GILF Hunter

Chapter 482: 482 Gauging the Situation

After receiving the mysterious seed from the Ent.

Rin took a brief tour of the Witch’s garden under the Ent’s guidance. Many truly strange flowers were blooming inside the garden.

’Ah. What is that?’

’It is a wild herb called —. Dwarves particularly grow it often to brew liquor.’

’Dwarves? Where are those people from?’

’Have you never seen them? They were short and always carried a lot of iron. They handled fire mana well.’

’U-umm... if it’s iron and fire. Are you talking about the people from the South...?’

Whenever Rin discovered an interesting-looking plant and showed interest, the Ent kindly provided an explanation.

The problem was that she couldn’t understand the explanation at all.

Perhaps because he was incredibly old, he kept using ancient words she had never even heard of, so Rin couldn’t comprehend the Ent’s descriptions at all.

After the tour of the garden ended—one where she asked many questions but gained no actual results.

Rin, having finished looking around the garden, returned to Ian’s side.

’Ah, Leader! You were here.’

’You’re back?’

’Yes. I received this from there!’

Rin showed Ian the seed she had brought from the garden.

’I didn’t know what was what, so I took what the Ent mister recommended. What is this?’

’...What is this?’

Tilting his head, Ian checked the information on the seed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Unknown Seed]

- No effect

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

’...’

Even looking at the item information, he couldn’t figure out what it was. It was an item that wasn’t in his memory at all.

Ian briefly tried to recall the items from the Witch’s Forest and materials used in alchemy once more, but he didn’t remember an item like this.

Almost everything from the Witch’s garden was an alchemical material.

Since there were no items he absolutely had to get from here, he had told Rin to just pick anything.... And Rin had brought back a truly unfamiliar object.

’Do you not know what it is either, Leader?’

’This... I’ll have to see it grow to know.’

Was it an item from some mod he hadn’t fully grasped? Or was it a unique plant of this place that hadn’t appeared in the game?

After contemplating the seed’s identity for a moment, Ian decided to just think about it comfortably.

It was a seed, after all. The usage for such things was almost always the same. If they planted it and grew it, they would be able to check the results later.

Rin seemed to have a similar thought as she nodded.

’Then I’ll try growing it. He told me to keep it near me while growing it.’

’Right. Then I’ll buy you a pot when we get back.’

While talking with Rin, Tanya and the other members who had been circling the garden returned.

Everyone’s backpacks were full of materials harvested from here and there.

’Leader. We’ve packed everything.’

’Us too. We gathered as much [Shadow Flame] as possible.’

And the expedition members who had scattered individually also began to return, laden with items.

Seeing everyone gathered in one place again, the Ent approached once more and spoke.

’Have you gathered everything you need?’

’Yes. Can we really just take all of this?’

’Do not worry about it. They are trivial things.’

The Ent lifted a root and pointed toward a newly formed passage on one side of the cave. It was the passage the expedition would use to leave.

’The way out is this way. It is nice and noisy for a change with guests visiting.’

’...’

Was he saying it was good, or was it a nuisance? Receiving the Ent’s farewell, the meaning of which was hard to tell, the expedition headed out of the garden.

Everyone ascended back to the Witch’s Forest through the path the Ent had opened. After all the members had exited, the passage was blocked by tree roots and bushes, becoming invisible.

Perhaps it was a different passage near where they had entered; the Ent who had been blocking the entrance was nowhere to be seen.

When Ariel looked around, she only then caught a glimpse of the Ent’s massive silhouette far in the distance.

Ariel, looking over the large bags carried by the members who followed up, muttered.

’This would be among the top three for loot income even among the expeditions I’ve been on.’

’...Circle Master, have you been on an expedition more expensive than this?’

’When I brought back a gem called the [Eye of Dawn], five nobles who came to the auction pooled their money to buy it.’

For most of the members, it was their first experience with a Labyrinth treasure room. It was certain that each had set a record for their highest single-expedition income.

But it seemed they still couldn’t break the record of an A-rank mercenary with a long career.

Ian, who briefly opened the map to check their current location, spoke to Ariel and the members.

’Let’s head back to the camp, rest a bit, and look around other places.’

’Look around more?’

’Everyone, you came in here to find [Thunderstruck Branches], didn’t you?’

’Ah....’

It seemed everyone had momentarily forgotten their original purpose due to the sudden large harvest.

The original goal of the expedition was the material for the bows the Circle members would use.

What they had just brought were certainly valuable items, but since they were all alchemical materials, the equipment material [Thunderstruck Branch] was not among them.

’We have to pack these.’

Ian pointed to the Witch’s map.

On that map, not only the garden’s location but also the locations of various objects within the forest were marked.

When told there was more to be gained here, what mercenary could refuse that?

In the end, it was another three days before the expedition returned from the forest.

＊ ＊ ＊

As soon as news of Ian’s return was heard, the two alchemists came to find him.

Louise and Emilia. There could only be one reason why the two came so urgently.

’Leader! You’re back!’

’Did you get [Shadow Flame]?’

The eyes of the two alchemists were already sparkling.

Since Ian had anticipated the two wouldn’t be able to wait and would come looking for him first, he lifted the bag he had prepared in advance.

’Yes. It’s in here.’

’There should be at least three, right? Two is too few.’

’Just how much are you trying to use alone? Even two is enough for everyone to share....’

Ian lifted a small backpack and handed the whole thing to Louise.

Louise, receiving it, felt the weight of the seemingly full backpack and was slightly taken aback.

Was it one of the backpacks where loot was stored? Come to think of it, since it hadn’t been long since he returned, the loot wouldn’t have been sorted yet.

She realized belatedly that she had come too early due to her impatient heart.

Louise said with an awkward smile.

’Is this a backpack containing alchemical materials? We’ll sort out the rest of the items. Let’s see...’

Louise, who had slightly opened the backpack, froze in place.

Because the contents were full, she had thought various spoils were packed together, but everything inside was [Shadow Flame].

Louise asked Ian in a trembling voice.

’T-this... just how many are there?’

’Probably about thirty.’

’How could there be this many...?’

’I luckily found a place where materials were gathered in abundance inside.’

Could one really gather this much regardless? Louise just stared blankly down at the bag in her hand, unable to react any further.

And, just then, a calling voice was heard from the floor below.

’Leader! The materials sent from the Circle have arrived just now!’

’It seems they’ve arrived just in time. Let’s go see together.’

’Eh? W-what?’

’You’ll know when you see it.’

Ian took the two alchemists down to the floor below.

The first-floor living room was strewn with numerous alchemical materials.

Not common bundles of materials sold at alchemical shops, but all rare materials that couldn’t be obtained by normal means.

They were items that an ordinary alchemist would only see the names of in books and never have the chance to use personally.

What had just been delivered were materials sent by the Circle members who had participated in the expedition together.

Ian had agreed to receive a portion of the materials brought from the garden, and because of the number of people in the expedition, even a portion combined into a massive amount.

Since it was an amount he couldn’t bring personally, he had asked them to send it to the base after returning, and it had now arrived.

’This is just...’

Suddenly, Louise looked at Emilia standing next to her with a strange face.

Surely Emilia should have the biggest reaction. Strangely, she had shown no response since a moment ago.

Gazing at the backpacks of materials filling the lobby, Emilia, who had been silent, nodded.

And she took out a small potion bottle from her pocket.

It was a [Hallucination Cure Potion].

As she thought, something had been strange for a while.

Spores with hallucinogenic effects must have been attached to some of the brought materials.

It was something that often happened in alchemical workshops.

Emilia calmly drank the cure potion.

Emilia, having drunk the potion to treat her hallucination... blinked with a dazed face when the materials before her eyes still didn’t disappear.

’U-umm... is it not of this type? Other antidotes aren’t on me right now...’

Perhaps because she overthought things. Emilia didn’t seem likely to easily accept the unrealistic sight before her.

Louise left Emilia behind and immediately began checking the materials.

’If we have materials to this extent... we could make anything...!’

’You must not make anything strange.’

’What do you mean strange!’

’You know what it is.’

Louise replied like that, but her eyes were glinting wickedly. This was definitely a face thinking about making something strange.

Since it was likely like an alchemist’s instinct. He didn’t know if stopping her would have any effect no matter how much he tried.

The best thing would be for Ian to monitor them steadily... but he didn’t have the time to stick by these two and watch what they were doing.

But there were people who could monitor them on Ian’s behalf.

Ian quietly spoke to Mika and Airi, who were nearby.

’You two, you’ve been visiting the workshop often lately when you study, right?’

’Ah, yes. There are materials we use together, and things to ask... so we drop by often.’

’Keep an eye out to see if they’re researching anything strange, and if you find something suspicious, tell me immediately.’

’What do you mean strange?’

Ariel’s words did bother him a little. It would be best to avoid getting caught up in trouble if possible.

’An immortality elixir... or something like that. You know, prohibited research items.’

’T-that... yes. If those two research something like that, I’ll let you know.’

Mika nodded while awkwardly gauging the situation.