I don't know how long it took me to pass out, but when I came back conscious, I was no longer in the woods outside the Panson Welfare Home.

I lay on a somewhat rudimentary wooden bed, illuminated by a dim oil lamp, and an old man in a mage's robe was tinkering with her bottles and cans at the table.

"Excuse me......"

I wanted to ask where it was, but now my throat felt like it had been sharpened by sandpaper because of the lack of water, and the sound was hoarse and unpleasant.

She seemed to have heard my movements, but she did not stop what she was doing, and only said a word.

- "The water is on the table, pour it yourself and drink it." ”

……

What's going on?

Where is this? Who brought me here? Who is she? What about Xavier? What happened to the Panson Welfare Home?

I was so confused that I couldn't figure out anything for a while.

…… Well, I'll do as the old man says first, and then do anything else.

With that in mind, I slowly moved from the side of the bed to the low wooden table, poured myself a bowl of water, and looked the strange place up and down.

In the dim light, the old room looks cramped, but a closer look reveals that the furnishings inside are very exquisite—this low wooden table is carved from tree roots, and has a thick and simple texture.

"After drinking, come and help me sort the herbs."

I heard the old man's command, so I put down the bowl in my hand and walked over to her.

She looked very old, and by the light of the oil lamp I could vaguely see her ravine-filled face and pale whiteness. At this moment, an elemental core with a dark green luster was condensed in the palm of her hand.

A dark green elemental core? I didn't expect her to be such a good healer.

I watched as she shattered the elemental core in her hand, and the shards flew towards me in a fluttering manner, then sank into my neck and chest, and vanished.

Soon, I felt a lot better with my groggy head and lead-filled legs.

"Excuse me...... Where is this? ”

"Boreal Forest."

Boreal Forest? How did I suddenly appear in this place?

"Excuse me...... How am I ......?"

"Have you sorted the herbs?"

She seemed a little impatient, and turned her head to look at me: "Boy, don't think that if you have a pretty face, I will be polite to you, I will not raise a guy who eats white food." ”

……

This mage has a terrible temper.

And it doesn't seem like I'm willing to answer my questions.

…… What to do.

What the hell happened while I was unconscious.

Suppressing the doubts in my stomach, I began to pick up the mess of medicinal herbs.

How to classify it? Is it divided according to the curative effect of the herbs, or according to other methods? Forget it, let's just do it according to the way I usually classify it, it should be faster.

Rhizomes, fruits, whole grasses, leaves, flowers.

Fortunately, there are not many medicinal materials, and they are divided into five kinds, and if there are resins or insects and animals, I am afraid it will be more troublesome.

When I finally put the herbs in several piles, I looked up, only to be startled by the old man's approach.

"Boy, you're quite smart, and you work neatly."

After a moment of silence with such wide eyes, she suddenly reached out and rubbed my head.

"You were picked up on the road when I was traveling around the University of Tokyo-6. When I picked you up, you were almost eaten by a monster. ”

Picked up ......

"Excuse me...... How long have I been in a coma? ”

"When I picked you up, you were probably in a coma for about two days, and today is the fifth day."

With that, she turned around, bent her back, and began to pack up the strange potions again.

I was a little stunned. Two days...... Na Xavier he ......

"Mage...... Please, can I get out of here? ”

After a moment of silence, seeing that the old man's work seemed to have come to an end, I hurriedly asked her.

- I can't wait to get back to Panson, I want to find Xavier, I want to find Master Bouz, I want to know if they are alive and well, and I want to know what happened that night.

But...... She turned her face, the wrinkles in her eyebrows were deep and long, and her eyes were full of incredulity: "Of course not." ”

"Why!"

I'll admit I'm a bit of a mess. Facing the high-level healer who didn't know whether he was friend or foe, he was worried about Xavier's safety. I didn't have a marker on me, nothing to prove my identity, no usual belongings.

-- He was even told that he was not allowed to leave.

For the first time, in this northern forest, far away from the orphanage, I had the feeling that things were out of control.

"I saved you, you must do what I tell you to do and do what I want you to do."

"When the time comes, I'll naturally let you out of here."

The old man's voice was calm and gentle, and she slowly picked two of the several bottles of potion in front of her and mixed them, and then said to me, "Of course, if you don't believe it, you can run away and try it." ”

…… I know, I know why she's so fearless, and if this is really the Boreal Forest, then I can't escape. The Boreal Forest has been set up by famous space magicians in history, and only those who have been recognized can live here and come and go freely.

- As an outsider, I either couldn't get in, or I couldn't get out after being "entered".

“……”

"Grind this, this, and this into potions, and you can rest today."

The old man picked out a few herbs from the pile of herbs and threw them to me, and then Shi Shiran pushed the door out, leaving me and the dim oil lamp as company.

☆★☆

Fifteen days have passed since I worked here in vain, and I tried to get out of here halfway through, but ...... On the contrary, it was confirmed that what the old man said before was true.

This is indeed the Northern Forest, and after escaping twice in a row, each time being sent back by strange spatial magic, I completely gave up the idea of escaping.

For fifteen days, I have thought about many things.

In the past fifteen days, I have woken up in the middle of the night countless times, but when I woke up, I felt that the fire in the red sky in my dream was still lingering in front of my eyes.

- "Kroll, stay here, I'll save the others, listen, you must wait for me here." ”

Xavier's anxious voice seemed to linger in my ears, and in the dark night, his flaxen hair was wet against his sideburns, and the raging fire lit up his face and stung my eyes.

He said...... He's going back to save someone else...... But...... He didn't go back to where I was until I woke up.

Isn't it......

I felt a little cold in my heart, and the answers to some questions seemed to be coming out, but I didn't dare to continue thinking about it.

It has always been ...... Although I let him stick to me all day long, and I helped him in some small things, I ...... I have to admit that in my heart, there is resistance to him.

I hate him

Nosy, I hate him for messing around, I hate him for always being noisy in my ear......

But...... From my previous life to this life, I have never had such an impulse...... Such a strong desire that a person is still alive and that I can still see him......

Xavier......

I seem to understand it for the first time...... You've mentioned it countless times......

-- What it means to be a friend.

(l~1`x*>+``+