Night had fallen — a clear, starry sky stretched overhead.
The night seemed unexpectedly bright under the twinkling starlight and the soft glow of the moon. Compared to his previous life, where Sakeer could barely glimpse the stars even in the countryside, this sky felt vast and serene.
Crackle, crackle!
The campfire crackled, its flames dancing and flickering, casting warm light across the resting travelers.
Nfirea sat by the fire, intently examining a handful of herbs. He occasionally sniffed them, sometimes even biting off small pieces to taste.
Not far away, Grandmother Lizzie stood beside the carriage, carefully inspecting the herbs packed among the goods.
Meanwhile, Captain Dosari and Rand, the older of the twin brothers, kept watch at the perimeter. The remaining two members of the "Rock" team had ventured out to scout the surroundings.
They were spending the night in the wilderness.
According to Captain Dosari, there was a village nearby where they could have sought lodging, but Grandmother Lizzie had refused the detour.
The reason?
Their carriage carried a crate of rare and valuable herbs purchased from the royal capital. Lizzie insisted they take the fastest route back to E-Rantel to begin refining the materials as soon as possible—even if it meant skipping safer stops along the way.
Such a decision naturally increased the risks of the journey. Normally, this would irritate any adventurer team tasked with escort duty.
After all...
The relationship between a client and an adventurer team was purely cooperative. If a client made decisions that recklessly endangered the party, the adventurers had every right to abandon the commission — albeit at the cost of paying a substantial penalty to the Adventurer's Guild.
In their current situation — acting as laborers, traveling without the safer route — it wouldn't have been surprising if tensions had already flared.
However...
The "Rock" team's attitude changed the moment they discovered Lizzie's identity.
As the owner of E-Rantel's most renowned apothecary — hailed as the city's greatest pharmacist — Lizzie's reputation instantly erased any grievances.
Since then, the "Rock" team had grown notably more attentive and cooperative throughout the journey.
Pragmatic... to an impressive degree, Sakeer thought, shaking his head with a chuckle.
Sitting near the fire, Sakeer quietly observed Nfirea. The boy remained deeply focused, turning a thumb-length, slender root in his hand. He pinched off a small piece and placed it in his mouth.
Moments later, Nfirea spat it out, grimacing.
"Bitter root," he muttered, "Looks just like plum root… can't tell them apart by appearance alone."
As he spoke, Nfirea noticed Sakeer watching him.
"This herb is called bitter root," Nfirea explained, holding up the plant. "It's almost identical to plum root, and the only way to tell them apart is by taste."
He paused, then continued with newfound confidence.
"Their effects are different, too. Bitter root is ideal for soaking in wine — it has mild detoxifying properties and is a key ingredient in antidotes.
"On the other hand, while plum root also has a bitter flavor, it carries a hint of sweetness. That's what makes it perfect for therapeutic potions."
Nfirea's usually shy demeanor faded when he spoke about herbs — his voice steadier and more assured.
"I see," Sakeer replied, nodding thoughtfully as though deeply interested.
In truth, he was hoping to unlock a "Pharmacist" class by learning more about herbs.
...Still nothing on my attributes panel.
"Sakeer, are you interested in herbs?" Nfirea asked, his bright blue eyes shining with curiosity.
"Yeah," Sakeer answered with a smile. "I am."
"Humph!"
A low grunt interrupted their conversation.
Lizzie approached with her hands clasped behind her back, her sharp gaze fixed on Nfirea.
"Nfirea, don't flaunt your shallow knowledge," Lizzie scolded.
"Tasting with your mouth is the most basic — and lowest — method of identification. Don't forget you can distinguish herbs by scent as well!"
Her stern voice carried a hint of reprimand.
"I understand, Grandmother," Nfirea mumbled, lowering his head in embarrassment.
Sakeer averted his gaze, unsure if Lizzie's reprimand toward Nfirea was meant to warn him as well.
In this unfamiliar world — where knowledge was clearly not as easily shared — asking Nfirea about medicinal herbs during such a moment might indeed have been inappropriate.
"Don't be nervous."
Lizzie's calm voice broke the silence.
"I can be a bit stingy, but I'm not about to get upset over something like that."
...Uh...
Did she just call herself stingy? Well, while that might be true, Sakeer knew that commenting on it would only make things awkward. He wisely kept quiet.
"Do you think learning about a few herbs will make you a potion master?" Lizzie added, her tone firm but not unkind. "Don't waste your time. Since you've shown some talent in faith magic, focus on that. Don't bother with martial arts or herbology — it's a distraction."
Her voice carried the weight of experience — not a scolding, but sound advice.
Sakeer blinked in surprise, quickly realizing that Lizzie was offering him a well-intentioned reminder. He straightened up and said respectfully, "Thank you, Mrs. Bareare."
At the mention of her surname, Lizzie's wrinkled face softened slightly, and a faint smile tugged at her lips. Clearly, she appreciated the formality.
Bareare — her family name — was something Sakeer had picked up during his conversations with Nfirea.
Crunch... Crunch...
The sound of footsteps broke the quiet night.
Two figures emerged from the wilderness — Lehr and Basque, the two members of the "Rock" team who had gone scouting earlier.
Seeing their return, Captain Dosari and Rand visibly relaxed.
"Hmph... Whisper..."
A faint groan followed from behind Lehr.
Turning to look, Sakeer saw Lehr carrying a wild boar — easily over 200 pounds — slung across his back. Despite its size, Lehr looked completely at ease.
"Lucky night," Lehr grinned. "Bagged a boar. Dinner's sorted."
Rand, hands on his hips, smirked as he examined the animal. His gaze lingered on the bloody hole right between the boar's eyes.
"An arrow to the skull, huh? And it's still alive?" He chuckled. "Looks like your aim's improved again, Basque."
"It's just a boar," Basque said with a casual shrug.
Thud!
Lehr reached the campfire and dumped the wild boar onto the ground with a heavy thump.
"Sakeer, it's still breathing," Lehr called out, turning to Sakeer. He tapped a spot on the boar's neck with his finger. "Strike here — clean kill."
"Got it." Sakeer stood, retrieving the short sword from his waist.
Since Lizzie insisted on taking the fastest route back to E-Rantel, stopping at towns for resupply wasn't an option. Lizzie had planned for this in advance, ensuring they carried enough food for her and Nfirea. However, her supplies didn't account for Sakeer or the "Rock" team.
As a result, the adventurers relied on hunting to supplement their rations — a simple task for experienced fighters like them.
During their journey, Sakeer had requested one thing:
Whenever they caught a beast, if possible, he wanted to deliver the finishing blow.
He claimed it was because he aspired to become an adventurer but had never experienced combat firsthand. He wanted to get accustomed to the sight of blood.
The "Rock" team accepted his reasoning without suspicion.
To them, Sakeer was clearly inexperienced — even rookie adventurers knew to carry basic equipment, yet Sakeer had none. His unfamiliarity with survival essentials spoke for itself.
Because of this, the team readily allowed him to practice on their wounded prey.
Swish!
Drawing his short sword, Sakeer stepped beside the twitching boar. Its body still jerked faintly, a labored breath rasping from its snout.
Without hesitation, Sakeer raised the blade and plunged it into the spot Lehr had indicated.
(End of chapter)