LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 95
Karem returned to Coldon.
After experiencing autumn, winter, and spring, it was his first time encountering summer in Iceland.
The dry and cool autumn and winter, unlike the chilly and humid spring, made summer in Coldon feel exceptionally pleasant.
Right now, it felt like the season of abundant harvests from a distant past, even by the standards of his previous life.
Having grown accustomed to the damp cold, it was natural that the faces of those traveling between Coldon and Winterhome reflected a delightful sense of liberation.
The escorting adventurers disbanded at the main gate of Winterhome.
Before long, the approaching servants drove the wagon toward the Wizard’s Tower.
As the group unloaded their luggage in front of the tower, the wagon simply turned and left.
It had been a while, and the feeling was undeniable.
While Catherine stood blankly in place, Narque stared in confusion, Karem, on the other hand, directly asked.
“Aren’t you going inside the tower?”
“I was just taking a moment to look around outside.”
In response, Catherine examined the tower’s outer walls intently.
Her gaze was akin to that of a real estate agent checking the condition of the building.
“There appear to be no changes to the exterior.”
“Changes? Did you perhaps make any expansions?”
“No, I was just checking to see if there were any damages.”
“What do you mean by that?”
It seemed odd to consider there might be anything to break in the tower, but upon thinking it through, it made sense.
The residents of the Wizard’s Tower were predominantly wizards, after all.
If they had enough time to recite incantations, it was only natural that they would unleash massive bombardments according to their skill level, like clever cannons.
Narque nodded, flicking his ears.
“With heated debates, they could easily end up casting spells at each other.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
Karem’s gaze instinctively drifted toward Catherine.
“…..What’s that look, kid?”
“Oh, nothing. Just recalling something from this winter.”
“What are you thinking? I sense a hint of rudeness.”
“Why did you and that Olivier fellow end up throwing spells at each other?”
“Because that old coot pissed me off.”
“Is that a frequent occurrence among wizards?”
“Yeah.”
Catherine declared it confidently, leaving Karem bewildered.
“Well, it doesn’t happen frequently, but occasionally it does. It’s like how people argue in a tavern until fists start flying.”
“Oh, in that sense?”
“Uh, yeah. Something like that.”
Narque waved his hand dismissively, as if it was commonplace.
“That’s a relief, then.”
Catherine crossed her arms and muttered.
“Of course, it’s common for experiments to go awry when working with potions; explosions from miscalculating ratios are expected, and if monsters brought in for experiments manage to escape, chaos ensues.”
“Well, that certainly sounds very specific. Sir Atanitas, it’s almost as if you’ve experienced it personally.”
“Every time I think of that old coot, my teeth grind together.”
Was it simply luck that such incidents didn’t occur while Karem was present?
As Karem sighed in relief over his good fortune, Mary opened the Mage Tower’s main door with a nonchalant expression.
“Welcome back, Contractor. Karem junior. You took longer than expected.”
“Ah, there were unexpected events.”
“The tower got a bit noisy for a moment. I suppose it was related.”
Mary immediately hoisted up the luggage with a murmur.
Seeing the long-awaited spectacle, Karem felt nostalgic.
After all, the luggage contained only a few items.
One trunk each for Catherine and Narque’s belongings.
Though the size was such that Karem could easily lie down inside, it was more than enough to easily pin down even stronger men.
Yet, Mary’s body appeared as if she hadn’t exercised a day in her life.
While Catherine’s magic was indeed impressive, Mary’s incredible strength never ceased to amaze Karem. Was this indeed the legendary practical compression-type muscle?
Meanwhile, Catherine strode confidently to the top of the tower while Narque, startled, hurried off somewhere, leaving only Mary and Karem in the corridor.
“By the way, Karem junior. What’s that item you’re holding in your right hand?”
“Oh, this?”
At those words, Karem lifted a bulging leather pouch filled with something round.
“It’s one of the spoils from this outing.”
“It smells nutty.”
“It’s an Akusare Mushroom.”
“Ah, an Akusare Mushroom.”
Mary’s previous indifference faded, replaced by glimmering eyes of anticipation.
She had tasted the Akusare Mushroom a few times before.
It was from a past contract not in the Kingdom of Seophone, but on the mainland.
Yet, that taste, aroma, and texture had been etched into her memory.
Given her love for bread, milk, and butter, it was only natural that she seriously contemplated elevating Akusare Mushrooms to fourth place in her favorites.
Ultimately, the reason it never reached fourth wasn’t due to taste but rather the circumstances.
It was simply far too difficult and expensive to procure.
Of course, no matter how precious and delicious an ingredient may be, it would be worthless if the cook’s skills were atrocious, but Mary firmly believed in Karem’s culinary abilities.
“Well, I deep-fried it whole in Fungusbee.”
“Deep-fried it whole?!”
“I was planning to experiment in various ways, and I think this might be the last time I’ll have the chance.”
“…Last time? What do you mean by that?”
As he observed Mary’s flustered expression, Karem lightly tapped his pouch.
“The Fungusbee forest is now overrun with Mushroom Golems, so I can no longer acquire any more Akusare Mushrooms.”
“What do you mean, what relation do Golems have with mushrooms? Wait, did you say Mushroom Golem?”
“Yep. The highly sought-after Akusare Mushrooms have been replaced by Mushroom Golems.”
In other words, this was the last Akusare Mushroom from Iceland, or rather…
The unique title sparked a dizzying realization in Mary.
Meanwhile, Karem returned to his room.
Though any space where people live would gather dust if left vacant for just a day, Karem’s small room next to the kitchen was spotless.
Perhaps it had been regularly ventilated, but the refreshing scent of Iceland’s summer filled the room.
It was evident who had cleanly tidied up the space.
All kinds of spices and cooking tools were set aside to be brought to the kitchen, and the laundry that Mary had left was placed in the laundry basket.
A precious magic tool, Karem tucked away the sword of Felwinter’s Lie and finally fidgeted with the last item he held.
“So, what should I do with this?”
A single bean, distinctly resembling a kidney bean with a bright green hue and a black edge.
And a chunk of ice that had come flying in through the window, striking the head of an unnamed traveler.
While the bean was utterly beyond Karem’s comprehension, he did recall something about the hail.
The question was, if that was really the case…
“It’s an extremely valuable item.”
Reflecting on that moment, Karem felt half-convinced.
The owner of this hail was most likely Skadi.
And the seasoned fried chicken taken without permission was undoubtedly hers.
As the unnamed traveler attempted to mention Skadi, he was promptly struck down by the hail, which only solidified Karem’s assumptions.
In that case, it was certainly a humorous situation, but there was no doubt that the hail was a highly valuable item.
After all, it was something that a god intervened with directly!
Thinking it over, several uncanny aspects came to mind.
From its appearance, a perfect sphere showing no signs of melting even after some time, to the astonishing power that surrounded the room with gentle cold the moment it was taken out from the pouch.
“It could possibly be a holy relic.”
Given that even items used by saints in a previous life were revered as holy relics, it wasn’t without reason to think that the same wouldn’t hold true in Europha.
And Karem was well aware of someone who could confirm this potentially divine hail.
…
…
…
“Oh dear, the timing is off, isn’t it?”
“Hmm? Isn’t Elder Iona around?”
“She went out a few days ago to inspect Felwinter Ridge.”
“I see, thank you.”
Karem bowed politely to the priestess, who returned the gesture before he waved her off.
Indeed, he could say this was a stroke of bad luck.
To have returned to the castle only to find that she had already stepped out.
Karem felt lost, as if he had set out to visit a restaurant only to find it closed upon arrival.
“Wait, can’t I just ask the priestess?”
Karem whipped his head around.
However, the priestess had disappeared well beyond the corridor.
Running in the direction she might have gone seemed bothersome, so Karem neatly gave up.
“Well, it’s not like she’s gone forever, so I can visit her later.”
“Hmm? Who are you looking for?”
Suddenly, there was no trace of movement behind him.
A familiar voice with a familiar rhythm tapped on his back.
Karem turned around to greet the figure.
“Good day, Lady Alicia.”
“Hehe! That’s right! It’s Alicia! But who are you looking for?”
“Oh, I was hoping to see Elder Iona.”
“Hmm? I heard she went out a few days ago.”
“Yes. I wanted to ask a few questions.”
The child had grown significantly, now staring with bright, curious eyes.
With no real reason to hide, Karem pulled out the bean and hail.
“I wanted to ask about these.”
“A bean and some ice, right? Why do you have those?”
“Hmm…”
Karem pondered for a moment.
The encounter with the unnamed traveler. The ice that struck a god.
It was perfect for being dismissed as a lie.
Meanwhile, Alicia studied the ice sphere and peculiar bean intently.
She likely expected something more exciting, only to find a chunk of ice and a bean.
Her anticipation fizzled out, but she soon sensed something unusual.
The subject was clearly the ice sphere.
Smooth and perfectly proportioned, it showed no signs of melting over time, exuding a gentle chill.
Even lacking in age and experience, Alicia could instinctively sense it was no ordinary item.
However, that was the extent of her realization.
It wasn’t something edible.
“What the ice sphere is, I’m not sure, but someone might be able to answer about that bean.”
“Really?”
“Corvus knows everything about plants.”
“Oh, that’s true.”
The massive crow monster, Corvus, was even entrusted by the Duke to manage the plants in the greenhouse.
He likely would have some insight.
“But, Lady Alicia, it’s still bright out.”
“Huh? What does that matter?”
“Isn’t it still class time?”
At those words, Alicia awkwardly flinched and began glancing at Karem.
As expected, the free-spirited soul couldn’t stand the boredom of her tutoring session and had escaped.
Moreover, judging by Alicia’s reaction, it seemed her tutor, Madam Poppins, had returned while Catherine was away.
What on earth was a lady supposed to do about this?
Karem’s worries were only natural.
Even if Alicia had run away from her lessons, she wasn’t in a position where Karem could forcibly take her anywhere.
But Alicia was the one to make the first move.
In this situation…!
“…Eh!!!”
“Wh-what!? Lady Alicia?”
“Let’s go see Corvus! Corvus will definitely know about that bean!”
Alicia chose to enlist Karem as an accomplice!