NOVEL NEXT – Rustle, rustle…
Every time Carlson swung the wooden stick, the bushes swayed this way and that.
Knowing the way well, it was a kind of threatening gesture to clear any potential dangers hiding among the bushes, including snakes.
“This path is really filthy.”
As Misquot muttered, Yona nodded in rare agreement.
As soon as they entered the forest, the overgrown trees and bushes sometimes grew as tall as a person, obstructing their view.
This place was truly dangerous.
Still, after a few years of adventurer life, Yona put her hand on Carlson’s shoulder, walking closely behind him.
As they pushed through the bushes, if something were to jump out or if Carlson got injured in an unexpected attack, she would need to heal him quickly.
It was a fundamental stance for a healer to take.
“Are holy trees in places like this because they’re holy, or are they holy because they’re in places like this?”
“Ugh, we still have another day to go, right? If it’s already like this, what are we going to do?”
At Irene’s grumbling, Misquot shot back as if he’d been waiting for it.
‘So that guy isn’t just annoying me.’
In a way, it was a relief, but seeing Misquot made Yona wonder if she should have joined a different party.
But considering Mary had picked this one for her, the other parties must have been a disaster anyway.
Yona hadn’t chosen the party herself.
In reality, healers were so rare that many parties sought them, but once you joined a party, you had to work like crazy as a healer, making it hard to find a party that suited your preferences.
So the destination was already set, and she entered a party that had a decent structure prepared, thanks to Mary’s recommendations.
That offered more stability.
From Mary’s perspective, it was better to have one fewer healer die.
If someone like Yona, who had survived for three years and barely made it to bronze rank, accepted an invitation from just any party and ended up dead, it would be a tremendous loss, so she surely introduced capable parties.
“Wow, we’ve come about halfway now.”
Carlson tossed aside the wooden stick and stretched his back.
After passing through a certain part of the forest, they would reach a river, and upon coming to the riverbank, the bushes would thin out significantly.
The current party had just arrived in that area.
“I was worried a snake might show up, but thankfully not.”
At Yona’s mumbling, Carlson chuckled.
“If a snake showed up and bit your butt, Yona would’ve handled it, right? Thinking about it that way is kind of disappointing, isn’t it?”
“Doesn’t it feel a bit disappointing?”
“Shut it. I’ll chop it off. Why would I touch that?”
“Oh, so just because it’s a guy, you absolutely can’t touch a guy’s junk, huh?”
“Exactly.”
Why would I touch some guy’s junk?
I’d rather just chop it off.
Of course, if it were Yona, the healer who’s been around for three years, even if it’s chopped off, I could just attach it back for a while.
Not that I have any intention of touching it, though.
“Would you touch Alex’s?”
“I told you to shut it, you bastard. Why would I touch Alex’s?”
“Why not? Did he finish too fast? Was that guy a premature ejaculator?”
After giving Misquot’s butt a loud kick for butting in, Yona followed Carlson.
The not-so-big river flowed rather dignifiedly.
The party that set out in the morning was now crossing into the late afternoon, and the river sparkled silver under the sunlight leaning from the west.
Occasionally, fish leaped out of the water, creating a seemingly peaceful scene, but knowing those were man-eating fish made it hard to admire.
‘If I fall in, they’ll tear me apart.’
The forest was eerily quiet.
Every now and then, a long wail might indicate that some monster was mumbling in its sleep, but since it was the time of the celestial beings, all the monsters should be fast asleep, so no need to worry right now.
Before falling into this damn world, Yona enjoyed reading fantasy novels and webtoons.
One recurring scene in those stories was camping during adventures, and now that she was camping herself, it made her realize those were just creations of imagination.
To be somewhat comfortable for a party of five, they couldn’t just camp anywhere.
They certainly couldn’t be in an open space.
The best spots were either below a cliff or behind a rock.
At the very least, they had to have a massive tree trunk behind their campsite.
In a party that wasn’t a gigantic expedition able to set two or three watches, one person always had to take the night watch, and since people don’t have eyes on the back of their heads, camping in an open area would leave them blind in some spots.
If an attack came from somewhere out of sight, they’d be done for, and if the watch couldn’t react, the sleeping party members would get wiped out.
So, the party now set up camp with a really big rock at their backs and a campfire in front.
“This jerk Henson, he said it was mid-grade, but just look at the taste of this jerky.”
“Right? You should’ve bought the high-grade. What difference does calling it mid-grade make to low-grade?”
“I’m different, you know.”
When it comes to the sauce used to dry the jerky, there’s definitely a difference, and Carlson’s jerky actually had a decent smell to it.
In contrast, Yona’s jerky taste like a dumpster fire.
“Ugh, damn.”
But hey, I’m hungry, what choice do I have?
If I don’t eat this, I’ll be in trouble.
“At least I don’t have to worry about starting a fire with Irene around.”
“Hey, I’m a fire mage, you know. Using a mage as a firestarter? That’s just wrong!”
“So what? We’re just benefiting from having a party member.”
While Yona cackled, Viola cautiously asked,
Those long ears of hers perked up and wiggled, which was really fascinating.
“Yona, did you really come from another world?”
Yona, who had been chewing on jerky, suddenly stopped.
Her golden eyes rolled over to stare at Viola.
“Yeah, it’s true. The world I lived in isn’t this one.”
“Oh no, here we go again. Viola, do you believe that?”
Yona tossed the end of her jerky at Misquot.
Given that the end of the jerky only tastes bitter, there’s no need to eat it anyway, so it worked out.
“Hey, you have to say something believable if you want us to believe you. Who would believe in a steel carriage that moves without horses, cars flying in the air, and buildings as high as the sky? I’ll give you credit for having a vivid imagination, though.”
Misquot had a point too.
Yona’s tales of her world always came off as ridiculous and nonsensical to them.
After all, the palace doesn’t even have more than five floors, so buildings in their world barely hit four, and carriages are inherently pulled by horses – that’s just how it works.
So, Yona rambles on, insisting it’s all true, that the members of the Adventurer’s Guild firmly believe she might be a little off her rocker.
“Ugh, if you don’t want to believe me, fine. Hey, I’ll take the first watch. You guys figure out the rest.”
There are no specific rules for determining the watch order.
It’s all up to them, so Yona jumped at the chance to announce her turn and settled uncomfortably close to the campfire, as if she wouldn’t budge.
“Alright, then I’ll be last—”
“Hey! Then I’m taking the next one after Yona!”
“What? You’re going to stick the girls in the middle? Seriously?”
As they bickered, Yona stared at the campfire.
Damn it.
I miss my hometown.
Even though it’s a world where I have absolutely nothing, if I could go back, I would want to.
If not, at the very least, I want my body back in one piece.
I just want to at least get my body moving properly if nothing else.
I want to get back to my male form…
“Yona, wake up.”
At the clear voice, Yona opened her eyes.
Viola’s pretty face was looking down at her.
Seeing the hazy morning sunlight brightening up behind her, it was a relief that Viola must have stood watch.
“Ugh, is it already morning…”
“Yeah, we need to get ready to leave. I figured you’d take a while, so I woke you up first.”
“Thanks…”
Yona rolled up her sleeping bag and stuffed it into her backpack, then plopped down on the floor.
Since she hadn’t untied the Sacred Barrier in the first place, there was no need to re-tie it; she just needed to re-tighten a few loose knots.
Then she took a comb out of her backpack.
Her hair was so thick that if she didn’t brush it properly for even a day, it would turn into a frizzy mane like a lion’s.
“Ouch! Ugh, damn it.”
Her still-messy hair would snag and pull out a hair or two every time she brushed it, which was painful and irritating.
Meanwhile, the other party members were getting up and preparing, stretching out their stiff bodies from the night.
“Alright, if we set off now, we should arrive around lunchtime. Tying the protective ropes isn’t too difficult, so let’s get it done quickly and head back. I think we can camp here again tonight.”
“Got it.”
Yona shouldered her backpack that had been resting on the floor.
She rummaged through a pocket labeled ‘Morning’ and pulled out a hard, biscuit-like bread, taking a bite as she followed Carlson.
“We’re almost there.”
A divine tree so large and thick that a dozen adult men had to hold hands to circle it.
It didn’t serve a role per se, but since it had lived so long, it was said to be blessed, and protective ropes were tightly woven around it to keep it safe.
Since it was tied by people, it inevitably loosens in the wind and rain, and depending on how loose it gets, signals are sent to the temple to go check and maintain it.
The request itself wasn’t difficult.
It was a quick task, one that could be completed in 10 minutes.
The only thing was that the round trip was a bit far, but it was still an easy request.
However, there was one variable.
Someone was lying under the divine tree.
“…Is that a person? Yona, let’s go check.”
Carlson and Yona hurriedly ran over.