Chapter 169 – We brought the food!
"Alright, now we just have to wait for it to boil."
There were several campfires set up in the clearing.
They looked like square boxes that had the top part removed.
The boxes were filled with branches from the World Tree and coal, and then pots were placed on top.
After that, Rienna and I used water magic to fill them up, and then lit them with fire magic.
Then we just had to wait for the water to boil.
Rienna nodded.
"Yes! First, we must make a stock from the fish bones and leaves of the World Tree! Then we can let the seafood stew in it."
"I'm getting hungry just hearing about it…"
Alyssa muttered with a slack jaw.
However, her face suddenly lit up as if she just thought of something.
"That's it… Miss Rienna. You said that there might not be enough if it's just fish, yes?"
"Yes. That's why we decided on a soup. However, soup will not be enough to fill their stomachs."
As Rienna said, soup would not be as filling as grilled fish. Though, it did warm the body and would make enough to feed a lot of people.
Alyssa turned to Rienna.
"In that case… Why not put mushrooms inside?"
"That's a very good idea! It's an ingredient people are used to eating, and will make the soup so much more delicious!"
"Then let's put it in! I was just thinking about how I wanted to show you the magical mushrooms."
So saying, Alyssa headed to what looked like a storage house that faced the clearing.
After a while, she returned carrying a wooden box.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. This is the staple food of our country, the magical mushroom."
Alyssa said as she opened the lid of the wooden box.
"Woah, they're huge."
The box was filled with white mushrooms that were the size of a wine bottle. From the side, they looked a little like umbrellas, which were tools used in foreign lands to keep the rain off of you. Both the cap and the stem were very thick and looked like they would be very filling.
"They are mushrooms that were selectively bred to grow both underground and indoors. And so they just need water, air and magic energy to grow."
"Magic energy?"
Alyssa nodded at me.
"Aye. Normal mushrooms do not require sunlight. However, they would usually still need soil and other plants, wouldn't they?"
Now that I thought about it, Taran had been growing mushrooms when I first met her.
And the place had plenty of fertilizer.
I wasn't sure if the Sun Stones were also encouraging growth, but mushrooms would grow even without sunlight.
However, they still needed soil and water.
In other words, these magical mushrooms were able to grow without soil.
Which meant they could grow in Sheorl's caves.
"Do you have to supply them with magic energy?"
"No, you don't have to. It just makes them grow faster. In Arancia, elders who have weak legs or backs will give them magic energy as part of their morning chores."
"I see. This is quite an amazing ingredient. Are there other types?"
"Yes, a few others. Some are good for healing while others can be used as firewood."
"That's very impressive. Perhaps we can grow them in the Sheorl caves as well."
"We'll share our mushroom beds, of course. But we better put these in the soup first. All of you, bring out the mushrooms from the storage house!"
Alyssa shouted, and the people of the city started to bring out the mushrooms.
Rienna and I used wind magic to cut them into bite sizes and then we threw them into the pot.
"It's starting to smell really good…"
"We haven't had mushrooms in so long… Yes, it's ready now."
Rienna said, and then Alyssa and the others cheered.
Perhaps they had been lured by the smell, but a great crowd had gathered around the pots.
"Alright, we'll be distributing it now! Everyone! Please form a line!"
Alyssa said, and the people of the city began to form lines in front of the pots.
Those who received their servings of soup wasted no time in drinking it.
"Oh, this is delicious! Is this fish? What an unusual texture."
"No, that's a clam. I remember eating it over twenty years ago. The taste of salt reminds me of the sea."
"And this smell from the herbs is wonderful. It goes well with the mushrooms. I feel all my tiredness seeping away."
Everyone enjoyed their soup one after another.
It was a soup made of leaves from the World Tree, Sheorl's fish, and Arancia's mushrooms.
So it was a mixture of rare flavours and also something close to them.
And the people of Arancia took to it immediately.
Other pots were moved to the different places in the city, and we could hear people cheering from far away.
Rienna and I couldn't help but join hands in celebration.
"They are all so happy."
"Yes! It was definitely worth the effort of making it!"
People were happy because of something that we made.
And watching it made us happy as well. Even Shiel and the other slimes were hopping around and sharing in the joy.
On the other hand, I saw that the Cave Spiders were looking at the mushrooms with interest. Perhaps they wanted to eat some as well.
"Now that I think about it, Taran and the Cave Spiders ate mushrooms as their main food… Speaking of Taran…"
Tarana and Fule had not returned.
And neither Asthon or Haines had made a report.
I had assumed that if we made this soup, the smell of it would lure Mappa. And the hungry blacksmith would return to us… However, he had yet to appear.
Rienna nodded with a worried expression.
"Mister Mappa… And Fule. They still haven't returned."
"We are right by the tower, so we should know if someone comes through…huh?"
As we talked, someone came running towards us just like a dog.
"Master Heal! It's a disaster! Brother Mappa!"
Haines's voice echoed.
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Chapter 170 – Slipped Out!
"It's a disaster! Brother Mappa!"
As everyone was drinking the delicious soup, Haines rushed towards us with a desperate expression.
"Haines! So you found Mappa?"
"Yes…yes…"
Haines stopped in front of me and caught his breath.
"O-one of the guards on the wall said that they saw Mappa. And according to him, Mappa jumped down on the other side of the wall…"
"He did what!?"
The other side of the wall. That's where the black miasma and monsters were swarming.
Even inside of the walls were not safe, as was proven by the dragon attack. And while we had driven it away with magic, there was no guarantee that it wouldn't attack again.
"My brother, Fule, and Taran have gone down there in order to search the area. Also, a guardian named Karla… But we still can't find him, and couldn't go out too far…"
They could not move to that extent on their own.
Besides, Fule and the others were aware of how strong the enemy was.
Alyssa, who had been listening up until now, opened her mouth.
"Your friend has gone outside of the walls? Well, not much time has passed since we last drove them away. So as long as he hasn't gone too far, he shouldn't be attacked immediately. We sometimes go out there in order to retrieve resources that were left behind. At the very least, you should have a day."
But Alyssa continued.
"Sometimes your legs can be grabbed by the dead who lie underground… In any case, it is very dangerous to go out there alone without any preparation."
Even worse, there was Mappa's personality. You never knew what he was going to do.
"…We have to rescue him immediately. I'm going out. Lend me a hand!"
I waved at one of the Cave Spiders that was watching the holy place from on top of the wall, and it came down.
"Let's go and see at once. Rienna, can you stay here just in case something happens?"
Rienna clearly wanted to go with me, and so she didn't answer right away.
After a brief moment, she nodded.
"Please bring Mappa back safely. You can leave defense of this place to the General and I."
"Yes. The Princess and I will be able to drive off anyone who might come! As for that Mappa…I'm going to give him a big bump on the head when he gets back."
Erevan said with a serious expression.
"Perhaps Mappa knows what he is doing… However, do what you must if the people from the holy place attack. Now, we'll be off."
I said as Shiel and I got up onto the Cave Spider's back.
And then Alyssa tried to get on the Cave Spider as well.
"I will go too! You'll need a guide."
"Alyssa. You're the leader of this country. I can't let you walk into danger."
"Yes, it is dangerous outside. For someone who does not know the land…"
Alyssa answered. Then Ogus, the guardian, put a hand on her shoulder.
"Your Highness. Please leave this to Vanessa and I. Besides, I'm worried about Karla."
"Yes. Ogus and I are former Adventurers. We've traveled through the sea of miasma before. Your Highness, please stay and continue to negotiate with the people of Sheorl."
Vanessa said.
Alyssa looked worried, but nodded. She could trust these two.
"Both of you…I'm counting on you. Lord Heal is our saviour. Lead them all safely."
She said, and Ogus and Vanessa nodded reassuringly.
Like that, we decided to head outside of the city in order to search for Mappa.
"It's this direction!"
Haines said as he ran through the city on all fours.
However, Ogus raised his voice as he rode on a different Cave Spider.
"Sir Haines! There is only one gate and it's not in that direction! You are going…"
"It's fine! We have reliable comrades!"
So saying, Haines climbed up the steps of the wall without a problem.
Then the Cave Spiders followed him as they climbed up the wall.
They extended their hind legs and managed to keep their backs as level as possible.
"Thi-this! It's amazing!"
Ogus and Vanessa were greatly impressed.
As for me, this sensation of being in a high place still filled me with dread.
However, it did not last for long. We arrived at the top of the wall in no time, and the Cave Spiders jumped down.
Haines had already landed on the ground.
The soil outside was completely black. What looked like iron sand and gravel, and also coal-like boulders spread out as far as the eye could see.
There were also remnants of old buildings and dead trees. Overall, everything was very dark.
"It's like I'm in hell…"
I couldn't help but be reminded of illustrations of hell that I had seen in picture books as a child. Even the sky was dark, and there was fear in the air.
"We have to find Mappa as soon as possible."
In answer to my voice, the fearless Cave Spiders began to run again as they followed Haines, who had already started to run.
Haines shouted.
"Hey! It's me! Haines!"
"W-wait! Don't shout so loudly!"
Just as Ogus called after him, the ground right in front of us suddenly started to rise like bubbles.
What came out of the ground then…were creatures of blackened bones. Some were humanoid while others were in the shapes of beasts.
However, unlike the attackers from earlier, they did not emit any miasma. Even their magic was weak.
While I wouldn't call them normal, they were just Undead.
"Tsk! These things are no enemy of mine!"
Haines unsheathed the scimitar he had hanging on his belt.
And with it in hand, he charged into the horde of undead, and crushed them with a single swing.
I cast Shield around Haines, but it wasn't even necessary. In a flash, the thirty Undead were defeated as Haines dashed through them.
"A-amazing…"
Vanessa muttered. It was exactly what I had been thinking.
Now that I thought about it, I hadn't really seen Ashton and Haines fight ever since their arrival on the island…
Even Ereven had praised their fighting ability. They had spent any free time they had in the underground training area, so in a way, it wasn't really a surprise.
After Haines was finished defeating the Undead, he looked at his curved blade with interest.
Mappa had made that scimitar.
I could see just how worried he was about Mappa.
"That Mappa…"
Haines shook his head and then continued.
"Master Heal! Let us hurry! My brother and the others shouldn't be too far away."
"Aye."
And so once again, we advanced through the black field.