The Orchard (2)
Creak—
The old wooden door groaned as it swung open. Dalen shook the rainwater off his armor and stepped inside.
Located in the back alleys of the Bronze District was a shop called “Philoponne’s Orchard.”
At first glance, it resembled a branch office of a mid-sized trading company.
“Welcome, sir! Please take a number and wait for a moment.”
The lobby and counter were neatly organized, with customers seated and waiting, while staff guided them with cheerful voices.
Dalen took a number, deciding to dry off a bit while he waited. It wasn’t long before his turn came.
“Welcome to the Orchard. If you need treatment, please head to the apothecary upstairs. If you’re here to purchase herbs, the door to the right will lead you there.”
As he sat at the counter, the staff greeted him with an unblemished smile.
Instead of responding immediately, Dalen took a deep breath.
”…Hmm.”
The scent of aged wood mingled with the sharp bitterness of herbs, piercing his lungs.
Philoponne’s Orchard was one of the most renowned apothecaries and herbalists in the Bronze District.
Its owner, Shania Philoponne, was a famous apothecary known for her skills. It was said that in her youth, she concocted a rudimentary version of a healing potion using only the herbs found on the nearby hills.
Without her, the herbal bandages favored by mercenaries today might not exist. It was no wonder she occupied a rare three-story building in the back alleys.
However…
“Drugs. Well-refined drugs have this kind of scent.”
Dalen’s keen senses couldn’t miss the faint, peculiar aroma that seeped through the overpowering herbal scent.
Philoponne’s Orchard wasn’t just a place for conventional medicine.
If it were only a legitimate business, it wouldn’t be tucked away in such a secluded alley.
With the right credentials and a hefty sum, one could procure hallucinogens or painkillers on the second floor, and the raw herbs for them on the first.
But Dalen hadn’t come all this way in the rain for drugs.
Leaning on the counter, he spoke in a low voice, inaudible to others nearby.
“No prescription needed. Mix Steria moss with Pyrion powder and apply it. There’s a deep wound on the right knee.”
As he recited the predetermined secret phrases, the staff’s expression momentarily stiffened.
The codes varied depending on one’s identity and purpose. The phrase Dalen used was one that even most drug dealers wouldn’t recognize.
It was a request to meet Shania Philoponne, the deeply rooted apothecary owner in the Bronze District.
“I’m sorry, but the lady is currently with another guest. Would you like to schedule for another day?”
“I was summoned by that guest.”
Perhaps an unexpected answer. The staff, with her long red hair cascading down, raised an eyebrow slightly. She said,
“Could you wait a moment? I’ll go ask the lady.”
Dalen nodded, and the staff disappeared through the door behind the counter. She returned shortly, looking somewhat surprised.
“It’s confirmed. Are you Mr. Dalen?”
“That’s right.”
“The lady asked me to extend her welcome. Thank you for visiting the Orchard. Please, follow me.”
Dalen followed the staff’s polite guidance through the building.
They ascended a flight of stairs, descended a half-flight, passed through a corridor lined with suspicious-looking doors, and finally reached a ladder leading to the basement.
In the basement, there was only a single door leading to another room.
Light seeped through the door’s cracks, an odd sight for a basement several meters deep.
The staff’s guidance ended there.
“The lady is in the center of the Orchard. I’ll take my leave now…”
With a pale face, the staff hurriedly ascended. Dalen opened the door without hesitation.
Creak…
Inside was a vast meadow.
Or rather, it was more accurate to say it was outside.
As soon as he crossed the threshold, a refreshing breeze greeted him, and the sun warmly shone on his rain-soaked hair.
The grass, reaching up to his ankles, was a vibrant green. The Orchard stood in the middle of this meadow.
”…”
A stark contrast to the city drenched in rain.
If someone stumbled upon this place by accident, they’d think they were hallucinating from drugs.
Rustle.
Dalen pushed through the low grass and walked towards the Orchard. It wasn’t long before he spotted two people.
An elderly man with white hair seated on a chair, and Sienna standing beside him.
“You’re here? No issues at the counter?”
“Well, aside from needing a code, no issues.”
“Strange, I sent the code in advance. Didn’t you receive two feathers?”
Dalen frowned. The bartender must have been playing tricks.
That guy always had a knack for complicating things.
“Odd. I definitely sent it…”
“Well, I’m here now, so it’s fine. And this is?”
Dalen looked at the elderly man in the chair. He already knew who it was, but since it was their first meeting in this timeline, an introduction seemed appropriate.
“Ah, let me introduce you. This is…”
“Hohoho, I was wondering who Sienna was so smitten with, and it’s a handsome young man.”
Creak.
The old man rose from the worn chair. Leaning on a cane, she slowly approached Dalen, extending her hand for a handshake.
“I’m Shania Philoponne. I run a small orchard.”
“Dalen.”
“Nice to meet you, Dalen. Have you heard about the request?”
“I haven’t told him yet. I thought it best for him to hear it directly.”
Sienna said. Dalen released Philoponne’s hand and pulled a small glass vial from his pocket.
“I came to discuss that very matter.”
The vial contained a thick green liquid that sloshed inside.
Philoponne’s eyes darkened upon seeing it.
”…Where did you get this?”
The warm tone of the elderly woman vanished. Her eyes gleamed with a deep green magical light.
Whoosh…
Dark clouds suddenly gathered, blocking out the sunlight. A harsh, cold wind began to whip through the branches of the Orchard.
The environment shifting with a person’s mood.
It was proof that this peculiar space was governed by her will, originating from her very essence.
In the game, it was a rare moment to witness that the elderly woman before him was more than just an apothecary; she was a high-ranking mage.
”…Shania.”
“I understand. I’ll calm down.”
Sienna placed a hand on the old woman’s narrow shoulder. Only then did she seem to remember her guests, slowly steadying her breath.
The cold wind gradually subsided. The old woman spoke in a voice still tinged with anger.
“I apologize for earlier. But could you tell me where you got this?”
“On my way here. It was the end for an unnamed vagrant.”
“Damn it.”
Crack.
Wood splinters fell from the cane she gripped.
The kindly grandmother facade was completely gone, replaced by a frustrated expression as she bit her lip and spoke.
“It seems the situation is becoming complicated. Let’s discuss this in my office.”
Philoponne’s office was a hut on a nearby hill. The room was filled with tree trunks and vines.
On one side, a shelf held various types of tea leaves and mysterious powders, neatly stored in transparent containers. Philoponne brewed tea herself and served it to the two guests.
Slurp.
Sienna cautiously sipped the tea.
Philoponne’s hut had twice as many tea leaves and teapots as her office.
It wasn’t hard to guess where her love for tea came from.
Dalen did what he usually did at the Crow’s Nest office. He downed the steaming cup of tea in one go.
”…”
”…”
Both Sienna and Philoponne watched his actions as if witnessing something bizarre, but Dalen paid no mind.
After all, once it goes down the throat, it’s all the same.
“Delicious.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Would you like another cup?”
“I’d appreciate it.”
Pour…
Philoponne refilled the empty cup. In the calmness of brewing tea, she seemed to regain her lost composure.
Swoosh…
Sneakily adding some suspicious powder to her own cup, it made one wonder if she was missing a screw or two.
“Shania. Please. That’s several times the lethal dose for a normal person. Don’t you realize it’s still eating away at your body?”
“Hoho, don’t be too hard on an old woman. At this age, nothing works as it should.”
“That’s because of the drugs.”
“Drugs? You’ll give our guest the wrong idea. Call it a vitality booster.”
”…”
Anyone could see it was a drug.
But aside from that, listening to the two bicker and worry about each other, it was clear that the apothecary before him was one of Sienna’s benefactors.
Such a sense of camaraderie was something you couldn’t feel from just a few lines of setting text and a handful of dialogues in a game.
“A grand sorcerer nearing the rank of a transcendent being… and yet, addicted to drugs.”
It seemed that powerful beings often had their own twisted sides.
Whether it was a curse that came with great power, or if such distortion was necessary to reach that level, was unclear.
“Thinking about it, that old man Felber is quite something. To maintain a normal mindset with such abilities.”
Felber Valentino from the game came to mind. In every playthrough, he ended his life as just an ordinary elder wizard.
The fact that he had the potential to manipulate time was something I never discovered, even after hundreds of playthroughs.
Perhaps hidden talents like his could also be keys to preventing the apocalypse. In that sense, Dalen needed to discover and nurture not just his own potential.
After all, the more means to fight against the end, the better.
“Well, I suppose it’s time to discuss the job. As you might have guessed, this task involves taking down a drug cartel.”
While lost in thought, Philophon, who had half-finished his drug-laced tea, began to speak.
“And as you might have guessed, they’re not just any drug cartel. They’re a group of dark sorcerers using their own concocted drugs to sacrifice addicts. They…”
He sighed.
“They’re trying to summon a demon in this city.”
Several days passed.
Though I had received the request from Philophon to dismantle the dark sorcerer drug cartel, starting immediately was impossible.
Falcion was an enormous city, and the southern district of the Bronze Quarter was the most densely populated area.
Considering the low streets that ran through the city’s underground and the sewers that extended even further below, it was practically a labyrinth.
Finding the distributed drug network in such a place wasn’t something that could be done with just strength and spells.
Since the day of the request, Sienna had been using the Nest’s entire information network to track their connections.
After finishing his morning training as usual, Dalen left the inn.
Just because he wasn’t jumping into battle right away didn’t mean there weren’t other tasks to handle.
In fact, now was the perfect time to take care of the work that had been put off.
The first order of the day was to visit the forge of Laveron Ahakim, a craftsman destined to become a legendary blacksmith.
Clang— Clang—
Though it was still early, before business hours, the cheerful sound of hammers echoed outside the forge.
Judging by the sound, there were at least half a dozen craftsmen working.
The Mithril Foundry, having established its foundation, was now aggressively expanding.
They had recruited several craftsmen to multiply production and had even acquired the neighboring shop to expand.
“Such achievements in just half a year. Truly, a hero is a hero.”
Not long ago, he was struggling with thugs over a few gold coins, but now he was growing rapidly, as if that past never existed.
As the one who provided the platform for this growth, it would be a lie to say he wasn’t moved by it.
“Ugh, so heavy… Oh? Dalen! You’re here early!”
Just then, Penny, who was moving a large tower shield to the display, spotted Dalen and called out.
Thud.
She effortlessly lifted the heavy metal piece onto the display with her slender arms.
Indeed, being the niece of a hero, she wasn’t ordinary either.
“I thought it would be better to come early than during business hours. Is the old man inside?”
“Of course! But he’s talking with an important guest right now…”
“That’s fine. I came early, so I can wait.”
If Laveron knew Dalen was here, he’d probably drop everything, even if he was with a noble from the Golden Palace. But Dalen didn’t want to go that far.
Considering the influence Laveron would have in the future, now was the time to expand his network as much as his skills.
Some of these connections would become invaluable allies when the full-scale battle against the apocalypse began.
“I heard you went to the labyrinth recently?”
“Who told you that?”
“Sienna did! She couldn’t stop bragging about you!”
”…I didn’t know that. By the way, you call her sister now?”
“I quit the sewer cleaning job. Her information network includes people from the low streets and sewer cleaners… Oops, that’s a secret.”
“I already knew. But be careful not to mention it elsewhere.”
“Hehe, maybe I wasn’t cut out for being an informant from the start.”
While chatting with Penny, I sensed movement from the inner reception room. It seemed the conversation was wrapping up.
“Considering no sound leaked out earlier, they must have used spells or magical devices for security.”
I thought the guest might be someone more important than expected. Penny’s unexpected answer confirmed it.
“Oh, it’s someone from the Paladin Order! Their armor was so shiny!”
“The Paladin Order…?”
Was it a coincidence that a golden-haired paladin came to mind?
Dalen chuckled and shook his head. It was a needless fantasy.
The woman who first claimed his lips was still training at the southern headquarters.
“Hahaha, it’s an honor to deal with the Order. I look forward to working with you.”
“Our Order is also pleased to establish ties with the Mithril Foundry. We look forward to quality arms and armor.”
Thinking that, Dalen was even more surprised when he saw who emerged from the reception room.
Long, flowing golden hair.
Eyes that held a clearer blue than anyone he’d ever met.
The knight in full plate armor, intricately engraved with the Paladin Order’s emblem, was none other than the hero who would soon be known as the Demon Slayer.
“Uh, uh…?”
”…It’s been a while.”
“D-Dalen? What are you doing here…?”
And a paladin who was surprisingly shy.
It was Lucia Castachild.