.
“Something this precious… and you’re giving it to me instead of drinking it yourself.”
“No matter how precious, it’s not more precious than you. Don’t think about unnecessary things, and make sure to drink it every day.”
Is she moved? Sowol’s eyes became moist.
I patted her head and then looked at Laila.
“Now that you know I’m this kind of person, do you really want me as your Harvest Festival partner?”
Honestly, considering what I can do or what I can give, this situation could be considered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Laila.
Yet she’s only asking to be partners?
“Yes! That’s enough!”
“You really have no greed. Alright then, let’s do that.”
What can I do if she insists?