“But then that would mean you’d need to use a spell while actively cycling mana... That sounds terribly difficult,” Lunoa pointed out.
“Does it?” Misha replied.
“Well, cycling mana requires you to constantly move the mana within your body, right? But to activate a spell, you have to first anchor your mana in place before transforming it. They’re completely opposite processes. It would be like having to run while sleeping!”
Lunoa’s comparison was a fitting one. The two principles behind Body Fortification did contradict themselves.
“It’s a high-level technique,” Mireille said. “To master it, one must perfect both conscious and unconscious use of mana.”
Misha and Lunoa nodded in awe.
“That last attack was powerful enough to break through my body reinforcement technique. You forced me to employ Body Fortification at the very last moment. You did well.”
After complimenting the girls on their performance, I used water magic to create fog and wash off everyone’s sweat.
“Shall we have dinner now?”
We sat on logs around the fire. Mireille handed out bowls of soup she’d made to each of us, and I took a piece of warm bread to go with mine. We’d only been gone for a day, so there were plenty of fresh vegetables and meat in the soup. If I used my Grimoire of Mammon, we could have fresh ingredients anytime, but that wouldn’t help Lunoa and Misha learn about the normal logistics of travel.
“Kyui?”
“What’s wrong, Carol?” Alice asked.
Carol had been in a good mood after chowing down on some mana from Alice, but she had suddenly lifted her head. I followed her gaze and saw a lantern swaying far in the distance. It probably belonged to a peddler or an adventurer. It was common to stop and set up camp before nightfall, but sometimes unforeseen circumstances forced travelers to keep moving in the dark.
“Be on your guard,” I said. “Just in case.”
Misha glanced at her dagger while Lunoa pulled her staff closer to herself. After a few dozen minutes, I heard the rattling of approaching wheels, and a wagon entered the campsite. A man who appeared to be a merchant was holding the reins, wearing a tired expression. The wagon’s cover was torn, revealing a group of wounded adventurers inside. I assumed monsters must have attacked them.
The merchant gave me a nod, and I returned the gesture. Once he stopped the wagon, he and the adventurers disembarked.
“Good evening,” the merchant said as the group approached us. “I hope you don’t mind us camping next to you.”
“Not at all,” I replied.
The two of us shook hands, and I took another look at his wagon.
“That’s in fairly bad shape,” I said. “Were you attacked by monsters or brigands?”
Rather than the merchant answering my question, one of the adventurers who seemed to be escorting him spoke up.
“Monsters. We were unlucky enough to run into a pack of forest wolves.”
“That must have been tough.” I turned to my group. “Lunoa.”
“Y-Yes! Um, if you’d like, I’m happy to heal you with my magic,” she offered.
“You wouldn’t mind?! That’d be a big help!”
Lunoa nodded. She took Misha with her as a precaution, and the two of them walked up to the merchant’s group. She cast Healing Wind on them before returning to my side.
“Good work, Lunoa.”
“Thank you. Um, Miss Ellie, they gave me this...to thank me, they said.”
She showed me a small leather pouch. When she opened it, she found three large silver coins.
“That’s your payment for healing them,” I said. “Your work deserves compensation, so you should keep it.”
“But isn’t this too much money? Most churches only take a few regular silver coins for treatment, don’t they?”
“That’s the market price in the middle of a city. Here, at an isolated campsite, it’s only natural that healing services would be worth a lot more. Besides, you healed several people, not just one person. That amount seems appropriate.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Usually, no one would expect to find a healer in such a remote place. Scarcity drives up the value. You should accept this sum for the sake of everyone involved.”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s no telling when anyone might start a rumor. If you do not accept payment, gossip might spread about how these people are so ungrateful that they cannot settle their debt. Conversely, a rumor that we heal people free of charge could spread, and we might find ourselves constantly asked to heal people for free. That’s why it’s better for everyone if you receive the proper compensation.”
The following morning, we greeted the merchant’s group, who were still getting ready, before departing. The road that led to the Hephaest Marquessate first passed through fields. As we crossed several territories, the landscape shifted and we ran alongside a dense forest. We advanced some more, and the terrain gradually turned into a wasteland, though there were still some trees scattered about.
“It’s hot around here,” I said.
“Kyuu...” Carol whined.
The carbuncle seemed to be suffering from the heat because of her fur. Alice picked her up, transferring her from the top of her head to her lap.
“We are in a volcanic zone, after all,” Misha said. She poured a glass of water for Alice from a barrel we had in the carriage. I kept the barrel cool with my magic, so I hoped it would refresh her and Carol.
“The capital of Hephaest is close to a volcano, isn’t it?”
“Indeed. The Sacred Mountain of Hephaest is quite famous,” I replied.
I looked outside the carriage. One mountain was conspicuously taller than the rest. That was the Sacred Mountain of Hephaest. Almost no trees grew on it and smoke always rose from it, as it was an active volcano.
“Aside from the dwarves’ impressive blacksmithing abilities, Hephaest is renowned for another thing: its hot springs,” I said.
“What’s a hot spring?” Alice asked.
“It’s like a large bath where the water is naturally hot.”
That was the simplest explanation I’d been able to come up with, but Alice tilted her head to the side, seemingly unable to quite picture it.
“Well, you’ll see when we reach the capital,” I said.
“Indeed,” Mireille said approvingly. “We’ll remain in the marquessate for quite some time while your weapon is being made. We should stay at a nice place and enjoy a well-deserved rest.”
Misha served me a glass of water, which I accepted before nodding. I liked that idea.