Life in Another World as a Maid Mage

The next morning.

There seems to be a distinction between morning and evening even in a dark cave, and the unique dark signs emitted by the nocturnal beast lurk and begin to fill the morning with a unique sense of coolness. The waking Louis began a stretching motion of waking up.

Siori, who was also serving as the last watchman for breakfast, glanced at Alec's side that was awake with him. The look under the magic light is not bad. He didn't have nightmares, as Nils feared, but slept peacefully.

"Good. Looks like you slept well."

"Oh, thanks. On the contrary, I have a wonderful and good dream."

That said, Alec stared at Shiori and cut off his words. At the next moment, he somehow held his mouth and distracted himself. Her eyes are somewhat red.

"Well, what's the matter? Are you feeling sick?

"Nh, oh, no, it's okay. It was such a good dream, just remember...."

I don't know how good a dream it was, but Siori is relieved knowing that she's not feeling well while tilting her neck to Alec, who swims her gaze and mends it.

"But don't be too hard on me. Let me know as soon as you feel really sick."

"... what? I don't think I'm feeling well."

Nils called out from behind Alec, who laughed bitterly, saying that his position was the opposite. Waking up earlier than time and roasting the medicated water, he handed Alec a cup of hot air.

"Good morning, both of you. You don't look so pale when you see it, but... what's the matter? Rather, it feels red, but it's not even hot."

"No, no, no problem. I had too many dreams. It's a dream that Theoli is passionate about."

"Eh, me?

"Hmm? What kind of dream is it that turns red...?"

Asked casually, Nils cut off his words unexpectedly. The eyes that were staring at Alec were slow and half-eyed.

"- Oh, yeah. I got it."

Nils, who had yet to recover the untouched cup from Alec, handed him again, adding a teaspoon of moss powder and mixing it.

With that sip in his mouth, Alec rounded his eyes and held his mouth the next moment. Ugh, forcibly swallowing with a strange moan, he stares at Nils slowly.

"Hey, it tasted like shit!

"Hey, I thought your mouth was getting sweet. I've added a bitter, nourishing herb to it. Isn't that refreshing?

Nils, you.

Siori, who was staring at Alec as he stared at Nils, quickly blushed at what Alec meant by "a dream that warmly comforted her." Apparently, this lover was "looking forward" to his opponent in his dreams.

"... Alec... I'm worried and I'm losing it!

"Force Majeure! I didn't want to see it."

Mmm, Alec fades as soon as he sees the red chili oil pickled out while it swells. Of course, it was the oil that drove the brain sip (fugued eater) to inactivity.

"Alec's soup, I'm going to make it a little (...) spicy. It'll warm you up."

"I'm sorry. No, I'm sorry? I didn't want to see it... but I wanted to see it continue if I could."

Aaleiku

Nils smiled bitterly at the two of them who started asking questions and trembled at what Louis was doing at her feet.

"Ha ha. It's lively since morning."

"It seems kind of fun. I'm glad Alec's okay."

Linus and Ellen, who were already dressed, also participated, and a pleasant laugh echoed at the campsite in the morning. Thus the morning of the second day of the expedition began in some loose air.

"- Now, what do we do? Do you want to keep looking at the collection site from a nearby location?

Alec asks Nils, his client, after a warm breakfast and the dismantling of the campsite, to restore tension from the loose air. He nodded looking at the map he had brought in just in case.

"Yeah, that's right. We don't know how far Mandrake is going, so let's take a look."

"It seems there are more beasts than yesterday, so let's be careful."

While checking the bow and arrow that had been collected and cared for in yesterday's battle with his fingertips, Linus looked around without hesitation. There are more signs of mixing with the air in the cave.

"Yesterday I thought there were somehow fewer beasts, but I wonder if it was because of brain sipping."

Next to her murmuring Ellen, Cili stretched her exploratory magic in all directions. The density of the indications was obviously increasing. I wonder if the beasts who had fled in fear of the presence of powerful enemies have returned.

"... it's true. Small signs are on the rise. There's no sign of more than medium in the vicinity."

"Really... well, I don't think there will be any more beasts than brain sipping, but I need to be more vigilant than yesterday. Let's tighten it up."

Copy that.

Each carried his luggage and walked out towards the first collection site.

"But Shiori's exploratory magic is handy. I feel like I need magic for non-combatants like us. I wonder if it's okay to interpret it as expanding the original exploratory magic..."

Yeah, that's right.

Siori nodded to Nils' question as she walked.

Originally, exploration magic is a magic that detects very narrow areas such as indoors, and is strongly attached to magic elements. It is mainly used to find magic objects in relics such as ruins. After reading the Magic Book and using it several times, I noticed that this magic detected the object in the released magic transmission. The magic released from your body is like a part of your senses as long as you're not separated from your body.

In other words, exploratory magic is a technique that expands the sensory function.

And all creatures, including humans and beasts, are enchanted.

This exploratory magic is the result of researching and practicing thinking that there is no way to apply it. However, spreading the magic released once to a wide area without detaching it from the body requires corresponding magic and concentration. I am confident in my concentration, but my greatest drawback is the lack of magic. In the end, instead of spreading evenly, it became the eye shape of a large mesh with eyes, and it also saved magic by suppressing the usage time.

"I see... it doesn't seem like it's going to be easy to practice and use"

"Actually, I've tried it a few times. It was more difficult to maintain the magic released over a wide area without detaching it from the body. I can't concentrate more than magic. Above all, I couldn't even create a net eye unless I kept imagining it with my head."

Nils roared after hearing Siori's explanation, and Alec also smiled bitterly.

"If you're going to do it, you might want to consider strengthening your concentration and imagination before you practice exploring magic... but it's the same with healing magic that you keep releasing magic without detaching it from your body. This might be easier to learn if you're a therapist."

Ellen has a thoughtful face.

If you think about it, attacking magic separates the released magic from the body and hits the subject. In contrast, exploratory magic and phantom magic continue to release magic, and there are features that require concentration and imagination. Theori thought that these magics might be unpopular because they are cumbersome to build and maintain, unlike attack magic that is activated instantly.

Let's practice a little when we get home.

That's what Nils said. Give him advice on how to smile.

"Please be careful. At first, I don't know what to do, so I sneak away with my magic."

If you are as low as you are, you may faint from exhausting your magic in just one practice before you get used to it. It's hard to practice in a place where no one is present and fall down. I threatened my life if I didn't do it in a warm room or where someone was watching.

So, as I walked through a few small battles with a small beast, I reached my first gathering spot today. Light winter sunlight comes in from the gap that opens up on the rock wall close to the ground, lighting up the area slightly.

"Oops... I wanted to stay. Good, I'm growing a few."

I thought it would be interesting to describe the plant (Mandrake) as "there", but I kept it out of my mouth. There are many unspecified parts of the beast, and there are many parts that do not simply apply to the classification of plants and animals.

"Looks like I've seen six... we're still short, so if we pick half of them, we'll go next."

"Okay. Then call me when you're done. We'll keep an eye out."

"Yes, I did."

In keeping with the herbal harvesting routine, Nils began harvesting some of the next Mandrake to grow.

"Look, Alec. Can I take a tour?

Interested in the mysterious botanical beast that walks around on its own, Cili looks up at Alec. My partner and lover nodded happily.

"Oh, I don't mind. I'll keep watch."

Yeah, thanks.

While Nils is gathering, Linus and Ellen seem to be gathering what they're looking for. That said, Nils' work will be completed in less than enough time. It appears to be collected within a radius of about a dozen metels so that we can assemble immediately.

Louis is walking around. Looks like Ruli's on guard.

Leaving the guards to their two partners, Theori took the collectors out of Nils's way.

"It just looks like weeds."

"Yeah, most of them are really weeds. Mandrake is buried in the soil by the weeds, so I don't think I'll get used to it... here it is."

Is it a plant characteristic of a dim place like a cave? Nils pointed to a corner as weeds of a strange shape and hue that were rarely seen on the ground grew negligibly.

There were no stems and several layered plants with glossy egg-shaped leaves from the roots. The green color of the leaves is dark, and there are several buds in the middle of the lush, slightly thick leaves.

"Leaves alone are hard to distinguish from weeds, but buds and flowers like this will make it a little easier to understand."

"Ah... it's true. You put flowers on like a bell. Purple is bright and beautiful....."

"When the flowers are finished, they turn bright red. That's obvious, but I won't see much of it because I'll drop the fruit soon."

"Heh...."

The plant, which has many small purple flowers in bloom, was so cute that it could be poached and decorated by the window. I don't think it looks like a beast.

"The area above is beautiful. The roots buried are strange... they're quite grotesque."

Nils began digging the surrounding soil with the elongated shovel he had. After scratching the soil to some extent, the surrounding soil was carefully removed by hand to avoid damaging the roots of Mandrake. If you gently remove the soil that adheres to the removed mandrake with your fingers, the bright orange surface will be exposed....

At first glance, it looked just like a carrot, and it trembled and trembled, and the roots of my hands and feet split into several strands were stupid. The superficial muscles twist like a frightened old man's face.

"Uhh...."

Nils laughed at Siori, who moaned unintentionally.

"That's creepy."

"Yeah... but it seems like some girls would like to say it's creepy and cute."

"Come on, creepy cute? Girl, are you gonna take this?

I don't know how that feels, but Nils moaned this time.

Mandrake, for some reason, is so stupid that it doesn't seem to be full.

"Yeah... maybe a little cute."

"Really? Isn't it cute!? Maybe in Shiori's hometown!?"

At last, I burst out at him who was stunned.

With his eyes black and white, he carefully wrapped the collected mandrake in wax paper and put it in a leather bag. And look at Nils' hand, who started digging the second one, with interest.

Speaking of which, you're not going to run away with this? He said if he felt danger, he'd run to safety. "

"... oh, that's it. I'm still not sure where it is, and I'm in the process of verifying it... but if it's not at a level that feels dangerous as a species, I'll have to run. It's still hypothetical."

"What do you mean?

"When I try to pick a rootstock, I run away. But if you leave a few, you rarely escape."

"Ah... I see."

The impressed Shiori glanced at Mandrake, which was still buried. Whether you feel the praise of Shiori or not, the Mandrake leaves twitch.

You're smart, right?

"That's right. I don't know if he's smart or not, but he's a beast."

"Hmm? I see... right?

I don't really understand the sensitivity of the inhabitants of this world, which is done in one word because it is a beast, but even if I am wrong, I can't talk about it, so Shiori murmured.

Nils, who dug up three mandrakes while he was doing so, declared that it was over. Linus and Ellen, who had finished their work properly, will also join us.

"How was it?

Alec asked as he walked toward the next gathering site.

"It was fun. I'm a little interested in Mandrake's screaming, but I'm quite satisfied."

I see. I suggest you hear the screams from afar. "

"Have you ever heard of it?

"From afar. A terrifying voice echoing from the bottom of hell. When I heard the screams and ran, there were several times when the guy who pulled out without knowing had fallen."

"Wow...."

"Be careful, too. Like a cave or a lush forest, always in the dark, it's better not to pull out the grass in a rough way."

"Uh-huh. Okay."

I wish I had someone by my side, but otherwise I could be attacked by another beast. Though it may not be possible to enter caves or places with poor vision alone, Cili, who occasionally requests herbal harvesting, decides to keep her liver in mind. Lori also said, "I'm here, but be careful! Hit your feet like that.

"Still, there are more signs of beasts than yesterday, but they don't attack much."

"There are a few signs I'm watching."

"Maybe you're still on alert. Brain sipping is something that any creature with a brain can gradually eat around its hands. A big beast like a snow bear is no exception, and if you get attacked, that's usually why..."

"Rather, I think you're watching out for Shiori. I wouldn't be able to get stuck with something like that."

"Er...."

After showing it to his friends, Theoli still smiled a little bit more fun. I wondered what would happen yesterday, but today it was calm. Of course, it is forbidden to be alarmed, but sometimes such a relaxed expedition is not bad.

and.

The unexpectedly tingling hostility stung my skin. Alec and Linus instantly stood up for something, and Siori and her backers stepped back a few steps. Ruli, dyed red to protect it, stopped.

A few shadows jumped out of the shadow of the rock blocked the way. A flock of ice frogs. Poisoned, long, elongated tongues flex like whips to tear the subject apart, and some exhale poisonous ice magic when they become powerful objects. A giant frog with strong paralysis poison.

We intimidate each other, but we're much more powerful. There is no sign of losing the temper of the two avant-garde workers or just watching them attack. I don't seem willing to back off.

That's a mucous membrane peel too ~

"Stop it."

Alec laughs bitterly at what Linus is trying to say.

"There's not much left to call anymore...."

"If there is any left, will I use it....."

Nils plunged into Siori's words.

It is definitely an effective means, but depending on the type of beast and the amount of beast used, it may turn upside down into a more dangerous situation. Besides, it would be more dangerous if I were downwind. I'm going to put it on myself.

"But verification and refinement can be quite useful as a countermeasure to brain sipping. Instead of the amulet of caves and ruins exploration."

Nils laughed while standing up without hesitation, saying it was a future research issue.

"Coming!

A militant alliance took the lead.

Alec stepped into the herd with all his might.

The two beasts, which jumped high against us, were immediately shot down by Linus, who then shot them at their feet and sewed them to the ground.

"That's enough!

He shot an arrow in the mouth to stop the tongue from attacking. As the frog, sealed with his best means of attacking, quickly approached him, using his dagger at the waist to accurately penetrate the emergency.

In the meantime, Alec had already taken care of the rest. The remains of ice frogs are rolling on the ground, slashed down by a combination of swordsmanship and magic.

"... vivid..."

Fight a herd of beasts for less than five minutes. There was no waste in the two movements.

(Until about class C, it was a big fuss just because there were two or three of them.)

Siori smiled bitterly at the sight of the hordes that had perished without a clumsiness. Ice frogs are never less difficult to crush. That's the proof that Alec and Linus are capable of battle. The leverage of accumulated combat experience should also be increasing.

Yesterday was a party that literally made a scene in the battle against that fierce rare species, but the experience of that battle will eventually be brought to life again.

"All right, over. Thank you, I've picked everything up beautifully."

Nils, who recovered all of the frog's toxic glands, put a storage container in his face. This poisonous gland, once only harvested in winter, had to be processed quickly and quickly. Now that the development of magic equipment has made it possible to store it for a long time, it seems happy to be able to carefully study various uses by storing it as a raw material.

"And there's a lot of demand for antidotes. There are a lot of ingredients, but it's not a problem."

The group, who walked out again listening to Nils' drug arguments, followed several small battles to the next gathering site.

As in previous collections, a small amount of light from the hole in the ceiling illuminates the ground. A giant silver lizard crawling through the wall noticed us and stopped moving. However, he disappeared into the shadow of the rock in a hurry to escape from the immediate reaction of Louis or the slime he was trying to chase.

Unfortunately, Siori looked around and laughed at Ruli, who was shaking. Very small signs dot the moss and grass covered square. Most of them belong to the Beast. But I don't feel hostile. I can't be alarmed, but it's a lot of big stuff.

Siori smiled bitterly at her feet. Unlike the previous collection site, the weed leaves were all very similar in shape to Mandrake and hardly distinguishable. I tried exploring it with magic, and there were signs that it was just a weed and a botanical beast.

"Yeah... I wonder around here."

"Oh, that's right. You used exploratory magic."

Ellen pointed to the ground and said.

"Yes, but I've just been able to pinpoint the location, and it's going to be difficult for me to dig it out."

It overlaps with other weeds of similar shape, and visually it's hard to tell which one is mandrake. I didn't feel like I could dig it out without hurting myself.

"What about the others?

Siori, who had been told by Alec to explore the neighborhood, pointed several points.

"Here, here, there, there... there are signs over there, but it looks like a different beast."

Although the color is similar to Mandrake's leaves, amateurs can see that the leaves have different shapes and overlaps.

"Whoa, watch out for leaves when you step on them. The tip is sharp and I get injured. I see, even though I can't locate it with exploratory magic, is it difficult if I'm in a mess?"

"... it seems so."

"Haha, but it's much easier because it saves you the trouble of searching the weeds carefully."

Nils smiled and consoled Siori, who somehow seemed sad and dropped her shoulders.

"Fortunately, there seems to be a lot of growth here, so I think I'll gather everything I need. Theoli, can you just tell me where it is?

"I understand."

Ellen joined this Mandrake hunt. I think I'm going to gather some for myself, as well as some for acquaintances in the Knights' Health Corps. "They don't seem to be able to easily buy very expensive herbs there. Some people say they want to buy expensive medicinal herbs and do something about it," she laughed bitterly.

The Knights are a public institution whose organization is maintained by taxes. Some of the knights in the kingdom are generally favorable, but some are tough on them.

At the end of the conversation, the work continued silently for a while. Nils, who is supposed to be used to it, is taking time to work because similar leaves are disturbed.

"Come on, there are times when momentum is too much to pull out."

"I don't know, be careful."

Alec raised his face as he shouted into Nils. Looking over his shoulder, he stares at a point. His dominant hand, who was nervous and alert, was already in love with the sword. Linus also attached one hand to the arrow.

--Where Alec is looking. I feel a strong gaze from that direction.

It may not be dangerous because there is no change in Louis' body color, but I noticed strange signs and tension in the line of sight.

"... something... are you looking at me?

"... I guess so."

There's nothing there at first glance, it's just a meadow. But when I looked closely, I saw something peeking from between the grass.

A pale face under a thin purple leaf. Though it does not appear that the eyes of the upper half of the face are open, it reminds me of eyelids with closed muscles like incisions. Nevertheless, I feel a tingling sensation only when I look at it.

"Ah, Death (undead)...?"

Alec hid behind Shiori, who pretended to be too creepy and shivered his body.

"No, it's also a botanical beast. Allaune."

"Allaune...."

--Mutant species of Mandrake. It is said that plant-based beasts that change generations quickly are prone to the emergence of mutant species and have a certain chance of appearing during collection.

"It's a rare species and a mutant species in a single expedition... I don't really feel like I'm going to jump. What do we do? It's rare."

Everyone looked at Allaune with a puzzled expression, seeing no intention of attacking him, but seemed to have no choice but to wonder. Honestly, I don't want to get close to that.

"Herbal medicine is more valuable than mandrake, but I don't think I want to actively take it, is it? I've never seen anything like it before...."

"Besides, I'll scream even if I don't pull it out. Use that strange noise as a means of attack. I don't want to irritate you as much as possible... what's the matter, Lori?"

In preparation for the unexpected attack, Lori approached Arlaune with a slightly restrained ear and confused Shiori. Allaune shook the leaves against Luli, who trembled. It's like you're having a conversation. But for a while, Louis stretched out her tentacles and grabbed the leaves of Araune into an eagle.

"Hey, Lori, what are you doing!?"

"No, Lori! Go back!"

Everyone shouted at the unexpected behavior of the thoughtful slime, but Louis, who shook her body without saying anything, found herself holding the tentacle still.

Pull it out.

The perceived Shiori squatted aggressively in his ears. Alec covered it from above. Ellen squatted in the same way, and Linus covered her ears, unfortunately Nils, who was left alone, suppressed her ears from above the collar at least to prevent the sound.

Allaune is pulled out.

--However, the expected screams never echoed, and instead I heard a terribly careless voice saying, "Ah------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------