"So, Garlan, what brings a pharmacist like you out to a place like this anyway?"
Reed finally ceased his grand lecture on future parenting strategies and turned toward Garlan with a look of pure curiosity.
To be honest, Denken felt that Reed's research into child-rearing was intense enough to warrant a position at a magic academy—perhaps teaching a specialized course to open the eyes of those sheltered noble children.
But eccentricities aside, Reed's understanding of modern human magic was undeniably unique. He didn't subscribe to the defensive-focused attrition battles taught by the academy professors. Instead, he dedicated himself to the study of high-mass, physical-construct attacks. Since physical matter is far harder to block with simple defensive magic, Zaras had been forced to deploy more complex, mana-heavy shields to deal with him.
It was precisely that slight delay in the demon's casting speed that had given Garlan his opening.
It seems Richter really did inherit his father's philosophy, Garlan thought. Even that [Earth Manipulation Magic] is a mirror image of Reed's, just on a more exaggerated scale.
"I came here to harvest herbs," Garlan explained. "I heard there was a Red Mirror Dragon nest in the area, and I was planning to scout it for Red Mirror Flowers. Then I ran into you two. Honestly... what an unlucky day. I nearly died at the hands of a Great Demon."
Garlan let out another heavy sigh.
"Oho! But with your skills, taking a few flowers from under a dragon's nose should be a walk in the park, shouldn't it?" Reed said with misplaced confidence, grinning in his usual carefree manner.
Despite his injuries, he began fussing over his hair again, ignoring the bandages wrapping his torso. Garlan's eye twitched.
Listen, big guy. All the careful preparations I made were toasted by Zaras. Do you really think I'd just charge into a dragon's den without a backup plan like some brainless idiot? And why are you so obsessed with your hair? It's bordering on a pathological quirk...
"I don't know where you get this confidence in me," Garlan muttered. "There are at least three dragons down there. I'm down to my two swords and zero gadgets. Do you want me to go down there and have a biting contest with them? They breathe fire; I don't."
"He's right," Denken added. "Red Mirror Dragons are notoriously vicious and intelligent. They aren't common monsters. They won't be easy to handle."
Garlan felt a wave of warmth at hearing a voice of reason. Finally, someone sane.
"What's your plan then?" Denken asked, casually brushing a small forest insect off his robe.
"I'm not sure. I was thinking of heading back to regroup... but I'm running out of time." Garlan did the math. Based on the state of Glenn's wound, the toxin would take over his entire arm in two or three days at most—and that was being optimistic. He had already lost one day. If the poison spiked, it would be irreversible.
He truly worried for his old friend. When he first reincarnated, everything had been alien and cold. It was Glenn's guidance and rough-around-the-edges help that had allowed him to find his footing. Before leaving, Garlan had sent some suppressants to Glenn via courier, but he didn't know if they would buy enough time.
"My friend was poisoned during a fight with a demon. He needs this medicine urgently. I think I'll have to take the risk and try my luck tomorrow morning."
Garlan wanted to go now, but Red Mirror Dragons were nocturnal hunters; going in at night while they were all home was suicide. Plus, he wasn't at 100%. Even with a warrior's physique, he needed a night of rest to recover from the strain of fighting a Great Demon.
"My condition isn't too bad. I can give you a hand," Denken said calmly.
"Oh?" Garlan was genuinely shocked, but then a sense of relief washed over him. He hadn't expected the future Imperial Grand Mage to offer help. It seemed the battle they'd shared had forged a real bond.
"I can help too, kid! I'll be good as new by morning," Reed added enthusiastically.
Garlan looked at him skeptically. "Are you serious? I'm afraid your wounds will burst open the second you channel mana. You've got internal injuries, man." He could already visualize the scene: Reed casting a spell and immediately coughing up a gallon of blood.
"Just a flesh wound! Scars are a man's medals!" Reed pounded his chest to show off his masculinity, which immediately triggered a coughing fit that forced him to lie back down.
"Where do you even learn these cheesy lines?" Garlan groaned.
"What does 'cheesy' mean?"
"...It's hard to explain."
Thank goodness Richter didn't end up exactly like his father, even if his own personality is a bit prickly, Garlan thought.
The silver moon hung high.
Brilliant moonlight streamed through the side window of the small house, illuminating a pair of small, swinging feet. In the fireplace, logs popped and crackled. A silver kettle sat on the stove, sending wisps of steam into the cozy air.
Lia sat at the dining table, listlessly flipping through the History of Magic book Garlan had bought for her. On the table across from her sat a cold bowl of mushroom stew and a hamburger steak. She had tried to cook the steak herself today; though one side was a bit charred, it actually tasted okay.
She had wanted Garlan to taste her handiwork and praise her, but he still wasn't home. A flicker of disappointment—and worry—touched her heart. Cold food didn't taste good. And he hadn't taken any bread when he left this morning. Wasn't he hungry? He was so attentive to everyone else's problems but so careless with his own.
"Did something happen?" Lia whispered. He had said he was going far for herbs and would be late, but this was too late.
She let out a yawn. The text in the book began to blur under the flickering candlelight. Complex sigils and incantations twisted together like tiny people wrestling on the page. Drowsiness hit her like a wave.
I'll just sleep for a bit... maybe when I wake up, he'll be back...
"There they are. Red Mirror Flowers. And a lot of them. That idiot Glenn really is lucky."
Garlan looked down from the ridge. Near a massive nest, growing in the narrow crevices of the rocks, were large clusters of vibrant, crimson flowers with long, slender petals. He recognized them instantly from the Compendium of a Hundred Herbs. These rare plants only grew in the territories of Red Mirror Dragons, blooming after years of absorbing the unique mana radiation emitted by the beasts.
"They look like they're in full bloom. We've hit the jackpot."
Denken emerged from behind a tree, peering down into the hollow where three Red Mirror Dragons were curled up, eyes closed in deep sleep. He turned to Garlan.
"There really are three of them. Looks like they're heavier sleepers than we are."
"That's the best news I've heard all day," Garlan whispered. "Let's hope they stay that way."
___
There's a few advance chapters on my P@treon
Usually upload 2 Chapters a day in there, except Saturday and Sunday
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