Chapter 44 - 43 - The Barrier Amidst the Forest
During the walk, Noah scanned his surroundings for herbs—he didn't find many that were actually useful at the moment, but he mentally noted their locations. A thought occurred to him about whether that man might have already collected the rarest herbs—and if that were true, there wouldn't be much left to do.
One step ahead, something strange happened—he felt as if his body had passed through something with a gelatinous consistency, or at least that's what it seemed like—a thin, invisible layer that Noah only noticed when he touched it.
The trees vanished, and the tall grass along with the uneven bushes gave way to a small field—where low grass swayed in the breeze and even the scent in the air changed. Previously, there had been a faint odor of blood in the air, largely thanks to the beasts lurking nearby, but now there was nothing but the fresh, floral fragrance of nature.
Further ahead, he spotted a house. Compared to most of the residences in the city, the old man's house was undoubtedly superior—more beautiful, well-built, and by all accounts, larger. Given that, Noah couldn't understand why the old man dressed the way he did.
Noah examined the house from top to bottom and, just as his eyes nearly reached the door, he noticed a woman who didn't appear to be as aged as the old man, yet she wasn't as youthful as Alice. Although Alice—despite her white hair—seemed to be no more than about 30 at most (perhaps thanks to her natural beauty reminiscent of Sophia), the difference was striking.
Unlike Alice, the woman's short, brown hair was already turning gray, her skin showed signs of wrinkles, and for some reason, she had pronounced dark circles beneath her black eyes.
She suddenly sprang up in front of the old man and exclaimed,
— Sir, the young lady...!
Surely there was something she meant to say, but before she could finish her sentence, she caught sight of Noah and quickly altered her expression, trying to appear a little calmer—even though one of her hands was gripping the hilt of a dagger hidden at her waist. After a few seconds of silence during which she scrutinized the newcomer, she whispered,