The Traveling Hero Won’t Let the Innkeeper’s Son Escape

"Noah, lamp."

"Yeah."

Noah lights two lamps and Rihala enters the cave first.

It's hard to understand because Ruth has a weak sense of spirituality, but I quickly realized that the cave is not a good environment.It is familiar to have a dark and lukewarm atmosphere, but there must be a lot of moisture because of the water flowing through the walls and the ground.

(Wow... what are you doing here...)

When I followed them, I eventually found a place with a large space.

There was a lot of stuff hanging from the ceiling, and I felt like I was in a jar.

Well then, do the work as usual.It looks like the delivery time is approaching, so hurry up. Say something. "

"Yeah."

When Rihala and Noah place less luggage on the table near the entrance, they wrap cloth around their mouth, hold a lamp, a small knife, and a cloth bag about the size of their face, and then approach the object hanging from the ceiling.

"Is this the place to grow... or is this the root of the tree?"

Ruth stopped by Rihala and looked closely at the hanging objects.

It can't be judged by the touch because it doesn't touch it, but I quickly realized it was similar to the root of the tree because of the sneezing and tapering of the shape.

"Ah, this root, the color is red... is this the identity of that red console?"

Looking closely at the roots of the tree, Rihala, who was nearby, began cutting the roots with a knife.The same was true of Noah, who was a little further away.

They gradually put the scraped tree roots in a bag.And as the root of the tree got thinner, I grabbed another root next to it and started cutting it in the same way.Apparently, they left it to some extent without cutting it completely.When the bag is full, place the bag next to the desk and hold the different bag to sharpen again.The work was even repeated.

"This is who the red console is... but what tree roots is this?"

A console is a thing that can be cut from the top of a tree called a console.I don't use the root part.The console is also quite a big tree, so if there is a cavity in the basement like this, the ground should collapse.

(I wonder if there is a main unit on top of this... let's try it.)

Ruth walks away from the two of them and returns to the entrance of the cave, climbing the cliff and heading to the ground that corresponds to the top of the place where they were.

"... there aren't many trees around here"

On top of the cave, large trees were intricately entangled, with little approaching atmosphere.But there were no trees in the ground that was supposed to be above the Rihallas, as if it were a puncture.

"It's a unique atmosphere here....."

On top of the Rihalas, the leaves of the big trees overlapped on top, and it seemed like they were always in the shade because they blocked the sun, so it was a jimmy atmosphere.It may have the effect that most people have not stepped into their feet, but there is also a faint mist.There are places in the mountains where it is easy to hunt prey, and places where even beasts don't come near like this, so it's no strange thing.

"But this is on the roots of that tree, right?Was it in the wrong place...? "

I was convinced that Ruth's physical feelings were just above.But there is no tree here that has the roots of that tree.On the contrary, the ground is muddy and there are no tall grass trees growing.

But when I looked around, something red appeared at the edge of my vision.

Looking closely at the foggy ground, I noticed that there were about 10 cm of plants in the shape of red hands.

"Is this really a gauntlet?"

It was a kind of mushroom named Gaentake, rarely found in the mountains around Hashi village.Gaentake is a fairly toxic mushroom that, of course, cannot be eaten, but it is said to cause disease simply by touching it.

If a person enters the mountain behind Hashi Village and is poisoned, the first time they suspect the existence of this mushroom, they often think it is an unusual plant and touch it.

As a child, Ruth still remembers the mushroom because adults taught him what it looked like.

"Ah, so the trees seem strange around here...."

Not only that, but the horrible thing about Gaendake is that it depletes the surrounding trees.However, the dead trees seem to be good rotting soil, and the trees at a certain distance from the gaentake grow well and deepen the forest.When you become a veteran who knows the mountains well, you can tell from the bushes of the trees that there is a gaentake in the center.

"Wait a minute... I don't know what that root is!"

Ruth crouched to the side of the gauntlet and laid his face on the ground.

(Uhhh... the ground is rough with boulders)

I'm a little used to going through doors and walls, but passing through thick ground feels really bad.The ground is wet and cluttered, so it's a relief.I forced myself to screw in and open my eyes.

"This mushroom has roots..."

As far as Ruth knows, the mushrooms that inhabit this mountain have no roots tangled with tree-like ground.Most things are easy to hang by hand.But I found an incredibly large root in the gaentake right in front of me.

(Animals are huge, so it's no wonder plants are huge....)

The roots that stretched from the gaentake were thicker than the patterns that could be seen from the ground.Slightly more than tripled from where it came into contact with the ground, it still dives deep into the ground.This mushroom is unlikely to be easily removed after a little digging.

"... let's look ahead"

Though somewhat predictable, Ruth went straight into the ground to see the tip of the gauntlet roots.

There is no unpleasant feeling, but as I remember the breathless feeling of constant contact with the ground, I even go down.--And after a while, it reached a big cavity.

"--Noah, let's take a break."

"Yeah."

A voice like that can be heard from the corner of the cavity where Ruth's face came out.The voices were Rihala and Noah, whom I had just seen.

Ruth felt depressed at the unexpected development.

"I wonder if the roots of the trees that Rihalas were cutting belong to Gaendake... they're cutting them by touching them directly."

What Rihala and Noah are doing turns out to be very dangerous.

Gaendake is a toxic mushroom, so the roots are naturally toxic.It is also because my fingertips are red and contaminated, and my hair turns black.

Even though they are over bandages, they are able to continue working by touching them directly, so the root part is less toxic than the part of the gauntlet cap or the pattern, but it is decided that it is better not to touch it.

"I heard that gauntlets are highly poisonous, but I shredded their roots and gathered them for something... no, I'm sure they're poisonous, so they can be used for something."

Poison and medicine are both front and back. It is a famous story that if the amount is right, it will be both.I wonder if mackerel root sharpeners are used as poison or medicine.

Gaentake can only grow in a limited part of the mountain.Due to the intensity of the impact, it appears to have vitality, but it is a rather delicate mushroom.Fertility is also low. And because of the nature of the gaentake, it is difficult to imagine that it will be harvested and very precious - a material that is expensive.

"Nh... you can't do this."

Standing on the ground, Ruth looked at the two of them carrying bags and shouted.

"If you talk to the village chief or my father, you'll be on my side! So....!"

But the voice naturally didn't reach them, and they ignored Ruth and continued to work.

Ruth left the cave alone, frustrated by his inability to do anything.The outside light is dazzling and thinning.

"What the hell is he doing?"

I knew that Honza was using the children to harvest the roots of Gaenthalpy.And it's hard to make sure it's boxed as a "console", which is the name of a common seasoning.

However, it is said to be highly poisonous.The root part can't be a condiment like console.That must be a disguise to deceive your surroundings.

"Impersonation is evidence that you're doing something dark behind your back."

The fact that Honza has precious metals unlikely to be able to run a church or orphanage alone may also be due to Gaentakee's income.The merchant Ruth saw on the first day is likely to be an intermediary.

"Hmm? Where are you going now?"

While Ruth was thinking, Rihala and Noah came out of the cave and walked to another place.I follow him as if he's still messing with something else.

They come a little further from the cave to the side of the river where the trees are falling.When I finished washing my hands in the river, I threw my hand into the hole in the tree.

There's stuff in there.

When they take out the crate, they pull the pan, knife, igniter, and a slightly larger bag out of it.There was weed in the bag in the dried bread and mushrooms.

"This is how you were having lunch...."

I was worried that they didn't have lunch, but apparently they were using it as a storage and bringing food from the surrounding mountains when it was gone.Honza didn't prepare it, so I guess we gathered it together to do it ourselves.

At the same time that I am impressed by both of them, I am also angry at Honza for not fulfilling her responsibilities as the owner of the orphanage.

While Rihala was on fire, Noah prepared the pot.After a while, he started eating with a hard, dry bread and a soup of wild grass and mushrooms.

"I haven't eaten meat in a while...."

"Soon you'll be able to catch rap even in a trap....."

"What about the trap? You broke the previous one, didn't you?It was old..... "

"... I'm borrowing a trap from somewhere"

"I hope you won't ask me anything...."

……

Noah's murmuring made her face difficult to rehab.Then he pushed his hand into the hole again and took out a bundle of beautiful paper with several pieces.

"... is this how you threaten him? Then you'll buy me a trap."

"No, if he finds out we picked it up and hid it, he'll get mad."

Ruth worried about the paper they were looking at and turned around to peek into it.

(Besides... something like a gaentake ingredient list?)

Rihala's paper was carefully illustrated with a gauntlet.When you read the letters on the cover page, you can see that it is a research document with ecology and ingredients.It seems to have been studied by some research institute, and it is made quite well from the binding.

(I'm sure it was Honza who made this.He seems to be cautious, so is it strange to do that?)

A man who hides a cultivator with magic.It is highly probable that we have officially investigated whether it is a genuine gauntlet.

Rihala doesn't scroll the page, so I can't read it first, but I'm sure it says what kind of ingredients they're harvesting are made of and what effect it will have on humans.

"I knew it... I don't know what to do with this..."

Rihala unfortunately sighs and puts a bunch of paper back into the hole.

Rihala must have picked up this bundle of paper by accident and thought it might be useful for something.I keep it here, not in the church, because I can't find it in Honza.But it can't be used well, and it's staying the same, that's what it is.

(I'm sure this isn't enough to reveal what Honza's doing... but it's good evidence.)

It seems difficult to use alone, but when combined with other evidence, this will prove what Honza is doing.

"I know it's about Gaenduke, but... we can't read what he's writing in the first place."

I see.I wish I could at least read it.... "