Napoleon of Another World!

Extra Story - The Scholar (Part 2)

It took almost an hour to load that poor mule with all the paraphernalia, and Daemon's attempts to warn that perhaps it wasn't a good idea carrying so many things.

"Impossible." the professor said, "It's all essential equipment."

Once left the city, Daemon and the professor entered the forests heading west along a known path, and soon the professor was completely captured by the nature around them, starting to scribble incessantly in a notebook.

Everything seemed to catch his interest, and more than once during the journey Daemon had to warn him to keep an eye on his horse to not risk crashing somewhere, or even worse, getting lost.

"Try to always maintain eye contact. This forest is far from safe."

"You can rest assured, Mr. Haselworth. You wouldn't think so by looking at me, but I have visited much more dangerous places than this."

"With all due respect, but I find it hard to believe."

After only a few hours they had to stop, since the terrain had now become so rough that it would have been dangerous to venture there with the loaded mule.

"From here on, it's best to proceed on foot."

At least, despite his age, physique and the impractical cloak he was wearing, the professor seemed really at ease walking on rough terrain, and managed to follow his guide for the entire journey without too much trouble.

While Daemon monitored the surroundings, the professor immediately got to work, and armed with a net, he began to capture as many spiders, insects and small reptiles or amphibians as he could, carefully cataloging them and placing them in the few jars that he had managed to put in his backpack.

"I'm going for a check-up. You please stay here. This area of the forest is relatively safe, but it's better to be cautious."

The professor was so engrossed in his work that he limited himself to a wave of his hand, and for a few minutes, he continued to take notes sitting on a rock.

But then, a colorful butterfly flew right in front of his eyes, attracting him like a moth with fire.

"Wait little one. Let me take a closer look."

Without thinking twice the professor ran after her, entering deeper and deeper into the trees; the chase ended only when the elderly teacher, having slipped one foot, rolled like a wheel down a short slope.

"Note." he muttered, getting back to his feet. "Only the fool looks at the sky without paying attention to what he has under his boots."

However, once he had cleaned the mud off his clothes, he realized he was lost.

All around him there was nothing but trees and silence, and not even a trace of his guide or anything else that could help him understand where he had ended up.

"Perfect, from bad to worse. When will I learn not to get distracted by the first butterfly I see?"

He tried to follow his own steps to return to where he had come from, but that forest was so thick that orientation was impossible.

His non-stop wandering led him to a new clearing, and while he tried in vain to recognize some element, a rustling of leaves made every single hair on his body stand on end.

"Who goes there? I warn you, I don't taste good."

A small monkey with a superb black coat emerged from the foliage and, completely ignoring the chubby professor, instead turned all his attention to a nearby wild strawberry bush.