Chapter 31: Daisy Field

When the carriage came to a stop, Isaiah stepped out first and offered Roland his hand in accordance with gentlemanly etiquette. Roland, however, ignored such social graces and hopped down from the vehicle with a decidedly unrefined jump.

Once her feet hit the ground and she took in the scene before her, the memories of the past finally came rushing back in full.

“The name of Wildfield Town comes from the sight you see before you,” Isaiah explained, following close behind her.

As far as the eye could see, a vast, boundless prairie stretched out before them. On the distant hills, the foliage burned with shades of gold and red. A small stream meandered through the landscape from an unseen origin, flowing lazily into the distance until it was finally swallowed by weeds over half a meter tall.

A late autumn breeze blew past, catching Roland’s long, silver-white hair and making the prairie grass rustle and hiss. It sounded like playful children chasing each other late into the evening.

Roland took a few steps forward and pushed aside a cluster of grass. Several daisies swayed gently in the dappled light and shadow. Their white petals were fully unfurled, revealing golden centers. They hid within the tall weeds as if afraid of being found, looking so delicate and fragile that it seemed they might snap with the slightest pressure.

Just like… Mia.

Carefully avoiding the daisies in her path, she continued walking. More daisies emerged from their hiding spots. They could not see one another, yet they lived in such close proximity; their feelings could never be known, yet they persisted in their silent, obscure vigil.

When Roland finally cleared the weeds, her vision opened up completely. The tall grass seemed to vanish, replaced by a carpet of white flowers emerging from the soil. they touched one another, never to be parted. In the center of the flower field stood a great tree. Withered yellow leaves drifted down in the wind, with a few landing on Roland’s head.

Isaiah spoke up. “In some regions, daisies are called the Sun God’s Thumbprint. Legend says they are fragments of the sun left behind in the mortal realm.”

Roland replied with characteristic pragmatism, “It is just a flower.”

“But humans are romantic creatures. They bestow meanings upon things that never originally possessed them, all for the sake of their own amusement. At the very least, they hold meaning for bards.”

“Then why don’t those bards spend more time publicizing exactly how many mistresses Duke Edmond keeps?”

Isaiah was stirred to laughter. “They probably fear being thrown into a dungeon by a certain deity who symbolizes secrets.”

“Which god?” Roland pressed.

“The Evernight Shepherd. He governs the endless night and eternal secrets, an existence diametrically opposed to the Goddess of Hope. The faction that follows Him is known as the Evernight Society.”

“I want to know about the other gods. Can you tell me?”

“That would be straying a bit far from today’s theme. I will send you a book later; it contains everything you wish to know.”

Though she hadn’t gained any more immediate information, knowing she would find out later was enough, so Roland didn’t push the matter further.

“Follow me. I will take you to find Rod’s relics.”

Roland followed Isaiah to the base of the large tree.

“It is right down here. You will see it once you dig it up.”

The moment she heard about digging, Roland became visibly annoyed. She was about to use a mana bolt to blast the ground open when Isaiah stopped her.

“Stop, stop, stop! I will do it myself.”

Isaiah began digging into the earth alone. Fortunately, the item was not buried very deep and was unearthed before long.

It was a wooden box, still caked with dirt.

“Do you want to guess what is inside?”

“No. I will know as soon as you open it.”

“Sigh, you have no sense of humor.”

“I will guess if you give me a hundred Crystal Pounds.”

“Then if you guess wrong, you owe me a hundred and fifty.”

“No.”

“Cheapskate.”

Isaiah opened the wooden box. What lay inside was no rare treasure, but a plain, ordinary wooden sword. He bowed his head, reminiscing about the past. “I remember when we first arrived at the Barony. Rod ran to the church with this wooden sword and told me, ‘Come with me to subjugate the Demon King! The Hero Party needs a kind-hearted priest like you to join us.'”

“At the time, I wondered why anyone would think the Demon King was still alive. The world has long since lost its need for a Hero Party. Looking back now… if I had agreed to Rod’s request back then, would he still be alive?”

His tone was heavy with self-reproach. It was clear that Rod’s death weighed heavily on his mind, and he blamed himself for the outcome.

However, Roland knew that Isaiah had done nothing wrong. He had his duties as a priest; he couldn’t simply abandon his responsibilities to play pretend with Rod.

“No one blames you, and no one has the right to.”

“But I condemn myself.” Realizing the conversation had turned somber, Isaiah picked up the wooden sword from the box and held it out to Roland. “Do you want to try holding it?”

Roland took the sword. It was heavier than she had imagined, likely made of solid wood. It was a bit difficult to swing, but it provided a strange sense of security, as if holding this sword meant there was nothing left to fear.

“I think I could use this sword to knock someone unconscious.”

“A sword is not meant for clubbing people. If a knight saw you doing that, he might challenge you to a duel.”

“Would it be considered cheating if I used magic?”

“If the duel is held within your territory, you are the one who makes the rules.”

Laying the wooden sword across her palms, Roland fell into deep thought.

If she found herself in a similar situation, forced to choose between Mia and others, what would she do?

Could she truly abandon Mia?

Even setting aside the system that required reliance on Mia to grow stronger, Roland felt that such an irresponsible act was unthinkable.

Since she had chosen to adopt Mia, she had to take responsibility for the girl’s future. At the very least, she had to stay by her side until Mia was capable of living on her own.

Looking up at the surrounding field of flowers again, Roland felt the place seemed a bit monotonous. Growing only daisies—wasn’t it too lonely?

“What are you thinking about?” Isaiah asked.

“I was thinking… about whether I should buy some seeds.”

“Then buy some cornflowers. They can be grown in winter. Just scatter the seeds, and they will bloom by next spring.”

“Cornflowers? That is a good choice.”

“Aside from that, what do you plan to do next?”

“Next… I suppose I have to find out the truth behind the demon revival. As long as I can uncover the facts and resolve the issue, even someone as overbearing as Edmond cannot ignore such a great achievement.”

“But your strength is still far from enough.”

“Do you have any good suggestions?”

Isaiah stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, “I happen to have a good commission. If you complete it, you can obtain the journal of a Great Mage. With your talent, you could certainly master the contents of that book. Furthermore, building a good relationship with the client will be beneficial for your future actions.”

“A commission? You want me to become an adventurer?”

“Are you unwilling?”

If the rewards for the commission were truly as good as Isaiah claimed, Roland would have agreed without hesitation. However, she couldn’t be certain of the facts. Moreover, once she accepted the commission, she wouldn’t be able to see Mia again until it was finished. That would result in a massive loss of Motherly Love points.

Roland asked, “Can I meet the client first?”

“Of course. However, I need some time to contact them.”

“Who is the client?”

“The daughter of Viscount Westwood, and the future lord of Wildfield Town.”