I Thought I Was Married, But I Was Left Alone, So I'll Live as I Please. So Please Don't Mind Me Anymore, My Lord of the Border - Chapter 13

Three weeks into the forest.

The air was heavy, the light murky, and the dense mana unique to the depths clung to my skin. The sound of my footsteps on the soil grew heavier, and my throat stung with every breath. It felt as if the forest was rejecting any further intrusion.

The emerging magical beasts were visibly larger and more ferocious. They reacted to the beast repellents but didn’t flee; some even bared their fangs and growled right at the boundary line. The knights swiftly dispatched them. Blades hummed, beasts fell quickly, and silence returned immediately.

“…Well, this doesn’t feel like a picnic anymore.”

“Not at all.”

Though we exchanged light banter, we remained vigilant. We alchemists stayed within the safe zone at the center of the monster repellent, gathering materials. As we stuffed flowers and moss into our compression bags, we could see the knights cutting down magical beasts one after another at the edge of our vision.

“All the ice bullets and flame bullets we made are going unused.”

“Flame bullets burn too much. They’d set the whole forest on fire.”

Quinn, teased by Slay, put away the red grenade-like object she had taken from her compression bag.

“As for the ice bullets, they froze too much.”

“Lord Oliver stopped us from using them.”

Slay also gently returned the blue grenade he was holding to his bag.

We had developed various things thinking they might help the knights, but upon reflection, we had created them in a fit of excitement, so they were all ridiculously powerful and impractical. I tried using the ice bullets thinking they’d be fine, but they ended up freezing the entire area, and Lord Oliver banned their use.

Yeah, my apologies.

We all made them in a kind of late-night frenzy. With only people egging each other on, no one stopped us, and we always ended up going overboard.

“Let’s be more careful next time.”

“Yeah.”

“Right.”

We really need to be careful.

While the three of us were secretly holding a reflection session, a voice called out from behind.

“Sorry, could you store this magical beast?”

“Yes, good work on the subjugation.”

Looking up, I saw a three-headed black lion magical beast lying before me. Its tongue hung limply, and its eyes were lifeless. It had already been slain and fallen silent. I unfolded a spare compression bag and stored it inside.

How many is this now? It’s high-quality material. What kind of medicine could I make from its organs, claws, fangs, and blood? My heart raced.

“We’ll advance a bit further today and set up camp. Everyone, stay alert and move out!”

At Lord Oliver’s command, the knights responded in perfect unison.

“…So cool.”

“Yeah, seriously admirable.”

I agreed in my heart. Boys are simple creatures—we can’t resist strong, reliable backs.

As we advanced further, we emerged into a clearing filled with a faint pink mist. The jet-black soil was covered with nearly black green moss, and in the center stood a single enormous mushroom resembling a fly agaric.

“It’s huge…!”

The thick stem was about three meters tall, and the cap exceeded five meters. The spotted cap was both poisonous and strangely captivating.

“That is an Enbi mushroom.”

Though extremely large, it matched the material from my memory.

“You know it?”

Lord Oliver addressed me.

“Yes. Normally, it’s a small species about the size of a fist. The stem contains a gas with aphrodisiac effects, used in love potions and such.”

“Love…?”

“Well, it’s more like a joke item.”

I replied lightly, joking.

If it were something that truly twisted people’s minds, it would be designated as a hazardous substance and banned. Anyone using banned substances is arrested without question unless they have special permission. Love potions made from Enbi mushrooms are half placebo effect.

“The aphrodisiac gas itself is potent, so only licensed individuals can handle it.”

Of course, I have the license.

As I explained this to Lord Oliver, Quinn, who had been staring intently at the mushroom, placed a hand on her chin.

“That mushroom shouldn’t grow outside tropical regions. Why is it so huge here?”

“Mana? No, that alone isn’t enough. In this climate, it should wither before growing.”

Taking Quinn’s words, I made a guess.

“Ash, touch the ground.”

Following Slay’s voice, I placed my hand on the moss-covered ground.

It was warm.

The forest floor had been freezing cold all this time. Yet only here, it was warm.

“Geothermal heat!”

“Only under the moss is the temperature high. Meaning, this stratum is special.”

As I looked around, my thoughts sharpened.

“Lord Oliver. This might be the cause of the magical beast outbreak.”

“What do you mean?”

I pointed to the mushroom’s cap.

“Look. There’s a crack there.”

“Ah.”

“Probably, external stimulation caused the cap to split, and the gas erupted.”

“And because of that, the magical beasts went into heat, leading to explosive breeding… is that it?”

“Yes.”

With that size, it must have contained a considerable amount of gas. I don’t know how far it spread, but if it originated from this deep part of the forest, a significant number of magical beasts must have been exposed to that gas.

The knights, hearing this, warily distanced themselves from the mushroom.

“There’s no thick sweet smell, so the gas has likely dissipated by now. Please rest assured.”

After my explanation, Lord Oliver let out a short breath, and the knights relaxed their shoulders.

“Can you handle it?”

“There’s a medicine that withers the mycelium. If we spread it around the area, it won’t leave even the roots.”

“Please do.”

“Yes. Quinn, Slay, prepare!”

“Got it!”

“Knights, please step back a bit. Just in case, cover your nose and mouth.”

We put on goggles and triangular bandanas and began pouring the chemical into the sprayer.

There’s only this one mushroom here, but there might be mycorrhizae somewhere else. Good thing Enbi mushrooms aren’t the clustering type. We have to thoroughly apply the medicine to ensure it never grows back, or another disaster might occur.

We carefully sprayed the chemical around the periphery, and finally applied it directly to the Enbi mushroom itself. After confirming the liquid had seeped to the base of the giant mushroom, I let out a breath.

A faint sweet smell rose from the blackened mushroom. Though it was a scent that stung the nostrils, I strangely couldn’t dislike it. Instead, I found myself wanting to smell more.

If the aftereffect was this strong, being directly exposed would be irresistible.

“Leaving it overnight should completely wither it.”

“Well done. Alright, we’ll rest here today. Everyone, set up your tents and prepare for camp.”

“Yes!”

Hearing the knights’ crisp replies, we helped with the preparations as well.

Night.

After finishing the meal, I continued observing the Enbi mushroom when a quiet voice reached me from behind.

“How is it?”

“Progressing well. I think by morning, even the roots will wither.”

The mushroom was already more than half blackened. I could see the erosion slowly spreading toward the base.

“I see… that’s good.”

His voice held deep relief. I could sense the heavy responsibility he had been under, and my chest ached a little.

“Truly, I’m glad you were here, Ash.”

“I’m the one who should thank you. For protecting the kingdom and the territory.”

As I spoke, our gazes unconsciously met. The flickering light reflected in his green eyes, reminiscent of the beautiful herb gardens of the Graphica territory. I didn’t understand why my heart raced at such a moment.

…It must be because I’m happy that such a wonderful lord recognizes me as an alchemist. Something I made is being used for someone’s happiness, for being useful. There’s no greater honor for an alchemist.

“With this, I can rest easy.”

“Yes.”

As we stood side by side looking up at the mushroom, a heavy sound echoed.

The upper cap slowly crumbled, and the stem swayed unsteadily.

Being an alchemist, I understood—the pink mist spilling from the stem. As if time had stopped, I saw it softly drift upward toward Lord Oliver.

“Ah, the aphrodisiac gas…!”

My body moved before I could think. I instantly shoved Lord Oliver away and instead inhaled the mist directly.

“Ash!!”

My knees buckled.

My lungs burned fiercely hot.

My head spun, and my vision narrowed.

“Ash! Are you alright?!”

“…Ah, h-hot…!”

My voice didn’t sound like my own. An uncontrollable pleasure surged from deep within my body. My chest felt constricted and painful, and my lower abdomen throbbed intensely.

“…S-sorry… my apologies…”

My hands trembled. I couldn’t even breathe properly.

The sensation of my underwear slowly dampening stained my cheeks red. I felt Lord Oliver’s intense gaze crawling over my trembling body.

I want you.

I nearly said it, hurriedly closing my mouth.

“Ash!”

Lord Oliver’s voice trembled as he called my name, his hands supporting me surprisingly gentle. Anxiety and warmth transmitted at the same temperature. Yet, even those gentle hands felt pleasurable.

My vision swayed, consciousness fading. My tilting body was caught in warm arms. The hard chestplate through his armor and his rough breath against my neck sweetly melted together.

“Anyway, let’s get to the tent!”

Held up by Lord Oliver, I clung to his arms.

The rising pleasure, sweet scent, and heartbeat chaotically mingled…

The air lost sound.

In my pink-filled vision, Lord Oliver’s green eyes wavered. The hands I had asked to protect me held me tightly.

Then, my consciousness faded into haze.