Chapter 29: Mina and Louis

 

 

 

Chapter 29: Mina and Louis

 

WITH every step Aki’s shoes sunk deeper into the dirt. The leafy, rocky mountain trail was harder to walk on than she expected. Desperately pushing herself to trudge the path with wooden legs, Aki looked up at the clear sky through the gaps in the overgrown trees.

Sunlight trickled down through the thick canopy of leaves. She squinted at the brightness and dropped her eyes to the moist, mossy dirt giving off a pleasant outdoorsy smell at her feet. The path was mostly in the shade because of how difficult it was for the sun to break through the foliage, but fresh air filled the forest instead of gloominess.

According to Mina’s Quest Form, the Ancient Ruins were built at the innermost part of these primeval woods. The unexplored, secluded forest seemed like just the kind of place a Phantom Panacea would be hidden. But Aki was more concerned with just how long she would have to walk the treacherous path before they would arrive at the ruins.

Since the forest itself wasn’t located far from the Port City, they arrived with little effort. But all signs of people disappeared as though it were another world the moment they set foot inside. With how close it was to the city, it shouldn’t be strange for other Adventurers to challenge it, but the forest was devoid of people.

The occasional rustling in the thicket came from a small creature similar in looks to a wild rabbit. The rabbit twitched its nose and whiskers before turning around and hopping away from them. The stillness of the land gave off a sacred feeling. The Divine Forest—the august nature of the forest made Aki feel like she had stepped into the Goddess’ sanctuary.

Aki assiduously dodged the moss-covered pebbles scattered about and wiped the sweat off her face. Traveling the uphill mountain path when she was out of shape was arduous.

My feet hurt….

Her feet throbbed inside her shoes, which were definitely unfit for a hike in the mountains. Her feet were blistered, but she couldn’t complain now. The Quest had only just begun. She couldn’t bring herself to slow Elias down when they hadn’t even arrived at the Quest destination yet.

Still wrapped in the cloth, he gallantly hiked the hill in front of her with a spring in his step. He kept his pace in check by occasionally looking over his shoulder to confirm the others were keeping up.

“I’m okay,” Aki would say every time with a strained smile, getting back a worried, unconvinced frown from him. He had long since seen through her tough-girl ruse.

She exhaled and boldly pushed forward. The hike up the mountain was just the preliminary stage to this Quest. The real challenge started once they arrived at the ruins. She knew she shouldn’t be out of breath this early in the game, so she sucked it in and repressed her complaints.

I wonder how Mina and Louis are faring.

Aki glanced over her shoulder at Mina and Louis who drew up the rear. They noisily argued with each other over something or another as they hiked the mountain with ease. A steep mountain path was nothing to two experienced Adventurers. She faced forward again, her shoulders sagging.

…I didn’t think my stamina would be how I dragged them down… We were born and raised in different worlds, so it makes sense we would have different skills based on our environments, but the difference in our stamina and fighting ability is too hopeless for me to close at this point in my life. No! I mustn’t give in to despair! A little mountain trail is nothing!

Attempting to deceive her exhaustion, she took a large step forward accidentally catching the tip of her shoe on an exposed tree root. The scenery in front of her slanted forward.

“Whoa! Aaaah!”

“Aki!”

I’m going to fall! She thought, squeezing her eyes shut and bracing herself for slamming face forward into the mud. But time passed without her tragically splattering mud everywhere.

She cautiously opened her eyes to find Elias had run to her side in a split second and held out both his arms to support her. After blinking several times at him, he set her down on solid ground and knelt at eye level with her.

“Aki, are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere? Isn’t it difficult for you because you have no experience on rough terrain?”

Aki vehemently shook her head. “Nope. Sorry, Elias. And thank you. I’m okay. I can totally keep on walking!” she said obstinately, forcing a smile. But contrary to her wishes, her head spun.

“You really do like to act tough, don’t you? I can carry you on my back if you get too tired, so I’ll let you tough it out until you can’t take it anymore. Give me your hand, Aki.”

“Okay,” Aki assented, holding out her right hand. He grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him. His strength invigorated her and put the spring back in her step.

“Aki, do you see that plant over there? It’s a type of medicinal herb. Johann is more knowledgeable about them than I am, but…”

Elias occasionally stopped to point out plants and graciously explained what they were to Aki who walked in step next to him. He was so cute with how excited he was to boast about his knowledge to her. She nodded along, giving him her full attention. Just chatting with him blew away her fatigue. A warmth spread through Aki that wasn’t there before as she hiked the mountain hand in hand with Elias.

***

“OH my, what a charming show they’re putting on for us!” Mina cackled, watching Elias and Aki’s intimate interaction from behind.

Louis kept pace beside her as he glanced at her face. “Now that I think about it, have you partied with them long?”

“No, I haven’t. I only just partied with them on this Quest.”

“Oh?” Louis’ eyes widened. “The three of you seemed friendly together so I thought you had been in the same Party for a while.”

“I’m happy if we gave you that impression! Elias and Aki are both good people, so it was easy to open up with them.”

“The same could be said for you. You’re easy to get along with too,” he added. Mina stared back at him blankly for a few seconds before she bashfully averted her eyes.

“Well, thanks… I’ve never stayed with one Party before and have gone around as a freelance Adventurer jumping from Party to Party with different people for every Quest. I just happened to invite Elias and Aki for this Quest.”

“I see,” Louis said, looking at Elias’ back.

Honestly, I’m surprised the Hero Elias would—although it’s rude to say—form a Party with someone he only just met and doesn’t know anything about. My bet is Aki pushed for it. Elias seems weak to any request from her. He must have joined in on this Quest to respect her wishes.

He may be the Hero, but he’s still a man. Perhaps he’s no match for the woman he has fallen for. As a fellow man, I understand where he’s coming from, and I find it easier to relate with him after seeing he actually has human faults.

“Do you have a Party?” Mina asked several steps in front of him.

Louis shrugged. “I’m a freelance Adventurer like you. I generally travel alone without forming a Party. Things are more comfortable when I’m on my own.”

“I can see the value of living in such a way. You don’t seem like the type to ever stay in one place either,” she laughed and skipped up the trail.

The moss covered rocks, decayed tree branches, and roots were no big deal for her. A treacherous slope was no different from level ground to the most agile Job among Adventurers, a Thief. Minstrels were classified under magic Job class, and they lacked the stamina and agility of a Thief. Louis envied her nimble maneuverability.

He smiled and watched her sashay farther up the hill until she spun around to look at him. “Hey, this is sudden, but you’re a nobleman, right? You’re just wandering around the world, but don’t you have a fiancée or someone waiting back home?”

“A fiancée…?”

Now that’s a strange question. Louis stopped in his tracks. What is she trying to get by asking that?

He took a minute to think it over before curling his lips up in a playful smirk. “How surprisingly assertive of you. Are you interested in me?” he teased.

She looked confused for a moment before pink tinted her cheeks as if his question was wholly unexpected. “Huh? I-I wasn’t suggesting anything with my question! I was just thinking it’s rare to find someone who’s a nobleman, Adventurer, and high-level Minstrel. I don’t know. I’m just curious what kind of environment you came from. Don’t say weird stuff.” Mina stuck her tongue out at Louis and ran up the hill.

He chuckled and increased his pace to catch up to her. “I don’t have a fiancée. As you can see, I’ve got vagrant habits. No one would want to be wed to me. My family…well, saying I became an Adventurer to widen my view of the world sounds noble, but in reality I’ve pretty much been disinherited,” he said in a voice cheerier than the gravity of his words.

Mina stopped and looked back at him, an apologetic frown creasing her brow. “…I’m sorry. I pried too deep.”

“Nothing to worry yourself over. I’m not trying to hide it. Anyway, do you have anyone special in your life, Mina?”

“ME?!” She sprung into the air. “Someone as crude and boorish as me wouldn’t have anyone. I’m recruiting lovers all year round!” she joked.

Louis suddenly tilted his head and stroked his chin. “Really? Can I put my name forward then?”

After a pause, Mina’s jaw dropped. “Y-You’re joking!” she objected without delay.

I’m a little hurt she doesn’t even trust me for a moment. But as they say, what’s love without impediments?

Convinced by his own conclusion, he flashed Mina a daring smile. “Well, think about it.”

“…I have no idea how serious you are. Hey, Louis, all jokes aside…”

Louis caught up to where Mina waited for him. She alertly narrowed her eyes on the area in front of Aki and Elias.

“…You may have noticed it as well, but don’t you think there’s something weird about this forest? It’s not that far from the highly populated Port City yet it’s strangely untouched…”

Mina was right. The mountain trail they hiked had very little signs of use and was closer to an animal trail than a road. The overgrown trees, fallen trees, rotted trees, moss covered rocks, and fallen leaves on the trail suggested no one had entered the forest for many years. Things had grown out of control with no human interaction.

“You have a point there. Let me guess, you’re trying to say this forest has been left untouched for some reason, and there’s a possibility we have been specially allowed inside?” Louis asked, digging for the truth.

She couldn’t deny it, so she looked down instead. “I guess so… I didn’t…go that far with it though…” she rambled.

Louis didn’t pry and started after Aki and Elias again. Mina likely thought along the same lines, but was afraid to jinx what lay ahead of them when it was too late to turn back.

Where did Mina get her hands on this Quest? Louis suddenly couldn’t help questioning the Quest. Is it possible the client is keeping something secret? After all, this Quest got the Hero Elias and his Right-hand Aki to participate by using Mina. Whether Mina realizes it or not, there’s a high chance the client deliberately used her to get Elias on this Quest.

Louis chased after Mina’s back as she kept a wary eye on their surroundings, and muttered to himself, “…This Quest might not go as planned.”