‘Wouldn’t it be nice to take this opportunity and visit the Ferragen Mountains and take a closer look? If I’m lucky I could get Luphenyl or other rare plants,’ Emma thought. ‘For example, Tesh or Nahash…’ When making Irvan’s wound ointment, the effect is doubled if a rare herb such as ‘Tesh’, which had an excellent effect on recovery, is added. Meanwhile, Nahash is a rare herb best as a nutritional tonic. Even a very small amount of these two showed excellent effects. After thinking for a while, Emma made up her mind and shared her opinion with Jenna.
“Isn’t there a lot of medicinal herbs in the Ferragen Mountains?” Emma said.
Jenna looked at her curiously. “Medicinal herbs?” she asked.
“Yes,” Emma nodded. “Things that aren’t easy to find in the market.”
Jenna lowered her eyes and pondered. “Maybe so. Come to think of it, there’s a rumor that herbalists like the Ferragen Mountains. Other people don’t feel much interest because the mountains are rough and dangerous.”
“Then shall we go? I think it’s okay if it’s near the village,” Emma suggested. Jenna seemed delighted by Emma’s suggestion.
“That’s what I just thought!” she exclaimed. “If it’s you, Miss, who knows herbs well, you might find all kinds of medicinal herbs if we go to the Ferragen Mountains. If we’re lucky, wouldn’t we be able to find something like a lily of the valley lit by the moonlight, right?”
Emma laughed. “I’m not bold enough to go to the Ferragen Mountains on a moonlit night without fear.”
Jenna smiled. “Me either. We’re going to go during the day, right?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a relief.” Jenna nodded to Emma and informed her that the nearest base of the Ferragen Mountains was a two-hour carriage ride away. Emma suddenly remembered Irvan and thought that if she was going to visit the Ferragen Mountains, it would also be nice to pay him a visit.
“Is the Lojak region far from here?”
“It’s a little further south because it’s on the border of the territory,” Jenna answered. She brought a map of the kingdom from the study upstairs and laid it out on her desk, pointing out the approximate location. “It’s a map of the entire Reshire. This is Wert City. This is where we’re going,” she pointed. “See? It’s the Grok region.”
Emma checked the map; Lojak and Grok were located in the opposite directions, and the distance was considerable. From Wert City, it takes over two hours by carriage to Grok and over eight hours to Lojak.
“That’s right. Lojak is too far away. Because of the distance, we have no choice but to go to Grok.”
“Yes… Then I will prepare to go out without any setbacks.”
* * *
The next day Emma and Jenna went to the Ferragen Mountains early in the morning with the permission of the Baroness. Since Baroness Berne became ill, she treated Emma as her savior and with the utmost respect. She even gave her a reliable escort. Emma and Jenna went for a long time chatting in a carriage escorted by Berne’s knights. Then, when she glanced out the window, the terrain was very familiar.
‘But that’s not possible?’ Emma, who had her eyes fixed outside the window and looked at the terrain that filled the scenery, tilted her head. There was no way that Reshire, where she ended up staying by chance, could have been familiar to her. She had lived in Sumerville all her life, but outside the window, the scenery that unfolded before her eyes existed in her memory.. The more she looked, the more she wondered. Emma frowned, and as familiar landmarks gradually appeared along the field one by one, she immediately found the cause for the familiarness.
“Oh, the cabin must be located in this place!” If you think about it, it was an obvious conclusion. Since Wert City was closest to the Ferragen Mountains in Grok, it was only natural that Count Van Wert’s mansion would also be in Grok.
“A cabin?”
“Oh, yes. And exquisite cabin where Mr. Irvan stayed. We met there… Irvan and I,” Emma murmured.
Jenna’s eyes twinkled with mild curiosity. But she was a lady of discipline; she didn’t act rudely or pester Emma about it. She was a servant of the Berne family for a long time, but their age difference was only one year, and Jenna was younger. Jenna would come of age next year. Despite her age, she was perceptive and quiet. Emma, who was quietly watching Jenna, burst into laughter.
“Are you curious?” Emma said. “You see, Mr. Irvan saved me at that cabin.”
“Saved you? How?” Jenna’s eyes immediately glistened. It seemed that she was quite interested. But then again, it was a story that she had not told to anyone so far, so everyone couldn’t help but be curious about how she and Irvan met.