Chapter 1: Sage of the Outlands — Part 3: Journey of Two People
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Warning: This content may contain explicit or mature themes and is intended for viewers 18 and older. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.
Volume 1: Witch Carly Arc
Chapter 1: Sage of the Outlands
— Part 3: Journey of Two People
The next morning, Magnolia woke up feeling great.
It was the first time in ages she had slept so soundly.
She was alone in the room she occupied now.
She had borrowed a room once used by the late sage and had been able to sleep peacefully alone.
Her attire was simple and relaxing—just a loincloth and a sleeping yukata.
However, she couldn't afford to relax for long. Today, she would start her journey with Aurelius.
It would take about three days to pass through the monster-filled forest to reach the town. She wouldn't be able to rest for a while.
To get through the monster forest as quickly as possible, they needed to leave soon.
Magnolia got out of bed and quickly dressed using the storage box.
"Good morning, did you sleep well last night?"
Aurelius was already up, busy preparing breakfast.
"Oh, good morning. I slept really well. Thanks to that, I feel in top shape."
On the table were already arranged freshly baked bread, eggs with ham, vegetable soup, and even some fruit.
It was quite a substantial breakfast spread. Must have taken some time to prepare all this in the morning.
"Shall we have breakfast then? I still have a few things to prepare."
"I feel bad you did all this yourself. But I won't hold back from eating."
Eating well was crucial to continue the journey.
Magnolia had no intention of holding back.
"Please, go ahead. It's all ready-made, I just brought it out."
She didn't quite understand what Aurelius meant, but Magnolia took a seat at the table and started nibbling on the bread right away.
As expected, the freshly baked aroma was delightful, and the bread was soft and delicious.
The meat stew from last night was also delicious; she hadn't even noticed when or how Aurelius had prepared it.
Either way, she was grateful for the delicious meal.
Suddenly, looking around, she felt like something was missing.
She wasn't sure what was different from yesterday, but it felt like there were more gaps.
However, yesterday had been so eventful, and her memory was hazy, so she chalked it up to a misunderstanding.
Once Aurelius finished his breakfast, he went into the room where Magnolia had slept, Merge Maquia's. It seemed he hadn't prepared it out of consideration because Magnolia had slept there.
In less than ten minutes, Aurelius came out.
"I'll take Master's important items too. That wraps up the preparations."
"I'm ready whenever. Let's move quickly. Shall we leave right away?"
Magnolia got up after finishing eating.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself, Miss Magnolia."
"Yeah, I've always been traveling. And it's fun to travel with new friends."
Aurelius cleared away the dishes after breakfast, put on a short cloak, and took a small staff.
"Well then, shall we go?"
Leaving Aurelius's home, they passed through a narrow field and entered the forest.
Magnolia, now in a leather armor with a metal breastplate over her short yukata, carried a small sword that doubled as a hatchet, finding dual swords too heavy.
Not knowing when the Black Wolves might attack again,
Proceeding cautiously, watching her surroundings,
However, Aurelius walked casually, seemingly unfazed.
He probably didn't understand the forest's dangers.
"Aurelius, this is the Demon's Forest. I can't watch every direction."
"I go out around here almost daily, so I know. It's usually safe enough."
"Really?"
Aurelius had lived alone in the Demon's Forest for a long time, likely knowing more than Magnolia.
If Aurelius was walking calmly, then there was probably no danger.
Magnolia relaxed her guard a bit too.
Rustle
Moments later, the grass ahead shook.
Before Magnolia could be on guard, six Black Wolves appeared.
One was a larger boss-like figure.
Perhaps the one that attacked yesterday.
If she had noticed them from a distance, she might have avoided the Black Wolves.
But they were too close now to run.
Even in the best of health, facing six wolves alone was daunting for Magnolia.
She regretted letting her guard down.
But regrets wouldn't help now. She had to somehow defeat the Black Wolves.
"Aurelius, stay back."
Magnolia crouched, preparing her dual swords.
She intended to dive in with full force and take them down in an instant.
But Aurelius calmly approached the Black Wolves.
"What are you doing? You'll get killed."
Magnolia tried to stop him in a panic, but he didn't listen.
"You guys again. Yesterday, you did something terrible to Magnolia. She came to me. If you do something again, I won't forgive you."
As Aurelius spoke, the Black Wolves cowered on the ground, as if fearing something.
"If you understand, that's fine. Let's keep mischief to a minimum. You can go now."
When Aurelius raised his hand, the Black Wolves ran off somewhere.
"W-what just happened?"
Magnolia had never heard of Black Wolves obeying humans.
They always attacked and fought.
"They kept coming to destroy my fields, so I punished them thoroughly once. After that, they started listening to me. But occasionally, they play pranks, so I have to scold them."
"But they're Black Wolves. What do you mean by punishing them? Besides, can they really learn from just once?"
This was beyond Magnolia's understanding.
"But they don't do anything even if they see me. There are many others too, but they never attack, so you can relax."
"Wait, this is the Demon's Forest. It's impossible for them not to attack."
"Maybe it's because I've been living here for a long time."
Aurelius remained calm, but Magnolia couldn't quite accept it.
Since then, they encountered packs of Black Wolves and even stronger Gray Bears several times.
But they never approached, fleeing immediately.
This was an entirely new experience for Magnolia.
As noon approached, Magnolia brought out her provisions: hard bread and salted meat, planning to slice them with a knife and eat.
This was standard fare for ordinary adventurers in the wilderness.
Unexpectedly, Aurelius produced sandwiches filled with sausage and offered one to Magnolia.
The bread was soft, the vegetables fresh, and the sausage tasted as if it had just been grilled.
He must have stored them in a container, though packing meals like this left little room for anything else.
Magnolia began to worry whether Aurelius truly possessed what he needed.
After lunch, with no monsters in sight, Magnolia relaxed her guard and walked alongside Aurelius, explaining basic knowledge.
To be known as an adventurer, Magnolia had to be registered with the guild.
Being an adventurer allowed travel between countries and entry into towns without rigorous inspections.
Therefore, Aurelius should consider becoming an adventurer himself.
However, registering with the guild required a citizen's card.
One could obtain this by either working earnestly or securing a recommendation from nobles or the mayor.
Unfortunately, Aurelius lacked such credentials, making it challenging to become an adventurer through conventional means.
They would need to explore alternative options.
The easiest, though costly, involved making a substantial "donation" to gain recognition from nobles.
Yet, it seemed this would require all of Magnolia's savings.
Other paths included serving the guild or proving one's strength.
Aurelius needed to choose a method achievable with his own capabilities and within a reasonable timeframe.
Speaking of finances, Aurelius had no money at all.
In fact, he had never handled money before.
Living in isolation within the forest likely meant he had no need for currency.
Nevertheless, he seemed intent on selling some valuable items.
"But do you understand the market value? Without even a rough estimate, you risk being taken advantage of and selling too cheaply."
"I'll trust your judgment, Miss Magnolia. I'm completely clueless about prices."
"Well, for now, you can rely on me. But what exactly do you intend to sell?"
"What about gems?"
Aurelius placed a gemstone in Magnolia's hand.
It was a common ruby, favored by both merchants and nobles.
"Ah, no, this wouldn't sell. Actually, it shouldn't be sold at all."
Magnolia recognized the ruby, but this particular gem couldn't be traded.
Ordinary rubies are smaller than the tip of a pinky finger, yet Aurelius revealed a gem the size of a child's fist.
Attempting to sell such a sizable gem would immediately draw scrutiny from nobles, who would demand to know its origin.
It was bound to lead to significant complications.
Therefore, selling it was out of the question.
"Alright then. How about this medicine?
It may only have a weaker effect compared to the magic I cast on Miss Magnolia."
From Aurelius, Magnolia accepted the vial of medicine and checked its scent and taste.
Even at the Adventurers Guild, healing potions were sold, but they were quite pricey.
Magnolia had used them up and now had none, despite purchasing them several times.
She examined the medicine, expecting something similar, but it was entirely different. Its effectiveness was clearly superior. No, it was too effective.
"You've got quite something there. Such potent medicine is rare."
"Is that so? If it's that medicine, I have plenty."
"How many do you have then? About ten bottles?"
"No, actually…"
Even Aurelius the Sage seemed taken aback.
"No, it was twelve boxes of twenty-six bottles each."
"Wow. Um, so that's over two hundred?"
Magnolia struggled with numbers.
"Don't sell too much, though, as it could distort the market and values.
Better dilute it eightfold if you decide to sell it.
That should fetch you a good sum.
Probably, even if the Guild sells it for fifty gold coins each, they'll buy it from you for twenty to thirty coins."
In that case, selling just one vial would amount to all the money Magnolia had.
She returned it to Aurelius, fearing the consequences of dropping or breaking it.
Afterward, she also taught about the types, proportions, and values of money.
The cheapest money is iron coins, not even enough for a child's allowance.
Next are copper coins, which can buy quite inexpensive food.
Then silver coins, enough for a meal or two at a tavern.
Above that are gold coins, enough for purchasing a cheap sword.
Above gold are platinum coins, enough for a family of four to comfortably live for over two months.
Above platinum are called treasure coins, rarely seen in actuality.
Each can be exchanged for the one above it at a rate of twenty pieces.
So, it seemed he generally understood the values.
Afterward, she confirmed units of time and length.
The unit of time, as discussed at the sage's house, was the same, but she confirmed it anyway.
One-sixteenth of a day is one "o'clock."The day begins at sunrise with 1 o'clock, 5 o'clock at noon, and 9 o'clock at sunset.
As for length, the shortest unit is the inch, described as the length of a finger.
Next is the foot, 12 inches make up 1 foot, described as the length of a boot.
Then the yard, the length of a substantial stride, 1 yard equals 3 feet.
Next is the furlong, the distance one can plow in a go, 1 furlong equals 225 yards.
The longest unit is the mile, described as the length of 2000 steps, which equals 1800 yards.
These are the same units used by Aurelius, so there were no issues.
As they walked and talked, evening began to draw near.
The town was still far off, leaving them with no choice but to camp out.
Magnolia seemed used to it, but it seemed like Aurelius was experiencing it for the first time.
However, when they ventured too far and couldn't return home, he seemed to have camped out before.
"Well then, we need to find a good spot to set up the tent."
"Did Aurelius bring the tent all the way here?"
"It fits neatly in the storage box, so I brought it along."
"But wouldn't that take up a lot of space?"
"No, I haven't even used half of it yet."
Something seemed off, but Magnolia didn't have time to comment.
"Maybe around here."
After checking the size of the vacant lot, Aurelius took the tent out of the storage box.
"What… is this?"
Seeing the tent Aurelius pulled out, Magnolia was astonished.
"It's a tent, like I said."
The tent Aurelius produced was completely different in size from the ones Magnolia was familiar with.
Magnolia's tents were just large enough for a person to lie down in, with a lower height.
But Aurelius's tent was unbelievably spacious, almost like a cabin where two could comfortably live. Its height was beyond reach even when stretching.
The tent fabric was thick and sturdy, offering insulation and soundproofing with multiple layers.
Upon inspecting the inside, there was a simple kitchen, dining area, and two large beds. It wasn't just for show—it was a splendid tent.
Since it suddenly appeared in an empty area, there was no doubt it came from Aurelius's storage box, but its size was beyond belief.
"How did you manage to fit something this large into a storage box?
Even when it's packed full, it wouldn't fit."
Magnolia also has a storage box, but it's only about a yard wide, tall, and deep. It can be reshaped somewhat, allowing her to fit in both a two-handed sword and armor.
With a change of clothes and provisions of food and water, there's hardly any room left.
It's handy for carrying without worrying about weight, but you can only have one storage box per person, so wishing for a larger one would be considered extravagant.
And yet, Aurelius' tent is unbelievably large.
"No, not even when it's fully packed."
Magnolia hoped there might be some way to cram more things inside.
"We also have research tents of similar size, warehouses twice as big, and material stores of similar size, but we still have about half the space left.
Is Miss Magnolia different?"
"No, no, that's impossible.
Just having a storage box makes you a top-notch adventurer.
Basically, explaining what fits inside is a hassle. Is it alright to do so inside the tent?"
"Please."
Together with Aurelius, Magnolia entered the tent.
"Let's continue our conversation.
Normally, only this much can fit inside a regular storage box."
After changing into her casual short yukata, Magnolia emptied the contents of her storage box.
She laid out three bags containing armor, a two-handed sword, spare long swords, a hatchet made from a small sword, and daggers, along with sleeping yukata, change of underwear, food and water, and miscellaneous items.
This was everything inside Magnolia's storage box.
"Why is your storage box so large?"
"Well, I learned the magic of the storage box from my master, that's all."
"I'm not sure whether to praise you as a wise sage or be astonished at your lack of common sense.
It seems like there's a lot of common sense I need to teach."
"Well, let's do that slowly over a meal."
Aurelius placed freshly baked bread, hot fish and meat, and steaming vegetable soup on the table.
"Do you have all that in your storage box too?"
"Yes, I prepared them all when I had time.
If you need more, please let me know. I still have plenty left."
"I'm afraid to ask how much you have."
"I made enough bread for a year, but it turned out to be too much.
There's enough meat for one cow and one pig. There are also several birds.
There are twelve large pots with stews and soups.
There's not much fish, though."
"Enough, I'm tired of being astonished."
Magnolia gave up and quietly sat at the table.
While eating, they discussed how extraordinary Aurelius was and what normal travel was like.
If it were a place far from civilization, it might be fine, but they cautioned against setting up such a tent near town.
Aurelius listened with deep interest.
After finishing the meal, it had become completely dark outside.
"Since we'll be walking tomorrow, should we sleep soon?
Before that, it's better to cast 'Purification.' Women like cleanliness."
…
Aurelius intended to go to bed.
"No, this is the Monster Forest. We should take turns keeping watch."
"Oh, this tent is protected by magic, so it's fine with the animals around here. Even if they come, I can drive them away.
Ah, something's just arrived."
Aurelius chanted a spell, and part of the tent became transparent.
There were three black wolves there.
The wolves, unfamiliar with the tent, approached cautiously.
Suddenly shocked, they jumped back.
One wolf attempted to attack the tent.
However, it was repelled by magic just before touching the fabric.
"Did Aurelius do that?"
"No, this tent automatically warns approaching creatures. It's just a warning, so they're just surprised."
The black wolf hit by the magic quickly got up.
It didn't seem seriously injured, but it hurt quite a bit and ran away.
"This tent is safe too, so you can sleep comfortably."
"R-right."
Inside the tent were Aurelius's bed and Merge Maquia's bed from home.
After receiving purification, Magnolia changed into her sleeping clothes and removed her chest wrap.
The two beds were separated by thick curtains.
The beds were large and fluffy, and it seemed comfortable to sleep in right away.
Magnolia felt guilty about such luxury while camping.
Nevertheless, she soon fell asleep.
The following day, they walked all day long.
During that time, Magnolia described this continent.
This continent comprises fifteen countries, all non-hostile towards each other. Rather than engaging in war, they were preoccupied with managing internal threats from magical creatures.
Each of the fifteen kings worships one of the sixteen gods.
It's not prohibited to believe in other gods within their respective countries; rather, many citizens simply adhere to the gods that align with their nation's lifestyle.
The sole deity without a devoted nation is the "Mountain God," symbolized by the towering Papas Mountain Range at the continent's center.
Incidentally, the current Kingdom of Cubec is known as the domain of the "Forest God."
While walking and talking, Magnolia became less attentive to her surroundings.
Perhaps she had let her guard down after Aurelius said "do nothing" yesterday.
Suddenly, several Blood Wolves appeared right in front of them.
They were less powerful than Black Wolves but vicious creatures nonetheless.
Growling at them, it was clear they intended to attack, a typical reaction for such monsters.
"These are newcomers. I wonder why they haven't come near our homes."
It seemed Aurelius was seeing them for the first time too.
"There are five of them. Quite a lot. We'll have to manage somehow."
Magnolia readied her dual swords and stepped forward in front of Aurelius.
Facing five opponents was daunting, but they had no choice.
If Aurelius got injured, he could heal himself, and with her legs in good shape, Magnolia planned to charge into the midst of the Blood Wolves as soon as she was within range.
However, Aurelius restrained Magnolia and stepped forward himself.
"Huh? What—"
Startled, she blurted out, caught off guard.
This hesitation gave the Blood Wolves an opening.
["Grawrgrawr, grawr"]
Three of them pounced at once.
"Careful!"
Before Magnolia could leap forward, the Blood Wolves were halted by a sudden appearance of a glowing net.
"Whack, whack"
["Grrr, grrr, grrr—"]
There were painful sounds, and the Blood Wolves cried out in distress.
Seeing this, the remaining two tried to flee.
But before they could, another glowing net swiftly ensnared their legs.
"Oof, oof, oouuff"
Both struggled in pain, futilely attempting to kick the nets away.
However, they were completely trapped, all five of them captured within the glowing nets.
Aurelius effortlessly seized the five.
Even defeating them would have been difficult, let alone capturing them—something Magnolia could never have done.
"It seems you haven't learned your lesson yet, because you haven't suffered enough.
You need prey to survive, so attacking is inevitable, I guess.
But you have to decide after looking at your opponent."
"Magnolia, what should we do with these guys?
I heard adventurers sell their defeated prey."
"Uh, um…"
Magnolia was astonished by Aurelius's magical prowess, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
"Well, yes, we can sell them, but it's hard to carry them.
Wolf meat doesn't sell well; only their hides are valuable.
If there's no shortage of hides, there's no point in bringing them back."
Despite this, she remained calm in her assessment as an adventurer.
"Well then, it's not good to kill them recklessly, so I'll let them go.
But don't attack us again.
Next time, I won't guarantee your lives.
Got it? You can go."
Aurelius advised sternly, and even the ferocious Blood Wolves obediently bowed their heads.
The glowing nets must have been quite painful.
When Aurelius lifted his magic, the Blood Wolves departed dejectedly.
"My goodness, Aurelius is really something.
I consider myself one of the stronger adventurers.
I wouldn't claim to be the strongest female adventurer on the continent, but I'm close.
Yet even I would struggle against five Blood Wolves alone.
But you, you caught them so effortlessly. Capturing them is harder than defeating them."
"Is that so? Magnolia, you're amazing.
My master was even more amazing, so I still have a long way to go."
It seemed Aurelius judged things based on the strongest sage.
That's why he seemed to act so oddly.
They were attacked by monsters several times that day, but with Aurelius around, Magnolia never had to step in.
All she did was defeat the last blood wolf that appeared because it was making her body ache.
As night descended, they found solace in a spacious tent, easing into much-needed rest.
The meal was not only tasty but also plentiful.
Aurelius felt almost apologetic for its lavishness, yet for Magnolia, it was an indulgent dinner.
Post-dinner, they underwent not just purification but also cleansing, retiring to bed feeling thoroughly refreshed.