The Noble Lady Without Magic Aims to Become an Adventurer! - Chapter 103
“Teacher, I bought the medicine. Shall I open it?”
The teacher, unusually, was coughing in bed. When I placed my hand on their forehead, it felt very hot. I poured the medicine I’d just bought into a cup, added a bit of water, and mixed it together.
Even the water should ideally be made using magic, they said. Slowly, I infused a small amount of magic into the thick, muddy medicine while stirring it.
Apparently, this requires precise control. Gradually blending in the magic is said to mix it better with the powder and enhance the effects, rather than pouring it in all at once.
“Teacher, the medicine is ready. Can you drink it?”
I carried a spoonful of the dark green, viscous liquid to their mouth. The teacher sat up to take the spoon and drink the medicine themselves.
The taste… was probably not good. As soon as they swallowed, their brows furrowed.
It definitely wasn’t tasty.
Still, they scraped up the rest of the medicine from the cup and drank it all.
“You’re better at blending magic into medicine than I am, Roa. Will you make it again next time?”
“Of course. But for now, please rest, Teacher.”
Perhaps thanks to the medicine, the teacher quickly fell asleep. It was probably from camping out for days on end. Even I overslept because of it.
I decided to use the time until dinner to look around the shops. There’s a mineral shop over there. I wonder if they do business here.
Curious about what kinds of minerals they had, I stepped inside. The shop displayed minerals from the mines, magical beast materials, and magic stones.
Everything seemed significantly cheaper than in the capital. I’d never bought minerals before, but I had a rough idea of the price for magic stones.
I might get scolded for saying this, but minerals and magic stones are completely different. I only intended to look at the minerals, but my eyes were drawn to a mysterious sign beside the ores: “Let’s create the strongest sword.” Intrigued, I approached the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper was a burly man, the kind who looked like he worked in a mine.
“Excuse me, what’s this about the strongest sword?”
“Miss, you’re an adventurer, right? This mineral comes from a magical beast called Oregoran, which has these minerals growing on its back. It’s a unique beast, and the minerals differ slightly from one to another. You won’t find it in the capital.”
“I see. I’ve never seen it before.”
“In the capital, you’ll find plenty of iron and copper, but materials with mixed elements aren’t suitable for mass-produced weapons or armor, so they’re rarely used. That’s why they don’t circulate there.
Only a select few can handle mixed materials. A sword made from this mineral absorbs magic and glows faintly. If crafted by the right hands, it could even become a national treasure.”
“I’ll buy it!”
“Do you have someone to make it for you?”
“Yes, there’s one person I trust. This sword was made by them too.”
I showed the shopkeeper my sword, and he examined it intently.
“If the blacksmith who made this is that skilled, it should be fine. I’ll sell it to you.”
He took the mineral from the shelf and handed it to me.
The price… was incredibly high!
It cost me everything I had saved on my guild card. Unbelievable! Did I get swindled by that man? Feeling uneasy, I packed the mineral into my backpack.
“By the way, do guilds handle Oregoran minerals?”
“Thinking of harvesting it yourself?”
“Something like that. I’m interested.”
The shopkeeper snorted.
“There are guild requests, but since the beast carries minerals on its back, it’s not something weak adventurers can handle.”
“Then how do you get it?”
“I collect it myself and appraise it too.”
“Really? Could you check it if I manage to collect some?”
“Sure, I can even buy it from you. But be careful, alright?”
“I understand. Thanks for the information.”
Feeling delighted, I left the shop. Next stop: the guild. This village’s guild seems focused on hunting, likely because of the mines. Not much farming is done here.
Maybe it’s due to water pollution from the mines.
Setting aside the unsolved mystery, I looked through the request board. The Oregoran mineral gathering quest was recommended for Rank B and above. For now, I decided just to observe and plan to take it depending on the teacher’s condition tomorrow.
The gathering location is a mineral cave north of the village? The mine is westward, so it seems like a completely different place.
At the reception desk, I asked about Oregoran’s characteristics. It’s a magical beast resembling a turtle about two meters tall, with minerals growing on its back instead of a shell. The task is not to kill it but to gather minerals, which is a key point.
Oregoran eats leaves, dirt, and ores to grow the minerals on its back. The components vary depending on what it eats, and most minerals aren’t usable, so few attempt to gather them.
Though generally docile, it apparently gets aggressive when minerals are being harvested. They say it backs adventurers against cave walls and tries to crush them with its back. Who knew it was so clever?
Its strength is rated at D-rank, but since the goal is harvesting without killing, the quest is rated B-rank or higher.
Recently, there’s been a rumor at the guild that feeding it fruit keeps it calm, but since no one’s actually tried it, it’s unverified.
After gathering this information, I returned to the inn. I asked the innkeeper for an easy-to-eat risotto and brought it to the teacher’s room. The teacher’s face was still red, and it seemed the fever hadn’t subsided.
Looks like tomorrow will be another day of free time. Before dinner, I made sure the teacher took their medicine. They grumbled about how awful it tasted as they drank it.
The next day, the teacher’s fever had gone down, but they decided to rest in their room for the day. I, on the other hand, was full of energy. I decided to go gather the Oregoran mineral I’d been curious about since yesterday.
“Teacher, I’m heading out for a bit.”
“Alright. Be careful out there.”