13





"Ah, Lecan, you're back."

"Lecan-dono. Welcome back."

"Yea. Eda. This is for you."

"Eh. Ah, it's a short sword. Can I draw it out?"

"Of course."

"This scabbard has such a lovely color. The tip is rounded off. It must be made from a nice wood. Up you go. Uwaa, the blade looks so awesome."

"Where in the world did you get that Lecan-dono?"

"Bought it at a weapon shop."

"I believe that is a sword used by my swordfighting school in the past."

"Hou."

"Eh, really. Then, Arios-kun, do you want this sword?"

"No, that is yours Eda-san. But I'd be happy if you could let me take a look for a moment."

Arios busily looked at the sword from all angles and stared at the scabbard for a while.

"Thank you very much for allowing me see this fine article."

"I wonder why was it at a weapon shop."

"It might have been sold off due to financial trouble. How much was this?"

"Two gold coins and one big silver coin."

"That is so cheap. Luck was on your side Lecan-dono. With this, the defensive form I taught Eda-san would go up one rank."

"Eda, return the short sword I lent you."

"Err. Can I not?"

"You don't need two swords."

"Umm, you see. It's a spare for when this one breaks."

"Take it then."

"Thank you, Lecan."

"But your spare should be a single-edged short sword too, we'll go order another later."

"I got it."

Even though she's got her left arm covered, Lecan is still worried she'll hurt herself with a double-edged sword. But a spare should be fine.

"I'm heading to Shira's house now. What about you guys?"

"I'm thinking of cleaning up the house."

"I shall help with the cleaning. I have other business to attend to as well."

You can live without cleaning anyway, what a weird bunch, thought Lecan.



<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >

14





"We're off to gather herbs on the 31st. What do you think about bringing Eda-chan along too?"

"Right. Let's. How many days will it take?"

"Should be around 20 days. Herb gathering should have been carried out once every two months though."

Last time, the herb gathering with Lecan started on the second month. She didn't say anything about gathering since then, and as today is on the last weeks of month six, there's a five month long blank period.

"Well, you went and gathered herbs way more precisely and quicker than I expected. We brought an outrageous amount back. Ended up gathering too much, see. Thanks to that, I spent so much time preparing them. Then once that was done, there was nothing left to do, which threw my schedule off. You've really got to follow the routine for these things, turns out."

So you say, but Lecan only followed Shira's instructions, though he didn't speak back.

"I'll gather my own shares this time around. You too should gather yours."

"Mine?"

"That's right. You can pick up Kyumis grass, the main material for stamina restoratives in this season. Since you've learned <Recovery>, I suppose you won't be as eager as before at getting your hand on stamina restoratives. However, <Recovery> is only effective the moment it's cast, whereas stamina restoratives are effective continually. They're good stuff."

"I do want stamina restoratives as well."

"Really now. Then make sure to learn how to make them proper this time."

"You can only gather Kyumis grass on month six?"

"They grow from month five to seven in this region."

"I see."

"This time we're making remedy, cold medicine, stamina restoratives and magic beast wards, oh and also antidote."

"Hm? No wound salve this time?"

"Well, about that. The main material for that is either Shura grass, Churusim grass or Purica grass. Among those, Shura grass grow in month one to month two. I got you to gather them last time."

"Umu."

"Churusim grass grow virtually all year round, but it's only effective right before the flowers bloom. In other word, month four to month five. I completely forgot to gather them this year, you see. Well regardless if we're using Shura grass, Churusim grass or Pourica grass as the main material, other sub materials are all the same, and they're all just as effective so it doesn't really matter either way."

"I see."

"I won't share you medicines I make anymore. Learn how to make the medicines you need and make them yourself. I'm telling you to go get the materials."

"I see, I got it. I want to carry a sufficient amount of remedy, cold medicine, and magic beast ward with me. I don't think I'd have a use for antidote, but I'd carry some nonetheless. As for stamina restoratives, I want all I can have."

Remedy is in pill form, it works on all kinds of entrails-related illness. Apparently it can retain its efficacy for nearly ten years.

Cold medicine is in the form of solid powder, it lasts for long.

Magic beast ward expires in about a year for the strongly effective one, but the less stronger ones can hold for five to six years.

Antidote never loses its efficacy.

Mana restoratives can last for decades depending on how well you make them, but Lecan is probably gonna use them up quick. He'll run out of magic stones if he keeps draining mana from magic stones after all, and mana restoratives recovers your mana continuously even while you're using magic, it's handy. There were many occasions where Lecan thought if only he had mana restoratives with him during Dungeon Ninae explorations.

Mana management becomes key when you're fighting many enemies at once or engaging in a series of battles. Having as many mana restoratives as possible will open up so many possibilities in those fights.

(I shouldn't have forgotten to gather Shiarigi grass.)

(Shira said she's gathered hers.)

(But I dunno how much she's willing to share.)

Mana restoratives has Zahad moss as the main material, and Nichia grass, Shiarigi sprouts and Tago grass as the sub materials.

Shira told him that they had to gather Shiarigi sprouts during their herb gathering spree for Nichia grass in month two. And yet Lecan forgot about it. Then on the last day of month four, Shira spoke to him, <I've gone and gathered Shiarigi sprouts myself since you seemed busy.>

He was the one who asked her to accept him as her apprentice in order to learn how to make mana restoratives, and yet he went and forgot to gather the materials he was told to. This blunder is completely on Lecan. He should have remembered to ask her about gathering Shiarigi back then.

(Shira might have said nothing to me about it on purpose.)

If so, she's quite a strict teacher.






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