🌸🌸🌸
THEN it’s back to traipsing slowly through the forest while learning about various useful plants from Ganzi. Thanks to Luke leading the party and staying on guard for monsters, Kazuya and I are able to stroll along at ease.
Ganzi teaches Kazuya a new spell called ‘monster analysis’, which is more advanced and tells you more information than monster identification magic. He also tries to teach me botanical appraisal magic so I can get information about plants, but the spell won’t work for me. I’m jealous… Kazuya is having a ball casting new spells on all the monsters and interesting plants we happen upon. Grrr!
He’s casting it again on a plant with small purple flowers, when he looks at me with a surprised smile. “You’ll recognize this vine.”
“Which vine?” I inspect the plant. “Hey! It’s kudzu!”
It is! Seeing something from home warms my heart. Not to mention, I happen to have a lot of fond memories of kudzu. Kazuya and I often went camping in the mountains with my father, who loved to survive off the land with food we scrounged up in the wild. Because you can eat every part of kudzu, it was a family favorite. The flowers and leaves are edible as is, and the roots make kudzu powder.
All the plants that Ganzi says we can sell to the Guild are things I’ve never seen or heard of before. Combustible grass that ignites when you shake it, a weed that can heal minor injuries if you rub it on them, a detoxifying herb that you drink in a broth to flush poisons out of your body, and illuminating grass that lights up when you blow on its flowers. After a slew of new things, I’m extra-relieved to see something familiar.
“Do you two know kudzu?” Ganzi asks, seeing our excitement.
“Can we sell this for much, too?”
“Uh, well, it’s edible, so some places will take it, but it doesn’t pay well. It grows everywhere.”
“Oh.” What a shame.
“Ganzi, want me to put the medicinal herbs you’re carrying in my backpack?” Kazuya asks. Ganzi’s arms are overflowing.
“That’d be great. Do you mind?”
“Not a bit. There’s tons of room.”
“Your storage magic is really useful. Your bag’s almost bottomless. It makes traveling a breeze. I’m serious.”
Since the others found out about Kazuya’s tremendous capacity for storage and that he doesn’t get weighed down either, he’s been our designated baggage carrier.
“How do you feel using the magic I taught you?” Ganzi asks him.
“I’m grateful, but are you sure it’s okay? I thought you shouldn’t share magic spells that simply.”
“Normally, I charge people to learn. But you’re in our party, and besides, your magic levels are nuts.”
“Speaking of which, what other spells do you know?” Kazuya says cheekily.
Ganzi grins. “I’ve taught you as much as I can for now. Maybe I’ll tell you more if you sign on to stay with us forever.”
“Okay, then.”
“Like I’m gonna buy that!” Ganzi laughs and boisterously claps Kazuya on the shoulder. They’re getting along famously.
Hmm.
Perhaps… Just as my imagination starts to wander, Luke calls, “Pardon, Ganzi! We’ve come to a fork in the road. I need your input.”
“Sure,” Ganzi replies lightly and scoots over to Luke.
I fall into step with Kazuya. “You and Ganzi look like you’re getting along.”
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Kazuya’s eyes narrow. “Are you getting a weird misunderstanding again?”
“Wh-what do you mean?” I pause before continuing. “I won’t think any different of you. As long as you’re happy, I’m happy!”
“Could you please quit seeing things through that lens? Ganzi’s roles are similar to mine. That’s the only reason he’s teaching me these things.” Kazuya hangs his head, discouraged and fed up.
Okay! Fine.
Leila joins us, looking clammy. “You’re keeping up well, Sakurako. Lucky you, being physically strong.”
I wonder if it’s common for mages to lack physical strength. Leila’s face is fairly red, too. Because she’s drinking? She seems too out of breath, though…
“Leila, are you okay? You look like you’re struggling—” Before I finish my question, Leila’s knees buckle. I throw out my arm to support her at her waist and find she’s boiling hot to the touch. She doesn’t gain consciousness even when I yell next to her, “Leila! Are you okay?!”
“Mother?!” Luke tears back to us, panic-stricken. There was no reply from Leila. All we hear is her painful breathing. “Sakurako, what happened to her?!”
“I don’t know! She just collapsed. And her fever is off the charts!”
Molozov takes Leila from me and sweeps her into his arms in a princess carry. “There’s a river not far from here. Let’s take her there to rest.” He sets off ahead with her immediately. Luke follows hot on his heels, his face distorted with worry.
“Lady Leila, you pushed yourself too hard… I should’ve noticed,” Ganzi mutters behind us. He hustles after the others, frowning deeply.
“Ganzi’s never referred to her as ‘Lady’ before,” Kazuya murmurs to me.
I nod. It feels like the Evenfall Lions exist in a bubble the two of us can’t penetrate. Just like Kazuya and I have our own circumstances, they have a backstory, as well. Right now, though, we’re more concerned about Leila, so we rush after the others.