While Cassius may have nonchalantly asked this, but he was quite nervous about the answer to his question.
If he found out that Solis had any connection with Chalinus then no matter how much he had wished to extort from Solis and her family, he had to let it go to gain favor from Chalinus. After all, it’s not every day he got to make connections with a 5th circle mage.
Everyone was eagerly awaiting the answer from the Chalinus to know if he had any relation with the adventurer.
But the most anxious person was Solis as she was like she almost expected her eyes.
“What? No No No. You know who I am right? I am just a bored noble looking for some entertainment and I believe this bet is quite entertaining. Now don’t you think so?” replied Chalinus after a hearty laugh.
And hearing it brought a smile to Cassius’s face.
****
Next morning, somewhere in the forest
“You sure the deal you took was the right thing to do?” asked Nick as he looked toward Solis somewhere in his heart he still found the situation disturbing as a human and as her friend has put on a bet that if failed could make her enslaved for rest of her life.
“Yes no matter wrong it may look it was the best situation for us, at least it does bring us a fighting chance and that is what’s important as of now” replied Solis as she cut down a bush in front of her with her sword.
“I also believe that Solis is right, Now finding this herb is the best course of action for us,” said Albus as he gave his opinion.
“Eh? Not you too Albus” said nick with a hint of disappointment on his face.
Seeing no one was reacting to him anymore Nick was a bit annoyed on the surface but in his heart, even he knew that it was a good deal and their only option at that time.
“Now no one is talking to me except for my lovely Rosea, Right ?” commented Nick as he remembered Rosa was also there.
While he knew that it might be suffocating for her to stay holed up inside but he didn’t have any other choice either he especially remembered that having a Dryad with him is not a good thing for anyone on his team.
Hearing Nick talking to her Rose looked toward him from her sitting location which was currently Albus’s head.
Seeing her smiling face Nick’s heart melted and made him forget all of his worries at that moment and all he did was feel the warmth of the moment that was brought to his heart.
Nick suddenly moved out of the trance as he remembered something and asked “Hey Albus, Can you teach me a bit of fighting?
I have seen you and Solis fighting and I have also seen my incapability to fight and I wish to change to learn to grow”
Hearing this Albus stopped walking and looked back towards Nick and replied with a smile “Well I was waiting for you to ask me this.
I can teach you unarmed combat and the basics of magic.”
Nick was elated hearing this and immediately replied “Yes, Why don’t you say so, before? I could have started earlier”
“Well what’s necessary was your understanding and your willpower to fight that is an important and most difficult step to take.
Now that you had taken it, I am sure you can easily overcome any other difficulty of learning” answered Albus as he looked toward Nick.
“So what are we starting with?” asked Nick haphazardly not willing to waste a second.
“Well you will start your training by tomorrow morning, For now just wait,” replied Albus as he start sniffing something in the air.
In such a manner whole day passed, as they were looking around in search of the herb.
“Solis we can’t find anything here, The smell of beasts is strong from here on and there is no smell of flowers in the 10km of radius” commented Albus as he looked forward.
“Ah, is that so? So let us stop and rest now that it's evening we have already exhausted ourselves this whole day and found nothing during the whole day.”
As the night falls Nick, Albus, and Solis set up the campfire and mini tents and everyone participated in the cooking process.
“Solis, I know this might be a tad bit late but what the blue blooming herb is like, Can you define it a bit? I kind of forgot” Nick asked with a goofy face.
Solis looked at him with a deadpan face and asked “What were you searching for the whole day then?”
To which Nick replied “Ah I was just carrying bags for you people, You can’t blame me” and Rosea chimed in by nodding like a chicken.
Seeing Rosea like this melted everyone’s heart but Solis quickly steeled her heart and replied “It was 1 bag that was barely 10kg”
“See how heavy it was” Nick retorted immediately.
Solis took a sigh and explained “Blue blooming herb is a Flower that has petals blue. It generally blooms in the dawn and keeps blooming for 6 hours.
Then it sleeps and closes down. It has small and elongated petals that are in multiple of 5. It is used in potion making.
It is bloomed in the early winter season.
What are all the points written about the flower in the scroll, we are provided with.”
“Eh If it is going to be bloomed in the early morning then why were we searching for it during the day?” asked Nick as he felt his effort for the whole day were pointless.
“Because humans may not be able to smell it easily, but I can, I can help you find it much easier with my olfactory senses,” Albus replied to Nick’s question.
“Hmm, but do we even know where we can find it? I mean early winter comes for the whole world that is very vague specification any environment or habitat we know of?” Nick asked another question.
“I am not aware of any, maybe that is why it is so difficult-” as Solis was replying to Nick Albus interrupted her.
“I can smell it because I know of its smell with that we do not need to know if it’s habitat. As long as herb is in the 10 km range, I can locate it” Albus replied effortlessly.
Hearing it smile came on the face of Nick and Solis that was nothing less than a blessing and they praised Albus "Wow Albus you are so cool".
Hearing it Albus immediately became prideful and had a smug face.
But suddenly Nick thought of something and asked with a confused expression, “Hey Albus then why couldn’t we find the herb today?”
Hearing this Albus’s prideful face crumbled in an instant but he, fortunately was sitting opposite Nick and Solis, so no one saw that.
