In the end, just an herb gatherer.
Despite having crafted various plans in my head, my opinions were dismissed as re childish talk and turned into a joke.
「We need weapons for the village.」
I was fuming. I was about to explode with anger. Yet, seeing like this, Irinya nodded with a wry smile.
「Sooner or later, everyone will listen to you, Lars.」
「Do you really think so?」
As I tilted my head in response, Mikel and Rolf, who were advancing deeper into the forest, turned around.
「Hey!」
「Hurry up!」
In response to their calls, Irinya answered on my behalf.
「Oh, okay!」
Hearing her reply, Mikel and Rolf-nimbly climbed the trees and jumped onto large rocks. They resembled monkeys.
Thinking such things, I struggled to keep up through the forest. I believed that Lars, despite his age, was quite handso with long limbs—a model's build. However, being child-sized, it was challenging to traverse the forest, teeming with obstacles.
Why was I enduring such hardships? It was a simple matter; this was a continuation of our quest for dicinal herbs. We had found ral grass, but it was intended for treating abrasions and cuts. It wasn't sothing that could cure serious injuries, illnesses, or poisonings.
Thus, I, who was seen as the village's top herb expert, was sent out to search for rare dicinal herbs. What a harsh village this was, having a child work like this. A Black Village indeed, with a Black Village Chief nad Abel. Unforgivable.
However, if I successfully secured a rare dicinal herb, I would almost certainly be the next chief of the Black Village. Hmph. Everyone should offer the at they hunted to as a tax.
「... Even so, why is walking through the forest so difficult? Where is the person responsible for this?」
Complaining to myself, I tried to catch up to Irinya ahead. Her swaying tail tempted to touch it, but that would be sexual harassnt. Genius Lars rembered how, as a child, he once grabbed Irinya's tail, only to be t with her reprimanding gaze.
As I muttered such thoughts while pushing through the forest, Irinya slowed down out of concern and started walking beside . Smiling to reassure her, I raised my hand, just as a voice called from far ahead.
「Hey! There's so Naia grass over here!」
「Really?」
It was Mikel and Rolf's voices. Surprised, Irinya and I exchanged glances. Naia grass was a precious dicinal herb, one of our targeted rare herbs. Relieved, I patted my chest and turned to Irinya.
「That's great news. Shall we go gather it too?」
「Y-yes!」
Irinya responded and imdiately began to walk, but then she rembered and reached out her hand.
「Here, Lars. Take my hand.」
I thanked her as I took her hand, hurrying toward the depths of the forest. The previously dim view slowly brightened, indicating that we were near a cluster of Naia grass. I couldn't help but grin.
Just then, a loud noise erupted from the direction of the voices—an intense sound of collision and vibrations like a traffic accident. Birds that had been quietly lingering flapped wildly away.
It was clearly an unusual situation.
「I-I'm going ahead!」
Irinya exclaid and sprinted deeper into the forest, leaping over large rocks and disappearing into the light.
「I just want to grow up faster...!」
Muttering my dissatisfaction with my small body, I desperately ran through the forest. Suddenly, my eyes adjusted to the brightness as I ca upon the source of the noise.
There stood a massive creature with scales layered like red-brown rock and huge teeth visible through its gaping maw. It stood four ters high and spanned over ten ters in length. Though it lacked wings on its back, it was unmistakably a mber of the world's mightiest species—a dragon.
A dragon. Unlike the young dragon that attacked our wagon, this was undeniably a mature one. It might even have been the parent.
「Mikel! Rolf!」
Irinya called out their nas.
「Stay away!」
「Run, Irinya!」
Even as Mikel and Rolf shouted, they leapt to the sides. The ground shook under the weight of the earth dragon's mighty arm. Its speed belied its size, and the impact from its mass was beyond imagination.
「W-what should we do... Mikel and Rolf could die...!」
Irinya cried out, almost in tears, as the dragon continued to assault Mikel and Rolf with its arms and tail.
「... I haven't had ti to test it, so I'm uncertain, but I have no choice.」
After all, who knows what tomorrow holds for . I'll go all out.
With that thought, I passed Irinya, who was frozen in place, and stepped forward.
-------------= Author's Notes -------------=
If you found yourself curious about 'what happens next,' it would make happy if you could press the ☆ button at the bottom of the page!
It motivates the author!・:* .\(( °ω° ))/.:
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------= 【ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌ )】
The sequence is different from chapter 1, but still the sa.
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