Chapter 41

“Take a look at this.”

Adrian handed me a document that lacked an official seal. He leaned back in his chair after giving it to me.

“This is…”

I frowned as I examined the document.

Having read Adrian’s profile, I knew he was a character who maintained a cold and rational demeanor when it came to work. Based on Dion’s comments, his coldness likely extended to his personal life as well. In short, Adrian was an extremely cool-headed character.

Yet the document Adrian handed me had its edges crumpled, as if someone had balled it up in frustration. Since Adrian was the only one who could have handled the document, he must have been the culprit.

For someone as meticulous as Adrian to crumple a work document, it must have really irritated him. But what on earth was written in it?

“Are you looking at it?”

Adrian’s voice broke my thoughts as he pressed his fingers against his temple. It seemed he’d noticed I’d been focusing on the crumpled edges rather than the content.

I nodded and began to read the document more carefully.

[…Request for support to treat an epidemic affecting the village…]

Seeing the words at the top of the document, I felt a sense of dread wash over me. This was a travel-related event. I was sure of it.

Support request? Showing this to me clearly meant he wanted to assign me this task!

Trying to maintain a polite smile, I looked up from the document. Adrian addressed me before I could speak.

“I’ve already received reports about your assistance with the herb chamber’s tasks. They’ve been praising your skills quite highly.”

“You flatter me. I only did simple work, like making stamina recovery potions.”

“They said the potions were both effective and efficient, so there’s no need for false modesty. I’ve also heard that the antidotes you made for the herb chamber were particularly effective.”

“The antidotes?”

“Yes. It was reported that they worked against a wide range of toxic substances. Based on that, I’d like to ask for your help with something.”

Adrian’s eyes flashed coldly. He seemed irritated by meaningless flattery and instead gestured with his eyes toward the documents in my hand.

“As you can see.”

“I haven’t read it…”

I’d only skimmed the top portion when Adrian began speaking. Before I could explain, his piercing eyes silenced me. With Adrian’s affection level already in the negatives, his intense gaze was particularly intimidating. Unable to meet his eyes, I lowered my gaze.

Fine, I’ll just listen.

Sensing that I wasn’t going to interrupt again, Adrian’s voice softened slightly as he continued.

“As you can see, an unknown epidemic is spreading in a village. I was planning to send some of the herb chamber researchers, but if possible, I’d like to entrust this task to you, Saintess.”

Adrian retrieved the document from my hands as he spoke. His hand, now closer to me, caught my attention. His well-groomed fingers contrasted with the numerous scars that marked the back of his hand.

Why does a scribe character like Adrian have so many scars?

My curiosity must have shown on my face, as Adrian turned his hand to hide the scars and used the document to obscure it further. Shaking off my distraction, I looked up at him again. His cool gaze bore into me as he spoke.

“What do you think, Saintess?”

<Adrian’s Request>

• Adrian’s polite request.
• Investigate the cause of the epidemic in the village and cure the villagers.
• Essential capture event for target characters ‘Dion’ and ‘Adrian.’

[Trigger Conditions: Potion Crafting Level 7 or higher, acquisition of advanced potion crafting skills, completion of pre-event ‘The Herb Chamber’s Request.’]

Polite? This was considered a polite request?

Adrian’s demeanor felt more like a haughty command than a request. The event’s prerequisites were demanding, and the system’s description seemed intent on misleading me with its choice of words. That phrase “polite request” grated on my nerves.

“Do you think I’m capable of handling this?”

“Considering how diligently you fulfilled the herb chamber’s request, I believe you can. You even went out of your way to borrow herbs from me for that task, didn’t you?”

Was that supposed to be praise?

Adrian’s matter-of-fact response made me tilt my head in thought.

“Your answer?”

He pressed me for a response.

“With my abilities…”

Under Adrian’s intimidating gaze, I stammered. It was absurd to feel pressured by a game character.

<If you refuse the event, the capture routes for ‘Dion’ and ‘Adrian’ will be destroyed.>

<If capture routes are destroyed, you will be forced into the ‘Orias’ single route.>

Who said I was going to refuse?

The system’s warning popped up just as I was mumbling my hesitation. Its threat of locking me into the ‘Orias’ single route was far more effective than Adrian’s intimidation. Pouting slightly, I responded quickly.

“Of course, I can handle it.”

“…What?”

Dion, who had been quietly listening from the side, turned to me in disbelief. His expression was skeptical as he questioned me.

“Didn’t you say potion crafting was just a hobby? How do you plan to create a cure for an unknown disease with mere hobbyist skills?”

“My skills have improved.”

“In just a few days?”

“You’ve seen me work, Dion. With that level of effort, my skills were bound to improve.”

“That improvement is limited to stamina recovery potions. Creating an antidote requires basic pharmaceutical knowledge and an understanding of the disease’s cause. This isn’t a task you can accept lightly. Reconsider.”

Dion’s words were logical. For ordinary people, crafting numerous stamina recovery potions wouldn’t necessarily enhance their overall skills. But I wasn’t an ordinary person—I was the player of this game.

When my Potion Crafting Level reached 7, I unlocked a skill to create cures for unknown illnesses. If given the opportunity, I could even treat the Emperor’s poisoning. Though, if the event didn’t trigger, I had no intention of doing so.

Ignoring Dion’s attempts to dissuade me, I nodded firmly at Adrian.

“Leave it to me. I’ll treat the villagers’s illnesses and return.”

<‘Adrian’s Request’ Accepted!>

• Adrian’s affection has slightly decreased.
• Preparing for movement to the event area.

<Objective: Reach the destination within 24 hours.>

I sighed heavily as I noticed Adrian’s affection drop again. This guy had been consistently lowering his affection since earlier. While it didn’t matter much since it was already negative, it still felt unpleasant.

If agreeing to his request makes his affection drop, what was I supposed to do?

Adrian retrieved a document and stamped it with a confirmation seal.

“Prepare to leave immediately. Bring only the bare essentials and head to the village quickly. The situation is urgent, so it’s best to depart as soon as possible.”

Adrian rose from his seat and gestured toward Dion.

“Saintess, return to your lodging to prepare, while Sir Dion follows me. I’ll briefly explain the precautions.”

I watched in puzzlement as Adrian dismissed me and signaled Dion to follow. If precautions were necessary, wouldn’t it be more efficient to explain them to both of us simultaneously?

Considering Adrian’s personality, which prioritized efficiency, this behavior seemed uncharacteristic. Still, despite my curiosity, I couldn’t protest. With Adrian’s piercing gaze compelling me, I was practically chased out of his reception room.

“This feels awful,” I muttered to myself, grumbling about the obvious cold treatment as I made my way back to my lodging to pack.

I’ll repay this indignity after I successfully capture Adrian. For now, I focused on packing, promising myself retribution in the future.

“All done.”

The items in my bag were minimal. Having few possessions meant there wasn’t much to pack. The only items I carried were my indestructible nightgown and the restorative potions Dion had prepared for me.

While I packed, Dion returned from his conversation with Adrian. Eyeing my sparse luggage, he frowned and glanced around my room disapprovingly.

“You’ve packed so little.”

“I haven’t been here long, so there’s not much to take.”

“If there’s anything you need, let me know, and I’ll ensure it’s provided.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

After all, I didn’t plan to stay here much longer. The herb garden had already been completely harvested, leaving nothing to gather. Moreover, this place was too far from the main palace, making it inconvenient. Once I returned, I intended to request a transfer to the main palace. Having completed ‘The Herb Chamber’s Request,’ my increased influence might make it possible.

“Then I’ll prepare the necessities myself.”

Huh?

Dion’s curt response caught me off guard. He seemed displeased with my casual reply. Had I been too dismissive?

“Let’s depart. The village is in a dire situation, so we must leave as soon as possible.”

Before I could respond, Dion turned and walked away, carrying my bag effortlessly in one hand. I quickly followed him outside.

In the barren garden, where all the herbs and weeds had been cleared, two horses stood waiting. A soldier secured my bag to one of the horses that Dion led.

Where’s the carriage?

Seeing Dion take the reins, I glanced around, searching for the carriage. No matter how hard I looked, there was no sign of one.

“Saintess, get on the horse. We’re leaving immediately.”

“Huh?”

“Get on the—wait, don’t tell me…”

Dion, holding the reins and speaking to me, stared at me with a shocked expression.

“You don’t know how to ride a horse?”

“No.”

Wouldn’t it be stranger if I did? The only horse I’d ever ridden was a pony during a brief vacation trip. Even then, it had been for less than ten minutes, and I hadn’t held the reins.

When I nodded confidently, Dion’s face crumpled in dismay.

“Why can’t we just take a carriage?”

“The path to the village is too rough for a carriage to pass.”

Dion replied in a tone that clearly conveyed his exasperation.

“How could you reach this age without learning to ride a horse? What were you doing all this time?”

“Haha, good question.”

“Fine. In that case, you’ll ride with me.”

If only ‘Horseback Riding’ were a basic player skill, it would be easier to handle events like this. Once again, this game’s lack of consideration annoyed me.

Feeling awkward about Dion’s evident annoyance, I fidgeted with my fingers and approached him. It felt like being a burden on a colleague during a business trip because I couldn’t drive.

Guilt weighed on me as I muttered quietly, “I’ll start learning horseback riding as soon as we return.”

“You should.”

Dion’s annoyed expression softened slightly as he nodded. Sensing my unease, he added in a quieter tone, “…I wasn’t trying to criticize you. Everyone has a first time.”

With that, Dion lifted me onto the horse. Once I was securely seated, he mounted behind me and reached for the reins.

Urging the horse forward, Dion spurred it into motion, and we began our journey to the village.