The Coachman's Request (Part Two)

"Raise your Staff a little higher—yes, that's right..."

Frieren stood beside Lia, guiding her into a stance.

Then she adjusted her stance little by little with her hands while casting the spell.

"Alright, let's try casting [Ordinary Offensive Magic] on that tree next--"

As soon as he finished speaking

A beam of light pierced through the large tree that Frieren had pointed to.

The moment the Staff releases its magic,

The powerful Mana created a gust of wind that ruffled their hair.

Frieren's two ponytails danced in the wind, looking somewhat disheveled.

The tree, riddled with holes and hollowed out, crashed to the ground.

The moment the tree trunk touched the ground, a dull tremor resounded through the earth.

"--Such fast casting speed"

A look of surprise appeared on her face.

Because it was the first time she had seen Lia use magic, she hadn't even had time to react.

"Whoosh!"

Seeing the surprised expression on Frieren's face,

Lia felt a little smug—she hadn't let Duncan down!

That attack was indeed very fast.

Frieren nodded affirmatively, but then said with a hint of helplessness.

"However, that attack wasted too much Mana. It seems you still have a significant deficiency in your ability to manipulate Mana. I will train you diligently in the coming days..."

"Hmm..."

"They said they were going to give individual lessons, but they ended up dumping all the investigation work on me...?"

Galan emerged from the cowshed, covered in the stench of manure, looking utterly dejected.

Because most of the missing livestock came from this cowshed on the outer edge of the farm,

He had just been trying to find traces of the murderer's actions in the messy haystacks.

As a result, he was butted into a pile of dung by a cow with a perverse sense of humor.

Thankfully, the old man didn't mind his stench.

Only then were they able to pull him out of the excrement.

"Ptooey-- Ugh--"

I thought I had gotten used to this stench.

The moment I stepped outside and breathed in the fresh air...

The overwhelming stench emanating from his body caused him to vomit up his entire breakfast and lunch.

Finally, the old man took her home and gave her a nice bath.

"Beep beep--"

Galan was submerged in the water, with half his face above the surface.

Blowing bubbles idly

It was a very childish act, yet it made him feel incredibly comfortable.

It's been such a long, long time since I've felt this relaxed...

"Would you like some soap? I made it myself using herbs I picked from nearby."

"Oh! Thank you!"

The old man's voice came from outside the door.

Then a purple bar of soap was handed in.

Galan thanked them.

After taking it, he sat back in the bucket and carefully examined the little gadget.

Soap does exist in this world,

However, due to limitations in manufacturing processes, it was not particularly widespread.

For ordinary families

Spending a considerable amount of money on a bar of soap that won't last long seems uneconomical.

In Rogley, only the wealthy and noble could afford soap.

However, those people seemed to prefer using a lotion-like Potion.

This Potion is poured into preheated water, and depending on its ingredients, it has various beneficial effects on the body.

It also feels a bit like a medicinal soup.

Galan had previously developed that kind of Potion.

Although it was ultimately unsuccessful, we gained a lot of experience from it.

He leaned in and smelled the soap.

A rich aroma of incense filled the air.

To be honest, the old man's cooking skills are really good.

The feel of Galan to the touch was almost identical to other soaps available in the market.

The only difference is in the taste...

He savored the aroma carefully, feeling a sense of déjà vu.

His brows were furrowed.

It was as if they were trying to squeeze the relevant information out of their minds.

That's right, it's Wisteria!

Galan remembered.

This herb emits an aura that monsters hate most.

This herb is often deliberately planted along important trade routes and intercity highways.

This reduces the risk of monster attacks.

However, it's not very effective against Demons.

I never imagined the old man would harvest this stuff and make it into soap...

Forget it, I'll have a good talk with him after we get out.

After washing

Galan dried herself off, changed into clean clothes, and left the bathroom.

He looked left and right, but couldn't find the old man anywhere.

The house is spacious, and all the furniture and belongings are neatly organized.

It looks like it's regularly maintained.

The doors to the rooms were all tightly closed, suggesting that no one was home.

There was a vase on the dining table, but it didn't contain any flowers.

A painting hangs on the wall next to the cabinet.

The two people in the painting are a young man and a young woman.

The boy didn't smile much; he seemed a little awkward in the girl's embrace.

The girl smiled brightly, one arm around the boy from behind.

In his other hand, he held a bunch of bright golden Galan flowers, the name of which he didn't know.

"You're done washing up."

At that moment, the old man pushed open the door and came in.

"Hmm? Yes, thank you for the soap."

Just as Galan was pondering how to bring up the topic of Wisteria,

He suddenly noticed that the old man was holding a bunch of flowers just like the ones the girl in the painting was holding.

The old man did not notice Galan's gaze.

He walked straight to the dining table and gently placed the flowers into the vase.

His movements were very careful, making it impossible to tell that he was an old man who had spent years doing farm work.

More like a meticulous florist.

"Is the woman in the painting... your wife?"

Although Galan already had a general idea of what was going on when he saw the painting, he still asked the question instinctively.

Because the boy had a crescent-shaped scar on his forehead, just like the old man's.

It looked like a cut made by something sharp.

"Yes."

The old man answered casually.

The calmness in his tone suggested that he was not surprised that Galan had guessed it.

He looked at the painting on the wall, a look of reminiscence on his face.

"That was the year we first met. I met her by chance in the mountains when we first saw each other."

"At that time, she was being chased by a wolf. When I saw the girl in danger, I didn't think twice and rushed down."

"In the end, I dealt with the wolf and saved her, but the wolf left this scar on my face."

The old man subconsciously touched his forehead.

My fingertips moved back and forth across it, a gentle, almost indulgent feeling.

It felt like I was groping around, but more like I was reminiscing.

Although a long time has passed, that scar has become an anchor point.

It has set an unforgettable mark on people's hearts.

"And then you got married?"

Galan listened with great interest to this romantic love story, inwardly cheering for the sweetness of the older generation.

They even forgot all about the Wisteria.

Indeed, watching the drama unfold is an irresistible pastime for everyone.

"Um."

"Because of that incident, we quickly got together and eventually got married naturally."

A look of happiness flashed across the old man's face, as if he had truly returned to the That Day of his wedding.

Standing in the church with your loved one,

With the blessings of the bishop and family and friends

A warm hug,

They kissed.

They looked like the happiest newlyweds in the world.

They were all young then.

So young that I thought good things would be spared by time.

Let's stay in that most beautiful moment forever.

But in the blink of an eye,

Like a huge dark cloud drifting across his face,

The old man's expression changed rapidly.

It is pain.

It is anger.

It's unbelievable

But in the end, only emptiness and desolation remained.

"--But she died later."

"He died at the hands of that damned Demons."