novelraw Chapter 135 : The Owner of the Cabin
Chapter 135 : The Owner of the Cabin
Chapter 135 : The Owner of the Cabin
Three maps, enough food to last a month with ease, a bow, a dagger, javelins, clothes…….
Including miscellaneous items of unknown purpose, he finished identifying the goods inside the cabin.
For the past three days, Robin had not left the cabin.
“Drrrrrrrrr.”
All three maps were detailed without exception.
Aside from the first map he had discovered, the other two depicted the Uncharted Area and Valoria respectively.
He recognized the map of Valoria at a glance, but he could not tell where the second map of the Uncharted Area indicated.
Perhaps it marked a deeper region—that was all he could guess.
“Sigbard, wake up.”
Robin shook Sigbard awake.
Wiping the drool from his mouth, Sigbard rose, let out a wide yawn, and cracked his neck.
“Did an intruder come?”
“No. We need to eat.”
“Is it already that time? It was so cozy I lost track of time.”
Robin prepared breakfast.
He placed boiled eggs and oatmeal on the table.
To anyone watching, he looked like the original owner of the house.
The reason Robin had not left the cabin was simple.
He wanted to meet the owner.
‘He must have lived around here for a long time.’
Mark had said the owner was an Elf, but that he had never met them personally.
In other words, it could have been an exaggerated rumor.
Perhaps the tale of a hermit in the forest had spread and grown in the telling.
“How long are you going to stay here? There’s no guarantee the owner will show up just because you wait.”
“That’s true. If no one comes by tomorrow, we’ll leave then.”
Given how naturally Robin and Sigbard had taken over the cabin, there was a high chance of provoking anger.
The owner might even come out hostile, intent on killing them.
It was a risk they had to accept, yet even so, Robin wanted to speak with the owner.
Not only to ask about Brandok’s whereabouts, but also because he was curious about the secret behind the meticulously drawn maps.
If the owner wished, he was even willing to pay.
‘It would be a relief if we weren’t chased out.’
After finishing his meal, Sigbard lay flat on the floor, rubbing his belly.
It seemed he had taken a liking to the cabin.
“Rest. I’ll take a quick look around.”
Just as he was about to step outside to check for any nearby dangers—
A cold voice pierced his ears.
“Drop your weapons and come out slowly.”
Sigbard sprang to his feet and grabbed his rod.
He met Robin’s eyes and nodded.
Robin had warned him beforehand that such a situation might arise.
Robin set down the sword at his waist and opened the door.
“Both of you, come out.”
His hand froze on the door.
Had their conversation leaked outside?
There were no windows in the cabin. It was not a structure that allowed anyone to peer inside from outside.
There was nothing suspicious inside, nor any Artifact in sight.
He spread his palm toward Sigbard, signaling him to stay still.
There was no reason to obey the other party’s demands outright.
Robin was about to step out alone when the sharp voice pressed again.
“I said both of you come out!”
Piiing!
An arrow lodged itself beside the half-open door.
The fletching trembled where it stuck into the wall, carrying a vicious warning.
Robin slowly opened his mouth.
“Are you the owner of the cabin?”
“That’s right. So stop thinking and come out quietly.”
“My apologies for occupying it without a word. We’ll come out now.”
He was about to step out with Sigbard—
“I told you to drop your weapons.”
Sigbard looked at Robin.
When Robin nodded, he reluctantly set down his rod.
However she had done it, she knew their situation perfectly.
As if she had been secretly watching from a corner.
“We’re coming out. Please don’t shoot.”
With both hands raised, he slowly stepped out of the cabin.
About twenty meters away, a woman stood with a bow drawn.
White skin, green hair. And pointed ears.
There was no time to be excited at seeing an Elf he had only heard about in stories.
Someone was collapsed beside her.
“Back away. Before I shoot.”
Robin and Sigbard obediently moved away from the cabin.
Only after they reached the edge of the clearing did the Elf lower her bow.
Without hiding her wariness, she hoisted the fallen person onto her back and entered the cabin.
“Excuse me…….”
Bang.
Before he could even address her, she slammed the door shut.
Robin and Sigbard were left standing there empty-handed, without weapons or belongings.
A loud clatter echoed as she rummaged through the cabin.
“Sigbard, I didn’t see wrong, right? She’s an Elf, right?”
“Judging by the long ears, she is indeed an Elf. Ah, there is another possibility.”
“What is it?”
“Goblins also have pointed ears. Come to think of it, perhaps Elves and Goblins share the same ancestor.”
“…Don’t say something like that in front of an Elf.”
Regardless of Sigbard’s nonsense, the commotion inside the cabin showed no sign of ending.
The two slowly approached the door.
Knock knock.
There was no response to the cautious knock.
Robin cleared his throat.
“Aren’t you trying to treat the person who collapsed?”
The sound of rummaging stopped, and the door flung open.
Only then did he properly see the Elf’s face.
Her green eyes, the same color as her hair, could not hide her fear and anxiety.
“I can help.”
“How?”
Robin pointed to the backpack on the ground.
“I have potions.”
This was no time to be stingy because they were expensive.
It was an opportunity to earn goodwill.
The man’s condition stabilized.
His body was covered in stab and slash wounds, but after applying a low-grade potion, he improved.
They were not injuries so severe as to threaten his life.
Even so, the Elf tended to the man with great care.
The man was also an Elf. Long ears, dark brown hair, sharp…….
A strange sense of familiarity arose, and as Robin tried to examine the man more closely, the woman abruptly turned her head.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, he lived.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
“My name is Aelineira. What about you two?”
“Aelineira? The one who wrote the Beginner’s Guide?”
Robin rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a book.
“Huh? You bought a book I wrote?”
“Yes. It contained a lot of useful information. So you’re the author of this book.”
When Robin praised the book, her ears lifted slightly, as if pleased.
“Call me Aelin.”
“I’m Robin. This is Sigbard.”
Once introductions were finished, Aelin’s wariness visibly diminished.
It seemed she liked the fact that he had read her book to the end.
Robin did not miss the moment and casually opened his mouth.
“It looks like you ran into a dangerous Monster.”
“That's right. It was difficult to withstand the combined assault of dozens of vine Monsters.”
“I’ve never heard of that Monster before. As expected, the Great Forest isn’t an easy place.”
Aelin’s expression darkened.
It seemed she did not want to speak further, so Robin changed the subject.
“Do the two of you live here together in the cabin?”
“No. I just come visit my teacher’s cabin often. Actually, I’m not the owner. My teacher built it and took care of it.”
Aelin referred to the collapsed man as her teacher.
That alone made their relationship easy enough to guess.
“Let me apologize first. For occupying it without permission while you were away. I really wanted to meet you and talk. If you wish, I’ll compensate you.”
“It’s fine. My teacher would have brushed it off as nothing. So, what did you want to talk about?”
Robin pointed to the map.
“I’ve never seen a map this precise in my life. I was curious about the secret of how it was made.”
“Hmm. You’ve got a good eye. Certainly, not just anyone could create a masterpiece like this.”
“I’d even be willing to buy it with money. And…….”
Aelin cut him off, speaking in an excited voice.
“You think so too, right? The maps I made are impressive, aren’t they?”
“You made them, Aelin?”
“Don’t look at me like you don’t believe it. I really did draw them.”
“That’s not what I meant. I was just a little surprised.”
“It’s understandable. There aren’t any Elves like me who enjoy wandering around everywhere.”
Encouraged by Robin’s praise, Aelin began to ramble on.
Robin listened attentively as she expounded on the profound allure of mapmaking.
Sigbard also listened diligently, but midway through, his focus drifted and his thoughts wandered elsewhere.
“…I suppose it’s about getting to know this world. That’s why I’ve liked it since I was young.”
After talking at length by herself, Aelin suddenly came to her senses.
Excited that someone had recognized her talent, she had let her guard down in front of people she had just met.
She glanced back cautiously, wondering if she had made any slip of the tongue.
Sigbard was on the verge of falling asleep, and only Robin listened seriously.
“That’s amazing.”
“Huh? W-what is?”
“That you have something you truly love and such overflowing passion for it. It’s admirable and worthy of respect.”
“Is that so……?”
Robin genuinely meant it, without a trace of falsehood.
Aelin stared blankly at his pure admiration, then hurriedly covered her ears.
“……?”
“Ah, it suddenly feels hot. Isn’t it hot?”
“I’ll open the door.”
“No. Step outside for a moment. You too, Sigbard.”
The two were chased out of the cabin without understanding why.
As they tried to review whether they had made some mistake, the door suddenly flung open again.
Aelin set the sword and rod down on the ground.
“Can you gather the herbs I’m about to name?”
“What?”
“Bloodvine, Duskgrow, Ivoryshard. They’re all around here.”
Though it was a sudden proposal, Robin’s eyes gleamed.
They were materials that could bring in additional income from Raymond’s request.
Aelin explained the appearance, characteristics, and clustered locations of each.
“The more you gather, the better. You can do it, right? I’ll prepare lunch. Please!”
Bang.
The door closed without waiting for an answer.
Of course, there was nothing they couldn’t gather, and they were things Robin needed as well, so it felt like unexpected fortune.
“Let’s go for now. Thanks to Aelin, we’ll be able to earn more money.”
“That Elf is strange somehow.”
“If you think about it, we were the ones trespassing. It’s only natural for her to be wary.”
“Didn’t that book say there was a group of cannibals in the Great Forest? Perhaps it was referring to Elves.”
It wasn’t written in the book, but something Robin had said jokingly—yet it was a plausible thought.
He had never imagined Elves still truly existed, yet here one stood before them.
If they were hostile toward humans, it would make sense that Aelin had written such content in her book.
Perhaps it had been a warning, hoping no one would stir up a hornet’s nest and get hurt.
“If we go a little further from here, it’s a danger zone.”
“Is that so? It doesn’t look any different from the safe zone.”
“True. Anyway, wouldn’t you say we’ve fulfilled the basic requirement for Silver-Ranked Adventurer at this point?”
In terms of count, it was only their second expedition, but they had set foot in a danger zone.
They would have to go to a Rest Stop and get certified to be promoted to Silver-Ranked Adventurer, but it was encouraging nonetheless.
That did not mean they grew conceited and made careless mistakes.
“There are no Monsters nearby.”
The gathering of rare herbs went smoothly.
The advice of a native was wisdom as valuable as something that could not be bought even with money.
When they returned with their arms full, having achieved results beyond expectation—
A delicious aroma drifted out from the cabin.
‘It feels like she’s opened her heart. But can we trust her?’
Unlike their first meeting, there was no sign of hostility, yet it was too early to feel at ease.
Though he felt sorry toward Aelin, Robin had already consumed various herbs with detoxifying effects.
He intended to taste her cooking only after seeing her eat it herself.
“We’re back.”
Sigbard ducked his head and entered the cabin.
After placing the gathered herbs in one corner and about to head toward the kitchen—
He noticed the man had awakened.
Short dark brown hair, green eyes.
Long, pointed ears unlike a human’s.
As expected of an Elf, he had a beautiful face.
His eyes turned toward Robin.
“Hello. I’m Robin, a Copper-Ranked Adventurer.”
“Sigbard.”
The man slowly raised his body.
With moderately built muscles, he was slightly shorter than Robin.
“I don’t know if Aelin told you, but we entered the cabin on our own and without permission. Let me apologize first.”
“It’s fine. I’m accustomed to taking care of lost humans and sending them back.”
The gaze with which he looked at Robin was exceedingly friendly.
Watching him approach slowly, Robin felt a sense of déjà vu.
He lifted his hand and covered the man’s face.
The clothing in his memory was different, but the physique was identical.
Standing right before him, the man smiled.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Brandok.”
The mercenary he had been so curious about and searching for.
“I’ve always covered my face, so I wonder how you recognized me. I feel both deflated and glad at the same time.”
“You… are you really Brandok?”
He nodded.
“You’ve grown well. I believed you would still be alive.”