When I learned that the solution to my problem had been right under my nose all this time, I couldn't remain indifferent.
One gold coin was enough to feed an ordinary family for two weeks.
In other words, for a commoner, finding such a mushroom was like discovering a golden treasure. It could provide not only for themselves but also for their relatives for several generations to come. For aristocrats, of course, the prices were somewhat different. But that didn't change the essence of the matter.
With these weeds, I could build a decent business. And why did I only learn about such a profitable idea now?!
Probably, the Universe itself had blessed me. Not only was I born into a noble family. But also a real gold mine was right under my nose! What is this, if not a gift of fate?
According to Elisha, frost mushrooms weren't considered so valuable for nothing. They couldn't just cure any illness. But they were also extremely rare. A full fifty years are required for such a mushroom to fully mature. Otherwise, an immature frost mushroom could become not a medicine, but a poison.
It so happened that in the entire empire, frost mushrooms grew only in one place. And this forest was located on the same territory as the de Walte estate.
After hunters, in pursuit of profit, gathered and sold almost all of them, frost mushrooms became an endangered species. Then the former Emperor issued a decree according to which their collection was forbidden under penalty of death.
Anyone caught doing this would have their hands cut off.
In addition, my grandfather also invented the legend about wolves to scare off unscrupulous smugglers.
Frost mushrooms were forbidden to be collected for the next five hundred years to restore their population. And this decree could only be violated if the Emperor's own health was at risk.
What a cunning grandfather. So he can, but everyone else can't? I decided this was a complete injustice.
Therefore, even the loud article in the law about this didn't stop me.
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When I told Elisha about my intention to collect frost mushrooms, she was horrified.
"My Lady, but you can't...!"
"Why not?"
"H-how can you ask why? It's illegal..."
"If we do everything quietly, no one will know."
I decided that I needed to act today. This was a rare chance when Yufil and my father were simultaneously absent from the estate. Otherwise, the Duke would definitely punish me. If not hand me over to prison himself.
To succeed, our "foray" had to be kept secret. After which, I intended to sell the frost mushrooms on the black market and make a decent fortune from it. Well, what of it? Money has no smell.
Moreover, over fifty years had already passed. I hoped I could harvest a good crop.
Elisha tried to dissuade me from this "unreasonable" venture until the last minute. And then, when she realized I wouldn't give up, she took a deep breath. In any case, letting me go alone was even more dangerous. With a heavy heart, the maid decided to go with me.
After all, while the Duke and my older brother hadn't returned, we intended to do everything quickly.
Since I didn't know what frost mushrooms looked like, I took ordinary mushroompicking equipment. A basket and a penknife. I took off all my jewelry and put on simple, comfortable clothes.
"Oh!"
At the very last moment, when we had already climbed over the fence and stood before the entrance to the forest, the maid suddenly panicked.
"What happened?"
"My Lady, I forgot to take gloves!"
"Gloves?"
"You can't touch frost mushrooms with bare hands!" she explained, "Otherwise it could lead to frostbite of the extremities. We need special leather gloves."
"Oh, I see."
I slowly nodded my head.
"My Lady, please wait here. I'll go get them."
"Okay."
"Don't go far!"
I sighed.
"I understand everything. You don't have to worry."
When Elisha ran back to the estate, I stood there for a while, waiting for her. But more than ten minutes passed, and the maid still hadn't returned.
What was delaying her so long?
Meanwhile, waiting longer would be dangerous. After all, the Duke and Yufil could turn up at any moment, and then I definitely wouldn't be able to weasel my way out.
In the end, I decided to go a little further and see what this Wolf Forest was like. According to Elisha, all the stories about this place were complete nonsense, and there were actually no demonic beasts here.
Well, I intended to enter and see for myself.
But it so happened that I didn't manage to go very far. Pushing through the thickets to clear my path, I nearly tripped over something hard. At first, I thought it was a branch.
Crunch.
I turned my head in the direction of the sound when I realized it came from under me.
For a few moments, I stared, trying to make out in the twilight what exactly my shoe had stepped on. And then I recognized the outline of a human hand.
"AAAAAAAH!"
Forgetting about ladylike elegance, I instinctively screamed at the top of my lungs throughout the forest like a victim.
It seems I had just stumbled upon someone's corpse.