I Just Traded in the Forest of Monsters, but the World Changed - Chapter 15

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 15
The next morning.
The air carried more of a chill than expected.
The Courtyard in front of The Shop lay scattered with fallen leaves swept in by the wind, and the traces of yesterday’s tidying had already begun to fade.
Erasmus was already there, keeping his word.
Just then, a few mercenaries who had been sprawled asleep around the Tents opened their eyes first.
And the first thing they laid eyes on was Erasmus standing in the middle of the Courtyard.
“……!”
One mercenary froze halfway to his feet, while another tightened his grip on his weapon.
Eyes that had only moments before been heavy with sleep shifted instantly into combat readiness.
The air turned taut.
Rough breathing filled the space between the mercenaries as weapons were gripped tighter.
“Why is that old man here?”
“Could he have done something overnight—”
As vigilance spiked sharply, Erasmus lifted his gaze first.
He seemed to take in at a glance the way the mercenaries were watching him, almost encircling him.
“Ah, there’s no need for that.”
His voice was measured.
“There’s nothing left for you all to be wary of.”
Vargas, who had just awakened, ground his teeth as he spoke.
“Then what exactly are you doing out here right now?”
Erasmus paused for a moment before answering with remarkable composure.
“I came out to work.”
“……What?”
Vargas elbowed the mercenary beside him, trying to confirm he’d heard correctly.
At that moment, Se Hui emerged from the Tent.
With a half-awake face, she stifled a yawn and took in the situation at a glance.
“Oh, everyone’s up.”
The greeting came before any real assessment of what was happening.
Her tone was entirely at odds with the tension hanging over the Courtyard—perfectly ordinary, as always.
She spoke without any concern.
“I forgot to mention it yesterday.”
And she pointed to Erasmus with her palm open.
“He’s going to be working here.”
A brief silence fell.
Every member of the Mercenary Group lost their voice at once.
Some stood frozen with their mouths hanging open, while others nearly dropped the weapons they were holding.
“Hold on.”
“Did you just say—”
“You don’t mean that old man?”
Se Hui nodded.
“Yes. We’ve signed the Contract and everything.”
In that instant, the eyes of the Mercenary Group shifted back to Erasmus.
This time their expressions weren’t quite suspicious—more utterly baffled.
As if to break through that atmosphere, Se Hui called out without much thought.
“Say, Grandfather.”
“G-Grandfather?”
Erasmus seemed flustered by the title, his words stumbling slightly.
“Or should I call you Mr. Erasmus instead?”
She asked, unsure of what to call him in this place.
“Call me as you please.”
Se Hui nodded, then opened her Inventory and pulled something out, offering it to him.
“Put this on. It’s required if you’re going to work here.”
“Very well.”
He gave his Staff a light flourish, and Mana rippled smoothly across the fabric of his robes.
After the brief wave passed, his clothing had changed.
Rather than layering the new garment over his robe, it was as if the fabric itself had been seamlessly transformed into something else entirely.
The change seemed to flow from Mana seeping into the material and reshaping it.
Se Hui watched the transformation intently.
He now wore a clean white shirt with a deep blue apron layered over it, a small Name Badge fastened at his chest.
[STAFF]
Beneath it, a name carved in precise letters.
Erasmus.
“…….”
Se Hui’s mind briefly rejected the reality before her.
“……What is that?”
One of the mercenaries muttered unconsciously.
“An apron? He’s casting Magic in that getup?”
Vargas watched the sight in silence, then rubbed his eyes.
For Se Hui, by contrast, it was a familiar ensemble.
‘Completely modern.’
Erasmus adjusted the sleeves of his Staff Uniform, planted his Staff on the ground, and closed his eyes for a moment.
“Mm, the Mana flow is remarkably stable. That coffee truly is extraordinary.”
With that, Erasmus cast his spell at once.
“Wind.”
The soft incantation sent tension rippling through the mercenaries once more.
But in the next instant, what rose was not an offensive spell—it was Fallen Leaves.
Every scrap clinging to the ground lifted skyward without exception.
The motion was so precise it seemed an invisible hand was plucking them up one by one.
“……That’s not an attack spell at all.”
Vargas watched in silence, his eyes shifting between the pile of Fallen Leaves and Erasmus.
Se Hui, meanwhile, could only gape.
“Oh…….”
It was the first time she’d witnessed actual Magic since arriving here.
‘Wow, seeing real Magic like something from a webtoon or novel……’
The power of an Archmage that had existed only in fantasy was now being used to sweep up Fallen Leaves.
As if invisible hands were doing the cleaning.
The Empire’s greatest mage was carefully sweeping the Courtyard.
‘……What would people think if they saw that.’
Se Hui sat watching.
It was utterly different from the air he’d worn while signing the Contract.
Not serene so much as earnest.
As though this very act of tidying were one stage of his cultivation.
“……What is that old man doing?”
Vargas muttered.
But Erasmus didn’t so much as twitch an eyebrow, dividing the airborne Fallen Leaves into three groups.
Dry leaves, leaves still holding moisture, and those mixed with twigs.
Each pile held only its own kind with perfect precision.
Not a single leaf drifted astray.
Even as wind stirred, invisible force kept them gently pinned down, unmoved.
‘Why is he doing it like that?’
Sensing her gaze, Erasmus spoke.
“Well then. Should I simply annihilate them all?”
Se Hui fell silent, considering.
‘Those look like they’d be useful for starting a fire. It’d be a shame to get rid of them entirely.’
After a moment’s deliberation, she shook her head.
“No. Don’t dispose of all of them.”
She pointed to the neatly stacked pile on the left.
“Just gather the dry Fallen Leaves to one side like that. I think we’ll have use for them later.”
Erasmus blinked once, then nodded.
“Ah, kindling for a fire. A practical decision indeed.”
As he tilted his Staff, only the dry Fallen Leaves shifted carefully to one side.
The damp leaves and twigs dispersed like powder, fading steadily away.
“Understood. I’ll leave the rest as you’ve requested.”
Erasmus leaned on his Staff and exhaled.
“Mm, that’s quite neat now, wouldn’t you say? Not bad work for an old man.”
He surveyed the result once more, then nodded to himself.
His expression carried the satisfaction of one who has flawlessly arranged a complex incantation.
Se Hui watched, then spoke offhandedly.
“You’re quite…… thorough, aren’t you.”
“Of course. A contract once made must be honored even if heaven itself splits in two. That’s the iron rule of this old man.”
Erasmus answered as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
“And the Mana Control training alone is worth the effort.”
He pointed to the dust particles lingering in the air, barely visible to the naked eye.
“To interfere down to such minute levels requires concentration more than raw power, you see.”
Se Hui nodded slowly, turning the words over in her mind.
To be honest, she understood half of it and simply assumed the rest must be true.
It was the moment she turned her head.
Erasmus carefully withdrew something from his pocket.
It was the paper cup from yesterday.
Inside, faint sugar residue had already dried along the bottom.
Even the place where the cream had touched had hardened into the faintest of marks.
Erasmus held it between both hands as though it were some precious artifact.
Then, with utmost care, he licked the rim of the cup.
His expression was as reverent as a worshipper sipping the last drop of holy water.
After checking the inside once more, he scraped a single grain of sugar with his fingertip and placed it on his tongue.
It was done as though no one could possibly see.
Though he could receive a fresh cup every day, he seemed reluctant to let even yesterday’s remnants go to waste.
……
As Erasmus finished licking the paper cup clean, his gaze swept the surroundings before settling on Se Hui.
Then their eyes met precisely.
“……Mana Replenishment, you understand.”
Se Hui was left momentarily speechless at the sight.
Erasmus spoke with an unflustered expression, as though utterly composed.
“Ahem……. Indeed, no matter how many times one tastes it, the flavor remains truly exquisite. It’s as though one’s very soul is being washed clean.”
And he returned the paper cup to his innermost pocket.
He even remembered to wrap it once more in cloth so it wouldn’t wrinkle.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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