The journey was boring.

Even though he spent more time talking with Charlotte, it was still boring.

He spent more time training, as if to shake off the loneliness.

Focusing on just one thing, his progress was fast.

While staying in the City where the Count resided, the Protagonist grew stronger, like a Castle.

When he was in the large Village, he was only at the level of a low-ranking Mage.

But now, he seemed to have become a mature intermediate-level Mage.

The Protagonist also developed a sense for Golems.

This was because he had defeated a Troll.

Trolls were strong Monsters. Most people wouldn’t even dare to challenge them.

The Golem defeated that monster.

Although the Protagonist also cast spells and received help from those around, he still defeated it.

It was proof.

That he was as strong as a Troll.

The Protagonist was essentially accompanied by a Golem that strong.

It was the same as before, but the Protagonist felt more confident.

He muttered the spell.

An Ice Arrow appeared.

He didn’t shoot it. He cast the spell one more time there.

No more Ice Arrows appeared.

Instead, even the Ice Arrows that had appeared fell to the ground.

It was a failure.

It seemed he would only be able to use magic continuously as before if he wore the Black Armor.

Still, just in case, he trained.

It was because there was nothing else to train.

In his dreams, he still hadn’t been taught new magic.

As a considerable amount of time passed.

People were seen.

They were refugees.

He had seen them in the large Village too.

These were people abandoning their Villages due to the war in The North.

It was an act of risking their lives.

Most people died in the land where they were born.

If you go to a foreign land, the local hostility is severe.

Above all, ordinary people had to live by tilling fields.

They had no skills.

They also had no money to live on during that time.

If they got sick, they just had to wait to die.

That’s why refugees were rarely seen.

Dying this way or that way was the same.

Unless Orcs stormed the village, they stayed.

But there were many refugees.

It was strange.

Every time they met, they screamed for help.

They were asking for food.

Many people were looking for a Priest.

The Soldiers at the front looked troubled.

The Knights drew their swords from their waists and shouted.

Their attitude towards people with no power was sharp.

But it was an understandable action.

Various parts of the refugees’ bodies were black, as if black mushrooms had sprouted.

The sizes varied.

Some had black spots the size of a fist, while others were black as if half their bodies were burnt.

It was a plague.

The Knights chased away every refugee they saw, fearing the disease would spread.

Later, they prevented any refugees from even approaching them.

Among them, there were some refugees who were truly determined to rush forward.

“We haven’t eaten anything for over three days!”

“Please…! Help us!”

“Get lost!”

A refugee grabbed the Knight’s arm.

Even when threatened with a sword, they did so.

The Knight, startled, kicked the person who clung to them, calling them a Gnoll.

Given the Knight’s reaction, not even a Soldier’s, they should have been able to avoid it before being grabbed. The Capital City was prepared for such events.

It seemed completely unexpected.

The Knight shook their arm as if disgusted.

They laughed, wondering if anything bad would happen.

Despite their words, their face was terrified.

The Soldiers nearby distanced themselves.

Charlotte frowned.

They often encountered groups of refugees.

It was because the Plague was spreading severely.

People did not want to die a painful death.

Even those who did not move when war broke out could not endure the Plague.

There was no certainty that the Protagonists would not contract the Plague.

They still had about ten more days to travel to reach the fortress City on the Front Line.

Before that, they decided to stop at a Village.

It was to obtain Herbs to treat the Plague.

It seemed they could find them in a large Village.

It wasn’t a bad idea, just in case.

When Herbs were mentioned, the thought occurred that it would be good to smell them and remember their scent.

It would be good if they could make an herbal remedy for the Plague, just like they had made Potions.

Perhaps they could do something even greater than helping the injured earlier.

Potions could be obtained in a reasonably large Village.

However, the Plague seemed different.

I thought the healing herbs would be valuable.

They seemed harder to find than potions, at least.

There was also a high demand.

From what I heard, there wasn’t just one village where the plague had spread.

Seeing so many refugees meant there was chaos.

If I could make herbal water, it would be a great help.

Perhaps because the city was ten days away, there were many villages nearby.

I went to the largest of them.

I left the ice golem at the entrance.

This was because I was worried people would mistake it for a gnoll.

I looked around.

The atmosphere of the village was gloomy.

For a large village, there weren’t many passersby out and about.

But there were people.

I could see eyes through the cracks in the cabin windows.

They seemed extremely wary of outsiders.

It was strange.

A village this size shouldn’t have been so concerned.

It seemed they were afraid of people because of the epidemic.

Charlotte first looked for the village chief.

When she asked a passerby, they said he was in the Village Assembly Hall.

Sick people were gathered there.

As soon as she saw that, she frowned.

It was because she thought it would be difficult to get herbs.

And sure enough.

The middle-aged man who was the Village Chief, immediately knelt down as soon as he saw Charlotte, who was clearly a Knight.

“Oh dear! Sir Knight. There is nothing in our Village. This time, because of the Plague, even the villagers are dying if they catch it.”

“You don’t have any Herbs?”

“That’s right.”

Rael subtly stepped forward.

“Not even one?”

“I-I really used it all. Please save us! Master Mage!”

The Village Chief looked at them, then bowed deeply from his waist while still on his knees, rubbing his hands together.

It was the reaction of someone who had encountered bandits.

It was natural for the Village Chief to react that way.

Even if the army just stood still, it cost money.

What Charlotte was leading was enough to plunder a small territory.

Among the Nobles, there were many who would practically loot Villages, calling it requisition, to cover military expenses.

From the villagers’ perspective, passing Knights were more malicious than bandits.

Rael thought he needed to clear up the misunderstanding first.

He cast a spell.

The Village Chief gasped as a Water Mass suddenly appeared.

“Th-This is?”

“It’s water that can heal wounds.”

“A po-Potion, sort of?”

“Similar.”

The Village Chief quickly had a young man next to him bring a wooden bucket.

He poured the water into it and asked them to try it.

Besides the sick, there were also several injured people.

When the herbal water was poured on their wounds, the wounds slowly but surely began to heal.

The Village Chief was surprised once again.

Rael said that if the Protagonist found Herbs, they could also make water that could cure the Plague.

The Village Chief just gaped for a long time, as if he couldn’t believe what he had seen.

“Wh-what do you mean? Is that really possible? It’s not even Magic…”

“You scoundrel! Lord Rael is a Mage!”

The Knight shouted from beside him.

It was Sir Ratt.

The Village Chief opened his mouth as if he had realized something.

It seemed he had recalled once again that the person he was facing was a Mage.

“Ah…!”

The Middle-aged man bowed his head again.

“If that’s really possible… this, this is truly a tremendous thing!”

His expression changed.

“This area is currently in chaos due to the Plague. There isn’t a single Village where the Plague hasn’t spread. If what the Mage says is true, everyone will flock here.”

“Are there no Herbs at all?”

“It’s been quite a while since the Plague broke out. We’ve already used up everything we had. Even if there were any, no one would hand them over. The Protagonist needs them in case of an emergency.”

“Is there anywhere else to get them?”

“There is, but… it’s a bit dangerous.”

It meant the Herbs grew in a dangerous place.

When I frowned, the Village Chief grabbed my pant leg.

“Mage! Please… we’ll give you everything… Can’t you get us some Herbs?”

I shook my head.

It wasn’t an urgent enough matter to take such a risk.

Above all, it wasn’t a problem for the Protagonist alone to decide.

I left the spot.

It felt like I would catch the Plague if I stayed with the sick.

Charlotte heard the Soldiers reporting.

Each of the Soldiers told the stories they had heard.

“It seems the Plague hasn’t been around for a year.”

“What about the Herbs?”

“There’s no need to get them right away. Even if it’s the Plague, it’s not a critical illness that kills immediately. They say it can last for a while.”

It seemed Charlotte intended to leave as is.

Although it was regrettable that the Plague was spreading in the Village, she didn’t seem inclined to risk getting Herbs.

Wasting time was a big problem. Going to the City instead of searching might be a better choice.

Charlotte seemed sure that there would be some Herbs in the Great City.

It seemed similar epidemics had occurred a few times before.

She also added that perhaps the Orcs’ Shaman had spread the Curse.

Hearing it was a Curse made me feel relieved.

More than that, the plague was scarier.

But he couldn’t leave the village.

The next day, sick people appeared with black mushrooms blooming all over their bodies.

Some of the knights were also infected with the plague.

It was the knight whose arm had been grabbed by a refugee on the way.

The soldiers’ condition was bad.

The remaining soldiers were also anxious.

He went to the Village Chief again.

It was uncertain if the soldiers would last until the city, which was a ten-day journey away.

“Where did you say I could get herbs?”

“Why the sudden change…?”

The Village Chief seemed flustered by the change in our attitude.

Our soldiers have caught the Plague.

Oh…

The Village Chief expressed his sympathy.

But despite his words, he seemed secretly pleased.

It was probably because he could get the herbs.

He tried his best not to show it.

He seemed to know that offending a Noble would cost him his head.

You said the place where the herbs are is dangerous.

That’s right. If we were to go, we’d have to go there, but…

What’s dangerous, beggar?

Monsters are roaming around.

Monsters?

They are large lizards with flames around their bodies. If you see one, you must run away.

It’s the habitat of salamanders.

That’s right. It’s so dangerous that people don’t even go near there.

How do you get the herbs, beggar?

They disappear somewhere in the cold winter. It seems they hibernate in a warm place. We collect them then.

Now… it’s summer, so that won’t work.

If we’re lucky, there’s a capital city where we won’t have to fight.

The Village Chief said, watching his reaction.

It was a lie.

It seemed like he was saying it because he was worried they might leave as is.

Charlotte asked about the salamanders in detail. How big they were and how many there were.

She seemed to know how dangerous the salamanders were.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have asked about their size.

Rael knew it too.

The Salamander Castle might give out low-grade magic stones.

He couldn’t even guess how terrifying it would be.

Even if it was a baby, he would hesitate to fight it.

If it weren’t for the ice golem, he probably wouldn’t have fought.

The image of the salamander baby he first saw remained strongly in his mind.

Just thinking about that time sent shivers down his spine.

The Village Chief also mentioned that some young people had gone to get herbs.

They were supposed to return in a few days, but waiting until then was inconvenient.

Charlotte pondered, stroking her chin.

As her deliberation lengthened, the Village Chief grew anxious.

He rolled his eyes and spoke.

“Well… there is someone who might have herbs.”

“Who is it?”

“It’s a man named Vincent, a rather influential friend in this village.”

In a large village, there were local dignitaries besides the Village Chief.

It seemed he was the one holding the herbs.

Charlotte raised her voice.

“What? If such a thing existed, shouldn’t you have said so earlier!”

The Village Chief cowered.

His body trembled pitifully.

Charlotte’s shout was not something an ordinary person could endure.

“Well, I only heard it as a rumor. The authenticity wasn’t certain, so it was difficult to say.”

“A rumor, huh. Let’s go there first.”

They headed to where Vincent, who might have the herbs, was located.

He built a mansion and lived quite far from where the Village Chief was.

He was said to be a local bigwig, and it seemed he shared the village equally with the Village Chief.

There was even a gatekeeper at the entrance of the mansion.

They looked like mercenaries and initially scowled, but when Charlotte approached with soldiers behind her, they startled and stepped aside, whimpering.

Charlotte seemed too bothered to even talk, so she barged into the mansion.

In what appeared to be an office, there was a portly man with a big belly.

He seemed to be the Vincent the Village Chief had mentioned.

He listened to the situation and then immediately shouted,

“There are no herbs!”

“None?”

“There really aren’t any… please save me!”

He, too, trembled.

It seemed he had quite a gang, but their armament was only at the level of cheap mercenaries.

They couldn’t stand up to a Knight whom even spear-knives couldn’t harm.

“Can I search the warehouse?”

“The, the warehouse?”

“If what you said is true, aren’t there no herbs?”

“Please don’t do this. There really aren’t any. No matter how much I have, if there were any left, I would have used them for the villagers, wouldn’t I?”

Vincent knelt and rubbed his hands together.

At first, he was somewhat defiant, but when Charlotte pressed hard, he quickly became servile.

“There really aren’t any, are there?”

Charlotte drew the sword from her waist and placed it against Vincent’s neck.

Vincent whimpered, almost fainting, but still blurted out that there were none.

Only after seeing his expression did Charlotte put away her sword.

“If he’s still saying that even after being threatened like this, it seems there really aren’t any.”

“What if it’s a lie?”

“If he’s the kind of guy who’d lie even in a situation like this, then I guess we’ll have to be fooled.”

Even as Charlotte said that, she had the Soldier search the Warehouse.

There was nothing in the Warehouse.

There was some food, but that was all.

There was no gain whatsoever.

Now they had to find the Herbs.

She thought they might have to fight the Salamander.

Charlotte prepared to go get the Herbs.

The situation was urgent.

If a Knight were to die from the Plague, it would be a huge loss.

They couldn’t lose human resources like Knights to something like the Plague.

The Village Chief stopped them.

He said that an Herbalist had already gone to find the Herbs, so they should wait a few days.

The Herbalist had also taken Villagers and Mercenaries with him.

If they came back with the Herbs, there would be no need to overexert themselves.

The Salamander was a large Monster.

If they fought, there would be casualties.

Charlotte deliberated and decided to wait a little longer.

She first checked the condition of the injured.

Just in case, she also gave them the Potion water that the Protagonist had made.

It seemed to have some effect.

Those afflicted with the Plague expressed their gratitude.

I hadn’t even cured the disease, but it felt like a burden.

As the Village Chief said, I hoped that those who left first would bring the herbs as soon as possible.

If there was even one herb, people could be saved.

However, unlike what was said, that people would return even tomorrow, two days passed and no one returned.

Some impatient Knights grabbed the Village Chief by the collar and pressed him.

Their comrade was sick in bed, making them sensitive.

Charlotte was deep in thought.

She seemed to be hesitating about whether to go get the herbs.

She feared that encountering even a single Salamander would result in significant casualties.

Attempting to save her sick subordinates could lead to more subordinates dying or getting injured.

She had no choice but to deliberate.

In the midst of that, people appeared.

They were not the herbalists the Village Chief had mentioned.

They were mercenaries who had come asking for herbs.

They seemed to think that since our group was quite large, we must have herbs.

“Does that even make sense?”

When told there were no herbs, the other party didn’t believe it.

“Are you looking down on us because we’re mercenaries? Give us just one while we’re being nice.”

Instead, they raised their voices and picked a fight.

They seemed quite confident in their abilities.

This continued even after Charlotte appeared.

I wondered if the mercenary was insane.

He was indeed a large mercenary.

He looked like a walking bear, and his face was menacing with a diagonal knife scar running from his cheekbone across his lip.

He also wore chainmail, so his armor was quite good.

The Mercenary looked Charlotte up and down and sneered.

“So women are running around with swords these days, huh?”

It was an insolent attitude that a Noble could not tolerate.

But Charlotte didn’t point it out.

In her opinion, the opponent seemed to be very skilled.

The Protagonist didn’t know much.

Because he was a Mage, not a Swordsman.

Unless he saw them fight, he couldn’t tell how skilled they were.

There was a number of opponents.

There were about ten thugs behind the Mercenary.

They were all quite well-armed.

They all seemed to be at least intermediate-level Mercenaries.

Lower-level Mercenaries couldn’t afford such equipment.

He felt that they weren’t weak enough to be forced to their knees just for being a little unruly.

“I don’t care about your attitude.”

Charlotte drew her sword and swung it.

It was very fast.

She was strong.

She was a female Knight with the skill to even take down Orc Chieftains.

The Mercenary’s skill was also considerable.

He blocked the blow.

His reaction was fast.

Even so, perhaps due to a lack of skill, his bear-like large body staggered.

“But know your place.”

“Heh heh… For a woman, your hand is sharp. I’ll keep that in mind.”

The mercenary’s hand trembled as he put down the iron club.

The mercenary was secretly surprised.

He had even beaten a knight to death with his fists, yet his hand was tingling from a single blow from that seemingly delicate woman.

The woman was strong.

The fact that he was weaker than his opponent made the mercenary retreat.

Charlotte asked about the situation.

The mercenary, now slightly humbled, readily spoke.

It wasn’t a particularly special situation.

A comrade in his mercenary company had contracted the plague and had rushed to the village.

“Damn it. This is still the biggest village, so I came here in a hurry. But it’s like this. I thought you people would be a little different. Since there’s nothing here, I’ll have to go look for it myself.”

“That place is dangerous. Will you be alright? Your comrade might die.”

“If you’re a man, it’s about loyalty, isn’t it? Loyalty. I can’t just watch my comrade die.”

The mercenary let out a hearty laugh.

The surrounding mercenaries also nodded in agreement.

As he said, he seemed to have loyalty.

Perhaps it was because they hadn’t properly fought yet.

When exposed to dangerous situations, people reveal their true colors.

No matter how much they pretend to care, people would abandon even their family if it seemed like the protagonist would die.

In any case, it was a good thing that the mercenary had joined them.

It would have been burdensome to go look for herbs with only Charlotte’s subordinates.

With the mercenaries, their losses would be reduced even if a battle occurred.

Charlotte selected her people.

She had to decide on the number of people to get the herbs.

Too many would also be problematic.

They had to go with an appropriate number.

Charlotte only chose those with exceptional skills.

The Protagonist was among them.

Before leaving, they headed to the Village entrance.

They had to retrieve the Ice Golem they had left at the entrance.

Since the Salamander was wreathed in fire, an Ice Golem seemed like it would be more effective against it.

They joined the others with the Golem.

Perhaps because they had seen it before, the Soldiers didn’t react to the Golem.

However, the Mercenaries were different.

“A-a Golem!”

A Mercenary screamed.

“What is that?!”

“It’s coming this way!!”

Even the large Mercenary was startled and everyone started shouting.

As the Golem approached, they thought it was attacking the Protagonists and lost their minds.

“Calm down! You idiots!!”

The commotion only subsided after Charlotte stepped forward and yelled.

She explained to the Mercenaries that it was a Golem controlled by their Mage.

Then she pointed at the Protagonist.

The Mercenaries looked over.

It took a long explanation before they finally calmed down.

Even after entering the Forest, they occasionally glanced at the Golem as it walked, stepping on trees.

They walked, treading on the grass of the path.

Amidst this, someone quietly approached.

It was the large Mercenary who had previously challenged Charlotte.

He seemed curious about the Mage and asked various questions.

He repeatedly asked if Protagonist was really the one moving that Golem.

He also said the Golem was strong. He didn’t seem to believe it when I said it even fought and defeated a Troll.

The Mercenary also told me several things.

His name was Horn.

He seemed to be a Special Grade Mercenary.

I was slightly surprised.

I didn’t know there was something above High Grade.

Since he was a Special Grade Mercenary, it seemed he could even stand up to Knights.

He wasn’t as good as Charlotte, but Horn seemed to be on the level of a Low Grade Knight.

He might have even been slightly stronger than that.

“I’ve been active in The North since before the war broke out. My Mercenary group is well-known.”

The Mercenary group numbered just over ten, but every single one of them was skilled.

There were three High Grade Mercenaries, and the rest were Intermediate Grade Mercenaries.

He said he had been active in the previous City but was moving on to another place.

“I was pushed out by some strange guy. Bruno, he’s skilled, but his methods are dirty. He repeatedly stole credit from me.”

“Bruno?”

I was surprised by the name that suddenly popped up while we were talking.

Bruno was in the City.