The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 29

“Hm, so it’s just that the mountain air doesn’t agree with Sei?”

“I’m not sure. It’s true that I feel stifled as soon as I enter the mountains.”

“First, you get rashes in warm water. Now this. You’ve got quite the peculiar constitution.”

“There’s nothing I can do about it. It’s not unbearable, so I’ll manage.”

“But having trouble breathing seems quite serious. If it gets too difficult, let us know. We’ll try to slow down.”

“There’s no need for that. I’ve managed to keep up just fine.”

Of course, I didn’t mention that my condition was worsening. Camille, seemingly aware, furrowed his brows, but I looked away this time. What bothered me was Serige’s reaction. He seemed a bit confused. Feeling his intense gaze, I finally turned to him.

“Is something wrong?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did you say you get rashes in warm water…?”

“Oh, right. That’s how his body reacts. He can’t drink it or bathe in it.”

Lisa answered on my behalf. Saying, “I see,” lightly, Serige didn’t say more but kept looking at me more intently. Occasionally, he tilted his head and mumbled something incomprehensible to himself.

“Let’s have lunch here.”

Around noon, we stopped moving. While we set up a temporary resting spot, Serige asked to wait a moment and left. He returned shortly with two rabbits and a large wild boar slung over his shoulder.

“It’s really amazing. How can you hunt so quickly?”

While grilling the meat over the campfire, Lisa couldn’t hide her admiration. Indeed, Serige’s hunting skills were impressive. While others often came back empty-handed, he always brought back something. After four days, he had taken over hunting duties entirely.

Moreover, he was adept at preparing the meat. Skinning the animals and cleaning the entrails took him only a few minutes. Judging by his skills, it seemed more apt to call him a hunter rather than an herb gatherer.

“I’ve just gotten used to it from living in the mountains for so long. I love meat, so I naturally learned the ropes to survive.”

Serige answered humbly.

“Isn’t it dangerous to climb the mountains alone? You could encounter monsters.”

“Oh, it’s definitely dangerous. When that happens, I quickly run away.”

“Are there places to escape to?”

“Head towards the cliffs. Fortunately, there aren’t any monsters around here that are good at climbing cliffs. Once, a monster persisted in chasing me to the edge but ended up falling. Did you know that even monsters scream when they fall? It sounded like it was swearing ‘Ya, you bastard~~’.”

“Haha, really?”

“Yes, so I waved and laughed as it fell. The expression on that monster’s face is something I’ll never forget.”

His way of mixing jokes into his explanations was engaging and easy to listen to, with clear and articulate pronunciation. He probably wasn’t an herb gatherer originally. While being amiable might be a natural trait, his eloquent speech suggested he had interacted frequently with others. Such interaction opportunities are rare for an herb gatherer who spends most of their time alone in the mountains.

His hand, which had touched my forehead, was incredibly soft too. Herb gatherers who climb mountains and gather herbs usually have calloused hands, yet his felt like those of a lifelong scholar. However, despite this, he was very adept at mountain climbing, which only added to the confusion.

‘The more I see, the more suspicious he seems… just like that apothecary.’

The apothecary named Semeion also had many ambiguous aspects. Could they be of the same lineage? If so, he shouldn’t have shown such intrigue when hearing about my hair color.

‘Could he be pretending not to know? Why?’

Others must have shared my suspicions, yet they remained silent because he was beneficial to our journey. Since Serige started guiding us, our travels have become significantly easier. His claim of knowing the area was no exaggeration. He could lead us directly to springs when we needed water and easily find good camping spots. He knew the routes of monsters and the habitats of wild animals, reducing dangerous situations while ensuring we had abundant meals. Most notably, his daily herbal tea was a great advantage.

“Here’s today’s drink I made. Please, everyone, have some.”

As expected of an herb gatherer, he was knowledgeable about the benefits of various herbs. Whenever he found useful herbs during our walks, he would collect them in his pack and enjoy making drinks for us. The tea was effective for fatigue recovery and muscle aches, so what started with caution turned into everyone eagerly looking forward to it. Since it was a cold tea, I could drink it without any issues.

“Since Serige joined us, our journey has become much easier. Plus, we’re always grateful for these precious drinks you prepare for us.”

“Haha, it’s nothing. Actually, I enjoy it too. Traveling alone can get really boring since there’s hardly anyone to talk to. I also really love making and sharing these herbal teas.”

“Serige, you really are a good person. And so smart, too.”

“Oh, you flatter me. I’m just a rustic herb gatherer who knows a bit about herbs.”

“But to know so many different types of herbs, you must have studied a lot, right? You not only know how to manage them but also their benefits and uses. I think that’s something only a very smart person could do.”

Everyone nodded in agreement at Lisa’s words. Hale, too, smiled warmly and agreed.

“It’s tough to have that kind of knowledge at your age. Today’s tea tastes different from what we usually have; what’s it good for?”

“It’s a restorative tea. It stimulates the appetite, boosts blood circulation, and protects internal organs. It also calms sensitive nerves, making it helpful for people with insomnia to drink before bed.”

“That sounds appealing. Could you sell me this herb separately? And perhaps teach me how to make the tea?”

“That wouldn’t be difficult. Do you intend to gift it to someone?”

“Yeah, actually. My wife suffers from insomnia.”

While his response was simple, it had a significant impact. Everyone’s eyes widened as they shouted.

“You’re married, Captain?”

“No way!”

“When, where, and with whom?”

At his age—mid-thirties—being married wasn’t odd (in fact, he was past the typical age). However, the group’s reaction bordered on disbelief because they hadn’t sensed he was married during the past month.

“Hmph, do I have to announce everything? If a man is of age, it’s only natural he’d be married.”

Suddenly the center of attention, Hale kept clearing his throat. Hamar looked betrayed.

“You never talked about your wife! Naturally, I thought you were single, a workaholic bachelor! This feels like a betrayal!”

“Hah, a bachelor! What part of me looks like a bachelor?”

“You do seem like one! From day one, you had that unmistakable old bachelor vibe! What married man goes around looking so shabby?”

“Sha-shabby? Have you said all you want to say?”

“If you don’t want to hear such things, fix that forced comb-over! Now that we’re on the topic, do you know how ridiculous your hairstyle looks? It makes you look ten years older!”

“This is unbelievable! Do you think your hairstyle is any better? Every time I see it, I want to tell you it looks like a tangled mop!”

“Gasp! How could you say something so cruel?”

“Didn’t you just say something cruel yourself?”

“My situation and yours are different! My hair’s naturally curly! It’s not a forced comb-over like yours!”

…How did things even escalate to this point?

They were always quite informal with each other, but this felt excessive. It wasn’t just the two of them either. Normally, others would intervene, but today they were just spectators. Camille, who often clashed with Hamar, was now siding with Hale, and Lisa was cheering and whistling. Even the usually silent Edmil was quietly chuckling.

‘This feels like dealing with drunk people.’

I glanced at Serige, wondering, and he caught my look. With an awkward smile, he confessed the truth.

“…The herb that aids blood circulation can also cause slight excitement when emotions are heightened. It’s not harmful to the body, but…”

“…”

I see.

So that ridiculous banter was the result of the effects of the tea. As I smiled bitterly, Serige looked at me with a peculiar expression and asked,

“Sei, do you feel sleepy by any chance?”

“Huh? No.”

“Any headaches, heavy eyelids, or dizziness?”

“Yes, I’m perfectly fine.”

“Hm, really? That’s strange.”

Serige seemed puzzled that I alone wasn’t affected. He appeared fine as well, which was peculiar. Plus, didn’t the excitement effect only occur when emotions were heightened? As these thoughts ran through my mind…

“…!”

Suddenly, disturbing events began to unfold before my eyes. Both of those arguing loudly and those watching with laughter suddenly collapsed to the ground.

“What on earth…”

I quickly approached and checked everyone’s condition. Fortunately, their faces were just flushed, and they were breathing evenly. It seemed they had succumbed to the intoxication and simply fallen asleep.

However, I couldn’t afford to sigh in relief. As soon as I lifted my head, a sharp, cold sensation touched my neck.

“Strange. Why aren’t you affected by the poison?”

“…”

Serige, who had silently moved beside me, was pressing a dagger to my throat. His golden eyes glinted sharply in the sunlight as he looked down at me.