Captain Ludtink spoke up to correct his assumption. “Actually, Zara grew up in a snowy region miles away from any other civilization.”
“What did you just say?”
“A place like that is far rougher than the Fore Elf woods, right?”
“I’ve never visited the Fore Elf woods, so I can’t say for sure,” Zara said. “But my homeland would get blanketed in snow for about half a year every year. Because of that, we got used to our land being barren and unable to grow much of anything.”
Lance’s face was getting paler and paler. He must have assumed a city slicker would be totally incompetent when it came to tracking down a golden mushroom.
“The mushrooms we foraged from summer to autumn were extremely valuable. I kept up with it even after I moved to the royal capital, so I’m more than familiar with the areas where mushrooms grow around here,” Zara said.
On the other hand, I knew full well that Lance hardly ever foraged for mushrooms. Male Fore Elves primarily hunted, as gathering herbs and mushrooms was the duty of women.
“Lance, it sounds like this will be a waste of time. Why don’t you give up now?” I said.
“Sh-Shut up! Don’t act like I’ve already lost!”
“Do you have any idea where mushrooms even grow?”
“I bet they’re all over the place in these parts!”
“But mushrooms don’t just grow along normal roads.”
“What?!”
There was an abundance of damp places where mushrooms grew in the Fore Elf woods. It was hard to even take a few steps without running into a new patch. But much of the royal capital and its surroundings were far too dry, limiting their growth to a few specific areas.
The kindhearted Zara informed Lance about where the mushrooms grew.
“Mushrooms actually like damp places and the ground around tree roots.”
“I-I already knew that!”
Lance was definitely lying, but I kept that thought to myself to avoid angering him.
“Don’t forget that monsters roam the woods surrounding the capital, so keep your eyes peeled out there,” Captain Ludtink interjected.
“I’m perfectly aware,” Zara said.
“Who’d be stupid enough to get attacked by a monster during a mushroom hunt?”
Lance was famous for his archery skills. He knew how to keep an ear out for any potential threats in his vicinity, so he could probably make quick work of any monster with a single arrow.
“Mell, are you sure this guy’s a knight? He’s so pale and skinny. I can’t picture him fighting at all,” Lance said, pointing at Zara.
“Don’t worry about him. You’d be in for a shock if you saw Zara with his weapon in hand.”
“Oh yeah? What’s so shocking about holding a weapon?”
“Enough chitchat,” Captain Ludtink said. “Get ready before we head out. Oh, and don’t you dare wear your uniforms unless you want people thinkin’ it’s a duel.”
I doubted anyone would mistake a mushroom hunt for a duel, but better safe than sorry. I changed into a blouse and pants with a thick yellow-brown overcoat—the perfect outfit for walking through the woods.
Then I ran into Amelia and Rih outside the barracks.
“Kreh kreh?”
“Kreh kreh kreh?”
“Ah, they’re going out to the woods to see who can find a golden mushroom. Would you two like to come?” I invited them.
The pair nodded in unison. It seemed they were willing to watch over the competition.
Then, another member of our party made an appearance.
“Bring little ol’ Album too!”
“Of course, of course.” I draped Album around my neck.
Upon setting out for the courtyard, Captain Ludtink approached me.
“Hey, Risurisu.”
“Yes?”
“Are you really goin’ back to the Fore Elf woods if that Lance guy finds a golden mushroom?”
“A promise is a promise, so yes, I will. But I think it would be best if both of our families discuss the prospect of marriage first.”
“Yeah, that’s a good plan.”
“Of course, I’ll have to take some time off from work…”
My eyes started to sting. Even if I was granted a break from work, there was no guarantee that I would be allowed to return to the same unit. That realization was deeply upsetting.
A round trip from the Fore Elf woods to the royal capital took two full months—enough time for them to find a new combat medic for the Second Expeditionary Squadron. Even if I was able to resume work, I would have no place to return to.
“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to pop in on your folks from time to time so they know you’re alive and well. Don’t worry, we’ll have Ulgus be our combat medic while you’re gone. We could maybe even get a temporary archer if one’s available.”
“Huh?”
“What, you weren’t plannin’ on comin’ back?”
“O-Of course not! I want to be the Second Expeditionary Squadron’s combat medic!”
In the middle of my declaration, my voice broke. But instead of teasing me, Captain Ludtink patted me on the head. I quietly thanked the kindhearted bandit…I mean, Captain Ludtink.
Lance was next to arrive. He’d borrowed a basket and hat from Charlotte for our forest venture.
We waited outside until, to Lance’s shock, Zara arrived with his weapon.
“Wh-What the hell is that giant ax?!”
Lance’s eyes almost fell out of his head when he saw the battle ax on Zara’s back.
Today he was using his previous ax instead of Rhodochrosite, the sacred ax bestowed upon him by Sir Aiskoletta. Zara dressed light so he could stay mobile during the golden mushroom hunt.
“Mell, is he using magic to make his ax lighter or something?”
“No, Zara is just that strong.”
“There’s no way! How can someone so slim lift such a giant weapon? Can he even use that thing in combat?”
“Of course he can.”
Even I was surprised the first time I saw Zara lift a battle ax. It was that moment that I finally understood why people called him the “Ferocious Ax-Wielding Prince.”
Zara looked incredibly wild and fearsome when he swung his ax in combat. But there was a heroic beauty about him too, so the name seemed very fitting.
“No, I don’t believe it. He’s just carrying that thing around for show,” Lance huffed.
“Wanna fight me and find out?” Zara taunted.
“How am I supposed to fight an ax with a bow?”
“I see what you mean. In that case…Crow?”
“Hm?”
“Spar with me. How about we set the duration for a minute?”
“Hell no.”
“But spending all day in your office will just make your body stiff.” With a grin on his face, Zara swung his ax and brought it down hard into the ground.
“I definitely don’t wanna fight that guy…”
Now that I thought about it, I’d never seen those two spar before. Ulgus took a break from cleaning his weapon outside to come and watch.
“Wow, Captain Ludtink and Ahto are gonna fight for real?!”
“It’s a very unusual sight.”
“Exactly! Ahto said Captain Ludtink is stronger, but I think he can beat him. A prince will always come out on top against a bandit!”
The sharp-eared Captain Ludtink didn’t let that slide.
“Ulgus! You just said somethin’ stupid, didn’t ya?!”
“I-I said nothing!”
The captain ordered Ulgus to bring him his great sword, which was retrieved with lightning-fast speed. Lance was even more rattled at the sight of the great sword Ulgus was carrying.
“Why is that sword so huge?!”
“That’s Captain Ludtink’s personal weapon.”
The captain had requested his previous combat weapon, not the sacred sword called Dumortierite. He’d been using this one for practice battles as of late.
“Wh-What’s with that thing?”
“They usually use wooden weapons for training, but I’ve heard they bring out the real ones sometimes too.”
“But knights aren’t supposed to use battle axes and great swords!”
I couldn’t exactly deny that. It was probably hard for knights to fight with any real coordination using giant weapons like Captain Ludtink and Zara did. But our expeditionary squadron was made up of elite members who made it work.
“Is this unit just a bunch of monsters? What weapon does the captain’s grunt use?”
“Do you mean Ulgus? He’s an archer.”
“He doesn’t use a bow as big as his body or something, right?”
“No, it’s normal size.”
Captain Ludtink and Zara were ready to begin sparring. An uncomfortable-looking Ulgus, who’d been ordered to act as referee, stood between them.
“O-Okay! Three, two, one, begin!”
The battle had begun. Captain Ludtink unsheathed his great sword and brought it flying down toward Zara.
“Damn. Look at that guy swinging his great sword around. Maybe he really is a bandit after all.”
I gritted my teeth to stop myself from laughing at Lance’s blunt suggestion, focusing on the battle before me.
Zara got into a defensive stance and maneuvered his ax with great skill. He brought the blade to the ground, impeding the great sword’s blow, then kicked the handle with his foot to press back against it. Captain Ludtink stumbled backwards, giving Zara the opportunity to raise his ax and swing it down.
Clang! The heavy sound of metal rang out as the great sword blocked the blow from the battle ax. But just then…
“That’s enough! Ahto wins!” Ulgus called out for them to stop, earning a glare from the captain.
“Why the hell are ya givin’ it to Zara, Ulgus? I haven’t lost yet!”
“Captain, your great sword is cracked. Another hit will break it.”
“What?!”
Captain Ludtink looked, and lo and behold, his weapon really was cracked. All he could do was click his tongue loudly.
“Why’d ya have to use so much strength, Zara?”
“Sorry about that. It’s been a while since I last sparred. Guess I got a little fired up.” Zara grinned at Captain Ludtink, then turned to look at Lance. “Now, do you accept that this is a real weapon?”
“Sure, whatever. Let’s just get started already!”
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