Chapter 49: Precious Magical Components
After their return, they had heard what Arthur did to the Baronet. They also learned he had used Wood Magic. Instinctively, they linked him to the masked figure who had once saved them. Though they couldn’t confirm the connection, that sliver of suspicion alone was enough to make them wary. The impression left by the masked man had been far from ordinary.
Arthur stared at them, studying their faces for a moment. He was certain they suspected something—but he didn’t really care. He simply pointed to the tree and said,
"Each of you grab a shovel and an axe. I want you to dig around the tree and uproot it entirely. You have four hours."
At first, Chadwick thought he was about to be punished for their failure in the bandit extermination mission. But upon hearing the command, he exhaled in relief. Uprooting a tree, even a large one, wasn’t difficult.
With high morale, both of them took up the tools and began digging. The other recruits took up scattered positions around the area, keeping watch for beasts to avoid being ambushed.
Arthur remained standing in place for a moment, then calmly picked up a shovel and walked toward the spot where he had buried the skeleton. His actions were strange and immediately drew everyone’s attention.
They watched curiously as he approached a seemingly empty patch amid the thorny bushes, and unexpectedly began digging.
Arthur ignored them. He wanted to recover the skeleton himself to properly pay respects to his savior, whoever she may have been. Thanks to his strength as a Boundless Level E, he dug easily, and within minutes, the familiar bones emerged. Calmly, he lifted the remains from the earth.
When his followers saw him pulling out a bundle of human bones, they reacted with mixed expressions—some shocked, others suspicious, like Chadwick. As for Otieno, he was a special case: he silently praised his lord and saw him as a generous soul who helped even the dead.