Chapter 17 - Mana

"How can we repay you? Silver? Gold coins? We also have things that may be in your liking."

Geraldine's eyes twinkled to the question she wanted to hear, "Well, I don't need material things, I just want you to do something for me."

"As long as it's within our expertise then it's fine," Ethaen utter as his focus is on the woman in front of him.

Her eyes begin to narrow as she grinned, "It's within your expertise... I want you to spread the news about a certain healer in Bagyoo town who healed you after a near-death experience after a month and tell them that a store will be built and sells medicines as pills that can be easily swallowed," She explained and grab something in her pouch.

"Pills? What is that? I've never heard of it before," Alexjin asked as he was also curious just like the rest of them.

Geraldine opened the pouch to reveal two bluish circular pills at the size of 20 mm, "This pill can restore your mana after you reached your limit, although it can only restore a little bit of mana," She placed the two pills at the table for them to look. She knows how important mana to the people as it's one of the lacking resources at the Empire, that is why she created a pill that was made after 200 years after she became Victoria, her spear name.

The citizens at the Empire are born with mana which they used in their everyday work and sometimes it caused mana deficiency, that is why Geraldine decided to create a pill for mana renewal. Currently, the Empire is trading materials on the neighboring Kingdom in an exchange for mana ore.

Mana ore, a type of crystal mined at the Luven Kingdom below the Rakkaegia Empire. The two states signed a contract of agreement in peaceful trading so that both states can take advantage of one another. Rakkaegia getting mana ore while Luven Kingdom can get rare and expensive materials from the Empire.

"Master, you're amazing! How can you create something like this?" Alexjin looked at her with awe, just like the rest of them, making Geraldine felt awkward at their intense stares of sparkling eyes.

"I just make it once, and I still need to test it out that's why I made two of them, one for the test subject and the other as an example for the future buyers," She grabs the other pill and put it in the pouch for safety and gives it to Ethaen, "Now, who wants to try this pill?"

When she asked the question, the travelers look from side to side, avoiding her gaze as they were scared of what will happen to them if they took it, "I'll take it," Maxim grumbled as he looked at his companions, "Chickens," insulting them of being scared of a mere pill.

Maxim takes the pill off the table and stares at it for a while. In their eyes, it was like a normal stone used in pieces of jewelry but on the closer look, there was a little shining force that moves inside the pill that was too slow to even noticed by the human eyes. Maxim closed his eyes and put the pill on his tongue, tasting it but it's flavorless. The pill once contacted with his saliva instantly melt like clouds and the surge of mana essence slowly binds on his own, making him stubbled backward due to the new experience he felt.

"Maxim, are you okay!?" Ethaen holds his father whose eyes looks like it would pop out.

"I-I-I feel... ALIVE!!!" Maxim immediately stands up and does jumping jacks, "I feel revived and energized!" He runs outside the house and jogs around in circles. The rest of them are looking at him, bewildered at his sudden change of actions.

"I guess, it's not just a little bit of mana renewal," Geraldine gave an awkward laugh, "oh, before I forgot, I hide your things at the bushes at the same spot where you came from, and Alexjin, go with them and gather some Rambootan's for me," she stands up and walked to her room to rest. Closing her door, she instantly collapses on the floor due to the effects of the poison and fatigue from making the pills which she spent three days into making.

Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she slowly climbs up on her bed, her stomach is hurting and she could hear her heartbeat throbbing loudly, "I should have taken the poison one step at a time."

For the past three days, Geraldine has been feeling unwell but she didn't let them noticed it, she locked herself in her room the whole day and just let them bring food to her doorstep.

"Master, are you unwell?" Alexjin knocked on her door on the fourth day, sometimes he could hear his master's heavy breaths and ruffled scream but he didn't dare entered her privacy knowing that she told him to leave her alone for a week.

No reply came from her room which makes Alexjin worry, he's conflicted about whether or not, to disobey her orders, "Master, sorry for the intrusion, I'll accept any punishments you'll give me later," after he said that, he immediately kicked the locked door to reveal an awful smell coming inside the room, Geraldine laying on her bed submerge with the blood she puked.

"Master!!!" Alexjin's lower lips trembled to see his master lying unconscious on her bed, he went to her side and shakes her shoulder but there's no response and her body is burning hot.

He had no one to go to at that time as his mother went to the market to buy their food supplies. "Master..." He grasps her hand and leaned his head, "Please stay with me." He felt her slowed heartbeat and the weak physical strength coming out of her which is unusual to her original aura.

Alexjin focuses on his inner mana, creating a soft light surrounding him like a cloud of smoke, and slowly, it goes towards Geraldine's body, binding it with her mana to strengthen her power against the poison.