Chapter 27 : A friend’s friend is not your friend – they’re a stranger

Celine gripped the hilt of her sword, scanning her surroundings warily.
She said it was to react immediately if a monster approached.
Lena tried to tell her it wasn’t necessary, but she was stubborn.
She even pointed out Lena’s lack of safety awareness, insisting the place was more dangerous than Lena thought and that she shouldn’t let her guard down for even a moment.
So, what could be done?
Best to leave her be.
Just as some people leave their phones unattended in a store, thinking no one would steal them, others thoroughly prepare, unable to trust others.
If she felt satisfied only by acting this way…
The fatigue accumulated from walking a long distance with nerves on edge was her own burden to bear.

“Arrival!”
Lena spread her arms wide and announced.
Behind her, the sun was already setting.
It took about half a day to reach the battleground of the Orcs and Lizardmen.
If Lena had run at full speed alone, it wouldn’t have taken even an hour, but matching Celine’s pace made it take longer.
Lena didn’t consider the time wasted.
She simply enjoyed walking with another person after a long time.

“This place is…?”
Celine looked around, bewildered.
What’s wrong with her? Acting like she’s arrived somewhere completely unfamiliar.
Lena tilted her head, then soon realized the situation.

“There was a big fight here. Orcs and Lizardmen were bickering.”

“It must have been a territory dispute. Right, it was their main force, even mobilizing their leader. If there was tension with the Orcs… no, even so, this damage is too severe…”

“Then a monster serpent threw a tantrum about something.”

“I see. The monster serpent… what?”

The scenery must have been completely different from what Celine remembered.
First, the battle between Orcs and Lizardmen turned it into chaos, and second, the monster serpent Python’s rampage messed it up further.
It was understandable to feel like it was a completely different place.

“A monster serpent capable of altering the terrain… Python…?”
Celine searched her memories.
She had heard about the ruler-class monsters from the senior knight who led the initiation ceremony.
Hadn’t she insisted back then that a knight shouldn’t turn their back and flee?
How arrogant that sounded now.
The Great Forest, usually a lush natural forest everywhere, was devastated here.
Not even an ant remained in the area where something massive had swept through.
The ground was gouged in places as if bombs had exploded, and in spots where smoke billowed, everything was corroding.
And what about the remnants of Mana scattered in the air?
Though likely just fingerprint-like traces, they sent shivers down her spine.
Could a human truly face such a monster?
It seemed victory would require concentrating the resources of at least a nation.
And there were seven such monsters in the Great Forest.
She keenly felt the reason why the Empire, even at its peak, couldn’t conquer the Great Forest and left it as forbidden territory.

“We were lucky.”
And Lena had rescued her from a place where such a monster rampaged.
It was no wonder Lena had been covered in blood.
She felt grateful anew that Lena had risked that to save her.

“Yeah, we were lucky.”
Thanks to it, she discovered the joy of exercise and obtained top-quality ingredients for snake wine.
It even prevented her house from being destroyed, making it the best possible outcome.
Is it aging well?
Ah, just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
Lena patted her rumbling stomach.
Is it about time for dinner?
First, let’s quickly finish what needs to be done and then eat.

“How’s the compass?”

“Ah, wait a moment. I’ll check right away.”
Celine untied something from her waist and held it in her hand.
It was a real compass, with a needle spinning in the center, one end red and the other blue.
Is that the special compass made by the Mage Tower?
Then it’s an Artifact?
Lena craned her neck, observing with interest.
Artifacts referred to objects imbued with magic or affected by magic.
Lena harbored immense curiosity about magic.
It made sense; magic was the exclusive domain of fantasy worlds.
Real superpowers that directly defied science or natural laws.
Although she had chosen the Knight’s Destiny this time, she had inwardly decided to definitely choose the path of a Mage next.
Thus, Lena watched with bated breath and keen interest, but soon her eyes dimmed, unable to hide her disappointment.
Isn’t it… too plain for an Artifact?
Even for a compass, it’s like this?
Shouldn’t it at least float gently above the palm and verbally announce where north and south are?
This Big Sis doesn’t live up to her looks and has a clumsy side; maybe she got scammed.
These were Lena’s thoughts alone.
Magic wasn’t some trick performed by market square clowns for performance fees.
As long as it fulfilled its primary purpose, the rest was mere superficiality.
However, Lena’s disappointment unexpectedly pierced the core of worldly matters.
Appearances mattered.
Even with people, looking neat and well-dressed earned better treatment.
Wealthy and high-status individuals had historically valued splendor over substance.
Artifacts sold to nobles were adorned with appearances flashy enough to satisfy Lena’s fantasy.
But the primary use of this compass was in the Great Forest.
The buyers were mainly knights, meaning it was essentially military supply equipment, so there was no need to embellish it unnecessarily.
Unaware of these circumstances, Lena felt disappointed in magic.
No, but still, the cliff hologram that concealed the Lair’s entrance was amazing.
Are the Mage Tower mages just not very skilled?
That’s typical of places run on state capital rather than private funds.
Since blind money keeps flowing in even without effort, they tend to become lazy.
In that respect, perhaps the medieval fantasy world isn’t so different from the modern one.

While Lena was lost in her own world, Celine finished checking the compass needle and shook her head.
“It seems like the direction can’t be determined here either. We’ll have to go further.”

“Really? Then let’s camp here for today.”

“Camp? We can still walk more…”

“The sun sets quickly here. We need to prepare in advance while we have time.”

“Ah.”
Lena explained while mechanically moving her hands.
Gathering firewood, starting a campfire, making bedding.
These were tasks she was so familiar with now that she could do them perfectly even with her eyes closed.
While Celine dithered, unsure what to help with first, the campsite was completed.

“I’ll go prepare dinner. Wait here.”

“I-I’ll go too. It’s dangerous to move alone.”

“A novice getting involved will just be a hindrance. Ah, are you perhaps anxious? If so, I’ll leave Badugi by your side, so stay with him.”

“Hk.”
Badugi appeared from somewhere and sat down beside the campfire.
Celine’s body stiffened.
She knew Badugi was different from other typical monsters.
But in Celine’s mind, he remained a monster.
Moreover, according to her knightly senses, he was a formidable foe whose presence couldn’t be felt even when right in front of her.
Could the Wraith Wolf her senior knight described be like this?
Being alone with a monster that could take her life at any moment was an immense burden.

Lena interpreted Celine’s reaction as awkwardness from missing the timing to apologize.
Come to think of it, I was tactless.
I should have stepped aside earlier and guaranteed them time to talk alone.
Apologizing is harder than it looks.
Especially for someone very shy, it requires great courage.
Although Lena mediated between them, she was still an outsider, not the party involved.
It must have been embarrassing to utter words of apology in front of someone else.
If I leave them alone now, they’ll probably reconcile on their own.
My house is nearby anyway; should I just cook properly there?
I told the Orcs to guard the house well while I was gone, so if they listened, guards should be posted.
I can get a bit of blood donation from them and bring back an after-dinner drink too.
Thus, Lena left, leaving the two alone.
…
“…”
Only awkward silence filled the campsite.

In the end, the two did not reconcile.
Apologize to a monster? What kind of apology?
Celine was too busy being wary of Badugi.
Badugi, for his part, didn’t want an apology from her.
Unlike Lena’s thoughts, Badugi wasn’t sulking.
Celine swinging her sword?
Was that even considered an attack?
Badugi hadn’t felt threatened at all at the time.
He was just slightly annoyed that she was being bothersome first thing in the morning.
What kind of pathetic human is this?
She couldn’t do anything but freeload; if Badugi himself were the pack leader, he would’ve decisively chased away such a parasite.
The only reason he tolerated her was because his master, Lena, cherished and cared for her.
Yes, that was the problem.
His master wasn’t playing with him!
For Badugi, who was at an age eager to play, it was like a bolt from the blue.
He hadn’t been able to run around after meals, play tug-of-war, or play fetch for a while now.
When Celine was injured, Lena only focused on nursing her; after she recovered moderately, Lena was busy chatting; and now, she was preoccupied with escaping the Great Forest, putting Badugi on the back burner.
This was all because of that human woman.
Since she was Lena’s guest, he didn’t complain, but inwardly he was extremely sulky and ignored Celine.
Therefore, dinner proceeded in an atmosphere perfect for indigestion.

Hmm, perhaps leaving them alone was a failure.
Lena thought as she scooped food from the pot and ate.
She didn’t particularly mind.
Maybe they just weren’t compatible types.
The idea that a friend of a friend is automatically a friend was a baseless belief held by extroverts.
It was like the old misconception adults had that everyone in the same class must be close.
Or maybe Celine just disliked furry animals.
It wasn’t uncommon for people to shudder at the thought of living with animals.
Whatever the case, Lena had no intention of forcing them to be friends.
Once the stage was set, they had to resolve their own issues.

More importantly, food.
The atmosphere was heavy enough to cause indigestion?
That was a weak excuse.
Have you ever torn jerky while fleeing a flood?
After going through many hardships, food tastes delicious, and this drink is, kkh, killer.
Now that she had an unlimited drink dispenser, Lena was gulping down the drink by the bowlful.
Watching her hearty gulps, Celine, who had been picking at her food, showed curiosity.

“Lena, cough, Lena.”
She still stuttered, seemingly resistant to calling the name comfortably.
Well, she’ll get used to it.
Lena prompted her with her eyes to continue.

“I’ve been curious for a while: what exactly are you drinking?”

“Ah, this? It’s a drink.”

“A drink?”

“Yeah, it’s delicious. Want a glass?”
Lena grinned like a mischievous uncle offering alcohol to an underage nephew.