Episode 4.10-11-12

There were four gathering spots in total. The fourth spot was all about nuts gathering.

They got back to Vouka Town by the tenth day.

Lecan has learned <Lamplight (Parm)>, <Ignition (Yutel)>, and <Draw (Vegra)> magic.

The last one is a spell that can float something very light towards the user from a very short distance, to be honest, he's not sure if it's even good for anything.

However, as it's the elementary spell of space magic, the fact that he's able to learn it means he has a chance to learn other more useful spells of space magic.

Once you get to the mid-rank space magic <Move (Trimull)>, as long as you have the mana, you can move heavy things, generate winds, and even dig out holes with it, it's an extremely practical magic.

Another mid-rank space magic <Float (Kassal)> can turn heavy things lighter, and float them in the air.

By combining <Move> and <Float>, you can float your own body high in the sky.

The advanced rank space magic <Barrier (Ogdim)> is a spell that creates a magic wall to block physical attacks. Apparently, it holds a powerful defensive power even with a small amount of mana. Quite a fascinating magic.

Another advanced rank space magic <Exchange (Koznot)> can exchange positions of objects or living beings that have the same size and weight regardless of distance. You can deliver and receive letters between distant places in an instant as long as you've set where the letter is sent to. In Shira's store at Vouka Town, there is a barrel that's the same size and weight as Shira, she can exchange places with it anytime. In other word, you can instantly go anywhere in the whole wide world as long as you've made preparations beforehand. Furthermore, once you can use the space magic near the superlative rank, it's possible to set the target of exchange without prior preparations. However, only the very select few with the aptitude for space magic are capable of learning <Barrier> and <Exchange>.

<Ignition> and <Lamplight> can be learned by anyone as long they have mana, while <Float> is not possible without the right aptitude for it. Now that Lecan knows he's got the aptitude for space magic. He'd like to learn everything that can be learned.

Lecan was stuck processing the gathered materials in the next three days after their return. There's a huge amount of these materials. The work didn't end even when he got up early and finished late at night. Lecan was told to sleep in for three days. He's sleeping in Jericho's room. He's used to sharing bed with horses, but it was the first time with an ape.

Shira who had gone back to her old woman form never had meals. It was Jericho who brought Lecan his meals. When Jericho secretly slipped in a small bottle of alcohol in the meal, Lecan felt a strong sense of camaraderie with him.

The processing was over by the third day. The moss needed to have the mud on it cleaned off, the nuts needed to be peeled off, then each had to be soaked in liquid, while the herbs needed to have dirt stuck on them cleaned, get bundled together and then hung upside down.

Right now both the work room and Jericho room is choke full of bundles of herbs hanging from above. Lecan always wondered why ceiling was so high, turned out it was for this.

After all, Shira can use <Float> to float herself, or <Move> to hang the bundles of herbs above. The three layers of herbs covering all over the ceiling was quite a view. The house is completely covered in herb fragrance.

The tall Lecan had no choice but to lower his head whenever he went around.

Morning of the fourth day, they started making <Magic Beast Ward Potpourris> using parts that didn't have high medicinal effect. Apparently this is not really an urgent job to tackle on, however since the parts that aren't used for magic potions are scattered all over the desks and floors, there's no place to even put their foot on unless they clean this mess.

They're making two kinds of potpourris.

The first potpourri is made from eight kinds of herbs. This is effective against Wolf Ogres, Boar Ogres, Ape Ogres, Bear Ogres, Insectviles, Snakeviles, Treezarre, and Ghosts. In other words, it's effective on magic beasts found outside of dungeons. Those beasts won't get near the smell. The effect is not absolute as there are cases where agitated or starving magic beasts come attacking regardless, however, it's capable of securing considerable safe space. If burned, it will demonstrate amazing effect and can even drive away agitated magic beasts.

The second potpourri is made from 21 kinds of herbs. This one is far stronger than the first kind, as it's also effective against Sky Fish, Boulderkin, Mudzarre, and Soul Ogres. It's even effective to a certain extent on Dragonkind. In short, it's effective on all kinds of magic beasts besides the Merfolks. This potpourri gets its high performance not only from the mix of rare herbs contained within but also the secret incantation put on it.

They made quite a lot of potpourris in two days, stuffed in small bags put inside barrels. Five barrels for each type, ten in total. These ten barrels have been left in the back of the work room. Along with empty barrels, inks, firewood and many other tools.

That's fine and all but Shira's room is in the back of this storeroom. In other words, Shira can't go to her bedroom unless these barrels are moved out of the way. In fact, she had been jumping over these barrels with <Float>.

"Now then. Time to go sell them."

Lecan isn't wearing his overcoat nor his sword right now. His clothes are not the combat-purposed one either, but the one he got from Zaidmahl house. He's not too eager to walk around downtown in this outfit, but he has no choice.

"Jericho you carry this barrel, Lecan you're this one."

"Bit too late for this, but do the potpourris not work on Jericho?"

"Oh did you miss it. I've put Jericho under <Morph (Wejapada)> spell. He's temporarily unable to smell, you see."

Lecan was sure that <Morph> is a magic that can only be used on the spellcaster itself, at least that was what told to him, but guess it's not applicable when you're at Shira's level.

Shira gave Jericho and Lecan one barrel each.

Jericho is in charge of the high-quality potpourri, while Lecan gets the weak one. Of course both are shut tight with caps to prevent House Apes and House Wolves falling into panic while they're being transported.

But, is it really possible pass through those confined alleys while carrying this barrel.

While Lecan was thinking that, Jericho went and got out of the door with his barrel.

But it's not the door that connects to the entranceway, it's the one that separates the kitchen and the well instead. Jericho went into the garden through that door. Lecan followed Jericho while feeling confused.

There's a lavatory hidden among the herbs or rather, poisonous plants, and on the wall diagonally behind it, there are two lines of wooden stakes embedded.

With the barrel in his left arm, Jericho climbed the stakes with his powerful right limbs and got to the top in no time.

And then he beckoned.

Lecan thought of running up the wall, but since the brick wall seemed like it'd collapse if he did that, he decided to use the stakes.

He stepped back several steps and ran up the stakes with a long jump. But his momentum was slightly lacking, thus he borrowed the power of wind at the last moment.

"Wind!"

Jericho agilely jumped onto the adjacent building's roof. And then he nimbly jumped from one building to one another and got down on the ground through a broken wall in the end. Lecan followed after him as well.

"Good work. We're going to the first shop now."

Shira had already been waiting there.

<TLN: If you're reading this novel at any other site than Sousetsuka.com you might be reading an unedited, uncorrected version of the novel.>

They arrived at a huge shop.

Lecan was surprised to see a mere drugstore could be this huge. However, the store is very prosperous.

The people coming and going in all dressed well. The entrance is wide open, several clerks are serving multiple guests at once.

A clerk called in the back of the store when he saw Shira, and then the store manager rushed out to greet Shira.

"Thank you very much for coming here. We've been eagerly looking forward for your arrival as we figured it'd be today or tomorrow. Please come on in. We'll have tea ready for you, Shira-sama."

"You don't have to. I barely got sleep in these past five days, I wanna go home quick. Would be nice if you could take these stuff off us now."

"Yes! Of course we would. It's these two barrels I assume."

"Two kinds of Magic Beast Ward Potpourris for now."

"Ooh! Two barrels full of potpourris! It's quite an amount this time. We are truly ever so grateful."

"I'll deliver the rest later. Ah, right right. This huge thing with wolf-like face is Lecan. He's my apprentice."

"Shira-sama's apprentice!?"

"The one coming next time might be this guy, take care of him now. And also, these potpourris are freshly made and are still wet. Be sure to dry them off for a month at least before you start selling them."

Instructed by the manager, the store's employers took the bags out of the barrels. And after counting the number he paid Shira for the goods.

Lecan's eyes were wide open to see the amount of money exchanged. Since the price will be even higher when it's sold to the store's customers, he wonders if these potpourris really are that valuable.

They went around five stores in the same manner. It's evening already.

The rest of stores were all huge like the first one as well. However the quality of customers differed in some ways.

Conversely speaking, how every one of those store managers dealt with Shira so politely really drives home the fact that she holds a special position as an apothecary in this town.

After leaving the fifth store and walking down the road a bit, Shira spoke to Lecan.

"Lecan. You can head home now. We're taking a break tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. I wanna sleep... No, wait a minute."

After pondering a bit, she speaks.

"You said you wanted to go to dungeons, didn't you."

"Umu."

"Though you probably knew already, the closest dungeon is two days walk away from here. Probably won't even take half a day for you though."

"Golbul Dungeon huh."

"Yah. It's gonna take ten days for water to dry off the herbs. A wee bit longer for the moss and nuts. Let's have ten days off. I'm gonna sleep for ten days. Afterward, it'll be twenty days without respite."

Then Shira gave Lecan one gold coin, saying it was his salary.

[Episode 4 Herbs Gathering Finished/ Next Time [Episode 5 Golbul Dungeon]