This Heroine's Friend Has the Power of Botany

Chapter 71

Prey 2

Many students were talking about this issue, and they didn’t even try to lower their voices. The more they talked, the more excited they became. Several people spoke loudly as if they wanted Nara to hear them.

"Have you all talked enough!? Have I really done something so terribly wrong? Ellie...you too. When we were in the village, I always helped you. When your parents passed away, you came to cry with me. But now, just because I made one mistake, can’t you forgive me even once?" Nara cried out in frustration, her eyes red and brimming with tears.

Seeing this, a soft-hearted person might have felt sympathy. Unfortunately, Ellie had already given Nara a chance when she tried to steal her vegetables to awaken her powers. After that, Ellie had played the fool to follow the script until Nara’s second mistake, at which point Ellie decided she would no longer forgive her.

"I remember we’ve talked about this many times, and every time something happens, you act like you forget what I said. So, even if I explain it to you this time, tomorrow you’ll act like nothing happened and ask for my forgiveness again." Ellie shrugged, indifferent to Nara’s display. The petite girl just walked away, not wanting to talk anymore, showing everyone Ellie’s decisiveness.

She was known for being quiet and unassuming, but if someone made her angry, it would be hard to earn her forgiveness...This was something everyone had to remember well.

"Wint, sob...Did Nara really do something so wrong? Does Ellie have to be so angry and hate Nara this much?" Nara cried pathetically, covering her face.

Wint wanted to reply honestly with his deep thoughts, but to avoid revealing his true self, he simply sighed and told Nara to get some rest as well. He then mentioned he would patrol the area to check for any vicious animals that might pose a threat to the camp.

Nara realized that Wint wasn’t paying her the attention she had hoped for. Frustrated, she stormed off. When she had spoken harshly to Ellie just a few words, Wint had given her a disapproving look. Yet, when Ellie spoke to her cruelly, Wint seemed blind to it. The unfairness of this man was infuriating.

She could only swear to herself that once she became a true priestess, she would unleash her wrath on everyone who had gossiped about her or ignored her, driving them all mad.

Her anger made it impossible for Nara to stay hidden in Wint’s tent. She went to calm herself by the stream where she had once planned to ensnare Wint, a plan that had ended in her own foolish injury.

"Why is nothing going the way I want it to?!" Nara kicked the water in frustration, unaware that someone was watching her action.

"Do you really not know why?" A deep voice behind her made Nara jump. She was sure she had checked the area and there was no one here, so how had this person appeared unnoticed?

Nara looked at the newcomer. He had a handsome face and a well-built body, clearly someone who had trained hard. This man was dressed in full military uniform. She had seen him around the camp before but had never gotten close, as he was always surrounded by many followers.

Nara thought for a moment before she remembered. Didn’t others call him "Camp Leader"?

"You are...the Camp Leader, right?" Upon seeing such a high-ranking man, Nara immediately changed her demeanor. From being a hot-tempered person, she transformed into a charming, obedient girl. Seeing Nara’s behavior, the corner of the "Camp Leader’s" mouth lifted in satisfaction.

"You don’t need to be so formal with me. You can call me “Garik”." Hearing him introduce himself and shorten the distance between them, Nara gave a shy, coquettish smile.

Garik’s twinkling eyes made Nara understand. Men are like this, all the same. Even the supposedly holy priests. They see women as mere tools for their pleasure. And, of course, Nara knew how to use her charm.

A girl from the countryside knew that men from noble families hadn’t seen something as good as her in a long time. It wasn’t surprising that Lord Aman might be interested in Ellie. It’s because country girls were different. They seemed easy to deceive, lacking the cunning and manners of high-class women. Well...even the finest things can become boring if you see them all the time, while a rare sighting of a country girl could excite them.

Nara, who had been wanting to use men’s connections to her advantage, saw an opportunity in this powerful man to advance herself. Why would she want to lose it?

"L-Lord Garik," she pretended to be both brave and scared, her face turning red as if she were very shy.

Garik, whom Nara overconfidently believed to be just a lustful man, smirked at his own thoughts. He figured correctly that he needed to play along with Nara first. Given how closely he had observed Ellie, and knowing that the Setter family was overly protective of her, approaching directly would be impossible. If he wanted to learn more about that special girl, he knew he had to use another woman.

"You’re injured, aren’t you? I saw your wound earlier," Garik nodded, seemingly pleased that Nara called him by name. He maintained a serious demeanor as he slowly approached her. When he was close enough, the Camp Leader knelt down and gently touched Nara’s pale, smooth leg.

It was clear how much Nara took care of herself. It was surprising, considering that Garik had heard Nara was a woman from the countryside. However, her skin was as soft and smooth as that of a noble lady. He could guess that a scheming woman like her had probably been planning to associate herself with the nobility for a long time. The more he saw her thirst for power, the more pleased Garik became.

"I-I’m fine, really. Compared to you soldiers, these wounds are nothing." Nara pretended to pull her leg back, trying to appear strong in front of him. It worked; Garik’s expression changed, and he immediately showed admiration.

"We are soldiers. Our duty is to protect you all. How can your wounds be unimportant?" Garik’s rough hand caressed her thigh gently, making Nara shudder. Compared to the touch of those lustful but arrogant priests, the touch of a young soldier like this made her feel like she could melt away at any moment.

Before Nara could let out an embarrassing sound, Garik knew the right moment to stand up and take a step back. The young man hid his cunning smile and spoke seriously.

"Come, I’ll bring you some of my personal medicine. It should heal your wounds immediately."

"N-No, that’s not necessary," Nara replied modestly. Garik thought for a moment before sighing.

"Very well. You’re probably worried about others misunderstanding you again, aren’t you?" When Nara heard Garik’s words, she was momentarily confused. She hadn’t planned to talk about others now, but Garik had brought it up.

"M-Misunderstand? There’s no such thing."

"You don’t have to make excuses. I saw everything..."

"You saw..." Nara wanted to ask what he had seen but decided not to say anything more, letting Garik explain himself.

Hadn’t she just cursed at Ellie earlier? She didn’t know what Garik had heard or if he, like Wint, admired Ellie’s fighting skills. If she showed her dislike for Ellie, would he change his attitude toward her as Wint had?

Nara’s thoughts were a chaotic mess, but Garik didn’t let her become too distracted. After a brief silence, he immediately voiced his thoughts.

"I saw that you had a misunderstanding with a student named Ellie, didn’t you? You tried to explain and ask for a chance, but it seems that student is too heartless. I heard she turned the other students against you. Or am I...mistaken?" Garik raised his eyebrows.

Hearing Garik’s words, Nara relaxed slightly. It seemed Garik didn’t really know anything. However, his misunderstanding was very beneficial for her.

The petite girl pretended to be sad, looking up at Garik as if she was reluctant to speak about this, but eventually, her small mouth began to move.

"Actually...I did wrong my dear friend. It’s not surprising that she’s angry."

"But you apologized, didn’t you?"

"Yes, but I don’t blame her. After all, a mistake is a mistake."

"Sigh, even after being scolded so much, you still defend your friend?" Garik wanted to laugh. Did this girl think she was clever, using her charm to deceive others? That was too ridiculous! Even if he didn’t intend to use Nara, anyone with enough experience wouldn’t be too foolish to recognize this as an act.

If she wanted to deceive men, this girl would need a hundred more years of practice!

"I...sob. I only have her as my friend! It’s because we come from the same village. Nara has been friends with Ellie since then. But we had a falling out after entering the institution, and Ellie refuses to forgive me."

"How serious was your mistake? Everyone makes mistakes. As friends, you should forgive each other, right? She has no compassion for her friend. I’ll go reprimand her myself." Garik pretended to be angry, but Nara’s arms quickly grabbed him. No way...she would not let him talk to Ellie.

From her observations, anyone who talked to Ellie eventually got lured into her side. So, to ensure this man wouldn’t fall for Ellie’s tricks as well, she had to keep them apart!

"No, it’s alright. For this matter, Nara will try to resolve it myself. Since Nara wronged Ellie, Nara’ll use my sincerity to make her trust me again."

These eloquent words were spoken with grace. If it were any other man, he might have been swayed. Unfortunately for Nara, she chose to use them on this unstable man.

"Ah, good. You are very brave. I admire that." Garik touched Nara’s small arm, his rough hand that had held his sword countless times gently stroking the back of her hand as if to comfort her.

Nara’s heart, which thought itself superior, trembled. Who would have thought that she was being counterattacked by the man’s own charms without realizing it!? It could be said that the "Camp Leader’s" acting skills were far superior to Nara’s!

"As long as you understand, Nara is happy." Her small face turning a rosy red, surprisingly not from acting.

Nara’s little heart was fluttering, beating in time with the evil hand that was gradually taking control of her.

"Mmm...but be careful these days. According to my soldiers’ investigation, they say there is the use of “poison powder” to lure the beasts to attack this camp. I don’t want you wandering around, as you might accidentally encounter the culprit."

Garik spoke with concern, and Nara felt deeply touched. As a girl who had left her small home to fight in an unfamiliar society, this was the first time someone had shown her genuine concern. Nara bowed her head to hide her tears of vulnerability, unaware of the wicked smile forming on the man’s face in front of her....

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