Doggone Academy - Chapter 33

Chapter 33. Medicinal Herbs (13)

Weekly Chapter (4/5)

Sylverine was absent since she had to report on the alchemist to the Academy.

Damien wondered if Popper took her absence as an opportunity to approach him. He didn’t seem to have bad intentions, but Damien had to remain alert to unexpected questions.

The robust Popper’s advanced age did not allow him to be on the front lines, but he had keen observation skills due to his experience.

A bad lie would be counterproductive.

He handed him his sword in the scabbard. Popper unsheathed the sword slowly.

He swung the sword in a figure eight. Then he raised the sword toward the sunset.

When his eyes narrowed, Damien’s heart fluttered.

“It’s a good sword.”

Popper put the sword away in its scabbard.

Damien, who believed Popper wanted to ask something else, received the sword in silence.

“…Thank you.”

“How long have you trained with the sword?”

“……”

It was a simple question, but really hard to answer. He could lie about his past, but he didn’t think he could fool someone with so much experience.

Popper laughed when he saw that he was hesitant.

“Hahaha! Is it so hard to admit that you haven’t learned well yet?”

“……?”

Popper patted him hard on the shoulder. Damien looked at him puzzled.

How does he know? Or did he ask for me to reveal more information?

The knights who overheard the conversation also seemed puzzled. Probably because they heard that Damien had not learned to use a sword.

What has this old man concluded? I should be cautious.

“Your master was my comrade on the battlefield. She told me about you.”

Sylverine had told him that, too.

Popper’s swordsmanship revealed that he was a veteran.

“It’s an honor to meet a comrade of my master.”

“I’m honored to meet you, too. You did a great job. The whole town owes you a debt. Even we are grateful.”

“I could do it thanks to my master’s guidance.”

Popper said with a gentle smile,

“Your master told me that you alone would be able to do it. Who should I believe?”

“……”

He wondered if she had created these circumstances on purpose. First, she gave him the Stitch when he left, and now she left so he could be alone with Popper.

“I respect you for recognizing your master, but you did all the work. You should get a reward for it, that’s proper.”

“I did what I was supposed to, I don’t need a reward.”

Popper convincingly spoke.

“Do you want our order to be indebted to you for life?”

“I was reckless.”

“Tell me what you want, what do you need? I can give you an artifact, even gold coins.”

He was grateful to receive a reward, but he did not understand the importance of this feat. It was the first time he was in this situation.

He desired to exploit this rare opportunity to get the most valuable reward.

But if he asked for excessive compensation, he might undermine his own feat.

And he couldn’t ask Sylverine for advice.

There was something he needed, but he didn’t know if it was appropriate.

The knightly order had to help him to take the reward from the alchemist.

“I need Griffin’s blood.”

Popper’s pupils dilated. He had only requested something reasonable.

He gently stroked his beard in silence.

Griffin’s blood was an ingredient in a Zverev potion.

There were many medicinal herbs that he didn’t know about among the ingredients, so he didn’t know how hard it would be to find them, but Wiesel was a place that alchemists visited in search of various medicinal herbs.

Griffin’s blood was the only ingredient that was not a medicinal herb. There were not many demonic beasts in Wiesel, so he had to acquire it through merchants.

But how could a 16-year-old convince a merchant to fetch an ingredient from so far away? They could just as easily attempt to cheat him.

The knightly order could easily obtain a large quantity of this ingredient.

Popper’s eyes sparkled. Even though it was a positive sign, he was a bit overwhelmed.

“Looks like you planned something interesting again.”

He showed that he had expectations of Damien.