4
On the third day.
The group began their expedition on floor 61.
Lecan was worried about Ui.
From floor 51 onward, Ui had obviously been taking much longer in the shaft. She would suffer many injuries and look exhausted too. Eda cast <Purification> on her which relieved her wounds and fatigue, but starting from floor 61, each shaft will have five enemies at most.
Dealing with multiple opponents alone is not easy. She'd have got it much easier had she been able to fight at high speed like Lecan and Arios, but that style of combat is out of question to her since she's wearing metal armor. The longer it takes to finish a battle, the more she gets hit and consumes stamina. Ui should not have experience diving in a dungeon alone to begin with. She must always be in a group of powerful mages.
Jiza still hasn't revealed the so-called <Artificial Wrinkle Man>. At first Lecan thought of asking Jiza to make that thing go with Ui into a shaft, but stopped short. Doing that would hurt Ui's pride. And besides, if Jiza deemed it's not the time yet, then that's that.
Still, Jiza is quite incredible. From floor 1 to this point, her shaft clear time barely fluctuate. It was as if she was on auto-pilot, eliminating everything that stood in her ways as she walked. Her walking speed is awfully slow though.
"Ui. Drink these."
"Hm? What would those pills be?"
"Stamina Restorative and Mana Restorative."
"I already have five pills of Mana Restorative Obaba-sama gave me. But, what is Stamina Restorative?"
"Let me have a look."
Jiza grabbed the two pills Lecan was handing to Ui and stared at them.
"<Analysis>."
She even used magic to inspect them. She first cast <Analysis> on Mana Restorative then onto Stamina Restorative.
"Hmmm. These are quite something. This Mana Restorative bears a lot of resemblance to Panta's made ones, but this one is of a much higher level."
"Eeeeh?"
Ui opened her eyes wide in shock. Panta should be a pupil of Herb Saint who's staying in this town.
"The efficacy this Stamina Restorative possesses is also outstanding. And I think it lasts quite long as well. Lecan-chan. Where in the world did you get your hands on these pills?"
"I made both myself."
"Are you speaking the truth?"
"Yeah."
"Hmmm. I was sure these were hand made by Herb Saint-dono himself, so they are not."
"Skalabel can make these stuff too. Now that you mention it, that pupil of Skalabel did say that the ways to make these restoratives are considered secret arts."
"Ho? How do you know that?"
"Skalabel's pupil, that something guy said so."
"It's Priest Amamir-sama, Lecan."
"Yeah, that guy."
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
"Hmhmm."
Jiza fell into thought. Then she muttered alone.
"During Herb Saint-dono's visitation to town of Vouka, he received Eda-chan's <Purification> whereas Eda-chan became known as <Healing Hand of Herb Saint>, it is also said that Town of Vouka was where Herb Saint-dono's master as well as other two or three apothecaries or scholars live. Those apothecaries or scholars demonstrated knowledge or skill that greatly astonished the priests and apothecaries who accompanied the Herb Saint's entourage."
"Hou. You're quite informed."
"You must be that apothecary."
"Yea."
"And I'm thinking the master of Herb Saint-dono is your master as well."
"Yea."
Despite looking unperturbed outwardly, Lecan was awfully flustered inwardly.
Apparently Jiza has her own information network. As well as the acumen to weave the path toward the truth with only a few clues.
(Oh crap. Obaba's gonna realize Shira's existence at this rate. No, she's already getting it.)
"Am I right in thinking that the master of Herb Saint-dono is also your teacher in magic study."
Lecan couldn't answer this question. He had no idea how.
The one that brought an end to Lecan's inner conflict was Eda.
"That's right. It's Shira-baachan."
Lecan was angered for a moment there. But he immediately rethought things over. Jiza was already on the right track. She would easily find out about Shira and how Lecan was her pupil if she just sent a messenger to Vouka. The fact that she's his magic teacher is known to the townlord mansion's servants. There's no way to wiggle his way out of this. Then he might as well say it like it is.
"So it's a person by the name Shira. I heard that person vanished from Vouka."
"Yes. She up and disappeared when Herb Saint-sama was going home, after which no one has seen her ever again."
(Nice! Very nicely done. Don't you tell her you've met her before now!)
"Did she really. I wish I could have met her once at least."
"What a shame huh."
Lecan said that while sounding utterly unconcerned.
"Well I'm sure the opportunity will present itself one of these days. Right, Lecan-chan?"
Jiza laughed.
Lecan felt a chill down his spine.
"Anyway, these are good medicine. Ui, you should take them."
"Yes. If you think that's for the best, Obaba-sama."
Ui grabbed the pills from Jiza's palm and took them. These straightforwardness and unfaltering attitude are undoubtedly Ui's virtues.
"Lecan-dono. Thank you."
"Yea."
"Ah, there's that <Dono> again."
"Just what kind of human are you anyway?"
Ui looked at Lecan like she was watching someone foreign to her.
"I'm me."
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