Volume 5 Chapter 3 Clarence Village
After about ten days, Al reached Clarence Village in the evening. This village is northeast of Lester Frontier City. To get there, he traveled through Milton City and then northwest to Otis Town.
The trip to Otis Town was easy for Al since he had passed through it before on his way from Channing Village (his hometown) to the capital, Rain. It took him around 3 days. But from Otis Town to Clarence Village, there were few travelers, so he had to ask for directions often. This added another week to his journey.
In this area, the rugged Nash Mountain Range stretches westward. There's a narrow path near Clarence that leads to the Tempest Kingdom. However, most trade with Tempest happens in the north using flat roads or a river connected to Rain's capital city. Because of this, Al's route was rarely used. Still, a strong fortress was built near the mountain peak for security with knights stationed there for protection.
Orson got a job from Cody to go to a cave nearby and collect a mineral called Alunite. Alunite looks like a light pink, milky crystal, but it's not as expensive as regular crystal. However, Cody said she needed it for work. The effects of Alunite change based on its color and clarity, and it has to be mined from this specific cave. It seems she wanted to keep this special Alunite a secret, which is why she only asked Orson.
Al didn't think the cave job would take 6 weeks. Something must've gone wrong. Even though they worked together for only a few months, he was thankful for what Orson taught him. Al hoped Orson was okay. With these worries, Al reached the village near the cave.
"Hello. It's hot, isn't it?"
This season was hotter here than in Lester, the coastal town. Just standing made Al sweat. He smiled at the boy by the gate, who looked a bit younger but was about his height. His messy brown hair and oversized, dirty navy blue clothes seemed like hand-me-downs. A sword hung at his waist--likely a guard in training.
"Who are you?"
"It's Al. I'm a scout. I'm looking for someone."
The boy silently extended one hand. He probably wanted a tip for information. Al shook her head lightly.
"If you have real information--"
"What did you say? You're pretty cheeky."
The boy placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. It was a movement that even Al, who struggled with close combat, could easily handle. With a wry smile, Al shook his head lightly. Seeing this, the boy seemed irritated and suddenly tried to draw his sword.
"Hey, hey, Gabby, stop it!"
A voice came from inside a nearby building. A man rushed out, looking flustered. His silver hair was cut short, and he looked to be in his early twenties. He had a very fit body.
"I'm sorry, guest. It's rare for someone to come here."
"Hey, in Otis, they're doing it this way!"
He pressed down on the boy's head to silence him. Al thought the boy was probably just copying what he had heard in Otis's town.
"Please forgive him; I'll make sure to talk to him properly. I'm Ethel, part of the village's self-defense group. By the way..."
Al told the young man named Ethel his name and that he was looking for a man named Orson. Ethel seemed to recall something right away.
"Ah, that man definitely came by. It's been a while, though. He said he wanted to use the 'Hidden Spring' to heal his injured leg. I wonder if he's still there?"
"Hidden Spring?"
He told Al that there is a hot spring, called the "Hidden Spring," deep in the mountains about half a day's climb from here. Sometimes, people come to drink the water for healing or to warm up their injuries. However, there are no accommodations, so it seems that people stay in a cave nearby and bring their own food for a long stay. Of course, since it's in the Nash Mountains, there's a chance of encountering Barbarians or magic beasts, but he said it's not that scary. "What? I rushed here for that?" Al let out a light sigh, feeling a bit deflated.
"If you want to go to the 'Hidden Spring', it's dangerous to go now. The path is pretty tough."
Al thought for a moment and agreed. When he asked about a place to stay in the village, he learned there were no inns. However, Gabby might have a spare room if they talked to him. The boy, still held down by Ethel, looked unhappy. It seemed that Gabby was the boy's name.
"How many people are in Gabby's family?"
"There are 8. What about it?"
Gabby snapped back. Al also had a big family and remembered being hungry all the time when he was younger.
"Ethel, what are the hunting rights like around here? Are there any animals we shouldn't hunt? As a scout, I'm pretty confident in my hunting skills. I was thinking of looking for something to bring back before it gets dark."
"Well, I don't think there's even 2 hours until sunset, but you're really confident, huh?"
In some forests, only nobles can hunt, and adventurers are often banned from doing so. Al, whose father was the village head, understood this well. Ethel, somewhat frustrated by Al's self-assured attitude, explained everything to him. The nearby forest was open for hunting, but one had to pay a fee, and any animals caught would belong to the village. Luckily, hunting in the Nash Mountains didn't have this restriction. In particular, the village wanted to control the deer population because they were harming the crops.
"Well then, I'll go take a look. Gabby, could you ask your family to let me stay over? I'll bring back a souvenir!"
"That's fine, but it doesn't look like you have a bow or anything, so can you really catch something? If you don't bring back any game, you can't come inside. You'll have to sleep in the village square."
Al nodded confidently at Gabby's words. When he confirmed with Ethel where the Nash Mountains began, he adjusted his backpack and started running in that direction.
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