The next day was clear and sunny. Summer was still a ways off, but I could already feel the heat. I got out of bed and stretched, prepared for the day, then said goodbye to the horse next door before heading to the adventurer’s guild. It was just another morning. But since I had plans today, it wasn’t going to be just another day.
I stepped inside the guild and scanned the room. Sheya was there, eating fish while she was half asleep.
She always has breakfast at the guild even though she doesn’t live here. Maybe she lives nearby? I wondered.
I took a seat at her table and started eating my breakfast with her. She really looked like she might doze off at any moment, so other than a quick hello, we didn’t talk at all.
Waine wasn’t here today, which was unusual—and a relief. With him around, things always got rowdy. Since I wasn’t in a hurry like yesterday, I took my time chewing and swallowing. Oatmeal was delicious and filling, which was why I liked it. But the problem was that it always tasted the same. I started getting a little tired of my oatmeal as I was finishing up, but at least it was all I needed to feel full. Most people ordered multiple dishes for breakfast.
“We’re here!”
“Good morning, Kiri-o!”
I looked up and saw two girls approaching just as I was almost done eating. Yune greeted me with her usual soft, cheerful smile. Liluetta, likely still feeling awkward about yesterday, was pouting a little.
They both had their baskets, and Liluetta was wearing the comfortable, walking-friendly shoes she’d bought yesterday. That was good news. She also wore a long-sleeved robe, so she’d probably thought about what she would need for heading out of town this time. At least she wouldn’t end up collapsing after just a short trek through the grasslands.
“Good morning, you two. Are you ready to go?” I asked.
“Yes! I already had breakfast, so I’m good to go anytime!” said Yune.
“Of course. Let’s get going already,” Liluetta replied.
I could tell she was eager to leave the guild as soon as possible, which was pretty funny. She definitely wanted to avoid running into Waine. After all, we’d barely made it past the city gates before turning back yesterday.
“All right then, time for day two of our party’s adventure. Let’s head out.” I slung my own basket over my back. Hopefully, today’s adventure won’t be a repeat of yesterday’s disaster.
✦ ✦ ✦
“The herbs we’re collecting for the request mostly grow in more dangerous areas farther from town,” I explained. “You can find some in the open grasslands, but there’s really not much so close to the walls. Otherwise, people would just gather the herbs themselves without hiring adventurers.”
We left the main road and wove our way through the trees, up a sloping path on a narrow animal trail. These were the Sherzon Hills, and I was relying on my memory and the traces of cut, fallen branches to find our way as we climbed. We’d already made it farther than yesterday. I’d been a little worried about Liluetta since she was wearing new shoes, but it didn’t look like she was having any trouble with blisters or pain.
“The key to gathering herbs is always staying aware of your surroundings. That doesn’t just mean watching the ground. You have to look out for monsters, large animals, and snakes too. If you don’t spot danger before it spots you, you’re done for. If something attacks you from behind, you won’t even have a chance to fight back before you’re dead.” I walked as I spoke, carefully counting on my fingers the few things I had been taught and the ones I had learned on my own.
Honestly, after what had happened yesterday, I was starting to doubt whether Liluetta and Yune were even cut out for this. If they could make a mistake as basic as showing up in the wrong shoes, then how much did they really know about adventuring? Probably nothing. That was why I figured I should explain even the most fundamental basics. Maybe this was what Old Badger had been thinking when he’d taught me.
I’d already planned out what I needed to tell the two of them today, and there was still plenty more to go over. As I considered which topic to cover next, I heard a voice call my name from surprisingly far behind me.
“W-Wait, Kiri! Hold on a second!”
I turned around and saw Liluetta leaning against a tree trunk. Yune was standing with her hands on her knees and gasping for breath. Both of them were drenched in sweat, their shoulders rising and falling as they panted.
Our walking pace has been pretty slow, though.
“Uh, let’s take a short break,” I suggested.
“Please... Let’s.”
“Mountain climbing is...more tiring than I thought...”
And it’s not a mountain, but I kept that thought to myself too.
Sure, we were on a narrow animal trail, and dealing with the exposed tree roots was a bit of a hassle. But any branches that would be in our way had been cleared away, making the trail pretty easy to walk on. That said, it was hotter than the last time I came. The canopy of trees shielded us from most of the sunlight, but even I was starting to sweat a little.
“By the way, do you two have water canteens?” I only thought to ask after noticing a bead of sweat trickling down Liluetta’s cheek.
Both of them shook their heads.
Right. I didn’t even think about that.
Yesterday, when we went shopping, I was only focused on baskets and shoes. But adventuring meant lots of walking outside of town, and staying hydrated was crucial for something so exhausting. Since they were new to adventuring, it was my responsibility—as the one with a little more experience—to notice this.
Oh well. Mistakes happen. I wasn’t expecting the day to go perfectly anyway, and this wasn’t a critical problem. Besides, I had water.
“If you still have money left, we should go buy some later. For now, drink this.” I held out my water canteen, a leather pouch filled with cooled water from breakfast. There probably wasn’t enough to quench their thirst, but it would have to do.
“Are you sure?” Liluetta blinked in surprise as she accepted the canteen. She looked more subdued than usual, and the tone of her voice was quieter. I figured sharing was only natural, since it was my mistake for not bringing it up earlier. But apparently, she didn’t see it that way.
“Yeah, it’s fine,” I told her. “I’ll just cut a vine.”
“A vine? What do you mean?” Yune tilted her head, clearly not following what I meant. Liluetta also looked puzzled. Fair enough. I probably could’ve phrased it better. But since I’d planned to teach them about that anyway, now was as good a time as any.
I glanced around until I spotted what I was looking for: a vine wrapped around a tree a short distance away. I walked over to it and pulled out my knife. “If you cut a vine at an angle like this, a little bit of water will come out. It’s not much, but if you’re ever out of drinking water, this can help. It’s good to remember.”
“Wow, you know so much, Kiri-o!” Yune exclaimed.
“It really is just a little. Will that be enough for you?” Liluetta asked with concern in her voice.
“I’m used to it. Don’t worry about me,” I told her. “Go ahead and drink what’s in the pouch.”
Well, to be honest, I wanted water too. But if they slowed down even more, that would be a bigger problem. We’d left town early, so even with the break I’d planned for us, we had some time to spare. Still, I had a good reason for wanting to move as quickly as possible. The spot I had in mind was still farther ahead, and they were struggling with the rough terrain way more than I’d expected. Their breathing was already ragged. If they didn’t have water on top of that, the worst-case scenario was that one of them might collapse. That was why I gave them my water.
Okay, maybe a tiny part of me just wanted to look cool in front of the newbies.
Liluetta held my canteen in both hands and stared at it for a moment. Her lips trembled slightly as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she didn’t. Instead, she lowered her gaze slightly before turning back toward me. Then, still holding the canteen, she delicately pinched the edge of her skirt between her fingers and dipped into a graceful curtsy.
It was the first time I had ever been so struck by the sheer elegance of someone’s movements. For a moment, I didn’t even register what had just happened.
“Thank you. You’re quite the gentleman, surprisingly.” Her cherry-red hair clung to her forehead with sweat, and she placed a hand over her chest as she smiled.
My heart skipped a beat. I wasn’t sure if it was because of her thanks or because of that display of refined manners I’d never seen before. I didn’t even know what a “gentleman” was supposed to be. But I could tell she was praising me, at least.
Maybe it was because she was thirsty, or maybe she just hadn’t noticed that I was frozen in place. Either way, Liluetta quickly turned her gaze away from me and opened the mouth of the leather canteen. But she didn’t drink right away. Instead, she glanced around, exchanged looks with Yune, and the two of them tilted their heads in unison.
“Um, how do I drink from this?” Liluetta asked.
I blinked. “You just drink from it.”
Their eyes went wide in surprise. But honestly, I was just as shocked as they were. Was this really happening? How could they not know? Did they only ever drink water from cups? Was that even possible?
“Well, it’s an adventure, after all. I suppose this is just part of it,” said Liluetta.
“That’s right, my lady!” Yune added. “This is part of the adventure too!”
Wow. That’s an incredibly low bar for what counts as an adventure.
Liluetta peered cautiously into the open canteen. After hesitating a few times, she finally brought it to her lips and tipped it slowly to let the water flow into her mouth. Her movements were stiff and awkward, like someone doing this for the first time. As she swallowed, her throat bobbed and made an oddly delicate sound.
“Ugh, it tastes awful,” she said.
Yeah... In a leather canteen, the smell and flavor of the material gets into the water and makes it taste terrible.