Chapter 1 Part 2

After our conversation with Grena-san, we decided to accept the request to collect medicinal herbs according to Lexia-san's idea, so we quickly went to the reception desk to finish the procedure and came outside the capital.

As expected, we accepted the request, and although Owen was reluctant to have Lexia-san participate in the request, Lexia-san's momentum overwhelmed him, and in the end, he agreed to allow her. …I'm really sorry, Owen-san.

"Well, since Yuuya-dono is present, it won't be a problem, I guess."

…I've been trusted mysteriously, but I'm causing Owen-san a lot of trouble, so I'll try to live up to that trust. It seems that medicinal herbs grow surprisingly everywhere outside this city, and it's not hard to find them.

However, I've never seen any other medicinal herbs other than [Complete Recovery Herb], so I asked the receptionist to show me a sample, but…well, I couldn't understand what the difference was between them and the grasses growing around here and there. Speaking of which, the [Complete Recovery Herb] is very similar, anyway.

Fortunately, I don't think I can fail since I can use [Identification], and since Luna seems to know what kind of herbs they are, I don't need to worry about it.

In fact, Luna, Lexia-san, and the others had said that it would be okay to make a request to defeat a super easy monster, but as expected, Owen-san had done his best to stop them from doing so.

Besides, when I looked at the bulletin board, I noticed that the request form for collecting medicinal herbs seemed to have been abandoned for a long time, and when I asked why, I found out that it was apparently left because it was more profitable to defeat monsters such as slimes and goblins, which were in the weakest category in the world, and that's why it was being left there.

…I don't know how weak they are because my image of slime and goblins is completely of the monsters in that forest, but if I think of the money from completing the request plus the money from redeeming the drop items, then defeating them is probably more fruitful.

Maybe that's why I decided to accept the request to collect medicinal herbs quietly because I was told that if this were the case, the stock of medicinal herbs would eventually run out, and there would be a problem in case of an emergency.

Well, I don't really need the money right now, and Lexia-san seemed to want to help me out as much as possible after hearing about the situation, and Luna didn't have any particular objection to the herb collection.

By the way, the number of herbs collected to accomplish the request is ten, but it seems that if you collect more than that, you will be paid an additional reward. However, if you uproot the medicinal herbs around you to get that extra reward, the adventurer's guild will find out about it, and you'll have to pay a fine. Well, it would be very annoying if I picked them all up and they never grew again. However, it's not an amount that can be picked up so easily, and the vitality of the herbs themselves is so strong that they'll grow right back if left unchecked, so there's no need to worry…

Once again, once I stepped outside the city, a pleasant breeze blew through.

"Hmm… the wind feels nice."

"Well, yes. I wouldn't have had time to enjoy the wind like this in the past, but it feels good to feel it like this."

"Yes. I, too, have been on the official business lately, or only in the castle, so it's a bit refreshing to get some fresh air… shopping in the city is nice, but this kind of time is nice too!"

"Lexia-sama. Don't get too excited, okay? I just want you to avoid moving around too much under the current circumstances…"

Owen-san let out a sigh and told that to Lexia-san.

"I know, I know. But when things are settled down, I'd like to have dinner outside on a nice day like this!"

Lexia-san looked at us and smiled as she said that. It's certainly a moderate temperature, and most importantly, the air is clear, so a picnic would be nice. Well, there will be danger of monsters and such.

We entered the meadow just outside the city and looked around while remembering the medicinal herbs Emilia-san showed us.

"Hmm… oh, this is it, right?"

Then I immediately found something that looked like the herb, and so I activated [Identification].

[Heal Grass] :: A plant that is called "Medicinal Herb" in this world. It is mainly treated as an ingredient in recovery medicine. It can be used by grinding the leaves as they are and is effective for grazing wounds, etc. It is highly effective to pull them out while being careful not to damage the roots when you collect them.

Fumu… it seems like this is definitely the medicinal herb, but I didn't know they had an official name for it. Moreover, thanks to the [Identification], I even figured out the correct way to collect it.

As I was lightly digging up the soil with my hands, Lexia-san peeked at it from the side.

"Heeh… that's how to collect medicinal herbs, huh?"

"I've heard somewhere that the collecting itself is not difficult, but it's best not to damage the roots as much as possible. In that sense, Yuuya's collection is very careful."

"Then I can just do like Yuuya-sama did and collect as many as I want!"

"Hey, have you forgotten what Emilia told you? You can't take too many of them, either."

"That's right. The medicinal herbs themselves seem to have a strong life force and fertility, so if you leave a few plants behind, they'll be back to normal in a few days…"

"I know! …Oh, it's so boring just to collect, Luna! Let's have a match!"

"Huh?"

Luna was taken aback by Lexia-san's sudden suggestion.

"By the way, Yuuya-sama will be the referee!"

"Eh?"

I'm involved too! Ignoring me and Luna, who were surprised, Lexia-san started to run.

"The winner gets the right to monopolize Yuuya-sama for a day! Well then, let the game begin!"

"Oh, hey, Lexia! Sigh… Yuuya. I'll go to Lexia's place, so come over after you get as many of the requests as you can get. …Or rather, suddenly starting on those terms would be unfair…!"

After saying that, Luna hurriedly headed towards Lexia-san while holding her head. No, that's fine, but… why is the right to monopolize me for a day treated as a prize? And how about my will?

I look away from them in a daze, but since they've already gone, I call out to Night.

"…Uhm, I'll ask you two to help me out then, okay?"

"Woof?"

"Buhi.:

"Here's the herb, and… tell me if you find one just like it, okay?"

"Woof."

"Fugo."

They each put their noses close to the herb, sniffed it, and then went separate. I watched as they went to look for the new ones, and then I started to look for mine, and I found one growing nearby and collected it as well.

It's simple, but I like this kind of work. I can become more carefree. After searching for a while like this, Night barked lightly.

"Woof!"

"Oh, did you find it?"

When I approached Night, there was something that looked like a medicinal herb growing there. However, I felt somewhat strange with it, and when I activated [Identification], it was displayed like this.

[Magic Heal Grass] :: A plant that resembles a medicinal herb. However, this doesn't heal wounds but has the effect of restoring magic power. It is mainly treated as an ingredient in magic power recovery medicine. Even if you put the leaves in your mouth, a very small amount of magic power is recovered. The collection method is the same as for medicinal herbs.

Apparently, it was something a little different.

"Too bad! I think this isn't the herb that we are looking for."

"Kyuunn…"

"Don't look so down. It's a good one, at least."

"Woof."

I gently patted Night, who sounded sad for making a mistake. As I collected magic heal grass with Night, who had regained his spirits, I heard Akatsuki's voice this time.

"Buhi! Buhi buhi!"

"Hmm? Did Akatsuki find it too?"

As we hurried towards Akatsuki, he looked at us and gave us a smug look. We turned our attention to the medicinal herb that he had found while smiling bitterly at his appearance.

"…Eh?"

And I was at a loss for words.

"Uh… well… Akatsuki? I told you I wanted you to find me some herbs, didn't I?"

"Buhi."

"And this one?"

"Buhi!"

Akatsuki pointed with his hoof as if to say, "This is the medicinal herb."

In case something goes wrong, I activated [Identification].

[Ichikoro Grass] :: A plant that must never be eaten. If you ingest it even once, the last thing you'll do is pass away to the other world instantly. Unless you have poison resistance and poison invalidation skills, but even then, no one would like to eat it. However, if mixed with the proper procedures and ingredients, it can be transformed into a "Poison Neutralizer". All you have to do is collect the leaves. [T/n: Ichikoro means losing easily, being trounced, being beaten hands down and such.]

It was different. It's just as strange as it sounds. Everything around it is green, but the grass is purple. Moreover, it has red and yellow spots. The color combination is just as if to say, "Don't eat it."

"Akatsuki-san. Are you saying that this is the herb?"

"Buhi."

"Yeah, you should look at it more."

"Buhi!?"

Akatsuki was shocked by my words. I don't think of it as a medicinal herb, though it could be used as a poison neutralizer if I got the ingredients and procedures right.

Well, since Akatsuki found it, I'll take it anyway. We also found some other medicinal herbs, but we couldn't find them altogether as they were not in a cluster.

Then, Lexia-san, who was collecting at another location, comes running towards me.

"Yuuya-sama, look, look!"

In Lexia-san's hand, there was something that looked like a medicinal herb, but how could it be… she was very muddy. Eh, what happened?

As I was surprised to see Lexia-san in her muddy state, a tired-looking Luna also comes from behind her.

"Hey, Lexia. Are you sure you're royalty? That's not ladylike or anything at all…"

"Ara, excuse me. I've been doing my official duties as a member of the royal family, and my manners are perfect! And isn't this mud a so-called adventurer's courtesy?"

"What's your image of the adventurer in your mind…?"

"Uhm… you won't be offended, will you? They're so muddy…"

Really, Lexia-san was covered in mud and really a mess… I would have believed her if she had told me that she had gone head first into a puddle.

"Well? Isn't it okay? I'm not using a dress, anyway!"

I'm really sorry, Owen-san.

──By the way, both Luna and Lexia-san had the same number of results in the herb collection battle, and the right to monopolize me for a day never passed to anyone.

＊＊＊

At the time when Yuuya and the others were receiving requests in the other world──Kaori Houjou was in her room doing her prep and review as usual.

"….."

Kaori, who had been studying silently for a while, put down her pen for a break and stretched.

"Hmm… I guess the problem is with English and ancient literature…"

As she realized that again, in today's review, she unexpectedly saw a calendar.

"Come to think of it… it's almost time for midterm exams…"

When she was thinking about such a vague thought, Kaori suddenly thought of Yuuya. And at the same time, she remembered the incident on the way home after the ball game tournament the other day──.

"~~Uh!"

Her face suddenly flushed red, Kaori stood up from her chair and fell onto her own bed, and writhing.

"…What have I done…"

The day of the ball game tournament. She injured her teammate due to her own lack of athletic ability, and when she was depressed, Yuuya gallantly helped her out. Kaori was attracted to Yuuya, who was always there to help her, but… Kaori was confused by the first time she felt that feeling.

That's why, after the ball game, she couldn't help her feelings and lightly kissed Yuuya's cheek. Remembering that, she had to writhe and roll around in shyness when she got home. But if she got to this point, no matter how much she had never experienced it before, Kaori could understand how she felt about Yuuya too.

"…I, Yuuya-san…"

She was about to say all that, and when her face became heated again, she buried her face in the bed. Kaori writhed in shyness for a while, but she suddenly felt uneasy when she eventually cooled down.

"Yuuya-san, he's so nice… and maybe he already has a girlfriend… and even if he didn't have one, there's no way another girl would leave him alone…"

Kaori suddenly begins to feel depressed, even though she seemed so happy just now.

"But I don't want to give up either… But what should I do…"

Just as she started to think about how to get as close to Yuuya as possible without losing to the other girls, the calendar came into Kaori's view again.

"…Ah!"

Then, realizing something, Kaori stood up vigorously.

"That's right! How about studying for a test with Yuuya-san!"

For some reason, Kaori begins a questioning soliloquy in a room with no one but herself. However, Kaori herself was no longer in the mood for that, and the content of her soliloquy seemed like a very good idea.

"I have decided… let's ask him about it next time!"

Kaori thought of the time and went to her desk again.

──In this way, Kaori began to study again in preparation for the time when she and Yuuya would study for the test together.