Chapter 41
The next morning, we got up earlier than usual to hunt wolves.
"Whoa, I feel so light. A fluffy bed really makes all the difference."
"Seriously. I can't go back to sleeping on straw now."
"...Amazing."
Thanks to the proper inn, all three of them seemed to be in tip-top shape.
We quickly got ready and headed to the Guild.
Wolf subjugation—30 copper coins per tail.
"Still, wolves are stronger than Horn Rabbits, but they pay less."
Lyle grumbled.
"Wolves don't have magic stones or meat worth harvesting. But since they travel in packs, we can bring in a lot of tails."
"Though that also makes them tough to deal with."
Elena smiled wryly.
After accepting the request, we passed through the gate, which had only just opened, and headed down the highway.
The morning highway was bustling with merchants' wagons and carts leaving town.
After the town had been out of sight for a while, a dark forest came into view on our right.
The moment we stepped into the forest, the noise of the highway faded away, replaced by the smell of damp earth and pine resin.
I sent a thin tendril of mana deep into the forest.
—There.
Perhaps because they weren't monsters, the wolves didn't attack us even when they sensed my mana.
"This way."
The three of them silently followed behind me.
Before long, I sensed through my mana that the wolves, having caught our scent, were taking up positions to surround us.
"They're coming soon. They'll try to surround us, so don't panic."
At my warning, we took up our own formation.
Lyle, Kai, and I formed a triangle, with Elena in the center.
"Elena, you don't need to take them down. Focus on keeping them at bay."
"Got it."
As soon as I finished giving instructions, the bushes around us began to rustle.
The two wolves that leapt at Kai were sent flying together with a single swing of his great shield.
Lyle smacked a wolf across the face with the shield in his left hand, then plunged his sword deep into it with his right.
I shattered the jaw of a wolf that leapt at me, striking upward from beneath it.
Continuing the motion, I spun my staff around and slammed another wolf to the ground with its other end.
Without stopping, I drove a thrust into yet another wolf.
Keeping her distance, Elena shot chunks of ice at the wolves as they tried to leap at us again, pinning them down.
With their numbers dwindling, the wolves were overwhelmed by our teamwork.
While Lyle and Kai finished off the remaining enemies, Elena and I covered any openings and steadily supported the front line.
"Hah, hah... We did it."
Lyle was panting as he sank to the ground.
Kai was breathing hard, too.
I collected the tails that served as proof of our kills from the fallen wolves.
"I might've used a little too much mana, too."
Elena wiped the sweat from her forehead as she spoke, catching her breath.
Even after I'd finished gathering the tails, the three of them still didn't seem able to get back up.
—Taking a break every time is going to be inefficient.
"...Um, I'm going to use magic now. Could you keep it a secret, if possible?"
"Sure, I don't mind keeping it a secret, but... Magic?"
Lyle tilted his head.
When I looked at Kai and Elena, they both nodded with puzzled expressions.
I cast 'Heal' on the three of them.
I repaired their damaged muscle fibers and activated their cells. The spell broke down the lactic acid that had built up and rapidly boosted their metabolism.
"What was that...?"
"...!"
"Huh? I feel so light..."
All three of them were too astonished to speak.
"Noah, are you... a healer?"
Elena squeezed her own arm as if testing it, then looked up at me nervously.
"Yes. I'm sorry I kept it from you."
I bowed my head.
"No, no, of course you kept it quiet. I heard that across the mountains, they'd take you to the Church if they found out, right?"
Elena glanced around once and lowered her voice.
"It's pretty much the same around here."
Lyle stood and lightly stamped his feet, testing how he felt.
"I hear only high-ranking adventurer parties have healers. Good on you for telling us."
"Because we're... companions."
I lowered my eyes slightly to make it look convincing.
Lyle swallowed his words, then let out a small breath.
"...I see."
The next moment, the corners of his mouth twisted into a grin.
"That's one hell of a secret to trust us with. I like it."
He clenched his fist and held it out toward me.
"I won't betray you. We're your companions, too."
"...Of course."
Kai nodded firmly.
"I won't ever betray you, either."
Elena took a deep breath, then clasped her hands tightly in front of her chest.
"All right, then let's keep hunting and get stronger so we can protect Noah. At this rate, we can fight all day."
Lyle headed deeper into the forest with a light step.
Kai shrugged and smiled, and Elena followed Lyle, letting out a small breath.
By the time the sun began to set, we returned to the Guild carrying a sack full of wolf tails.
"Wolves today, huh? You sure went all out."
The delivery clerk counted the tails, signed the appraisal slip, and handed it over.
We collected our reward at the counter and headed to the Golden Horseshoe.
We paid for our lodging at the reception desk. While we were at it, we ordered dinner, too.
Once we closed the room door, Lyle spoke up.
"Still, your magic was amazing, Noah. It didn't just get rid of our fatigue—I could move like I wasn't even in my own body."
"...The bite on my arm healed in no time, too."
Kai continued, rubbing his arm.
"It wasn't that impressive... But I'm glad I could help."
I shrugged and smiled, a little embarrassed.
"Noah, could you give me some advice on magic, too?"
Elena looked at me with hopeful eyes.
"Sure. Besides learning how to use magic, there are mana-control exercises you can do at the inn. Let's practice together later."
I smiled and nodded.
"In return, teach me your tricks for detecting mana."
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
When I opened it, the dinner we'd ordered was brought in.
The deep ceramic plates set out on the table held chunks of chicken stewed with onions and celery, with clear, golden fat floating on the surface of the broth.
The light-brown bread had a fine crumb and a crisp crust, and was still warm.
The boiled turnips and cabbage were generously seasoned with lard and salt.
After the server left, Lyle exclaimed.
"Wow. That looks delicious."
The four of us took our seats and immediately reached for the food.
"That's a huge piece of meat!"
Lyle scooped a large piece of chicken out of the soup, his eyes widening.
"The bread's soft, too."
Elena tore off a piece of bread and brought it to her mouth.
Kai silently continued eating bread and soup with gusto.
"If we keep making money like we did today, we can eat this every day."
At Lyle's words, the other two stopped eating and gazed at their meal.