Chapter 88: The Great River and the Lake

The next morning, I teleported from the workshop with Ophelia again to join the exploration team. When we appeared near the tents accompanied by light, everyone exclaimed things like “Whoa!” and “Oh!” in surprise. “See, everyone was surprised, right? I’m getting a little used to it, though.” Gilbert made a smug face at Ria. “Well, I admit that Lord William‘s magic is surprising. But that doesn’t change the fact that you lack training, Gil.” Ria is strict with Gil. Still, when it counts, the two of them show synchronized movements. It seems Ria is strict because she has high expectations for Gil.

The exploration team proceeded through the wasteland while defeating monsters, just like the previous day. As usual, the number of monsters is high. However, the vegetation is changing; trees are increasing, and grasslands and groves are becoming intermixed. I feel like the color of the soil is turning a bit blacker too. When I asked the Elves, they confirmed that the land around here seems more fertile than the vast grasslands.

“A big one is coming from the grove to the front left!” When an Elf warned us, three huge deer appeared and came running at us. These are Magic Deer. When you say deer, I think of the cute little Bambi, but for a moose, a male has an average weight of about 500 kilograms and a body length of about 3 meters. These Magic Deer feel even a size larger than a moose.

The sight of them charging while brandishing their large antlers was intense. “Hmph!” Two knights used their shields to block the charge together. Even so, they were pushed back slightly, their feet sliding across the ground. Arrows shot by the Elves pierced the deer’s torsos, but due to their gigantic bodies, the wounds were not fatal. They are quite difficult monsters.

At that moment, I felt a rise in magic power and turned around; it seemed a female Elf had finished her incantation. “Please step away!” The moment the two knights jumped back, the Elf fired her magic. “Maelstrom!” A swirling torrent of water appeared in the area. Oh, it’s High-tier Water Magic.

The giant Magic Deer was lifted up and slammed onto the ground. It seems she narrowed the range when firing, but in exchange, the power was tremendous. The Magic Deer vanished, leaving behind a Magic Core. Elves really are a race skilled in magic. It seems that if the knights hold the enemy down to buy time for chanting, they can defeat even large monsters.

The remaining two were also defeated safely. It seems some people were sent flying by the deer antlers, but there were no scratches on the Mithril armor. I’m glad we prepared good equipment. “Listen up, you lot. You were able to defeat the monsters without injury thanks to the equipment Lord William provided. Don’t mistake it for your own ability.” James was as strict as ever.

When the sun got high, we decided to take a break and have lunch. Today’s lunch is freshly baked baguettes with ham and cheese, and vegetable salad. I am really indebted to the cooks of the Margrave family. Just like yesterday, I brought out the stored tables and chairs, and laid out the food on the cloths spread over the tables.

“Hmm, this is the southern undeveloped lands, isn’t it?” “Oh, freshly baked baguette!” A male knight stuffed his cheeks with the baguette sandwiched with ham. “I am happy to be able to eat vegetables!” The salad is popular with the female knights and the Elves. They are laughing and talking happily in front of the large platter of salad. It makes me happy to see everyone smiling.

In the afternoon, as we proceeded further south, a river came into view ahead. According to the Elves, leylines flow beneath rivers. I thought leylines flowed beneath the earthen ground, but they told me that since there is earth beneath rivers and lakes too, leylines run through there as well. However, it seems leylines under water are hard to sense.

When we reached the riverbank, the opposite shore was quite far away, and it seemed deep. The volume of flowing water was large, and it flowed leisurely. This is something that should be called a Great River. Ripples appeared occasionally on the surface, so perhaps there are fish. When I scooped some up with my hand and Appraised it, it was clean water.

This river water looks like it could be used for irrigation. The northern part of the undeveloped lands was poor soil, but it seems this area could be turned into farmland. The southern undeveloped lands are thought to be barren earth, but they seem to have potential. I think even the northern grasslands have their uses. The Great River of the undeveloped lands flowed in a large curve. As we proceeded southwest along the Great River, the sun began to set. Everyone started preparing to camp, and I teleported back to Northernford.

The next day, we continued along the Great River. Judging from the position of the sun, we seem to be heading gradually south. After proceeding for a while, a large lake came into view this time. As a result of the Elves’ discussion, it seems we are approaching the Crosspoint. However, due to the large amount of water, it is difficult to sense the leylines, and they seem unable to pinpoint the location easily. This time, we proceeded around the lake.

Today’s refreshment is bread sandwiched with grilled sausages bought from a stall, and salad. “Stall food is nice too.” Gil bit into the bread and sausage. “Thanks to the Lord Savior, I look forward to lunch every day.” I’m glad it seems to be a nice change of pace for everyone.

As we proceeded along the lake, swamps became visible here and there, and the humidity gradually rose. “Whoa!” I was surprised by a swarm of small bugs approaching my face. I hurriedly waved them away with my hand. “Ah, blood!” I heard a scream and wondered what happened; it seems a leech had latched onto one of the knights. It was a large leech, and blood was dripping profusely after it was peeled off. The horses also seemed to be having trouble walking.

“This is a pretty tough place. We should rest early today.” “Yes, I agree.” Based on James and Aulasneal‘s judgment, we decided to cut the exploration short. It’s dangerous if we lose concentration due to fatigue. James isn’t just strict; he can make calm judgments.

When I was about to return via Teleportation Magic, everyone seemed to lack energy. They smiled for a moment when I provided warm tea with honey in a pot, but I suppose it’s natural for spirits to be heavy during an exploration of wetlands. When they pitch tents to sleep, it seems likely that not only flying insects but also crawling bugs will appear. Like this, they might not be able to rest properly at night. I wonder if I can do something with my Production Skill.