168 - - Episode 11 Contact

No insect bite marks on the leaves. No strange color on the stems either, no bugs on them, and no signs of wilting. ...... Yeah, no problems today either."

Mya checks out the herb garden created behind the medicine man's residence.

In the herb garden, there are many plants used for medicine, and every day Miya, her apprentice, checks each herb to make sure there are no problems.

If the medicinal herbs are bitten by insects or wither due to disease, they are naturally useless.

Miya checks every day to prevent such problems from occurring.

This is one of the tasks of the apothecary.

After checking, she picks medicinal herbs into a basket.

When she has secured the necessary amount, she returns to the apothecary's workshop and residence - the old apothecary woman whom Mya apprenticed herself to.

She returns to the old woman's house where Mya apprenticed with her. Everything is fine. I also picked some herbs for the ointment we are going to make today. Please check them.

Thank you for your hard work, Mya. Let's see. ......"

A woman with a hood over her head and the appearance of an "old witch" receives a basket from Miya and checks the medicinal herbs.

This old woman is the village apothecary whom Mya studies under.

No problem. Then let's start making the ointment. Mya, can you get me some water?

I understand. I'll get ready!

Miya responds cheerfully to the instructions and takes the tub and places it on the table.

Other items necessary for making ointments, such as mortars, pestles, and chemicals, are also lined up on the table.

She picks up the wand that was propped up on the table and focuses her attention.

"-Magic, manifest and form water, waterball!"

A mass of water appears in the air.

The mass of water moves slowly and settles into a vat.

In an instant, the tub is filled with water.

This is basic water magic, but if you can use it, you will never have trouble finding water in dungeons.

However, there are wells in villages and other places, and there is no need to create water from magic in normal life.

So why go to the trouble of creating water with magical power?

Thanks to the water Miya-chan makes, the medicine is much more effective, and I really appreciate it."

Glad to be of service!　I just served water, though.

Mya smiles shyly.

The old woman's granddaughter is studying abroad in the Principality of Six for her pharmacy studies.

In a letter from her granddaughter, she wrote that according to the latest research paper in the Principality of Six, "potions and medicines are more effective when made with water produced by magic power than with ordinary water.

According to the contents of the letter, when Miya actually produced the medicine with the water produced by magic - the effect was really higher.

Thanks to this, she was able to sell them at a higher price than usual.

Currently, Miya is working hard on her pharmacology studies.

The reason for her efforts, of course, is to "make medicine to heal Dirk's burn scars.

As she had declared to Dirk, she also found time to study as a magician.

The old woman's eyes narrowed dazzledly at her earnest attitude.

She is a good and earnest girl, Miya-chan. Then let's get on with making it."

Yes, I'm learning a lot today.

She cheerfully replies, helping the old woman and Mya herself to actually make the medicine - this time an ointment to heal the wound.

It was very funny to see the old woman and Mya making medicine side by side.

--The peaceful, smiling atmosphere was broken by a sound.

A knocking on the door.

Miya stands up and asks through the door, just in case.

Yes!　Who is it?

'Mya, it's me.

Erio, is that your brother?"

At this hour, my brother is working in the fields.

There is no reason for him to come to the apothecary.

Mya anticipated that 'someone might have been injured and needed medicine urgently,' and rushed to open the door.

When she opened the door, she found her brother Erio standing there, looking the same as usual.

From his mood and expression, the old woman and Mya immediately realize that it is not an emergency.

He said, "I'm sorry to ask ...... on such short notice. I just came to say hello to you because the usual peddler came to the village.

I am so glad you're here already. A little earlier than usual this month."

There are no stores in the village.

Therefore, they had to either buy from a peddler when he visited once a month or go to town by themselves.

Because the peddlers also traveled by horse-drawn wagon, they did not always arrive at the exact date and time each month due to accidents, rain and other disasters, monster attacks, and so on.

It was only "once a month" in the sense of "approximately once a month.

This time, however, it was earlier than usual.

Thank you for coming to let me know, big brother," he said. Can I ask you to help me with my luggage so I can take my medicine?"

I don't care. That's what I'm here for.

This time when the peddlers come, it is not only a chance to buy goods, but also a chance to sell products made by the villagers.

In the case of Mya and her family, they wholesale surplus medicines to the peddlers.

Thanks to the water that Miya created with her magic, the potions are more potent and slightly more expensive, but they are well received.

The products were always purchased by the merchants when they stopped by the village.

"Big brother, please take care of this box for me."

Roger that. Roger that. ...... Yay!"

Thank you. Thanks for everything.

An old woman calls out to Elio, who is holding a box of medicines.

He responded with a smile.

No, my sister is in such great need of your help.

In the past, a merchant used to show up in person to receive medicines for an old woman with a limp.

Now, Mya or Erio helped her to carry them to the merchant's place.

The old woman's eyes narrowed again.

Mya is a good girl, and so is Erio.

Haha, thank you. ......

Erio smiles subtly when Mya is called "chan," but even he is addressed as "chan.

Since it would have been awkward to go out of his way to deny it, he could only laugh.

Mya called out to her brother and urged him to hurry up.

Erio, let's hurry up and go. Doctor, I'll go to the pharmacy to wholesale the medicine.

Please do. We are continuing to make medicines over here.

After addressing the old woman, the siblings headed for the center of the village, where the peddler was waiting for them, conversing with her.

A familiar carriage was parked in the central square of the village.

It was a wagon with one horse, and it was old enough to be used for a long time. Another carriage followed.

The back of the wagon was loaded with salt, cloth, ironware, nails, plates, preserved food, and other items that are hard to find in the village.

Normally, the villagers, hungry for entertainment, would crowd together to purchase and view the goods. ......

We're finally in the village!"

Hi-yah!"　There's a well, water!　You can drink water without restraint!　Hi-yah!"

Not just water!　We're going to have plenty of booze and hot food!"

Looks like I'll have a decent bed to sleep in tonight!"

Heh heh heh ...... looking forward to tonight!"

The familiar merchants are flanked by a group of very bad adventurers, armed with unfamiliar mohawks.

The villagers could only watch from a distance, unable to get close to them.

Erio and Mya, too, were caught off guard by this unexpected sight.

"Oh, brother, what are those people?"

I don't know either. I just heard from someone that a peddler was here, so I went to call him, but I didn't see him directly. ......

The siblings were unable to keep up with the situation and, like the villagers, could only watch from a distance.