Chapter 17: Read the Instructions...

Ow, ow, ow, and ow again.

By lunch time, my fingers are a bloody mess. Even though I’ve been gathering for half a day, I’ve still only gathered about half of my quota.

I meet up with Bridget back where we started, and the two of us climb to the top of a small hill. This hill, which is more like a giant pile of rocks, overlooks the forest covered mountainside, presenting us with a spectacular view of the area below.

Vast. Desolate. Beautiful. The barren rocks and sparse forest makes me feel small and insignificant.

Unlike in my previous life, where it was nearly impossible to escape the sounds of civilization, here the only sound that reaches my ears is the wind.

Even though we’re out in the middle of nowhere, we haven’t come across any animals bigger than a squirrel. This is probably the result of this area’s close proximity to the Adventurer Guild.

If an adventurer is given the choice between paying for food or killing it themselves, they’ll kill it themselves every time.

Of course, adventurers don’t like working for free, so they’ll only kill the food if it doesn’t take a lot of time and effort, but because of this, the area around the Guild is relatively free of large animals.

Today, I have a sandwich for lunch. Strictly speaking, it’s more like a pizza than a sandwich, but the menu called it a sandwich, so who am I to argue.

I say it’s like a pizza, because all of the ingredients are placed on top of a single slice of bread, not because it’s covered in tomato sauce and cheese. In fact, for all I know, tomato sauce doesn’t exist in this world.

This particular sandwich consists of meat, wild reindeer lettuce, reindeer cheese, and the cafeteria’s special sweet sauce. It looks super appetizing, and the smell makes my mouth water.

What kind of meat? I have no idea.

The menu said meat, and I was too afraid to ask for details.

In this world, farmed meat isn’t a thing. All of the meat is brought in fresh the night before by adventurers, so you never know what kind of meat you’ll get.

Wild reindeer lettuce is a staple in the cafeteria’s dishes. It’s crunchy and refreshing, with a great taste and great mouthfeel.

Reindeer love eating it, and for some reason it can’t be cultivated in captivity, which is why it’s called wild reindeer lettuce.

The cafeteria’s special sweet sauce is, according to Samantha, award winning. Apparently, it’s popular throughout the Empire due to its distinct sweet and spicy flavor.

Samantha says, “It’s to die for,” so I decided to give it a try. It’s used in a variety of the cafeteria’s dishes, but those dishes have names like “Rock Golem’s Fist,” and “Grindstone Mixed Plate,” so I decided to go with the safer “Meat Sandwich” instead.

I’m sure the other dishes are great, but I didn’t want to get all the way out here and find out I bought something inedible, so decided to go with the safer option.

“We both bought the same thing,” Bridget says, pulling a metal container out of her bag. She opens the container, and pulls out a package wrapped in heavy brown paper.

Setting the container on her lap, Bridget carefully unwraps the package, revealing a sandwich that looks almost exactly the same as mine.

Bridget folds the sandwich in half and takes a bite. “Yum,” she says, covering her mouth with her hand, “this is the best.”

I see, so that’s how you’re supposed to eat it. I guess if you fold it in half it really does look like a sandwich.

Following her example, I fold my sandwich in half and take a bite.

It’s good. Insanely good.

Bridget stows her lunch container in her bag and turns to me. “How many leaves have you collected so far?” she asks.

“Twenty six,” I say. “I’m a little more than halfway there.”

“Oh, Goddess,” Bridget says. “What happened to your finger?”

I glance down at my finger. It’s red and swollen, and looks awful.

“The thorns. I didn’t bring a pair of gloves with me.”

“Do you want to borrow mine?” Bridget asks. “I brought an extra pair.”

“That would be amazing. Thank you so much.”

“Here,” Bridget says, throwing me a pair of heavy leather gloves. “Hopefully they fit.”

I pull them on and wiggle my fingers. They’re a little short in the length, but they’ll work.

“Thank you so much,” I say, giving Bridget a hug. “You’re a lifesaver.”

“N-No problem,” Bridget says, awkwardly patting me on the back. “I’m glad I could help.”

Armed with Bridget’s gloves, collecting is a breeze. The prickles are no match for the thick leather, so the problem shifts from collecting the Snowbound to finding it.

Snowbound isn’t easy to find, because each plant prefers to grow in isolation. They grow in the cracks between rocks which makes finding them like playing a game of hide and seek.

The amount of time it takes to find each Snowbound plant, coupled with the stringent harvesting regulations, mean that Snowbound gathering quests take a lot of time. Because of this time commitment, and the ever present demand for recovery potions, Snowbound gathering quests are very lucrative.

During the summer, a single leaf is worth 10 silver, and during the winter, when Snowbound is harder to gather, that price can climb as high as 50 silver. In contrast, the Guild only pays 2 silver per goblin killed during a subjugation quest regardless of the season.

For reference, ten silver is enough to pay for one night at the Guild’s inn or up to a week at a cheaper inn, so Snowbound gathering quests pay very well.

So, why doesn’t everyone do Snowbound gathering quests?

Simple, because most of the Snowbound gathering areas are located deep in the mountains, making them inaccessible to all but the most seasoned adventurers.

The area where we are currently gathering is reserved for beginner adventurers who are participating in bootcamp. It’s one of the perks of suffering through Samantha and Chloe’s intense training.

The sun is beginning to set as I collect my last leaf. It’s much colder compared to earlier, and I find myself shivering in my light jacket.

“Got everything?” Bridget asks, her breath making tiny puffs of white frigid air.

“Yeah,” I say, slinging my backpack over my shoulders. “Let’s head back before I freeze to death.”

Taking the lead, I start back down the trail. The evening is still, and I can hear the soft crunch of Bridget’s footsteps as she follows a few steps behind me.

“What did you think about your first quest?” Bridget asks.

“It was pretty good, other than the bloody fingers.”

Bam. A dark shadow slams into my side, throwing me off my feet. I slam into a tree and crumple to the ground, the breath knocked out of me.

Heart pounding, I scramble into a sitting position and search for the source of the attack.

Nothing moves, everything is still. The only sound I hear is the beating of my heart.

A snarl shatters the stillness and a shadow appears from nowhere, knocking me to the ground. I flail my arms, struggling to free myself, but the shadow keeps me pinned down with its massive claws.

I stare into my assailant’s bright yellow eyes taking in its black slitted pupils. Then, the eyes disappear, my vision is filled with several rows of razor sharp teeth, and the shadow clamps its jaws around my neck.

Time passes. Maybe a day. Maybe an instant.

A scream fills the air, and the shadow releases its grip on my neck.

The shadow rolls across the ground and slams its back into a tree. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Bridget one arm wrapped around the creature’s neck, clinging to the monster’s back for dear life. In her hand she holds a sharpened stick, which she repeatedly stabs into the monster’s eye.

The monster flails back and forth trying to crush her with its weight, but she doesn’t let go, continuing to drive the stick deeper into the monster’s skull.

Finally, after what seems like hours, the monster goes limp.

Bridget releases her grip on the monster’s neck, and lets her arms drop to the ground. She lies there catching her breath, her lower body pinned underneath the monster.

Now that the fight is over, I take a good look at the monster.

The monster is a giant cat. It’s sleek and black, similar to a panther from my previous life.

Stretched out on the ground, it’s about as tall as I am, and with its muscles, it probably weighs twice as much.

Bridget extracts herself from underneath the monster, and hauls herself to her feet. When she sees me, her face goes white, and she rushes over to my side.

“Come on,” she says, throwing my arm over her shoulder. “We have to get you back to the Guild, right away.”

“Wait,” I croak, “We can’t leave the Snowbound leaves. They’re in my bag.”

“It’s alright,” Bridget says. “We can come back for them later.”

“No, we should get them now. Why are you in such a rush?”

“Sage, do you really not know?”

“Know what?”

“Your neck and chest. Its…”

“Its what?”

Bridget shakes her head. “Never mind, we need to get you back to the Guild as soon as possible.”

The sun has set, and the temperature is dropping.

Overhead, the sky is a deep shade of purple. The last vestiges of color before the onset of night.

The wounds on my neck and chest throb, the pain growing stronger with each step. Since I’m still alive, the monster probably didn’t hit a major artery, but judging by Bridget’s reaction, my wounds are probably pretty severe.

Thankfully, I can’t see them otherwise I’m sure I’d be in a full blown panic. I’ve never been good at dealing with injuries, especially my own.

With each step, I’m overwhelmed by pain and fatigue. I find myself nodding off to sleep, only to be jarred awake by Bridget’s voice.

“Wake up, Sage. You can’t sleep until we get to the Guild.”

That’s right, I can’t fall asleep yet. Even though Bridget is strong, she probably can’t carry me all the way back to the Guild on her own.

“Here,” Bridget says. “Let me tell you a story to help you stay awake.

“Remember the story I told you about Lord Heart?”

I nod.

“Good, then let me tell you a story about Lady Heart.”

“It’s strange. Even now, I don’t know what Lady Heart’s real name is.

“When I worked at the Heart Family’s estate, all of the servants simply referred to her as Lady Heart.

“As you already know, my first job at the Heart Family’s estate was Lady Heart’s bodyguard.

“My official duty was to protect Lady Heart from anyone who wished her harm, but most of the time Lady Heart treated me as her personal servant.”

“Bridget,” Lady Heart said. “Prepare my bath.”

“Yes, Lady Heart. How warm would you like me to make it today?”

“Today,” Lady Heart said, pausing dramatically. “I would like to bathe in liquid gold.”

“Pardon me?”

“Are you deaf? I said, I would like to bathe in liquid gold.”

“I don’t remember,” Bridget says. “Did I ever tell you what Lady Heart’s title was?”

I shake my head.

“Lady Heart received the title ‘Saint’ at the Measuring Ceremony.

“‘Saint’ is a highly coveted title, so after the measuring ceremony she was highly contested.

“In the end, the Heart Family won the battle, however there were stipulations.

“While Lady Heart would marry into the Heart Family, her employer would be the Emperor. This arrangement would give the Emperor full access to her power.

“This arrangement was only possible because the Heart Family had been a close ally of the Emperor since the beginning of the Empire. If this bond hadn’t existed, Lady Heart would have ended up as one of the Emperor’s many concubines.

“Originally, Lady Heart came from a small village on the outskirts of the Empire. Her parents were poor and she never had any money of her own, so when she received the title Saint, all of the attention went to her head.

“She went from a caring country girl, to a stuck up noble woman. But, I’m getting off track.”

“If I may,” Bridget says, continuing her story, “I’m not sure bathing in liquid gold is a good idea.”

“Are you talking back to me?” Lady Heart asked.

“No, but–”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing, ma’am.”

“Good, now go and do as I asked.”

“On my way to the treasury, I ran into Lord Heart.”

“Bridget,” Lord Heart said. “How are you doing today? How’s everything going?”

“Even though I was a servant, Lord Heart always treated me as his equal. Unlike his wife, whenever he saw me in the hall, he’d stop and ask me how I was doing. It was a pleasure working for him.”

“Good morning, sir. Is there anything I can help you with?”

“No, I was just wondering how you were doing.”

“You are much too kind. I am doing well, thank you very much.”

“My wife didn’t give you an impossible task again,” Lord Heart asked, “did she?”

“Well…”

“She did, didn’t she. What does she want this time?”

“Lady Heart has requested a bath filled with liquid gold.”

“Liquid gold?” Charles asked, covering his face with his hands. “I wonder where she got that idea.”

“I’m sorry, I do not know.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Charles said, with a sigh. “I’ll go and talk some sense into her. Go ahead and prepare a normal bath.”

“When I returned to Lady Heart’s room after preparing her bath, I was confronted by Lady Heart.”

“Were you trying to kill me?” Lady Heart shouted.

“No, ma’am.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that liquid gold is extremely hot?”

“I’m very sorry, ma’am.”

“I knew it was a mistake hiring an Assassin as a bodyguard.”

“Ma’am…”

“You’re fired. Get out of my sight.

“Pack your bags and move to another continent. I never want to see your face again.”

“Sorry, that was supposed to be funny, but I’m not sure if I told it very well.”

“What did you think, Sage?”

“Sage?”

“Sage?!”

“Come on, don’t do this to me.”

“Wake up.”