The next day, after returning to the estate to make some preparations, the group decided to head into the forest with the lumberjack Sean leading the way. They wanted to see where they had found that jujube tree with the rotten core.
Most of them neither understood nor cared why they'd been given this order, yet they showed a surprisingly high degree of obedience and discipline—even though their commander, Martin, was only a knight. In some ways, that might have been rarer than personal strength alone.
Warhorses were unsuited to entering a roadless forest and had little practical value there, so they took only a few packhorses along to carry some armor and camping gear. They also brought the lamp oil Kraft had requested, packed in small jars inside net bags and cushioned with straw to keep them from jolting against one another. The bags were hung from the sides of the saddles.
Given the weight limit, they wouldn't be carrying enough to satisfy Kraft, but the circumstances wouldn't allow them to bring more.
Martin thought there was no need to bring any more, either. This was the kind of oil they used to burn down fortress gates during sieges, and it was terrifyingly effective. Having it nearby made him uneasy. Still, he was willing to follow the expert's advice and bring some along. If the need arose, it would make arranging a cremation for the mushroom-growing Heretics more convenient.
Come to think of it, did professors at the Medical School really have any professional use for lamp oil?
With that small question on his mind, Martin took a brief rest at the logging camp, then followed the guide, who had brought only simple supplies, deeper into the forest.
According to Sean, when he said a place was "pretty far,"