Novice Alchemist 5-20 part 2

 

Chapter 5-20 : Snowy Mountain Ⅱ (part 2)

 

The blizzard got even stronger in the evening, trapping us in white darkness.

I decided to use the Dome Shelter to protect us from the wind coming from the entrance of the cave.

Because most of the wind was blocked by the cave, the Dome Shelter didn’t require much magical power, so it was all good.

After eating the white rabbit we hunted this noon, we went to sleep early, hoping that the weather would be better the next day.

However, even after the sun rose the next day, the blizzard still hadn’t stopped yet.

The sound of the roaring wind and the white view of the blizzard that kept going made Lorea-chan feel uneasy.

On the other hand, Iris-san and Kate-san, who have been through worse, looked calm.

「Compared to when we were trapped in the cave with Nord-san, it was nothing at all. Moreover, we have Store Owner-dono here!」(Iris)

「That’s right. Even if we wouldn’t be able to move from here for a while, we still have a large supply of food.」(Kate)

I’m glad that they trust me, but I’ve never been stuck in bad weather like this before, so I can’t say that we’ll be fine.

However, as Kate-san said, at least we still have a lot of food, and we have a small magic stove that Lorea-chan could use to cook delicious food for us.

We don’t have to worry about temperature thanks to the Dome Shelter and the Floating Tent, and we also have a portable toilet next to the Floating Tent.

So, I’m sure we can survive even if we were stuck here for a while.

My biggest concern is boredom. There’s not much we can do here in a cave after all.

We might get stressed if we had to stay here for days. That’s what I was worried about, but fortunately, after spending another night in the cave, the blizzard stopped the next day.

We finally could see the clear blue sky on the third day of staying in the cave.

Thinking that the storm might be back if we stayed any longer in the cave, we decided to pack up and head for our destination.

 

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「Everyone, we’re finally here! This is the place where we can collect Misanon Roots.」(Sarasa)

Fortunately, we arrived at the destination safely without any problem after a few days of walking from the cave.

I spread my arms and waved at the three who were walking a few meters behind me.

However, they looked somewhat confused. Probably because the scenery still hadn’t changed a bit.

「Umm, Store Owner-dono, there’s nothing here. I can only see snow.」(Iris)

「Well, it’s probably because there has been a blizzard for three days.」(Sarasa)

According to Marlye’s map, there’s no doubt that our destination is here. The blizzard a few days ago must have brought a large amount of snow to this area.

As a result, the ground that was supposed to be the habitat of Misanon plants was buried deep in the snow so that not even a trace of the plants could be seen.

I thrust a stick into the snow to find out how deep it was. I did it in several spots, and I think it’s between fifty centimeters to one meter deep.

「By the way, Store Owner-dono, how do you normally find Misanon plants?」(Iris)

「Their stems usually stick a few centimeters out of the snow but as you can see, since they are completely buried in the snow like this, we can’t tell where they are. We have to randomly dig around this area. Hahh… This job will take longer than I thought…」(Sarasa)

Misanon stems should look like thin sticks, but there’s nothing like that in this snow-covered area.

Collectors who normally collect Misanon Roots usually stick long wooden sticks where Misanon plants grow before winter as markers in case they were buried in snow like this, but unfortunately, none of the Collectors in the village normally collect them.

「Don’t worry, we’ll try our best no matter how long it will take. Right, Kate?」(Iris)

「Yup. It’s our job after all.」(Kate)

「I will help too!」(Lorea)

「Thank you, guys…」(Sarasa)

I’m glad I have reliable friends.

「Oh, right! Sarasa-san, can you blow off the snow in this area with magic?」(Lorea)

「If you’re asking if I can do that, then yeah, I can.」(Sarasa)

「That’s Sarasa-san for you!」(Lorea)

Lorea-chan’s eyes were sparkling somehow, but then I shook my head in panic.

「H, However, an avalanche will likely occur if I do that!」(Sarasa)

We’re not even allowed to make noises on snowy mountains, let alone blow away the snow in an entire area.

I can’t use loud explosive spells here.

「I see… Then, we have no choice but to dig out the snow until we find the stems. Let’s do our best, everyone!」(Lorea)

Lorea-chan clenched her fists and showed us her cheerful smile.

I can’t just keep complaining after seeing Lorea-chan, who was the youngest among us, show her enthusiasm.

「Yeah, let’s try what we can do first!」(Sarasa)

「Ouu!」(Iris)

「Let’s finish it quickly!」(Kate)

「Gauu!!」(Kurumi)

Even Kurumi showed her enthusiasm. She crawled up Lorea-chan’s back, stood up on Lorea-chan’s shoulder, and raised her arms.

「Oh? Kurumi, you want to dig the snow too? But I think it’s too dangerous for you since you’re too small. You should justー」(Iris)

「ーGau!」(Kurumi)

「Aa!」(Iris)

Denying Iris-san, Kurumi shook her head, jumped onto the snow, and dived in.

「Kurumi-chan!」(Lorea)

「Hey, are you alright!?」(Iris)

Lorea-chan and Iris-san spontaneously stretched their arms toward the snow. However, when they were about to dig, the snow was moving.

It seemed that Kurumi was swimming around in the snow.

「I think she just wants to play. You see, Kurumi was born from our genes, that means she has Iris’ personality too.」(Kate)

Iris-san glared at Kate-san after listening to her reasoning.

「Hey, what do you mean by that!? I never play around during work, okay!?」(Iris)

「No, Kate-san. I don’t think Kurumi is just playing around.」(Sarasa)

I don’t think a smart Homunculus like her will just play around when her masters are having a hard time.

Not long after she dived in, Kurumi came out of the snow and looked at me while waving her hands.

「Gau, gau!」(Kurumi)

「So, what are you doing, Kurumi?」(Sarasa)

「Gau! Gau, gau!」(Kurumi)

She is pointing at the hole in the snow where she came out.

「Sarasa-san, I think she wants us to dig the snow in this spot. Right, Kurumi-chan?」(Lorea)

「Gau!」(Kurumi)

「Hm? …Aah! I see now! Good job, Kurumi!」(Sarasa)

As soon as I realized what Kurumi just did, I took out a shovel from my bag and started digging.

Not long after, we saw something poking out of the snow.

「Store Owner-dono, could it be…」(Iris)

「Bingo! It’s the stem of a Misanon plant!」(Sarasa)

I kept digging and pulled out the Misanon plant from the ground to expose its roots.

We finally got our first Misanon Root!

「Whoaa! Well done, Kurumi-chan!」(Lorea)

Lorea-chan picked Kurumi up and hugged her.

「Not only is she cute and strong but she also has a sharp sense of smell like a dog!」(Kate)

「You’re amazing, Kurumi!」(Iris)

Hearing Kate-san and Iris-san compliments, Kurumi, who was in Lorea-chan’s hands, put her fist on her chest and made a kinda smug face as if saying, “You can leave it to me!”

When I made Kurumi, I designed her to have stronger resistance and stronger senses than humans, but I never thought that her sense of smell would be this strong.

「Kurumi, can you find the other Misanon plants?」(Sarasa)

「Gau!」(Kurumi)

「Great! We still have to dig through the snow, but with Kurumi’s help, we can collect Misanon Roots much faster. Let’s do it, guys!」(Sarasa)

「「Yes, Ma’am!!」」(Iris, Kate, & Lorea)

 

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